Outside, Merry and Pippin sat side by side, Pippin in tears. Frodo walked silently, lost in his world of pain. Sam sat in silence, weeping softly. Boromir was restraining Gimli while Legolas had to stop Willow from losing control again and going back inside the mine just to gain revenge. He just held her, stroking her back as she cried for the loss of one she considered from her own kind. Wizard and witch. Both magical beings... just like Elves.
Keeping his cool, Aragorn took control of the fallen apart fellowship. "Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, help them up."
The other man didn't see it that way. "Give them some time to grieve for pity's sake."
"We don't have time to grieve!" Aragorn yelled. "As soon as darkness falls, the hills are full of Orcs. We have to gain the Lothlorien woods before nightfalls."
Once again, they all returned back to their quest, putting back their needs and pushing their emotions deep in the back of their mind. The redhead was having a hard time controlling herself, if the black eyes were any indication. She knew she would be exhausted that evening, but she was too tired too fight back the energy.
Three hours after, they were crossing the edge of Lothlorien woods. They walked silently, except for Gimli who kept telling the Hobbits that an elvish sorceress lived in that forest. He was so busy talking that he didn't notice the arrow aimed at him until he was nose to nose with it.
A group of Elves were aiming arrows at the entire fellowship and Legolas was doing the same with them. One of the Elves that aimed at Legolas yelped and droped his bow when a small bolt of energy zapped him. His eyes widened when he saw two black eyes fixed on him. Aragorn saw that the witch was about to snap. Right now, only her instinct were on and someone had threatened the man she loved with an arrow. "Willow," he commanded. She let her gaze fall down and she got closer to the only Elf of the fellowship.
After that little meeting with Haldir of Lorien, they were lead to an entire city build up in trees. They had been told that Celeborn and Galadriel, the masters of the city, were waiting for them. They walked up stairs for what seemed like an eternity. At the end of it, two Elves were there. Their skin reflected moonlight, just like Legolas in this place devoid of evilness. To Aragorn's surprise, the redhead seemed to glow as well, but her powers were still near the surface. [That's probably the reason.]
Celeborn was the first to speak. "Ten left Rivendell but you are only nine. Tell me, where is Gandalf because I'd like to speak with him."
Galadriel looked deep in Aragorn's eyes. "He's fallen into shadows." She had put her finger on the still opened injury. She let her gaze fall on Boromir and he shivered, breathing heavily as if he was under pressure. Willow frowned upon seeing him and felt Galadriel's gaze on her. She felt herself being sucked in her blue eyes. [It wasn't your fault,] she heard the Elf say in her mind. [You couldn't have done anything except jump and die.] The redhead sucked in a breath and Legolas caught her when she fell down. When she looked up again, her eyes were teary... and green. Galadriel smiled. "Tonight, your will rest in peace."
* * *
Legolas walked with Willow under the trees of the Lothlorien woods. She heard a soft melodic voice in the air.
Mithrandir, Mithrandir, A Randir Vithren
u-reniathach i amar galen
"What is it?" she asked, gently.
Surprised, the Elf looked down at her. "You can hear it?" She nodded.
I reniad lin ne mor, nuithannen
In gwidh ristennin, i fae narchannen
"It's a lament for Gandalf," he said softly, knowing the subject of the wizard was painful for her as well as for him. The prospect of eternal life was great. Good memories seemed recent even when they happened years ago, but it was also the same thing for painful memories.
I lach Anor ed ardhon gwannen
Caled veleg, ethuiannen.
Willow bit her lips. "Thanks for being there, Legolas." Her green eyes met his blue ones in perfect comprehension. The connection was now far too great between the two of them to try and deny it. "I'm not a normal witch, am I?" she asked the Elf.
He sighed. "I don't think so. You don't act as a human with powers and your senses are much more developped than a mortal woman." They changed direction, heading back to the city of Lorien. He was quite curious and had the intention to have a talk with Galadriel, the elvish sorceress, one of the oldest of his kind. He wanted to know, *needed* to know. The redhead was something he had never seen in all his lifetime. It seemed she was a mix of human, Wizard and Elf. Maybe she was the only of a kind and that it was for that reason that she couldn't go back home... because she didn't have one! "Willow," he started. "In the mine earlier, you said the name Buffy. Who is she?"
The witch froze. [Great. I lose control one minute and there I go and say what I shouldn't.] She sighed. "She's a friend. She's... special. She is the one that taught me to fight." He cocked is head, looking at her stangely. "What?"
"Was she the one that protected you when you were going after... whatever you were going after?"
Willow's eyes widened. "What *exactly* did I tell everyone in the mine?" she asked, suddenly feeling guilty for losing control.
"You said that you had seen much bigger opponants than Orcs and Trolls, but that Buffy had always been able to defeat them because she was stronger."
She groaned miserably, pleading him with her eyes to let the subject go. "All the answers are not good to know, Legolas. You might not like what I would be telling you and I don't want to risk it."
He put his finger under her chin and lifted up her head so he could look into her eyes. "Have faith in me, Willow," he whispered.
"I... I can't tell you everything, at least not yet. But yes, she was the one who protected me when we were fighting demons." Legolas eyes widened. "Yes. Vampires, ghosts, mummies, giant snake and fear goddess. I saw it all and participated in their destruction."
They came upon the resting place of the fellowship. The redhead turned toward the Elf. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted." She turned back, heading for her bed.
"Willow," Legolas's voice stopped her. "It wasn't your fault you know. You couldn't have done anything."
She smiled at him. "I know. The only thing I could have done would have been to jump and die." He gave her a quizzical look and she winked at him before going to bed.
* * *
"Galadriel."
The elvish sorceress felt Legolas join her at the mirror. "Yes, Legolas Greenleaf? You wish to speak to me about the red haired witch." He nodded, not questioning how she knew it. "Follow your heart, prince of Mirkwood. Deep inside you, you feel what she really is."
Legolas closed his eyes. He listened only to the melodic voice of Galadriel, letting her help him open the door to his own heart. Memories came back to him. She had stayed in the path made by Gandalf and Gimli in Caradhras pass, not taking the risk to walk on snow and she had heard Saruman's voice. She had been pulled by an invisble force to the door of the Moria and she had confessed that she felt bad underneath the earth, characteristic of most Elves. She had glowed in the moonlight the same way he had when entering the Lorien city and had heard Gandalf's lament even if they had been a great distance away from the main part of the city. Legolas' eyes opened wide when he realized what it was is heart knew, had known all that precious time. "She's an Elf," he whispered. "The last one born on this planet."
Galadriel smiled and put her hand on the Elf's shoulder. "She is the last one of our kind, but Elves will born for a couple more centuries."
Legolas frowned. "Then how could she be the last?" he asked, confused.
"She told you some questions weren't always good to be answered." She moved away from him. "She is wise for one so young," she sighed. Suddenly, the air seemed to get colder around them. The elvish sorceress bent down and looked deep into the archer's blue eyes. "She thinks she is doing the right thing, but you *feel* the real reason why she doesn't give you free access to her mind. Don't let her go, Legolas. She's far to precious to lose." Galadriel left the Elf alone, letting him sit down and think about what she had told him.
With a heavy sigh, the Elf sat down on a rock. He looked up, bathing in the stars and moon's lights. "She is scared," he whispered.
Keeping his cool, Aragorn took control of the fallen apart fellowship. "Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, help them up."
The other man didn't see it that way. "Give them some time to grieve for pity's sake."
"We don't have time to grieve!" Aragorn yelled. "As soon as darkness falls, the hills are full of Orcs. We have to gain the Lothlorien woods before nightfalls."
Once again, they all returned back to their quest, putting back their needs and pushing their emotions deep in the back of their mind. The redhead was having a hard time controlling herself, if the black eyes were any indication. She knew she would be exhausted that evening, but she was too tired too fight back the energy.
Three hours after, they were crossing the edge of Lothlorien woods. They walked silently, except for Gimli who kept telling the Hobbits that an elvish sorceress lived in that forest. He was so busy talking that he didn't notice the arrow aimed at him until he was nose to nose with it.
A group of Elves were aiming arrows at the entire fellowship and Legolas was doing the same with them. One of the Elves that aimed at Legolas yelped and droped his bow when a small bolt of energy zapped him. His eyes widened when he saw two black eyes fixed on him. Aragorn saw that the witch was about to snap. Right now, only her instinct were on and someone had threatened the man she loved with an arrow. "Willow," he commanded. She let her gaze fall down and she got closer to the only Elf of the fellowship.
After that little meeting with Haldir of Lorien, they were lead to an entire city build up in trees. They had been told that Celeborn and Galadriel, the masters of the city, were waiting for them. They walked up stairs for what seemed like an eternity. At the end of it, two Elves were there. Their skin reflected moonlight, just like Legolas in this place devoid of evilness. To Aragorn's surprise, the redhead seemed to glow as well, but her powers were still near the surface. [That's probably the reason.]
Celeborn was the first to speak. "Ten left Rivendell but you are only nine. Tell me, where is Gandalf because I'd like to speak with him."
Galadriel looked deep in Aragorn's eyes. "He's fallen into shadows." She had put her finger on the still opened injury. She let her gaze fall on Boromir and he shivered, breathing heavily as if he was under pressure. Willow frowned upon seeing him and felt Galadriel's gaze on her. She felt herself being sucked in her blue eyes. [It wasn't your fault,] she heard the Elf say in her mind. [You couldn't have done anything except jump and die.] The redhead sucked in a breath and Legolas caught her when she fell down. When she looked up again, her eyes were teary... and green. Galadriel smiled. "Tonight, your will rest in peace."
* * *
Legolas walked with Willow under the trees of the Lothlorien woods. She heard a soft melodic voice in the air.
Mithrandir, Mithrandir, A Randir Vithren
u-reniathach i amar galen
"What is it?" she asked, gently.
Surprised, the Elf looked down at her. "You can hear it?" She nodded.
I reniad lin ne mor, nuithannen
In gwidh ristennin, i fae narchannen
"It's a lament for Gandalf," he said softly, knowing the subject of the wizard was painful for her as well as for him. The prospect of eternal life was great. Good memories seemed recent even when they happened years ago, but it was also the same thing for painful memories.
I lach Anor ed ardhon gwannen
Caled veleg, ethuiannen.
Willow bit her lips. "Thanks for being there, Legolas." Her green eyes met his blue ones in perfect comprehension. The connection was now far too great between the two of them to try and deny it. "I'm not a normal witch, am I?" she asked the Elf.
He sighed. "I don't think so. You don't act as a human with powers and your senses are much more developped than a mortal woman." They changed direction, heading back to the city of Lorien. He was quite curious and had the intention to have a talk with Galadriel, the elvish sorceress, one of the oldest of his kind. He wanted to know, *needed* to know. The redhead was something he had never seen in all his lifetime. It seemed she was a mix of human, Wizard and Elf. Maybe she was the only of a kind and that it was for that reason that she couldn't go back home... because she didn't have one! "Willow," he started. "In the mine earlier, you said the name Buffy. Who is she?"
The witch froze. [Great. I lose control one minute and there I go and say what I shouldn't.] She sighed. "She's a friend. She's... special. She is the one that taught me to fight." He cocked is head, looking at her stangely. "What?"
"Was she the one that protected you when you were going after... whatever you were going after?"
Willow's eyes widened. "What *exactly* did I tell everyone in the mine?" she asked, suddenly feeling guilty for losing control.
"You said that you had seen much bigger opponants than Orcs and Trolls, but that Buffy had always been able to defeat them because she was stronger."
She groaned miserably, pleading him with her eyes to let the subject go. "All the answers are not good to know, Legolas. You might not like what I would be telling you and I don't want to risk it."
He put his finger under her chin and lifted up her head so he could look into her eyes. "Have faith in me, Willow," he whispered.
"I... I can't tell you everything, at least not yet. But yes, she was the one who protected me when we were fighting demons." Legolas eyes widened. "Yes. Vampires, ghosts, mummies, giant snake and fear goddess. I saw it all and participated in their destruction."
They came upon the resting place of the fellowship. The redhead turned toward the Elf. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted." She turned back, heading for her bed.
"Willow," Legolas's voice stopped her. "It wasn't your fault you know. You couldn't have done anything."
She smiled at him. "I know. The only thing I could have done would have been to jump and die." He gave her a quizzical look and she winked at him before going to bed.
* * *
"Galadriel."
The elvish sorceress felt Legolas join her at the mirror. "Yes, Legolas Greenleaf? You wish to speak to me about the red haired witch." He nodded, not questioning how she knew it. "Follow your heart, prince of Mirkwood. Deep inside you, you feel what she really is."
Legolas closed his eyes. He listened only to the melodic voice of Galadriel, letting her help him open the door to his own heart. Memories came back to him. She had stayed in the path made by Gandalf and Gimli in Caradhras pass, not taking the risk to walk on snow and she had heard Saruman's voice. She had been pulled by an invisble force to the door of the Moria and she had confessed that she felt bad underneath the earth, characteristic of most Elves. She had glowed in the moonlight the same way he had when entering the Lorien city and had heard Gandalf's lament even if they had been a great distance away from the main part of the city. Legolas' eyes opened wide when he realized what it was is heart knew, had known all that precious time. "She's an Elf," he whispered. "The last one born on this planet."
Galadriel smiled and put her hand on the Elf's shoulder. "She is the last one of our kind, but Elves will born for a couple more centuries."
Legolas frowned. "Then how could she be the last?" he asked, confused.
"She told you some questions weren't always good to be answered." She moved away from him. "She is wise for one so young," she sighed. Suddenly, the air seemed to get colder around them. The elvish sorceress bent down and looked deep into the archer's blue eyes. "She thinks she is doing the right thing, but you *feel* the real reason why she doesn't give you free access to her mind. Don't let her go, Legolas. She's far to precious to lose." Galadriel left the Elf alone, letting him sit down and think about what she had told him.
With a heavy sigh, the Elf sat down on a rock. He looked up, bathing in the stars and moon's lights. "She is scared," he whispered.