Disclaimer : LOTR belongs to the creative genius of JRR Tolkien, not me.
My Friend, My Brother
Chapter 13 Brotherhood
Upon their arrival at Edoras, the three companions witnessed a remarkable change come over Gandalf. The gentle yet subtle advice of Gandalf the Grey was replaced with the authority and power of Gandalf the White.
"He speaks more like a general in a King's Army than a wizard," whispered Aragorn to Legolas as they watched him convince Theoden to denounce the lies of Grima Wormtongue.
"I sense he is using more than words," Legolas replied. He had once asked his father if, as he had long suspected, Gandalf was in possession of the third Elven ring, Narya. Thranduil had neither confirmed nor denied it, but had made it plain that such was not a subject for discussion, particularly with spies of Sauron everywhere.
"Wizardry, you mean?" asked Aragorn.
"Of a kind," came the enigmatic reply.
"Well, whatever he is using, it worked," stated Aragorn as the Rohirrim were called to battle, lead by their revitalised King.
******
From his vantage point on the parapet of the Deeping Wall, Legolas could see thousands of small fires moving swiftly through the night, the enemy was rapidly approaching and the battle would soon begin.
"We are sorely outnumbered." Aragorn commented as he approached, following his friend's gaze into the darkness.
"Yes, as I said to Gimli, I would that we had archers from Mirkwood here, for there are too few amongst the Rohirrim. Alas, I fear that even should they desire to come to our aid, they could not. The shadow in my heart tells me that my home is even now under attack from Dol Guldur. I should be there." Legolas said sadly as he looked northward and Aragorn felt the sudden melancholy in his friend's mood.
"No, I need you here, by my side." The words were simple but expressed with a warmth and sincerity that Legolas had often felt from Aragorn, but had seldom heard him speak "Perhaps you do not realise just how greatly I value the support, encouragement and confidence you have shown me over the years. You have given me the strength to finally stop running from my unwanted destiny, to lead the Race of Men into a new dawn."
"I have not given you anything you did not already posses," Legolas replied shaking his head in denial and daring to speak of his own feelings for the first time, "except for the bond of friendship, nay, brotherhood we now share." A radiant smile accompanied his words as he continued. "It was my choice to follow you after the Fellowship was broken, and with you I will remain, not only because I believe in the cause we are fighting for, but because I believe in you." Overwhelmed by emotion, Aragorn drew Legolas into a brotherly embrace and when they parted, he held the Elf's gaze as he asked,
"Now tell me, as brother to brother, what is it that has been disturbing you ever since we left Parth Galen?" Legolas was silent for so long that Aragorn thought he would not answer and he almost missed hearing Legolas whisper with heartbreaking despair,
"An evil I can not abide. A nameless fear."
"Try to tell me." Aragorn encouraged.
"Woodelves are linked in many ways to their forests, and by being away so long, I feel as if my light is slowly fading, 'homesickness' as you call it. But that is not all, for as we move closer to Mordor, the Shadow gains strength and its evil begins to place a blanket of darkness around my soul, and I feel as if it is trying to draw me into its realm. I am afraid I will succumb, for the light I possess is no match for the darkness."
"You should have said something sooner, for it pains me to think that you would suffer in silence. I may not be an Elf, but I understand what you are describing, for I felt much the same when the One Ring tried to tempt me. It is your turn to take strength from me, for I will not let Sauron defeat me, nor take you from me." The words were spoken with the full power and majesty of his ancestry, and Legolas was both impressed by the nobility of the future King and reassured by the total confidence, and brotherly love he felt from Aragorn. He felt as if a weight was lifted from his heart.
He felt even better when the battle of the Horn burg was over, for not only had they been victorious, but also he and Gimli had engaged in a very satisfying competition to see who could claim to have taken the most Orc heads.
When they rode with Gandalf to Isengard to inspect the aftermath of the attack by Treebeard and his Ents, all three were overjoyed to find Merry and Pippin sitting on the ruined steps of Saruman's fortress. They spent a pleasant afternoon regaling each other with the tales of their exploits whilst they had been separated. When Gandalf returned with King Theoden from their visit with Treebeard, the company left Saruman and Wormtongue in Isengard safely guarded by the Ents and headed back to Helm's Deep.
The appearance of the Black Rider, the Nazgul, after Pippin mistakenly looked into the palantir of Orthanc, caused much concern and Gandalf rode with him to warn Minis Tirith that the Shadow had arisen and his eye was set on their destruction. Such would have been achieved, but for he arrival by River of Aragorn and his Grey Company, with the banner of Elendil which Arwen had woven for her love: the White Tree of Gondor surrounded by Seven Stars with a crown above it, flying from the mast of the flagship.
Despairing that Frodo and Sam had ever reached Mordor, Aragorn and the Lords of Gondor and their army of six thousand brave men marched to the very gates of Barad-Dur. The mists of Mordor shrouded the land, making the place seem more desolate still, as the Army of the West made a final camp before the assault of the Black Gates of Mordor.
Legolas stood to one side of the camp resting his hand on one of the only trees that still retained a spark of life. His thoughts had once again turned to Mirkwood and the sadness he felt that he could not be there for his father and his people. A sweet elvish voice filled the area as Legolas sang a lament for his beloved forest and all the lives lost in the battle with the Shadow. It was also a lament for himself, for he had heard the cry of the gull as Galadriel had foreseen, and knew that before long he would have to answer the call of the sea. In a sudden flash of hindsight, he realised this was the feeling that had been pulling at his soul ever since Gandalf had given him the message from Lorien.
Aragorn heard the melancholy song and moved from the fire he was tending to join his friend.
"Homesick again?" he asked gently, choosing to ignore the tears of sadness which welled in the soulful eyes. Legolas turned to him knowing that his friend would understand his grief.
"So many, Aragorn..so many have fallen to the Shadow already, and so many more to come. I finally begin to understand my father's fear and why his rule seems so harsh. We are about to fight a battle that should have been over three thousand years ago." Aragorn merely nodded, then said quietly,
"Yes, I wish that Isildur had had the strength to resist the power of the One Ring and destroy it, the cost of keeping it has been far too high." He said sadly, for not only had many lives been lost, but also on the journey to Pelargir, he had lost his dearest friend to the sea longing that had been awakened by the gulls.
Legolas placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, "You resisted the temptation, heir of Isildur, you let Frodo go," he reminded him firmly. "You do not have the same weakness as you forefather. However, you would also be wise not to forget that he was also a great leader before he gave in to darkness. Look around you at the men, of all races, who follow you. They see the greatness in you, they have faith that you will defeat Sauron and that Middle Earth will be free from the shadow." The absolute confidence in the Elf's eyes boosted Aragorn's spirit.
"I will, I swear," he vowed as he clasped Legolas' arm in the warrior's grip, "and my brother, the grandson of Oropher will be beside me to help ensure that Sauron's evil army is destroyed."
The final battle of the Ring War was waged and won, and a triumphant Aragorn returned to Minis Tirith to be crowned King Elessar, fulfilling his destiny and winning the hand of his beloved Arwen. They were wed on Midsummer's day and true to his word, Legolas celebrated his friend's long awaited day with song.
My Friend, My Brother
Chapter 13 Brotherhood
Upon their arrival at Edoras, the three companions witnessed a remarkable change come over Gandalf. The gentle yet subtle advice of Gandalf the Grey was replaced with the authority and power of Gandalf the White.
"He speaks more like a general in a King's Army than a wizard," whispered Aragorn to Legolas as they watched him convince Theoden to denounce the lies of Grima Wormtongue.
"I sense he is using more than words," Legolas replied. He had once asked his father if, as he had long suspected, Gandalf was in possession of the third Elven ring, Narya. Thranduil had neither confirmed nor denied it, but had made it plain that such was not a subject for discussion, particularly with spies of Sauron everywhere.
"Wizardry, you mean?" asked Aragorn.
"Of a kind," came the enigmatic reply.
"Well, whatever he is using, it worked," stated Aragorn as the Rohirrim were called to battle, lead by their revitalised King.
******
From his vantage point on the parapet of the Deeping Wall, Legolas could see thousands of small fires moving swiftly through the night, the enemy was rapidly approaching and the battle would soon begin.
"We are sorely outnumbered." Aragorn commented as he approached, following his friend's gaze into the darkness.
"Yes, as I said to Gimli, I would that we had archers from Mirkwood here, for there are too few amongst the Rohirrim. Alas, I fear that even should they desire to come to our aid, they could not. The shadow in my heart tells me that my home is even now under attack from Dol Guldur. I should be there." Legolas said sadly as he looked northward and Aragorn felt the sudden melancholy in his friend's mood.
"No, I need you here, by my side." The words were simple but expressed with a warmth and sincerity that Legolas had often felt from Aragorn, but had seldom heard him speak "Perhaps you do not realise just how greatly I value the support, encouragement and confidence you have shown me over the years. You have given me the strength to finally stop running from my unwanted destiny, to lead the Race of Men into a new dawn."
"I have not given you anything you did not already posses," Legolas replied shaking his head in denial and daring to speak of his own feelings for the first time, "except for the bond of friendship, nay, brotherhood we now share." A radiant smile accompanied his words as he continued. "It was my choice to follow you after the Fellowship was broken, and with you I will remain, not only because I believe in the cause we are fighting for, but because I believe in you." Overwhelmed by emotion, Aragorn drew Legolas into a brotherly embrace and when they parted, he held the Elf's gaze as he asked,
"Now tell me, as brother to brother, what is it that has been disturbing you ever since we left Parth Galen?" Legolas was silent for so long that Aragorn thought he would not answer and he almost missed hearing Legolas whisper with heartbreaking despair,
"An evil I can not abide. A nameless fear."
"Try to tell me." Aragorn encouraged.
"Woodelves are linked in many ways to their forests, and by being away so long, I feel as if my light is slowly fading, 'homesickness' as you call it. But that is not all, for as we move closer to Mordor, the Shadow gains strength and its evil begins to place a blanket of darkness around my soul, and I feel as if it is trying to draw me into its realm. I am afraid I will succumb, for the light I possess is no match for the darkness."
"You should have said something sooner, for it pains me to think that you would suffer in silence. I may not be an Elf, but I understand what you are describing, for I felt much the same when the One Ring tried to tempt me. It is your turn to take strength from me, for I will not let Sauron defeat me, nor take you from me." The words were spoken with the full power and majesty of his ancestry, and Legolas was both impressed by the nobility of the future King and reassured by the total confidence, and brotherly love he felt from Aragorn. He felt as if a weight was lifted from his heart.
He felt even better when the battle of the Horn burg was over, for not only had they been victorious, but also he and Gimli had engaged in a very satisfying competition to see who could claim to have taken the most Orc heads.
When they rode with Gandalf to Isengard to inspect the aftermath of the attack by Treebeard and his Ents, all three were overjoyed to find Merry and Pippin sitting on the ruined steps of Saruman's fortress. They spent a pleasant afternoon regaling each other with the tales of their exploits whilst they had been separated. When Gandalf returned with King Theoden from their visit with Treebeard, the company left Saruman and Wormtongue in Isengard safely guarded by the Ents and headed back to Helm's Deep.
The appearance of the Black Rider, the Nazgul, after Pippin mistakenly looked into the palantir of Orthanc, caused much concern and Gandalf rode with him to warn Minis Tirith that the Shadow had arisen and his eye was set on their destruction. Such would have been achieved, but for he arrival by River of Aragorn and his Grey Company, with the banner of Elendil which Arwen had woven for her love: the White Tree of Gondor surrounded by Seven Stars with a crown above it, flying from the mast of the flagship.
Despairing that Frodo and Sam had ever reached Mordor, Aragorn and the Lords of Gondor and their army of six thousand brave men marched to the very gates of Barad-Dur. The mists of Mordor shrouded the land, making the place seem more desolate still, as the Army of the West made a final camp before the assault of the Black Gates of Mordor.
Legolas stood to one side of the camp resting his hand on one of the only trees that still retained a spark of life. His thoughts had once again turned to Mirkwood and the sadness he felt that he could not be there for his father and his people. A sweet elvish voice filled the area as Legolas sang a lament for his beloved forest and all the lives lost in the battle with the Shadow. It was also a lament for himself, for he had heard the cry of the gull as Galadriel had foreseen, and knew that before long he would have to answer the call of the sea. In a sudden flash of hindsight, he realised this was the feeling that had been pulling at his soul ever since Gandalf had given him the message from Lorien.
Aragorn heard the melancholy song and moved from the fire he was tending to join his friend.
"Homesick again?" he asked gently, choosing to ignore the tears of sadness which welled in the soulful eyes. Legolas turned to him knowing that his friend would understand his grief.
"So many, Aragorn..so many have fallen to the Shadow already, and so many more to come. I finally begin to understand my father's fear and why his rule seems so harsh. We are about to fight a battle that should have been over three thousand years ago." Aragorn merely nodded, then said quietly,
"Yes, I wish that Isildur had had the strength to resist the power of the One Ring and destroy it, the cost of keeping it has been far too high." He said sadly, for not only had many lives been lost, but also on the journey to Pelargir, he had lost his dearest friend to the sea longing that had been awakened by the gulls.
Legolas placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, "You resisted the temptation, heir of Isildur, you let Frodo go," he reminded him firmly. "You do not have the same weakness as you forefather. However, you would also be wise not to forget that he was also a great leader before he gave in to darkness. Look around you at the men, of all races, who follow you. They see the greatness in you, they have faith that you will defeat Sauron and that Middle Earth will be free from the shadow." The absolute confidence in the Elf's eyes boosted Aragorn's spirit.
"I will, I swear," he vowed as he clasped Legolas' arm in the warrior's grip, "and my brother, the grandson of Oropher will be beside me to help ensure that Sauron's evil army is destroyed."
The final battle of the Ring War was waged and won, and a triumphant Aragorn returned to Minis Tirith to be crowned King Elessar, fulfilling his destiny and winning the hand of his beloved Arwen. They were wed on Midsummer's day and true to his word, Legolas celebrated his friend's long awaited day with song.