Ok this is where I am not going to follow the typical layout of the book,
this is where my mind begins an tolkien's ends. You can either love this or
hate this, but I do promise you that it does get better from here on.
FATES DECIDE
That night, Elen was on 3rd watch, she was standing far off to the side and could see everything around them, below them. She sighed as she looked up at the moon, she was still incomplete but she wouldn't tell anyone that, the bonding had slowed down the process again and she would live for another millinea or so. She did not understand this, Legolas was her mate, they had tried to be one for millions of years to no avail until now, so why did it not work? She loved Legolas like she had never loved any other, and she had been pure, like mortals, female elves contained that which made them virginal. Soon she would know why. So intent on her thoughts, she did not hear the approach of Aragorn. "quiet night Elen?" his soft voice came through the still night. "all the creatures of the earth sleep, I had thought you one of them". She responded. "there are many things on my mind, all of which are not on the quest'. She looked at him sharply, he was looking at her. "and they would be?" "Anya has unsettled me, I had believed my love for Arwen to be enough, but with that half elven around I find that I am wondering". "it has been done before Aragorn, elves are not so different". She looked past him and noticed the Legolas was asleep. She met his gaze once more. "I do not know the outcome of this quest Elen, everything is uncertain, perhaps when we reach Helms Deep, it will be clearer, how go you with Legolas?" "we have sorted out our differences, I am whole again". She told him. He nodded and smiled at her. "That is good to hear, I feared for your loss". "is there anything I can do for you Aragorn?' "no, not at the moment'. With that he turned and walked back to the fire. Elen sighed and turned back to the darkness. She did not know what he meant by that, which confused her, but at the back of her mind she feared that she knew the truth of his words.
Towards the hours of sunrise, elen noticed, no she felt more than anything something calling to her, turning sideways she found what she had felt. A small shimmer of light - it bounced and weaved its way through the trees and called to her in a silent voice. She walked towards it, and looked behind her just once, as she realized that Aragorn was no longer in camp.
She reached the glade and the shimmering orb had all but disappeared. She turned intending to retrace her steps to go back to camp, when she came face to face with Aragorn. The silence seemed deafening to the elf, and even more so to a mortal.
"you could not sleep?" she asked him softly. "no, something woke me". He answered, still not intending to move. "I saw a light, and I followed it here". She told him. "yes, something called to me earlier". Silence. "we should return to camp Estel, it is not wise to leave it unguarded for long". She advised him. He took a step to the side intending to let her pass as she did so, he reached out and stopped her. She looked at him, her eyes meeting his. "there is something I need to speak to you of Elen". With her keen elven hearing she heard footsteps coming through the foliage towards them. She moved her head towards the sound. Aragorn's words now a distant memory. Legolas came into view. "is there trouble?" he asked softly. "we saw strange lights beloved, I am returning to camp, Aragorn will scout around". She told him and moved away from the future king of Gondor. Aragorn did not move, he stood there as if thinking. Elen looked back at him. "we will continue this conversation at a later time Estel, I will not forget". She walked towards Legolas and joined him to walk back to camp.
Aragorn sighed. What was he doing? He looked up into the night sky and sighed - again. He noticed the sky was clear, and he could see stars, thousands of them and they all twinkled at him. He never noticed these things, so why now? "a ranger does not notice these things". He told himself and walked away into the darkness to scout.
"is everything alright my love?" Legolas asked her. She looked at him and smiled. "other than the darkness that follows us, everything is fine, go rest, I still have half a watch to do before Boromir wakes to take over". She told him. He touched her face and went back to the fire and laid down. But he did not sleep. He watched the sky. Elen sighed. "were the fates so wrong?" she turned to see an image of Galadriel. Her light shimmering in the air. Elen could discern her face and recognized her voice. "my lady". Elen gasped, surprised at best. "follow your heart maiden of light, that is the true path, it is written in the stars". With that her image died away and elen was again left to contemplate that message.
Aragorn arrived back at camp and dismissed Elen's gaze as he made his way back to the fire to warm his body and also to wake Boromir into taking the next watch until they left. The hobbits woke slowly and prepared breakfast, Anya spoke a while with Legolas and the dwarf kept to himself. Elen stayed where she was. She had much on her mind and aragorn's continued silence didn't make it easier. He barely spoke a word to the company - except to Legolas with whom it seemed he had a lot to speak of. Boromir observed this as well. "I have never seen him speak so much to the elf, no insult intended maiden". He told her. "none taken Boromir, tell me how do you fare?" "well, it grows colder". He rubbed his arms. She smiled slightly. "it is cold". She allowed.
"do you not feel it maiden?" he asked. "elves do not feel cold or hot, it must be of extreme temperature for us to feel either, but one thing we do not like is enclosed spaces". "yes, it is a wonder how the dwarves can live thus, I prefer open places myself, the wind, the country". He smiled as if remembering something. "Elyssia is for that life Boromir, you will both live happy, the country would suit you both". Elen told him with feeling. "do you believe we will all live through this?" he asked her quietly. "not all of us Boromir, I am sorry my kind are gifted with visions, I have seen only what I say now, I do not know more". "do you believe you will die?" "I would not have you give your life to me again Boromir, you owe me nothing, what I did is and was my decision, I believe in trueness of the soul, it is my way'. She placed her hand on his arm. He was about to say something when anya took his attention away from the maiden.
"we are traveling elen, I have packed your things". The half elf told her. "my thanks anya". She took the bag from her and put it over her shoulder.
The company started walking once again. Aragorn taking the lead and Frodo behind him then the rest. Legolas was the last one behind Elen. "elen". Legolas called to her. She was intent on a conversation with Pippin and he had her laughing. She looked back and saw legolas' face and knew that something bothered him. "please excuse me pippin, I will be back shortly". She told the Halfling then stopped and waited for Legolas to catch up. "something troubles Aragorn". He told her softly. "I know, he was silent all morning". She answered. "His heart troubles him". "I do not understand legolas'. Indeed she didn't, was the mortal with some disease? "he is betrothed to Arwen yet another takes her place in his mind at this moment". Legolas told her. "anya?" elen asked. "I do not know, but I do not think it is she". "Legolas she is the only in the company apart from me, and I am joined to you, he would not want a female who belongs to another". "no he would not". They walked on in silence. "Legolas, leave him, I will question him at a later time, I think he would of told me last night had you not come'. At look Legolas gave her she knew he took it the wrong way. She touched his arm. "nay my love, not what you think, I think he needs to speak to someone, Gandalf is gone and he has noone with whom to seek wisdom and advice". "and I am not worthy?" he asked her in disbelief. "that is not what I meant, Aragorn and I have known each other for many years, we are both rangers, I mean no disrespect to you". She answered, this was a fine time for Legolas to get jealous. He said nothing, just walked on in silence. Elen did not push for an answer or anything, now was not the time for arguments. "indeed I do not understand you at times elen, you avoid me for one thousand years, and only when you are pushed by the limitations of your immortality do you seek me out to save you". He told her angrily. She looked at him sharply. And stopped him. Doing so the others stopped also, Aragorn came back to check what was keeping them. "is something amiss?" he asked them. Elen looked at the ranger. "please continue onwards Estel we will catch up, Legolas needs to have something cleared". Aragorn hesitated. "go Aragorn now". Elen ordered him. Aragorn nodded and pushed the others onward. "with that tone who wouldn't" Boromir asked himself. The dwarf mumbled something unintelligible, and the hobbits started a whole new round of tallies. Anya kept her silence, she had heard what Legolas had told elen.
Once the others had all but disappeared over the ridge elen turned to Legolas. "are you saying that I do not love you?, that I joined you only to live longer?" she asked him. "that is what I believe Elen, I have seen nothing to the contrary". "I cannot believe you would be so presumptuous to believe that Legolas, do you think me so low?, so unfaithful to you?". "not unfaithful for I think that you are loyal to those you love". He told her. "and you think I do not feel for you". "you feel but I do not think it is love" "if it were not for the quest we are on Legolas, I would slit your throat for insulting me, should you not be questioning your own love for me?, for that is why I am not yet whole, when we joined I felt you held something back, you did not give yourself to me completely". She told him, sadness in her eyes, had she been so wrong? Had the fates been so wrong?. Galadriel's words rushed back to her and now she knew what the lady had meant. "you are an elf, we are above these things we do not hurt one another, you turn it back on me". He raised his voice just a tad. "I am the maiden of light, a higher race than those of the Teleri, my race is the Ithil'Quessirs, we do not tolerate these insults no matter what race spits them out". She told him, anger was in her voice now. "then you hold yourself higher than others'. "is it not you who hold half of your heart for another?, I will not dare speak her name now, but I feel I know who she is". Legolas went silent. He had loved Elen for 2000 years, was it true what she spoke of?. "Legolas I will not argue with you now, I do not know where this pettiness has come from, if it is from seeing Aragorn and I in the forest last night, we both saw lights, and we both followed it and ran into each other, Aragorn has sought me out for advice before, joining with you does not change this. "I had no intentions of argueing". he answered. "we must move, we have tarried here to long, if it is not words of love Legolas, do not speak to me until you have forgiven yourself for your harsh words'. She moved off. Legolas hesitated. Then followed.
The company was not far, they had stopped to wait for them offering the hobbits a chance to rest. Elen walked straight past them and kept walking. Aragorn waited for Legolas. "is something wrong Legolas?" "nothing that would concern you aragorn'. The prince told him. Then also kept walking leaving the remainder of the company to catch up with the two elves.
Anya sought Elen out. "is something wrong Elen?" The maiden looked at her in response and tapped into her thoughts silently. Anya did not detect her in her mind, it was wide open. "I had meant to ask you Nightsword, is it love you feel for Aragorn? Or is it really Legolas?" she asked her quietly. When anya offered no response for Elen had taken her quite by surprise, the maiden moved off silently and sat down next to the hobbits and had a quiet conversation with them.
FATES DECIDE
That night, Elen was on 3rd watch, she was standing far off to the side and could see everything around them, below them. She sighed as she looked up at the moon, she was still incomplete but she wouldn't tell anyone that, the bonding had slowed down the process again and she would live for another millinea or so. She did not understand this, Legolas was her mate, they had tried to be one for millions of years to no avail until now, so why did it not work? She loved Legolas like she had never loved any other, and she had been pure, like mortals, female elves contained that which made them virginal. Soon she would know why. So intent on her thoughts, she did not hear the approach of Aragorn. "quiet night Elen?" his soft voice came through the still night. "all the creatures of the earth sleep, I had thought you one of them". She responded. "there are many things on my mind, all of which are not on the quest'. She looked at him sharply, he was looking at her. "and they would be?" "Anya has unsettled me, I had believed my love for Arwen to be enough, but with that half elven around I find that I am wondering". "it has been done before Aragorn, elves are not so different". She looked past him and noticed the Legolas was asleep. She met his gaze once more. "I do not know the outcome of this quest Elen, everything is uncertain, perhaps when we reach Helms Deep, it will be clearer, how go you with Legolas?" "we have sorted out our differences, I am whole again". She told him. He nodded and smiled at her. "That is good to hear, I feared for your loss". "is there anything I can do for you Aragorn?' "no, not at the moment'. With that he turned and walked back to the fire. Elen sighed and turned back to the darkness. She did not know what he meant by that, which confused her, but at the back of her mind she feared that she knew the truth of his words.
Towards the hours of sunrise, elen noticed, no she felt more than anything something calling to her, turning sideways she found what she had felt. A small shimmer of light - it bounced and weaved its way through the trees and called to her in a silent voice. She walked towards it, and looked behind her just once, as she realized that Aragorn was no longer in camp.
She reached the glade and the shimmering orb had all but disappeared. She turned intending to retrace her steps to go back to camp, when she came face to face with Aragorn. The silence seemed deafening to the elf, and even more so to a mortal.
"you could not sleep?" she asked him softly. "no, something woke me". He answered, still not intending to move. "I saw a light, and I followed it here". She told him. "yes, something called to me earlier". Silence. "we should return to camp Estel, it is not wise to leave it unguarded for long". She advised him. He took a step to the side intending to let her pass as she did so, he reached out and stopped her. She looked at him, her eyes meeting his. "there is something I need to speak to you of Elen". With her keen elven hearing she heard footsteps coming through the foliage towards them. She moved her head towards the sound. Aragorn's words now a distant memory. Legolas came into view. "is there trouble?" he asked softly. "we saw strange lights beloved, I am returning to camp, Aragorn will scout around". She told him and moved away from the future king of Gondor. Aragorn did not move, he stood there as if thinking. Elen looked back at him. "we will continue this conversation at a later time Estel, I will not forget". She walked towards Legolas and joined him to walk back to camp.
Aragorn sighed. What was he doing? He looked up into the night sky and sighed - again. He noticed the sky was clear, and he could see stars, thousands of them and they all twinkled at him. He never noticed these things, so why now? "a ranger does not notice these things". He told himself and walked away into the darkness to scout.
"is everything alright my love?" Legolas asked her. She looked at him and smiled. "other than the darkness that follows us, everything is fine, go rest, I still have half a watch to do before Boromir wakes to take over". She told him. He touched her face and went back to the fire and laid down. But he did not sleep. He watched the sky. Elen sighed. "were the fates so wrong?" she turned to see an image of Galadriel. Her light shimmering in the air. Elen could discern her face and recognized her voice. "my lady". Elen gasped, surprised at best. "follow your heart maiden of light, that is the true path, it is written in the stars". With that her image died away and elen was again left to contemplate that message.
Aragorn arrived back at camp and dismissed Elen's gaze as he made his way back to the fire to warm his body and also to wake Boromir into taking the next watch until they left. The hobbits woke slowly and prepared breakfast, Anya spoke a while with Legolas and the dwarf kept to himself. Elen stayed where she was. She had much on her mind and aragorn's continued silence didn't make it easier. He barely spoke a word to the company - except to Legolas with whom it seemed he had a lot to speak of. Boromir observed this as well. "I have never seen him speak so much to the elf, no insult intended maiden". He told her. "none taken Boromir, tell me how do you fare?" "well, it grows colder". He rubbed his arms. She smiled slightly. "it is cold". She allowed.
"do you not feel it maiden?" he asked. "elves do not feel cold or hot, it must be of extreme temperature for us to feel either, but one thing we do not like is enclosed spaces". "yes, it is a wonder how the dwarves can live thus, I prefer open places myself, the wind, the country". He smiled as if remembering something. "Elyssia is for that life Boromir, you will both live happy, the country would suit you both". Elen told him with feeling. "do you believe we will all live through this?" he asked her quietly. "not all of us Boromir, I am sorry my kind are gifted with visions, I have seen only what I say now, I do not know more". "do you believe you will die?" "I would not have you give your life to me again Boromir, you owe me nothing, what I did is and was my decision, I believe in trueness of the soul, it is my way'. She placed her hand on his arm. He was about to say something when anya took his attention away from the maiden.
"we are traveling elen, I have packed your things". The half elf told her. "my thanks anya". She took the bag from her and put it over her shoulder.
The company started walking once again. Aragorn taking the lead and Frodo behind him then the rest. Legolas was the last one behind Elen. "elen". Legolas called to her. She was intent on a conversation with Pippin and he had her laughing. She looked back and saw legolas' face and knew that something bothered him. "please excuse me pippin, I will be back shortly". She told the Halfling then stopped and waited for Legolas to catch up. "something troubles Aragorn". He told her softly. "I know, he was silent all morning". She answered. "His heart troubles him". "I do not understand legolas'. Indeed she didn't, was the mortal with some disease? "he is betrothed to Arwen yet another takes her place in his mind at this moment". Legolas told her. "anya?" elen asked. "I do not know, but I do not think it is she". "Legolas she is the only in the company apart from me, and I am joined to you, he would not want a female who belongs to another". "no he would not". They walked on in silence. "Legolas, leave him, I will question him at a later time, I think he would of told me last night had you not come'. At look Legolas gave her she knew he took it the wrong way. She touched his arm. "nay my love, not what you think, I think he needs to speak to someone, Gandalf is gone and he has noone with whom to seek wisdom and advice". "and I am not worthy?" he asked her in disbelief. "that is not what I meant, Aragorn and I have known each other for many years, we are both rangers, I mean no disrespect to you". She answered, this was a fine time for Legolas to get jealous. He said nothing, just walked on in silence. Elen did not push for an answer or anything, now was not the time for arguments. "indeed I do not understand you at times elen, you avoid me for one thousand years, and only when you are pushed by the limitations of your immortality do you seek me out to save you". He told her angrily. She looked at him sharply. And stopped him. Doing so the others stopped also, Aragorn came back to check what was keeping them. "is something amiss?" he asked them. Elen looked at the ranger. "please continue onwards Estel we will catch up, Legolas needs to have something cleared". Aragorn hesitated. "go Aragorn now". Elen ordered him. Aragorn nodded and pushed the others onward. "with that tone who wouldn't" Boromir asked himself. The dwarf mumbled something unintelligible, and the hobbits started a whole new round of tallies. Anya kept her silence, she had heard what Legolas had told elen.
Once the others had all but disappeared over the ridge elen turned to Legolas. "are you saying that I do not love you?, that I joined you only to live longer?" she asked him. "that is what I believe Elen, I have seen nothing to the contrary". "I cannot believe you would be so presumptuous to believe that Legolas, do you think me so low?, so unfaithful to you?". "not unfaithful for I think that you are loyal to those you love". He told her. "and you think I do not feel for you". "you feel but I do not think it is love" "if it were not for the quest we are on Legolas, I would slit your throat for insulting me, should you not be questioning your own love for me?, for that is why I am not yet whole, when we joined I felt you held something back, you did not give yourself to me completely". She told him, sadness in her eyes, had she been so wrong? Had the fates been so wrong?. Galadriel's words rushed back to her and now she knew what the lady had meant. "you are an elf, we are above these things we do not hurt one another, you turn it back on me". He raised his voice just a tad. "I am the maiden of light, a higher race than those of the Teleri, my race is the Ithil'Quessirs, we do not tolerate these insults no matter what race spits them out". She told him, anger was in her voice now. "then you hold yourself higher than others'. "is it not you who hold half of your heart for another?, I will not dare speak her name now, but I feel I know who she is". Legolas went silent. He had loved Elen for 2000 years, was it true what she spoke of?. "Legolas I will not argue with you now, I do not know where this pettiness has come from, if it is from seeing Aragorn and I in the forest last night, we both saw lights, and we both followed it and ran into each other, Aragorn has sought me out for advice before, joining with you does not change this. "I had no intentions of argueing". he answered. "we must move, we have tarried here to long, if it is not words of love Legolas, do not speak to me until you have forgiven yourself for your harsh words'. She moved off. Legolas hesitated. Then followed.
The company was not far, they had stopped to wait for them offering the hobbits a chance to rest. Elen walked straight past them and kept walking. Aragorn waited for Legolas. "is something wrong Legolas?" "nothing that would concern you aragorn'. The prince told him. Then also kept walking leaving the remainder of the company to catch up with the two elves.
Anya sought Elen out. "is something wrong Elen?" The maiden looked at her in response and tapped into her thoughts silently. Anya did not detect her in her mind, it was wide open. "I had meant to ask you Nightsword, is it love you feel for Aragorn? Or is it really Legolas?" she asked her quietly. When anya offered no response for Elen had taken her quite by surprise, the maiden moved off silently and sat down next to the hobbits and had a quiet conversation with them.