Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Gimli, or any other recognizable characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. I merely wish to play with them a bit and put them back in (more or less) one piece:) I'm not making any money off this.
(*) indicates thought
Legolas softly patted down the loose earth around a small purple flower he had just transplanted to the Royal Gardens. Arwen sat not far away, singing softly as she watered freshly planted ferns. Legolas' people had come with carts of flowers, vines, ferns, and saplings of all sorts to help make Minas Tirith beautiful once more. Some looks had been exchanged between the elves and the dwarves working at the gate, but the brief passing had gone as well as could be expected. Groups of elves were scattered throughout the city, planting gardens and walkways so that all could enjoy the lovely craft of their Queen's people.
Legolas looked up as two dwarves entered the garden. Gimli and Gaila picked their
way carefully toward him, mindful of trays of seedlings and tools.
"Puttering about in the dirt, elf?"
"It appears so, Brother, and getting a fair amount on himself as he does so," laughed Gaila, reaching out to wipe a smudge of dirt from Legolas' nose. Legolas felt the tips of his ears grow warm as he ignored the look Gimli gave him.
"Done playing with your hammers are you? It has been days since you last saw fit to grace me with your presence."
"Done for the day," responded Gimli, ignoring the elf's quip. "The gates are raised. They will settle over-night before Gaila begins etching on the morrow."
"Then I suppose you have come to pester me?" asked Legolas with a long suffering sigh.
"As I recall, Legolas, you promised to teach Gimli to garden," said Gaila. "I am merely here to witness the slaughter, er...I mean lesson." Her smile was broad as she sat down next to Legolas.
"Lesson!" snorted Gimli, thumping down on Legolas' other side. "What could there be to learn? Put seed in the dirt. Water dirt. Something grows. I believe I have a grasp of the concept."
"Ah, but how much water? In what soil will the plant flourish? How much sun will it need?" Legolas laughed at the blank look on Gimli's face. "As I thought, Master Dwarf. You have much to learn."
Sometime later, both dwarves were helping the elf transplant seedlings and bury bulbs. Legolas would sometimes give advice or give the name of a plant, but for the most part, the time was spent in comfortable quiet. Legolas stood and stretched a bit before picking up a tray of small white flowers that would over time grow to a large creeping vine and walked over to where Gaila knelt turning up soil.
"I think we shall put these here, so that they may climb the wall of the garden," said the elf, sitting down next to Gaila.
"How goes the planting with the other elves?"
"Well. We shall finish ere nightfall tomorrow." Legolas handed the she-dwarf one of the small vines and watched as she gently hollowed out a place for it in the loose earth. Her large, strong hands had a grace one would not suspect.
"You finish as I begin."
"You begin tomorrow?"
"Aye, the gates rest this night. Come first light, I will begin the etchings."
"How long will the carvings take?"
"Several days, I should think. It depends on how long it takes to persuade the steel and mithril to my way of thinking," said Gaila, giving Legolas a wry smile.
"You will be leaving after that?" Legolas took another vine and began planting it, carefully avoiding Gaila's dark blue eyes.
"Not long after. I believe King Elessar wishes to have a banquet when work is completed. Then I will return to my home." She picked up another vine. "I understand that Gimli will be accompanying you to see your people home." Gaila gave a short laugh. "I am certain my brother traveling with a company of elves will be quite entertaining."
"You could accompany us."
"I think not. I have obligations at home and someone must keep and eye on Father." Legolas smiled and continued to transplant the white flowers, but he could not help but feel a sadness at the thought of Gaila leaving. She was so much like Gimli, it was impossible to love one and not the other. *If nothing else,* though Legolas, *Gimli will not have to do much persuading to get me to visit his home.* Suddenly a breeze ruffled Legolas' hair, stirring leaves of the trees above him. The trees spoke a warning. The elf looked about and saw the source of unrest. Framed by the arch entrance to the garden stood the dwarf, Thror. He did nothing, merely watched them a moment and then moved on, but the breeze still flowed and the leaves still whispered. Legolas could see Gimli watching Thror depart as well. *Perhaps Gimli does not trust Thror as much as he would have Gaila believe.*
"Legolas? What is it?"
"Nothing." Legolas turned a bright smile to Gaila and patted down the earth around the last small vine. "Nothing at all, but I do believe we are finished here. Thank you for your help."
"The least I could do, for your assistance with the gate."
"And the enjoyment of watching Gimli garden," added Legolas.
"Ah yes, that as well," grinned Gaila. Legolas rose gracefully and made his way
toward Gimli.
"How goes it Master Dwarf?"
"How would I know? After all, I know nothing of gardening. These could all be upside down for all this dwarf knows," remarked Gimli, rising to his feet. "I do know however, that I have had quite enough of this. I believe it is time for dinner."
"So it is my friend, so it is," laughed Legolas. "Come Gaila! Best to feed your brother ere he becomes grumpy."
"Alas, I fear we are too late by many years for that," said Gaila, her face a mask of great sadness.
"Grumpy am I? How is this for grumpy?" yelled Gimli, snatching up a watering can and launching its contents at Gaila. The dwarf maiden shouted but could not move quickly enough to dodge the water. Legolas and Gimli's laughter rolled through the garden as Gaila could do naught but stand and drip, her mouth an 'O' of surprise.
"Well," gasped Gimli, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, "she is clean for dinner now."
"But Brother you are still filthy." Before Gimli could blink, he too, stood doused in water. Legolas nearly fell, he was laughing so hard.
"Luckily, Lady Arwen has departed and she does not have to witness two dwarves turning her garden path to a muddy ruin," laughed Legolas, holding his stomach.
"Aye," murmured Gaila as she calmly bent to pick up a handful of mud and threw it at Legolas' face ere he knew what had happened. "Even worse two dwarves and an elf making a mess of all their hard work." Gimli was crying with laughter again as Legolas regally wiped mud from his eyes with all the grace he could muster. With that, the trio began flinging buckets of water and globs of mud at one another. Their laughter and shouts rang through the garden, over the stirring of leaves.
They did not see the dark eyes watching them.