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
The next morning was beautiful, with a bright sun shining off the Gates and a light breeze
stirring the freshly tended flowers of Minas Tirith. A small crowd had gathered in the clearing before the Gates to send off the company of dwarves and farewells were been said all about. Aragorn and Arwen, took each dwarf in turn, thanking them and wishing them a good journey. Dwarves milled about, securing supplies, tightening straps on wagons of tools, checking harnesses of ponies.
Gaila walked to Legolas and gazed up at him serious eyes.
"I wish to thank you, Legolas."
"For what?"
"For being a friend to Gimli." She continued to hold his eyes and add weight to her words. "Dwarves are not an overly emotional people. We do not let our feelings be shown often." Gaila cast a glance at Gimli, who was bidding others farewell. "I will tell you this, though it is not my place. I would have you know. Never have I seen my brother so happy as he is with you, no matter how gruff he may act. He smiles more now, laughs more. I thank you for bringing that out of him." Gaila bowed low. "I am forever in your debt, Master Elf." Legolas blinked at her sincerity, but found he had to clear his own throat before he could speak.
"You owe me nothing, Gaila. Believe me when I say, whatever I have given Gimli, he gives to me as well. He is my brother in every way but blood."
"I have heard it said," murmured Gaila, a smile returning to her face," that friends are the family you choose for yourself. Know that I too, call you brother."
"You honor me, Daughter of Gloin." Elf and dwarf had each other's gaze, saying many things and none at all. The moment was broken by Gimli's approach.
"You will send my greetings to Father?"
"Of course, Brother. I believe the bits about your failure to accompany me home being due to your traveling with elves will conveniently slip my mind."
"A wise idea. See how wise my sister is, Legolas?" Gimli and Gaila shared their twin smiles. "I shall send word more often, to keep you from chasing me all over Middle Earth. Valar only knows where this fool elf will drag me off to." Gimli gave Legolas a mighty slap on the back. Legolas winced, but found himself smiling as well.
"You know how Gimli finds trouble, Gaila. You shall be safer as far from him as you can manage. I will do my best to keep him from harm." Gaila gave an incredulous shake of her head, braid swinging.
"How the two of your traveled so many leagues and faced such danger without killing each other or forcing someone else to kill you is quite beyond me."
"Beyond me as well, Gaila." The three turned to see Aragorn striding toward them. "I often had to hold my own desire to end their eternal squabbling." He gave the pair a fond smile and turned to Gaila. "Again, my thanks to you, Gaila, daughter of Gloin. You are welcome in Gondor and I count you as friend. Return here whenever you wish."
"An honor, King Elessar," said Gaila dipping her head. "May your city flourish and peace favor your lands. Should you ever need my help again, I stand at your service." Aragorn bowed in return and moved on to others preparing to leave. Legolas too, moved off to bid safe journey to a few other dwarves he had become friendly with, leaving brother and sister to their good-byes. When he turned back in the direction of Gimli and Gaila, he caught sight Gimli reaching out to gently push a strand of Gaila's hair behind her ear. The breeze carried snatches of thier conversation to the elf as he slowly approached them from across the clearing.
"You are certain, Gaila?" She smiled reassuringly and tugged gently at his beard.
"I am certain, Gimli. I will be fine, go with Legolas. I honestly do not know why you are so troubled." Gimli looked at her face searchingly, and sighed softly.
"Nor do I." Gaila patted Gimli's cheek softly.
"I will be fine, Brother. All will be well." Gaila bent to fasten her axe to the top of their pack, within easy reach and swung it onto her back. Gimli refused to meet Legolas' gaze as the dwarf moved off to stand next to Aragorn. Everyone was nearly ready to move out. Gaila smiled up at the elf as he helped her arrange her pack. "I do not understand it. Gimli is fussing over me as if I still had not swung my first hammer, and you are nearly as bad. Is there something you have failed to tell me, Legolas?"
"Not to my knowledge," said Legolas, returning her smile, even as he thought to himself. *I do not know, but I have caught your brother's mood. He worries.* "Do be careful, Gaila. I do not wish to handle your brother should we have to come save you from something."
"I do not blame you," laughed Gaila lightly. She stood back and looked at the elf a moment, before bowing. "Farewell, Legolas. Until we meet again." Legolas returned her bow.
"A star shone on the hour of our meeting, Gaila. One shines now, on the hour of our parting. I wish you safe journey." The dwarven maid turned to join the rest of her people, who stood before Aragorn. Legolas went to stand behind Gimli, awaiting the final farewell.
"The land of Gondor and the city of Minas Tirith commends your great skills and thanks you for sharing them with us." Aragorn's voice rose into the morning carried over the peoples gathered there. We wish you safe journey, go in peach and ever be welcome here." The company of dwarves bowed as one, and turned to begin their trip home. The people gathered cheered as they walked away, calling out well wishes and thanks. Legolas put his hand on Gimli's shoulder. The dwarf felt tense, almost as if he were a breath away from running after Gaila. They watched the departing party until Gimli could see them no more, but still the dwarf and elf remained. Aragorn turned to return the palace, arm in arm with Arwen. He gave Legolas a meaningful look, but continued on at the barely perceptible shake of the elf's head. Legolas put his other hand on Gimli's other shoulder and squeezed gently.
"Gimli, will you tell me what troubles you? I ask no more than you ask of me, to share with you my thoughts, no matter how dark or ill founded." The dwarf relaxed a fraction under Legolas' hands as he sighed deeply.
"Nothing troubles me, precisely. Nothing I can put to a name. Just a whisper of a shadow."
"What does it speak of?"
"That I have seen my sister alive for the last time."
The remaining time spent in Minas Tirith was uneventful until the day after the dwarves had departed. That night, Legolas was roused from his room by noise in the hallway outside. *That sounds suspiciously like it is coming from Gimli's room.* The elf found several guards standing in the hallway, looking at one another.
"What is it?" asked Legolas, he kept his face a careful mask, but already his stomach clenched. He feared he already knew.
"An alarm was raised by the Tower Guard," answered one of the soldiers. "The dwarves have returned, some of them. They came bearing a letter." The guard held up a stained parchment. Legolas took it and examined it. Too few of the dwarvish runes looked familiar enough for him to discern what it said. "After Master Gimli read it, he took off. To see why they have returned, I would assume."
Legolas arrived to a sight that further tightend the knot in his stomach. In the courtyard of the palace stood hardly half the dwarves that left earlier the day before, looking haggard. Gimli was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Gaila. The elf sighted a dwarf he recognized, one of Gimli's friends, and made his way toward him.
"Doin, what has happened? Why have you returned?" The dwarf closed his eyes tiredly, but opened them again to motion to the letter in Legolas' hand.
"We were attacked from within, Legolas. They have taken Gaila."
"They who, Doin? What does this say?" Legolas held up the parchment.
"My honor will wait no longer," quoted Doin, anger simmering in his voice. "We have your sister. You will come to the Midpath Cave or we will break her hands beyond repair. My father will be avenged."
"Thror," growled Legolas, flinging the parchment to the ground. "Who works with him?"
"Others," spat Doin. "Others who believe Thror deserves another chance to defeat Gimli in battle."
"Does he?" Fire lept into the dwarf's eyes.
"Nay. He lost that claim long ago. There is no honor in what he does now. There is only madness."
"You said you were attacked..."
"They attempted to carry off Gaila in the night, while we slept. We did not know what was happening, only Gaila managed to cry out and awaken us. Fights broke out, we tried to stop them. They killed their own people to have leverage against Gimli for a feud that should be long dead." Doin's anger was only slightly greater than the guilt Legolas heard in his voice. "No one suspected. It did not stand out that they volunteered for the watch. We did not know what they planned, Valar save us, we did not see." Doin refused to say more, not that Legolas desired to hear more. He was fairly sick at what he had
learned. Gaila was taken and being used as bait to lure his best friend to a battle that would be less than fair. The shadow that had whispered to Gimli had not lied and Gimli would never forgive himself for not heeding it.
Legolas found Gimli sitting on the floor of a little used hallway. Legolas advanced carefully, unsure of Gimli's state. His friend stared blankly at the wall in front of him, unseeing and unmoving. Legolas sat beside him, and waited. They sat like that for long moments before Legolas tried to rouse the dwarf.
"Gimli?" There was no indication he heard Legolas. The elf gently placed his hand on Gimli's arm and tried again. "Gimli." For a moment Legolas despaired of reaching his friend, then Gimli's eyes slowly focused onto his face.
"Legolas?" Legolas' heart ached at the desolation in Gimli's voice.
"Yes, my friend, I am here."
"Legolas, did you read it? They have my sister."
"I read it, I know."
"They will torture her if I do not come. They will break her hands."
"No Gimli, we will find her, we will not allow that to happen."
"Our hands, Legolas, our hands are our lives. How will she carve and etch if they maim her?"
"Gim..." The dwarf continued on, as if Legolas had not spoken, his voice rising.
"It would be better should they kill her." The dwarf's voice continued to rise. "It would be better should I have their heads on a block!" he finished with a roar. As Legolas blinked, the dwarf was on his feet bringing his axe to bear on a door. As wordless bellows of rage filled the hallway, the door was reduced to planks, then shards, then toothpicks. It was only after the door was utterly destroyed and Gimli knelt among the wreckage, did Legolas dare approach.
"Legolas." Gimli looked up at his friend, his eyes shining with tears. "They have taken my sister." Legolas drew the dwarf to his feet and gripped his shoulders.
"We will not abandon her to this fate. You have my bow and my life, Gimli, if it will aid you. Go where you must to save Gaila, I will go with you."