Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! It might be shocking to know that
I actually thought about killing Irulan in this chapter. I thought "Why
not? People die for the most stupid reasons and not everyone gets to have a
glorious death...but then...still too much good stuff ahead...so she stays.
Is Legolas out of character? Hmmm.. Maybe. But I realized that he is not the cool elf like others, at all. That scene in the council proves him to be a rather emotional elf who expresses his emotions openly, if you ask me. In TTT too, I got that impression. Besides, he is in love - and we know that acting silly is a part and proof of that. Sigh....those are my two cents on the matter.
Irulan was listening to the elvish prayer Legolas was softly whispering for Merry and Pippin. She was trying hard to trick herself into believing that the sting of tears in her eyes was because of the smoke, not the pain. 'To come this far, only to lose them not even to orcs, but to Rohirrim! What kind of fate is that?!' she thought with bitter sadness and swallowed hard. Everybody seemed devastated. And no surprise - not only did they love Merry and Pippin as much as she had, but this task was the last haven for them. They felt responsible. After all, they were the great warriors and yet, they had failed taking care of their weaker brothers. They felt lost. The Fellowship was broken, they could never find Frodo and Sam again, and they did not know what to do with themselves now.
Irulan massaged her face and slowly walked up to Aragorn. He was kneeling on the ground, a heap of pain and shame. She stood behind him and gently squeezed his shoulder. He did not look up, but only shook his head like a curse to himself. He looked like he could face Sauron right now in a one-on- one fight and actually make him pay for all this. Irulan looked into the open plains of Rohan. 'We have failed this mission,' she thought. 'We have failed it in every possible way.'
Just at that moment Aragorn said "A hobbit lay here," and she turned around to look at him. He was crouching on the ground, touching the dirt, softly pushing aside patches of grass. Then he took a few steps and knelt down again, looking at the tracks. "They crawled........their hands were bound," he said. Irulan walked up behind him, and watched intrigued. Everyone knew that Aragorn was the best ranger in Middle Earth. Even Gandalf had called him the best hunter and tracker of his times. He could read nature like people read books. She looked at Legolas and he looked back smiling, hope twinkling in his eyes. They joined Gimli and began to follow Aragorn from a comfortable distance, to avoid crowding his space and messing up the tracks.
By the looks of it, the two hobbits had cut their bonds and then ran.......were followed by someone.......ran some more.........and finally ran into.......
"Fangorn Forest," said Aragorn. The company halted and stood amazed by the border of the forest.
"Fangorn Forest? What madness drove them in there?" whispered Gimli and Irulan felt the hair on her arms rise. The little hope in her heart suddenly diminished drastically. Those two hobbits in..........Fangorn Forest? 'Certainly they had a higher chance with the Uruk-hai' she thought, and then instantly slapped herself mentally for thinking so. 'Don't you have faith, Irulan?' she scolded herself. 'Even a little bit?'
She looked at Aragorn. Once more everyone looked at Aragorn. 'Good thing he does not get tired of leading,' she thought suddenly. It was not an easy task at all, to take the responsibility of so many. But Aragorn did it without thinking - he just walked his path and as many leaders, others naturally followed, glued to his magnetic pull. She never heard him make a claim, saying he knew better, or that he had the right to decide, or anything of that sort. And yet, even though he insisted to remain 'one of the others', Aragorn was destined to be great man and even the finest ranger of Middle Earth was not fast or clever enough to escape his destiny.
Aragorn looked at them and saw open surrender to his lead. He turned around and walked into the forest and the others followed without the slightest hesitation.
It was the strangest forest Irulan had ever seen. It was both oddly enchanting, and at the same time intimidating. Again, there was that stagnant air......and that odd feeling that there were others here with her, although she knew there were not. Like when one stands in a room and feels someone enter, and one is absolutely sure of it, only there is noone there when he turns around to look. She shuddered slightly and instinctively moved closer to Legolas.
"The air is so close here," said Gimli nervously with a low voice. For some reason, they were all whispering, although it was certainly unnecessary.
"This forest is old," said Legolas softly, looking up to the trees, "very old." 'I wonder how he sees or feels this,' she thought suddenly. It was another curious quality of the elves. She had always wondered how they perceived their surroundings, for they seemed to be very intimately connected to everything around them - especially in nature. 'It is like we are walking around blindfolded when their eyes are uncovered,' she thought. 'Who knows how much of this world is flowing by us, unnoticed!'
"Full of memories.........and anger," continued Legolas softly. 'Anger?' thought Irulan and unconsciously scooted closer to him. It was odd really and she certainly would stop herself from doing so if she was aware of it, but as her shell was becoming weaker and weaker, Irulan felt pulled to the protectiveness of Legolas more and more. Her change was plain to see from the outside, but she herself did not (thankfully) stop to analyze it -at least yet- and therefore saw no oddity or harm in seeking shelter in Legolas. Besides, he was too wise to make her realize her metamorphosis. She would move closer and he would naturally throw an arm around her waist, comforting her. Or she would reach out and he would naturally hold her hand. It was so flowing with him, most of the time she was not even aware how curious that looked between an elf and a woman like Irulan.
"The trees are talking to each other!" he said finally and Irulan stepped up to his side a little nervous.
"What are they saying, Legolas?" she whispered, looking up herself.
He smiled down at her and sensing her timidity, gently took her hand. Irulan was so busy trying to listen, she did not even realize it. She only felt the comfort and like a baby feeling its mother, she remained in that state. "They are jealous of your sight," he whispered to her. Irulan looked up at him with open annoyance on her face. "Very funny indeed!" she whispered back and shot the grinning elf a dark look. But she did not remove her hand.
"Gimli, lower your axe!" whispered Aragorn. Indeed! Irulan almost laughed out at his expression. Running around with a raised axe in a forest like this was certainly very Gimli-like. He hastily lowered it down.
Suddenly she felt Legolas stir, then he took a few steps, pulling her along and remained still. Irulan held her breath and looked up at him expectantly. Aragorn and Gimli approached as well. Legolas said something in elvish and Aragorn replied in elvish. Speaking elvish at a time like this! Irulan felt like screaming with desperation and she was about to ask bitterly for a translation when Legolas said "The White Wizard approaches," with a very low voice.
A tenseness fell on the company. Irulan very slowly removed her hand and drew her sword from the sheath tied to her back. She dared not take out the staff and extend it now. She looked at Aragorn and he looked back with the open expression of a sinking heart. 'So this is how it ends,' Irulan thought suddenly. 'Come all this way and die at the hands of Saruman'. She swallowed softly.
"Do not let him speak, he will cast a spell on us," said Aragorn. Irulan felt like the spell had already been cast - she felt numb and unable to move with fear. Her throat was dry and her hands cold as ice. Saruman the White! 'I'd rather face Sauron,' she thought suddenly, knowing that that made absolutely no sense, but feeling scared beyond anything at the moment. She looked up at Aragorn and he nodded ever so slightly. She would Shift. There was no other way. And even if there was, she would never take the chance against an Istari. Irulan closed her eyes and felt a moment of fear when her nervousness blocked her way to calmness. But then, she reached again and calmness came swiftly and she stood ready.
She saw the white light stretching her own shadow in front of her and all four turned instantly. Irulan Shifted. She was a single blade from head to toe now, yearning to kill, moving with the irresistible passion of slaying. She took three steps around the frozen company. An unbelievable white light was in front of her and she could make out the outline of a figure and a staff. Three more steps and she would be in a lethal range. She raised her sword and moved forward.........only to be thrown back in the void. It happened so fast, her brain did not even register. The only thing she felt in the void was the odd feeling of running into a wall with all her might. One moment she was taking a step towards the light, the other moment she was at least ten feet further away, kneeling on the ground, thrown out of the void, clutching her stomach which seemed to be the source of an unbelievable pain. With the world and the immediate pain came the ability to think and the first thing that popped up in her mind was 'You seriously didn't think you could take out an Istari of the White Order that easily, did you?' She moaned as breath left her and refused to return with the immense onslaught of pain. 'How did he know that I would Shift? How did he know I knew how to Shift?' asked a part of her brain, but it was a too distant part to be given serious attention at the moment.
Legolas shot his arrow but it was deflected by the White Wizard, as was Gimli's axe. Aragorn did not even get as far as the others - his sword turned a deep crimson in his hand and he barely had time to let it fall before it burned his hand. The light washed over them and over their hearts like shadow itself. It took them moments to realize that Irulan was nowhere to be seen. Aragorn and Legolas were the first to feel her absence and hastily looked around, while trying to block out the blinding light. Aragorn saw her under a tree at least ten feet away, bent over double, her sword gone from her hand, in obvious pain, but he failed to react for lack of understanding how that could be possible when Legolas dashed by him and was standing before her in an instant.
Irulan felt dizzy with the lack of breath. She felt her eyes stinging with tears and her head throbbing with an odd pulse, probably because of whatever happened during the Shifting. She barely saw Legolas arriving by her side, and did not even feel his hand on her back. Legolas instinctively placed himself before her for protection. In his mind he knew that that meant nothing against the Saruman, but his body reacted on its own. He was trying to understand her state and at the same time, glancing back to the light, trying to see what is going on.
Irulan finally managed to inhale just a little bit after what seemed like ages, only to realize that inhaling made the pain even worse. Yet she inhaled again and deeper the next time and only wished for a swift death at the moment. The light seemed to get brighter and brighter, until it covered everything in sight.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," a voice echoed from it. It was as mighty and threatening as she had imagined Saruman's voice to be. Oddly inhuman too. She knew that the Wizards were not human, of course, and yet because of Gandalf, her brain often failed to make a distinction. 'Gandalf!' she thought with sad amusement. 'Saruman has won. I am so sorry.'
"Where are they?" yelled Aragorn. He actually sounded challenging!
"They passed this way, the day before yesterday," came the reply and it sounded amused. Irulan breathed again and the world seemed to swim. 'Maybe my perception at the moment is not at its best!' she thought ruefully. Once again Legolas swiftly leaned down to her, trying to see if she was badly wounded or not, but Saruman continued: "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
She tried to get up and stubbornly removed her hand from her stomach and put it on the ground. Legolas knelt down by her, "Don't get up, Irulan," he whispered. She only obeyed because she could not get up anyway. As a matter of fact, she was barely keeping herself from falling flat on her face at the moment. He softly touched her head, once more glancing over his shoulder to the Wizard, and Irulan felt like crying in frustration.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" shouted Aragorn again. 'Well thanks to that man, at least we won't die looking like cowards,' she thought and looked up, swallowing hard. She tasted blood in her mouth, but had no idea whether it was coming up from deeper inside her, or whether she had bitten her tongue or her cheeks.
The light dimmed. And a man in white appeared. Only it did not look like she thought Saruman would. As a matter of fact.......it looked a lot like............ 'I am dying for sure,' thought Irulan suddenly and could not help to moan. She felt like laughing suddenly. 'Gandalf has come to guide my soul!' And it felt oddly good. As a matter of fact she felt relieved and glad. She felt a tear gliding down her cheek and knew that it was not really because of the pain, but because of a happiness swelling in her. 'I will go and remain with Gandalf!' she thought and suddenly she was 6 years old again.
A fleeting thought of Legolas came back to her then and she felt such sadness for leaving him behind. He was looking away again, frozen in surprise and she wanted to touch him and say goodbye. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry. That he should not die in grief. That he should travel through Middle Earth to fulfill her wish. That he should find another to heal, since it seemed to do him so well. She also wanted to tell him that she loved him. More than anything and anyone.
But her body failed her. 'Gandalf, I have so much to tell you!' she thought with distant enthusiasm as even the bright light of Saruman faded softly into black, 'Did you know that I was in love with Legolas?' Blackness took her and for some odd reason, she thought about her mother and that was her last coherent thought. She surrendered willingly.
Legolas was so surprised by Gandalf's appearance he did not hear Irulan until she collapsed on the forest floor beside him. The world stopped. He forgot all about Gandalf and Saruman, Aragorn and Gimli, the Fangorn Forest and The Ring, Sauron and Middle Earth. Suddenly his mind stopped and he felt himself being torn off from his own body. He saw his own body hastily picking Irulan up and gently lowering her back in a sitting position to the bark of the tree, but it was so much like dreaming..........so distant and impossible that it was actually beyond dreaming for sure. He felt nothing and thought nothing. Irulan was not moving. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she was resting. In his numbness he thought of nothing at all while looking at her. He just stood there, frozen in a timeless fragment, oddly stupefied.
Centuries later an invisible slap landed on his face and Legolas blinked. A sudden onslaught of pain and fear suddenly took him and swept him away. Legolas had feared a lot in the past. Many times in battle he had felt fear and concern for himself and others. He had faced magic and evil and that, too, had sparked fear in him. But this was beyond anything he had ever felt before. He felt something horrible taking hold of him and twisting his mind, bending it and squeezing it. 'Irulan is dead,' it hissed and it was Legolas himself. Then another Legolas sprang up instantly and he bolted 'No! She can not die!'. 'Oh but she is.......she is gone.......for all eternity,' hissed the first one, and a third Legolas appeared, confused 'What is death? What does that mean, 'gone'?' he said. 'She can not die!' screamed the second one and a fourth Legolas responded with a scream that echoed through his head like a knife. 'She is gone,' cried another Legolas and yet another one shouted 'She is alright! She is sleeping!' and then all chaos broke lose in his head. All Legolases screamed and yelled and hissed and spoke and cried at the same moment and the world swam around him. He fell back into his body like falling from a great height.
He heard voices behind him but did not turn around to look. He crouched to her side and gently touched her cheek. She did not respond. "Irulan," he whispered. Nothing. "Irulan, wake up!" Nothing. He slowly shook her shoulder. Nothing. Suddenly a man was standing next to him, his eyes wide with disbelief and horror. "Legolas........." he said, and Legolas remembered his own name, "........oh no!"
***
"I think she is coming around........"
"I knew she would Shift. But I did not know that my shield of protection would have such a drastic effect on her!"
"What is happening to her? She is bleeding from the inside!"
"I am not sure, Aragorn. I think she ran into my shield with such force, it reverted the action and tore something apart inside of her."
"Gandalf........will she live?"
"Of course she will! I will not let her die. Move away, all of you; give us some room."
Gandalf moved closer by Irulan's motionless body and sitting on a large root next to her, slightly touched her forehead. Nothing happened for a moment. Then suddenly her eyes flickered open and she inhaled softly but deeply. Irulan could still not focus, for the world was a combination of colors and blurs. The only thing that made her self-conscious was the pain inside. She closed her eyes again.
"Irulan, open your eyes."
"Gandalf?" she moaned.
"Yes, I am here, child. Open your eyes."
She tried and indeed succeeded, but the world was still just colors and blurs. She swallowed softly. "Where........are you?" she croaked. She felt a touch on her forehead and suddenly the pain was pushed further to the background and the teary view of the world disappeared. Gandalf was right in front of her. "Gandalf!" she said and tried to reach up to him. But pain seared through her instantly like a blade.
"No, remain," he said, "it is too early yet."
She slowly lied back again. He looked so wonderful! "Gandalf," she whispered again, and smiled against all odds, "I missed you so much!"
"And I you, Irulan," Gandalf replied softly.
"Gandalf!" she yelled suddenly and moved as if to sit up again. But Gandalf pushed her back. "Gandalf, it was Saruman! He killed us. He killed all of us!"
"Saruman?" said Gandalf with amusement.
"Yes! That evil snake of a Wizard!"
"Now now, Irulan....."
"I don't care if he is an Istari or not! I am dead, Gandalf, what more can he do?! He is the lowest rat that walked on Middle Earth, I swear!" Gandalf shifted uncomfortably, but Irulan did not see it, she was talking very fast now, lest something might happen and she would lose Gandalf again. She had to tell him everything! "Vile worm, that lurking, nasty old bundle of a rotten man! He killed me, Gandalf! He is so powerful!" Suddenly she clutched Gandalf's hand. "Gandalf, were you ever jealous of him in life?"
Gandalf was truly taken aback. "Jealous?" he boomed.
Irulan slightly nodded and then suddenly stopped, because it made her dizzy.
"Of course not!"
"Stop it Gandalf! Why do you choose to look dressed like him right now, then? But I meant to tell you - it is okay! I mean it's perfectly understandable. He truly is beyond you, Gandalf! Don't feel bad about it, really!" Aragorn and Gimli chuckled lightly, but Irulan did not hear them of course. Gandalf threw them a bleak look.
"Gandalf! Oh Heavens, Gandalf! I killed them!" she shouted suddenly and began trashing again.
"Irulan, stop moving, you killed whom?"
"Them! They died because of me. I failed them Gandalf! I Shifted and I failed and they died because of me! Oh Heavens.....I killed Aragorn!" She began to cry and Aragon made a move towards her, but Gandalf motioned him back. "I killed the king of kings, Gandalf! Oh no........I will be remembered as the woman who killed the mightiest men on Middle Earth and sealed its doom! ARAGORN, Gandalf! What will become of Arwen? What will become of Gondor?" Tears were rolling down her face uncontrollably. "Why, you said he was the best ranger and hunter of his times. You were wrong, Gandalf! He was the best ranger of ALL times. Such a mighty man, I swear, I adored him! He was beyond any mortal man I have ever seen. I doubt I would have seen anyone outshine him even if I lived!" Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas exchanged glances. Aragorn's brows shot up and a grin crept up to his face.
"And GIMLI! Oh Heavens! I killed Gimli! Oh dear....and I wanted to tell him how much I loved him! I even thought about walking the Walk of Love with him! We could make it out of the maze, I know we could!" The other three men looked at Gimli who was grinning with pleasure now. He waved his hand in a way as to say 'I can't explain to you right now!' and kept leaning on his axe, bloating by the second. "Why, I wanted to tell him that I would go to the depths of Khazad-dûm with him, if he asked - forget about the maze!" Gimli chuckled lightly and kept on grinning, unable to stop now.
"Oh no! Oh no!" Irulan began trashing again and this time even Gandalf could not persuade her to stop. "I killed Legolas!" she shouted suddenly.
"Irulan stop! You didn't kill anyone!"
"I did Gandalf! I should know, I was there! Oh my........I will miss him so much, Gandalf! I will miss him so much!" She began to cry again. Legolas looked truly baffled. "I should have told him. Remember when you told me that I'm a stupid girl? I thought you were being cruel, but it turns out Gandalf, you were so right! I was really stupid! Legolas was the most precious gift of all times to me on this world and I did not see it until I died!" Legolas' eyes widened with disbelief and he looked at the others who were grinning back at him. He looked back at Irulan with utter confusion and astonishment.
"Gandalf! I failed them all," she said and began to cry again. "Actually I realized something really strange about me and Legolas. Did you know....."
"Irulan! Wake up already, you are not dead, woman!"
"Gandalf, let me speak, will you? You know, you have not changed at all. Even in death you are the impatient Wizard that you were, I swear." Suddenly she stopped and her eyes widened. 'It was about time that she realized!' thought Gandalf ruefully.
But Irulan had realized nothing, of course. "Gandalf! Where is Chemarit?"
"What?"
"Chemarit? Is he here? Oh, I missed him so much! And Boromir!"
"Boromir?" said Gandalf with surprise and looked over to the trio. They nodded gravely.
"And Merry and Pippin? You must get me up, we must go see them! I have so much to tell you, Gandalf!" She tried to get up again and again the pain made her lie back down. "I don't understand......." she said a moment later, "why am I feeling pain?" Gandalf looked down at her with a mixture of amusement and impatience. She looked back at him with astonishment. "And why do I still have a body?"
"Irulan, if you don't gather your wits, I will have to hurt you. And I mean truly!" Irulan looked back at him with utter confusion.
"Irulan, you fool! You are not dead!"
"But you are!" she yelled a moment later.
"No, I am not dead either," he said, trying to remain calm, looking into her eyes.
A silence stretched between them. "Gandalf," she said finally with a low, soothing voice, "you must believe me when I say this.....you are dead! DEAD! You MUST believe me! I am so sorry to be the one to tell you but I swear! But fear not, because so am I! You are not alone, Gandalf."
"Irulan, I did not die. I defeated the Balrog," he said finally and looked again threateningly at the chuckling trio.
Irulan looked at him for a long moment. Then she snorted "Yeah....alright Gandalf!" and waved her hand. "I mean.......at your age.......you would think all sorts of inferiority complexes were behind you! Why can't you accept defeat?"
"Irulan," tried Gandalf again, "would you want me to hit you with my staff? That always seemed to put you in your place. I won't have second thoughts just because you are wounded, believe me!"
She looked at him with an uneasy look. If she still had a body and he still had a staff.....it might actually hurt. "Gandalf.....we have all eternity before us together. And you can't even stand me five minutes. How will this work out?"
"That's it! I will either kill her for real or walk out of here now! I think the latter is a better option! Legolas, pick her up!" he said and walked off. Instantly Legolas was by her side, holding her hand. Aragorn and Gimli ran up to her as well. They all grinned down to her.
"Oh........so you've arrived as well..I am so sorry!" she said, her eyes tearing again. And, against all her pain, jumped up, when they boomed with laughter.
***
"I HATE YOU ALL!"
"Why, whatever happened to the.....what was it Gimli?"
"The most astonishing and adorable man of all times, Aragorn."
"Thank you. Yes, what happened to that?" he grinned.
"You wish!" she yelled back and instantly clutched her stomach. 'I have to stop yelling,' she thought.
Legolas looked down at her and smiled warmly. "Irulan, lie still. It is not too much further now," he said softly. Irulan leaned on his shoulder. It felt good to be carried actually - even though she would prefer death itself at this moment.
"You are such cheaters! Foul! All of you! Good thing I did not die after all. I would die believing in a lie! Now at least I know how cruel you really are."
"Irulan, we did not put the words in your mouth," Gimli chuckled and threw her a bemused look. "I could not think such nice things about myself if I wanted to!" A moment later he boomed "And especially about Legolas!" and the other two joined his laugh.
Irulan just moaned and buried her face into the elf's shoulder. "I was delirious! I made no sense!" she protested with distaste.
"I thought you made a lot of sense, actually," said Aragorn with amusement. "More than you make most of the time."
"I am dying here! Will you be quiet and let me pass over in peace?"
"Dying? Does that mean that you have other nice things to say about us now? We're ready to hear the rest, come on Irulan!" said Gimli with open amusement.
"Legolas do something!" she said with frustration. Legolas looked down at her with the most beautiful smile. "Why, Irulan? I felt honored to hear those things from you. I never thought you saw me in such a way. Why are you ashamed of your feelings?"
"Well Legolas, if I had called a Wizard of a White Order a rat.....not to mention a liar, I would be a little embarrassed too," said Aragorn, unable to keep from laughing.
"Did you see his face? I thought he would kill her that very instant!" boomed Gimli. All three men began to laugh uncontrollably.
"I HATE YOU ALL!"
***
Irulan embraced Gandalf so hard, it hurt both of them. The old man could not help laughing at her enthusiasm. To her utter horror, she began to cry and clutch to him even harder! He patted her back and tried to comfort her, but as soon as she let go, she turned around and hugged him again. It took them several minutes to finally persuade Irulan that Gandalf was not going anywhere soon.
"You know...what I said back there..I..did not really mean it, Gandalf!" she said, blushing a deep red. Aragorn grinned and she threw him a killer look.
"I know Irulan, I know," he laughed softly.
"Good. And good you joined us again. I swear Gandalf, these men were so cruel to me!" she complained like a little girl. It was common for Irulan to become a little girl around Gandalf. She had grown up with him and to her, he would always remain the beloved grandfather, no matter what order his wizardry.
"Is that so?" said Gandalf with amusement and turned to the men who felt no need to hide their grins.
"I have no idea what she is talking about, Gandalf," said Aragorn and looked down at Gimli. "What about you, Gimli?"
"No...er...Your Astonishing Majesty," -he even bowed to that- "I don't know anything about the matter!" Irulan groaned and turned around to hop towards her horse.
"Do YOU know what she means, 'most precious gift'?" she heard Aragorn chuckle behind her.
Legolas grinned with obvious amusement but dared not answer, fearing Irulan might change her mind about him now. Why, he felt like he had really died and awoken in the Halls of Waiting. That she would think all those lovely things about him! Legolas felt like nothing could touch him from now one. A vitality like no other was surging through him like a wild river. He tried to keep calm on the outside but his heart was beating frantically. It was the happiest day of his entire life. He dared not think that there would, COULD ever be a happier day for him again, so amazing was the glare of this moment. Irulan thought he was a precious gift! No..the most precious gift of all times! Legolas quickly looked into the distance, afraid that his eyes might betray his inner tumult.
Irulan mumbled something under her breath, but only Legolas' sensitive elven ears picked out a few curses. She was trying to mount Baron. He quickly ran up to her and picked her up again. "No, Irulan, you can not ride alone. We will ride Arod. Baron can run along," he said and mounted the horse easily with her still in his arms. Irulan looked around with astonishment. 'How the hell did he do that?' she thought, amazed.
"I can't ride like this," she protested finally. This was embarrassing as it was. She changed her position and sat properly on the saddle. Legolas moved a little back and then held the reins in one hand, carefully encircling his arm around her waist with the other. He was afraid to hurt her wound, but he had no idea that at the moment Irulan was too frustrated and distracted to feel the pain.
"Gandalf, why can't I...."
"For the last time Irulan, no, you can not ride Shadowfax!"
"You could ask HIM, you know."
"I did, Irulan."
"Oh...that's a cruel horse."
"Then he fits his rider!" he said with impatience and rode ahead.
"Let me know when the ride becomes painful," Legolas whispered in her ear and gave Arod a soft push with his heels.
"I trust you, you adorable man of all times!" said Gimli from behind Aragorn.
"Do not worry, master of love! I shall ride fitting to my title!" he said, still laughing and shaking his head, and followed Arod and Baron.
Is Legolas out of character? Hmmm.. Maybe. But I realized that he is not the cool elf like others, at all. That scene in the council proves him to be a rather emotional elf who expresses his emotions openly, if you ask me. In TTT too, I got that impression. Besides, he is in love - and we know that acting silly is a part and proof of that. Sigh....those are my two cents on the matter.
Irulan was listening to the elvish prayer Legolas was softly whispering for Merry and Pippin. She was trying hard to trick herself into believing that the sting of tears in her eyes was because of the smoke, not the pain. 'To come this far, only to lose them not even to orcs, but to Rohirrim! What kind of fate is that?!' she thought with bitter sadness and swallowed hard. Everybody seemed devastated. And no surprise - not only did they love Merry and Pippin as much as she had, but this task was the last haven for them. They felt responsible. After all, they were the great warriors and yet, they had failed taking care of their weaker brothers. They felt lost. The Fellowship was broken, they could never find Frodo and Sam again, and they did not know what to do with themselves now.
Irulan massaged her face and slowly walked up to Aragorn. He was kneeling on the ground, a heap of pain and shame. She stood behind him and gently squeezed his shoulder. He did not look up, but only shook his head like a curse to himself. He looked like he could face Sauron right now in a one-on- one fight and actually make him pay for all this. Irulan looked into the open plains of Rohan. 'We have failed this mission,' she thought. 'We have failed it in every possible way.'
Just at that moment Aragorn said "A hobbit lay here," and she turned around to look at him. He was crouching on the ground, touching the dirt, softly pushing aside patches of grass. Then he took a few steps and knelt down again, looking at the tracks. "They crawled........their hands were bound," he said. Irulan walked up behind him, and watched intrigued. Everyone knew that Aragorn was the best ranger in Middle Earth. Even Gandalf had called him the best hunter and tracker of his times. He could read nature like people read books. She looked at Legolas and he looked back smiling, hope twinkling in his eyes. They joined Gimli and began to follow Aragorn from a comfortable distance, to avoid crowding his space and messing up the tracks.
By the looks of it, the two hobbits had cut their bonds and then ran.......were followed by someone.......ran some more.........and finally ran into.......
"Fangorn Forest," said Aragorn. The company halted and stood amazed by the border of the forest.
"Fangorn Forest? What madness drove them in there?" whispered Gimli and Irulan felt the hair on her arms rise. The little hope in her heart suddenly diminished drastically. Those two hobbits in..........Fangorn Forest? 'Certainly they had a higher chance with the Uruk-hai' she thought, and then instantly slapped herself mentally for thinking so. 'Don't you have faith, Irulan?' she scolded herself. 'Even a little bit?'
She looked at Aragorn. Once more everyone looked at Aragorn. 'Good thing he does not get tired of leading,' she thought suddenly. It was not an easy task at all, to take the responsibility of so many. But Aragorn did it without thinking - he just walked his path and as many leaders, others naturally followed, glued to his magnetic pull. She never heard him make a claim, saying he knew better, or that he had the right to decide, or anything of that sort. And yet, even though he insisted to remain 'one of the others', Aragorn was destined to be great man and even the finest ranger of Middle Earth was not fast or clever enough to escape his destiny.
Aragorn looked at them and saw open surrender to his lead. He turned around and walked into the forest and the others followed without the slightest hesitation.
It was the strangest forest Irulan had ever seen. It was both oddly enchanting, and at the same time intimidating. Again, there was that stagnant air......and that odd feeling that there were others here with her, although she knew there were not. Like when one stands in a room and feels someone enter, and one is absolutely sure of it, only there is noone there when he turns around to look. She shuddered slightly and instinctively moved closer to Legolas.
"The air is so close here," said Gimli nervously with a low voice. For some reason, they were all whispering, although it was certainly unnecessary.
"This forest is old," said Legolas softly, looking up to the trees, "very old." 'I wonder how he sees or feels this,' she thought suddenly. It was another curious quality of the elves. She had always wondered how they perceived their surroundings, for they seemed to be very intimately connected to everything around them - especially in nature. 'It is like we are walking around blindfolded when their eyes are uncovered,' she thought. 'Who knows how much of this world is flowing by us, unnoticed!'
"Full of memories.........and anger," continued Legolas softly. 'Anger?' thought Irulan and unconsciously scooted closer to him. It was odd really and she certainly would stop herself from doing so if she was aware of it, but as her shell was becoming weaker and weaker, Irulan felt pulled to the protectiveness of Legolas more and more. Her change was plain to see from the outside, but she herself did not (thankfully) stop to analyze it -at least yet- and therefore saw no oddity or harm in seeking shelter in Legolas. Besides, he was too wise to make her realize her metamorphosis. She would move closer and he would naturally throw an arm around her waist, comforting her. Or she would reach out and he would naturally hold her hand. It was so flowing with him, most of the time she was not even aware how curious that looked between an elf and a woman like Irulan.
"The trees are talking to each other!" he said finally and Irulan stepped up to his side a little nervous.
"What are they saying, Legolas?" she whispered, looking up herself.
He smiled down at her and sensing her timidity, gently took her hand. Irulan was so busy trying to listen, she did not even realize it. She only felt the comfort and like a baby feeling its mother, she remained in that state. "They are jealous of your sight," he whispered to her. Irulan looked up at him with open annoyance on her face. "Very funny indeed!" she whispered back and shot the grinning elf a dark look. But she did not remove her hand.
"Gimli, lower your axe!" whispered Aragorn. Indeed! Irulan almost laughed out at his expression. Running around with a raised axe in a forest like this was certainly very Gimli-like. He hastily lowered it down.
Suddenly she felt Legolas stir, then he took a few steps, pulling her along and remained still. Irulan held her breath and looked up at him expectantly. Aragorn and Gimli approached as well. Legolas said something in elvish and Aragorn replied in elvish. Speaking elvish at a time like this! Irulan felt like screaming with desperation and she was about to ask bitterly for a translation when Legolas said "The White Wizard approaches," with a very low voice.
A tenseness fell on the company. Irulan very slowly removed her hand and drew her sword from the sheath tied to her back. She dared not take out the staff and extend it now. She looked at Aragorn and he looked back with the open expression of a sinking heart. 'So this is how it ends,' Irulan thought suddenly. 'Come all this way and die at the hands of Saruman'. She swallowed softly.
"Do not let him speak, he will cast a spell on us," said Aragorn. Irulan felt like the spell had already been cast - she felt numb and unable to move with fear. Her throat was dry and her hands cold as ice. Saruman the White! 'I'd rather face Sauron,' she thought suddenly, knowing that that made absolutely no sense, but feeling scared beyond anything at the moment. She looked up at Aragorn and he nodded ever so slightly. She would Shift. There was no other way. And even if there was, she would never take the chance against an Istari. Irulan closed her eyes and felt a moment of fear when her nervousness blocked her way to calmness. But then, she reached again and calmness came swiftly and she stood ready.
She saw the white light stretching her own shadow in front of her and all four turned instantly. Irulan Shifted. She was a single blade from head to toe now, yearning to kill, moving with the irresistible passion of slaying. She took three steps around the frozen company. An unbelievable white light was in front of her and she could make out the outline of a figure and a staff. Three more steps and she would be in a lethal range. She raised her sword and moved forward.........only to be thrown back in the void. It happened so fast, her brain did not even register. The only thing she felt in the void was the odd feeling of running into a wall with all her might. One moment she was taking a step towards the light, the other moment she was at least ten feet further away, kneeling on the ground, thrown out of the void, clutching her stomach which seemed to be the source of an unbelievable pain. With the world and the immediate pain came the ability to think and the first thing that popped up in her mind was 'You seriously didn't think you could take out an Istari of the White Order that easily, did you?' She moaned as breath left her and refused to return with the immense onslaught of pain. 'How did he know that I would Shift? How did he know I knew how to Shift?' asked a part of her brain, but it was a too distant part to be given serious attention at the moment.
Legolas shot his arrow but it was deflected by the White Wizard, as was Gimli's axe. Aragorn did not even get as far as the others - his sword turned a deep crimson in his hand and he barely had time to let it fall before it burned his hand. The light washed over them and over their hearts like shadow itself. It took them moments to realize that Irulan was nowhere to be seen. Aragorn and Legolas were the first to feel her absence and hastily looked around, while trying to block out the blinding light. Aragorn saw her under a tree at least ten feet away, bent over double, her sword gone from her hand, in obvious pain, but he failed to react for lack of understanding how that could be possible when Legolas dashed by him and was standing before her in an instant.
Irulan felt dizzy with the lack of breath. She felt her eyes stinging with tears and her head throbbing with an odd pulse, probably because of whatever happened during the Shifting. She barely saw Legolas arriving by her side, and did not even feel his hand on her back. Legolas instinctively placed himself before her for protection. In his mind he knew that that meant nothing against the Saruman, but his body reacted on its own. He was trying to understand her state and at the same time, glancing back to the light, trying to see what is going on.
Irulan finally managed to inhale just a little bit after what seemed like ages, only to realize that inhaling made the pain even worse. Yet she inhaled again and deeper the next time and only wished for a swift death at the moment. The light seemed to get brighter and brighter, until it covered everything in sight.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," a voice echoed from it. It was as mighty and threatening as she had imagined Saruman's voice to be. Oddly inhuman too. She knew that the Wizards were not human, of course, and yet because of Gandalf, her brain often failed to make a distinction. 'Gandalf!' she thought with sad amusement. 'Saruman has won. I am so sorry.'
"Where are they?" yelled Aragorn. He actually sounded challenging!
"They passed this way, the day before yesterday," came the reply and it sounded amused. Irulan breathed again and the world seemed to swim. 'Maybe my perception at the moment is not at its best!' she thought ruefully. Once again Legolas swiftly leaned down to her, trying to see if she was badly wounded or not, but Saruman continued: "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
She tried to get up and stubbornly removed her hand from her stomach and put it on the ground. Legolas knelt down by her, "Don't get up, Irulan," he whispered. She only obeyed because she could not get up anyway. As a matter of fact, she was barely keeping herself from falling flat on her face at the moment. He softly touched her head, once more glancing over his shoulder to the Wizard, and Irulan felt like crying in frustration.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" shouted Aragorn again. 'Well thanks to that man, at least we won't die looking like cowards,' she thought and looked up, swallowing hard. She tasted blood in her mouth, but had no idea whether it was coming up from deeper inside her, or whether she had bitten her tongue or her cheeks.
The light dimmed. And a man in white appeared. Only it did not look like she thought Saruman would. As a matter of fact.......it looked a lot like............ 'I am dying for sure,' thought Irulan suddenly and could not help to moan. She felt like laughing suddenly. 'Gandalf has come to guide my soul!' And it felt oddly good. As a matter of fact she felt relieved and glad. She felt a tear gliding down her cheek and knew that it was not really because of the pain, but because of a happiness swelling in her. 'I will go and remain with Gandalf!' she thought and suddenly she was 6 years old again.
A fleeting thought of Legolas came back to her then and she felt such sadness for leaving him behind. He was looking away again, frozen in surprise and she wanted to touch him and say goodbye. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry. That he should not die in grief. That he should travel through Middle Earth to fulfill her wish. That he should find another to heal, since it seemed to do him so well. She also wanted to tell him that she loved him. More than anything and anyone.
But her body failed her. 'Gandalf, I have so much to tell you!' she thought with distant enthusiasm as even the bright light of Saruman faded softly into black, 'Did you know that I was in love with Legolas?' Blackness took her and for some odd reason, she thought about her mother and that was her last coherent thought. She surrendered willingly.
Legolas was so surprised by Gandalf's appearance he did not hear Irulan until she collapsed on the forest floor beside him. The world stopped. He forgot all about Gandalf and Saruman, Aragorn and Gimli, the Fangorn Forest and The Ring, Sauron and Middle Earth. Suddenly his mind stopped and he felt himself being torn off from his own body. He saw his own body hastily picking Irulan up and gently lowering her back in a sitting position to the bark of the tree, but it was so much like dreaming..........so distant and impossible that it was actually beyond dreaming for sure. He felt nothing and thought nothing. Irulan was not moving. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she was resting. In his numbness he thought of nothing at all while looking at her. He just stood there, frozen in a timeless fragment, oddly stupefied.
Centuries later an invisible slap landed on his face and Legolas blinked. A sudden onslaught of pain and fear suddenly took him and swept him away. Legolas had feared a lot in the past. Many times in battle he had felt fear and concern for himself and others. He had faced magic and evil and that, too, had sparked fear in him. But this was beyond anything he had ever felt before. He felt something horrible taking hold of him and twisting his mind, bending it and squeezing it. 'Irulan is dead,' it hissed and it was Legolas himself. Then another Legolas sprang up instantly and he bolted 'No! She can not die!'. 'Oh but she is.......she is gone.......for all eternity,' hissed the first one, and a third Legolas appeared, confused 'What is death? What does that mean, 'gone'?' he said. 'She can not die!' screamed the second one and a fourth Legolas responded with a scream that echoed through his head like a knife. 'She is gone,' cried another Legolas and yet another one shouted 'She is alright! She is sleeping!' and then all chaos broke lose in his head. All Legolases screamed and yelled and hissed and spoke and cried at the same moment and the world swam around him. He fell back into his body like falling from a great height.
He heard voices behind him but did not turn around to look. He crouched to her side and gently touched her cheek. She did not respond. "Irulan," he whispered. Nothing. "Irulan, wake up!" Nothing. He slowly shook her shoulder. Nothing. Suddenly a man was standing next to him, his eyes wide with disbelief and horror. "Legolas........." he said, and Legolas remembered his own name, "........oh no!"
***
"I think she is coming around........"
"I knew she would Shift. But I did not know that my shield of protection would have such a drastic effect on her!"
"What is happening to her? She is bleeding from the inside!"
"I am not sure, Aragorn. I think she ran into my shield with such force, it reverted the action and tore something apart inside of her."
"Gandalf........will she live?"
"Of course she will! I will not let her die. Move away, all of you; give us some room."
Gandalf moved closer by Irulan's motionless body and sitting on a large root next to her, slightly touched her forehead. Nothing happened for a moment. Then suddenly her eyes flickered open and she inhaled softly but deeply. Irulan could still not focus, for the world was a combination of colors and blurs. The only thing that made her self-conscious was the pain inside. She closed her eyes again.
"Irulan, open your eyes."
"Gandalf?" she moaned.
"Yes, I am here, child. Open your eyes."
She tried and indeed succeeded, but the world was still just colors and blurs. She swallowed softly. "Where........are you?" she croaked. She felt a touch on her forehead and suddenly the pain was pushed further to the background and the teary view of the world disappeared. Gandalf was right in front of her. "Gandalf!" she said and tried to reach up to him. But pain seared through her instantly like a blade.
"No, remain," he said, "it is too early yet."
She slowly lied back again. He looked so wonderful! "Gandalf," she whispered again, and smiled against all odds, "I missed you so much!"
"And I you, Irulan," Gandalf replied softly.
"Gandalf!" she yelled suddenly and moved as if to sit up again. But Gandalf pushed her back. "Gandalf, it was Saruman! He killed us. He killed all of us!"
"Saruman?" said Gandalf with amusement.
"Yes! That evil snake of a Wizard!"
"Now now, Irulan....."
"I don't care if he is an Istari or not! I am dead, Gandalf, what more can he do?! He is the lowest rat that walked on Middle Earth, I swear!" Gandalf shifted uncomfortably, but Irulan did not see it, she was talking very fast now, lest something might happen and she would lose Gandalf again. She had to tell him everything! "Vile worm, that lurking, nasty old bundle of a rotten man! He killed me, Gandalf! He is so powerful!" Suddenly she clutched Gandalf's hand. "Gandalf, were you ever jealous of him in life?"
Gandalf was truly taken aback. "Jealous?" he boomed.
Irulan slightly nodded and then suddenly stopped, because it made her dizzy.
"Of course not!"
"Stop it Gandalf! Why do you choose to look dressed like him right now, then? But I meant to tell you - it is okay! I mean it's perfectly understandable. He truly is beyond you, Gandalf! Don't feel bad about it, really!" Aragorn and Gimli chuckled lightly, but Irulan did not hear them of course. Gandalf threw them a bleak look.
"Gandalf! Oh Heavens, Gandalf! I killed them!" she shouted suddenly and began trashing again.
"Irulan, stop moving, you killed whom?"
"Them! They died because of me. I failed them Gandalf! I Shifted and I failed and they died because of me! Oh Heavens.....I killed Aragorn!" She began to cry and Aragon made a move towards her, but Gandalf motioned him back. "I killed the king of kings, Gandalf! Oh no........I will be remembered as the woman who killed the mightiest men on Middle Earth and sealed its doom! ARAGORN, Gandalf! What will become of Arwen? What will become of Gondor?" Tears were rolling down her face uncontrollably. "Why, you said he was the best ranger and hunter of his times. You were wrong, Gandalf! He was the best ranger of ALL times. Such a mighty man, I swear, I adored him! He was beyond any mortal man I have ever seen. I doubt I would have seen anyone outshine him even if I lived!" Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas exchanged glances. Aragorn's brows shot up and a grin crept up to his face.
"And GIMLI! Oh Heavens! I killed Gimli! Oh dear....and I wanted to tell him how much I loved him! I even thought about walking the Walk of Love with him! We could make it out of the maze, I know we could!" The other three men looked at Gimli who was grinning with pleasure now. He waved his hand in a way as to say 'I can't explain to you right now!' and kept leaning on his axe, bloating by the second. "Why, I wanted to tell him that I would go to the depths of Khazad-dûm with him, if he asked - forget about the maze!" Gimli chuckled lightly and kept on grinning, unable to stop now.
"Oh no! Oh no!" Irulan began trashing again and this time even Gandalf could not persuade her to stop. "I killed Legolas!" she shouted suddenly.
"Irulan stop! You didn't kill anyone!"
"I did Gandalf! I should know, I was there! Oh my........I will miss him so much, Gandalf! I will miss him so much!" She began to cry again. Legolas looked truly baffled. "I should have told him. Remember when you told me that I'm a stupid girl? I thought you were being cruel, but it turns out Gandalf, you were so right! I was really stupid! Legolas was the most precious gift of all times to me on this world and I did not see it until I died!" Legolas' eyes widened with disbelief and he looked at the others who were grinning back at him. He looked back at Irulan with utter confusion and astonishment.
"Gandalf! I failed them all," she said and began to cry again. "Actually I realized something really strange about me and Legolas. Did you know....."
"Irulan! Wake up already, you are not dead, woman!"
"Gandalf, let me speak, will you? You know, you have not changed at all. Even in death you are the impatient Wizard that you were, I swear." Suddenly she stopped and her eyes widened. 'It was about time that she realized!' thought Gandalf ruefully.
But Irulan had realized nothing, of course. "Gandalf! Where is Chemarit?"
"What?"
"Chemarit? Is he here? Oh, I missed him so much! And Boromir!"
"Boromir?" said Gandalf with surprise and looked over to the trio. They nodded gravely.
"And Merry and Pippin? You must get me up, we must go see them! I have so much to tell you, Gandalf!" She tried to get up again and again the pain made her lie back down. "I don't understand......." she said a moment later, "why am I feeling pain?" Gandalf looked down at her with a mixture of amusement and impatience. She looked back at him with astonishment. "And why do I still have a body?"
"Irulan, if you don't gather your wits, I will have to hurt you. And I mean truly!" Irulan looked back at him with utter confusion.
"Irulan, you fool! You are not dead!"
"But you are!" she yelled a moment later.
"No, I am not dead either," he said, trying to remain calm, looking into her eyes.
A silence stretched between them. "Gandalf," she said finally with a low, soothing voice, "you must believe me when I say this.....you are dead! DEAD! You MUST believe me! I am so sorry to be the one to tell you but I swear! But fear not, because so am I! You are not alone, Gandalf."
"Irulan, I did not die. I defeated the Balrog," he said finally and looked again threateningly at the chuckling trio.
Irulan looked at him for a long moment. Then she snorted "Yeah....alright Gandalf!" and waved her hand. "I mean.......at your age.......you would think all sorts of inferiority complexes were behind you! Why can't you accept defeat?"
"Irulan," tried Gandalf again, "would you want me to hit you with my staff? That always seemed to put you in your place. I won't have second thoughts just because you are wounded, believe me!"
She looked at him with an uneasy look. If she still had a body and he still had a staff.....it might actually hurt. "Gandalf.....we have all eternity before us together. And you can't even stand me five minutes. How will this work out?"
"That's it! I will either kill her for real or walk out of here now! I think the latter is a better option! Legolas, pick her up!" he said and walked off. Instantly Legolas was by her side, holding her hand. Aragorn and Gimli ran up to her as well. They all grinned down to her.
"Oh........so you've arrived as well..I am so sorry!" she said, her eyes tearing again. And, against all her pain, jumped up, when they boomed with laughter.
***
"I HATE YOU ALL!"
"Why, whatever happened to the.....what was it Gimli?"
"The most astonishing and adorable man of all times, Aragorn."
"Thank you. Yes, what happened to that?" he grinned.
"You wish!" she yelled back and instantly clutched her stomach. 'I have to stop yelling,' she thought.
Legolas looked down at her and smiled warmly. "Irulan, lie still. It is not too much further now," he said softly. Irulan leaned on his shoulder. It felt good to be carried actually - even though she would prefer death itself at this moment.
"You are such cheaters! Foul! All of you! Good thing I did not die after all. I would die believing in a lie! Now at least I know how cruel you really are."
"Irulan, we did not put the words in your mouth," Gimli chuckled and threw her a bemused look. "I could not think such nice things about myself if I wanted to!" A moment later he boomed "And especially about Legolas!" and the other two joined his laugh.
Irulan just moaned and buried her face into the elf's shoulder. "I was delirious! I made no sense!" she protested with distaste.
"I thought you made a lot of sense, actually," said Aragorn with amusement. "More than you make most of the time."
"I am dying here! Will you be quiet and let me pass over in peace?"
"Dying? Does that mean that you have other nice things to say about us now? We're ready to hear the rest, come on Irulan!" said Gimli with open amusement.
"Legolas do something!" she said with frustration. Legolas looked down at her with the most beautiful smile. "Why, Irulan? I felt honored to hear those things from you. I never thought you saw me in such a way. Why are you ashamed of your feelings?"
"Well Legolas, if I had called a Wizard of a White Order a rat.....not to mention a liar, I would be a little embarrassed too," said Aragorn, unable to keep from laughing.
"Did you see his face? I thought he would kill her that very instant!" boomed Gimli. All three men began to laugh uncontrollably.
"I HATE YOU ALL!"
***
Irulan embraced Gandalf so hard, it hurt both of them. The old man could not help laughing at her enthusiasm. To her utter horror, she began to cry and clutch to him even harder! He patted her back and tried to comfort her, but as soon as she let go, she turned around and hugged him again. It took them several minutes to finally persuade Irulan that Gandalf was not going anywhere soon.
"You know...what I said back there..I..did not really mean it, Gandalf!" she said, blushing a deep red. Aragorn grinned and she threw him a killer look.
"I know Irulan, I know," he laughed softly.
"Good. And good you joined us again. I swear Gandalf, these men were so cruel to me!" she complained like a little girl. It was common for Irulan to become a little girl around Gandalf. She had grown up with him and to her, he would always remain the beloved grandfather, no matter what order his wizardry.
"Is that so?" said Gandalf with amusement and turned to the men who felt no need to hide their grins.
"I have no idea what she is talking about, Gandalf," said Aragorn and looked down at Gimli. "What about you, Gimli?"
"No...er...Your Astonishing Majesty," -he even bowed to that- "I don't know anything about the matter!" Irulan groaned and turned around to hop towards her horse.
"Do YOU know what she means, 'most precious gift'?" she heard Aragorn chuckle behind her.
Legolas grinned with obvious amusement but dared not answer, fearing Irulan might change her mind about him now. Why, he felt like he had really died and awoken in the Halls of Waiting. That she would think all those lovely things about him! Legolas felt like nothing could touch him from now one. A vitality like no other was surging through him like a wild river. He tried to keep calm on the outside but his heart was beating frantically. It was the happiest day of his entire life. He dared not think that there would, COULD ever be a happier day for him again, so amazing was the glare of this moment. Irulan thought he was a precious gift! No..the most precious gift of all times! Legolas quickly looked into the distance, afraid that his eyes might betray his inner tumult.
Irulan mumbled something under her breath, but only Legolas' sensitive elven ears picked out a few curses. She was trying to mount Baron. He quickly ran up to her and picked her up again. "No, Irulan, you can not ride alone. We will ride Arod. Baron can run along," he said and mounted the horse easily with her still in his arms. Irulan looked around with astonishment. 'How the hell did he do that?' she thought, amazed.
"I can't ride like this," she protested finally. This was embarrassing as it was. She changed her position and sat properly on the saddle. Legolas moved a little back and then held the reins in one hand, carefully encircling his arm around her waist with the other. He was afraid to hurt her wound, but he had no idea that at the moment Irulan was too frustrated and distracted to feel the pain.
"Gandalf, why can't I...."
"For the last time Irulan, no, you can not ride Shadowfax!"
"You could ask HIM, you know."
"I did, Irulan."
"Oh...that's a cruel horse."
"Then he fits his rider!" he said with impatience and rode ahead.
"Let me know when the ride becomes painful," Legolas whispered in her ear and gave Arod a soft push with his heels.
"I trust you, you adorable man of all times!" said Gimli from behind Aragorn.
"Do not worry, master of love! I shall ride fitting to my title!" he said, still laughing and shaking his head, and followed Arod and Baron.