Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the world-renown bestseller, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein. I do, however, own any original characters seen here.
Thanks to: The Fellowship of the Word-smiths for song translations.
A/N: I wrote this a really, really long time ago, and it now occurs to me that this is totally incorrect in Tolkein's universe… but I must finish it, so please bear with me. Please? =( Also, I'm not very fluent in elvish; you'll have to excuse me if I get anything wrong.
Storm Clouds
By Brin
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Chapter 9, Alt Ending 1: …Live ForThe pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Tears of pain and sorrow fell down his face and mingled with the blood and dirt there, stinging his cuts and yet soothing his bruises. His cheeks felt as if they had been set aflame and his head throbbed like the pounding of the goblin's war drums. Deep gashes like whip marks across his back made the simple act of just laying there as painful as could be. He wasn't sure if his arms and legs were still attached anymore. It didn't feel like they were, but he subconsciously knew they were there since they were the only parts of his body that didn't feel like they were on fire. In fact, he couldn't feel them at all. But, somehow, through all the pain, he could hear someone talking, their voice dull and quiet as if far off in the distance, but getting louder…
"Legolas, when we get out of here I'm taking you on a long, long vacation. We'll get away from here and go to an abandoned beach and surf. Aeriela told me you liked the sea a lot. In fact, you're borderline obsessed with it. She told me a lot about you," Eve rambled, tears spilling over her face as she wiped him down and wrapped his wounds the best she could. It seemed to be helping; he wasn't as unrecognizable now as he had been a few minutes before. "If you die, I'll kick your ass, do you hear me?"
Legolas tilted his head a bit. "In your dreams," he croaked.
Eve's eyes widened. "No, no, no! No talking! I didn't mean for you to answer me!" she cried, her face full of both anger and sorrow. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No more questions. Just lie there and try to… try to relax…" She finished wrapping his legs and arms in cloth and moved onto his torso. Clawing at the tears forming in her eyes, she pulled another roll of bandages from the pack Haldir had given her. "This is all my fault. I should have been more alert."
"No," Legolas protested. She tried to shush him again, but he shook his head weakly. "It's not your fault, Eve. If anyone's to blame, it's me. I sent you out alone. I didn't make sure the goblins were gone."
The young woman chewed her lip a bit before responding, "Okay, since I don't feel like arguing with you, it's no one's fault. You got me?"
Legolas nodded.
"Good. Now—"
Before she could finish, the door burst open and a group of goblins and Elves tumbled in, fighting amongst themselves. One of the goblins rolled onto its knees, only to be run through with a half-broken sword and tossed aside like a doll.
Eve screamed as an Elf and an Orc shoved each other around the room, smashing into things and seemingly taking turns punching one another. They almost landed atop Legolas, who was attempting to move out of the way, but, in a wave of bravado, Eve pushed them away and kicked the Orc in the side. Angry, the Orc jumped off the Elf and ran towards her. This gave the Elf the break he needed and, in one swift movement, he shot the Orc between the shoulder blades. It fell just short of Legolas.
The rest of the fights were settled and the Elves exited the room, leaving the corpses behind. Eve jumped up, closed the door behind them, then felt the contents of her stomach quickly rising north as she spotted a dead Elf lying atop the body of a goblin, five arrows protruding from his chest and one from his forehead. She turned away, her eyes straying to Legolas as he lay there, helpless.
"I'm sorry you have to see this," he whispered, eyes closed. "I'm sorry."
Eve shook her head vigorously as she walked back and kneeled next to him. "It's opened my eyes."
Legolas opened his bottomless blue eyes and lifted a hand to her cheek. "I love you."
Eve leaned into his touch, placing her small hand over his large one. "I love you, too."
"And no matter what happens," he continued, "that will never change. Not rain nor sleet nor snow" a smile crossed his features as he said this "will keep me from returning to you."
"Returning?" Eve's voice cracked. "You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here with me."
He moved his hand to her chest, where he could feel her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. "I will until, the end of time, be right here, Eve. Always remember that."
"Look, Legolas!" shouted the young woman, grasping his hand tightly. "You are not going to die! All we need to do is finish wrapping your wounds and get you out of here. It is not as bad as it seems…" She looked deep into his eyes and shook her head. "I won't let you go."
Legolas gave her a rueful look. "All the long years that I have lived, I have not loved one as much as I love you. Not Aeriela, not Marie. Our souls were meant to convene, and at the same time… meant to part."
"I'm not going to forget you, Legolas," she whispered back. "I will never spend a moment without you on my mind; in my heart." And then she leaned down to pressed her lips against his.
When she pulled back, Legolas murmured, "You have been poisoned. I taste it on your lips. I have been poisoned as well, and with the same toxin."
Eve remembered the contaminated blade that Draeg had made. Her heart sank down to her toes. "No. NO!"
"I have not the strength to find the antidote, but I can save you," he said softly.
"I'd rather die than live without you," Eve replied miserably. "Don't you see?"
"Eve, I need you to promise me something. Promise me that if I die, you won't follow me to the other side." Legolas' face was full of anguish. "Promise."
Not able to stand it any longer, Eve buried her tear-stained face in his shoulder and began to sob hysterically. "I…"
"Promise me!" he begged, weakly pulling an arm around her. "Please." When Eve hesitated, he mustered what was left of his strength and grabbed her face. "Promise me! Right now! Do it!" he pleaded, his voice rising steadily.
Startled by his sudden rush of aggressiveness, Eve nodded, though she didn't stop weeping. "I promise… I promise…," she repeated, then jerked her head away from his grip.
As if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders, Legolas' body relaxed against the ground, his eyelids drooping. He looked so small and frail compared to the fierce warrior Eve wanted to badly to return home. It was now that Eve noticed her arms were getting heavier, her eye struggling to keep open.
"The poison is moving," whispered Legolas, as if reading her thoughts.
Eve pulled back a bandage and looked at one of the cuts on his arm. Long red lines had developed from it, heading up his arm and towards the middle of his chest. These streaks joined together with the lines from other cuts that Draeg had made. They were deadly close to his heart. "Legolas!"
He simply nodded in return, eyes closed.
Eve clung to him for dear life, wishing more than anything in the world she could just wake up from this nightmare. Legolas' breathing was ragged and shallow and he hugged her back with what strength was left within him.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" whispered Eve.
Legolas shook his head and coughed. "This was bound to happen someday… I'm just glad you're with me." He kissed her lightly.
"You're gonna be okay," she declared with false bravado. "Don't leave me, please… I don't want to hear a goodbye."
"You'll be fine," he said quietly.
"Legolas?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you sing for me? I need to hear your voice. I need to know you're gonna be okay," she said, placing her head on his chest and listening to the rhythmic sound of his heart. For some reason, the act of asking him to sing sounded a little like a goodbye to her ears. Tears streamed down her face.
Legolas smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head. He rubbed her back lightly and quietly began to sing in his own language, the words rolling off his tongue like water.
Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol,
I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol.
Na annûn hae, ias Anor dannol.
Cair vith, cair vith, lastal hain canel,
Lamath in-gwaithen i gwennin no nin?
Gwannathon, gwannathon taur i onnant nin;
dan midui orath vín a dennin inath vín.
Trevedithon 'aear land erui ciriel.
falvath enainn bo Mathedfalas dannol,
Lamath vilui vi Tol Gwannen cannen,
Vi Tol Ereb, ned Bar-in-Edhil i Edain ú-gennir,
Ias lais ú-dhannar: dôr en-gwaith nín an-uir!
[To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;
For our days are ending and our years failing.
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.
Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,
Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,
In Eressëa, in Elvenhome that no man can discover
Where the leaves fall not: land of people for ever!]
Eve didn't understand it in the least bit, but it sounded so beautiful she was lulled to sleep by it…
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Eve awoke to the sound of ebbing battle. The next thing she noticed was a horrible empty feeling wash over her. Something wasn't right. It was like… like something in the universe had shifted. The next thing she noticed caused tears to spring to her eyes… the sound of a heart beating against her ear was gone. She raised her head and looked up into the pale face of Legolas. His skin was cold to the touch, and his entire body was limp.
"No," whispered the young woman, sitting up. "NO!"
At that moment, Philendel burst into the room covered in blood, holding a sword. He looked at the scene before him and gasped with anguish, running over to Legolas and desperately feeling his neck and wrists for a pulse.
Eve backed up until she was against the opposite wall, gagging. Her stomach churned and revolted, white hot tears burning in her eyes.
After a few moments, Philendel hung his head and stood. "He is dead, then."
"He… he can't be dead! NO!!" shrieked Eve, shaking her head. "No, no, no, no!" She ran over to Legolas and grabbed his face with both hands. "You can't be dead! Wake up, please wake up!" She felt Phildenel's hand on her shoulder and stopped screaming, but didn't release her hold. "You see, I love you, Legolas. I love you so much…" Her voice broke and she could say no more, only hold his cold head in her hands and weep.
"He went in peace, Eve. As a warrior, with his honor intact. Let him go," Philendel whispered even as tears streamed down his face.
Eve sobbed, "This is all my fault… it's all my fault he's dead… I should be killed…"
Philendel jerked her to her feet. "Eve!" he said firmly, cupping her face in his hands so that she looked straight into his eyes. "Legolas died for you; so you could live! Do not make it so that his sacrifice had no meaning! He wanted you to live on, and that is what you must do!"
The young woman closed her eyes and nodded.
"Good. We must get out of here. The army is going to blow the place to shreds. Let's go." He took her hand and led her out.
"But what about Legolas?"
"It's taken care of," said Philendel, nodding to Kiendos, who made a gesture to a few Elves and then ran off towards the room where Legolas, King of Mirkwood, lost his life after nearly twenty thousand years of living.
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Eve was taken back to the castle of Mirkwood that night. She sat upon his bed, the smell of him still fresh in the room, and stroked the covers with one hand.
Ever since the moment she had met him, Legolas Greenleaf and Chris Bowman had been an unstoppable pair, with Chris handling the wrongdoings of people in the real world and Legolas saving it from certain destruction. Now… they were gone. It was an abnormal feeling to have met such an ageless being… then watch him die. For her, no less. It was like his twenty-thousand years of existence just… faded.
She wept freely that night, her face buried in the covers of Legolas' bed, a pillow grasped over her head in a feeble attempt to muffle the sobs. Around four in the morning, she heard the door open and someone slipped inside, the rustling of cloth being the only indication to their presence. It could only be an Elf, for no other being – man, halfling, or dwarf – could hold such grace as to move without sound. The young woman raised her head and saw Aeriela standing there dressed in a beautiful gown of deep, dark blue like the ocean in the night. Her hair was pinned back from her face with a diamond-studded beret. Around her was an ethereal glow, illuminating the dark room. It swirled and shimmered about the Elven queen, who simply stood at the front of the room with a melancholic expression on her beautiful face.
"What do you want?" asked Eve quietly before burying herself within the bed again, wanting only to curl up and die. She did not raise her head as she heard the Elven maiden move quietly across the room towards her. She did, however, become a little anxious when she felt a placid breeze across the back of her neck.
"Dark Maiden of Gondor, I bear a message," whispered Aeriela into the young woman's ear, startling her.
"From who?"
"The message I have brought to you was written by the late King Legolas of Mirkwood, milady. I do plead that you would rise and read it," said the Elven Queen, her voice soft, yet full of heart-wrenching emotion.
Eve lifted her head and looked at the surreal being before her, brown eyes astounded by the light that emanated from Elven skin. "Alright."
A rueful smile resting upon her lips, Aeriela handed Eve a piece of folded paper, then stood and promptly exited the room.
Regarding the piece of paper like a venomous beast, Eve went over to Legolas' desk and turned on the lamp. She then slowly unfolded the letter and began to read:
Here is the last account of Legolas Greenleaf, Son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood, Lead Elf of the New Age Elves:
If you are reading this, I should be dead. As I write this, I only hope my death does not cause too much grief. Fear not, my friends – I have lived more lives than what I deserve, and have taken the lives of those who deserved more. Grievance is not needed, for I expect I shall be taken to my deceased loved ones – Marie, Little Chris, Lord Elrond, The Fellowship, my father – where I shall rest in peace. I will spend eternity with them, and be forever content to await the arrival of the friends I still have in life.
Let it be known that I leave all my possessions to be divided equally among the following: Lord Haldir of Lórien, Queen Aeriela of Rewyn, and Eve, the Dark Maiden of Gondor.
Included is a message to the Dark Maiden:
Eve,
People in your life will pass in and out of it as if they were ghosts – your past does not reflect your future. All thoughts of me must be cast out of your life. Grief solves nothing. I only wish for you to be content. It was all a dream.
Namárië,
Legolas GreenleafChris Bowman
Eve pawed at her tear-filled eyes, unable to hold it in. The note was short, simple, yet so terribly poignant. Those five sentences held more weight in her heart than any length of writing she had ever read. He was really gone. She looked about the room desolately, then her eyes settled upon something set aglow by the moonlight. Rising from her seat, the young woman crossed the room and picked it up.
"His father gave him that necklace," said a voice.
The young woman turned around to see Aeriela standing there once again, a remorseful look on her face. "What is it?"
Aeriela moved forward. "It is the Elvish symbol for 'L'. He said it stood for 'luck'."
"A lot of good that did him," grumbled Eve as she studied the silver pendant hanging on a simple black twine. It looked kind of like an arrow pointing upwards. She looked at her Elven friend and felt her breath hitch in her throat. "I miss him."
"As do many. Legolas was a much-respected and beloved Elf in his lifetime. He was a legend as one of the Nine walkers, but also a renowned leader," replied the Elf. She placed a hand upon Eve's shoulder. "Do you know how his last moments were spent?"
"No. Do you?"
"A dwarf witnessed it. Legolas knew he was going to die; the poison was just short of his heart and he had lost a fatal amount of blood. He did the one thing he knew he could do – he kept you alive. He had just enough energy to heal one person…"
Eve closed her eyes to hide the tears. "Me."
"He saved you, Eve. Upon his lips during his death were the words of a powerful healing spell. With thoughts of your safety in mind, he was able to leave this world peacefully. You, Eve, were his savior. Had you not come along when you did, he would've died as a broken and torn soul. Don't you see? You're the greatest thing that ever happened to him."
"Doesn't that bother you?" blurted Eve critically, suddenly turning upon the fair Elven maiden. "You loved him. I know you did."
Aeriela grinned sadly. "Legolas was not meant to be with me, so I can only savor in the time we had. I do not deny that I envy you, Dark Maiden, for being so closely included in his life. However, I know that spite will get me nowhere, and you are too an enjoyable person to be disliked."
Eve bowed her head. "I'm sorry." Tears began to form in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
They embraced each other, each mourning the loss of the same beloved man, only to part as a bright light abruptly entered the room window. Alarmed, Eve went over to the blinds and hesitantly opened them. The light was so brilliant that she had to cover her eyes. She turned away from the window and all breath left her lungs at the being before her.
"You do not look pleased to see me, milady."
"Legolas!" Aeriela gasped.
Eve merely stared at him in utter shock, her jaw slack. She had never seen him looking so healthy. His skin was flawless; no sign of the scar over his eye remained. His hair, which had been nearly brown when he had passed away, was a brilliant blonde color once again. He was wearing royal robes that seemed to be the color of moonlight, made of only the finest Elven cloth. All the weariness that he had seemed to drag with him during his lifetime was gone – leaving him light as a feather and nimble as he was back when Middle-Earth was new and the Elves were at their peak. At the same time, however, his bottomless blue eyes held enough wisdom and worldly knowledge to fill an entire library of books.
"How… how is this possible?" asked Eve breathlessly.
Aeriela fell to one knee before the King, her head bowed low.
Legolas stepped forward and placed his hand atop Aeriela's head. "Arise, Queen of Rewyn, and greet me as your peer, for I am no greater than you."
Her beautiful eyes bright with tears, Aeriela stood and embraced Legolas with all her might, not wanting to let go. "Aaye! I haran antuulien!" [Hail! The king has returned!] she said quietly. "You are no peer of mine."
"Harya andon nie, maaloo." [You possess great sorrow, love.] Legolas put a finger beneath her chin and raised her face to look at him. "Uunalla an i quelet." [Do not weep for the dead.]
"Uume," [I do not] she protested.
Legolas kissed his fingertips, then placed them upon her lips. "Valina." [Be happy.]
"Nan, an antuulien." [I am, for you have returned.]
The fair Elven king smiled at her, and then turned to face Eve. "Dark Maiden of Gondor, by the power of those passed and by the power of eternal love, I have returned to you for only a moment."
Eve closed her eyes to hide the tears pooling in them, then slowly opened them again and whispered, "Then for now my pain is relieved… and it will come back when you leave again."
Legolas stepped towards her and placed his hand upon her shoulder. "Time heals all wounds, milady. Tell me, what plagues you?"
"I don't want to live my life as a heartbroken fool, Legolas. I want you to be with me again, so that all the time we wasted can be made up. I don't want to be alone," answered the young woman miserably. "Let me come with you, please."
The Elven king's face darkened. "No, milady. You made a promise to me that you would not venture to the other side after me. I will not let you throw away the rest of your life – you have so much of it to live."
"But I am not elf-kind! I will live just a short time more compared to the lives of your people! How can you ask me to stay here?" complained the young woman sadly. "I love you."
Legolas moved his hand to her forehead, gently brushing her skin with his soft fingertips. "In your mind, you see only darkness ahead, but in your heart… I see much more." He placed his hand upon her chest, feeling the strong beat beneath the skin. "I bear a message for you, Dark Maiden of Gondor."
"A message that you will be staying while longer, I should hope," murmured Eve under her breath.
"The message I bear is of your future, milady," explained Legolas. He grasped her frail hand in his strong one. "The path laid before your feet is a bright one. You will become a well-known journalist and, in the face of danger, you will find the one with whom you will spend the rest of your life." Here his voice broke. "And you will be happy with him. You will live happily ever after, have many children and grandchildren. You will live. There is no further sadness in your future."
Eve lowered her eyes. "This future man you speak of may make me happy, and we may enjoy each other's presence until our deaths… but he will not be you."
Legolas faltered at her words, but quickly regained his composure. "What's done is done – there is no turning back." His eyes flickered to the window. "I must go now… they want me." He stepped towards the window, and then, as if thinking better of it, turned on his heel and swept Eve up into his arms. "I love you," he whispered, then kissed her. When they parted, he gently brushed a strand of hair from her eyes and said so quietly that it was barely audible, "Goodbye."
And with that, he faded. The light in the window disappeared… and the Dark Maiden of Gondor was left alone… utterly alone.
EPILOGUE [to alt ending 1]
Steely gray spikes of rain fell from the sky as if the universe itself was crying as a large wooden coffin was moved across the grounds of Mirkwood. It was carried by four elves, and behind it trailed a procession of black-clad, tear-faced men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits. A sob could be heard now and then, but otherwise all was quiet aside from the pattering rain.
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all of my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
Eve clasped her hands in front of her, silent tears trailing down her face and mixing with droplets of rain. Beside her walked Madoc, his small head bowed in reverence and respect. The pain of it all was nearly physical for the young woman, a constricting feeling in her chest and a tightening in her throat. She still could not bring herself to believe it was true. That he was really gone. Even though his ghost had come to her and had explained how everything would be right again… Eve still hoped to see him smiling at her from the treetops or inviting her on a stroll through the forest.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
The coffin was lowered to its final resting place in the middle of Mirkwood, where the King would rest forever undaunted. In his grave were placed flowers, treasures from his youth, and pictures of his friends. Haldir gave a eulogy in Quenya and, even thought Eve understood none of it, the words expressed deeper and more profound emotion than any amount of Common Speech could achieve.
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
After the funeral, the attendees paid their final respects to the Elven King before silently bowing out. One by one they went, until all were gone except Eve, Aeriela, Madoc, and Tethir. They stood next to the edge of the grave in companionable silence. On the headstone were carved Elven runes and, underneath, in smaller letters, "Here lies Legolas of Mirkwood, beloved King and Friend to all."
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
And though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
How much time passed, none would know, but Aeriela and Madoc were the first of the four to depart from the grave. Tethir shifted, standing closer to Eve. "He was a good man," he said quietly.
"Yeah," she replied, voice empty.
Tethir touched her hand in a comforting gesture. "But we will not let his death be in vain. Come, let's take a walk." He held out his hand.
Eve stared at the offered appendage hesitantly, then raised her eyes to Tethir's deep, dark eyes, which were filled with honor and purpose. Her mind wandered back to Legolas' parting words of a man whom she would meet through danger, who would make her happy… She smiled at Tethir and accepted his hand. "Yeah. That sounds nice."
The young man smiled at her and didn't release her hand as they turned and strolled away from the grave. In a matter of seconds they had started up a pleasant conversation about Elves and their mysterious ways and, soon, the pain of Eve's loss began to mend as she found herself befriending yet another adventurer.
High in the sky, an ethereal entity beamed down upon the earth, his eyes set upon two young mortals taking a leisurely walk through the words. He smiled.
finis