~ Chapter Seven: Nectarines
(Legolas POV)
The days went by slowly as I stared into darkness and listened to nothing but the irritatingly chirpy voices of the birds.
I think Elrond would let me walk about Rivendell if I wanted to. But that would mean relying on the support of others, and that was something, but nature I didn't like doing. I am... I was once a mighty warriors, and a fault of warriors is that we are an immensely proud group of people. Rivendell was filled with people I knew and loved dearly. But I would not see any of them. I could not bear to be looked upon with sympathy.
They have returned. The battle of Pelennor Fields was over, Frodo had destroyed the One Ring of Power, Grima Wormtongue had killed Saruman, and the Ents had flooded Isengard.
My room is always empty of people. I can normally hear people as they walk down the corridors, talking to each other. I wish I could see them. Ai, but that is Aragorn's mistake.
Saruman was going to let me have my sight back. He had told me about the Mirrorling the night that I had let Aragorn escape, his dreams and ambitions for it. He wanted me to see his creation, be the first to witness its splendor.
It was a fascinating yet disgusting subject. It made me sit up and listen attentively, but then again it also chilled me to the core of my very being.
The dopplegänger was a unique race that Saruman had created. There had been several dopplegängers before the one that took my form, but they had not worked out. They would not take the entire form.
Saruman would never tell me exactly how he had made the creatures but mumbled about breeding ghouls and shadow. The potion he made was made into a paste that was smeared onto the dopplegängers's faces. It then hardened like a facemask, and rapidly they absorbed all my qualities. My hearing was taken so they could tune their own so that every single quality was the same. The same happened with my eyesight. I cannot explain what Saruman did with it- I am no sorcerer.
The blood was absorbed as well. They took the strength that ran through my bloodline. It gave them the speed and agility of the elves.
And when Aragorn had been captured, Saruman had been partially annoyed. The man was not needed. He would just get in the way. So the White Wizard, like normal turned things to his advantage. He was going to torture Aragorn until he found out where the Ringbearer was, and then he would send his Mirrorlings along to retrieve the Ring. Estel had easily been tricked by illusions, one of the simplest spells that a wizard can perform. But then again, I was also tricked.
Luckily Aragorn had not said anything so Frodo was safe.
I had given Aragorn a chance to escape, to get help, but he had stayed and had destroyed my one chance to see again. He does not understand the importance of the spell though. He thought it was a curse not a blessing.
True, he did stay out of loyalty, but he should have listened as Saruman completed the verse:
"Take back what is his, Return what is borrowed, Repay what was lent, And restore his sight."
My dear, dear friend. He was always charging around, looking out for me. I do not normally need his aid and so I told him to leave. Knowing that Aragorn would never do that, I said for him to get help. That should have persuaded him to leave me, but he didn't.
There is a sound outside my room and my head tilts towards the direction of the door. Aragorn luckily, had come to late to prevent any other spells and Saruman had returned my hearing.
There was a slight scuffle and I heard the door open.
"Legolas?" asked a small voice.
I frowned, trying to distinguish it. "Frodo?" I enquired.
"Yes."
"Frodo I wish to be alone," I said with a slight sigh.
"Yes, I know what you want. We all want to be alone sometimes. But sometimes it is not always good to be alone. I brought you some food." I felt something being pressed into my calloused, warrior's hands.
"What is it?" I asked, feeling the velvety soft skin of it.
"An nectarine." Raising it to my noise, I delicately sniffed it.
"I am not hungry," I said stubbornly.
"Try it," the hobbit said persistently.
I lowered it to my mouth and hesitantly sunk my teeth into the soft flesh. It was very sweet, and juicy. Juice started to dribble down my chin and I heard the soft tinkling of Frodo's laughter.
"It's good, isn't it?" he asked without any smugness or 'I told you so'.
"Tis indeed," I said swallowing it. Then suddenly I felt my stomach churning around and I felt sick.
"Take a couple of sips," Frodo said. I felt a beaker against my lips and gently sipped the cool water. "You haven't eat for a while, Legolas."
"I did not want to," I said. "I felt so wretched that I.... wanted to die."
He sighed and I felt the bed sag slightly as he perched on the end. "I know how you feel," he said sympathetically. "The Ring drove me mad. I wanted to rid myself of this horrible mission. I wanted to die."
"I cannot see," I explained. "I feel so helpless.... most of my friends are elves. I am sure that they would not know how to interact around a sightless member of their kin. It is unheard of- that an elf is blind. I cannot bear the thought of living out the rest of my lives like an old beggar, a stick always out in front of me, helping me to walk."
"There is no way to destroy the spell?" Frodo asked.
I shook my head. "I do not think so."
"Have you asked Gandalf?"
"Nay. I have not spoken to anyone save you since I arrived here in Rivendell." I took another sip of the water; my throat was beginning to feel sore from this unaccustomed talking.
"Why do you seek solitude?" Frodo asked, offering the nectarine to me again.
"Because I feel.... that people will not understand me and I do just want to be alone," I said trying to explain my feelings.
"The sign of how good a friend is, is whether when you want to be alone, they pester you and stick by you. You have a very close relationship with Aragorn but he is not doing that. Your friendship is failing partly because you keep on pushing him away. He always asks Elrond to visit you, but he is always denied. Sam always stuck by me, through thick and thin, even when I shouted at him; telling him I wished to be alone. Now I realize that even when Sam did finally comply and leave me to think, he was always around: with a willing smile and a comforting hug. Stop denying your friendship of this. Let people in. Let them just sit there, if you do not want to talk.
"Tis better to be alone in company, then alone by yourself."
I smiled at Frodo. "Thank you. Thank you for helping a stubborn elf see sense."
"That is okay Legolas," he said softly, getting off the bed. "Carry on eating. I can get you some more fruit, if you so desire?"
I shook my head. "No. But I will eat, I promise. Could you send in Aragorn?"
I could not see it, but I'm sure I could sense a smile of contentment on the halfling's face as he answered: "Yes."
~
(Aragorn POV)
My heart was thudding unusually loudly as I walked through the corridors towards Legolas' chamber. I had not seen my friend for many days and have had no end of worrying.
I opened the room and walked in.
"Aragorn," Legolas said quietly, almost shyly. "I am sorry I have spurned your visits."
"No," I protested. "Tis only to be expected, you were frail and sick."
"I was and am not physically sick, I was only sick of mind." Legolas sucked at a nectarine in his hands. How that lifted my heart when I saw the elf eating.
Elrond had told me that the prince had rejected all nourishment save water.
"I must explain my actions and the riddles that I was speaking as we were leaving Orthanc," Legolas said.
"Please," I urged. His behavior that day was most curious.
"My blindness: Saruman was going to give back my sight. There was a spell he had to say:
"Take back what is his, Return what is borrowed, Repay what was lent,"-
I froze. That was where I had burst into the room, knocking Saruman to the floor and not letting him complete the spell.
"Oh god!" I cried, burying my head in my hands. "He never got to finish it. Legolas, ai, Legolas! My friend, I blinded you!"
I flung my arms around the frail elf, feeling every bone in his back as I hugged him gently. "Will you ever forgive me?" I sobbed.
I felt Legolas nod and kiss my cheek. "I will, if you help me do something."
"Anything. I'll climb the highest mountain; I'll swim the deepest ocean. I'll fly on the back of an eagle," I promised desperately.
"Go to Orthanc and search for any more of the dopplegängers. There must be some left."
Some left, I frowned. I thought Saruman had only made one of the creatures.
"There were others," Legolas said. "Ones that had gone wrong slightly. They had not taken my appearance wholly. But the spell only 'borrowed' my eyesight momentarily while they learnt to extend their vision to elven proportions. The eyesight was shared amongst the dopplegängers. My eyesight would be returned if the Mirrorling that you killed, had been the only one to have it. But because some still remain, so does my eyesight with them. Aragorn you must return to Isengard."
Isengard, I did not wish to tread in those lands again. But I had to: to regain Legolas' sight.
"Please, I could not be blind for the rest of my life, have to depend on other people's generosity," Legolas begged, though I did not need much persuasion.
"I will go."
~
I hope that explained pretty much everything. Thanks for my reviews. A couple more chapters until the end. Bear with me please.
Luv Anna.
(Legolas POV)
The days went by slowly as I stared into darkness and listened to nothing but the irritatingly chirpy voices of the birds.
I think Elrond would let me walk about Rivendell if I wanted to. But that would mean relying on the support of others, and that was something, but nature I didn't like doing. I am... I was once a mighty warriors, and a fault of warriors is that we are an immensely proud group of people. Rivendell was filled with people I knew and loved dearly. But I would not see any of them. I could not bear to be looked upon with sympathy.
They have returned. The battle of Pelennor Fields was over, Frodo had destroyed the One Ring of Power, Grima Wormtongue had killed Saruman, and the Ents had flooded Isengard.
My room is always empty of people. I can normally hear people as they walk down the corridors, talking to each other. I wish I could see them. Ai, but that is Aragorn's mistake.
Saruman was going to let me have my sight back. He had told me about the Mirrorling the night that I had let Aragorn escape, his dreams and ambitions for it. He wanted me to see his creation, be the first to witness its splendor.
It was a fascinating yet disgusting subject. It made me sit up and listen attentively, but then again it also chilled me to the core of my very being.
The dopplegänger was a unique race that Saruman had created. There had been several dopplegängers before the one that took my form, but they had not worked out. They would not take the entire form.
Saruman would never tell me exactly how he had made the creatures but mumbled about breeding ghouls and shadow. The potion he made was made into a paste that was smeared onto the dopplegängers's faces. It then hardened like a facemask, and rapidly they absorbed all my qualities. My hearing was taken so they could tune their own so that every single quality was the same. The same happened with my eyesight. I cannot explain what Saruman did with it- I am no sorcerer.
The blood was absorbed as well. They took the strength that ran through my bloodline. It gave them the speed and agility of the elves.
And when Aragorn had been captured, Saruman had been partially annoyed. The man was not needed. He would just get in the way. So the White Wizard, like normal turned things to his advantage. He was going to torture Aragorn until he found out where the Ringbearer was, and then he would send his Mirrorlings along to retrieve the Ring. Estel had easily been tricked by illusions, one of the simplest spells that a wizard can perform. But then again, I was also tricked.
Luckily Aragorn had not said anything so Frodo was safe.
I had given Aragorn a chance to escape, to get help, but he had stayed and had destroyed my one chance to see again. He does not understand the importance of the spell though. He thought it was a curse not a blessing.
True, he did stay out of loyalty, but he should have listened as Saruman completed the verse:
"Take back what is his, Return what is borrowed, Repay what was lent, And restore his sight."
My dear, dear friend. He was always charging around, looking out for me. I do not normally need his aid and so I told him to leave. Knowing that Aragorn would never do that, I said for him to get help. That should have persuaded him to leave me, but he didn't.
There is a sound outside my room and my head tilts towards the direction of the door. Aragorn luckily, had come to late to prevent any other spells and Saruman had returned my hearing.
There was a slight scuffle and I heard the door open.
"Legolas?" asked a small voice.
I frowned, trying to distinguish it. "Frodo?" I enquired.
"Yes."
"Frodo I wish to be alone," I said with a slight sigh.
"Yes, I know what you want. We all want to be alone sometimes. But sometimes it is not always good to be alone. I brought you some food." I felt something being pressed into my calloused, warrior's hands.
"What is it?" I asked, feeling the velvety soft skin of it.
"An nectarine." Raising it to my noise, I delicately sniffed it.
"I am not hungry," I said stubbornly.
"Try it," the hobbit said persistently.
I lowered it to my mouth and hesitantly sunk my teeth into the soft flesh. It was very sweet, and juicy. Juice started to dribble down my chin and I heard the soft tinkling of Frodo's laughter.
"It's good, isn't it?" he asked without any smugness or 'I told you so'.
"Tis indeed," I said swallowing it. Then suddenly I felt my stomach churning around and I felt sick.
"Take a couple of sips," Frodo said. I felt a beaker against my lips and gently sipped the cool water. "You haven't eat for a while, Legolas."
"I did not want to," I said. "I felt so wretched that I.... wanted to die."
He sighed and I felt the bed sag slightly as he perched on the end. "I know how you feel," he said sympathetically. "The Ring drove me mad. I wanted to rid myself of this horrible mission. I wanted to die."
"I cannot see," I explained. "I feel so helpless.... most of my friends are elves. I am sure that they would not know how to interact around a sightless member of their kin. It is unheard of- that an elf is blind. I cannot bear the thought of living out the rest of my lives like an old beggar, a stick always out in front of me, helping me to walk."
"There is no way to destroy the spell?" Frodo asked.
I shook my head. "I do not think so."
"Have you asked Gandalf?"
"Nay. I have not spoken to anyone save you since I arrived here in Rivendell." I took another sip of the water; my throat was beginning to feel sore from this unaccustomed talking.
"Why do you seek solitude?" Frodo asked, offering the nectarine to me again.
"Because I feel.... that people will not understand me and I do just want to be alone," I said trying to explain my feelings.
"The sign of how good a friend is, is whether when you want to be alone, they pester you and stick by you. You have a very close relationship with Aragorn but he is not doing that. Your friendship is failing partly because you keep on pushing him away. He always asks Elrond to visit you, but he is always denied. Sam always stuck by me, through thick and thin, even when I shouted at him; telling him I wished to be alone. Now I realize that even when Sam did finally comply and leave me to think, he was always around: with a willing smile and a comforting hug. Stop denying your friendship of this. Let people in. Let them just sit there, if you do not want to talk.
"Tis better to be alone in company, then alone by yourself."
I smiled at Frodo. "Thank you. Thank you for helping a stubborn elf see sense."
"That is okay Legolas," he said softly, getting off the bed. "Carry on eating. I can get you some more fruit, if you so desire?"
I shook my head. "No. But I will eat, I promise. Could you send in Aragorn?"
I could not see it, but I'm sure I could sense a smile of contentment on the halfling's face as he answered: "Yes."
~
(Aragorn POV)
My heart was thudding unusually loudly as I walked through the corridors towards Legolas' chamber. I had not seen my friend for many days and have had no end of worrying.
I opened the room and walked in.
"Aragorn," Legolas said quietly, almost shyly. "I am sorry I have spurned your visits."
"No," I protested. "Tis only to be expected, you were frail and sick."
"I was and am not physically sick, I was only sick of mind." Legolas sucked at a nectarine in his hands. How that lifted my heart when I saw the elf eating.
Elrond had told me that the prince had rejected all nourishment save water.
"I must explain my actions and the riddles that I was speaking as we were leaving Orthanc," Legolas said.
"Please," I urged. His behavior that day was most curious.
"My blindness: Saruman was going to give back my sight. There was a spell he had to say:
"Take back what is his, Return what is borrowed, Repay what was lent,"-
I froze. That was where I had burst into the room, knocking Saruman to the floor and not letting him complete the spell.
"Oh god!" I cried, burying my head in my hands. "He never got to finish it. Legolas, ai, Legolas! My friend, I blinded you!"
I flung my arms around the frail elf, feeling every bone in his back as I hugged him gently. "Will you ever forgive me?" I sobbed.
I felt Legolas nod and kiss my cheek. "I will, if you help me do something."
"Anything. I'll climb the highest mountain; I'll swim the deepest ocean. I'll fly on the back of an eagle," I promised desperately.
"Go to Orthanc and search for any more of the dopplegängers. There must be some left."
Some left, I frowned. I thought Saruman had only made one of the creatures.
"There were others," Legolas said. "Ones that had gone wrong slightly. They had not taken my appearance wholly. But the spell only 'borrowed' my eyesight momentarily while they learnt to extend their vision to elven proportions. The eyesight was shared amongst the dopplegängers. My eyesight would be returned if the Mirrorling that you killed, had been the only one to have it. But because some still remain, so does my eyesight with them. Aragorn you must return to Isengard."
Isengard, I did not wish to tread in those lands again. But I had to: to regain Legolas' sight.
"Please, I could not be blind for the rest of my life, have to depend on other people's generosity," Legolas begged, though I did not need much persuasion.
"I will go."
~
I hope that explained pretty much everything. Thanks for my reviews. A couple more chapters until the end. Bear with me please.
Luv Anna.
