Shadow of a Doubt
Chapter Twenty-two: Even In Death
by Capella
A/N: Wow - I'm totally blown away by the response to my last chapter. You guys are the best crazed, rabid fans a girl could ever have. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks! *big reviewer kisses and hugs!*
The song was Empty Chairs and Empty Tables, from the Broadway play Les Miserables. Saw it last weekend at the Fox, and I was bowled over. Came home and immediately wrote chapter Twenty-one. *grins*
In case you guys get confused because you haven't read the Silmarillion, here's the deal: Valar are the gods of Middle earth. Yavanna is the goddess of growing things, Nienna is the goddess of sorrow and wisdom, and Mandos is the god who pretty much controls the spirits of men. Manwe and Varda are sort of the king/queen. Valinor is the city where they live and where the elves in Middle-earth go to. That should be all you need to know -- if you want to check it out, just look in the Silmarillion.
For once, I have nothing else to say. So, here is chapter Twenty-two of Shadow of a Doubt: Even In Death.
____________________
"Give me a reason to believe you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth
It leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me
But now I'm taking you home..."
-Evanescence, "Even In Death"
__________________________
Legolas watched in horror as the blood pouring from Harry's torn throat slid slowly over his hands. Harry's skin was pale, his eyes a sickly shade of green. A small stream of blood escaped the corner of his mouth and trickled down his chin. He coughed and tried to speak.
"Legolas," he choked out. "Why?"
Shaking his head in disbelief, with tears running down his cheeks, Legolas brushed Harry's hair back from his pale face gently.
"Legolas!" The voice coming from Harry's throat was different, deeper. Suddenly, Harry's skin rippled grotesquely and his hand seized Legolas's wrist in an iron grip. In the space of a blink, Sauron was lying on the ground and slowly starting to sit up, smiling evilly. His thumb rubbed Legolas's wrist.
"Hello, my pretty one," Sauron whispered into Legolas's ear. A sound escaped Legolas's throat before he could stop it, a small, bewildered cry of pain as Sauron's nails dug into his wrist, creating tiny red furrows.
Legolas started to frantically try to pull his wrist out of Sauron's grip. "Let go of me," he said, a little hysterically. "Let go!"
Sauron leaned forward. "It seemed like you enjoyed yourself enough last time I saw you, sweet," he said, and licked Legolas's bottom lip. "Especially with your little worthless, broken toy." The sly insinuation left no doubt in Legolas's mind who Sauron was talking about.
Before Legolas even knew that he'd moved, his free hand come up and punched Sauron as hard as he could.
Sauron's smile faded and his thumb pressed deep into Legolas's wrist, making the elf's hand go numb. "You're going to regret that, lovely," he snarled and leaned forward, sinking his teeth deep into Legolas's shoulder. With a gasp, Legolas pulled back and distinctly heard the ripping of flesh. He shot his hand out to squeeze Sauron's throat, growling. "I hate you. I hate you!" he screamed. "I hate you!"
___________________________
With a start, he woke up and stared down in dismay. Rumil lay under him with Legolas's hand slowly choking him to death, gasping and trying to pry off the hand that was killing him. Legolas let go as if Rumil's skin burned him, backing into a corner of the ship's cabin. Rumil got up slowly, and he rubbed his throat while staring at Legolas as if the other elf were mad.
"I'm sorry, Rumil," Legolas said softly. "I -"
Rumil stopped him with a kind smile and a hand on his shoulder. "I understand," he said simply and stood, offering Legolas a hand. "We have arrived at Valinor."
___________________________
Legolas's first thought was that he had gone blind.
As soon as the cabin door had opened, a bright light permeated his thoughts and his eyes like the shining of a hundred stars. He raised a hand in front of his eyes to shield out that beautiful, terrible light, squeezing his eyes shut desperately. What's happening to me? he thought, horrified.
You may lower thine arm, little brother.
It seemed like a voice coming from everywhere and nowhere, at the same time. It was faintly feminine and amused.
"Oh gods," he moaned and dropped to his knees, his hand still covering his eyes.
None of that, Legolas.
A soft hand touched his head. Legolas got to his feet slowly and warily took his hand from his eyes. It was then that he got his first look at a Valar.
She was tall, robed in green, with piercing jade eyes and long golden hair, beautiful beyond words. A faint white light seemed to emanate from her in pulses.
"Kementari," he breathed, eyes wide in wonder. Yavanna smiled gently with perfect lips and spoke again. It was different somehow, though; and Legolas had a feeling that if she had spoken like that any longer, in that eerie Voice, he would have been driven out of his mind.
"Yes," she said simply. "I have heard of thy voyage to our eternal city, and I have also heard of thy humble sacrifice for your love. It is here that thou shalt be both rewarded and restored."
Legolas felt shame and guilt warring for dominance. He cast his eyes to the side so that he didn't have to look into her caring eyes. "I did nothing worthy of reward," he whispered.
Yavanna's laugh tinkled like water flowing merrily over rocks. "But you have, child," she said. "Come with me and you may rest."
Suddenly, Legolas was reminded of Harry's dead body, preserved and lying on the boat where he tarried even now. Who knew if his time was running short? Legolas cleared his throat, almost humiliated to have to ask something of this wonderful being. "Yavanna...I did not come here to rest. I came here to -- to ask a favor of you. Of Mandos, or Manwe. You see, I --" He found he could not continue. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Yavanna's smile faded. "Oh, child. You have done so well, and I will present your request before my lord." Her eyes were kind. "Come. After you rest, I shall call Nienna. She will heal thy wounded soul."
Even as Yavanna spoke, Legolas felt his tentative grasp on consciousness fail from his days of grief, anger, and little sleep. He felt blackness engulf his mind and his knees buckled, and he faintly felt Yavanna's soft arms catch him as he fell.
____________________________
"Child, wake." A cool hand laid on Legolas's flushed brow and sent a shiver of healing through his body. He cracked his bloodshot, tired eyes open slowly. They widened quickly in disbelief at the ethereal being beside him.
Nienna sat next to his bed, her pale and sadly beautiful face drawn in concern. Her lovely gray eyes held a thousand sadnesses and yet the sight of them filled Legolas with a grain of hope. She gave him a sad smile, her white teeth glistening behind pale pink lips.
"Nienna," he whispered, and she touched his hand with her own slender fingers.
"I know that thou hast been soul wounded," she said in a soft, husky voice. "I venture seldom from the halls of Mandos, but thy sacrifice has drawn me here. Thy sacrifice, but also his."
Legolas closed his eyes in pain. He knew of the sacrifice Harry had given him - rescued him from Barad-dur even when Legolas had nearly killed him. And Harry had died from it. He looked up at Nienna through tears. "I made no sacrifice," he said harshly. "I killed Harry as sure as if I had cut his throat myself."
"Oh, child," Nienna said with a voice full of tears, and Legolas looked up, suprised. "I can see how thou loved him. I know thou loved him."
Legolas felt tears streaming down his face. "It doesn't matter how much I loved him. In the end, he died and I could do nothing to stop it." His voice was choked. "And he died thinking that I had done -- that I had enjoyed what I did to him. That I didn't love him."
Nienna put both hands on Legolas's cheeks and stared into his soul with her deep gray eyes. "He loved you," she said carefully, "and you loved him. He knew that and you do as well, child."
Disbelieving, Legolas shook his head. "After what I did to him, he would have been mad to think that I loved him. After I just --"
Nienna took her hands from Legolas's face and took one of his hands in hers. "Let it go, Legolas. Tell me and feel thy burden lift."
Legolas opened his mouth, intending to tell Nienna that it was none of her business, but to his suprise a stream of words flowed out, punctuated here and there by a gasping sob. In a rush, he told her of his imprisonment by Sauron, the torture and the waiting and finally the rape of his mind. It was a bit harder to force out the next part, of Harry's coming to Barad-dur. Reluctantly he told her of Harry's torture at his own hands. The beatings, the rapes, and those five words that had so obviously been a knife to Harry's heart - "I could never love you."
By the time he'd wound up his tale with Harry's death, he could hardly breathe for the huge sobs being torn from his throat. To his suprise, he felt her slim arms wrap around his shoulders, coaxing out the tears, the days of grief, and the pain. Restored, Yavanna had called it, and Legolas had no doubt that Nienna was doing just that - restoring his spirit.
By the time he felt he could cry no more, the sun had set behind the mountains. He leaned back and Nienna let him go from the circle of her warm, comforting arms.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door of the small room. A stern-looking elf entered and, with a deep bow, handed Nienna a small scroll. As the elf left and Nienna read the letter, a small smile graced her lips. She glanced up at Legolas.
"I have received news of Harry."
Legolas sat up straight, desperate.
"He is to be brought to life."
With a strange fluttering in the pit of his stomach that was a mixture of relief, fear, and anticipation, Legolas collapsed back on the bed. "Now?" he asked hoarsely. Nienna's smile grew.
"Any time, child," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "We are all waiting for thee."
___________________________
"I cannot do this, Haldir."
The corner of Haldir's eyes crinkled as he smiled slightly. "Of course you can. This is what you have risked your life for. Why are you frightened now?"
Legolas shifted his weight. "I just -- when Harry wakes up and remembers what I did to him, all the things that --" He broke off, shaking his head. "He will not forgive me. He cannot forgive me."
"If he loved you as much as you obviously love him, then he will forgive you, Legolas. Trust me. He will --"
Haldir's sentance was cut off abruptly. An elf dressed in shining clothing was decending the pearly white road leading up to where the Valar held their council in the Mahanaxar, the Ring of Doom. The elf sketched a short bow and stared straight into Legolas's eyes. "Lord Manwe and Lady Elbereth bid you come with me, now."
Legolas drew a breath. "What about --"
"The boy is in Mahanaxar already."
As Haldir and Legolas fell in behind the elf, Legolas shut his eyes for a moment. "Gods, give me strength," he whispered fervently. A soft breeze ruffled his hair gently.
The trek into the middle of the city went far too quickly. Legolas felt panic set in and tried to calm himself down, but no matter what he did, he could still hear himself laughing over the sound of Harry's pained cries and the crack of a bloody whip. He clenched his teeth, each step coming hard-pressed and each breath feeling forced.
The small group turned a corner, and the sheer light and beauty forced Legolas to his knees. Instead of covering his eyes, he shut them tightly, feeling the light penetrate his eyelids right to the back of his skull. A wave of peace washed over him suddenly.
Legolas opened his eyes, squinting, and saw Haldir on his feet beside him, mouth agape.
On thy feet, Legolas Greenleaf!
The power of Manwe's Voice drove him to his feet in a rush. He opened both eyes fully, and found himself staring.
All fourteen Valar were sitting in a circle around the Ring. Legolas saw Yavanna and Nienna sitting to the right of Manwe, who was shining so brightly that Legolas could barely look at him. The combined beauty and might of the Valar almost made him collapse.
Suddenly his attention was drawn to something infinitely more precious in his mind.
There was a raised wooden bier in the center of the circle, and resting as if sleeping on it was Harry. He was wrapped in a shining dark green robe, the color only serving to bring out the deathly paleness of his skin. Legolas involuntarily took a step forward.
"Stop, child."
Legolas glanced at Varda and then back at Harry; mesmerizing as her beauty was, his gaze seemed to be drawn to the figure on the bier. Varda smiled.
"I understand that you have lost something dear to you," she said softly, her bell-like tones ringing across the courtyard. Legolas nodded with his heart in his throat. A movement at the side of the Ring drew his attention, and with a fair amount of suprise Legolas recognized Gandalf, in his gleaming white robe. Another voice, booming and seeming to fill every corner of Legolas's mind, spoke.
"We have seen thy sacrifice and thy devotion. After much council, we have deemed thee worthy of our gift."
Legolas could not speak, so riveted on Harry was he. He could hear every heartbeat loudly in his ears.
"I assume we have thine eternal gratitude," Aule murmured, sounding amused. Legolas nodded faintly.
Mandos stood up, cloaked in a robe of deep blue. His long black hair seemed to swirl him with no breeze. "Let us not waste more of thy time," he said in a deep, husky voice. He walked to the bier and raised his arms. The entire courtyard grew silent with anticipation.
White, whispy swirls came from Mandos's outstretched hands , creeping into the heavens and gradually filling the sky. Legolas put his hands up to his ears, hearing horrible screams and beautiful songs, and realized that the white sky above him was filled with spirits.
From the whirling mass of souls came one, silvery whisp, floating down from the sky and gradually forming into the shape of a body. Harry's body. Legolas stared at it, transfixed.
Mandos thrust his hands down below his waist, and the spirit flew down and sunk into Harry's body. The sky of souls disappeared. The pale, sickly pallor of Harry's skin was gone.
Mandos turned silently and glided back to his chair, sitting down and watching Harry with dark eyes.
Harry's chest moved slightly as he breathed. His eyelashes fluttered.
Legolas gave a small cry and ran forward; he pressed his ear to Harry's chest, and he heard the steady thump of a heart beating. His own heart raced. Harry shifted slightly, one of his arms coming up to rub at his eyes and run fingers through his hair. Legolas felt like holding Harry and never letting go.
The crack of a whip echoed through his mind.
Legolas took a step back quickly, desperately watching Harry sit up. As Harry opened his eyes Legolas drank in every detail of him -- bright green eyes, ruffled black hair -- beautiful. He had never looked so beautiful. Harry looked around the courtyard with a strange expression, puzzled and a little dazed.
He glanced over at Legolas and smiled; Legolas felt his heart stop in his chest. Harry opened his mouth to speak.
"Who are you?"
________________________
A/N: Well? Whatcha think? The story's drawing to a close...makes me sad. Only about five or so more chapters. :(
Chapter Twenty-two: Even In Death
by Capella
A/N: Wow - I'm totally blown away by the response to my last chapter. You guys are the best crazed, rabid fans a girl could ever have. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks! *big reviewer kisses and hugs!*
The song was Empty Chairs and Empty Tables, from the Broadway play Les Miserables. Saw it last weekend at the Fox, and I was bowled over. Came home and immediately wrote chapter Twenty-one. *grins*
In case you guys get confused because you haven't read the Silmarillion, here's the deal: Valar are the gods of Middle earth. Yavanna is the goddess of growing things, Nienna is the goddess of sorrow and wisdom, and Mandos is the god who pretty much controls the spirits of men. Manwe and Varda are sort of the king/queen. Valinor is the city where they live and where the elves in Middle-earth go to. That should be all you need to know -- if you want to check it out, just look in the Silmarillion.
For once, I have nothing else to say. So, here is chapter Twenty-two of Shadow of a Doubt: Even In Death.
____________________
"Give me a reason to believe you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth
It leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me
But now I'm taking you home..."
-Evanescence, "Even In Death"
__________________________
Legolas watched in horror as the blood pouring from Harry's torn throat slid slowly over his hands. Harry's skin was pale, his eyes a sickly shade of green. A small stream of blood escaped the corner of his mouth and trickled down his chin. He coughed and tried to speak.
"Legolas," he choked out. "Why?"
Shaking his head in disbelief, with tears running down his cheeks, Legolas brushed Harry's hair back from his pale face gently.
"Legolas!" The voice coming from Harry's throat was different, deeper. Suddenly, Harry's skin rippled grotesquely and his hand seized Legolas's wrist in an iron grip. In the space of a blink, Sauron was lying on the ground and slowly starting to sit up, smiling evilly. His thumb rubbed Legolas's wrist.
"Hello, my pretty one," Sauron whispered into Legolas's ear. A sound escaped Legolas's throat before he could stop it, a small, bewildered cry of pain as Sauron's nails dug into his wrist, creating tiny red furrows.
Legolas started to frantically try to pull his wrist out of Sauron's grip. "Let go of me," he said, a little hysterically. "Let go!"
Sauron leaned forward. "It seemed like you enjoyed yourself enough last time I saw you, sweet," he said, and licked Legolas's bottom lip. "Especially with your little worthless, broken toy." The sly insinuation left no doubt in Legolas's mind who Sauron was talking about.
Before Legolas even knew that he'd moved, his free hand come up and punched Sauron as hard as he could.
Sauron's smile faded and his thumb pressed deep into Legolas's wrist, making the elf's hand go numb. "You're going to regret that, lovely," he snarled and leaned forward, sinking his teeth deep into Legolas's shoulder. With a gasp, Legolas pulled back and distinctly heard the ripping of flesh. He shot his hand out to squeeze Sauron's throat, growling. "I hate you. I hate you!" he screamed. "I hate you!"
___________________________
With a start, he woke up and stared down in dismay. Rumil lay under him with Legolas's hand slowly choking him to death, gasping and trying to pry off the hand that was killing him. Legolas let go as if Rumil's skin burned him, backing into a corner of the ship's cabin. Rumil got up slowly, and he rubbed his throat while staring at Legolas as if the other elf were mad.
"I'm sorry, Rumil," Legolas said softly. "I -"
Rumil stopped him with a kind smile and a hand on his shoulder. "I understand," he said simply and stood, offering Legolas a hand. "We have arrived at Valinor."
___________________________
Legolas's first thought was that he had gone blind.
As soon as the cabin door had opened, a bright light permeated his thoughts and his eyes like the shining of a hundred stars. He raised a hand in front of his eyes to shield out that beautiful, terrible light, squeezing his eyes shut desperately. What's happening to me? he thought, horrified.
You may lower thine arm, little brother.
It seemed like a voice coming from everywhere and nowhere, at the same time. It was faintly feminine and amused.
"Oh gods," he moaned and dropped to his knees, his hand still covering his eyes.
None of that, Legolas.
A soft hand touched his head. Legolas got to his feet slowly and warily took his hand from his eyes. It was then that he got his first look at a Valar.
She was tall, robed in green, with piercing jade eyes and long golden hair, beautiful beyond words. A faint white light seemed to emanate from her in pulses.
"Kementari," he breathed, eyes wide in wonder. Yavanna smiled gently with perfect lips and spoke again. It was different somehow, though; and Legolas had a feeling that if she had spoken like that any longer, in that eerie Voice, he would have been driven out of his mind.
"Yes," she said simply. "I have heard of thy voyage to our eternal city, and I have also heard of thy humble sacrifice for your love. It is here that thou shalt be both rewarded and restored."
Legolas felt shame and guilt warring for dominance. He cast his eyes to the side so that he didn't have to look into her caring eyes. "I did nothing worthy of reward," he whispered.
Yavanna's laugh tinkled like water flowing merrily over rocks. "But you have, child," she said. "Come with me and you may rest."
Suddenly, Legolas was reminded of Harry's dead body, preserved and lying on the boat where he tarried even now. Who knew if his time was running short? Legolas cleared his throat, almost humiliated to have to ask something of this wonderful being. "Yavanna...I did not come here to rest. I came here to -- to ask a favor of you. Of Mandos, or Manwe. You see, I --" He found he could not continue. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Yavanna's smile faded. "Oh, child. You have done so well, and I will present your request before my lord." Her eyes were kind. "Come. After you rest, I shall call Nienna. She will heal thy wounded soul."
Even as Yavanna spoke, Legolas felt his tentative grasp on consciousness fail from his days of grief, anger, and little sleep. He felt blackness engulf his mind and his knees buckled, and he faintly felt Yavanna's soft arms catch him as he fell.
____________________________
"Child, wake." A cool hand laid on Legolas's flushed brow and sent a shiver of healing through his body. He cracked his bloodshot, tired eyes open slowly. They widened quickly in disbelief at the ethereal being beside him.
Nienna sat next to his bed, her pale and sadly beautiful face drawn in concern. Her lovely gray eyes held a thousand sadnesses and yet the sight of them filled Legolas with a grain of hope. She gave him a sad smile, her white teeth glistening behind pale pink lips.
"Nienna," he whispered, and she touched his hand with her own slender fingers.
"I know that thou hast been soul wounded," she said in a soft, husky voice. "I venture seldom from the halls of Mandos, but thy sacrifice has drawn me here. Thy sacrifice, but also his."
Legolas closed his eyes in pain. He knew of the sacrifice Harry had given him - rescued him from Barad-dur even when Legolas had nearly killed him. And Harry had died from it. He looked up at Nienna through tears. "I made no sacrifice," he said harshly. "I killed Harry as sure as if I had cut his throat myself."
"Oh, child," Nienna said with a voice full of tears, and Legolas looked up, suprised. "I can see how thou loved him. I know thou loved him."
Legolas felt tears streaming down his face. "It doesn't matter how much I loved him. In the end, he died and I could do nothing to stop it." His voice was choked. "And he died thinking that I had done -- that I had enjoyed what I did to him. That I didn't love him."
Nienna put both hands on Legolas's cheeks and stared into his soul with her deep gray eyes. "He loved you," she said carefully, "and you loved him. He knew that and you do as well, child."
Disbelieving, Legolas shook his head. "After what I did to him, he would have been mad to think that I loved him. After I just --"
Nienna took her hands from Legolas's face and took one of his hands in hers. "Let it go, Legolas. Tell me and feel thy burden lift."
Legolas opened his mouth, intending to tell Nienna that it was none of her business, but to his suprise a stream of words flowed out, punctuated here and there by a gasping sob. In a rush, he told her of his imprisonment by Sauron, the torture and the waiting and finally the rape of his mind. It was a bit harder to force out the next part, of Harry's coming to Barad-dur. Reluctantly he told her of Harry's torture at his own hands. The beatings, the rapes, and those five words that had so obviously been a knife to Harry's heart - "I could never love you."
By the time he'd wound up his tale with Harry's death, he could hardly breathe for the huge sobs being torn from his throat. To his suprise, he felt her slim arms wrap around his shoulders, coaxing out the tears, the days of grief, and the pain. Restored, Yavanna had called it, and Legolas had no doubt that Nienna was doing just that - restoring his spirit.
By the time he felt he could cry no more, the sun had set behind the mountains. He leaned back and Nienna let him go from the circle of her warm, comforting arms.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door of the small room. A stern-looking elf entered and, with a deep bow, handed Nienna a small scroll. As the elf left and Nienna read the letter, a small smile graced her lips. She glanced up at Legolas.
"I have received news of Harry."
Legolas sat up straight, desperate.
"He is to be brought to life."
With a strange fluttering in the pit of his stomach that was a mixture of relief, fear, and anticipation, Legolas collapsed back on the bed. "Now?" he asked hoarsely. Nienna's smile grew.
"Any time, child," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "We are all waiting for thee."
___________________________
"I cannot do this, Haldir."
The corner of Haldir's eyes crinkled as he smiled slightly. "Of course you can. This is what you have risked your life for. Why are you frightened now?"
Legolas shifted his weight. "I just -- when Harry wakes up and remembers what I did to him, all the things that --" He broke off, shaking his head. "He will not forgive me. He cannot forgive me."
"If he loved you as much as you obviously love him, then he will forgive you, Legolas. Trust me. He will --"
Haldir's sentance was cut off abruptly. An elf dressed in shining clothing was decending the pearly white road leading up to where the Valar held their council in the Mahanaxar, the Ring of Doom. The elf sketched a short bow and stared straight into Legolas's eyes. "Lord Manwe and Lady Elbereth bid you come with me, now."
Legolas drew a breath. "What about --"
"The boy is in Mahanaxar already."
As Haldir and Legolas fell in behind the elf, Legolas shut his eyes for a moment. "Gods, give me strength," he whispered fervently. A soft breeze ruffled his hair gently.
The trek into the middle of the city went far too quickly. Legolas felt panic set in and tried to calm himself down, but no matter what he did, he could still hear himself laughing over the sound of Harry's pained cries and the crack of a bloody whip. He clenched his teeth, each step coming hard-pressed and each breath feeling forced.
The small group turned a corner, and the sheer light and beauty forced Legolas to his knees. Instead of covering his eyes, he shut them tightly, feeling the light penetrate his eyelids right to the back of his skull. A wave of peace washed over him suddenly.
Legolas opened his eyes, squinting, and saw Haldir on his feet beside him, mouth agape.
On thy feet, Legolas Greenleaf!
The power of Manwe's Voice drove him to his feet in a rush. He opened both eyes fully, and found himself staring.
All fourteen Valar were sitting in a circle around the Ring. Legolas saw Yavanna and Nienna sitting to the right of Manwe, who was shining so brightly that Legolas could barely look at him. The combined beauty and might of the Valar almost made him collapse.
Suddenly his attention was drawn to something infinitely more precious in his mind.
There was a raised wooden bier in the center of the circle, and resting as if sleeping on it was Harry. He was wrapped in a shining dark green robe, the color only serving to bring out the deathly paleness of his skin. Legolas involuntarily took a step forward.
"Stop, child."
Legolas glanced at Varda and then back at Harry; mesmerizing as her beauty was, his gaze seemed to be drawn to the figure on the bier. Varda smiled.
"I understand that you have lost something dear to you," she said softly, her bell-like tones ringing across the courtyard. Legolas nodded with his heart in his throat. A movement at the side of the Ring drew his attention, and with a fair amount of suprise Legolas recognized Gandalf, in his gleaming white robe. Another voice, booming and seeming to fill every corner of Legolas's mind, spoke.
"We have seen thy sacrifice and thy devotion. After much council, we have deemed thee worthy of our gift."
Legolas could not speak, so riveted on Harry was he. He could hear every heartbeat loudly in his ears.
"I assume we have thine eternal gratitude," Aule murmured, sounding amused. Legolas nodded faintly.
Mandos stood up, cloaked in a robe of deep blue. His long black hair seemed to swirl him with no breeze. "Let us not waste more of thy time," he said in a deep, husky voice. He walked to the bier and raised his arms. The entire courtyard grew silent with anticipation.
White, whispy swirls came from Mandos's outstretched hands , creeping into the heavens and gradually filling the sky. Legolas put his hands up to his ears, hearing horrible screams and beautiful songs, and realized that the white sky above him was filled with spirits.
From the whirling mass of souls came one, silvery whisp, floating down from the sky and gradually forming into the shape of a body. Harry's body. Legolas stared at it, transfixed.
Mandos thrust his hands down below his waist, and the spirit flew down and sunk into Harry's body. The sky of souls disappeared. The pale, sickly pallor of Harry's skin was gone.
Mandos turned silently and glided back to his chair, sitting down and watching Harry with dark eyes.
Harry's chest moved slightly as he breathed. His eyelashes fluttered.
Legolas gave a small cry and ran forward; he pressed his ear to Harry's chest, and he heard the steady thump of a heart beating. His own heart raced. Harry shifted slightly, one of his arms coming up to rub at his eyes and run fingers through his hair. Legolas felt like holding Harry and never letting go.
The crack of a whip echoed through his mind.
Legolas took a step back quickly, desperately watching Harry sit up. As Harry opened his eyes Legolas drank in every detail of him -- bright green eyes, ruffled black hair -- beautiful. He had never looked so beautiful. Harry looked around the courtyard with a strange expression, puzzled and a little dazed.
He glanced over at Legolas and smiled; Legolas felt his heart stop in his chest. Harry opened his mouth to speak.
"Who are you?"
________________________
A/N: Well? Whatcha think? The story's drawing to a close...makes me sad. Only about five or so more chapters. :(