A/N: Not mine. Well...here it is, the last chapter. Arwen's letter is composed of lines from Elizabeth Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguesse.
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The end of it all
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He was standing on the brink, teetering. All around him, the song of life continued on...nature's beauty and wonder never ceasing. The sun shone clear and bright in the cloudless sky, the tune of larks filled the air and the wind danced about him as if skipping to the melody.
And yet Legolas was unmoved.
He was lost, wrapped up in some distant and fair memory. Perhaps lifetimes of memory. He sighed the sigh of a tired soul and ran his fingers over the cool stone. His long and slender hand traced the emblem of the evenstar and he noted that the dwarfs had done exceptional work.
"Here lies Arwen Undomiel
Daughter of Elrond Half-Elven
Wife of Aragorn, The King Elessar
Queen of Elves and Men
Evenstar of her people."
"When I remember your love, I weep," he whispered to the wind, "And when I hear people talking of you, something in my chest, where nothing much happens now, moves as in sleep..."
It is indeed so? If I lay here dead, wouldst thou miss any life in losing mine? And would the sun for thee more coldly shine because of grave-damps falling round my head?...Lover, do not weep for me. I have been blessed in my ages of life to be well loved...especially by you.
"After all the long years of knowing you and loving you, the day has finally come for me to ilet go./i But I am afraid. I do not know anything but you, my darling. A part of me wants to stay here forever...with you. It does not care to see what new life has to offer us. But another part, the part that knows you best, understands that I cannot linger here. Not for you, or for me..."
...I find that perhaps our love was not meant for this world. It does not understand us. So I take comfort in what little hope we have to be together in this lifetime....and lifetimes yet to come. It is too great and too powerful to be conceived or held by the borders of time...
"Sometimes I think I love you too much to let go. You once wrote that you believed that our love was not meant for the confines of this world and that thought brought you comfort. Indeed, I shall always be bound to you, and you to me, and this is my comfort. And I promise you, I will find happiness again, my love."
... How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach...I love thee to the level of everyday's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light... I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with the breath,smiles, tears, of all my life!...
"I shall never forget all the love you brought to me. And finally now, I can see clearly that we were indeed different. And that is a good thing. Our love did not fit into a mold; It was beautiful..."
... What can I give thee back, O liberal and princely giver... Am I cold, ungrateful, that for these most manifold high gifts, I render nothing back at all? Not so; not cold-but very poor instead. For frequent tears have run the colors of my life...
"You showed me love when I thought it would never come to me. You loved me despite everything that stood in our way. And when you had the chance to walk away, you held my hand...."
You are the keeper of my heart... and I shall but love thee better after death.
"Goodbye, my Undomiel."
All my love, Arwen
He stood there for a time until Gimli the dwarf appeared by his side. Humbly, he took a knee before the green grave of the Evenstar and spoke in his own tongue, words of mourning and lament.
When he was through, Gimli stood upright once more, but sorrow was strewn across his face. Legolas rested a hand on his companion's shoulder.
"Come Gimli, it is time."
------
Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Auduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.
------
Fin
------
"It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts."
-Aragorn in Fellowship of the Ring
I guess that's it. Looking back, I've realized that most of my chapters were a bunch of crap! I think it was just too much... The pushing them together and pulling them apart... just too much, you know? So I that makes me so completely astonished that I actually recieved positive reviews! I can't express how much it means to me to have people enjoy my work...no matter how crappy it is... thank you thank you thank you.
Usually, I don't write more than one fic for a particular interest of mine... but I think I'm going to make an exception with LOTR. I'm currently working on a series of Legolas/Arwen fics from when they were elf-lings, tentitvely titled, "Growing Pains: The Legolas and Arwen Series."
Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers...my friends, I am so grateful.
Michelle
------
The end of it all
------
He was standing on the brink, teetering. All around him, the song of life continued on...nature's beauty and wonder never ceasing. The sun shone clear and bright in the cloudless sky, the tune of larks filled the air and the wind danced about him as if skipping to the melody.
And yet Legolas was unmoved.
He was lost, wrapped up in some distant and fair memory. Perhaps lifetimes of memory. He sighed the sigh of a tired soul and ran his fingers over the cool stone. His long and slender hand traced the emblem of the evenstar and he noted that the dwarfs had done exceptional work.
"Here lies Arwen Undomiel
Daughter of Elrond Half-Elven
Wife of Aragorn, The King Elessar
Queen of Elves and Men
Evenstar of her people."
"When I remember your love, I weep," he whispered to the wind, "And when I hear people talking of you, something in my chest, where nothing much happens now, moves as in sleep..."
It is indeed so? If I lay here dead, wouldst thou miss any life in losing mine? And would the sun for thee more coldly shine because of grave-damps falling round my head?...Lover, do not weep for me. I have been blessed in my ages of life to be well loved...especially by you.
"After all the long years of knowing you and loving you, the day has finally come for me to ilet go./i But I am afraid. I do not know anything but you, my darling. A part of me wants to stay here forever...with you. It does not care to see what new life has to offer us. But another part, the part that knows you best, understands that I cannot linger here. Not for you, or for me..."
...I find that perhaps our love was not meant for this world. It does not understand us. So I take comfort in what little hope we have to be together in this lifetime....and lifetimes yet to come. It is too great and too powerful to be conceived or held by the borders of time...
"Sometimes I think I love you too much to let go. You once wrote that you believed that our love was not meant for the confines of this world and that thought brought you comfort. Indeed, I shall always be bound to you, and you to me, and this is my comfort. And I promise you, I will find happiness again, my love."
... How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach...I love thee to the level of everyday's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light... I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with the breath,smiles, tears, of all my life!...
"I shall never forget all the love you brought to me. And finally now, I can see clearly that we were indeed different. And that is a good thing. Our love did not fit into a mold; It was beautiful..."
... What can I give thee back, O liberal and princely giver... Am I cold, ungrateful, that for these most manifold high gifts, I render nothing back at all? Not so; not cold-but very poor instead. For frequent tears have run the colors of my life...
"You showed me love when I thought it would never come to me. You loved me despite everything that stood in our way. And when you had the chance to walk away, you held my hand...."
You are the keeper of my heart... and I shall but love thee better after death.
"Goodbye, my Undomiel."
All my love, Arwen
He stood there for a time until Gimli the dwarf appeared by his side. Humbly, he took a knee before the green grave of the Evenstar and spoke in his own tongue, words of mourning and lament.
When he was through, Gimli stood upright once more, but sorrow was strewn across his face. Legolas rested a hand on his companion's shoulder.
"Come Gimli, it is time."
------
Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Auduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.
------
Fin
------
"It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts."
-Aragorn in Fellowship of the Ring
I guess that's it. Looking back, I've realized that most of my chapters were a bunch of crap! I think it was just too much... The pushing them together and pulling them apart... just too much, you know? So I that makes me so completely astonished that I actually recieved positive reviews! I can't express how much it means to me to have people enjoy my work...no matter how crappy it is... thank you thank you thank you.
Usually, I don't write more than one fic for a particular interest of mine... but I think I'm going to make an exception with LOTR. I'm currently working on a series of Legolas/Arwen fics from when they were elf-lings, tentitvely titled, "Growing Pains: The Legolas and Arwen Series."
Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers...my friends, I am so grateful.
Michelle
