Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
NOOOOOOOO!!! My mum's just killed all the spiders who have been living in the bathroom my sister and I share. I liked them! Stupid, stupid Rachel. . .I don't mean that. I love her, really, just wish. . .wish she wouldn't've insisted on killing the spiders.
Reginabean: No it doesn't! My muscles are more accustom to frowning. But I'll smile anyway. . .**smiles**. . .
Erhothwen: Aw, that's too bad. . .sorry!
Soulsearcher-arbariel: Thanks. I didn't e-mail you, which you know, but the offer alone means something. Sometimes, though, I have trouble talking at all about these things. . .I tend to feel as though I haven't got any right to burden other people with this stuff. Oh, and as for your review of the second chapter. . .did you read the books or see the movie? Boromir kinda dies anyway. . .but that's all right, because you can kill him if you want to! Aw, I like Faramir. I wrote an essay about him for school an got top marks on it!
The Dark Rogue: School IS evil. Thanks. The first one, I felt, was the best, because it was a work of passion.
i.o.b.: Yes, it is rather nice to be, in some small aspect, together with the Elf. As for having recovery in jeopardy, don't worry about me. It's not really worth it. I'll let you down.
Evil spapple pie: Are you in college, or in high school, or what? And why have you got to work really hard or your life's over? There's always a way in without school, it's just incredibly difficult to find in most cases. I hope you're feeling better.
Tbiris: Well, and he is! But he doesn't know that, now does he? He is pretty twisted.
Jessie-Greenleaf: Freud might say so! Haha, Freud was a stupid pervert. Nah, making it sappy would have been disrespectful. Gimli. . .you may be surprised.
Alyssa-Anime-Angel: hehe. . .poor Elfly (that's my nickname for Legolas; long story, don't ask)
Wandering Ranger: Maybe he will. He is healing, but healing is a long and rather difficult process, and not everyone completes it their first try, or at all.
Kaimelieamin: I think he could swim. But maybe not with all that battle armor on. . .
MorotheWolfGod: YOU ARE INCREDIBLY DEMANDING!
Goddess of Death: It's their business because it is part of his healing, because he wants them to know, and because they are going to be relying on him for a lot and it's a significant thing. Others, like Aragorn, he tells because he needs someone to support him, someone he trusts and cares for and who cares for him. Boromir is up to. . .well, something. You'll see.
Bant: Oh. Um. Sorry about that. I thought you were a girl from school, whose nickname is Bant. (she's also called Pippin and Meg) Anyway, thanks!
Lady of the Forest: You did not tell me that! So that explains what happened to Angel of the Elves. . .lol
*****
The boats had been banked long ago. The fire burned low. Six members of the company slept. A seventh kept watch, and the eighth knelt silently, watching him. Finally the eighth approached, and sat on the tree stump beside the night watchmen. Aragorn glanced at his friend, nodded in greeting, and turned his gaze away again. Legolas followed Aragorn's gaze and saw that he had not, as the Elf earlier suspected, been staring into the fire.
"Do you think he is going to manage it?" Legolas asked.
"I think," replied Aragorn in a measured voice, "that he has a difficult task to complete, but that he is strong, and he has a friend that will support him. . .through anything." Then Aragorn had a despairing thought, which he kept to himself for a moment, but it bothered him greatly. Turning to Legolas he said, "We used to be like that. Do you remember it?"
"Sure I remember it," Legolas said. "But do not say that. We are still. . .still friends."
"Oh, aye," Aragorn replied with a shrug. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, and crickets played over-loudly. The fire crackled, sending up sparks. Aragorn turned his face skyward, and remembered another view of the sky, ringed by trees and clouded by fire smoke, almost eighty years ago. He had been on a hunting trip with his brothers and Legolas. . .
"Are you thinking about that hunting trip?" Legolas inquired.
"Yes," Aragorn replied honestly.
"The one where you fell of your--"
"Fell of my horse, yes," Aragorn finished good-naturedly. They both turned when they heard the sound of laughter coming from behind them.
"Mister Strider fell of his horse?" Pippin asked, amused.
"I was eight years old, in my defense. How long have you been eavesdropping?" Aragorn asked.
"We've only been awake for about long enough to know that you fell off your horse."
"We?" exclaimed Aragorn.
"Pippin!" exclaimed Merry, giving his cousin a punch in the arm.
"Ow! You were laughing, too!"
"You were tickling me!"
"Peregrin! Meriadoc! Both of you should go back to sleep, you will need your energy tomorrow," Aragorn told them. Pippin claimed he was asleep already and began to snore falsely. Merry whacked him one, and in a few moments both hobbits were snoring for real. Everyone seemed to have someone. . ."How do they have so much energy at the end of the day?" asked Aragorn, who was beginning to feel old in his bones.
"You used to," Legolas said, almost sadly. "When you were very young, and refused to go to bed, absolutely refused, until someone sang to you and you could not help but fall asleep." Legolas was smiling broadly at this. The corners of Aragorn's mouth twitched, but he pressed his lips together and refused to smile. "Usual not in your bed, mind you, usually somewhere like. . .under Elladan's bed or in the Hall of Fire, where you were not allowed, anyway. Then on hunting trips, when you were allowed to go--"
About here a disgruntled sleeper awoke, and, knowing he would not find any more sleep that night, sat awake, listening to the quiet noises of two very old friends who had grown apart, attempting without realization to reconcile, and to heal each other's wounds.
"--Elladan and Elrohir and I would tell you stories, mostly about previous hunting trips, sometimes about humorous escapades. But those years passed quickly, it seemed. Were you ten or eleven years when you sat up late with us, talking about politics and moral quandaries? It seems as though all the years were but moments with you, being mortal. I wish there was more time. . ."
"Remember what Gandalf said: it is what we do with time that is given to us."
They were silent for a long time then. Gimli rested his chin on a closed fist, watching, wondering what they would do next. Finally Aragorn reached out and touched Legolas's shoulder, letting his hand linger. "I don't have any such stories for you, mellon-nin."
"I know. You were not yet born when I was young."
"Legolas. . .why did you not tell me before, about hurting yourself?" Aragorn asked.
"Would you have understood? Trusted me?" Legolas asked in answer.
"If you had told me when I was young, and explained it to me, or explained it ever. I don't blame you for not doing so earlier, when it took all your courage just to tell. I think I understand now. . .you know, you can lean on me."
"I know," Legolas answered quietly after a time. To Gimli, they were two silhouettes sitting by the fire, each leaning on their knees, backs curved towards each other. They were not a Man and an Elf moving through each a most difficult period. "The Halflings can't."
"Oh, I know. Of course."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm writing you a song."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Can I hear it?"
"Well, it is not finished yet, is it? I'll write it down when it is."
"Will you sing it?"
There was a long pause here. "All right, yeah." Because that, you see, is what friends do.
NOOOOOOOO!!! My mum's just killed all the spiders who have been living in the bathroom my sister and I share. I liked them! Stupid, stupid Rachel. . .I don't mean that. I love her, really, just wish. . .wish she wouldn't've insisted on killing the spiders.
Reginabean: No it doesn't! My muscles are more accustom to frowning. But I'll smile anyway. . .**smiles**. . .
Erhothwen: Aw, that's too bad. . .sorry!
Soulsearcher-arbariel: Thanks. I didn't e-mail you, which you know, but the offer alone means something. Sometimes, though, I have trouble talking at all about these things. . .I tend to feel as though I haven't got any right to burden other people with this stuff. Oh, and as for your review of the second chapter. . .did you read the books or see the movie? Boromir kinda dies anyway. . .but that's all right, because you can kill him if you want to! Aw, I like Faramir. I wrote an essay about him for school an got top marks on it!
The Dark Rogue: School IS evil. Thanks. The first one, I felt, was the best, because it was a work of passion.
i.o.b.: Yes, it is rather nice to be, in some small aspect, together with the Elf. As for having recovery in jeopardy, don't worry about me. It's not really worth it. I'll let you down.
Evil spapple pie: Are you in college, or in high school, or what? And why have you got to work really hard or your life's over? There's always a way in without school, it's just incredibly difficult to find in most cases. I hope you're feeling better.
Tbiris: Well, and he is! But he doesn't know that, now does he? He is pretty twisted.
Jessie-Greenleaf: Freud might say so! Haha, Freud was a stupid pervert. Nah, making it sappy would have been disrespectful. Gimli. . .you may be surprised.
Alyssa-Anime-Angel: hehe. . .poor Elfly (that's my nickname for Legolas; long story, don't ask)
Wandering Ranger: Maybe he will. He is healing, but healing is a long and rather difficult process, and not everyone completes it their first try, or at all.
Kaimelieamin: I think he could swim. But maybe not with all that battle armor on. . .
MorotheWolfGod: YOU ARE INCREDIBLY DEMANDING!
Goddess of Death: It's their business because it is part of his healing, because he wants them to know, and because they are going to be relying on him for a lot and it's a significant thing. Others, like Aragorn, he tells because he needs someone to support him, someone he trusts and cares for and who cares for him. Boromir is up to. . .well, something. You'll see.
Bant: Oh. Um. Sorry about that. I thought you were a girl from school, whose nickname is Bant. (she's also called Pippin and Meg) Anyway, thanks!
Lady of the Forest: You did not tell me that! So that explains what happened to Angel of the Elves. . .lol
*****
The boats had been banked long ago. The fire burned low. Six members of the company slept. A seventh kept watch, and the eighth knelt silently, watching him. Finally the eighth approached, and sat on the tree stump beside the night watchmen. Aragorn glanced at his friend, nodded in greeting, and turned his gaze away again. Legolas followed Aragorn's gaze and saw that he had not, as the Elf earlier suspected, been staring into the fire.
"Do you think he is going to manage it?" Legolas asked.
"I think," replied Aragorn in a measured voice, "that he has a difficult task to complete, but that he is strong, and he has a friend that will support him. . .through anything." Then Aragorn had a despairing thought, which he kept to himself for a moment, but it bothered him greatly. Turning to Legolas he said, "We used to be like that. Do you remember it?"
"Sure I remember it," Legolas said. "But do not say that. We are still. . .still friends."
"Oh, aye," Aragorn replied with a shrug. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, and crickets played over-loudly. The fire crackled, sending up sparks. Aragorn turned his face skyward, and remembered another view of the sky, ringed by trees and clouded by fire smoke, almost eighty years ago. He had been on a hunting trip with his brothers and Legolas. . .
"Are you thinking about that hunting trip?" Legolas inquired.
"Yes," Aragorn replied honestly.
"The one where you fell of your--"
"Fell of my horse, yes," Aragorn finished good-naturedly. They both turned when they heard the sound of laughter coming from behind them.
"Mister Strider fell of his horse?" Pippin asked, amused.
"I was eight years old, in my defense. How long have you been eavesdropping?" Aragorn asked.
"We've only been awake for about long enough to know that you fell off your horse."
"We?" exclaimed Aragorn.
"Pippin!" exclaimed Merry, giving his cousin a punch in the arm.
"Ow! You were laughing, too!"
"You were tickling me!"
"Peregrin! Meriadoc! Both of you should go back to sleep, you will need your energy tomorrow," Aragorn told them. Pippin claimed he was asleep already and began to snore falsely. Merry whacked him one, and in a few moments both hobbits were snoring for real. Everyone seemed to have someone. . ."How do they have so much energy at the end of the day?" asked Aragorn, who was beginning to feel old in his bones.
"You used to," Legolas said, almost sadly. "When you were very young, and refused to go to bed, absolutely refused, until someone sang to you and you could not help but fall asleep." Legolas was smiling broadly at this. The corners of Aragorn's mouth twitched, but he pressed his lips together and refused to smile. "Usual not in your bed, mind you, usually somewhere like. . .under Elladan's bed or in the Hall of Fire, where you were not allowed, anyway. Then on hunting trips, when you were allowed to go--"
About here a disgruntled sleeper awoke, and, knowing he would not find any more sleep that night, sat awake, listening to the quiet noises of two very old friends who had grown apart, attempting without realization to reconcile, and to heal each other's wounds.
"--Elladan and Elrohir and I would tell you stories, mostly about previous hunting trips, sometimes about humorous escapades. But those years passed quickly, it seemed. Were you ten or eleven years when you sat up late with us, talking about politics and moral quandaries? It seems as though all the years were but moments with you, being mortal. I wish there was more time. . ."
"Remember what Gandalf said: it is what we do with time that is given to us."
They were silent for a long time then. Gimli rested his chin on a closed fist, watching, wondering what they would do next. Finally Aragorn reached out and touched Legolas's shoulder, letting his hand linger. "I don't have any such stories for you, mellon-nin."
"I know. You were not yet born when I was young."
"Legolas. . .why did you not tell me before, about hurting yourself?" Aragorn asked.
"Would you have understood? Trusted me?" Legolas asked in answer.
"If you had told me when I was young, and explained it to me, or explained it ever. I don't blame you for not doing so earlier, when it took all your courage just to tell. I think I understand now. . .you know, you can lean on me."
"I know," Legolas answered quietly after a time. To Gimli, they were two silhouettes sitting by the fire, each leaning on their knees, backs curved towards each other. They were not a Man and an Elf moving through each a most difficult period. "The Halflings can't."
"Oh, I know. Of course."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm writing you a song."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Can I hear it?"
"Well, it is not finished yet, is it? I'll write it down when it is."
"Will you sing it?"
There was a long pause here. "All right, yeah." Because that, you see, is what friends do.