Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
Reginabean: Haha, I told myself to read no Tolkien. My school, they assigned Frankenstein and Dracula as summer reading and I abhorred Dracula. Any day I would take Elves and Rangers, so I doled out my Tolkien stuff and had my family hide it all. (I did not read Dracula, anyway, but nevertheless. . .) Frankenstein was quite good.
Kaimelieamin: That was what was supposed to happen. It's like, "He is NOT implying what I think he is implying!" And of course he is indeed not. As for my response, hey, we're in this together. At least, that's my feeling. It's really no one's business. Best of luck and best of strength to you, truly.
Lady of the Forest: It's because he is a different person than the one who could not speak to the Fellowship. He knows that the time has come for him to accept his mistakes, and in doing so he is honest about them. The Ring's influence was also upon him. I don't think I will do 'Forever Mithril' over, but perhaps. Probably so. We shall see.
Soulsearcher: **Takes a deep breath**. . .Yeah, I'd love that in the movie, too. I try to picture it sometimes, and it's funny. Eowyn. . .will be more in this chapter. I was thinking about doing one post-RotK but the plot is pretty obscure. It's about, um, well, Elessar hears about a boy Eldarion knows who is just this strange kid, but he's sort of worried so he has Legolas work with the kid. Sounds dumb, which is why I'll likely not write it. But there will be 'Thicker Than', at the least.
Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and for prodding me on when I wasn't writing.
*****
Eowyn stared, and she kept on staring, her eyes wide with disbelief. Could it. . .could it be so? No, it was not possible, she would not believe it. She had seen this man--Elf, she corrected herself--and thought at once that he was a being of great strength and courage and skill. He could not have--would not have--!
"Lady," Legolas said gently, "perhaps you would feel more comfortable discussing this with someone. . .someone of your own kind? Lord Aragorn, perhaps, he. . ." He what? The name alone sounded foreign on Legolas's tongue. He swallowed, then tried again. "Estel is very comforting, easy to talk to," he said at last. Lady Eowyn could only nod, struck dumb with surprise. And so in silence Legolas and Eowyn made their way back to the chamber in which Aragorn waiting, not expecting the woman but anticipating the return of his comrade.
For a moment Legolas and Eowyn stood in the doorway, after they arrived, for Aragorn looked truly strange then. His eyes were fixed on a point none could see, gazing ahead into nothingness. Yet his mind was apparent; he was thinking, lost in his own ramblings, his thumb moving idly over the mail shirt in his hands. Legolas cleared his throat. "Aragorn. . ."
The Man threw the shirt on the table as though he had been caught misbehaving and turned, a response prepared, but the words fled when he saw Lady Eowyn. He looked to Legolas in question and slight annoyance. He understood that Eowyn was lost and knew not who she was, he had been in the same position many years ago, but he could not help disliking her advances. She had said nothing since he mentioned Arwen, but did that mean she no longer felt for him? He could only hope.
"Lady Eowyn saw my scar," Legolas said to his companion in Elvish. "I have told her the truth."
"Legolas! To what purpose!" Aragorn replied in the same language. "No, no, you do not have to explain yourself. I expect you wish me to speak with her."
"If you would," Legolas replied gratefully.
"Lady Eowyn," Aragorn easily replaced his Elvish words with those of the tongue of Men. "I expect you have some questions you would like to ask?" He tried to speak to her as an equal, pretending she was Mithrandir or Gimli, but at the same time dared not assume any knowledge on her part. It was difficult to speak to someone who knew so little and not offend them. Aragorn felt he had managed well enough, and had he not Lady Eowyn was too shocked to notice.
"I. . .why?" she managed to ask. Her throat was tight and it hurt to talk. Why was she so surprised? She realized then that it was not only Aragorn she had admired, it was his valor, his mysterious appearance--and Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and Gandalf, also. And in this moment Eowyn's heart flickered upon understanding. "I do not understand."
"Sometimes that is the way of things," Aragorn replied, realizing that he, too, did not understand. "No one needs understand. . .no one can, truly. Sometimes we have only to accept what is given to us."
"How could anyone do that to themselves, though?" he Lady blurted, then color crept to her cheeks, for she had not meant to say this. Eowyn suddenly felt uncomfortable standing beside Legolas, knowing what he had done, but she could not move. Should she step nearer Aragorn it would not seem a completely. . .chaste action. Aragorn saw this, but what could he do? He had promised himself to Arwen. Oh, but this was not such an act. It was the act of a brother, not of a lover. Eowyn knew this well as Aragorn touched her face lightly, reassuringly.
"We all do things in our own manner," Aragorn said. "I roam the wild lands. Legolas, at one time, found a comfort in his own blood. Is this truly worse than what I have done, or yourself? We are all equals, Eowyn." She nodded, but hugged herself, afraid. He had seen through her to all her insecurities and lies. What felt naked in this exposure. "Legolas," said Aragorn, sensing the Lady's discomfort, then continued in Elvish, "will you wait for me in the armory please?"
"Of course," Legolas replied, and with a farewell to Eowyn retreated, leaving the two Men.
"Nothing you say to me will leave this room," Aragorn said. Eowyn burst into tears.
*****
To be continued! Reviews always appreciated! Longer chapter next time (maybe this weekend)
I'm trying to get this one finished up by Chanukah. The eighth night.
Reginabean: Haha, I told myself to read no Tolkien. My school, they assigned Frankenstein and Dracula as summer reading and I abhorred Dracula. Any day I would take Elves and Rangers, so I doled out my Tolkien stuff and had my family hide it all. (I did not read Dracula, anyway, but nevertheless. . .) Frankenstein was quite good.
Kaimelieamin: That was what was supposed to happen. It's like, "He is NOT implying what I think he is implying!" And of course he is indeed not. As for my response, hey, we're in this together. At least, that's my feeling. It's really no one's business. Best of luck and best of strength to you, truly.
Lady of the Forest: It's because he is a different person than the one who could not speak to the Fellowship. He knows that the time has come for him to accept his mistakes, and in doing so he is honest about them. The Ring's influence was also upon him. I don't think I will do 'Forever Mithril' over, but perhaps. Probably so. We shall see.
Soulsearcher: **Takes a deep breath**. . .Yeah, I'd love that in the movie, too. I try to picture it sometimes, and it's funny. Eowyn. . .will be more in this chapter. I was thinking about doing one post-RotK but the plot is pretty obscure. It's about, um, well, Elessar hears about a boy Eldarion knows who is just this strange kid, but he's sort of worried so he has Legolas work with the kid. Sounds dumb, which is why I'll likely not write it. But there will be 'Thicker Than', at the least.
Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and for prodding me on when I wasn't writing.
*****
Eowyn stared, and she kept on staring, her eyes wide with disbelief. Could it. . .could it be so? No, it was not possible, she would not believe it. She had seen this man--Elf, she corrected herself--and thought at once that he was a being of great strength and courage and skill. He could not have--would not have--!
"Lady," Legolas said gently, "perhaps you would feel more comfortable discussing this with someone. . .someone of your own kind? Lord Aragorn, perhaps, he. . ." He what? The name alone sounded foreign on Legolas's tongue. He swallowed, then tried again. "Estel is very comforting, easy to talk to," he said at last. Lady Eowyn could only nod, struck dumb with surprise. And so in silence Legolas and Eowyn made their way back to the chamber in which Aragorn waiting, not expecting the woman but anticipating the return of his comrade.
For a moment Legolas and Eowyn stood in the doorway, after they arrived, for Aragorn looked truly strange then. His eyes were fixed on a point none could see, gazing ahead into nothingness. Yet his mind was apparent; he was thinking, lost in his own ramblings, his thumb moving idly over the mail shirt in his hands. Legolas cleared his throat. "Aragorn. . ."
The Man threw the shirt on the table as though he had been caught misbehaving and turned, a response prepared, but the words fled when he saw Lady Eowyn. He looked to Legolas in question and slight annoyance. He understood that Eowyn was lost and knew not who she was, he had been in the same position many years ago, but he could not help disliking her advances. She had said nothing since he mentioned Arwen, but did that mean she no longer felt for him? He could only hope.
"Lady Eowyn saw my scar," Legolas said to his companion in Elvish. "I have told her the truth."
"Legolas! To what purpose!" Aragorn replied in the same language. "No, no, you do not have to explain yourself. I expect you wish me to speak with her."
"If you would," Legolas replied gratefully.
"Lady Eowyn," Aragorn easily replaced his Elvish words with those of the tongue of Men. "I expect you have some questions you would like to ask?" He tried to speak to her as an equal, pretending she was Mithrandir or Gimli, but at the same time dared not assume any knowledge on her part. It was difficult to speak to someone who knew so little and not offend them. Aragorn felt he had managed well enough, and had he not Lady Eowyn was too shocked to notice.
"I. . .why?" she managed to ask. Her throat was tight and it hurt to talk. Why was she so surprised? She realized then that it was not only Aragorn she had admired, it was his valor, his mysterious appearance--and Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and Gandalf, also. And in this moment Eowyn's heart flickered upon understanding. "I do not understand."
"Sometimes that is the way of things," Aragorn replied, realizing that he, too, did not understand. "No one needs understand. . .no one can, truly. Sometimes we have only to accept what is given to us."
"How could anyone do that to themselves, though?" he Lady blurted, then color crept to her cheeks, for she had not meant to say this. Eowyn suddenly felt uncomfortable standing beside Legolas, knowing what he had done, but she could not move. Should she step nearer Aragorn it would not seem a completely. . .chaste action. Aragorn saw this, but what could he do? He had promised himself to Arwen. Oh, but this was not such an act. It was the act of a brother, not of a lover. Eowyn knew this well as Aragorn touched her face lightly, reassuringly.
"We all do things in our own manner," Aragorn said. "I roam the wild lands. Legolas, at one time, found a comfort in his own blood. Is this truly worse than what I have done, or yourself? We are all equals, Eowyn." She nodded, but hugged herself, afraid. He had seen through her to all her insecurities and lies. What felt naked in this exposure. "Legolas," said Aragorn, sensing the Lady's discomfort, then continued in Elvish, "will you wait for me in the armory please?"
"Of course," Legolas replied, and with a farewell to Eowyn retreated, leaving the two Men.
"Nothing you say to me will leave this room," Aragorn said. Eowyn burst into tears.
*****
To be continued! Reviews always appreciated! Longer chapter next time (maybe this weekend)
I'm trying to get this one finished up by Chanukah. The eighth night.