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Chapter 2
The War of the Ring was over. The Ring-bearer had completed his mission and Sauron had been defeated even as the rest of them had stood tall before the Black Gate, preparing to fight to the death. It was to be a time of great victory and celebration, and Legolas was to supposed to be a part of it all. As one of the famed nine walkers, he was a hero, one of the greatest warriors in Middle-Earth.
But something inside of Legolas always held back his joy.
In the immediate months following one of the greatest victories by the free peoples of Middle-Earth Legolas participated in every celebration there was with the rest of his brave friends. By day, he was just as happy as the rest of them, celebrating life and all it had to offer. But at night he often found himself out alone underneath the trees away from the main parts of the city of Gondor. He was unable to sleep and his thoughts plagued him as he walked in the dark forests.
Legolas spoke to no one of his feelings, he did not even understand them himself, so how could he expect anybody else to? Even Gimli, with whom he had forged a bond closer than he had ever thought he would with anybody, knew nothing of his troubles.
Or that was how Legolas thought.
To his close friends, especially to Gimli, it was obvious that something was bothering the elf. His once bright eyes were dimmer than they should have been and he did not sing as often as he used to. And when he did sing, the songs he chose were often tinged with sadness.
His friends hopefully accredited his melancholy to the sea longing. He would become in better spirits as soon as he became busy again, was their reasoning on the matter. Yet even when Legolas brought elves with him out of the newly renamed Greenwood and undertook the restoration of the woods of Ithilien, he still remained distant and his condition seemed to be incurable.
Such was the state Gimli found his friend in when he burst into his room one night. Three years had passed since the War of the Ring and Aragorn had called Legolas and Gimli back to Gondor. Gimli often dwelled within the walls of Gondor himself, continuing to help with the stone work and fortifying the city. Legolas chose to remain within the woods of Ithilien, close to Gondor but far enough away from the bustle of the city that often wore him down. He visited Gondor often, adding his own touches to the rebuilding of the city with woodwork and the planting of trees, but it had been a few months since he had been back to the city, the longest he had been gone yet from his friends.
And so when Gimli heard the news that his friend had arrived late in the evening he went straight for the room that was given to the elf prince whenever he came. Nobody else was ever permitted to use the room, King Elessar would have it no other way. The remaining friends of the fellowship still held an intense bond and small privileges and rights were not out of the ordinary.
The dwarf pushed through the door loudly, not bothering at all with the formalities of knocking. He was slightly angered that his friend had not sought him out as soon as he had arrived, but his excitement mingled with it, causing only an excessive hum of energy through the dwarf. He clomped eagerly through the door, a smile spread across his face.
His energy dimmed somewhat when he caught sight of his friend and he faltered in his step. Legolas sat unnaturally balanced on a windowsill on the far side of the room, his gaze locked on the somber evening of the outside. Gimli knew he had to have heard him coming, even before Gimli reached the room, but Legolas did not turn his head to acknowledge his presence right away. It was a few seconds between the time Gimli clomped in to the time Legolas finally turned, and this was what caused the falter in the dwarf's steady step. His smile slipped and he stood still in his spot, scrutinizing his fair friend.
When Legolas finally did turn from the window an automatic smile came to his face, but the expression did little to please the dwarf. Gimli locked eyes with Legolas, and the elf's stare was unnerving, enough to actually make the hairs on the back of Gimli's neck stand. Not that Legolas' stare normally was not disturbing, he had a bad habit of forgetting who he was with and falling into a tireless stare that did not blink when he was being spoken to. Gimli understood such a thing must be common for the elves, but he often found himself kindly asking Legolas to either blink for himself or be assisted in the act. Legolas would usually laugh and avert his eyes for the moment before returning them again, yet with less intensity.
However it was not merely the lack of blinking that disturbed Gimli this time, but the void that seemed to be within them. For a moment, just when he turned from the window, Gimli could see the stars from outside reflected within the elf's eyes. Yet even as he looked, the image faded, only to be replaced by a dimness that had become all too common in Legolas' eyes.
Gimli physically shook his head when he became aware of the silence that had stretched between them. He would worry about stars and voids later, he told himself, now he should be enjoying the fact that his friend was back.
As usual, Gimli offered an insult to pass as a greeting. "Is it often courtesy of the elves to ignore their friends and hide in their rooms when they have been away for so long?"
The smile plastered on Legolas' face dissolved somewhat. "It has hardly been long enough," he said softly.
Gimli frowned. This was not the reaction he had been expecting. Normally Legolas would laugh and then feign dignity as he retaliated by insulting the way of the dwarves before explaining why as an elf his customs were better. Gimli added this as one more thing to a small mental list he was acquiring, for what and for what purpose he was unsure of, and stepped forward.
"Well then I shall greet my friend as is my want even if he desires it not," Gimli replied as he moved to Legolas' side and reached up to wrap him in a overly-tight embrace.
Legolas returned the embrace after catching his breath from the tight grip and said softly, "I desire the warm affections of a friend, even if he is foolish enough to think I do not."
Gimli smiled when he heard this, that was more like it. Nothing like friendly insults to make him feel better. Gimli released Legolas and took a small step back.
"Come friend, it is not yet late and I have been anxious to have you try what I feel is the best ale Gondor has yet to offer."
Legolas arched an eyebrow at his request. "Is it the best because of some dwarven ingredients to the recipe?"
Gimli looked indignant. "I will not let you be prejudiced by your knowledge, come and decide with a free will that it is the best."
Legolas let out a small laugh. "Then with your incessant urging I could do no less than to come and see for myself." With that the elf moved in one fluid motion, in which Gimli could not quite catch how he did it, off of the windowsill and stood before the dwarf. "I will follow," he said simply.
Gimli only nodded in replied and turned on his heel before marching out of the room, Legolas following silently and as always amazed by the amount of noise the dwarf could make. A few months time passage was at least enough to forget the noise a single being could create by walking. 'But not enough time to forget other things,' his mind added calmly. Legolas gave his head half a shake. These days it almost seemed as though he had separate voices inside his head and a constant battle between rationale and guilt raged between them. It was enough to drive anyone crazy, and Legolas did not like the thought of losing control over himself.
Silently, Legolas followed the dwarf out of the room and down the long hall of the immense structure that Aragorn himself dwelled within. Legolas had seen Aragorn when he had first arrived as the king of Gondor had come out to greet him. Their reunion had been brief however and Aragorn had been called away on some sort of business, leaving Legolas to settle by himself. Not that he wholly minded of course, Legolas often preferred to be alone.
They exited the building and traveled a short distance down the currently being planked streets to a small inn. Gimli walked in with absolutely no hesitation, and his arrival was greeted by many shouts and other exclamations of greeting. Apparently the dwarf had become quite popular, especially in the taverns.
Legolas winced slightly before stepping into the smoke-filled room. He could sense immediately the multitude of bodies that were gathered in the crowded room and the noise that came from them was almost deafening to his sensitive ears. But Legolas knew he could not abandon his friend now, so with a small sigh he followed the dwarf in who had not even noticed his hesitation.
Gimli made a beeline for the long table at the far end of the room that separated the bartender from the customers. He slid onto a low stool, one that Legolas suspected had been made especially for him, and greeted the bartender in a loud manner that was customary to dwarves.
The bartender immediately abandoned his current customers and with a speed that did not seem possible for a man his size came over to Gimli. "Hello sir, I suspect you want the special today?"
Gimli grinned. "Aye, and I also want an extra special for my friend here. I have already claimed it to be the best ale yet, so I trust that you will not prove me to be a fool."
The bartender smiled. "I hope that I can live up to your most worthy word." He turned to prepare the drinks, but not before fixing Legolas with a short stare. His expression was half curious and half wary, and Legolaas picked up on all of that before he had sense enough to turn away. Legolas was certainly no stranger to Gondor, but he found that he was still a source of uncertainty for men who were not used to elves. He was still treated as a hero, but it was with a careful respect that required never having to come closer to the elf than was necessary.
'And can you blame them?' his condescending voice was back, 'They are smart enough to sense the danger, pick up on the fact that you have spilled more blood in less time than their lifespan.' Legolas shifted uncomfortably on the stool he had seated himself on and lowered his head, his hair falling forward to cover the pointed tips of his ears.
The bartender was back in no time, proving that he was indeed ignoring the other customers. With a small flourish he placed one of the large stone mugs in front of Gimli, and then the other in front of Legolas with less enthusiasm. "I am unsure of how your tastes run," he stuttered slightly as he addressed Legolas, "but I hope that it lives up to master Gimli's boasts."
Legolas picked up the mug and seeing how the bartender would not leave until he thought Legolas to be satisfied, took a small swig from it. He lowered the mug and an automatic smile came to his face, giving the bartender leave to tend to the other customers. The bartender smiled a bit hastily before turning away quickly and finally seeing to the neglected customers.
Gimli was watching Legolas carefully. "Well?" he asked the elf, "What do you think?"
At the moment, Legolas would have much rather preferred water. He never could quite understand why mortals seemed to be so fond of the bitter liquid, and this seemed to him to be the same as every other he had tasted. But he turned to his friend with his smile still unmoving. "It is fitting for a dwarf," he said.
As it was, Gimli accepted the compliment, not noticing that Legolas had left it vague on purpose. "Indeed it is," he said before taking up his own mug and downing a long swig.
Legolas made a sudden decision and quickly drained the mug of what was left of its contents. He placed it down when he was done, not caring about how much he had just consumed as it hardly affected his system, and turned to Gimli.
Placing his hand on the dwarf's shoulder, he said, "Forgive me for parting so quickly, but I must take my leave now. I have matters to see to tonight, but if you wish I will come to you first thing in the morning."
Gimli was silent for a few moments. Normally he and Legolas spent the bulk of their time together, especially after being reunited after a long separation. But he did not wish to press the issue and risk angering the elf, so he gave a small nod.
"I will see you in the morning," Legolas repeated as he stood smoothly from his stool.
Gimli nodded again, "Of course, fare the well my friend."
Legolas smiled, "Have a good night Gimli." And then he was gone, fading quickly into the crowded atmosphere.
Gimli frowned at the suddenness of his friend's departure. 'I shall have to find out what bothers him later on,' he promised to himself before returning his attentions back to his drink while simultaneously waving the bartender back over for more.
Chapter 2
The War of the Ring was over. The Ring-bearer had completed his mission and Sauron had been defeated even as the rest of them had stood tall before the Black Gate, preparing to fight to the death. It was to be a time of great victory and celebration, and Legolas was to supposed to be a part of it all. As one of the famed nine walkers, he was a hero, one of the greatest warriors in Middle-Earth.
But something inside of Legolas always held back his joy.
In the immediate months following one of the greatest victories by the free peoples of Middle-Earth Legolas participated in every celebration there was with the rest of his brave friends. By day, he was just as happy as the rest of them, celebrating life and all it had to offer. But at night he often found himself out alone underneath the trees away from the main parts of the city of Gondor. He was unable to sleep and his thoughts plagued him as he walked in the dark forests.
Legolas spoke to no one of his feelings, he did not even understand them himself, so how could he expect anybody else to? Even Gimli, with whom he had forged a bond closer than he had ever thought he would with anybody, knew nothing of his troubles.
Or that was how Legolas thought.
To his close friends, especially to Gimli, it was obvious that something was bothering the elf. His once bright eyes were dimmer than they should have been and he did not sing as often as he used to. And when he did sing, the songs he chose were often tinged with sadness.
His friends hopefully accredited his melancholy to the sea longing. He would become in better spirits as soon as he became busy again, was their reasoning on the matter. Yet even when Legolas brought elves with him out of the newly renamed Greenwood and undertook the restoration of the woods of Ithilien, he still remained distant and his condition seemed to be incurable.
Such was the state Gimli found his friend in when he burst into his room one night. Three years had passed since the War of the Ring and Aragorn had called Legolas and Gimli back to Gondor. Gimli often dwelled within the walls of Gondor himself, continuing to help with the stone work and fortifying the city. Legolas chose to remain within the woods of Ithilien, close to Gondor but far enough away from the bustle of the city that often wore him down. He visited Gondor often, adding his own touches to the rebuilding of the city with woodwork and the planting of trees, but it had been a few months since he had been back to the city, the longest he had been gone yet from his friends.
And so when Gimli heard the news that his friend had arrived late in the evening he went straight for the room that was given to the elf prince whenever he came. Nobody else was ever permitted to use the room, King Elessar would have it no other way. The remaining friends of the fellowship still held an intense bond and small privileges and rights were not out of the ordinary.
The dwarf pushed through the door loudly, not bothering at all with the formalities of knocking. He was slightly angered that his friend had not sought him out as soon as he had arrived, but his excitement mingled with it, causing only an excessive hum of energy through the dwarf. He clomped eagerly through the door, a smile spread across his face.
His energy dimmed somewhat when he caught sight of his friend and he faltered in his step. Legolas sat unnaturally balanced on a windowsill on the far side of the room, his gaze locked on the somber evening of the outside. Gimli knew he had to have heard him coming, even before Gimli reached the room, but Legolas did not turn his head to acknowledge his presence right away. It was a few seconds between the time Gimli clomped in to the time Legolas finally turned, and this was what caused the falter in the dwarf's steady step. His smile slipped and he stood still in his spot, scrutinizing his fair friend.
When Legolas finally did turn from the window an automatic smile came to his face, but the expression did little to please the dwarf. Gimli locked eyes with Legolas, and the elf's stare was unnerving, enough to actually make the hairs on the back of Gimli's neck stand. Not that Legolas' stare normally was not disturbing, he had a bad habit of forgetting who he was with and falling into a tireless stare that did not blink when he was being spoken to. Gimli understood such a thing must be common for the elves, but he often found himself kindly asking Legolas to either blink for himself or be assisted in the act. Legolas would usually laugh and avert his eyes for the moment before returning them again, yet with less intensity.
However it was not merely the lack of blinking that disturbed Gimli this time, but the void that seemed to be within them. For a moment, just when he turned from the window, Gimli could see the stars from outside reflected within the elf's eyes. Yet even as he looked, the image faded, only to be replaced by a dimness that had become all too common in Legolas' eyes.
Gimli physically shook his head when he became aware of the silence that had stretched between them. He would worry about stars and voids later, he told himself, now he should be enjoying the fact that his friend was back.
As usual, Gimli offered an insult to pass as a greeting. "Is it often courtesy of the elves to ignore their friends and hide in their rooms when they have been away for so long?"
The smile plastered on Legolas' face dissolved somewhat. "It has hardly been long enough," he said softly.
Gimli frowned. This was not the reaction he had been expecting. Normally Legolas would laugh and then feign dignity as he retaliated by insulting the way of the dwarves before explaining why as an elf his customs were better. Gimli added this as one more thing to a small mental list he was acquiring, for what and for what purpose he was unsure of, and stepped forward.
"Well then I shall greet my friend as is my want even if he desires it not," Gimli replied as he moved to Legolas' side and reached up to wrap him in a overly-tight embrace.
Legolas returned the embrace after catching his breath from the tight grip and said softly, "I desire the warm affections of a friend, even if he is foolish enough to think I do not."
Gimli smiled when he heard this, that was more like it. Nothing like friendly insults to make him feel better. Gimli released Legolas and took a small step back.
"Come friend, it is not yet late and I have been anxious to have you try what I feel is the best ale Gondor has yet to offer."
Legolas arched an eyebrow at his request. "Is it the best because of some dwarven ingredients to the recipe?"
Gimli looked indignant. "I will not let you be prejudiced by your knowledge, come and decide with a free will that it is the best."
Legolas let out a small laugh. "Then with your incessant urging I could do no less than to come and see for myself." With that the elf moved in one fluid motion, in which Gimli could not quite catch how he did it, off of the windowsill and stood before the dwarf. "I will follow," he said simply.
Gimli only nodded in replied and turned on his heel before marching out of the room, Legolas following silently and as always amazed by the amount of noise the dwarf could make. A few months time passage was at least enough to forget the noise a single being could create by walking. 'But not enough time to forget other things,' his mind added calmly. Legolas gave his head half a shake. These days it almost seemed as though he had separate voices inside his head and a constant battle between rationale and guilt raged between them. It was enough to drive anyone crazy, and Legolas did not like the thought of losing control over himself.
Silently, Legolas followed the dwarf out of the room and down the long hall of the immense structure that Aragorn himself dwelled within. Legolas had seen Aragorn when he had first arrived as the king of Gondor had come out to greet him. Their reunion had been brief however and Aragorn had been called away on some sort of business, leaving Legolas to settle by himself. Not that he wholly minded of course, Legolas often preferred to be alone.
They exited the building and traveled a short distance down the currently being planked streets to a small inn. Gimli walked in with absolutely no hesitation, and his arrival was greeted by many shouts and other exclamations of greeting. Apparently the dwarf had become quite popular, especially in the taverns.
Legolas winced slightly before stepping into the smoke-filled room. He could sense immediately the multitude of bodies that were gathered in the crowded room and the noise that came from them was almost deafening to his sensitive ears. But Legolas knew he could not abandon his friend now, so with a small sigh he followed the dwarf in who had not even noticed his hesitation.
Gimli made a beeline for the long table at the far end of the room that separated the bartender from the customers. He slid onto a low stool, one that Legolas suspected had been made especially for him, and greeted the bartender in a loud manner that was customary to dwarves.
The bartender immediately abandoned his current customers and with a speed that did not seem possible for a man his size came over to Gimli. "Hello sir, I suspect you want the special today?"
Gimli grinned. "Aye, and I also want an extra special for my friend here. I have already claimed it to be the best ale yet, so I trust that you will not prove me to be a fool."
The bartender smiled. "I hope that I can live up to your most worthy word." He turned to prepare the drinks, but not before fixing Legolas with a short stare. His expression was half curious and half wary, and Legolaas picked up on all of that before he had sense enough to turn away. Legolas was certainly no stranger to Gondor, but he found that he was still a source of uncertainty for men who were not used to elves. He was still treated as a hero, but it was with a careful respect that required never having to come closer to the elf than was necessary.
'And can you blame them?' his condescending voice was back, 'They are smart enough to sense the danger, pick up on the fact that you have spilled more blood in less time than their lifespan.' Legolas shifted uncomfortably on the stool he had seated himself on and lowered his head, his hair falling forward to cover the pointed tips of his ears.
The bartender was back in no time, proving that he was indeed ignoring the other customers. With a small flourish he placed one of the large stone mugs in front of Gimli, and then the other in front of Legolas with less enthusiasm. "I am unsure of how your tastes run," he stuttered slightly as he addressed Legolas, "but I hope that it lives up to master Gimli's boasts."
Legolas picked up the mug and seeing how the bartender would not leave until he thought Legolas to be satisfied, took a small swig from it. He lowered the mug and an automatic smile came to his face, giving the bartender leave to tend to the other customers. The bartender smiled a bit hastily before turning away quickly and finally seeing to the neglected customers.
Gimli was watching Legolas carefully. "Well?" he asked the elf, "What do you think?"
At the moment, Legolas would have much rather preferred water. He never could quite understand why mortals seemed to be so fond of the bitter liquid, and this seemed to him to be the same as every other he had tasted. But he turned to his friend with his smile still unmoving. "It is fitting for a dwarf," he said.
As it was, Gimli accepted the compliment, not noticing that Legolas had left it vague on purpose. "Indeed it is," he said before taking up his own mug and downing a long swig.
Legolas made a sudden decision and quickly drained the mug of what was left of its contents. He placed it down when he was done, not caring about how much he had just consumed as it hardly affected his system, and turned to Gimli.
Placing his hand on the dwarf's shoulder, he said, "Forgive me for parting so quickly, but I must take my leave now. I have matters to see to tonight, but if you wish I will come to you first thing in the morning."
Gimli was silent for a few moments. Normally he and Legolas spent the bulk of their time together, especially after being reunited after a long separation. But he did not wish to press the issue and risk angering the elf, so he gave a small nod.
"I will see you in the morning," Legolas repeated as he stood smoothly from his stool.
Gimli nodded again, "Of course, fare the well my friend."
Legolas smiled, "Have a good night Gimli." And then he was gone, fading quickly into the crowded atmosphere.
Gimli frowned at the suddenness of his friend's departure. 'I shall have to find out what bothers him later on,' he promised to himself before returning his attentions back to his drink while simultaneously waving the bartender back over for more.