Loss
Aragorn had placed Éowyn's tapestry along a corridor that connected the King's chambers, to the Council Hall. Legolas remembered seeing her slender white hands pulling threads through the heavy brocade for almost twenty years. Éowyn had used silks, cottons and other fibres to paint the story on cloth. The embroidery was delicate and detailed, yet the elf knew that the tapestry was so heavy it required six men to carry it.
He looked it over with Morwen, Éowyn's eldest daughter. He remembered teaching this child of the songs of trees and plains - she had run in joy in the long grasses of Ithilien, her black plaits streaming behind her and coming undone. She stood, her thick grey hair pinned into a heavy bun. She searched for loose threads now, and breaks in the pattern.
It had never struck Legolas that the pain of immortality might not be to see a place fade and die, but to see a people come to nothing. To lose all to whom his heart was attached. There could be few pains so bitter - and at last he understood why so many of his kindred had chosen to depart rather than seek a place in this new world of men. They could find no faults in the tapestry.
* * *
He was hunting with some of his lords, when Nanaur brought a dripping Éowyn to him. She had been found by his elven sentries - though the threat in Mordor had been defeated, Legolas believed that it never hurt to be vigilant. She was soaked through, shivering in the breeze - and it had been a moment before he realised that some of the liquid on her cheeks had not come from the rain clouds.
He had brought her to the nearest shelter, and attempted to warm her in front of the fire. Her long, golden hair had hung damply down her back, and her small feet had peeped out from beneath the nightgown one of his maidens had given her. She seemed very childlike and he had been loath to question her as to the cause of her flight from Minas Tirith.
Finally she had looked into his eyes, with an almost perfect trust. He smiled at her gently, and she started to speak, "I am sorry for invading your colony like this - I did not intend to. It is just, I had to leave the city - I could not stay any longer. I was suffocating." She sighed deeply and looked into the flames in contemplation. Some instinct warned him that there was more than she had revealed, and he said, "What happened?"
She looked at him with pain filled eyes, and said, very quietly, "I was talking with Aragorn, and he was comforting me..and for a moment, I know not what madness took me, but I thought he was going to kiss me." She took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, "And it, it was all too much. I could not stay in that stone city, feeling all those eyes on me. I needed to be alone with the wind and the plains. And then your scout found me."
Legolas felt some anger swell within him, but said nothing. He laid an arm across Éowyn's shoulders, and said in one soft breath, "Oh my Lady". And tears sprang from her eyes, like a sudden thaw in winter, "I cannot bear this, I cannot bear his loss. Why was it taken from him so quick? My poor son. He never even had a chance at life Legolas. He never had even a moment of the life that should have been his. How can I bear this pain? When all I have ever known of him was his absence?"
He said nothing, for in truth, who could comfort such sorrow. When her tears had dried, he scooped her up easily, and carried her to a bed. Tucking her in gently he touched her cheek, "Sleep now, Lady Éowyn." Her eyes fell drowsily shut, and he knew that she had drained off some of the poison that had weighed her down.
The next day he rode with her back to the White City. He would never forget the look of relief on Arwen's face when she greeted them. She had launched into a lecture that reminded Legolas of Elrond at his most furious. "Éowyn? Where were you? How could you go off like that, without informing any of us? We were terrified you had been caught in the storm? Anything could have happened to you?". She started to lead Éowyn away as she continued, "We had to send word to Faramir, we hoped you had gone to him, he will be worried now." He heard Éowyn say softly, "I am sorry Arwen; I just needed some peace, I did not mean to upset you." The Queen was determined to bring the Lady of Ithilien to the Houses of Healing, whether she liked it or not, and Éowyn acquiesced.
Legolas was left standing by Aragorn, who could barely meet his eyes. The great King spoke quietly, "I am glad you found her. She is all right?" Legolas stood squarely in front of him, "Aye Elessar, she is fine. I however am perturbed." Aragorn turned to face him, "She told you."
Legolas couldn't keep a note of irritation from his voice, "Aye she told me. Éowyn is very quick to absolve you mind; she has always believed the best of you. I however would like some further explanation." Aragorn took a deep breath, and for a moment the Elf Prince thought he was angered, but the King spoke again, "I do not know what happened Legolas, but I greatly regret it. I was attempting to comfort her, and then, well it is past now. And I swear to you it shall not occur again." Legolas spoke quietly, "I believe you, but I think it is not my forgiveness you need."
As events would show Éowyn forgave Aragorn immediately. Their friendship however had not recovered for many months - not until the King had returned from Far Harad, and Éowyn had regained all her former strength.
* * *
Legolas sighed. His friend had been a great lady - the last great lady he would know. It would not be long before he left Middle Earth, and the world of men. And though he might at the end of all days see her once again, he would prefer to remember her as she been in her strength, not in her sorrow.
Aragorn had placed Éowyn's tapestry along a corridor that connected the King's chambers, to the Council Hall. Legolas remembered seeing her slender white hands pulling threads through the heavy brocade for almost twenty years. Éowyn had used silks, cottons and other fibres to paint the story on cloth. The embroidery was delicate and detailed, yet the elf knew that the tapestry was so heavy it required six men to carry it.
He looked it over with Morwen, Éowyn's eldest daughter. He remembered teaching this child of the songs of trees and plains - she had run in joy in the long grasses of Ithilien, her black plaits streaming behind her and coming undone. She stood, her thick grey hair pinned into a heavy bun. She searched for loose threads now, and breaks in the pattern.
It had never struck Legolas that the pain of immortality might not be to see a place fade and die, but to see a people come to nothing. To lose all to whom his heart was attached. There could be few pains so bitter - and at last he understood why so many of his kindred had chosen to depart rather than seek a place in this new world of men. They could find no faults in the tapestry.
* * *
He was hunting with some of his lords, when Nanaur brought a dripping Éowyn to him. She had been found by his elven sentries - though the threat in Mordor had been defeated, Legolas believed that it never hurt to be vigilant. She was soaked through, shivering in the breeze - and it had been a moment before he realised that some of the liquid on her cheeks had not come from the rain clouds.
He had brought her to the nearest shelter, and attempted to warm her in front of the fire. Her long, golden hair had hung damply down her back, and her small feet had peeped out from beneath the nightgown one of his maidens had given her. She seemed very childlike and he had been loath to question her as to the cause of her flight from Minas Tirith.
Finally she had looked into his eyes, with an almost perfect trust. He smiled at her gently, and she started to speak, "I am sorry for invading your colony like this - I did not intend to. It is just, I had to leave the city - I could not stay any longer. I was suffocating." She sighed deeply and looked into the flames in contemplation. Some instinct warned him that there was more than she had revealed, and he said, "What happened?"
She looked at him with pain filled eyes, and said, very quietly, "I was talking with Aragorn, and he was comforting me..and for a moment, I know not what madness took me, but I thought he was going to kiss me." She took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, "And it, it was all too much. I could not stay in that stone city, feeling all those eyes on me. I needed to be alone with the wind and the plains. And then your scout found me."
Legolas felt some anger swell within him, but said nothing. He laid an arm across Éowyn's shoulders, and said in one soft breath, "Oh my Lady". And tears sprang from her eyes, like a sudden thaw in winter, "I cannot bear this, I cannot bear his loss. Why was it taken from him so quick? My poor son. He never even had a chance at life Legolas. He never had even a moment of the life that should have been his. How can I bear this pain? When all I have ever known of him was his absence?"
He said nothing, for in truth, who could comfort such sorrow. When her tears had dried, he scooped her up easily, and carried her to a bed. Tucking her in gently he touched her cheek, "Sleep now, Lady Éowyn." Her eyes fell drowsily shut, and he knew that she had drained off some of the poison that had weighed her down.
The next day he rode with her back to the White City. He would never forget the look of relief on Arwen's face when she greeted them. She had launched into a lecture that reminded Legolas of Elrond at his most furious. "Éowyn? Where were you? How could you go off like that, without informing any of us? We were terrified you had been caught in the storm? Anything could have happened to you?". She started to lead Éowyn away as she continued, "We had to send word to Faramir, we hoped you had gone to him, he will be worried now." He heard Éowyn say softly, "I am sorry Arwen; I just needed some peace, I did not mean to upset you." The Queen was determined to bring the Lady of Ithilien to the Houses of Healing, whether she liked it or not, and Éowyn acquiesced.
Legolas was left standing by Aragorn, who could barely meet his eyes. The great King spoke quietly, "I am glad you found her. She is all right?" Legolas stood squarely in front of him, "Aye Elessar, she is fine. I however am perturbed." Aragorn turned to face him, "She told you."
Legolas couldn't keep a note of irritation from his voice, "Aye she told me. Éowyn is very quick to absolve you mind; she has always believed the best of you. I however would like some further explanation." Aragorn took a deep breath, and for a moment the Elf Prince thought he was angered, but the King spoke again, "I do not know what happened Legolas, but I greatly regret it. I was attempting to comfort her, and then, well it is past now. And I swear to you it shall not occur again." Legolas spoke quietly, "I believe you, but I think it is not my forgiveness you need."
As events would show Éowyn forgave Aragorn immediately. Their friendship however had not recovered for many months - not until the King had returned from Far Harad, and Éowyn had regained all her former strength.
* * *
Legolas sighed. His friend had been a great lady - the last great lady he would know. It would not be long before he left Middle Earth, and the world of men. And though he might at the end of all days see her once again, he would prefer to remember her as she been in her strength, not in her sorrow.