Legolas peered ahead, his eyes seeking land. They should be nearing it now,
he could feel his heart begin to beat faster as he spied out the island
looming ahead. Valinor, the Undying Land, was coming ever closer and with
it, it brought Laurelin, and hope.
Legolas and she had shared the same hope: that Elan should be returned to them. They had not known whether this could happen, they had not known if he could be reborn. But they had kept this hope, not daring to speak of it aloud or to anyone but themselves, for fear that it should not be realized. But Legolas had a feeling that once he stepped onto Valinor, anything was possible.
"What are you thinking of?", a gruff voice next to him asked.
Legolas laughed aloud, and looked down at Gimli. He had nearly forgotten the existence of the dwarf. Legolas smiled again at the thought of what Laurelin would have to say about his having befriended a dwarf.
"I hope it is not at me that you are laughing", Gimli said with a frown.
"What is on your mind, Legolas? You have hardly spoken to me ever since we started this journey."
Legolas smiled that infuriatingly mysterious smile once again, and said, "It is a secret, my friend. You will come to know soon enough".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He was coming. Laurelin felt the hope rising in her as she ran down the stairs to the tower, her heart beating fast. She had seen a ship approaching, an elegant, grey, Elven ship, and she knew it to be his. She walked fast towards the shore, praying that she should not be disappointed. But Laurelin somehow had a feeling that it was indeed Legolas' ship. It had to be him, it must be him, or she could not endure the waiting any longer.
Laurelin had stopped counting the days since her departure long ago, it only led her to despair more about her husband's lateness in coming. The pain of parting was somewhat lessened when her father had come, bringing news of Legolas to her. Laurelin quickened her pace, until she was almost running. They had so much to talk about, so much to do.
She could almost feel his hands and hear his voice, feel his presence near her. How many nights had she lain awake, thinking about him, hoping fervently that he should be safe? How many nightmares had she had, seeing him in pain and dying? She had treasured the one letter he had sent to her through Lord Elrond. She had memorized the words in it, telling her to wait for him, and that it would not be long till they were together again.
Laurelin ran out onto the shore, her heart beating so fast that she could barely think over the noise it made. He was there. She could see him, bringing the ship in. Laurelin sank onto the sand, her feet unable to hold her up any longer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas walked onto the sands of Valinor, not heeding the beauty of the island. Laurelin filled his vision and he did not know how she had known he was coming and come out to the shore. And suddenly, Legolas found himself next to her. A moment of silence passed between them. They gazed at each other, as if in a dream.
"Legolas", Laurelin whispered, before he lifted her into his arms and silenced her with a kiss. Legolas could not believe he was actually touching her, smelling her scent, feeling her warmth. He lifted up his head for a moment, as if to see if she would disappear from his arms, and their meeting be just a vision.
"I am real", Laurelin said with a smile, brushing her fingers across his face. They both laughed.
"I have dreamt of this for so long", Laurelin continued, "And I was afraid it might never be".
"I never break a promise", he replied, pushing back a stray strand of her golden hair.
Both of them looked up as someone coughed behind Legolas.
The elf-prince laughed and set Laurelin down, though she did not let go of his arm. She was quite astonished to see a dwarf standing in front of them.
"Pardon me, my friend, I have not introduced my wife to you. This is Lady Laurelin, fourth child of Lord Elrond".
Legolas quite enjoyed the look of open astonishment on Gimli's face as he bowed to her.
" Gimli, son of Gloin, at your service, Lady Laurelin".
"Thank you, Master Dwarf. I gather that Legolas has not told you anything of the existence of his wife on your long journeys together?".
"No, indeed".
"I awaited the right moment", Legolas said lightly.
"I wonder, master Gimli, how you can bear to have a friend like him?", Laurelin looked at the dwarf with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
"Aye, he does think the world of himself, doesn't he?. I suppose he must have ensnared you when you were young and innocent and unknowing of the ways of the world".
"Oh yes! He was a friend one day and I was married to him the next! I do not know how it happened", Laurelin said in a sad voice, though her eyes twinkled.
"I think you are a very sensible elf", Gimli remarked, "Not like Legolas at all".
" I never dreamed that you, of all people would befriend a dwarf", Laurelin said softly when she rejoined Legolas. They walked slowly together towards the Elven city.
"Why? do you not approve of it?", Legolas enquired.
"I like him", she replied with a laugh, "He has seen your true colours", she teased.
"Let him not steal you away from me, I have only just come back to you", Legolas brushed his cheek against hers.
"Are you jealous?"
"Of a dwarf? Of course not".
Laurelin laughed.
"It is good that we are together again", she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.
"And we shall never be parted again. For all eternity", Legolas said, kissing her forehead.
"For all eternity", Laurelin's voice echoed and she looked out across the sea. Middle-Earth still had three people she held dear. An ache filled her heart and she mourned for the brothers and sister she had left behind.
"Laurelin?", Legolas' soft voice was filled with concern. She looked up at him, taking in his golden hair, and his blue eyes, filled with love.
"For all eternity", she repeated again, before kissing him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas and she had shared the same hope: that Elan should be returned to them. They had not known whether this could happen, they had not known if he could be reborn. But they had kept this hope, not daring to speak of it aloud or to anyone but themselves, for fear that it should not be realized. But Legolas had a feeling that once he stepped onto Valinor, anything was possible.
"What are you thinking of?", a gruff voice next to him asked.
Legolas laughed aloud, and looked down at Gimli. He had nearly forgotten the existence of the dwarf. Legolas smiled again at the thought of what Laurelin would have to say about his having befriended a dwarf.
"I hope it is not at me that you are laughing", Gimli said with a frown.
"What is on your mind, Legolas? You have hardly spoken to me ever since we started this journey."
Legolas smiled that infuriatingly mysterious smile once again, and said, "It is a secret, my friend. You will come to know soon enough".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He was coming. Laurelin felt the hope rising in her as she ran down the stairs to the tower, her heart beating fast. She had seen a ship approaching, an elegant, grey, Elven ship, and she knew it to be his. She walked fast towards the shore, praying that she should not be disappointed. But Laurelin somehow had a feeling that it was indeed Legolas' ship. It had to be him, it must be him, or she could not endure the waiting any longer.
Laurelin had stopped counting the days since her departure long ago, it only led her to despair more about her husband's lateness in coming. The pain of parting was somewhat lessened when her father had come, bringing news of Legolas to her. Laurelin quickened her pace, until she was almost running. They had so much to talk about, so much to do.
She could almost feel his hands and hear his voice, feel his presence near her. How many nights had she lain awake, thinking about him, hoping fervently that he should be safe? How many nightmares had she had, seeing him in pain and dying? She had treasured the one letter he had sent to her through Lord Elrond. She had memorized the words in it, telling her to wait for him, and that it would not be long till they were together again.
Laurelin ran out onto the shore, her heart beating so fast that she could barely think over the noise it made. He was there. She could see him, bringing the ship in. Laurelin sank onto the sand, her feet unable to hold her up any longer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas walked onto the sands of Valinor, not heeding the beauty of the island. Laurelin filled his vision and he did not know how she had known he was coming and come out to the shore. And suddenly, Legolas found himself next to her. A moment of silence passed between them. They gazed at each other, as if in a dream.
"Legolas", Laurelin whispered, before he lifted her into his arms and silenced her with a kiss. Legolas could not believe he was actually touching her, smelling her scent, feeling her warmth. He lifted up his head for a moment, as if to see if she would disappear from his arms, and their meeting be just a vision.
"I am real", Laurelin said with a smile, brushing her fingers across his face. They both laughed.
"I have dreamt of this for so long", Laurelin continued, "And I was afraid it might never be".
"I never break a promise", he replied, pushing back a stray strand of her golden hair.
Both of them looked up as someone coughed behind Legolas.
The elf-prince laughed and set Laurelin down, though she did not let go of his arm. She was quite astonished to see a dwarf standing in front of them.
"Pardon me, my friend, I have not introduced my wife to you. This is Lady Laurelin, fourth child of Lord Elrond".
Legolas quite enjoyed the look of open astonishment on Gimli's face as he bowed to her.
" Gimli, son of Gloin, at your service, Lady Laurelin".
"Thank you, Master Dwarf. I gather that Legolas has not told you anything of the existence of his wife on your long journeys together?".
"No, indeed".
"I awaited the right moment", Legolas said lightly.
"I wonder, master Gimli, how you can bear to have a friend like him?", Laurelin looked at the dwarf with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
"Aye, he does think the world of himself, doesn't he?. I suppose he must have ensnared you when you were young and innocent and unknowing of the ways of the world".
"Oh yes! He was a friend one day and I was married to him the next! I do not know how it happened", Laurelin said in a sad voice, though her eyes twinkled.
"I think you are a very sensible elf", Gimli remarked, "Not like Legolas at all".
" I never dreamed that you, of all people would befriend a dwarf", Laurelin said softly when she rejoined Legolas. They walked slowly together towards the Elven city.
"Why? do you not approve of it?", Legolas enquired.
"I like him", she replied with a laugh, "He has seen your true colours", she teased.
"Let him not steal you away from me, I have only just come back to you", Legolas brushed his cheek against hers.
"Are you jealous?"
"Of a dwarf? Of course not".
Laurelin laughed.
"It is good that we are together again", she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.
"And we shall never be parted again. For all eternity", Legolas said, kissing her forehead.
"For all eternity", Laurelin's voice echoed and she looked out across the sea. Middle-Earth still had three people she held dear. An ache filled her heart and she mourned for the brothers and sister she had left behind.
"Laurelin?", Legolas' soft voice was filled with concern. She looked up at him, taking in his golden hair, and his blue eyes, filled with love.
"For all eternity", she repeated again, before kissing him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
