DISCLAIMER Don't own Tolkien's people…er, people and Elves and everything, lol.
Legolas and the other returning warriors settled in at Helms Deep and we waited. And waited. Nothing happened. The sun climbed high in the sky. Legolas and I found ourselves wandering through the caverns full of refugees.
"It is strange," I said.
"What is?"
"My village," I explained, "where I was born was in Rohan. Any of these people could be my kin. And I'll never know." I gazed at all the refugees sadly.
"But the question becomes, would you trade your life now to find out?" Legolas asked.
We were quiet. "No," I finally said. "I guess not."
Eventually taking a seat among the Rohirrim, we studied them in silence. I began to get bored. I finally had Legolas back. I'd traveled through half of Middle Earth to find him. What could the two of us possibly find to do…
I suddenly slid my hand around his waist, not daring to drop any lower amongst the refugees. "Raakani, melindo," I said to him, winking seductively. "Im merne sinte sut polda le ná!"
"Rae!" he whispered, shocked.
I just looked at him. "No one here understands Quenya, Legolas."
"Oh." He still looked uncomfortable.
I sighed irritably. "Never mind."
"Rae, I'm sorry, just – "
"Forget it!" I snapped. Why was I so annoyed? He looked at me, clearly apologetic. Then suddenly his features changed and he leapt up from beside me. I watched as he ran from the caves.
When I finally followed him, he had his back to me. "Le ab-dollen," I heard him say. "You look terrible!"
I walked around so that I could see from a better angle. My heart soared when I saw a bloody and dirty but living Aragorn. Legolas grinned as he handed the Ranger the Jewel of the Evenstar. "Hannon le," Aragorn whispered gratefully.
"News of Gandalf?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn shook his head. "Where is the King?" Legolas pointed him in the right direction. As Aragorn left, Gimli came up beside Legolas.
"Remarkable, that fall he survived," Gimli commented.
Legolas nodded. "The Fellowship may be broken, but I believe that Aragorn still feels it in his heart." Gimli nodded and followed where Aragorn had gone. Legolas moved to follow them as well, but I stopped him. "Rae!"
"Aragorn lives!" I said, still shocked.
Legolas grinned. "He is stronger than any of us thought."
"And Gandalf is alive as well?"
Legolas nodded. "But I must go. I must be present for Aragorn's council with the King."
Éowyn joined me as Legolas left. "It is a miracle," she whispered.
"Yes," I agreed. "It truly is."
Suddenly, a white-hot burst of pain seared through me. I gasped and put a hand to my stomach. Faintly, I heard Éowyn call my name before I fell into blackness again.
**********
"Legolas, you do not make any sense!"
I heard Aragorn's voice as I woke up. 'I'm really sick of this fainting thing!' I thought. Somehow I sensed that their talk was of me, so I lay quietly and listened.
"I pray you, Aragorn, lower your voice!" Legolas replied. "You may wake her!"
"I'm sorry," Aragorn said in a lower voice, "but I still do not understand what you're saying."
"I am saying," Legolas explained patiently, "that she is an Elf."
"So?"
"So, when we traveled through Lothlórien, Raélowen was human."
"She what? Now you are truly confusing me, my friend."
Legolas sighed. "I think her illness is connected to her being an Elf."
Aragorn sighed in his turn. "Legolas, I know Elves like to speak in shadow and hardly ever say anything out right, but I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say!"
I was lost, too. My illness only consisted of occasional fainting spells. Oh, and the searing, agonizing pain. I became an Elf because of Legolas and the power of Galadriel's Elven Ring. How could those possibly be related?
"Aragorn, I made her an Elf. I shared with her the essence of my people."
Aragorn was quiet for a moment. "Legolas, are you saying that you bedded her?"
"Yes." I could hear the challenge in Legolas' voice for Aragorn to say anything else.
"And that's how she became an Elf."
"Partially, yes."
I was confused. Yes, Legolas and I had slept together, but this fainting thing had started while I was on my way through Rohan. It didn't make sense.
In my façade of sleep, I was focused completely on hearing the conversation around me. In darkness, I listened. But something was pulling my attention away. Something deep inside me. It was bright, emanating a strange but pure light. I had never felt anything so innocent before.
Then it hit me. I knew why I was sick. I should have known it long before. Abandoing the façade of sleep, I sat up and stared at the two
Legolas rushed to my side. "Meldanya, you're awake!"
"Lady Raélowen, I am glad you feel better," Aragorn said with a nod of his head.
Acknowledging Aragorn, I turned to Legolas. "I think I know why I am ill."
"Yes Rae. I think I know as well." Legolas helped me up from my makeshift bed of blankets and hay so that the three of us stood facing each other.
"Legolas, milady, I pray that you inform me of the lady's illness," Aragorn requested.
Legolas glanced at me, smiling slightly. "Aragorn, Raélowen is with a child. My child."
* Raakani, melindo = Break me, lover (Quenya)
* Im merne sinte sut polda le ná = I want to know how strong you are (Quenya)
* Le ab-dollen = You're late (Sindarin) in the movie
* Hannon le = Thank you (Sindarin) in the movie
AUTHOR'S NOTE Ok, so I stole a scene from the movie and the lines therein. I don't own those lines either! And don't scoff at that last piece…it becomes important later on, I promise!
