AN: Please forgive how slowly I will be working on this story because I am
now reading Tolkien's Silmarillion for a better perspective of Legolas and
his kind. (
Part 3
"What foul deeds have these mercenaries in my friend's lands?" Gimli wondered, his voice booming in the open air to Gondor. "How many see you, elf?"
Legolas turned to look at the camp and swept his gaze. "No short of fifty," he told the dwarf.
"What use is your keen sight if you will not give me precise figures, Legolas?" the dwarf demanded.
"Fifty six," he responded.
"Eight and twenty a piece then," Gimli calculated. "We must rid the land of these with ill intent towards the people."
"Rest easy, Gimli. For now there is no threat." Gimli deflated. Legolas sniffed the air. "I sense a presence that has since departed. It is the scent of a young woman." Legolas walked forward up to a space overlooking the camp. "Here is where she had stayed."
"May her unfortunate soul have died in peace," Gimli muttered, seeing how full in view Legolas was then.
The Elven eyes that turned to him was awed. "She lives."
"A miracle then," Gimli huffed. "To be so close to death and yet saved? Was it Aragorn's doing?"
A pause as Legolas surveyed his surroundings. "I sense no other presence. The girl escaped by herself."
The two continued on their way to Gondor. They rode in and dismounted at the sight of Aragorn and Arwen standing outside the castle. The two embraced the king in greeting. Legolas turned to Arwen, and studied her. Always, she would be lovely. Yet even now Legolas could see in her face changes that the Gift had wrought.
He stepped towards the queen and kissed her hand. Two thousand years they have lived, and only then did his heart constrict to find lines that did not belong, creases where there should only be smooth pearly radiant skin.
"Welcome back to the City of Kings. It has taken you too long. Did you pass the Sea to come honor my mother with a visit?"
"Celebrian must wait. Middle-Earth still holds too many pleasures for me."
Arwen nodded and slipped her arm through Legolas'. At her movement, Legolas saw a young woman who stood behind her. His eyes were captured by her face, framed golden by her hair. As if commanded by the gods, he met her eyes and saw what his kinsmen have wept for, fought for, even killed their brothers for. Legolas swallowed deeply. Arwen was no longer immortal, and it stood to reason that she would not have recognized.
Arwen noticed who had Legolas' rapt attention then. "You remember Chiara."
"My stubborn ward," Aragorn added from behind them.
If it were not what he suspected, then only witchery and black arts could have caused the world then to drop from his vision until all he could see was her light. "I remember a child. This is a vision." He walked forward and took her hand. He bent to pay his respect to the light in her eyes when her scent brought the entire Gondor back into his sight. Legolas looked up at her with a wealth of questions in his eyes.
She read his intent and pleaded silently.
"King, are you aware that your ward has reached Amon Din, almost to the first beacon of Gondor, close to the camps of the mercenaries?"
Chiara's lips parted in surprise, overcome with sheer disbelief that the new arrival should so reveal her when she had pleaded. She flashed an apology towards the man and woman who had served as her parents for ten years.
"What is a vow to you, Chiara?" Aragorn's low voice rumbled in his chest. "What esteem do you hold for us that you would break your word for a jaunt outside the city walls?"
Chiara bowed her head low, so that she may not look at her guardian in the eye for her shame. Legolas saw the veil of her golden hair and was saddened by the feeling of loss that possessed him when the light was gone.
Arwen placed a steady hand on Chiara's back. "We must speak."
Legolas watched them climb the steps, gliding up as they seemed. The two women vanished into the castle. He turned to Aragorn and Gimli and straightened when he saw them watching him with interest.
Part 3
"What foul deeds have these mercenaries in my friend's lands?" Gimli wondered, his voice booming in the open air to Gondor. "How many see you, elf?"
Legolas turned to look at the camp and swept his gaze. "No short of fifty," he told the dwarf.
"What use is your keen sight if you will not give me precise figures, Legolas?" the dwarf demanded.
"Fifty six," he responded.
"Eight and twenty a piece then," Gimli calculated. "We must rid the land of these with ill intent towards the people."
"Rest easy, Gimli. For now there is no threat." Gimli deflated. Legolas sniffed the air. "I sense a presence that has since departed. It is the scent of a young woman." Legolas walked forward up to a space overlooking the camp. "Here is where she had stayed."
"May her unfortunate soul have died in peace," Gimli muttered, seeing how full in view Legolas was then.
The Elven eyes that turned to him was awed. "She lives."
"A miracle then," Gimli huffed. "To be so close to death and yet saved? Was it Aragorn's doing?"
A pause as Legolas surveyed his surroundings. "I sense no other presence. The girl escaped by herself."
The two continued on their way to Gondor. They rode in and dismounted at the sight of Aragorn and Arwen standing outside the castle. The two embraced the king in greeting. Legolas turned to Arwen, and studied her. Always, she would be lovely. Yet even now Legolas could see in her face changes that the Gift had wrought.
He stepped towards the queen and kissed her hand. Two thousand years they have lived, and only then did his heart constrict to find lines that did not belong, creases where there should only be smooth pearly radiant skin.
"Welcome back to the City of Kings. It has taken you too long. Did you pass the Sea to come honor my mother with a visit?"
"Celebrian must wait. Middle-Earth still holds too many pleasures for me."
Arwen nodded and slipped her arm through Legolas'. At her movement, Legolas saw a young woman who stood behind her. His eyes were captured by her face, framed golden by her hair. As if commanded by the gods, he met her eyes and saw what his kinsmen have wept for, fought for, even killed their brothers for. Legolas swallowed deeply. Arwen was no longer immortal, and it stood to reason that she would not have recognized.
Arwen noticed who had Legolas' rapt attention then. "You remember Chiara."
"My stubborn ward," Aragorn added from behind them.
If it were not what he suspected, then only witchery and black arts could have caused the world then to drop from his vision until all he could see was her light. "I remember a child. This is a vision." He walked forward and took her hand. He bent to pay his respect to the light in her eyes when her scent brought the entire Gondor back into his sight. Legolas looked up at her with a wealth of questions in his eyes.
She read his intent and pleaded silently.
"King, are you aware that your ward has reached Amon Din, almost to the first beacon of Gondor, close to the camps of the mercenaries?"
Chiara's lips parted in surprise, overcome with sheer disbelief that the new arrival should so reveal her when she had pleaded. She flashed an apology towards the man and woman who had served as her parents for ten years.
"What is a vow to you, Chiara?" Aragorn's low voice rumbled in his chest. "What esteem do you hold for us that you would break your word for a jaunt outside the city walls?"
Chiara bowed her head low, so that she may not look at her guardian in the eye for her shame. Legolas saw the veil of her golden hair and was saddened by the feeling of loss that possessed him when the light was gone.
Arwen placed a steady hand on Chiara's back. "We must speak."
Legolas watched them climb the steps, gliding up as they seemed. The two women vanished into the castle. He turned to Aragorn and Gimli and straightened when he saw them watching him with interest.
