Chapter Eight
Alive!
/'Legolas'...a whisper of a voice called to him.
'Who speaks to me?' his voice sounded far and cold. The prince felt something stirring in him.
'Manwë' said the voice. Just the tone seemed to send a wave of calmness over the prince.
'I know you, messager of the creator.' Legolas stirred. He got up and went to look at his hand, it was not there. It was gone. He looked down and saw it still resting cold on the bed. 'I'm dead.' The words sounded hollow in his ears. He had not wanted to believe it. Now he had no choice. But he was happy for an odd reason, he felt no pain or sorrow; and yet he still did. He mourned for Aragorn. He missed him dreadfully. As he looked at his still pale body he realized he was a spirit.
'You are dead in body only.' Manwë sounded close and he comforted the elf. Legolas looked for the source of the voice, but saw nothing. It just seemed to be all around him.
'Am I bound here for eternity?' Legolas asked the head Vala.
The prince felt rather than saw Manwë go grave. He suddenly felt the first chill of fear he had since he had arrived there. 'I cannot say yet.'
'You can't let me stay here! I have a promise to keep!' Legolas wanted to cry but he was a spirit without a body to hold tears.
'I am not sure I can allow you to return.' Legolas felt scared, for his friend. The ranger could die of a broken heart.
'Bring me to life! You have to! Don't let me die!' pleaded Legolas. He could feel his surroundings grow hot as Manwë thought and debated with himself and other Vala. Legolas knew it was not wise to mouth off this way to one of the Vala but he did it anyway. 'Well!'
'I think it would be best for you to return to Middle-Earth.' Legolas could feel himself beaming. 'After all Greenleaf, you have a promise to keep.'
'Thank you Mighty One!' cried Legolas with joy. 'When may I return!'
'You will know the proper time. Be patient.' /
Even before Legolas battled with the Valar for his life, his living friends and family prepared him for burial. They placed him on a bed. Around it many small candles glowed, resembling stars shining in the heavens. Legolas himself seemed to glow with a bright light. All the blood was washed from his body and the arrow no longer protruded from his chest. His hair shone golden in the 'star' flames. His face was tranquil and shone with a radiating warmth, canceling out the cold of death. Aragorn watched as a white veil that shimmered was placed over his friend. It covered all of the prince but his face and upper body. The prince's hands crossed his chest and were slender and white. He looked more beautiful in death than in life.
Even after the others had left, the ranger lingered. Going alongside the bed, he slid down to the floor and bowed his head in grief. /Legolas./ Gripping the sheets, he squeezed them. His wound had not even been treated and it sent caustic pain up his body from the stress. Tears began to fall from the human's eyes. They landed softly onto the quilt and fanned out.
He tried to tell himself Legolas was gone. Hard as he tried he could not. Memories flooded back. He remembered the day they had first met. Raising his weary head, he looked about the room. Legolas's bow sat ungreased and unclean in a corner. Legolas could not be dead, he would never leave his bow that way. He remembered Legolas's promise to him. Legolas would never break a promise, so he could not have left him. Legolas was only sleeping for a time. "Legolas," whispered the ranger. "I don't know if I want to become king now. If you are not there to share it why should I do it?" He stood up and looked upon Legolas's white face.
"You made a promise!" he screamed. "You can't go yet! No! You can't! LEGOLAS!" The prince remained still. The ranger felt his shoulders shake with sobs and heartache. The reality had set in. Legolas was gone. But he couldn't be, and yet here it was. /Why! Why did you leave me Legolas/
The ranger did not even notice the door open. Thranduil walked in. He placed a gentle hand onto the human's shaking shoulder. He did not even look in the direction of his son. It was almost as though he too, was in denial. "Aragorn, we have visitors for you but first we must dress your wounds. Come."
Later Aragorn's wounds were treated. He was made to lay in bed after his rib was popped back, for fear of it dislodging again. The human could not sleep. It was impossible. He heard the door to his assigned quarters swing open and a familiar voice call, "brother? We have come for you." Aragorn kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"Elladan? I want to be alone." Aragorn did not want to talk to anybody.
Elladan walked calmly over and threw back the curtains to let in the light. Aragorn winced. "Dan!" The elf smiled a mirthless smile. At least the ranger could still scold him, he wasn't doing too awful bad. Elrohir entered the room. The human rolled his eyes. Elrohir walked to the edge of the bed and stared down at his little brother. Elladan just stood by the window with his arms crossed.
"Estel, we are sorry about Legolas." No response form the ranger, but they saw his face pale and tears begin to form. They heard a slight choke from the ranger's throat.
"Estel. ...Ada wants you home. We are leaving tonight."
Aragorn closed his eyes. "Fine then, go ahead and go."
Elladan glared at him. "By 'we', I meant all of us, including you!"
Elrohir looked at his brother, he had a sinking feeling that Elladan was making it worse. "Dan, you go. I'll talk to him. Perhaps you should catch up on your sleep."
Elladan opened his mouth to protest and shut it again. He went swiftly out of the room. Now it was just Elrohir and Estel. Elrohir watched Estel. He did not know what to say. Perhaps he should just let the ranger talk to him and vent himself. That was something Elladan did not understand, he knew from personal experience. He watched as Aragorn tried to get up.
The human was sitting up on the bed after a couple tries. Elrohir did not know if this was a good idea but he made no move to stop it. Aragorn began to tell him about everything. "The stupid, bull headed elf prince! He knew better than to go off the way he did! He knew he should have stopped when he had the chance!..." It was all being let out now. The human's frustration and grief was all coming to light.
Suddenly the human's gaze fell across his brother's bandaged arm. "El? What happened!"
"Nothing! Go on, you were saying?" the twin tried to go around the subject.
"No! You're hurt! Let me see it!" said Aragorn.
"Ada already saw to it!"
Aragorn was too weary to argue this losing battle. "Very well," he sighed. "I'll continue." He went on to tell every detail.
This went on for a few more minutes. Aragorn was staring beyond Elrohir now. He was watching the birds as they fluttered around the balcony. Suddenly a wave of anger entered his voice. He looked seemingly at Elrohir. The son of Elrond tensed. Estel suddenly reached by the floor of the bed and picked up his bow. He notched an arrow. Elrohir did not know what to do. Estel swung the bow up and pointed it in Elrohir's direction. "Now Estel..." Elrohir tried to ease the human. "Don't do something you will regret."
The raven-haired elf did not know what to do. The human was about to shoot him down. He could not kill his brother, even in self-defense. No-never! He watched as Aragorn lined up the sightings. In a dream like motion, the arrow let lose. Elrohir shut his eyes and waited for the projectile to pierce his heart. It never came. He felt the arrow whir past his right ear. Then a thud came from behind. Aragorn seemed to regain his composer and dropped the bow with a heavy sigh. "Thank goodness you missed Estel," sighed Elrohir.
"I did not miss brother." The ranger pointed beyond Elrohir. The son of Elrond spun around and saw an elf lying face down, dead, upon the floor. In the elf's hand, was a long knife. The hand clenched the knife tightly. The fallen elf was Iaurgwath. An arrow projected from his throat. A pool of blood ran swelled on the floor. Elrohir gasped slightly and went over to the traitor. He rolled the elf over with the toe of his suede boot. Turning away from the face of death, he looked at Estel. The human looked at ease.
Aragorn was not happy, but at peace; Iaurgwath was gone. What the dark elf's intentions were when he entered from the balcony, the ranger would never know, nor did he wish to. Aragorn suddenly felt like he was many years older than he really was. He felt tired. He lay back against the pillows.
Elladan came rushing in with some of the palace guards. When they came in and saw Iaurgwath they knew at once what had taken place. Everybody in the palace had been told of the events prior. They were all at peace now, the dark elf would trouble tem no more and Legolas's death was avenged. When everyone looked at Estel again, he was fast asleep. Elrohir and Elladan stayed after Iaurgwath was carried out to be disposed of, and watched their brother's peaceful face and his long, deep breaths. "Sleep well brother," said Elladan softly. The two then tiptoed out, but not before shutting the drapes.
/ 'Are you ready to return Legolas son of Thranduil?' asked Manwë.
Legolas sighed with happiness. 'Yes, I am ready. I beg you to send me now.'
'May we meet again in Valinor someday, preferably not in death, my immortal, for there is much you need to do yet. You were not made to die but to live.' Legolas smiled.
'Thank you.' With that said the prince shut his eyes as though in sleep.
'Return,' whispered the Vala./
Legolas sifted and opened his eyes. At first he stayed as he had found himself, with his ands crossed on his chest and a shimmery shroud over his body. For some reason his heart hurt. He clutched at his aching heart and memory flooded back. He had died, but he was back. Legolas was home. With a pang, he remembered the broken bones as well. He felt all stiff and cold. Looking around he saw the star like candles and shivered. This was his funeral, yet he was not dead.
Then he realized that someone was in the room by his bed. Who ever it was, was talking about him. He rolled his eyes over to see who it was and saw his father. "He was such a good son. Why did he have to go? He was the best in archery and he knows the people better than me. He always was just even if it was uncomfortable for him." Thranduil continued to point out all of the good points of his son and then he began to sob. Legolas raised an eyebrow and looked at his father.
"Oh, Ada, why did you stop? There's more, lots more!" Thranduil looked at Legolas and a look of wondrous joy crossed his face and then a look of rage.
"Why you bone headed, numbskull!" Legolas just grinned. Thranduil then jumped up from his chair and ran over and put his arms about Legolas in an enormous hug.
A multitude of elves swarmed into the room, Elladan and Elrohir leading. They ran to his bedside. "It cannot be!" said Elladan.
Legolas smiled. "How's Estel?." He saw Elladan and Elrohir grinning and looking at him with smirks on their faces.
Elrohir spoke up. "Unless you still mean to be buried I would suggest uncrossing your hands." Legolas looked down and saw his hands still crossed. He tried to move them and immediately felt the painful effect of broken bones on the living.
Elladan said, "on second thought, perhaps you should have healer help you."
"I would like that very much." A dark look formed on the prince's face. "Where is Roth?" Everyone looked at one another and Legolas prepared for the worst.
Thranduil started to explain. "He lost a lot of blood my son and, he went into a coma...um...Oh Elbereth,-"
Legolas furrowed his brows. "How did he lose that much blood?" He really did not want to know but felt he must.
"Iaurgwath got hold of him, or at least that's what we suspect." Legolas shuttered, remembering his captivity.
Elladan continued. "Ro and I had a look at him and he is already coming back. There is power in the blood of Númenor." Legolas's brows shot up. Elladan glared at him. "Oh! Don't look so surprised!" Legolas actually laughed and so did everybody else.
Days later, the ranger still slept. Legolas had his bones set and he was quite alive. He could get up and walk around. He could not do much strenuous activity because of his 'should be dead' heart and devastated bones. The prince spent most of his time taking walks or watching Aragorn sleep.
On this particular day, when the prince was seated by the ranger's bed, Estel woke. When he saw Legolas his jaw dropped. He was dreaming. "You are dead!"
"Estel, Estel,' chided Legolas. "You should know I never break a promise!" The ranger smiled.
"I know that! You were just sleeping the whole time!"
Legolas laughed. "Yes, I was just sleeping."
Epilogue
Weeks after, Legolas and Aragorn were up and about. Of course they were totally headless of the rules set by the healers. Legolas sat up in a tree, looking down on the ranger trying to find him. As he sat up in the tree he could not help but grin. Things were the way they should be, at long last.
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