Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to LOTR…
A/N: please r/r… and don't flame if it's bad… I put a lot of effort into writing this… =)
Thanks to baby-bubblz and Kristy for being my beta-readers… - you two are awesome!!!
By the way: this story's theme is kind of like that of "my immortal" by evanescence… so if you play that song while reading this story… maybe it'll make a bit more sense…
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Hard Love
It was night again, for the twelfth time since they had set out from Rivendell, and everyone in the fellowship was asleep. All except for Aragorn, who had offered to take first watch, or actually more like the watch for the entire night. He needed this precious time without the whining, without the angry words, without the barking orders at others, and without the complaining to think. He was hunched over in a corner of the tiny clearing the fellowship was resting in. He was smoking a pipe and thinking about her again for the millionth time since they had left Rivendell. Argh! He just couldn't get her out of his mind.
Lately all he could do was blame his self for everything. He blamed himself for every single time one of the hobbits tripped over tree roots, or whenever Gimli got provoked by some unknown source and began hacking away at anything in his path, or whenever Boromir felt himself being drawn to the ring. If only he could endure their suffering, and carry their burdens. He began seeing life on a morbid angle. There were always more problems that were added on to the waiting list of unsolved problems Aragorn kept in his mind; looking out for the hobbits, keeping track of Boromir's whereabouts, making sure Gandalf didn't get too upset with Pippin's random acts of foolishness from time to time, but most importantly was the situation concerning Arwen and himself. Or actually, it was more of a situation concerning his self, really. He felt so lonely without her, and sleeping at night wasn't helping either. He kept dreaming up memories they had shared together in the past.
While lost in his current tornado of muse, he
did not notice someone sneak up upon him, and sit down right beside him. He
only noticed the presence of the unknown person when that person flipped their
hair, and it brushed the side of his face gently.
"Long, silky hair… hmm... Arwen?"
"Um no… It's Legolas," Legolas gave a quick laugh, but Aragorn still held an ashen face, and he did not say anything to retaliate or make up for his mistake.
"You miss her, don't you?" Legolas asked, already knowing what the answer was going to be. Aragorn only nodded, but he felt that Legolas didn't really understand what he was going through. Legolas looked at him, and read the expression written on his face.
"You don't think I understand, do you?" Legolas asked again, and he added a laugh. Mortals were so easy to read, especially when they were troubled. Aragorn said nothing again, but Legolas already knew the answer. "You think that I've never been in love before, Aragorn? You think that I'm an emotionless freak of nature who runs around in tights, shoots arrows at random things, never hurts emotionally or physically, constantly positive, and obsessed with nature?" Aragorn shook his head, but was taken aback. He never realized that Legolas had this much depth to him besides his skill with the bow and arrow. "Let me tell you a story…" and Aragorn looked at him with rapt attention, listening attentively.
"Hmm… Where to begin… I met an elf-maiden named Celebithil, a hundred or more years ago… I loved her with all my heart, my soul and my life. She was beautiful like the… I don't know… but she was beautiful… and she was strong in her mind, and her body. She bested me as an archer, and could silence me in a battle of the wits. She was just so wonderful, optimistic, and cheerful. Being around her made me a better person. And I just thought that it was never going to end, but nothing lasts forever.
One day when we were out riding like usual, a band of Orcs snuck up upon us, and began to attack. We fought them down to the last one, and that was when we had thought it was over. Unfortunately, there was one more. She was the one who saw it release a fatal arrow that was heading for me. She jumped in the way of it to save me, and she took her life for mine. When I had noticed what had happened, I shot the Orc who had shot her dead. Oh, Elbereth, if only I could describe to you the pain that I was feeling at that exact moment; pain like a million daggers piercing through my heart. But her, she was just so cheerful, even at the end of the road. She took my hand in hers, and told me this: "You can't take back what has happened, but as long as you never forget me, I shall always live on, in you," and today, she still does, deep within my heart; though the wounds will never heal, and day by day, they constantly bleed, but just to know that there was something in this world called love, it came by to visit me, and it did not leave… is just something that dulls that pain everyday. I would not take anything back that had ever happened between her and myself, no I do not regret anything that ever happened, because whatever happened only happened for the best, though at the moment it did not seem like it. And she died for me, to justify her love. There is nothing more I can say about it, and I still love her, as much as I can. Even in death our love goes on," Legolas finished his story, and he looked at Aragorn. Aragorn was looking away from Legolas, and Legolas could tell that Aragorn was thinking again. Legolas spoke again, this time in a more reassuring tone.
"Aragorn just let it go. Whatever happens will happen, and there's nothing you can do to change it. We are all like feathers upon the wind of life; it directs us to wherever it may lead. Go to sleep, Aragorn. You need to rest because we will reach Caradhras soon, and you will need all of your strength," and with that Legolas got up, and back to his spot between Boromir and Gandalf, sinking back into a normal elf-sleep. Aragorn stayed up for a bit longer, thinking about Legolas words.
"You're right my friend, whatever happens will happen, and I will do nothing to stop it from happening," and Aragorn walked back to the circle of sleeping figures, prodding Gimli awake for his turn for the nightly-watch.
