Elentir did not return home until far after dark. He passed through the center room like an angel all a glow, and without a word to Gavin, went to bed.
Last shot.
Elentir sighed, raising the arrow to the elegant bow. As he pulled the thin cord taunt, he glanced over his shoulder; to his left, Legolas was aligning two arrows between his nimble fingertips, smirking. Elentir scowled playfully and lowered the weapon, hurling his single arrow at his beloved oppanant. Legolas laughed and dodged the spear as it wobbled through the air. He steadily rushed the younger Elf, pinning him on the soft forest floor. Both in fits of laughter, they had once again decided on a draw. It didn't matter. Elentir was home again in the beauty of Mirkwood—sister seed to Neverwinter—with his greatest friend draped across him. "Jealous," Legolas teased.
"Cheater," Elentir replied arrogantly.
"I'm older."
"And taller."
"Therefore, I am better."
"Humility suits my prince wonderfully."
"When you find your prince," Legolas replied, standing upright, "you should tell him so." Elentir scoffed and reached for his boot. Legolas tripped and fell again, snickering.
"So graceful, Lightfoot!" Elentir sarcastically gasped. The prince's eyes narrowed in jest before they moved towards the deep of the forest. Elentir could see a light, a glaze moving other them he had never seen in reality. Legolas slowly stood, smiling wider. Now Elentir looked and saw not the familiar trees they both had once scaled as children, but a sea. It was wide, deep, and as peaceful as the sky above it. The prince was captivated.
"Look, Elly," he sighed, gazing out over the crystal waves. "Look at how…how beautiful it is." Elentir stood, brushing off the navy and silver silks he had so longed to feel again. "I should hope to spend the rest of my days searching for its end."
"It is very lovely, Tarenamin," Elentir agreed, "but what of your home here?" He watched as Legolas's shoulders fell.
"I shall always have the beauty of home in my heart, and it will be waiting for me ever there be a horizon I cannot find." Elentir began to smile.
"Whatever brings you eternal joy." He turned to gather the arrows they had abandoned. He suddenly thought of the sea—Mirkwood, Neverwinter. "Legolas, I have a strange feeling that I am in a dream…" Elentir looked up. He was gone. Only a shadow of a ship drifted far into the distance, and although he felt he should be sad, he was at peace; whatever brought his dear friend his joy.
Behind him, the bows waited, but the arrows had disappeared. In their place was Gavin and Anne. "Gavin—Anne!" Elentir exclaimed happily, rushing forward to meet them. "What are you doing here?"
"We're here to be with you," Gavin cheerfully replied. "This place is as beautiful as your promised…more than that, even, Elly." Elentir nodded and smiled.
"I am very glad that you are here, but where is Legolas? I would show you all the places we once explored."
"He's found his destiny elsewhere," Anne explained with a smile. Gavin smiled as well.
"It seems this place has changed," Elentir mumbled, looking back to the majestic sea, "although I have known it for thousands of years."
"Legolas will be traveling soon," Gavin began, walking to his side and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your sister will also be married as well. Your ties are merely breaking, my friend." Elentir nodded, smiling again.
"You are right. Perhaps my joy lies elsewhere."
"Elly, look," Anne exclaimed, lifting the third arrow. "Your necklace is on this arrow."
"It's not my necklace," Elentir corrected, taking it from her gently. The precious medallion was wrapped around the stalk. "It belongs to Lomelindi." Her laugh echoed in his mind with the waves of the ocean. Lomelindi. The charm turned to a mirror as he saw her lovely face in the café. He smiled; she was…joy. "My joy," he breathed. Gavin's voice broke the spell.
"Elentir?" he called, "Elentir?"
"Elentir!" Elentir blinked awake, Gavin jumping back from watching at his bedside. "I swear," Gavin chuckled, "I don't think I'll ever get used…used to the…"
"What's the matter?" he grogily asked.
"Nothing," Gavin answered warmly, "You were dreaming. You came home rather late last night." Elentir smiled softly and nodded, sitting up.
"We had everything to talk about…about home, about here, and then even more…I want you to meet her, Gavin. I want everyone to meet her." Gavin began to chuckle again, knocking his fist under Elentir's chin.
"Listen to you, lad—in love already?"
"I had a dream," Elentir continued, eyes drifting away in thought. "I…I think it was about her."
"That's fine," Gavin replied, grinning and standing. "You can come into the kitchen and have some coffee. It's time you got back to work."