Chapter 7
A/N: Again I haven't italicized the Sindarin conversation because it would be a lot of italics and hard to read. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Laureline, thanks for the vote of confidence. I'd love to hear from all of you, so please let me know what you think!
The next day Aragorn's party rode on, pushing into Lamedon. They dead would have overtaken them that day but for Aragorn's command. Elewen spared a glance back from time to time. The Shadow army followed them quickly. They all moved at the same speed whether they were mounted or on foot. They stopped only momentarily at Calembel upon Ciril, then continued through the night.
The next day came without dawn. The sky was brown and the very colors of things seemed to fade to gray. Even if the war had not found Elewen, she would have known it was happening if that were the only sign. Mordor was growing strong if it could even cover the sky to hide the sun. There was a feeling of sullenness and danger in the very air. Still, they rode hard, resting only when necessary. Elewen usually found Legolas and Gimli when they rested. She found herself growing to like the Dwarf, despite her misgivings and memories of past strife. Likewise, she found herself strangely drawn to Legolas. It had been a long time since she'd had any close Elven friends, and his friendship was welcome.
The next day, they came to Linhir, where the men of Lamedon were fighting soldiers from Umbar and Harad. Both friend and foe fled at their approach, fear of the dead filling all of them. The lord of Lamedon was the only one to stay, and Aragorn told him to follow once the dead had passed, and to join him at Pelargir. After a short rest, they continued.
As they finally approached the Sea, the Elves were the first ones to hear the gulls. Their cries carried on the wind. Elewen didn't think much of it, but when she glanced back towards Legolas, she noticed a faraway look in his eyes. She knew immediately that he'd heard the call of the Sea. It was a strange feeling for her. She'd finally found a friend, but after hearing the call of the Sea, he'd never be content to stay in Middle Earth. Unless she finally did leave for Valinor, they would eventually be parted. Elewen resolved to not allow herself to grow too close to him just as they finally reached Pelargir.
The Umbar fleet was anchored at Pelargir. The Umbar army was large and desperate now that they were cornered, but just then Aragorn called the Shadow Host forward. The Dead swept around the Dúndain, the Umbar army fleeing before them. Those that survived fled south. Seated behind Halbarad, Elewen had little to do but watch as the dead fought for them. As she watched Aragorn that day, she saw echoes of Melian and Lúthien. Númenor's blood ran true in him.*
They freed the slaves, chained to the ships, and comforted them as the Shadow Host withdrew. They were no less terrified than those who had fled, but their chains did not allow them to flee. Aragorn released the Dead, saying, "Hear now the words of the Heir of Isildur! Your oath is fulfilled. Go back and trouble not the valleys ever again! Depart and be at rest!"¹ With that, the Kind of the Dead broke his spear and his host faded away.
Finally that night, the Dúnedain were able to rest. The slaves and men from the area gathered once the Dead were gone, and they prepared the ships to depart in the morning. Again, Elewen found Legolas as the others rested.
"You've heard the call of the Sea," she said in Sindarin. It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes, but it will be a long time before I depart. What is it?" He noticed the look on her face.
"We have become friends, you and I, but I do not think that I am ready to return."
Legolas stepped closer to her. "I will not leave for a long time. Surely there is some way…" He hadn't thought through the ramifications of leaving on his relationship with Elewen.
"We are not speaking simply of friendship, are we?"
Legolas was a little surprised by Elewen's comment, but didn't back away. Instead, he moved closer to her, until he was standing only inches away from her. He was taller than her, but barely. He looked in her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.
Elewen met his eyes, unwilling to look away. After a moment, she leaned marginally closer to Legolas. It was the hint he needed, and he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her. He lifted his head after a moment and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"This should not happen," Elewen muttered against his shoulder.
"I find it difficult to care. Somehow we will make it work." Elewen leaned against him, allowing herself to believe it, at least for the moment. She'd been alone for so long, and it was a relief to have someone care about her.
Legolas rested his chin on the top of Elewen's head, pondering what had just happened. He knew in the rational part of his mind that any relationship between them was unwise. He knew the call of the Sea would not leave him. Galadriel had warned him about the calls of the gulls, and he understood her warning. Despite that call, Elewen was not ready to depart. He didn't fully understand why she wanted to remain, but her desire seemed firm. Still, for the moment, he pushed the rational reasons away, choosing to ignore them.
Legolas tried to reason why he was attracted to Elewen. She was an enigma; that was certain. He remembered someone in Dunharrow mentioning a child who had been very ill recovering overnight. Undoubtedly, the Rohirrim didn't think much of it, but he suspected it had been thanks to Elewen. If she had stayed with Galadriel through the rebellion of the Noldor, she must have crossed the Helcaraxë, grinding ice and cold that took the lives of many of the Elves who made that journey.
Despite her attributes, Legolas wondered if he was pursuing her more from his own loneliness than true love. He had never married, not for lack of available Elf-maidens, but because none of them had caught his interest. Elewen was a warrior, and that intrigued him, but it didn't mean true love. The war had reminded him that he was alone, and would be even if he left for Valinor. Eventually, Legolas pushed his misgivings away and chatted with Elewen for the rest of the night. They walked along the river and enjoyed each other's company, but they didn't bring up the difficulties that their relationship would bring.
The next day went slowly. Elewen rode on the same ship as Legolas and Gimli. The three of them sat together and chatted through the morning, trying to keep frustration at bay. Without wind, the ships moved slowly, and there was little hope they would reach Minas Tirith in time. Gimli was aware that something had changed between the two Elves, but he held his tongue. Legolas and Gimli took turns at the oars from time to time, but the Men manning the oars wouldn't allow Elewen to help, so she rested while they were on the oars, again reflecting on the way Men perceived women, even Elf-women. It was the reason she could never have ridden with the Rohirrim. At least Aragorn understood that she could fight.
That afternoon, Elewen was standing with Legolas and Gimli at the helm. Their conversation had dwindled, and Gimli had a defeated look in his eyes. He'd even ceased giving them curious looks out of the corner of his eye. There was no way they would make it to Minas Tirith in time. Suddenly, Legolas laughed. "Up with your beard, Durin's son! For thus it is spoken: Oft hope is born, when all is forlorn."² Gimli asked him to explain the comment, but he wouldn't. Elewen realized the change only moments after Legolas. The wind had shifted. She could smell the salt of the Sea.
Hours later, the wind reached them, and the ships hoisted their sails. The wind grew, until the ships were speeding towards Minas Tirith with foam at their prows. That night, while Gimli was resting, Legolas and Elewen slipped into the hold to find the closest thing to privacy that was available on the ship. They spent the night talking and occasionally kissing, enjoying their newfound relationship, but wondering what the morning would bring. Ever in the backs of their minds were nagging doubts, not about the battle to come, but what the future would hold for the two of them.
* Lúthien was Melian and Thingol's daughter. She married a human (Beren), and their daughter, Elwing, bore twin sons, Elrond and Elros. Their sons were allowed to choose whether to be human or Elves. Elrond chose to be an Elf, but Elros chose to be human. He was the first of the Númenoreans, from whom the Dúnedain are descended.
¹ Taken from Return of the King, p. 168.
² Taken from Return of the King, p. 169.