A glimpse of the past and a promise for the future
Author's Note: I do not own Legolas or Eowyn or any of the characters that appear in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
This story-a series of vignettes featuring Legolas and Eowyn-is really a trailer for a cycle of adventures I have posted at Open Scrolls Archive and AdultFanFiction.com. It stitches together scenes from all the stories but-like most trailers-alters the order of events and tries to arouse your curiosity without satisfying it.
The original stories, though set in the Fourth Age, are movieverse and, as you'll see, I've taken some liberties with 'missing scenes'. I hope that the trailer whets your appetite for them-you can find more details at the bottom of page 2.
South Ithilien: The elven colony of Eryn Carantaur
Legolas Greenleaf, Lord of Eryn Carantaur, glanced nervously round the Banqueting Hall.
It was almost time. Soon, the Valar would help him choose his queen.
A group of excited ellyth, carefully selected by his Chief Counsellor, was seated, with their families, at the far side of the large, ring-shaped table. Legolas tried to remember their names. There was Idril, the daughter of Tathar. She seemed a quiet, likeable girl. There was Nerwen, the daughter of Findecáno. She was already a promising healer and seemed pleasant enough, though a little drunk at present. Then there was Angaráto's daughter, Alatáriël. Gods! That elleth thought of nothing but sex. The number of times he had tactfully had to push away her clumsy hands…
The rest of them he simply could not remember. He sighed. He supposed they were all pleasant enough and could all be considered attractive.
But they were not her.
Dear Valar, he prayed, if only you had given me her…
Rohan: outside the Golden Hall of Meduseld
"Is something troubling you, my lord?"
He could hardly tell her the truth. "I needed some air, my lady."
She nodded. "The smell of sweat and ale can be overpowering," she said, smiling.
Ai, what a happy smile, thought Legolas. Because she thinks that one day Aragorn will return her love. Ai Eowyn nín!
"Why are you wearing your cloak, my lord?"
Her question, so far removed from his present thoughts, took him by surprise.
"Your healer," she explained-meaning, he supposed, the healer from Lorien she had bullied into treating Haldir-"told me that elves do not feel the cold. But you are wearing your cloak-and with the hood raised…"
He thought for a moment. "You are right, my lady," he said, impressed by her insight, "I suppose it is because I still sense danger. Elven cloaks are designed to hide the wearer."
"What danger do you sense?" she asked.
"The eye of the enemy is moving, my lady."
"Searching for the ring?"
"Yes." She was standing quite close to him now, and he was sure she must be hearing his heart, crying out to her.
"Is there anything you need, my lord?" she asked, softly. "I believe my uncle's steward has found you a bedchamber. If you need clean clothes, or a bath, or company for the night-"
This was the woman he had fallen in love with the moment he had seen her-the woman who had slipped gracefully through his fingers, like a river daughter swimming in the Anduin! As he looked at her now, so poised and elegant, he remembered how her white skirts had lifted and he had caught a glimpse of her long, slim legs in little black boots…
And like a fool-like an utter fool-his heart and body singing with joy, he threw his arms around her.
"My lord!" she laughed, pushing him gently away, "I did not mean me! There are women whose role it is to-"
Legolas' blood froze. "No, my lady-no, I do not require that." And he turned away, trying to hide his shame. "I am sorry, my lady," he added.
"Please do not trouble yourself, my lord," she said. Then softly, "Goodnight."
Pelennor Field: after the battle
Legolas and Gimli had spent hours slowly picking their way through the fallen, looking for survivors. "Over here," cried Gimli, suddenly, "the young hobbits!"
Merry was lying beside a dead Mûmak. Pippin had covered him with his Lorien cloak and was carefully supporting his head. "You will soon be well again, Merry," he was saying. "I am going to take care of you."
Gimli knelt down beside them and gently examined Merry's wounds. "Let us help you carry him back to the city, lad," he said to Pippin.
"Lady Eowyn…" whispered Merry. "She is wounded…"
"Wounded," cried Legolas, "where…" He looked desperately around the battlefield.
She was lying over the body of her uncle, protecting him to the last. "Eowyn! Ai Eowyn, no!" He fell down on his knees beside her and laid his hand gently on her head. "Do not leave us, Eowyn nín," he whispered, "brave Shieldmaiden…"
"Lad…" said Gimli, softly, squeezing his shoulder.
"We must take her back to the city, Gimli," said Legolas.
Gimli shook his head and pointed to the remains of the witch-king and his steed. "She fought bravely, lad," he said. "But she had no chance against his black breath…"
"No!" cried Legolas. "No, she is not dead, Gimli. She is only sleeping!"
And he lifted her into his arms and, refusing all help from the Rohirrim, carried her across The Pelennor.
A recovered memory
"You sat with me," said Eowyn, suddenly. "You sang to me. I did not remember-not until I saw the House of Healing again. It was while I was still unconscious. Before Aragorn's kingsfoil had begun to take effect-before he ordered me to wake and dragged me back into the world… You sang to me about the forest. About Eryn Carantaur-"
"About Mirkwood," corrected Legolas, softly.
"Why did you not remind me? Why did you keep it a secret?"
"It was not a secret-but it did not help you." He shook his head. "You needed Aragorn. You needed the touch of the king-"
"Legolas… Look at me," she said. "Please…"
He raised his head, sadly, and Eowyn thought that she had never seen him look more beautiful. "I remember it," she said. "You reached me before anyone else-when no one else could."
The palace of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien
It was late autumn, the nights were just beginning to close in, and it was really too cold to be sitting outside in her thin gown, but Eowyn was reluctant to go back indoors to face Faramir and his 'secretary'.
It was Legolas who came looking for her.
"You are cold, hiril nín," he said, taking off his cloak and wrapping it around her shoulders.
They sat in companionable silence as the sky darkened and one by one lights appeared all over the city. The palace was brightly lit; a functionary was working his way around the courtyards lighting lamps, and paused to light two lanterns on the gates of her garden.
But still Eowyn could not move.
Then, softly, Legolas began to sing. The song was not elven but human, in the common tongue, and its melody was haunting:
The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Oh give me a boat that will carry two
And both shall go, my true love and I.
I leaned my back up against an oak,
Thinking that he was a trusty tree.
But first he bent and then he broke,
So did my love prove false to me.
O love is handsome and love is fine,
And love is charming when it is true;
But when it is old, it groweth cold
And fades away like morning dew.
And as his beautiful alto voice held the last note, Eowyn thought: He knows; he knows and he is being so kind… And she shivered-though no longer from cold-and Legolas drew her close, to warm and comfort her, elven fashion.
And suddenly, looking at the city lights that glittered like a second sky, she was happy. For the first time in years, it seemed, she was happy.
And that glorious feeling, that happiness, was attached, in her heart and her mind, to Legolas.
Another happy interlude
The protocol of the Harvest Rite stipulated that the celebrant must not see any of his guests before the banquet began. Fortunately, the walkway that passed Legolas' chambers, normally one of the busiest thoroughfares of Eryn Carantaur, was deserted. Legolas smiled. The warm autumn air, cleansing his spirit with the scents of ripe fruits and newly mown hay, was just what he needed…
"Good afternoon, Lord Legolas."
The merry voice took him completely by surprise, and for a moment he froze like a startled deer. Then he turned to face her.
"Good afternoon, Princess Eowyn."
She smiled and his heart broke. "I do hope you do not mind my being here, my lord,"-he had not invited her-"Faramir thought it would do me good to leave Caras Arnen for a while, so he asked Aragorn and Arwen to bring me to your festival."
Legolas shook his head. "You are most welcome, my lady." He allowed himself to look at her properly, taking in her tall, slender figure, her long golden hair-now worn bound, as befitted a married woman-and her face, still flawless, yet warm and generous when she smiled.
Perhaps he was staring, because she suddenly seemed uncomfortable and looked away. "Your settlement is very beautiful, my lord."
"Thank you." Now it was Legolas' turn to feel uncomfortable.
"May I show you something, my lady?" She nodded and he led her to a flight of narrow stairs that wound its way further up the trunk of the tallest tree. "It is up here." And Sweet Eru! he thought, I sound like an old witch luring a little girl to her doom with the promise of sweetmeats.
But Eowyn climbed nimbly up the stairs without any hesitation and they both stepped out onto a small, open flet.
"This is the highest point of the settlement," said Legolas. "From here, on a clear day like today, you should just be able to see-"
"The sea!" she laughed, clapping her hands together with delight. Then, realising its significance for him, she asked: "Do you intend to leave, my lord?"
"Nay, my lady. I have sworn that I will remain in Middle Earth for as long as my mortal friends live," he answered.
"Does it hurt-to see it?"
"It is bitter-sweet, my lady." He smiled, sadly. "The sea longing is not itself painful, but it can be painful to resist. Yet I could not bear to enter the undying lands knowing that I had left my mortal friends behind. How could I leave and never know their fates?"
Eowyn nodded, gravely: "Death, most times, does not come when we choose it, so we leave our loved ones whether we will or no. I had never thought it before, but our death is easier than your leaving, for you must choose when to leave. And I fear that your loyalty will cost you dearly," she added, softly. "They are indeed fortunate, my lord, to have a friend such as you."
"Nay, my lady. I count myself lucky to have so many mortal friends. Mortals are full of life-they are life; and it makes an elf humble to see their fragile beauty, their brightness. I love their brightness; and I love…" He stopped, suddenly embarrassed. "I am sorry my lady."
"No, please continue."
"I simply mean that an elf gains much in the company of mortals."
"But," she said, delicately, "there will be so much sadness for you." For a moment, he thought her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you for sharing the sea with me."
He should have left her then, but her earlier delight in the sea and her gentle concern for him now were both addictive. And on a sudden impulse he tried to shake off the melancholy he had just brought down on them: "Come, my lady!"
"Where?"
Legolas led her down another flight of stairs, back through the leafy canopy of the big carantaur, to a large flet, just above his own private chambers, where he had made himself a secluded garden of sorts, a place to entertain his guests. A table and some chairs stood at the centre, with pots of his favourite plants-brightly coloured daisies, small, sweet-scented cabbage roses, lavender, rosemary, and lemon sage-all arranged around it. But he led her past the table to a corner of the flet where, hanging from one of the smaller branches of the carantaur, he had built a swing. He had meant it for the children of his human guests, but it seemed to him now the ideal way to cheer Eowyn.
"Sit down, my lady."
She looked surprised and, perhaps, a little insulted. But then she sat on the swing and took a firm hold of the ropes. Legolas stood behind her and gave her a gentle push. Eowyn swung to and fro. He pushed again. She laughed happily. He pushed again. Higher and higher she rose, back and forth, back and forth, both of them laughing.
And suddenly Legolas could see himself sitting on the seat, with Eowyn straddling him, her head thrown back, her hair unbound, and each sweep of the swing driving them both closer to completion…
"I am sorry, my lady," he said, hastily. "I must go now and prepare for the ceremony."
"Yes. Yes, of course." She climbed down from the swing. "Thank you. And thank you again for showing me the sea."
He took her hand on top of his, elven fashion, and led her downwards-this time using a much broader staircase-back to the main walkway.
"Goodness," she said, "do you ever get lost?"
"Not often, my lady."
She gave him a most unladylike grin. "Good bye, my lord. And-and good luck, for this evening."
He placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head, then watched as she walked gracefully across the walkway to the large open windows of her guest chamber. He watched until she had disappeared inside and closed the windows behind her. And still he watched.
The moment everything changed
"My lord, it is time," said the Mistress of the Harvest Ceremony, placing a goblet in Legolas' hand. Legolas took a deep breath, lifted the goblet to his lips, drank the potion, and waited for guidance from the Valar.
Nothing happened.
He looked slowly around the assembled company, examining each female face in turn. Nothing was different. None of the ellyth had changed in any way.
Something must be wrong, he thought. Perhaps the Valar will not bless our harvest ceremony. Perhaps by lusting after Eowyn when I should have been secluded in meditation I have doomed the entire colony to bad harvests…
But then he saw it-out of the corner of his eye-a faint silvery glow surrounding one of his guests. As he turned to watch, the glow grew into an aura, shimmering and sparkling and completely surrounding the lady who, suddenly becoming aware of his attention, dropped her gaze and stared fixedly at the table.
No, thought Legolas, it is just your wishful thinking. She is mortal and is already married. The Valar would never give her to you. And yet, when he looked once more at the rest of his female guests, he could see quite clearly that she was the only one that was glowing. He stumbled to his feet and, with something less than elven grace, half ran towards the radiant woman, holding out his hand: "My lady?"
A murmur of surprise-and some disapproval-rippled through his guests, but Legolas ignored it. The Valar have answered my prayer, he thought, and she is my heart's own choice.
"My lady?"
Slowly, the woman raised her eyes and studied his face. For a long, heart-faltering moment Legolas though she might refuse him. But then she rose to her feet and accepted his hand.
And suddenly, Legolas could restrain himself no longer-he swept Eowyn into his arms and whirled her round and carried her, both of them laughing, to the centre of the threshing floor, where he lowered her gently.
And, before the crowd of guests, they performed the Harvest Rite.
…
Eowyn blushed. "Are you alright?" she asked, softly. "Did I not satisfy you?"
Legolas smiled radiantly. "Oh melmenya! Could you not tell?"
"Well, yes, you did seem to-but then why are you still so-aroused?"
"I am happy. I love you."
"But do you not need time to recover-afterwards?"
Legolas grinned. "It is true what they say about men, then? Sometimes, I do, for a few moments, melmenya, but not tonight. Certainly not tonight! Do you need to rest, meleth nín?"
Eowyn closed her eyes. The love potion she had been given as part of the rite was beginning to bite again. She shook her head.
"Ai, melmenya," he whispered and, kissing her tenderly, he began making love to her again.
…
"We will need to decide, meleth nín," said Legolas, "what we are going to do; what is best for everyone-"
"I want to stay here with you."
"Are you sure Eowyn? Will you give up your husband and your palace in North Ithilien, and court life in Gondor, and come to Eryn Carantaur to live in a tree with a wood elf?"
"Do you want me?"
"Want you? I have always wanted you."
"Then I shall-I shall stay."
"I will come with you to North Ithilien and we will talk to Faramir together-unless you want me to talk to him alone?" Eowyn shook her head. "Very well, we will come to an agreement with Faramir, then I will bring you home."
Eowyn kissed his cheek. She liked the sound of 'home'.
The long, long wait for freedom
It had taken five days to reach North Ithilien on horseback.
"So," said Faramir, looking from his wife to Legolas and back again, "I was right to send you."
"Yes," said Eowyn.
Faramir's study was a large, comfortable room, lined with books, and filled with the day-to-day clutter of rule. Eowyn had spent many happy hours there, discussing civil and military matters with Faramir and his advisors, and working on her orc map. I will miss this room, she thought. And I will miss him. He has been my best friend. And for some people that would have been enough. But not for me.
And not for him.
"What are we going to do?" asked Faramir.
"I assume," said Legolas, "that you do not object to Eowyn's coming to live with me as my wife?"
Faramir shook his head. "I want her to be happy."
Legolas nodded, solemnly. "Then we need to make a series of decisions," he said. "First, you must decide whether you want your marriage officially dissolved or whether you want your separation kept secret.
"If you want it dissolved," continued Legolas, "Aragorn has already pledged us his support and, assuming that it is legally possible, will no doubt issue a decree. But it may be necessary to provide him with a-a reason for the failure of your marriage," he added, tactfully.
He has thought about this a great deal, thought Eowyn.
"If you wish to keep your separation secret, then we need only think of some reason why Eowyn needs to move to the forest-for her health, for example. My people will know that she is living as my wife but it will not concern them since human marriage is so different from our customs that we elves do not recognise it as binding. But any human visitor to Eryn Carantaur may be shocked by it-and may gossip on their return to the world of men. And that would trouble me greatly, for I would not want Eowyn vilified by strangers when she visits her human friends."
Faramir nodded.
"What do you have to say, meleth nín?" asked Legolas.
"I would prefer for our marriage to be dissolved honourably," said Eowyn to Faramir, "so that Legolas and I might return freely to Caras Arnen in the future-for we would miss your friendship, Faramir." Faramir smiled. She paused. "But if that is not possible, I will accept whatever arrangement you prefer, so long as I can remain with Legolas."
Faramir rose and walked to the window, where he stood for a few moments, deep in thought. Then he said, "For some time now, a solution has been forming itself in my mind. I knew of your love for one another, of course, just as you, my dear, knew of my love for…" He hesitated. "For him," he said. "And I realised that neither of you knew of the other's feelings. Perhaps I should have said something sooner. But I sent Eowyn to Eryn Carantaur for the festival-and you seem to have worked it out between you."
"By the grace of the Valar," said Legolas.
Faramir nodded.
"As you know, the Prince of Ithilien needs a wife and an heir. In Caras Arnen," he said, "there is a widowed lady of noble birth with two fine young sons-"
"Sieglinde," said Eowyn.
"Yes, my dear. She-she, like me, suffers a forbidden love. And she would be willing to enter into a marriage of convenience with me. I would adopt her sons and they would become my heirs but we would both live separate lives-though behaving with discretion."
"But would that truly make you happy, Faramir?" asked Eowyn, passionately. She was genuinely concerned for him. Legolas took her hand and squeezed it gently.
Faramir smiled. "He and I can never live openly, my dear. So, yes, I think this arrangement would make me happy."
The three were silent for a while. Then Legolas said, "But we still need to provide Aragorn with a reason why your marriage should be dissolved."
"You can say that I am barren," said Eowyn, suddenly. Legolas and Faramir both turned to her in surprise. "You can say that our marriage would never have produced an heir-which is the truth," she added.
"Melmenya-" began Legolas. He could not bear for anyone to think Eowyn less than perfect.
"Why not?" asked Eowyn.
"Because, in the future, you and Legolas may want a child," said Faramir.
"Ah, but then we would just say that elves are more potent then men," she said, smiling.
…
"Legolas," said Eowyn, thoughtfully, "do you want children?"
"Do you, melmenya?"
"I asked first," said Eowyn.
Legolas sighed. The answer was no. No, no, no.
No, for the brief time he would have her he could not bear to share her with anyone, not even his own children. No, he could not bear the fact that his children might be immortal even though their mother was not. And no, he certainly could not bear to put her sweet little body through the terrifying business he had seen in the book of human anatomy he had consulted in Faramir's library. How women ever survived that he did not know. But he needed to be tactful. "We do not have to decide just yet, meleth nín."
"Does that mean no? Because, if it does, I do not think I want them either."
"You do not, melmenya?"
"No." And he could tell she was having difficulty finding the right words to explain it to him. "Living with you," she said, "is different from living with a man-you treat me as an equal-you expect me to play an equal part in everything we do. And that is what I have always wanted.
"But if we were to have children I would have to devote all my time to looking after them. I could no longer be your equal, unless I were to give the children to someone else to raise. And if I were to do that, why would I be having children in the first place? For you do not need an heir."
She shook her head. "I could not, in all conscience, not take care of them myself, but I would resent not being with you, my love. So no, I do not want children. I want us to stay as we are."
"So do I melmenya."
"Can we be sure?"
"Sure?"
"That I will not conceive."
"Yes, meleth nín, I can be sure."
"How? Yes, I know that elves can control their seed-but how? How do you do it?"
Legolas laughed, embarrassed by her directness. He cleared his throat. "It is different, melmenya, the-the climax. It is different."
"In what way?"
"It-it feels different."
"Better?"
"I-no, melmenya, not better. Not better, just different."
"How do you-"
"Eowyn!" said Legolas, laughing again.
"I am sorry," she whispered, and he could tell that she thought he was annoyed.
He wrapped his arms around her. "No, meleth nín, I am sorry for being foolish and evasive-it just feels different." He tried to put the feeling into words for her. "I must-I must reach for a different place."
She thought about his answer. "Have you ever tried to father a child, Legolas?"
Legolas stared down at her, completely taken aback by her question. She was thinking of him as old-as having lived many lifetimes before her. And he hated any reminder of the gulf between them. "No, melmenya, of course not."
"If I were an elleth would you-"
"Eowyn!" Legolas grabbed her upper arms quite roughly and shook her a little. "I love you. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. And though I did have lovers before we met, I did not love them as I love you, and so making love with them was not what it is with you. I do not want anyone but you. I will never want anyone but you. And the reason I do not want children with you is that I could neither bear to risk your life nor to share you with them.
"Now, are you satisfied?"
And he crushed his mouth against hers before she could reply.
…
Legolas sat on the windowsill of his bedchamber, his legs dangling two storeys above the ground.
They had spent almost two weeks in the City on the Hills waiting anxiously for Aragorn's response. Autumn was already shading into winter and as Legolas savoured the cool, misty, Emyn Arnen day, the slight chill filled him with a longing to begin the journey home. He would take Eowyn back along the eastern bank of the Anduin, where she would see the great falls to the south of Emyn Arnen. And they would spend a night in the shallow cave behind the waterfall-which Gimli, bless him, had discovered-watching the stars sparkling through the curtain of water.
He smiled. She would love that.
Then they would wait for Gimli where the Anduin joined the Erui and all return to Eryn Carantaur together in time for the first tasting of this year's wine.
If only that decree would arrive!
It was not that their stay in the City on the Hills was unpleasant. Faramir was an excellent host. During the day, the three of them-sometimes the four of them-spent their free hours talking or riding or entertaining guests. And at night, Faramir had tactfully arranged it so that Legolas and Eowyn could be together.
The nights! Legolas felt a deep throb of physical pleasure recalling the nights!
But the longer they stayed, the more he became aware of the depth of Eowyn's feelings for Faramir. She is so fond of him, he thought, that it will break her heart to leave him. And all the other people she loves here. In Caras Arnen she is a Princess of men.
But I know it would break her heart to lose me, too. And she is so happy in Eryn Carantaur-and there she is a creature of the forest, my elf-Queen. If only we had not needed to come here...
He heard the chamber door behind him open and close and a familiar voice sigh deeply. Then it said, "Legolas, what are you doing? You will break your neck!"
Legolas laughed. "I am an elf, meleth nín, so no, I will not break my neck. And I am looking out of the window."
After a few seconds' silence she said, "Can I look out of the window too?"
By the gods, I love her, he thought. She has the spirit of an elf. He helped her climb up beside him, holding her firmly, for her balance was not so sure as his.
"Thank you-Goodness, I did not realise it was such a long way down!" After a moment she managed to relax a little. "Things do look different from out here," she said.
He hugged her.
"What was the sigh for, meleth nín?" he asked.
"The sigh? Oh, I just-I just want to go home."
"Home?"
"I miss our garden, Legolas," she said. "I miss the trees."
For a moment he thought his heart might burst.
"So do I, meleth nín; so do I, my darling."
…
Just fifteen more minutes, thought Legolas. Just fifteen minutes and Eowyn is free. And I can take her home.
Aragorn's decree of dissolution had arrived on the morning of the eleventh day. Legolas was standing by the window of Faramir's study, which commanded a good view of the palace steps, waiting to hear the Royal Herald read it out for the third and final time. The door opened and, assuming it was his lady, he turned round smiling. But it was Faramir.
"Eowyn is not here?" Faramir asked, glancing around the room.
"No," said Legolas, "she is packing a few belongings to take back to Eryn Carantaur with us but I am expecting her to join me at any moment."
"Then I must be quick," said Faramir.
He pulled a chair to the window and sat astride it.
"I do not doubt your love for Eowyn, Legolas, nor hers for you," he began. "Things did not work out between us as husband and wife, but I still love her. She is my dearest friend."
Legolas nodded. "I know," he said.
"And there is something that worries me…" His voice trailed off.
"Yes, mellon nín?" prompted Legolas after a moment's silence.
"Immortality," said Faramir, softly.
"Ah."
"You must have thought about this already, I know, but iI/i cannot see any solution," said Faramir. "She will age whilst you remain unchanged, then she will die and you will be left alone-or perhaps die of grief. We do not even know if you will meet again, if you die too."
"No."
"I know that you would never deliberately hurt her, Legolas. But still, I worry about her. And about you, too, my friend-and yet your union feels right to me."
Legolas put his hands on Faramir's shoulders. "I can only tell you what I told her, Faramir. I have no answer except to trust the Valar. You sent her to me at Eryn Carantaur, but when the time came for me to choose my lady it was they who made her shine like Ithil. It was they who gave me a mortal love. I could have disobeyed them and chosen an elleth. But I accepted her willingly because she was my heart's own choice. And I was already bound to her, Faramir, bound to her since the first moment I saw her, in the Golden Hall at Edoras. I will never forsake her, mellon nín, for though her body may lose some of its bloom and her hair may lose its colour she will always be my Eowyn. And I will willingly remain faithful to her throughout eternity. For me there is no choice."
Faramir rose from the chair and embraced his friend.
Moments later, Eowyn entered the study. "Goodness," she said, seeing the sadness lingering in both pairs of eyes, "I thought we would all be happy today."
"We will be, meleth nín," said Legolas, "we will all be very happy."
Eowyn makes a promise
Legolas had been restless all day.
It was two weeks since they had returned from North Ithilien. For two happy, noisy weeks, full of fun and laughter, Legolas and Gimli had recounted-with some exaggeration-their past adventures to Eowyn; and Legolas had proudly boasted of Eowyn's accomplishments to Gimli, and of Gimli's accomplishments to Eowyn; and all three friends had merrily made plans for future adventures together.
But Gimli had left for Aglarond that morning and, even though he had promised to see them at Minas Tirith for the Yuletide celebrations, just three months hence, Legolas was already missing him.
Two hours after Gimli's departure Eowyn had found him pacing up and down the walkway outside their chambers.
Three hours after Gimli's departure she could not find him at all.
Five hours after Gimli's departure she was still looking.
She had tried his study, but the uncharacteristic clutter there had told her that he had last been in it with Gimli. She had climbed down the main staircase and tried the stables, but none of the grooms had seen him and Arod, Brightstar and her new elven horse, Vanyasul, were all standing quietly in their stalls. She had walked to the archery practice field, where Haldir was putting a group of his border guards through their paces, but Haldir had not seen him. She had called on Lord Fingolfin, on Lord Caranthir and on Lady Lessien, but none of them had seen him, either.
And she had just decided to wait for him in their private chambers when she heard something that made her heart stand still.
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
He was singing in the common tongue, but the melody was pure elven, each note like a bead of pure gold suspended on a silken thread. It was so beautiful that Eowyn's eyes filled with tears, and her throat burned, to hear it.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me-
Oh gods, NO! Eowyn lifted her skirts and ran. Up the staircase to Legolas' garden, across the flet-knocking over the chairs in her hurry-to the very furthest corner, then up a tiny, concealed staircase and onto the sea-flet.
And there he was: standing on the top of the low flet-wall, reaching out towards the sea, singing:
For our days are ending and our years failing.
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing
What should she do?
"Legolas?" she called softly. But he did not hear her.
Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,
Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,
In Eressea, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,
Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!
Could she draw his attention without distressing him further? Might he fall? And if he did, Could even an elf survive a fall from this height?
"Legolas," she whispered again, her heart breaking.
And then a miracle happened. He turned, and he saw her, and the expression on his face was rapturous. "Come, Eowyn; come and look." And he stretched out his hand.
She ran to the flet-wall and-forgetting her terror of heights-she scrambled onto it and stood beside him. And her heart leapt with joy when he wrapped a strong arm around her.
"Are you leaving, my love?" she asked, softly. He pressed his lips to her forehead, but his only reply was to sing again:
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;
For our days are ending and our years failing.
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing…
His voice trailed away.
"Eowyn nín," he whispered, kissing her again. "I will not leave you, Eowyn nín. No, I will never leave you whilst I remember-but, sometimes, I forget…"
"Forget what, Legolas?"
"Everything, meleth nín-my life; my love."
He turned to face her, his eyes still large with sea longing but his mind suddenly lucid. "The sea longing is like physical desire, meleth nín," he said, "it is deep and visceral and it demands satisfaction. When I am with Gimli or Aragorn, or when I am distracted by the demands of rule, the sea's call has less power; and when I am with you, Eowyn nín, her call has no power at all.
"But sometimes, when I am alone, she takes me by surprise. And her voice holds such temptation-she whispers of a life of eternal joy, where pain and sadness have been banished. A life of sailing and singing. She promises me a peace and contentment I cannot resist.
"And I am so afraid meleth nín-I am afraid that I might one day heed her call and leave for Valinor without knowing-until it is too late-what I am leaving behind-Oh, Eowyn nín. Melethril nín," he sobbed.
Oh, Legolas, do not leave me, she thought, Do not ever leave me, my love. I could not live without you. But she said, in a voice full of courage, "I will not let you leave, Legolas! If the sea should seduce you, or force you against your will, I will sail after you and I will pull you back-even if you reach Valinor I will bring you back. And if the Valar turn me away from the undying lands I will wait out to sea, calling to you, until your senses return and you swim back to me. I will not abandon you, Legolas. Not while there is breath still left in my body!"
"Do you promise, Eowyn nín," he sobbed, "do you swear it?"
"On my life," she said. And then, because her life was not precious enough, she added, "I swear it on my love for you."