Disclaimer: you see it's not mine, if it was; this is how it would have
gone in the first place!!!
Thanks to all my faithful reviewers, you have no idea how happy you make me, please keep it coming, even if you hate it!!! So sorry this chapter took soooooo long! The next few should be pretty quick, I'm on mid-term! Yay for no college! Boo for exams! Oh well hope you enjoy...
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"Nine companions, so be it. You shall be The Fellowship of the Ring!"
"Right! So...where are we going?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked quietly along the marble halls, so soft were his footfalls that any who met him would be surprised. He made his way slowly past the great library, and down into the living quarters of the family of Elrond, long had it been that his own bed chambers were located in that wing of the great house. But it was not to his own room he journeyed, he lifted his right hand up to the middle of the great door at which he now stood, letting it fall again almost instantly. He sighed heavily, and turned to walk away again. The events of the past few hours swam through his head, and he felt trapped in a whirlwind of feelings. He stopped short of his own door, as though some light had suddenly cleared his vision, and he saw that he was not where he wished to be. Spinning deftly on his feet he glided back down the long corridor, and out into the grounds of Rivendell. Further along the hidden path he stepped quickly, until at last he reached the mighty oak tree that had been a gift from him to the Lord of Rivendell upon his first visit there. It stood now, proud and noble as a king of trees, his long arms swaying and singing softly in the light breeze, and as it saw the elf it sang out to him, overjoyed to see him who would talk for hours of the dealings of the elves. But Legolas saw now that another figure sat inside the hollow at the base of the great tree. Aragorn raised his gaze from the ground, and met the blue eyes of his friend, before turning hurriedly away again.
Legolas sighed sadly, "You cannot bear to look me in the eye Estel. Tell me, mela nin, have I shamed you in some way, or caused you embarrassment? I had thought it you who had embarrassed me, why did you speak to me so at the council?"
"I asked you merely to sit down, I did not realise it would cause offence, friend!" Aragorn looked the elf in his eyes now, holding his gaze, sneering as he did. "you had not the right to reveal my identity to Boromir, and yet so you did. But perhaps you think my feelings unimportant in more than one matter."
Anger welled up in him then, as had never been in the company of this man. He laughed coldly, "you are angry Estel; that you can no longer hide among the shadows of Rivendell, behind a name that does not belong to you. What have I done but set you on your path, for left to you it might never be tread." Aragorn seethed at the remarks, but in his heart he knew that Legolas was right, and again he couldn't bear the sight of the elf's eyes. Legolas lowered his head sadly, "what would you have me do Estel? I cannot disobey the wishes of both our fathers. Do not make the mistake of thinking you possess the only broken heart in this matter."
"You err my friend, my heart breaks not, nor will it for the loss of such folly. It is clear to me now how lightly the hearts of elves may be unlocked, not ten minutes did I possess yours until it was bestowed elsewhere." He clasped the ring in his fingers, letting it dangle from its small silver chain as it swayed lightly in the wind, and it seemed to entrance Legolas with its small delicate movements. "Why have you chosen to follow me on this quest? It is not your place to go."
Legolas turned from the ranger then, "I must represent my people, who else would do it? I am a captain of the woodland elves, it is only right that I should be the one to see this mission through."
"Do you mistake me for your father Legolas; I am not so easily lied to as he. Why not speak the truth my prince... you would follow me as a lapdog, as ever you have done."
Legolas turned back to Aragorn now, all trace of love and affection seemed gone from the man's face, and it was replaced by anger and malice. "Why are you saying this?" the tears that formed in the elf's eyes were visible to all who may have witnessed the exchange. He looked into Aragorn's own silver grey irises and pleaded silently with the man. But the Ranger merely inhaled sharply, and looked again to the piece of metal in his hand. He held it out now, and grabbing Legolas's wrist, he placed it softly in the elf's upturned palm.
"This belongs to you." But it was said sadly, with regret and sorrow lacing his voice, and he could not prevent its wavering a little when he added, "perhaps the lady Arwen will wear it longer than I."
Legolas looked at the small ring in his hand and sighed quietly, tears made their way slowly down his porcelain cheeks, and Aragorn wished for nothing more than to hold the elf in his arms and beg forgiveness for what he had said, but he couldn't.
"It was a gift..." he said sadly, clasping the ring back in Aragorn's hand, stroking the man's fingers gently and briefly, before looking him in the eyes again, "...keep it." With that he was gone, and Aragorn was left to stand under the shade of the great oak, whose song had turned to one of sorrow and despair.
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Legolas walked to the front of the company- safe behind Gandalf, he knew he would not have to endure the company of Aragorn. They were travelling due South now, the shadows of the Misty Mountains loomed upon their left as they went slowly on. Pippin walked behind Gimli, but he watched not the horizon, nor indeed where the company were going, as would befit one who does not know their way. Rather he observed the movements of the fair creature ahead of him. Legolas walked with sadness, and spoke seldom, if ever, to any of the other nine walkers. Pippin knew Aragorn was some way behind, and that the two, who had seemed so close but two days ago, had broken some bonds of great fellowship. He wondered what had caused such a drastic and dramatic reversal of all he knew to be true, surely they could not blame each other for what Lord Elrond and Thranduil had forced upon them. Indeed Pippin felt them much too in love to let such matters break their bond with each other, and, in his opinion, such a thing would serve only to increase their determination. He would have to speak to Merry when they were both out of range of the others' prying ears. He was drawn out of his reverie by the announcement of lunch, for a Hobbit's stomach overcomes most matters in the ranks of importance.
Aragorn watched closely as the two smallest Hobbits fought with Boromir. They were no soldiers, but he sensed a fire just beneath their merry surface, that could be fearsome when ignited. Perhaps the friendship these four shared would prove to be the greatest strength they had in the fight against the forces of evil. His attention was drawn away from the 'battle', way beyond his left to where a lonely figure stood. The elf's golden hair was billowing in the wind, and his delicate frame stood tall in the late morning wind. The air was cold, and had he known better, he would have said that the elf's milky skin was a result of the biting breeze they all felt. Upon the wind he thought he heard the soft sound of singing, as though nature was lamenting the loss of Autumn and heading sadly into the Winter. But he was aware now that it was not the wind; Gandalf stood also watching the elf carefully, as he sang sweetly and melancholy into the wind. All the earth around him seemed to fill with the sadness of his own heart. Gandalf nodded slowly and turned to sit down to his lunch once again, but he spotted the Ranger gazing longingly in Legolas's direction, and sighed loudly.
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Pippin wondered why he had volunteered for such a mission, he was no soldier, nor great traveller, and yet here he was on the utmost peak of the Misty Mountains, fearing for his life as the snow grew ever deeper. He and Merry clung to Boromir's chest, fearing being dropped from the high peaks of Caradhras. He saw a lithe figure sweep past him, gliding on the snow as though he wore skates on ice pond. All but Aragorn marvelled at the quick movements of Legolas along the snow, leaving no footprints as he went. Boromir grunted loudly, and smiled wryly when he saw the elf brush past him. 'Nice for some!' Pippin couldn't be sure whether or not he had said it aloud; his voice was lost in the call of Legolas from far ahead of them.
"There is a fell voice on the air!"
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried, even as a great fall of snow plunged from the heights above them. He strode forward now chanting in a strange tongue, the Hobbit's did not recognise. With his left hand he held his mighty staff aloft, shouting loudly into the air. A thunderous crash above them was all they heard before they were buried deep in the snow, Legolas pulling the wizard to the relative safety of the mountain wall. He pulled the dwarf from the deep drift, and shook the icy dust from his tunic. The others were now arguing about the chosen path, as he helped the two youngest Hobbits back to their feet. Pippin looked graciously at him, and for the first time in many hours he was forced to smile at the cheerful nature of these strange young folk.
"...if we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."
Those words brought a grimace to the elf's fair face. Merry and Pippin looked to him with concern in their eyes, wondering what could disturb so great and noble a being. The very thought of those dark places horrified him, as no other terror could. To live without stars, sun or moonlight, he could not imagine a more wretched place. He looked to Frodo with pleading eyes, silently willing the Hobbit to choose the path South, to Rohan.
"We will go through the mines."
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Aragorn watched his former love stalk silently away from the Doors of Dúrin, and he wondered if secretly Legolas did not help in the solving of the riddle, in the hope that they would have to turn back, and take another road. The elf watched longingly as Bill plodded quickly away from the west wall of the Mines, wishing to be astride the small pony. Merry and Pippin busied themselves with throwing stones, thought Aragorn bid them stop. He gazed out upon the murky waters; that had swollen and filled the whole vale with their dampness, so that only a small shelf of land remained in front of the doors. And suddenly they opened.
Legolas crept slowly and carefully into the great hall, vaguely aware that the dwarf was speaking to him.
"Soon master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires; malt beer; red meat off the bone!"
Legolas was staring uneasily into the gloom before them, and quickly glancing back at the moon behind. His face was wistful, and despairing. Aragorn smiled sadly at his companion's discomfort, he knew how Legolas hated caves and he knew that the elf would soon learn to despise the long dark of Moria.
"And they call it a mine-a Mine!!!"
"This is no mine-it's a tomb."
The light Gandalf had provided now showed the welcome of Moria in its horror. Legolas quickly plucked an arrow from the remains of a dwarf that lay at his feet, "Goblins!" He knocked an arrow to his own bow with lightning speed, and began to retreat with all haste, even as Boromir called for them to leave. Sam's call interrupted their quick removal from the caves, as they saw a huge creature emerge from the waters outside. Its many arms writhed menacingly and strongly along the surface, feeling their way towards the group, with awful speed. Frodo now hung by his ankle from one of the hideous tentacles, while the other Hobbits hacked furiously at its wriggling arms. Legolas let fly an arrow, and it struck the creature just above Frodo's ankle, dropping him from a height. But even as he fell, another of the long vine-like strands grabbed onto the young Hobbit, and pulled him closer to the centre of the lake. Frodo cried frantically fro Aragorn to rescue him when the awful creature reared its head, and reeled Frodo further in towards its mouth. Boromir and Aragorn hewed at as many tentacles as they could, with Legolas sending arrows into the beast at a furious pace. At last the creature gave up, and deemed Frodo too much hassle for his worth, but it advanced now, moving closer and closer to the doors. Gandalf called them all into the mine, and they had just reached the safety of the caves when the outer wall crashed down behind them and all light was lost.
Legolas breathed quickly, his face remained calm, as was the way with the elves; they could easily hide their emotions from those around them. But he knew he could not fool Aragorn, he felt the man even now staring at him, but in Legolas's mind Aragorn was not watching him with sympathy and sadness but with triumph and glee at the elf's petty fears. As he turned to follow the others, Legolas caught Aragorn looking quickly away from him, and his face did fall with sorrow. He looked one last time to where the entrance had once stood, before facing the deep dark of the mine.
Thanks to all my faithful reviewers, you have no idea how happy you make me, please keep it coming, even if you hate it!!! So sorry this chapter took soooooo long! The next few should be pretty quick, I'm on mid-term! Yay for no college! Boo for exams! Oh well hope you enjoy...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nine companions, so be it. You shall be The Fellowship of the Ring!"
"Right! So...where are we going?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas walked quietly along the marble halls, so soft were his footfalls that any who met him would be surprised. He made his way slowly past the great library, and down into the living quarters of the family of Elrond, long had it been that his own bed chambers were located in that wing of the great house. But it was not to his own room he journeyed, he lifted his right hand up to the middle of the great door at which he now stood, letting it fall again almost instantly. He sighed heavily, and turned to walk away again. The events of the past few hours swam through his head, and he felt trapped in a whirlwind of feelings. He stopped short of his own door, as though some light had suddenly cleared his vision, and he saw that he was not where he wished to be. Spinning deftly on his feet he glided back down the long corridor, and out into the grounds of Rivendell. Further along the hidden path he stepped quickly, until at last he reached the mighty oak tree that had been a gift from him to the Lord of Rivendell upon his first visit there. It stood now, proud and noble as a king of trees, his long arms swaying and singing softly in the light breeze, and as it saw the elf it sang out to him, overjoyed to see him who would talk for hours of the dealings of the elves. But Legolas saw now that another figure sat inside the hollow at the base of the great tree. Aragorn raised his gaze from the ground, and met the blue eyes of his friend, before turning hurriedly away again.
Legolas sighed sadly, "You cannot bear to look me in the eye Estel. Tell me, mela nin, have I shamed you in some way, or caused you embarrassment? I had thought it you who had embarrassed me, why did you speak to me so at the council?"
"I asked you merely to sit down, I did not realise it would cause offence, friend!" Aragorn looked the elf in his eyes now, holding his gaze, sneering as he did. "you had not the right to reveal my identity to Boromir, and yet so you did. But perhaps you think my feelings unimportant in more than one matter."
Anger welled up in him then, as had never been in the company of this man. He laughed coldly, "you are angry Estel; that you can no longer hide among the shadows of Rivendell, behind a name that does not belong to you. What have I done but set you on your path, for left to you it might never be tread." Aragorn seethed at the remarks, but in his heart he knew that Legolas was right, and again he couldn't bear the sight of the elf's eyes. Legolas lowered his head sadly, "what would you have me do Estel? I cannot disobey the wishes of both our fathers. Do not make the mistake of thinking you possess the only broken heart in this matter."
"You err my friend, my heart breaks not, nor will it for the loss of such folly. It is clear to me now how lightly the hearts of elves may be unlocked, not ten minutes did I possess yours until it was bestowed elsewhere." He clasped the ring in his fingers, letting it dangle from its small silver chain as it swayed lightly in the wind, and it seemed to entrance Legolas with its small delicate movements. "Why have you chosen to follow me on this quest? It is not your place to go."
Legolas turned from the ranger then, "I must represent my people, who else would do it? I am a captain of the woodland elves, it is only right that I should be the one to see this mission through."
"Do you mistake me for your father Legolas; I am not so easily lied to as he. Why not speak the truth my prince... you would follow me as a lapdog, as ever you have done."
Legolas turned back to Aragorn now, all trace of love and affection seemed gone from the man's face, and it was replaced by anger and malice. "Why are you saying this?" the tears that formed in the elf's eyes were visible to all who may have witnessed the exchange. He looked into Aragorn's own silver grey irises and pleaded silently with the man. But the Ranger merely inhaled sharply, and looked again to the piece of metal in his hand. He held it out now, and grabbing Legolas's wrist, he placed it softly in the elf's upturned palm.
"This belongs to you." But it was said sadly, with regret and sorrow lacing his voice, and he could not prevent its wavering a little when he added, "perhaps the lady Arwen will wear it longer than I."
Legolas looked at the small ring in his hand and sighed quietly, tears made their way slowly down his porcelain cheeks, and Aragorn wished for nothing more than to hold the elf in his arms and beg forgiveness for what he had said, but he couldn't.
"It was a gift..." he said sadly, clasping the ring back in Aragorn's hand, stroking the man's fingers gently and briefly, before looking him in the eyes again, "...keep it." With that he was gone, and Aragorn was left to stand under the shade of the great oak, whose song had turned to one of sorrow and despair.
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Legolas walked to the front of the company- safe behind Gandalf, he knew he would not have to endure the company of Aragorn. They were travelling due South now, the shadows of the Misty Mountains loomed upon their left as they went slowly on. Pippin walked behind Gimli, but he watched not the horizon, nor indeed where the company were going, as would befit one who does not know their way. Rather he observed the movements of the fair creature ahead of him. Legolas walked with sadness, and spoke seldom, if ever, to any of the other nine walkers. Pippin knew Aragorn was some way behind, and that the two, who had seemed so close but two days ago, had broken some bonds of great fellowship. He wondered what had caused such a drastic and dramatic reversal of all he knew to be true, surely they could not blame each other for what Lord Elrond and Thranduil had forced upon them. Indeed Pippin felt them much too in love to let such matters break their bond with each other, and, in his opinion, such a thing would serve only to increase their determination. He would have to speak to Merry when they were both out of range of the others' prying ears. He was drawn out of his reverie by the announcement of lunch, for a Hobbit's stomach overcomes most matters in the ranks of importance.
Aragorn watched closely as the two smallest Hobbits fought with Boromir. They were no soldiers, but he sensed a fire just beneath their merry surface, that could be fearsome when ignited. Perhaps the friendship these four shared would prove to be the greatest strength they had in the fight against the forces of evil. His attention was drawn away from the 'battle', way beyond his left to where a lonely figure stood. The elf's golden hair was billowing in the wind, and his delicate frame stood tall in the late morning wind. The air was cold, and had he known better, he would have said that the elf's milky skin was a result of the biting breeze they all felt. Upon the wind he thought he heard the soft sound of singing, as though nature was lamenting the loss of Autumn and heading sadly into the Winter. But he was aware now that it was not the wind; Gandalf stood also watching the elf carefully, as he sang sweetly and melancholy into the wind. All the earth around him seemed to fill with the sadness of his own heart. Gandalf nodded slowly and turned to sit down to his lunch once again, but he spotted the Ranger gazing longingly in Legolas's direction, and sighed loudly.
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Pippin wondered why he had volunteered for such a mission, he was no soldier, nor great traveller, and yet here he was on the utmost peak of the Misty Mountains, fearing for his life as the snow grew ever deeper. He and Merry clung to Boromir's chest, fearing being dropped from the high peaks of Caradhras. He saw a lithe figure sweep past him, gliding on the snow as though he wore skates on ice pond. All but Aragorn marvelled at the quick movements of Legolas along the snow, leaving no footprints as he went. Boromir grunted loudly, and smiled wryly when he saw the elf brush past him. 'Nice for some!' Pippin couldn't be sure whether or not he had said it aloud; his voice was lost in the call of Legolas from far ahead of them.
"There is a fell voice on the air!"
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried, even as a great fall of snow plunged from the heights above them. He strode forward now chanting in a strange tongue, the Hobbit's did not recognise. With his left hand he held his mighty staff aloft, shouting loudly into the air. A thunderous crash above them was all they heard before they were buried deep in the snow, Legolas pulling the wizard to the relative safety of the mountain wall. He pulled the dwarf from the deep drift, and shook the icy dust from his tunic. The others were now arguing about the chosen path, as he helped the two youngest Hobbits back to their feet. Pippin looked graciously at him, and for the first time in many hours he was forced to smile at the cheerful nature of these strange young folk.
"...if we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."
Those words brought a grimace to the elf's fair face. Merry and Pippin looked to him with concern in their eyes, wondering what could disturb so great and noble a being. The very thought of those dark places horrified him, as no other terror could. To live without stars, sun or moonlight, he could not imagine a more wretched place. He looked to Frodo with pleading eyes, silently willing the Hobbit to choose the path South, to Rohan.
"We will go through the mines."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn watched his former love stalk silently away from the Doors of Dúrin, and he wondered if secretly Legolas did not help in the solving of the riddle, in the hope that they would have to turn back, and take another road. The elf watched longingly as Bill plodded quickly away from the west wall of the Mines, wishing to be astride the small pony. Merry and Pippin busied themselves with throwing stones, thought Aragorn bid them stop. He gazed out upon the murky waters; that had swollen and filled the whole vale with their dampness, so that only a small shelf of land remained in front of the doors. And suddenly they opened.
Legolas crept slowly and carefully into the great hall, vaguely aware that the dwarf was speaking to him.
"Soon master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires; malt beer; red meat off the bone!"
Legolas was staring uneasily into the gloom before them, and quickly glancing back at the moon behind. His face was wistful, and despairing. Aragorn smiled sadly at his companion's discomfort, he knew how Legolas hated caves and he knew that the elf would soon learn to despise the long dark of Moria.
"And they call it a mine-a Mine!!!"
"This is no mine-it's a tomb."
The light Gandalf had provided now showed the welcome of Moria in its horror. Legolas quickly plucked an arrow from the remains of a dwarf that lay at his feet, "Goblins!" He knocked an arrow to his own bow with lightning speed, and began to retreat with all haste, even as Boromir called for them to leave. Sam's call interrupted their quick removal from the caves, as they saw a huge creature emerge from the waters outside. Its many arms writhed menacingly and strongly along the surface, feeling their way towards the group, with awful speed. Frodo now hung by his ankle from one of the hideous tentacles, while the other Hobbits hacked furiously at its wriggling arms. Legolas let fly an arrow, and it struck the creature just above Frodo's ankle, dropping him from a height. But even as he fell, another of the long vine-like strands grabbed onto the young Hobbit, and pulled him closer to the centre of the lake. Frodo cried frantically fro Aragorn to rescue him when the awful creature reared its head, and reeled Frodo further in towards its mouth. Boromir and Aragorn hewed at as many tentacles as they could, with Legolas sending arrows into the beast at a furious pace. At last the creature gave up, and deemed Frodo too much hassle for his worth, but it advanced now, moving closer and closer to the doors. Gandalf called them all into the mine, and they had just reached the safety of the caves when the outer wall crashed down behind them and all light was lost.
Legolas breathed quickly, his face remained calm, as was the way with the elves; they could easily hide their emotions from those around them. But he knew he could not fool Aragorn, he felt the man even now staring at him, but in Legolas's mind Aragorn was not watching him with sympathy and sadness but with triumph and glee at the elf's petty fears. As he turned to follow the others, Legolas caught Aragorn looking quickly away from him, and his face did fall with sorrow. He looked one last time to where the entrance had once stood, before facing the deep dark of the mine.