Chapter Five - Departure and Love
It was three hours past noon when talk began of leaving the Deep and heading to Isengard; Théoden King wished to confront Saruman about his actions.
All of the King's lords were gathered about him in the Hall, which was now completely devoid of any sick beds. Aragorn and Gimli sat on benches with the others - but Legolas resumed his usual stance and stood outside of the circle of Men during this council, arms folded across his chest to observe this meeting of Men. The happenings of these people held nothing about his own people - thus he felt that his presence was an invasion upon their business. He felt that observing in itself was something that he had no right to do.
Next to Haldir, Legolas was of the highest rank amongst all of the Elves in the Deep. As a prince of his people, it had been his duty to take them back to Lórien. In Lórien he would be able to heal properly.
Aragorn had asked him if he wished to lead them, but he had declined from the opportunity to go home by saying that he had gone so far with Aragorn he could not turn away now. Aragorn had accepted this willingly - he had not even tried to sway his friend's mind ... something that the Elf quietly took to heart.
He did take it upon himself, however, to give someone the post of second in command, as Haldir's own had joined his captain in the Halls of Mandos. The one that he appointed was Celdan, who had accepted this readily after a rather shocked silence.
The entire host had left just an hour or so before the meeting, with the gracious thanks of Théoden. The King pledged to them his allegiance and that of his folk thereafter for as long as the two realms existed, to which Celdan replied: 'Until Lothlórien's Lady passes to the West shall we uphold your vow.' This had puzzled Théoden greatly - but he spoke not of it, and bowed to the Fair Folk as they marched out of the mouth of the Deep. So depleted in numbers, with little more than a new allegiance that they would never use and the heavy grief of loss as they left their fallen buried in a hovel of darkness that they could never allow themselves to forget.
Aragorn and Legolas had, of course, understood the words of the Elf, and they rang home with Legolas even more than with the Man. It reminded him forcefully of Galadriel's prophecy to him. When Gandalf had relayed it to him, he had been puzzled by the words for a brief amount of time, but had then realised what they foretold ... that he was going to hear those fabled birds of the sea. There were no ifs about it - it was going to happen: the sea longing was going to be awoken in him...
'...will you join me, Lord Aragorn?' All heads turned to Aragorn as Théoden passed this question.
'Only if Legolas is fit to travel.'
The Elf started at the usage of his name, and as the eyes of those about him rested upon him in turn, Aragorn's included, he fixed his own eyes with only those of his friend. His gaze said 'yes', but for the benefit of the others he spoke the word aloud.
'Then 'tis settled,' declared Théoden to the room at large. 'We leave at dawn.'
The meeting disbanded at these words, and Legolas found himself wandering away in the throng of the crowd.
His feet took him to the caves - but it was not to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond that he went. He left the route to where the people had hidden to the cave that was used as a stable for the horses - if it could be called a stable. A lengthy, well-lit cave with stalls running down either side of it in which the horses of the Rohirrim were enclosed ... and three more besides.
Graceful heads extended to him as he passed, and he touched each and every muzzle with his light fingers as he sought the one he was after.
He saw Arod's elegant head peering out of his stall over the single chain that kept him penned. He whinnied to the Elf, putting a smile to his lips as he approached. It was comforting to know that the horse had connected to him so well as to show such a sign of gladness at the coming of his new master.
He stopped before his horse, and the velvety muzzle brushed his face as Arod took in the scent of Legolas.
Legolas stepped lightly over the chain to stand in the fresh hay of the stall. He lifted his right arm under Arod's jaw and upwards to set his hand just next to the poll so that he may scratch at the right ear. His left hand gently caressed the muzzle. The magnificent head soon became a weight upon his shoulder as the horse relaxed, his eyes near closed with the pleasure.
This felt wonderful for the Prince. After all of the stress of the last few days, all of the physical and emotional pain that he had endured, just standing here with this animal who was so blissfully unaware and unaffected by the events of the outside world helped to soothe his mind. Just them, and it was like only they existed in this purest peace and contentment that he found with the horse. As far as he was concerned, at that particular moment in time there was no outside world.
'Here we are, Arod. You and I. But to what end? What does tomorrow hold for us, and the tomorrow of all other tomorrows thereafter? Perhaps it's better not to know.'
Arod tossed his head at his words, dishevelling his mane with the motion. It was almost as though he understood - but Legolas was not prone to such ways of thinking, and so he just smiled at the coincidental action
Forgetting everything, he extended his left arm quickly rather than his right. Pain flashed through his side and he gave a cry as he was mercilessly reminded of all that had occurred in the outside world, and his arm was snapped back to his side; the sharpness of the movement caused Arod to shy. The stallion backed away, dull thuds entering the air as he stomped his hoofs in the thick hay, snorting. But then he stopped, tentatively extending his graceful neck as he sniffed at the epi-centre of Legolas' pain. The horse ventured forward, nudging the Elf between the shoulder- blades to guide him gently deeper into his stall. Not wishing to argue, Legolas allowed himself to be pushed until he was at the rear of the horses' confinements.
Arod, seemingly pleased with this new arrangement, cut off the only exit with the bulk of his body.
His head turned to the outside of the stall, and his ears flicked down against his head in the classical expression of threat. And it was at this point that Legolas realised that Arod was trying to shield him. It brought tears of affection and gratitude to his eyes.
He was suddenly over-come by weariness, and he recognised that he would not have the chance to sleep thoroughly again when they set off tomorrow. The hay in here was clean and soft, and there was no chance of his horse standing on him at all ... so he lay down in the warm embrace of the dried grass, his right arm acting as a pillow before he passed himself over to sleep's comforting hands.
It was three hours past noon when talk began of leaving the Deep and heading to Isengard; Théoden King wished to confront Saruman about his actions.
All of the King's lords were gathered about him in the Hall, which was now completely devoid of any sick beds. Aragorn and Gimli sat on benches with the others - but Legolas resumed his usual stance and stood outside of the circle of Men during this council, arms folded across his chest to observe this meeting of Men. The happenings of these people held nothing about his own people - thus he felt that his presence was an invasion upon their business. He felt that observing in itself was something that he had no right to do.
Next to Haldir, Legolas was of the highest rank amongst all of the Elves in the Deep. As a prince of his people, it had been his duty to take them back to Lórien. In Lórien he would be able to heal properly.
Aragorn had asked him if he wished to lead them, but he had declined from the opportunity to go home by saying that he had gone so far with Aragorn he could not turn away now. Aragorn had accepted this willingly - he had not even tried to sway his friend's mind ... something that the Elf quietly took to heart.
He did take it upon himself, however, to give someone the post of second in command, as Haldir's own had joined his captain in the Halls of Mandos. The one that he appointed was Celdan, who had accepted this readily after a rather shocked silence.
The entire host had left just an hour or so before the meeting, with the gracious thanks of Théoden. The King pledged to them his allegiance and that of his folk thereafter for as long as the two realms existed, to which Celdan replied: 'Until Lothlórien's Lady passes to the West shall we uphold your vow.' This had puzzled Théoden greatly - but he spoke not of it, and bowed to the Fair Folk as they marched out of the mouth of the Deep. So depleted in numbers, with little more than a new allegiance that they would never use and the heavy grief of loss as they left their fallen buried in a hovel of darkness that they could never allow themselves to forget.
Aragorn and Legolas had, of course, understood the words of the Elf, and they rang home with Legolas even more than with the Man. It reminded him forcefully of Galadriel's prophecy to him. When Gandalf had relayed it to him, he had been puzzled by the words for a brief amount of time, but had then realised what they foretold ... that he was going to hear those fabled birds of the sea. There were no ifs about it - it was going to happen: the sea longing was going to be awoken in him...
'...will you join me, Lord Aragorn?' All heads turned to Aragorn as Théoden passed this question.
'Only if Legolas is fit to travel.'
The Elf started at the usage of his name, and as the eyes of those about him rested upon him in turn, Aragorn's included, he fixed his own eyes with only those of his friend. His gaze said 'yes', but for the benefit of the others he spoke the word aloud.
'Then 'tis settled,' declared Théoden to the room at large. 'We leave at dawn.'
The meeting disbanded at these words, and Legolas found himself wandering away in the throng of the crowd.
His feet took him to the caves - but it was not to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond that he went. He left the route to where the people had hidden to the cave that was used as a stable for the horses - if it could be called a stable. A lengthy, well-lit cave with stalls running down either side of it in which the horses of the Rohirrim were enclosed ... and three more besides.
Graceful heads extended to him as he passed, and he touched each and every muzzle with his light fingers as he sought the one he was after.
He saw Arod's elegant head peering out of his stall over the single chain that kept him penned. He whinnied to the Elf, putting a smile to his lips as he approached. It was comforting to know that the horse had connected to him so well as to show such a sign of gladness at the coming of his new master.
He stopped before his horse, and the velvety muzzle brushed his face as Arod took in the scent of Legolas.
Legolas stepped lightly over the chain to stand in the fresh hay of the stall. He lifted his right arm under Arod's jaw and upwards to set his hand just next to the poll so that he may scratch at the right ear. His left hand gently caressed the muzzle. The magnificent head soon became a weight upon his shoulder as the horse relaxed, his eyes near closed with the pleasure.
This felt wonderful for the Prince. After all of the stress of the last few days, all of the physical and emotional pain that he had endured, just standing here with this animal who was so blissfully unaware and unaffected by the events of the outside world helped to soothe his mind. Just them, and it was like only they existed in this purest peace and contentment that he found with the horse. As far as he was concerned, at that particular moment in time there was no outside world.
'Here we are, Arod. You and I. But to what end? What does tomorrow hold for us, and the tomorrow of all other tomorrows thereafter? Perhaps it's better not to know.'
Arod tossed his head at his words, dishevelling his mane with the motion. It was almost as though he understood - but Legolas was not prone to such ways of thinking, and so he just smiled at the coincidental action
Forgetting everything, he extended his left arm quickly rather than his right. Pain flashed through his side and he gave a cry as he was mercilessly reminded of all that had occurred in the outside world, and his arm was snapped back to his side; the sharpness of the movement caused Arod to shy. The stallion backed away, dull thuds entering the air as he stomped his hoofs in the thick hay, snorting. But then he stopped, tentatively extending his graceful neck as he sniffed at the epi-centre of Legolas' pain. The horse ventured forward, nudging the Elf between the shoulder- blades to guide him gently deeper into his stall. Not wishing to argue, Legolas allowed himself to be pushed until he was at the rear of the horses' confinements.
Arod, seemingly pleased with this new arrangement, cut off the only exit with the bulk of his body.
His head turned to the outside of the stall, and his ears flicked down against his head in the classical expression of threat. And it was at this point that Legolas realised that Arod was trying to shield him. It brought tears of affection and gratitude to his eyes.
He was suddenly over-come by weariness, and he recognised that he would not have the chance to sleep thoroughly again when they set off tomorrow. The hay in here was clean and soft, and there was no chance of his horse standing on him at all ... so he lay down in the warm embrace of the dried grass, his right arm acting as a pillow before he passed himself over to sleep's comforting hands.