DISCLAIMER: Everything! I don't own the LotR.
A/N: hehe, well sorry guys about that little mishap in the last chappie—I could have sworn that wargs were a type of orc . . . hm, anywho, sorry again for that! What I meant by warg was an orc, so . . .
DON'T HATE ME!!
Thank you, Eamane Eluch for pointing that out!
Hey, well I'm back from vacation and I have a couple more chappies to add! And I also have one or two after those before I move on to TTT: The Music of the Night (hehe, and if you haven't guessed by that title, I'm a great fan of the Phantom of the Opera : )
Hope you like this chapter (don't hate me for it!! I was kinda in a hurry!)
:: Hellos and Goodbyes::
The Fellowship was eerily silent all save for the hobbits' sobbing as they let their tears fall to the ground. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir could only stand in silent shock at the empty spaces in front of them.
Gandalf was dead.
It felt as though the news still hadn't sunk in quite yet . . . even if the reality seemed all too real. He was Gandalf . . . he couldn't die, could he?
Aragorn was the first of the Fellowship to recover and sighed heavily, "Boromir! Legolas! Get them up . . ."
Boromir shook his head, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
The ranger gazed at him in a near-cold stare before gesturing towards the hills, "By nightfall this area will be swarming with orcs! Lothlorien is open to us while the sun still signals the day . . ."
Reluctantly, Legolas and Boromir headed towards Merry and Pippin as Aragorn shook Sam gently on the shoulder. Gimli sighed heavily and belted his axe to his belt. The dwarf shook his head sadly and went to go help the others.
-----------
Their travel was made hastily seeing that the light was fading fast. Several streams and rivers flowed along their path as the woods began to grow taller and denser.
Legolas paused and sniffed the air warily. There was the fresh scent of blood several leagues away . . . there was too much of it to be the dead carcass of an animal. A shiver ran down his spine as he wondered what could have possibly been the outcome of whatever massacre there had been.
The elf shook his head and rid him of the thought.
Frodo and the other hobbits remained to themselves—the ring bearer especially. Merry and Pippin continued to weep and their eyes remained puffy and red. Sam tried desperately to recite the ballads and songs of old in hopes that it would lift his spirits, but each attempt failed in a quick sob from the hobbit. Frodo kept his eyes lowered and his thoughts somewhere distant.
Aragorn ran briefly ahead of the group as they come upon a hill.
In the distance, a grove of trees rose into the heavens and towered over the plains. The forest stretched out and disappeared into the distance. The ranger smiled sadly to himself; at last they could rest peacefully.
And so for the last few hours, the Fellowship treaded towards Lorien and the safety of the haven.
At last, the elegant trees rose above them in a protective veil. An odd feeling swept over the company and through the air. The Fellowship glanced around warily at the ominous presence.
"Stay close, young hobbits," Gimli warned, "They say a great sorceress lives in these woods . . . an elf-witch or terrible power!"
No one else was listening, however. Legolas's ears twitched nervously. There was movement beyond the trees . . . and yet hardly a sound could be heard or their swift forms hardly seen . . .
And they were closer now.
"Well here's one dwarf from Moria she won't ensnare so easily—!"
Suddenly, the Fellowship was under arrow-point. A band of elves surrounded the group with their elegant silver bows notched with arrows. On instinct, Legolas and the others started to draw their weapons in defense.
"Put down your weapons!"
The company froze as the stern voice rang through the trees. An elf with blonde—nearly white—hair stepped forward from behind the elves.
Aragorn approached him cautiously, "Haldir du Lorien, halliri du leri . . ."
"Aragorn!" Gimli muttered and watched the elves warily, "These words are useless; we should go back!"
But Haldir eyed the Fellowship one by one slowly until his gaze fell on Frodo, "You bring a great evil to these woods . . ." he murmured as his blue eyes darkened, ". . . We cannot let you pass."
--------
The ranger and Haldir spoke rapidly and angrily with one another in elfish. The rest of the Fellowship sat along the landing high above in the trees. Candles flickered in the trees around them only to give off a faint haze of light.
Legolas sighed and crossed his arms. The hauntingly beautiful music of the Lorien elves drifted through the woods. The elf shivered as a cold evening breeze blew across the flet.
He stopped and smiled sadly, though. There was a song Kaye used to sing like that; eerie but beautiful none-the-less . . . especially when she sung it herself.
Absently, the elf prince started to hum the sad melody as a single tear rolled along his cheek. Gods how he missed her . . .
He paused suddenly and remembered the blood he had smelled earlier. Had the elves of Lorien known? Or had they ignored it and resided into their secrets? The elves always seemed to be hiding something . . . as if the world was one big secret.
Kaye would have liked it here, he though, with all the serenity and peace . . .
Haldir and Aragorn had finally ended their argument and the elf moved towards the center of the flet. The company turned and waited for him to speak.
"You are all to come with me."
The group stood and cautiously made their way down the winding staircase towards the earth. The elf stood for but a moment before crossing the platform.
But Elessar stopped Legolas before the elf could follow after the rest of the Fellowship. The ranger's eyes were filled with a mix of anticipation and despair.
"There is something you must see . . ."
--------
"Oh . . . gods . . ."
Legolas's body went numb and it seemed as though all time had stopped. He trembled violently and could only stare in silent awe.
"Kaye . . ." he whispered.
The half-elf lay still along the silky bedding. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were scratched and bruised. She wore a gauzy white gown, but along her side, a tainted, bloodied bandage covered a fresh wound. But he couldn't believe his eyes . . . Kaye was back in Rivendell—or at least she should have been—then why or how had she gotten to Lorien?
He immediately knelt at the edge of the bed and clasped her hand in his. It was as if he was looking at a dream. So long, it had seemed that he had last seen—last felt her . . . and yet there she was right before his eyes and within is reach.
"How is this possible?" he murmured to the ranger.
Aragorn stood next to the elf, "Elrond sent her here with Glorfindel . . . he sent her here so that she would come with us . . ."
Legolas let the words sink in, "But . . . but why?"
He shook his head, "I asked Glorfindel . . . he said that she was dying—"
"Dying?" The elf turned to face the ranger, alarmed.
"Elrond thought she would regain her health if she was with us," Aragorn continued softly, ". . . . He believed that Kaye has a certain tie with the Ring . . . one that we have yet to unmask."
"With the Ring?" Legolas shook his head, "No, not Kaye . . . she could never have any form of bond with the One!"
The ranger sighed, "Legolas, calm yourself . . . she is here now, for the time being you two can rest peacefully . . ."
The elf shook his head and kissed her hand softly, "This isn't real . . ." he looked at Aragorn, "Do the others know?"
"They will eventually . . . you do want her to come with us, don't you?"
Legolas was silent for a moment as he watched the steady rhythm of her rising chest. She looked so peaceful . . . unlike the last time when she had been weeping and crying out to him.
"I cannot bring myself to break her heart again," came his answer.
--------
The elf couldn't keep his eyes off her . . . she looked so beautiful just lying there, even if she was suffering from her wounds. His eyes darted to the gash on her side that still drenched the bandage.
Legolas could not stop himself as he leaned over and gently fingered the damp wound. His fingers slowly trailed to the bare area of her stomach and caressed her silky smooth skin. His hand shook slightly but he did not pull away.
"Legolas . . ."
He jumped and turned his head. The elf's heart skipped a beat when he saw Kaye's midnight blue orbs watching him kindly. Her hand slowly moved from beneath the sheets and fastened weakly onto the elf's.
"You came . . ." she murmured.
Legolas stood rigid for a moment. Her voice was that of an angel's after not hearing it for so long. But he couldn't be restrained as he reached over and held her tightly in his arms.
"Oh, Kaye . . ."
She weakly wrapped her arms around his back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. Legolas stroked his fingers through her hair and murmured softly into her ear.
"I was so worried about you, Kaye . . ." he whispered, "And when Aragorn said you were dying—!"
"Legolas, I'm fine now . . ." she whispered, ". . . You came that's all that matters . . ."
He shook his head, but said no more. Instead, the elf showered her with kisses until his lips finally met hers. Kaye sighed and carefully ran her fingers through his silky blonde hair. They were locked in that position for some time before they parted. Tears streamed down the half-elf's cheeks as she still clasped onto Legolas's hand gently.
He brought it to his lips and kissed it, then bringing her hand close to his chest.
Kaye smiled weakly, "What of the others?" she inquired softly, "Did they make it to Lorien alright? And the hobbits made it through the mountains?"
Legolas froze suddenly at her question, "The hobbits are fine . . . they're enjoying the Golden Wood as we speak . . ."
She frowned somewhat when he did not continue, "And the rest of the Fellowship?"
The elf swallowed hard. How was he to tell her that . . . that Gandalf had left them for good? She had known the wizard nearly all her life and now he was gone. The mentor that had guided her throughout her troubles was dead . . . and she would be heartbroken when she heard the news.
"Kaye . . ." he started quietly, "Kaye . . . we had to pass through the Dimrill Gate . . . and we were attacked by a Balrog—."
"Oh, gods, no one was hurt were they?" She asked fearfully.
Legolas sighed and wrung her hand softly, "Gandalf . . . Kaye, Gandalf fell into shadow while fending off the Balrog on the Bridge of Khaza-dum . . . we weren't able to reach him in time . . ." he ended in a slight whisper and bowed his head sadly.
By the time he met her gaze once more, he saw that sorrow and pain filled her eyes.
"He's . . . he's gone, then?" she murmured in disbelief, then shook her head sadly as a single tear rolled down her face, "He's gone . . . and it wasn't even as though he died in battle . . . he died fighting an accursed Balrog in the pits of one of the darkest places in Middle Earth!" her sorrow turned to a sudden anger, "He didn't deserve a death like that, Legolas!"
She sniffed sadly and wrapped her fingers tighter around the elf's. Legolas felt her tremble as her pain and anger rose and she struggled to keep her feelings inside.
Then she started to weep once more, but said nothing. Legolas carefully lifted her into his arms and let her lean into his chest. Her delicate fist latched onto his shirt and she curled into his touch as the elf held her tightly.
"Gods Legolas, he's gone . . . he wasn't supposed to die; he was supposed to stay here with us!" she cursed angrily and buried her face into his jerkin.
Legolas stroked her hair and rested his head lightly on hers. He let her weep awhile longer and release her pain. Kaye twirled a strand of her curly brown hair through her fingers restlessly. She shuddered as she took a breath and huddled into the elf's chest for warmth.
By the time she had finally settled down, the two of them had wrapped their arms around one another. Kaye had rested her head gently in the crook of his neck.
"I love you Kaye . . ." Legolas whispered into her hair, ". . . Truly I do . . . always remember that: I love you, and I will never leave you again . . ."
"Please don't leave me . . ." she murmured, "Not again . . . I don't want to watch you walk away from me another time . . ."
The elf kissed her softly on the forehead as she leaned into his arms. She listened to the soft beating of his heart and he to her steady breathing. They sat in silence for the longest time; listening to the evening noises and the elfin melodies drifting through the air. . .
But no matter how she tried, she couldn't find the courage to say 'I love you' in return . . .
---------
A/N: ooo! Little cliffie for ya'll!
Hope you enjoyed! I'll have my next chapter up soon!
Ja'ne!
A/N: hehe, well sorry guys about that little mishap in the last chappie—I could have sworn that wargs were a type of orc . . . hm, anywho, sorry again for that! What I meant by warg was an orc, so . . .
DON'T HATE ME!!
Thank you, Eamane Eluch for pointing that out!
Hey, well I'm back from vacation and I have a couple more chappies to add! And I also have one or two after those before I move on to TTT: The Music of the Night (hehe, and if you haven't guessed by that title, I'm a great fan of the Phantom of the Opera : )
Hope you like this chapter (don't hate me for it!! I was kinda in a hurry!)
:: Hellos and Goodbyes::
The Fellowship was eerily silent all save for the hobbits' sobbing as they let their tears fall to the ground. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir could only stand in silent shock at the empty spaces in front of them.
Gandalf was dead.
It felt as though the news still hadn't sunk in quite yet . . . even if the reality seemed all too real. He was Gandalf . . . he couldn't die, could he?
Aragorn was the first of the Fellowship to recover and sighed heavily, "Boromir! Legolas! Get them up . . ."
Boromir shook his head, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
The ranger gazed at him in a near-cold stare before gesturing towards the hills, "By nightfall this area will be swarming with orcs! Lothlorien is open to us while the sun still signals the day . . ."
Reluctantly, Legolas and Boromir headed towards Merry and Pippin as Aragorn shook Sam gently on the shoulder. Gimli sighed heavily and belted his axe to his belt. The dwarf shook his head sadly and went to go help the others.
-----------
Their travel was made hastily seeing that the light was fading fast. Several streams and rivers flowed along their path as the woods began to grow taller and denser.
Legolas paused and sniffed the air warily. There was the fresh scent of blood several leagues away . . . there was too much of it to be the dead carcass of an animal. A shiver ran down his spine as he wondered what could have possibly been the outcome of whatever massacre there had been.
The elf shook his head and rid him of the thought.
Frodo and the other hobbits remained to themselves—the ring bearer especially. Merry and Pippin continued to weep and their eyes remained puffy and red. Sam tried desperately to recite the ballads and songs of old in hopes that it would lift his spirits, but each attempt failed in a quick sob from the hobbit. Frodo kept his eyes lowered and his thoughts somewhere distant.
Aragorn ran briefly ahead of the group as they come upon a hill.
In the distance, a grove of trees rose into the heavens and towered over the plains. The forest stretched out and disappeared into the distance. The ranger smiled sadly to himself; at last they could rest peacefully.
And so for the last few hours, the Fellowship treaded towards Lorien and the safety of the haven.
At last, the elegant trees rose above them in a protective veil. An odd feeling swept over the company and through the air. The Fellowship glanced around warily at the ominous presence.
"Stay close, young hobbits," Gimli warned, "They say a great sorceress lives in these woods . . . an elf-witch or terrible power!"
No one else was listening, however. Legolas's ears twitched nervously. There was movement beyond the trees . . . and yet hardly a sound could be heard or their swift forms hardly seen . . .
And they were closer now.
"Well here's one dwarf from Moria she won't ensnare so easily—!"
Suddenly, the Fellowship was under arrow-point. A band of elves surrounded the group with their elegant silver bows notched with arrows. On instinct, Legolas and the others started to draw their weapons in defense.
"Put down your weapons!"
The company froze as the stern voice rang through the trees. An elf with blonde—nearly white—hair stepped forward from behind the elves.
Aragorn approached him cautiously, "Haldir du Lorien, halliri du leri . . ."
"Aragorn!" Gimli muttered and watched the elves warily, "These words are useless; we should go back!"
But Haldir eyed the Fellowship one by one slowly until his gaze fell on Frodo, "You bring a great evil to these woods . . ." he murmured as his blue eyes darkened, ". . . We cannot let you pass."
--------
The ranger and Haldir spoke rapidly and angrily with one another in elfish. The rest of the Fellowship sat along the landing high above in the trees. Candles flickered in the trees around them only to give off a faint haze of light.
Legolas sighed and crossed his arms. The hauntingly beautiful music of the Lorien elves drifted through the woods. The elf shivered as a cold evening breeze blew across the flet.
He stopped and smiled sadly, though. There was a song Kaye used to sing like that; eerie but beautiful none-the-less . . . especially when she sung it herself.
Absently, the elf prince started to hum the sad melody as a single tear rolled along his cheek. Gods how he missed her . . .
He paused suddenly and remembered the blood he had smelled earlier. Had the elves of Lorien known? Or had they ignored it and resided into their secrets? The elves always seemed to be hiding something . . . as if the world was one big secret.
Kaye would have liked it here, he though, with all the serenity and peace . . .
Haldir and Aragorn had finally ended their argument and the elf moved towards the center of the flet. The company turned and waited for him to speak.
"You are all to come with me."
The group stood and cautiously made their way down the winding staircase towards the earth. The elf stood for but a moment before crossing the platform.
But Elessar stopped Legolas before the elf could follow after the rest of the Fellowship. The ranger's eyes were filled with a mix of anticipation and despair.
"There is something you must see . . ."
--------
"Oh . . . gods . . ."
Legolas's body went numb and it seemed as though all time had stopped. He trembled violently and could only stare in silent awe.
"Kaye . . ." he whispered.
The half-elf lay still along the silky bedding. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were scratched and bruised. She wore a gauzy white gown, but along her side, a tainted, bloodied bandage covered a fresh wound. But he couldn't believe his eyes . . . Kaye was back in Rivendell—or at least she should have been—then why or how had she gotten to Lorien?
He immediately knelt at the edge of the bed and clasped her hand in his. It was as if he was looking at a dream. So long, it had seemed that he had last seen—last felt her . . . and yet there she was right before his eyes and within is reach.
"How is this possible?" he murmured to the ranger.
Aragorn stood next to the elf, "Elrond sent her here with Glorfindel . . . he sent her here so that she would come with us . . ."
Legolas let the words sink in, "But . . . but why?"
He shook his head, "I asked Glorfindel . . . he said that she was dying—"
"Dying?" The elf turned to face the ranger, alarmed.
"Elrond thought she would regain her health if she was with us," Aragorn continued softly, ". . . . He believed that Kaye has a certain tie with the Ring . . . one that we have yet to unmask."
"With the Ring?" Legolas shook his head, "No, not Kaye . . . she could never have any form of bond with the One!"
The ranger sighed, "Legolas, calm yourself . . . she is here now, for the time being you two can rest peacefully . . ."
The elf shook his head and kissed her hand softly, "This isn't real . . ." he looked at Aragorn, "Do the others know?"
"They will eventually . . . you do want her to come with us, don't you?"
Legolas was silent for a moment as he watched the steady rhythm of her rising chest. She looked so peaceful . . . unlike the last time when she had been weeping and crying out to him.
"I cannot bring myself to break her heart again," came his answer.
--------
The elf couldn't keep his eyes off her . . . she looked so beautiful just lying there, even if she was suffering from her wounds. His eyes darted to the gash on her side that still drenched the bandage.
Legolas could not stop himself as he leaned over and gently fingered the damp wound. His fingers slowly trailed to the bare area of her stomach and caressed her silky smooth skin. His hand shook slightly but he did not pull away.
"Legolas . . ."
He jumped and turned his head. The elf's heart skipped a beat when he saw Kaye's midnight blue orbs watching him kindly. Her hand slowly moved from beneath the sheets and fastened weakly onto the elf's.
"You came . . ." she murmured.
Legolas stood rigid for a moment. Her voice was that of an angel's after not hearing it for so long. But he couldn't be restrained as he reached over and held her tightly in his arms.
"Oh, Kaye . . ."
She weakly wrapped her arms around his back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. Legolas stroked his fingers through her hair and murmured softly into her ear.
"I was so worried about you, Kaye . . ." he whispered, "And when Aragorn said you were dying—!"
"Legolas, I'm fine now . . ." she whispered, ". . . You came that's all that matters . . ."
He shook his head, but said no more. Instead, the elf showered her with kisses until his lips finally met hers. Kaye sighed and carefully ran her fingers through his silky blonde hair. They were locked in that position for some time before they parted. Tears streamed down the half-elf's cheeks as she still clasped onto Legolas's hand gently.
He brought it to his lips and kissed it, then bringing her hand close to his chest.
Kaye smiled weakly, "What of the others?" she inquired softly, "Did they make it to Lorien alright? And the hobbits made it through the mountains?"
Legolas froze suddenly at her question, "The hobbits are fine . . . they're enjoying the Golden Wood as we speak . . ."
She frowned somewhat when he did not continue, "And the rest of the Fellowship?"
The elf swallowed hard. How was he to tell her that . . . that Gandalf had left them for good? She had known the wizard nearly all her life and now he was gone. The mentor that had guided her throughout her troubles was dead . . . and she would be heartbroken when she heard the news.
"Kaye . . ." he started quietly, "Kaye . . . we had to pass through the Dimrill Gate . . . and we were attacked by a Balrog—."
"Oh, gods, no one was hurt were they?" She asked fearfully.
Legolas sighed and wrung her hand softly, "Gandalf . . . Kaye, Gandalf fell into shadow while fending off the Balrog on the Bridge of Khaza-dum . . . we weren't able to reach him in time . . ." he ended in a slight whisper and bowed his head sadly.
By the time he met her gaze once more, he saw that sorrow and pain filled her eyes.
"He's . . . he's gone, then?" she murmured in disbelief, then shook her head sadly as a single tear rolled down her face, "He's gone . . . and it wasn't even as though he died in battle . . . he died fighting an accursed Balrog in the pits of one of the darkest places in Middle Earth!" her sorrow turned to a sudden anger, "He didn't deserve a death like that, Legolas!"
She sniffed sadly and wrapped her fingers tighter around the elf's. Legolas felt her tremble as her pain and anger rose and she struggled to keep her feelings inside.
Then she started to weep once more, but said nothing. Legolas carefully lifted her into his arms and let her lean into his chest. Her delicate fist latched onto his shirt and she curled into his touch as the elf held her tightly.
"Gods Legolas, he's gone . . . he wasn't supposed to die; he was supposed to stay here with us!" she cursed angrily and buried her face into his jerkin.
Legolas stroked her hair and rested his head lightly on hers. He let her weep awhile longer and release her pain. Kaye twirled a strand of her curly brown hair through her fingers restlessly. She shuddered as she took a breath and huddled into the elf's chest for warmth.
By the time she had finally settled down, the two of them had wrapped their arms around one another. Kaye had rested her head gently in the crook of his neck.
"I love you Kaye . . ." Legolas whispered into her hair, ". . . Truly I do . . . always remember that: I love you, and I will never leave you again . . ."
"Please don't leave me . . ." she murmured, "Not again . . . I don't want to watch you walk away from me another time . . ."
The elf kissed her softly on the forehead as she leaned into his arms. She listened to the soft beating of his heart and he to her steady breathing. They sat in silence for the longest time; listening to the evening noises and the elfin melodies drifting through the air. . .
But no matter how she tried, she couldn't find the courage to say 'I love you' in return . . .
---------
A/N: ooo! Little cliffie for ya'll!
Hope you enjoyed! I'll have my next chapter up soon!
Ja'ne!