"Real smooth Eomer," said Gwain. "Don't look at me like you don't know what
im talking about," he said with a grin.
"Don't imply what you know nothing about Gwain." Said Eomer as he took a sip of his drink. "I just admire her as a fellow warrior, she fights well."
" 'She fights well', that sounds like another way of putting 'I love her'." said Gain with a smile as he nudged Eomer. "You got all dressed up for her and everything, don't try to deny it."
"And what if I do, she cant truly believe anything can come out of her and the elf," he sighed. "What would you do my friend, what should I tell her."
"Don't ask me eomer." Said Gwain as he threw his hands up, "she reminds me of my sister, I wouldn't know what to say to her." he said,
"Look here she comes, man, she looks so good." Said Eomer. As he watched Caitlin come into the room.
"Yeah, and she's with Legolas." Said Gwain.
"Hold this." Said Eomer as he handed gwain his drink.
"Go on don Juan." Said Gwain. As eomer headed over to Caitlin.
But before he got there Aragorn took her arm, leading her into the midst of the party, "Caitlin it is so good to see you are feeling better." He said as he led her over to the table.
"A round o drinks over here," he said.
The table cheered as the drinks came around. "Oh, thank you Aragorn, but no, I really am not much of a drinker...."
"Nonsense, you're here to celebrate. You wouldn't want to dishonor the fallen by not celebrating properly." Said the man across the table.
"Well. No I guess not she said as she took the mug in her hand. She and the table made a toast, to their success and she sipped the mug.
"No way, don't stop their, drink the whole thing lass." Said Gimli who came over to her. And tilted the glass up to her lips. She swallowed gluggs of the dark liquid, polishing the glass. Then setting the mug down on the table with a thud.
The table roared in approval.
"Another round!!" yelled someone.
"Oh, oh no, I cant really, I have to speak with someone." She said looking for Legolas. She had been so disappointed that they were cut short by the orb, she was also very tired already, she just wanted to be with him.
But the drink arrived just as she was about to leave and they were so insistent, that she gave in.
"So how's the plan of telling her you love her and sweeping her off her feet so you two can kill souron and have lots of babies going?" Said Gwain with a laugh as Eomer arrived back by the corner they were occupying.
"Just peachy," he said with a scowl at his friend's dismissal. "Here, give me that drink, I think I need to loosen up a bit before I go back in their." he said. Gwain handed him the drink and Eomer finished the whole glass.
"So did that work?" said Gwain knowing it didn't.
"No," he said as he looked into his empty glass. "I need another." Said eomer,
Gwain was so entertained by his friend's nervous composure. Eomer was usually a man of strength, a war like man who never fiddled with the affairs of love; so to see him like this was so unusual and hilarious.
"You had better watch it, you have had three already." He said. As he handed Eomer another mug full.
"Ill be fine, I just need to loosen up, get in the game of things." He said.
The party continued through the night, passing 1 am.
"Have you seen Legolas, I haven't seen him all night." Asked Gandalf to Aragorn.
"I saw him earlier on the balcony, these kinds of things are not typically his scene," said Aragorn. "Any news of Frodo," asked Aragron with hope.
"None, and I fear there will be none," said Gandalf.
"Do you believe he has fallen." Said Aragorn.
"If souron had the ring we would know it, he would take corporeal form and his armies would be marching on out gates even now."
"There is one way we might find out..." said Aragorn, peering at Caitlin.
"Should we risk asking her to tell us? It could change the course of history," said Gandalf,
"We don't know if history should or should not be changed, for all we know the future she knows dooms middle earth to death, the future could be defeat."
"Would she fight so fiercely if she felt we would be doomed?" asked Gandalf.
"Perhaps she fights so hard because she knows we are doomed if she does not."
"She would tell us if we asked." Said Aragorn.
"Nothing is certain now, tomorrow I ride to Gondor. So I will leave this decision up to you, think on it carefully and send word to me when you can, but Aragorn, I ask you, not to question her for another two days should you choose to, she will have much to deal with between now and then and does not need another decision weighing heavy on her heart." Said Gandalf. "Now I take my leave, and go to bed, I have a long journey ahead of me."
Eomer stood before Caitlin, "did you need something Lord Eomer?" asked Caitlin from her seat, she was seeing double but managed to pretend she wasn't.
Eomer took a seat next to her. His vision not so good either. "Um, please just call me Eomer." He said as he took another sip of his 7th glass of ale. "Um...i.....ill be right back wizard." He said as he stood again and went swiftly over to the bar.
"Can I get another." He asked.
"But you've got one already sir." Said the barkeep. Pointing to the half full glass in his hand.
"Uh, this one is stale can I have another," he said and he took another glass. He was so drunk.
Over by the table Gimli could feel that he was getting a wee bit tipsy, he looked over at Caitlin who was staring out into space as the guy next to her was giving her a step-by-step description of how to gut an orc just as you would a pig.
"Gimli" Caitlin whispered over to him.
Gimli came over to her, and she leaned over to whisper in his ear. "G- gimli....hiccup....i thin....i mit be...just aliddle drunk." She said. She was leaning so far over in her chair that she fell over.
"Yeah, lass I think ya just might be..." he said as he helped her up. "How many did ya have girl." He said as he steadied her.
"ooooooohh, not so many.....jusss, 3, an then plus 4, so...oh...and...then the other2 or something...." she put up her fingers trying to figure out how many she had. "....so, tha....makes...11,..." she said with a smile that she had figured it out. "Hey, I don't have 11 fingers?" she said scratching her head.
"Really lass, well that is quite enough I think." No wonder she was drunk, Gimli had only had 6 and he was starting to feel the buzz.
"Here, come with me," he said as he led her across the room. Through the crowded people. "Here lass, take a seat here then, im gonna go look for Legolas," he said as he sat her down, in a chair.
"Oh, yeah, legolaaaas....hes cuddly...." She said with a smile and hugged herself. As Gimli walked off to find him.
Caitlin was horribly drunk, completely wasted. The only coherent thought in her mind was of Legolas, that she really needed to find him.
Caitlin knew he wasn't much for parties so he must have been close by. Caitlin got up from the chair and wabbled about looking for him.
She headed through a doorway, that she thought might lead her to the balcony.
"Wizard." A voice sounded in the dark room. "Wizard, I have been looking for you." Said Eomer.
"Legolas." She whispered, "I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERY WHERE." She said loudly.
"shshs, you don't have to yell," he said. His ears were ringing as his drunkenness took its toll.
"So you understand how I feel?" he asked as he came close to her.
"Of course I do, I feel the same way my love." She said. They were both so drunk and the room was so dark that all they saw was what they wanted to see. To Caitlin all she saw was Legolas, and in Eomers eyes Caitlin was in love with him.
Eomer came close to her, kissing her on the mouth, deeply, passionately. Wrapping himself around her.
But the kiss was different to her, she knew this was not him, not Legolas.
"W-wait, who...." She started but her head was so woosy, the words wouldn't come out.
"Wait, how could we wait....we have been waiting for so long." He said as he kissed her down her neck. She tilted her head back and pushed slightly on his chest, maybe he would just go away. "We can't wait any longer..." he said as he took the strap of her dress and slid it down off her shoulder, kissing her further. "I love you." He professed as he kissed her shoulder. He held her for a moment, trying to wait for her answer. "Wizard?" but she did not respond. "Caitlin?" but she still did not respond.
She had fallen asleep.
Eomer lifted her head a bit from its tilted position. "Caitl-" he was cut short by a fist slamming into his jaw. Eomer flew to the floor. Caitlin slipped out of his grasp into Legola's awaiting arms.
"What the hell do you think you are doin?!!!" yelled Gimli to Eomer. But he did not move from the floor.
Gimli leaned over to examine him, "he's asleep lad." He said to Legolas who held Caitlin as she rested on his chest.
"You hit him so hard he fell asleep." Said Legoals. To Gimli.
"Well, he was being inappropriate with my girl here, the poor lass, she's so drunk, and this bastard tries to take advantage of er."
"I think he was drunk as well Gimli." Said Legolas. "Eomer is an honorable man and I doubt he would do anything to hurt Caitlin."
"Aren't you mad about this." Asked Gimli who was quite worked up.
"Gimli, the man was drunk, he didn't know what he was doing."
"Well it sure is a good thing we got here when we did." yelled Gimli.
Gimli looked at Legolas as he held the sleeping Caitlin, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck as though she were dancing with him.
"I don't believe you lad." Said Gimli, "you love her more than anything, and I can't believe you would react to this so calmly." He shifted his feet. "What the hell is going on with ya!!"
"Nothing Gimli, I, really am fine."
"Stop it ya stubborn elf, I spoke with Caitlin, I saw how upset she was today, how she cried in pain over ya." Gimli stepped closer to Legolas, his words becoming more and more heated with anger and frustration.
"she cried?" asked Legolas, peering down at her once more.
"maybe not on the outside elf, but I know a broken heart when I see one. Don't you dare do that to her again." He said pointing at Caitlin who lay silently in his grasp.
"things are more complicated now...there are truths we have to face." He said. "As Arigorn said: love is strong.....but not strong enough to bridge the gap between mortal and immortal." He said. As he cast his head down, Legolas could feel the horrible truth echoing through his heart, breaking its hope that their love would survive.
Gimli was enraged at his words. Legolas had promised him, sworn to him that he would never hurt her, never cause her pain. "YOU COWARD!!!" he sneered at Legolas, "how could you give up so easily, over this, over some....drunken mistake....she is worth more than that!!!"
"shsshs, you will wake her." said Legolas. As he leaned her softly against the wall allowing her to lie down.
"then let her wake!! Let her hear from your own lips that you are giving up." Continued Gimli, getting even closer to him now that Caitlin was out of the way. "'love cannot bridge the gap between mortal and immortal' what crap." He continued. "then am I to understand that our friendship is also under the same guidelines!! How foolish can you be if you truly believe that the love you share with Caitlin is confined to the youth she has now or that a little thing like death could part her from you." He yelled with fury. "I thought you saw that she has strength enough in her to find her way back to you. I thought you had proved me wrong Legolas, I thought you had show me that elflings were more than just a race of pretty faces with a superiority concept. I can see now that I was horribly wrong. You will never understand true love." He yelled. "You do not love her at all!!"
Legolas had heard enough, felt enough pain from those he loved, first this undeniable fact of love, and now Gimli, his heart could take no more. Gimli had swung the final blow when he had said Legolas did not love Caitlin, nothing could be further from the truth. He loved her so much that he was willing to walk away from her, let her find love elsewhere. How could he say that. it hurt even more coming from Gimli, from the truest friend he had ever known. And in his words Legolas had found his breaking point, his heart had bled enough and would hear no more....
He swung with his fist, punching Gimli across the face. In an act of anger, in a loss of control. The peace his elvish kind had instilled for thousands of years seemed nonexistent in that moment. The grace his people knew was lost as his hand struck his friend.
Gimli and Legolas looked at eachother in shock, both as stunned as the other.
"G-gimli...I..."
but Gimli put up his hand, stopping his words.
"Im going to bed, I cant take this anymore,worrien all the damn time about the girl, she's in battles with ....well orcs and now this, ,,,,its just to much for a dwarve ya know... this is just....its just not right ...." He said solemnly, "you know I love her, I don't want to see her unhappy, but lad I love you to ya know, and...I hope one day you recognize that I don't mean to hurt you by telling you the truth. What I mean to do is be a good friend." and without another word he left the room. Leaving Legolas to his own shame.
He felt he was no longer worthy of the title elf, as he looked as his hand. How could he be so untamed. It was a thing Legolas had never experience before, the loss of himself.
WOW!! I debated for so long weather I should put this final scene in. it has always been a pet peeve of mine when I read fics that portray Legolas as being this jealousy emotional creature who is more insecure about the relationship than the ninny girl he is with. So I tread lightly when I approach the subject of anger with his character. I try to consider the fact that he is an elf, a race that have an easy time expressing love and joy but have lived so long that they have grown wiser than to turn to jealousy, violence, anger or any of the such when responding to life.
But with this scene I bent my own rules a bit when writing it, trying to consider all that Legolas was being put through and also wanting a true turning point in how things are progressing. Remember the final battle is just around the corner, and everyone senses that the end of the war...(whatever the outcome)... is near.
For legolas the end of the war means 2 possible things. 1 that the world could survive and his relationship not. 2 the world end, along with the relationship.
"Don't imply what you know nothing about Gwain." Said Eomer as he took a sip of his drink. "I just admire her as a fellow warrior, she fights well."
" 'She fights well', that sounds like another way of putting 'I love her'." said Gain with a smile as he nudged Eomer. "You got all dressed up for her and everything, don't try to deny it."
"And what if I do, she cant truly believe anything can come out of her and the elf," he sighed. "What would you do my friend, what should I tell her."
"Don't ask me eomer." Said Gwain as he threw his hands up, "she reminds me of my sister, I wouldn't know what to say to her." he said,
"Look here she comes, man, she looks so good." Said Eomer. As he watched Caitlin come into the room.
"Yeah, and she's with Legolas." Said Gwain.
"Hold this." Said Eomer as he handed gwain his drink.
"Go on don Juan." Said Gwain. As eomer headed over to Caitlin.
But before he got there Aragorn took her arm, leading her into the midst of the party, "Caitlin it is so good to see you are feeling better." He said as he led her over to the table.
"A round o drinks over here," he said.
The table cheered as the drinks came around. "Oh, thank you Aragorn, but no, I really am not much of a drinker...."
"Nonsense, you're here to celebrate. You wouldn't want to dishonor the fallen by not celebrating properly." Said the man across the table.
"Well. No I guess not she said as she took the mug in her hand. She and the table made a toast, to their success and she sipped the mug.
"No way, don't stop their, drink the whole thing lass." Said Gimli who came over to her. And tilted the glass up to her lips. She swallowed gluggs of the dark liquid, polishing the glass. Then setting the mug down on the table with a thud.
The table roared in approval.
"Another round!!" yelled someone.
"Oh, oh no, I cant really, I have to speak with someone." She said looking for Legolas. She had been so disappointed that they were cut short by the orb, she was also very tired already, she just wanted to be with him.
But the drink arrived just as she was about to leave and they were so insistent, that she gave in.
"So how's the plan of telling her you love her and sweeping her off her feet so you two can kill souron and have lots of babies going?" Said Gwain with a laugh as Eomer arrived back by the corner they were occupying.
"Just peachy," he said with a scowl at his friend's dismissal. "Here, give me that drink, I think I need to loosen up a bit before I go back in their." he said. Gwain handed him the drink and Eomer finished the whole glass.
"So did that work?" said Gwain knowing it didn't.
"No," he said as he looked into his empty glass. "I need another." Said eomer,
Gwain was so entertained by his friend's nervous composure. Eomer was usually a man of strength, a war like man who never fiddled with the affairs of love; so to see him like this was so unusual and hilarious.
"You had better watch it, you have had three already." He said. As he handed Eomer another mug full.
"Ill be fine, I just need to loosen up, get in the game of things." He said.
The party continued through the night, passing 1 am.
"Have you seen Legolas, I haven't seen him all night." Asked Gandalf to Aragorn.
"I saw him earlier on the balcony, these kinds of things are not typically his scene," said Aragorn. "Any news of Frodo," asked Aragron with hope.
"None, and I fear there will be none," said Gandalf.
"Do you believe he has fallen." Said Aragorn.
"If souron had the ring we would know it, he would take corporeal form and his armies would be marching on out gates even now."
"There is one way we might find out..." said Aragorn, peering at Caitlin.
"Should we risk asking her to tell us? It could change the course of history," said Gandalf,
"We don't know if history should or should not be changed, for all we know the future she knows dooms middle earth to death, the future could be defeat."
"Would she fight so fiercely if she felt we would be doomed?" asked Gandalf.
"Perhaps she fights so hard because she knows we are doomed if she does not."
"She would tell us if we asked." Said Aragorn.
"Nothing is certain now, tomorrow I ride to Gondor. So I will leave this decision up to you, think on it carefully and send word to me when you can, but Aragorn, I ask you, not to question her for another two days should you choose to, she will have much to deal with between now and then and does not need another decision weighing heavy on her heart." Said Gandalf. "Now I take my leave, and go to bed, I have a long journey ahead of me."
Eomer stood before Caitlin, "did you need something Lord Eomer?" asked Caitlin from her seat, she was seeing double but managed to pretend she wasn't.
Eomer took a seat next to her. His vision not so good either. "Um, please just call me Eomer." He said as he took another sip of his 7th glass of ale. "Um...i.....ill be right back wizard." He said as he stood again and went swiftly over to the bar.
"Can I get another." He asked.
"But you've got one already sir." Said the barkeep. Pointing to the half full glass in his hand.
"Uh, this one is stale can I have another," he said and he took another glass. He was so drunk.
Over by the table Gimli could feel that he was getting a wee bit tipsy, he looked over at Caitlin who was staring out into space as the guy next to her was giving her a step-by-step description of how to gut an orc just as you would a pig.
"Gimli" Caitlin whispered over to him.
Gimli came over to her, and she leaned over to whisper in his ear. "G- gimli....hiccup....i thin....i mit be...just aliddle drunk." She said. She was leaning so far over in her chair that she fell over.
"Yeah, lass I think ya just might be..." he said as he helped her up. "How many did ya have girl." He said as he steadied her.
"ooooooohh, not so many.....jusss, 3, an then plus 4, so...oh...and...then the other2 or something...." she put up her fingers trying to figure out how many she had. "....so, tha....makes...11,..." she said with a smile that she had figured it out. "Hey, I don't have 11 fingers?" she said scratching her head.
"Really lass, well that is quite enough I think." No wonder she was drunk, Gimli had only had 6 and he was starting to feel the buzz.
"Here, come with me," he said as he led her across the room. Through the crowded people. "Here lass, take a seat here then, im gonna go look for Legolas," he said as he sat her down, in a chair.
"Oh, yeah, legolaaaas....hes cuddly...." She said with a smile and hugged herself. As Gimli walked off to find him.
Caitlin was horribly drunk, completely wasted. The only coherent thought in her mind was of Legolas, that she really needed to find him.
Caitlin knew he wasn't much for parties so he must have been close by. Caitlin got up from the chair and wabbled about looking for him.
She headed through a doorway, that she thought might lead her to the balcony.
"Wizard." A voice sounded in the dark room. "Wizard, I have been looking for you." Said Eomer.
"Legolas." She whispered, "I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERY WHERE." She said loudly.
"shshs, you don't have to yell," he said. His ears were ringing as his drunkenness took its toll.
"So you understand how I feel?" he asked as he came close to her.
"Of course I do, I feel the same way my love." She said. They were both so drunk and the room was so dark that all they saw was what they wanted to see. To Caitlin all she saw was Legolas, and in Eomers eyes Caitlin was in love with him.
Eomer came close to her, kissing her on the mouth, deeply, passionately. Wrapping himself around her.
But the kiss was different to her, she knew this was not him, not Legolas.
"W-wait, who...." She started but her head was so woosy, the words wouldn't come out.
"Wait, how could we wait....we have been waiting for so long." He said as he kissed her down her neck. She tilted her head back and pushed slightly on his chest, maybe he would just go away. "We can't wait any longer..." he said as he took the strap of her dress and slid it down off her shoulder, kissing her further. "I love you." He professed as he kissed her shoulder. He held her for a moment, trying to wait for her answer. "Wizard?" but she did not respond. "Caitlin?" but she still did not respond.
She had fallen asleep.
Eomer lifted her head a bit from its tilted position. "Caitl-" he was cut short by a fist slamming into his jaw. Eomer flew to the floor. Caitlin slipped out of his grasp into Legola's awaiting arms.
"What the hell do you think you are doin?!!!" yelled Gimli to Eomer. But he did not move from the floor.
Gimli leaned over to examine him, "he's asleep lad." He said to Legolas who held Caitlin as she rested on his chest.
"You hit him so hard he fell asleep." Said Legoals. To Gimli.
"Well, he was being inappropriate with my girl here, the poor lass, she's so drunk, and this bastard tries to take advantage of er."
"I think he was drunk as well Gimli." Said Legolas. "Eomer is an honorable man and I doubt he would do anything to hurt Caitlin."
"Aren't you mad about this." Asked Gimli who was quite worked up.
"Gimli, the man was drunk, he didn't know what he was doing."
"Well it sure is a good thing we got here when we did." yelled Gimli.
Gimli looked at Legolas as he held the sleeping Caitlin, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck as though she were dancing with him.
"I don't believe you lad." Said Gimli, "you love her more than anything, and I can't believe you would react to this so calmly." He shifted his feet. "What the hell is going on with ya!!"
"Nothing Gimli, I, really am fine."
"Stop it ya stubborn elf, I spoke with Caitlin, I saw how upset she was today, how she cried in pain over ya." Gimli stepped closer to Legolas, his words becoming more and more heated with anger and frustration.
"she cried?" asked Legolas, peering down at her once more.
"maybe not on the outside elf, but I know a broken heart when I see one. Don't you dare do that to her again." He said pointing at Caitlin who lay silently in his grasp.
"things are more complicated now...there are truths we have to face." He said. "As Arigorn said: love is strong.....but not strong enough to bridge the gap between mortal and immortal." He said. As he cast his head down, Legolas could feel the horrible truth echoing through his heart, breaking its hope that their love would survive.
Gimli was enraged at his words. Legolas had promised him, sworn to him that he would never hurt her, never cause her pain. "YOU COWARD!!!" he sneered at Legolas, "how could you give up so easily, over this, over some....drunken mistake....she is worth more than that!!!"
"shsshs, you will wake her." said Legolas. As he leaned her softly against the wall allowing her to lie down.
"then let her wake!! Let her hear from your own lips that you are giving up." Continued Gimli, getting even closer to him now that Caitlin was out of the way. "'love cannot bridge the gap between mortal and immortal' what crap." He continued. "then am I to understand that our friendship is also under the same guidelines!! How foolish can you be if you truly believe that the love you share with Caitlin is confined to the youth she has now or that a little thing like death could part her from you." He yelled with fury. "I thought you saw that she has strength enough in her to find her way back to you. I thought you had proved me wrong Legolas, I thought you had show me that elflings were more than just a race of pretty faces with a superiority concept. I can see now that I was horribly wrong. You will never understand true love." He yelled. "You do not love her at all!!"
Legolas had heard enough, felt enough pain from those he loved, first this undeniable fact of love, and now Gimli, his heart could take no more. Gimli had swung the final blow when he had said Legolas did not love Caitlin, nothing could be further from the truth. He loved her so much that he was willing to walk away from her, let her find love elsewhere. How could he say that. it hurt even more coming from Gimli, from the truest friend he had ever known. And in his words Legolas had found his breaking point, his heart had bled enough and would hear no more....
He swung with his fist, punching Gimli across the face. In an act of anger, in a loss of control. The peace his elvish kind had instilled for thousands of years seemed nonexistent in that moment. The grace his people knew was lost as his hand struck his friend.
Gimli and Legolas looked at eachother in shock, both as stunned as the other.
"G-gimli...I..."
but Gimli put up his hand, stopping his words.
"Im going to bed, I cant take this anymore,worrien all the damn time about the girl, she's in battles with ....well orcs and now this, ,,,,its just to much for a dwarve ya know... this is just....its just not right ...." He said solemnly, "you know I love her, I don't want to see her unhappy, but lad I love you to ya know, and...I hope one day you recognize that I don't mean to hurt you by telling you the truth. What I mean to do is be a good friend." and without another word he left the room. Leaving Legolas to his own shame.
He felt he was no longer worthy of the title elf, as he looked as his hand. How could he be so untamed. It was a thing Legolas had never experience before, the loss of himself.
WOW!! I debated for so long weather I should put this final scene in. it has always been a pet peeve of mine when I read fics that portray Legolas as being this jealousy emotional creature who is more insecure about the relationship than the ninny girl he is with. So I tread lightly when I approach the subject of anger with his character. I try to consider the fact that he is an elf, a race that have an easy time expressing love and joy but have lived so long that they have grown wiser than to turn to jealousy, violence, anger or any of the such when responding to life.
But with this scene I bent my own rules a bit when writing it, trying to consider all that Legolas was being put through and also wanting a true turning point in how things are progressing. Remember the final battle is just around the corner, and everyone senses that the end of the war...(whatever the outcome)... is near.
For legolas the end of the war means 2 possible things. 1 that the world could survive and his relationship not. 2 the world end, along with the relationship.