AN: So sorry about not updating this one for so long. I have reworked it for what little I remember of my lost notes so hopefully it will work out. Thanx to everyone who has kept harassing me about it *cough* Manders *cough*. I did not forget and with a little luck and some free time from work, which I keep getting promised, I will finish it. I kid you not if you hear of a girl going berserk in Pa and killing all her coworkers it would be me. I am suppose to be getting time off sometime after the next two weeks, lets just say I better get it. Enough ranting and enjoy. Luv you all!
James
Chapter 9
Expectations
It was mid morning as the Fellowship lay sprawled under the shade of the large oak watching the truant children work in the garden. It had been decided that as a punishment the children would work in the gardens and care for the horses until the Fellowship finally departed company. Gandalf and Gimli were sitting against the large tree trunk puffing quietly on their pipes. Aragorn was stretched out on the grass with Frodo using his stomach for a pillow. Merry was sitting contentedly in the grass with Pippin curled up close his head resting in his cousin's lap. Legolas was sprawled in a branch above their heads and Sam was keeping an eye on the gardens. All in all there was a companionable silence between them.
Legolas broke the quiet gesturing to where the womenfolk were gathered. "The most beautiful women to ever grace Ardar are below us."
The men all smiled as their eyes turned to linger on the women who were busy setting up a large lunch. Aragorn chuckled. "I do believe you are right nin mellon."
"When have you ever known elves to be wrong?" Legolas quipped.
"In your humility," growled Gimli.
"And your habit of getting up at the crack of dawn to disturb other's sleep." Merry added.
"There's also the discussion on woman's work were you took insult and ruined one of my shirts." Aragorn chuckled.
"What about-" Gimli started
"-Enough!" Legolas interrupted twisting on the branch to glare at his friends. "Let me remind you all that I get to live forever. Live Forever. Any wrongdoing that I supposedly do I blame on you mortals. I have spent too much time in your company. You are all bad influences."
Gandalf used his staff to tap the elf prince on the head soundly. "Who is a bad influence on whom elf? Need I remind you of all the times you have gotten into trouble as an elfling? I'm sure your father would have something to say about all of this."
There were general snickers all around as Legolas stuck his tongue out at the wizard before dropping onto the ground to avoid another blow. He sat beside Sam handing him a seedpod he had gathered from the large tree. Legolas let his gaze linger over the Shire. "You have done so much work here."
Merry grimaced. "Things were a right mess when we came home."
"That reminds me," Frodo started twisting his head to glare at the wizard. "Thank you so much for warning us."
Gandalf didn't look perturbed in the least. "It wasn't anymore than you hobbits could handle. What Saurman tried to ruin, you yielded back tenfold."
"Most of the thanks belongs to Lady Galadrial. That little box of dirt she gave me helped a lot." Sam replied.
"And to you Sam." Frodo smiled. "You did all of the hard work."
Sam looked away blushing at Frodo's praise. Gandalf tapped his pipe thoughtfully. "That is another matter my dear friends."
Pippin raised his eyebrows. "Speak plain if you will this time Gandalf. It is a nice summer day and I can smell the food below us. I don't want to be trying to solve your riddles."
Gandalf laughed. "Impertinent Took! You are taking after the Thain very well."
Merry snorted. "I don't know about that."
"The Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond are to be leaving these shores shortly." Gandalf stated. "I will be traveling with them."
There were shocked exclamations all around except for Aragorn who only nodded. "Arwen and I already know. It was discussed the last time Lord Elrond visited."
"But Gandalf why are you leaving?" Pippin asked scrambling to sit up.
"My task has been completed here and it's time I return home. Now come, come, why all the long faces? This isn't goodbye, not really." Gandalf clucked.
"It's permanent enough." Merry groused.
"Meriadoc I would have believed that you would have learned nothing is forever and true love and friendship can never be separated." Gandalf chastised.
Aragorn grinned. "Your speaking in riddles again old friend."
Legolas sighed. "Where they go many of my people will follow."
"Why?" Pippin protested. "Sauron's gone. Why should the elves leave? Why should Gandalf leave?"
"The age of elves and magic is over." Gandalf replied softly.
"My people are leaving these shores. We have been called home by the Valar." Legolas continued quietly. "This is the time for mortals to stand strong."
"Are you leaving Legolas?" Frodo asked.
Legolas shook his head smiling at all the expectant faces. "No. I plan on staying for a while longer. I have a promise to keep to Gimli for we have not finished exploring all of Ardar yet. The shores of Aman would be very dull without you my friends."
Gimli grunted pointing a finger at the elf. "Remember you pointy eared bird if you even think of leaving before visiting the Glittering caves I will reacquaint you with the dull end of my axe."
"Reacquaint?" Aragorn turned his head.
Legolas' cheeks flushed.
"Gimli I want to hear this." Aragorn prodded.
"It is between me and the elf." Gimli said ending their curiosity. The others did not push seeing the mutual look between the two friends.
"M- Legolas," Sam began hesitantly. "Can...I mean will you?"
"Will I what Sam?"
"Well its just that - we saw so much of the elves both at Rivendell and Loth Lorien - and well with all the elves leaving - I'm afraid my children won't know or remember anything about them - could you do something - elven I mean?"
The other hobbits perked up excitedly.
"Like something Bilbo would tell us about." Merry exclaimed.
"Wood elf magic." Frodo nodded.
Legolas' brows shot up in shock at the insistence. "Very well," he said slowly. "Let me think of what I can do."
A soft call interrupted the discussion as the women called them down to the prepared meal. Everyone headed down the hill except for Legolas who sat thoughtfully in the grass.
"Are you coming Legolas?" Aragorn asked his friend.
"No. I need to think a bit about this." Legolas grinned. "And contrary to what those lovely hobbit women believe I do not need 'fattening' up."
Aragorn chuckled. "Well don't be surprised if they come up after you."
Legolas waved him away. "Go Aragorn."
Aragorn started down and stopped turning back to the elf. "About Gimli's axe?"
A clod of dirt shattered against his forehead.
James
Chapter 9
Expectations
It was mid morning as the Fellowship lay sprawled under the shade of the large oak watching the truant children work in the garden. It had been decided that as a punishment the children would work in the gardens and care for the horses until the Fellowship finally departed company. Gandalf and Gimli were sitting against the large tree trunk puffing quietly on their pipes. Aragorn was stretched out on the grass with Frodo using his stomach for a pillow. Merry was sitting contentedly in the grass with Pippin curled up close his head resting in his cousin's lap. Legolas was sprawled in a branch above their heads and Sam was keeping an eye on the gardens. All in all there was a companionable silence between them.
Legolas broke the quiet gesturing to where the womenfolk were gathered. "The most beautiful women to ever grace Ardar are below us."
The men all smiled as their eyes turned to linger on the women who were busy setting up a large lunch. Aragorn chuckled. "I do believe you are right nin mellon."
"When have you ever known elves to be wrong?" Legolas quipped.
"In your humility," growled Gimli.
"And your habit of getting up at the crack of dawn to disturb other's sleep." Merry added.
"There's also the discussion on woman's work were you took insult and ruined one of my shirts." Aragorn chuckled.
"What about-" Gimli started
"-Enough!" Legolas interrupted twisting on the branch to glare at his friends. "Let me remind you all that I get to live forever. Live Forever. Any wrongdoing that I supposedly do I blame on you mortals. I have spent too much time in your company. You are all bad influences."
Gandalf used his staff to tap the elf prince on the head soundly. "Who is a bad influence on whom elf? Need I remind you of all the times you have gotten into trouble as an elfling? I'm sure your father would have something to say about all of this."
There were general snickers all around as Legolas stuck his tongue out at the wizard before dropping onto the ground to avoid another blow. He sat beside Sam handing him a seedpod he had gathered from the large tree. Legolas let his gaze linger over the Shire. "You have done so much work here."
Merry grimaced. "Things were a right mess when we came home."
"That reminds me," Frodo started twisting his head to glare at the wizard. "Thank you so much for warning us."
Gandalf didn't look perturbed in the least. "It wasn't anymore than you hobbits could handle. What Saurman tried to ruin, you yielded back tenfold."
"Most of the thanks belongs to Lady Galadrial. That little box of dirt she gave me helped a lot." Sam replied.
"And to you Sam." Frodo smiled. "You did all of the hard work."
Sam looked away blushing at Frodo's praise. Gandalf tapped his pipe thoughtfully. "That is another matter my dear friends."
Pippin raised his eyebrows. "Speak plain if you will this time Gandalf. It is a nice summer day and I can smell the food below us. I don't want to be trying to solve your riddles."
Gandalf laughed. "Impertinent Took! You are taking after the Thain very well."
Merry snorted. "I don't know about that."
"The Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond are to be leaving these shores shortly." Gandalf stated. "I will be traveling with them."
There were shocked exclamations all around except for Aragorn who only nodded. "Arwen and I already know. It was discussed the last time Lord Elrond visited."
"But Gandalf why are you leaving?" Pippin asked scrambling to sit up.
"My task has been completed here and it's time I return home. Now come, come, why all the long faces? This isn't goodbye, not really." Gandalf clucked.
"It's permanent enough." Merry groused.
"Meriadoc I would have believed that you would have learned nothing is forever and true love and friendship can never be separated." Gandalf chastised.
Aragorn grinned. "Your speaking in riddles again old friend."
Legolas sighed. "Where they go many of my people will follow."
"Why?" Pippin protested. "Sauron's gone. Why should the elves leave? Why should Gandalf leave?"
"The age of elves and magic is over." Gandalf replied softly.
"My people are leaving these shores. We have been called home by the Valar." Legolas continued quietly. "This is the time for mortals to stand strong."
"Are you leaving Legolas?" Frodo asked.
Legolas shook his head smiling at all the expectant faces. "No. I plan on staying for a while longer. I have a promise to keep to Gimli for we have not finished exploring all of Ardar yet. The shores of Aman would be very dull without you my friends."
Gimli grunted pointing a finger at the elf. "Remember you pointy eared bird if you even think of leaving before visiting the Glittering caves I will reacquaint you with the dull end of my axe."
"Reacquaint?" Aragorn turned his head.
Legolas' cheeks flushed.
"Gimli I want to hear this." Aragorn prodded.
"It is between me and the elf." Gimli said ending their curiosity. The others did not push seeing the mutual look between the two friends.
"M- Legolas," Sam began hesitantly. "Can...I mean will you?"
"Will I what Sam?"
"Well its just that - we saw so much of the elves both at Rivendell and Loth Lorien - and well with all the elves leaving - I'm afraid my children won't know or remember anything about them - could you do something - elven I mean?"
The other hobbits perked up excitedly.
"Like something Bilbo would tell us about." Merry exclaimed.
"Wood elf magic." Frodo nodded.
Legolas' brows shot up in shock at the insistence. "Very well," he said slowly. "Let me think of what I can do."
A soft call interrupted the discussion as the women called them down to the prepared meal. Everyone headed down the hill except for Legolas who sat thoughtfully in the grass.
"Are you coming Legolas?" Aragorn asked his friend.
"No. I need to think a bit about this." Legolas grinned. "And contrary to what those lovely hobbit women believe I do not need 'fattening' up."
Aragorn chuckled. "Well don't be surprised if they come up after you."
Legolas waved him away. "Go Aragorn."
Aragorn started down and stopped turning back to the elf. "About Gimli's axe?"
A clod of dirt shattered against his forehead.