Cale au Aratar:24
Already the sun had set and still there was no change in Legolas state. He would not give up on him though, he had sworn himself never to give up again after he had learned the hard way what giving up could cause him and others. Had he not given up all those weeks ago Legolas would not be laying on his dying-bed. No, he had learned to never give up on hope no matter how hard it may be to hold on to it. Someone, he did not know who, had lit a few candles and placed them around the room so that the mortals among them could see, yet he wished they hadn't been lit. In the darkness he was able to tell himself that his friends face wasn't as pale as before but in the flickering light of the candles that ghosted over the still form the skin seemed almost translucent.
How he prayed that Legolas would survive, that he would hear his voice once again. For moments he allowed his eyes to leave his friends face and travel over the others in the room that he could see from his position. Both Thranduil and Althilwen looked exhausted but neither of them was sleeping – and how should they be able to when the person that was most important to them in the world lay dying? He couldn't stop the smile that flickered over his face as his eyes moved on to the hobbits. All four of them were curled up around each other seeking comfort in the others arms. They looked so innocent despise all they had been through during the last months. As he looked at them Frodo opened his eyes and returned his look before his startling blue eyes settled on Legolas. Still Aragorn continued to watch the hobbit, marvelling at the strength the small being portrayed.
"He will wake up."
There was no doubt in Frodos voice as he spoke and Aragorn found himself unable not to believe the Ring-bearer.
"How can you be so sure?"
Hesitantly blue eyes settled on his own and the hobbit looked deep in thought before he answered:
"He wants to live. I can feel his ...desire... to return but he was unable to do so.
Something has changed, the barrier that was there before is gone?"
Incredulous Aragorn looked at Frodo till Thranduils voice reminded him that they were not alone:
"One who was once a Ring-Bearer is forever changed, Elessar. There is no going back if you have once accepted one. Some may loose themselves, others will find themselves - but all are changed. You have felt today what power the Rings can execute and it was just a small task, none of the strength of the bearers was used. Did you really expect that our friend would return unchanged?"
Thranduils voice was not unkind, only filled with a deep lingering sadness. He knew that he would not survive his son long, he had already lost too many of his kin. When first his parents and then not even a decade later his wife and daughter had died had he believed himself unable to keep living. Only his beloved son had kept him from following the rest of his family. Many thought him heartless, that all he cared for were his numerous precious jewels and metals, only few knew that he no longer dared to care about anyone else than his son. Already did he feel a pain in his heart, a pain that told him, that he would not survive the death of his son long. A day or two at the most but more likely only moments or hours. He tried not to give up the hope that his son would survive but with every hour that went by without him waking up his desperation grew.
A startled gasp drew everyone's attention to Aragorn. Yet the mortal man did not notice the watchful eyes of the others as he carefully drew his hand over the forehead of his friend. Only moments later a wide smile settled on his face and he looked up to Thranduil:
"He is returning! His skin is growing warmer, he is no longer as cold as he was mere hours ago!"
Immediately Elrond, Luimir and Elladan rushed over to the bed, hoping to confirm Aragorns words. With the experienced hands of healers they gathered Legolas still limp form in Elladans arms as Elrond and Luimir unwrapped the bandage around is body. Smiles settled on their faces as they saw that the blood that still seeped out of the arrow wound was no longer pure silver. With nimble fingers Luimir touched his nephews side and found that the two holes that marred the younger ones front and back were slowly healing. It would still take days, weeks even before they would scab over and eventually scar and years even before the two scars would fade and leave the skin once more unmarred – but that didn't matter. Finally after all those days he knew that his prince would live. With tears running down his cheeks he looked from his nephew up to his brother in law:
„He will soon wake up, in time I believe for the coronation."
A nearly impish smile settled onto Thranduils face at those words, a smile, that while often seen on his sons face, had not be seen on the face of the king since the time first his own father and later his mother, wife and daughter had been taken from him. Those who had only heard tales of the stern king and were to young to remember him before those tragic events – or had in fact not even been born at that time – were staring in wonder at the king of Eryn Lasgalen as he jested in a way they were used to from his son:
"In time for the coronation you say? I hope that he is awake by then – I doubt that either he or the prince would appreciate it if he were to miss the coronation!"
Not for the first time since he had joined the quest did Gimli re-evaluate his opinion on Elves. At first he had grudgingly conceded that maybe Lord Elrond was an exception to the race, that he was the only one who was courteous. Then when they had met the Lord and the Lady of the Golden Wood he had fallen in love with the Lady Galadriel and accepted that her husband was also a nice... person. Some time during their stay in Lothlorien he had come to think of Legolas as a friend, soon his best friend, but had always held firm to his believe that he would never be able to like or even tolerate Legolas father king Thranduil. He had spend hours rationalising that Legolas had to come after his mother and that he had absolutely nothing of his father except his looks. Yet now during this endless days of Legolas illness he had met king Thranduil, for the first time met him and not just an image his own father and his fathers friends had conjured. And much to his charging he had to admit that Legolas had not only inherited his appearance from his father. He had spend many hours with Legolas Elven friends and his cousin and while he had learned that much of Legolas' behaviour was inherited from his mother he could not deny that an equally large amount came from his father. So how could he justify to like the same trait at the son but not at the father?
Night had settled over Middle Earth when Althilwen first saw a small stirring coming from her fiancé. Not daring to look away from his form she reached out with her hand to place it on the arm of her future father in law. Moments later her long fingers squeezed the arm they enclosed almost painfully as she saw a tremble run through her beloved's body. She had not believed that Legolas would die – yet now she could not believe that he would survive, that he would truly return to her. She had fallen in love with a warrior, a prince, an artist, a singer but most of all a extraordinary elf. She had had no idea who or what he was when she had first laid her eyes on him and now he feared tat she had lost this person.
Over the millennia she had seen him change, she had seen as he lost his smile for a while, how he had grown more solemn over the years yet his smile, his laughter had always returned. When he had buried Arathron he had been broken, the edain had been more than a mere friend to him and his death had hit her beloved hard. Yet, after a visit to Imladris a few years later his smile had returned. She had not been with him at that time, it had been hard for her to visit her sisters home after her sister had sailed West and while she still visited the Last Homely House from time to time it was not the same as before. So when Arwen had started to spend most of the year in Lothlorien she had gladly accompanied her sisters only daughter to her home Lothlorien.
It had been years later that she had first seen Aragorn, Arathrons son, the man Legolas had spoken off as if he was his own son. During a quiet moment she had asked him what he felt for the edain and after a slight hesitation Legolas had confessed that he loved his friends child like he would love his own children. Fear had gripped her heart in that moment, the love to a child was equally strong as the love to a spouse and the death could be equally devasting. While her death could only be brought forth through force the death of Aragorn was sure no matter if he was felled in battle or simply lost his life to age: one day he would be death, without a chance to be released from the Halls of Mandos.
The same day she had sought counsel from her mother, begging for a chance to erase that chance or at least the knowledge if Legolas would fall through his love to the edain but her mother had been unable or unwilling to answer her questions. She had often seen Aragorn after that first meeting but never had she tried to talk to him, never had she tried to get to know the man that could be the death of her fiancé ... and herself. Years later Arwen had confessed to her that she had fallen in love with a mortal, the same mortal that held the heart of her beloved prince of Mirkwood. That day she had both cursed and blessed the edain, cursed because he held the heart and the very life of all those she cared about in his hands and blessed because he had to be a worthy soul to inspire such a love. A new tremble fixated her thoughts once again on the form on the bed, Would he be the same as before? Would he still be as light-hearted as before his heart was broken or would he be torn like his father? He would be changed, that much was certain. Changed not only by his broken heart but also by Morgoths tears. Yet how much no-one could imagine. The pain would linger but how much would remain, would it be enough to wipe the smile from his face, the laughter from his eyes?
A low moan interrupted all thoughts and all eyes snapped to Legolas who was once again laying motionless. Not long after this first indication that their prince was finally returning to them Aragorn felt a slight shift in the hand he was holding and before he could alert the others in the room to this new development he felt that the weak fingers were squeezing his hand. Overjoyed Aragorn squeezed the hand softly back and turned to Thranduil, telling him what had transpired. For agonising moments all watched as heavy eyelids fluttered and tried to open – only to give up after trying numerous times. Once again the body of the prince stilled and his mind seemed to recede to the blackness it had dwelled in during the past days.
Hope had snaked itself into the minds of those waiting, growing stronger with every moment their prince had not faded. Not a single of them doubted any longer that their prince would awaken. It was as the first rays of the sun filled the room that Legolas eyes opened for the first time in days. All who were watching him immediately saw how difficult and tiring this simple act was for the prince of Eryn Lasgalen but different from before he did not give up but struggled to open his eyes. Finally tired blue orbs flickered around, searching for one face. For moments they remained locked onto the faces of Althilwen and king Thranduil before finally finding the one face they had been searching for, the face of the one who had brought the life back into them – after nearly having taken it away.
"I will not leave you, not for many years!"
The words that passed the dry and tired lips of the Elven prince were barely louder than a soft murmur of the wind but all assembled heard them and knew that their prince had returned to them. Therefor it was not panic that filled their hearts as his eyes closed moments later but relief. At the questioning glances of the hobbits who knew that elves were normally sleeping with their eyes open Elladan explained:
"He has fallen into a healing-sleep, his body and mind will rest till they are strong enough to wake up, to live. He may sleep for mere hours or days or even weeks but I believe that he will only sleep a day or two. When he wakes up he will still be weak, at least weaker than he normally is, he would still be able to match most in a duel but it will take a few restful days before he will be as fit as he was before he was wounded in body an soul. By the time he wakes he should eat something to strengthen his body after all this days without food but in a week or two he will be fine and up to his respectless...I mean cheerful self."
By the time he finished the oldest son of Elrond of Imladris was grinning cheerfully at the hobbits, knowing quite well, that none – not even king Thranduil – would scold him for his...respectlessness against his future king. All of the assembled Elder, and he speculated even those who had been in the Fellowship, knew that the Elven Prince loved to disregard protocol whenever possible and only followed it when absolutely necessary. He couldn't wait to see how he would act after his coronation, as the High King he had to be at least a little bit respectfuller then before.
Hmm, this story is nearly finished, only one more chapter – or if I do come around to write the alternative ending ( the one in which our lovely prince dies) two more chapter...
I am already planning my next – new – story but I can't decide which of my ideas I should allow to grow into a story so I ask you to decide for me:
A crossover between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings
2. Aragorn tells the Fellowship his favourite childhood story of the son of Sauron and an elf –
only that it is not just a story as he will soon learn
3. Before the Valer Eru created an other group of beings, four winged Creatures, the Angels.
As payment for a granted favour one of them has to walk Arda and live amongst its
Inhabitants. – In short a tenth walker story.
So please tell me in your review which Idea I shall use ( I have the most ideas for number two so that would possible become the longest story of the three but you decide)