A/N: We thought we should mention here, that since this chapter is during the two months before they leave for Mount Doom, we're following the timeline given at the end of ROTK, since the movie doesn't give a clear time period between each of the events. We will be taking from the books and movies as we feel suits this story.
Now, enough talk…uh…typing…yeah. On with the story.
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Chapter 7
TA 3018 October 31
A Fellowship was set to destroy the ring…but they wouldn't be leaving for a while. Aragorn and some of the other elves were off scouting around Rivendell, trying to decide when would be the best time to make their departure.
Since Boromir didn't know the territory around Imladris very well, he understood why he was left behind, but that didn't make the waiting any easier.
Because Boromir was a warrior, and had been his whole life, he found himself restless and wandering around Rivendell most of the time. The fact that many people, including his younger brother, were still battling in his home land only made him more impatient.
"No, Pippin. That's not how you're supposed to hold a sword."
"Well, it's not like you're an expert swordsman yourself, Merry."
Boromir paused in his wandering and looked over to where the voices were coming from. The two hobbits who had run in at the last minute in the council were sparring in one of the more open areas of Rivendell.
Or, at least they were attempting to spar, Boromir thought with a grin.
"Actually, you're both getting it wrong," Boromir called out to them.
Both hobbits immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over at Boromir sheepishly. Almost like kids caught doing something they shouldn't.
"Well…we were just…" one of them started.
"Attempting to spar," Boromir said with a smile.
The two hobbits looked at each other, then looked at Boromir.
"What were we doing wrong the one asked. He had lighter hair and seemed to be the older one.
"Well, for one thing, your stance isn't wide enough," Boromir started, "And your grip is a little…I'm sorry. Would you like some instruction?"
"Have you ever taught sword fighting to hobbits before?" the blonde hobbit asked with a grin.
"No," Boromir answered, "But I've trained boys in Gondor when they were about your size."
Both hobbits looked amazed while the younger one asked, "Why?"
Boromir stepped further into the clearing before answering, "When you're close neighbors with Mordor, it's a necessity."
The hobbits looked a little tongue-tied at what to say so Boromir took control of the situation, "I'm not sure where you came into the conversation at the council, so I'll introduce myself properly. I'm Boromir of Gondor," he started, "And what are you two called?"
The hobbits were smiling shyly when the blond one introduced them, "I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck and this is my cousin Peregrine." The hobbit paused, then added with a grin, "But we're called Merry and Pippin."
Boromir grinned back, "Pleased to meet you."
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"Thank Elbereth he finally found something to occupy his time!" Elrond exclaimed. Gandalf chuckled as he joined Elrond in looking down at Boromir going over the basics of sword fighting with Merry and Pippin. Actually, the lesson was pretty much over since the trio were basically just fooling around now.
"Was his restlessness annoying you that much, Lord Elrond?" the wizard asked.
"I was ready to throw dirt on my floor just to give him something to do," Elrond commented dryly. Gandalf chuckled once again at Elrond's dry tone, but then the Elven lord's tone changed, "I'm worried about him."
"You too?" Gandalf asked
Elrond nodded gravely, "His heart is in the right place. He only wants to help his people." Elrond paused with a sigh, "But the ring could easily use his desperation against him."
Gandalf nodded in agreement, "I'll keep an eye on him." He paused, then asked almost in amusement, "And what about Estel and Legolas?"
Elrond had to fight to keep the smirk off his face, "Just let them work things out themselves."
Gandalf looked back at Boromir, "Did you notice the tension between them and Boromir?"
Elrond did smirk then, "I'm sure everybody did. How could it be missed? Tell me Gandalf, you talked to Boromir right after he met Legolas. Do you feel Estel has some serious competition that could cause problems on the quest?"
Gandalf thought a moment before shaking his head, "Nay. Boromir is not blind, he noticed Legolas was attractive. Who wouldn't, his beauty has been compared to Luthien's, same as Arwen's has. But I sensed no desire to claim Legolas in Boromir. Merely an appreciation of another's beauty."
Elrond smiled, "Then we will leave the Fellowship as it is."
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November 26
Legolas breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Estel ride back into Imladris with Elladan and Elrohir beside him. The fact that he had disappeared yet again was no coincidence. The human was avoiding him.
Of course, Estel's behavior only stemmed from his fear of being rejected again. Legolas had come to the conclusion over the centuries that human hearts were easily broken, but not easily mended. He could only hope that Estel would come to forgive him. And soon. Estel didn't have forever. And if Legolas tied himself to the mortal, neither would he.
Because of Aragorn's avoidance of him, Legolas hid himself in the shadows and waited for Elladan and Elrohir to leave. As soon as the twins left Aragorn alone Legolas stepped out of the shadows, "Hello, Estel."
Aragorn jumped in surprise and Legolas (recognizing the look in his love's eyes) spoke up before the adan could take off. "Meleth nin, don't run. I would just like to talk."
Aragorn stayed where he was, but remained tense, "I have a hard time believing that's all you want Legolas."
Legolas narrowed his eyes in anger, "Did that night mean so little to you Estel?"
"No…yes…I mean I…" Estel sighed, "I don't jump into bed that fast with anyone…except for that once."
"Then why did you?" Legolas asked.
"I don't know!" Aragorn moaned. Then he looked straight at the elf with tears already forming in his eyes, "I hadn't realized how much I'd missed you."
"Estel…" Legolas whispered tenderly while walking forward and wrapping Estel in his arms and letting the human cry on his shoulder, asking desperately, "Why do you hold yourself back Estel? We still love each other. Why can't we be together?"
Aragorn pulled back and looked at Legolas with tears still on his cheeks, "I want to Legolas, it's just that…"
"What?" Legolas asked.
"I have something to tell you before we can get back together," Aragorn held up his hand to stop Legolas from interrupting, "But I can't tell you yet."
Legolas threw up his hands in frustration, "Why?! What is this all about Estel?!"
"Please meleth nin," Aragorn pleaded, "Trust me, Legolas. I just need time."
Even with just mortal years Estel was worth the wait. So Legolas nodded and pulled Estel to him in a loving embrace. The two of them stayed like that for several hours. Content to just simply hold each other.
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December 14
Legolas was more than ready to leave Rivendell. After almost two months even Gandalf was getting a little restless. But it wouldn't be long now.
As Legolas got out of bed and stretched he thought about how he was both looking forward to the quest and not looking forward to it. It would give him some time to gain back Aragorn's trust…away from the prying eyes of Aragorn's foster family.
Elladan and Elrohir had been civil to Legolas, but the looks they gave him when Elrond wasn't looking could cut mithril. They were exceedingly protective of their 'little brother'.
But on the other hand, Legolas wasn't going to enjoy sleeping in the wild. He wasn't sure when it had started, but for the past couple weeks he had woken up feeling not quite completely rested and completely sore in his mid-abdomen.
He hadn't mentioned anything because he was usually feeling completely like himself by mid afternoon. This morning started out no different except that his stomach was even more sore than usual. Just as Legolas was beginning to think that maybe he should talk to Lord Elrond about this, he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea so powerful that it caused him to collapse where he stood and begin retching.
Legolas would later be thankful that the wash-basin just happened to be right there.
Finally Legolas' stomach accepted the fact that there was nothing left to get rid of. However, his stomach was still churning and so was Legolas' mind.
Since when did elves get sick!
So much for talking to Elrond. The lord of Imladris would probably just keep Legolas from going on the quest. He couldn't be left behind though. The Fellowship needed him!
And more importantly, Legolas needed to be on this quest with Aragorn. This might be his only chance to win back the love of his life. And to make sure the adan didn't get himself killed. Because if Aragorn died, Legolas would follow him.
There weren't many ways to kill an elf, but heartbreak was one of them.
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Since there were no questions to answer we'll just say thanks again for all the great reviews.
~Becky and Brina~
Now, enough talk…uh…typing…yeah. On with the story.
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Chapter 7
TA 3018 October 31
A Fellowship was set to destroy the ring…but they wouldn't be leaving for a while. Aragorn and some of the other elves were off scouting around Rivendell, trying to decide when would be the best time to make their departure.
Since Boromir didn't know the territory around Imladris very well, he understood why he was left behind, but that didn't make the waiting any easier.
Because Boromir was a warrior, and had been his whole life, he found himself restless and wandering around Rivendell most of the time. The fact that many people, including his younger brother, were still battling in his home land only made him more impatient.
"No, Pippin. That's not how you're supposed to hold a sword."
"Well, it's not like you're an expert swordsman yourself, Merry."
Boromir paused in his wandering and looked over to where the voices were coming from. The two hobbits who had run in at the last minute in the council were sparring in one of the more open areas of Rivendell.
Or, at least they were attempting to spar, Boromir thought with a grin.
"Actually, you're both getting it wrong," Boromir called out to them.
Both hobbits immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over at Boromir sheepishly. Almost like kids caught doing something they shouldn't.
"Well…we were just…" one of them started.
"Attempting to spar," Boromir said with a smile.
The two hobbits looked at each other, then looked at Boromir.
"What were we doing wrong the one asked. He had lighter hair and seemed to be the older one.
"Well, for one thing, your stance isn't wide enough," Boromir started, "And your grip is a little…I'm sorry. Would you like some instruction?"
"Have you ever taught sword fighting to hobbits before?" the blonde hobbit asked with a grin.
"No," Boromir answered, "But I've trained boys in Gondor when they were about your size."
Both hobbits looked amazed while the younger one asked, "Why?"
Boromir stepped further into the clearing before answering, "When you're close neighbors with Mordor, it's a necessity."
The hobbits looked a little tongue-tied at what to say so Boromir took control of the situation, "I'm not sure where you came into the conversation at the council, so I'll introduce myself properly. I'm Boromir of Gondor," he started, "And what are you two called?"
The hobbits were smiling shyly when the blond one introduced them, "I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck and this is my cousin Peregrine." The hobbit paused, then added with a grin, "But we're called Merry and Pippin."
Boromir grinned back, "Pleased to meet you."
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"Thank Elbereth he finally found something to occupy his time!" Elrond exclaimed. Gandalf chuckled as he joined Elrond in looking down at Boromir going over the basics of sword fighting with Merry and Pippin. Actually, the lesson was pretty much over since the trio were basically just fooling around now.
"Was his restlessness annoying you that much, Lord Elrond?" the wizard asked.
"I was ready to throw dirt on my floor just to give him something to do," Elrond commented dryly. Gandalf chuckled once again at Elrond's dry tone, but then the Elven lord's tone changed, "I'm worried about him."
"You too?" Gandalf asked
Elrond nodded gravely, "His heart is in the right place. He only wants to help his people." Elrond paused with a sigh, "But the ring could easily use his desperation against him."
Gandalf nodded in agreement, "I'll keep an eye on him." He paused, then asked almost in amusement, "And what about Estel and Legolas?"
Elrond had to fight to keep the smirk off his face, "Just let them work things out themselves."
Gandalf looked back at Boromir, "Did you notice the tension between them and Boromir?"
Elrond did smirk then, "I'm sure everybody did. How could it be missed? Tell me Gandalf, you talked to Boromir right after he met Legolas. Do you feel Estel has some serious competition that could cause problems on the quest?"
Gandalf thought a moment before shaking his head, "Nay. Boromir is not blind, he noticed Legolas was attractive. Who wouldn't, his beauty has been compared to Luthien's, same as Arwen's has. But I sensed no desire to claim Legolas in Boromir. Merely an appreciation of another's beauty."
Elrond smiled, "Then we will leave the Fellowship as it is."
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November 26
Legolas breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Estel ride back into Imladris with Elladan and Elrohir beside him. The fact that he had disappeared yet again was no coincidence. The human was avoiding him.
Of course, Estel's behavior only stemmed from his fear of being rejected again. Legolas had come to the conclusion over the centuries that human hearts were easily broken, but not easily mended. He could only hope that Estel would come to forgive him. And soon. Estel didn't have forever. And if Legolas tied himself to the mortal, neither would he.
Because of Aragorn's avoidance of him, Legolas hid himself in the shadows and waited for Elladan and Elrohir to leave. As soon as the twins left Aragorn alone Legolas stepped out of the shadows, "Hello, Estel."
Aragorn jumped in surprise and Legolas (recognizing the look in his love's eyes) spoke up before the adan could take off. "Meleth nin, don't run. I would just like to talk."
Aragorn stayed where he was, but remained tense, "I have a hard time believing that's all you want Legolas."
Legolas narrowed his eyes in anger, "Did that night mean so little to you Estel?"
"No…yes…I mean I…" Estel sighed, "I don't jump into bed that fast with anyone…except for that once."
"Then why did you?" Legolas asked.
"I don't know!" Aragorn moaned. Then he looked straight at the elf with tears already forming in his eyes, "I hadn't realized how much I'd missed you."
"Estel…" Legolas whispered tenderly while walking forward and wrapping Estel in his arms and letting the human cry on his shoulder, asking desperately, "Why do you hold yourself back Estel? We still love each other. Why can't we be together?"
Aragorn pulled back and looked at Legolas with tears still on his cheeks, "I want to Legolas, it's just that…"
"What?" Legolas asked.
"I have something to tell you before we can get back together," Aragorn held up his hand to stop Legolas from interrupting, "But I can't tell you yet."
Legolas threw up his hands in frustration, "Why?! What is this all about Estel?!"
"Please meleth nin," Aragorn pleaded, "Trust me, Legolas. I just need time."
Even with just mortal years Estel was worth the wait. So Legolas nodded and pulled Estel to him in a loving embrace. The two of them stayed like that for several hours. Content to just simply hold each other.
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December 14
Legolas was more than ready to leave Rivendell. After almost two months even Gandalf was getting a little restless. But it wouldn't be long now.
As Legolas got out of bed and stretched he thought about how he was both looking forward to the quest and not looking forward to it. It would give him some time to gain back Aragorn's trust…away from the prying eyes of Aragorn's foster family.
Elladan and Elrohir had been civil to Legolas, but the looks they gave him when Elrond wasn't looking could cut mithril. They were exceedingly protective of their 'little brother'.
But on the other hand, Legolas wasn't going to enjoy sleeping in the wild. He wasn't sure when it had started, but for the past couple weeks he had woken up feeling not quite completely rested and completely sore in his mid-abdomen.
He hadn't mentioned anything because he was usually feeling completely like himself by mid afternoon. This morning started out no different except that his stomach was even more sore than usual. Just as Legolas was beginning to think that maybe he should talk to Lord Elrond about this, he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea so powerful that it caused him to collapse where he stood and begin retching.
Legolas would later be thankful that the wash-basin just happened to be right there.
Finally Legolas' stomach accepted the fact that there was nothing left to get rid of. However, his stomach was still churning and so was Legolas' mind.
Since when did elves get sick!
So much for talking to Elrond. The lord of Imladris would probably just keep Legolas from going on the quest. He couldn't be left behind though. The Fellowship needed him!
And more importantly, Legolas needed to be on this quest with Aragorn. This might be his only chance to win back the love of his life. And to make sure the adan didn't get himself killed. Because if Aragorn died, Legolas would follow him.
There weren't many ways to kill an elf, but heartbreak was one of them.
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Since there were no questions to answer we'll just say thanks again for all the great reviews.
~Becky and Brina~