For disclaimer please view chapter 1.
Author's Note: Hi everyone, thought I'd throw in another chapter to this fic. And before anyone says anything, I just want to say that I know that Elves do not sleep with their eyes closed, but I believe they do when they are in a healing process…so it applies for this chapter. That and I think it fits it appropriately to the feeling I was trying to convey! I love your reviews! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Kersi
Chapter 29: My Love is Constant
"The paths of the dead is my only choice…" he said almost in disbelief, not wanting to accept what it was he was going to have to do. "Is this sure?"
Elladan nodded, "The dead will fight for you, the one and only heir and true king of Gondor, they pledged an oath to the kings of old, now they must fulfil it or be doomed to an eternity of life with no purpose."
"And am I to carry this?" asked Aragorn, holding a black standard in his hands, it was soft and made of silk. It had come along with a grand staff, and Aragorn held it carefully, almost as if he held something very precious in his hands, he smoothed one hand over it and let out a soft sigh. "Arwen made this." He was melancholy at the thought of her, and Elrohir and Elladan did not know what to say.
"We will go with you Estel, wherever it is you need to go, whatever it is you need to do, we will be by your side." said Elrohir.
"And I suspect others would do the same." said Elladan in encouragement.
Aragorn nodded. "I know you will. I knew I would never have to ask anything of you, for you always offer yourselves freely in times of need. Where would I be without my kin?" He looked up at the twins standing in front of him.
"You would be where you are, for with or without us, this is your day, you are meant to be a great leader." said Elrohir.
"We feel there is something else that needs to be discussed Estel."
"I know you are curious about Aurel."
Elladan nodded. "Yes. Sadly, you have spent more personal time with our little sister than we have in our extended lifetimes; tell me, her fading is not as prominent as it once was…what has happened between her and Legolas?"
"I think they are bound to one another."
"What? They are married!" asked Elrohir.
Aragorn smirked. "No, no. Calm Elrohir. They are mates, but I do not think they have performed any of the rituals for them to be married. They can speak to one another through thought. Is that something all Elves can do? For I have never come across it."
Elrohir and Elladan looked at one another. "It takes a deep concentration to speak through thought." said Elladan.
"Or a deep connection, usually with kin can this only be done." said Elrohir.
"Her fading became grim when we had thought we had lost Gandalf in the Caves of Moria, it was then that the connection between Legolas and herself was most at display, he carried the same wounds as she did, wounds that I have never seen before, the scars she carried from before I was born, the ones we did not speak of…they reopened."
"Reopened? How can that be?" asked Elrohir.
Aragorn shook his head, not knowing, "I believe both she and Legolas would have perished had we not been so close to Lothlorien. Twas' strange though, it seemed almost as if Legolas and Aurel had not wanted to be near one another before Lothlorien, and after both healed, they were inseparable. You could not find one without the other. And they have remained so to this day."
"Where was she injured?" asked Elladan.
"Her shoulder, the arrow that struck her was poisoned, and Aurel is small, it spread quickly."
"Legolas seems very protective of her." said Elrohir.
"Only as much all of us, we only notice it more closely…there is more to this brothers…I did not tell of you of Lothluin."
Elladan did not recognize the name. "Who is she?"
"Legolas was to marry her."
"What? We heard no such announcement from Mirkwood. Thranduil would have boasted with news such as that." said Elrohir.
"Such was my reaction when I first came to hear of it, but Legolas was very short with me, and did not explain all that needed to be explained. She was at the battle of Hornburg and was gravely injured to the point of death…Aurel tended to her—…"
"Did Aurel know of this?" asked Elrohir.
Aragorn raised one of his hands in front of him, "Wait…Aurel was tending to her until she and Legolas were injured. I am afraid I have been an accomplice to something that will come to haunt them…if we survive this war."
"What is it you speak of?"
"I have told both Legolas and Aurel that Lothluin perished." He set the standard he held in his hand, down carefully. "But she is alive."
"Estel! For the love of Elebereth, why would you do such a thing?" said Elladan in shock
"A request from Lothluin, and I will admit that I did wish for this in my heart so that the suffering between Legolas and Aurel would end." Aragorn sat down slowly.
"What suffering?" asked Elladan.
"That is what I wish to know brothers. What suffering, what is this history between them that no one has told me about before?" He looked at them in question.
Elrohir looked worried and concerned. "Have you asked Legolas?" Aragorn only remained still awaiting a response. He sighed. "Legolas and Aurel had met once before…before Aurel and Naneth had been attacked, they met once, when I found them together you could see it by the look in their eyes, they were connected in some way. It has not happened for myself yet, but I recognized it in them. Pure energy."
Elladan looked surprised. "You knew they were bound then? Elrohir, why did you not tell me?"
"Ada said it would be best if I kept it to myself."
Whispering almost, Elladan spoke, "All those years that Aurel spent in seclusion would have tortured Legolas…" it was as if he suddenly realized the distant look Legolas had in his eyes all those years ago, he did not realize what pain afflicted him whenever he came to visit Mirkwood, why his friend seemed to have suddenly changed into someone he did not recognize. "Aurel knew all the pain Legolas would suffer…why would she do that?"
Aragorn watched quietly as the two brothers unravelled the story to him unintentionally.
"Because she could not leave this land knowing that it would take Legolas's life, so she lingered…I think, in hope that time would sever the bond they held."
Elladan was near tears. Aragorn had never seen this before.
Elrohir put a hand to his shoulder, "I fought Ada when he let her pledge an oath to the Halfling Frodo, and it is only now that I understand why he did this. It was not the fellowship that needed her, it was she that needed the fellowship to survive, without it, she would have continued her fading, she would have never spoken to Legolas again, she would have never realized all the pain she was causing others in her state….and now she is almost the sister we knew all those years ago…"
Elladan closed his eyes in understanding, and when he opened them, he looked at Aragorn. "Where is Lothluin now?"
"Back in Mirkwood, safe, and healed, Aurel did well. Legolas was never going to marry Lothluin, he knew this, and so did she, though it pained them both. Lothluin for having given her heart to Legolas, and Legolas for having hurt another elf in the same way he was hurt. She begged me to tell them both that she was dead, for the sake of some healing…she convinced me it was for the better of all, and that when it was found out that she was alive, that both Legolas and Aurel would understand why she and I lied. But now…I am afraid that will not be so."
"I do not know what to say, these things are complicated. You should not have interfered, had I been in your position…" He looked at Aragorn and that sad expression on his face. "I would have probably done the same thing."
"But what of his memory loss? How much does he remember?" asked Elladan.
"I think the more important question is how much has not come back to him yet?" asked Elrohir.
"That I do not know. He loves Aurel and has told her openly."
"Then what do you worry for?" asked Elrohir.
"They are both more fragile than they care to admit, you elves, you do not deal with death in the same way we do, it means something different to you."
"We mourn for those who die Estel; we suffer if they were someone we loved. We feel the loss of their presence, is that not what you feel?" asked Elladan, not understanding why Aragorn would say such a thing.
Aragorn shook his head, "But death is not normality for you, it is not your fate. You could not possibly understand it, or feel it in the same way we do. I fear something grave will happen in these next days…"
"To Legolas or Aurel?" asked Elrohir.
Aragorn shook his head. "It is heavy on my heart brothers, and I do not know what to do."
Elladan went to sit next to Aragorn, "What is it that makes you feel this way?"
"Go out and observe them, you will feel it too." Was all that Aragorn said to him.
"They have been a long time in there conversing with Estel, I wonder what it is they are speaking of." said Aurel looking over to Aragorn's tent.
"Are you worried about something?" asked Legolas, who sat next to her underneath one of the only trees that stood amidst the tents.
"I get a strange feeling that they are discussing matters to do with me."
"That would be only natural, they are your brothers."
"They are also sneaky." said Aurel, looking at Legolas with a smirk.
He paused to get a good look of her face…"Your eyes shine brightly."
Aurel almost blushed, "That is because I feel joy in my heart."
"Because your brothers are here?" asked Legolas playfully.
"Because you are here." She said placing her hand of over one of his, and suddenly she felt as if there was something wrong. "I noticed earlier that your limping is lessening."
Legolas nodded. "I am healing quickly, but not as quickly as I would like."
Aurel frowned, "Something is slowing your healing process…" She thought about what it could be. "Are you worried about something?"
"It would be a lie if I said I was not concerned for your well-being."
"Why? I have healed completely." She shrugged her shoulders.
"I speak of your spirit Aurel." He looked away from her, "I feel it is still wounded. Though you are very good at hiding it."
Aurel was compelled to remain silent, even if it was for just a moment to think about what he had just said to her.
"You know what I have said is true." said Legolas.
"I have not denied it."
"Then say something to ease my worries."
"Would anything I say really ease your concern? I would not lie to you and tell you that all is well within me. But, I can tell you that it is nothing grave…I still mourn for those lost, I know Estel has recounted to you the woes of Hornburg, and…there is so much still left unsaid between us, I fear that when all your memories are returned to you, that you will…change how you feel."
"Do you think me that fickle or weak?" Legolas had to admit that he was a little insulted about what she had last mentioned.
"You do not understand…"
She was cut off before she could say anything more, "And you seem to think that the understanding of all will change how I feel for you, stop telling me what I do and do not understand… Aurel, this feeling in my soul is constant, not something that is easily swayed, believe in that, believe in our bond, for it is true, and forever…, is there something that would change your love for me? That would rid your love for all time?"
Mentally she took note of the five hundred years she tried to sever the bond, to dissipate anything that had happened between them, nothing had worked, their souls were bound and she could not shake or break that. "No. My love for you, too, is constant." She panicked for a moment. "I am sorry if I have insulted you, I did not mean to do that…"
Legolas rid the worried look on his face and smiled, "Hush Aurel…let us enjoy this moment of solitude." He took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, bringing her close to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, breathing in the tranquillity that came from being near him, and let out another sigh of relief. Legolas closed his eyes as well, and for the first time in a long long time, both fell into a deep peaceful sleep.
Elladan and Elrohir had gone out to find Aurel after their talk with Aragorn, to see if what he felt was true, to their surprise when they found her, she was sleeping alongside Legolas, both Elves with their eyes closed. They kept their distance and observed the way their limbs were entwined.
"They sleep like humans." said Elrohir with a tone of slight disgust.
"Yet I have never seen either more at peace." replied Elladan. "I am beginning to understand what Estel speaks of."
"Something like this should not be so worrying, but sleeping with their eyes closed can only mean that they are both still healing, from physical and emotional wounds, will they be prepared for more battle?"
"They are skilled warriors, not children." said Elladan in their defence.
"Yes, but this could prove distracting."
"It is impossible to ask them to stay behind."
Both brothers looked at one another thoughtfully, as if thinking the same thing, Elrohir spoke first. "We will have to watch over them…as much as we can."
"I agree; you take Aurel…" said Elladan nodding.
"I would rather look over Legolas." replied Elrohir.
"I do not want to have deal with Aurel if she catches me…"
"Oh so you leave her in my hands? Thank you…but I will take watch over Legolas. You are the calmer one; you will know how to handle the situation with Aurel if it occurs." said Elrohir
"This is serious."
"So am I."
Elladan pursed his lips in annoyance and looked over at the sleeping couple, "Fine."
Elrohir smiled in his triumph, "Come, let us leave them to their sleeping." He began to walk back towards camp.
Elladan cast one last glance at his sister before going off to catch up with Elrohir, and wished to always see her in the peace that surrounded her in that moment.
