15
A Ride to the Grey Havens
This chapter attempts to insert a little lightness into the gloom by having Legolas come across Pippin in his travels.
It was an arduous ride to the Grey Havens for Legolas and Mene-mil. It took them a day to reach the Old South Road and another four to reach the Brandywine River. They crossed the river at Sarn Ford and raced through the Far Downs of the Shire and then through the Tower Hills. Legolas was compelled to stop many more times than he would have wished in order to rest the horses and give them water.
"I am glad that you do not need much sustenance, and therefore you have not slowed our progress," Legolas told Mene-mil on one of their stops, remarking on his hardiness.
"Yes, I am fine to go on with just a little water, and when the horses stop for their drink, I can have mine, too," said the little man, who was as happy as a lark just to be on the journey. He never complained, and he never asked Legolas for anything.
They had managed to make very good time; however, when they finally arrived at the Grey Havens, it had been fully two fortnights since they had left the tunnels. Legolas quickly sought out Círdan, the shipwright, and Lord of the Grey Havens, only to find that they had arrived too late and had missed Lindaril by a fortnight. She had already sailed away to Valinor. She was gone.
Legolas was not in a good frame of mind as he and Mene-mil set out on the return journey to Moria. He was in deep despair because he had missed Lindaril, and he was feeling the burden of carrying the hidden Silmaril as a heavy load upon his back. Mene-mil was feeling badly, too, for his new friend, who had been kind enough to let him come along on the journey. The little man remained silent, because he could see that Legolas was feeling badly. Arod and Cemera trudged along the Greenway Road back through the Shire, their hooves making hollow clip-clopping sounds except when they sloshed through puddles or squelched through the late winter mud. Legolas had a brief thought of stopping at Hobbiton in hopes of seeing his old friends, Sam, Merry and Pippin again, but felt at the end that he would not wish to take the Silmaril there and perhaps bring danger to them.
Years before, in the S. R. year 1427, King Elessar had made a new law that stated no man was ever again permitted to enter the Shire, in order to spare the hobbits from any further dangers. Although Legolas was an Elf, and by so being, was allowed by law in the Shire, he did not wish to bring danger there because of Feanor' s curse on the Silmarils. He turned, therefore, onto the Old South Road, and he and Mene-mil began to make their way back in the direction from which they had come, but their pace was much more slow than it had been on the way to the Havens.
Legolas's mood became gradually brightened by the pleasantness of the Shire's lands as they traveled through them, even though it was but January of the new year, and there were small traces of snow upon the ground. When they had raced through the country on their way to the Grey Havens, Legolas had not noticed how green the fields were, but now he could see that much of the Shire's original pastoral beauty had been restored after the end of the wars.
The Shire had suffered much, as had Rohan, Gondor, and other parts of Middle-earth. Many homes and farms had been set afire and had been ravaged, and many innocent hobbit lives had been lost. The only place that seemed not to have been touched by war was the Grey Havens. There, it was as tranquil and beautiful as it had ever been.
Legolas had felt the pull of the sea once again while in its proximity at the Havens, even though he had spent but a brief time there. Right away he had wished to follow Lindaril to Valinor when Círdan had told him that she had sailed away, but luckily there were no ships ready to sail at that time. Círdan had encouraged him to return to finish his work in Ithilorien.
"My dear Legolas," Círdan had said, "your time on Middle-earth has not come to an end. You have work yet to do. I feel strongly in my heart that you must not yet take the ship to the Undying Lands. One day, when it is time for me to go, I will come to visit you in your new home and pass on to you my shipbuilding knowledge. Then, I shall sail away myself. You may build your ship at Pelargir, close to your home, and sail to the Undying Lands from the Bay of Belfalas, if you wish. I will give you a guide to the Straight Path from there."
Legolas had almost told Círdan about the Silmaril since he was feeling a strange sense of panic at missing Lindaril and not being able to give her the jewel to take back to Valinor. He was convinced that it would have been in its rightful place with her, and then it would have gone safely out of Middle-earth and would no longer have been a threat. He felt that Middle-earth had suffered enough damage, and did not need to suffer a new curse upon its lands and people.
When they were on the outskirts of the Shire, near the White Downs that were not far from Hobbiton, Legolas could see that the horses needed to rest. They decided to stop in a secluded area in a woody dale, where they would not easily be seen by any passersby.
Mene-mil looked tired, and his tiny frame shook and shivered as he tried to find a comfortable place on the ground on which to sit. There were traces of snow scattered about, and the ground was hard. Legolas sat down beside him and noticed that he was freezing.
"You look cold, Mene-mil," he remarked. "Let me get you some covering. You are not dressed warmly enough for this wintry weather."
"I would never complain," said Mene-mil, "because I am happy to be outside, but since you have mentioned it, I confess I am feeling quite cold. The climate is much warmer underground, to be sure. I am not at all used to the colder air aboveground, but I do not mind it. I would not have missed this adventure for the world."
"You are brave," remarked Legolas. "The weather has become very cold indeed. There is frost all about us on the ground. Luckily, I have some blankets with me."
When the travelers had stopped in the Grey Havens, Legolas had picked up some provisions. He now took a warm wool blanket from one of Arod's saddlebags, and folded it in half. He wrapped it around Mene-mil's body, and then sat with his arm around the little man, and hugged him close to his own body for warmth.
"Why do you call this an adventure?" Legolas asked, laughing. "Absolutely nothing has happened to us so far! It has been a very uneventful trip!" Although he tried to stay merry for Mene-mil's sake, there was a trace of bitterness in his voice as he reflected upon his bad luck.
"For me, just seeing the world outside is an adventure," replied Mene-mil, not seeming to notice Legolas's mood. He looked up at the tall pine trees that lined the road, their tops like black-feathered fingers pointing upwards into the brittle greyness of the January sky. "The trees seem alive. I mean, I know they are alive, but to me they look as vibrant as if they could walk, and talk to each other. Look at that big one. It looks sad." He pointed out a huge oak tree, bereft of its leaves, which was standing like a lonely sentinel upon a hilltop, silent but seeming to stare, with its soul bared, at the two travelers.
"He is not sad as much as impatient for the spring to come. The trees are alive, Mene-mil," said Legolas. "More so than you realize, although it was very astute of you to see a spirit within that old oak. When you feel rested enough, and we can resume our journey, I will take you into the Old Forest, which should not be too far out of our way on the ride back to Moria. That should give you a bit of an adventure, more so than you have experienced thus far. I can tell you also a tale from my childhood in Mirkwood Forest that will perhaps give you nightmares." The Elf brightened a bit at the memory.
"Is it frightening? That sounds wonderful," said Mene-mil. "I cannot wait to hear it."
After resting a while longer, it was time to resume their journey. Legolas helped Mene-mil climb up onto Cemera again, and tied him to the pony with a rope wound around his waist, which he then attached securely to the saddle.
"There," he said. "That should hold you safe and secure if you wish to sleep while you ride. This cold could make you very drowsy, and you would fall off the pony if you fell asleep against your will."
Legolas then leapt onto Arod's back, and turned him eastward. Cemera followed at a trot.
They had not gone very far along the East-West Road, and Legolas and Mene-mil were deep in their own thoughts in the silence when Arod abruptly stopped, as did Cemera behind him, and the two travelers were shaken out of their reverie.
In front of the horses appeared a wagon, which had shot across from the side of the road and had stopped in a dead halt in front of them. Out of this wagon tumbled a disheveled hobbit and his female hobbit companion, as well as a quantity of straw that they had been using as bedding.
"I don't believe it!" cried the hobbit, looking up at the Elf with annoyance. Then, he cried, "Legolas!" and his expression turned to one of joy as he recognized his old friend. "What a sight you are!"
"I am a sight? You should see yoursElf!" replied Legolas, laughing in spite of his gloominess, as he recognized his old friend, Pippin, and his wife, Diamond.
"Ah, well," said Pippin, brushing bits of straw off of his clothing, and pulling it out of his hair, "we were having a bit of fun, and the wagon rolled off with us in it! But that was yesterday! Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh! Allow me to introduce Diamond to you. I don't believe the two of you have ever met before."
Legolas could not help himsElf, and laughed at this unconventional and completely nonconformist hobbit.
"Pippin, it is good to see that you have not changed," he said. "I am very pleased to meet you, Madam," and held out his hand to Diamond.
"Diamond, this is my very good friend, Legolas, the Elf, who was from Mirkwood. He was one of the members of our Fellowship!"
Pippin kept chuckling as he brushed straw from his own clothes and from Diamond's, who was somewhat stunned by the sight of Legolas. She had never met any Elves before, as most of them had left Middle-earth by this time, and she had never left the Shire. She was not prepared for his appearance, which took her breath away. She shook his hand, and could barely muster a word to say to him.
"Hello," she managed to whisper, shyly.
"He is rather bright, isn't he? You'll get used to him after a while," said Pippin, giving her a nudge. "What are you doing here, Legolas? Were you coming to visit us?"
"No, as it happens, we were returning from the Grey Havens when we chanced to meet you," said Legolas.
"Did you change your mind about leaving Middle-earth, then?" asked Pippin. "No? Ha! Ha! Just a joke! So, then, what were you doing there? Seeing someone off?"
"Why, yes," replied Legolas, taken aback by the question. "I was seeing someone off." A look of profound sadness crossed his face. Pippin looked at him with curiosity. Then he noticed Mene-mil, who was sitting upon Cemera.
"Who is your little friend, Legolas?" he asked. "Are you a hobbit?" he asked Mene-mil, peering curiously at the grey little man.
"Please excuse my rudeness in not introducing my companion," said Legolas. "I have been rather preoccupied. This is Mene-mil. He has traveled with me from Moria to the Grey Havens."
"Moria?" asked Pippin. "He is not an orc, is he?"
"No, Pippin! You know that the orcs are all dead! He is related to the Dwarves," said Legolas.
"Dwarves?" asked Pippin. "Oh! I see! Is this Gimli's son?"
"No!" replied Legolas. "Please, Pippin! I cannot explain to you just now who Mene-mil is! Just suffice it to say that he is a close kin of the Dwarves!"
"Alright!" said Pippin, looking at Legolas curiously again. "No need to be short with me! Can you come and visit with us for awhile?"
"I would truly love to visit," said Legolas with a sigh, "but there is something I must do first, which is of great importance, and thus I cannot stop." He was worried about the potential danger to the Shire from the Silmaril's possible curse, but he would not make that fact known to Pippin. He felt that the hobbits had been through enough troubles, and that the Shire should be left in peace.
"Oh, come on!" coaxed Pippin. "Come and have a drink with us! We could go to the Prancing Pony, in Bree, for some ale! It is not so very far from here, and I know that you like to drink ale, as Gimli has told me so! We could hitch this wagon to your horse, and -"
"No, Pippin, I am sorry, but I cannot go," said Legolas. "I will tell you this, though. I promise that I will try to return to see you before the year is out. I cannot stay for a longer visit now, as I am bound by the restriction of another promise that I cannot break, and I must be elsewhere even as we speak."
"Well, alright, but you are being very mysterious," said Pippin. "I am sorry that you cannot come for a visit and stay a while. Will we see you soon, Legolas, perhaps in Minas Tirith? Merry and I should be going there before the year is out. Will you give my regards to Gimli, and if you see Faramir, tell him I'll see him soon as well, won't you? Goodbye to you, too, Mene-mil. I am quite happy to have met a friend of Legolas's who is nearer to my own size!"
"It was good to meet you as well," said Mene-mil, smiling at Pippin.
Legolas bowed to Diamond, and waved to Pippin.
"Goodbye for now," Legolas called out as he and Arod galloped away, with Cemera and Mene-mil following closely.
After leaving Pippin and Diamond, Legolas decided that they should make their way toward the Old Forest, as he had promised Mene-mil that he would take him there. He turned to the little root-man.
"We should have a better adventure in the Forest than we would drinking ale at a tavern," he said.
"What is this ale that you like so much?" asked Mene-mil.
Legolas laughed. "I do not like ale at all," he replied. "It is a favorite drink of men and Dwarves. Remind me to have a word with Gimli about telling people I like to drink ale when we get back to Moria."
"Is that what our home in the mines under the mountains is called? Moria?" asked Mene-mil. "That is a beautiful name. It has a sound of mystery about it, which is just right for that place, because it is full of hidden secrets."
"That is true--it is," said Legolas, "but Moria is its Elvish name, and it was also known by many others: Khazad-dum, DwarrowdElf, and in the common tongue, the Black Pit."
"I think I prefer Moria," said Mene-mil.
"Do you?" asked Legolas. "You are a source of wonder to me, Mene-mil. You are so different from Gimli, and you seem to understand Elvish ways rather well for someone who has never lived among us. We are about to enter another mysterious place. The Old Forest is just ahead of us."
Horse and pony entered the forest with some trepidation, but since Arod trusted Legolas completely, he would almost always go wherever his master led him. Cemera loved Arod and as Arod followed Legolas, Cemera followed Arod most anywhere.
Since the war had ended, the Old Forest was settling back into its ancient ways, without fear of evil spirits that had abided there in prior times. As they made their way along the river called the Withywindle, Mene-mil was enjoying the scenery and the closeness of the air, which reminded him of the mines. It was very damp and somewhat stifling in the forest, and it did not seem at all wintry there, even though the leaves had fallen from the trees and the underbrush and carpeted the ground. They followed the river where it led them into the valley, but unlike the hobbits' experience some years before, it led them out again, and not into danger from any of the trees such as Old Man Willow. Legolas pointed out other strange-looking trees to Mene-mil, and explained how they had, at one time, been menacing to travelers wandering through the woods.
"I cannot understand how trees could be any danger to people," said Mene-mil. "It seems impossible because they are stationary things."
"Watch, then, and I will show you," said Legolas, and then he spoke some Elvish words to a large, very ancient willow tree in front of which they had stopped.
Before Mene-mil's disbelieving eyes, the tree moved its branches to surround the horses and riders, and thus trap them in its embrace, and then what seemed like two great amber-colored eyes opened suddenly between its limbs, and blinked twice. Then their gaze turned balefully upon the unwelcome visitors. A deep rumbling voice came from within the massive trunk of the tree.
"Who dares to trouble me? What do you want?" it thundered.
"Old Willow," said Legolas. "Do not fret. I am your friend, an Elf who is merely patrolling the area, and ensuring that everything is as it should be. I am sorry to have disturbed you. You have my leave to go back to sleep if you will."
The old tree sighed, closed its eyes, and released the prisoners from its grasp.
Legolas turned to Mene-mil. "I do feel badly for awakening him. I have done so only to show you that the trees are very much alive and aware in every sense of the word, and now this old one should be allowed to resume sleeping, or he will be very cranky when he wakes, and he is capable of doing great mischief when he has been upset. Let us be on our way, and leave him in peace".
"I stand in awe of your power to awaken trees," said Mene-mil. "How did you do that?" "I did not always have the power to do such things," replied Legolas, "but I was recently made an Elf-lord and given my own realm, and, as such, I was made an Eldar of my race, and I was given also some powers over other living creatures. Ordinary Elves do not possess this power. It comes only from being an Eldar. Having this power is still difficult for me to grasp sometimes. Most of the time, I feel that I am more human than Elf and would prefer to adopt human ways."
"If I had such a power as you do, I would feel most privileged," said Mene-mil. "Can you make rocks dance, and animals talk, too?"
Legolas laughed. "No, not quite" , he said. "I can only bring out that which is already there in certain living objects. For instance, I can make the river sing."
As they moved along the Withywindle River, Legolas spoke some Elvish words again, and the sound of the water turned to sweet song as it burbled over some rocks and flowed down a steep hill. Mene-mil laughed with delight.
"Some of the other Eldar have even greater abilities," said Legolas. "I know of one Elf who could bring a dead bird to life simply by singing to it" . He thought of Lindaril, and how she had unnerved him with her singing power, not only in reviving the little bird, but also in what she had done to him, by making him go against his own will. He shivered slightly at the memory, as he and Mene-mil emerged finally from the Old Forest.
"Legolas!" cried Mene-mil. "I just remembered that you said you would tell me a story from your old home of Mirkwood Forest that would give me nightmares! Will you please do so?"
"So I have promised," replied Legolas. "You did well to remind me. My thoughts of late have been preoccupied with other matters, so much so that more pleasant but less urgent promises have slipped my mind. Do you wish to hear my tale now?"
"Yes, please, if you don't mind," said Mene-mil.
"Very well, then, let us stop in this spot for a rest, and I shall give you some food, and tell you the story of the Forest of the Falling Trees."
The travelers stopped and made camp in a small glen in the forest. Legolas prepared some food for Mene-mil over a small fire, and as the root-man ate his meal, he listened with rapt attention to the Elf's story.
"When I was a small boy, living in Mirkwood Forest, I was told often not to wander too far away from the safe places near my home. But, as with so many young boys, curiosity proved too much to overcome, and so one day I gave in to it, wandered off, and became quite lost. Many areas of Mirkwood were very dangerous, as many strange beings and creatures, such as large and menacing spiders and other evil things inhabited it. Even as a young lad, however, I was gifted with a talent for using a bow and arrow with great accuracy, and I carried my weapons with me always. Things such as spiders were no matches for me, and I was able to fend them off whenever they chose to strike. However, on this day, as I was lost and I tried to find my way back to my own home, I became more and more entangled within the forest. My Elf-senses had left me temporarily, and as I entered an exceptionally deep, dark part of Mirkwood, I began to feel drowsy, and so I lay down to sleep under a large elm, within a group of stately looking trees. They did not seem to be menacing, but when I awoke to noises of an unknown kind, I saw a strange, unsettling thing, indeed."
"What was that?" asked Mene-mil. He shivered, looked around him, and drew his blanket tighter around his shoulders.
"There was a band of orcs moving through the forest," said Legolas. "I was not sure, but they may have been trying to track me, and if they had been tracking me, they would have tried to kill me. However, they were not what had frightened me. As I lay watching, I saw a tree pull itsElf up and out of the ground. It pulled its own roots right out of the earth, and it fell purposely on top of the orcs, crushing them to death. Then I saw it use some of its roots, as if they were long fingers, to claw the earth out of the hole it had made, and then the tree used them to reach up and pull itself upright again by grabbing hold of its top branches! It stuck itself back into the ground, then reached down and patted the earth and dug some of the roots back in. The long-fingered roots lay down and became still again, making a new shelter—a trap for unsuspecting creatures! I was alarmed, and glanced upward at the tree under which I was lying. I saw it wink at me, with a knothole that formed into a gleaming eye! It pointed out a direction to me with one of its branches. I followed where it pointed, and it turned out to be the way home! I ran away from that elm as fast as I could, I can tell you!"
"Did you make it home safe and sound, then?" asked Mene-mil.
"Yes, I did, of course, but strangely, after I told my family and friends about my adventure, and then tried to show them where it had happened, I could not find that same elm-grove ever again!"
"Perhaps those trees did not stay in one place for too long, but left to wander about and look for others that they could help," suggested Mene-mil. "They did not seem to be evil trees, and in fact, that elm turned out to be your benefactor."
Legolas laughed, and reached out to tousle the top of Mene-mil's head. "Yes, again your astuteness surprises me, Mene-mil. Perhaps they were looking out for the Elves of Mirkwood Forest. My old home did turn out to be quite an evil place, after all," he said. "It is nice to think of that. That there is some good within a place where there is also great evil."
"Well, that was quite a story," said Mene-mil, "but I do not think that it will give me nightmares, because it had a good ending."
Gradually, they made their way back to Moria, slowly moving along the road, each alone with his own thoughts for much of the journey. Finally, they could see the peaks of the Misty Mountains in the distance, and set the horses on a path toward them. As they climbed through the mountain pass, which took them past Zirak-zigil, Legolas looked up at the mountain-peak once more.
He sighed, and thought, "How I wish I had climbed up there when I last came this way and had the chance to do it. Then things may have turned out differently, and I may not have stumbled upon this thing which weighs so heavily upon me now."
Presently they arrived at the West Gates of Moria where the Sirannon bubbled its welcome, and they entered into the Halls. Inside, the multitude of halls were all lit up and looked to be busy hives of activity. Gimli had taken over as leader of the root-people in Mene-mil's absence. He was quite happy to assume this role. There had been much rebuilding since the two travelers had left for the Grey Havens. Gimli had organized the root-people to do a great amount of work in restoring the majestic columns that supported the ceilings, and they had done much in the way of repairing the other structures such as the stairs and bridges leading to the different levels. They were well on their way to making Moria look more like the great place it once had been. The magnificent hall of Balin's tomb had been cleared out, all of the Dwarves'skeletons had been properly buried and memorial plaques put up to honor them, and it was now set to become a holy place, with an air of great reverence about it, a fitting memorial for Balin and his Dwarves.
When Legolas and Mene-mil found Gimli, he was standing on the edge of a large open-pit mine on the first, or lowest level, lit by many torches, and was overseeing the hauling up of many buckets of mithril and silver. The root-people were swarming over the mine like ants on an anthill, working very rapidly.
"Legolas, my old lad!" Gimli called out, happy to see his friend return. "Come and see what we have done!"
Legolas could not help but smile, as miserable as he was feeling inside. He could see that Gimli was in his element. Mene-mil hailed Gimli as well, and far from the wary little man he was when they had first met him, he was very happy to have his adventure, and was now quite relieved to be second-in-command of Moria. He did not all mind relinquishing his lordship and the responsibility that it entailed, to Gimli.
After taking Legolas and Mene-mil on a tour to show them the impressive restoration work that they had begun, Gimli pulled Legolas aside to talk to him.
"Well, now, did you manage to find Lindaril and dispose of the jewel?" he asked the Elf.
"Alas, no, I did not," Legolas replied dejectedly. "I was too late in trying to catch up with her. The Silmaril is with me still. Now we must leave it here where we found it and let it come to its own fate in its own time." He looked very sad.
Gimli stared at him with eyes like those of a frightened deer. "No, no, no!" he stammered, horrified. "You said that there is a curse upon the jewel! It cannot come back here to rest, Legolas! We have done so much work in rebuilding Moria and there is yet much more to be done! My great wish is to restore the Khazad-dum Bridge to its former splendor. We may not be able to accomplish that with a terrible curse hanging over us! Not to mention that these poor little root people have suffered enough torment in their time, until now! No, no, no! Absolutely never must this accursed jewel come back into these mines! I forbid it! I would die first rather than bring more troubles upon these brave little people whom I now consider to be my kinsfolk. I will not have it, Legolas!"
Legolas sighed. "Alright, Gimli, I understand," he said sadly. He buried his face in his hands for a moment, and then he straightened his shoulders. "I do believe that it should be the responsibility of one of my people to dispose of this Silmaril. It is from the Elves' doing in the first place that all of the ills of the world have taken place. Let us say no more about it. I will take it back to Ithilorien with me and seek counsel from other wise folk for what to do with it. I will go to seek Aragorn's counsel also. I think I must leave now, Gimli and take the Silmaril away with me before any ill can here befall you."
The two friends looked at each other with understanding of each other's point of view, and they shook hands in agreement. They bade each other farewell, and Legolas paused, "Tell me, what has become of the ant lions? Are they still posing a danger here?" he asked.
"They still live in the mines," said Gimli, "but they do not like the lights, so as you can see, we have put up many torches and candles along the walls. We have also made wooden floors, which you will have noticed, and we will eventually pave over these again with stones. That will keep the beasts below ground in the lower depths where no one will be in danger of falling into their sinkholes. The ant lions need the sandy soil in which to burrow, and should be happy to stay below. As long as we are careful to stay out of their way, we should not come to harm from them. They will probably die from starvation if they cannot trap any more root-people to eat."
"They still have water to drink from the underground wells. Perhaps we should think about getting rid of them once and for all," said Legolas. "What do you think if we poison them? It would be a quicker death for them than starvation."
"Poison them?" asked Gimli. "How could we do that?"
"I will try to get some poison when I am in Minas Tirith," said Legolas. "The head of the Houses of Healing there should have some knowledge of poisons as well as medicine. If I can get it, I will bring some here once I have disposed of the Silmaril. I will leave you now, Gimli, and go to Gondor. It should be about six months' time before I can return here. If you do not see me after more than six months, then send a messenger to my home. But I will come back here, Gimli, with or without the poison for the ant lions. I promise you that".
Mene-mil thanked Legolas profusely for taking him on the journey to the Grey Havens, through the Shire and the Old Forest. He had been enchanted by all that he experienced. He and Legolas embraced, and Mene-mil found himself near tears at this time of parting from his new friend.
"Farewell, Legolas", he cried. "Please use your Elvish powers to keep yourself safe, and return to us as soon as you can. I am impatient for another adventure, and more of your stories."
Legolas laughed. "Can you stand hearing more stories from an Elf?" he asked. "Do they not bore you?"
"No," said Mene-mil. "There are people who live inside their own minds and rarely venture outside into the outdoors. Then there are those fearless, adventurous people who carve paths into the unknown and discover the rest of the world. I am the former and you are the latter. Do you know what I am trying to say?"
Legolas looked upon Mene-mil with affection, and hugged him. "Yes, I think I do, Mene-mil. I think I do understand you. But which is the better way in which to live? I wonder at that. Will you please look after Gimli for me? I hope to find all is well when I return."
Goodbyes were said all around, and the Elf took his leave, leaping onto Arod and galloping off toward Gondor.
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