Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Lord of the Rings. It all belongs to J.R.R Tolkien.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. Here is the council and the start of the war of the Ring or the quest. Okay most of this is from the movie so bear with me because I didn't feel like writing a lot today from my own mind. So I beg for your forgiveness anyway let's begin.
Legolas slowed his horse when they rode through the gates that led to the beautiful Rivendell it had been 50 years since he had last been here and since he had last seen Lord Elrond and his sons. Well apart from the youngest Aragorn, he had last seen him about 25 years ago. The last time he was in Rivendell he had kissed Aragorn, feeling the human's soft lips against his own, his velvet sweet tongue inside his mouth and some moments when the Shadow was dark Legolas could swear Aragorn felt the same love, the same passion the Elf felt for the human since he had known him, if only it could be true.
Yet Aragorn had pledged himself to Arwen or that was what he had heard. Legolas shook his head, telling himself to stop thinking about stuff like this and focus on the here and now. He almost walked into the room where Nasil resided but stopped himself when he heard Arwen's voice "Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate."
"The same blood flows in my veins… the same weakness." Aragorn answered. The man turned and looked Arwen in the eye, and he could read the love for him in those beautiful blue orbs. She was so beautiful and she had pledged herself to him, forsaking her immortality for him. Any man would be happy with that but it only made him weep, knowing in the end he would kill her. True he loved her and he was sure that he would probably be happy with her by his side but there was one who he would want more and loved more then anything in the world… But he was a male and a prince none the less.
"Your time will come. You will face the same evil and you will defeat it." Arwen urged Aragorn shook his head and he cast his gaze to the floor until long fingers hooked underneath his chin and forced his gaze back up, back to meet her eyes. She said
"A si i-Dhuath u-othor, Aragorn. U or le a u or nin." (The Shadow does not hold sway yet, Aragorn. Not over you, not over me.) He smiled and took her hand, saying so softly that only she could hear it "There is something I have to tell you, let us talk in private" She nodded and followed him to the Garden. Legolas took a deep breath to compose himself and then swiftly walked to his room.
Arwen followed Aragorn to the bridge that crossed the pond Normally she would have stopped and admired the scenery but this was not the time. Today something mattered to Estel who was standing in the middle of the bridge She walked up to him and took his hands in hers When he said nothing she said. "Renech i lu erui govannem?" (Do you remember when we first met?)
"I thought I had strayed into a dream." Aragorn breathed In his mind there was another memory of a meeting not long afterwards. It did not hold Arwen but a certain blond elf.
"Long years have passed since then, You did not wear the troubles you carry now." Arwen smiled at him but he did not smile back. She nudged him softly and said. "Do you remember what I told you?"
Aragorn swallowed and answered.
"You said you would bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortality of your people."
"And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you then face all the ages of this world alone." Her smile diminished when he did not smile back. She leaned in, intending to kiss him, he replied, kissing her on the lips but before their kiss could grow into something more intimate he backed away.
"I know you want me to love you as you love me, but I cannot. I wish I could give you what you are giving me but I cannot. I wish I could make you happy and once again I know I cannot. I love you, Arwen, do not get me wrong but you do not deserve me, you do not deserve somebody who does not love you as much as you love me You deserve somebody who can give you what you are giving me, who would make you happy for I know I will not. I am truly blessed to have your love and I should feel it but I do not. All I feel is sorrow for knowing that your light and life will diminish if you stay with me. For taking you away from the Elves. I beg of you, for everything that you feel for me, think before you act and return to your father, return to the path you were on before me. I know I cannot make you love another for Elves love only once but it pains me that I cannot return that love to the fullest as you do with me."
"You do not love me as much as I love you, I know this, Aragorn You are troubled by the future and by what is coming to pass Remember when everything else fades that I still love you as I am sure that other person who does hold your heart does. Just remember when you need a queen, I will be on your side even if it means forsaking my mortality for you, for that is how strong my love is for you I would want to see you happy as I well know you would want to see me happy but the only way for that to happen is for somebody to sacrifice his or her happiness for the other. Only time will tell which one of us that will be. I want you to know that I support whatever decision you are going to make Keep the Evenstar, it is a gift and remember my words." With that she parted from him, tears in her eyes but a smile gracing her lips.
Aragorn bowed his head as she left. She was so kind to him How could he live with the knowledge that if he was to reclaim the throne, he would have her by his side, it might not be that bad but then his dream would be lost forever Was it really worth sacrificing his (removed own) heart for?
His head snapped back up when he heard footfalls closing in It was silent so it must have been one of the Elven Kind. He walked away from the bridge and waited, recognizing the footsteps Legolas was coming closer. Soonthe Prince stepped into view, his head held high and he smiled when he saw Aragorn.
"Mellon." He greeted the man, inwardly drinking in the sight of him.
"Legolas." Aragorn exclaimed before he ran towards the blond Elf, catching him in a bone crushing hug. Legolas was surprised Aragorn had never done this before but he still embraced the human, returning the hug. He felt the strong muscles all along Aragorn's back under his hand, and it was harder to move away from the Man but he did it anyway.
Aragorn smiled at him and he asked.
"How fare you, Legolas? It has been a long time since we last saw each other." "And touched." He added in his mind.
"I am well and you? Have you had something of the advice I gave you last time?" The Elf smirked at that.
Aragorn smiled and inched closer to the Elf, answering.
"Aye I have. Do you wish for me to show you?"
Legolas swallowed before he answered.
"I do not think Arwen will like that, now would she?" Aragorn shook his head, still smiling and answered
"She will benefit from it in the end, or not" Legolas did not answer and soon the human had crossed the distance between them Aragorn hesitated and then pressed his lips against those of Legolas The Elf pushed Aragorn away answering.
"Estel, I cannot do this, I cannot betray my heart like this I am sorry. I just cannot do this, please understand You belong to Arwen You need a queen when you reclaim the throne of Gondor We cannot continue like this, Aragorn, it will be the destruction of me and of our friendship Please say you understand."
Aragorn looked at the Elf, saying.
"I understand, Legolas, I thought it was a game something we would share… but I understand, of course I do." He placed his hand on the Elf's chest, over his heart, feeling the beat race beneath his fingers. "I understand that you cannot do this. You are still my best friend, still the one I love You know me better than anybody, of course I understand. Just one last request from a doomed man if you wish."
"Anything." Legolas replied, looking him in the eye.
"One last time to think that everything could have been, should have been the way I have been dreaming about it." Aragorn asked, licking his cracked lips. Who was he fooling, he loved the Elf, as he always had. He closed his eyes when Legolas did not answer and turned to leave, not wanting the Elf to see the look of pain, rejection in his eyes.
Hands spun him around and he heard Legolas soft voice answer.
"One last time, for both our sakes." With that the Elf lips crashed onto his, Aragorn opened his mouth to taste the Elf inside of him. All to soon the Elf broke away from him and Aragorn opened his eyes.
"I wish this did not have to happen." The Elf said, tears in his eyes and Aragorn nodded, hoping and sending a prayer that was carried further then he knew, to help them both.
The morning after a couple of minutes before the council started Aragorn cast one quick look at Legolas before looking away He could not kid himself that it did not hurt, knowing that they both had agreed to stop this. He loved Legolas more than anything else, maybe it was time that the prince knew that.
Gandalf the Grey who was sitting opposed Aragorn saw the look of pain in the Ranger's face and decided to speak to him about this. Elrond walked in, and looked around the circle and said
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old you have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this faith, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
Legolas looked to the right to see a small child, as he would say but then he looked more closely and realised it must be a Hobbit, as he had heard so many tales from his father after the Battle of the Five Armies. The Hobbit named Frodo placed a small Ring on the table and as if on cue a sigh went through the room. A man clothed in the colors of Gondor spoke.
"So it is true. In a dream I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: "Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's bane has been found."" The man stood and trance-like walked to the middle where the Ring was He reached for it but Elrond cried
"Boromir"
Gandalf stood and chanted while the light diminished with each word he spoke.
"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul" ( One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.)
Elrond brought his hand to his head while Gandalf uttered those words, Aragorn saw Legolas close his eyes and if he had not been sitting he would have collapsed.
"Legolas, meleth, no please do not let this happen to him, there is so much I want to say or do." Aragorn thought in crying alarm. Legolas opened his eyes when he felt a strange power rush through his veins and his eyes locked in Aragorn, the council disappeared and time seemed to freeze that just the two of them existed The moment was lost when Elrond said
"Never before has a tongue uttered the words of that language here in Imlandris."
"I do not ask for you pardon, Master Elrond, for the black speech of Mordor might yet be heard in every corner of the West. The Ring is altogether evil." Gandalf answered sitting back down.
"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people your lands are kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him." Boromir countered, staring at the ring.
"You cannot wield it, none of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other Master" Aragorn spoke up, keeping his voice level.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir questioned, looking at Aragorn in mild surprise and perhaps disgust.
Aragorn nearly fell from his chair when he found Legolas standing up and answering
"This is no mere ranger, this is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You own him your allegiance." The Elf Prince had come to his friend's defences.
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir questioned, looking at the Ranger again.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas answered, this time looking at Aragorn.
"Havo dad, Legolas. (Sit down, Legolas)" Aragorn softly answered. "For everything that you mean to me and I to you, do not do this. I beg of you, you will get into trouble, please don't. I know your pride is strong but for me, listen please and do as I ask of you." Aragorn mentally pleaded to the Elf. By a miracle he found Legolas obeying him and heard.
"For you, my friend and my king, for you alone. As you said for everything that we mean to each other."
The connection was broken when a Dwarf fell flat on his back, broken shards of his axe right beside him.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed. Gimli, son of Gloin, by any crafts that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." Elrond told the Dwarf, who had gotten back up and sat back down.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black Gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air your breath is a poisonous fume. Not with a 10,000 men could you do this It is folly." Boromir offered his opinion.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas demanded to know, his temper rising fast. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think that you're the one to do it I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands off an Elf" Gimli sprang to his feet. Aragorn shook his head while behind Gimli and Legolas the other members of the council started to argue Even Gandalf participated. The only ones who stayed out of this were Frodo, Elrond and himself. He saw Legolas holding out his arms, trying to keep his fellow Elf of Mirkwood at bay.
"I will take it. I will take the Ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way." Frodo said so loud that everybody stopped and looked at him. Gandalf smiled and answered, while placing a hand on Frodo's shoulder.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn made his decision, this might be the last time he was a free man and he needed to do this. This was the time to come out, to show the world who Aragorn, son of Arathorn was. The time of secrecy had ended and the time of the King was upon him, all he had to do was rise to the challenge. He stood up and walked over to Frodo, sitting down on one knee before the Hobbit.
"By my life or dead, if I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And my bow." Legolas answered before he had even thought about it. He knew that this was the last time he would travel with Aragorn and he needed it knowing he would always love the human, no matter what. He stood next to his friend and Aragorn looked at him in mild surprise. Legolas smiled and answered. "I have to keep you out of trouble, mellon."
"And I you, I am glad you are coming." Aragorn smiled, thankfulness reading in his eyes. They were interrupted when two Hobbits joined them where one was already standing beside Frodo. Elrond smiled and he said.
"Nine companions, so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great so where are we going?" Pippin asked. Legolas rolled his eyes and Aragorn snickered. The Hobbit turned around and said.
"Hi, I am Pippin from the Shire and you? I know Strider of course but who are you?" Legolas gazed at the Hobbit, unsure of what to say, he had never been talked to in such a manner. Aragorn put his hand around the Elf's shoulder and answered.
"This is Legolas Greenleaf, Elf of Mirkwood."
Pippin smiled and answered.
"And I am Pippin and this is Merry and that is Sam and then this one here is Frodo Baggins." Legolas smiled and answered.
"It is my pleasure to meet you. I am sure the travels we will make together will be nice."
"Where are we going now?" Pippin asked with a straight face.
"We are going to Mordor, Pippin." Merry answered and smacked him on the head. The two argued further while they walked off. Aragorn wanted to walk after them but Legolas stopped him by saying.
"You are right. Do not forget that if you need me, I will be here for you, as your friend." With those words the Prince walked off, leaving Aragorn with a happier expression then he ever had before.
Hope you liked it. Please review.