A/N For someone special.
The severity of the winters varied over the years. They were harsher in the north, whereas here in the south, borderline the hot deserts of Harad, there would be seasons without a lick of snow. If only this was one of those seasons. This year, for lack of a better term: was a freak accident, and Aragorn hoped Manwë did not summon all this snow to stop a potential enemy.
It was a divine omen. Or knowing all the strangeness that the elves of Greenwood brought whenever he was in their company, it was his bad luck and their mere existence that brought this woe upon him.
Legolas despite being a prince in Ithilien retained millennia's worth of tricks and subtleties gained only from living in a spider-infested forest for so long. Aragorn over the years of knowing the elf finally learned tactics to avoid the wiles of the prince to spare some humiliation to himself. He and Gimli exchanged in secret their plans to get back at Legolas, but both the lord of Aglarond and king of the Reunited Kingdom dreaded the day when Legolas would get his revenge for Gimli sitting on him in the fields of Rohan.
Maybe Legolas learned to control wind and bring all this snow, and this was his revenge.
No, it could not be. The king of Greenwood was also here with them, in the snow. Legolas respected his father up and beyond to do this, especially when they do not see each other that much anymore. Thranduil would not tolerate such insolence from his son.
Why was Thranduil here? Since the destruction of Sauron and the forces of Lothlórien coming to aid, the forest of Greenwood was finally cleansed, allowing Thranduil to spend more time living rather than fighting against the unseen forces. What remained strange to Aragorn though was the elf-king surrendering the south of the forest to Celeborn, after all those years trying to reclaim it. Aragorn did not inquire why. He assumed it was Thranduil desiring to lessen the burden he has shouldered for so long, and less forest to manage sounded logical.
Aragorn recalled the offer Thranduil made years ago when the once-ranger was in the halls of the elf king, and the fledgling ruler took up that offer now that both he and Thranduil were not overwhelmed and could afford time away from the courts and winding paths of governing a nation. That and Thranduil desired to see his youngest son again and the colony Legolas established, thus Aragorn made time aside to go to Ithilien. Gimli, catching a whiff of the elf king's travels came to Ithilien, to the surprise of Legolas, although a welcome one.
This was before the storm hit without warning. The rulers took to leaving the colony to wander: Legolas showing and sharing the progress and accomplishments to his father, Thranduil content to be with his son, and Gimli and Aragorn happy to enjoy for a time the rugged life.
Now, however…
"If you both desire to keep your limbs I would suggest you keep moving," Thranduil said from above the snow. Curse the light footedness of the elves, just this once!
Aragorn smirked inside his thoughts despite the curse, glad that Legolas was stuck down here with him and Gimli, trying to help them get above and tread through the leafless and snowy woods back to the colony.
"Should you not stay beneath the ledge?" Legolas asked Aragorn while pulling the man out of a hole of collapsed snow, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "You and Gimli will be better off waiting while we bring help."
"You won't see me abide in silence, lad!" The dwarf shouted in protest. Said dwarf was unabashedly trying to get on top of the snow via crawling up, with hopes to stand upright and tall like Legolas and Thranduil could, ignoring that such attempts previously only made the dwarf sink right to the bottom again. "And you, stag, should know that the dwarrow LIVE inside the mountains. We can endure blizzards and not be stopped!"
"Indeed, you do," Thranduil replied calmly. "and cannot be slowed by mere snow."
"Is that sarcasm I am hearing, great lord?" Gimli questioned in kind, getting aggressive. "I will show you-"
"There is no wind to make the cold more unbearable," Aragorn brushed Legolas' concerns aside. "We did not go that far-"
"Forgive me for interrupting, good king," Legolas was frowning. "But you of all people should know that a short distance without snow is long with snow, especially this much! My father and I can run across the surface and bring sleds for you and Gimli instead of wasting hours if not days trekking on foot. The cold will surely make you ill."
Aragorn did not deny being touched by Legolas' tender concern, especially as the man grew older and closer to the day he would die. But until Aragorn was much older, he was not going to give up his stubbornness. This escapade had its sense of thrill that Aragorn craved and missed. He clapped a hand on Legolas' arm. "Let it be an excuse for me not to be a king for a few days," he whispered and smiled.
Legolas stared and then laughed. "My dear man, how have I rubbed off onto you my annoyances. But Arwen would not appreciate her lord coming homesick, and it would be my fault."
"Then keep helping me find the right footing so I am not swallowed up to my shoulders," Aragorn told the elf.
"LEGOLAS!" Gimli's voice suddenly caught the king and elf's attention. The dwarf sounded fearful.
Legolas and Aragorn whipped their heads and saw Thranduil holding Gimli aloft by the front of the dwarf's coat. While the former two were speaking, the elf-king and dwarf-lord were also having a discussion. The snow prints of a dwarf trying and failing to get on top and stand without sinking were apparent. Thranduil had enough, though the ancient elf looked very much amused.
"Have some dignity, master dwarf," Thranduil said. "You make yourself a fool floundering like a fish out of a drying pond."
"I rather flounder and stand on my own two feet than be lifted against my will!" Gimli yelled. "I have plenty of dignity!"
"It is not a crime to have help once in a while."
"I will ask if I think I need it!"
Thranduil lowered the dwarf onto his feet but did not let go. It was this hold that kept Gimli from sinking to the bottom.
Gimli huffed. "This is more acceptable."
"I would have set you down eventually, as it is beyond my strength to carry you with one hand forever. But I refuse to see you falling and sinking every step any longer." Thranduil sighed. "You will only make it more difficult for King Elessar continuing as you are."
Gimli was going to make another retort but was pulled along by the front of the coat across the snow. "Legolas!" the dwarf shouted again, more afraid of being left alone with the ancient monarch who instilled terror for centuries into those that heard the fables. The account of Gimli's father certainly did not help, and Gimli was one of the younger individuals of the great dwarves.
"Do not worry master dwarf!" Legolas replied cheerfully. "No harm will come to you!"
Aragorn watched then slowly looked up at Legolas. "Is this your revenge? Let your father scar Gimli for the rest of his life, if not into Aulë's halls?"
"Oh no, I have something else in store for you both. He will let Gimli walk on his own once they are in sight of the colony." Legolas grinned. "Although our dear dwarf might reconsider that and allow my father to hold him by the collar, so he does not sink before the eyes of many."
Aragorn suspected Gimli would be given some words of advice. Hopefully, Gimli would be receptive to such advice. While elves and dwarves were perpetually at odds, surely there would be something that they could agree upon.
Later in the evening, Aragorn sat near a fire with something warm to drink. Gimli was on the opposite side of him sitting stiffly and with a tight mouth beneath his glorious beard. The king of the Reunited Kingdom and lord of Aglarond heard the elves singing and laughing a season-appropriate tune outside in the night sky, being the strange creatures that they are known to be. Strange and beautiful at the same time.
"This is the first time I have seen the stag not so imposing," Gimli admitted, breaking the silence.
Aragorn opened his eyes, as they had closed from relaxing.
Gimli stared straight ahead. "When the lad and I returned north I did meet the king, although it was much different compared to now. I suppose I get how you felt when you saw the old thing enjoying the revelry of his people."
"One cannot reconcile the two images with the same person," Aragorn stated.
"Aye. But now I know Legolas' is indeed his father's son, strange their humor is." Gimli took a deep breath. "They both like to do things at other's expense and despise it when you do it to them."
Aragorn chuckled. "That rings true. But, lucky for us, we can do things at Legolas' expense without fear of larger consequences. I will not gamble with Thranduil." 'I respect him like I would Elrond, for he has helped in tremendous ways…' Aragorn briefly mourned the departure of Elrond, the only person in the man's life that was truly a father to him.
"I will not either, but do not think I will be passive like you are with the stag. I will poke my nose where it makes him annoyed, and revel in it. Might be our form of bonding, seems to be how Legolas and I became friends." Gimli smiled. "With what happened in mind though, the lad and his fairies will have ice to skate upon, given the looks of the snow."
Ah, yes. Aragorn will look forward to hearing the description of Faramir and Eówyn's faces seeing the elves doing what they do best.