Gimli made sure to keep half an eye on his elven friend as he and the elleth pranced through their tree's. He was well aware that the blond elf was several hundred years older than he, but he still felt like he ought to protect him. He had taken the safety of this 'young' elf as his duty to protect the day had left the woods of Lady Galadriel.
It wasn't long after that, when Gimli had discovered Legolas had also decided to ensure his new friends safety. He would never admit it to the elf, but there were many incredibly aimed arrows he was thankful for. Legolas did not always count those kills either, sometimes he counted the as two.
Looking out for the Prince had gotten to be habit in the time they had grown to be friends, and Gimli saw no reason to break the habit now. Especially now.
The war might have been over, but Gimli had long sensed that the danger had not yet passed for his dear companion. He had seemed withdrawn as of late, he participated in less conversations and spent more time wandering alone under the moonlight. Refusing Gimli's and even Aragorn's company. His usually rapt attention was dulled at times, seeming lost in his thoughts more often than not. Other than that, outwardly, there didn't seem to be much amiss with Legolas. Yet Gimli had not been able to shake the feeling of concern and dread.
"Can he hear us?" He grumbled to Aragorn, he figured he had a good guess on the elf's hearing range but times like these were not times for guessing.
"I do not think so, but I would advise you to speak softly. The tree's have ears" Elladan answered, appraising the distance between himself and the two elves in the tree's.
"Do you think we've gotten him here in time?" Gimli asked, careful to keep his voice low.
There was a small silence amongst the group for a moment as they contemplated the answer.
When Gimli had been unable to shake his concerns, he had approached Aragorn with them. Only to find that the Ranger had also noticed something amiss, but was adamant that Legolas was going to refuse to tell him anything. Apparently, he had already been trying to force the elf to open up, but had only succeeded in annoying and driving him farther away.
Together, the man and the dwarf had stolen away to ask the twins if Legolas had confided in either, or both, of them. They were unsurprised yet still disappointed that he had been as forthcoming with them as he was with the rest.
So, the four of them had formed a kind of secret alliance to keep a close eye on him. They could not find much more proof of anything, they only began noticing the distance he had placed between himself and others more often than before. Gimli was ashamed to admit that he did not know when this pattern had emerged, but now in hindsight, could see it had been building for some time.
The decision had not been made to force him home until the twins had come barging into Aragorn's room in the dead of night, both still reasonably intoxicated. At the time they hadn't fully been able to explain what they had experienced that night. Only that the the two of them and Legolas had been drinking under the stars together, Legolas far more than either of them, and when they grabbed his arms to take him to bed felt a deep and cold wrongness.
In the morning, Gimlis heart broke slightly to hear their sober account.
"It was like his fae was calling for help, it struck me like ice down to my toes and into my soul" Elladan had mumbled, swirling the tea in his cup thoughtfully.
"I have never felt anything like it" Elrohir had agreed, running a thoughtless hand over his heart as if to rub out any remaining chill from last night, "I fear for him, Estel. I truly, and deeply fear for him."
They had sat in a moment of contemplative silence then too, before Aragorn had spoken. "Then we must get him home, and quickly. I feel there are only a few people on Arda that can save him, and all of them remain on the other side of the world."
And so they had hatched a plan, fully knowing none of them would be able to convince the Prince to return home right away. For there still were a huge number of roaming dangers in Gondor, and the Elf wished more than anything to rid the world of them and help Aragorn's lands become safe once more.
So they had devised a campaign, that moved like a snake through the grass. It wound throughout the land of Gondor, stopping at many towns and villages along the way, steadily making its way to Mirkwood. Aragorn had claimed a desire to know his people, and what needed to be done to help them, and asked his closest companions to come with him. Their trail just happened to end closely enough to Legolas' home that he would not be able to refuse a visit there.
The downfall to their plan was the time it took, time they felt Legolas himself did not have much of. Regardless of being an immortal being or not. But they had not seen any other reasonable option to get the elf to do what they wished. Since he seemed adamant on insisting in the lie he was fine.
"I do not know," Elrohir admitted, "but that King Thranduil will know. I suppose we just need to wait to hear what he says."
"We could ask Galion." Aragorn smirked, the Kings long standing attendant had been around longer than Legolas himself. He was loyal to Thranduil, but he had strong and often correct opinions of his own. Who else would know the king and his son better, than the one who had hovered around them since before the son was created.
"That is also very true, little brother." Elladan agreed, carefully eyeing Legolas.
There was several moments of silence, as they all rode in contemplative silence. Except for Pippin, who had simply been waiting for an acceptable amount of time before it would not be impolite to ask his question.
According to Merry, his mother, and many others, this was not a skill he had been born with. Over time he was able to guess at the proper length of time, judging by weather or not Merry kicked him. His shins were far less bruised these days than when they were younger.
This seemed like a reasonable amount of time to the hobbit, and so he finally asked his question. "Legolas is to be married?"
This brought the conversation back up to a more lively tone.
All three sons of Elrond broke out into happy laughter, "Yes little one," Elladan confirmed with a grin, "The Princeling is to be married."
"He did not tell me." Gimli mumbled, trying to keep the hurt undertones from his voice but not quite succeeding.
"Talking of his home when he is not there has always been hard for him," Aragorn said, giving the dwarf a sympathetic smile, "Not knowing of his loved one's safety has always plagued his heart and his mind. He would not speak of her for the hurt it would bring him, and the fear that the thought of her might be used against him."
"When are they to be married?" Pippin asked eagerly, squirming in his seat on the horse to try and look at the face of his elven companion. "Do you think I will be invited?"
"I am beginning to think they will never be married." Elladan answered, exchanging a look with his twin, "And I am sure you will get an invitation if it happesn, fear not little one."
"Why would they not get married?" Pippin pressed, ignoring the warning look from his cousin, "Is that not the point of an elven betrothal?"
"It is the point, yes." Elladan began.
"But they are taking a truly incredible amount of time to do it, even my elven standards." Elrohir finished.
"How long have they been betrothed, then?" Gimli asked in an attempt at nonchalance, noticing the superior look Pippin shot the other hobbit now that he was not the only one interested in asking questions.
"No idea." Aragorn answered cheerfully, clapping his hands together.
The dwarf frowned deeply, "What do you mean you have no idea?"
"I mean that he will not tell us. Any of us." Aragorn gestured to his brothers, "All I know is that they have been betrothed since before I was born."
The dwarf and hobbits shared a stunned look, before Pippin picked up the conversation once more. "There was no announcement? He did not tell you in a letter? Nothing?"
"No," Elrohir answered, "One night we were all in the hall of fire at Yule, and somebody, I think it was Glorfindel, made a joke about how it was absurd the two of them had yet to promise themselves to one another."
"We knew the moment that sly smile crept to his face that it had already happened." Elladan continued seamlessly, "We pestered him for hours for the details but he shared absolutely nothing. I world not be surprised if they are the only two who know."
"Except for Thranduil," Elrohir added, "There is no way Legolas would not tell his father such news."
"Except for Thranduil." Aragorn and Elladan agreed with finality.
There was silence for a moment.
"That absurd!" Gimli exclaimed, giving Aragorn a somewhat scandalized look.
"That our elfing," Elladan agreed.
"A walking, talking, ball of absurdity." Elrohir finished.
Gimli took a deep, calming breath. He was not sure if he world ever grow accustomed to the way the twins traded words and sentences like they shared a mouth. He often wondered if they were to be separated if they would still do it, one of them speaking complete gibberish far away from where the actual conversation was taking place. He would not be surprised if that would be the case, it would make sense as to why they were nearly never out of one another's company.
His eyes caught movement in the tree, Legolas and his bethohred racing back through the tree's with grins on their faces. Gimli did not need to know what the elf was going to say before he knew he world not like the outcome of it, not one bit.
The Elves crashed onto the path in union, stopping abruptly before the horses. "No. Whatever it is you want, the answer is no."
"You have yet to speak of what I want!" Legolas laughed, grinning at his dwarven friend. A grin the dwarf could not help but notice seemed less certain than when he had first met him.
"I do not care, Elf. I have seen that look before and I did not like the outcome then, and I will not like the outcome now." He huffed out a determined breath, crossing his arms to drive his point home.
Legolas looked as if he was about to speak but the Elleth beat him to it. "If you wish to meet the king at the gates, while everybody watches, and he is caught off guard, and will certainly react in anger. Or, you could allow us to sneak you inside so Legolas can warn him of your presence first. The choice is yours, Master Dwarf"
This gave Gimli pause.
He did not want to admit it to the elves but he was really quite nervous to meet the ElvenKing. The Dwarf felt as though he ought to expect the worst, perhaps to get thrown into a dungeon like his father had been. Even among the Elves of Rivendell there seemed to be a general sense of either fear or respect for the ElvenKing, perhaps both in some cases.
Yet Legolas had done nothing but assure Gimli of his safety since it was decided the dwarf was coming home with him. He had tried to pry him for information about exactly how he planned to assure his safety, but all the elf world say was: "All will be fine, I will talk to him."
Gimli wasn't a fan that the elf didn't seem to have much of a plan, yet here he was standing. In the King's forest, trying to decide how he should meet him. After Legolas had talked to him, or before?
The Elleth knew she was right, and Gimli hated it, it felt like when he lost a bet to Legolas. "Fine. What is it you want, then?"
Legolas grinned, "We want to take you down the river, beneath the stronghold and up through the cellar."
Gimli blinked at him, looking to his left to look at the rapid churning water near them. Breaking over huge rocks and fallen tree's alike, all traveling swiftly downward to the cellar of the ElvenKing.
"If thirteen dwarves can sneak out of it, I see no reason why we could not sneak one dwarf in." The Elleth shrugged.
Gimli thought he might perish at the thought.
But then he saw the transformation of the Elves expressions, eyes widening in something that could only be described as fear. Aragorn did not react immediately to whatever he was feeling, but he did moments later. It took Gimli several more to hear his voice.
"Have you been gone so long, my son, to think you could sneak anything into my halls without me knowing? A Dwarf, no less."
In that moment, Gimli almost wished to perish.
For there the ElvenKing stood. As tall and proud as Gimli had expected him to be, taller than Legolas and more stern. They had the same blue eyes yet the Kings were harder, the same blond hair, but his longer and uninhibited with braids.
Leaves and flower buds and blooms sat atop his head in the fashion of a crown, it seemed quite possible that it was his crown. He had no weapon anywhere visible that Gimli could see, which should have been a comfort, but it he got the strong impression that he would not need weapons.
"Adar." Legolas greeted, stunned.
He and Avaleana exchanged startled looks before they both fell to kneel before the King, Avaleana mumbling, "My King," as she went.
The King regarded the pair of them for a moment, his face an expression that Gimli couldn't quite make out. Then, his eyes slid to Gimli, and up to Aragorn.
The dwarf did not know what the King was playing at, but he wasn't a fan of it. "Estel, it is a surprise but not a displeasure to see you."
Aragorn inclined his head in respect, placing his hand over his heart, "I wanted to come and see the Woodland Realm in all of its glory."
The King's lips quirked up in what might have been a smile, "It is Eryn Lasgalen, now."
"A fitting name."
The Kings eyes slid off of the former ranger and to the twins. They exchanged a pleasantry in Elvish Gimli did not understand and then his eyes came to rest upon the hobbits. "I world imagine you two must be friends of Bilbo Baggins."
Both hobbits perked up noticeably at the mention of Bilbo, it was unsurprising that it was Pippin who replied, "Yes sire. Yes we are good friends. Sir. Sire." Pippin threw Merry a panicked look, "My King."
The ElvenKing smiled a little at the tiny creatures, and Pippin seemed to melt with relief.
Silence hung in the air then, and Gimli wasn't sure if this was his opportunity to introduce himself. He did not know if he ought to. Until Aragorn nudged him from behind, "I am-"
"Yes, I know who you are." The King cut in, "Gimli son of Gloin of the Lonely Mountain." He paused, appeasing the dwarfs reaction, "Bard tells me that you are more pleasant to deal with than your father, I do hope he is correct."
Gimli nearly braced for the impact, verbal or otherwise. But the King only held his unwavering eye contact for several moments longer, making him feel as though every aspect of himself was being examined. "But that is of little consequence to me right now."
He turned back to where Legolas and Avaleana still knelt, "You have torn your stitches, go to the healing ward and get them fixed." He looked to the twins, "And if you two would be so kind as to show our guests to the Kitchen. You have missed lunch, but I am sure you can find something to their satisfaction."
The Hobbits looked absolutely delighted at the prospect, exchanging smiles between them as the twins turned back onto the path towards the stronghold. Aragorn and Gimli had not been personally excused, but turned to leave as well when Avaleana rose and made her way down the path as well.
Gimli twisted around to try and see one last glimpse of Legolas, but he had already stood from where he had been kneeling and moved out of view.
To his bewilderment, Avaleana and Aragorn shared a grin as they departed.
…..
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