Epilogue

Legolas

Days passed, and became weeks, which became months. In later years, Legolas would have only patchy memories of these times. While he made progress, it was hard-fought for, and many times, he found himself regressing to places he thought he'd long ago left behind.

Estel was there for him every step of the way, as were Elrond, the twins and his Ada. There were times when Legolas was so despairing and hopeless that he couldn't even get out of bed. On those day, Estel would lie down with him and let Legolas cry on him, ruining more tunics than the prince could count.

Eventually, he progressed from fruit to other types of food, each step accompanied by the now-familiar driving thoughts of perfection, the panic and desperate need to throw up afterwards. As time went on, his slips became less and less, though he was still watched closely.

His arms healed quickly. His mind healed more slowly, but heal it did. It took him years, but he finally told his father the details of what had happened to him. He'd discussed it with Estel, and at length with Elrond, but it was still hard to do. He was glad once he'd done it, though.

The twins told him that they would be ready to listen should he ever want to confide in them more than the basics they already knew, but that he did not need to if he didn't want to. They knew enough, should he decide he wanted to speak of it no more.

He well remembered the day he was trusted with weapons – a full three years after Estel had first discovered his secrets. It took him months to regain his skill with a bow, but before long, he was as good as he'd ever been. He went on hunts with Estel and the twins.

Elrond returned to Imladris, promising Legolas that he had only to say the word, and he would be back. As the elf lord had promised, Legolas didn't need to cling to Estel every moment of every day. Though he'd always desire his friend's company, he was able to cope without Estel at his side. Not that they were parted from each other for long. They stayed together, as brothers should, travelling mostly between Greenwood and Imladris.

Time passed, and Legolas healed. Five years passed, then another five, and the horrors of the past became but a distant memory. Life was no longer strictly controlled with a knife, but full of light and laughter. It was the childhood Legolas should have had, and he lived it with Estel.

Fifteen years since that fateful day when Estel had discovered everything passed to find the two friends alone in the woods in Imladris on a hunting trip. The twins had been driving Estel crazy, and Legolas had suggested the excursion.

Legolas heard the soft whisper of human footsteps ahead, and held his hand up. Estel stopped, waiting for his word. "Someone is ahead," Legolas murmured.

"It's probably those poachers Ada warned us about. You'll go around?"

Legolas nodded and silently crept away, making his way to the far side of the place where the sound was coming from. At a signal from the prince – the cry of a falcon they had both spent hours practicing – they pounced. There were only two trappers, and Legolas easily disarmed one while Estel did the same to the other.

"You are hunting illegally on my father's lands." Estel levelled them with a stern gaze.

"Your father? These lands belong to no man!"

"My father is Lord Elrond of Rivendell. You should not be here."

They gaped at him. The one who seemed to be the leader spat at Legolas. "Elves. Think you're so perfect! The rest of us don't have as easy a time as you filling our bellies. Some perfect elf you are."

Estel stiffened at the awfully familiar wording, unfortunate coincidence that it had been. Legolas swiftly stepped between him and the poachers, certain the leader was about to lose his head.

"Get out of here, now, before I change my mind about letting my friend kill you. We will know if you enter these lands again."

The poachers lost their courage at his fierce glare and wisely ran. Estel was breathing hard. "Let me go after them…"

"No, mellon nin, it is alright. They spoke the truth. They are struggling to feed themselves."

"I don't doubt it, walking like they were. They were making such a racket, I bet it scared away all game between here and the Misty Mountains."

"What are you going to do?" Legolas was glad that Estel was talking rather than hunting down the poachers and relieving them of their heads.

"We should report to Ada. Maybe Glorfindel could take a couple of hunters over to their village, teach them to improve their skills, so that they don't have to range so far to find food." Estel visibly made an effort to put aside his anger. He cupped a hand to Legolas' cheek. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, mellon nin." It was true. Legolas knew now that he wasn't perfect, that he'd never be perfect. But he didn't have to be.

Estel surprised him, pulling him into a fierce hug. "I love you, gwador."

"I love you, Estel, brother of my heart." Legolas lingered in their embrace for a moment before pulling back. "Now come, lazy human. Those poachers may not have succeeded in scaring off all the game, and we have yet to catch our dinner."

"You mean you have yet to catch our dinner. I caught it last night."

"Only because you stumbled upon that wounded deer and put it out of its misery! That was no act of hunting."

Several hours later saw them lying on their backs, gazing up at the stars, Legolas having indeed caught their dinner.

"Do you ever think they're watching us?" Estel asked idly, gesturing to the stars. "Some people say the souls of the departed look down on the living through the stars."

"I do not know. It is possible, I suppose, though I'd rather be in Valinor."

"Me too. But not for a long time." There was comfortable silence for a few minutes. "What do they think, I wonder?" he mused. "Looking down on this life?"

Legolas sighed, moving closer to his friend and resting his head on Estel's shoulder. "That it's messy. And frustrating, and sometimes downright impossible… but for all that… it's perfect. Just the way it is. Messiness and imperfections and all."

The starlight was in Estel's eyes as he turned his head to meet Legolas' gaze. "Just as we all are, mellon nin," he agreed. "Just as we all are."

Legolas murmured his agreement as he turned his face back up to face the sky. His hand found Estel's, and they exchanged a smile before going back to gazing up at the night sky in all its glory. Legolas could make out some of the patterns humans liked to draw in the sky. They were twisted and broken in some places, with weird humps and flat spots making up the larger picture. Even the sky, as beautiful as it was, was filled with flaws.

It was perfect.

The End

A/N: If you liked my story, please review, I always appreciate it! :)