To Whatever End: Chapter Three

-Kaia-

A strangled gasp burst from my throat as my eyes flew open, and at first all I saw was darkness. Panic thundered in my chest; an impossible pressure behind my eyes making my head feel like it would explode. I shot upright, beads of sweat slipping down my face as I cast a terrified glance around the room. But then my eyes began to adjust, and my pulse slowed as I recognized the sleeping forms scattered across the floor, eyes falling to Erin as she slept soundly next to me. My hands balled into fists, bunching the fabric of my blanket, as my mind cleared and caught up with the rest of me. Safe. The word chimed loudly in my head, grounding me in reality. I'm safe here. I'm free.

As the initial fear dissipated, though, it was replaced by the chilling reminder of what had woken me so suddenly, and my gaze shifted to my hands. I let go of the blanket and held them out in front of me. Even in the dark, I could see them trembling. My eyes fell shut, and I breathed a sigh of defeat, shoulders slumping as I hung my head to bury my face in those unsteady hands. I'd been dreaming again. I could still hear the distant screams of dying men ringing in my ears, and for a moment, I covered them, still squeezing my eyes shut, praying it would stop. That for just one second, my brain would go silent. But I knew it wouldn't. Not after everything that had happened. It was exactly why I had barely slept a full night ever since we'd made the journey back to Edoras. Every time I tried, it was like I was back in the pits of Orthanc, an all-encasing darkness swallowing me whole and choking me into silence. I couldn't escape it - especially now, since we'd carried the damned palantír with us all the way back to the King's halls. I could always feel its presence in the back of my mind; sometimes as a hazy cloud, other times as a nearly suffocating static. Tonight brought the latter, and I sucked in a breath as I threw back my blanket, pulling myself to my feet and stumbling across the room. The air felt hot and thick - I needed to get out. As I drew closer to the door, I blinked, and for a split second saw an eye of flame, flinching as I grabbed the handle. I barely paid attention to my surroundings as I rushed down the hall, heading for the first exit I saw and throwing the door open once I reached it.

My bare feet hit the smooth stone of the terrace, and instantly I felt my muscles relax slightly, the cool nighttime breeze washing over me as I stepped outside. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes again as I went still, feeling like I was expelling a poisonous smoke from within. For a moment, I stood there in silence, listening to the soft rustling of the tall grass just beyond the terrace's edge. No violent screams or cries for help. Just... nothing. Slowly, I opened my eyes, tilting my head back and feeling another wave of relief as I drank in the view of dozens and dozens of stars, tiny silver pinpricks against an inky sky without a single cloud. The bright glow of the half moon seemed to gaze back at me from far above, and I almost smiled. No visions of blood or blue flame. No Eye. I was in Edoras, and I was safe. Everything was peaceful and still.

Just then, the slightest movement on the edge of my peripheral drew my attention, and I turned to discover I wasn't alone outside the hall. The stranger several yards away pulled out a pipe, and as he lit it, the dim glow washed over his face to reveal he was no stranger after all. I walked towards him in silence, breaking it only when I reached him. "Didn't expect to find you out here."

Aragorn cast a short glance in my direction. "Nor I you," he replied, taking a long drag. "What brings you here?"

"Same as you, probably," I said, standing beside him. "Couldn't sleep. Needed to clear my head."

I caught the beginning of a frown on his face as he quickly put two and two together. "Do you still dream of-"

"Yeah," I cut him off. "Of Orthanc, of the things I saw in the palantír... all of it. Everything coalescing into one hellish nightmare." My gaze drifted back out to the dark expanse laid out before us, trying not to focus on the flashes of horrific imagery I remembered all too well. "I guess it's just... part of my life now."

"The herbs and sleeping draughts I gave you did nothing?" I shook my head. The ranger's concerned frown deepened, and he sighed, turning his gaze outwards as well. "I am sorry, Kaia. I wish there was something more I could do for you."

I stared at nothing, my expression somber. "I don't think anyone can do much of anything at this point. I've just got to live with it." He said nothing, which I knew was his unwilling agreement, and we stood together in silence for a moment longer before I spoke up again. "I hear Théoden's planning for a feast sometime soon."

He nodded. "Within the next fortnight."

"You going?"

Aragorn almost seemed to shrug dismissively. "It is unlikely there will be anywhere else worth being that night."

I chuckled at that. "Yeah. Edoras is nice and all, but... man, it's boring. I don't know how Kathryn lived here for so long without going insane. Everything always smells like horse shit, too."

He tried to give me an admonishing glare, but I could see the smirk on his face all the same. "Will you go?"

"Well yeah, of course!" I said. "I've heard Rohirric parties get pretty wild, and I've yet to experience that for myself. And you know, it'd be respectful, since it's supposed to honor Helm's Deep and all." Although I made an effort to not directly mention those who'd died in battle, I noticed Aragorn's eyes darken as I looked back at him. "...You doing okay?" I asked, quieter this time.

He didn't meet my gaze, choosing to look down and away instead. "As well as one can."

I nodded, knowing he wasn't one to go for in-depth therapy sessions and needed to deal with the loss on his own time. "You know where to find me if you need anything," I assured him.

"Of course," he replied. Then, a moment later, a quieter whisper. "Thank you, Kaia."

I gave a small smile, but it slowly fell from my face as I turned back to the horizon. A new train of thought started to run through my mind, and I let out a breath as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Can I be honest with you for a second? I'm fucking terrified. Of everything."

He took another deep inhale from his pipe. "Many men would say the same in this age. You are not alone in that."

"Yeah, but 'many men' don't know the things I know," I muttered. "I'm starting to understand why Erin gets so worked up about keeping everything stable. It feels like things are starting to unravel, and that's scary when people's actual, real lives are at stake. When the fate of this entire world is at stake." I paused, thoughts settling on one particular concern of mine as the man beside me exhaled smoke, watching it lazily drifting upwards in the night sky. "...Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll go on to become king."

Aragorn's head turned sharply, blue-grey eyes fixed on me in an instant. "That is not something that takes priority now-"

"No, Aragorn, listen." I turned to him as well, looking him dead in the eye as I spoke. "If something goes wrong, you're the last hope for the kingdoms of Men. Hell, even if everything goes according to plan, you and I both know there's still division between them that only you can fix."

His gaze softened, though now with an emotional weight behind it that revealed the burden this was on him. "You put too much faith in one man, Kaia."

"Maybe I do," I said softly. "But he's the right man."

He matched my stare for a moment, but then shook his head, looking away again. "There is still weakness in me," he whispered. "In my blood. I do not want that power and authority over the Men of the West, for I fear I would only lead them astray."

"You've already conquered it once. You let Frodo go when no one else would've." I didn't turn away, remembering what had been the most fateful day of our entire journey. "If you'd gone after him then, you know what would've happened. You, Legolas, Erin, Kathryn, Gimli... all of you would've ended up just like Boromir. One by one, the Ring would've destroyed you. And not to mention, I'd probably be dead and Rohan would've gone extinct. But it didn't turn out that way, and the only reason any of us are still standing here now is because you made the decision no one else could've." I reached out to grip his shoulder lightly, drawing his attention back to me. "You resisted the One Ring of Power, Aragorn. You refused one of the greatest evils this world has ever seen! How could Gondor ask for anyone better to be their king?"

He looked at me for a moment, actually considering what I'd said, but there was still a haze of uncertainty in his eyes. "I am not one of them, Kaia. I was neither born nor raised in the White City; I do not know its people, and they do not know me as anything more than an outsider. I have done nothing to gain their faith or trust."

"Then change that," I said. "Prove yourself. Show them you're worthy of the title. Because you're right, most of them probably won't trust you at first. They don't know you, so why would they? But once they do know you, they'll understand. And they'll believe in you." I paused. "I do."

"...Why?"

The question came so quietly, so sincerely, and I took half a step back, dropping my hand as I carefully considered my answer. "I saw how you so naturally led the Fellowship when Gandalf was gone. I've seen your humility and your loyalty to the people you care about. I saw your devotion to protecting Frodo, even when it meant confronting impossible enemies. I've seen you persevere through all of it, even when you had a million chances to turn back. And never once did you seek any praise or reward for any of it. You didn't do all those things for glory, you did them because you knew it was the right thing to do." I looked at him, this ranger I'd known for hardly even a year, and yet I meant every word I said with an incredible conviction. "Those are the people that make the best leaders," I said. "The ones who do things for the good of others more than themselves." Finally, I turned back out to the fields surrounding Edoras, looking off towards the south, far in the distance. "Gondor's going to need someone like that soon enough. They'll need you."

A long silence stretched between us after I stopped, though not an uncomfortable one. I could feel Aragorn contemplating everything I'd said, and it made me feel better to know that if nothing else, he was at least giving the idea some thought. He'll come around. I cast another brief glance at the ranger as he took another drag from his pipe. Even if everything else goes to shit, that's the one thing I can still count on. After a few more minutes of enjoying the nighttime stillness with my quiet friend, I said my goodbyes and started back inside, leaving him to smoke in peace. I could still feel the haze of darkness and uncomfortable twist in my gut as I made my way back to our room, but this time, it was easier for me to ignore as I laid down. Aragorn will be king someday, I thought, closing my eyes. I'll make sure of it.

-Kathryn-

I rose to my feet with the hundreds of others filling the great hall of Meduseld as Théoden raised his goblet from where he stood before his throne. "Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country." He stared out into the crowd, somber and stone-faced. "Hail the victorious dead!"

"HAIL!" The cry echoed throughout the room as the other Rohirrim raised their glasses and drank. I mimicked their motion, but said nothing as I sipped at my own cup, the familiar bitter taste of ale on my tongue. I wanted to respect their dead, of course, but felt out of place drinking in memory of a battle I had no part in. I glanced to my right to see Erin hadn't even raised her mug at all, simply staring down into the dark drink with a distant look in her eyes. Kaia stood between us and had noticed it as well, shooting me a knowing look.

Théoden spoke up again as the toast finished, his voice booming over the attentive crowd. "Those who offered their lives in sacrifice to defend our prosperity will not be forgotten. But in honor of those men, on this night we are given reason to celebrate! A great victory has been won for Rohan at Helm's Deep!" Here many people broke into applause, cheering and raising their drinks again as the king went on. "Eat, drink, and be merry! For never again shall Saruman the Traitor bring ill will to our people!" His triumphant ending turned scattered cheers into thunderous applause as he raised his own goblet a second time, signaling the end of the speech. As Théoden turned to hand the ceremonial cup off to Éowyn, I looked back to the two women beside me, noting how Erin almost immediately abandoned her mug on the table behind us and continued to stare at the floor.

Kaia's concerned eyes were on her as well. "Hey, you okay?"

Erin nodded, lifting her gaze to both of us as she let out a breath. "Yeah. I think I'm going to go check out the food." She offered a thin smile, but it didn't last, and before either of us could stop her she'd already disappeared into the crowd.

After watching her go, Kaia sighed, turning back to me with a worried look. "Maybe we shouldn't have forced her to come."

"I don't know, she said she was fine with it..." I caught a glimpse of her small frame as she wove through the other men and women, ducking her head. It'd been about three weeks since we'd all been reunited in Meduseld and she'd confessed what had happened at Helm's Deep. Kaia and I had both gone our fair share of days without speaking to her, but now the initial anger was gone for both of us. Although we hadn't necessarily forgiven her for what she'd done, we were at least all on friendly terms again. But Erin had grown more and more reclusive ever since her return to Meduseld, and neither of us knew what to do about it. "I told her she didn't have to stay the whole time if she didn't want to," I said, looking back to Kaia.

"She probably won't," she shook her head, casting another glance over her shoulder with a saddened frown. "I thought she'd at least be able to enjoy herself a little bit, getting all dressed up and everything. Something to at least get her out of our room for awhile... I don't know."

"Yeah." There was a beat of silence, and I took another drink. "I'll go find her in a bit. For now, I promised Éowyn and Éomer I'd hang out with them."

Kaia nodded, her eyes now scanning the crowd around us. "I told Aragorn I'd find him, too. I guess I'll see you around?"

I nodded back. "Guess so. Have fun out there." I turned and headed off towards the front of the hall, trying to take my mind off of all the drama as I squeezed past a dozen burly men. In truth, I'd been looking forward to tonight's party as a chance to relax and enjoy myself. Everything had been so crazy the past few weeks, I felt like I'd hardly seen anyone, especially my fellow Rohirric friends. But within five minutes, a smile split my face as I caught sight of my two favorite blondes up ahead, standing together off to the side of their uncle's throne. I stepped past the last man, reaching to tap Éowyn on the shoulder. "Hey!"

She turned, her face lighting up and smile widening. "Kathryn! There you are!" Éomer took note of me as well from where he stood just past his sister, wrapping up his current conversation with some other man as Éowyn gave me a once-over. "You look wonderful!"

I smiled, glancing down to smooth out the skirt of my favorite golden amber gown. It was the fanciest dress I owned, with long sleeves and all kinds of subtle swirling patterns stitched into it that made me feel like a queen. "Thanks. You'll probably never get to see me in a gown like this again, so enjoy it while it lasts."

Éomer had turned to face us now, glancing in my direction. "You never were one for dressing up," he chuckled.

"Hey, I worked with horses while I lived here. I was not about to ruin a bunch of nice dresses with the skirts dragging through all kinds of hay, mud, and shit."

He laughed again, taking a swig of his own ale. "Good," he replied as he swallowed. "That would be an awful waste of all the money we pay you."

"Technically it's your uncle who pays me," I corrected with a smirk. "So you can thank him for this particular dress."

Éomer smiled, shaking his head. "I shall have to make note of it."

I laughed, glancing back at Éowyn. "You look nice, too," I added, admiring the pale blue fabric littered with tiny beads and delicate embroidery. "Did you pick this one out, or did your handmaids?"

She blinked, turning to me abruptly from where she'd been staring into the crowd. "It was my choice," she answered quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. Too quickly, I thought, turning to follow her line of sight and pulling an uncomfortable face when I realized who she'd been watching. I swallowed it, though, turning back to her with what I hoped was a convincing smile. "An inspired choice, I see."

Éowyn smiled a bit at my teasing, looking down at her feet. "I only wish to become better acquainted with him, Kathryn."

"Okay, sure," I said, giving her a knowing look as I made air quotes. "Acquaintances."

Éomer understood as well, eyes narrowing slightly as he grumbled into his mug. "I do not believe you need to be making any more acquaintances at all."

Éowyn rolled her eyes as I turned on him with an amused expression. "What, you don't think Aragorn's a good guy? He did just help save your country from extinction, you know."

He glanced back in the direction of the dark-haired ranger, skeptical. "It takes more than a hero of war to make a suitable match for my sister."

I laughed, knowing Éomer had a begrudging respect for the man, even if he hadn't completely shaken his natural suspicion of him. It fell silent for a second, and I noticed Éowyn had returned to staring, which made me shift uneasily. I know I shouldn't encourage her, but... "...Why don't you go talk to him?"

Her eyes widened as she looked back at me. "What? No, I... I couldn't."

"Sure you can!" I prodded her with my elbow. "Offer him a drink or something, I don't know. Go say hi!" Éowyn hesitated for a moment, looking down at the goblet she carried for several long seconds. Finally, though, she glanced back at me, and then squared her shoulders as she stepped forward, starting through the crowd to where Aragorn stood several yards away.

Éomer and I watched her go, and once she was out of earshot, he sighed. "You've got to stop doing that."

"What, trying to set her up? Why? She deserves a man!" Just... admittedly, not that particular man. Whoops. I knew Aragorn already had Arwen waiting for him, but I couldn't help it. Éowyn was my best friend, I wasn't about to crush her dreams like that. "You shouldn't worry about her so much," I chided. "That won't help anything."

He raised an eyebrow. "How can I not worry for her when you are the one offering her advice?"

I gasped. "Wow! Rude!" But we both laughed, and I took another drink, a devious smile growing on my face as I leaned on a nearby table. "What about you, Éomer? Did you dress up nicely for anyone here tonight?"

His face completely dropped, and I laughed again. "Don't even think about it."

"Aww, what?" I grinned. "The most eligible bachelor in Edoras, and you don't have your sights set on anybody?" I looked around the room, eyes sweeping over the crowd. "Hmm, let's see..."

"I know what you're trying to do, Kathryn, and it is not going to work-"

"Ooh, what about her?" I pointed towards a girl with dark blonde hair in a deep red gown halfway cross the hall. "She's pretty!" I commented, taking another sip of my drink.

But now Éomer was the one to smirk from behind his goblet. "Why don't you go talk to her yourself, then?"

I choked on my ale halfway through the swallow, pounding a fist into my chest as Éomer laughed beside me. My eyes narrowed into a friendly glare as I turned on him. "Well that was uncalled for."

He only shrugged, knowing he'd won. "I will go offer a drink to a lady the day that you offer a drink to a lady." I opened my mouth, but he cut me off before I could say a word. "Erin and Kaia do not count."

"Damn," I muttered. "Then I guess we'll both be here awhile. I'd have to be very, very drunk to make that happen, and I don't intend on getting hammered tonight."

Éomer laughed, tipping his mug back and finishing the rest of his ale. "Neither do I. But I would prefer to have more than one drink, at the very least." He gestured towards my own half empty mug. "Care to join me?"

I glanced down at it and shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" We made our way towards the back of the hall together, searching for a few minutes before happening upon a keg setup at the end of a long table. Éomer promptly refilled his mug and also the drinks of a few other men, and I took a seat while continuing to drain my own. After a couple minutes of sitting quietly by myself, I spotted Gimli seated not too far off, talking to someone I didn't know. As he got up and left the table, I rose and moved to take his place, plopping down next to the dwarf with a grin. "Hey Gimli! What's up?"

He smiled through his beard when he saw me, a strange twinkle in his eye as he recognized my face. "There ya are, lass! I've been meanin' to find one of you three."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

He paused at first, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, which only heightened my curiosity as he leaned in closer and spoke in hushed whispers. "I've been meanin' to get revenge on the elf for some time after all the fuss he made about our last Orc competition."

Whatever he was referencing went over my head, but I dismissed it. "Revenge?" I asked. "What kind of revenge?"

The twinkle in Gimli's eye only grew brighter as he grinned. "I've a mind to challenge him to a drinking game."

My eyes widened as it immediately clicked in my head, and I matched Gimli's grin. "Oh my God, yes. I definitely want to see Legolas get ridiculously fucking drunk; I'm in! Let's do this!"

The dwarf let out a roaring laugh, clapping me on the back. "Well said, Kathryn! Now where is the pointy-eared bastard? Have you seen him?"

I laughed, already standing up. "No, but I can find him. Stay here; don't move until I get back!" I pointed to Éomer as well. "You too! Start filling mugs!"

"What?" The blond man frowned. "How many?"

"Dozens," I shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be back in a minute." I turned, still grinning as I dove back into the thick of the crowd. "I've got to go find me an elf."

-Erin-

"...And that's how I would've kicked your ass during that sparring session."

I laughed a bit, shaking my head as I leaned forward on the table. "Except you didn't," I pointed out. "I distinctly remember disarming you and having you pinned back against a tree."

Kaia rolled her eyes, waving a dismissive hand from her seat directly opposite me. "You got lucky."

"Right," I nodded, watching with interest as she finished off her third mug. "Do you like that stuff?"

She made a face. "Oh God, of course not. It tastes like watered down piss." I laughed. "But it's alcohol, and it's all they've got."

"Maybe not," I said. "I thought I saw some mead back there when I passed by earlier. I could be wrong, though."

Kaia let out a stifled groan, resting her chin in her hand. "I wish it was wine instead. What kind of party doesn't serve any fucking wine? Or Jack?!" For a moment, her eyes glazed over in nostalgic memory. "If I had five minutes back on Earth, I'd use it to buy as much Jack Daniels as physically possible and bring it back here with me."

I gave a nod of approval. "I hear that. You've still got to try Dorwinion wine at some point, though. It's ridiculously good. I understand why the elves love it so much." Just then, however, I noticed Kaia now intentionally staring at something behind me, and frowned. "Kaia?"

Her eyes remained focused on whatever was back there. "Behind you, Erin. In the green, three tables back."

I turned, curious to see whoever it was that'd grabbed her attention, and as soon as my eyes found her, I smiled. "Her?" The girl was shorter, with long, pale golden hair falling to her hips in gentle waves. She was talking with some other maid, and I turned back to Kaia with a shrug. "She's pretty, I guess."

"Pretty?" Kaia's eyes flicked back to me. "She's hot as hell!" Her gaze returned to the girl, and I caught a sparkle in my friend's dark eyes that I knew all too well.

My brow lifted as I smirked. "And? Are you going to do anything about it?"

Suddenly, Kaia's eyes widened, and she abruptly stood up from her seat. "Her friend's leaving." As she stepped back from the table, a man carrying a tray of drinks passed us by, and Kaia smoothly snagged two full mugs off of him. "I'm going in." She moved to step away, but then stopped, turning back to me at the last second. "How do I look?"

I smiled, glancing over her sleek, sapphire gown with intricate, dark stitching on long, sweeping sleeves. "Stunning," I assured her as she brushed her wild, dark curls out of her face. "Go sweep her off her feet." She smiled back, nodding with a click of the tongue before walking off, ales in hand. I chuckled to myself as I watched her go for a moment, making a beeline for the golden-haired girl a short ways off. Oh, Kaia.

As I turned back to the now empty table before me, though, I felt my smile start to fade. Raucous laughter and enthusiastic conversation surrounded me on all sides from all the other people enjoying the party. Some were singing and dancing as a band of instrumentalists played various tunes somewhere off in the distance, and the entire atmosphere in the great hall was warm and vibrant. I should've been able to enjoy it, but... I couldn't. I felt like an intruder; like someone who didn't belong. I'd already caught a number of subtle scowls and even fearful glances cast my way from the men and women of Edoras. It made me feel like some wild, feral animal - like people were afraid I'd lash out again if they got too close. I stared down at the wood grain of the table, trying to keep to myself as much as possible. I didn't deserve to celebrate anyway. Not after what I'd done. Minutes ticked by as I sat there in silence, never once looking up at anyone who passed me by. I started twisting my ring from Galadriel on my finger, wondering if now would be a good time to slip away. I shouldn't be here anyway. I can just go back to the room and go to bed-

Suddenly, a smooth wooden mug was set down on the table, startling me as I was jolted from my thoughts. I looked up to the mug's owner, a contradictory mix of both relief and apprehension washing over me when I saw his face. "Oh! Hey."

Legolas smiled politely down at me, gesturing to Kaia's now vacant seat. "May I?"

"Uh, sure!" I shrugged, sitting up a little straighter as the elf took a seat. "It was Kaia's spot, but I'm sure she wouldn't care."

Legolas glanced past me, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It would appear she does not intend to return for some time."

I turned to see what he'd noticed, smiling a bit myself as I immediately spotted her in deep conversation with the blonde girl. Kaia leaned in closer, whispering something in her ear which made her laugh. "Yeah, don't think so," I agreed, facing the elf again. "I doubt we'll see her again until sometime tomorrow morning."

He chuckled, taking a drink before returning his attention to me. "Are you enjoying the party?"

Although he'd said it so casually, I suspected he was trying to search for something more, so I smiled and nodded, hoping I wasn't worrying him. "More than I thought I would, actually. You?"

"I would say the same. It has always interested me; experiencing the celebrations of other cultures. They are all so different, and yet..."

"Still just a bunch of people eating and getting drunk, at the end of the day?" I finished for him.

Legolas laughed again, genuinely this time, and I felt myself smile with him. "That is a rather blunt way of putting it, but yes." It fell silent then, and my gaze drifted to staring up at the ornate tapestries hanging from the rafters. I wanted to say something else, I really did, but my brain kept coming up empty. Since when do awkward silences become so commonplace between us? I frowned slightly.

"...I did not know you owned any gowns like this one."

I blinked, coming back to reality again as I looked down, lightly tugging at the muted sage green fabric. "I didn't until a few days ago. Kaia and Kathryn took me shopping so I had something nice to wear. It's nice, though." I paused, lifting my arms a bit. "Except these sleeves. They're so massive, I feel like I could fit my whole body in them!"

Legolas smiled again, taking another sip of his ale. "You exaggerate," he teased. "But it is a fine dress; you look lovely."

As soon as he said it, my mouth went dry, and I felt a painful jab in my chest as I dropped my hands to my lap. It shouldn't have meant anything to me... but somehow I was abruptly thrown back in time, vivid memories of similar words whispered to me ages ago resurfacing. No. Stop it; don't think like that. That's not your life anymore. Forcing myself to push the thoughts aside, I smiled up at him. "Thanks," I answered lightly. He was only being polite, you know that. You know that.

His small smile lingered, and he nodded in return, but then there was another pause as the conversation died out. This time, though, I noticed Legolas' gaze fall to his drink for a second, and something shifted in his face as he looked back up at me. Blue eyes had softened, seeming slightly dimmed, and his brow furrowed slightly in concern as he hesitated before opening his mouth. "...Erin, I-"

"Legolas!"

The unexpected shout drew us both away sharply, my head quickly snapping left to see Kathryn hurrying up to our table. She let out an exhausted huff as she reached it, leaning her weight on the old wood. "Thank God! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Just then, however, she noticed me sitting there as well, and glanced between us both in question. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No, no, you're fine," I said quickly, smoothly cutting in before Legolas could say otherwise. "What's up?"

I was surprised when she turned to the elf, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I need you for something, Legolas. Can you come with me for a second?"

The blond prince and I both frowned, though I was the one to speak. "What? Why, what's going on?"

"Nothing yet!" Kathryn answered, stepping back as Legolas hesitantly rose to his feet. "We're all waiting on him!"

My confusion only deepened. "We?"

"Me, Gimli, and Éomer," she explained, motioning for me to get up as well. "You too, Erin, you should come with us! You'll want to see this," she smirked.

"See what?" I asked, still completely lost as I obeyed.

"I do not understand," Legolas chimed in as we left our table, starting to follow after Kathryn as she led us back through the crowd. "Where are we going?"

"Gimli has a little challenge for you," she called back over her shoulder. "Something he wants you to do."

"A challenge?" he asked. "Like a sparring match?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no. Better. You two are going to have a drinking competition."

In an instant, all the pieces clicked into place, and a grin broke out on my face as I realized what she was talking about. "No way," I gaped. "You're serious?" Kathryn nodded, and I laughed, throwing my head back as I clapped my hands together . "Oh my God, I can't believe I'm going to witness this firsthand. This is incredible." I glanced over at the elf with a knowing smile. "I'm going to enjoy this so much."

Oddly enough, though, there wasn't a trace of fear or worry in Legolas' face at all. He looked... surprisingly confident, actually, returning my smirk. "I would not get too hopeful if I were you," he warned. "The ale of these men is quite weak compared to elvish wine."

I raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty sure of yourself."

Still, there was an almost mischievous glint in his eye as we continued along. "I most certainly am."

My skeptical stare lingered for a moment as he picked up his pace, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I guess he would know his own tolerance, after all. And he is the son of the most notorious wine dad in Middle-Earth. Of course, I knew exactly how the scene would play out, too. I'd always loved watching Legolas absolutely smoke the competition in the movies. Whatever. This will be fun for me to watch either way.

Within five minutes, we'd arrived at the scene, and I smiled as I approached the familiar setup perfectly matching the films. A long table littered with food stretched out in front of us, with a keg of ale set up at one end which Éomer currently operated. Gimli sat near Éomer with his back to us, and Kathryn claimed her spot between the two of them with a wide smile on her face as she sat down. "I got him."

At that, the dwarf turned, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Legolas and I. "There ya are, princeling! What's say you and I have a proper competition, eh?" Kathryn snickered, also knowing what was about to happen.

Legolas went to stand on the other side of the table next to one of the great pillars, and I followed close behind, leaning up against it as Éomer went over the rules. "No pauses... no spills." He handed each of them a mug filled to the brim with ale.

"And no regurgitation!" Gimli added.

I laughed, shaking my head. "God, let's hope not."

"So... it's a drinking game?" the elf asked, looking to Gimli and then Éomer. But something about his tone struck me, and I watched as he eyed the mug with an almost wary expression. Hang on. Something doesn't add up here. Why is Legolas acting so... confused? I've seen him drink before, this should be nothing new to him.

No one else seemed to pick up on it, though. "Last one standing wins," Gimli replied with a gleeful cackle. Several other men surrounding us let out a cheer and raised their mugs as well. Apparently this little event had drawn a decent audience. The dwarf needed no further urging now, so he went right at it, gulping down his first mug in a matter of seconds. Éomer slid him another one without hesitation, and Kathryn grabbed some food for herself as she settled it to watch it all unfold.

But my eyes were still on Legolas. I watched as he slowly lifted the mug to his face, then paused to smell it (of all things) before taking a careful sip. My eyes narrowed. What is up with him? He's acting like he's never seen ale before his entire life, but I know he has. I've seen him drink it.

Kathryn was laughing at the disgusted look on his face as he pulled the mug away. "You're too used to elvish wine!" she teased.

This drew more jeers and laughter from the rest of the surrounding crowd as they all dug into their own ale and food, ready to enjoy the night's entertainment. Still, my curious frown remained as I said nothing, watching as Legolas slowly, almost hesitantly went in for a second sip. And then, while no one else was looking, he caught my eye for just a second, mouth curling into the smallest smirk from behind the rim of his mug. That was when it clicked, and my eyes widened for a moment before I smiled into my own hand as well, understanding everything. That little shit. He's totally playing them. His tactic is to get them to think he's inexperienced and underestimate him. I tried to smother my knowing grin as I reached to snag some food from the table, Legolas slowly draining his first mug while Gimli had already moved on to his third. This is going to be even more fun that I thought.

Nearly an hour later, I looked up from the small but steadily growing pile of empty mugs in front of me, observing the two engaged parties as they drank away. Legolas drained his fifteenth mug and set in on the table while accepting another from Éomer without missing a beat. By now he was downing ale like it was water, which seemed much more like the Legolas I knew. At the beginning of the competition, he'd been quipping and offering mild smack talk to Gimli between drinks, but about twenty minutes ago he'd gone quiet, focusing on the task at hand. He didn't look even remotely fazed by the amount of ale he'd consumed, never once faltering or fumbling for a mug. My gaze then flicked to the dwarf. Gimli, on the other hand... he was about done, I could tell. I watched as he messily chugged his own drink, foam sloshing out and clinging to his beard. He half-tossed it onto the pile of discarded mugs as he finished, and Éomer handed him another one. As he took it, though, Gimli proceeded to loudly fart, drawing several disgusted looks as he laughed and plopped back down in his seat.

"Ew, Gimli, that's fucking gross," Kaia said, scrunching her nose from where she sat beside me. Kathryn had gotten bored and abandoned the table to find Éowyn about half an hour ago, promising to return in time for the finale. Not long after she'd left, Kaia arrived, and I could tell by this point she'd also had several drinks as well (though she was handling it much better than Gimli). She reached across the table and grabbed at a turkey leg, ripping it free and holding it out to me. "Erin, here. Eat this."

I frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because you need it! You need protein!"

I laughed, absolutely baffled by her sudden offer. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You need protein," she said again, trying to push the turkey leg into my face. "Because meat gives you protein, and you need meat... you need meat, and you need protein for meat." She stopped, brow furrowed, seeming slightly confused by her own words.

I laughed again, shaking my head. "That made absolutely no sense, Kaia." I gently pushed the grease-covered meat back in her direction. "I've got a better idea - why don't you eat the turkey leg? Something tells me you need it more than I do." I looked back to Legolas as he emptied another mug and casually set it down before taking another one from Éomer. Man, he's still like... rock solid. Unbelievable. I don't think he's flinched even once this entire time.

Just then, Gimli let out another roaring laugh, a drunken craze in his eyes as he looked around. "It's the dwarves that go swimming... with little hairy women!" He burped loudly, continuing to laugh at his own joke afterwards as he leaned halfway across the table to grab another ale.

Kaia was staring at Gimli in utter shock. "...How are you still conscious?"

All of a sudden, Legolas looked down at his hand with interest, speaking up for the first time in ages. "...I feel something..." Everyone turned to him, and I couldn't keep a straight face as he stared at his fingers like he was seeing them for the first time. "A slight tingle in my fingers!" He suddenly turned to me with an awed expression. "I think it's affecting me!"

I burst out laughing, unable to keep my composure as I shook my head in disbelief. "Really? After only twenty-some mugs of ale?" I asked sarcastically. I looked back up at him, expecting to see him drop the act for a second and shoot me another knowing smirk, but Legolas still looked slightly freaked out as he met my gaze. "Don't worry, you won't die," I said, still smiling as I played along.

Gimli, however, had reached his breaking point. His words were so slurred I could barely make out what he said as he spoke, unable to keep his gaze focused on anything at all. "What did I say? He can't hold his liquor..." He trailed off, going cross-eyed before completely tilting back and falling backwards off the bench with a crash. Kaia jumped as he toppled, dropping her turkey leg.

We all stared at the now unconscious dwarf, silent until Legolas finally spoke up, a smug smirk on his face. "Game over." The few that remained at the table burst into applause, many of the men laughing and clapping Legolas on the back as they began to disperse.

Kaia was now laughing as she stood over Gimli. "He didn't even win at his own damn game." She looked up at me again, still laughing as she took another drink and steadied herself against the table. A moment later, though, her gaze fell elsewhere, and suddenly her eyes went wide as saucers. "Erin, there she is!" she gasped. "The... fucking, the girl!"

I followed her line of sight, and for the second time that evening smiled as I saw the same golden-haired girl from earlier standing nearby. This time, however, I definitely caught her sneaking glances over in our direction. Specifically Kaia's direction. "Well what are you standing there for?" I urged. "Go get her!" Kaia needed no further prompting, draining the last of her ale in a flash as her dark eyes never left the other woman. She took off the moment her mug hit the table, tripping over Gimli in the process and almost falling flat on her face. Thankfully, she managed to save herself, and I laughed as I watched her go.

Éomer glanced back to Gimli with an amused expression, nudging him with his boot slightly. Gimli didn't even stir, to which the blond man chuckled. "It appears our dwarven friend has had his fill for the night."

"Oh yeah," I nodded. "He's going to be feeling that for the next week."

Éomer gave a grunt of agreement, carefully stepping over the dwarf. "I will go find another to assist me in returning him to his chambers."

"Sounds good," I said. "Legolas and I can stay here and help clean up a bit." Éomer gave a nod before heading off, leaving the elf and I the only two who remained at the table. I turned back to immediately start gathering up all the mugs and cluster them together, still smiling to myself. "Oh my God... I can't believe you actually did that. You had them all fooled, you know. Everyone was convinced you'd never had a drink in your life before." When I received no answer, I paused, looking up at the elf. "Legolas? You okay?" He'd gone absolutely still, standing with his back to the pillar and his eyes closed as if he'd just fallen asleep standing up. I frowned, stepping closer to him. "Legolas!"

Blue eyes shot open then, blinking several times as if struggling to focus, and he turned his head to look at me, though curiously tilting it to the side. "...Erin. You're here."

"Yeah," I said slowly, chuckling. "I'm still here. Come on, help me out. Half of this is your mess anyway." I gestured to the pile of mugs.

His gaze slowly drifted in that direction as well, settling on the mess strewn halfway across the table. For several seconds, Legolas just stared at it in silence. But then he blinked. And then he did maybe the most un-Legolas thing I'd ever witnessed in my life: he started giggling. Like a fucking schoolgirl.

I stared at him, not entirely sure what to think as this uncharacteristically giddy laughter continued like these mugs were the funniest things in the world. "...What in the world are you laughing at?"

"The mugs..." More laughter. "Look how many there are!" But then he seemed to remember the task at hand and tried to swallow his laughter with a nod. "Right. We must clean them." He took a step forward, reaching for the table, but somehow missed the giant bench in front of him, stumbling and nearly falling face-first into the pile of mugs.

"Legolas!" I shot forward and grabbed him by the shoulder as he caught himself, unable to keep myself from laughing at his near wipeout. "Jesus, are you okay?" But again, he was laughing, even as I helped him pull himself back to his feet, and all of a sudden the realization hit me. "Wait... Oh my God, you're drunk." I stared at him in shock, though still half-laughing with him. "But how... were you pretending to be sober this whole time?!"

Legolas held up a hand. "No," he protested, though now I noticed his words smearing together ever so slightly. "Not for all of it... just... most of it.

I burst out laughing again, hardly able to believe what I was seeing. "What the hell?" Legolas started laughing again too, and for a moment neither of us could hardly get any words out at all. "Oh... Oh God, this is rich," I gasped, grinning widely. "You're so plastered; how did this even happen?"

The dazed, giddy smile never left his face as distant music picked up somewhere in the background. "Dance with me, Erin!" He reached out, lightly grasping my forearms.

I laughed again, but looked down and shook my head. "No, I think I'm good. You know I'm a terrible dancer."

I tried to pull back, but he persisted, taking a step closer. "Dance with me."

My eyes lifted to meet his, but when they did, I stilled. Suddenly I was aware of just how close he was, and a horrible hollow feeling began to build in my stomach. "Legolas..." I swallowed, my smile dimming. "You're drunk."

Still, he seemed unfazed, and something in his eyes softened then as he hummed pleasantly. "...And you're pretty."

My breath caught in my throat, and I drew back again, pulling away from him. Memories of the past flooded my mind, and suddenly I remembered everything - the kiss in Lothlórien, him carrying me on his back across the plains of Rohan, falling asleep at his side every night, seeing his smile and hearing his laugh - it all came rushing back, all at once. "Stop," I whispered, closing my eyes in an attempt to shut it all out. "Please."

But still, I felt a hand close around my wrist, delicately, as if I were porcelain. I felt fire race up my arm. "Why aren't you laughing?" he asked, softer now. "You stopped laughing... Lonnanûniel..." [Erin]

"You're drunk," I said again, though more to myself than him.

"...Galar i chent gîn ned i gladhog." [...Your eyes shine when you laugh.]

Pain burst in my chest. "Stop!" I jerked back, eyes stinging, ripping my hand away from him. I gasped for breath, as if I'd been drowning, panic flooding my veins. His brow creased, as if he did not understand, and I registered a brief flash of hurt across his face. That's not him, I told myself. It's not.

"Erin?"

I turned at the sound of a concerned voice and froze at the sight of Éomer standing behind us, another tall man with him. His dark eyes darted from Legolas to me, shoulders tensed as they landed on me last with unspoken question.

More panic. "No, no, he's fine - he's just - he's drunk, and I -" Words tumbled from my mouth faster than I could stop them, and for a second I almost felt sick. "I'm sorry, I need to go." My voice shook as I turned my back on Legolas, shoving past Éomer and fleeing the scene as fast as I could. I tore through the crowd, looking for a way out, feeling like my lungs had been ripped from my chest as I wiped furiously at my eyes. Stop it, you idiot. Stop crying, why are you crying?! Roaring cheers and music grew louder and louder as I pushed through the crowd, a door in my sights. But somehow it was all drowned out by Legolas' soft voice distantly echoing in my head, sweet nothings whispered in my ear that I'd tried to bury weeks ago. Every ounce of me fought to push it out, but I couldn't. It was too much. It was all too much.