Translation: "Muindor(-nin)": (my) brother (by blood)
GO AND READ BAKABOKKEN'S REVIEW. NOW. SHE WROTE IT LIKE AN ACTUAL PIECE OF A STORY ABOUT HER READING THE LAST CHAPTER. IT'S HILARIOUS. GO AND READ IT NOW!
Okay, any lynch mobs still out there? (waves white flag) (("There will be no- white- flag above myyy door-" Ahem. Sorry. Random.)) Also, let just clarify- LEGOLAS. IS. DEAD. NO FAKING. HE IS AS DEAD AS A DOORKNOB. (Sorry, just didn't wanna copy Dickens)
So do not hold your breath waiting for someone to say, "Wait, he didn't really die! Yay!" However... read on if you dare. (The lyrics I used are what I could gather. The music is sung by Germans, so their pronunciation is a bit hard to understand for me.) Enjoy!
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Responses:
Deana - Thanks for the review! Hope ya like it. I know, not soon, but December is the busiest time of year for musicians, and I live in a family of them as well as being one. As for the twins blaming themselves- I'm counting on it! (insert evil-laugh-that-takes-up-a-whole-chapter here) Hope this is good enough. If I have time to send you a copy as a beta of the next chappie, I will. You are so encouraging! Plus, I have a new fic up that you might like: Immortal Stranger. Go ahead and read if you have time. Ta!
sanzoeclipsekuramaarehot - HA! I got your NAME! (preens) Glad you likey! Umm... just don't be making out with the computer in the library. Hey, it's a machine, yo. HA! Poor librarian.
Elven Fantasy - Hey, did you know your name is a genre? Ahem. No actually, I didn't do it out of spite. ...I did it for reviews XD No, I had this planned. It's awesome for even me to read, so that's why I wrote it. As I said earlier, yes, he is dead. And no, Elrond does it revive him. ...But I have something else that you may not like almost as much as what I already did: Legolas may not be the only one who is going to die. Chew on that one awhile! (evil grin)
Elven Ranger - Aww, I'm sorry! I guess I'm glad the writing was that good and whatnot, but I don't like seeing people THAT sad! Well, that is one of the highest compliments an angst writer can get: tears. Thank you! And I apologize! As for bringing them back...
whiteswan - (looks at twin arrows sticking out of her buns) I guess this update wasn't quick enough... (pluck) OUCH! Okay, yes, I killed him. (silence) COME BACK! Look, keep reading, you may still like it. And I made YOU cry too?! Wow, I better start handing out boxes of kleenex at the beginning of each chapter! (hands kleenex box to Elven Ranger and whiteswan) Especially this one. And I am so glad you liked Arwen, I was nervous.
Roguish Smile - Yes, actually I did. That's one reason why I kept it. The other was to have someone for Aragorn to lean on and witness his pain. Ahh... angst. So sorry! (hands out third box of kleenex)
Lint Ball of Doom - I know. I've said I'm evil from the beginning, haven't I? But you better believe it, he's dead. And yes, I am mean. Sorry yet again, but you know you like it!
Hayai Akurei - Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger? Thank you for the compliments! I love descriptions, they totally set the mood. And yes, Lord knows I love pulling heartstrings; I pull more in this chapter. I wonder if they'll snap eventually... And NO, no slash. Good Lord, slash with the twins? Yuck; that's just wrong. Yes, I will have to let my muses off of their chairs soon. (calls back) Is the duct tape too tight? ("Mrph!") Good.
Shadowfaxgal - Ah! One of my fave reviewers! I wait for your reviews a lot too! Thanks, and no worries about chapter 7! And hey, I am writing a book, "Eelan: The Augury". Hopefully I can get it published... If you wanna read some of it, I finally created an account on It's my homepage on my author's bio for Feel free to read and review! And, heeere's more! Ta!
BakaBokken - ... BUAAHAHAHAHAA! Everyone who has not read this woman's review, go do so now! ("Lack of an e-mail... Hahaha!) Oh man, for another review like that, I'd kill him all over again! Heck, maybe I will. Ta! Thank goodness for late hours. (reads again) Wait- YOU OFFERED ME ICE CREAM?! Dear God! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
hineko - Wow, I snagged a Lurker! Cool! (reels her in) "Stressed out" nursing student? Good Lord, is that an understatement from what I've heard. Good luck! And hey, here's yet another stress pill for you. Check out "Immortal Stranger" too, if you liked this. I couldn't get that out of my head until I posted it.
Hyperactive Forever - As a matter of fact, yes, Elrond did fly away! Hahaha! Read on. "My supreme angsty-writing-ness"? I like it! And yes, poor Leggy was an important character... I wonder what'll happen. Hopefully you'll get a few answers in this chappie. (reads last line) Umm... Yes, about Elladan... (ducks for cover) ('Lord, she's going to hate me for this...')
Sanaryelle - That is without a doubt the prettiest, most unique name I have ever read. And man, what an encouraging review! I'm readable, balanced, accurate in evoking scenes... man. Thank you so very much! Elrond the great healer working miracles? Perhaps. For Legolas though? No.
Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure - Hey, thanks for taking time out of school. I know it's heck . And yes, I know, not soon, but at least it's up, right? Yes, I'm always good for people who want friendship, angst, and torture without sexuality, and a bit of gore. (Okay, a lot of gore.) Thanks again! Enjoy.
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"...Hoist the fea
Soon my spirit will return
Welcome dawn
Your light will take me home
I say farewell
I say farewell...
To the Eldar
I'm trapped inside this dream
Of the Eldar's
Song of Doom..."
Blind Guardian, The Eldar
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Chapter Nine: Grief and Loosed Ends
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In all his life, Elladan had never been more on edge than while running alone through the plains of Rohan. Every step he took was not fast enough to satisfy him; every hindering stone in his path, every hill blocking the way to his destination seemed to become a new weight on his heart.
If only I had been faster, if only I hadn't let the Uruk-hai get me off my horse, none of this would have ever happened, he thought painfully, the truth cutting more efficiently than a newly-sharpened dagger.
LEGOLAS! OH VALAR, LEGOLAS!
The cry was staggering in its magnitude. Elladan nearly fell over in shock.
"Elrohir?!" Elladan stopped running and stared into the distance, feeling his brother's pain and anguish but not knowing why, tears forming involuntarily in his eyes as the fierce emotions swept him. "El-Elrohir, what is happening?!"
I've killed him- Elladan, I've killed him, oh Valar-
A bolt could have shot through Elladan's heart then, and the pain wouldn't have been any greater. A flash of white light blinded him to his surroundings, and blurry pictures of his comrades filled his vision. The plains disappeared to reveal Eowyn, tear-filled eyes meeting his, and he started slightly as Arwen came into view, standing beside him. 'What is she doing there?' he wondered inanely. But worst of all, burned into his mind's eye like a brand:
Estel holding an unmoving body, sobbing as though his heart were shattered, and in another flash of light, Legolas' face came into focus. His eyes were closed, and blood streaked the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his bare shoulder.
With a burst of white light he was thrown back into his own body, and the shock was so great that he fell to his knees, crumpling like a wooden doll. "Le-Legolas..." he murmured, tears overflowing from swollen eyelids and dripping mercilessly from black lashes. "Elbereth, it's my fault- Oh, Valar- He's dead... He is dead-"
His mind went blank. Elrohir had slipped into hysteria; he no longer knew or felt coherently what he was thinking, most likely because their thoughts were the same. I've killed him- oh please, Valar- I've killed him-
In the void, something touched Elladan's consciousness, a sort of fluttering, golden warmth that seemed to brush him with its passing. It brought him back to his senses enough to realize that the presence felt familiar, and he blinked, tears stemming slightly as he realized who it was.
"Legolas?"
Do not grieve, a voice commanded, not without tenderness. It was my choice. Let me go.
Elladan was horrified. "How- how can you ask this of me?!"
Goodbye, my friend. You must care for Elrohir, and take good care of Estel as well, for I know not what he may do. But at least now he still has the two of you. To lose both of you would have broken him, Elladan.
"And losing you will not?" he cried bitterly. "Legolas, you do not know what you have done to him! And your father! What will become of him should you go? It will kill him, my friend!"
The voice felt a bit uncertain, as if the feeling of regret was foreign to it. Then it answered him, softly.
One of us had to die. I would have it be only one of us, it said at last. Goodbye, Elladan... Know that I love you all, and I will see you again. Farewell.
"Legolas!" he screamed, trying to keep the voice close to him. "No! LEGOLAS!"
Elladan received no reply.
He was gone.
Elladan lay kneeling helplessly, his raven hair the only spot of true dark in an endless field of desolation. He wept for an eternity, asking the Valar why, why did this have to be? He couldn't think, he could barely breathe. The grief threatened to tear him from consciousness, and the Noldor gripped the grass as though it were the only consolation left to him.
In the swirl of thoughts rushing through his head, a sudden call captured his attention and held it. A sound was echoing through him, something strange, and very far off. The elf's eyes snapped wide, and he trembled when he realized that he knew.
He knew what the sound was, even though he had never heard it:
Gulls.
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Valar, please don't let this be true...
Arwen stood like a stone pillar at Aragorn's back, hands covering her mouth. When they had first seen him, she thought nothing could be more terrible than having to endure such agony. But then he had gone still, and she watched in horror as her love wept for his childhood friend. Her mind wandered involuntarily to an image given her by Elrohir, in a bright, sunlit vale.
))A small, dark-headed boy of six sat in the grass beneath an oak tree, looking up with curiosity at the blond wood-elf lounging gracefully on one of its branches. He watched with his hands folded on his stomach as the child weaved a small tapestry out of grass and twigs, leaning back against the trunk with a small smile on his face.
'My name's Estel. What's yours?'
'You may call me Legolas, young one.' His tone was relaxed, brimming with contentment. He sounded almost sleepy.
'Legolas.' The boy tried it out. 'I like that name. You're all over here.'
A puzzled look. 'What?'
The child pointed. 'There's a green leaf, and there's a green leaf, and there's a green leaf- There's lots of you.'
A string of musical laughter. 'So I see.'
He looked back down at his task, his small brow furrowed in concentration. 'I'd like it if we got to be friends. That way, even if you went home, I could still see you.' His tone was distracted.
'I would like that too, young one.'
The little boy looked up again, a pleased smile on his face. 'Does that mean we can be friends?'
More laughter. 'But of course!'((
The prince laughed into silence, the lingering sunlight fading away along with it. It was replaced with darkness, and Legolas' blood-stained body lying limp in the arms of a dark-headed man. Now, eighty-one years later, the Dunadan was grown to full manhood, bereft of his first, best companion and wounds burning within him that would never heal. Now Estel the Man cried out his anguish, sobbing quietly into the elf's chest and clutching the body to his own.
And not even a single spot of green was left to comfort him.
Arwen was startled out her reverie by a wracking cry from the far side of the room. Her brother had stumbled blindly to the wall of stalagmites and fallen to a sitting position in the arms of a human woman. Elrohir must have known her, for the dark-blond Edan was trying in vain to calm him, calling his name while tears flowed freely down her face.
"Lord El-Elrohir, please-" she begged, haltingly. "My lord, you mustn't blame yourself; it wasn't your fault-"
He was staring in horror at Legolas, clinging to her encompassing arms and shaking his head, muttering to himself. His voice trembled with hysteria. "No- Elladan- we- I-I've- I have k-killed him, Elladan- I've-"
Elrohir sucked in a breath and cried out in an agony that far surpassed any he'd experienced at the hands of the Uruks, eyes shut tight and dripping with hot tears.
The cry was so plaintive and rang with such unbearable loss that it struck her like a blow in its un-Elven harshness, and two crystalline droplets streaked swiftly down her cheeks. Arwen saw her sibling twist in the blond woman's arms and bury his face into his hands as if to hold himself together, pressing his palms painfully into his eyes. She looked up helplessly and met Arwen's gaze, pleading; the poor woman obviously had no clue what to do.
The she-elf forced herself to move, tearing away from Aragorn's side and stepping lightly to the Rohirrim woman. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. "Muindor...? Brother?" Arwen tried again, louder this time. "Elrohir?" She sniffed softly, attempting to get her own breathing under control, but it was no use. Erhia's gaze met hers briefly, and they both looked away.
Elrohir was crying inconsolably into the shoulder of her rough dress, and she held him to her as if he were her own child. "He doesn't hear," Erhia murmured through his ebony locks.
When his cries subsided into softer sobs of guilt, she tried again. "Elrohir," Arwen pleaded, more urgently this time, the elvish rolling swiftly and smoothly off her tongue. "Elrohir, please, look at me. It is Arwen. Come back to me, my brother," she begged him. The she-elf lay a hand on his head, attempting to calm him with her presence.
It failed, or so she thought. The Noldor was digging his fingernails into his temples, drawing blood, quaking in anger, frustration and utter anguish.
"I have killed him, Arwen," he said brokenly, startling her. "It is my fault..."
Valar, help him bear this...
"No," she said sternly, trying with all her might to gain control of her voice. "It was not your fault, Elrohir. Legolas... Legolas chose to save you. He did what he thought was necessary, what he thought was right. He saved your lives, muindor."
"No- n-no," the twin sobbed, every word shaking. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way- It wasn't- It wasn't his time- Oh Valar, Elbereth, please-"
"Elrohir-"
He pulled away from Erhia's embrace, spun around and wrapped both arms around his sister, squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe. His long legs curled underneath him and there he knelt, sobbing into her stomach and letting the grief overtake him completely.
It was too much for her to bear. Arwen looked with wide, reddened eyes at the human opposite her, holding her brother numbly as he wept, and she cried with him, two immortals mourning the loss of their dearest friend. And as they sat there immobile in each other's arms, Arwen couldn't help but wonder:
If it is this... painful... with Legolas... How will I ever bear it when Estel...?
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To any other being, (besides perhaps Sauron or an orc,) the view would have been breathtaking. But with the heavy veil of foreboding blanketing his vision, Elrond Peredhil was not even slightly moved by its beauty. It had been hours over the glistening snow, long and tiring but for the driving urgency of his sons' call, and even the misty mountains were nothing more than an obstacle in a father's path.
"Are you well, Lord Elrond?" Gwaihir questioned below him. "You have been... how do you say... fidgeting? For the past two hours."
The elf lord blushed slightly in embarrassment. "My apologies, Lord Gwaihir."
"It is forgiven. If it were my hatchlings, the Valar know I'd be preening." The deliberate lack of humor in the solemn eagle's tone almost made him smile as he tried to picture a nervous Gwaihir.
LEGOLAS!
"Unh!" Elrond slammed forward into the eagle lord's back, making him spin to regain his composure and not get knocked out of the sky. He gave a piercing cry, dipped sharply into a patch of cold cloud and arced back toward the open air, mist spilling from his enormous wings.
Gwaihir looked over his shoulder to see the elf lord sprawled out on top of him, his hair in disarray, wine-coloured robes billowing behind them, clutching his head as though in great pain. His eyes were wide and uncomprehending, and the eagle knew he was in the midst of a vision. "Lord Elrond," he called gently.
The dark-haired half-elf started and blinked away the fog over his eyes. His breath came in halting gasps. "The... The prince..." Elrond managed.
"Prince Legolas?"
"He has done something terrible... I no longer fear for my sons, Gwaihir, but for him. It may be too late." Oh, Valar, I beg of you. Thranduil will not be able to accept this. If Legolas dies... The dark-haired elf lord shook himself out of his trauma-induced stupor and tried carefully to sit upright on his mount's back. "Please hurry, my friend," Elrond implored him. "We must reach Helm's Deep and find my son."
"Of course, Elrond." The eagle's tone was low and comforting, deliberately losing the elf-lord's title as he dived into the fog.
An hour passed in silence and mist, until finally they broke through the field of clouds and were looking upon a field of a different kind. Rohan. The boulders that shouldered their way through the grassy hills dotted them like pebbles from their vantage point, and the darkness on the horizon could be seen spreading like a blackening stain on beautifully patterned cloth.
"We must find Mithrandir; perhaps he can aid us here. Go towards the Deep, but pass over the plains a bit slower. We may see who else is here," Elrond said distractedly.
A faint shout caught Elrond's attention and he pointed in its direction. Gwaihir needed no further instruction, and Elrond prayed as they lowered to the ground that they would make it before the prince ran out of time.
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It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense any more.
Only minutes ago, Legolas had been admitting to putting worms in his boots, and reliving their times at Rivendell. Now he had disappeared from their lives, and he would never come back. Never smile again, never comfort him again, never be there at his back where they could count on one another. Never speak to the trees again, never sing. Never argue with Gimli over the best place to hold celebrations, be it caves or forests.
As time wore on, the pain grew. Aragorn was startled at how badly it hurt him. Legolas was growing cold in his arms, and the limp limbs were beginning to stiffen and freeze in place. The ranger was at a loss; his heart seemed to be growing colder with him. Arwen was across from him, holding Elrohir as he wept, and the warmth of his own tears was lost in the skin of ice surrounding him. A sob shook his frame and he buried his head deeper into his friend's chest.
The dwarf next to him had cursed violently and left, hurrying up the passage to the keep. Aragorn strongly suspected he was crying, and wanted to be alone in his grief. Minutes later, he lifted his head and stared blankly into Legolas' white face. He looked like he had fallen asleep, but the more he thought about it the worse the pain became. The elf was not sleeping, and lying to himself would not make him come back.
The pounding in his ears took shape, and he realized the elves above him were on the march into Helm's Deep. Too late. Slowly the ranger stood, carrying the elf like a baby in his strong arms, tears tracking down his otherwise calm face. He was drained; nothing mattered now. He felt nothing.
Nothing, save for the hatred he had for the beings responsible for this, and the revenge he would take for his friend.
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"I come with word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. We fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance," Haldir stated formally, inclining his head.
"I thank you for your help, Master elf, and your lord as well," Theoden said with gratitude, bowing slightly in return. "Lord Aragorn is also here, I will have him-"
"Ai... Lord Haldir..." The Lothlorien elf looked up at the soft murmur from the elven footsoldier beside him, and his heart stopped.
Theoden turned, and behind him at the top of the stairs stood Aragorn. The ranger looked quite haggard, and his eyes were so reddened they looked painful. He had obviously been weeping for a long while, and wept still, but at the moment his face could have been porcelain. Aragorn's pale cheeks and brow were neutral, completely still.
But worse, to everyone's shock and horror, the prince of Mirkwood lay unmoving in the Dunadan's arms, his head tilted back and lolling, exposing a white throat. The ranger had both arms beneath his prone form, the only thing supporting the body.
The prince's lips were tinged blue, and his body was covered in slashes. The most disturbing and most grieving of all, his stomach had apparently been slit, and the gaping wound had poured blood over both of them. Aragorn's hands were stained red, and he descended the steps slowly, moving toward Haldir with the utmost care for the corpse he held against him. One arm lay over the prince's waist and the other hung lifelessly from Aragorn's grasp, swinging slightly as he walked.
When he reached the middle step and moved into view of the Elven soldiers, a great cry was raised. The solid ranks of elves were almost broken and a great wail of anguish was taken up by the army.
"Prince Legolas!"
"The prince has been killed!"
"No!"
"Ai, Thranduilion is dead!"
"Elbereth..."
"The prince!"
Aragorn finally reached Haldir at the last of the steps, kneeling before him. As one, the ranks went to their knees, touching the tips of their fingers to their hearts and solemnly bowing their heads.
The Lothlorien elf's eyes were wide in sorrowed disbelief. "Prince Legolas," he breathed, hands raised above the body as though he wasn't sure what to do. Aragorn stared into space, tears still coursing down the well-traversed path to his chin. Haldir saw the emptiness in his eyes and his own vision became clouded.
"Oh Estel," he whispered. "Forgive me."
Aragorn looked up at him slowly, and a hard edge lined his grey gaze. "The Uruks are approaching. I will have my revenge, and so will you."
The Dunadan placed Legolas tenderly in Haldir's arms, and directed his speech at the soldiers, raising his voice. "My brothers, hear me. Saruman's army seeks to destroy us all. The Uruk-hai have taken your prince, killed your people, and would relish in the destruction of all free peoples of Arda. We will not let this stand. We will have our revenge for this outrage."
Fire was slowly rekindling in his features as he spoke.
"They have killed Legolas Thranduilion, and for that they will pay! We will decorate our swords with their blood, and they will fall as Legolas fell! Let the evil of Sauron and Saruman fall and die by our hands!"
A great shout from Elf and Man alike sounded over the plains as the elves of Middle-earth swore their revenge for their dead prince, and all prepared to kill... and be killed.
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Reviews are very cool.
SOOO sorry this took so long! Hope you liked Elrond's thing. He has a much more complicated problem in a very short while. Thank my friend David for that; he has such great suggestions. It was even an accident that he mentioned what I have planned next. Hope you like!
Again, if you like this story, check out 'Immortal Stranger' too. It's a little something that was cutting off the flow of created juices and had to get it out. Go ahead and read those author's notes to see why it took so long. I love Christmas, but GEEZ I hate the Christmas season. It's heck for musicians.
'Ta! Review and gimme some encouragement!