Legolas still struggles with fatigue. It still wears him out and drags him down.

His wound is healed now, no more than a silver track upon his skin, the bandages long abandoned but the tiredness remains. By days end he is often drifting through dream paths when he should be bright and alert.

The Healers enforce rest upon him and seemingly random potions but I am now convinced this is more than a lingering poison. This is his fea bending under the strain the world has placed upon it. I realise too now that I am one of the things that has weighed him down but although I see more clearly still I do not know how to help him.

I feel as though I have been trapped within a chrysalis, the cage of my anger and resentment, and now I have broken free. Now I am a new creature, a butterfly, and I dry my wings in the sun of freedom. But I am not lighthearted. Instead I am burdoned with remorse and regret.

All day it consumes me. Memories of moments when I have failed him. When I have shut myself off, have raged against him when he is trapped with no options. When I have hurt him, and worse than that, I have hurt him with intent.

What can I do now to make this right?

The day is a good one, as days now go. Legolas maintains his cheery demeanour, Erynion basks in it and I wallow silently in my newfound shame. With every smile Legolas bestows upon me I am pierced by a shard of guilt.

Eventually though his tiredness catches up with him. Irritability creeps into the edges of his good mood and he retreats from us.

So it is that he is not with us when the dwarf arrives.

We know when he is coming, for the border guards alert us shortly before. The sun is low in the sky, lighting it into a red-orange haze and as he emerges from amongst the trees it seems to me as though he is a hero come to save us.

I never thought I would be so glad to see a dwarf.

"Gimli. It is good to see you!" Erynion greets him with happiness. He is obviously as relieved at his arrival as I am and they know each other well.

"Erynion." The dwarf nods gruffly and his eyes sweep across the courtyard.

"Where is the Elf then?"

"Resting." Erynion replies. "He is weary."

"Still?" I watch as the dwarf's eyebrows shoot up in alarm.

"Aragorn told me he was ailing with some poison but he should surely have recovered by now!"

"It is more than that I think." I interrupt them softly. I am nervous speaking to this strange mortal but if I want him to help Legolas he must know everything there is to know.

The dwarf's eyes alight on me with open curiosity.

"My Lady," he says and he bows, causing me a rush of embarrassment. I am not used to this treatment. We do not indulge in such finery here where I might, by position, be able to demand it and in the Greenwood I am just a warrior, no matter what my standing with Legolas.

"I have not had the pleasure I believe. Gimli Gloinson at your service."

"I am Maewen." I hesitate to say more...what is there to say anyway, that, no doubt, Elessar has not already told him.

His face lights up.

"Indeed? The writer of my letter and the reason I am here-" he is interrupted then by a cry, his name echoing across the courtyard.

"Gimli!"

It is Legolas and he is alight with joy. He radiates it as he strides towards us, long legs carrying him with speed. He looks better than he has in days. The sight of the dwarf has transformed him.

"Gimli I did not expect you!" He bends and embraces him. That strange greeting the mortals always do. It seems odd that Legolas has adopted it so easily.

"Why are you here?"

"I come from Minas Tirith, lad." The dwarf says then and Legolas' face falls.

"Aragorn has had some interesting things to tell me Legolas."

I cringe at the mention of Elessar and wait for the rage, the unreasonableness we have come to expect, to erupt from Legolas at the mention of his name.

It does not come.

Instead Legolas shifts uneasily on his feet and his eyes dart around everywhere but the dwarf.

"Things are not well between us." He eventually mumbles, staring at the ground.

"Indeed." Gimli continues, "That is what he told me. And you have chosen not to answer correspondence so I have come to see for myself what the trouble is."

Now there is a flash of spirit from Legolas.

"He hurt me!" He snaps sharply and Gimli folds his arms. He is obviously not to be messed with.

"And you hurt him, I have no doubt. Still there is time enough to speak on this later." and he dismisses the subject as easily as that. Instead he turns all his dwarvish attention onto me.

"Who is the delightful Lady, Legolas? I believe we have not met before." And he gives Legolas a look full of innuendo and mischief.

I feel Legolas tense up as he stands next to me and he throws his arm protectively across my shoulders.

"This is Maewen." His eyes flash dangerously, daring the dwarf, I think, to say more.

And it seems Gimli is up for the challenge.

"Maewen." He says, "Aragorn had much to say about her as well. I am concerned about his mind, Legolas, for he told me she was your love and he is obviously imagining things. I told him as much. I said Legolas is my closest friend and he has said not one word so it cannot be true. For as dear as he is to my heart he would have told me something as important as this. Is that not right Legolas?"

I hold my breath for this cannot go well. Legolas will wipe the floor with him. The silence which follows seems to linger on interminably.

"He speaks the truth," Legolas says eventually through gritted teeth and it is as if these first words are forcibly dragged from him.

"She is my love, my light, my soul." He adds with the softest of smiles in my direction and my heart twists.

The dwarf appears shocked but I know he is not and Legolas knows it too.

"Ah Legolas. The things you hide from us. It is not good, not good at all."

Beside me Legolas bristles with indignation and I begin to think about confessing all. Telling the dwarf my part in this. Telling him Legolas kept quiet on my behalf. They cannot start fighting this soon after he has arrived!

But the dwarf goes on.

"What has the poor girl done to deserve being saddled with you?" He says.

And Legolas laughs. He throws back his head and laughs.

"Gimli I have missed you!" He exclaims and he throws himself at the dwarf like a whirlwind.

"Come! We will talk." And he gathers him up escorting him away across the courtyard.

I am left staring after them in astonishment.

"I told you they were strange together." Erynion says in my ear.

"I have found it is best not to think too hard about it. It will give you a headache. Just accept they are what they are."

"Why did he allow that? He just stood there and took it...from a dwarf! And he laughed.."

"I know." Erynion shrugs. "They do fight though...sometimes and it is all heat and fire, but then it is gone with the breeze and they carry on as if it has never happened. Just accept it Maewen. I tell you, you will never make sense of them."

And so I watch them disappear into the Hall and I wonder, why can the dwarf handle him when we cannot?

Legolas and the Dwarf do not reappear and so when it is time for dinner Erynion sends food to the dwarf's room where they are closeted.

I am burning with curiosity as to what they are doing so somehow, when it is late and I retire to our rooms, I find myself walking the long way—past the dwarf's room— I tell myself it is just because I wish to stretch my legs, no other reason, none at all. To my complete surprise as I draw near to the room I see the door has been left ajar...only slightly...I can hear the murmur of their voices. They are still in there. I should pull the door to and be on my way. I will do that, I tell myself. I will not listen. I will not.

I do.

"You must speak with Aragorn, Legolas. This has gone on too long."

Have they been talking about Elessar all this time?

"I know that Gimli," Legolas sounds exhausted to my ears, "but I am angry, I am still angry."

"He was clumsy with his words, I admit that. He could have phrased things better than he did, but he deserves a chance to put this right." The dwarf will not let it go. I have heard they are stubborn creatures.

I hear a thud then. I imagine it is Legolas, pulling back his chair and getting to his feet.

"If it were not for him..." he cries.

"If it were not for him what Legolas?"

"If it were not for him I would not be here and Taenor would not have been here. He would still be alive Gimli! And Aragorn..." Legolas tails off into silence.

"And Aragorn?" The dwarf prods him gently. I am impressed by his calm.

"I have given up so much," Legolas says finally and his voice is soft and quiet. "So much Gimli, and it felt as if he threw it all back in my face."

It is still here then, his guilt over Taenor. This guilt that hurts him so much that he piles it atop of Aragorn's head so he can get some relief. It is cruel and he doesn't deserve it.

There is silence then and it stretches out until I wonder what they do. I strain my ears to hear if there is movement but then the dwarf speaks again.

"I know what you have given up for us Lad," he says, and he sounds gentle as I had not imagined a dwarf could sound.

"We both know it and we love you for it. We have been through too much together, the three of us, to let this separate you now. Promise me you will think on this. That is all I ask."

And Legolas sighs long and heavily,

"I will think on it. That is all I can promise for now Gimli." And the dwarf gives a satisfied grunt in return.

He has been a revelation this dwarf. So unlike any dwarf I have met before—in truth I have not met many. He is kind and intuitive and somehow he manages to reach Legolas in ways that Erynion and I cannot. The promise he has extracted from him now is so much more progress than I could have dreamed of so soon.

"I miss him." Legolas says now. "I miss him Gimli."

"Then make things right between you, Legolas. I know he has been trying but he needs your help to repair this." He is gentle and yet firm and Legolas responds so well to it.

I am walking away for I have invaded their privacy long enough when the dwarf speaks again.

"So tell me about the girl."

I cannot leave now. I should, I definitely should. I have heard enough. I should not have listened in the first place and Legolas would be angry if he knew. It is not my right to be here...but they speak of me and my heart hammers in my chest.

What will Legolas say? Do I even want to know?

My feet will not move to take me away.

I have to listen.