Here I am risking it and taking one from my finished-but-unuploaded chapters because you guys deserve an update! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Four: Introductions and Reintroductions
Theoden had told her that almost a day had passed since the Battle, but even then, hundreds of bodies still littered the wide field outside the city. When they reached the middle of their path through the bodies, the hobbits had covered their eyes. Tauriel would have as well if she did not need to lead her horse. No matter how many deaths she would see, she knew nothing would ever make her get used to the sight of the aftermath of war. They met dozens of people stumbling across the wreckage, eyes roaming crazily over the bodies on the ground. Some of them were shrieking out names, as if their voices could call on the dead to lead them to their fallen bodies. She had seen men and women wheeling carts, loading orcs onto them. She did not want to know where the bodies were being brought to, but the thick black smoke from the far end of the field gave her an unpleasant answer, and made her stomach churn.
And the smell. No matter where it would happen, or who it would involve, she knew now that death smelled the same. Pungent and metallic, it shook her insides and threatened to force out the small meal she had eaten in the morning.
The nearer they got to the city the more the remnants of war disappeared. When they reached the gates of Helm's Deep, it was almost like bloodshed had not occurred just the night before. She looked around her, taking in the scorches and cracks along the thick walls. Houses stood, side by side, and she knew that here was a city that used to brim with life. Now, however, it seemed like a dark cloud hovered over them all. The city was as quiet as a graveyard.
"They still mourn," Aragorn said, quietly, and Tauriel wondered if he had heard her thoughts.
The hooves of their horses clapped noisily on the cobblestone streets. Just when Tauriel had resigned herself to believing that the hooves were the only sounds she would listen to, a shriek of glee from the houses stole her attention. She stopped the horse to glance at the sound, and saw a little girl chasing after two of her friends, mud all over her little yellow dress. She laughed, even as she stumbled, and her two friends also had wide grins on their faces. They pulled their tongues out playfully, before running quickly again when the little girl neared them.
Despite the heavy and dark air around them, Tauriel smiled.
"It is truly the children who are the wisest of us all," Aragorn said, and Tauriel was surprised to see that she was not the only one distracted by the sound. Almost all of their horses had stopped, and they were all watching the playful running of the children, a bit of a smile now gracing their faces. "It is they who know the secret to finding happiness," Aragorn continued, still not breaking his gaze. "They who know the secret to accepting the frailty of life."
Nobody replied, but minutes passed of them watching the peaceful scene. It was only when one of the children saw their audience that the three stopped their play, and ran back to their houses. Every now and then, they would glance back at their audience with loud laughter.
The King's company led their horses on, climbing dozens of steps until they finally reached the castle.
It was like a different place altogether. Tauriel could hear the busy bustle of voices and work from within the walls.
"There will be a feast tonight. A last celebration, of our victory; a last tribute to all the lives who have sacrificed to bring to us that victory," a tired look passed over the king's face, as their horses stopped outside the castle. "You may leave your horses here, the young boys will bring them to the stables," he descended from his horse. He glanced back at them before going in the castle, "Rest while you can, dear friends, for it may take only hours before these troubled times call to us once more."
Following the king's lead, they also came down from their steeds. Tauriel passed a grateful hand over her horse, before passing his reigns to the young boy who was waiting beside her.
"May I walk you in, my lady?"
She turned to see Aragorn waiting for her, a polite smile on his face. "It would be my pleasure, Estel," she smiled. She glanced around to look for Legolas, but he was already speaking quietly to Gimli the dwarf. Again her heart marveled at how unusual the scene looked to her. There was no trace of adversity on the prince's face, in fact, Tauriel saw there an almost affectionate glint in his eyes. First the hobbit, and now this. She could not help but grin at the change that had overcome her prince.
"They have become fast friends," Aragorn commented, watching her.
"Friends…" Tauriel mulled the word over in her head. "It is a word I would never have expected Legolas to associate with a dwarf," she smiled.
"It took some time," Aragorn admitted, as he gestured to the castle doors. "Before we reached Lorien, their quibbles had become almost a constant source of entertainment for us. If I remember correctly, the first time they met, Gimli had threatened to let Legolas taste his axe."
Tauriel would have smiled if the idea didn't sound so grim and violent.
"Now, they can't quite be separated from each other," Aragorn professed, glancing to look back at the pair.
"I am glad of this friendship," Tauriel smiled softly, in her mind she could see the faces of the dwarves who had once been imprisoned in the dungeons of Mirkwood. Dwarves who had become her friends. The other elves would always disapprove of her visits to Erebor, she was glad now to see that Legolas himself was realizing how silly it had been: the barrier they persisted on raising up between the two races. "But I envy Legolas," she mused. They were walking through a wide hallway, and pelts of beasts hung above the windows around them. "It seems Gimli has made an exception only for him," she remembered the way he had glanced at her. "He doesn't seem too keen to approach me."
"Gimli…can be a bit shy," Aragorn smiled. "And if you're friends with Legolas, then I don't see why he can't be friends with you as well." He gave her a curious look. "It seems that you and Legolas have known each other for a long time," he commented.
She nodded. "We have long been…friends." She flinched at her hesitation, silently reprimanding herself for her slip, and for how the word seemed to hurt her. Before he could react, she continued speaking. "He was the one who taught me how to combat. He taught me to string a bow, pull a sword, and stand correctly during battle."
"I look forward to sparring with you then, my lady. I myself have received sparring wounds from your prince. I have also known him since my childhood," he mentioned.
"Yes," Tauriel nodded, smiling at him. "Arwen told me."
The change in his stance was apparent. It took only fractions of seconds, but he froze, and when he turned to her, she could see a new softness in his eyes. "You know Arwen?"
"We grew up together."
"What?" he frowned.
"It is a very long tale, and I have little fondness for telling long tales. But putting it in a few words, I grew up in Imladris. Like you, they found me and took me in when I was young. I knew Arwen as my cousin, but many years ago, a war tore us apart, and Mirkwood has been my home since."
Realization dawned on his face, and his eyes widened a fraction. "You are the cousin she always spoke of?"
She smiled. "I must be."
He smiled back, now fully understanding. "Arwen is very fond of you. Growing up, she would tell me stories about the adventures you had together, but I always saw that sorrow would mar her words when she spoke of you." He opened a door and led her into what must have been the castle's hall. Many people were milling about, fixing tables and preparing the food for the feast that was to take place. Aragorn looked around approvingly, before turning back to her. "Arwen misses you, very much. Whenever she would tell me of your stories, her eyes would gaze at faraway memories, so deep in her heart, that I can never reach."
Tauriel looked away, watching the men roll barrels of liquor from outside. She missed Arwen as well, more than she could explain to Aragorn.
"Even the Lady Kylis spoke of you."
Tauriel snapped his gaze at him. "Kylis?"
"Yes," Aragorn smiled, although now it was more constrained. "She told me that you are a very good friend of Legolas. But most of the time, of course, she usually just speaks of him. She gushes about him, like they are already married. Even before I met Legolas, it was she who would tell me of his bravery and deeds. She tells me that they will marry soon," this time, he raised his eyes to look at her. Observing her. "It is strange, I think, that when we were at Imladris, Legolas avoided her company."
She tried to keep her face calm, tried not to react in any way. It was curious how Kylis followed her wherever she would go. She was like a shadow, always behind her, always reminding her of her shortcomings. She racked her brain for something to say, something that would sate the curious look of Aragorn, but before she could speak Aragorn looked away, again the calm expression in his face.
"And is it in Rivendell that we first met as well, my lady?" he asked.
She nodded fervently, thankful for a distraction to her already disturbed thoughts. She gazed at the taller man, now willing herself to think of that moment many years ago. Again she marveled at how easily the memories returned to her. "It was on the day they found you." She turned to him, seeing him again like the little thing they had found and brought home to be a part of Imladris. "You would not let go of Arwen's skirt."
The way he smiled warmed her heart. Ah, Arwen, she smiled bitterly. What tragedy is it that this is the love the world would give you?
"How is she?" Aragorn asked, and she knew from the tone of his voice that this was what he had wanted to ask her all along. This was the reason he had sought her out, and wished to converse with her. "Surely you have news of Imladris, my lady? I know she still writes to you."
She turned to him with an apprehensive look. "I—,"
"Lord Aragorn!" a man approached. Tauriel recognized him as one of the scouts who had been with them from the plains of Rohan. "Lady Tauriel," he bowed curtly.
"Albor," Aragorn acknowledged him.
"The King asks for your audience, he says that an urgent letter has arrived from Gondor," Albor replied.
"Aragorn…" she cast him a rueful look, but was unsure of how to proceed from their interrupted conversation.
"It is alright, my lady," Aragorn smiled at her. "We have much time to speak later, but for now, I will have to attend to other matters. I am sorry that I cannot show you back to your quarters. Perhaps there is someone else…" He then looked around them, as if searching for someone.
"No, thank you, Estel," she said, touching his arm to grab his attention fully. "I'm sure I can manage. There are many kind people I can ask along the way," her eyes then softened, and she tightened her hold on his arm. "Arwen…she does not want you to worry, Aragorn," she said in a hushed voice. "To defeat Mordor: that is what we all need to do, even for Arwen." Their eyes locked for a time, before she finally let go and left him, her heart heavy.
She hurried to the exit, easily weaving through the throng of people in the hall. She was afraid that the look in Aragorn's eyes would only break her heart.
When finally she closed the doors behind her, she thankfully breathed the quiet of the corridor. Unlike the room inside, it seemed the rest of the castle was all but empty. She slowly walked on, taking in the paintings and tapestries that decorated the castle walls. There were few of them, but she was so used to the thousands of torches of Mirkwood, that this to her was already a wonder.
Again, her mind wandered back to the kingdom.
She had left the very next morning after her conversation with King Thranduil. She had planned not to tell anyone, for she wished to draw no attention to her departure. But that morning, as she saddled her horse, she had not been able to resist saying goodbye to her friends. Irima had almost cried, while Meginor had not seemed surprise. In fact, his only reply was to ask why she had not left earlier.
Her travels had given her a kind of freedom that she had never experienced before, yet there were times when she wished that she had her friends with her.
When Tauriel snapped away from her thoughts and finally looked around again, she found herself back at the main doors of the castle. She looked around her, surprised. It was very rare of her to have been so lost in her thoughts and forget her surroundings. It was when she glanced at the dais outside the door that she saw she was being watched.
Gimli averted his eyes. He was smoking a long pipe, and the thick smoke that he blew out also acted as cover to his face.
She cautiously walked towards him, but he turned away. As soon as she stepped outside, a bitter earthly smell greeted her nose but she still neared him, stopping only when she was a few arms away. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but—,"
"The quarters are at the third floor, the stairs are at the end of the left corridor. It's a wide room so we'll all be sharing. You'll find it easy because the young hobbits will be making enough noise," he answered her hurriedly, still keeping his back to her.
"Thank you, Gimli son of Gloin," she smiled at him. Stiffly, he turned to nod at her, and it was then that she finally saw his face clearly. "Oh," she exclaimed, a sentimental feeling welled within her. "You look very much like your father," she mused, speaking more to herself.
He finally whipped to face her, his eyes registering surprise. He opened his mouth to talk, but it seemed no words could come out.
Still, Tauriel seemed to hear his unspoken question. "Yes, I knew him. He was very brave, and also, always so kind," she smiled once more, before bowing deeply, and walking away.
Before she could walk past the doors, Gimli spoke once more. "Legolas will surely be in the upper veranda. It's two flights of stairs higher than the quarters."
She turned, but again he was looking out at the city. Still, a smile returned to her lips. "Thank you," she said softly before finally going back in the castle.
The veranda overlooked both the east and the north. When she stepped outside, a warm blast of wind swept up to greet her. It was the last whispers of the day. Her first view was of the mountains that enveloped Helm's Deep, but he was there. She saw him, at the corner of her eye. "Gimli told me you would be here," she said, taking in the sight of the great boulders.
When he did not answer, she turned to face him. Golden sunlight shone at his back, making his hair almost glitter. He was so still, and only the wisps of his long blonde hair moved and flew with the wind. Sighing, she made her way to him, only stopping when she was finally beside him. Their arms barely touched, but she could feel his warmth seeping into her. She followed his gaze, and her breath hitched when she realized they were looking straight into Mordor. The dark clouds, although many leagues away, marred the almost perfect blue sunset sky. The longer she stared, the heavier her heart seemed to weigh in her chest. Almost, she could hear a dark ominous voice ringing in her head. It was a raspy, heavy, and unpleasant sound.
When it felt like she couldn't breathe, she finally looked away. "How do you bear this?" she asked.
Still, he did not move. "Because my thoughts are not of the dark city, but with two of our companions who journey into the very heart of it. Often I look, and sometimes I foolishly hope that I would have a vision or even just a glimpse of where they are."
"The two hobbits," she nodded understandingly.
He inclined his head to her, the very slightest of movements. "Did Aragorn tell you?"
"No. The Lady Galadriel did," she explained.
He gave a long, heavy sigh and finally turned towards her.
She almost did not want to look. She had seen how he had frowned when she finally found them riding at the Plains of Rohan. She knew he would have many questions, and she also knew he would be only frustrated with the answers she would give him. He would not be the first; even Haldir had nothing but scoldings for her when she had told him of her journey.
But Legolas'eyes beckoned to her, and she finally raised her gaze to meet his.
It was the first time in almost a year that she had seen him so close. She was so close to him that she could almost see her own face reflected in his eyes. She tempered the gasp that threatened to leave her lips. He had changed. Although their race did not age, there was a different light in the eyes of Legolas that made him look… younger. He looked almost like he did the first time they had met in Mirkwood. The traces of coldness that he built as a defense for the despair and loss seemed to have melted.
"Why are you here, Tauriel?"
"I had wanted to pass through Rivendell, to visit Arwen, but complications arose, and so I went through Lorien, and out again," she explained. "I came to look for you. I was worried." She crossed her arms—a small act of defiance.
He sighed again, and his eyes darted quickly to Mordor.
"I know of the forces that now roam these lands," she continued. "Do you think our kingdom is untouched in this war for the ring? The darkness has worsened in Mirkwood—it is almost absolute. Every day raids of creatures attack in our territory, many of our friends have been wounded. We are plagued with battle. Every day, the first thing I think of has become wondering which creature I will have to kill," she passed a tired hand through her hair. "I know of the darkness, and when I decided to leave Mirkdwood, I prepared myself to face it."
"You know why it is hard for me to find happiness in your presence here," his voice had become very quiet, and she saw traces of frustration in his face. "We came here from Rivendell as a group of twelve, and still lost one of our friends along the way, even lost Gandalf. You travelled alone. I do not doubt your capacity, I have seen you in battle, I have seen you slay forces much greater than ourselves, I have been saved by you countless of times."
"You say that yet you still treat me like a child," she snapped, annoyance bubbled within her and she glared at him. "It was reckless—I am reckless—and I know that worries you and a great many others, but that is not leeway for you to dictate how I should act or where I should go."
She had expected exasperation, anger, even, like what he had done when he would scold her for her recklessness in the past.
She should have known that when it came to Legolas, her expectations would always be proven wrong.
Now, there was only worry in his face, and something that looked like fear. As if he was afraid of what she had gone through—afraid that he had not been there with her. His eyes softened, lips parted, eyebrows relaxed. "I'm sorry," he whispered and his shoulders fell. "It was never my wish, to treat you like a child. I know of your capabilities. I know you are strong and brave and able. I…" for a moment he looked lost, but then his hands clenched at his sides. "I just… I still dream about it often, when they took you…and the knife that Adassir had held to your neck—,"
"That won't happen again," she said hurriedly, wishing only to assuage him of the recollection of that moment. "I know." She sighed. "But Legolas, you say you would trust me with your life. Now I think you must also learn to trust me with mine.
He smiled. And then, he stepped towards her, so close that she could see her face reflected in his eyes. "You say that, and yet you travel all the way here…because you were worried?"
Before she could react, his arms stretched around her and he pulled her towards him, closing whatever gap lay in between them. "I've missed you," he murmured, his lips so close to her ear.
After everything that had happened between them, the few moments of his affection still caught her off-guard. She froze in his touch, but the warmth of his body quickly enveloped her. She closed her eyes and buried her head in his chest. She took in the smell of him, the smell of grass and dust and him. She took in the feel of him around her, the pull of his body and the strength of his arms. "You know, it's actually easier to travel alone. Makes it harder for enemies to hear you and find you," she murmured against his clothes." She buried herself even further against his chest. And I've missed you, too. The words only remained as a thought inside her head, but he nestled his head against her neck lightly grazing her skin with his lips, and she knew he heard her.
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: A slower chapter, but a bit necessary for this new world and timeline. Hehe. I do hope you guys still enjoyed and appreciated it though.
Do please tell me what you think in the reviews! Love to all!
