Authors Note: If you really want to understand the inside story of Legolas and Elrohir's spider joke it can be found in Deep and Meaningful.
Gimli.
He watched the elf carefully as they rode through the forest noticing his nervousness and distraction, the way his eyes flitted everywhere, the tenseness in his muscles where normally there would be fluidity and relaxation. In the end the tension of it all became too much for him.
"Relax Legolas! We are nearly at your home, what is this jumpiness about? It is giving me a headache just to watch you."
Legolas glanced back at him. He opened his mouth to protest, to insist he was as calm as he had ever been but then he seemed to think better of it and simply let out a sigh.
"Do you think they will welcome me Gimli. Erynion's family...?"
So that was what this was about.
"What ridiculousness is this? They will welcome you with open arms, as they always do. They are your people and they love you. Stop this self doubt Legolas, it is not like you. Did you hear anything Aragorn had to say to you yesterday about this guilt?"
Legolas looked back again with a small sad smile,
"I am not used to feeling so insecure. You are right Gimli, I am not myself. I find it is harder than I thought to let go of this. I am trying."
He frowned at that. Legolas was improved, much improved from the angry confused elf he had been in Minas Tirith and unrecognisable from the wildeyed, distraught, knife wielding creature he had confronted in the clearing just days ago. But this lingering guilt and self doubt worried him,
"Well it is obvious then that I shall have to remain here for sometime longer to remind you just how astray your elven thinking has become!"
In truth he was not ready to depart from Legolas yet himself. He would need to be much more satisfied with his friends return to health and wellbeing than this to be able to leave him.
He watched as the elf's eyes wandered to their travelling companions. They had left Aragorn's escort of Men on the edge of the forest, Aragorn being anxious to avoid any potential clash between elves, upset by the attack on their leader and brutal slaying of one of their own and Men, distrustful and wary of Legolas and therefore all of the Fisrtborn.
So beside them rode only the Sons of Elrond with Aragorn placed firmly between them for the antagonism crackled between those two like electricity and every word they spoke to each other was full of sarcasm and derision. What ever their differences they were a long way from being settled.
He felt himself become riled simply looking at them. Their disagreement was exactly what Legolas didn't need and he knew it added even more guilt atop of the heavy burden he had already placed upon himself. The day before, Elrohir had eventually sought them out, finding them on the banks of the creek where he and Aragorn attempted to ease Legolas's long withheld grief. He had arrived contrite and apologetic, ashamed of his loss of control and Legolas had departed with him. What they had spoke of privately he didn't know but it had made no difference to Legolas's forlorn expression when he watched the brothers both bristling with indignation and cutting into each other with painful words designed to hurt. He found he wished to take them aside and scold them like the small children they seemed to have become.
"So much has changed between us," he heard Legolas murmur.
"Between you and I nothing has changed!" he replied firmly.
Legolas once again looked back over his shoulder,
"I spoke of Aragorn." He said, " There is much there I for which I cannot atone."
"Cease this self pity Legolas. He is still your friend and ever will be." He cast around to find a topic to move his friends mind from the miserable road it travelled.
"Where are your people anyway? It is long since we entered this depressing forest. Perhaps they have become lazy in your absense."
Legolas tossed his head with a short laugh, the sound of which gladdened his heart.
"They are already here. Gimli!"
"Well let them show themselves then," he called loudly. " Unless they are afraid of approaching a fearsome dwarf warrior such as I."
He was rewarded by a look of pure joy from Legolas, the likes of which he had not seen for many weeks past and he grinned broadly back in return. As if on cue a light voice rang out from the trees above them,
"You enter the realm of the Elves of Ithilien. State your business."
He felt Legolas tense at that, his breath quickening and he hesitated , Aragorn and his brothers swung their heads to look at him. None of them spoke.
But quickly, as if he had not paused at all Legolas cried out in return,
"I am Legolas Thranduilion, I have come home."
And he sounded confident and regal like the prince he was.
"Who accompanies you my Prince?" was the reply.
'Idiot Elves,' he thought to himself. They knew very well exactly who they all were.
" I bring the Elrondionnath and Elessar Telcontar. It may cause us some trouble if you refuse them."
" What about me?! " he spluttered from his position behind the elf
"Do not go on about how illustrious they all are and forget about me!"
And Legolas called out again,
"And Gimli Gloinson, most illustrious Dwarf Lord, you can refuse him entry if you wish!"
"What!" He cried, but in actual fact he felt uplifted, a bubble of happiness rising within him, how long had it been since he had last been on the recieving end of this mischievous Legolas.
Without a sound a wood elf dropped out of the trees in front of them causing Elrohir's horse to startle but he held control of it. Legolas looked across at him, eyes dancing with mirth,
" Do you still not have control of your horse Elrohir, how many years has it been? " he chuckled to himself and Gimli saw an answering smile light up Elrohir's face.
"At least there are no spiders here!" He replied and at that Legolas laughed aloud.
" Though you wish there were do you not? but beware I shall be jealous!"
"Is this a private joke Legolas or can anyone join in? " he asked,
"For you make no sense, none at all," but the only reply he received was a knowing smile. Still he was happy with that, the more he saw Legolas smile the happier he was.
The wood elf stood solemnly in front of them waiting silently for the merriment to subside and when it did he bowed to Legolas, formally, hand on heart .
"My Lord." He said and Legolas responded in kind with a bow of his own.
The elf then promptly abandoned all pretence at the proper protocol and looked up at them, his face so radiant with joy, he seemed illuminated by it and the smile was broad and true.
"Legolas!" He cried " you have come back to us!" And seemingly from nowhere a crowd of Woodelves joined him from the trees.
Legolas met him with a cry of his own as he nimbly leapt of the horse,
" Legolas, Don't leave me alone on this animal!" Gimli called out, alarmed, " Don't you abandon me to the wiles of this creature."
Legolas tossed his head and smiled up at him sweetly,
" He likes you Gimli! You will be fine."
And he was gone swallowed up in an ocean of silvan elves all chattering madly in their language which sounded so strange to his ears. They spoke so fast he could not discern any of the words even if he had understood them.
Legolas was in the middle of them all, smiling, laughing, his eyes alight and sparkling. His golden head shining amongst the brown of his compatriots. He watched him, relaxed and at ease a shining light as he was meant to be, should always have been, and he was glad.
He turned to Aragorn who had brought his horse up next to his, maybe to make sure he stayed on top of it. Truth be told he was glad of the support, the horse was very unnerving to say the least.
"It was the right thing to do Aragorn, to bring him here. Look at him, did you think we would ever see this again? "
And Aragorn smiled, a pure relief showed clearly on his face.
"You are right Gimli, you are more than right. He needs to be here, they will help him heal. Look at him,
He is Legolas once more!"