Please see the disclaimer in my earlier chapters. Quickly put: I don't own most of these characters or places. I don't make any money from this story.
Chapter 39: Gifts and Promises
The storm came upon them much faster than either the mortal woman or the Elf thought it would. As the rain fell heavily upon them, drenching them in moments, Legolas led Kaitlyn away.
Pulling their Lothlorien cloaks over them, they raced as far as one of the outer buildings that led up the hill to the Great Hall. The old wooden door, creaked as Legolas opened it and he and Kaitlyn entered, breathing heavily and soaked to the bone.
Swords, shields and axes hung on the walls and were stacked along shelves and tables. Several stone forges were located in the center of the building. Some of them still burned low with fire and wood. They were left by the men who had gone home for the evening.
Kaitlyn realized there was no escaping this war as signs of it were everywhere they went. The times of minor peace and quiet after a victory were over far too quickly. A war she didn't truly understand was coming. She had already seen so much death and destruction. The realization that Legolas and the others would leave soon, surrounded and suffocated her like a thick impenetrable fog.
Legolas found some wood from a neatly stacked pile and fed one of the forge's low burning embers. The fire came back to life, and crackled as it reached higher .
He and Kaitlyn stood beside it for several moments to warm up and start to dry off. Lightning flashed outside the windows and thunder crashed as the rain could be heard pounding on the rooftop above them.
Legolas' hand found her elbow and he turned Kaitlyn to face him. "There are things that we must talk of. I know not how much time we will have. Tonight may be our last night here."
Kaitlyn looked away from the dancing flames and looked at the Elf beside her. "What do you want to talk about?"
He ran his hands through the strands of his wet blond hair as if in distress, a motion very unlike his usual calm, cool demeanor.
"I hardly know where to start, so I will be blunt." He drew in and released a deep breath.
"I am far past the age of love and marriage."
Kaitlyn blinked "Wh-what? M-Marriage-"
"Aniron peded." (I desire to speak.) He cut her off.
"Because Elves are immortal, we usually have timelines for marriage and children so that there are not too many of us."
She shook her head, a headache started to form. "Legolas, we don't need to speak about this right now."
"You told me you wished for marriage and children someday, did you not?" he continued.
'Ye-yes, but that's what most people wish for. Love, marriage and a family."
"And if you could not have children?" He peered deeply into her green eyes.
She frowned. "I don't understand."
He shifted his weight. "I am well past the age that Elves marry and have children. I'm nearly 3000 years old; an age unimaginable to most mortals. "
Her lips parted as she released the breath she didn't realize that she had been holding. "I forget about your age because you look so young." To her, he didn't look a day over 30. She took her lower lip into her teeth for a moment and then released it. "I have so much to learn." She realized just how out of touch she was with this place. While she loved Legolas as a person, she did not know much about his kind or much about Middle Earth. The reality of that hit her hard.
He touched her arms, and ran his hands up and down them, making sure that the fire was drying her off. He stoked it with a metal poker and the flames reflected in his eyes when he turned back to her.
"Elves usually marry between the ages of 50-100 years old. There have been older couples, but not thousands of years old. They have children usually once every 100 years and only up to 4. The pregnancy is said to take much out of the elleth so most elves only have one or two children." (female)
This made her head spin.
"I know I've spoken in the past that we have an engagement period and then marry. "
She nodded and swallowed hard.
"Elves bond for life and the act of becoming one in mind, spirit and body forms the marriage. We marry but once is our lives."
She quickly looked away as she suddenly realized why he talked about this. "You're trying to let me down before you leave. I get it. You've forgotten that I'm damaged goods anyway. I'm not pure." She turned to walk away and he reached for her pulling her into this arms.
"Daro! Do not speak of yourself in that way!" He tipped her chin up to look into her leaf green eyes. He lowered his voice. "The ways of the Elves are not the ways of all. I know of your past, your relationship. It does not change how I feel about you." He knew that he should feel jealous that another had lain with her, but he did not feel that way. She had been loyal to that relationship, while the man, Derrick had not been. When confronted with his deceit and unfaithfulness, he had nearly killed her.
She pulled back and stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking out over the flames before her. "What are you trying to tell me, then? Are you trying to warn me that we would never have children?" She was flabbergasted they were even having this conversation!
"It is the likely outcome," he told her. It made him sad to think about it. He could imagine them creating a beautiful half elven child with Kaitlyn's dark hair and beautiful eyes and his adventurous spirit. "You should have the right to marry and have children elsewhere if that is your desire. I would not hold that from you."
She spun to face him. Her eyes flashed. "And what about you? You'd stand by and watch me marry someone else?"
Their conversation with talk of betrothal, marriage and children made her head spin. She had just told him she loved him a few hours ago. For being immortal, Elves sure moved quickly! But then another thought hit her. With the war looming, it took away choices and time from them. He might be trying to wrap up loose ends before he left to fight.
"If that was your wish. We are not betrothed." His voice was soft as he stared at her intently.
She shook her head. "I don't want someone else, Legolas." She ran her fingers through her drying hair. Anxiety and fear filled her. "We still have SO much to learn about each other. And while the idea of not having children is hard to think about," she turned to him," the thought of losing you is far worse. I'm trying so hard not to think about the possibility of not seeing you for years."
He stroked her hair, gently pulling through a tangle before placing the palm of his hand over her heart. It beat swiftly beneath his skin. "I have been pushing it from my mind as well."
His thumb stroked back and forth over her heart. "Elves declare their love for others to see, by exchanging silver rings."
She swallowed hard at those words.
He very slowly and carefully drew one of his knives so that she was not frightened and brought the blade up to the silver blond braid in his hair. With a quick motion, he cut it from his head.
'Legolas!"
"It will grow back with time, and I can make another braid in my hair."
He wove it into a circle.
His blue eyes bore into her green ones. "Elves do not marry during war times. Only times of peace. I would ask your permission to place this upon you, as a promise of my love for you. As a promise that when this war has ended, I will come back to you."
Her lips parted. This was so incredibly fast and foreign. But for the first time in her life, she knew this was right. Hadn't her mother always told her that she would know when she met the one she was destined to be with? Things always felt off with Derrick. Her heart told her Legolas was the one.
She nodded and he placed the braid of his hair over her head, like a necklace.
"You will always have a part of me with you."
She touched the silky braid with her fingers, amazed by such a gift.
He smiled warmly. The love he had for her shone brighter in his yes than the flames in the forge.
'I want to do the same for you," she told him immediately. Will you help me braid some of my hair so that you can carry it with you. That way you know I will be here, waiting?"
He nodded, strangely serious. She gathered some hair behind her ear and he braided it halfway, tied it and left the bottom loose so that he could always run his fingers through her hair when he needed to settle himself. He gently cut it, grateful for the trust she put in him. Never once did she flinch at the sight of or nearness of his blade.
He tucked the braid into his tunic, directly over his heart.
He leaned down and let his lips find hers. He pressed against them and then drew her to him. They were both still damp from the rain, but neither of them noticed.
Legolas always assumed that he would be alone, except for friendships across Middle Earth. He had his promise of duty to help destroy Sauron, but he had something besides peace to live for. He now had the love of a woman and the promise that he would pledge himself to her when this war was over.
Author's Notes:
I'm sure the addition of chapter 38 was a surprise and shock to those of you who stumbled upon it. After all, how many writers go back to a story after TWENTY years?
I started re-watching LOTR and it always bothered me that I never finished this story. I would think about it at times over the last 20 years, but I never devoted the time to finish it. After all, my life has changed SO much. My horses are all dead and gone due to old age and I am married with a child. I'm so busy at times, that I barely have time to think. But sometimes I need time to myself to give me fuel to take care of my family. Working on this story is the fuel I need right now.
I'm not sure how much my writing style has changed in 20 years. Hopefully it has not gotten worse with time! I have no beta reader, so mistakes are all mine.
I hope that you enjoyed this next chapter. I'm already working on the next chapter, but I have no idea when it will be ready. Please have patience with me as it may be a month or two between updates. That's still less time than waiting 20 years for chapter 38 though, right? LOL. I've gotten most of the rest of the story in notes ( I've known how this story would go since I started working on it) It's just a matter of getting all of the scenes and emotions and also trying to somewhat stay true to Tolkien's visions, except for this poor lonely Elf, I felt needed a womanly companion.
Thank you to all who have taken the time to review. It makes me very happy that some of you have been following this story for so long and have come back to it. And I appreciate new comers to the story as well! Every review is appreciated.