Return to Mirkwood COMPLETE

Title: Return To Mirkwood
Chapter Twenty Four
Author: Sarah
Pairing: Legolas/Gimli
Rating: G this chapter.
Disclaimer: I love them and thank Tolkien for them. They are not mine. I own
nothing that belongs to Tolkien. I do claim the original characters and ideas.
Archive: Axe and Bow. Cuddle slash. Others please ask.
Feedback: Please. saraharizonaanne@hotpop.com
Author notes: Thank you to everyone who gave me fb. The encouragement helps me
more than I can say. Thank you to erobey for all you do for me and my stories. Thank you, Marigold, for the wonderful beta work. Any mistakes left are mine.
Thank you, Sivan, for the lovely review. I'm glad when my story can make someone feel with it. Brazgirl, thank you. I think Thranduil would be serious simply from all his responsibilities. Yet I believe he was a good father and king.

"Legolas?" Gimli called, when he entered their chambers.

"I'm in the study."

Gimli stood at the door and scrutinized his elf. Legolas was very quiet and appeared to be intently studying the desk top. Gimli walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Love?"

Legolas looked up at him and smiled. "I had a long discussion with my Lord. Where did you go Gimli?"

"I went for a walk. Woods are far too quiet without you. I should be thankful I can hear it at all. I truly am grateful but when the music disappears I feel as if I've gone deaf. It's rather annoying."

Legolas moved the chair back, parted his legs, and opened his arms. Gimli went into the warm embrace. "Melethron, you know if I could I'd give you the song for all time. If the music was taken from me, I'd be more than annoyed. I'd be miserable."

"Did your Lord upset you?"

"Nay. It was just a very serious conversation. I confessed my sea longing to him. He shared some wisdom with me. I agree with him but that doesn't make it easy."

Gimli rested his head on Legolas' chest. "What did he say?"

"He stated that when someone gives you a priceless gift you should acknowledge it and fully accept it. Use it to increase the love instead of hiding it away because you are sorrowful that your loved one has to make such a sacrifice. If I refuse to ask for what we both know I need, then I lessen the joy of giving for you. Yet if I request it, I can accept, and rejoice that you love me so much. And you can receive all the blessings that can come from giving so freely."

Gimli considered these words. "Aye, but I require nothing of you."

"Agreed, but our love deserves all of both of us." Legolas looked down into Gimli's eyes for long seconds. Gimli wondered what his elf saw there. Then Legolas said, "Gimli, Gloin's son, when the time arrives, will you go with me to the Undying Lands?"

Gimli nodded. "I will go with you." He traced Legolas' chin. It must have taken a great deal of courage on Legolas' part to request this from him. "My elf, I not only love you but I admire you, too."

Legolas smiled. "I feel so very relieved to have asked you. I'm surprised at how wonderful it feels to request and then accept. Is the sea crossing something you would rather I not discuss?"

"I'd like to keep it mostly to ourselves, telling only a few select people, but between us I have no problem speaking of it."

"Then I want you to know how very happy I am that you will go. I used to feel disloyal to you every time my heart sorrowed over the sea. Now, I no longer feel guilty and faithless because you do not have to fear losing me over it.

"When I heard the sea gulls and understood the consequences for me, I thought of my love for you, and willingly accepted that I would never go to the Undying Lands. Yet you have given me back what I believed lost and I am filled with joy. I can share my longing with you instead of feeling I need to bury it. Always does your love free me while it holds me close."

Legolas wrapped his arms tightly around Gimli. "My father and I did not speak of this but I have been pondering something. Remember in Minas Tirith when I said we were meant to be together and your reply?"

Gimli could recall this far too easily. He had hated his answer as soon as it left his lips. He had declared to Legolas that if they had been meant to be together then they would have been born at the same time not hundreds of years apart.

The event had taken place during the time that Gimli had been feeling insignificant. He had still been trying to find where he felt he stood in Legolas' heart. Legolas had lived so many years before Gimli and hopefully would have many years after him. His life span was short compared to Legolas' years and it made Gimli wonder how he could possibly mean as much to Legolas as his elf meant to him. Targ's allegations had increased Gimli's fretting over the matter.

The wedding between the King and the Lady Arwen had changed Gimli's outlook. Legolas could not chose mortality but he was taking a very big risk to love a mortal. A risk he surely would not take if Gimli had not been all important to him.

Gimli had glimpsed the hurt in Legolas' eyes after his words had been said. His love had turned his face away.

Legolas had said softly, "Nay. You are wrong, Gimli. Eru wanted us together. I know this with all my heart. I see no reason for my years of loneliness without you but I believe there was one."

Gimli had realised how certain Legolas was of the sentiment by his mentioning of the Name. He had tried to retract his own words but Legolas had laid a finger across his lips and said, "Nay. You will understand that I am right one day."

Now Gimli looked sorrowfully at Legolas. He wished he had never spoken those words and Legolas' lingering hurt brought a fresh sense of recrimination. He said, "My elf, I regret my words. And..." The shaking of Legolas' head and the soft sigh from his elf stopped him.

"Gimli, it is all right. I don't see in your eyes the same belief I have yet. I am confident I will one day. I just want to give you something to muse on. When I was thinking of this matter today, I comprehended why those years between us are necessary. They are important because if I was but your age you would have drawn away from me, feeling I had not lived long enough to take the risk of loving a mortal. However, I'm not that far from a thousand years old and that seems a sufficient time to you, doesn't it?"

"Aye, though I am aware that it is a short duration to elves. You are right. I'm comforted by knowing you had those years, although it only eases the worry."

"Then it was worth every second of loneliness to gain you in the end."

Gimli rested lightly against Legolas. He intended to tell Legolas something and was waiting to feel the disapproving stare of his entire race. What he sensed instead was a trace of sadness that he had ever had trouble conversing with Legolas. ""Legolas, your years were a concern but they were never the main issue that caused me to view the matter differently from you. My treasure, understand that it is not our relationship that determines how I feel about this. It's the fact that we do not have the same Creator. Maybe Eru cares enough to plot out each elf's path in eternity. I realise you are fond of Mahal but I seriously doubt he cares enough to bother giving a dwarf a place that is meant for them.

"Tonight when the blessing is asked for perhaps we will be blessed but it will because of you if it is so. Elves may be cared for in the scheme of things but dwarves are not. It is quite possible that Eru doesn't even like dwarves as he never intended for us to be."

Legolas had gone very still and Gimli who had been looking at the floor during his speech brought his gaze up to meet tear-filled eyes. *What have I done?* Gimli thought. *I've made it worse. This should be a happy time for us. *

"You declare all this as if there is no hurt in it. As if it is another fact of Middle-earth like summer following spring. Your people believe that, don't they?"

"Aye. It has made us strong. We survive." He caressed Legolas' face tenderly trying to ease the hurt he had caused.

"It's not true that dwarves are uncared for. I can't prove it to you but I am certain it is not. Eru does not begrudge you or your people's existence. I imagine you're thinking that I don't understand because I've always been one of the First Born and have no idea what it is like for your race. He does care enough to set our course and not just for me and mine. I know it with all my heart.

"As for Aule, he made dwarves and so, yes, I'm fond of him. I don't believe he decided we were to be together. It was determined by a higher power. The highest. And he cares for both our races."

Legolas' fingers moved through Gimli's beard. "I even have faith that Aule hears me when I thank him for you. Perhaps it amuses him to have an elf's praise but have it he shall. I do feel strongly that you will see I am right. We need to dress Gimli. It is time."

Gimli nodded, yet he clung to Legolas for a few minutes before letting go.

Tbc