Return to Mirkwood COMPLETE

Title: Return to Mirkwood
Chapter 30.
Author: Sarah
Pairing: Legolas/Gimli
Rating: G this chapter.
Beta and helpful suggestions: Vinni. Thank you! She very kindly accepted Return on its 29 chapter. A long and graphic chapter. I really appreciate it. Any mistakes left are mine.
Thank you to erobey for all the support.
Thank you Brazgirl. You are so wonderful to always review. I'll give your message to Legolas. :} I like rose hip tea.
Disclaimer: Tolkien owns them. I make no money. The Legolas and Gimli I write belong to Tolkien. They are not related to the movie characters.
Archive: Axe and Bow. Others please ask.
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Gimli chuckled softly to himself at the mystified expression on Legolas' face. His elf had brought out the adult version of the spider game Gimli had first seen in the library. Legolas' method of playing seemed to involve charging straight through any spiders no matter how often the course would change.

Gimli, however, made wide detours around the spiders. At first he did so solely due to the fact that he did not like spiders. He had continued to play in this fashion simply because he could tell from the concentration on Legolas' face that his elf thought he had some great strategy in action. It was disturbing Legolas' own game plan as he had begun to spend too much of his thinking on Gimli's moves. Gimli did not care who won. He was getting plenty of enjoyment from the expressions on Legolas' face as he tried to figure out what Gimli was doing.

Gimli knew Legolas' confusion over his playing also had to do with the battles they had shared where the dwarf was the one to charge in. Gimli grinned. When competing with an elf that was much older and had plenty of experience with the moves of a game, Gimli had learned to find different ways to win. He had discovered from playing chess with Legolas in Minas Tirith that there was one method that aided his chances of winning. It was called distraction.

"Mir nín, I noticed during the war that you showed a great deal of sense in battle."

Legolas' hand paused over the game board and he glanced over at Gimli. "Thank you."

His hand moved again, and Gimli said, "Aye, my friend. I'll even say that you display more sense than I do."

Legolas ceased once more, and asked, "You would?" His eyes narrowed slightly and Gimli wondered if he had gone too far.

"Aye."

"That is very kind of you." Legolas looked back at the board and Gimli could tell his elf was trying to comprehend how the conversation related to the game.

The ceremony had taken place ten days earlier. He and Legolas had secluded themselves for five blissful days after the ceremony, going to the evening meal on the sixth day. During that time, they had seen no one. The servants left food on carts outside the door, ringing a bell to let them know it was there. Linen was put in a basket in the bath chamber and when they returned fresh linens would be waiting in a bin. There was always water heating over the fire so Gimli realised the servants must have been there often.

On the fourth day, a letter from Celduil had been placed with their food. The message stated, "You are quite wrong. I can love as strongly as any dwarf. I only regret that it took me years to do so. I am deeply in your debt."

Legolas had hugged Gimli tightly upon reading the missive.

They had not seen Celduil or Lastand since the ceremony. Gimli wondered if they would be at Huon's coming of age of party.

Legolas and Gimli had left a note for the servants telling them that they would attend the evening meal on the sixth day. When they had arrived at the dining room, the seating arrangements had been changed. Tasar had been given a seat on one side of the King and Legolas with Gimli next to him had been placed on the other.

The elven Lord had said, "Celduil has moved his belongings out to the talan with Lastand. They will be living there for awhile, trying to strengthen their bond. Celduil informed me that Gimli told him something that shocked him into some sense. Whatever you said, I speak for all of us when I say that the family is grateful for the second chance to grow that the bond is being given."

Everyone at the table clapped and Gimli had felt happy and a bit embarrassed.

Legolas and Gimli had spent a day visiting those of Legolas' relatives that lived in talans and dwellings in the forest. They had, after much discussion, called on Lady Elind. Other than reminding Gimli at the end of the visit that he was expected to love Legolas for the rest of his life, she had been polite. She had even expressed gratitude that Celduil and Lastand were at peace with each other.

A rap on the door interrupted their game.

Gimli went to the door and opened it to Canaccas who said, "Our King has sent me to deliver these letters." He held up one and said, "This one is from Meriad..."

Legolas pounced upon the courier and grabbed the letters. "Merry wrote!" he exclaimed and practically ran toward their study, calling a thank you over his shoulder.

Gimli glanced at the surprised elf in the doorway, "Hannon le. Will messengers be going back to Imladris to take answers to the letters?"

"Uma. They'll be here for a week. I hope the news is all good."

Gimli shut the door and made haste to the study. Legolas was waiting on the lounge. "Sit next to me. See Mithrandir wrote, too. We'll start there because then when I read the hobbits' letters I'll already know of their welfare."

Legolas opened the letter carefully. They read until they came to the part where the travellers met Saruman and Grima.

Gimli said with anger, "Saruman called Merry a thief. I'll..."

"Just read the letter, Gimli. Besides, they are fine. They are fine, that is what is important. And look Gandalf says he is going with the hobbits to Bree. That is good news indeed. Whose missive do we read next?" Legolas sighed happily. "I feel as if we've just been given a wonderful gift."

"Frodo's next."

"That took no debate on your part. Why Frodo's?"

"He's the oldest."

"But that will mean Pip will always be last. Hardly fair."

Gimli pulled the message that said Peregrin Took out of the pile. He stared at the blurry envelope for a few minutes. "Aye, best that way so I can read without thinking too much. I could have sworn he was dead, Legolas. I made certain of it before I yelled your name and..." the letter blurred some more and he felt Legolas pull him close.

"You are right. We will read Pippin's last."

Frodo's note told of the journey to the gates of Moria and the lovely weather on the trip.

"He does not mention Saruman," Legolas said puzzled.

"Probably they wrote the letters together so as not to repeat themselves." Gimli replied.

"Does he sound fine to you?" Legolas asked.

Gimli sighed. He felt grateful for Legolas' arms. "He sounds sad to me. The days were beautiful and the nights, also, he tells us. The country side green and lovely. Yet he speaks not of his welfare. I guess Sam will inform us."

Gimli glanced back at the letter that also related how they saw the place where Pippin had looked into the Palantir, and that they had parted from Aragorn there. There was no mention of Frodo's feelings or if he was doing well. The unfairness of it all made Gimli want to curse. Frodo more than all of them deserved happiness but if he was happy there was no sign of it in the letter. Legolas sighed so softly that if Gimli hadn't been leaning against his lover, he might not have noticed. *He feels as I do,* Gimli thought.

"Sam's next." Legolas said with firmness to his tone that told Gimli of his elf's own sorrow over the matter more clearly than words. The print on Sam's was painstakingly done and Gimli glanced up at Legolas. "When we send a missive back, we must encourage him to continue to write us, making sure he knows we want to hear from him." He took a deep breath. "Sam will realise that we want the truth about Frodo although I'm not sure..." Gimli didn't finish. He wanted to know but he dreaded it too.

Sam's letter stated that Frodo was often sad and that they were both eager to get back to the Shire. He told them that Bilbo was not doing much writing and that it would probably be Frodo inscribing their story. He also wrote that he was worried about his gaffer.

Gimli said nothing about Frodo's unhappiness. He could not help Frodo and there was no point in causing Legolas to dwell on it. He slipped his arm around his elf, though.

Legolas nodded. "Merry's now."

Merry had written of Bilbo too. He related that the elderly hobbit was fine, always on time for meals, and that they had shared Bilbo's birthday with him. He wrote of the easy trip to Rivendell.

Legolas' gaze went to Gimli. The dwarf became aware that he was still holding onto Pippin's letter.

"Gimli, he is fine. He's not going into battle with trolls again. Never again will you have to push a troll off him. For my sake, he must live a very long life." Legolas tugged at Gimli's beard trying to get a smile.

Gimli looked up at him. "You are right. I just keep remembering..."

"Don't. Recall our joy when we saw them at Isengard. Think of the reunion with Merry. There are some good memories. Cling to those."

Gimli nodded. He opened the letter carefully and then laughed as he read the first lines,” Don’t worry so much, Gimli. I haven't seen one troll."

Legolas laughed, also. "Knows you well, too."

Most of the rest of the letter was light in tone telling of their days in Rivendell. He wrote of the many wonderful meals in Lord Elrond's house, the beauty of the valley and their happiness at going home. He told them that Merry had shared some of his songs and stories with the elves, thereby letting them know that Merry's sorrows were less. He informed that he had found the journeying to be uncomplicated, easing Gimli's concerns over his health. He sounded happy. Pippin was clearly dealing well with the hardships he had endured. He stated that Gandalf laughed often and still told the most delightful tales.

Only when he arrived at Frodo and Sam was the mood a little darker. He said that Frodo did have good days. He told of the love they all held for Frodo and how Sam still fretted over his Master.

Legolas and Gimli both understood that Pippin was reminding them that Frodo had friends that loved him dearly and would do the best they could for him.

"After all, they helped bring Frodo to Rivendell without us." Legolas said.

"Aye, and Aragorn let him get stabbed. That's one reason he suffers now."

Legolas tugged at Gimli's beard. "You make it sound as if Aragorn gave permission. By that way of looking at things, you could say we let Merry and Pippin get captured by orcs."

"We did." Gimli said gruffly.

Legolas shook his head. "I prefer not to view it that way but you are free to as long as you don't let guilt become too strong. Merry and Pip would not want you to do that."

"Aye."

Pippin wrote of Sam's eagerness to get back to the Shire. Before ending the letter, he stated again that they were all in good health.

Gimli sighed in satisfaction. "Perhaps we should have read Pippin's letter first. My worries are much lessened."

"We have time before the party to write back."

Gimli nodded. "How shall we do this?"

"Separate letters, I think. We increase our odds of getting a letter if we write separately."

"Aye, and we will do as Pip did and address concerns."

They moved to the desk. It had been pulled out from the wall and they had placed chairs on each side so they could share the desk. Legolas got out parchment and said, "When I write Mithrandir, I'll tell him of how the Greenwood has changed now the Shadow has been removed."

"Aye, and I'll give him my impressions of it."

Legolas gazed at Gimli. "And that would be?"

"That the place has a lovely song, it is my elf's birthplace, and there are trees the colour of gold."

Legolas smiled.

Gimli inscribed this and more to Gandalf. He related how his view of the Greenwood had changed and tried to describe the song. His words seemed inadequate to portray the beauty of it as he wrote of bells, wind chimes, and the autumn breeze playing among the branches. He sighed. Maybe that was why dwarves had not been made to hear the song. Perhaps Mahal had thought they could not properly appreciate it. "Legolas, describe the music of Eryn Lasgalen, please."

Legolas looked up from his writing and replied, "Beautiful."

Gimli smiled now. If Mahal had reckoned that dwarves should be able to depict the song as payment for hearing it then he had never listened to an elf describe it.

His message to Gandalf included, "I have spoken to Legolas of Lady Galadriel's and your gift to me. He desires, when the time arrives, for me to accept it. I am very grateful for your permission."

For awhile they wrote in silence then Gimli said, "I don't think we should tell Frodo about the negative results of the war for Eryn Lasgalen."

Legolas nodded. "I agree. How about: we remember with love the price he paid for our happiness and then just tell him some of the joyful events?"

"Aye."

Legolas and Gimli wrote of their bonding ceremony in their letters to Frodo.

Dipping the quill in ink, Gimli related how he and Legolas were very happy together. He wrote that he would not want to imagine life without Legolas. Then he paused and pushed the paper over to Legolas, "Is this all right, my elf? I don't wish it to seem like I'm saying that I'm glad for all he went through because I have you. I just want to show that what he did is worth so much to many people."

Legolas scrutinised the parchment. "I should think that he will see your meaning. It is clear to me."

Gimli nodded. "Thank you, mir nín."

"We should tell Sam of the meadow the orcs burned."

Gimli glanced at Legolas. "Because?"

"Because he is worried about what has happened with the Shire and I want him to see that good can come of bad. Just in case."

Gimli also told Sam of the quiet, peaceful days walking along the forest paths with Legolas. He knew that he had grumbled so much about Fangorn that all the hobbits would have trouble believing that Gimli was not only comfortable in the Greenwood, he was happy here.

Legolas grinned now. "I'll tell my favourite Took that you do not fret greatly over him every day. You occasionally make it through a day with only minor worries."

Gimli grinned. "We're suppose to be reassuring, Legolas. That is not." Gimli found it easy to write to Merry and Pippin. He was aware of what concerned them. He could remember complaining one night about visiting Fangorn and Pippin had looked at him and said, "It is the trip to Mirkwood that concerns me." Merry had nodded. So now he wrote that he had been welcomed here and had discovered that he liked the King.

Gimli told Pippin, "Don't worry, Peregrin, I haven't been thrown in a dungeon." He wrote of how he was learning Sindarin. He also discussed the excellence of the food in the letter to Pippin. He told the hobbit how he had become fond of a biscuit called rakive. "It's made with apples and spices."

In Merry's letter, Gimli spoke of how he had put new braids in Legolas' hair, describing them the best he could. Merry had asked him privately once if he was going to change Legolas' hair as the elf had with Gimli. Gimli paused and stretched his fingers.

Legolas glanced over at him, "Is something wrong, my one?"

"I'm attempting to explain what you look like."

Legolas' expression showed confusion for a moment and then he smiled. "I believe we can arrange something. Follow me."

Gimli followed him out of their chambers. He discerned what Legolas was planning when they arrived at Tasar and Lisse's door. Gimli was glad that Tasar was there. They talked for a brief time. Tasar would glance up every so often, studying them both, and then his gaze would go back to the parchment he was working on. Lisse served them mead and smiling handed Gimli a plate of the very biscuits he had depicted to Pippin.

Gimli looked around the rooms. There was a table in the centre as there was in their own rooms but it held art supplies. To the left of the table and against the wall was a settee where Legolas and Gimli sat. To the right of the table against the wall was a tall stand whose top was made from glass. Drink and food were kept here along with a small vase holding a single white flower. A brown rug with a geometric pattern of black squares covered the floor. Gimli reckoned that the exit to the left led to a study as it did in the chambers he shared with Legolas.

There was a huge painting in the room showing four elflings. The oldest, Lisgolar, was almost an adult and cradled a baby in his arms. Gimli could not tell the age of the other two children. They were beautiful together with all but the second child being dark haired so there was one blonde in the middle.

In a much shorter time than Gimli had thought it would take, Legolas' brother finished and handing the sketch to the two of them said, "Do you like it?"

Gimli was thrilled with it. Not only did it reveal Legolas with his new braids but Tasar had drawn Gimli too. It appeared to be a scene from the night of their bonding ceremony. They were sitting together and Legolas' arm was around Gimli's shoulders. The background was of the woodland night sky showing the stars and the crescent moon.

"The hobbits will love this. Gandalf will too." Gimli said.

Legolas said softly, "I love it. Almost too much to give it up. Will you draw us one like it before we leave?"

"Uma."

They went back to the study to write more. Both of them encouraged Sam to continue to write and spoke of how much they missed the hobbits and Gandalf. "Although." Gimli said, "It is obvious we do. A bit like telling Sam to watch over Frodo. Totally unnecessary."

When they were both finished, Legolas said, "We can give the letters to Laspasen tonight at the party. She is responsible for getting missives to their designation."

Tbc