Art of Life

Title: Art of Life
Part: 5/?
Author: Indil (lily@stranger-inside.net)
Pairings: Aragorn/Legolas, hir/hir/Legolas
Warnings: None for now, really, unless angst counts? Mpreg for later chapters.
Rating: PG-13 to R
Disclaimer: See first part
Summary: Legolas' has a long, hard path to walk to find the true love of his life.
Notes: Sorry again for taking so long between updates, but school again caught up me. me. Especially when finals arrived, but happily I passed every subject, and I won’t have to do summer school. This will leave me more time to write. Love you all!!! UNBETAED

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Time is blind
But I wanna trace my love
on the wall of time
[Art of Life by X-Japan]

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[LEGOLAS]

The Mines of Moria. I knew I should be glad to have survived both, the blizzard at Caradhras and the recent attack by the monster in the water. However, the tht dht didn’t exactly make me happy to be locked in the gloom of Moria. I could feel something evil lurking in the shadows, something even worse than Orcs. Those I could deal with, but not with the darkness that seemed to threaten my heart.

I think Aragorn must have felt something was not completely right with me, because he held my hand and squeezed reassuringly. That made my spirit lift a bit, knowing my beloved was here with me. I gripped his hand back, as if letting him know I would protect him too.

Fortunately for us, Mithrandir had already been to these desolate mines, and more or less knew the way through it. Or so we hoped. He stopped from time to time, to look at a certain passage, or sniff the air at other ones, trying to find the one that would lead us to the other side of the mountains. Especially since we all knew there was only one way out, as the water-monster had blocked the entrance.

After many long hours of wandering, Gandalf declared he was lost. Or at leasture ure of the way we should follow. For that reason and for the fact that we were all too weary to continue, we decided to stop and rest. We found a chamber big enough for all of us to comfortably rest. So setting Pippin as watch, as he had earned our Wizard’s wrath by dropping a stone in a well, we cast ourselves on the ground to rest.

I moved my bedroll closer to Aragorn, who opened his arms for me. I happily and comfortably settled against him, his mere presence making me feel safe, warm, and protected. Or at least as much as it could be achieved in a damp, dark cave for an Elf. Like all Elves, I love sleeping in the open, or obviously, in a nice, warm bed.

“Are you alright, my darling?” he asked, lovingly nuzzling my hair. He knew I hated caves, as he had been raised by the Imladris Elves.

I nodded and gently kissed one of his hands. “Yes, I’m fine, love… I just… I don’t know… I just have a strange feeling about this place. I wish we were already out and on our way to continue this quest,” I replied.

He sighed and held me tighter. “Aye, I know how you feel. I was against coming here, but I guess Gandalf knows what he is doing. I still don’t feel too sure of this place either, but there’s nothing we can do other than find the way out. I also have a bad feeling, more for Gandalf than anyone else. That’s why I told him to beware of Moria,” he said. “But then again, he usually knows best,” he added.

“You’re right, I’m sure Mithrandir will find the way out. But for now, we should take the opportunity to rest,” I answered.

Aragorn nodded and he closed his eyes. I admit that when we first became lovers, it shocked me to see him sleep with his eyes closed. It was so strange, as was the fact that his body was mostly covered with hair, but soon I got used to both things. Sometimes I loved to simply watch him sleep. Nevertheless, I knew that I needed to rest too, as we didn’t know when we would have the time to sleep again while in Moria.


[ARAGORN]

If someone had told Gimli about the horrible way in which the Orcs had plundered the Mines of Moria, he would have probably refused to follow this road. However, he had no idea of what had transpired here since the last news they had received from Balin, but most likely nothing would have prepared him for the awful reality of seeing his kinsman’s tomb.

Even Legolas gave the impression of feeling sympathy for the poor Dwarf and even patted his shoulder. The Hobbitse she shocked too, especially Frodo, as they had all heard many stories about Balin from old Bilbo.

The Orcs came, but the nine of us defended ourselves. Even the young Hobbits showed a great determination and courage that would scandalize the hearts of his people, but earn them a seat among the bravest warriors. And not only for this small battle, but for the bravery they would prove later in our Quest.

For a moment we had thought Frodo had been lost, as the troll had stabbed him with a spear. But he surprised everyone by being only mildly bruised.

Finally, when the last Orc and the Troll were dead, we continued on our way to the other exit, with Gandalf having found new guidance in the book he had found. However, a new evil was following us. I could feel Legolas tensing with foreboding next to me. Like most Elves, he could feel the evilness. But this time, he had no idea of what was behind us.

Gandalf stayed behind to magically seal the door. I picked up Frodo and ran with the others, to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, as Gandalf told us to do. After some moments, he caught up with us and we started crossing the bridge.

However, fate seemed to be against us that day, for the creature had managed to break past Gandalf’s seal, and it was now making its way down to us. That’s when I finally saw it, a monster of shadow and fire.

“Ai! A Balrog of Morgoth!” yelled Legolas, as me, recognizing the fiend from ancient Elvish lore. The demon only Ecthelion and Glorfindel of Gondolin had ever been able to slay, at the cost of their own lives.

We knew that none of us would be able to defy the Balrog, and if any of us thought so, Gandalf made it clear to us that this foe was far beyond any of us. So we kept running, until we reached the opposite side of the bridge. But Gandalf had not heeded to his own advice and remained behind to challenge the fiend.

“You shall not pass!” he yelled, and with his staff, hit the bridge beneath his feet. It started crumbling, and the weight of the Balrog made it finally give way. It fell, but as Gandalf turned around, it lashed its whip and pulled the Grey Pilgrim down with him.

And in the blink of and eye, he was gone. Our leader was gone.


[LEGOLAS]

If anyone had ever told me the great Mithrandir would find his end in a dark hole inside a dark cave I woulve lve laughed and say they were insane. When we finally left Moria, grief almost took over us. However, Aragorn lost no time in taking control of the situation, making us quickly leave the shadow of the mountains. He knew the Orcs would soon follow us.
Thank the Valar, not to mention the unbreakable spirit of Aragorn; the company finally reached the safety of the Woods of Lórien. The Galadhrim had found us, and questioned us. We couldn’t give them much information, but now Haldir and his brothers, Rúmil and hin,hin, lead us to their city, Caras Galadhon. I must point out that at that moment I really hated both Gimli and Haldir, for making me take my first tour of the Golden Woods blindfolded. Only my love for Aragorn made endure such humiliation. That and the fact that everyone else had their eyes covered too.

This torment ended when new messages arrivedm Cam Caras Galadhon that we should all walk free. When Haldir removed the scarf that had been tied around my eyes, I made a face at him and went to join Aragorn. Holding his hand, I looked around. Lothlórien is really a beautiful place. I should have visited it before, during spring, to watch the golden roof of blossoms and the golden floor of fallen leaves. However, even in winter, it was breathtaking.

Aragorn had been here before, judging by his nostalgic expression. He must have visited with the Twins and Arwen. I peeked at the rest of our companions. The Hobbits were deeply awed. Especially Frodo and Sam. As for Boromir, well, I could never really read his face. He tried hard not to show how much the woods had impressed him. And Gimli, he had finally stopped showing all that Dwarf stubbornness and looked around. I guess he was grateful to be allowed to walk free.

Finally, we reached the city of the Galadhrim, the tree people. It was striking, fferfferent kind of beauty than the one found in Mirkwood, or even in Imladris. We didn’t have much time to look at it, as the Lord and Lady wanted to see us immediately.

Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel received us graciously, and asked us to tell the tale of our Quest. They knew about it what Elrond had written them about, but they were most worried about the fate of Mithrandir. When we finished, they send us to rest our weary bodies, minds, and hearts.

I went down, to where a camp had been set for us. They had also made a fire and brought food. I sat down next to Aragorn, enjoying the warmth of the fire, even if the cold didn’t have any effect on me. The Hobbits, Gimli, Boromir, and Aragorn ate from the food the Elves had brought. I however, was not hungry, and simply drank some wine, wishing its sweet taste would wash away the bitterness I felt in my heart.

Being an Elf, I had never really thought much about death. None of us really does, unless we have lost someone dear to us. That’s why the facat Mat Mithrandir was no more in this world was so foreign to me. I couldn’t believe that the great Wizard I had known during most of my life was gone.

At that moment I heard a chorus of Elven voices lifting in a lament for Mithrandir, the Grey Pilgrim. One of the Hobbits, (I didn’t pay enough attention to know which one) asked me to make a song for Gandalf. I would have loved to comply. Nevertheless I shook my head, as the pain was still too fresh. I didn’t feel like singing. In fact, I felt the need to be alone for a moment.

I excused myself and stood up to take a walk and try to clear my mind and heart. I saw Aragorn look at me with concern, but I looked at him a way that told him I wanted to be alone. He nodded, and I walked out of the area we were occupying, and deeper in the woods.

I stopped by a small stream, deep enough to bathe in, but not to really swim. I stripped and went into the water, feeling myself relax as the water washed away the accumulated dirt from my body.

My thoughts suddenly drifted to Aragorn and his mortality. We had met in Mirkwood, during one of his trips as a Ranger. He had heard from Lord Elrond that my land was infested with dark creatures and he decided to help our people. I had been the first to stop him, dropping onto his horse from a tree, to try to prevent him from going further. My heart seemed to have been pierced by one of my own arrows when I looked in his eyes, and it ached with the thought that I might have to turn him in as a spy. However, as soon as he had identified himself and his purpose, we became fast friends. I have to admit it surprised me when I learned he was the foster-son of Elrond, and thus, Elrohir’s brother. How ironic, my fate seemed to be permanently tied to that the members of the House of Elrond.

He was so young back then, only a few years into his majority, as reckoned by Men. How many years had passed since then? 20? 30? Maybe more, I wasn’t sure at that moment. But even though the Dúnedain age more slowly than other races of Men, those years showed on him. Maybe not so much physically, except in a few wrinkles, but in his spirit. He had had to carry the burden of his title, the Heir to Gondor’s throne.

All of that made me realize how short my time with Aragorn really was. He was about 90 years now. How many more years would he have? Maybe he had a hundred more, at most a few centuries. And what were a few centuries to an Elf? Even I, one of the youngest Elves in Middle-Earth had already lived for more than two millennia.

I sighed, and I realized st hst have already been here for a few hours when I felt a pair of armsppinpping around my body and a warm face nuzzling my hair. I immediately recognized him as my lover.

“Aragorn…” I whispered, as I placed my hands over his, leaning against his strong chest.

“Are you well, Legolas? I got worried when you didn’t return. Everyone else is already in bed,” he whispered softly, kissing the top of my head lovingly.

I smiled tenderly and lifted one of his hands to kiss it. “I’m sorry for making you worry, love… I just needed some time by myself to think,” I replied.

He returned the favor by kissing my hand. “I understand a’mael… I did some thinking myself too. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, I feel better now already.” I lied, turning in his arms to place a gentle kiss on his lips. I felt bad for lying to my lover, but I didn’t want him to regret our love. I remembered back in the earlier days of our relationship that he would insist that was not worthy of me, that I should find someone with whom I could share the rest of eternitth. th.

//// FLASHBACK ////

“I love you, Legolas… I have never met anyone like you and you have captured my heart. My love belongs to you and always will,” he said, while nervously looking down at his shoes.

I smiled and lifted his chin gently, to make him look at me. “I love you too, Aragorn… You have become very dear to me in such a short time,” I answered, looking into his deep, grey eyes.

“But Legolas, even though I’m deeply honoured that you return my feelings, I’m not sure if I should accept them. You’re a Prince of Elves, immortal. While you will live forever, I will wither and die in what will seem a very short time to you. Maybe you should fine someone else to love. Someone who will live as long as you…” he said.

My gaze softened even more and I kissed him softly. “Don’t… I don’t want to love anyone else. I love you, and I will happily spend with you the years the Valar give you in Middle-Earth.”

//// END FLASHBACK ////

He smiled at me. “That’s good then… Maybe we should go back…” he started but I stopped him.

“Not yet, love… I want to spend some time alone with you, even if our companions are asleep,” I proposed, letting a suggestive smile slide on my lips.

He looked back at me with the fondest look I’d ever seen on him. “Wait, before anything else happens. I-I wanted to ask you something…” he whispered, suddenly becoming the shy, young Man I had taken as a lover in Mirkwood so many years ago.

“Ask, my love… You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t give you…” I answered, curious as to what his request would be.

He took the Ring of Barahir off his finger, an heirloom from his family, come from the First Age of the world. He then slipped it on my finger and kissed it sweetly. “Legolas, my love… If we survive through this, would you join your fate with mine? Would you marry me?” he inquired.

I cradled the hand that wore the Ring close to my body and looked into his eyes. “Yes, Aragorn… I will marry you…” I answered dreamily, before once more kissing him.

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There you go everyone, a brief glance into A/L’s past. ˆ_________ˆ That, and Aragorn finally did it. Sorry for the sugary sweetness of the last part of this chaptern’t n’t help it. I’m a hopeless romantic. <3 Especially when it comes to these two. *heartmarks* I love them and I love you all !!!