Legolas and Gimli returned to the house to find the Hobbits already there, taking tea in the courtyard and eating the scones Sam had cooked earlier. Butter and jam was in good supply, and the afternoon was still, warm and sunny. As the two came in at the top gate, they heard Merry saying: 'That spring now - it's almost like an Ent-bath. If the water came over a ledge of some sort, instead of straight down the rock ...'
Gimli asked for an explanation, and was reminded of the Hobbits' visit to Wellinghall. He understood the idea quickly enough, but Legolas was much more interested, especially when Pippin described Treebeard standing under the falling water, and said that they had bathed in the same way and enjoyed it.
Gimli eyed the small cascade. Though the thought of standing under it held no great appeal, he still wondered what could be done, and how.
Early the next day, he started rummaging among the bits and pieces in the store rooms and in the narrow space behind the last part of the range of buildings under the city wall. Then he started making sketches on some of the paper thoughfully provided by Faramir's servamts, and Legolas watched in fascination as he went seriously about the task of making an Ent-bath. And at the end of a day and a half, he had done it, almost entirely with the odds and ends he had found about the place. By shaping and driving into cracks in the rock a couple of strong pieces of iron, he made a bracket to which was fixed a wooden arm with two joints that supported a broad wooden chute to do duty for the ledge Merry had spoken of. A length of rope attached to the end of the arm enabled it to be swung under the falling water to direct it clear of the stone basin, so that it fell to the ground in a smaller version of the cascade at Wellinghall. The next step was the provision of something to catch the water and direct the overflow back into the channel at the foot of the rock wall. This was no problem, as the wash-kitchen held a second large tub beside the bath; one that had clearly been used for laundry, as it smelled of strong soap. Once a small section had been cut out of the rim and fitted with a channel made up from a few lengths of wood, the Ent-bath was complete. It all worked well enough, but Gimli showed no inclination to use it himself for its intended purpose.
When the Hobbits arrived to see how he was getting on, they were greatly surprised to find the work finished.
'Legolas must have helped,' said Pippin.
Legolas and Gimli both spoke at once: 'I assure you I did not.'
'When a Dwarf works, he works!'
'Besides, I have no skill in these matters,' said Legolas, 'Though I may have learned a little by watching Gimli.'
He had indeed been intrigued to see Gimli at work, absorbed in a novel task, concentrating so intently that at times he did not hear when spoken to.
But now came the question: who should be the first to try the Ent-bath?
Frodo said it should be Merry or Pippin, since it was their idea. He tested the water with his hand, and thought it too cold for his liking, even in the summer heat of Gondor.
Sam then accused the two of having second thoughts, which proved enough to start them stripping. Quietly he fetched the clothes-horse from the kitchen, complete with towels, and in no time at all there was an outdoor bathroom set up in the courtyard. Legolas and Gimli sat at the table and watched, laughing at the splashing and antics of the Hobbits. Eventually Sam was persuaded to have a go as well, when Merry and Pippin threatened to throw him into the tub (which was quite large enough for two Hobbits) fully dressed.
'All very well for a hot day,' he said, 'But chilly enough at that. If you could fix it up with hot water, Master Gimli, it might be another matter.'
'I'm not about to set up as a maker of baths for Hobbits!' snorted the Dwarf.
'I shall stick to hot water in a proper tub!' said Frodo.
Afterwards Legolas took to using the Ent-bath quite regularly, morning or evening, but only when the lower gate was locked against all visitors, and Gimli alone beheld him shining like silver in the cool cascade, often to be drawn by his beauty into sharing the clean refreshing chill that made the warmth of their bed all the more delightful.
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For Continuing Strange: The Ent-Bath (Side-story) by Annie Harris
Story notes: I dreamed up this bit of fun while in the shower - where else?
A side-story. Part 1 takes place after Legolas has recovered from the Morgul-blast, and Part 2 between the marriage of Aragorn and Arwen and the departure of Theoden's cortège. Haldir is imagined to have come to Gondor for the wedding in the retinue of Celeborn and Galadriel.
Warning: Naked Elf, no slash. Haldir sings!
