"Are you truly set on visiting Fangorn?" Elladan smilingly inquired.
Gimli grimaced and said: "I misguidedly gave my word and I will not have it said that a Dwarf does not know how to keep a promise!"
The others laughed at his less than pleased countenance. The others being Elrohir and Legolas, and Frodo and his ever faithful Sam.
"Come now, Gimli, I have promised to explore the Glittering Caves with you," Legolas pointed out. "The least you can do is return the gesture with good grace."
Gimli snorted at the idea. "So like an Elf," he muttered.
They were gathered together on the green lawn before the White Tower, the velvety growth making for comfortable seating for the Elves and hobbits at least. The Dwarf was another matter but he'd held his tongue and gingerly arranged his bluff self upon the springy grass.
It was the last afternoon before the kings of Gondor and Rohan departed for the Riddermark bearing Theoden's earthly remains to his last resting place in the Barrowfield outside of Edoras. A great company of the noblest of both realms would escort the valiant king on the fifteen-day trek to Rohan. All the Elves would be part of this company as would four hobbits and one Dwarf.
Gimli had managed to persuade Legolas to agree to visit Aglarond with him upon the return to Rohan. The Dwarf had been so enthralled by the beauty of the caverns that he'd actually found the eloquence to convince the Elf-prince that they were worth more than a peek.
Legolas had agreed somewhat reluctantly but, in return, he'd elicited a promise from Gimli to explore the fastness of Fangorn with him before they went home to their respective realms. Gimli had duly sworn to this but without much enthusiasm.
Since then, he'd proclaimed loudly and often that his mother had not raised him to be any prissy Elf's bodyguard. To which Legolas would be heard to retort that his mother had not raised him to baby-sit recalcitrant Dwarves either! The twins had been hard-pressed to decide which course of action to take: to sit back and enjoy the verbal fray or interfere and prevent another war from erupting.
"And you, Ring-bearer?" Elrohir gently asked. "What are your plans?"
Frodo gestured in the general direction of where home lay. "I would dearly like to return to the Shire," he said. "It seems like ages since I left Bag End. I'd thought I would never see it again." He smiled at his companions.
Sam said: "We'll have a bit of a well-earned rest when we get home, Mr. Frodo. And I can hardly wait to see my old Gaffer again."
"Not to mention Rosie Cotton," Frodo added with a grin. Sam's subsequent blush led to another round of guffaws.
The twins eyed the star-shaped gem upon Frodo's chest that hung from the fine silver chain around his neck. They knew full well why their sister had gifted the Halfling with it.
"Aye, it will indeed be a well-earned rest," Elrohir said softly.
He clasped the hobbit on the shoulder comfortingly. The shoulder that bore the morgul-wound, Sam noticed.
"Well, it will be a while before I get any rest," Gimli harrumphed. "What with this dratted Elf wanting to explore haunted forests and the like. You would think he'd had his fill of adventure but, no, he has to go and look for more trouble!"
"Fangorn is not haunted!" Legolas protested.
"Any place that harbors talking trees has to be haunted!" Gimli retorted.
"Ents are not trees!"
"They certainly fooled me!"
"Are you backing out of our bargain?" the Elven prince challenged.
"Nay, I am only stating my opinion," Gimli huffed.
"Fearful are we?" Legolas smirked.
"I fear nothing!" Gimli roared indignantly.
"Yet you nearly did not enter the Dark Door in the Dwimorberg as I recall," Legolas goaded.
"Why you impertinent, pointy-eared, son of a--!"
"Peace, both of you!" Elladan laughed, hastening to placate the spluttering Dwarf. "We have just ended one war. Let us not start another!"
Between them, he and Elrohir managed to jestingly cajole Gimli back into good humor while Frodo and Sam looked on with some amazement. Finally, after a merry spell, the Dwarf decided he wanted ale and invited the others to go seek some with him. Elladan and the hobbits agreed to accompany him to the nearest tavern but Elrohir and Legolas declined. They remained seated on the verdant carpet while the others sauntered away.
"You really shouldn't tease Gimli," Elrohir grinned. "The bite of a Dwarven axe is not anything to sneeze at."
Legolas snickered. "He is as bad as I am," he said. "I was merely giving him a taste of his own medicine."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, did he say to you that you deem so wicked?"
Legolas opened his mouth to regale him with what transpired during their ride through Rohan. But then he realized that the object of that discussion had been Elrohir himself. He suddenly felt uncomfortable about bringing up the subject.
"Just some ridiculous notion of his," he dismissed.
Elrohir regarded him curiously for a while then shrugged and dropped the matter. He turned his attention to a group of courtiers walking towards the White Tower. A group of distressingly over-dressed courtiers who came as near to prancing as he'd ever had the misfortune to witness.
"Poor Estel," he said with amusement. "I wager he wishes he were but a mere Ranger once more rather than deal with those foppish sycophants. The way they preen themselves, you would think they'd personally defended Minas Tirith from our foes when in truth they most likely spent the war cowering under their beds."
Legolas chuckled. "Aye, they think rather highly of themselves. Poor Estel, indeed. But no one ever said 'twould be easy being king."
Elrohir smiled in agreement. After a moment, Legolas said: "Elrohir?"
"Hm?"
"About your choice?"
Elrohir's shoulders seemed to stiffen. He turned his attention back to the archer.
"What of it?" he lightly asked. But his suddenly guarded eyes belied the casualness of his tone.
The prince frowned at his changed demeanor. "Lord Elrond and Mithrandir said some rather odd things that night," he commented. "I did not quite understand what they meant."
Was it his imagination or had Elrohir suddenly tensed?
"What did you not understand, ernilen?"
"They alluded to the need for you and Elladan to--to bind yourselves should you desire to remain in Middle-earth," Legolas said. "That makes sense where Elladan is concerned but you..." He looked at the Elf-knight uncertainly. "Have you--? While I was away, did you...find someone?"
"Someone?"
"To bind yourself to," Legolas said. There was just the faintest hint of a shadow in his otherwise bright blue eyes.
"And if I did?" the warrior rejoined after a noticeable pause.
The archer said haltingly: "I cannot dictate what you may or may not do. But I cannot help worrying that if there is someone waiting for you in Imladris...that our friendship will...fail." He sighed. "Already I feel the lessening of the bond between you and Elladan now that he is promised to my sister. Yet you are twins. What more of your regard for me? I fear it will diminish...should you take a spouse."
The Elf-knight was silent for the longest while. "It is not diminished," he said at last. "And it never will be." He looked away into the distance. "And I am not joined to...another. Nor do I plan to be any time soon."
Legolas gazed at him in puzzlement. "But they said...they said you must bind yourself to remain here...and still be of Elf-kind."
"A pledge was all that was needed," Elrohir replied. "I made it.'
"And is there no limit to the time you have to find someone?" Legolas queried anxiously.
Elrohir took his hand and squeezed it. "I have more than enough time, Calenlass. Do not worry yourself over this."
Legolas studied him doubtfully. "I hope so," he finally said.
Elrohir regarded him gravely in turn.
"And you, Legolas?" he quietly inquired. "Should you give your heart away, will your regard for me lessen?"
The archer stared at him in surprise. "I told you, my heart is mine to keep," he pointed out. "I do not care to unlock it."
"But should you..?"
Legolas shook his head fiercely. "That will not happen, gwador. For this I promise you: if the impossible should come to pass and my betrothed demanded that of me I would sooner break my troth than abandon our friendship."
Another silence fell between them. Legolas wondered at his friend's mood.
At length, Elrohir lifted a hand and tucked an errant lock of silver gold behind the prince's ear. And then he smiled and it was of such tenderness and affection that it just about took Legolas' breath away.
"That comforts me," Elrohir softly said. Before Legolas could say more, he rose to his feet, pulling the archer along with him. "Come, let us join the others. Let us toast this last day in Minas Tirith with good company, wine and song."
Legolas snorted dubiously. "With song? That might be possible with hobbits, but a Dwarf?"
Elrohir laughed. "And as Elladan said, let us not start another war!"
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Greenleaf and Imladris 18. On the Edge of Forever by Eresse
Chapter end notes: ernilen - my prince
Calenlass - Greenleaf (Elrohir's pet name for Legolas)
gwador - sworn brother
