That may well qualify as the most nerve-racking experience of my life. Must make note never to confront dead army ever again, even if I have to in order to stay by Aragorn's side. There are some things I never want to relive, and that was one of them.
Face death in a battle where we are hopelessly outnumbered or fight giant spiders, of course, but no more ghost armies or Balrogs for me. I am done with supernatural things.
Legolas was shaken by their experience in the Paths of the Dead, the man could tell, and being so close to the sea was not helping him at all. Aragorn had watched him stare off the back of the ship as they moved further upstream, and hoped desperately that it did not mean the Elf would leave him when the war was over. It would solve all of Legolas' problems, for he would not have to choose between Aragorn and his father anymore; but it would leave Aragorn alone. And now that he had had the blond prince, the man was not sure he would be able to handle that.
Slowly, the man walked over to where his lover stood by the side of the boat, looking back the way they had come. As he came up to the Elf he wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and kissed his neck. "You have been staring downriver since we captured the boats, what is on your mind?"
"The sea," Legolas replied softly, his gaze never moving from the horizon. "I can still hear the sea birds, and when the wind blows I can smell the salt spray."
Those were just the words Aragorn had dreaded hearing. "Will you heed its call?" he forced himself to ask, steeling himself for the worst possible outcome.
The Elf was silent for a long while, so long, in fact, that Aragorn was tempted to ask his question again. When he opened his mouth to speak, though, Legolas cut him off. "No," he said simply, "I would not join my kin in the west if it meant I must be parted from you."
"You may be parted from me anyway," Aragorn murmured solemnly. It was something they had both spoken of, at length. Aragorn would take the throne at the end of the war; after all this time, Gondor needed something stable so it could recover. In that case, the man would need to marry someone who could provide him with heirs, and Legolas, to the best of their knowledge, was unable to do that.
There was also the problem with the prince's father. Thranduil would be anything but happy to hear that his son had fallen in love with a mortal. Legolas was not the first in line for the Mirkwood throne, so Aragorn thought it should not matter who he chose to spend his life with, but the Elvenking was known to be stubborn in his beliefs. And Legolas had broken a law by giving his heart to Aragorn, a law who's consequence was banishment. It would be hard to convince Thranduil to overlook the law and have it not appear a favor for his son. It was proving harder by the day for the two lovers to imagine a future together.
"Please do not remind me, Aragorn," Legolas murmured, turning slightly to look at the man over his shoulder. "I would prefer to be happy with you right now, than worry about the future."
Aragorn smiled faintly and kissed him, "Then we will worry about it when the time comes."
All too soon the three hunters arrived at Pelennor and were sucked into the heat of battle. Everywhere they looked were orcs and Haradrim swarmed, completely outnumbering their forces. It was tiring and blinding. Dust was kicked up by the soldiers and few horses who remained standing with riders on them and made it hard to see what one was attacking.
Then it was over.
Almost as suddenly as they had been pulled into the battle, the three hunters ran out of things to kill. They had won. Somehow miraculously they had emerged victorious.
All I really want at this moment, is a bath, and a nap.
It seems forever since I have been able to relax long enough to actually sleep. Not to mention that I am filthy and still smell like cave and death.
Where is Aragorn? He could use a bath as well.
TBC...
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Forbidden by Erandir
Chapter notes: Slowly, but surely we're getting to the end. I've already started writing the sequel (which is really sad, considering I haven't finished writing this), so look for that as soon as Forbidden reaches it's end.
Beta'd by the loverly Empath, who wants me to make longer chapters. Sorry, hun.
