Author: Glorfindel's ghost Title: In the dark places (part 2) Rating: R Pairing: Legolas/Aragorn Disclaimer: None of them are mine, they're Tolkien's, my imagination has been stunted by too much television to invent my own characters! Feedback: both compliments and flames are very welcome- I live for reviews- as are any suggestions for the next part Summary: Lothlorien, Haldir and a realisation (sorry, I can't write decent summaries!) Gandalf had fallen. They had all wept unashamedly except Legolas whose status as an elf did not permit him that particular show of emotion. Still, Aragorn pondered, should he cry that would mean heartbreak - one of the few things that could lead an elf to perish. He was startled to realise that he didn't want Legolas to die - despite what the elf represented - a ghost of an unwanted memory. Mired in his own grief and thoughts, it took Aragorn some time to realise that Legolas was speaking to him: "Aragorn? Hello?" He snapped back to awareness. "Hmmm? What do you want?" "Frodo and Sam are lagging behind - they are both injured. Perhaps it would be wise to stop and tend their wounds and give us all a chance to rest." Aragorn blinked at him a couple of times. Legolas stared back at him worriedly and then put a tentative hand on the man's shoulder. "We are all grieving form him Aragorn but you are the leader here now- you must make sure you do not wallow in your melancholy and lead us to ruin." Fixing the ranger with a steely gaze he continued, "Gandalf would not want that- he would want you to fulfil your destiny and become king of Gondor." Aragorn hated to admit that Legolas was right, even to himself, but for once it seemed prudent to listen to the elf. It certainly said something of their situation that vain, selfish Legolas had noticed something was wrong. Since that night in Moria the two had settled into an uneasy truce, Legolas guilty about all that he had revealed and Aragorn mortified and not wishing to provoke the elf to say anything more. Aragorn suddenly noticed that in his thoughts he had been staring at Legolas somewhat dazedly. Legolas, slightly perturbed as to what this dumbstruck look meant, abruptly moved his hand away from Aragorn's shoulder. "Well?" the elf asked somewhat crossly. Aragorn sensed his fear and felt rather irritated. He frowned at Legolas without knowing why. Then he called for Boromir to join him and the two hurried back to Frodo and Sam, the ranger apologising profusely. Legolas crossed his arms across his chest and watched. "Damn you Aragorn, I am not going to let you get to me," he muttered to himself. Boromir slept fitfully on the flet, his dreams unknown to the others but terrifying nonetheless. Gimli slept far more soundly, snoring loudly. Aragorn lay awake a long time, a threat growing in his mind, though he could not imaging what threat there could be in this fair land. Eventually though, he dropped off to sleep with Legolas's song of the Nimrodel running through his mind. Legolas waited until he saw the ranger's dark head loll backwards as sleep overwhelmed him. Then he stood and carefully picked his way over the sleeping forms, and down the ladder. Haldir stood waiting at the bottom of the tree, his blonde hair picked up under the glow of the moonlight. He wordlessly held out his hand to Legolas. The elf took it and allowed himself to be led away. The relief of being in Lothlorien had soon passed. Whilst the others spoke of the Lady Galadriel and what they desired that she had shown them Aragorn kept quiet. His keen eyes detected the look that Merry gave Pippin when he blushed and refused to tell the company what it was that Galadriel had shown him. A smile wavered across Merry's lips but quickly disappeared. Aragorn was intrigued. He had spent most of the journey thus far preoccupied with his own thoughts and troubles but now, as leader of the fellowship, he was starting to notice many surprising new things. His mind wandered back to the vision Galadriel had presented to him - himself as king of Gondor, Arwen his queen, as all around them cheered. Then Arwen had turned to look at him, her smile fading as she followed her Husband's gaze to the still blonde elf in the doorway with tears falling down his cheeks. Then it had gone and Galadriel's voice had filled his head. "You are destined to hurt one. Make sure you make the right choice." "There are more important matters - the ring must be destroyed before I can think of myself." Galadriel read his mind and her eyes had laughed at him. "Do not worry for Frodo and the ring. There is one who will go to the ends of the earth to see that Frodo completes his quest - one who is not afraid of the bond of love between them." It was a dig at him, Aragorn knew, one he deserved completely. He knew now of whom Galadriel spoke, could have kicked himself for not realising before. He recalled Galadriel's last words: "Oh and Aragorn, there are some that say men never stop thinking about themselves anyway." Then she had smiled wickedly. Aragorn was beginning to wonder whether the fairest and noblest beings reputation was a complete fabrication. His cheeks burned - damn her, he hated someone else being able to read his mind. A sudden terrifying thought occurred to him, the possibility that Galadriel might tell her beloved granddaughter Arwen and warn her off Aragorn. Oh, he could not bear that, being separated from her, she meant so much to him.. Suddenly he laughed to himself - he couldn't even convince his own mind of this any longer, let alone Arwen. He made a decision, possibly he thought to himself the wrong one but Aragorn really didn't care any more. After all he reasoned, we're probably gonna die anyway on this quest, I may as well go out happy. He snapped back to the present. "Where did Legolas go?" he demanded, making the others jump. "Into the woods," Boromir replied, pointing the way with his hand. Aragorn merely nodded in reply, then jumped up and set off into Mirkwood. He moved stealthily through the trees, blind in the absolute darkness but his ears keen. He did actually hear them before he could see them, murmuring quietly, their voices indistinct. Then he saw them, seated upon the moss in a small clearing. He sidled closer, hiding behind a tree, feeling compelled to watch. His breath caught in his throat as Haldir took Legolas's hand, stroked the soft skin of his cheek, and then, leaning in, planted a soft kiss on the wood elf's forehead. Aragorn felt a stab in his gut. Before he had to endure anymore he turned and ran, ploughing through the undergrowth, sending up birds in his wake. Haldir and Legolas looked up in alarm at the sudden noise. "What on earth was that?" Legolas hissed. Haldir smiled knowingly in return. "You know perfectly well." Legolas looked at him confusedly for a moment before a dawning realisation appeared on his face. "Oh, I think not..." he tried to protest anyway but Haldir was having none of it. "Men are weak and stupid, but this one is different, Legolas. If I were you I would consider it." Legolas smiled grimly. "No Haldir, this man is the weakest and the stupidest of the lot." "Then you must be kind in your refusal." "We'll see. I have not much inclination to do so for I know he would not be kind to me." Then, head bowed as one who has the weight of the world on his shoulders, Legolas turned and walked away. By the time Legolas arrived back at the camp Aragorn was already wrapped up in a blanket pretending to sleep. However, his still ragged breathing gave him away. "Aragorn," Legolas said softly. Aragorn's eyelids flickered but he scowled and scrunched his eyes shut tightly. "Estel," Legolas tried again. This time Aragorn's eyes did open. "Do you know what that name means?" he asked through clenched teeth. "It means hope. Right now I don't have a whole lot of hope." Legolas was momentarily speechless at the Ranger's words, so Aragorn continued. "What do you want anyway? Hadn't you better get back to Haldir?" If he hadn't been surrounded by the rest of the fellowship Legolas would have laughed out loud. As it was he snorted in amusement. "Haldir? You think Haldir and I are... oh goodness no Aragorn! He sensed my unhappiness and tried to console me!" Aragorn narrowed his eyes. "If that's what you choose to call it..." Legolas sighed and shook his head, his white blond hair shimmering as he did so. Before Aragorn could protest he had grabbed the ranger's wrists and was pulling him to his feet. "Come," he instructed, "we need to speak somewhere more private." With that he led the protesting Aragorn into the woods. There was a short silence. Then from out of the darkness there came a small voice: "Merry?" "Yes Pip?" "Did you hear that?" Boromir's voice came as a surprise to them both. "Hardly a surprise to anyone with eyes and ears - I mean, look what happened in Moria!" In the darkness Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam and Gimli nodded in mutual agreement. Aragorn could feel his heart pounding in his chest, partly through excitement but mostly through fear. They were deep into the woods by the time Legolas stopped and then whirled round to face him. Aragorn smiled at him weakly. The elf glared back at him. "What is the matter with you? What game are you playing? You think me very lowly Aragorn, this I know, and I seemed to disgust you that time you leapt on me in the woods, and yet now you are pursuing me! Whatever makes you think that I could feel anything for a man who treated me so badly?" This outburst made Aragorn gulp. He opened his mouth to tell Legolas all his thoughts and feelings, about the vision Galadriel had shown him, and how he had finally realised for sure when he saw Legolas with Haldir and felt such intense jealousy and betrayal. But the words would not come. He wilted under the elf's cold, penetrating gaze and found himself tongue-tied. Instead, he resorted to the only method he knew- he reached out and took hold of Legolas's hand, then clasped it to his heart. Legolas's expression didn't change but he didn't pull away either. Tentatively, Aragorn leaned in for a kiss. The minute his lips brushed against Legolas's he knew he had made the right decision. Unfortunately for the ranger Legolas thought otherwise, pulling away and glaring at him with renewed anger. "Why is it you can't ask, you just take?" he demanded of Aragorn angrily. Then, furious with himself as much with Aragorn, he shoved the ranger hard in the chest with his free hand to get him to relinquish his grip, turned on his heel and stormed off into the woods, a victorious smile on his face that he couldn't quite keep off his face until he was out of view. Aragorn thought about going after him but decided against it. Winning Legolas's heart would be far more difficult than first anticipated he mused to himself. Oh well, he liked a challenge and he had plenty of time to form a plan if they went all the way to Mordor. Nonetheless, as he trudged back to the campsite his mood was dark - to Legolas this wasn't an affair, it was a grudge match.