Title: Legolas' Gift
Author: Estel Baggins
Author's Email: macfal1219@comcast.net
Chapters: 57-59
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Aragorn keeps his long-delayed promise to Legolas, and they
say good-bye.
Warnings: tissues might be needed

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Saru sat up when Malacai was gone and looked at the pack Annaleh had
kept between her feet. He left Adalai and Cein in the bed and took up
the pack. Atop it was his own cloak, and he sighed. 'Even if she didn't
want me to leave, she was willing to help me.' Setting the cloak aside,
Saru opened the pack. Inside, wrapped in tunics and trousers, were most
of his weapons, cleaned and sharpened. Beneath these were more of his
clothes, and baby clothes as well. Saru laughed and repacked everything
for neatness' sake, thinking, 'I'll find a place for all this when I
have my own tent.'

'You will never have your own tent. When Kehydi dies, they will blame
you. Then you will run out into the darkness, screaming, and I will
pluck your mewling babies from your arms, strike their heads together
and make you drink their blood. You have nothing to hope for, son of
Denethor. If you surrender now, I will end all quickly.'

Sauron was wasting his words. At the mention of Kehydi's death, Saru's
battle-shield closed over his mind. He scarcely heard the Dark Lord's
threats. He scarcely heard or understood that he now knew his real
father's name. He leapt to his feet, swooped up his sword, which had
been set in its sheath by the pallet, and left the tent, whistling the
alarm.

Outside, he met a stunned-looking Cristan. "Kehydi is in danger! Sauron
is launching an attack!" Saru shouted.

"I saw him near the Northern border." Cristan fell in beside Saru as
the young man sprinted across the camp.

"Don't follow me. Warn Aragorn," Saru ordered.

Cristan slowed his pace for an instant, wondering he should go to
Aragorn, but then he heard the running of feet from all directions.
Others had heard Saru's whistle. Among those from eastern edge of camp
were Aragorn, Jamien and Aaron. Aaron was hobbling, and his eyes were
pain-haunted, but his jaw was set. Cristan met Aragorn's eyes and then
began to run after Saru. Aragorn understood and followed.

Saru sprinted through the space between two tents and saw Kehydi. The
man stood, his back to the camp, on the high, sturdy branch of an elm
tree. Saru could almost see the Shadow flitting around him, urging him
on. Kehydi's feet were spread apart and he braced himself against the
tree trunk with one hand. The other hand was raised as if to ward off a
blow.

"Kehydi!" Saru charged to the base of the tree and started to climb.

"Stay away from me, Saru. I jump now. I understand your need to commit
suicide now."

Saru reached for a branch, but Aragorn caught him from behind and
dragged him off the tree. 

"Saru, listen to me-" Aragorn began.

Saru fought against him, kicking and trying to bite the arms that held
him. He snapped his head back against Aragorn's nose, trying to stun
his assailant. He growled, "Let go. He needs me."
Blood streamed from Aragorn's broken nose. Still, he spoke calmly.
"What he needs is your love. Talk to him from here. If you climb,
Sauron will make him jump."

"He can survive the fall if someone catches him."

"Not with a rope around his neck he can't."

Saru looked up. "I see no-" Except he did. The telltale knot behind
Kehydi's left ear was clearly visible. He stopped fighting and Aragorn
released him.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Cristan whispered from Aragorn's right. "He
can't take on whatever's up there with Kehydi alone, can he?"

"Saru has a better chance than any of us when it comes to reaching
Kehydi," Aragorn muttered out of the side of his mouth. "Once Sauron
has been thrust back, the Dunedain will unite to drive him from the
camp. Find Malacai and tell him to be ready to execute Red Stone."

Confused but trusting, Cristan slipped through the ever-growing crowd
of Dunedain, whispering to all that they must be quiet, and asking if
any had seen Malacai.

"Kehydi," Saru called, "I love you. Don't leave. I need you."

"I betrayed you. You don't need me. I've only ever betrayed you."

Saru laid his hand on his sword. "Sauron, I want to speak to Kehydi,
not to you. Kehydi, I love you. The past is the past, but this is now.
There will always be a chance for us to start over again. Sauron is
trying to take that chance from you. Don't let him destroy us, Kehydi.
We fought the Nazgul for our love. We fought our own people for our
love. Please don't let our sacrifice be in vain."

Kehydi's hand drifted up to the noose, fingering it lightly. "I…"

Sauron laughed. "I only have to take one step, Whore."

"Why do we frighten you so?" a voice demanded from behind Saru. "We are
only a group of men in the wilderness. What possible threat could we
pose to you?"
Sauron didn't answer.

Aragorn stepped forward and put his hand on Saru's shoulder. Behind and
around him, the Dunedain gathered, making a human chain. Their strength
of will flowed through Aragorn and into Saru.

"Leave now," said Saru, and his voice was deeper, stronger, than it had
ever been. "Leave now, or you will be limping back to Mordor."

Kehydi tossed his head and Sauron howled.

"Leave!!" shouted every Dunadan. "Now!!"

Aragorn intoned, "And never return."

Kehydi lowered his head. He was shivering hard. "Saru, help me…"

"Take the noose off, Kehydi. All will be well." Saru took a step nearer
to the tree, but didn't pull away from Aragorn. "Please," he whispered,
"listen to me, Kehydi. Please listen. I don't want to lose you."

With trembling hands, Kehydi reached up and took the noose off over his
head. A sudden, savage gust of wind, like an enormous, unseen beast
passing at great speed, rocked the tree and roared over the heads of
the assembled Dunedain. Kehydi clung to the tree, his eyes wide with
terror.

'Perhaps he wasn't quite ready to be named an adult, even though he
passed all the tests,' Aragorn thought. Then he grasped Saru's wrist
and propelled him towards Kehydi. "He may fall," he muttered in Saru's
ear. "Be ready."

They stood, side-by-side, beneath the branch. Kehydi was huddled
against the trunk, but gradually he relaxed. He glanced down, then
turned to the trunk and began to make his way to where they stood.

'By such a little margin was disaster avoided.' Aragorn repressed a
shudder. When Kehydi was on the ground, and he stood, being held by
Saru, the chief of the Dunedain turned to those gathered behind him.
Many of them looked frightened. A few- Aaron among them- seemed to be
holding in a great shout of joy by only the sheerest effort. Malacai
was frowning at his chief's broken nose.

"Aaron and Annaleh, stay here and guard Saru and Kehydi until they are
ready to return to camp. Don't interfere in their healing. The rest of
you, return to your tasks, whatever they might be."

As the others moved away, Malacai caught Aragorn's eye.

"Not this time, Malacai," Aragorn whispered. "For a while, I must be
alone."

When Aragorn was gone, Legolas materialized at Malacai's side. "He's
troubled," the elf said.
Malacai nodded. "Aye, he is."

"About Kehydi or the Dark Lord?"

"Neither. Something closer to home plagues him this night."

***

The moon was on the wester. Aragorn leaned against a tree just outside
the Dunedain camp. Those who were keeping watch at the border could see
his back, could know that he was well, but they would also know that he
didn't want to be disturbed.

Aragorn didn't smoke. He wanted to watch the sky. 'This night already
feels a thousand years long. Why isn't it morning yet?' He sighed, and
wondered if there was truth to the old stories of wizards being able to
lengthen days and nights to serve their purposes. 'Surely not.' He
laughed at himself. 'I only feel that it should be morning because I've
scarcely slept and I am preoccupied with thoughts of the future. Things
usually look better- or at least make a little more sense- in daylight.
Dawn is ever the hope of men.'

Briefly, Aragorn thought of Legolas, and the trip the two of them must
make soon. 'I cannot now know who will accompany us. Malacai must stay
here to hold things together. Aaron is hardly strong enough to travel.
I will not take Kehydi or Saru. They must be allowed to heal.' He
smiled at his own forgetfulness. 'Besides, Saru has his babes now.'
Shaking his head, he added, 'Annaleh can't go. I think it will be just
the two of us.' Smiling ruefully, he added, 'Assuming, of course, that
I can convince the Dunedain to let us go without a chaperone.'

Around him, the world darkened and Aragorn refocused on the sky almost
fearfully. But the darkness had been caused only by a cloud over the
moon. Even as Aragorn watched, the cloud started to move away and the
moon smiled dimly through a thin veil that refused to be swept away.
Aragorn gazed up at that veil, thinking, 'I can't move that cloud by
staring at it, but sometimes I feel that I could change a lot of other
things by just moving to change them.' He imagined the slave-market at
Nennid, its filth, stink and noise, and his hands curled into fists.
'When I am king, no places like that will exist in Gondor and Arnor.
None.' Then he stopped. 'When I am king… Is this the first time I've
thought of becoming king in a positive light? Yes… yes, it is.' He
rubbed his hand over his face. 'This, then, is the time when I will
leave. Lady Galadriel was wrong. I can't wait seven years. If I don't
get started now, it will be almost impossible to get started later.
First, I will tend to Legolas, then to the future of my Dunedain. Then
I will go.'

He sighed, and prepared to do battle with the questions that would come
with this decision. 'Is Malacai healed enough to take command?'
Frowning, he stared up at the moon for a long while before he decided,
'I can't answer that yet.

'What else must I know? Will Saru be all right- stable, sane, ready to
take care of his children? Yes. I have seen as much. And he has Malacai
and Annaleh, even if he doesn't have Kehydi. And I must not give up on
Kehydi just yet. Saru certainly hasn't. And an important battle has
been won this day.

'Other matters? Will Sauron return? Doubtful, but perhaps.' Aragorn
answered this question with his instincts instead of his reasoning
mind. 'And if he does, the other Dunedain- Malacai, at least- know how
to fight him off. No threat there.'

An hour later, after considering the matter of the hobbits, the matter
of Arwen- 'will she still be there for me? Do I care if she isn't?-,
the matter of Aaron's healing, the carrying out of Jamien's (and his
fellow dissenters) return to the Dunedain in full standing, and the
matter of his own readiness to go out into the wild alone, Aragorn was
left with only a sliver of moon above the trees and two questions.

Without thought, Aragorn turned to the tree and climbed to a high
branch so he could keep the calming moon in his sight as long as
possible.

The first question was about him: Can I truly give Legolas up? I've
been holding him here, and would try to hold him here longer if I
could. As long as he's nearby, there is a chance I will be able to
confess my love.' He sighed. 'I love him, and thoughts of his mortality
don't dissuade me. Now I will have to give him up at last, and there is
scarcely a chance we will meet again while this world lasts.' Aragorn
let a few selfish tears fall, then he brushed them away. 'Aye, all
that's true, but I couldn't hope to have the courage to tell him that I
love him truly, not if he were here when I became king and I was
finally almost worthy of his greatness.'

With that painful, but strong, resolution, Aragorn was left with the
disturbing question that had started his train of thought. 'Is Malacai
strong enough, healed enough, to serve in my stead for what might be
twenty years, sixty years, or forever?' He felt no closer to an answer.

Suddenly, the veil before the moon rolled away, and the world was
flooded with the moon's pure light. Inspired, Aragorn realised, 'I
could take his full measure on the journey we take with Legolas. He is
going to have to come with me. Which means Kehydi, stable or unstable,
sure or unsure, will have to take charge here. And maybe that
responsibility is just what Kehydi needs. I think we've been coddling
him a bit too much, surely one of the worst sins one Dunadan can commit
against another.'

Aragorn smiled at the moon. 'Thank you,' he said to it. 'Now let's see
if I can carry out your lessons.' He leapt to the ground.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

As the sun rose, Legolas emerged, tense and restless, from the tent he
had shared with the other freed slaves. Many of the former slaves had
been grumbling about what they were supposed to do against Sauron. How
could Aragorn protect them? Why hadn't they just stayed slaves? If they
had, the civil war would have never broken out. Many blamed Aragorn for
the deaths of their masters. Other griped that they would never be able
to make a way for themselves outside the Dunedain, that Aragorn wasn't
really giving them freedom because they would have to stay Rangers
forever. 

Nella, losing patience with the grumblers, punched several of them.
That had brought an uneasy peace, and in that sudden silence, Legolas
had left. He crossed the camp to the central fire and sat there,
longing both for peaceful silence and for company.

He was rewarded with the second when Aaron hobbled to the fire and sat
down. "Good morning, Legolas." He sighed, stretched his legs out, and
lit his pipe. "Looks you didn't sleep well, either."

Legolas poked a stick into the fire and inhaled Aaron's smoke, taking
comfort in the familiar smell. He closed his eyes for a brief moment
and imagined it was Aragorn sitting beside him.

"There's a part of me that wishes we'd taken on Sauron last night, full
force. That we had proclaimed Aragorn king right in front of him. That
we had frightened him badly enough to make him long to return to Mordor
and never stray out again."

"We can't do that while he's still searching for his Ring," Legolas
said, almost angry at Aaron that he'd spoken. He sounded nothing like
Aragorn. "I don't want to talk, all right? I just want to sit and
think."

"Hmm," Aaron answered.

Legolas started to stand. "If you want to talk, you'll have to find
someone else. I need to be alone."

"Then why come to the central fire?" Aaron's voice was no louder, and
he didn't look at Legolas or reach for him, but his voice held the elf
all the same. "What do you seek, Legolas?"

 "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here. I'd be out finding it."

Aaron nodded. "I understand."

"How can you?"

"Everyone looks for something, Legolas. If they find it, they're happy.
If they can't, they're miserable. But you're at an even harder place:
you want, and you need, but you don't know exactly what draws at you.
Love? Homesickness? Anger? A desire for independence? A need to return
to the past?" He looked at Legolas and the sadness in his eyes startled
Legolas so that he sank back to his place by the fire.

"I'm sorry we can't give you what you seek," Aaron whispered. "I'm
sorry we can't make you happy here. Do you think you will be happier
with the elves?"

Legolas shook his head. "No. But I need to know them. If they are
really my people, I need to know about them. The Dunedain… I want the
Dunedain to always be my family. But I need to know about the elves of
Mirkwood."

"I've heard King Thranduil is a hard but just leader. Aragorn wouldn't
send you to someone he didn't know and trust."

"Has Aragorn met him?"

"Aragorn rested on his hospitality for two months while recovering from
two dozen spider-stings and a tenacious orc-poison. The Dunedain repaid
the king with gold we were given by the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain
for a service we rendered."

"He didn't just take care of Aragorn out of kindness?"

"King Thranduil is, above all else, a practical leader. He gave Aragorn
everything he needed and more, but he wanted something in return. He
didn't ask for gold, or even for a true payment, but we have dealt with
him too often to doubt that he would have made it very difficult for us
if we hadn't made him an offering."

"He doesn't sound compassionate. I don't think I'll like him."

"He is compassionate to his own people. And he didn't have to save
Aragorn; he did it for the Queen, who still loves to travel to
Lothlorien and Imladris from time to time, and who remained friends
with Celebrain until she departed for the Undying Lands. Aragorn meant
nothing to King Thranduil, but he was Elrond's beloved foster son, so
the King agreed to take him in and save his life."

Legolas made a face at the mention of Elrond. "What was Aragorn doing
in Mirkwood alone?"

"He was traveling to Lake-Town to speak with Bard about the recent fall
of the dragon Smaug. Bard slew that dragon, so Aragorn circled around
the crooked mayor and spoke directly to the man he saw as having the
most honor. It was on his return from the Lake-Men that he was injured.
The mayor hired several spies to follow Aragorn and waylay him in the
woods. They did, managing to injure Aragorn slightly, but then they
were set upon by orcs. Aragorn's pursuers died, and he escaped, but the
smell of his shed blood drew the spiders."

"You speak as if you were there."

Aaron laughed. "I was scarcely out of diapers when all this happened.
But the Dunedain have ways of preserving our history so that we don't
repeat mistakes." He smiled. "Cristan is getting old, or at least old
for one of our people. He has been teaching me the old stories. I will
take over for him as historian eventually."

"And is that where you get your happiness, Aaron?"

Aaron threw his head back and laughed. "No…" He snorted, still
laughing. "No… My happiness comes from serving Aragorn. I need nothing
else."

Legolas sighed. "I wish I could be like that."

"No you don't. I'm a simple man, Legolas. I'll never win any contests
for quick thinking, only for a quick punch and a quicker mouth. You
will be renowned some day for your great achievements and your wisdom."

Legolas groaned. "I would rather be honored as Aragorn's husband."

Aaron gazed at him for a moment, then doused his pipe and faced
Legolas. Gently, he took the elf's hands in his. "Legolas, I have found
your need. It's just as simple as mine, but it was harder to find. You
need Aragorn."

Legolas tried to look away.

"Don't deny it, Legolas. You need Aragorn."

Legolas grimaced. "And so what if I do? I can't be with him. Too much
stands between us."

"That doesn't sound like the Legolas I know and love," Aaron said.
"That sounds like a brainwashed Legolas. I want to hear the real
Legolas speak."

"I… I'm not ready to confess myself to him."

"But you will be someday, and when you are, Aragorn will likewise be
ready. Let me tell you a secret, Legolas: I think Aragorn is just as
afraid as you are."

***

Aragorn took Malacai aside that same morning. They found themselves
sharing the tree Aragorn had made use of the night before. Both of them
looked ragged, and Aragorn wondered if he wore circles under his eyes
as Malacai did. "Hard night," he said, smiling at his second.



"We've had harder," Malacai replied at once. It was what he always
said, whether it was true or not. This morning, the statement was true.
They'd had much worse nights, though not one that seemed to last quite
so long.



"You didn't sleep after the Dark Lord's little attempt?" 



"I could not." Malacai took a beautifully-crafted bow from its place on
his back. "I finished the work on my present to Kehydi in honor of his
marriage." 



Aragorn raised an eyebrow.



"He hasn't said anything about marriage," Malacai added, "but I was
restless and needed something to do. Besides, this will help him when
we are gone. It's stronger and shoots straighter than his old one." He
smiled. "Legolas helped me with it, using whatever sixth sense he has
about such things."



"He gained much knowledge of the bow in Rohan and Gondor. More than I
could have ever come away with. He will be a great asset to his people
when he is home." He turned to gaze across the camp. He felt Malacai's
eyes on him and knew his second was waiting for the real reason Aragorn
had called him away from breakfast with his wife. 'And since there is
no easy way to tell him what I must tell him, I should just get this
over with.' Still, Aragorn sat, silent as stone, and thought about the
night before. The moon had solved his problems for him until he started
to wonder if maybe he was simply holding onto Malacai like… well, let's
be honest, like a security blanket. 'I don't want it to just be Legolas
and me alone in the wilderness again. And once I give Legolas over to
King Thranduil, it will be just me. And I think it will be very
difficult to come back after Mirkwood. Whatever Lady Galadriel said
about waiting seven years, she must have read it wrong. I feel the pull
of the wilds- of Harad, Lebanon and Fregar especially- very strongly,
and I think it is time to let my Dunedain survive on their own.

'But come back I must, if for no other reason than to say good-bye to
my Dunedain and to see if my experiment worked. Because if it didn't,
wanderlust and destiny can't be obeyed. I'll have to tend to the
Dunedain.'

"Aragorn, you're frightening me."

Aragorn turned his eyes back to Malacai and his smile was sad and
tired. "Malacai, would you let Legolas and I go alone to Mirkwood?"

Malacai's face grew dour at once. "Not willingly, Aragorn. It was hard
enough to let you go the first time. What if the Dark Lord-"

"He won't concern himself with two riders in the wild. But he may come
back for the Dunedain. I doubt it, but it's possible. I need you
here." He took a deep breath and allowed himself to finally state his
plan. "But I need you to stay out of sight. All will believe- your wife
included- that you have gone with Legolas and I. Kehydi will assume
command. He needs that opportunity, Malacai; desperately needs it. But
our people also need to be protected. That will become your task. You
will live outside the camp, unobserved, but always observing."

Malacai frowned. "I have lived outside a community as a spy before,
Aragorn, but never outside the Rangers. It feels… wrong… somehow."

"Explain as well as you can."

Malacai grappled with that request for a moment, then said, "I think
I'm only nervous about living outside a community of excellent
trackers. These are no sheep that will suspect nothing, Aragorn; these
are thirty or so trained women and men and their twenty children who
are training in the same arts. How can I hope to elude them all?"

"If you were any but my strong, reserved and composed second in
command, I would never ask this of you."

"Tell me your secondary purpose for leaving me here, Aragorn. As your
second, and as your friend, I deserve to know all that I'm being set up
for."

"You read me so well… Malacai, I want to know if you will be strong
when I have to leave. Lady Galadriel told me I wouldn't be separated
from the Dunedain for another seven years or so but-"

"But it will be a much shorter time. You'll be gone before spring."

Aragorn blinked. "Aye. And you know because…?"

"I sensed it." Malacai gripped Aragorn's shoulder. "I love you,
Aragorn, and I will not betray you. I will do what you ask and more: I
will start planning a way that we can be closer to the hobbits and yet
be free to pursue other battles against the Shadow. It's time we took
him on nearer to his own home."

"Yes…. it is time." Amazed and honored to have such a man beside him,
Aragorn didn't realise that two tears were making their way down his
cheeks.

Malacai reached out and wiped them away. "Now let me give you a
challenge, Aragorn, since you have set one before me. And I pray you
tend to it will all seriousness. I want you to tell Legolas how you
feel before you reach Mirkwood. That is your task. Legolas, I think,
has a secret in his past, one that will change how you see him. Before
that change can occur, please, please tell him how much you love him.
Tell him, if you must, that you cannot marry him, that you must, for
whatever reason, marry a female. Call it Gondorian precedent or
whatever you like. But tell him you love him. He needs to know."

Aragorn was shaking his head. "Won't my confession only hurt him?"

"He already loves you, Aragorn. He needs to know you love him in
return. Please tell him. Legolas will understand- even if I do not- why
affairs of state and other duties must come before love. Tell him."

The not-so-subtle rebuke wasn't lost on Aragorn. "I cannot marry him,
Malacai."

Malacai sighed. "You were ever stubborn, Estel. Even when you struggled
to learn all you could, you were stubborn. But that doesn't change my
request: tell him of your love." Malacai met Aragorn's gaze and held
it. "Promise me, Dunadan."

Aragorn swallowed. "I promise, Dunadan. I will tell Legolas of my love
before we come to Mirkwood and he is changed."

Malacai nodded. "And I promise you, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, that I
will do all you have asked of me."

Aragorn reached out and Malacai caught his hand. The two sat in that
way for several minutes. At last, Aragorn said, "I love you."

"And I you."

***

Aragorn found Legolas as morning rolled over to afternoon. "We'll be
leaving tomorrow morning as soon as there's enough light."

Legolas nodded. He was sewing one of his tunics by the fire and he
didn't even look at Aragorn.

The chief shifted from foot to foot for a moment, then added, "You can
keep Kendall. He loves you."

Stitch. Stitch. Pull the thread. "Thank you." Stitch. Stitch.

Aragorn left him to his work.

***

Under an aspen tree, in the soft, warm breeze, Saru rocked Adalai. Cein
was asleep on the blanket beside him. Kehydi was off with his father,
building a double cradle for the little ones. Saru sang a cradle-song
low, his eyes moving between his babes. 

Blue and white, sky with clouds,

White on green, daises on grass,

Green on brown, leaves on trees,

Brown on gold, shadows and sun.

Twas only a nonsense song, but Annaleh had taught it to him when he was
young, and Saru longed to teach his children everything he had learned
in his resurrected life as a Dunadan. 'They'll not know I was a slave,
not until they're older. Instead, I'll teach them what being a Ranger
means, and they will grow up in the love of their people.' Saru's gaze
drifted to the edge of the camp, where Malacai and Kehydi had
disappeared an hour ago to begin the cradle.

'And soon, when I'm strong, Kehydi and I will wed.' He didn't allow
himself to hope too much, or to doubt. 'And if we are not wed, I will
still be all right. I can make it so. Adalai and Cein need me to be all
right.'

A shadow fell over him then, and Saru looked up, startled. But it was
only Legolas, smiling down at him. Saru saw the uncertainty in
Legolas' eyes and murmured, "Sit with me a while, Legolas. I could do
with the company."

Legolas sat gratefully. He picked up Cein and rocked her. "I'll be
going in the morning." His eyes were on the child, and his voice was
scarcely above a whisper.

Saru nodded, accepting this. "I want to see you again. Will you return
to the camp?"

"If I may. I have heard that King Thranduil of Mirkwood is very
particular about his people traveling abroad."

"Maybe I'll come there, then."

"Mirkwood is dangerous. It isn't like the other elven kingdoms. Dark
creatures walk side-by-side with elvenfolk."

"Like the Dunedain walk shoulder-to-shoulder with orcs and wild men
sometimes. I'll be all right. I'll come when I can, and we will renew
our friendship."

Legolas squeezed Saru's shoulder. "You could come with me now. I would
make sure, and Aragorn would make sure, that King Thranduil would
accept you."

"I won't give up on Kehydi. Besides, I want Cein and Adalai to be
raised among the Rangers. I want them to always have a place to call
home."

"They could be at home with the elves, and Kehydi isn't worth waiting
for."

Saru turned to Legolas and met his gaze. "I love Kehydi. Nothing will
change that."

"He won't stop hurting you."

"I care not."

"He might hurt the children."

Subconsciously, Saru drew Adalai closer. "He won't. I won't let him."

"Come where you don't have to fear that." Legolas' eyes were pleading.
"Please, Saru. Come away with me. There is a better place than this."

Saru lowered his gaze. "Not for me. I can't move again, Legolas. I'm
too afraid."

Urgently, Legolas tugged at Saru's sleeve until Saru was looking at him
again. "I'd be there with you. I would help you."

Saru looked at Legolas, then down at Cein sleeping in the elf's arms.
She seemed so contented there. 'Would they be safer with the elves?'
Saru felt the tears starting, but refused to let them fall. He fought
to think clearly. 'I must do what is right for my babes. They are my
life. Kehydi isn't, not anymore. He could be, but these miracles have
to be protected at all costs.'

In his arms, Adalai stirred and opened his beautiful eyes. He yawned.

Saru kissed his forehead. "Good afternoon," he whispered, and then
lifted his son so he could drink.

'He looks so much like Kehydi…' Saru squeezed his eyes shut for a
moment, desperate to keep the tears back now. He didn't want Legolas to
see them and interrupt his thoughts in an attempt to soothe him.

'Safety for my babes… Is it here or in Mirkwood? Both places are
dangerous. But elves might be kinder. Not all men can be trusted… Maybe
some elves can't be trusted. How do I choose what is best for them?'
Saru shook his head. 'I cannot know anything about these elves. I
should base my decision on the facts I know only. Would Legolas take
care of me? Yes. Would Malacai and Annaleh take care of me? Yes. Would
I be lonely in Mirkwood? Almost certainly yes. Legolas would have elves
to meet and a new life to begin. I would be a burden to him. Would I be
lonely here? Possibly. Could I survive without Kehydi? Yes, but I can
do that here as well as there. Would my babes be in danger from Kehydi
here? Maybe. Would they be in danger in Mirkwood from the orcs and
spiders and whatever else lives there? Almost certainly. Could I be
happy in Mirkwood? I can be happy anywhere, as long as I have my babes.
Which means I could be happy here, too.'

Again, Saru looked at Cein in Legolas' arms. 'Could I send her with him
and… Never. I can't lose her.'

Saru bit his lip. "Legolas, I can't go with you. I will stay here. I'll
be all right. So will my little ones. We're safer surrounded by the
dangers we know than if we were surrounded by the dangers we don't."

Legolas nodded. "I didn't think you would leave. But I had to try." He
leaned forward and kissed Saru's cheek. "I love you, Saru. I don't want
to see you hurt, but I can't stay to protect you."

"I'm not asking you to. Go with Aragorn to Mirkwood. Find your family.
I have mine here; go find yours." He smiled. "And maybe we will see
each other again, Legolas. I know how unlikely that is, but it's still
possible. Don't lose faith."

"I lost faith a long time ago."

Saru shook his head. "If you had lost it completely, you wouldn't be
sitting here. You would have saddled Kendall long ago and fled." He
touched Legolas' cheek. "You have faith and hope that everything will
still turn out for the best. Don't give up on it."

Legolas turned and kissed Saru's fingers. "I love you, Saru."

"I know. Now go get ready. You have many to say good-bye to."

"I've already said the hardest one." Legolas returned Cein to the
blanket and stood. He rested his hand on Saru's shoulder. "I love you,
Saru." He laughed bitterly. "I don't think I can stop saying that."

Saru squeezed Legolas' fingers. "Then say it every day, Legolas. I
will. I love you. We will meet again. I promise."

Legolas dashed a few tears from his cheeks and left Saru under the
tree.

***

Malacai kissed Legolas' forehead. "I won't be going with you," he
whispered, "even if you hear differently. Go with Aragorn and know that
all our hopes ride with you. Find a home, Legolas. That is my wish for
you. Find a home and happiness."

Legolas hugged him. "I'm sorry I can't stay. I feel like I'm being
pulled in two."

"You are." Malacai held Legolas and stroked his hair. "And the only
comfort I can give is that it will lessen in time until you can't
remember feeling that way."

"I hope you're right. It hurts too much this way."

Malacai opened his mouth to say something, then stopped.

"What is it?"

Malacai shook his head. "It isn't my place to say such things to you.
Let it go, Legolas."

"No." Legolas stepped back. "We're alone, Malacai. If you have any
wisdom for me, I beg you to share it." Wryly, he added, "I can use any
and all advice anyone wishes to give me right now."

"Tisn't advice. I was going to tell you a story."

"Do the Dunedain tell all advice in stories?" Legolas grinned; he
couldn't help himself. How many parables had been taught to him, by
Aragorn and others, which had been hidden in fables or tales?

"I told you it isn't-"

"Advice, I know. Except it is. Tell the story. Please."

Malacai folded his arms. "All right. When my eye was caught by Annaleh,
I was very afraid. I had been with Aragorn for so long, you see. It
wouldn't seem long to one of the Eldar, but to us it was as if we had
always been together. I couldn't imagine being without him. For a brief
time, I even toyed with the idea of forming a threesome, even though I
was completely repulsed by the idea, and I knew neither Aragorn nor
Annaleh would agree to it.

"Besides," he went on, "Annaleh's father was an intimidating man and I
didn't think I could face him. So I hid in my relationship with
Aragorn. But even when he was barely an adult, Aragorn could read me.
He asked me what was wrong, and I had to confess to him. We both
wept." Malacai brushed distractedly at his wet eyes.

"Aragorn told me I had to pursue her, that he wouldn't hold me back.
'You're the only one stopping you from happiness, Malacai,' is what he
told me. 'Go to her.' I asked him what he would do. 'Throw myself into
my duties as chief. What I need, more than anything, Malacai, is for
someone to need me. For protection. For strength. The Dunedain need me.
When I came, I needed to be sheltered. Now I need to stand out in an
open clearing with my sword drawn and meet all enemies that would try
to hurt my brothers and sisters.' And he smiled at me, Legolas. 'I love
you, Malacai, and I will never stop loving you. But neither of us needs
the sexual side of that love anymore.'"

Malacai laughed. "I asked him, 'What if you get cold at night?' And he
answered, not joking, 'I have everything I need. Go find her. She needs
you.' So I went. And when Annaleh and I were ready to declare our love
before the Dunedain, Aragorn married us. I thought it would be
uncomfortable, but Aragorn seemed so sure of himself that I couldn't
help but be comforted.

"And now, Legolas, what is the advice I was supposed to have given you
with that little litany?"

"Trust that all will work for the best, and that all pain will heal in
time." Legolas smiled. "I seem to be hearing that a lot lately."

"Well, whoever else told you is very wise."

"Saru told me."

"I'm not at all surprised. So what will you do now?"

"Say good-bye to Annaleh, Roheryn, Aaron… and Mordecai."

Malacai nodded. "He already knows you have said good-bye to me. You
don't have to go to his grave."

Legolas tried not to look relieved. "Is my fear of the dead so
obvious?"

"Ghosts aren't something to be frightened of, Legolas. They walk among
us always, and usually we don't feel them. They don't interfere. And
when they do, we determine how much they do so. They have no true power
over us."

Legolas blinked. "Really? How do you know?"

"It's knowledge I grew up with. And I've even tested it a time or
two." He smiled. "But that is a story for later. Pack, Legolas, and
maybe I'll tell my little ghost story at this evening's fire."

***

Legolas laid the green flower the Dunedain called Lady-in-Emerald
before Mordecai's grave. 'I guess I'm here because you helped to save
Aragorn's life and I never got a chance to thank you. Without you, he
would have never lived because no one else except Aragorn himself would
have known what was needed. And I'm here because I'm leaving and I want
to ask you, if you can hear me, to watch over Saru.'

Silence only answered him.

'I'm an idiot. There's nothing here. No ghost, not even a sense of a
ghost.' Legolas made as if to stand.

A hand brushed his cheek.

Legolas froze for an instant, then his hand went up to his face. There
was nothing there. 'Of course there isn't. I didn't see anyone. I just
imagined it, that's all.'

'Do you want an answer or not?'

Legolas' mouth fell open and his skin broke out in gooseflesh. 'M-
Mordecai?'

'You were talking to me, weren't you?' The Dunadan sounded slightly
amused.

'You're not real. You're a figment of my imagination… or you're
Sauron.'

'I am not the Dark Lord, and I think you know that. You're here to test
Malacai's theory, right?'

'Are you reading my mind?'

'I can't, unless you let me. I read his while the two of you were
speaking.'

Legolas was rubbing his arms in an effort to feel warm again. 'But if
you can't read minds, how are we talking?'

'You were more or less praying to me. Prayer is different than
thoughts. At lest it is to ghosts. I can't speak for the Valar or for
Eru.'

'Can you go away?'

'Do you really want me to?'

'Yes!... No…' Legolas swallowed. Whether he liked this or not, it was
happening. He would be a fool not to take advantage of it. Especially
since he had 'called' Mordecai in the first place. 'Stay. Please.'
Legolas drew in a deep breath. 'I'm leaving. I guess you already heard
that. I want you to watch over Saru. If you want to, that is, and if
you can.'

'I want to. He is Malacai's child now. And even if he wasn't, I would
watch him.'

'Can you help in any way?'

'Not overtly, but I can talk to him if he is willing to let me in, and
if he needs me.'

'Does he have to be here to talk to you?'

'I'm not in the ground, Legolas. I'm everywhere.'

Legolas shivered.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.'

'Are there other ghosts around me, too?'

'Some, but not as many as you'd think. Most have moved on to their
final place of rest. My father has moved on, to be with my mother. But
some are here, yes. For a time, before Gilraen died, Arathorn followed
his wife and son around Rivendell.'

Legolas shivered again; he couldn't help it. 'How do you know about
that?'

'My father told me when he was still alive. He was Arathorn's second,
after all, and so Arathorn talked to him.'

'So… ghosts can still talk to us. It's just that we can't see you.'

'Except in occasional dreams, that's true. But it's hard to get into a
dream.' Mordecai laughed. 'You don't nee to know all this. Your
question is answered now.'

'Are you telling me to go away?'

'I'm making you nervous. And it's getting close to dark. You need to
pack. Are you stalling?'

Legolas avoided the question. 'Can ghosts be evil?'

'You can answer that for yourself.'

Legolas blushed. 'Guess I can.' He stood. 'Good night, Mordecai.'

'Good night, Legolas. And good-bye. Take care of yourself. Be careful
in Mirkwood.'

'I will.' Legolas turned to go.

'Legolas….'

He glanced back at the grave, even though he knew Mordecai wasn't
there.

'Don't worry about Aragorn. We will take care of him.'

'I'm not…' But he found that he was worried. All else aside, he loved
Aragorn, and nothing could change that. 'Not even my will.'

Sighing, resigned, he headed for the former slaves' tent. 'I hope
they're all asleep.'

But even before Legolas reached the tent, he heard the voices raised
inside. Groaning, he turned from the tent and wandered across the camp.
His mind drifted back to the last thing Mordecai had said. 'I can't
help but worry about him…I only hope I can stop worrying before I
leave. I don't want to think about him when I can't do anything about
his safety.' He remembered Denethor, and balled his hands into fists.
'If he had hurt Aragorn, I would have killed him…' He laughed. 'He
wasn't hurt. And he has the Dunedain here to protect him. I won't
worry. I won't let myself.'

Legolas stopped walking and raised his head. He was standing before
Aragorn's tent. Taking a deep breath, he slipped inside. 

***

Aragorn gazed from his light pack to the cloak he would be wearing for
the journey. Homesickness swept over him even though he knew he would
be coming back. 'I still cannot imagine leaving my Dunedain… with no
idea when I will return, or if I ever will.' Aragorn shook his head and
stood. 'This is foolishness. All the wishing in the world won't make it
possible for me to stay here. And even if it could, there is a part of
me which longs to be away. I smell battle on the air, and I think I am
supposed to help lead some of it.'

Suddenly, a compulsion seized him to take out a cloak that had lain
hidden for far too long. 'Maybe seeing it will even ease some of this
confusing loneliness.' Aragorn went to a wooden chest, unlocked it, and
lifted out several other things which, admittedly, didn't need to be
kept in that chest. 'But let's be honest. I was using them as
camouflage.' He lifted out the last thing in the chest and held it up,
admiring the fine needlework, the flawless, double-sewn seams, the
fine, even texture of the cloth. Aragorn ran his fingers over the names
and smiled at them. 'Legolas… No king has ever received so glorious a
gift.' Aragorn brushed away the tears on his cheeks. Reverently, he
folded the cloak and returned it to the chest. 'Will I be able to take
it with me?' He shook his head. 'Probably not. Once I am king-' he
refused to acknowledge any doubt- 'I will wear the cloak as a testament
to everything I admired in Legolas. And when I am king, I will go to
him in Mirkwood and bow down before him and beg forgiveness.'

Then he remembered the promise he had spoken to Malacai. 'I will have
to ask forgiveness long before that. Within the next few weeks I will
have to ask it.' Sighing, he relocked the chest and returned to his
pallet. 'I think tonight is going to be just as long as last night.'
Resigning himself, Aragorn began to sew up his torn tunics.

"May I interrupt?"

Aragorn straightened so fast he nearly fell off his pallet. "Legolas,
what are you… How long have you been standing there?"

"Only for a moment. I didn't want to disturb you."

A shadow crossed Aragorn's face and he looked away. "Please don't speak
so to me, Legolas. It's as if we don't know each other."

Legolas shook his head. "We don't, Aragorn. Not anymore. Too many
things have changed."

"I hurt you too badly."

With Mordecai's and Saru's words chiming in his head, Legolas strode to
Aragorn's side and caught the man's hands, making him meet his gaze.
"That isn't what I said. I said that too many things have changed. I'm
older, and I can't see you as a father anymore."

"You saw me as-"

"Don't interrupt. It isn't polite. Some would think you had been
brought up in Harad or worse. I'm also wiser now, and I can't really
see you as a lover, even though part of me still wants that. And there
is no way I can see you as a simple brother or friend. Do you
understand the dilemma?"

Aragorn could scarcely speak. "Yes, Legolas. I see very well."

"How do you love me?"

Aragorn hesitated.

"As a brother? A Dunadan? Your former slave?"

'Tell him,' Malacai whispered in Aragorn's mind.

"I am like you, Legolas. There is a part of me that wants to love you
as my husband, as my everything." Aragorn reached up and touched
Legolas' face. "I love you, Legolas. I have loved you for long years
and long."

"But you can't carry through with your love."

Aragorn shook his head. "No, I cannot. Which explanation do you want to
hear?"

"I don't need one." Legolas knelt before Aragorn and cradled Aragorn's
face between his hands. "I love you, Aragorn, but I'm not ready. I
don't know if I ever will be, or if I'm supposed to love you." He drew
Aragorn forward and kissed his mouth chastely. "I love you, Aragorn. I
will never stop loving you. When I am in Mirkwood, and you have come
back here, I will think about you."

"I will not be coming back here for long, Legolas. I must travel south
and fight. The Enemy has grown too bold. He must be challenged closer
to home."

Legolas gasped, and his hands fell to his sides. Aragorn caught his
shoulders.

"Aragorn, you can't… Can you? Can you fight him?"

"I can now. I am strong enough now. And I have the right and
responsibility to fight him. I cannot stay in safety anymore."

"The camp hasn't been truly safe in a long time. If you go out to fight
him, it can be made safe again, at least for a time." Legolas reached
up and took Aragorn's right hand from his shoulder. "Do you want me
with you when you fight? Say the word and I will forsake all else."

Aragorn smiled. "My brave Legolas… I must go alone. I would love to
take you, to make you my husband but…"

"But you can't have that comfort yet," Legolas answered, understanding.
"So be it." He stood and Aragorn followed suit and drew Legolas against
him. "I love you, Aragorn."

"I will always love you, my Legolas. You will ever be the bright place
in my heart where I can go when I need comfort from the dark."

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Their journey to Mirkwood was like the journey to Rohan. By day, they
rode, and by night they talked and sang and told stories. Legolas told
stories about when he was younger and how he had seen certain things
that had happened to them. Sometimes, he made Aragorn laugh with his
different perspective and his ability to recall exactly how he had felt
as a child in certain circumstances.

"I thought when you told me that the world was created by Iluvatar and
the Valar that they were a bunch of men and women sitting around a
campfire sewing a giant blanket. I dreamed they sewed a tiny Aragorn,
an even smaller Legolas, and that they had to bend so close to the
blanket that they had to be careful not to fall right into it." Legolas
laughed. "Then you told me that Iluvatar had sung the Valar into being.
For weeks, I would sing quietly to myself and hope that I would be able
to create people, too. I was really disappointed that none appeared.
Aaron found me crying about it one day and told me, 'Iluvatar had the
power to make his people come to life in this world. You have the power
to make your people come to life in another world inside your head.
And, just like Iluvatar, you can choose what that world looks like and
what it sounds and feels like. Why would you want to put people in this
world when you can create your own world for them that is all your
own?' I felt better after that."

It was the second night of their journey, and Aragorn was smoking his
pipe in the firelight. "I never knew you had imaginary friends."

"They weren't friends. They were… well, like offspring. I didn't talk
to them. I had you and Saru for talking. I thought of them as more of a
study, like how the Rangers observe a new group of people from a
distance before integrating into their society."

Another evening, Aragorn seemed preoccupied. He gazed into the fire and
sang a folk song from Rohan under his breath. It was made of only two
words, "Mantate kaylena". The exact translation was "peace on
horseback", but Legolas had heard the song enough to know that it meant
a lot more to the Rohirrim than that. It was sung in times of trouble,
as a prayer for strength. It was sung in times of joy as a celebratory
piece. It was sung at funerals as a way to honor the dead. And the only
way to tell what it was supposed to mean was to listen to the singer's
inflections and to the tempo he or she chose.

'This is a faster tempo,' Legolas mused. 'So Aragorn is either
rejoicing or recalling happier times.'

He listened to Aragorn sing for about ten minutes, letting the music
come inside him and fill him. Its repetitive, slightly modified nature
had been known to induce trances in listeners and performers alike.
Legolas didn't allow himself to drift away, however. He watched Aragorn
while he sang, and noted that Aragorn had gone completely still. His
eyes were open, but completely unseeing. 'Should I interrupt? Has he
gone into a trance? If he has, maybe he needs it.'

Undecided, Legolas continued to listen. Gradually, he became aware that
the song was changing feeling. It transformed, note by note, from joy
to a song of homecoming. Rapt now by the change, Legolas wept softly as
Aragorn called up images of welcoming faces, warm embraces and
crackling fires ringed by singing Dunedain.

'Is he singing for just himself?' Legolas doubted it. Aragorn was fully
aware that he was singing for two. 'Maybe he wants me to think of the
home I'll be going to, but I can only think of the one I'm leaving
behind.'

Legolas was so overwhelmed by the song that when he felt the hand on
his arm, he almost jumped. But the song went on, and Legolas, blinking,
focused on Aragorn's face as the man knelt beside him, touching him,
entreating him, reassuring him, compelling him, reminding him.

Legolas moved closer and leaned against Aragorn. The man sat then, and
drew Legolas almost into his lap. They sat like that for nearly an hour
while the song wandered from homecoming, back to joy, on to love, and
finally ended in anticipation of the coming day and whatever it might
hold.

At first, when Aragorn fell silent, both of them continued to hear the
music. They melded together and dreamed in the music's echo. But all
echoes must fade, and gradually they emerged from the trance.

Legolas shifted slightly and Aragorn let him go. Legolas turned so that
they were face to face. "I will never be able to forget that," Legolas
said.

"Neither will I." Aragorn blushed slightly in the firelight. "When I
started it, I had no idea why I did so, or where the song was going."

"It took you, just as it took me." Legolas held Aragorn's hands in his.
"Will you sleep beside me tonight?"

Aragorn's eyes were bright. "Yes."

They didn't make love. Each felt the resistance of the other, and the
uncertainty of the future too strongly to even attempt it. Legolas
simply curled into Aragorn's embrace, and the two slept deeply and
dreamlessly. And in the morning, they rose as one and prepared for
another day's journey. But after that, until they reached the borders
of Mirkwood, they sought comfort in each other's arms as the fire
burned low each night.

***

"We'll keep to the trail," Aragorn said. His voice was hushed, and
Legolas glanced at him in surprise. Aragorn saw that look and laughed.
"Forgive me, Legolas," he said in more normal tones. "I have always
been awed by the prospect of a new forest. Each holds its own
adventures, dangers and spirits, and no forest should be taken
lightly."

That made sense to Legolas, so he didn't say anything. They moved
beneath the shadows of the trees side-by-side, their horses' hooves
making scarcely any noise on the hard-packed dirt. Above them, no birds
sang, and beside the trail no animals moved.

'How can I live in a place that seems so nakedly evil?' Legolas
wondered. 'For that matter, how can any elves live in a place like this
without falling into darkness?' This second question was too pressing
to keep to himself. Legolas asked it, his voice scarcely above a
whisper. It felt as if the whole forest were watching them.

"The elves of Mirkwood are different than those anywhere else because
of the darkness that lives around them," Aragorn said. "But they are
strengthened by fighting against the darkness instead of being weakened
by it. Here you will find some of the best night-hunters and bowmen-
forgive me, bow-elves- in all of Middle-Earth. Here you will find
masters of stealth, forest-craft and survival. Mirkwood was once called
Greenwood, and it was a blessed place, much like Lothlorien. But dark
things began to creep back into the forests of the world after Isildur
failed to destroy the One Ring. Instead of giving up their home for
lost, as the elves and men of Hollin did, the elves here fought. Their
kingdom is still one of light, just like other elven kingdoms, but it
is surrounded by darkness, and is difficult to find unless the elves
wish to be found."

"How will we find them?"

"I hope to draw on the friendship I established with many of them the
last time I was here."

"When you were injured?"

Aragorn blinked, then smiled. "Aye."

"Does Mirkwood frighten you because you were attacked here?"

"No. I'm cautious here, but no more. If I was afraid of the places
where I had been attacked, I would scarcely be able to leave my tent."

Legolas smiled slightly. "True." He fell to studying the trees around
them, and noticed for the first time that though many of the trees were
oddly shaped, they were beautiful for all that. "Aragorn, can you see
how the moss hangs and makes veils?"

"I see it, Legolas. Mirkwood is, if you look past the shadows, a
beautiful place worthy of song and lay."

"I am honored to hear you say so, Aragorn Dunadan. It seems that you
were not put off by your first experience here."

Legolas stared at the elf which stood in the center of the path. Other
elves were dropping from the trees, and Legolas wondered how long he
and Aragorn had been followed. 'Since we entered here, probably.'

Aragorn was holing his hands where the new elves could see him, even
though no weapons were in evidence. Legolas did the same without
question. "Thank you, Prince Vranduil. Scarcely has a traveler been
welcomed by so high a lord. To what do I owe this honor?"

"You entered with one of our kin," Vranduil answered plainly. He turned
to Legolas and bowed. "Welcome."

Legolas bowed as well as he could from the saddle, unsure if he should
dismount or not. "Thank you, Prince. My name is Legolas."

"Where do you come from?"

"I have spent many years among the Dunedain, but I believe that perhaps
I was born in this wood."

"You have the look of a Mirkwood elf." Vranduil turned to Aragorn. "You
will dismount and follow us on foot. You may lead your horses."

As they walked, Vranduil continued, "The King will be glad to renew his
friendship with you, Aragorn. What have you brought him to show your
continued trust and goodwill?"

Legolas almost spoke, but restrained himself. 'How can this king demand
something of Aragorn? And what will happen if Aragorn doesn't have
anything?'

"I bring pearls from the Grey Havens, Prince."

"Have you been to the Havens, then?"

"No. Lord Gildor and others of his people visited us while on an errand
and brought them."

"What did he ask for in return?"

'I thought only dwarves were so interested in trading and wealth!'
Legolas held himself in check, but watched Vranduil warily. He didn't
trust the elf.

"He asked for naught, but I gave him and his warm cloaks for the cold
sea breezes of the Havens."

'I don't even remember Gildor and the others leaving the camp,' Legolas
thought. 'It must have happened while I was hiding in the tent with the
other former slaves.'

"Cloaks for pearls? Tis not a very good trade."

"I also gave him news of Rivendell and Lothlorien, and the doings of
the Nazgul, as well as a renewed promise of hospitality any time he
meets one of my people."

"That is a little better." Vranduil turned to Legolas. "You are very
quiet. Why?"

"I prefer to listen. Tis a Dunedain trait I have found very helpful."

"You'll learn new traits here if you wish to stay." Vranduil frowned at
him for a moment, then turned back to Aragorn. "Was he was one your
slaves?" he asked, not bothering to hide his distaste.

"He was, until I declared all slaves free. But Legolas was always free
in thoughts and spirit, and any reticence he shows in speaking is
solely due to his well-learned Dunedain training."

"Are all slaves free for good?" Vranduil asked, and for the first time
he seemed truly caught by the conversation.

"It will never return to the Dunedain while I am chief," Aragorn
answered.

Vranduil nodded. "Then perhaps my father will not need the pearls."

***

Despite all Aragorn had said about the elves of Mirkwood living in
light amidst the darkness, Legolas was still startled when he emerged
into a large clearing dominated by a towering, shimmering palace.  A
few trees, tall as any he'd seen in Lothlorien, grew around and had
been incorporated into the palace so that the whole edifice seemed to
be alive. Elves stood on the balconies, and sat in the trees. Others
walked about on the ground, their eyes turning questioningly towards
the newcomers. And, as in Lothlorien, there was soft singing here, but
it was not so light and free. The elves here sang of life and love in
the midst of great tribulation.

"Welcome to the palace of King Thranduil. Your horses will now be taken
and tended. And you will leave your weapons with one of our most
trusted guards."

Legolas glanced at Aragorn, thinking that he wouldn't want to leave
Anduril, but to his surprise, the sword Aragorn removed from its sheath
was unnamed- a common blade. 'He knew he would have to leave Anduril
and did not want to have to deal with the anxiety of leaving it in
unfamiliar hands.' Legolas laid his bow, quiver and knives by Aragorn's
sword and knife and followed the man and Vranduil inside. Behind him,
other elves followed. 'They don't trust us. And they won't trust us
completely ever, I don't think. Will I ever be happy here? And if I
can't be, where else can I go?'

Once he was inside, however, Legolas forgot completely about his
concerns. The ceiling far above them- higher than the one in the throne
room in Gondor, even- was decorated with sweeping murals of elves and
beats weaving their way through a beautiful, life-giving forest.
Waterfalls seemed to crash onto rocks and Legolas could almost hear the
elegantly-painted birds singing.

'Tis a picture of Greenwood,' Legolas thought. 'It was once beautiful
here. How can the elves stand to look at what once was? Doesn't it hurt
them to see what they have lost?'

///Flashback///

Golden hair flowed everywhere around him and Legolas reached out to
catch some of it. He drew the silken strands to his mouth and sucked on
them.

"Oh, my Legolas," laughed a musical female voice, and she spun Legolas
around until he let go of the hair. She was tickling him then, and
Legolas squealed happily.

"Are you ready to go, my lady?" asked a deeper voice, and Legolas saw a
tall, stately male elf walking towards them across an impossibly long
distance. His voice echoed in the huge room.

"Yes, love."

The male elf took Legolas and cradled him close. "Look up, Legolas.
Above us is the beauty that once was, and will be again, when we sail
over the Sea."

Legolas gazed up at the elves and animals intertwining with the trees.
He laughed and reached for them.

"You're not that tall yet, Legolas. Some day, you will look up at that
ceiling and see the picture of our ancestors. And I will tell you each
story."

///End Flashback///

"Legolas?" Aragorn's hand closed on Legolas' shoulder and the elf
jumped. "What is it?" the ranger asked very close to the elf's ear.
"What bothers you?"

Legolas frowned, unsure of what he had just seen in his mind. "I… I
don't know. I feel… different here. Something feels… familiar."

The smile Aragorn gave him was complicated by worry, joy and a little
fear. "I'm glad, Legolas. Then this truly is your home."

"You would do well to speak in Elvish when you are among elves,"
Vranduil said. "Some would consider it surpassing rude that you do not
do so before royalty."

"Forgive me, Prince Vranduil. I did not realise that we had slipped
into the Common Speech," Aragorn answered, bowing deeply.

"Can he speak our language?" asked a new voice.

Aragorn hadn't heard the elf approaching, but the moment he recognised
the voice, he dropped to one knee. "Greetings, King Thranduil."

Legolas knelt beside him. "Thank you for allowing us to enter here," he
said in flawless Sidarian.

The king inclined his head. "I see that you speak it very well. Rise."
To Aragorn, he said, "You are always welcome here, son of Arathorn.
What do you bring?"

Aragorn brought out the bag and offered it.

Thranduil opened the bag and emptied the pearls into his hand. "Ahhh…
You know me well, son of Arathorn. And what do you bring, strange elf?"

Legolas bit his lip and looked to Aragorn. "I didn't know-"

"He brings himself, merciful King. He is one of your people, long lost
and troubled. He has no wealth, but only wishes to find his home again.
In truth, he is no stranger to you." Aragorn was studying Thranduil
very shrewdly, and Legolas wondered if that was considered rude.

"Why do you stare so, son of Arathorn?" Thranduil's voice had dropped
to an icy breath. His guards took a step closer to the travelers, and
Vranduil laid a hand on his sword. "Do you wish to challenge me in my
own hall?"

Again, Aragorn bowed. He seemed unaware that armed elves were standing
very close now, ready to do their lord's bidding at the slightest word.
"No, my king. I was only noting for the first time the similarities
between your royal self and Legolas. I had forgotten that the shape of
your eyes is similar, and the color is identical. I had forgotten, too,
that you are of similar build and that you are both graced with
tapering, strong fingers."

"What are you trying to say?" Thranduil's eyes had narrowed to slits.
"I have no other children than Vranduil and my four daughters. If you
wish to pawn off this beggar on me, you would do better to leave
Mirkwood now and never return."

"I do not know if you have other children, my king, but I only saw the
similarities. I have always known that Legolas was from your kingdom,
and he has just told me that this room seems very familiar to him. How
many of your subjects are allowed to stand in this hallowed place?"

"That is none of your concern." But Thranduil was looking decidedly
rattled. "You will follow me and we will speak of this strange elf a
little more. Vranduil, summon your mother to my private council
chamber. Glym and Yuuwe, you will accompany us." He spun on his heel
and marched from the throne room. Aragorn followed, and Legolas kept
pace at his side.

'What is Aragorn playing at? I am not royalty! One memory surfaces, and
now he is convinced that I am King Thranduil's long-lost son?' Legolas
remembered hiding in the throne room in Gondor and listening to Aragorn
lie through his teeth to Ecthelion. 'He sounded truthful then, even
though I knew his words were no more than half-truths. Is he playing at
a similar game here? And if he is, what happens when he is discovered?'

***

When they stood before Thranduil and his wife, Queen Leigh, the king
demanded, "Will you tell me now what nonsense you were speaking? If you
confess and repent, I will forgive you. Men have strange jokes."

"I am not joking, King Thranduil. I swear it. I only just saw the
similarities between the two of you, and I could not keep them to
myself." Aragorn turned to the queen. "My lady, please understand that
I mean no insult or mean-spiritedness towards your house. I am only
seeking Legolas' birthright. He has been homeless and alone for far too
long."

'I wasn't homeless! I had the Dunedain! And I wasn't alone while I had
you!' Legolas swallowed against the sudden tide of grief that closed
his throat and filled his eyes with tears.

Thranduil terrified him. 

The queen was studying Legolas with the eyes that were blue as the
summer sky. Her hands were trembling slightly. "Thranduil, do you
think…" she whispered.

"No, I do not. He died during the battle."

"Do we know that? Do we?" Now her voice, too, was trembling, and she
couldn't take her eyes off of Legolas.

Thranduil made an irritated noise. "You see what your observations have
done, son of Arathorn? I should have you beaten for upsetting my
queen."

Without thinking, Legolas stepped protectively between the two.

Aragorn touched Legolas' shoulder lightly. "All is well, Legolas," he
murmured low. To Thranduil, he said, "I did not mean to upset anyone.
It is only that I love Legolas and wish to see him cared for."

Leigh said then, "There is one way to test it."

"Do you think I want this man privy to our private affairs?"

She squeezed his hand. "Please, Thranduil, try for me. Aragorn doesn't
have to accompany you. Just take Legolas to the vault and you will know
if he is our Legolas or not. I and the guards will stay here with
Aragorn."

Thranduil scowled, then sighed. "Very well. Strange elf, you will come
with me."

Legolas looked to Aragorn.

"Go ahead. He won't hurt you."

"But if I'm not his son…"

"I won't punish you for the man's folly," Thranduil told him briskly.
"Come. Unless you know that he lies."

"He is telling the truth as he knows it," Legolas answered, glaring at
the king.

The two walked out together.

They walked in silence, first down the corridor, then down what seemed
like a thousand steps. Legolas kept track of the twists and turns they
made, determined that if something went wrong down in the depths of the
palace- 'and how could it not? Oh, Aragorn, how could you do this to
me?- he wanted to be able to flee.

"You were that man's slave?"

Thranduil's voice startled Legolas. The two of them were making their
way down another, darker corridor. "How did you know?"

"There is an invisible bond between the two of you, and I don't think
the man meant anything sexual when he said he loved you." He grimaced.
"The Dunedain have always been good to their slaves, or as good as they
could be considering the crime they commit by allowing slavery in the
first place. So, since he is your master, why is he letting you go?" 

"He abolished slavery in the camp, and I wanted to come home, so he
brought me here."

"Did he escort all slaves in this way?" Thranduil sneered.

Legolas shook his head and ignored the king's tone. "He was my master,
and we were always very close. He did this to apologize for keeping me
imprisoned for so long."

"What does he mean to you?"

"Respectfully, King Thranduil, unless I really am your son, that is
none of your business."

Thranduil smiled thinly. "You have certainly learned much from Aragorn
about rudeness. He was always just as bold with me as with any common
elf."

"If I knew my feelings for Aragorn fully, I might be inclined to share
them with you. But I am just starting to understand and accept them. I
am not ready to share them. I meant no offense, King Thranduil."
Legolas thought, 'I must speak softly with this one. He is very
sensitive- worse than Denethor, maybe.'

The king grunted. "Well, at least your apologies are spoken fairly." He
held up a hand. "Quiet now. We're very close."

Legolas bit his lip. 'Yes,' he thought, 'we're close. I can feel it.
It's like a fishhook in my head. But what exactly are we getting close
to? And why does it make me nervous?'

///Flashback///

"Leigh, hurry! We'll hide Legolas here and then go back to defend the
others."

"But Thranduil, this is a vault. It's no place for our son."

"Only someone from our family can open it. He will be safe."

"Until he runs out of food."

"We will come to him before that."

"And if we're killed?"

Sudden laughter filled the hall, echoing and rebounding, stinging like
bees. Legolas cringed and huddled into his mother's arms.

///End Flashback///

Shivering, Legolas forced the memory away. 'I don't want to remember
what happened… I'm not ready for it yet.'

He and Thranduil rounded another corner, and Legolas found himself
looking up at the stuff of his nightmares: a gold and silver door ten
men high and four wide set into an impenetrable stone wall. All around
the door lay bones and rusting weapons. Legolas blinked, sure that the
latter things were just his imagination. But when he looked again, they
were still there, seeming to grin and invite him to investigate their
rare and bloody secrets.

Thranduil glanced at him and caught the horrified expression in his
eyes. "Do you like my decorations?" he taunted. "They will remind
intruders that I am not a king to be trifled with."

'They will only make intruders think you are a mad king.' Legolas
swallowed and made himself look at the door instead of its…
decorations. 

Thranduil stood before the door and raised his hands. In a fell and
terrible voice, he commanded, "Open for one of the royal line."  At
once, a rumbling began behind the door and, ponderous and slow, it
swung out towards the elves. When it came to a halt, only half-opening
on the corridor, Thranduil said, "Behold our treasure, strange elf, and
be terrified by the secret you have forced me to reveal."

Inside the vault, shelves and chests and sacks overflowed with gold,
silver, and precious gems. But Legolas was unmoved. He had never longed
for such things, and to see all the wealth laid out before him made him
feel slightly uneasy. 'Aragorn always said that too much wealth breeds
mistrust.' He glanced at Thranduil's rapturous face. 'He was right. And
I think it breeds something else as well: unchecked pride.'

Thranduil laughed breathlessly. "It is a wonder, is it not?" He looked
at Legolas, and saw that the elf was not transported by joy. His eyes
flashed. "What? Do you Dunedain have so much more than I that you are
not amazed?"

"Why are you showing me this?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil glowered at him, then held his hands up and addressed the
door once more. "Close for one of the royal line." Groaning, the door
swung shut once more. It made a sound much like the door between this
world and the next might make when it closes, and Legolas flinched.
Thranduil turned to him. "It will open for only one of my line. Try
it."

'This, then, is the test. Please, Aragorn, don't be wrong about this.'
Taking a deep breath, Legolas raised his hands. "Open for one of the
royal line." Legolas bit his lip. Would the door open? Would it? And if
it didn't…

Groan. Creak. Like a cow walking through morass, the door opened.
Again, it stopped half-way and displaced all the jewels of Mirkwood.

Legolas let out the rest of his breath and glanced at the king.

Thranduil's mouth hung open and he kept looking from the door to
Legolas and back again. Abruptly, his eyes filling with tears, he sank
to his knees. "Leggy… Baby Elf…" The tears were falling faster now, and
he began to tremble all over.

Unsure what to do (and he still didn't completely trust the king)
Legolas put a tentative hand on Thranduil's shoulder. At once, the hand
was seized and peppered with kisses. Thranduil continued to weep.

***

"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry

Go to sleep, my little babe.

In your dreams you shall have

All the pretty little horses.

Blacks and bays. Dapples and greys.

Coach and six-a-little horses.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry

Go to sleep, my little babe."

Singing, humming and talking, Saru coaxed his daughter to sleep. Adalai
had fallen asleep hours ago, but Cein had seemingly fought to stay
awake. Saru rubbed his eyes, which were itchy with tiredness. But he
was smiling. Three weeks had passed since Aragorn and Legolas left, and
aside from one problem, the camp had been peaceful.

Saru smiled ruefully. 'Problem? That's too light a word. Disaster, or
near-disaster, fits better.' He shook his head. 'I can't understand how
anyone could want to go back to slavery. And yet, Roark demanded that
he be taken to Nennid. Cristan and Jamien- his first test of trust-
took Roark and the half-dozen others who wanted to go… but only after
they tried to find masters here.'

Grimacing, Saru remembered how Roark had thrown himself at Annaleh's
feet, sobbing that he needed someone to take care of him, that he was
afraid of being free, but was afraid of Nennid as well. "Please,
Mistress," he had wailed, "please take me in. I promise I'll do all you
want and more. I'll never be a moment's trouble, and I'll serve you
faithfully."

"You are already trouble," Annaleh had answered coldly. "Get up. If you
can't act like a man, get out of my sight. I don't have time for the
likes of you. Aragorn promised upon his return to see to those who want
to still be slaves. You'll just have to be patient."

///Flashback///

Roark was moaning pathetically. "I can't wait, Mistress! Every day is
harder than the day before, and I can't possibly imagine staying here
even another hour."

Annaleh stood, rising to her full height. "Get up and get out. I have
no time for you. Speak to Kehydi. He is chief while the others are
gone. Talk to him if you can't resolve your differences."

Roark crawled out.

	Annaleh heaved a tremendous sigh and sank onto her pallet.
"Malacai, maybe you should have stayed…"

Saru looked up from where he was sewing clothes for his little ones.
Kehydi and Malacai hadn't finished the cradle before Malacai had left,
and Kehydi had seemingly disappeared. Resigned and determined to do the
best he could for his babes, Saru had set to making them soft, warm
clothes. He had received a few donations from other Rangers whose
children were grown, and who didn't think they would need the clothes
again. But the donated pile was small, and Saru didn't want to rely on
the charity of others. 'I don't mind their charity, but I must do for
myself. One of the differences between a freeborn and a slave is that a
freeborn gives himself food, shelter and clothes. My babes will be free
in every way right from the first.'

"Do you want me to try and speak if he comes back?"

Annaleh sighed. "No, Saru. I don't want you getting in trouble with any
of them. They would look at any advice you gave as an insult."

"Because I was a slave, too."

"Exactly." She walked over to him and crouched down, looking at the
progress he had already made on a long, light-green sleeper. "You're
making it so they can share many of their clothes."

Saru nodded. "Until they're older, that will be best. And when they get
to an age where it is time to give them different colors and styles,
I'll have had more time to make what they want and need."

"Right now, in other words, what you're doing is functional." She
smiled. "I'm very proud of you, Saru. You understand the important
things of this world quite well."

Saru blushed. "I have you to thank for that."

Annaleh shook her head. "Nay, I-"

The tent flap was rudely shoved aside, and both of them looked up as
Roark and several other freed slaves crowded inside. They were all
armed.

Annaleh started to rise, but Roark raised his bow, centering the arrow.
"Don't move. I want to know where Kehydi is."

Forgetting Annaleh's wishes that he should stay out of any fight
between the former slaves and the rest of the Dunedain, Saru spoke. "He
isn't here, and neither of us has seen him. Put the bow down, Roark.
You will get what you want, but you have to wait for Malacai to come
back."

Roark sneered at Saru. "Shut your mouth, Whore. Just because you have
delusions of grandeur-"

"Put the bow down, Roark. I am here."

The other former slaves stepped aside as Roark turned to face Kehydi.

Malacai's son stood, his hands on his hips, his eyes blazing. He
smelled strongly of sawdust and varnish, and his hair and shirt were
covered with wood shavings. Still, filthy though he was, Kehydi stood
taller and prouder than he ever had before.

'He looks like his father,' Annaleh thought.

'He looks like my husband,' Saru thought.

"You have my word that you will be taken to Nennid in the morning. I
will assign two of the Dunedain to escort you and those that wish to go
with you. You will mind their every order. Under no circumstances will
you be allowed to return to slavery here. Aragorn and many others
fought too hard against its evil for you to simply bring it back to
life." He crossed his arms. "So put the bow down, Roark. You don't need
it anymore."

Roark lowered his weapon slowly. "I want a guarantee that the Rangers
you send us with won't just kill us and leave us on the side of the
road to rot."

"You have my word. And you have, if you have forgotten, Aragorn's word
as well, because he swore that you would be given whatever you
requested. That is, after all, your right as a freeborn."

"I am no freeborn!" A former slave Saru couldn't name- the girl had
only ever huddled in her Master Jamien's tent- drew a knife suddenly.
Her face set and her eyes mad with fear and confusion, she turned away
from Kehydi, raising the knife slowly. Her gaze fixed on Saru. "You
will come with us," she whispered. "You will come, and that will ensure
that we will not be killed. We will keep you until we have reached
Nennid."

"No, longer!" cried another of Roark's followers. "We can show him that
slavery is really the only way-"

Kehydi's clasped hands came down on the back of the slave's neck,
knocking him out instantly. The girl with the knife froze, and Roark
cried out, dropping his bow at last and raising his hands in surrender
as if he thought Kehydi would attack him next.

But Saru didn't freeze. He had seen the raised knife, and knew what it
meant. Without making a sound, he scooped up his children and moved,
crab-like but quick as a squirrel, so that he could lay his little ones
behind Annaleh. Then he stood and waited, watching the girl warily all
the while.

	Roark's followers came alive all at once. Roark dropped to his
knees, his hands over his face. Most of the others did the same. But
the girl hurled the knife without bothering to check and see if her
target had moved. Thus, her blade was embedded in the side of the tent,
ripping Malacai's fine stitching to shreds. The girl cried out in
surprise, but that was the last sound she made before Kehydi stepped
behind her, grasped her arm, spun her around and slapped her smartly
across the face. She stared at him, stunned, and Kehydi knocked her
out.

Turning to the rest of the freed slaves, Kehydi said, "Get out. Take
these two with you. I will name two Dunedain to take you, and you will
abide by my decision. If you really want to be slaves, act like it."

When the slaves were gone, Kehydi moved towards Saru, but before he
reached the younger man, he looked to his mother. "Will you please
watch Adalai and Cein for a little while?"

Saru blinked. 'I didn't even think you knew their names.' He felt
slightly guilty for the thought, but didn't question its validity.
Instead, he stood and laid his babes in Annaleh's arms. Then, turning
towards Kehydi, he said, "Your father would be proud."

Kehydi stepped forward and took Saru's hand. "Please, Saru, I need to
show you something. Will you come with me?"

Nervous but determined to find out what had caused Kehydi to change so
dramatically, Saru allowed himself to be led from the tent.

Kehydi took Saru to the tent the two of them had shared. At the
entrance, Saru hesitated.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Saru," Kehydi whispered. "I promise I'm
going to make things better between us. Let me start with this gift."
He took both of Saru's hands and raised them to his lips. Gently, he
kissed the calloused fingers. "Please."

Saru nodded and Kehydi opened the flap. Saru slipped inside.

Everything inside the tent had changed. The pallet they had slept on
was gone, to be replaced by one that had beautifully-crafted legs and a
mattress made of fresh, sweet-smelling heather encased in a linen
sheath that glowed gold in the soft light that trickled in through the
flap. Saru stepped closer, and saw that the cloth had been dyed with
goldenrod. 'It really is gold,' he thought, deeply shaken. His fingers
trembling, Saru picked up one of the pillows, savoring its light and
firm feel. He smelled lavender, and brought the pillow closer. The
calming scent filled him and he breathed deeply.

Tentatively, he set the pillow back down and turned towards the back of
the tent, or where the back should have been. Now, a curtain made of
dyed deerskin hung there, and Saru brushed it aside. He gasped, and his
hand came up to cover his mouth.

The double cradle dominated the extension to the tent. It was made of
glowing cherry-wood, and the high gloss of the varnish spoke of a
craftsman's hands. Crisscrossing over the wood, seeming almost to move
within it, vines, trees and animals wound their way from the cradle's
foot to its head. The mattress was of a piece with the pallet- almost
grand enough to be called a bed- in the front chamber, and the thick
blankets that had been spread over it had been dyed a warm, living,
forest green.

But there was more. A small pallet- their old one, Saru saw- had been
moved into the chamber so that one or both of them could sleep near the
little ones if they chose. Saru saw that Kehydi had changed this
mattress, too, and his eyes filled with tears as he stared at the
wonder his lover had wrought.

Kehydi came up from behind him and laid a tentative hand on his arm.
"Saru? Do you like it? Will you take me back to stay? I promise I won't
hurt you anymore."

Saru didn't move.

Kehydi's voice was now choked with tears. "Saru, please take me back.
I'll do anything you want. If you want a trial period before you accept
me, I'll understand. Just please give me another chance."

Saru's hand drifted up and caught Kehydi's. Slowly, he turned and met
his lover's eyes. Kehydi was crying silently, and now Saru saw how
frightened Kehydi was. He reached up and caressed the older man's
cheek. "I love you." He smiled. "I can't believe you did all this for
me… This is why you were gone?"

Kehydi nodded. "Dad and I hadn't finished the cradle by the time he'd
left, but I wanted our children to be taken care of." He dropped to one
knee, taking Saru's right hand in his. "And I wanted to show you that I
can take care of you, Saru. I want you to know that I love you, and I'm
not filled with stupid ideas of inequality or impossible
responsibilities. We are equal, Saru. We always have been. And I know I
said I would take care of you, but I know you'll care for me, too." He
blinked away more tears. "Please, Saru, please let me try again. Please
don't say I've lost you." He bent his head and kissed Saru's hand.

"You haven't lost me." Saru drew Kehydi to his feet and embraced him.
"You will never lose me."

***

Aragorn hadn't unpacked, but he still found himself staring at his pack
and wondering if he had forgotten something just the same. At first, he
tried to chalk up his feelings to his surroundings. The rooms Thranduil
had granted him for the night were large, luxurious and oppressive.
'Tis not the room. It is only my grief. I never thought- not in my
secret heart- that I would be leaving Legolas here.'

Shaking his head, Aragorn shoved his pack under the bed for safekeeping
and set to pacing the room. 'I will not sleep this night. In the
morning, I will say my formal farewells to Legolas, and then I will go
back to the Rangers. I will stay with them a few weeks, or perhaps only
a day or two, then I will go again. And I will not see anyone I can
know as a friend for who knows how long.' He sighed. 'I am but
deceiving myself. I am being selfish once more. Legolas has found his
parents, and his parents will take care of him. They are certainly
well-off and will be able to give him every physical comfort he ever
wanted. And they will love him, too. That is the most important thing.
His mother was nearly frantic when Legolas and Thranduil returned from
the test. Even before Thranduil announced his belief in Legolas' blood,
she could see what he knew and held Legolas as if she would never let
him go. I don't have to worry about Legolas, and it's selfish to wish
he hadn't found happiness here, especially since I could never take him
with me.'

He laughed bitterly. 'And I have Arwen, right?' The laughter died
quickly. 'But I don't really love her. It isn't fair of me to drag her
into mortality.' He groaned. 'I'll have to tell her. I'll stop in
Rivendell on my way back to the camp to make sure she isn't there, then
I'll go straight on to Lothlorien if she isn't. I won't be selfish
again. I've caused Legolas enough pain. I just hope the little bit of
pain I cause Arwen will be forgivable. I pray she finds an elf-lord
more worthy of her love than I.'

A hand fell on his shoulder and Aragorn jumped, his hand dipping to the
sheath at his waist, even though he knew his sword was still being kept
by the palace guards.

The elf before him stepped back and held up his hands. He was dressed
in a tunic and trousers of silver and white. A crown of gold-on-emerald
leaves sat easily upon his brow. He smiled. "I knocked four times, but
you didn't answer. And yet I heard you pacing in here," Legolas
explained. "I'm sorry I startled you."

Aragorn closed his eyes for a moment, resolving the vision before him
with the Legolas he had known for so long. Yes, it was truly Legolas.
He looked radiant… and happy. Aragorn opened his eyes and smiled. "I am
sorry. I was only thinking."

"Very deeply." Legolas laughed.

Aragorn's smile broadened. He couldn't grieve in the sight of such joy.
"I am happy for you, Legolas."

"You're the one who made this possible," Legolas answered. He stepped
forward swiftly and wrapped Aragorn in a tight hug. "I still love
you," he whispered. "If you didn't have to fight the Shadow, or go back
to the Dunedain, I would ask you to stay here and marry me."

Aragorn turned his head slightly and kissed Legolas on the cheek. "If I
was only Strider, or only Estel, I would fall on my knees and thank you
a thousand times for your love. Then I would pledge myself to you
forever."

"I know." Legolas stepped back slightly and caught Aragorn's face in
his hands. Softly, he kissed Aragorn on the lips. "I love you, my
Aragorn. I will always love you. Time and distance will never diminish
my love."

Aragon opened his mouth to speak, but then a horrible realisation swept
over him and he drew back from Legolas, shaking his head.

Legolas stared. "What is it?"

"You can't love me, Legolas."

Fury blazed in Legolas' eyes. "And why not?' He put his hands on his
hips. "If you say something about equality, Aragorn, I'll strangle you
and send my condolences to the Rangers!"

"It has nothing to do with equality. You were ever my equal, even when
I didn't know it. And I am still your equal, even though you are a
prince and I am just a chief." Aragorn smiled sadly. "Please don't be
angry with me yet, Legolas. Let me explain."

Legolas folded his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting."

"I am mortal. You are elf-kind. I will not take the chance of dooming
you to a mortal life." He shook his head. "I don't know how I ever
could have been so selfish for so long. First, I married you to Saru in
the hopes that you would come to love each other. If you had, I would
have done the same as if I had been your executioner. Secondly, I
confessed my love to you, opening up the possibility that you would
love me, too. I can't take you away from your people. And even if you
were still among the Dunedain, I wouldn't do it, because you must go
with the other elves over the Sea."

"Some elves can choose to stay here," said Legolas, his lips pale. His
arms had dropped, but he clenched his fists at his sides.

"Only half-elves can choose, Legolas. You would feel the pull of the
Sea eventually."

"But I could hold off on it if I had to."

"If you sailed and I died, we would never see each other again. Do you
see why it was so selfish of me to confess my love to you?" Aragorn
turned away. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Legolas."

Legolas grasped Aragorn's shoulder and spun him around. "Listen to
me." His face was less than an inch from Aragorn's, and he held onto
the man by both of his shoulders. "If you hadn't confessed your love, I
might have died of grief. I have loved you for long years and long,
Aragorn, and all I wanted was to know that you loved me, too. Don't
regret telling me. It was for the best." He closed the scant distance
and kissed Aragorn full on the mouth. "We won't talk about the future
right now," he murmured against the man's lips. "We will part this way:
I love you, Aragorn, and I will see you again someday. When that day
comes, other questions can be addressed. But that day is not yet here.
Will you promise to leave with only those words?"

Aragorn kissed Legolas. "I love you, Legolas, and I will see you again.
I wish you all the happiness and joy in your new home that you deserve.
And you deserve the best of everything, my love." He took two steps
back, turned and drew his pack from under his bed. "Please give my
apologies to your father. Please tell him my people need me."

Legolas bowed. "I will, Dunadan. Farewell, and travel safely."

Aragorn shouldered his pack and strode to Legolas. Gently, he wiped the
tears from Legolas' cheeks. "Smile for me, my Dunadan. It is the only
way I will be able to leave."

Legolas smiled. "And you must smile for me, my Chief, or I will never
be able to let you go into the wilds alone."

Aragorn smiled. "Good-bye, Legolas." He walked to the door, touched the
knob, then said, "There's something for you by the bed. Keep it for
me." He left.

Legolas went to the bed at once, pushing away the temptation to run
after Aragorn and kiss him one last time. At first, he didn't see
anything. Then, almost hidden by the rich coverlet of the bed, he saw a
tiny object on the floor. He knelt and took it up. Tears filled his
eyes. He clasped the gift to his chest and laid his head on the bed.
Sobs shook him and he clutched the gift even tighter.

In his fist, warmed by his touch, was the red stone Malacai had once
given to Aragorn, the stone that Aragorn had bid Legolas give to
Malacai if he died. 'He loves me,' Legolas thought, stunned. 'He truly
loves me, and he will never forget me.'

Kneeling on the floor of the guest room in Thranduil's palace, Prince
Legolas of Mirkwood cried for the man he loved, for the loneliness his
Aragorn would have to endure, and for the long years that must separate
the two of them before they would be allowed to find each other again.