Title: FOR CONTINUING STRANGE (23)
Author: Annie Harris
Email: annie_mouse2001@yahoo.co.uk
Pairing: Legolas/Gimli
Rating: R.
Summary: Just a short one this time: The mallorn-leaf necklet.
Disclaimer: The usual: No claims, no pack drill - and of course no
profit. Just living in the gaps and round the edges.
Warning: None.
Archive: LoM, Axe & Bow Yahoogroup message archive. Anyone interested
just ask.


23

The next morning also heralded another fine warm day, and Gimli heard
the sound of soft elvish singing mingled once more with the chirping
of birds. He sat up to see better through the window, and there was
Legolas with his birds, wearing nothing but the green and gold leaf,
his skin dappled with sunlight and shadow, a silvan Elf in his
element.

Gimli gazed contentedly for a while, then called softly:
'Good morning, wild one!'

Legolas turned, smiling, said goodbye to the birds, sprang onto the
bench before the window, and then dived forwards, landing with his
hands on the sill, and swung his legs around sideways, to alight on
the red  tiled floor, soft-footed and sure as a cat. Gimli laughed
aloud in delight at the unexpected flash of long pale limbs and
streaming hair. Legolas beamed back at him.

'Good morning, sleepy one!'

'You seem happy this morning, dear Elf.' 

'Happy? Indeed I am.'

He bounded onto the bed and knelt looking down at Gimli. His hand
went to the mallorn leaf pendant.

'Will you seal the chain?'

'What, now?'

'Now!'

Legolas smiled at him, eyes sparkling. He was irresistible.
'Oh, very well!' 

Gimli slid out of bed with a pretence of dwarvish grumpiness and
crossed to the inner door. Legolas looked at his broad strong back,
half hidden by the tangled spread of his hair. Instead of following
the custom of keeping his hair in a loose braid at night, Gimli often
released it because he knew how Legolas delighted to see the shining
mantle spread over the pillow. It meant more work in the morning, but
the Elf was always willing to help with that.

Now Legolas watched him walk through to the other room, and found
beauty in his compact dwarvish strength, and then wondered at the
change in his ideas: the elvish notion of beauty was no longer
absolute.

Gimli returned with a couple of small tools, cutters and pliers, in
his hand, and found Legolas lying flat on the bed, still with the
leaf on its chain about his neck. Gimli held out his hand.

'May I have the chain, please?'

'But I want you to fix it.'

'Crazy Elf! First I must take off the clasp.'

Legolas worked the chain round his neck and unfastened it. Gimli
removed the clasp, but it seemed that Legolas was determined to stay
on the bed to have the chain secured. He looked so quiet, happy and
trusting, that Gimli could do nothing but humour him, and climbing
onto the bed, knelt astride his chest to slip the chain back around
the slim strong neck.

Legolas lay perfectly still, watching Gimli's concentration on the
miniature work with half-closed eyes. It took only moments to
complete, the pliers almost hidden in the large powerful hands that
had such precise control.. Gimli passed the chain between his
fingers: he could feel only a tiny irregularity where he had joined
the links.

'There!' he said, - 'You and your mallorn leaf are joined for ever!'

'Thank you,' said Legolas softly, as Gimli bent down to kiss him
under a tent of rather tangled red-brown hair.

Then Gimli sat back and laughed aloud:
'Had any Dwarf ever such a work-bench as this?'

And he stroked Legolas' chest with admiring gentleness. Legolas'
whole body shook with answering mirth, and mischievous fingers crept
out to hold and squeeze the soft weight between the Dwarf's parted
thighs.

'Ach! Now don't start that. I shall need a steady hand all day to
work the little blue speedwell for Arwen's crown, and your love is
too strong for me to take in the morning.'

Legolas drew his hand away with an air of innocence.

'I was only going to say that I do not mind my 'peculiarity' so much,
now that I know you can always grow big enough for two!'

'Saucy Elf! Save it for tonight!'

'Gladly,' said Legolas, suddenly growing more serious; - 'I thanked
you last night for setting your regard for me before your own desire.
And now I see you put your regard for yourself and your craft before
your desire also, and I love you the more for that. I have not known
such a thing before.'

'You have not known Dwarves before,' said Gimli; - 'And we are not
like Men. It is their short lives that drives them so. They must
breed, and quickly, for the sake of their race, and so they will
couple, even where they cannot breed.'

'More dwarvish reason!' said Legolas; - 'How glad am I to have you,
who will give at night what is denied in the morning, and all with
equal love. Now let me bath you and wash your beautiful hair, so that
you shall look as splendid as the work you do.'

'Best of all elves! You understand as if you were of my own kind. A
plague on old memories that keep our peoples apart! I accept your
offer of a bath - so it be a warm one, even on a morning such as
this! For I must keep on with my work. Gandalf grows more portentous
by the day - the crowns will be needed soon.'