Legolas's Problem, Chapter 2

Legolas's Problem, Chapter 2 By Manwathiel


They later went and met the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Legolas looked at Aragorn and saw relief flood the Ranger’s face. He knew his face was also filled with relief.

Legolas watched as Galadriel looked at each one. She held them in her gaze for some time each. He saw Boromir start to cry, Sam blushed, Frodo’s eyes filled with tears – almost as if he had seen the end of his quest, Merry and Pippin smiled, and Gimli’s eyes grow soft. Then the Lady held his gaze. For quite a while, Aragorn later said.

She asked him if he would continue the Quest, or would he rather go home? He did not want to go home right then, for his father was probably still mad at him. Nobody knew the true reason why he had been sent to carry the ill tidings of Sméagol’s escape. Only he and his father did. He drew in a sharp breath when Galadriel figured it out. He had not wanted anyone to know. But it was what she discovered next that caused him to bite his nails, much to his dismay.

She saw his secrets! No one, nobody should, could ever know what they were. And now, she did!

“Legolas!” she said gently in his mind. “Stop. Calm down. I will not tell anyone. Do not worry. It is safe. Tell Aragorn. He will keep your secrets. Trust him. He trusts you. Repay that trust. Help him. He needs you.” She paused, still holding him in her gaze. “But now, rest. Forget your troubles. And sleep peacefully.”

Then she turned her gaze to Aragorn, the only one in the Company whom she had not done so with yet. She held him for a while, and Legolas watched the Ranger closely. At one point, Aragorn shook his head and sighed. Legolas could not figure out what they were talking about. Finally, Aragorn broke down, almost sobbing. Legolas walked over quickly to the Ranger and patted him on the shoulder.

*****

Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, some of the elves started to sing.

“A lament for Gandalf,” Legolas said softly.

“What do they say about him?” Merry asked, as if in awe.

“I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near,” Legolas replied. Then he walked away, hoping for some time alone. He heard Sam mutter something about fireworks.

“I bet they don’t mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them.” Legolas turned around. Sam had stood up. “ ‘The finest rockets ever seen. / They burst in stars of blue and green. / Or after thunder, golden showers. / Came falling like… a rain of flowers.’ Oh that doesn’t do them justice by a long road.”

Legolas smiled at the hobbit, who obviously also missed the wizard. Legolas watched as Aragorn went over to Boromir and they talked. He desperately wanted to talk with the Ranger, but he also knew he could not interrupt something like that.

*****

Early the next morning, Legolas arose before the sun. He tapped Aragorn gently on the shoulder.

“Come on, mellon-nin,” he said. “The sun is rising, and it’s ever so beautiful!”

“Not now, Legolas,” replied the Ranger in a rather annoyed voice. “I’m sleeping!”

“Oh, come on. No you’re not. You just want me to think you are. Anyways, I have something I need to talk to you about,” he added in a quieter voice.

“Alright. You got me. What is it?” Aragorn asked as he sat up.

“Can we go away from the rest of the group? It’s something kind of private,” Legolas replied. Aragorn nodded and got up to follow him a few yards away where they could talk without anyone else over hearing them.

“Alright. What is bothering you, mellon-nin?” Aragorn asked when he saw the worried look on Legolas’s face.

“I… I… I’m not sure how to say this. But yesterday, when Galadriel was talking to me, she told me I should tell you,” he said. “But I don’t know how to start.”

“Let me ask you a question. What did she want you to tell me?” Aragorn asked.

“Well… uh… do you remember when you kept asking me what was bothering me, and I didn’t answer?” Aragorn nodded. “Well, she told me to tell you what I figured out. Why I’ve been biting my nails again. Because I thought I had stopped too. But I guess not. I… I… uh… guess it’s because of Gandalf. We lost him, you know?” Here Aragorn nodded again, tears filling his grey eyes. “Well, I don’t know how I can say this,” Legolas said, tears shining in his blue eyes.

“Just say it, Legolas,” Aragorn said. “I won’t interrupt.”

Legolas took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. “Okay. Well, since Gandalf died, I have been biting my nails, right? Well, I guess that goes back to my Naneth.” Here he stopped again, not sure if he could continue. “I’m sorry, Aragorn. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” He closed his eyes and swayed. Aragorn jumped up and grabbed him.

“Legolas! Are you okay?” he asked, deep concern in his voice. Legolas opened his eyes.

“I’m fine, Aragorn. I guess I just got a little lightheaded there for a second. But really, I’m fine. But like I was saying… I guess it goes back to Naneth. You see, after her… her death, I started biting my nails a lot. And for months, I couldn’t figure out why. Ada kept getting mad at me, and more like that. Losing Gandalf, although less painful for me, was like losing Naneth again. Perhaps not quite as painful, because I didn’t know Gandalf as well, but it still hurt. And so I started biting my nails again.”

“Wow, Legolas. I’m amazed. But what about the pain in your eyes? It’s still there,” Aragorn said gently.

“Oh, that. That’s nothing, Aragorn,” Legolas said in a not too convincing voice. Aragorn looked at him, and Legolas could tell he was not convinced. “Alright. I guess that comes from many different things. It too started with Naneth. But Ada made it worse. I guess it really started to show when…” his voice trailed off.

“What happened, mellon-nin?” Aragorn asked. Legolas buried his face in his hands and cried. When he finally calmed down some, he looked up.

“It really started to show when Ada blamed me for what happened with Sméagol. You see, I was one of the guards who… who was off duty that night. That’s why I’m alive. Because I wasn’t working that night. He blamed me for what happened to… to…” Legolas just could not say his brother’s name. It was too horrible.

“To whom, Legolas?” came the Ranger’s soft voice.

“Turin,” Legolas finally said.

“What happened to him?”

“He… he… died,” was all he could manage to say. “He was on duty that night, and he was killed. It’s all my fault he died. You see, we had switched places, because I had something that came up and he said it would be okay if we switched. It is all my fault,” Legolas said quietly. “Ada hates me. He called me a nuisance. That’s why I’m almost never in Mirkwood. And that’s why, even though I’m a prince, I was sent on this mission.” He paused, looking up at Aragorn pleadingly. “You have to swear you’ll never tell! Please, Aragorn. The only other people living who know of my roll in this are Ada, Elrond, and Galadriel! You can’t tell anyone else! Please!”

“Alright. I won’t, Legolas. Don’t worry,” Aragorn said. “And you are not a nuisance.”

“Hannon le, mellon-nin,” Legolas muttered. His hand went to his forehead, almost as if he was too warm. Aragorn gently picked it up and lay his own on the elf’s head.

“Warm, Legolas. You need to rest. Please, mellon-nin. You will feel better if you do,” the Ranger said. Legolas nodded. He was too tired to argue.

*****

When he woke up later that afternoon, Legolas found Aragorn standing over him.
“How do you feel, Legolas?” he asked.

“Fine, I guess.” He shrugged. “Better than I did last night,” he added with a grin. Aragorn nodded, understanding filling his eyes. “Aragorn, I didn’t get to ask you all the questions I wanted to.”

“Uh… Like what?” Aragorn asked.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what was the Lady asking you about?”

“Oh, uh, that.” The Ranger paused. “Uh… She just asked me a few questions about Arwen. And some other things,” he muttered. Legolas heard the quiet words.

“Like what, mellon-nin?” he asked gently. “Come, it will help you.”

“Uh… Just some things about the Quest and Gandalf,” Aragorn replied.

“Are you still upset about that?” Legolas asked, afraid of the answer.

Aragorn nodded slowly. “I am, but… Oh, I don’t know. It’s hard without Gandalf.”

This time, Legolas nodded. “It was not your fault, mellon-nin,” he said gently.

“I know. I just don’t know what to do without him,” Aragorn replied. Legolas nodded again. What could he say?

“What did she say about Arwen?” he asked, trying to cheer the Ranger up some. He laughed as the Man blushed. “Come on, what did she say?”

“Nothing much, Legolas. She just asked about…” his voice trailed off, as if afraid of projecting his feelings for the elven girl too much. “Come, you never did say if she asked you about Ellie!” This time, Legolas blushed a bright red.

“What! How do you know!?” he demanded to know.

“Oh, I get around. Don’t forget that I grew up with the twins,” replied Aragorn grinning.
“Why you!” Legolas said.

“I’m sorry, Legolas,” Aragorn replied, not looking at all sorry.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard that before!” Legolas retorted, still angry with the human. “Have you ever met her?” he asked in a much quieter voice.

“Why, yes, I have. She is quite beautiful. Did she tell you what happened to her?” Aragorn whispered in reply.

“Yes, she did. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d really rather not talk about Ellie,” Legolas said.

“Okay,” Aragorn replied. “Whatever you say!”

******************

Eventually, Legolas did stop, and Aragorn did stop yelling at the poor elf. Aragorn did get over Gandalf’s death, as did the rest of the Fellowship. Aragorn did not tell anyone else about Legolas’s secrets: his nails, his roll in his brother’s death, or Ellie.