How Did It Come To This

How Did It Come To This

Posted: September 2004
Title: How Did It Come To This
Author: Ysolde
Type: FCS
Characters: Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The characters belong to The Professor; the mental picture is all Jackson's.
Timeline: Strictly Movie Verse set after the Return of the King.
Beta: The utterly fab and groovy Vinni
Summary: This was inspired by the look on Aragon's face just after he was crowned and just before he turned to face the masses, he did not want to be there...

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PROLOGUE

"Such things we have come through." comments Gimli, smoothing oiled cloths over and around his beloved axe, ever a master of understatement. I look at him curiously as I sit with a sigh, my back to the wall and my legs in front of me. My exhaustion begins to dissipate, soothed as I am by watching the ebb and flow of Gimli's hands. But he declines to elaborate further.

"Take out your blades young one, let me have a look"

I lean over and retract the twin blades now dulled by death. I look at him curiously, he has never offered before. I'm just beginning to understand the strange words and ways of dwarves. "Thank you Gimli I would be honoured if you would."

He smiles and takes them from me, his narrowed eyes showing his appreciation of the knives "Elven Blades with a dwarvish edge? They'll be fine killing machines" "Not" he adds, glancing at me "that they weren't before!"

I smile back at my companion "We have come far have we not?"

Gimli meets my gaze "We have. You're a fine companion Elf; if a little strange in dress and habit. -And a fine warrior with that bow and these knives."

"Thank you for your kind words, Gimli. I find you also a fine companion, indeed if the choice in companion had been mine, I could not have chosen any better."

"There is no one else I would rather stand side by side with in battle" he replies.

"Or in peace."

" Have we stopped counting our kills young one?"

"We have."

" Equals?"

"Friends"

"Brothers?" There is such hope in his voice.

He has given me such a gift, I am on one knee in front of him and I hold out my hand: "Brothers, Son of Gloin! Nothing would make me happier" Gimli lays down my knives and clasps my proffered arm "You honour me Thranduillion!" I shake my head and smile. "The honour is mine."

HOPE

It is quiet in the stables and I can feel peace at last, for it had been elusive these past few months. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Comforting scents greet me; hay, leather, sawdust, the horses, and the sweet, sweet smell of freedom and at last I feel my shoulders roll back. I move to Arod, whispering the nonsense he enjoys so much, for in return he has offered me much comfort, this unexpected gift from Eomer. After he was found on the bloody field of Pellanor, Eomer gifted him again and I will not question why but rejoice in friendship. I smooth his flanks, his head and his back before I start to fit the bridle, unsure as to whether Gimli would prefer saddle or not. Trying above all else not to think of the bittersweet future that is mine, to be with one close friend and to lose another...

"Going somewhere princeling?"

His confident voice raises a smile as I walk around Arod and look at my brother in arms

"Not without you, I hope?"

" Not with out me young one, no!"

Comfortably we arrange our provisions together. I have never teased Gimli for his continued use of the terms that define me as the young one, and for some reason it suits us both and comforts me. We talk about our travels with an ease that would normally need years of understanding but instead was carved out swiftly in the heat of war. From blood and death has arisen love and friendship and hope. Gimli is comfortable now that we are riding together, uncertain as he was of the proud creature that Aragorn had presented to him. Cleverly he had persuaded Aragorn that Hasufel would be needed to restock Gondor's stables. And Aragorn, with customary kindness, had "allowed" Gimli to have his way, neither the King nor I daring to acknowledge his lack of horsemanship. We are quickly finished our preparations and he looks at me

" 'Shall we say our farewells elf?"

"'I have made mine Gimli, I will wait for you"

He frowns. "I thought we would see Aragorn together one last time."

"Go Gimli, and wish the King farewell. I will wait at the western gate" I take the reins and move through the stables.
" Do not tarry Brother or the first glimpse of the Caves at Aglarond will be mine!"

I hear Gimli's snort of disbelief as I leave. "Not a chance young one, not a chance. We see them together or not all!"

Gimli has offered and I have accepted his loyalty and affection as he has mine. I am anxious to leave Gondor. I cannot stay. I will never forget this incredible journey the fellowship eventually completed and I will carry those memories till the end of time...for I know not what the future holds but I will have my small brother until he grows tired of my company. And then? But that is the future, and so, unknown. I can only hope that I will be fortunate to find such another companion. The only surety I have is that I will not return to Gondor.

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Reaching the Hall of Kings Gimli brushes past the sentries and approaches the man within.

"Well then Laddie: I'll be off before I offend some of your folk and forget all your names and the order in which they come."

Affection shines in Aragorn's eyes as he drinks in his fill of his stouthearted companion. "I barely remember them all myself!"' They clasp arms. "Thank you Gimli. My people will sing such mighty songs to honour your bravery!"

"Aye well, mind they are good songs and always accompanied by a tankard of something."

The companions embrace and all is well until Aragorn asks: "Am I allowed to know to whence you travel? In case I have need of that axe once more?"

Gimli wonders if wearing the crown of Gondor might have affected Aragorn's brain but holds back the usual glib comment and replies: " Tis all we've spoke of for weeks lad; Legolas and I leave for Aglarond at dawn!"

"No!" the denial snaps from Aragorn. "He did not say goodbye," he adds more quietly.

"Strange that; he said he had bid his farewells and waits for me at the West Gate."

If Gimli weren't one of Aule's sons, Aragorn would have knocked him over, crying out orders to his Warden and running as if he were flying over Rohan once more. And as before Gimli sighs, turns and follows after his companion, muttering threats to bang certain heads together before Dawn breaks.

DOUBT

"Legolas." the word hangs in the air and I bend my head to receive it and Arod's soft nose nudges my neck. 'OhGimli? What have you done?'

"You would go without a farewell?"

"I mean no offence Aragorn; you were occupied at court. I left word and a note with Faramir."

"You must stay."

"I will not."

" For my sake Legolas. Please!"

"I will not."

"I command you!"

" Gimli will join me shortly and will offer his companionship."

"You love him."

"I love him. There are many kinds of love, as you know."

" And when your companionship breaks; what then?"

"Perhaps I will be fortunate enough to forge another friendship."

"And not travel to Valinor?"

"I cannot!"

" Legolas?"

"Let me go Aragorn. Please. It is all I ask of you."

"But you ask the impossible!"

"Please Aragorn..."

"I cannot allow it. I am not strong enough."

"You must be"

"I cannot, for you are my rock; always you were there, whenever I looked you were there, upholding me, supporting, unquestioning, following me in the belief that I was doing the right thing. I doubted myself and you doubted me not!"

"' Twas a role I accepted gratefully, but you have Arwen now."

" But she has not known me in my darkest hour! You carried me then."

"She will carry you now."

"I need you!"

"No."

"You kept me sane! You kept me whole!"

"It was an honour."

"You kept me safe."

"We both did."

"Without you there would be no King!"

"Aragorn; you credit me with far more than I deserve. I gave freely of my strength when you needed it. I gave freely of my bow, my blades and my companionship. But do not ask of me what I cannot give!"

"I can, I will, I do!"

"Legolas." he breathes my name again. "I cannot do this without you; you are my anchor."

"And you are my soul, but do not ask me to stay"

"Stay Legolas"

BROTHERS IN ARMS 2

"I heard."

"I know."

"What will you do?"

"I cannot stay. I crave your company and our travels"

"Then we will go."

" I'm glad you know Master Dwarf. I would not have you travel with me under false pretences."

"I'm glad I know, young one."

So I mount Arod and reach for Gimli's hand, he is then up behind me and together we wait before the West Door for dawn to arrive and with her our future and freedom.

My heart infuses with warmth when I hear the grumbling of the Dwarf Lord behind me.

"'What ever you need my prince: whatever you need."

Arod dances and I rein him in, my hand stroking his neck and murmuring soft words to him but his unexpected restlessness has started my heart hammering in my chest and I know then that we wait in vain for the West Door to open.

BEGINNING

"You were there."

" Ellessar?"

" At the South Wall after we returned from the Black Gates. You sat there with Gimli, and Gimli was such a child of that battle. Blood and death hung around him, on him, in him. But you sat there with no mark on you; there was no stench of death about you. The sun burned down upon you; your head gleamed gold, your skin unblemished, your clothing unsullied and I stood there and watched you and I looked down at my own hands. And they were full of blood and killing and evil; there were cuts there that have never healed, scars from the long journey of death that we have journeyed. And I looked down at your hands, giving your knives to Gimli and they were pure, white, untainted by what had touched us all."

He looks up and meets my eyes; his normally clear grey eyes are shuttered and I start to feel afraid of this man, for his next words wound me as though he had once more wielded Anduril and cut me through.

"And I hated you."

TRUTH

I will not stop trying to rid Ellessar of this madness

"I doubted you."

He turns to face me, his face unrecognisable. "You did not."

"Before the eve of battle..."

He cuts through my words
"You did not doubt me. You were testing me."

"No Ellessar, I doubted you. I doubted you and your decision, your men and Theoden. I despaired."

"You did not; you were testing me and I passed and you stayed and never left. I knew then that you would never leave...we won that day."

And again I despair; will this madness never leave him?

TRUTH II

I cannot but continue to try

"I failed you."

"You did not!" Although I suspect his mind is weak his voice retains all his strength.

"You asked me to kill the Sapper and I failed!" The rise in my voice reflects my frustration.

"You did not."

"My arrows failed you."

"Twice you shot true; you killed him."

"And yet the wall was taken."

"They threw his body into the breach, with your arrows in his shoulder! There was nothing else you could have done, but you stayed and we prevailed!"

And the truth hits me hard: I am utterly powerless in the face of such madness.

UNDERSTANDING

"Look at you. Look at yourself!"

I feel something I never expected, Ellessar's hands grasp my shoulders roughly and turns us to face one of the many glowing shields that grace his hall.

"Look at yourself Legolas! You have been at my side the entire time, you have seen things and done things no Elf should ever have been asked to do. You have fought at the very gates of hell and there is no mark on you. You are flawless, untainted. But I! I have been laid bare, exposed, stripped of every control, every mask, every guard I have!"

I stare at the reflection of those once beautiful grey eyes. "Elves have been to war before. Elrond was at the very mouth of Mount Doom."

" And you can tell; Elrond's face tells his life story. But you! Look at you, look at you." He shakes my shoulders and I can take no more of this madness. I turn in his grasp and hiss at him: "You are among my oldest friends Ellessar. You know that not a physical mark remains on me, but I am flawed just the same. Do you think that what we have seen and what we have done has not left its mark? Then you are a fool!"

I expect a blow but instead I see his eyes clear and my old friend returns, unsure, unaware of where he is, who he is.

"Legolas? Where am I?"

His uncertainty is heartbreaking.

"What am I doing? What have I done?"

He falls to his knees and I grasp him "Aragorn?"

"Legolas... help me please."

"What can I do?"

"Stay Legolas. Don't leave me. I beg of you..."

And his tears fall and I am helpless: I look up to seek help and find it. Gimli is staring at us and the understanding and love I find there in his eyes almost causes me to come undone. But instead between us we get our friend calmed, and far too soon I can see the change come over him and I know the next time I see Aragorn, Ellessar will have returned.

FATHER

"News comes from Mirkwood. My father has need of me."

"He cannot have you."

"My father needs me Ellessar!"

Silence meets my words. I try again.

"You would not deny my father his son?"

"I can, I will, I do!"

"What madness is this? You are a great King! All you were born to be. You are wise, kind..."

"Do not lie Legolas."

"I do not lie."

"I doubt myself at every turn. Every turn."

"You do not need a prop Aragorn. Doubt yourself no longer! What more do you ask? Your people are fed, your cities are being rebuilt, and you are loved. Rohan is a good neighbour; friends surround you at every turn. Why do you still doubt yourself?"

"Can you tell me this would have happened without you here with me?"

" Ellessar you make no sense. You did all this ; you and Evenstar together. You are rebuilding something great, something wonderful...something that was foreseen."

"And yet evil remains, cruelty exists, blood is spilt..."

"Always there will be such people, but you will prevail." I whisper. But he continues as if he has never heard me.

"Elrond is gone. Gandalf, and the ringbearer too. We've buried not only Haldir but Theoden and Denethor. And soon we will bury their sons too."

The list of our fallen is many and I cannot bear to hear the pain in his voice.

"What would you have me do Ellessar?"

"'Stay."

When I couldn't go to my King, my King came to me.

" Ada; help me please?"

My father's face reflects his confusion he raises his to my face and cups my cheek.

"Legolas, I do not understand. Come home young one."

"I cannot."

"Legolas; I am here. I have heard such tales of you! Such wondrous tales. You have filled my house with great stories of such bravery, such fellowship. My house has need of you, I have need of you! I love you: please come home!"

"I cannot."

And he takes me into his arms and I cannot begin to understand what he must feel, expecting to find and bring home a hero, and finding instead a broken soul.

LAST HOPE

" Ellessar; word has come that Cirdan's last ship is completed."

He does not answer me.

"Please!" I whisper.

He does not look at me.

I swallow hard, for all we have been through I never dreamt he would deny me this.

" Ellessar? The Last ship will sail."

"Then it will sail without you."

I am a fool.

FREEDOM

And so I buried my beloved brother; entombed in granite and rock surrounded by splendid workmanship of which he would have greatly approved. But I couldn't leave his memorial to represent only that element of Gloin's great son, for he had come to love so much of our world when we spent our lives together at the Court of the King of Gondor. So I asked Ellessar for a little land alongside the tomb which he granted me and which I planted. Trees, flowers, herbs, seedlings from the remnants of Lothlorien. I plant and tend and nurture until I am free to leave Gondor when I can entrust this tiny garden to Gimli's many friends to protect and nourish. His lust for life has ensured he had many who sought his company and longed to hear those tales of far off days, of heroic deeds, of Elven armies and brave hobbits, of armies of the dead, dark foes and powerful wizards. He kept me alive against my pleading entreaties for him to leave me. Gimli kept me alive, he could do nothing else; he couldn't bear to let me go and he apologised for that till the end of his days.

For the age of men has blossomed, more beautiful than any of us who had witnessed the horror of the War could have wished for: children are born into hope, cities arise, harvests are full, libraries are built, once again there is music and art and literature. Ellessar has fulfilled his destiny; Isildur's heir could have done nothing more, all the ancient prophecies have been fulfilled

And now it is only a matter of time before I can leave Gondor forever. Aragorn is failing and Arwen plans for her life without him. His children grow strong and lusty. I will be the last of the fellowship in these lands and I have just come into the prime of my long life. My father and Cirdan's last ship have long since departed for Valinor. The Kingdom of Mirkwood is no longer. But I have plans, plans that my brother and I made. Plans that we never stopped making till the end of his days. Plans that were born in hope and murdered in despair. On the last morning of his wonderful life I took my small brother before dawn to the West Door and like a thousand times before we waited for it to open and like every time before it did not.

But soon it will not be held shut by a man fearful of his destiny: it will open and I will travel to Aglarond and see it through Gimli's eyes. I will hear his expressions of pleasure and rejoice. I will travel to the home of his fathers and see where Gimli, son of Gloin was hewn out of the rock under the Misty Mountains. And finally I will travel to Mirkwood and imagine what it would have been like to share all that I was and all that I am with my beloved brother.

And after? There are no plans for after. I do not know what I will do with the centuries before me Imladris has fallen into ruin, Lothlorien is dying: for the age of elves is over and I will be last of my kind. I can only hope that Mandos will welcome me quickly into his halls but that is a prayer unlikely to be heard, for he has not heard it before.

"The King is dead! Long live the King!" The cries ring through the streets of my prison, and I know that at long last my release has been granted. And I pick up my pack which contains little more than the one I set off with from Rivendell so many years before and make for the stables where I find Arod's beautiful descendent waiting for me.

And so I wait in the minutes before dawn before the great West Door of Gondor. With baited breath I watch for the morning sun with my quiver full, my blades sharpened, my waist missing the clasp of those strong arms that kept me alive. And as her first rays shine over the walls of the city, the doors of the West Gate are open and I am free.

EPILOGUE

And the King of Gondor, 40 th of Isildur's heirs sings the song of his father as he watches the West Gate open and tears flows down his cheeks as he watches the last of the fellowship leave at last.

Where is the horse and the rider?
Where is the horn that was blowing?
They have passed like rain on the mountains.
Like wind in the meadow.
The days have gone down in the west.
Behind the hills, into shadow.
How did it come to this?

*****

THE END

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