And the sky full of stars: Part XIII
by: Jen
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At Gimli insistence, Legolas decided to leave for Mirkwood before weeks end. He had his horse saddled and waiting near the stables, as he walked through the castle looking to say his farewells. He heard Gimli's deep laughter, before he saw him.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the small nursery. Gimli and Elesia were peering into the cradle, while Arwen watched with approval. Little Eldarion stood wobbly on his chubby legs and reached his arms up to Elesia. With a nod from Arwen, Elesia reached into the baby bed and lifted him out. His hair was dark like his parents, and though completely mortal, his features were delicate like his mothers. Eldarion reached a little hand out and grabbed Gimli's beard, giving it a surprisingly hard tug.

"Ouch." Gimli said, trying to pry the tiny fingers out of his beard.

Legolas laughed. "You did not holler so loud when I grabbed you by the beard in Moria."

"The sound of the orcs drown my yells." Gimli said. He took a step away from Elesia and the baby and straighted his beard.

"I've come to say my farewells. At least for a while." Legolas said.

"You've decided to leave us so soon?" Arwen asked.

"At the request of Gimli. Seems he cannot wait to walk beneath the trees of Fangorn again." Legolas said.

"That indeed is something to rush away for." Arwen said, grinning.

Elesia smiled as she listened to the old friends talk. To her they reminded her of brothers and sisters. She look down at Eldarion. He already had one brother, and she counted him lucky. She had always wished she had siblings.

Eldarion reached out and grabbed the green stone around her neck. He gave it a hard tug and the necklace snapped. The stone fell to the floor. Elesia laughed and handed the baby back to Arwen. Legolas bent down and picked up the stone.

The stone glowed in his hand and his fist involuntarily closed around it.

For an instant their eyes met. Then all went dark. They both fell to the ground as if in deep sleep.

A cry escaped Gimli's lips, as he rushed to their aid. He tried prying the stone from Legolas's hand but to no avail. He called their names. But they lay still as if in dreams.

Legolas lay on the ground, his hand clenching the green stone. But he was not dreaming. In sequence, Elesia's memories were being relived in his mind. Legolas saw her lifetime of memories in a moment. Her childhood, the peaceful family farmhouse, the coming of the orcs, the move into the woods, the leaving of the men. Years of endless struggle to survive in a world where few even knew they existed. Quickly the years raced through his mind. Day by day, year by year, until the present. Through her memories he saw himself bend to pick up the stone. The second his hand touched it, he awoke.

Arwen was cradling Elesia's head in her lap, as she knelt on the floor between them.

"What in the name of Middle-Earth has bewitched the two of you?" Gimli asked, the worry in his voice obvious.

Legolas spoke. His voice was at a whisper "Her amulet, it's a connecting stone."

Gimli gasped in surprise and looked from Elesia to Legolas and back again.

"Are the stories they say about them true?" Gimli asked.

Legolas nodded.

"You relived her memories?" Gimli asked.

Legolas nodded.

"Not a fair trade for Elesia. She got more than her share." Arwen said, as she looked at her sleeping body.

"You were but asleep a little while." Gimli said. "But her life is short. You are an elf. If she has to relive your memories, she could be asleep for days."

"They are meant only for Elves. Men should not use them." Arwen said.

"I didn't realize the nature of the stone until it was too late." Legolas said.

"Come," Arwen said. "Let's take her to her room, until she awakens."

Legolas gently lifted Elesia off the ground and carried her in his arms. He and Gimli followed Arwen down the hall and into Elesia's guest room. Legolas lay Elesia down gently on the bed. Arwen examined her closely for some long minutes.

"Will she be all right?" Gimli asked.

"She will. I sense a great strength in her." Arwen said.

"I have seen her strength." Legolas said, his eyes never leaving her.

"Indeed you have." Arwen said. "She is lucky that it was you who touched the stone. You do not have yet the age of other elves. Those such as Celeborn or even one my brother's age would have been too much for her to take."

Legolas sat down on the chair beside the bed. And waited. And waited. The sun set and rose. One day passed. Then two. And still Elesia dreamed.

Elesia was bombarded with more years than she could absorb in a moment. Decades…centuries…piled upon one another in her mind. Flashes of people, places, histories, the endless procession of years. She saw things so horrible she had never dared imagine them in her dreams and saw things of such beauty that it made her want to cry. It was overwhelming and quite suddenly as it had begun, the connection was broken. She opened her eyes.

Legolas and Gimli were at her side. Gimli rushed to get Arwen.

Elesia sat up slowly, putting her head in her hands. After rubbing her eyes and gaining her composure, she looked up, her eyes caught Legolas and froze. And for a few long moments it was if she were looking into a mirror. A reflection of herself or him, she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she couldn't look away.

Arwen and Gimli came into the room and stopped. To Gimli it was as if they were caught in a trance. But Arwen saw more. Their souls were as one. Confused, bouncing back and forth between their gazes as if looking for their true self.

Arwen approached Legolas and took his hand. "Legolas, Leave us. Let me care for her. Go with Gimli." Arwen said. Her words were soft and gentle. Legolas tore his gaze away from Elesia and followed Gimli from the room.

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

Legolas and Gimli retreated into their own room. Legolas walked to the window and stared out into the fading twilight.

"Tell me the story of the connecting stones." Gimli said. "I have only heard the whispers of legends and myth, nothing of fact."

Legolas stayed at the window while he spoke.

"The stories I have heard are only legend as well. I have never seen one of these stones until Elesia. They come from Valinor. Some say the they are the remnants of stones that were used in creating the Silmarils. There are but a few of them in middle-earth and are used only seldom. They were used when an elf would pass to the Blessed Realm and leave a loved one behind. To keep the loved ones close as dreams no matter the distance until they met again in Valinor." Legolas said.

"Dreams? You will share dreams as well as memories?" Gimli asked.

Legolas nodded. "That is what they say. And tis true. For two nights I have seen Elesia, though she was sleeping, in my dreams." Legolas said.

"How long will this dream-sharing last?" Gimli said. "I should think it annoying to sleep and see you every night."

Legolas smiled.

"Only when both elves have traveled The Straight Way into the West and are reunited would the dreams stop. So strong is the power of the connecting stone that if one heeds the call and travels the Straight Way, the other must as well."

"But she is not elf, surely this stone should not have done anything." Gimli said.

"Because the stones were so highly guarded there is no record or tale of a man ever coming into contact with one." Legolas said.

"Until now." Gimli said. "What is to be done?"

"Of that I do not know. The stories say that once joined the connection lasts a lifetime." Legolas said.

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

The moon rose, the stars danced their way across the sky, and Elesia lay still in her bed. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She would not fall asleep.

Arwen had left her a flowing silver robe, she slipped it over her shoulders and tiptoed down the hall. A guard was standing post at the door. He nodded at her respectfully as she walked out the doors into the garden. The air was cool and refreshing. She took a deep breath. She could smell flowers. She felt her cares fall away from her.

She wandered out from under trees, to have a clear view of the sky. The stars were crystal clear and brilliant, flickering. Covering the sky like a blanket. It was as if she were seeing them for the first time.

"No wonder the Entchildren left, if this was the view that awaited them." Elesia said, softly, to herself.

"They are beautiful, are they not." Legolas said. Elesia was startled at the sound of his voice. She looked around and found him. He lay stretched out on the grass, staring up at the sky. He started to get up but she stopped him.

"Please, I didn't mean to disturb you. I…I…" she didn't finish her sentence. Ashamed to admit the reason she was walking the gardens in starlight was because she was afraid to fall asleep.

"You are afraid of what our dreams will hold," Legolas said. He sat up, but did not stand.

She hung her head and nodded and sat down on a bench nearby.

"Even as I child, I did not fear my dreams," she said. "But…I did not have such a life as yours to haunt me."

Legolas was silent a long time. He listened to her words and understood. Memories long since passed to him, were but new to her. He did not blame her. In his time, he had been awaken by many nightmares both real and imagined.

"There are some things I thought I would have to carry alone through this life." he said. "It is a burden you should not have to share."

"It is no fault of yours." Elesia said. "I did not come here to place blame. My room is too confining for me and I wished to have the sky above me. This city, it is grand but I am of the open country. And it is what I long for."

Legolas considered her words. "I must travel to my father's realm first. But if you wish, you and Gimli may join me."

"I thought you wished to travel alone?" Elesia said.

"It seems as if, I shall never be alone, no matter if I wished it." Legolas said.

Elesia hung her head, as if blaming herself for their predicament.

Legolas reached over and took her hand in his.

"If nightmares should strike you." Legolas said. "You will not be alone."

She looked at him but said nothing. "Or is that part of what you fear as well?" he asked, gently.

She shook her head. "No, I fear losing myself in a sea of memories that are not my own."

"You are much to strong for that to happen." He said and then added almost to himself but loud enough for her to hear. "And stubborn."

"Stubborn?" she asked.

"If I recall correctly, there was a certain young girl who sat up in the branches of a tree for two days because she did not wish to bathe." Legolas said, with a teasing glance.

She straightened up in her seat defiantly, trying to defend her honor. "I was not the least bit dirty." She said. All seriousness was in her voice, but try as she might she couldn't keep the smile from creeping across her lips.

Legolas looked at her and smiled.

"This will not be easy if you insist on using my own memories as ammunition against me at every conversation." She said, her tone was gently mocking but Legolas took her words seriously.

"I carry your memories dear as treasures and no one shall hear a word of them.. .. .. but you." He said.

They held each others gaze for a long moment taking an unspoken vow of silence.

"Nor will I." She said and rose to leave.

Legolas stretched back out in the grass. Before she left the garden, Elesia turned back and said, "Besides, I doubt you would wish Gimli to know what foolish situation you got into in a certain cave in your youth. . . . . You were old enough to know better." She was smiling.

Legolas laughed out loud.

Elesia walked into the castle with the sound of Legolas laughter in her ears. She smiled to herself and walked into her room. Her room seemed big and empty. Even when alone, being outside made her feel as if she were not. There were the trees and the grass and the birds to keep her company. She almost envied Legolas' spot in the bed of soft grass.

She lay down on the bed. And much to her surprise, sleep came almost immediately. Soon after came the dreams.

She was in a forest. Her forest. Entville. But the gate and houses were gone. There were only the trees and the sky and mountains.

She heard soft footsteps and turned. A little boy, an elf, was running as fast as he could. His blonde hair flying out behind him. His arms were outstretched as he ran beneath the trees. The smile on his face seemed to contain all the joy of childhood. He stopped abruptly and looked up at the trees. He placed his ear to the bark and listened. His eyes widened and he began laughing. His laughter grew and grew.

"These trees." He said shaking his head as if he'd been told a great joke. "These trees!!"

And laughing, he dashed back up the trail and vanished.

The day dawned with a smile on Elesia's face.


| Part XIV |
| Index |