When The Trees Sang: Part XI
by Nicole
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Legolas walked along the edge of one of the many small streams that ran through Lothlorien. He knelt down by the edge of the water and dipped his hand in, allowing the coolness to rush over his fingers. His thoughts began to wander. 'Why does she feel this way? Does she remember nothing of the love that we have shared for so long? What makes her act so? And what miracle brought her out of the death-like sleep that she was in for so long?' His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps moving behind him. He turned quickly to see Gandalf standing close behind him, peering down at him with an undefinable look on his face.

"You always were fond of water. I thought I might be able to find you here." He sat down on a nearby rock and laid his cane on the ground beside him. "Ahh, that's better. Well, I suppose you have a great deal of questions for me. We might as well have out with them so that we may begin to correct whatever wrongs may have been done."

Legolas looked at him, his eyes sad.

"Of course I have questions, but I don't know where to begin."

Gandalf shrugged, picking his staff back up.

"Well, perhaps you should start from the beginning. Tell me what it is that you desire to know that most, and we will get that out of the way first."

Legolas looked back down at his rippling reflection in the water.

"How did she come to awaken? We all thought she was dead, how could that have come to be?"

Gandalf chuckled, his eyes smiling.

"Ahh, my boy, love can heal many wounds."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I say. Your love for Garania awakened her. When she felt the grief that you were experiencing from her falling, she feared for your own well-being. Your love healed the wounds in which you yourself inflicted, and she came back to us once again. How that came to be, I do not know. You see, my good Elf, there are some things that even a wizard can not explain. Especially those dealing in the matters of the heart."

Legolas looked confused at this, but continued.

"But how could that be? When she opened her eyes, she wished nothing more than to see me gone, away from her and out of her sight."

Gandalf again chuckled, his eyes bright.

"That one is much simpler to answer. You see, when Garania was awoke, and her eyes fell upon you, the first thing she remembered was the last moments that the two of you had spent together. The princess is a very prideful she-Elf, and she values her dignity nearly all else. When you fought her, she thought that you no longer loved her. Instead of risking her pride and allowing her broken heart to show, she made it appear as if she felt deep hatred for you, which we both know could not be farther from the truth."

Legolas looked up at the wizard, his eyes beginning to show a glimpse of their former light.

"So you mean, she still loves me? She only says these things to conceal her own hurt?"

Gandalf nodded. Legolas turned back towards the water and a look of confusion once again swept across his face.

"But there is one other thing, one that I have not been able to understand since I arrived here at Lothlorien."

"And what is that?"

"When I stabbed her, why....why did she say....why did she seem so confused, and hurt? Why did she ask me why I had done it? If the evil still coursed through her, then why would it pain her to fall to my sword? Why did she ask me this?"

Gandalf drew a deep breath, knowing that this question would come, but dreading giving the answer, knowing that the Elf may no longer be able to live with himself after learning the truth.

"I fear that the answer may pain you more than the question."

Legolas shook his head.

"No, I want to know. Tell me, please."

Gandalf sighed, looking him directly in the eye.

"When your battle with Garania began, she was still empowered by the force of evil instilled upon her by her father. As I'm sure you already knew by the force of her blows. However, when her father was stabbed, he did not die right away, and was left instead to bleed on the ground. When she saw her father taken down, she cried out, a new strength being found within her. This was only temporary, however, as only moments later, her father fell, causing whatever evil left in her body to suddenly fade away. It was at this moment that she weakened, and you were able to overpower her. When you pierced her with your sword, she was in a state of shock, unaware of what was happening around her. While you thought she was still fighting against you, she had instead returned to the light that had been instilled upon her at her birth, and was unknowing of what had just happened between the two of you. She thought that you were against her, or that you no longer cared for her. This also explains why she reacted to you so when she awakened."

Legolas looked down at the water, horrified. She had not been fighting against him, she had simply been in shock, from the intensity that had just taken her over. He had nearly killed her, and she had in fact meant no harm to her. He held his head in his hands, guilt sweeping over him.

Gandalf pushed himself up from the rock and walked over to where Legolas sat kneeled, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Come along, my dear boy. We must go talk to your wife. I feel this can all be resolved with some explanation."

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Garania sat at a large table in yet another large garden in Lothlorien. On either side of her sat Galadriel and Celeborn, across from them Legolas, Gandalf, and the rest.

"I believe we have much explaining to do, Gandalf," replied Celeborn, casting a sideways glance at Garania.

The wizard nodded, looking over at Legolas, who was watching Garania intently.

"Well, let us begin," Celeborn continued.

Gandalf glanced up at him.

"No, this is something that can be done only by the two involved. We cannot interfere."

Legolas looked at Garania, who refused to meet his gaze. She glanced up at Gandalf when he said this, her eyes revealing the feelings she kept pent up inside.

"I would rather we talk about it here, if that would be alright."

Gandalf shook his head.

"No, no alone would be best. I suggest a nice long walk in the woods perhaps. It will give you some time to clear things up between the two of you."

Garania cast her eyes down, her heart beating rapidly.

"No."

Legolas fought back the words that were fighting to escape from his mouth. He lost the battle, his frustration taking over.

"Are you so pent up with your precious pride that you cannot even fathom for the slightest moment that you might be wrong!?!?"

She shot her eyes up at him, speaking to him in his mind, softly, but harshly.

"How dare you say such a thing?! Pride has nothing to do with this matter....it's my heart that suffers."

Legolas was taken aback by this. He looked at her intently, his eyes never leaving hers. Galadriel and Celeborn cast nervous glances at Gandalf, who responded with a reassuring look to ease their fears. Galadriel had heard every word that her granddaughter spoke to Legolas, while the others may have not. She knew that she would never bend before their eyes. She stood and signaled the rest to do the same.

"I believe that this is a private matter, Garania. You have the choice of either speaking to Legolas alone, or returning back to the palace with me to have a private conversation of our own. The choice is yours."

Garania shrank back from her grandmother, the first time that any of them had ever seen her do so. She was the one person in the world that she feared.

"I am sorry grandmother, I did not mean to disobey you. I will speak to Legolas if you wish, alone if I must."

Galadriel gave a small smile at her granddaughter and turned to walk back towards the palace, the rest of the group following her. Gandalf paused for a moment by Garania's side to whisper something in her ear. He uttered it low, so as even the sensitive hearing of Legolas could not decipher his words.

"My child, pride and dignity are fine for the palace, but they have no place in matters of the heart."

He walked away, leaving her alone with Legolas, to face the fears that had been pent up inside for so long.

| Part XII |
| Index |