And the sky full of stars: Part XII
by: Jen
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Arwen radiated contentment. With simply her presence, Arwen was able to bring a smile from everyone who she encountered as they walk through the castle. As if reading Elesia's thoughts, Arwen bypassed the lavish guest quarters that were used for visiting royalty and lead her into an adjoining wing. They walked up a flight of stairs and into a long row of rooms.

"This wing of the castle is for my kin." Arwen said. "Most come from Rivendell and Lorien, the land of my father and grandmother."

"It is.. .. beautiful." Elesia said. The rooms had a natural beauty, the marble walls seemed not to be made by the hand of man but naturally formed in the shapes and swirling pillars that lined the hallway.

"At Aragorn's request many of the rooms in the castle were remodeled to accommodate the many different peoples of Middle-Earth." Arwen explained. "In the lower levels are hobbit and dwarvish rooms. The second level contains mortal rooms. These rooms are elvish."

Arwen opened the door to a room at the corner of the building. Inside it was like nothing Elesia had ever seen. Though enclosed with a ceiling, the walls of the room were virtually non-existent. A few tall pillars and an ornate marble gate that went waist high, lined three sides of the room. It was open to the wind and the sun and the sky. But what caught Elesia's attention were the trees. They grew so near the side of the castle that she could reach out and touch the leafy branches. In the center of the room was a large bed and one small bureau was against the only wall in the room. Elesia stood in speechless wonder.

"I hope this is sufficient." Arwen said. "After hearing the description of your homes in Entville, I thought you would feel more at home here."

Elesia could only nod. Arwen smiled at her. "I shall have clothing and food brought to you. Tomorrow there will most likely be a great feast, but today, rest."

"Thank you." Elesia said.

Arwen closed the door behind her as she left. As she returned to her chambers she saw Legolas walking down the hallway towards her.

"Your lost Elesia, is safe and sound." Arwen said, before Legolas had a chance to speak. She looked into his eyes for a long moment and said, "Walk with me, Legolas."

They walk along the castle hallways.

"The sea rages within you." Arwen said.

"It consumes my dreams both asleep and awake." Legolas said.

"Aragorn shall greatly miss you. As will I. You have been like a brother to us." Arwen said.

"I am not leaving today." Legolas said, with a grin.

"But soon." She said.

He nodded. "Within the year. I have to travel to Fangorn Forest."

"One last journey with Gimli?" Arwen asked.

Legolas nodded.

"Before you leave, you must indulge me one thing." Arwen said.

"Anything, my lady." Legolas said.

"Travel to Mirkwood and give your father a proper farewell. Though you be reunited one day, he will be upset if you do not." Arwen said.

"As you wish." Legolas said. "But you will give the news to Gimli and Elesia. A month or more of waiting for Fangorn will not be happy news."

Arwen stared at him, hiding her surprise. "Elesia will go with you?"

"She is young and has within her a great desire to see all parts of Middle- Earth at once."

"It was not long ago that I knew a young elf with the same affliction." Arwen said with a smile.

Legolas smiled. "I am completely cured of my wanderings."

"I do not think so. You will always long to see what lies over the mountains in the distance." Arwen said. She put her arm in hers as they walk out of the castle and into the gardens.

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

Gimli was lost. Caverns and caves he loved. And even the outdoors. But these never ending hallways of room after room and twists and turns. He had been to the castle only a few times since Aragorn was crowned king and he had yet to learn his way. He knew the dwarvish rooms were near the hobbit rooms but all he could find was the short hallway lined with round doors in the hobbit fashion. He sighed and started to go back the way he came when a smell wafted across his nose. He froze in place and closed his eyes, taking a long deep sniff of the air.

"Pipeweed." Gimli said. As if entranced by the odor he followed it to its source behind a small round door halfway down the hall. Not bothering to knock or to announce his entrance, Gimli opened the door with a bang.

Peregrin Took was sitting by a fire, kicked back in his chair, half falling asleep with his pipe hanging out of his mouth. Gimli's entrance woke him in a hurry. The pipe fell out of his mouth and rolled along the floor. A string of hobbit curses flew from Pippin's mouth as he chased after it. It came to rest at the feet of Gimli.

Pippin looked up, and seeing his old friend, a smile spread across his face. "Gimli!!" The pipe was forgotten as Pippin launched himself into a warm embrace with the dwarf. Gimli laughed long and hard at the hobbit.

"Wasting good pipe weed for sleeping." Gimli half-heartedly scolded. "How a people such as you ever learned how to grow pipeweed such as this is beyond me."

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

As Arwen had said, the next day a great feast was held. It had been since Arwen and Aragorn's wedding that so many of the Fellowship were together again. And though, only four of the nine were present, it was excuse enough for a feast.

The great hall was filled with food and drink. Elesia stood in the doorway looking in at everyone. Gimli and Pippin were laughing and filling their plates to overflowing. A host of elves were mingling, there laughter filling the room like song.

Legolas could feel the happiness of those inside the great hall, long before he entered the castle. It had been too long since he had been at so happy an occasion. He walked up the steps to the great hall and saw Elesia standing at the door. She was so busy watching the festivities inside the room, that she did not notice him approach her.

"Are you the keeper of this great hall?" He asked, teasing her. "Is there some word I must speak to be allowed entrance?"

"No.. I. . . . " she stopped speaking as she turned around to face him. Momentarily distracted by his clothing. No longer was he wearing his traveling clothes but a silver shimmering tunic. She gathered her thoughts and realized she had no reason at all to be standing at the doorway, except that she was no quite sure where she belonged.

"I was. . . . "

"Waiting for me I hope?" Legolas said, smiling down at her. Amused at her discomfort.

"Yes. I was." She said, taking his offer of friendship.

Putting his hand on the small of her back, he gently lead her into the room. He avoided the elves and their intense gazes. In his travels with Gimli, he discovered that the dwarf admitted that large groups of elves made him uncomfortable. Wanting Elesia to feel at home, Legolas joined Gimli and Pippin. They sat down beside them.

Pippin, in the manner of all hobbits, quickly made Elesia feel like a long lost cousin. He bombarded her with tales of his Shire. Some no doubt complete fabrications but amusing.

The evening fell into night and the moon rose. The time for singing began. Endless songs in the Elvish tradition.

"Are there no songs in the common tongue?" Elesia asked Pippin during a break in the singing.

"Bilbo translated this song long ago into common tongue." Pippin said. "Though, it lacks the beauty of the Elvish verse, it was one of Bilbo's favorites. He was always going on and on about the mountains, you know. There was this time…"

"Let us hear the song." said Arwen gently interrupting him, knowing full- well that if she did not, Pippin's tale could extend into the wee hours of the morning without ever hearing one word of the song.

He stood and all in the great hall got quiet.

"For many an age in Valinor
The Elf named Palarran stay
He took joy in the sun and sky
And sang of Eldar days
But restlessness afflicted him
Like none who'd come before
That set foot upon the Blessed Realm
And walked upon its shore
He gazed far into the distant peaks
Of snow-capped mountains grand
And wished to see what lay beyond
The eyes of Elvish land
He took no heed nor minded
The warnings he was given
He journeyed to the mountains
By forces unseen driven
And as he stood atop the peaks
His eyes were filled with mirth
But he was seen no more again
Upon the lands of Middle-Earth."

There was polite clapping when Pippin finished the song and bowed low from his spot in the middle of the great hall. After the clapping subsided, Arwen turned to Elesia and asked, "What songs did they sing in Entville?"

"Because so many of the husbands disappeared, the woman wrote songs of great sadness," she said. All Elvish eyes turned to her. Elves knew best, the power of sad songs. And though, they sang songs of joy around the hearth this evening, their souls were often more deeply touched by songs of grief. They waited for her to say more. She did not. "We would be honored if you would share one of these songs with us." Arwen said, trying to offer encouragement.

Legolas leaned over to Elesia and whispered, "If we can listen to Pippin's noise without so much as a cringe, I am sure we can endure yours." Elesia smiled. Few of the elves sitting nearby, heard his words and chuckled. Pippin sat contentedly smoking his pipe, having not a clue that his pride had been tarnished. Reluctantly she got to her feet and sang.

"You'll remember me
when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun
In his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze a while
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell
As her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me
Will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun
In his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold
See the west wind move
Like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise
When you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
Many years have passed
Since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run
As the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me
When the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun
In his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold."

Her voice was not as melodic as the elves, but it was soft and gentle. Arwen could tell that it was a song she had known for many years. Arwen listened to the song and looked at Aragorn, she could not imagine losing him as those women had lost their husbands, with no explanation, just years of endless waiting. As Elesia finished the song, tears filled her eyes and she excused herself from the great hall. Arwen started to go after her, but Aragorn put a firm hand on hers. She looked at him perplexed. He motioned to the door, and they saw Legolas leaving the room in pursuit.

Legolas followed her out into the gardens. Elesia was pacing, taking quick steps as if trying to outrun her emotions. Legolas caught up with her and easily kept up pace.

"You are homesick. There is no shame in it." He said.

"Homesick implies that there is actually a home to return to." She said, as she walked.

"Then your sadness must be ever the more great." Legolas said.

"I'm more angry than sad." She said and stopped walking. "I wish I could rip the arms off an orc…someone who's responsible for this. There must be someone I can blame."

"Will I do? I can bear the brunt of your fury." He said in complete seriousness and braced himself as if she were about to hit him.

Despite her sadness she smiled at him.

"Wait here. I have a cure for your ailment." He said and disappeared into the darkness.

She waited and he returned with his bow and arrows slung over his shoulder. He presented them to her.

"You bring me your bow?" she said. "I thought you would return with an orc for me to slay."

Legolas smiled. "Alas, target practice is all I have to offer."

"And I accept. But I am not much of an archer." She said.

"I saw you in battle, you held the ground around you admirably with both bow and sword." Legolas said.

Legolas took a seat in the grass while she shot arrow after arrow at the target. Few hit their mark, but it did not matter. Many a day, Legolas had used target practice as a way to clear his mind. He knew well, how the endless repetition and the mental concentration needed to execute a arrow could ease the mind of troubles. She shot arrows until her arms shook from the exertion and she could pull back the bow strings no longer.

She walked to him and handed him the bow.

"Thank you, Legolas." She said.

"Your welcome, though I fear your arms may not thank me tomorrow." He said.

"My arms are regretting this evening already." Elesia admitted, as they walked back into the castle.

"The only thing I regret about the evening is that I got to hear you sing but once." Legolas said. They stopped at her door.

She smiled at him.

"Perhaps you will hear another some day, but only if I hear a song from you first." She said.

"It is a promise. Goodnight." Legolas said and bowed. Leaving her alone in the hallway.


| Part XIII |
| Index |