And the sky full of stars: Part XV
by: Jen
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For a week, Legolas stay within his father's realm, walking the forests of his youth. He was within his father's great hall when the news of Elesia's and Gimli's arrival in Mirkwood was brought to Thranduil.

As they were brought before the king, the elves in the hall held back a laugh. For both Elesia and Gimli looked more fit to be in a pig sty than to be greeting an elven king.

They were covered in a thick coating of mud, which seemed to have dried to their skin and their traveling clothes. They smelt of the lake. And looked as if they had just been pulled up from its depths.

Forgetting all sense of propriety, Legolas rushed to them, demanding an explaination.

"What has happened?" Legolas asked.

Gimli and Elesia said nothing, only glared at one another.

Thranduil watched the dwarf and the mortal in a battle of wills, and smiled. Amused and astonished at how things turned out. In all his years, he never would have guessed he would see such a sight within his own realm. When Legolas had told him of Elesia, Thranduil had imagined a woman well into adulthood, not the young mortal that stood before him. Though, he suspected her older than she look, she was still young enough to carry the sparkle of youth in her eyes and in her step. Thranduil could see why Legolas thought highly of her. There was something appealing with mortals who still looked upon the world with the wonder of new eyes.

Neither Elesia nor Gimli spoke. Legolas approached them, "What evil has befallen you on the road?"

"It was caused not by me, but by Gimli and a certain Elf the last time they visited Lake Town." Elesia said, giving Legolas a pointed glare.

"They remembered you?" Legolas asked Gimli. "It was well over a year ago and most dwarves look alike, at least to mortal eyes, I believed it would be safe for you to enter Lake Town again."

"As did I." Gimli said, grumbling. "But their memories are longer than most."

"We were run out of town by a mad mob." Elesia said. "We are lucky we have our skins."

"They threw all manner of things as us, as we ran from the city streets." Gimli said.

"And swam the lake." Elesia reminded him.

Thranduil could not help but laugh. During Legolas and Gimli's last visit they had heard the story of how the boarding house in Lake Town caught fire, though it had been long debated whether the fire was caused my Master Gimli's pipe or by Legolas tending the fire. The debate began anew. In the midst of their discussion, Elesia's eyes caught Thranduil's, and a smile of recognition broke over her face. Thranduil smiled in return.

Elesia approached him, feeling as if he was her own kin. As if remembering he did not know her, she stopped, uncertainly. Sensing her unease, he took the last few steps between him.

"Elesia. I fear you know me better than I know you." Thranduil said.

"All I know is how dear you are to Legolas," Elesia said.

"I know that you are dear to him as well. And that is enough for me to greet you as one of my own." Thranduil said and took her hand in his. "But there will be time for stories later. I know you will wish to wash away the weariness of travel."

Elesia nodded.

"I shall escort her to her room." Legolas said.

As they walked along the cavern halls, Elesia thought they were more beautiful than in memories. Though the walls were of a grey rock, they contained all manner of crystal that shimmered and sparkled under the candle-lit hallways.

Legolas eyes cut over at her as they walk through the caverns.

"It can easily be said, that no one, in all my father's years of leadership, has greeted him in such a fashion." Legolas said.

She look at him worried. "I am sorry. If I have done anything to disgrace him…………"

Legolas stilled her worries with a laugh. "It is a blessing. Laughter has been too long absent from his lips. It was a joy to hear. I thank you for it."

"It was not the introduction I had envisioned." She grumbled.

As they walked along the hallways, several elves passed them. They said nothing, but their eyes held astonishment, at the mud-covered mortal and the prince of Mirkwood strolling through the caverns as if it were an every day occurance.

Legolas turned down a short hallway with several doors. He stopped at the first door and unlocked it. He look down at her.

"Sleep well. I shall be in the far hall.. …" Legolas said, but Elesia interrupted him.

"I know where your room is." Elesia said.

Legolas smiled. "Of course. You know these halls as well as I. You did not need my escort at all."

"I may not have needed it, but I enjoyed it." Elesia said.

"Ah, then my time was not wasted." He said.

"My mother used to say that the time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted time." She said. She seldom talked of her mother, and Legolas knew how much she missed her still.

"Then I have never wasted a moment when I have been within your company." Legolas said. "I would enjoy wasting time with you all evening talking at your door… but………" he reached out a hand and took a lock of her muddied hair in his hands. "But. . . . . alas, I fear I will have to spend my evening alone. . . for it will take some hours to lift the mud of Lake Town from your hair." His eyes were full of amusement.

"Our dreams will have to suffice for your evening entertainment." She said.

"I look forward to them." He said. And left her to her room.

She walked inside. It was a small room. Inside it was a bubbling natural hot spring. The rooms had already been prepared and a dress of elven material lay on the small bed.

After soaking and washing away what she decided had to be half of the mud that was upon the banks of the lake, she slipped on the gown and went directly to bed.

Her dreams were not peaceful.

It was night, she was on a high wall. Alone. She look out over the edge of the wall but could see nothing because of the darkness. There was a foul smell on the wind. Thunder rang out, echoing along unseen mountains and the sky lit up. She gasp, for in the brief moment of daylight she saw what lay before her. The ground below her was crawling with orcs. Too many to count, racing towards the wall. She look around helplessly, the lighting lit up the sky, at the far end of the wall she could see someone. Legolas. But there was no one else to aid them. Two against the mass of orcs that were scrambling towards them.

The orcs raised ladder after ladder, scrambling up the steep walls in their attack.

She ran along the wall, trying to find a means of escape but there was none. The orcs were too many. She could heard their foul voices as they grabbed at her legs as she ran. She approached Legolas. He stood his ground on the top of the wall, shooting arrow after arrow at the oncoming orcs. Until he reached back for an arrow and grasp only the air. His eyes met hers and they ran. But they could not escape. An orc grabbed her from behind and she fell from the wall into the awaiting hands of the orcs below.

She screamed. And sat straight up in the bed. She was shaking, her breath coming in ragged gasps. It was a long minute before she could still her racing heart or even fully awaken from the terror of her dreams.

The candle beside her bed had burned down low. She picked it up and left the room. When she had last seen Legolas, he had been running along the top of the wall. She did not wish for him to stay in the clutches of the nightmare any longer than possible.

The cavern hallways were deserted at this time of night. Her footsteps made little sound as she walked purposefully down the hallway until she came to his room. She opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

For a moment, she watch him. He seemed to be younger in his sleep. More like the elven boy running through the trees of her dreams, than the battle- hardened elf he was in daylight.

But he was trapped in the nightmare of Helm's Deep. His eyes were unblinking, the statement on his face one of horror. Words she did not understand whispered under his breath, as he fought foes in his dreams. She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over him, shaking him gently.

But he did not awake. Instead, her touch caused him to spring to life, fighting her as he would an orc. He grabbed her wrists and squeezed them roughly causing her to unclench her hands, as if forcing her to drop some invisible weapon.

"Legolas!" she said.

He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. And realizing his error, let her go. He ran a hand over his eyes and shook himself out of his nightmare.

She backed away from the bed and sat down on a small stool, rubbing her wrists. The red imprint of his fingers stood out in stark contrast against her pale skin.

As if finally realizing his mistake he rose from the bed and rushed to kneel in front of her. He took her hands in his and inspected them closely.

"Forgive me.. . . I did not know." Legolas said. "We have a great healer here, I will awake him at once." Legolas rose but he put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Legolas, no harm was done to me." She said. "Though, I have to say, I have never been mistaken for an orc. Perhaps in my mud-covered state, I could understand it, but I am perfectly clean now." A small smile spread across her face.

"You are certainly no orc." He said. She felt his gaze wander down the length of her body. She blushed. For the first time since awakening, she realize she had only on a thin elvish sleeping gown.

She stood abruptly.

"I should go." She said.

"Let me escort you back to your room." Legolas said.

"I don't think I'll be doing any more sleeping this night." Elesia said, as she walked to the door. He considered her words a moment, and said,

"Then may I show you something?" he asked.

"Of course." She said.

She follow Legolas down the hallways into a long low room used for storage. He weaved his way around barrels and crates will with various supplies until he reached the far corner of the room. The roof of the cavern was so low it grazed the top of Legolas' head. He reached to the ceiling and moved a piece of wood that had been covering a small hole in the cavern.

Elesai gazed up into it's depths.

"What is up there?" she asked.

Legolas said nothing. He lifted her high enough through the hole that she could pull herself up and then quickly vaulted up behind her. The cave was small, barely 3 paces wide and the roof and walls had small holes that allowed the moonlight to peak through. The cave walls were comletely covered in crystals of all shapes and sizes. Elesia ran her hand along the jagged edges of the wall. In the darkness, she could barely make out their shapes.

"It was because of this room that my father delved caverns here." Legolas said, as they sat down on the smooth cold floor.

"For this one room?" Elesia said.

Legolas nodded. "It was my mother's favorite. Oropher's kingdom had been in the forest and my father had grown up within the trees. But my mother and he would meet in this cave to watch the sunrise. They had been close since they were children." Legolas said.

"You have no memory of your mother." Elesia said.

"She died when I was a baby, when the darkness first came to Mirkwood and orcs ran freely through the trails." Legolas said.

They sat in silence as the cold grey dawning first began to lighten the sky. Sunrise was not far off.

"What happens at sunrise?" she asked.

"I do not know." He said. "I have never seen it from this room."

"Never?" she asked, turning to him.

"It is a sight meant to be shared and there was no one who knew me well enough to accompany me." Legolas explained.

He reached over and took her hand as the sun began to peak over the horizon. As the sun rose, it's rays shone through the slits in the side of the cave. The light bounced off one crystal after another, illuminating the walls in a rainbow of color. The room was soaked in a rosy glow and it seemed as if the very air was alight. As the sun continued its climb into the sky, the colors in the cave changed from red to orange to yellow to deep green before fading back to normal.

Legolas and Elesia watched in speechless wonder. They were so entranced by the vision before them that they did not see nor hear Thranduil below them.

Unknown to Legolas, Thranduil came to the cave every morning. As he peaked through the hole into the room above him, it was as if he were gazing into the past and for a moment he could see the young elf he used to be so very long ago. It was the first morning that he had not seen the sunrise from that cave, since his wife had died nearly 3000 years ago. Thranduil sighed heavily, a sad smile upon his face as he retreated from the cave and left the two alone.

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

The week they spent in Mirkwood was a happy one. Gimli inspected the new caverns his dwarves had recently completed in honor of Lady Arwen's coming visit. They surpassed his wildrest imaginings and the elves were endlessly amused at his suggestions and enthusiasm.

Legolas spent the days within the company of his father. They exchanged old tales, both happy and sad as they walk beneath the forests they knew and loved so well.

The dawns belonged to Elesia. She and Legolas would meet every morning before the sun's first rays hit the cave. The wonder of the sunrise cavern banished their nightmares.

As goodbyes go, their parting was a happy one.

Thranduil kissed Elesia on the cheek and handed her a package.

"It is an elvish cloak. Winter is fast approaching. It will protect you from wind and cold and rain. Though hopefully, my son will steer you clear of all of these." Thranduil said.

Thranduil turned to Gimli and said, "Be well, Master Gimli, may you walk as elf-friend whereever your path leads you."

Gimli bowed low. Elesia and Gimli retreated to their horses to give father and son an opportuinty to say goodbye.

Thranduil did seem relieved that his son would sail beyond the sea and be reunited with his mother. Legolas had been only a child when she left for Valinor and Thranduil wished her to see the grown elf he had become.

"Tell your mother that I watch the sunrise every morning with her in my thoughts." Thranduil said.

"I will not." Legolas said. "There is no need. She knows how deep your love is for her, without my inadequate words."

"Say it anyway." Thranduil said.

Legolas nodded. "As you command it, my king." He said and bowed.

Thranduil laughed, Legolas was never so formal with him and only used the term king in jest. "I look forward to our meeting in Valinor."

"As do I." Legolas said.

"Though I hope I will still see the same joy in your eyes as I see now." Thranduil said. He reached up and placed his hands on his sons cheeks and leaned in kissing them. It was a display of affection typically used for elven children and Legolas could not remember the last time his father had done so. Their final goodbye was the elvish words of parting.

"May your journey be one of discovery." Thranduil said.

"Between the river and the tree until we meet again." Legolas said. It was the last spoken words between father and son upon Middle- Earth. He climbed atop his horse and rode swiftly down the road of Mirkwood with Elesia and Gimli and gazed no more upon his childhood home again.


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