Pretty Blue Eyes

Chapter 4

Lothlórien: What keeps you here?

            “What are you waiting for, Sam? They will be back. It’s not as if they can get into any trouble here,” Frodo said, watching him pace near the fountain.

            “Well, Legolas wouldn’t, but Gimli might,” Merry mumbled around his pillow.

            Aragorn chuckled. “I don’t think we’re in danger of that anymore, Merry. Our Dwarf has behaved very differently since meeting the Lord and Lady.” He set his pipe aside and stretched. “What is troubling you, Sam?”

            Sam shrugged. “I was hoping for a bit of song is all,” he said.

            “Song!” Pippin cried from his place next to Merry. “You can’t mean for Gimli to sing, surely? His voice sounds like rocks.”

            “Rocks?” Frodo asked, incredulous. “His song at the Mirror-mere sounded fine to me.”

            “You were standing right next to him and could understand the words, Frodo. From farther away it sounded like a rockslide. I bet it comes from spending too much time in mines,” Pippin said seriously.

            Frodo caught the twinkle in his cousin’s eye and threw a pillow at him. “You crazy Took! Rocks indeed.”

            Pippin ducked and the pillow sailed over his head to smack Merry squarely on the nose as he sat up. “Hey!” Merry cried, slinging the pillow at Frodo, who dove for his couch. The projectile flew past him and hit Sam in the back of the head. Sam’s answering throw connected with Pippin’s shoulder, and a fierce pillow fight was under way. Aragorn sat back and watched, laughing as the four Hobbits pounced on each other with enthusiasm.

            “Pippin certainly has a knack for distracting his friends from their problems, doesn’t he?” Boromir chuckled from where he leaned against a tree trunk.

            “Indeed he does.”

            A particularly good swipe from Sam took Pippin’s feet right out from under him. “I was hoping to hear one of Legolas’s songs,” he said.

            “My dear Sam, we have been surrounded by singing Elves all day. Have you not had enough?” Frodo aimed a pillow at Merry, who caught it and sent it flying at Sam.

            Sam ducked, and the pillow landed in Aragorn’s lap. “No,” Sam replied. “I could never get tired of it. But we haven’t heard Legolas sing since we rested by Nimrodel; that was days ago, and I miss his songs.”

            “Then a song you shall have, Sam,” Legolas said, appearing at the entrance, Gimli beside him and amusement in his fair face. The sudden return of their companions effectively ended the pillow fight, though not before the missile in Aragorn’s hands connected with the side of Pippin’s head, sending the unwary Hobbit sprawling on his couch and everyone else into a fit of laughter.

            At the sound of Gimli’s gravely voice, Pippin popped up and looked at Frodo. “See? Rocks,” he said simply. Frodo groaned, and Merry smothered Pip with another pillow.

            The late-arriving pair sent Aragorn a puzzled look. “Don’t ask,” he said, shaking his head ruefully.

            As the Company settled down, Legolas found a perch atop the root of a Malorn tree. “You’re not staying with us tonight?” Sam asked.

            Legolas smiled kindly at Sam’s disappointed face. “No, Sam. I have sorely missed sleeping in the treetops, so I have accepted a friend’s invitation to rest in his flet while we are here. I will not be far away, should you need me,” he promised. This reassured Sam, and he snuggled into his blankets as Legolas began a song of the glory of the Elven realms that disappeared long ago, and the beauty of those that remained.

            By the time the last words faded away, three Hobbits were sleeping soundly, and one was well on his way there. However, Sam had a question. “Do you miss your family, Legolas?”

            “Very much, Sam,” he sighed.

             “Is something wrong, Legolas?”

            Legolas smiled sadly. “I fear for them, Sam. I can sense the evil that grows with each day; and I fear it grows too close to Mirkwood.”

            Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. Save for the Balrog, he had not seen Legolas afraid of anything. “Then why don’t you go to them? What is keeping you here?” he asked.

            Aragorn, Gimli, and Boromir looked up, watching their friend closely. Legolas sighed. “The very question the Lady asked me,” he said softly. “To return home; to see her pretty blue eyes sparkling; to hear her laughing at me; to hold her again. Or to follow Frodo into the darkness, and an uncertain end.” Legolas looked northward, his eyes seeing an altogether different wood than the one they sheltered in. “No, there is too much at stake. They are safest where they are. I can better help them by ensuring Frodo has the best chance possible.”

            “Her?” Sam tried to ask around a huge yawn. The Men and the Dwarf shared a look. They knew to whom the Elf was referring, but if Legolas did not wish to explain, then neither would they. Sam gave up trying to stay awake and fell asleep at last, dreaming of gleaming golden woods, and fair faces with blue eyes.

            Silence filled the pavilion as three pairs of intense eyes observed their Elven friend. “Legolas?” Gimli called softly. The Elf blinked and shook himself. “I am sorry, my friends,” he said, lightly springing to the ground. He smiled at the questions in their eyes. “I am all right. Get some rest, I will return in the morning,” he slipped out of the pavilion and vanished amongst the trees. The three friends slid onto their couches and were soon sleeping deeply.

AN: I am sorry it took so long to update. The original chapter gave me such a headache trying to revise it that I eventually scrapped it and wrote an entirely new one, which itself went through a couple of revisions. Plus, I only have internet at work, which means I cannot update on weekends (bad for updates, great for the writing, lol J ). Therefore, I apologize for the unusual delay.

            Also, to answer those wondering if every member of the fellowship will be asking Legolas “the question”, the answer is: no. I am going off of the assumption that Gandalf and Aragorn, having known Legolas well before the Quest, already know who it is. Boromir and Gimli would have learned it during the Quest, one sometime before Lorien, the other at Lorien, respectively. In fact, the next chapter shall reveal the mystery. J Hang in there!

Review Responses:

Shyler: *Big Grin* The mystery will be solved in the next chapter.

Larner: I know, but at least he gets some cuddling at the end!

Lynn H: The link to fanfic.net is: fanfiction.net/u/174073/Little_Mouse. Though I warn you, my other work there is sorely in need of updating and completion. I’ve had quite the hiatus, so some serious revision is in my near future, lol.