to love someone else

Chapter 25: fangorn forest

''I think you have left an impression on our Lord Éomer of the Riddermark, mellon nin,'' Legolas grinned. ''And what is that supposed to mean?'' Aerin questioned as she rolled her eyes. ''Did he not compliment you? In his own way.''

''Are you teasing me, Master Elf?'' Aerin protested playfully. ''I am merely observing.'' Aerins scoffed. ''Well, I am not interested in anyone's compliments. I have a boyfriend any other people's compliments do not matter.'' ''Even when I compliment you?'' he asked, amusement in his voice.

''Your compliments are not said for the purpose of complimenting, Legolas; you simply say what you see. You have acquired my trust and so I believe you. If someone else tries to compliment me, someone I do not trust, then it is nothing but empty flattery to me, and I will try to figure out what is it that that person wants from me.'' He laughed, which was most unexpected, and it was beautiful, full of joy and mirth. Aerin found herself wanting to hear more of it, make more of it. It made her happy, and it made her smile. ''And what if somebody simply wants to compliment you, not seeking anything in return?'' he asked. ''In these dark times? Very unlikely, my friend.''

When they reached the pile of burnt corpses, they got to searching through it right away. The smell of it was vomit-inducing, and Aerin had to breathe through her mouth in order to come closer. It was disgusting, and she could barely bring herself to touch anything. Gimli, on the other hand, was the best at the search. He went quickly through almost the entire pile, until finally he found something. ''It's one of their little belts,'' he said with sadness in his voice.

''Hiro hyn hîdh ab wanath,'' whispered Legolas, and Aerin knew what that phrase meant. (May they find peace after death.) ''No, don't say that,'' she argued. Aerin refused to believe they'd perished there, despite seeing the belt. Her crazy and absurd optimism was to no avail. ''It cannot be possible,'' Aerin only said, insisting. ''We failed them,'' grieved Gimli. ''No, it cannot be.''

Aerin tried to think everything over quickly. Nothing made sense to her. Everything was saying the hobbits were dead, there were many indications, and still she refused to believe it. For one, she saw no small corpses among the ones piled up, nothing that could've resembled hobbits. Secondly, it made no sense that the Riders of Rohan hadn't even seen them, let alone slaughtered them together with the Orcs. Then Aerin saw their tracks in the grass. ''Wait,'' she said, crawling over to the traces. ''Aragorn, look.''

''A hobbit lay here,'' he said, reading her mind, feeling up the grass, ''and the other!'' Gimli jumped in excitement and Legolas looked at her in puzzlement. Aragorn saw what Aerin was seeing. They continued all but crawling on all fours, following and reading the tracks. ''They crawled...''

''Their hands were bound. And their bonds were cut,'' he said, picking up a piece of broken rope. ''They ran over here... and were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle...''

''Into the Fangorn Forest.''

''Fangorn!'' exclaimed Gimli. ''What madness drove them in there?''

''I told you they were alive!'' Aerin grinned ignoring Gimli's comment. ''We cannot enter this forest now and venture through it during the night,'' Aragorn said. ''We will rest until dawn.'' Aerin had heard stories about Fangorn as a young elleth; she knew very well what Aragorn meant. And still she was eager to follow, impatient and restless. Had it not been for Aragorn among them, she would have surely been foolish enough to follow.

...

They made camp, and Aerin used her means for entertainment that evening, before sleep took her. Legolas had been trying to teach her Sindarian Elvish but she was finding it very hard.  So she read and repeated and tried to create her own sentences, whispering to herself. ''Lass, I don't like Elvish much myself, but I feel like you're butchering the poor language,'' Gimli remarked, adjusting himself on the ground.

''Hey!! Ego, mibo orch! (Go kiss an Orc!)'' Aerin retorted and Legolas and Aragorn burst into laughter wholeheartedly. They laughed as though all was well with the world, and as though they were back home and completely safe. Aerin's heart filled with joy at that. Gimli looked confused and flustered, glancing from one person to the other, trying to decipher why they were laughing, and what Aerin had said about him that was so funny. Aerin bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh herself, for the look he had on his face was difficult not to laugh at. ''Aragorn,'' he threatened, ''If you don't tell me what she said, I swear by my beard-''

''I'm sorry, Gimli,'' he laughed, unable to stop. It wasn't that funny at all, but it felt good to laugh every once in a while. ''Lass, what did ye say?'' he insisted. ''Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog (I can say what I wish, and you won't understand me),'' Aerin said with a conceited look on her face, simply retreating to her notes. What Aerin heard from his remaining grumbles were ''Elvish'' and ''wretched'' and ''pointy ears'' and some Khuzdul. It was still hard not to laugh. Aerin's turn to stand watch was some time before dawn. The night was at its coldest, and even wrapped tightly in her Elvish cloak, she still shivered. When she felt another envelope her, Aerin jumped and almost shouted, her hand on her swordhilt faster than the wind. ''Legolas!'' She shouted in a whisper, ''For the last time, I am begging you-''

''I am sorry,'' he apologised again, though he looked as though he was trying not to laugh from the absurdity of the situation.  ''I could have killed you,'' Aerin said, trying to sound as serious as possible, ''I could have honestly killed you. Would you have wanted me to live with that?''

''If you think you're that fast on the draw, I may have given you too many compliments. They've gone to your head.''

''Legolas!'' Aerin playfully hit his arm, pretending to be offended. He smiled. ''Are you cold still?'' Aerin shook her head,  ''No. Thank you.''

''It is a beautiful night, the heavens are lit up,'' he commented, ''It would be even more beautiful if Gimli's snores weren't as powerful as Aulë's hammer.'' Aerin started laughing, really laughing, like she hasn't done in so much time. Realising she was loud, she covered her mouth with her hands, but she wasn't sure if it was to much avail. Legolas watched her with joy, and he grinned wide. ''Gellon ned i gelir i chent gîn ned i lelig (I love to see your eyes shine when you laugh),'' he said. Aerin calmed from her laughing fit, blushed, and shifted her weight awkwardly. ''I hope I haven't awoken anyone,'' Aerin said, looking back at the sleeping forms of their friends. ''I honestly do not think even a Mûmakil could awaken the Dwarf.''

''Oh well, I am glad to see you two have become friends,'' Aerin said. ''Friends? By saying it like that, you make it sound so definite.'' ''Are you not friends?'' she asked, amused. ''I suppose we must be.'' Aerin chuckled, ''People are forming friendships thanks to Sauron,'' she mused, ''Good things do happen in evil times.''

''I wouldn't say I'm thankful,'' he smiled. ''Believe me, Master Elf, if we survive all this and everything ends as Eru knows it should, you and Gimli will remain friends for a long long while,'' Aerin grinned. ''And how would you know that, mellon nin?'' he asked with amusement. ''I simply do.''

''I wonder if my father would approve of it,'' he joked. ''I believe your father would lock him up in the basement, the way he did his father, no offence.'' Aerin answered. ''You're familiar with that, I see,'' he laughed lightly. ''Who isn't?'' Aerin chuckled. ''I was there, you know?''

''You were?''

''Of course. I barely left home at the time. I witnessed it all. They came to Rivendell sometime early on in their journey and after the Battle of The Five armies, some of the remaining Dwarves returned to Rivendell and stayed for a bit." Aerin smiled.  ''Why are you laughing?'' he asked, amused by Aerin's odd behaviour. ''I don't know,'' she said, ''They said something awfully funny about you chasing the dwarves, one of them being Gimli's very own father.''

''Well, then... No veren (Enjoy yourself),'' he smiled.