Greenleaf (Legolas x Aragorn)

Chapter V

PART II: WHITEFALL HILLS

As if they had always remained ready for a new adventure, the small team of warriors started their journey on the very next morning. With strong horses to carry them through the next step in front of them and bags full of elvish bread, any of them knew when they would see the great city of Gondor again. Yet none of them looked behind, they all stayed focused on their goal because they knew too many people's future depended on it, including their loved ones'.

Gimli was worried. His son was still young and even if he refused to admit it he had a bigger heart than he could carry, seeing a young soul like Kotdrir's being a witness of such atrocity was not something he would not try to prevent. At first he believed his family was the only reason he decided to fight for the ring but he also had this urge for adventure and new risks. He was not one to stay in his mine away from any outside danger. He needed to be reminded he was alive and he was sure it was going to happen soon or later if he stayed next to his two friends. They were apparently used to bringing themselves in hazardous situations.

The strong dwarf caught himself suppressing the smile that had just appeared on his face. He could not stop wondering about all the good times he had spent with the fellowship, despite all the awful things it brought upon him, he still considered it as one of the best experiences of his life.

Something had changed though. He could feel it each time he stepped in a room where Aragorn and Legolas were both standing, alone or accompanied. But he could not seem to be aware of what happened and took the great friendship they once had towards some other direction. As he was settled behind the elvish one of the pair, he could not do anything but engage in a conversation that he hoped would solve a bit of this mystery. "Legolas?"

The Elf did not even move his eyes and they remained focused on something else that was not Gimli. "What is it, Gimli?"

"Are you worried?"

Many would have missed it, but Gimli saw Legolas' small reaction to his question, as if he had been surprised by his friend's sudden sincerity. "It is war time, my friend. No elf can be anything but worried about it." The two of them embraced the silence for a second while being carried by their horse's steps. "Tell me about you? Is it your own worry you are trying to justify?"

Gimli laughed as an old reflex. He sometimes forgot who he was talking to and got back to the attitude he kept for any other elf. So maybe his laugh was just being provoked by a fake irony of being a dwarf and worried at the same time but it did not last long. "I may be. Not for me though. I have a son now, I can not throw away the world while he is going to have to live longer in it than I will. It would be unfair. Here is the answer, I am indeed worried."

"It is absolutely honourable to be concerned, Gimli. Especially for one of your kin, it almost makes it beautiful."

Gimli did not waste a second before scoffing and being back to his old rationalist self. "Stop with your elvish beauty, I am no young girl nor princess, I am a dwarf, there is no butterfly in my hair. Only dust."

Legolas did not hold his laugh and was happy to have his friend back next to him. But it did not last very long before he understood what Gimli was trying to get out of him through his next words. "More seriously, if I am not worried for myself it is because I know who I stand with and I have faith in you two. If you are still as complementary as you used to be, then every horror coming to stop us should be frightened. I know it, I have seen it."

"I have known you more clever, my friend."

"And what is it that is making you say that?"

Legolas made sure to slow down his horse and keep a reasonable distance with the king they were following. "I have grown to learn how curious dwarves can get, and you, my dear Gimli, are one of the best representatives of it. What is quite convenient for you is also that despite your small weight you happen to see more things than you should. And to make the whole thing even greater you are one to never give up until you get the explanation you need. But this time you forgot you were speaking to someone more clever than you." Gimli heavily rolled his eyes after seeing that his friend's self-esteem had definitely not decreased. "And this makes me able to stop you before you get me into something I do not want to deal with."