Greenleaf (Legolas x Aragorn)

Chapter VI

After staying probably too long in front of the beautiful view, Aragorn decided to go to sleep and get the rest he would need for the following days. Carefully, he went back to their camp and made sure to keep the silence intact as he stepped next to his sleeping friends. When his back finally met the ground beneath him, he did not miss the empty space next to where he had chosen to lay. Legolas was not there and he wondered where he could be or what he was thinking about. The king slowly fell asleep as he started to believe he had been the one making their relationship change, and he felt guilty for not knowing what was the reason for it.

As he was on the verge of drifting in his sleep, he heard the elf finally coming back. Aragorn could not know if it was just in his mind or if what Legolas did next was what really happened. But he remained eyes-closed with only his ears to show him what took place around him. Legolas discreetly made his way towards where Aragorn seemed to be asleep and as he let his intrusive thoughts lead him, he decided to lay as close to him as possible. The elf felt weak but he needed someone to hold him. He knew even the greatest warriors needed this kind of warmth sometimes and he was not too proud to deny it. So, in a way that would not wake Aragorn up, he laid next to him and placed his head over the man's heart. With his hand close to his own head he could watch it go up and down with every breath Aragorn took.

He stared at his hands until his eyes finally closed and sleep took over him as he embraced the bit of warmth Aragorn was giving him. Even if the king was not asleep he was not certain if Legolas was actually resting on him, yet he still felt all the things that remained unsaid within the elf's gesture. But it was really what happened that night and all those things could not be less real.

***

When Gimli woke up the sun was already high in the sky and the birds had started their day a long time ago. But their chirping was not what woke the dwarf up, it was Aragorn. "Gimli, today we are crossing the Whitefall Hills." Gimli stood up and looked around as Aragorn kept speaking from where he was seated. "We need to leave soon if we do not want to spend a night in the middle of its cold darkness." Everyone was already awake and getting everything ready for their departure.

Gimli was quick to help them after shaking his night away and grabbing his axe. "Gandalf said we could easily cross it in a day, what is the rush?"

Aragorn got up and got closer to the dwarf before answering. "We need to find horses first. The wizard did not know your Goblin friend's trap would make us lose the ones we left with." He handed some lembas bread to Gimli.

If he was not hungry, Gimli would have not accepted it and his displeasure appeared on his face. "Elvish bread..."

As if a simple word about elves in the mouth of a dwarf could summon him, Legolas appeared between the two travellers. "We need horses, I heard." The elf grabbed his bow and placed it on his back with his arrow. "Follow me, I have an idea."

Without questioning it, the three others followed Legolas through the forest he was probably one to know best. The beautiful forest surrounding the path they were taking offered some of the most pretty rivers and brightest trees. Therlos could not get rid of watching them get more and more beautiful as they stepped deeper in the forest and it made him want to know about its history. Legolas was Prince of those lands and even if Therlos was an elf, his power took away his chance of growing up in them too. The young apprentice felt wise to use the bit of time they had ahead to ask the elven Prince about any stories or legends concerning those woods.

Legolas loved telling those stories and he felt more than happy to share them with his friend. They both walked at the front of the group as Legolas told him about his father and the great people of Greenwood. He could not stop talking and each time they passed a tree he seemed to think of something new to tell. Next to him, Therlos was unable to hold his smile, he was learning a lot but what he enjoyed the most was seeing his prince's enthusiasm while he spoke.