A wounded warrior

8. The halls of Mandos

Legolas opened his eyes slowly, and quickly sat up when he realised someone was in the room, from a distance. He could only see the white hair tied in a knot, and her long white dress touching the ground. The flowers in her hair amazed Legolas. She stood with her back to him, talking to someone.

He looked around him, and realised he sat in an elvish bed, in a beautiful white room. It has pedestals every five meter, and beautiful carvings and paintings, and it was very light.

Suddenly he realised he could sit up, and move without feeling pain. He flexed his arms, feeling nothing at all. Confused, but relived, he pressed at his chest with his fist, and felt no broken ribs, and he could breathe without problem. Then he realised that his fist went through his body, not touching it, and he gasped in surprise.

A thought entered his mind, but he couldn't believe it. He couldn't.

The person in the distant closed in on Legolas, and when it gets close enough Legolas could see who it was.

"Amin sinta lle?..." (Do I know you?)

"Legolas Greenleaf..." She said sadly. "I never expected you to come here so early.."

Even more confused, Legolas tilted his head. Suddenly he understood what she meant, and where he were.

"Mother?"

She smile, but made no move to touch her son.

"No...no I can't be dead! Estel will be heartbroken! He will get killed! I have to get back!"

The elf lady kneels down in front of her son's bed, smiling sadly. She made no move to touch him. If she could she would, but he is a spirit with no body.

"You need to rest Legolas. Once your spirit is well rested you can get a body."

Legolas stared wide eyed at his mother in front of him. The mother he never got to know.

"Don't worry Legolas. Once you are well rested you will get an body identical to your last one."

"Can I get back to Middle earth?" He asked the question that had hunted him since he got here. He feared the answer.

"Don't talk now Legolas, rest." She smiled and rose to her feet, preparing to leave Legolas alone.

"No don't go! I need to tell you something!"

She stopped and slowly turned around, facing her son with a smile. As Legolas realised she was waiting for him to say anything, he swallowed nervously.

Legolas had wanted to tell his mother this for a long time, but he couldn't before. Now when he have the chance he suddenly felt very nervous.

"Amin mela lle." (I love you)

She smiled wider, and Legolas could swear he saw tears shining in her eyes.

"Amin mela lle Legolas. More than anything."

Legolas remember his Ada (father) telling him that, and nodded.

Legolas mother smiled and leaved her son to get some rest.

Aragorn sobbed into his lover's neck, his hands still clutching the limp wrist tightly as if he expected the pulse to magically return. It didn't, and it broke the ranger's heart.

"Legolas..." He whispered and rose his head, cupping the elf's face with his shaking hand.
He leaned forward to press a kiss on the prince's forehead, before doing a blessing, touching his heart.

"Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta. Aa' i'sul nora lanne'lle." (May your ways be green and golden. May the wind fill your sails.)

The blessing was hard to do, as the man desperately tried not to sob.
His lover was dead. He would never see him again. Legolas was gone because he left him in the hands of Saruman.

He stood on shaking legs and walked to the door, preparing to kick it down when another spasm of pain hit him, making him fall to the floor, clutching his head. He could feel every vain pulsing, and every heartbeat hurt.

He saw a dagger on the floor, and froze when he saw the eleven carvings. It was Legolas dagger. He slowly reached to pick it up, afraid it would broke maybe. He studied the beautiful handwork before he knew what he needed to do.

He put the end of the dagger in the keyhole, wiggling it around a little bit. The lock opened, and Aragorn put the dagger in his belt, swinging the door open. He was surprised to see no guards in the hallway, but surely no one cared about them after Saruman saw Legolas die.

As he thought about the elf he turned around to look at him one last time. The pale face with spots of blood on it, the unmoving wrists on top of his chest, which wasn't moving. His eyes are closed, he appear to be asleep. He was finally in peace.

"Hannon le Legolas. For everything." He whispered and placed a hand on his heart, which felt empty, and bow politely before he ran. He did not want to see the dead body of his lover, and he fled. He was careful where he ran though, and stopped when he came across a ladder beneath his feet. He kneeled down and shook it, to make sure it were steady enough before he slowly climbed down.

The white spots played before his eyes, making him lightheaded and making it hard to see anything.
His heart seem to be beating harder, making him breath faster. He was about to pass out when he got a knife in his shoulder. He gasped in pain and sank to his knees as spasms hit his fragile body. The Orc grinned and pulled the knife out. Aragorn wonder how he didn't heard the Orc's approach?

"The man is practically dead. Can't we eat him?"

"Yeah..we have had stinking bread for stinking three days...lets have some meat!" Another Orc said, a smaller one with yellow piercing eyes.

Just as the Orc was about to stab an axe in the human, he could hear another weapon swinging and the orc's fell dead down. He nearly laughed at the sight, despite the situation.

"Gimli."

"How are you doing laddie? They hurt you?"

"They didn't hurt me so much...except my shoulder though." He admitted.

Then he remembered his broken nose, and with shaking hands set it right without a grimace of pain.

Gimli nodded and walked behind the ranger to tie the wound with the cloak Aragorn had around his hip. The one Legolas had when he left him.

"Legolas...is..dead..."

Gimli looked like he was in shock. Legolas was dead? He offered Aragorn his water skin, and Aragorn took it gratefully.

"Saruman killed him." He whispered as he drank a little. He was careful not to drink to fast and cause an injury to his fragile body. He drank a few mouthfuls before giving it back to the dwarf.

"Now we got no choice Gimli." He swallowed thickly and faced his friend. "We need to help Frodo reach Mordor."

Please review, and tell me if you see any spelling mistakes <3