Chapter 21

And soooo the conclusion is here!

Read on!

Legolas felt a whisper on his ears and woke up from his deep slumber.

Startled, he slowly rose from his bed and recognized his familiar room. Wondering what awoke him, he slowly slid his legs on the floor. Realizing that he was not wearing anything at all he headed for his dresser and picked a tunic and pants. As he was combing his hair with his elven-made-comb he started to feel that he was missing something.

Looking around his room, the Elf Prince frowned. Something was not right.

He walked up to the room's balcony to survey his surroundings. The sun was beginning to rise from the east, its sunbeam giving radiance to everything its ray could reach. The trees and leaves were rustling peacefully around, and the birds were merrily singing. Other animals were coming out of their little abode as well to greet the new day and life the Illϋvatar has granted. Everything was as right as the Prince had imagined things to be. Except that something was still missing for him.

With his eyebrows creased into a frown, Legolas turned his back to the beauty any elf would usually take time to take in. He crossed his room in quite a hurry and then stopped near the door, where he glanced around for his bed as if remembering something.

That night…something happened that night… Legolas stared fixedly at the bed, and then the night's event came rushing to him like a wave of water. There was a man beside him last night who took his body as he always does. Strider.

The door knob of his room turned and the Elf Prince sharply looked around expecting the man's unruly black hair and silver eyes to look in, only to find another of his kin getting inside. The two elves stared at each other with the new comer blinking in surprise at his Prince.

"My Prince," the elf said after recovering his voice, "The King has sent for you. He said he wants you to join him in the table."

Legolas, who recovered poorly, nodded but didn't say anything. This did not come unnoticed to the other elf.

"Are you feeling well, my Prince?"

"I am fine." Legolas took a step forward, "I will follow suit, thank you."

The other elf nodded and left. Legolas took his time, before finally moving and walking the other way where he headed for the man's room. He stopped in front of the door, thinking deeply if he should get in. He raised his hand to knock, but then decided against it at the last minute with a frown on his face as he remembered how the impudent man forcefully took his body again.

With a raised eyebrow, Legolas turned his head with his chin up.

"Punishment for last night. Starve for a little while." He muttered and headed for the dining chamber with a look of triumph on his eyes.

It did not take him long to reach the chamber and join his father on the table who was merrily having a conversation with one of his councilors. When the Elf Prince came in, the King gestured for his son to sit down.

"Quel amrun, ada." Legolas greeted with a smile.

"Hama sinome." the King responded as he offered his son a seat on the table.

Legolas gladly sat down and served himself with the food with his father inquiring about his health and many other concerning things. The Elf Prince responded with fondness to the King for it had been long since he had a talk like this with him. While conversing with the great king, however, Legolas was also waiting for Strider to come down. He noticed the man was taking too long and he was almost done eating.

When at last he was done with Strider still not there, the Elf Prince sighed with reserved patience and gestured for the chamber elf.

"My Prince?" inquired the elf standing nearby and ready to serve.

"Please go to my companion's room and check on him." Legolas started quietly, "Please tell him I am waiting here in the dining chamber."

To the Prince's surprise however, the chamber elf looked confused and uncertain.

"My Prince?"

Legolas blinked, until he felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned to his father who was also looking uncertain.

"Why- didn't your companion say good bye to you?"

Legolas felt something hit him on the head.

"Good bye?"

King Thranduil raised both eyebrows.

"What is this? He did not? He told me he already said good bye to you this morning."

Legolas's expression hardened.

"I have no clue as to what you are talking about, ada."

"Oh, very well. I was approached by the young man early this morning and said he would be on his way. He said he had to deal with something urgent and he could not delay it. I thanked him, naturally, and asked if you two have spoken about his leave. He said yes and went on his way. I did not think he would leave without notifying you. Did you fight?"

Legolas shook his head. Well, not as far as he could remember because last night…

"Very well," the king took his wine glass, "He must have his reason."

"He did not even ask you for anything?" the Prince inquired.

"He did not even ask for a piece of lembas."

The Elf Prince did not speak but remained looking on his plate.

So finally, Strider left without a word to him. After taking him last night the man just left like nothing happened… But thinking about it, the man no longer has any reason to stay. He had helped him to return to his kingdom, what is there to ask more. Maybe they were really meant to go on separate ways.

Legolas closed his eyes and patiently sighed. He then took his wine glass as well and drank its content, thinking deeply.

His journey was over. It was time to move on.

As he placed the glass back, the Prince looked up at his father.

"May I go to my room, ada?"

"Yes, of course." nodded the King as he gestured a chamber elf to give him the bowl of fruits in the middle of the long table.

Legolas stood up and quietly traced his footsteps back toward his room when-

"Ah, that reminds me," the King called toward his son, "Your companion did ask me for something… odd."

Legolas glanced at the King in wonder.

"What is it?

"Well, he asked me where your group was ambushed before."

The Elf Prince frowned. Why would Strider ask about something like that?

*.*.*.*

The sky was cloudy, and the atmosphere was humid and cold.

A black hoof of a horse stopped and trampled on a lone grass on the dirty road. The beast's rider, whose broad back stood straight and immobilize, gazed at the surrounding area before him where he could see a hill in a distance. The hill was eerie under the cloudy sky, but what made it more unwelcoming were the apparent statues standing at the top of the hill, a graveyard.

The rider's eyes gleamed and he goaded his horse to move toward it.

A group of men huddled together in one corner on what appeared to be a grave yard.

There were many of them, at least twice a dozen, and they were all armed with blades and swords. The group were circling a small fire in the middle were they were warming themselves from the cold atmosphere. They also had some bottles of ale and pipes on their hands, drinking and smoking at the same time. They were a group of slave traders.

There were only nods and whispers until someone finally said clearly.

"We got nothin' to sell. What you say we hunt for little uns today?"

"Will not do us good." answered someone from a nearby gravestone, "People these days want something exceptional, rare."

"Then let's get some of those unearthly beings." suggested another one who was sharpening his blade, "We've got many choices, there are dwarves and elves around. Even hobbits."

"Dwarves sell less with their grouchy attitude, and they live under the earth. Hobbits live under the earth, and we hardly know if they exist. Now Elves, elves are quite the money."

"We gonna catch one again, eh?" smirked someone on the ground, "That ain't bad at all, our last had been a month ago."

"What did you do with the last catch?" a voice wanted to know.

"We did him good, did we?" snorted someone near another stone head, "He was all fidgeting an' all."

"Pretty scared, that creature." nodded another man near the fire, "was only touching him an' teasing an' he was all screamin' and fainted."

"What did you do when he fainted?" there was a sharp edge on the voice.

"Ahh well… men do not spoil the mood when food is serve on his plate." the men around started snickering agreement.

"Stop arousin' the man, fool." someone broke the laughing, "We didn't go far enough when the boss came with the buyer with him. Shame really, the elf was beauty. The buyer looked pretty hungry."

"I bet yeh the elf got a pretty good slappin'."

There was another roar of laughter around as the men thump each other's shoulders and look each other's faces.

"Anyway, why are you askin'?" the man who was near the fire asked, as he turned up to the voice that kept asking for inquiries, "Weren't you with us that time, fool?"

He looked up, to a large statue of an angel, where a huge shadow of a man was sitting near the shoulder. He was smoking with his pipe at hand, with his eyes gleaming every time he blows with his lips. He was staring at them all, with a deadly look on his face.

"No," the man answered, "I'm afraid not."

The group of men felt the danger he brought.

"Who's there!" one of the men around shouted as every one of them grabbed their weapons, "Show yourself!"

"Needless to say." the man on the statue stood up and pulled out a long, shiny sword from his belt, "You do not have to see whose going to send you on the other side."

Under the cloudy sky you could hear the exchange of swords and terrifying screams of humans on the graveyard. The black horse under the foot of the hill merely twitched an ear, before continuing to eat grass on the soil.

Half an hour later the lone man who emerged from the graveyard wiped his sword with the hem of his cloak and called for the black horse. His hands and clothes were bloody but none of it belongs to him. He gripped on the saddle, and then slid up the back of the beast. He gave the graveyard one last look before looking up on the other side of the road and continuing his journey as if nothing happened.

Strider just had his revenge.

The road ahead of him was empty and he led on toward the west ward without much thinking. The sun in this part of the land seemed to shine more than the previous graveyard hill. There seemed to be no villages around as well but Strider did not care much. He was riding his horse in daylight with bloody features- what would the village children say about that if there were any?

Traveling the endless road, Strider heard the familiar sound of a stream and turned his horse toward it.

The stream was shallow, hardly reaching the man's knee. On the other side of the stream was a small hill with green grasses and beyond it the Misty Mountain could be seen, and just beyond it- if he followed the right path, was the way back to his own family, Rivendell.

Strider slid down his horse and let it wonder off a little, knowing that the beast wouldn't betray him. He watched with fascination the green grass on the other side and decided that yes, it was the road he would be taking.

Pulling out his upper garment, sliding his boots off and rolling his long pants short, the man walked on the stream and felt its cool touch on his skin. Delighted by the feeling, he started washing off the blood stain on his arms and on his face. The touch of the water on his face was refreshing that he couldn't help submerging his head down the stream. He didn't pull out till his breath had run out.

Once clean, the ranger went and washed his bloody clothes too and then whistled for the horse to come near him.

"This'll keep you cool." he murmured, hanging his clothes behind the horse and smiling. He reached for the horse's rein and led him on the edge of the water where he allowed the horse to drink some water. "Easy…"

He brushed the horse's back, and then looked up far at the Misty Mountain.

"If we cross this stream we will be heading home," he told the horse conversationally, "After that we really have to forget everything."

The beast perked its ears.

"You miss him, don't you? Your companion." started the man again, referring to the white horse used by Legolas. "You must be confused why we left him. You can blame me. I decided to leave him. He is part of the dream I will be leaving behind. He is one of those we cannot take with us anymore, so we must learn to get moving. Do you understand me?"

The beast raised its head and seemed chew on something in his mouth. Strider shook his head and knew he was convincing, not the horse, but himself. Reaching for his boots and carrying it in one hand, the man took the rein of the horse in his free hand and led him across the stream.

Aragorn has made a resolve. After crossing the stream he will never turn back. After crossing the stream he will move forward. After crossing the stream he will leave everything behind him and the beautiful dream he just had. He will wake up and find himself facing what is lying ahead. He will forget everything, he will-

Aragorn stopped. The horse left him and crossed the stream toward the green grass where he started to chomp hungrily.

The man remained standing in the middle of the stream, his hands clenched into a fist. Memories of the elf flooded his vision, from the first meeting they had, to the moment the elf wanted to be his servant. The time they were walking on the busy street of the market, the times they fight and get jealous with one another. The first kiss they shared, their first night. The times it was repeated, the moment they shared love…

How could he stand firm and forget this memories? How could he easily turn his back on it when it was the things that made him complete? How can Legolas easily turn his back on him… how could he forget?

Mustering his self restraint, Aragorn gave a long sigh and started toward the green grass. He threw his boots down the ground and was about to slid a foot when he felt someone was standing on the other side of the stream where he had just come from.

Looking up, Aragorn's silver eyes rounded with a start. Legolas was standing on the other side and was staring at him quietly.

I must be dreaming… Aragorn chuckled as he watched the elf step down the cold water with his boots on and walked toward him. If this is a dream, then what a very fascinating one… and exactly what I wanted it to be.

Aragorn watched as the elf stop before him,while in the middle of the stream. The illusion of Legolas suddenly knelt in front of him and bowed.

"Master… I have returned…" was what the elf said.

The man said nothing but merely gritted his teeth as his heart ached at how a dream could look so real…

Legolas stood up and tall in front of him, still quiet. Until there was a long sigh and the elf whispered in what seemed to be a shaky voice.

"Aragorn…"

Aragorn met the elf's eyes slowly and saw the blue orbs filling with tears, real tears that slid down to his cheeks, onto his neck and gone.

"You…" the man started with a frown as he tried to reach a hand to the elven cheeks, and fearing that it would vanish once he attempted to touch.

"Aragorn!" cried the elf loudly with stream of tears on his face, "It's me!"

Aragorn did not speak, he did not think, he forgot his fear that the elf would vanish as he reached his hands forward and kissed the elf deeply on the lips. They both fell on the water with a splashing sound, but both did not care as they shared a kiss, so long, so rough and so passionate. The man could feel the elf's arms closing behind him as they continued to mix fire with the cool water.

When both had enough, the man pulled up and sat on the stream, his eyes not leaving the heavenly being that was suddenly given to him out of nowhere. He watched as Legolas sat up too and coughed some water away from his mouth, watched as the elf pushed his blond hair out of his face, revealing two blue orbs that now seemed to recognize the man next to him.

Legolas smiled.

"Mae, govannen, Aragorn." he said quietly with spirit on his eyes.

Aragorn nodded, still in disbelief.

"Mae govannen…"

The two stared at each other for long, with the man looking as if he never wanted to take his eyes off from the elf. Legolas could understand him, but not wanting to risk the health of his human love in the coldness of the stream he knelt near him and put a hand under his shoulder.

"Get up, you'll catch a cold."

Aragorn did not heed but stole another kiss from those lips.

Legolas smiled, but pulled the man up anyway.

Once they were up the hill, where the black horse had been chewing on the grass, the two different being once again stared at each other with no sign of getting tired.

"How is this possible?" the man wanted to know as he traced the elf's high cheek with his finger.

Legolas took a long sigh. He turned his head on the other side and whistled. Aragorn followed where he was looking and saw a white horse emerge from a distant tree on the other side of the stream. The man couldn't help but stare.

Moments later found the two sitting comfortably next to each other with their clothes hanging on the tree branch. The horses surprisingly have clean cloaks on them hiding on the luggage they were carrying. The two sat side by side, wearing nothing but the cloaks, in the middle of blazing day light, and under the shade of a large tree.

Legolas related how his father had told him that Strider was looking for the place where the Elves were attacked. The Elf admitted curiosity but never intended to follow.

"But as I stayed in my room, I just felt like following." He remarked with a smile, "I just felt like something was wrong… and you left me without a word."

Aragorn bowed his head.

"Then I arrived at the battlefield," Legolas continued with his eyes watching the horses drink water on the stream, "I didn't see you. I thought of going back home, I told myself I don't care where you are or what you do… but alas something pulled me to track you down and follow once again. I thought I was mad to follow the man who took me forcefully last night… still I did not stop.

"I found myself facing this hill; it was where your tracks were heading. And then I smelled blood, a great stench that told me a lot of beings were killed…to tell you my heart panicked for no reason and before I knew it I was retracing your footsteps up the hill… I saw… a great number of dead bodies…I thought you were one of them…"

Aragorn felt Legolas shook before him so he wrapped his right arm around the elf's shoulder and pulled him close.

"I thought you were…I searched… I could not find you… I called you… my head started to hurt and then images on my mind started to appear… I found myself standing in a middle of dead bodies, to the place I clearly remembered when I was captured…those men who tortured me… It started there and I remembered…and you…glad I was when I found your familiar footsteps going down the hill…"

Legolas glanced at Aragorn's direction with new tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Your hand." he requested.

The man could not say anything so he reached his left palm on him. The elf took it and pressed his lips on it with both his hands clasping them.

"Why did you have to burden your hands with their lives?" was the elf's shaky question.

Aragorn's eyes darkened as he shifted his eyes and looked away.

"They were the reason for your suffering… I could not leave knowing that they may threaten your life again."

Legolas pulled the hand near him and did not let go.

"Legolas…" Aragorn whispered, feeling the elf's earnest cry.

"Forgive me for turning myself away." The elf said, his head bowed down on Aragorn's hand, "Forgive me for forgetting you… I did not mean to… I loved you…"

Aragorn shook his head and took the elf to his arm in one pull of his hands.

"It's enough that you are here… I will never let go… not anymore."

The two beings quietly stayed like that for a very long moment, treasuring each other's presence and love.

The man did not know who to thank to. Legolas was beside him again just after he was ready to give up everything. The Elf returned to him, the same elf he loved for a very long time. Aragorn swore he would never let anyone get in between them once again. He would protect their love, he would protect his Legolas.

The elf moved his head and kissed Aragorn on the lips. The man did not refuse and answered the elf's willingness to share their body.

"I promised myself last night was the last," he murmured on the pointy ears as the elf took the initiative and sat in front of him.

"I refuse." was the elf's answer.

Aragorn chuckled and kissed the elf deeply again.

He plans to go back to Imladris, plan to talk to his father and tell him about the love of his life. He plans to return to Mirkwood and asked the King for the hand of his son. He will meet their answers head on and without holding back for no matter what happens he will never ever let go of this hand that was holding him.

He had lost him once, but never again.

He knew Legolas feels the same as their kiss continued, as if to repay for the lost time that they were not together.

"My beloved," he whispered in between deep breaths as they shared a moment under the tree, "Would you come to me to Imladris? I plan to introduce you to my family…"

"Wherever you go I will follow," the elf responded deeply, "Whatever you ask I will give, whatever you tell me I will concede… You, Aragorn, is my only Master, and my life is yours."

"I take responsibility." nodded Aragorn and he embraced the elf tightly in his arms.

It was a fine day.

Everything was all right.

-FIN-

Thank you so much for reading and for keeping up with this story!

I'm not really good at endings... I always want things to leave hanging!^^''

Yep! Your opinions are taken seriously! ;) I considered it well haha!

I tried to do my best- tried to give justice to them both!

It really is done. I'm gonna miss writing about this two in slash! xD

Thank you guys :)

Your support made me finish this in the end! :)