Mae Govannion, lovelies! Here's Chapter Eleven, which sees the ending of FOTR. Into TTT! Woohoo!

-CM

The pale light found a flaxen-haired Elf sitting on a baluster. His eyes glimmered, with flickers of amusement, as other Elves passed, on the way to their morning business. Suddenly, a sound filled the air as an Elleth slid gracefully down the railing and nearly on to him. He turned in surprise to see Estelyn, auburn curls as messy as ever and gray eyes soft and shining.

"Morning," he offered.

She smiled. "Morning."

They sat on the baluster for what felt like hours, watching the golden light seep over the trees of Lorien and the other members of the Fellowship appear. Breakfast was a cheerful affair. The joys of Lorien could nor keep spirits low. Finally, around noon, it was time to leave. They were outfitted with cloaks, packs, and food. Estelyn wiggled her toes comfortably in her new boots.

They were of a supple, soft leather, in deep blue, and they were the most comfortable things she had ever worn. Legolas had received a bow, and she had watched his eyes light up. Gimli had received three locks of the Lady's golden hair, and to Sam had been given Elvish rope. Every one of the Fellowship had been given a gift, and advice, although Estelyn didn't understand hers. All the Lady had said to her was: "Shoot straight, and always listen to your heart."

The boats pushed off easily from the shore, and Estelyn could sense the lingering sadness in everyone. She could have stayed in the Wood forever.

Finally, it was late afternoon, and the shadows were growing on the hills. That made Estelyn uneasy. Her hair rippled in a seemingly nonexistent breeze, and eyes seemed to be watching from the shadows. She could tell the blond Elf shared in her discomfort, his eyes were never off the wooded bank, his brows were furrowed.

When they finally stopped for the night, every tiny noise she heard made her jump, and she was glad when Legolas volunteered to take watch with her. The fire burned low and she half-hardheartedly poked it with a stick. "So..." she ventured. "How's life?"

"Life is good. What about you?"

"What can I say?" she sighed. "I thought I had found myself, but I had really only succeeded in losing you. And now you're back and I'm back and even though we're probably going to die on this quest to save the world, I'm happy."

He felt a sudden rush of warmth at her words, until she spoke next. "So what happened in Greenwood the last four hundred years?"

His eyes grew dark. "Many things happened, for better and for worse."

She nodded. "Were you at the Battle of Five Armies."

Suddenly, he turned toward her, eyes cold and unforgiving. "Do not talk to me about the Battle of Five Armies," he hissed. "I've done everything in my power to forget that day."

"Why? What happened? I thought I saw you, but then you turned away."

He got up, abruptly, walking into the dark. "I said, don't talk to me about it," came his voice, echoing.

She sighed, turning her misty gray eyes to the fire.

…..

It was dawn when he finally returned. He had forgotten, he had put that godforsaken day out of his mind for nearly half a century, and that stupid elleth had to go and bring it up again. He had forgotten for so long, forgotten her eyes, her hair, her grave. He had forgotten the stupid, ugly Dwarf that she had loved, he had forgotten that she had turned him away at the end, he had forgotten. He had forgotten until the day Estelyn had turned up again, until he saw those eyes again, saw the grave. Or at least, that's what he thought. That's what the petty, selfish side of him wanted to believe.

No, it wasn't her eyes he had seen. He had been visualizing green eyes for so long, and had been hit by stormy gray, and suddenly he had been hit with a tidal wave of things he had put out of his mind for years, and all he wanted to see was green again. Because there was that petty, selfish part of him again, the part that made him replace her, the one he had loved first, with another Mirkwood maiden who happened to cross his path.

And he was angry, and he blamed it all on her, yet there was nothing the misty-eyed elleth had ever done wrong.

When dawn's light had come and gone, the full light of day soon crossing the land, and Legolas was still contemplating, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Frodo run by. A few moments later, Aragorn was seen, following him.

Legolas raised an eyebrow, scanning the trees. Suddenly, he heard a muffled noise. "Estelyn!" he yelled, grabbing his bow off his back and racing into the trees.

He found her at the remains of their fire, fighting a dozen Uruk-hai. None of them noticed him, so he took the opportunity to launch half a dozen arrows, killing half a dozen Uruk-hai. Estelyn stabbed another, but more and more came pouring into the clearing.

He raced into battle, wielding his knives. Gimli came sprinting in a moment later, swinging a double-bladed axe wildy about. Legolas ducked to avoid an Uruk blade, but it got him across the arm, leaving a small cut. He growled, stabbing the Uruk in the leg, then in the heart, then yanking his knife out and going for another.

And as suddenly as it had begun, it ended.

And as suddenly as it ended, the clear call of a hunting horn rang into the trees. Legolas watched in slight admiration as Estelyn, curls flying, hurdled Gimli and sprinted into the brush, bow in hand. A moment later, the horn blew again, and so he followed, rushing into the trees.

He found, not a battle scene, but Aragorn, knelt over something. He heard a muffled gasp as Estelyn realized what it was. Boromir lay against a tree, four ugly arrows protruding from him. He was still. He silently approached. Aragorn rose, turning to them. "Merry and Pippin are gone. They've been taken."

A gasp and a loud crunch of gravel pulled Estelyn from her trance. Legolas was shoving a boat into the river. "Hurry!" he shouted. "Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern shore! Do you mean to let them go?"

Aragorn looked down, but made no move. Legolas came slowly back. "You mean not to follow them."

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."

Gimli moaned loudly. "Then the Fellowship has failed."

Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder. "Not while we still have strength left. Will we leave Merry and Pippin to torment and death?"

Gimli began to grin and Estelyn smiled. "We travel light," announced Aragorn.

"Let's go hunt some Orc!" grinned Estelyn, and they ran off into the forest, never ready to give up.

QotC: Which fictional character would be your Valentine?