Oh, the sappiness of this chapter, it BURNZ.
Told you I might be back. I'm very bored.
Argh.
"There she goes!" Estel exclaimed, pointing at the water. The turtle swam gracefully away, following the current downstream. Lokni, her wounds fully healed and her stomach filled with leaves and grasses Dev had given her before he let her go, was finally free once more. Legolas stood behind the boy, his sharp eyes trailing the creature until it disappeared beneath a rock, the same one Aragorn had found her under.
"She's gone," Estel sighed, more out of happiness than sad.
"Yes," the elf beside him mused. "She is free once more."
"Maybe she'll find another turtle and they can have baby turtles," Dev said absently, taking Legolas' hand as the two of them made their way back to Elrond's home.
"That is possible," Legolas replied. "It is very likely."
"Will I be able to see them?" Estel asked.
"They will always probably live in that stream. I am almost sure that you will see them in time." They kept the small conversation aloft as they walked, as they had done on their first walk together. They both had changed and effected each other in different ways since that first day. Legolas' old heart had come out at some coaxing from Aragorn, and Estel had become wiser from the things Legolas had taught and shared with him. Both were a better person from when they had first met.
They continued on their way and were walking down the path that led to the entrance of Elrond's home, but a loud bang stopped them. Khílya suddenly charged from the stables, neighing as high as her lungs allowed her and racing swiftly in Legolas' direction. A shouting stable boy followed in her wake.
The elven prince laughed as his mare pranced happily around him in restless circles, nudging every inch of him to make sure he was surely fine. After her motherly inspection had ended, she nuzzled Legolas' neck with her nose and breathed in his scent, the scent that was uniquely his and one that she would always recognize. Her soft brown eyes spoke a silent thanks as they roved gently over his features.
"I love you too, Khílya," the elf murmured, wrapping his arms around her snout. She snuffled in answer and licked his neck.
"I'm so sorry, my lord," the stable boy gasped, skidding to a halt beside them and placing a hand on Khílya's side. "She got away from me."
"'Tis alright," Legolas said, withdrawing from his horse's embrace and stroking her neck fondly. "She's quite a handful sometimes." The young stable boy nodded, beginning to lead Khílya back to the stables. She went without protest, satisfied at least that her elf was safe and healthy. The elven prince watched her go for a moment before they continued on their way.
Legolas and Aragorn mounted the steps and entered the large room of the entrance hall and continued on down the corridor. They soon parted when they came to Legolas' door, for he was tired and explained that he needed to rest. Estel released the prince's hand and nodded, padding down the hallway to his father's room. Legolas watched the young one go before he entered his own chambers.
Aragorn opened the door to Elrond's office, closing the door behind him. He found the elven lord and king seated on the balcony, speaking lightly with each other about different terms.
"Estel," Elrond said, noticing the boy coming through the door. He held out a hand, offering for the little one to sit upon his lap. Aragorn crawled into his father's lap and cuddled in Elrond's arms. He played with a lock of the elven lord's hair as he normally did.
"Where's the twins and Arwen?" he asked.
"Out racing each other at the moment," Elrond replied. "Arwen always wins though, I don't know why the twins continue trying to beat her." Aragorn was content to sit on his father's lap, watching the forest below them as the two adults spoke with one another. He did not listen much to their conversation, but his ears perked at one question.
"When are you planning on leaving?" Elrond asked curiously. Thranduil tipped his head from side to side.
"Tonight," he replied at last. "Legolas and I decided on the time."
"Tonight?" Estel asked, turning in his seat to stare at the king. "You're leaving tonight?" Thranduil nodded. "And Legolas knew about this?" Again the king nodded. Aragorn leaped from Elrond's lap and raced from the room. Elrond and Thranduil winced slightly as the door slammed behind the boy and raised their eyebrows, glancing in confusion at one another.
Aragorn sprinted down the hall and opened Legolas' door, bursting through. He bolted to the bed, where the elf was resting, and leaped into the air, landing right on Legolas' stomach. The prince awoke abruptly with a strangled cough. He gazed down at the boy seated on his stomach in bewilderment.
"And why, might I ask, are you waking me in this manner?" he questioned, raising a fair eyebrow. Aragorn crossed his arms and glared at the prince.
"You're leaving tonight?" he asked. Legolas rested his head against the pillow again, closing his eyes.
"Yes," he confirmed.
"And when were you going to tell me this?!" Estel asked, leaning forward to stare the elf in the eye. Legolas opened one, the blue depths scanning Aragorn's silver.
"Would it have made a difference, Estel?" the elf prince countered the question with one of his own. "No matter what time I told you, you would have not wanted me to go, am I correct? You would have argued even if I had told you two days ago."
"Did you decide to leave two days ago?"
"No."
"Then when did you decide?"
"This morning. Could you get off of me? I'm having a little trouble breathing with a five year old boy sitting on my lungs." Estel glared at the elf, but complied and slid from his friend's stomach.
"You could have told me," he whimpered as Legolas sat up, stretching his slim frame gracefully. Legolas smiled and rubbed the spot on his chest Dev had been seated upon with his palm.
"Aye, I could, but I didn't," he said. "And the past is something that no being can change." The boy sat on the floor.
"You have to go?"
"Yes, Estel," Legolas said softly, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of his distraught friend. "I have people at home in my realm that need their king, and their prince. As much as I want to, I cannot stay." Aragorn nodded and looked down at the floor. Legolas tipped his head back up to meet his eye, then drew forward until their foreheads touched, a common gesture they both used now for comfort.
"We have been talking of this issue for a long time, Estel," he whispered. "As far away as a thing may seem, it is never unavoidable. We will have to part ways for a time tonight, but it will only be better when we next meet."
"When will that be?" the boy asked quietly. Legolas smiled brilliantly.
"Only time will tell," he answered. He sat back and flicked his head in the direction of the door. "Come, let us find your siblings."
"Why?"
"To cause trouble and make this day memorable."
"I still can't believe you really poured scraps all over me and Elrond," Thranduil muttered, running a hand over his now clean golden hair, which had before been adorned with garbage from the kitchens. Legolas, beside him, smiled wickedly, a spark in his eye that had not been ignited for centuries.
"I still can't believe those words are actually a part of your polished vocabulary," the younger elf countered. "Where did you learn that Dwarfish, Ada?"
"Hush now," the king mumbled, moving off to speak to the assembled guards. Legolas shook his head and smiled to himself. He turned to the twins and Arwen beside him.
"Nice idea," he murmured. "It felt good to do that again." They smiled back.
"It felt good getting two rulers annoyed," Elladan replied.
"How long are you stuck scrubbing floors?" Legolas asked with a wide smile. He ducked an openhanded smack from Arwen.
"Two weeks," Elrohir answered. "Plus we have to baby-sit the young one."
"Have fun with him," the elven prince said as he retrieved Khílya from a guard. She nickered happily and rubbed her nose against his shoulder in greeting. He pat her nose tenderly before turning and kneeling down to scoop up the small child that had just called his name.
Estel wrapped his arms around the elf's neck tightly.
"I'll miss you, Legolas," he whispered.
"As I you, young one," the elven prince replied softly. Aragorn pulled away and held up a folded piece of parchment, handing it to his friend.
"It's for you," he said quietly. "You can open it later."
"Thank you, Aragorn," Legolas kissed the boy's brow. He held out his own hand. Estel opened his palm to receive a glittering brooch. It was in the shape of a silver leaf, the Greenleaf design. Legolas closed Dev's hand around the small token.
"I want you to have this," he whispered. "It's to remember me by." Estel sniffled and threw his arms around the elf's neck again.
"Namarie, Legolas," he whispered.
"Remember also what I said, Estel," Legolas replied softly. "There is no such thing as goodbye for two friends whose hearts are bound as one. We will meet again. I promise, gwanur-nîn, my brother."
"Don't break that promise," Aragorn said quietly, pulling away.
"I won't." Legolas smiled. "I promise."
"Legolas!" Thranduil called, now on the back of his own mount. The guards were gathered around his steed, waiting to head out.
"Coming Ada!" Legolas responded. He turned back to Aragorn and kissed his brow again. "We will meet again, young one."
He rose swiftly to his feet and leaped onto Khílya's back. The small band entered the forest as the stars began appearing, vanishing into the gathering darkness. Legolas rode alongside his father, the folded parchment clutched tightly in his hand. Thranduil leaned over.
"Do not try one of your pranks again, Legolas," he whispered in mock firmness. "I'm warning you."
"Yes Ada," Legolas replied with a small smile. "Calen's much easier prey, anyhow." The king sniffed and rode slightly ahead of his son. With the moment alone, Legolas opened the parchment. His keen elven eyes could clearly see what was inscribed upon the page, even in the darkness. His heart wrenched as he saw that it was two hearts intertwined, drawn obviously by Dev's own hand. Inside were the signatures of the twins, Elrond, and Arwen, as well as Estel's own childish scrawl. The elven prince smiled slightly to himself as tears built in his eyes. He folded the page once more and tucked it in his breast pocket, over his heart. He closed his tear-stung eyes for a long moment.
"Farewell for now, Estel," he murmured into the wind in Elvish. "Until we meet again I will always remember you." He opened his eyes and glanced once at the path behind him, the same one he had walked with the boy on his first day. Khílya snuffled, as if trying to comfort the young elf on her back.
"Legolas! Keep up, ïon-nîn!" Thranduil called back. The elven prince turned and saw that he had fallen behind. He lightly kicked his mare's underbelly and raced ahead to catch up, looking back only in his heart.
Aragorn was the last to go in that night. He stood completely still on the steps, the brooch held tightly in his fist over his heart. His eyes never left the darkness through which Legolas had disappeared. The stars looked down at a small boy already missing his dear friend and brother of heart, but Estel did not weep. He knew they would meet again, Legolas had promised it and Aragorn felt it in his heart. He only had to be patient.
As the wind blew his unkempt curly locks, Estel thought he heard Legolas' voice on the wind, bidding him a gentle, soft farewell. Aragorn closed his eyes and his grip tightened on the brooch in his hand.
"Namarie, Legolas," he whispered. "You will be in my heart and always will be. I am looking forward to our next meeting." The breeze swirled in the air, carrying a warm, soft voice to the boy's ears.
"Indeed, gwanur-nîn, so am I."
We were the same – just the same – you and I.
Follow your heart, little child of the west wind,
Follow the voice that's calling you home,
Follow your dreams, but always, remember me.
I am your brother under the sun.
We are like birds of a feather,
We are two hearts joined together,
We will be forever as one,
My brother under the sun.
Wherever you hear-the wind through the trees,
Wherever you see-the stars in the sky,
Wherever you go-I'll be there with you.
Because you are my brother.
My brother under the sun.
---Bryan Adams
Namarie.
-hissssssss-