Bare,
sweaty elven skin. Irresistible,
even to a dwarf. Gimli ran his fingertips against it so lightly that it
made Legolas shiver with anticipation. Leaning closer, Gimli could practically
feel the elf's heartbeat and could actually feel the breaths, hot and heavy
against his cheek. Gimli felt himself falling forward... into Legolas...
"Ermph!" Gimli grunted, jerking
himself back in his seat and opening his eyes. It took him far longer than it
should have to realize he had not only been asleep but dreaming.
"Gibli?" Legolas inquired at once.
Gimli
cleared his throat and said quickly, "What? No, of course I wasn't asleep.
What?"
Legolas
smiled and turned his head, looking over his shoulder at Gimli as best he
could. "I was just woderig if you could had be by cub."
Gimli
reached over to the side table beside the armchair he was in and gripped the
goblet of wine. He stared at it doubtfully. "Are you so sure you should have
more?" he asked. "You have had a fair amount already."
Legolas
nodded. "I bay be a little sick, but I ab still baster of by owd body. Add I say
I cad stad to hab a little bore
wide." He reached up, fingers stretching and curling.
Reluctantly,
Gimli finally handed it over and Legolas took a sip.
"Besides...
it warbs be ub."
"Of course,
'Baster'
Elf," Gimli said with amusement. "But I am equally capable of warming you up."
His arms were already draped over Legolas' blanket-covered shoulders, but now he
hugged tightly.
Nonetheless,
Legolas drank his wine, but he took only a few small sips before handing it
back to Gimli. Logically, it made the most sense for Gimli to take charge of
the cup, but not in fear that Legolas might drink too much and become
intoxicated. It was because there was a table just on Gimli's right-hand side
on which to set it. And it was because elf sneezes were so thoroughly
overpowering and Legolas preferred drinking his wine to wearing it. It was
certainly warmer that way, at least.
"YIH!" Legolas
brought up his handkerchief and cupped it around his nose and mouth.
Thankfully, his sneezes always gave him ample time to prepare. "ihhh..." He felt the hands resting against his
chest pat him reassuringly. And he felt something that sounded like a kiss from
Gimli brush against the back of his head. "hiiihhhhh-Eh-EH!" The sneeze hung there for a moment. Two. He closed his eyes. Three. He
pitched forward, bending at the waist and shuddering with chills and the
strength of the sneeze which passed through him. "IHHH-Chew! Sniff!"
There
seemed to be more sniffles than sneezes as of late, though he had seen far too
much of both for his liking since the beginning of his cold. Legolas felt exhausted
and his head felt stuffed and drippy and all the things he detested to show
friends but could not help. Aragorn's herbal remedies had been of no help. And
Gimli's dwarven solutions had not either. All that
remained was to bear it and wait it out and hope that it grew no worse than it
was right now.
"ihh-ihh-hih-IHHSchhhhh! K'Schhhh! heh-hehh-CHISHH!" Legolas
gingerly massaged his nose through the handkerchief, rubbing at his nostrils
until the sneezy feeling left him alone and gave him a little more peace. Then
he sat back, blowing his nose just a little.
The elf,
seated on the padded footstool, was lounging back against Gimli's legs and the
armchair. He was wrapped in several thick blankets, given to him by his friends
who repeatedly told him he looked cold. They had been right, for the most part.
The large sitting room was full of warm bodies and there was a roaring fire in
the fireplace, all helping to make the coldest winter night of the year not
quite so cold. Despite that, Legolas could not remember a minute of the night
when he did not feel at least a little bit chilled. Naturally, Legolas had
selected the spot in the room that was closest to the fire. It also allowed him
to snuggle closely with Gimli and not be the center of attention in the room. He
left that up to Aragorn and family.
"May I stay
up for it this year, Naneth? Please?" asked young Eldarion. He sat on one
of the two window seats, legs bent beneath him. When he spoke to his parents,
he looked over his shoulder at them half-way across the room. They sat together
on a couch. "May I, truly? Ada
said I was allowed to."
"Oh he did,
did he?" Arwen asked, giving her husband a playfully annoyed look. Aragorn met
hers with an apology, and she laughed pleasantly. "Of course you may stay up
until the Zenith," she said to her son. "If you think you can do so this year."
"Of course
I can!" exclaimed Eldarion, too excited by the answer
and too determined to be grown up to give it a second thought. Judging by the
looks the king and queen gave each other, however, they knew better. But they
said nothing on that subject and the young princeling did not see the exchange. He looked out
of the window again, gazing up at the moon where it sat as though sitting on
the dark, silhouetted treetops.
"What if
there are clouds outside?" young Elanor asked he
father from her place at the other window seat. "How can you then tell when the
moon is at the top of the sky?"
Eldarion answered for Samwise, however. "You just know. You can feel it."
"And how
would you know if you have never stayed up for it before?" Elanor
replied quickly. Then she looked back at her father for a proper answer.
Samwise smiled. "Elves do say they can sense when the moon
is at its peak," Sam said. "I am afraid we shall have to take their words for
it. I do not think it works the same for Hobbits." He sat in another arm chair,
his son, young Frodo, on his knee. His leg bounced up and down to keep the
young one quiet, though it also made him sleepy.
"Nor for dwarves," Gimli put in. He rubbed Legolas'
shoulders through the blankets, and Legolas hung his head, eyes closing
similarly to young Frodo's. "Though I still count myself
fortunate to be included in the festivities tonight." He nodded towards
Aragorn, who smiled and nodded back.
The festivities
had been Aragorn and Arwen's excuse to gather friends
and family once again, though few had been able to attend. There was business
in the Shire Merry and Pippin had needed to see to. Likewise, Faramir and Éowyn
had not accepted the invitation. She was pregnant and due any day. Even for an
experienced horsewoman, riding was not a terribly good idea, despite the fact
that it was a short journey to Minas Tirith. Samwise,
however, had been eager for the chance to visit and had brought along his
family, such that it was at the moment. Rose sat in the chair beside him,
knitting absentmindedly as she watched the children play and anxiously await
the celebration.
Legolas and
Gimli had traveled there from afar, as well. Aragorn had long since given up on
keeping track of their movements from one's home to the next and had simply
sent letters of invite addressed to both of them to both the Glittering Caves
and the forests of Ithilien. Judging by the state the elf had been in at
his arrival, though, it was rather evident that they had just been staying at
the caves.
"heyyy-YIH-ihhhh-HIHKuhshhh! Snff! Snffsnff! ehhhhYshuhhh!" Despite Legolas' obvious ailment,
he had insisted upon celebrating in the company of his friends. Gimli had
allowed this so long as the elf promised to take things easy.
So far, Legolas
had upheld his promise, for the most part. The most exhausting moments of the
night thus far had been sitting up during the suppertime meal, making his way
to the sitting room from the dining hall, and sneezing, naturally. The sneezes
were, perhaps, the most tiring for their frequency. "ehhh... Ehhihh!" Legolas
hastily folded his hanky to find some remaining unused portion with which to
cover his nose. Sore from his cold, Legolas' nose seemed to fare better with
dry cloth against it, rather than a damp one. Undoubtedly, Minas Tirith had an excellent selection of handkerchiefs, but
Legolas only had a few at hand at the moment and hoped they would last until
the end of tonight's holiday when the moon hit its place at the top of the sky.
"heh-egghhhh..." Legolas hand the handkerchief in
place as he breathed heavily into it. "HIHYehshhhhhh!"
Legolas
certainly appreciated the hug and shoulder rub Gimli gave him along with the
standard blessing. He still bothered to excuse himself every time, however. As
the room was sparsely lit and quiet, there was no need for it to be above a
whisper.
Legolas
shivered again. "Perhaps another log for the fire?"
Gimli suggested, eyeing the flames that were slowly shrinking as they devoured
all wood currently available to them in the hearth.
"We
cannot!" Eldarion exclaimed, shocked by the
suggestion.
Aragorn
kindly explained before Gimli had a chance to react. "It is tradition on this
night to build a large fire at sundown and not feed it again until after the
zenith. That way, at midnight, the
rooms are dark and one may properly appreciate the full moon directly overhead.
It is said to be bad luck if one interferes with a fire on this night."
Gimli's
eyes were wide. To deliberately not feed a fire tonight, on
the coldest and longest night of the year? That was madness. And they
called dwaves unrefined and superstitious! His hands
tensed on Legolas' shoulders. "And you knew about this but still thought it
best to sit up all night in such a condition?" Gimli asked his elf, who nodded
a bit sheepishly.
"I will be
fide," Legolas insisted, trying not to shiver or let his teeth chatter during
the comment. "I would buch rather be here celebratig with by frieds thad id a warb bed subwhere."
Gimli was
still tense and still uncomfortable, but knew better than to fight Legolas over
this again. He resolved to keep a better eye on the elf and bring up the
subject of bed again only if Legolas grew worse. "Are there any other traditions I need to be told about?"
"Oh, yes. Many,"
Aragorn said. "There are the games," he gestured to the floor where the
ruminants of the game the children had been playing lay. "The wait for midnight is another, as you well know by now,
and it is said that if you can make it to midnight
you will have good health and fortune for the next year. The wine and having a late
night snack are also traditional," he glanced towards Sam as he said this,
knowing hobbits too well. "Most elves go outside at midnight and many climb into trees to be closer to the
moon."
Gimli
chuckled, but not in jest. He leaned forward, his mouth against the back of
Legolas' ear. Whispering, "You used to do that, am I right? I can picture you
doing just that." Legolas nodded and snuggled back against Gimli with
appreciation.
Aragorn
continued. "There are fireworks and there is dancing. And, of course, there are
the songs."
At this,
Arwen began singing a beautiful song in elvish. It
was a gentle melody, soft at first, then gaining strength. The words rhymed and
flowed like a stream trickling along and then gathering speed as its banks
narrowed. The song was given even more power as Aragorn quickly lent his voice
to it, and the two streams ran together to form the beginnings of a river. Eldarion joined in a moment later, his voice lovely and
high in pitch like his mother's, thanks to his few years. But when Legolas
began to sing as well, there was a perfect balance of tone and the sounds of
the song filled the room. Sam joined in eagerly, not knowing or understanding
the words but having a good enough grasp on the repetitive melody.
Elanor climbed up onto her mother's lap to listen, and Rose
welcomed her with a warm embrace. And Gimli, who had long ago
developed an appreciation for the sounds of elves singing, though he would not
admit how quickly that appreciation had come about, listened with a smile and a
cautious ear. He heard a few words he recognized, 'moon' and 'dreams'
among them, but the words were too fast for him to translate. So, instead, he
sat back and listened to the beauty of the song.
Gimli could
hear Legolas' voice amidst the others' and could hear the stuffiness and
roughness in it. He was certain that it would be better for Legolas to rest his
voice, but the elf seemed to be enjoying his ability to participate in
something tonight. Aragorn's comment about going outside at night seemed to
have been carefully worded to make it plain that that particular tradition
should be broken this year for Legolas' sake. The elf seemed cold enough
indoors.
Legolas'
words faltered as he shivered again, and then his voice caught in his throat.
Immediately he doubled over with moist coughs, punctuated by stuffy snuffles.
The coughs were far more sudden than the sneezes, and it took him a few moments
to get the handkerchief to his face, muffling the terrible sound so it would
not ruin the song.
He finished
coughing just short of the song, and waited until it was over to blow his nose
in a much-needed way. He would not admit how he felt, for he knew the dwarf
would take him to their guest room at once to rest properly, but his body cried
out in need of comfort and he was not foolish enough to ignore it. Luckily,
Legolas knew how to be comforted. As he struggled to regain normal breathing,
Legolas turned to the side, tilting his head and resting it upon Gimli's
thighs. Instinctively, Gimli ran his
fingers over Legolas' head, caressing his forehead and cheeks and gently
petting the soft hair. Legolas closed his eyes, gave one more cough, but
relaxed just a little. He felt terrible about being unable to sing along, but
knew he would feel much worse if he allowed himself to fall asleep before midnight. He was not so worried about bringing
himself bad luck in doing so, for he could not imagine life ever being so bad
with Gimli at his side, but he was worried about sleeping through the
festivities and his time with his friends.
"Can I get
you another cup of tea, Legolas?" asked Aragorn.
"Doe thadk you," Legolas replied. He reached up and rubbed a
finger under his nose until the tip of his ears stopped twitching. He left his
hand nearby, on Gimli's knee. "I'b
fide."
Everyone in
the room, with the possible exception of baby Frodo, could plainly see that
Legolas was not the least bit fine. But the elf would not admit otherwise and
the night was too special to fill with arguments, as Gimli had reasoned to
himself earlier. So they tried their best to held Legolas without making
mention of how terrible the elf's cold was.
"hihhh-ihhhhhh-HEHTChhhh! Ihhh-yihhh..."
Legolas was tense with expectation, wincing slightly as the damp handkerchief
touched his irritated nose. "ehhhKShuhhh! Snff! Excuse
be. Sniff! Sniffsniffsniff!" He winced again, briefly, but the
pain he felt in his head dulled when Gimli's palm pressed against his forehead.
It was warm, but Gimli could not tell whether it was warmer than usual. It was
possible the elf was running a fever, though. Either way, Legolas relaxed again
at the touch.
"Papa?"
said Elanor. "I want to hear the tale about the
Fellowship in the mines."
Smiling,
"But you have heard that story a dozen times."
She nodded.
"Yes, but I've heard you tell it. You and Uncle Pippin and
Uncle Merry. All tell it differently."
"Ahhh. I see." Samwise nodded. "You
want to hear it from someone else then?"
She nodded
again, and Samwise looked around the room at his
friends. Aragorn looked willing to oblige and that particular tale from Gimli's
point of view might be interesting to them all. Legolas, perhaps, would be able
to offer an interesting perspective.
"ihhh-hihhh..." Legolas' ears twitched, and all the
rubbing of his nose in the world was doing nothing to quash the tickle. "hehhh-hehhhh-YIHShhhh! IhhhShew!" Legolas snapped
forward with each, shivering as he pulled the loose blankets more tightly
around himself afterwards. Gimli looked worried, his eyes trained on Legolas.
"Perhaps Aragorn
might humor us with the story?" Sam quickly suggested.
"I would be
happy to." Aragorn slid his arm around Arwen's waist
and held her close as he told the tale, starting with the opening of the doors
to the mines.
Aragorn
told an entertaining tale, even to those who had been there and lived through
it. When the Fellowship found Balin's tomb and discovered the details behind the
fates of the dwarves, Legolas reached up and took Gimli's hand in comfort. He
could still rub his nose with the other one, though the blankets kept falling
open around him when he was in that position.
When they
got to the part where Gandalf fell, Legolas and Gimli squeezed each other's
hands tightly. Even knowing the truth of Gandalf's return, Aragorn's retelling
brought back vivid memories, and the reminder that Gandalf was gone again, this
time for good.
Legolas did
not make it far past that point in the story, however, before he needed to
sneeze again. "hihhh..." He
looked up at Gimli, who looked pensive and caught up with the story. Legolas
shook his head. "I... I deed to... sdeeze..." One hand
squeezed Gimli's tightly and the other waved in front of his face. His eyelids
were fluttering, his breath catching, his ears twitching. He tried to hold it
off. "ihhhh... Gib... hehh... deed a dew hahhhh-hadkerchief-Hih!"
Understanding
finally, Gimli searched his pockets and pulled out a fresh handkerchief he'd
been keeping for Legolas. Legolas reached for it and Gimli met him halfway.
"hih-YIH-Hihshooo! Heh-IHHShuhhh!" Legolas rubbed
his nose into the handkerchief with relief. "Thadk you. Sniffsnffsnff! Add
excuse be." He shivered and recovered his blankets. He looked over at Aragorn. "I'b sorry. You bay codtidue."
But there
was little else to say about the story from then on. The party ran, killing
foes along the way, until they were out of the mines. "And then you headed to
Lothlórien?" Eldarion asked, having heard the story
many times, himself. His father nodded. But that was a story for another time.
Gimli was
on the verge of falling asleep, but a loud booming sound snapped him wide
awake. Sam sat up in his chair, holding Frodo against his chest as he moved. His
eyes were fixed on the window. "What is going on out there?" he asked with one
part concern and two parts curiosity. All eyes turned towards the windows. Outside,
not far off, there were explosions of colored lights. From where they sat, it
sounded like a gentle thunder.
Eldarion was bouncing in place at the window seat, looking
at the display with great excitement. "Is it time yet? Is it?"
Aragorn
shook his head. Midnight was still
several hours away. It was far too early for the fireworks to be set off. These
did not look like the sort of fireworks he had arranged, either. He had a
feeling as to whom they belonged. "Eldarion," he
said, smiling. "I think your other uncles have arrived."
True enough,
not minutes later, Elrohir and Elladan came through the door to the sitting
room with a warm greeting. They were technically the young elf prince's only
uncles by blood. But three of his many honorary uncles were already present in
the room.
The twins
announced that they were glad to have made it in time and were happy to see
them all again. Eldarion waited until the light show
outside was over before he went over to greet his twin uncles. Arwen had stood
and welcomed them with warm hugs, and Aragorn had likewise risen and gave each squeezes on their shoulders.
Legolas,
however, did not rise. He felt too tired to bother and did not see the point in
forcing himself to stand up only to sit back down again. He shivered and gave
them both a wave. Trapped between the armchair and an elf who
did not stand, Gimli could not move, either. He nodded to both. Samwise did not
get up, either. Young Frodo was falling asleep now and Sam did not want to
disturb him. He did say his greetings as soon as he could, however. "When I saw
the sights and colors just now I could not help but think of Gandalf," he told
them with a smile.
"We like to
make an entrance," Elladan replied, grinning. "And from the quiet state of this
celebration, it looks like you could all use it."
"What, no
singing?" Elrohir said, kissing Rose's hand in greeting and ruffling Elenor's hair.
At this,
the twins broke into a lovely song. It was much more upbeat than the last and Eldarion joined in at once, bouncing and clapping. Those
who knew it sang along and those who did not hummed or clapped along. Even
Gimli had heard this one before, though recognizing it
was as far as he could go with it. His voice was not made for such singing.
This time,
Legolas did not even attempt to sing, as though he'd learned his lesson. Instead
he sat with a handkerchief pressed to his nose, trying to make as little noise
as possible. His sniffling was getting worse, Gimli noticed, and he was
starting to look quite tired. Though he wore a calm expression which translated
to an elf-smile, Gimli knew him well enough to tell that Legolas was feeling
far worse than he was letting on. Another urge to sneeze rose within the elf,
and it was all he could do to hold it back until the song's completion. Not
only did he fear interrupting, but he truly wanted to enjoy the song they were
singing. He gasped silently into the handkerchief and pinched his nose. The
build-up was quieter than usual but nonetheless strong. Legolas' whole body
swayed and rose with each sharp breath in and each wavering one out, not
knowing which might be the one to lead directly into the sneeze.
Fortunately,
Legolas held off sneezing until the song had finished. But then the sneezes
came quickly and harshly. "HIHRShhhh! Hershuhhh!
ehhhh-Shuhhh! Heh-eh-IHHShhhh!" He shivered afterwards and tried
to hide himself in his blankets and against Gimli as he blew his nose. Gimli's
hand softly stroked the elf's head, reassuringly.
"Caught
another cold, have you, Legolas?" Elladan asked from across the room. Feeling foolish
to answer with anything but the truth, Legolas nodded. Elladan was leaning
forward against the back of the armchair Sam occupied, arms crossed upon the
back of it. His expression was one of sympathy.
"This one
looks like a real beauty," Elrohir said, walking over. He bent down and studied
Legolas more closely. He was silent a moment, then reached forward and squeezed
Legolas' shoulder. "Some good, hot soup will help clear you right up. And a hot bath." He looked to Gimli. "Has he had a bath?"
Legolas
cleared his throat. "I bay be sig, but by bathig habits are really dode of
your busidess, Ro." But his smile showed through, and
Elrohir knew he was not insulted and merely joking.
Elrohir walked
over and sat down on the window seat beside his nephew, gazing out at the sky.
The moon could still be seen out of the window as it slowly moved along its
path in the heavens. But soon no amount of squinting or craning necks would
allow them to catch a glimpse of it as it traveled overhead and the ceiling got
in the way.
"ihhhhh..." Left to themselves again, Legolas
sneezes quickly returned. He wanted very much to spend the holiday with his
friends, but there were certainly moments like this one, with all of them
watching him closely as he sneezed, that made him double-think his position
about not wanting to go to bed. "ih-YIH!" It was so much easier sneezing when Gimli was his only audience.
His eyes already closed, Legolas gasped almost inaudibly and pitched forward. "HihShoo!" He half snuffled and half blew
his nose, then a smaller sneeze escaped him as well. "Ehtchhh!"
The fire
was slowly dying, and Legolas was shivering more often. Usually a few rubs of
his arms beneath the blankets and leaning towards the fire was enough to drive
the shivers away. But Legolas found himself leaning closer and closer to it,
trying to stay warm.
When
Legolas started to move out of reach, Gimli decided action needed to be taken. He
traced a finger along the ridge of Legolas' ear, along the curves, towards the
point. When he reached the tip, Legolas leaned back towards Gimli, tilting his
head and nuzzling into Gimli's touch with affection. It got the elf's
attention, at least. "Legolas," Gimli said softly, so the others would not
hear. "Would you like to try to squeeze up here with me?"
Legolas
shook his head. They had already established that there was not room enough for
them both in the chair. And Legolas preferred to stay as close to the fire as
possible, even if it would soon be gone.
Legolas
extended his arms with his hands out to the fire and rubbed his palms together
vigorously. His shivering slowly abated. Legolas' eyes closed as he enjoyed the
warmth from the small flames. However, he had more than one reason for closing
his eyes. His jaw dropped open and his face went slack. "huhhhhhhhhh..." He gave a warning as he recognized
the urges. "uuhhhh... ehhhh?" He brought his hand back only at the moment
when he realized the sneeze was about to strike. "eyhh-hehhChoo! EhhhShuhhh! Kehshuhhh! Sniff!" He blew his nose into the
handkerchief. Then he looked up to see Gimli watching concernedly. But a
reassuring pat from the elf made the dwarf relax and back off. Gimli was not
the only one paying attention, however.
"I could
get you another handkerchief, if you require one," Arwen offered concernedly.
"And are
you certain you do not want that tea?" Aragorn pressed. "It would really be no
trouble."
Eldarion, apparently, could not resist joining in as well.
"Ada
makes very good tea."
Legolas was
starting to feel overwhelmed. Even with Gimli's gentle pettings,
Legolas did not feel completely calm. He felt as though his friends thought he
was dying, rather than simply suffering from a bit of a head cold.
Before he
had a chance to try to explain and justify himself yet again, the food Aragorn
had arranged arrived. The trays and platters brought in were filled with plenty
of treats of the season. There were gingerbread cookies and tarts with apple
and cinnamon. There were fruit cakes and plain cake with fruit and chocolate
dipping sauces. There were treats of peppermint and pumpkin and rich,
butterscotch puddings.
Legolas,
however, requested onto water.
"Oh, but
you must try these cakes," Rose insisted, in the middle of a piece of raspberry
cake with white icing. "It is delicious."
Have a tart
at least," Elladan said, practically swooning as it melted in his mouth.
Everyone had
a suggestion about what he should eat. Even though Legolas was not hungry, he
had to admit it all looked good. Finally he chose some budding as it would be
kind to his throat if nothing else. Sadly, with his stuffy nose, he could not
taste it well. And with his sore throat, it hurt every time he tried to
swallow. Holidays and head colds were not a good mix for more than one reason.
Eating took
a backseat to shivering and coughing, however. He pulled his arms under the
blankets, leaving the bowl on the floor beside him. No one noticed that he did
not finish.
Gimli
noticed that he was inching closer and closer to the fire, though. Elrohir and
Elladan engaged the little ones in a game with stones and cards. Elanor had trouble keeping up with it as she was fading
fast despite the attempt at the snack obviously aimed at giving sugar fixes. She
rubbed repeatedly at her tired eyes and seemed glad when he mother hopped down
off the chair to collect her for bed. Eldarion looked
nearly as tired, but was forcing himself to stay awake. The game and the
prodding his uncles were giving him certainly helped. There was no helping young
Frodo, however, nor was there any reason to. The babe had fallen fast asleep
against his father's chest.
Legolas
remembered the first time he had met Sam and remembered the overwhelming amount
of loyalty and friendship the Hobbit had as he stood by Frodo. He had joined
the quest not knowing the dangers that awaited them. None of them had known
truly how terrible it would be. Though, in a way, deep down
every one of them had felt the possibility of a failing outcome. Legolas
simply had not expected, year after, to find themselves like this.
Samwise sat back in the too-large chair, his son draped across his
chest. A hand rested upon Frodo in a sort of hug and one finger gently
stroked the tiny hobbit as he slept. There was Samwise now, with several
children. And Aragorn, too, with a wife and quickly-growing
son. Several members of the Fellowship were away on the seas to the
Undying lands and nearly all remaining survivors had their own families and
positions of prominence.
And though
Legolas had no children to his name, he was not wholly untouched by the passage
of time. He had lived through many generations and would see a few more before
he took his leave of Middle Earth, he knew. But he also knew he would never
find such friends as these, no matter how long he lived.
After a
while Samwise spoke, his voice soft, "We had best get them to bed." Elanor, too, looked tired. She could barely keep her eyes
open, and Legolas was empathetic. Sam held onto Frodo tightly as he stood, not
wanting to disturb him. "We will be right back," he told his friends as he
followed Rose out of the room and down the halls towards the guest rooms where
they were staying.
Legolas
inched closer to the fire. The extra bit of warmth made him sigh and made him
feel an extra bit drowsier. For an elf who did not
require even half as much sleep as a mortal, Legolas' eyelids felt heavy. He
did his very best to keep his eyes open, however. He fought hard,
because he knew the moment he closed his eyes he would be much closer to sleep
than he dared get this side of midnight.
As fortune
had it, sneezes helped somewhat to keep him awake. "Heyyyihhshhhh! ehhhShuhhh! Snffsnff! Sniff! hih-hihh-HIHShooo!"
The sneezes forced him to close his eyes, however. And he did not bother to
open them as he worked to clear his nose as well as he could. But the colder
temperature in the room made his nose run more. "Sniff! Sniff!"
"You look
as though you might fare better in bed as well, Legolas, my friend," Aragorn said.
Legolas immediately
pulled his eyes open and gave Aragorn a harsh look. Gimli, who wanted to say
the same thing but would never, suddenly perked up with the hopes that Aragorn
might talk Legolas into going to bed. With the look Legolas was giving the man,
however, that hope was very small. Samwise and Rose returned and sensed the
tension in the room at once.
"I
certainly want you here," Aragorn went on, trying to justify himself now. "I
only meant that perhaps you might feel better to be in bed."
"He has a
point," Elrohir said. "You do look pretty sick and miserable."
Legolas was
well aware of that, but there was not much time left before midnight and there was no point in leaving now. If he did
not, however, he would have to put up with this again and again.
Case in
point, "You are shivering quite a lot," Rose observed. "Is there anything we
can get you?"
"I think I
could track down a hot water bottle," Arwen offered.
Legolas had
had quite enough. He groaned and cleared his throat. "Blease,
everyode, stob fussig over be! Sniff!
SNIFF!" Legolas dabbed at his nose, then lowered
his handkerchief to speak frankly. "I dow
I bust look awfully sick. But the fact that I feel terrible should dot be cause
to bake be feel worse."
Silence met
this for a few moments, followed by a few quiet apologies. Then they broke into
a discussion regarding spending this holiday in Rivendell and Lothlórien. Legolas
shivered violently and hugged the blankets around himself
more tightly, leaning even closer towards the fireplace.
The fire had
nearly died out now. There were a few small flickering flames and the cinders
were red and glowing. It gave off very little heat now and Legolas could hardly
cease shivering. Under the blankets, his body shook violently, and that
translated to shaking hands which held the blankets around himself
and chattering teeth. He tried to clench his teeth to keep his jaw quiet, but
had only a limited amount of energy which was fading as fast as the fire.
Suddenly,
Gimli was at Legolas' side. Gimli pulled at the blankets and squeezed under
them with Legolas. He sat beside the elf, their legs tangling, sides pressed
against each other. Legolas looked at the dwarf inquisitively and Gimli gave
him a stern look in reply. "Don't you go giving me some speech about not fussing
over you, especially as you're so sick. I'll fuss if I
want to." He wrapped his arm around Legolas' middle and cuddled close. He could
not imagine how Legolas could be shivering so much if not running a fever now.
Legolas
might have smiled, if not for his chattering teeth. "I d-did d-d-dot bead
y-you," he managed, practically unintelligible. "Sniff! Sniff! You are al-always welcobe
to f-fuss over be." He rubbed at his nose, then
wrapped his arms around Gimli, holding the dwarf so tight and so close that
Gimli was nearly in his lap. He had absolutely no intentions doing otherwise
for a long, long time. "T-time goes quickly," he muttered thoughtfully,
practically clinging to the dwarf. It was amazing how warm Gimli was.
"Yes,"
Gimli replied, hoping that midnight
was not much further away, and hoping his presence would help.
Slowly,
Legolas warmed up. The shivering finally went from constant to sporadic, and
Legolas tilted his head, resting it against Gimli's head. They both felt sleepy
as they watched the fire die out, and Legolas had to nudge Gimli to be sure the
dwarf was awake and would not miss the event.
Sleepy as
Gimli was, he did not nod off again. Not with Legolas sniffling and sneezing
more. It was not long before Legolas tugged at Gimli's tunic and Gimli pulled
out a fresh handkerchief for the elf to use. Timing could not have been better.
"hihh... hehhhhh..." Legolas
pressed the handkerchief against his face. "huhhChuffff! Snff! Sniiifffff!"
Legolas cupped the handkerchief to his face with both hands as he blew his nose.
Meanwhile, Gimli took care of the blankets, keeping them wrapped snugly around
them both. And when the elf's nose was in check again, at least for the moment,
Legolas leaned into Gimli, breathing though his mouth exclusively and sniffling
every few moments.
When the
moon reached the center of the sky, the elves could indeed all feel it.
Elrond's daughter and sons- including foster son- broke into a celebratory
song. Legolas sang along in parts, but his voice was rough and stuffed and it
made more sense for him to stay quiet. The four did a beautiful job without his
help.
Eldarion was quiet as well, having fallen asleep just short
of midnight. He was curled up in a
ball on the window seat, oblivious to the fact that fireworks were going off loudly
outside. Aragorn got up and made his way over to his son. He stroked Eldarion's dark hair with a heavy touch and the young
prince woke groggily. He looked around the room and then caught sight of the
fireworks. Slowly it dawned on him. "I did not make it after all, did I Ada?"
Aragorn
shook his head regretfully, but Eldarion seemed too
tired to take the news badly. "There is always next year, Iôn."
He petted Eldarion's head again and then they sat
there and watched the fireworks. They were nothing quite as fine, elaborate, or
magical as Gandalf's, but they were still beautiful in their way. They rose high above the treetops and exploded into every color
imaginable, glittering and sparkling as they fell down in trails like fountains.
Faster and faster they came, until there were twenty at once in a very grand
finale. Then Aragorn squeezed his son's shoulder. "Now it is time for bed."
Eldarion nodded obediently, a sure sign that he must have
been tired to agree so quickly. He gave a strong, body-shaking yawn. "Is
everyone going to bed now?" he asked.
Aragorn
hesitated to answer, so Legolas did so for him. "Yeehhhhh..." Rather, Legolas tried to answer. He pressed his handkerchief
hard to his nose as it twitched and his lips quivered slightly. But he could
not prevent this one. "hehhh-YEHShooo!" He kept his handkerchief up, rubbing
at his nose, as he tried again. "Yes. We are all retiring to our beds now."
That was
the answer Eldarion wanted to hear. He pawed at his
father who turned, letting the boy climb up onto his back for a ride to bed.
Everyone else seemed equally glad to hear Legolas' answer. Not because they
were tired, but because Legolas had finally agreed to go to bed, where he most
certainly needed to be. Slowly, everyone began to pick themselves up,
stretching and exchanging good wishes, and moving towards the door.
"iiiihhhhh!" Legolas quivered on the spot, then fell forward with ample amounts of grace and beauty,
despite the cause. "EHH-Yeshhschhhh!" He sneezed wetly, concerned with
his slightly dripping nose when the sneeze ended.
Thus, Gimli
took it upon himself to help Legolas with the rest. He eased Legolas back and snuggled
into the elf's chest. Then he pulled the strands of bright blond hair back from
Legolas' face, revealing again the handsome features, rosy cheeks, and
forehead. His eyes lingered upon Legolas' forehead a moment. Bare, sweaty elven skin. Legolas certainly
had a fever now, but Gimli was not so thoughtless as to announce the fact to
everyone there.
The others
left one or two at a time, towards their rooms, with a final series of
goodnights and well wishes. Soon Legolas and Gimli were alone together in the
room. Both seemed quite content to remain a little longer. "Is there anything
preventing me from building up the fire again?" Gimli inquired, hesitating for
the sake of elven customs. "I would not wish to deny
you good health and fortune for the year, after all."
Legolas
hugged Gimli tightly but shook his head.
"I will be
quick," Gimli said reassuringly. He pulled away and crawled out. It only took
him a few minutes of stoking and blowing before the fire was built back up
again. He returned to Legolas, who was shivering again already, but stopped
once his arms were around Gimli. And though Gimli still said nothing about the
fever, he did, however, press his hand against Legolas' forehead to wipe it and
cool it a little.
Legolas
shivered at the touch and Gimli, startled, pulled his hand away. "Doe," Legolas
said, looking appreciative. "I like your touch. Do codtidue."
So Gimli replaced it, and then he rested his head against Legolas'. Despite the
warmth and comfort and the crackling fire before them, Gimli did not dare doze
off again. He wanted to stay awake in case Legolas needed him... but also in
order to savor the moment. Legolas had been right: time did pass far too
quickly. And, despite Legolas' ailment or maybe because of the comforts that
came with it, Gimli wanted this night to last so he could remember it for as
long as possible.