Aralas Oneshots

Song of the Sea

They breathed the salty breeze from the Sea and watched as the waves crashed on the stones beneath them. Sunlight floated through the crown of clouds that covered the sky, and made a pattern of golden stripes on the water. It was a quiescent day, but the air was loaded up by the energy of the upcoming spring. The spring as a new season of the year, and the spring of a new chapter of history. 

"Do you hear the white gulls crying?", the man asked his friend, as they both watched the jolly birds in the sky. "They know of no fear, no worries. Just to catch some fish for their empty stomachs."

"What a pleasant life this must be", the elf answered and sighed. "I wish I were one of these gulls up there, and could fly away from whatever troubles me."

"Is there something troubling you now?", the man questioned and shot a side glance at his friend. The latter was staring into the sky, not aware of that he was being watched.

"There always is", he replied. "Sometimes bigger things, sometimes smaller. But always something."

"But right now, is it a big or a small something?"

Now the elf turned and looked at the man. Their eyes met and each one of them was kept in the other's depth of emotions behind those small windows to their souls. A gull flew past them and almost brushed their heads with its wings, but not even the bird could cut off the connection that existed between these two men. 

"I would like to say it is a small something", the elf started. "But I'm afraid it is not."

"Don't you want to tell me?", the man asked and shook his head, so that his messy hair wouldn't take his sight. "I want you to be happy!"

The elf sighed and looked out at the sea again, whilst tugging a strand of hair behind his ear. It didn't want to, however, and fell back into his face. The man felt the urge to stroke back this hair, if only to see him properly, but he knew it would be a strange gesture. A friend didn't stroke back someone's hair.

"I was just thinking", the elf started again, his voice almost caught by the wind on the cliff they were standing on. "Once you become king, and have to rule your kingdom, there won't be very much to do for me anymore. I was asking myself, where my path might lead me."

A sudden strike of coldness hit the man, and instinctly he took a step forwards.

"Do you really think that is true?", he whispered.

"Do you think it is not?"

What the man thought, was that he wouldn't be able to live without his friend. He wouldn't be able to rule a kingdom without him at his side. His life would mean nothing. 

"But where would you go?", he asked.

"There are few places elves can go", the elf replied, and tried tugging that strand of hair behind his ear again, but it still didn't want to. "And almost all of them lead over the Sea, where many have gone before me."

Out on the wide waters a bird dived elegantly into the water and was lost in the waves. A few moments later, he returned with a bright silver fish in its beak. It was still alive and wiggled and wiggled, but the gull shook its head with so much force, that the fish stopped moving. It was dead. Exactly how the man was feeling inside, though he didn't know why. The silence was long between them, and the wind ruffled their hair. Finally, he asked the question that would destine the rest of his life.

"But would you really go?"

The elf turned towards him, and he noticed tears in his eyes. When the man pushed his hair away, he felt moisture on his own cheeks. It could have been the sea breeze. 

"There is nothing left here for me. Elves belong to the past, and so do I."

Now the man couldn't deny that he cried. His life shattered in pieces, and he watched it run like sand through his fingers.

"Please", he begged. "Please stay."

And without thinking twice, he moved forwards and stroked the hair behind the elf's ear. It was smooth as silk, even though it must have been ruffled by the wind as much as his. His hand brushed the soft skin behind his ear, and a shiver went through his body. Why hadn't he ever noticed that it was so smooth, so nice to touch?

Suddenly he felt the elf's body shake slightly, and he used his hand to turn his face towards him. The other was crying silently, big tears rolling down his rosy cheeks. With tender fingers, the man wiped them away, then took the elf's hand in his and placed a featherly light kiss on his palm. The elf gave a sudden sob.

"Stop", he said. "Don't do this. Please. It hurts too much."

The last sentence was only a whisper, but the man had good ears and caught it still. His motions ceased, and he desperately tried to catch the other one's eyes, but without success. 

"What do you mean?", he asked quietly, his face a mask of confusion. Suddenly the wind died away, and the gulls were too far away to make any noise. It seemed as the nature itself waited for the answer.

"You...", the elf started, and drew a shaky breath. "You touched me, like it meant something for you. And it's just ... I know it doesn't, so don't do it."

It was quiet for a minute, the man standing in front of his friend, not knowing what to do. Because did it mean nothing to him? What was that strange feeling that tore his heart in two? Why did he want to keep stroking this elf's hair, feeling its softness with his fingers, wiping away his tears? 

"What if it meant something to me?", he questioned, and anxiously waited for the answer. But the elf turned his head towards him and looked him into the eyes. With an almost steady voice he replied:

"It doesn't matter, because it doesn't mean anything to you!", he stated. "You think I'm just an elf that you happened to be friends with, that you met because you had the same destination. It doesn't matter, that I have to keep telling myself, that you are just another man, and I shouldn't think about you as much as I do. It doesn't matter, that I wish every day for you to look into my eyes and tell me you do care. It doesn't matter, that I have fallen in love with you. It doesn't matter, because you don't care!"

His last sentences were almost shouted and they cut like knives in the man's heart. His world was turning, turning in circles, and he was caught somewhere in the middle of it, trying to find his balance. Which, finally, he did, because he realised: he did care. He cared a lot. He always had.

"I do care", he said. "My life doesn't mean anything without you by my side. I couldn't live without you! I didn't understand it, but I know it is true. I love you, Legolas!"

Slowly, Legolas took a step towards the man and asked:

"Do you really?"

"I do. Why would I be telling you otherwise?", was the answer, and instinctly, the man lifted Legolas' chin up and kissed him. Like he had wanted to do for so long, but never allowed him to. And the elf kissed him back, and the seagulls cried again, their song like laughter in happiness. A ray of sunlight shone on the cliff they were standing on, enlightening the two men, as they finally, finally, found their destiny.

"Would you go now, Legolas?", he whispered, breaking the kiss for just a second.

"Where could I go, other than follow you?", replied Legolas and added: "I will never leave you. I love you, Aragorn!"

Title from a Tolkien poem I love: Legolas' song of the Sea! It's in "The return of the king" in the chapter "The Field of Cormallen". This one-shot was inspired by the poem, as it is one of my favorites.