Fading Light

A Desperate Rescue

Legolas wandered away from the camp, trying but failing to take control of his emotions. He knew that Estel was only joking and that he hadn't meant to hurt him.

After all he was the one who had never been able to tell Estel about Tauriel. Legolas hadn't told anyone about her or what had happened.

All Elrond, Gandalf, Estel, and the twins knew was what he had told them. That while he had been battling on Ravenhill a close friend of his had been killed.

But Tauriel had been far more than a "close friend," she had been his light and his fire. He missed her more than anyone could fathom, his heart ached at every memory he had of her.

As if to prove himself a point Legolas' chest began to burn with intense pain. Legolas stopped walking for a moment and allowed himself to sink onto the ground.

He wrapped his arm around his chest while using the other one for balance. Legolas closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, hissing in pain instead of screaming.

Usually the pain was far worse than this and Legolas was thankful that it subsided quickly.
Legolas got back to his feet and continued his walk, searching for a quiet place to rest.

Unfortunately for him there were no trees nearby. He decided that a large boulder would serve just fine as a substitue.

Legolas climbed onto the rock and sat down, he pulled his knees up against his chest and clasped his hands together on top of them.

He turned his head towards the west and watched the setting sun. Legolas had often hoped that after all these years that the pain he had felt over losing Tauriel would diminish, but that hope had been in vain.

The pain would never leave him. There would be days when he didn't notice it, yet it would still be there.

His heart was bound to Tauriel, just as her heart had been bound to his. Had their places been switched and it was Legolas who had been killed Tauriel would experience the same pain he was.

The only way to escape the pain was by doing the one thing Legolas couldn't do. Sail west to Valinor and leave Middle-Earth forever.

The option had been presented to him many times, and everytime Legolas had turned it down.

No one could understand Legolas' reason for staying, in fact Legolas didn't know that answer himself.

Perhaps it was his friendship with Estel, or how he was still bound to his people, his father.

Legolas sighed as he thought about the letter. He had read half of it while Estel had been preparing dinner.

He never finished it because it had said exactly what he had thought it would say. His father hadn't changed, he was still the same. He didn't care about what he wanted, and Legolas couldn't imagine him being any different.

Why are you lying to yourself Legolas? You know that your father loves you, but he needs to know that you love him just as much as he does.

Legolas blinked as the all too familiar voice sounded in his head. At first he had believed that the words he was hearing were his own thoughts in his head.

Soon he had realized that the voice he had been hearing was different from his own. It was so quiet, and gentle. It guided him through the darkest parts of his life, acting as a torch to light the path in front of him.

He only wished that he listened more-

Something caused Legolas to sit up straight and upright on the boulder. His head whipped behind him towards the direction of their camp.