Through Fire and Water (A Legolas Love Story)

A stupid plan but hey why not?

Éowyn lies still and Éomer, father and I watch, collectively holding our breath. Suddenly Éowyn's chest heaves and she's breathing deeply again. As one, we breathe a sigh of relief and Éowyn's eyes flutter open. Father smiles and I throw my arms around him.

"You're amazing" I say to him as Éomer embraces his sister, tears in his eyes.

Suddenly a voice breaks through the relative quiet of the room. "Ana!" a child's voice cries and I turn to see Caleb running towards me, Alyss running after him on her podgy little legs. Soon Adelaide comes sprinting after them and I drop down off the platform, dropping to my knees as the three little bodies collide with mine.

"Hahaha, it's good to see you too" I say, hugging them. "How's your mum?"

"Better than she was" Caleb says, still hugging me "Thanks to you"

"Who's this?" Dad asks, looking down.

"This is Caleb, Adelaide and Alyss. I rescued them during the battle. Guys, this is my father"

"Nice to meet you sir" Caleb says and Adelaide echoes him with "nice to meet you", Alyss repeating the sentiment a moment later, grinning at dad.

"Pleased to meet you too" dad says, smiling at the beaming young faces looking up at him. He looks over to Éowyn who is talking to her brother and, satisfied she'll be fine for the time being, hops down next to me. And then he does a thing I know I could never dream of doing so well, he starts up a conversation with the kids, instantly finding a rapport with them and putting them at ease. He even has little Alyss taking part and, despite the significant maturity gap between the eldest and youngest child, doesn't ever strike me as patronising. Dad just has a way with children, a gift I often feel was wasted bringing up just one child. Children just seem to trust him and they automatically like him. I'm beginning to feel a little ignored when there is the sound of a door softly closing as someone enters the room. Looking up I see Legolas, the soft light of the houses of healing complimenting him beautifully, not that he needs any help looking gorgeous, that is a feat he achieves all on his own. He hasn't had time to change out of the clothes he fought in, just as I haven't, and as a result he is looking a little less like the perfect, untouchable elf he would have us all believe he is and a little more like the normal person I know he really is. Without even checking it over with my brain, my legs set off to place me by his side, their default destination nowadays. He smiles at me as I approach and I walk straight into his arms, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away again. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I've barely seen you since I arrived" He says, stroking my arm lovingly "I figured we could spend some time together, even if it is hanging around the houses of healing, with some children" he says, nodding towards dad and the kids who now seem to be playing a word game.

I laugh "Oh them, they're sweet"

"They seem to be getting on well with Aragorn" he comments just as the three of them burst out laughing at something dad said while he makes a fake show of innocence, pretending not to know why they're laughing.

"Yeah, he's always been good with kids"

"Really? Then how'd you turn out so screwy?" Legolas asks. I know he's joking because of his tone of voice, that and his huge grin, but I decide he needs punishing anyway.

"Oi!" I say, shoving hard so that he stumbles away from me a little bit.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry" he says, holding his hands up in surrender "I was just joking"

"I know" I say, pulling him back towards me. "Come on, I'll introduce you" I say, my hand automatically finding Legolas' as I lead him across the room towards dad and the kids.

Still reeling from the battle, a council has gathered in the great hall, and when I say council I mean 6 of us hanging around the hall talking. Gandalf and Aragorn are stood on one side of the room, and opposite them is Éomer, Legolas with me beside him and Gimli who is slouched in Denethor's chair, or the late Denethor as I should call him since he went kind of crazy during the battle and set himself and his son on fire. Pippin pushed Faramir off the burning pyre before any damage could be done but Denethor caught fire and then, in a superhuman demonstration of speed, ran all the way to the front of his city where he threw himself off. Needless to say he is no longer breathing, and I can't honestly say I'm sorry.

Théoden didn't see the end of the battle either, taken down by a Nazgul he lived long enough to say goodbye to Éowyn before he tool breathed his last. As his remaining male heir, Éomer has taken Théoden's place as king of Rohan.

Pippin was invited to join us but Merry was injured in the battle, he stabbed the witch king and was suffering from the Black Breath when Pippin found him. He's currently installed in a rather small but perfectly pleasant room in the houses of healing and Pippin won't be convinced to leave his side until he's recovered. It's all rather sweet really.

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening" Gandalf says, staring into the middle distance and walking into the centre of our little group. Going by the expressions of my companions, I am the only one surprised to hear that Gandalf has some kind of sight that he has been following Frodo and Sam with? I wish people would tell me these things.

"If Souron had the ring we would know it" Aragorn says, his back to all of us, staring up at one of the statues lining the fall, statues of his ancestors. It must be really weird for him being here.

"It's only a matter of time" Gandalf says, hopelessness lacing his entire being. "He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping"

"Let him stay there, let him rot. Why should we care?" Gimli says.

"Because ten thousand orcs now stand between Frodo and Mount Doom" Gandalf says, clearly worried. He paces some more before quietly saying "I've sent him to his death"

"No" dad says, turning away from the statue to face Gandalf. The wizard looks up, confused and hopeful. "There is still hope for Frodo" Aragorn continues "He needs time, and safe passage across the plains of Gorgoroth, we can give him that"

"How?" Gimli asks, voicing the question on all of our minds.

"Draw out Souron's armies, empty his lands" dad says, turning to the rest of us "then we gather our full strength and march on the black gate"

Gimli is so shocked by the suggestion he chokes on his pipe smoke.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms" Éomer says, stepping forward.

"Not for ourselves" dad says "But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Souron's eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves"

"A diversion" Legolas puts in, realisation lighting up his face.

"Certainty of death, small chance of success" Gimli says, pausing for dramatic effect before continuing with "What are we waiting for?"

"It's a long shot, a very long shot. I think we've no chance" I say and they all turn to stare at me. I laugh a little, letting my serious face fall away into a cheery one "But I wouldn't miss it for the world"