Green Cloaks || Legolas

Fourteen

The fellowship left Rivendale at dawn. The figures of Arwen and Elrond watching them from above as first rays of sunlight lit the horizon. Luin lifted a hand in farewell as Rivendale faded behind them. Together the ten of them crossed out of the woods to the rocky plains in the direction of Mordor. The beginning of their journey calm.

As the lands of Rivendale were left behind them, the company started to mingle more. The first day of travel were slow and quiet. Gandalf leading the way. Luin stayed at Legolas' side, occasionally walking with the hobbits. So it was a nice surprise when Gimli caught up to stomp at his side. The dwarf grumbling as he lugged his huge axe over his shoulder. Luin found it amusing that all dwarves seemed to have a thing for axes.

"Gimli", he greeted. "I am glad to fight by your side on this quest. I trust you are as good at the blade as your father".

"Better", Gimil grunted.

Luin laughed. "Then I am very lucky to fight at your side".

Gimli puffed up his chest proudly. "My father told me about your exploits. Proud to fight alongside you. The dwarves of Erebor are proud friends of the blue wizard".

Luin grinned widely. "And I am a proud friend of them too", he replied.

"Don't know why you choose the elf", Gimli scowled as he watched Legolas leap easily up onto a boulder and survey the landscape. "Never trust and elf".

Luin smiled softly at the sight of his lover. Betrothed. It gave him a happy warmth at the thought. "Love is strange", he settled for saying. "Elves are not as bad as you think Gimli. Just as dwarves are not as bad as what elves think".

Gimli grunted. "My father said that if he ever hurts you. King Kili will turn his guts into ribbons". Luin burst out laughing. The rest of the fellowship turning in confusion as he doubled over.

"What's so funny?" Merry asked as they caught up.

"A memory that Gimli so kindly reminded me about", Luin giggled. Legolas hung back so that they could catch up. As he joined Luin's side the two of them joined hands.

"A memory?" He asked, blue eyes fond.

"Our farewell from Erebor after the great battle", Luin prompted. Legolas' faze became blank. To anyone else he would have seemed confused or unbothered. But Luin could tell that the elf was actually trying to hide his amusement.

"Dwarves have very creative threats", he conceded after a moment. Luin's giggling redoubled and he staggered slightly as he walked. Legolas huffed fondly and pulled him gently forwards. Leading him after the others as Luin's laughter echoed with them.

——

They made camp on the tip of a small hill. Before them were the shadows of mountains. Around them were the grass valleys and above them was a white sky. Gandalf positioned himself on a rock to smoke his pipe as everyone relaxed below. Sam and Frodo started up a fire and Luin could smell cooking. Legolas had jumped onto a rock a few feet away so keep watch of the east while Aragorn seated himself on a rock to watch the west.

Luin crossed his legs on a patch of grass between Legolas and Aragorn. He closed his eyes in meditation as the wind brushed around him. Below he could hear Boromir teaching Merry and Pippin to fight. The little hobbits had knocked him over and were wrestling him to the ground. Not that Boromir was putting up much of a fight, they were all laughing too much for it to be a lesson anymore. Above he could hear Gimli talking to Gandalf. The hobbit trying to persuade the wizard to take them through the mines of Moria.

Luin sighed deeply and rested his hands palm up on his knees. He concentrated on the feel of his golden core in his chest. The warmth of it and the weight. The flow of spiritual energy through his meridians. How it moved from his finger tips up his arm to his shoulder, round his head and down his spine to his legs, then through his feet and toes. Then flowing back up the opposite way round. His mother had always referred to the flow as a river wind it's way through your body. But Luin always through of it as air. Light and refreshing but also healing. Something that can be vicious and controlled, not untameable as water. Then again he had only stoped using the water metaphor after the ship wreck. After that he didn't care so much for the element that his mother had held so dear. Water claimed her life in the end. If Luin was going to go, he wanted it to be by air.

A noise jolted him out of his meditation. He blinked in the light and looked around. The fellowship were all staring at a black cloud in the sky. It was coming from the east and growing steadily bigger. "It's moving against the wind", Boromir from bellow. Aragorn  skipped across the rocks to get a better look. Luin pushed himself up onto his feet and squinted at the cloud. It seemed blurry as if it was made out of dozens of black dots.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.

"Hide!" There was a flurry of activity as they dove for cover. Boromir pushed Merry and Pippin under some bushes. Sam covered the fire as Aragorn pulled Frodo under a overhang in the rock. Legolas waved at Luin and the two of them dove under a group bushes. They pressed themselves together in an effort to make themselves smaller. Luin could feel this heartbeats thundering in his eyes as he rested his forehead on Legolas' shoulder, the elf's arm around his waist.

For a anxious minute the birds circled them. The noise of flapping wings and croaking cries filling the air as they flew over the pass. Then they were gone and the noise faded as the flock continued down the valley. Slowly the fellowship all emerged from their hiding places. Luin offered and arm to Legolas and he took it with a smile as they got to their feet. "Spies of Saruman", Gandalf scowled as the company regrouped. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhus".

"Or we could take the mines of Moria", Gimli voiced.

Gandalf looked like he wanted to argue. "I wouldn't take those mines if our journeys depended on it", he muttered. Luin caught his eye and they exchanged looks. Both of them had heard tales of what had happened in Moria. It was something Luin would not like to face.

Unedited