*first person pov*
Soon we all stood in front of Lord Celeborn and lady Galadriel. All of us standing besides each other, an elf opposite of each of us. They clasp green elvish cloaks on us, a green silver lined leaf brooch in the center of it. "I need to take this off as soon as I can because this colour is clashing with my outfit" I thought, looking down to my golden shirt and nodding a bit to myself "yep def need to take it off." I repeat to myself
"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our people" Celeborn states.
"May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes." He says
Galadriel steps forward, walking to where Legolas stood. Presenting him an elegant bow.
Legolas traces his hands along the bow, looking at in awe. he looks at me, I raise my eyebrows, smiling at him.
He smiles back, pulling the string of the bow and showing me the arrow slightly.
I smile at him, giving him a small thumbs up.
Then Galadriel walks to the rest of the fellowship, giving each of them a gift. Pippin and merry getting a dagger, Sam a magic rope, Gimli three strands of her hair and so on.
Finally, Galadriel reaches to me. I keep a blank stare, afraid she will mention about the ring.
Galadriel gives me a tender smile, putting a hand to one side of my face and tracing a scar I have.
She gives me blue clothing that is folded neatly, golden shoulder and arm braces on top of the clothing.
My eyes widen in surprise as I recognize the shoulder and arm braces.
"How did you get this?" I trace my hands along the fabric, recalling the times I wore this. "this would've been in my room, I never left it here." I murmur.
"your brother gave it to me, in the hopes that perhaps you may find your way here and be persuaded to go home."
I scoff, rolling my eyes "of course he did."
"Take good care of it maeral. You may need to wear it sometime in the future." galadriel says with a tender voice, almost as if she knows something might happen.
I knit my brows, looking down at the carefully folded clothing in my hands, recalling the times where I wore it.
"remember maeral, not all hope is lost." She says with a small smile, nodding at me then moving on to Aragorn.
I nod back at galadriel, my face turning blank again.
I run my hands around the fabric, staring at the tall trees, to the direction of where my secret spot was.
"oh fuck it" I whisper to myself, opening my bag and shoving in the clothing galadriel gave me. Praying that I won't have to wear it in the future.
I walk to where the boats were, seeing Legolas load some stuff in the boats I stride to where he was.
"watcha guys doin?" I ask them, as Legolas takes out a lembas bread from its wrapping.
"Lembas." he turns to me, then he smiles to merry and pippin sitting in the boat, "elvish waybread."
he takes a bite of it
"one small bite is enough to fill the stomache of a grown man." He explains to the both of them, stuffing the remains of the bread in the pack before walking away from the boat. Seeing if there's any needed help for him.
They nod at him, smiling a tight lipped smile at him.
I narrow my eyes at them "you thought it was regular bread didn't you?" they nod, swaying around and looking in the distance like they just smoked weed.
"How many did you eat?" Merry asks pippin
"four."
I widen my eyes, they must feel the need to vomit now.
Merry nods at him, picking his teeth. pippin belches loudly.
I sigh, not really that disgusted by what he did because my crew has done worse. I move to another boat, not wanting to ride in the boat with them out of fear they'll vomit at me.
We continue to load the boat for our journey. Legolas enters the boat first, then extends a hand to me.
I raise my eyebrows at him, smirking, "ain't I the captain here?"
"well yes but I think the legendary captain maeral deserves a rest once in a while doesn't she?" He says with a smirk
"always the gentleman huh." I take his hand, his soft touch on my skin.
"my father raised me to be nothing less, nor shall I intend be anything less." He says with a serious look.
I chuckle, putting my bag besides me while I sit back sideways, arms stretched to the sides of the boat and my feet dangling over to the water.
I turn my head to him "as you should."
After everyone starts to settle in their boats, the elves stand amongst the trees, along the bridge, where our boats departed from, all to greet us goodbye.
Legolas grabs the oars and just like that we begin gliding across the water. Chills went up my body as the glideness in the still water brings me back to my ship. The constantly moving surface but not really feeling like its moving for how still the wooden floors feel like, the sounds of the waters splashing from the movement of the ship. How the waters seem like its parting ways just for us to go through.
I pull back my feet from dangling over the water, sitting up straight, putting my hands over the water. Feeling the cold water against my skin. I smile, feeling like as if i'm on my ship again.
Oh valar, I'm so so homesick.
"how's the water?" legolas speaks up
"very cold....but comforting" I say, before turning to legolas
he nods, then I point to his new bow "ooooh you got new gear, lemme see." I stretch my fingers at his bow, beckoning for him to hand me the bow.
he hands me the bow, but pulls it back as my fingers reach the bow
"what?" I glare at him, offended I can't touch his brand new bow
"this is new, don't break it" He says before handing me the bow carefully
"yes yes yes I get it now let me hold it." My fingers grasp the bow, feeling the carvings on it. I pull back the string, testing the sturdiness.
"okay now this is cool" I pause, Legolas smiling smugly as I look over the bow with an approving look. "....but swords and daggers will always remain superior I fear." I continue causing him to scoff and roll his eyes.
"now you're just saying that because you are horrible at archery." legolas says matter of factly. I gasp loudly in genuine offense. Okay now I might not always get the center of the target but that really does not mean i'm horrible at it, I rarely miss! Well.....most of the times but that's not the point at the moment.
"nah uh I ain't, I might not be amazing at it like you do but-" I deny before legolas cuts me off
"so you admit it?" he interrupts and I frown in confusion, tilting my head. "i'm more amazing at you in archery." he continues with a smirk.
I stay silent, my mouth opening and closing because I can't figure out a way to deny him about that. Legolas looks away from me to up ahead, that smug smile still sticking to his face and an idea comes in my head. if I can't beat him with archery, at least I could make him look ridiculous right now.
I smile, putting the bow down besides me and cupping both of my hands in the water. Looking at Legolas, aiming where I should make him drenched at. I decide to make his beloved well care-groomed hair wet, I raise my hands to his direction, water splashing all over his face and hair.
"Ral what are you-AAGH" He exclaims as the water hits his face, causing his face to be completely wet and his hair flat and drenched.
I burst into loud laughter, hands on my stomach and doubling over as I laugh more. The other's attention turns to us, seeing as what just happened and how legolas looks like a cat who just got dumped with a bucket of water. Everyone also starts to laugh loudly, mostly Gimli, Pippin and merry.
"oi lassie, did you just go for a swim? Why didn't you invite us?" gimli shouts, everyone laughs.
legolas looks up, looking at me with a blank stare then a flash of mischief flashes over his face. Smiling as if he got posessed by a ghost whispering to him to do bad things.
Oh no, he's about to do a bad thing.
"Legolas..." I say slowly, my hands in front of me like I'm taming a wild animal "whatever it is you're planning to do....don't even think about it."
Legolas raises the oar to my direction, the waters splashing all over my body. And my outfit.
"oh you dickhead!" I shout in elvish while he and everyone else laughs.
"now you have declared war greenleaf." I announce before splashing Legolas non-stop with water. He yells, putting his hands up in the air, his clothes and hair now damp with water.
Everyone else laughs, Legolas raises his oar and pushes the water to my direction. Making me completely drenched too.
Pippin and Merry laughed a lot louder than the others, their boat near ours too. Legolas and I look at each other, an idea coming to our head. We smile at them both, I grab the spare oar. Wanting to splash them with a lot more water than the amount that I would with my hands.
Boromir widens his eyes in fear. He paddles faster as he's scared of what we're about to do.
"oh that was funny huh?" I say, a drip of water falling from my hat.
The three of them look at each other. Boromir widening his eyes at them and shaking his head. Pippin and merry grins, probably unaware of what the both of us wanted to do to them. "yes, it is quite funny actually." Pippin says with laughter. Boromir facepalms.
"Well then you will find this absolutely hilarious." Legolas says then smirking at me, signalling for us to start making them drenched.
I grin at him, the both of us raises our oars to their direction. Pushing the water to their direction and splashing them!
Me and Legolas laugh but stop short as a wave of water splashes over to our boat.
Pippin, Merry and Boromir snickers, eyes widening as we raise our oars and splash them again and again. It went like that for a while, us splashing each other with the water. Even Aragorn, Sam, Frodo and Gimli joined in.
We stop after a few more splashes, all of us completely drenched in water. the rest of the journey went well, no orcs or any other creatures interrupting us. Just the water and trees all around us with our conversations keeping us company.
We continue like that for about 30 minutes or so, our clothes already drying up by then. Except for my hat unfortunately but whatever I guess.
Our three boats pass into the river of Anduin, our boats carrying us steadily forward and pass the great big statues of the argonath.
Aragorn and Boromir look up to the statues in comfort and familiarity, whilst us two elves look up at it in awe. We've never seen the argonath before, heard it yes, but seen it in real life? no no not even me with all the freedom I have ever pass through this river and seen the statues of two great numenorean descent with both of their right hands forward, their face stoic and regal.
me and my crew always came to Gondor from the sea, not wanting to use this path because of the attention it would bring.
"woah..." I breathed out, looking upward to the big statues.
*Legolas/third person pov*
Legolas looks up to the statues, amazed by how the statues actually look like and how big they are.
He looks to maeral's direction, his look of awe and amazement not leaving his face. in fact, looking at his childhood friend enhancing it.
She looked absolutely breathtaking, a twinkle in her brown eyes. The most unique thing about her eyes, how it seemed to shine as she looked entraptured at something. The same look she had in Moria when she looked deep into the mines. Her eyes were still twinkling for a split second when she turned her gaze to legolas.
And her hair, her raven locks blowing in the wind. With her pirate hat on her head. Looking like exactly herself.
Maeral turns her head to legolas, a smile of wonder on her face. "it looks astounding." she laughs, the sweet sound of her joy escaping her lips.
legolas looks up from her lips, hoping that she didn't notice him looking at her mouth. "yes it is." He laughs back.
Their moment of admiration was cut shortly as the river pushes them softly forward. the current pushes the boats and the fellowship looks forward again, suddenly with a feeling of hope in their hearts.
They all continue conversing with each other again. Boromir looking particularly excited and happy. Telling them about Gondor and how they will love it there when they go through Minas Tirith with the hospitality they were all going to receive.
Everyone starts to ask him questions about Gondor, also feeling happy and excited for the things they will experience in Minas tirith.
"Will there be beer? I haven't drank beer for a long time especially with staying with you elves in Lothlorien." Gimli grumbles, referencing to how they all only drank wine and water, no other alcohol being served.
"oh there better be!" Maeral shouts "I haven't drank rum in a long time I need something rough and strong besides plain old wine. As long as its human alcohol."
"yes! there will be all sorts of drinks there, anything you ask shall be given to you." Boromir exclaims. Making maeral and Gimli giddy with the amount of drinks they will get.
Legolas frowns "what's wrong with the wine in Lothlorien? it was delightful to me." maeral and Gimli look at each other, shaking their heads at him.
"Oh laddie, you have never tasted real drinks before, those wine? that was weak." Gimli says and Maeral nods at him wholeheartedly, very much agreeing with what he says.
"aye, that wine was nothing. Rum and beer? that will be 100 times better than the wine they gave us in Lothlorien. I swear on me beloved ship." maeral claims, leaning on the boat with her hands on the sides of the boat. Legolas shakes his head, refusing to believe that those lowly drinks would be far better than the wine in Lothlorien.
They all continue to talk about Gondor happily, but Frodo and Aragorn didn't seem at all too excited about it. They just sat in silence the whole time the group was talking cheerfully.
A/n: heyyy everyoneeee, so I uploaded a playlist chapter and I moved it to the second chapter because I wanted to make it more organized yknow. I might even do a part 1 part 2 kinda chapter with gifs and quotes and stuff to divide against fellowship of the ring chapters and the other two movies. Also finals week starts in three days for me so wish me luck yall 😭😭
also hope you guys liked this chapter and voted for it if you think it was good!!