AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my final chapter for The Quest. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me for so long. This fic is more than just a fic to me, it is my literal heart and soul. Without this fandom, I wouldn't have found so any family and friends that I hold dear and will cherish forever in my heart. I will post an epilogue sometime tomorrow for this fic, so be sure to have your notifications turned on! I love you all and thank you.
Chapter 52
"Oryn?!" Alannah exclaimed through a shaky voice as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Oryn smiled widely, that smile, his father's smile as he heard his mother's voice. Alannah leapt from the ground beneath the tree and crashed into her son's arms, weeping as she clung to him. In her eyes he was still the small bundle she had held to her chest all those years ago in Ithilien, regardless of his size now as a fully grown ellon. She pulled away and held his face in her hands, her eyes pouring over every feature of his face. "I'm so sorry!" Alannah cried out desperately. "I should have never let you go! I should have kept you home that day. I sh-should...I-"
Oryn shook his head as he held onto his mother's face as she did his, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears as they began to seep out of her eyes. "No naneth. No apologies. Ot here, then. Never apologize. It wasn't you." Oryn smiled as he took his mother's hands into his and gently pulled her to stand with him, his eyes flickering to Gandalf before looking around the vast and beautiful gardens. With an innocently curious expression, he turned back to meet his mother's gaze. "Where is ada?" He asked having fully expected to see him there as well. Alannah looked down at her hands as her son held onto them, the light of the sun reflecting off of the gold band she wore around her forefinger. "He...your ada did not sail with me." Alannah admitted. Her eyes met her son's as she smiled hopefully. "We shall look forward to the day that he joins us ion nin."
Gandalf stepped forward and wrapped an arm around each of them as he nodded his head. "Yes, we will." He agreed as he began leading mother and son away from the tree and out of the gardens. "But for now your grandfather awaits you Oryn, I'm sure that you have missed him a great deal as well."
Oryn nodded and held onto his mother's hand as Gandalf pulled his arms from them to lead them back to Thranduil. It didn't take them long to find him as he stood still sitting by the shore, quietly watching the waves crash into land. Alannah pulled Oryn's hand up to her lips and kissed it softly before nodding her head in Thranduil's direction. The smile that grew on Oryn's face was so similar to Legolas' that it prompted Alannah's heart to leap in her chest at the thought of her husband.
"Grand ada.." Oryn voiced softly, not wishing to startle the former elven king. Thranduil jolted slightly in surprise as he turned his head towards them having been completely enthralled and at peace as he watched the slow yet powerful tide. His eyes immediately glistened while his lips parted in a smile as he pulled himself up to stand.
"Oryn.." Thranduil voiced as he moved to pull Oryn into his embrace, keeping one hand protectively over the back of his grandson's head. He held him to his chest for several minutes as Alannah looked on, feeling Gandalf's arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up at him, now able to take the time to examine his appearance more clearly. His hair was as white as a dove's feather and his face ageless, a stark comparison to the aged Istari she had long known her entire life. Still Alannah relaxed into his side as she always had, always regarding him as her father.
"I know you miss him." Gandalf muttered quietly as to not disturb the reunion in front of them. Alannah nodded as she winced her eyes shut, not needing to hear Legolas' name spoken to know who Gandalf was referring to. "He will be along, sweet child. I assure you. For now, enjoy the family you have here."
~
Alannah spent many years in Valinor happily as she awaited Legolas' arrival free of the heartaches she had endured during her time in Middle Earth. No longer she carried the shame of what had happened with Boromir by the Falls of Rauros or the sadness she felt from his death, the emptiness she felt having lost her parents at such a young age, or the deep and agonizing heartache of her and Legolas' slain son that had triggered her inevitable fading.
Her time in the Undying Lands was spent with her family as well as other elves that had heeded the call of the sea, joining them in dancing, singing, storytelling and admiring the beautiful forests, seas, and landscapes. It was nothing like Middle Earth, unmatched in its beauty and magnificence. She felt a sense of belonging there that she had never felt in Middle Earth even during her time in the Woodland Realm or even Ithilien. It was as if this was where she was always supposed to be, always supposed to belong.
Yet, her heart yearned. Every morning at sunrise and each evening at dusk Alannah would walk the shores of Valinor while her eyes scanned the horizon. She looked for any sign of him: a ship, a boat, anything that would signify his homecoming. Once the dusk finally gave way to night each day, Alannah would stop in her search and stare East, bidding the love in her heart to carry across the sea to Legolas to beckon him to join her.
"I'm waiting for you, meleth." Alannah whispered, praying the wind would bear her message safe passage to him. Her eyes looked up as the stars took their rightful place in the sky while she ran her finger softly over her wedding band. "You promised me a dance."
~
The morning was bright as the sun shone down upon Alannah when she began her usual walk along the shore. Her breathing was even and steady, her feet gently pushing the sand beneath her toes with each step she took. Her thoughts as of late were part in worry that Legolas had not yet come to join her. Tragedy had not befallen him for that she was certain, otherwise she would have received word of his spirit dwelling in the Halls of Mandos where her own spirit had visited many years ago when she resided in Middle Earth. For that she was relieved but it still brought forth the question: why has he not come yet?
Alannah remained resolute in her decision to be at the shore morning and night, just in case he did come. Her hands smoothed the white fabric of her dress as she walked absentmindedly, wishing to look her best when the time did come for their reunion.
"Please." Alannah whispered, pleading. "I miss you." She sighed as she looked down at her feet. She wondered how many steps she had taken during her time on the shores of Valinor having already forgotten how many days, months, or years she had repeated the same paths. The sand was warm against her skin, comforting even now that it was the new familiarity she had grown accustomed to.
Alannah turned away from the sea having decided for herself that this morning was the same as the rest. It was not the day for Legolas to come to her. She sucked in a ragged breath and took a few steps in a bid to find Thranduil or Oryn when she felt her heart tug her back. Her head shook from side to side at the inkling, unable to make herself look over her shoulder to look one last time for the day.
"Turn around, child." A soft and familiar voice instructed. Alannah looked up to see Lady Galadriel several paces away from her with Gandalf standing behind her, smiling widely and nodding assuringly. "Turn around."
Alannah stared at them both for a moment as her head continued to shake, not wishing to feel the repeated feeling disappointment of nothing but the clear and open sea as she looked. Galadriel and Gandalf nodded once more, a comfort and wish in their eyes as they waited.
Finally, Alannah relented to her heart's desire and moved her feet to face the sea expecting to see nothing but the crystalline waters pushing onwards towards the shore. Her breath hitched and her body rendered itself motionless at the sight of a small ship carrying Legolas and Gimli towards the shore. She saw nothing and no one else aside from him as her green orbs desperately and immediately locked onto his, unable to allow herself to notice anything else.
"Faster Gimli!" Legolas shakily exclaimed as he saw Alannah, see him. His heart nearly pounded out of his chest as they bid the ship to move faster and smiled as the wind caught hold of the sails.
"Like I have any control of it!" Gimli huffed but smiled nonetheless as he looked forward towards the shore to see Alannah and Galadriel. "She still is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on." Gimli mused. Legolas heard little of the words Gimli spoke as the ship finally made contact with the shore and bid himself to stand.
He felt as if he couldn't breathe as he leapt over the side of the ship, not caring that he was knee deep in the water as he waded to get to the shore. His eyes never moved off of her as they walked towards one another, their eyes searching and their lungs without breath. It had been too long, just, too long that they had been apart and Legolas suddenly regretted waiting so long to join her.
"Never again." He whispered aloud as his feet finally made contact with the sand. They stood in front of one another as their chests rose and fell rapidly with each breath they took, a million words they wished to say to the other and a million emotions overtaking them. Legolas parted his lips to speak as his heart pounded violently in his chest but no words could come out. There were none. For the first time in Legolas' long life he was rendered completely and utterly speechless. With his eyes wide and his lip quivering he looked over her features as if this was the first time he had ever seen her. Alannah's long dark waves, her emerald green eyes, the fair complexion of her skin, all of it was as he remembered but not at all. She had been healed, her heart and soul healed. She was Alannah, his Alannah in every way he remembered and every way he had not.
Alannah looked at him in complete awe as if she had fallen in love with him all over again. She noted this nervousness, and his pain as well. It immediately reminded her of herself when she had first arrived to Valinor, heartbroken and lost in every sense of the word. Legolas had bore the same pains that she had in Middle Earth and though they were apparent in his spirit, he appeared every bit as brilliant to Alannah that she had always remembered. For so long she had locked him into her heart while they were parted and now that they were together once again, Alannah couldn't speak bring herself to speak and say to him everything she had long yearned to.
As emotion overtook him Legolas stumbled and nearly tripped as he walked towards her, the always composed and graceful elf forgotten in this moment. He finally closed the space between them having had enough distance physically, emotionally, and mentally come between him and his wife for far too long. His hand reached up to touch the soft skin of her cheek, nearly choking out a sob as he finally made contact. He ran his thumb beneath her eye to brush away a tear that had finally escaped before pulling her body flush to his.
Legolas kissed her without warning. Without permission. Without even deciding to do it, but simply because he couldn't have done anything else. He needed that breath she was holding. It belonged to him and he wanted it back. Their lips drew together like magnets that had been held apart for too long and desperate to cling to the other, unable to be pulled apart by anyone or anything. Her hands gripped onto his arms tightly in a desperate attempt to keep him close to her. Another moment apart was out of the question. An impossible thought neither of them could fathom ever again.
Galadriel and Gandalf smiled at the couple during their long awaited reunion as Gimli made his way to them. Quietly the three departed, Galadriel and Gimli parting ways while Gandalf lingered for just a moment longer. The Istari's heart warmed greatly at the image before him of his daughter finally finding the happiness she had long deserved and longed for. With a smile on his face, Gandalf turned to follow the latter leaving Legolas and Alannah to themselves.
They pulled their lips apart finally only to draw raspy breaths into their empty lungs, pressing their foreheads together as they held onto one another in a tight embrace. Legolas felt her peace, happiness, wholeness and managed a wide smile having wanted nothing more since her departure from Middle Earth. In contrast, Alannah felt all of Legolas' emotions: excitement, relief, and a deep pain. Her eyes opened as she softly caressed his cheek and immediately she knew precisely what must be done.
"Legolas," Alannah whispered, carrying his name on her lips like a prayer. "Gi melin meleth nin." They looked deeply into one another's eyes before Legolas pressed another kiss to her lips. Being overwhelmed was an understatement as Legolas choked out his response. "Gi melin Alannah. With every fiber of my being."
She smiled softly as she released her hold on his arms and laced her fingers with his. His soul was heavy, feeling as if it had been filled with stones that had grown to be too tedious to carry any longer. "You must come see someone, meleth. It's time." Alannah and Legolas held onto one another tightly as he trustingly followed her unknowingly towards the tree by the starlit lake in the distant garden, knowing Este would be there waiting for him.
~
As the couple stepped into the silverlit gardens, Alannah continued to hold onto Legolas' hand as she pulled him towards the tree shadowed lake. It had been years since she had been there, not having visited since Gandalf brought her there upon her arrival. Legolas tugged on her hand as he realized why precisely she had brought him there.
"Alannah, I don't need to so this." Legolas murmured as he pulled her close. He was uncertain about it, unknowing of what exactly would happen. "I only wish to be near you and our family."
Alannah shook her head before kissing his lips softly and pulled him gently beneath the tree she had laid under years prior. "Trust me, meleth. You do need this, just as I did." She urged him to lay down and waited until he did so, smiling somewhat as he finally settled beneath the tree's shade. He looked up at her with an uncertain look in his eye. Legolas grabbed onto Alannah's hand as she turned to walk away, pleading with her to stay.
"I don't wish for you to depart from me. Please, stay." Legolas' voice shook as he spoke, still completely overwhelmed by the days events. "Where is Oryn? Where is our son?" He finally choked out. Alannah knelt down beside him brushed a strand of his windswept hair from his face. Her hand moved from his hair down to rest on his chest to feel his heartbeat. She could feel it accelerate as did her own and immediately she knew he was scared. Alannah looked down at him with love and sympathy, knowing all too well the emotions that he had endured and was experiencing now. Sighing softly, she pressed a reassuring kiss to his lips.
"Just, rest here." Alannah suggested, wishing she was able to place Legolas in a state of enchanted sleep as Gandalf had done for her when it was her time. Legolas sat up and opened his mouth to protest before Alannah gently pushed him back down onto the ground. "Trust me." She now pleaded herself, knowing that her husband could be whole again just as she was if he would allow it. With a nod Legolas did as she asked and lay back down beneath the tree, his jaw tense as he looked up at the leaves that sway gently in the breeze. It was almost as if he had been drawn into a calming trance as he waited, not even realizing that Alannah had left his side.
"Legolas Thranduilon." Este's voice finally sang out to him. He felt a tear threaten to escape the corner of his eye, knowing that all the tales he had heard of the Valar were true. "Let go."
Legolas gasped as his entire life flashed before his eyes just as Alannah's had. The faintest memory of his mother, the strained relationship he had growing up with his father, watching Alannah bathe in the river, target practice, the Fellowship, their wedding, the birth or Oryn, the death of Oryn, Alannah's fading and sending her away, Aragorn's death. Everything crashed into him with no warning like a tidal wave, giving him almost no time to react before he was swept beneath. But then just as suddenly, all the pain he had felt and carried simply ceased.
His eyes flew open before he sat up and clutched his chest, sucking in deep breaths as if he had been drowning for years. He felt light, almost childlike again with a renewed soul and mind. Legolas buried his face in his hands and wept quietly as the wind continued to blow through the trees, feeling all of his burdens and heartache lifted off of him and overjoyed that Alannah now felt the same way. Now, he understood.
A hand rested on his shoulder and instinctually Legolas placed his hand over it, assuming it to be Alannah's. "Meleth nin..." Legolas whimpered as he tried to regain his composure. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose before exhaling. "Hannon le." The hand moved from his shoulder to move his hand from his face in a soothing and gentle motion.
"Ion nin." Elarinya whispered. She wished to do nothing more than to pull her son into her arms but after having been parted from his most of his life, she wasn't sure if he would even remember her face. Legolas' hand dropped as he met his mother's eyes in shock and question. "Naneth?" He asked, his voice full of want and question. Finally he fell into her chest as would a child in need of a mother's comfort and sobbed. His hands felt her arms, her hair, grasping onto her tightly as the faintest memories of her from his childhood became a reality for him once again. Elarinya cradled her son to her and rocked him gently in her arms for several hours, until finally both of their hearts were satisfied. Words needn't be spoken as she pulled herself back to look over her son's features. They knew they would have an eternity to catch up on everything as they looked at one another knowingly.
"Your family is waiting for you. Now you can enjoy them as you were intended to." Elarinya spoke as she helped her son from the ground. She gently wiped away his tears before pulling him out of the gardens and towards the clearing she knew they would be. Legolas' knees nearly gave out once he saw a tall elf with silver blonde hair that matched his own.
"O-Oryn.." Legolas whispered before he released his mother's hand and took off running towards his son. Oryn turned to see his ada and took off in a sprint that matched Legolas' intensity, crashing into his protective arms as they were both immediately reduced to joyous sobbing. Finally, Legolas' knees gave out as emotion overtook him, his hand clinging desperately to his son as if he was afraid that he would be torn away from him much like he was in the battlefield.
"I'm here, ada." Oryn wept, trying to comfort his own father. Legolas pulled away and cupped his son's face in his hands, his eyes darting over his features with great intent. His face twitched as more tears threatened to escape before he pulled him back into his chest protectively.
"No, I'm here ion nin." Legolas choked out, his voice cracking with each word he spoke. "Forgive me...for everything. I should have kept you home, I should have come soo-" He was suddenly interrupted as Oryn let out a small laugh through his tears.
"None of your actions warrant an apology, ada." Oryn assured as he cupped Legolas' face as he had. "You're here now, with all of us." Legolas managed a nod as he and Oryn pulled themselves from the ground. He gently wiped the tears from beneath his sons eyes before softly smiling at him.
"You are the star in my and your naneth's sky, Oryn. Gi melin." Legolas voiced shakily yet relieved before pressing a soft kiss to his son's forehead.
~
After hours of tearful reunions and mending what had once been broken, Legolas and Alannah slipped away to be alone for the first time in many years. Instead of tears, apologies, and regrets weighing heavy on their hearts, they felt nothing but peace and contentment. They finally had been set free from all the pain and hardships they endured through their long lives, perhaps even for the first time.
Legolas pulled Alannah just to where the waves gently pulled onto the shore before pulling her arm around his torso. She leaned into his chest finding a home there as she had for many years. It felt like she had been displaced her entire life until she was there, consumed in his arms and held protectively against him. But now, she could finally say that she was home. Alannah nestled her head beneath his chin, focusing only on his heartbeat and the waves as they gently brushed against their bare feet.
"Meleth." Legolas murmured into her hair, closing his eyes as he took in her scent. Lilies. Always lilies in parchment. His heart warmed and nearly leapt out of his chest as he drew in a shaky breath as he thought of the pillow he had clung to in Ithilien after she departed, knowing never again, he would do without her. Legolas pulled back slightly, keeping one hand on her lower back while he slowly slid the other up the length of her arm to hold her hand gently in his.
"Dance with me." Legolas choked out in a whisper as he brushed his lips against her ear. Alannah looked up at his face as they were bathed in the moonlight, her lip quivering at the words. Those three words he had muttered several times throughout their life together and she suddenly remembered the last promise they had made to one another before she departed Middle Earth: the dance. Legolas couldn't help but smile as he began to move them slowly in circles, holding her body as close to him as possible.
"No longer do we have to pretend that the world doesn't exist, meleth..." Legolas murmured as he brought his lips to hers, gently brushing them together. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back and taking her face into his hands, halting their dance. "...for you are my world and I have you right where you'll stay. In my arms until all things come to an end."
Alannah leaned into his chest and wept quietly while he wrapped his arms protectively around her form. She couldn't help but to think back on their long lives before and after they had met, especially after Oryn had perished in Middle Earth. Those were indeed the darkest times of her life and as she felt her tears begin to stain his tunic, she knew they were for him as well.
"I'm so sorry." Alannah choked out, keeping her head buried into his chest. "I was not... I was not me when...when Oryn..."
Legolas shook his head as he leaned down and kissed her hair, feeling his own eyes brimming with tears. He made quiet and soothing shushing sounds as he pulled her down onto the sand to lay beside him, wrapping his arms tightly around her so that she continued to lay protectively on his chest. A few tears slipped out from the corners of his eyes, quickly disappearing in his blonde tresses. Legolas peered up into the night sky, watching as a cloud moved to reveal a bright crescent moon hanging high above them. The light shone down on them, bringing him a sense of peace and calm.
"Meleth." Legolas whispered, gently shaking Alannah's shoulder. She wiped the tears that had moistened her cheeks away as she watched him pointing up into the night sky. "That's you."
Alannah furrowed her brow in confusion as a wide smile grew on her husband's face. "Legolas...I don't understand." His hand moved to brush a stand of hair that had fallen on her face, her skin glowing from the soft light of the moon. Alannah's eyes flickered down as he grasped her hand in his, rubbing her wedding ring softly with his thumb.
"I have loved you for so many years, meleth. So many. And I will love you for infinite years to come." Legolas began, his voice just above a whisper. Alannah relaxed deeper into his chest as he spoke as the waves gently rolled over their feet, uncaring that their clothes were being dampened. Legolas's arms wrapped around her tighter as he spoke again. "The hope of this. Of holding you once again in my arms this way is how I was able to get through so many moments where pain, heartache, and loneliness attempted to rob me of my memories of you."
Alannah lifted her head and parted her lips to speak before Legolas moved to silence her with a kiss, pulling away to point back up to the moon once more.
"I always came back to that faith that love conquers time and space, even when I was so close to giving up. I had faith in you as I have faith that the moon will shine every night. A constant." Legolas sighed happily as he looked back up at the night sky then back down to her, brushing his thumb down her cheek and across her bottom lip. "Meleth, Alannah. You my love, are the moon. My moon. And I your sun. One way or another through the darkest times we light each other's life up brighter than anything and we will always find each other across the divide."
Alannah's breath escaped her lungs at his words, knowing that every single word was true for the both of them. The memories of her waking to him during their time in the Fellowship camped in the mountains, in Rohan and Gondor, in their bed in the Woodland Realm and Ithilien. He brought a glow, a light to her life that she had always been missing.
"You are my sun, meleth," Alannah murmured in agreement. "and I your moon. Whether clouds or darkness befalls us, our light will always shine to light the other." She pulled herself to lay even closer to him, appearing as if they were one being laying on the shores of Valinor. "I love you with all my heart, Legolas. My sun." Alannah whispered as she closed her eyes to the sound of his heartbeat as the waves kissed their feet.
Legolas kissed the top of her head as he held her close, his own eyes closing as he rested in their state of peaceful bliss. "And I love you with all my heart, Alannah. My moon."
~
Many weeks passed after Legolas reunited with Alannah and Oryn and the family spent as much time with one another to make up for the time they had lost in Middle Earth. Legolas finally after an entire lifetime was able to receive the mother's love he had always craved now that he had been rejoined with Elarinya, even seeing a side to his father that he never had before.
Thranduil was smiling, laughing, and even taking up in arts that Legolas and Alannah had never seen him do before: painting, writing, even dancing. It was an overwhelming sort of happiness they had all felt now that the cares and troubles they had experienced were either left behind in Middle Earth or healed by the Vala. Alannah and Oryn still made flower crowns for one another, able to quickly pick up where mother and son had left off.
Legolas and Alannah always went to bed early in the evening and emerged from their chambers later than everyone else, making up for all the nights they had not made love after being separated for so many years. No one ever commented on it but simply smiled knowingly at the couple as they departed or emerged, joyful they had rekindled what was once feared to be lost.
On one afternoon no different than any other that they had enjoyed in the Undying Lands, Alannah and Legolas were requested to join Thranduil on his balcony and advised not to make prior commitments for the remainder of the day. They looked at one another curiously as they walked through the pristinely white corridors hand in hand.
"What do you think he wishes to speak to us about?" Alannah asked as Legolas tightened his grip on her hand. They never made appointments or commitments to so anything during their days any longer for there was no need, so they knew that whatever it was, it was important.
"I do not know, meleth." Legolas whispered before opening the door to his parents chambers and pulled her in quietly behind him. As expected the sheer curtains to the balcony billowed gently in the breeze, almost welcoming them to step outside on its own.
Legolas placed his hand reassuringly on the small of Alannah's back as they walked out into the light of the day, their eyes searching for their father. Towards the farthest railing he sat at a small round desk with a large stack of white parchment splayed out in front of him with two chairs facing him on the opposite side. He smiled as he looked up at them, gesturing for them to sit down with him.
"Ada, what is all this?" Legolas asked with a small laugh in his voice. He peered at the parchment at the top of the stack, noticing his and Alannah's name's etched at the top in his father's familiar handwriting. "I.. don't understand."
Alannah looked from Legolas to Thranduil and finally to the parchments, still not understanding what was happening. Thranduil observed their uncertainty and chuckled quietly to himself before gesturing to the chairs in front of him.
"I will explain everything." He assured in a soft tone, one that Legolas and Alannah had never heard from him before. Legolas and Alannah sat down as they looked down at the desk, noticing it had been prepared for a lot of work. Thranduil inhaled deeply as he looked at Alannah. "Many years ago shortly after you wed my son, your spirit visited this place. The Halls of Mandos to be precise." He stated rather than questioned as is finger traced up the length of one of the quills laying in front of them.
Legolas looked to Alannah as she nodded her head. "I did." She answered, unsure of how exactly he had come to know. Legolas' hand slid into her lap to hold onto hers as he rubbed his thumb over her hand reassuringly. "I saw my mother and my father." She looked down at their joined hands as she spoke, allowing the memory to come to the forefront of their mind. "And Boromir."
Thranduil nodded his head knowingly. "Then you saw the tapestries that adorned those Halls. They tell the stories of all the ages of this world. Great and small." Thranduil lifted a quill to inspect its tip before placing it back on the table, moving on to the next to find one that proved satisfactory to him. "I wish to write your story so your tapestry may be weaved. Everything that happened in your lives. I had someone else appointed to do so but, I feel it best that it be me you tell this to. All I ask is that no matter the content, dark, intimate, painful, you tell me. I have only love, acceptance, and comfort for what you must say."
Legolas shook his head slightly, prompting both Alannah and Thranduil to look at him. "Ada, I still don't understand. You're a writer?" He asked, gesturing to the contents laid out on the desk.
Thranduil smirked at his son and daughter in law as he leaned back then looked at a field some distance from the balcony. Alannah followed his gaze to a group of elves congregated to themselves. Lord Elrond towered over a shorter elleth with hair dark like Alannah's as her hands brushed over the ground. A slight golden hue emerged from her and prompted a small batch of sunflowers to rise from the ground. In front of them was another elleth dancing in circles, a violet hue radiating from her while one more elleth leaned against a tree watching them and smiling, seemingly on guard yet relaxed.
Alannah looked curiously at them, studying them intently. Each of the girls bore a familiarity that she could not place nor comprehend. As if maybe she could have known them in another time, in another world. Her hands warmed as she looked out at them when she felt Legolas' hand release hers suddenly.
"Alannah..." Legolas gasped quietly. She followed his gaze down to her own hands, seeing that a soft white glow similar to the elleths she had just seen. Puzzled, Alannah looked up to witness Thranduil's reaction only to find him unsurprised.
"Yes, I know you have many questions." He stated as he sat down his quill. "There is a reason you survived so many things while you dwelt in Middle Earth, Alannah. Things... a normal elf would not have been able to fight through."
Legolas' hand quickly found Alannah's hand, holding onto her tight as the light faded away. "Ada, please. Tell us what all of this is about." Alannah squeezed Legolas' hand in return as he spoke, her heart rate accelerating to match his own.
Thranduil tapped a smaller stack of parchment he had already written beside him. "Your father was not a man from Rohan. But an Istari himself, Alatar to be precise." He revealed. "I did not learn of this myself until a few years after we arrived upon the shores together. Forgive me for not telling you sooner Iell, I wished for both of you to be present. I have already written everything you wish to know concerning him, right here."
Alannah eyes moved to the small stack before watching Thranduil lift his selected quill from the table, carefully dipping it into an inkwell above the parchment. He looked at them seriously for a moment before bringing the quill down on the paper before him. "Will you tell me your stories ion y iell?"
Alannah and Legolas looked at one another for a long time, silently communicating their thoughts as they locked onto the others eyes. It was true, they hadn't been married as long as some elven couples, but they had experienced just as much if not more. After a moment, Alannah nodded her head before turning to look at Thranduil.
"May I ask why?" She asked quietly. "I'm not extraordinary."
A small, endearing smile crept on Thranduil's face as his gaze moved between Legolas and Alannah. "You were an orphaned peredhel, only daughter of an Istari, raised by Mithrandir, member of the Fellowship, fought in the War of the Ring, wed to the prince of the Woodland Realm, not counting the various trials and tribulations you have endured. All within this romance that has weaved itself through time and history." Thranduil sucked in a deep breath as he redipped his quill, it having dried during their discussion.
"To say both of you are extraordinary is an understatement. Besides.." The former elven king looked out to the elves congregated in the field. "I feel free here as the two of you do. I can write once more, a love lost to the ages, rejuvenated. Love is here. Family, is here."
Legolas shifted in his seat before turning Alannah's face to his to kiss her deeply, sending all of his love, care, and devotion for her that had only grown through the years through their bond. She pressed her forehead to his as they both silently came to an agreement.
"Everything?" Alannah asked as they turned back to Thranduil while Legolas moved his seat to hers as close as possible.
"Everything." He replied sternly, yet comforting.
Alannah and Legolas took their time as they began to unravel their tale, going back as far as they could, all the way to the beginning of them. There were moments of tears, laughing, and even slight embarrassment at revealing intimate moments they had never shared with anyone else. They were completely open as Thranduil listened to them, the sound of his quill scratching the parchment to harmonize with the melody of their voices. Day turned to night then night until morning, yet they still told their story while Thranduil wrote devotedly.
They told their story fully and all at once until finally they came upon the moment they were currently experiencing. Legolas leaned over to kiss Alannah once more as Thranduil lay down his quill, picking up a cloth napkin to wipe the ink smudges from his hands.
"It is done. If you wish to read it first.." He paused as he slid the parchments towards the couple. "You may do so."
Legolas and Alannah sucked in a collective breath as Legolas reached for the parchment, the papers rustling disguising the soft footsteps of Oryn as he snuck inside the balcony door. Legolas squeezed Alannah's hand in his as he cleared his throat in preparation for reading it aloud. Their son sat down with his back against the wall, unknowing he was about to hear his parent's story, his favorite story, in it's entirety for the first time.
"I love you, Alannah. My moon." Legolas whispered as he gripped the parchment. Alannah met his eyes, breathing deeply to avoid any more tears to fall.
"I love you, Legolas. My sun." She replied before leaning into his side, allowing her eyes to scan the pages while he began to read what his father had written.
THE QUEST
"What are the elves like? Alannah asked Boromir as they rode their horses West of the Misty Mountains. Boromir looked back at her briefly...."
THE END
(Continue for the Epilogue)