Meant to be - Part 1, 2 and 3 - a short story
Whoot!! I finished it. This is the longest story I have written so far. Was not sure for awhile if I was going to be able to finish it. Normally I sit down and write from start to finish in one or two sessions. This one took way longer!
Title: Meant to be - Part 1, 2 and 3
Author: Krazymoonkat
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Legolas, Galadriel, or her mirror. They are just borrowed.
Category: Original work with some Lord of the rings concepts.
Type: AU, romance
Rating: G
Characters: Legolas, Galadriel and OFC
Warnings: N/A
Brief Summary: Destiny and believing in fairy tales.
Note: It’s only broken down into parts because of how it was originally posted for easier reading.
Part 1
When she found him, he was sitting in a patch of snow drops by a small pool in the woods. To his embarrassment, he could not hide the evidence that he had been crying.
“She cannot be brought back, even with a whole pool of tears, my young prince.” Galadriel stood behind him as he knelt by the water trying to erase the streaks from his face.
“It is not my love that I cry for this day.” With sadness in his eyes, Legolas looked at her. “It is the eternity I will spend alone that makes me sad. Why must we be cursed to love only one?” he asked.
“Is it a curse or a blessing? You are so young. You do not know what life has in store for you.” said Galadriel. “Through many centuries of existence, I have come to the conclusion that everything happens for a reason.”
“I do not wish to live as my father has, lonely and bitter since my mother left.”
“Get up young prince and follow me,” commanded Galadriel. “I have something you must see.”
The mirror. Legolas had heard of it. Many had looked into it. It told of destiny and showed what could be. He was not sure it he wanted to look. It would be a great responsibility to know of ones destiny and know that and not mess up the out come. Yet he was drawn towards it like a moth to fire light.
He saw a great many things. Wars came and went. Friends were made and either lost to the wars, time or sailed off to the Undying lands. Then there she was. Not as he remember but it was her. She had a ring, one of the elder’s rings. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen since his love had gone.
Legolas vision moved from the pool to Galadriel. “She will come back.” Was all he said.
“Yes” Galadriel replied. “The ring I see she wears will bring you together. All you must do is wait.....................”
********
I dropped my overnight bag and briefcase beside the door as I entered the house. Soft voices came from the direction of the living room. Walking in the direction of the voices, I stopped by the entrance to take in a sight that always amazed me. They were all here. In front of me sat the ladies that represented four generations of my family. I was the fifth. Nans, my great-great grandmother, would be 115 years old this year and still seamed no older than mom, who would be turning 60 soon. All the ladies in my family have been blessed with the appearance and stamina of youth.
Nans spotted me hovering by the door. “Claire, darling, you are here! Come, come we have been waiting.”
I stopped to give each one a kiss. Mom smiled and squeezed my hand. Gran gave me a perplexing, knowing smile and winked. Great-gran, not one to mince her words, asked point blank “I don’t see a man behind you. Don’t you have one yet?”
“Leave her alone May. There is lots of time for her to find a man” interrupted Nans, as she leaned forward for a hug.
“Harrumph” said May. “She is 30 years old! She will never have any kids, let alone a daughter!”
“I don’t know what you ladies are on about, or what having a daughter has to do with anything, but Great-gran is right Nans. I have a great carrier starting and I don’t want to give that up just yet for a man. I just don’t see kids as part of my life. Now would somebody like to tell me what this is all about?”
“Yes darling, it is time” said Nans. “Come have a seat.”
Nans started to weave what I would describe as a wondrous tale. If there had not been four generations here to back up what Nans was saying, I would have thought it to be a fairy tale.
“It all starts and ends with this.” Nans said, pulling a finely engraved ring out of her pocket. “It is older than time as we know it.”
She went on to describe that the ring had a prophecy attached to it. When the time came, the ring would lead it’s owner to eternal love with a great prince. It was to be passed to each daughter born of the last daughter until it fulfilled it’s destiny. For generation after generation, only one girl has been born to carry on this quest. Each generation got possession of the ring for one year and at the end of that year the ring was returned to the elder of the family to wait for a new generation.
Mom spoke up at that point. “It is your turn, my love.”
Nans pressed the ring into my hand and kissed both my cheeks. “Each of us here has had her year in turn. Wear this ring with an open mind. May it be your destiny to be the one.”
The skepticism must have been plain on my face. “Whether you believe or not, Hon, would you break a family tradition that has lasted for more generations than any of us knows?” asked Gran.
*******
Part 2
The air was fragrent with the smell of snow drops. Legolas sat by the same pool that he had visited frequently over the years. That is were Galadriel had found him that day millenniums ago and where he first saw his true love reappear in his life a mere 25 years ago. Galadriel had told him to wait and that he did. The past 25 being the most difficult, knowing she was out there but the time was not yet right.
Something was different. Something had changed. It was like a beacon calling out to him. He closed his eyes and looked deep to find the vision of her. The one part of being an elf that gave him peace of mind since the day she was found was being able to transfer his thoughts and see visions of her as she matured.
The ring! She wore the ring. It was a sign. Great joy speared though his chest. It was time.
He would call her to him.
*******
When the dreams started they were vague emotions starting with fear and ending with a feeling of peace. I never gave them much thought at the time. As the months passed, the dreams came more often and with more clarity. I was lost...then I could see the most beautiful, deep, set of blue eyes watching over me....comforting me...leading me.....
That night, as I floated in a state of half dream, half sleep, I felt a gentle caress on my cheek like the tender touch of a lover. My eyes flew open and I looked around expecting to see somebody in the room with me. There was nobody. The window was open and the curtains swayed in the wind. Just the breeze... Just the breeze I thought as I struggled to bring last nights dream to the front of my mind.
It was very clear this time. I was dreaming of an event that had happened when I was about five. I had been camping with my parents. At the age of five, I had very little fear of the unknown and being naturally curious, I was prone to wandering. That morning the air was fresh and the sun was bright. The sounds of nature were calling me.
Spotting a bunny sniffing in the grass for his breakfast, I started to approach it. When it saw me heading its way, the bunny hopped away into the woods. I was determine that I was going to pet it, so I started to follow. When I finally gave up the chase, I looked around and realized that I could not see the camp any more. Fear was setting in I looked around and called out to mom and dad. There was no answer. I started to head in what I thought might be the way back, calling out for help the whole time. Eventually I just sat down in a patch of snow drops by a small pool and with what energy I had left I began to sob.
The next part of the dream was a bit fuzzy. Those blue eyes. A feeling of protection....then all was back to normal and I was in mom’s arms and I awoke from the dream.
Over the next few nights the dreams intensified. I woke up numerous times thinking I was not alone. It was like someone was trying to tell me something. There was something missing from my memory of that camping trip that my mind was desperately trying to recover.
I decided it was time to talk to mom about the events of that trip. Maybe she could add something in that I did not remember. She had been pestering me for sometime now to get home for a visit.
Of coarse mom could not keep my visit to herself. I’m sure within 5 min of getting off the phone with me she had informed everyone in her phone book that I would be visiting. When I arrived, Gran, Great-Gran, Nans and mom were in the living room waiting for me. Talk about dejavu!
There was no way around it. If I told one the others would find out. Maybe it was for the best that they were here. That way there would be no variations though word of mouth and strange phone calls asking me what was going on. So I told them about the dreams and asked mom it there was anything missing from my memories.
Before mom could reply, Great-Grand stepped in and said “You must go there.”
“What?” I asked.
“You must go back. The answer is there!”
Everyone looked at Great-Gran like she had lost her marbles. Neither I nor my parents had been camping since that day. Mom said that she never wanted to be that scared again and I just never had an interest in the activity as I grew up.
“Maybe it has something to do with the ring,” added Nans.
Before long they were all in agreement that that is what I needed to do. The conversation carried on around me as my thoughts on the topic deepened. Then those eyes appeared in front of me like the owner of them was in the room. This time there was the most enchanting smile I had ever seen as well. Startled I shook my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them the image was gone.
“Are you okay?” asked mom. They were all staring at me now.
“Um...yes, I’ll be fine....Sleep I just need some sleep” With that I took my leave of them, telling them we could talk more the next day.
That night there was a distinct difference in the dream. Gone was the first part of being lost in the woods as a child. There was a tone of happiness and excitement. The blue eyes sparkle and sang out to me. When I awoke the next morning I knew that they were right I must go.....to him...yes to him. He was calling me. Waiting for me.
I kept in mind that there was the possibility that I was loosing my mind as I prepared for the trip. Not wanting to believe that it could have anything to do with the ring. What the heck, I thought; I could use a good vacation anyway.
********
Part 3
“Are you sure that you don’t want a guide?” asked the ranger as I stood in his hut looking at trail maps. “Many people get lost out there.”
“No thank you,” I said. “I’ll be just fine.” I gave him my best confidence smile. I had no idea where I was going, but for some strange reason I knew that all would be well.
It would be a two maybe three days hike to get to the area that we had camped when I was a child. The park no longer aloud motorized vehicles on the trails for ecological reasons. Since I had never ridden a horse before, my only option was to hike. I had just spent two weeks reading up on what I would need and shopping for the journey. When I leave this rangers hut, I will be on my own.
Strangely enough I did not feel alone as I walked deeper into the woods. It felt more like I was being guided than finding my own way. As I slept at night those eyes and smile I had become so accustom to seeing now, were there, keeping me safe. A gentle hand caressed my cheek. There was nobody there but I knew now that it was not the breeze like I had thought that morning a couple of months ago.
On the third morning I knew I was close without needing to look at the map. The smell of snow drops was strong in the air. I could here a stream thought the trees to my left. That stream must be the one that feeds the small pool I remembered in my dream.
*******
Legolas stood quietly, hidden from sight by the trees. He was unsure how his racing heart could not be heard for miles around. Nervousness, which he never before felt, was causing his breathing to quicken.
Claire was here. Standing by the same pool that he had found her at as a terrified five year old.
That day he had dried her tears, and helped her back to her parents until the day they could be together. He had not shown himself that day to anyone else. As she ran towards her parents, his keen hearing could pick up her voice telling them about the nice man who had helped her. By that time he had faded back into the trees. He was different and they would not understand. One day he hoped that his love would.
Would she remember him from the last time they had met? Would she recognize him from her dreams? Would she accept their destiny to be together?
From his conversation with Galadriel that day he had looked into her mirror, he knew that she had Elvin in her bloodline. Diluted greatly over many generations, but it was there. Also the ring she was wearing was one of the rings given to the elves well before even he was born. Galadriel could not tell him how or why she had the ring, only that it would bring them together when it was time. Once they were together, their bonding would bring her Elvin blood to life and she would become immortal like him.
His fear now was the chance that these modern times may have jaded how she will react to the situation. Would she believe in destiny and accept him?
*******
I knelt down by the pool and ran my fingers gently across the waters surface, causing only minor ripples to radiate out from where my fingers touched. I was deep in my own thoughts when those blue eyes and smile appeared before me in the water. So use to seeing them now at this point, it took me a minute to realize that something was different. I was truly not alone this time. It was not a vision, but a reflection on the water.
Slowly my gaze moved up from the water. In the back of my mind, I knew that I should be scared. I was alone in the woods with a stranger. As my vision focused on his face all thoughts of fear vanished. Memories flooded back to me. We had met before. I also realized that over the years he had been part of my life even if it was not face to face like we were now.
For the longest time no words came to either of us. He had taken my hands in his and we sat had down amongst the snow drops and just took in each other.
Finally he spoke. There was a slight catch in his whispered words. “I have waited ....waited for you.”
“I am here now,” I said. “I am not sure how or exactly why, but I am here.”
“I am Legolas, and you are here for me.”
Surprising to me was that this statement did not surprise me.
Legolas slowly started to tell me of his life and who he was. I sat mesmerized listening to he beautiful soft spoken voice. At one point I caught myself reaching out to stroke one of his pointed ears and to run my fingers down the braid that was tucked behind it. When I caught myself doing this I quickly started to pull my hand away. In a flash he had captured that hand but must have seen fear in my eyes at the quick movement and gently lowered it to my side.
“I will never harm you,” he said. “My only wish is to make you happy.”
His hand came up and touched my cheek. It was just the slightest graze but it felt like the earth had moved beneath me sending tremors straight through my body. Then he grabbed my hand again and brought it up to his face holding it against his cheek. My hand stayed there as he continued to speak and explain to me the events leading up to this day.
The daylight was fading as he finished. A slight chill was in the evening air and Legolas carefully moved closer wrapping his arm around my back to warm me. We sat like that into the night.
When he spoke again, he asked “Will you stay with me?” It was barely a whisper, like he was afraid of my answer.
At that point I decided that if this was loosing my mind, I would gladly say goodbye to it. Everything felt perfect. Nothing in my life had ever felt so right or good. Lost for the proper words, I simply nodded my head and was rewarded by being drawn closer into his embrace.
That night we became one.
*******
Legolas was kneeling by the pool the next morning when Claire came up behind him. To his embarrassment, he could not hide the evidence that he had been crying.
She did not ask why, or seem disturbed by it. They were one now and that meant that she knew what he was thinking and feeling just as well a he did. These were tears of absolute joy. Claire opened her arms and he moved into her embrace.