[FIC] No Other Choice
1005
BS
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings was written by JRR Tolkien some many odd years ago before my birth. That being said, it should be clear I'm not trying to take it as my own, and write these characters and locations and situations only for enjoyment.
Warnings: Slash. AU.
Rating: G
Summary: Aragorn ponders the road not taken.
Notes: Written for the foal-fic gender gamble. Glory's colt. For Sara.
5. [LotR] Legolasx Estel fic. an AU were Estel never becomes King but lives with the eleves.
No Other Choice
Estel watched the sunlight slowly fading over the western horizon with a heavy heart. Another day was gone, and with its passing he was one step closer to his fate. The time of the Elves was coming to its inevitable end, and soon Estel would be all alone. His father and siblings would sail West. He had known it for years now, despite how much he wished it weren't true. And then, Legolas would sail as well.
He sighed loudly and closed his eyes. He savored the feeling of warm sunlight against his face and the cool wind in his hair. It was a beautiful autumn day, and he couldn't help but love the vibrant gold and red and orange of the dying forests. All too soon, the trees would wither away, and the world would sleep in the long winter of Man.
Sometimes, watching the band of Rangers that rode through the valley on their journeys, he wished that things had been different. He knew that it could have been his life among them. He knew that was where he was supposed to be. It was only on rare occasions, when the burden of his own mortality was pressed sharply against his heart, that he wished he had walked a different path in his life.
His life was coming to a crossroads, much like it had in his twentieth year. He could still recall with painful clarity the day his father had set him before the fire in the Great Hall. The room had been empty but for themselves, and his father's face had been strangely tense and sad. He could remember the worried confusion that had knotted in his stomach as his father told him that he had something vastly important to tell him. His true heritage, and what had been expected of him.
He shuddered at the memory and could feel warm tears stinging at his eyes.
He had turned his back on it all. He had opted to stay with his family rather than fulfill his destiny. What other choice could he have made? His heart lay with the Elves, despite his mortal body. There had been no other choice. There could be no other choice.
And now it seemed he was going to pay the price for it.
Everyone he loved was going to leave him, now that Sauron had been defeated and the reign of Men had begun. In his youth, he had never believed this day would come. It had always seem so far away, and a part of him had prayed he would pass on before it came to pass. But it was not so. He drew a deep breath, and wiped away the tears at his eyes. If he had chosen differently, he knew he would have been among the Men. He could have been their king.
But all of that was over and done, and he knew that it was useless to think about it.
He felt Legolas settle beside him on the window ledge and relished the feel of his warm body next to his. These were the moments he loved most. Being content in his home, his lover by his side, he could almost pretend that it wasn't all ending.
"What are you thinking about?" Legolas asked beside him. He could clearly hear the concern in his voice, and Estel felt guilty for making him worry.
Estel smiled to reassure him, but Legolas was not fooled. He sighed and turned away. "I..." He could not bring himself to put it into words. The lingering sense of unbearable loss would never go away. He had watched from the garden only that morning as Elves he had known all his life packed away their treasures -- books, tapestries, and small sculptures. They gazed ever West with the look of a deep yearning about to be fulfilled.
Legolas slipped his hand into his, and Estel smiled in genuine love and happiness. It was going to be hard to live without Legolas. They had been lovers for nearly seventy years, and it was difficult to imagine being alone again. He had thought of himself as half of "Legolas and Estel" for so long... He wasn't sure he knew how to be just Estel again.
He never wanted to be "just Estel" again.
"I am going to miss it, when it's all gone," he said at last, and his voice was hoarse with withheld tears. "I do not want to be alone."
After a moment of silence, Legolas moved beside him. He could hear the rustle of his soft clothing, even with his eyes fixed ahead on the sunset. He could imagine his lover in his mind, and tried to savor that image before it was gone forever. All too soon, it would be. Legolas's strong, long fingers touched his chin and turned his face to look at him. Legolas's eyes were dark with an unreadable emotion, but the frown pulling at his lips conveyed his displeasure. "Estel, as long as I am with you, you will never be alone."
Estel frowned in confusion. He tried to turn back to the west, but Legolas's sure grip wouldn't allow it. "But... when you sail..."
Legolas smiled, but it was a sad smile, full of suffering. He leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips across Estel's. "I will stay with you, till the end," he said.
"Until the end?" Estel asked in a whisper, and a single tear slipped from his eye.
Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Until..." Estel knew what he meant -- knew that his own end wasn't too far away. He spared his lover from saying it and moved closer until his head rested against his shoulder. He could hear his heartbeat below his ear, and smiled lovingly at the soothing sound. "I love you," Legolas added softly.
Estel smiled, but he could not dispel the sadness that would always haunt his heart.
Until the end. Until I die. "I love you, too."
(end)
Note to Sara: I can't help it if it's not what you wanted. It was all my mind would allow me to write.
BS
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings was written by JRR Tolkien some many odd years ago before my birth. That being said, it should be clear I'm not trying to take it as my own, and write these characters and locations and situations only for enjoyment.
Warnings: Slash. AU.
Rating: G
Summary: Aragorn ponders the road not taken.
Notes: Written for the foal-fic gender gamble. Glory's colt. For Sara.
5. [LotR] Legolasx Estel fic. an AU were Estel never becomes King but lives with the eleves.
No Other Choice
Estel watched the sunlight slowly fading over the western horizon with a heavy heart. Another day was gone, and with its passing he was one step closer to his fate. The time of the Elves was coming to its inevitable end, and soon Estel would be all alone. His father and siblings would sail West. He had known it for years now, despite how much he wished it weren't true. And then, Legolas would sail as well.
He sighed loudly and closed his eyes. He savored the feeling of warm sunlight against his face and the cool wind in his hair. It was a beautiful autumn day, and he couldn't help but love the vibrant gold and red and orange of the dying forests. All too soon, the trees would wither away, and the world would sleep in the long winter of Man.
Sometimes, watching the band of Rangers that rode through the valley on their journeys, he wished that things had been different. He knew that it could have been his life among them. He knew that was where he was supposed to be. It was only on rare occasions, when the burden of his own mortality was pressed sharply against his heart, that he wished he had walked a different path in his life.
His life was coming to a crossroads, much like it had in his twentieth year. He could still recall with painful clarity the day his father had set him before the fire in the Great Hall. The room had been empty but for themselves, and his father's face had been strangely tense and sad. He could remember the worried confusion that had knotted in his stomach as his father told him that he had something vastly important to tell him. His true heritage, and what had been expected of him.
He shuddered at the memory and could feel warm tears stinging at his eyes.
He had turned his back on it all. He had opted to stay with his family rather than fulfill his destiny. What other choice could he have made? His heart lay with the Elves, despite his mortal body. There had been no other choice. There could be no other choice.
And now it seemed he was going to pay the price for it.
Everyone he loved was going to leave him, now that Sauron had been defeated and the reign of Men had begun. In his youth, he had never believed this day would come. It had always seem so far away, and a part of him had prayed he would pass on before it came to pass. But it was not so. He drew a deep breath, and wiped away the tears at his eyes. If he had chosen differently, he knew he would have been among the Men. He could have been their king.
But all of that was over and done, and he knew that it was useless to think about it.
He felt Legolas settle beside him on the window ledge and relished the feel of his warm body next to his. These were the moments he loved most. Being content in his home, his lover by his side, he could almost pretend that it wasn't all ending.
"What are you thinking about?" Legolas asked beside him. He could clearly hear the concern in his voice, and Estel felt guilty for making him worry.
Estel smiled to reassure him, but Legolas was not fooled. He sighed and turned away. "I..." He could not bring himself to put it into words. The lingering sense of unbearable loss would never go away. He had watched from the garden only that morning as Elves he had known all his life packed away their treasures -- books, tapestries, and small sculptures. They gazed ever West with the look of a deep yearning about to be fulfilled.
Legolas slipped his hand into his, and Estel smiled in genuine love and happiness. It was going to be hard to live without Legolas. They had been lovers for nearly seventy years, and it was difficult to imagine being alone again. He had thought of himself as half of "Legolas and Estel" for so long... He wasn't sure he knew how to be just Estel again.
He never wanted to be "just Estel" again.
"I am going to miss it, when it's all gone," he said at last, and his voice was hoarse with withheld tears. "I do not want to be alone."
After a moment of silence, Legolas moved beside him. He could hear the rustle of his soft clothing, even with his eyes fixed ahead on the sunset. He could imagine his lover in his mind, and tried to savor that image before it was gone forever. All too soon, it would be. Legolas's strong, long fingers touched his chin and turned his face to look at him. Legolas's eyes were dark with an unreadable emotion, but the frown pulling at his lips conveyed his displeasure. "Estel, as long as I am with you, you will never be alone."
Estel frowned in confusion. He tried to turn back to the west, but Legolas's sure grip wouldn't allow it. "But... when you sail..."
Legolas smiled, but it was a sad smile, full of suffering. He leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips across Estel's. "I will stay with you, till the end," he said.
"Until the end?" Estel asked in a whisper, and a single tear slipped from his eye.
Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Until..." Estel knew what he meant -- knew that his own end wasn't too far away. He spared his lover from saying it and moved closer until his head rested against his shoulder. He could hear his heartbeat below his ear, and smiled lovingly at the soothing sound. "I love you," Legolas added softly.
Estel smiled, but he could not dispel the sadness that would always haunt his heart.
Until the end. Until I die. "I love you, too."
(end)
Note to Sara: I can't help it if it's not what you wanted. It was all my mind would allow me to write.