Melting a Heart of Ice

Triina, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas chased after the Hobbits’ trail until sunset, and through the night. Not a word was spoken since Gimli had forgiven Triina. She was slower than before now. When their journey started, she had the grace of an elf, and speed greater than one, but now even Gimli, as exhausted as he was, ran faster than she could. Aragorn hoped to the highest beings that it was because she simply needed a decent night’s rest, and after they found Merry and Pippin, she would be just fine, but deep in his heart he knew it was more.

Legolas hadn’t taken much notice of her condition, he assumed her lack of speed was because of the weight of shame she must be carrying, for being caught with Aragorn; his pain was slowly turning to anger towards her, for leading him to believe that she loved him. Perhaps the Elfish story of Lelir and Eevalin was true after all, and she did deceive him and leave him to drown himself. He held the gem from her ring that she had turned into a necklace for him, as it hung around his neck. What good was this trinket to him now? He wanted to be rid of it, as if it were the cause of his pain, but when he tried to leave it behind, he found it impossible. Something was keeping it in his hands.

They continued to run until sunrise, when Triina could no longer move forward. She sat down and nodded to Gimli to keep following the others; she would catch up to them. “Aragorn, we must stop!” he announced. Had there been water around her, any water, she would have drowned him with it. Aragorn turned around and saw something that Gimli hadn’t noticed in the dim light of sunrise; Triina’s face was very pale. “We can spare a few moments for rest,” he nodded. Gimli and Legolas both nodded and sat down away from her as he tended to her.

“The wound is healing, slowly. The infection shouldn’t be causing you any illness.” He sighed after checking the gash on her thigh, “And what happened to your hand?” He gasped, noticing the new injury that was now quite deep. He also noticed a blood covered arrowhead in her other hand. His mind flashed back to the woods of Lothlórien, when he had requested Haldir to take them to safety. He remembered seeing him give it to her while she cried silently, but didn’t know the significance of it. “Give it to me,” he demanded, refusing to allow her to harm herself any more. She of course refused, and they began to argue in a way that Legolas, with his keen elfin ears, was unable to understand.

“It’s the arrowhead.” Gimli explained.

He looked down curiously as the sun continued to rise, now having a slight tint of color.

“The one you gave her, that’s what they’re arguing about. What we saw, wasn’t what we thought; we’ve been wrong, my friend.”

Legolas didn’t believe him, and he didn’t try to argue with him. When the time came, he would see the truth. Either that, or Triina would be lost to him forever. Gimli no longer had a hand in the outcome of these things now.

“Aragorn… a red sun.” Triina muttered, breaking their argument. Legolas heard her statement and looked up, “Blood has been spilled this night.” He commented. Suddenly the sound of horses could be heard. Legolas and Gimli took cover under some bushes they were sitting beside, and Aragorn pulled Triina behind some others. As the cavalry passed by, Aragorn came out of hiding and called out to them.

“Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?”

Their leader gave a signal and the horsemen turned around as Triina, Gimli, and Legolas also came out of their hiding places. Before they knew it, the four of them were surrounded, and the strangers had their spears pointed at them from every direction. Aragorn held his hands up, as did Triina. Legolas took a sideways glance at her, and noticed the wound on her hand, but to his surprise, he didn’t care that she was hurt; she deserved this new injury for lying to him about something so sacred.

“What business does a man, dwarf, elf, and… a blue haired woman, have in the Riddermark?” The cavalry leader demanded, “Speak quickly!” “Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give ya mine.” Gimli nodded. The man quickly dismounted his horse and approached him, and Aragorn put a warning hand on his shoulder. Triina hoped Gimli would take the hint.

“I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground.” He spat. Triina drew one of her swords, ignoring the pain from the gash across her hand, and touched it to his neck; moving so quickly even Aragorn hadn’t realized that she moved until the blade was at the man’s throat. “You would die, before you could raise your sword.” She said darkly. Aragorn quickly put his hand on her sword, and pulled it away from him, “I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin, Legolas, of the Woodland Realm, and Sillis Triina, of Til’Arin.” He explained, “We are friends of Rohan, and Théoden, your king.”

The man removed his helmet, and began to speak with Aragorn about King Théoden being poisoned by Saruman. Triina couldn’t focus on their conversation, though. Something was pulling in the back of her mind. She took the arrowhead from its place tucked in her belt, and clutched it tightly, once again drawing blood that went unnoticed by everyone around her.

“But there were two hobbits, did ya see two hobbits?” Gimli asked, suddenly pulling her back to reality, shocking her by how much time must have passed. “They would be small, only children in your eyes.” Aragorn added. “We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them.” The man answered. The world stopped for Triina in that moment. “Dead?” Gimli muttered painfully. The man nodded an apology.

As he called forward two horses, Triina’s vision began to blur. At first she thought it was tears, but then realized she wasn’t crying. Legolas put his hand on Gimli’s shoulder to comfort him, but it was shrugged off. She tried to say Legolas’ name, but it only came out as a pained gasp as she collapsed to the ground, letting the arrowhead fall from her still-bleeding hand. Aragorn and the horseman both went to her side, as did Gimli, but Legolas only stood and watched.

“Her skin feels as though it is covered in frost.” Èomer, the horseman, breathed as Aragorn and Gimli tried to revive her. “Aye, but for her that’s normal.” Gimli nodded. “We have run a long distance, without much rest,” Aragorn sighed, “but that wouldn’t have caused her to fall like this. “She is wounded,” Èomer pointed out.

“She has been for some time now, I have been treating that though.”

“Have you been treating her hand? This blood is fresh.”

“She’s refused it.” Gimli answered, looking up at Legolas, who was now holding the water gem she had given him. “Her heart is still beating steadily, she should be all right.” Aragorn announced. Èomer nodded and remounted his horse. After a few more words between himself and Aragorn, he and the other horsemen took their leave.

“Legolas, help me get her onto the horse.” Aragorn ordered. He nodded and put her onto the horse, holding her there until Aragorn could mount behind her and hold her up himself.

As they rode towards the smoke coming from the burning orc carcasses, Triina came to. Aragorn tightened his grip on her to keep her from falling as she stirred, but said nothing. “Five,” she groaned as her eyes opened. He made a small quizzical noise as they rode, asking what she was talking about.

“We’ve lost five, four of us remain together here, but we are no longer a Fellowship, and two we have no way of knowing if they live or not. We have failed, Aragorn.”

“As long as we hold hope, we have not failed; Merry and Pippin may still be alive.”

She nodded and fell asleep until she was awakened by the putrid stench of burning flesh. Aragorn jumped off the horse, and helped her down, and at once everyone started to search for any sign of Merry and Pippin.

Gimli after a while of digging through the charred pile of bodies pulled something out and held it up for everyone to see. “It’s one of their little belts,” he announced sadly. Legolas bowed his head and said something in elfish, and Aragorn kicked a helmet in rage before crying out and falling to his knees. Triina also fell to the ground, a short way from Legolas, but unlike Aragorn she was unable to cry out.

She would give anything to feel Legolas’ arms around her, or hear him whisper to her that it was all right. Or at the very least, have him let her eyes connect with his again. But he wouldn’t do any of that. Once again she was letting that arrowhead dig into her skin. She had found that it lessened the pain in her heart, to feel it in her hand, but she knew that before long that arrowhead would be touching bone.

She let her head fall back onto the ground, and cried silently, but soulfully. She cried for Merry, and for Pippin, two hobbits that had become like brothers to her very early on in their journey. She cried for Lyle and for Gandalf, and Boromir. She cried for Legolas, for hurting him so deeply. For once she even cried for herself. She had lost everything except the small glimmer of hope Gimli had given her; hope that Legolas could forgive her, and see that what he had seen was a mistake.

Aragorn got up suddenly, and began to follow some sort of trail. She heard him announce after a while that Merry and Pippin had fled into Fangorn Forest, but it didn’t register to her. They were dead.

Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas ran for the forest’s edge, and realized that she hadn’t moved. “Triina!” Gimli shouted, but she could only mutter a reply. “Leave her, if she will not follow.” Legolas stated, and continued to make his way to the forest. That was it, the small glimmer of hope she had to hold onto, and it was gone; there was no love left in his heart for her.

She took a deep, extremely painful breath, and closed her eyes. Aragorn and Gimli froze and watched him. “Leave… leave her?” Gimli scoffed, “Leave HER! I will do no such thing! I’ll carry her myself if I have to, but I’ll not be leavin’ her! Not Triina!” he shouted and walked to her side.

“Legolas,” Aragorn almost growled as he jogged to catch up to him. “You agreed to stay with us, so that she can prove to you that she loves you. How can you walk away now, and refuse her that chance?”

“She has made no effort in proving anything.”

“Because she is terrified to! She feels ashamed of herself, for something she hasn’t done. The words you just said will have damaged her farther than anything she has ever experienced. Those words were more devastating to her, than Lyle’s death! She loves you, Legolas, more than words can say. You are everything to her, and without you she has no reason, or direction. I’ve seen this, Gimli has seen this… I cannot fathom why you have not been able to! Do you still love her, or would her death not faze you?”

Legolas was silent, and confused when he looked over to see Gimli kneeling beside Triina talking so quietly with her, even he couldn’t hear a word of their conversation.

“He doesn’t mean it, Lass. He’s a stubborn elf, and isn’t easily convinced of anything.” He said as he held her hand, she was colder than usual. Much colder than usual, her skin was cold enough to worry him now, “You must fight this, this sorrow doesn’t suit you.”

“What do I have now to fight for? His love for me is long past, Gimli. Merry and Pippin are dead… there is nothing I can do to help Frodo now, my part in this has been done.”

“But they’re not! They’re not dead, Triina. Aragorn found their trail, and their tracks lead into the forest! Merry and Pippin didn’t die here!” he replied quickly.

“Find them, then. And tell them I’m sorry.”

Aragorn came up to them in time to hear her words for the hobbits. “Enough. Tell them yourself. Get up and let’s go; we don’t have the time for this.” He ordered bluntly. Gimli looked up at him angrily, but after looking back at Legolas, who looked more ashamed than he had ever seen an elf look, he understood; Legolas had forgiven her, he was just unable to voice it yet. “I can’t. Aragorn I’m too weak.” She replied. He sighed and knelt beside her, gripping her by the shirt and pulling her up to look him in the eyes. “I said enough, now get up.” He ordered harshly, but she didn’t move. He sighed heavily and pulled her to her feet, being rougher than Gimli approved of. “You will thank me for this,” he sighed as she fell against him.

Aragorn carried most of Triina’s weight as they walked through the forest. Legolas had finally realized his mistake, and the toll it was taking on her, but he couldn’t think of a way to save her. What could he say? “I’m sorry for accusing you of impurity, and lies. Can you forgive me for causing you such heartache, and nearly causing your death?” No, there was no way for him to express that to her.

Following silently through the woods of Fangorn Forest, and going completely unnoticed, a tall, gray skinned, white haired creature watched them with the most pained of expressions. He did not know the four people before him, but he recognized something about them. He recognized the woman’s hair, first. She was weak, and she was pale, and she was dying, but he recognized her as Til’Arin. Sitting between her weak fingers, was a blood-covered arrowhead, which he also took quick notice of.

Walking behind her with a terribly painful expression was an elf, holding a deep blue gem that was attached to a necklace. The gem matched the one on the ring he wore perfectly; only the shine on his was faded from many years of being worn while traveling. He looked at the ring with a loving, yet sorrowful expression and stopped following the strangers as a few tears began to roll down his face.

He allowed his ring to fall from his hand and onto the ground, using the direction it rolled in to guide him. Once his course was set, he put the ring back onto his finger, and pulled his long worn out, bloodstained cloak tighter around himself, and began walking again.

“Aragorn, please, can we stop. Only for a moment, so that I can catch my breath?” Triina breathed hours later. Legolas’ heart broke more to see how weak she was becoming, and he wanted desperately to go to her, comfort her, apologize, and go back to the way things were, but something was stopping him. Aragorn nodded and helped her to sit and lean against a tree before walking over to where Gimli and Legolas had stopped.

“Why haven’t you spoken to her?” he demanded quietly.

“Because I cannot. The shame I bear is too great, I do not deserve to speak to her.” Legolas answered.

“In truth, you do not. But she doesn’t deserve the pain you continue to cause her! You’re killing her, Legolas!” he replied in elfish.

“And how do I heal her, by a simple apology? It isn’t this simple, you do not understand.”

“No, Legolas, I do not. Because in my eyes, it is this simple! She needs to know you still love her, or she will die within days. Look how far she has fallen since this all began.”

“No, I can’t. I do not wish to see her this way.”

“You must, though.” A stranger spoke in elfish as he walked out from the trees and stood beside Triina, “You are condemning yourself, and the one you love, to the most painful of fates.” He added, speaking so that Triina and Gimli could understand as well. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli all raised their weapons and prepared for a fight. The stranger was an elf, but he looked nothing like any elf any of them had seen before. His face was aged, and scarred, his hair dull and broken, his eyes were red as if filled with blood, and also full of sorrow. On his finger was a gem that matched Legolas’ necklace, and in his worn quiver was one arrow, missing its head. His cloak was tattered, old, and had seemingly ancient bloodstains.

“What do you know of our situation?” Legolas demanded. “That the two of you are deeply in love. If you were not, she would not be holding your arrowhead, and you would not wear her gem. Yet she is dying here, and you sit there, why?”

Legolas went to answer, but it was Triina who spoke first. “The love he held for me was much greater when he gave me this. Perhaps now it isn’t there at all,” she muttered the last part to herself, but it did not go unheard.

“Allow me to tell you a story, not so different from your own.” Lelir sighed as the Fellowship lowered their weapons slowly, “Long ago, very long ago, I fell in love with a Til’Arin woman. At the time neither of us knew the other’s language, but we somehow understood each other. Our love was forbidden, but we ignored the laws and found each other again.

“A sorceress granted her immortality just before we were found by soldiers from both our home cities. We ran, to avoid fighting our own kin, or each other’s. Eevalin’s hand slipped from mine as we ran, and when I turned around to find her, she was gone. I searched for her, but only found her bloody cloak; the cloak I wear now.

“I have searched every day and night since for her. I have not slept since then, I have not eaten, I have only searched across many lands, following the rolling path of her ring as I did to find her on that night.

“I have tried many times to take my own life, but it seems I cannot die. I have been caught in battle, and given wounds no creature could possibly survive; but I am damned to live on without her.

“The reason I tell you this, is because I have felt the pain of losing my true love. I know what it is that is ailing her; do not condemn yourselves to such an end. Though I cannot die from heartache, you can. And she is.”

Legolas looked at Triina, whose eyes were closed and breathing was shallow. All he had to do was apologize to her, and he couldn’t. He couldn’t see what was stopping him, fear perhaps.

Lelir lifted Triina into his arms and carried her to him, “I do not know what has caused this between the two of you, but I can see that you are the same as Eevalin and I.” He said as he put her in his arms and took a step back, “In the state she is in now, I would say she has until the end of this night for you to return strength to her. You hold more than her heart, you hold the entire force of her life. All you have to do is show her that you still love her.”

Lelir’s eyes snapped to the trees behind Legolas suddenly, “Someone approaches.” He announced. Legolas went to reach for his bow, but Triina had fallen completely limp in his arms, if he let go of her she would fall to the ground. “Aragorn,” he muttered in a panic. He refused to put her down to fight, which meant he was unable to fight, but what had him in such a panic was that Triina’s skin was pale, and colder than ice, even her breath was cold, but it was so shallow he could hardly feel it. “Hold her, protect her; do not let her go.” Lelir said as he watched them sadly. Legolas nodded and carried Triina to stand behind him, Aragorn, and Gimli, holding her as tightly as he could and allowing the tears he could no longer hold back to fall into her hair.

“The White Wizard,” Lelir announced, knowing this presence too well. “Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us.” Aragorn ordered. Legolas tossed Lelir his fighting knives so that he didn’t have to fight unarmed, and adjusted so that he was holding Triina more protectively.

Triina had been drifting in and out of consciousness throughout Lelir’s story, and remembered him lifting her up before she fell out again, but the arms that held her now were different. They were familiar. She opened her eyes weakly and looked directly into Legolas’. “Triina,” he smiled, relieved that she had woken up. “Legolas,” she breathed as he kissed her forehead, fresh tears running from both of their eyes. He had his love back, but she knew it wasn’t so. When he pulled back, her eyes were set in the direction Lelir announced the White Wizard would be coming from.

Suddenly a bright light appeared and blinded the five of them. The weapons were suddenly unable to be held as the blades and handles heated to be red-hot in their wielders’ hands. “You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits,” the Wizard spoke. “Where are they?” Aragorn demanded. “They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect, does that comfort you?” he answered. “Who are you, show yourself.” She tried to demand, but it came as hardly weak muttering.

The light dimmed to reveal two people. One was a woman with short blue hair that had some green swirled in it as well. She wore cloth tied around her chest, and a tied skirt to match. Her hair was short, and decorated with a flower that resembled a starfish, and around her neck, tied to a white cord, was a very old, worn, arrowhead. Everyone was able to recognize her as Til’Arin. The other was an old man, dressed white robes, with a white staff, and white hair, but he was not Saruman. The White Wizard was Gandalf.

“This cannot be!” Aragorn gasped as Gimli knelt down before him. “Eevalin,” Lelir muttered in disbelief. She smiled as tears poured from her eyes and walked to him, “Lelir,” she laughed as she touched his face, examining all the changes that had happened in it. He was no longer the fair creature elves should be, but he was Lelir, he was her love, and his arms were around her once more, as they should be. “Too long, my love, I have been searching for you for too long. Why have you hid from me?” she questioned sadly.

“I have not! I have searched since that day, without sleep, without nourishment, unable to rest until I have found you… and I have!”

“When I tripped, you continued to run. You left me, Lelir.”

“No, I turned around as soon as your hand left mine, but you were gone. I swear to you, my love, I would never have left you.”

“The sorceress envied love, and spent her life seeking to punish anyone who held what she could never possess. She tricked you both, and kept you apart until she was no longer needed to turn you away from each other’s paths.” Gandalf stated.

“Oh, I do not care why we were separated. I do not care how many years it has been; I only care that we are together now. I could die this instant, and be content; I would rest in his arms then.” She smiled as he held her closer. She didn’t even care that he wasn’t even the same person in body. He was hardly an elf anymore, but she loved him still the same way she loved him so long ago.

“Triina!” Legolas gasped as she stopped breathing suddenly. Everyone turned to see him in tears, desperately trying to revive her, but she would not wake. “Have you not treated her injuries?” Eevalin questioned the Fellowship members, noticing the cuts on her hand and thigh. “Her wounds are not physical; it was heartbreak.” Lelir explained. She gave him a questioning look before looking back to the other Elf and Til’Arin. It was then she saw the arrowhead beside Triina’s hand, and the Til’Arin crystal around Legolas’ neck.

“How long?” she demanded as she knelt beside them. “How long?” Legolas questioned, he was unable to think at the moment. Triina wasn’t breathing, her heart wasn’t beating, her skin was beginning to form ice crystals… she was either dead, or very close to it. “How long ago did you break her heart?” she demanded, not caring about his feelings at the moment. “It has been days,” Aragorn answered.

“Days, how many? One or two, six, twelve?”

“More than six, at least.” Gimli sighed.

Eevalin shook her head and looked up at Gandalf. “It is too late then, nothing can be said to revive her. He could propose marriage to her, and she would not wake; there is no will to live in her now.” She sighed. “No,” Lelir replied sharply, “I have spent far too long searching for you, to allow him to feel the same pain. No one should feel as empty as I have. They are the same as we were, as we are now.”

“There is a way, but it would result in your death, Eevalin.” Gandalf announced. Lelir tensioned as he watched Legolas holding so desperately onto Triina. “But the spell is now broken, Lelir, you could die also. Things for the both of you are no longer as they were; death would not be the same. You have become spirits already, god and goddess as the Til’Arin would see it. Your bodies would fall, but your spirits would go on for eternity, together and bound to each other until the end of time; you will never be apart again.” He explained.

Eevalin nodded and took her crystal from Lelir’s ring. Gandalf had explained that she had been bound to that to keep her living by the sorceress, as Lelir had been bound to the arrowhead. She gave Lelir the arrowhead and they both went back to Legolas and Triina. He reattached the head to its shaft and shot it into the crystal, only creating a small crack in it, enough for the water to run out. Eevalin quickly held it above her mouth, nodding to Legolas to have him help her swallow it.

“The Til’Arin Waters of Life are held in each of these crystals,” she explained, “They can heal any illness, or injury. Even heartbreak, if the injured will accept life. This will only work if you can convince her to come back to you.”

“Everything you want to say to her, you must say now. You have one chance.” Lelir added.

Triina stirred and whimpered a little, but her eyes didn’t open. “Triina,” Legolas said quietly, struggling with what he needed to say for a moment before it all came pouring out, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Triina. I do love you; I have since the day we met. I was foolish not to believe you, and I don’t deserve your love, but please do not leave me. Triina, please! I need you more than I can say and I know that now. I cannot imagine a life without you, please. I-I love you. I know you once loved me, please come back and give me a second chance; I will never hurt you again, so long as I live I will never hurt you again.” He was crying before he even began to speak, and Aragorn had never seen his friend in such a state. When he thought about it, he hadn’t really seen Legolas cry before.

Triina was in a dark place. There were lights, but they didn’t offer any visibility but somehow she could still see. There were people all around her, walking past one another peacefully. The entire place was peaceful.

Suddenly she could see another light ahead of her, but it was different than the others. It was dim, and there were sounds coming from it. She walked to it and found it was like a window. As she looked through it she saw herself lying dead in Legolas’ arms, as Aragorn, Gimli, Lelir, another Til’Arin woman who she guessed to be Eevalin, and Gandalf were watching sorrowfully. Gandalf… he wasn’t dead?

“I will never hurt you again, so long as I live I will never hurt you again. Please, Triina, don’t leave me.” Legolas cried, clutching her body tightly. Her breath caught in her chest, he had already forgiven her before the White Wizard arrived, and she didn’t want to leave him. She loved him with all of her heart, why couldn’t she just stay there, instead of standing caught behind this window? Why did he have to wait so long to hold her again?

“And for Merry, and Pippin, don’t you want to see them again as well?” Gimli asked quickly, thinking of anything he could to make her come back. “YES!” she screamed but they couldn’t hear her.

Lelir and Eevalin were holding one another again, and their skin and hair was changing. They were dying, she knew because Eevalin’s body was starting to look like hers. “No! This can’t be, you’ll have done this for nothing! She has to wake, or you have to stay, we can’t have three deaths for nothing here!” Gimli shouted angrily. “Do not worry, little friend. Long I have waited for this day to come, when I can finally rest. I watched the Mines of Moria be carved. I’ve watched the rise and fall of great cities. I’ve watched life before the forging of the rings, the rise of Sauron, his fall, and now rise again. I would like to rest now, finally.” She smiled as Lelir’s arms tightened around her. “There are no elves left of my time. I was ancient before Lord Celeborn was born; in fact I was who told him and Lady Galadriel the true story of Eevalin and Lelir, that she was no water witch who drowned and left me, but a victim just as I am. She is right, it is time for us to rest.” He smiled and kissed her with all the passion and love for her he had held for his entire search for her.

Triina was screaming, at them from behind the window as they turned to statues, forever entwined in that sacred kiss. Suddenly they pulled apart, though the statue still stood; they stepped out of the icy, earthy, statue. Lelir looked the way he had when they met, and they were dressed in light robes and gown. Their ghostly forms melded together and faded away, leaving the Fellowship standing with Gandalf, and her lifeless body.

Legolas was now sobbing over her body, Aragorn was moving to be at his side, Gandalf looked as though he couldn’t understand what had happened, and Gimli was bordering rage. She screamed again, and hit the window with all her might. A great force grabbed her and sucked her though. It hurt, terribly, and she screamed now in agony as she fell. It felt as though her entire body was being torn apart.

As the Fellowship mourned the lifeless Til’Arin woman before them, a very bright flash of colored light flashed through the woods around them. The trees were talking to each other, as the swirling colors faded. Suddenly Triina’s body arched up, and she took a very sharp breath before coughing heavily. “Triina!” Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli all shouted at once in both joy and concern. “L-Legolas,” She coughed, but he shushed her and hugged her to him so tightly it hurt, but neither of them cared. “I heard what you said, and I love you too.” She cried as she returned the embrace.

As they shared the same kind of kiss Lelir and Eevalin’s statue was locked in, Aragorn found himself crying, though he wasn’t sure what for. Gimli was trying to hide the fact he was crying, but like Aragorn Gandalf held no shame in his tears. “I thought I’d lost you,” Legolas breathed once they parted. “No, never. I could never leave you, not now.” She laughed through her tears. “You’re shivering,” he pointed out, suddenly overwhelmed with concern for her. “I died, the Til’Arin get very cold when we die. Unlike most creatures, who become cold after death, we freeze to the point our skin begins to frost before death, and only get colder until our bodies are so fragile they crumble.” She explained. He shook his head and removed his cloak, wrapping it around her and helping her to stand again.

“We travel to Edoras,” Aragorn announced a while later as they followed Gandalf out of the forest. According to him, Merry and Pippin were safe, and they now had another task. She nodded as Gandalf whistled. She turned to face him curiously when two horses came running. One was pure white, and the other was a gray horse, with dark green hoofs, tail and mane. “What sort of horse is that?” Gimli questioned as it ran to Triina. “A Til’Arin stallion!” she exclaimed excitedly, petting his nose. “You are the beginning of a legend, Sillis Triina. Even the Great Leaders of Til’Arin wouldn’t have done what you are about to do.” Gandalf smiled as they all mounted their horses.

“And what is that?”

“You will see.” He smiled, and rode off, leaving her to ride behind him, annoyed with his riddles.