The Gift of Friendship by Dreamflower

[dreamflower]

(I will not be posting the scavenger hunt quote results with my entries; since I participated in creating the prompts it would not be fair.)

B2MeM Challenge: March 9
Format: Fixed-length Ficlet (300 words, tribble)
Genre: Vignette
Rating: PG
Warnings: Discussion of canon death
Character(s): Legolas, Gimli (Merry, Pippin implied)
Summary: Legolas and Gimli grieve.
Quote:
First Age: “Death is their fate, the gift of Ilúvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy.”

The Gift of Friendship

The stone was of great comfort to Gimli, son of Gloin. He ran his hand over the granite likeness of Meriadoc, and his eyes filled as he gazed at the likeness of Peregrin, their greatness of heart and courage now memorialized for the future generations of Men, to remember how it was the smallest who had saved them all. But stone was no comfort to his companion, who turned on his heel and fled.

He did not pursue right away. He could not have kept up. But he knew where to find his friend. He made his way to the Court of the White Tree, where Legolas stood before it.

He stood beside the Elf silently; they were united in grief, and yet divided by it as well.

After what seemed a long time, Legolas spoke. "How do you stand it, Gimli? It is different to lose someone in battle--but this swift march of years stealing my friends from me one by one, while I am left standing behind with no way to reach them any longer is more difficult than I ever thought it would be."

Gimli shook his head. "The march of years is slow to me; mortals share that march together, growing older, sharing the pains and ills of age with one another, sharing the joys of watching young ones grow, until we have the fullness of our lives. We do grieve to see others go before us, but most of the time we know they are ready and that we will be ready one day ourselves."

"But you do not know to where you go nor if you will be reunited."

"We do not need to know, only to believe. It is the way of things."

"It is a Gift at least, not to grieve forever."

Comments

[shirebound]

Oh my, what a poignant final line. This sums up the tender heart of our beloved Elf friend very well.

[dreamflower]

Yes. Legolas was tender-hearted, but also I think, he showed great courage in choosing to extend his love and friendship to mortals, even though he had to know that he was choosing to break his heart.

[zdenka]

Sad, and beautiful. I enjoyed this especially because I recently read the Dialogue of Finrod and Andreth for the first time, which deals with some of the same issues.

I can see this as eventually leading to Legolas's decision to ask Gimli to go with him.

[dreamflower]

It's such a hard concept for us mortals to try and understand what living on and on might mean to the Elves.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Very true and very moving.Loved this.

[dreamflower]

Thank you, dear!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

This is so touching. Legolas is young, for an elf, and how painful it would be, to lose friends one after another while staying the same. I'm glad he has Gimli with him.

[dreamflower]

And yet, of course, he'll eventually lose Gimli as well.

But I like to think that after the world is broken and remade, he'll finally be reunited with all those he's loved and lost.

[periantari.livejournal.com]

This is so amazing. I love this poignant scene so much and indeed, your last line is so well written and resonates so well with everyone who has ever lost a loved one.

[dreamflower]

Thank you, sweetie! I think at that point in his grief he really felt that way.

[almaheart.livejournal.com]

It is quite touching to see Gimli in the role almost as elder here. It's easy to forget, with his long life, how young Legolas is. And he hasn't the experience of some of our immortals, like Elrond, with losing mortals to time, and you show that very well when he flees, poor thing. Yet, at the same time, you made him wise, too, capable of understanding at least in part what Gimli tells him, which, for one who does not age and die, takes greatness of mind. I like your portrayal of him very much :).

It moved me greatly how Gimli found the stone a comfort. I had never thought of dwarven grief that way, but it felt very real.