~The newlyweds and Gimli travel to Ithilien. Legolas can't wait to get there fast so he can be alone with his wife again... ;) This will be a geographical chapter so haul out your Middle-earth map or find one on Google.~

~♕~

"And for that one moment,
everything was perfect ...
And then that moment ended."

– Flynn Rider, Tangled

~♕~

11. Journey

Finally they were on the road again. It had taken ages for Lasriel to say goodbye to her mother and then the packing had been exceptionally lengthy as well. She had brought an insane amount of books and put them on the poor packhorse, which meant Legolas could only bring half the saplings he had originally intended.

It took a lot of self-control for Legolas to wait patiently and not to hurry her on. His book 'A Couple's Guide to a Happy Marriage' stressed the importance of always treating one's wife with kindness – even when she was in the wrong – but it certainly wasn't easy.

And, to be fair, Lasriel couldn't know how anxious Legolas was to return to his half-finished work in Ithilien and see how his poor saplings were doing. She had lived all her life alone with her mother; it was only natural the separation would be difficult and take its time.

The sun had already traveled halfway to its high point when they left. Legolas would have liked to ride swiftly and compensate for the lost time, but both because of the heavily loaded packhorse and Lasriel's and Gimli's poor riding skills they were forced to keep a very moderate pace.

Fortunately the weather was good despite the season, cool but sunny, and it helped to improve Legolas' mood.

He looked forward to arriving in Ithilien as a married ellon; to be saved from the uncomfortable attention by the women and to be treated less disdainfully by their husbands.

The human lords probably thought Legolas was very young with his beardless chin and smooth face – or maybe it was because of his unfamiliarity with their customs – but he was certain introducing his wife would make him rise in their eyes. They would finally realize he was an adult and start treating him as an equal, which in turn would help him get the financial means he needed to continue his work.

Knowing ellith were thought to be highly attractive by humans, he cast a subtle look at Lasriel, trying to perceive her as a man of that race would. She wore a riding dress today that was fairly simple but it enhanced her shapely figure. Her eyes were bright in a face glowing with excitement as she regarded the sights along the road, and her brown hair was combed and neatly braided at the temples in a similar style as Legolas' own. It fell in a wavy cascade down her back almost to her waist.

Even by elven standards she was quite pretty, he realized, not without pride. The lords would be impressed. And maybe even a bit jealous of her husband.

Husband. His stomach fluttered at the thought of what happened the previous day – or night, rather. The day had been horribly nervous; he hated the attention at the wedding reception, and being alone with Lasriel had been awkward at first, but then... Blood rushed downwards as he recalled how good it had felt to be with her. Her silky, most secret entrance caressing him like a sheath around a dagger... He longed to do it again, hopefully without the awkwardness and in a more sober state.

His heartbeat was speeding up and he willed it to calm; such things would have to wait. It was impossible to be intimate on the journey with Gimli as the third wheel.

It almost made him regret bringing Gimli to the wedding.

But Legolas was a patient elf. What was a few weeks of abstaining when he had a life of pleasure ahead of him? He would soon be able to lie with his wife as often as he wanted, indefinitely.

That thought ignited another surge of hot blood through his veins and he squirmed uncomfortably on Arod's back. He had better turn his thoughts to the surroundings instead.

They were following the elf-path southwest, a narrow but smooth track that would take them nearly all the way to the Anduin, and it was very dark under the dense firs. Legolas liked the secure feeling of the canopy above his head like an evergreen roof, and seeing how healthy the trees looked now that Sauron's evil was gradually diminishing made him happy. He hoped with all his heart his hard work in Ithilien would result in something similar before long.

At first they rode in silence, but then Legolas decided it was time to start a conversation with his wife. His book had a whole chapter of suitable topics and after some consideration he chose the weather.

"It is a lovely day, don't you think?"

Lasriel had apparently been deep in thought for she jumped when he addressed her, making her horse flinch. "Uh, aye, very." She patted her mare's slender neck. "Easy now."

"I wonder if we shall see stars tonight. Perhaps if we camp in a clearing, we will."

"I would like that."

"Ah, stars are pretty enough, I guess," Gimli cut in. "But no stars can compete with a seam of crystal in a rock cave. I must show you the Glittering Caves one day, my lass."

Legolas tried not to frown at his friend's informal address to his wife. "That will have to wait, I am afraid. We shall be much too busy once we get home."

They continued in silence, riding through the better part of the day. By now Lasriel seemed more secure and even managed a canter. In her village there had been no horses so she was not used to riding, but she had turned out to be a fast learner.

When night fell, they found a suitable clearing and made camp. In hardly any time Gimli snored loudly but Legolas was not tired, and by the sound of it Lasriel was awake as well. She remained silent, however, and Legolas had no energy to strike up another stilted conversation with her. Instead he spent the night lying on his back, gazing at the stars and singing softly to himself, daydreaming of Ithilien and of sailing west after he had finished his work there. All the while, he carefully avoided thinking about his wife's warm body only inches away and what it would feel like to roll on top of her again.

In the morning, Lasriel walked with obvious discomfort and ate her breakfast standing, but to her credit she didn't complain about her sore behind when it was time to mount the horses. 

A steady drizzle began shortly after they broke camp so they rode with their hoods up, only exchanging a few words whenever they took short breaks for a cold meal or a moment's rest. All in all it was a rather bleak day, but in the evening the weather cleared to everyone's relief.

By now they had left the forest and ahead of them the Anduin glittered pink, reflecting the setting sun.

They camped again, even taking the trouble to make a fire and cook a warm meal before laying out their bedrolls.

Lasriel placed hers a bit closer to Legolas' than yesterday and when it grew dark he felt her slip an arm around his waist.

Was that an invitation to be intimate? Gimli snored like a sawmill again and probably wouldn't wake up even if a balrog roared in his ear. Yet... It would still feel awkward to do it right beside him. What if he did wake up?

No, better safe than sorry. If they rode fast they could be in Ithilien in two weeks, that was nothing, really.

Legolas didn't get much sleep that night either.

~♕~

Turning south along the Anduin, they followed its eastern shore. By noon the next day they reached the Old Forest Road, an ancient dwarf trading route that cut through Greenwood south of the Dark Mountains. Here they had to cross to the western riverbank because the eastern side would become too marshy for horses when they neared Gladden Fields.

A stone bridge had spanned the river in the past but that was long gone, so instead they rode into the water at the old ford, guiding the horses to the most shallow part.

Gimli gripped the mane with white knuckles, obviously terrified of falling into the icy stream. Thranduil had given him a horse before they left, claiming it was not fitting for an elven prince to share steeds with a dwarf, but it was obvious Gimli would never be a horseman.

"I remember when we used to play here." Lasriel looked sad. "What happened to the bridge?"

Legolas remembered too but preferred not to think about that carefree time when his mother was alive and his family went on regular meetings with Lasriel's. "Since nobody maintained it I guess it just fell apart after a while."

"What a shame!" Gimli indicated the ruins of the bridge foundation. "Those remaining pillars show outstanding dwarven craftsmanship. I plan something similar for the Osgiliath bridge once we have finished Aragorn's gate."

"What gate?" They were at the other side now and Lasriel moved her horse closer to his.

"The Great Gate of Minas Tirith. You see, the old one was quite interesting, but sadly it was ruined in the Battle of Pelennor Fields at the end of the war. It had this clever sliding mechanism where the doors rolled open on tracks in the pavement. My people and I have been working to rebuild it along with the rest of the city."

"How did the sliding doors work?"

At her genuine interest Gimli happily entered on a lengthy explanation, using complicated words and terms that Legolas only knew half of, but that Lasriel seemed to understand perfectly. It made him feel ignorant and left out.

After a while they began to discuss other constructions and building techniques, but by now Legolas had had enough. Gimli was his friend after all, not Lasriel's.

"Gimli," he interrupted. "I could use some help from your skilled folk before you start on that bridge. I plan to divert water from the Anduin to irrigate the woods, and dam some of it to create a lake. Elves are no fast diggers, and besides I have too few available hands. Would you be up to it?"

"I would be glad to be of help, and you are correct that dwarves are much better workers than elves." He beamed smugly. "Very hardy and strong people, we are; it will take us no time. Where do you want the lake?"

"I was thinking north of Prince Faramir's residence in Emyn Arnen."

"Sounds good. We could pave a road south from Osgiliath so the city people can visit the lake."

"Good idea! Then I shall line the road with trees. A cedar avenue would look nice, like the one my adar planted outside the palace."

"Actually, that was my naneth..."

Legolas ignored Lasriel's objection. "Or lindens? Those are more impressive, especially in spring when they flower."

Soon the conversation was firmly settled on Legolas's favorite topic, and all afternoon he happily gushed about his plans and dreams for Ithilien with Gimli adding a word here and there and Lasriel mostly listening in silence.

~♕~

The rest of the journey was uneventful. Since the war, the vales of Anduin belonged to the Beornings and other men of the north and they kept the road in good condition and the area safe from orcs and other evils. The Beornings were no friend of dwarves so they stayed away when Legolas, Lasriel and Gimli rode through and hence they didn't meet a single person the first week.

During the nights, Legolas got into the habit of sleeping with Lasriel in his arms, and though it did nothing to help check his desire he found it surprisingly comfortable to have her close. She smelled nice and in the chill of night her body heat warmed him.

Their conversation became more natural and easy as the days went by. Legolas and Lasriel had a lot of fun sharing old elven tales and songs with Gimli, who in turn entertained them with anecdotes and myths from his people.

They crossed the Gladden river near the famous site where the One Ring that started the war was once lost and later found by Gollum, and after another day they neared Lothlórien where Legolas had planned to stop and pick up a few more volunteers to help him in Ithilien.

Halting for lunch in the grassy, triangular patch where the river Celebrant joined Anduin, Legolas was reminded of one of his favorite tales. "A bit upstream from here there is a small tributary called the Nimrodel," he told Lasriel. "It was named after a famous love story of old. Do you want to hear it?"

For some reason she blushed and looked down. Perhaps she thought it was a naughty story?

"Uh, sure," she mumbled.

"Well you see, a long time ago here lived an ellon named Amroth, who was the son of the King of Lórien," he began. "It was early in the Second Age, and he and other elves from Beleriand had just settled in Lothlórien after their home was lost in the War of Wrath. But here already lived Silvan elves and one of them was Nimrodel, most beautiful of ellith, with hair long and golden and eyes clear as the sparkling stream that bears her name. Of all the handsome, brave ellyn that lived here, Nimrodel only ever spoke with one: Amroth the Strong and Fair. She loved him above all, and he loved her even more."

"Mm-hm." Lasriel was still looking at her hands.

"Now, Amroth and Nimrodel were just about to get married when a shadow settled in Greenwood, turning our beautiful forest dark and wicked."

"That would be Sauron," Gimli prompted helpfully. He knew the story already, Legolas had told it both when they came that way with the Fellowship and then again on their return after the war.

"Nimrodel could not stand the spreading evil. By now her beloved had become king, for this was after the Battle of the Last Alliance when so many were killed – my grand adar too – and she begged Amroth to take her somewhere peaceful. He could not say no to that; so great was his love for her that he left his realm and his people and followed the Anduin all the way to the Sea. However, on the road, Nimrodel got lost and Amroth continued alone, waiting for her on a ship, ready to sail to the Undying Lands and grant her eternal peace and bliss as soon as she joined him." As always when he told that part of the story, Legolas felt a pang of longing; he too yearned to sail west. "But alas!" he continued, "a storm took the ship with it out into the stormy bay, and when Amroth noticed that he dove into the angry waves to swim back ashore. But instead he succumbed and his body was never found."

"What happened to Nimrodel?" asked Gimli. "You always end the tale with Amroth's death."

"It is believed that when she finally arrived in the haven she dove after her beloved and drowned as well – but of this no tales are told. I like to think they were reborn and that they lived happily ever after together in Aman." He chuckled as a thought struck him. "I guess I shall find out once I sail there myself."

Lasriel suddenly had a coughing fit. "Sorry, I just choked on a piece of dry meat," she managed. "I'm fine now. Shall we continue? The sun is starting to set."

~♕~

They followed the Celebrant, riding beneath glorious mallorn trees with golden leaves that didn't fall even in the cold of winter. Legolas would never grow tired of their ethereal beauty.

After a few miles they reached a bend in the river, the arranged meeting place with the volunteers. When Legolas and Gimli had traveled north to the wedding earlier they briefly visited Caras Galadhon, the capital of Lothlórien, where the leaders Galadriel and Celeborn promised to recruit some helping hands to aid Legolas' good cause.

Unsurprisingly the meeting place appeared deserted. Suspiciously Legolas glanced up into the canopy and sure enough he heard a faint rustle. These people loved hiding in trees to jump-scare unsuspecting travelers.

"Mae govannen!" he called. "I know you are there."

With a giggle, a handful of elves dropped down around them, four ellyn and a blonde elleth.

Legolas had hoped for more than five volunteers, but at least the ellyn seemed like good people and in addition they fetched a pack horse full of mallorn saplings! A real treasure which would make Ithilien even more stunning once they grew there.

The fifth volunteer was an older elleth named Nellas who seemed a bit odd. When he introduced his wife to her she acted like she already knew her.

"Hello little one." She patted Lasriel's arm in a comforting manner.

Wide-eyed, Lasriel stared back at her. Legolas guessed she felt uncomfortable being touched by a stranger like that.

He was not sure whether Nellas could be of much use in Ithilien, but even a strange elleth was better than nothing he figured. Perhaps she could be Lasriel's maid.

By now, darkness had fallen, but none of them felt tired; this forest had that effect on people. Instead they shared a meal under the stars. The Lórien people had brought wine and plenty of lembas, the famous waybread Galadriel baked, a welcome change in diet. In addition they had a fresh supply of songs and tales to share, making it a very pleasant evening indeed.

When they continued south in the morning Legolas was in an unusually good mood. He had already traveled halfway to his new home, the sun shone and he had a horse load of baby mellyrn. Life was good!

A/N:

I could not resist adding Nellas to this story as well. XD She is a canon elf from the First Age (only mentioned in the Children of Húrin) and struck me as such a sweet, weird elf when I read it so I included her in my Cat of the Fellowship where she fell in love with Boromir. But in this fic Boromir sadly died without meeting her, so this is another version of Nellas.

Thanks everyone for the continued support!