On the Road From Isengard by Dreamflower
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lotrchallengesAuthor: Dreamflower
Title: On the Road From Isengard
Rating: G
Theme: Bunny hutch
Elements: 32. Third Age: We know that Gimli was overjoyed to see Merry and Pippin at Isengard, but what about Legolas? What was he thinking? (Shirebound)
Summary: Legolas considers his reaction to finding Merry and Pippin at Isengard.
Word Count: 774
On the Road From Isengard
Legolas had been quiet longer than was usual for him as they rode into the deepening dusk away from Isengard. He scarcely seemed to be paying any attention to Arod, much less to the Dwarf bumping along at his back, and growing more and more bored by the minute.
When he did speak, finally, it was so abrupt that Gimli was startled.
"What do you think of our hobbits, now we have finally found them?" Legolas asked.
"Merry and Pippin?" Gimli countered, as he drew a breath and tried to calm himself. He expected a sarcastic retort for what was admittedly a silly question. Who else would the Elf be talking about?
"Yes," was the simple reply, spoken quietly and not at all in a sharp manner.
"Well, they have grown taller for one thing," Gimli answered wryly.
He was pleased when Legolas laughed. "Yes, yes they have-- the consequence of guesting among the Onodrim!" He then lapsed into that thoughtful silence once more, though it did not last as long as the previous silence. At length he said, "I believe I owe the two of them an apology!"
"Whatever for?" Gimli was puzzled. He'd been with Legolas the whole time they were with the young hobbits, and he'd not heard the Elf say anything remotely offensive to them.
Instead of answering, Legolas asked, "Tell me, were you surprised to learn they had escaped the Orcs on their own?"
Gimli nodded, forgetting the Elf could not see him. Then recalling himself, he replied, "Of course I was! We chased across most of Rohan in order to free them, and they had managed to free themselves! I have to say they were most resourceful. I should not have been surprised-- hobbits are far more clever than they appear, as my father had been at pains to tell me ever since he returned from his journey with Bilbo." He paused briefly. "It was disconcerting to learn they did not need us at all!"
"Disconcerting indeed!" Legolas' voice had an odd note to it.
"It's a natural reaction to the circumstances, Legolas!"
"Is it?" He turned his head to look at Gimli. "I was more than disconcerted...I was..." Gimli was surprised to see the fair face had flushed-- not something he had ever seen before.
"You were what?"
"Disappointed? No, that is not the right word-- I was more than thrilled to see them alive and hale and as happy as it is possible to be in the circumstances. And yet, I had envisioned a much different ending to our search for them."
"Aye, so had I." Gimli chuckled into his beard. "It involved the three of us heroically saving them from our enemies with much hewing of orc necks, and two hobbits being very grateful to see us." He paused. "That is-- when I was not imagining a much grimmer end to our search."
"There is that," Legolas admitted. Then he said, "Well, we did get our chance to slay orcs at Helm's Deep. Many more than we would have done with a mere troop of the creatures such as we were pursuing."
"Yes."
"Still, I keep thinking I did our small friends an injustice, expecting them to wait on us to save them, rather than using their own wits and abilities to save themselves."
"Of course, as hobbits often are, they were blessed with no small amount of luck!"
"You are right, Gimli. And yet, as hobbits often do, they took full advantage of that luck. Merry and Pippin are young, and Master Pippin is nothing if not impulsive-- yet they are not children and they are both possessed of keen intelligence. I should not have doubted them. That is why I say that I owe them an apology."
Gimli was silent a moment. "Perhaps; perhaps I do as well. Yet I think it best that we make it a silent one in our own hearts, resolving not to underestimate them again. If I know anything at all about hobbits, it is that one underestimates them at one's own peril. I think they would be hurt to learn that we doubted their abilities to get by on their own."
Legolas fell silent again, clearly thinking over Gimli's advice. "I think perhaps in this you are right. I am very proud of them, by the way!"
Gimli grinned. "As am I, laddie, as am I!"
Legolas snorted at being called "laddie" by one who had yet to see one-hundred and forty summers, but all he did was urge Arod into a trot, as he rode to overtake the others who had drawn ahead during their conversation.
Title: On the Road From Isengard
Rating: G
Theme: Bunny hutch
Elements: 32. Third Age: We know that Gimli was overjoyed to see Merry and Pippin at Isengard, but what about Legolas? What was he thinking? (Shirebound)
Summary: Legolas considers his reaction to finding Merry and Pippin at Isengard.
Word Count: 774
Legolas had been quiet longer than was usual for him as they rode into the deepening dusk away from Isengard. He scarcely seemed to be paying any attention to Arod, much less to the Dwarf bumping along at his back, and growing more and more bored by the minute.
When he did speak, finally, it was so abrupt that Gimli was startled.
"What do you think of our hobbits, now we have finally found them?" Legolas asked.
"Merry and Pippin?" Gimli countered, as he drew a breath and tried to calm himself. He expected a sarcastic retort for what was admittedly a silly question. Who else would the Elf be talking about?
"Yes," was the simple reply, spoken quietly and not at all in a sharp manner.
"Well, they have grown taller for one thing," Gimli answered wryly.
He was pleased when Legolas laughed. "Yes, yes they have-- the consequence of guesting among the Onodrim!" He then lapsed into that thoughtful silence once more, though it did not last as long as the previous silence. At length he said, "I believe I owe the two of them an apology!"
"Whatever for?" Gimli was puzzled. He'd been with Legolas the whole time they were with the young hobbits, and he'd not heard the Elf say anything remotely offensive to them.
Instead of answering, Legolas asked, "Tell me, were you surprised to learn they had escaped the Orcs on their own?"
Gimli nodded, forgetting the Elf could not see him. Then recalling himself, he replied, "Of course I was! We chased across most of Rohan in order to free them, and they had managed to free themselves! I have to say they were most resourceful. I should not have been surprised-- hobbits are far more clever than they appear, as my father had been at pains to tell me ever since he returned from his journey with Bilbo." He paused briefly. "It was disconcerting to learn they did not need us at all!"
"Disconcerting indeed!" Legolas' voice had an odd note to it.
"It's a natural reaction to the circumstances, Legolas!"
"Is it?" He turned his head to look at Gimli. "I was more than disconcerted...I was..." Gimli was surprised to see the fair face had flushed-- not something he had ever seen before.
"You were what?"
"Disappointed? No, that is not the right word-- I was more than thrilled to see them alive and hale and as happy as it is possible to be in the circumstances. And yet, I had envisioned a much different ending to our search for them."
"Aye, so had I." Gimli chuckled into his beard. "It involved the three of us heroically saving them from our enemies with much hewing of orc necks, and two hobbits being very grateful to see us." He paused. "That is-- when I was not imagining a much grimmer end to our search."
"There is that," Legolas admitted. Then he said, "Well, we did get our chance to slay orcs at Helm's Deep. Many more than we would have done with a mere troop of the creatures such as we were pursuing."
"Yes."
"Still, I keep thinking I did our small friends an injustice, expecting them to wait on us to save them, rather than using their own wits and abilities to save themselves."
"Of course, as hobbits often are, they were blessed with no small amount of luck!"
"You are right, Gimli. And yet, as hobbits often do, they took full advantage of that luck. Merry and Pippin are young, and Master Pippin is nothing if not impulsive-- yet they are not children and they are both possessed of keen intelligence. I should not have doubted them. That is why I say that I owe them an apology."
Gimli was silent a moment. "Perhaps; perhaps I do as well. Yet I think it best that we make it a silent one in our own hearts, resolving not to underestimate them again. If I know anything at all about hobbits, it is that one underestimates them at one's own peril. I think they would be hurt to learn that we doubted their abilities to get by on their own."
Legolas fell silent again, clearly thinking over Gimli's advice. "I think perhaps in this you are right. I am very proud of them, by the way!"
Gimli grinned. "As am I, laddie, as am I!"
Legolas snorted at being called "laddie" by one who had yet to see one-hundred and forty summers, but all he did was urge Arod into a trot, as he rode to overtake the others who had drawn ahead during their conversation.