Heavenly Bodies

The Next Best Thing
by Christina

She couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful profile. He was standing on the side of the hill, the wind blowing his hair to the side. It was a perfect picture, and if she could paint, she would have. His beauty wasn’t skin deep either. He had the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet. He was a quiet person, given to only speak his opinion when it was necessary. He was graceful of movement, yet quite deadly when needs be.

She was positive that most couldn’t look beyond his beautiful face, and that oftentimes, his beauty was mistaken for something it wasn’t. Fair and beautiful did not mean that he was fond of his own sex. He’d never given any indication to that end, not even his friendship with Gimli. His entire race was fair and beautiful. His friendship with her, however, THAT was different.

Grace shivered slightly.

Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood turned from the beautiful sunset and smiled at her. “You’re staring again.”

She closed the distance between them and admitted, “I only do so when I think you aren’t looking.”

“I do not have to look directly at you to see.” He spoke softly as if the breeze would carry his words to her. The grass under his feet barely moved as he turned to take her in his arms. “Though I must admit looking at you is preferable.”

“You flatter me.”

“You deserve it.”

“Immortal and all-knowing. C’mon, I want to show you something.” Pulling away, she took his hand and they moved down the slope and into the woods. It wasn’t a thick wood; the trees were not so close together that they could not navigate easily. Grace had learned centuries ago that elves were people of nature. They lived with it instead of working against it. They were a harmonious race that hunted and killed out of necessity. They weren’t meant to live as men did.

Legolas had come here from Middle Earth through magic that was unknown even to Grace. He’d spoken not of return, but a part of him missed Mirkwood. When Grace had been brought there, they’d traveled to Rivendell and Lothlorien, but Mirkwood was her favorite. She had always had a restless spirit here on Earth, as she was bogged down by her immortality and what that meant. But in Mirkwood, she’d found peace.

She’d stayed in Mirkwood while Legolas joined the Fellowship and saved Middle Earth from the greatest evil ever known. She’d wanted to journey with him, but understood why she could not. She’d gone against her nature and let him face this danger without her.

In Middle Earth, she was different. Life was different. She respected it, and in return, she’d earned respect.

She’d stayed for over a century before returning to Earth. She hadn’t wanted to leave Mirkwood, but there were responsibilities here that could not be ignored.

The magic that allowed her passage restored itself and allowed Legolas the same privilege. Only Earth wasn’t Middle Earth and an elf in this world was like a fish out of water. That was the reason for this trip. She’d had workers building for a month. Not a tree was damaged, as was her order. But as they entered the glen, her breath was taken away.

Beside her, Legolas had almost stopped breathing. “Grace, what have you done?”

An elvish home had been built into the side of the hill; a large sycamore tree grew in the middle of it. A wooden walkway led from the house down to the ground where they stood. Not too far in the distance, a small waterfall fed the creek that ran in front of the home. “I could not send you back to Mirkwood, so I thought to bring a bit of Mirkwood to you.”

He was not a man of many words, so the fact that he said nothing did not surprise her. She was also not surprised to see the tears on his cheeks. After several long moments, she finally said, “I love it too, Mirkwood I mean. I thought that we could live here. If you’d like?”

“I would,” he said as he smiled. “Very much.” He kissed her hand before letting it slide from his and moved across the creek’s bridge toward the home.

Grace couldn’t help but be transfixed by the sight of him. She loved him like she had never loved another. Knowing that her gift had brought him this much happiness was more than she could have hoped. She finally crossed the creek and followed him to the well. Since she owned the land clear to the summit, the water in the well was pure. The sounds of nature filled the air around them. All they felt was peace.

“If we never see Mirkwood again, I will feel at home here.” He put some water in a challis and drank, offering the rest to her. “To do this… for me…”

“I love you. We both love your home. Giving you this is a small token.”

“It is ours,” he corrected, lifting her face to his and kissing her gently. “I can spend eternity with you anywhere, but I am touched you want to live here.”

She touched his soft cheek, running her hand to his hair. Eternity with him would be a blessing, more than any her kind deserved. “When the time comes for your return, I will go with you. It will be the last journey though the porthole.”

He returned the caress. “Middle Earth is not a place of peace. It is better now, that is true, but the potential for evil…”

“Evil has many forms. The challenges may be different, but it is still evil. I choose to face it with you in Middle Earth.”

He didn’t argue with her. The truth was he felt the same way. So, when the opportunity came to return, she would go with him. “I’d like to see the home.”

Smiling, she took his hand and led him up the walk to their home. It was decorated in as close to elvish style as could be found on Earth. The lighting was done with natural oil lamps. The only running water was the creek. Most times, Grace sang the praises of running water, but here was different.

After touring the home, they wandered onto the porch where they sat and listened to the world around them. He placed himself behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder as her head rested on him. How his mere presence touched the core of her, she could not explain, but so long as he was with her, she was complete.

Abandoning the chateau and living here was not a burden at all. It was an honor… one that she would cherish until the time came for them to leave. Something she would gladly do to be with him. Anything for him.

The End