*****

"Their time is so short here."

Lagiavas glanced at Legolas. "Mortals?" Legolas nodded. "Yes, sadly, that is true. But they breed like rabbits, so I won't bother to worry myself grey-haired about it."

Legolas gave him an almost-glare, for the almost-serious comment. His brother responded with a laugh. "I find you more lively than I thought you would be, Legolas. Father was quite worried about you, last I heard. I told him you would pull through, and I am pleased to see I was right."

Legolas, for the other Elf's sake, tried to look happy and at ease. "So did you enjoy your time away?"

Lagiavas grinned, and as he often did, he appeared even younger than Legolas. "Very much, brother, but I returned with a purpose, and so I do not miss the road. At least, not entirely."

Legolas returned the smile, hoping it appeared more cheerful than he felt. "Then I will try to make this worth your while. What will the winner be awarded with?"

Lagiavas slipped on his quiver, cast his eyes about the forest, and replied, "I have had my eye on that Lorien cloak of yours for quite sometime. I do hope you brought it."

The younger prince laughed and shook his head. "Why would I have? I cannot win something I already own. And if that is the way it is going to be, then I desire your fine white bow."

Lagiavas sputtered a protest. "No! And I see it is unfair to ask for those things, at least over such a simple competition. Very well. We shall wager something neither of us has but both of us could use."

Legolas adjusted his quiver. "I cannot think of anything like that." The glitter in his brother's eyes caught his attention. "You think of betting as we once did? Tell me, how can I be the youngest? You are more than a century my senior, yet you act like a child!"

Lagiavas sighed. "I suppose you're right. I will be leaving soon, anyway, and you would not have to opportunity to wait on me for the full three weeks. Which, by the way, was only three weeks last time because you and Tufaer protested making it any longer. A year is not so long a time. And my point is, you shouldn't accuse me of being childish, as you were the one who was afraid of the bet that I originally laid out."

Tufaer appeared. "Even when you shortened the course and the bet, I remember well that one of us came out of it with a broken wrist. It is amazing Legolas can still use his bow as well as he can after that; and Father was right to be angry with you. it is not an easy thing to break the bones of an Elf."

Lagiavas cocked his head. "Are you going to join us?"

Legolas almost laughed, first at the absurdity of the question, and then at their separate expressions; one of startled frustration, the other of feigned innocence. "No!" Tufaer said. "I am here to stop you two from breaking something else, like your necks!"

While at the same time, Lagiavas said, "Tufaer, honestly, who have you been listening to? Legolas has not fallen from a tree in over one thousand years-"

Immediately Tufaer exclaimed, "One thousand years? That was when he fell because of your daft competition!"

Thranduil's middle son waved away the accusation. "You were there as well, you saw what happened, and you can see that he is much more skilled now. I have never seen you fall, and I know that I will not. Legolas, I begin to doubt our elder brother's faith in you."

It was so easy now, to slip into other thoughts...but Legolas looked over to see Thranduil coming to them.

The King noticeably forced his amusement away and replaced it with a firm scowl. "What is going on?" he demanded.

Legolas answered, "We have determined that I am the least juvenile among your sons."

*****

"Father?"

Legolas had said nothing for several hours now, but Thranduil had become almost used to the lengthy silences. If nothing else, he had learned Legolas did not mind going without conversation, so long as someone was near him. It was one of the strangest things Thranduil had discovered after Legolas' return to Eryn Lasgalen ; the prince hated to be by himself now.

Legolas looked at the grand decorations, but his eyes were distant. They focused on the King for a moment, and then were turned away. "Are you proud of me?"

Thranduil didn't answer. This could easily have been misunderstood, and he knew it. But finding words to say, words that would actually voice what he felt each time his sons' names were even mentioned was to ask the impossible.

Legolas looked over at him, through the thick silence, and the King's expression was answer enough.

*****

"I can't stay here any longer."

It was surprising that Legolas would say this, during such a large feast involving so many Elves from so many different realms. He sat at Thranduil's right hand, where Tufaer usually sat, and would have, had he been there.

Thranduil frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

The earnest look in his eyes stopped Thranduil from saying anything more. "Thank you for allowing me to stay this long, Father. But I...I must go. Tomorrow morning, if I may." He was pushing himself up, trying not to draw attention to himself. "I will pack. I love you, Father.

With that, Legolas was gone, leaving Thranduil to wonder just what had happened to change his son's mind so quickly.

*****

"Where are you going?"

Legolas turned. Tufaer was regarding him curiously, looking over the horse that Legolas was preparing to mount. "I will return her, if that is what worries you," Legolas offered.

Tufaer stepped forward and offered the horse one of the many treats he brought with him whenever he came to the stables. "That is not what I asked. But if once you avoid a question, I have learned you will not answer it at all. Have you heard the news of King Elessar's health?"

Legolas swallowed hard. "Yes," he answered hoarsely. He swallowed again and said, more clearly, "I have heard."

Tufaer looked at him, and his eyes softened with compassion. "It is never easy to lose a friend."

Legolas shook his head. "I will lose two. Queen Arwen, I feel, does not wish to live past him."

His brother stepped back, allowing Legolas room to lead the horse out. "There are many here who would help you, in whatever way they could, myself and Lagiavas and Father especially. But I understand why you leave."

Legolas closed his eyes a moment and nodded. He looked back up at the crown prince, and neither moved. "I love you dearly, Tufaer. And I wish that Lagiavas had delayed his trip another night...I long to tell him..."

Tufaer gave him a perplexed half smile. "I will tell him for you, Legolas. Ride carefully."

Only one of them imagined Gondor as the ending of this journey, as Legolas promised quietly, "I will."

*****

"But I never thought I would make this voyage alone."

Legolas knew, this time, that he had only thought it. To make up for his long silence, he murmured, "You will have to go back to my father's realm after this."

The horse, affectionately named Cabor by his older brothers for her love of jumping over things that at first glance appeared too high to clear, was almost tireless. She had carried him easily through the night and most of the day.

Arod, his old mount, had died several decades ago. Cabor had come from Greenwood one night, and Legolas had decided not to send her back. He rarely had need of a horse anymore, so his decision was made mostly by the fact that Cabor had made herself at home.

Legolas reflected on the thought that, at any other time, traveling anywhere near the sea would have caused such ridiculous thoughts as 'why must I face this torture', 'I must turn back', and even 'anything but this...'.

Of course, up until now, he would have gone near the Sea only if he had no other choice. His only purpose now was to sail home.

Those Elves at the banquet had passed through Gondor. Aragorn's health was still failing him. It had occurred to Legolas that he was probably the only one of Elessar's closest friends who was absent. Even Gimli had gone.

The Elf sighed in resignation, wishing Cabor would ride faster, but he did not ask her to, and she continued to walk.

*****

"The Havens!"

Legolas had stopped riding, so that Cabor could rest. On an impulse, he had climbed to the tops of the trees and stared West. Barely on the edge of even his vision, he could see a spot of glittering dark blue between distant mountains.

He looked down at Cabor. "Rest well, my friend. But recover quickly."

The prince looked back into the horizon.

*****

"Wait! Wait, you blasted Elf! Slow your horse and face me!"

Legolas was near to the Branduin River now. Not far off, to his eyes, it rolled and gurgled under the sun, as it cut its way West. Aside from the nervous edge with which he saw everything, the day would have been quite peaceful.

Well, and except for that voice. He thought he had been imagining the gruff cries, but now they were too near for him to ignore or shrug off.

Cabor stopped, curious to find what called them. Legolas already knew. "Gimli?"

A sturdy grey horse rode towards them, bearing a soldier in the armor of Gondor, and Gimli the Dwarf behind him. "You claim your ears are sharp, and yet I have nearly lost my voice, calling for you to stop!" The soldier halted and Gimli slid off. Legolas recovered from his surprise just long enough to dismount.

Gimli gave the horse he had been riding a scathing look and walked stiffly towards Legolas. "Where were you headed to, Master Elf? Gondor is East."

Legolas felt his mouth move; but he made no sound. His chest felt heavy. "Legolas?" Gimli took a step forward. "Legolas? What is it?"

Cabor nuzzled his hand; the warm velvet feel pulled him back, reassured him. "...Aragorn?" he managed.

Gimli, though confused by Legolas' reaction, answered still in his guttural but lighthearted manner, "He is in Gondor, and fully recovered, I may add, which is why I came to find you. After the way you reacted when I told you of his illness, I have done little but worry ; worry over you, worry about Aragorn, worry about Arwen. It's a mystery I am still alive and hale, Master Elf."

From that illness...it was life threatening; to go to Gondor was to wish Aragorn farewell. And Legolas could not do that ; but Aragorn was not dead... "He has recovered?"

Gimli mistook his disbelief. "Yes. Mortals, unlike you strange Elves, deal often with illness; even Aragorn, unfortunately, now that he is getting on in age. Yet I suspect he has many years ahead of him, and I'm not alone in that suspicion."

If Aragorn was not dead, then Legolas was still needed here. Someday, they would go through this again; losing Aragorn, and Arwen, and then Merry and Pippin as well.

He could not even bear the thought of losing Gimli, and so, involuntarily included him in the list of those who would see the end of this world. "...Years...?" Legolas whispered. Gimli frowned at the changing relief, surprise, and sorrow on the Elf's face. "But he will still die..."

Gimli knew Legolas had seen death before, including in their friends, and he could not guess at what it was that caused the Elf so much pain. "Yes he will, but years from now," was the only thing he could think to say.

And Legolas the Elf looked over his shoulder, at something far too distant for other's eyes to see, and wept.

The End

*****

'Cabor': means 'frog'. 'Tufaer' means (roughly) 'strong spirit'. 'Lagiavas' means 'warm autumn', but I took a 'u' out of 'laug'.

Lastly, this is about eighty years before Aragorn, Arwen, Pippin, and Merry die, and Legolas and Gimli go over the Sea.