Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Soulmates ❯ Pollination ( Chapter 8 )

Now that they were out of the Shire, Legolas told the Hobbits what he was and how it was possible. Pippin and Merry felt that it was gross and weird. Sam thought it was weird, but he also saw it as the greatest gardening phenomenon in history. He asked Fimbrethil again and again to explain it.

"So he injected Legolas with his blood, or sap, or whatever, while our Elven friend was in his mother's womb and so Legolas is part tree?" Sam asked for the fourth time.

"Yes, little one," Fimbrethil said, sounding amused as they walked.

Everybody in their little group was now up in the Entwives' branches as they marched toward Fangorn. They had started out at night to get past the Hobbits without causing mass panic. Rosie had agreed with Sam that time away would do them good and had bid them farewell. Legolas thought that she sounded too sweet and happy when they left, but he pushed it out of his mind.

He loved listening to the Entwives speaking their own language. It was slow and languid and Legolas hung on their every word. He could understand them, though it took some processing.

The ride was long and when they finally reached Fangorn, the Entwives actually sped up a little.

"Little ones, you might wish to cover your ears!" Fimbrethil said excitedly.

No sooner than they had complied, the Entwives opened their mouths and let out a howl that seemed to echo through the forest. There were deeper howls that came back to them. As they walked, Legolas heard the whispers of the trees getting louder. He suddenly realized something and he stood up to get his friends' attention.

"We need to get off the Entwives," he called.

"Whatever for?" Gimli asked.

Legolas grimaced. "They are headed for the Ents."

"So?" Sam asked.

"There's going to be some…pollination happening."

Everybody stiffened and Legolas tapped on Fimbrethil's trunk.

"Onod? Could you let us off?"

The Entwives paused long enough for them to get on the ground, and for Fimbrethil to explain that if they traveled long enough into the center of the forest, they would find the Moon Elves old town. They set off and traveled for several days. When they had reached a spot in the forest, Legolas took a deep breath and turned off to the right. As he followed the trees' prompting, he came to a thick grove of trees, so close together that he couldn't even see through it. A word came unbidden to Legolas' lips in an odd language that he didn't know that he knew.

"Open."

The trees parted and revealed the most beautiful town that had ever graced Legolas' eyes. He dashed forward and spun around, taking in everything.

"Gimli! It's beautiful!" he sighed, looking at his dearest friend happily.

"It is fine looking, for a forest town," Gimli replied.

"Come, come! We must explore!" Legolas said, grabbing the Dwarf's hand and dragging him along as he hurried to the first building.

Hours later, they reconvened in the palace-like structure that set against the thick trees that encircled the village. After exploring that, Legolas came back to report his findings. There were lots of bedrooms, what looked like a tailor's room, a parlor, a kitchen, a big dining hall, and an overgrown garden that branched off from the side of the building.

"And that's only the rooms on the west side," Legolas finished.

"A garden?" Sam asked eagerly.

"Yes. You go look at the garden while Gimli and I hunt for tonight's dinner. The rest of you can explore or talk or whatever you want to do. Come along Gimli."

Legolas hurried out with Gimli and they caught a deer easily. The forest seemed to be cooperating with them, and Gimli pointed it out.

"The trees like me," Legolas said with a hum. They froze at a loud hoom. Legolas dropped the dead animal and looked around.

"What was that?" Gimli asked, doing the same.

"Let's find out."

They tied the deer into a tree and raced out after the noise. They traveled a small way and peeked into a clearing. Both of their faces immediately turned red. For there was Treebeard and Fimbrethil wrapped together in intimate embrace. They watched, too curious about how this would play out to just leave. When everything was done, Legolas and Gimli glanced each other, looking embarrassed, then tried to sneak away. The trees laughed at them, shaking their branches; there was no wind, so Legolas knew the trees were laughing at them. And that let the two Ents know he was there. Legolas cringed as Treebeard called out to him.

"Legolas, come out here, you and your Dwarvish friend."

The Elf picked his way out and shamefacedly looked at the two Ents.

"My apologies for watching your passion, onoden. We were curious."

"Aye," Gimli said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The Moon Elves taught us how to do that," Fimbrethil said, smiling softly as she wrapped her arm around Treebeard's. "I do not mind you watching us, Legolas."

"Nor do I. You are much like your father," Treebeard said with a slow nod.

Legolas flushed. "Thank you, onod. Would you like to come back to our village?"

"Indeed. Ithralcilvan is its name in Ithral," old Fangorn said.

"It means Moon Haven in Common Speech," Fimbrethil said.

"That language sounds like the word I used to get into Ithralcilvan."

"It is Ithral speak. The language of the moon. It is known by all Moon Elves instinctively," Treebeard replied.

"That explains why Sindarin and Silvan was so hard for me to learn," Legolas said with a nod then stopped and looked hard at Fangorn, or Treebeard as he was also known. "Onod," he said seriously as he bowed low. "Thank you for saving my life. You didn't have to."

"You are most welcome, ion nin," Fangorn said with a nod, smiling slightly.

Legolas bit his bottom lip and looked up at the old Ent hopefully. "May I call you ada?" he asked.

"Yes, young one, you may."

"And am I your emel?" Fimbrethil asked.

"If you wish to be. I've never really known an emel. My brothers' mother died long before I was born, or made alive again. And you know what happened to my birth mother."

"Indeed."

There was a lull in the conversation and Gimli cleared his throat.

"Legolas, it is nearing dark and we must prepare the deer."

"Oh. Yes. So are you two coming to town?"

The Ents picked them up, causing Gimli to squirm in discomfort. After picking up the deer, they walked back to Ithralcilvan. The Ents entertained them with stories while the food was prepared and consumed then they all spread their bedrolls out and went to sleep.