Title & Chapter Number: Elencálë (The Light of the Elves) 24/?
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: Middle Earth/Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Rating: NC-17 Romance/Adventure
Disclaimer:
Warnings:
Betas: Thanks to Maisha for the Beta.
Cast: Legolas/Shu Lien
Timeline: AU - Post RotK
Spoilers: None
Summary: This story takes place about 100 years after the quest of the One Ring. Even after the fall of Sauron, the foul breath of evil can still be felt on the winds of Middle Earth. Some say it is just the nature of the world, the shadow of the light. Some say it is rising and has once again become sentient. King Elessar rules with a just and even hand, but Men throughout the land are falling into darkness, succumbing to greed, hatred and violence among themselves and against the world. The Light of the Elves departs as the Eldar continue to withdraw to the West, leaving darkness in their wake.
Notes: Elves do not close their eyes during Reverie. While I have updated the sexual culture of the Eldar to reflect more modern values (and indeed the fact that I feel that such sensual and advanced beings would revel in such a pass time and consider it natural and pure), the concept that Elves can tell if other Elves have had sex actually is Tolkien's.
Chapter 24
Legolas had sat with Shu Lien, just holding her, for a long time. As the sun began to lose the rosy glow of dawn, they parted ways at her request, so that she could do some Kata training. Legolas headed back towards the camp, but did not return. He went in search of Falmalinnar.
He found the older Elf training in a meadow a ways away from the fire. Legolas leaned against a tree, arms crossed and watched for a moment. It was astonishing to watch the Elf in battle or in practice. Every movement was executed with breathtaking grace, precision, and strength. Watching the fluidity of his Kata was akin to watching molten mithril alternately pour and congeal over the landscape, in the smooth and effortless dance that was as ancient as it was organic.
In a flash, Falmalinnar's movement changed and Legolas barely had enough time for his Elvish reflexes to react to the body hurtling toward him. Leaping up off the ground, Legolas caught a branch above him and then swung out over Falmalinnar's lunge and into the meadow a pace, turning as he landed lightly. The other Elf had already changed his momentum and was again attacking, aiming lightning strikes for Legolas' head and body with hands and feet. Legolas deflected and dodged in the giving way of Mandärin defense, attempting to pull Falmalinnar's center forward with his movement. But the Elf was grounded and aggressive in his attack and Legolas found himself struggling to keep his own center.
"Halt." Suddenly the other Elf stopped all movement, grabbing Legolas' tunic to still him as he spoke in his quiet, serious voice. "Look at your feet. I have used your tactic against you and forced you to over-give in your defense. In four moves I can have you face down in the grass when your balance is so compromised." In slow motion, Falmalinnar went through those moves stopping with just the hinting momentum of the ending throw.
Falmalinnar released him and waited until Legolas gathered himself and faced him again. "Strike." he prompted.
Legolas took a brief centering breath and then struck out with the speed and skill of his many years of battle. Falmalinnar easily deflected, allowing Legolas only one full momentum of offensive before he forced him into a defensive pattern again. Legolas' brow was set with his infamous impassionate intensity as he struggled to keep up with the other Elf, to feel his movements, to meet his offense, to learn what was silently being taught. This time he felt the forceful push of Falmalinnar's attempts to get him to over-extend, and tried to compensate But all he procured was a blow to the head and a tenuous center that was this time being pulled too far forward.
"Again." Falmalinnar froze his and Legolas' movements with eyes and hands. "Look at your shoulders. You have given less with your defense, but have not extended your chi, so your defensive circle is weak and unbalanced. Four moves." The next four moves were made in slow motion as well, hindering their effectiveness because momentum was not working with them, but never-the-less, Legolas found himself on his back in the soft grasses looking up at the warrior above him.
"The technique the Eldar must master is a combination of what the Mandärin use and the methods of our ancestors." Falmalinnar spoke quietly, "Our strength and speed is not taken advantage of in such an adaptive Way. It is a difficult balance between giving and redirecting, and simply bending and imposing with our superior force and will." Taking the offered hand, Legolas got up, taking note of the power concealed in that arm, and bowed his head to Falmalinnar.
"You are an outstanding warrior, Legolas. Your father should be proud." When Legolas' gaze lowered, as those words struck a chord in his heart, Falmalinnar stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Legolas looked up and into those kind eyes and saw understanding. Shu Lien must have spoken with him on this account. "I would very much like to train you. I have trained many -human and Elf - in my long years, but every once in a millennia or so, one comes along who shines brightly with exceptional ability and character. Shu Lien is one of those, and you are another." Falmalinnar spoke sincerely, matter-of-factly.
Legolas looked to each of those deep and knowing emerald eyes and nodded. "I would be most honored to be your student, my lord. But will you not be sailing in the coming months?"
"I shall extend my stay for some time, shall we say. Though the ocean waves pound in my veins, I find I cannot say goodbye to her so soon. In fact I call myself a fool for thinking I could do so in the first place." Falmalinnar let a small wry smile soften his face and then paused looking at him thoughtfully. "Has the Call of the sea not yet been awoken within you?"
"Yes it had been raging within me. But her love has quenched that longing, my lord." Legolas smiled softly, his affection shining endearingly in his eyes..
Falmalinnar nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching a moment, before his brow furrowed again. "How is she?"
"She suffers. Master Li's disdain hurts her deeply. She does not understand it. I must confess, neither do I. What kind of friend is he?" Legolas clenched his jaw unconsciously.
"Shu Lien's choices have made him question many things on which he has based his life. His belief in an absolute and unyielding truth has been shattered. It is painful when one first comes to terms with the transient grayness of reality so poignantly. In order for him to work through this he must also accept what is in his heart. But he is stubborn and afraid." Falmalinnar spoke with compassion.
More compassion than Legolas could muster. "Afraid?" he snorted.
"He is in love with her. Is that not obvious? He has loved her for a some time, but cannot admit it." Falmalinnar smiled as he watched understanding wash over the other Elf's face.
Legolas quickly filed that information away and continued. "My lord this is but one part of her trial. The other is more grave. The ring continues to rail against her, her head aches continually and it drains her energy. But I cannot take her pain as I was able to before... Though it only be three more days, I am worried."
Falmalinar sighed letting his hand drop from Legolas` shoulder. "You cannot share in the bearing of this burden. I am worried as well, but there is naught that we can do. I am glad she finally speaks with one of us..." Falmalinnar let his words die as his brow furrowed and he looked down, mulling it all over.
"My lord, I also wanted to ask you... How is it that Elencálë speaks to her? Does it mean that her fëa is Elvish? The stories I know of Tatayafëar say that it is an Elvish fëa that is split in the Halls of Mandos.."
"I do not know. It is an ancient and rare magic and it is unknown to have occurred in this way. It would appear that her fëa is Elvish, but only Ilùvatar knows his own work." Falmalinnar looked into Legolas' eyes, understanding where this questioning was going.
"Then will she return to the Halls of Mandos and on to the Undying lands when her mortal body expires?" Legolas asked softly, hopefully.
Falmalinnar sighed. "I wish I knew. Half-Elves who choose a mortal body for their fëa go to the halls of Man upon their death. But Shu Lien was given no choice. Perhaps Elrond will know more, but I fear this is something we will not, with any certainty, know beforehand." He watched as Legolas' face fell slightly and his eyes drifted to the ground.
"Come. Sit. I would speak with you about something." Falmalinnar walked a few paces to a soft spot on the ground under a tree and sat, legs straight out in front of him, leaning back against the trunk casually. Legolas sat cross-legged beside him, angled slightly so that he could see his eyes.
"I understand what you are feeling. It is hard for our people to love one who is trapped in the cycles of the mortal world. Since we are tied to the fate of Arda and will not know freedom from our pain when we sail or fade, it makes mourning all the more painful. But I want you to understand the opportunity you have as well, before it is lost."
Legolas nodded and settled expectantly.
"I want to tell you my story. My wife was half-Elven. We had several centuries together and a beautiful Elfling daughter. This was many millennia ago in the dark ages of the Elves in the Romanórë." His eyes left Legolas' gaze to unfocus as he brought back the ancient memories that were still as painful as if they were yesterday. "A faction of our people had grown greedy and dissatisfied and there was civil strife. They formed an alliance with Orcs in the hills and fought us for power for many years. As time wore on, their hatred became more twisted and convoluted. When I, and many others, were off on what turned out to be a diversionary campaign, they, in their vile dishonor, attacked our peaceful, civilian city. This is the battle spoken of in the ballad you know, where the Mandärin came to our aid. While magnificent warriors, most of them perished in this battle though they fought as bravely and fiercely as if we were their kin. It was bloody and violent and the dark Elves used the weapons of fire and bow to kill as many as possible. It was an attack of wicked savagery. My wife saw our daughter brutally murdered before her eyes and she herself was badly injured and nearly died. Yet her fëa was strong so her body healed, but her heart was broken." Falmalinnar paused and took a deep breath as he returned his gaze to Legolas.
"After many months of mourning, she told me she had chosen to except the Blessing of Man as offered by her heritage; she could bear the pain of Arda's destiny no longer. I was young and could not accept her decision. I begged her to return to the Undying Lands instead, but she would not." He paused a moment, letting out a soft breath. "She left in the middle of the night to spare me the pain of her mortality. And, though I searched, I never found out where she ..." Falmalinnar's voice faded on this last word as his head bowed a moment before returning to Legolas' attentive and compassionate gaze.
"I was not there to see her through her life... I had not wanted her to leave! I wished to live her life with her however it unfolded... for as long as it lasted ... through the spring times and the winters. In my years since, I have come to realize that I do not disparage her choosing of the Gift of Man. She was in such pain..." Falmalinnar clenched his jaw, frustration and anger trying desperately to unseat the choking hold of grief. "What a fool I was! I would have gladly accepted her mortal lifetime over losing her! In my folly, I was denied the sharing of her existence, the blessing of embracing each of her breaths, the closure of saying goodbye, slowly, sweetly. It is a sorrow that will haunt my soul throughout my eternity."
Falmalinnar laughed mirthlessly. "So verily you now know what a fool I am! My fear of further loss has kept me distant for most of my many years. But even so, after all this time, I am blessed with a daughter who I have grown to love deeply, in spite of myself. And I left her to her exigent fate for what? For duty? No! Truthfully, because, in my fear and bitterness *I* wanted to be the one to say goodbye this time." He shook his head with dismay as he closed his eyes in shame. "I will not make the same mistake again," he spoke softly.
Swallowing he looked up at Legolas with a deep and aching sorrow glowing in the depths of his liquid eyes. "Do not waste a moment of your life fearing the pain of the future. Embrace each moment you have and thank the Valar for every day you are given to say goodbye." Falmalinnar's voice cracked slightly and he cleared his throat as his head bowed again.
"Legolas, would you be so kind to give me a moment?" He asked in a whisper.
Legolas stood immediately and with a final glance to his elder, returned to camp. His chest was heavy, but at the same time Falmalinnar's words had put it all in perspective for him. Falmalinnar's suffering would bring some light to the world: Legolas would learn from his pain.
~*~*~*~
As he walked the short distance to the camp, he found himself thinking about Mu Bai and the new understanding he had of the Man. Perhaps he could diffuse this situation. They needed to find a way to settle their differences and clear the air. If it was too difficult for Mu Bai to let go of his anger toward Legolas, then he at least needed to acknowledge that it was his problem, and be able to find a suitable working relationship. If not for the sake of civility, for the sake of Shu Lien. Having her friend so disposed towards her was eating away at her heart. She had endured enough pain as it was.
Mu Bai looked up from his tea and saw Legolas enter the camp. The Elf made eye contact with him and Mu Bai set his jaw unconsciously, returning his gaze to the empty cup in his hand. Standing, he moved to the fire to refill it, his brow set in a slight frown. As he reached for the kettle, another hand wrapped around the handle and picked it up first. Mu Bai looked up to meet the unreadable black eyes of Legolas.
"Some tea, Mu Bai?" Legolas offered. Traditionally, Mu Bai could not refuse and bowed as the cup was filled.
"Let us find our peace." Legolas spoke softly as he put the tea kettle back by the fire. "Is there something you would say to me?"
Mu Bai regarded him with cool appraisal and brought the tea to his lips, taking an unhurried sip. His swallow was heard and then he was quiet a long moment. Legolas ignored the impulse to shift and held his piercing gaze from behind an impassionate mask. Finally Mu Bai spoke, slowly, quietly. "Do you know how much it is that you have taken?"
Legolas' brow furrowed and his nostrils flared as his temper immediately ignited from the direction of his inquiry. "From her or from you?" He asked, his voice low and even.
Mu Bai did not break the gaze but let a small sardonic smile crimp his lips as his eyes flashed briefly. "From her." His face regained its composure. "You have taken her immortality. I would gather, that as Eldar, you fear loving one of my people for the effective loss of your peaceful eternity, yet you have also taken any chance of true peace, of true enlightenment from her mortal days. She has dedicated her entire life to bringing compassion to the world and evolution to her soul," he paused a moment, a finger idly tracing the rim of his cup. "For mortals our only chance at finding Grace in our short time on this earth lies in the experiencing of the eternal present moment - which is something that must be attended to incessantly. In such a life you offer, it is all for naught." Mu Bai paused then and took another sip of tea regarding Legolas, who was trying to maintain his balance as emotions rose up within him.
Mu Bai continued, "She is not going back, you know. I can see it in her eyes. You take her people from her as well as condemn her to sorrow to have her at your side. She will wither in this hateful land of yours and drown her quickly fleeing days in this wasted world that even the Elves are quick to forsake in its descent into darkness."
His voice had descended to a cutting and disparaging whisper. "So many gifts have the Eldar been given, and yet they despise the weakness of the mortal world and abandon the Entardar to the chaos that their failures as mentors have created. Would that we had such a convenient and perfect haven to withdraw to when the road becomes rough."
Legolas was at a loss for words. He was unable to get the distance from the encounter to see the agonized heart that spoke these acerbic words and could only hear of Shu Lien's pain and feel the biting of his harshness. Though his face retained its practiced impassive bearing, his cheeks stung as if he had been slapped. Perhaps this hadn't been the best time for this altercation. He himself was fatigued, worried for her already, and his emotions were raw.
Shu Lien walked into the camp from her Katas and saw Legolas with Mu Bai standing at the fire. Mu Bai was whispering words that she could not hear, but the veiled confusion, concern, anger and sorrow in Legolas' eyes spoke to her easily.
Rage rose hot and sticky over the throbbing of her head and she breathed out the muggy breath of her rising wrath through her nose. Shu Lien was angry that Mu Bai, and all that he represented, had abandoned her side so easily in all of this. She would have felt like an orphan once again were it not for the loving father she had in Falmalinnar. And now Mu Bai brought pain to her lover. The one being who had brought her such joy in this world. He had suffered enough pain as it was.
She knew on some level that she was indulging her temper, but her center was so buried she did not really care. Stalking past Gimli and Elrohir who were eating breakfast and watching the exchange at the fire surreptitiously, she went to Mu Bai's supplies, and grabbed up his sword, the Green Destiny.
Mu Bai and Legolas turned as she approached, holding the sword in both hands horizontally before her. Her blue eyes were steely, dangerous and locked unwaveringly with Mu Bai's.
Legolas had never seen such an expression on her face: it was frozen by the hard, cold, intensity of detached control, but it echoed the icy rage of battle.
As she came upon Mu Bai she lifted the sword across her forehead and knelt, placing it on the ground before her as she bowed again over it, touching her forehead again to the sheathed blade before sitting back up on her heels. She saw that Falmalinnar had entered the campsite behind Legolas and now stood watching as well. But she did not care.
Shu Lien lifted the blade from the ground with both hands, arms straight, and raised it up to Mu Bai from her kneeling position. Her determined eyes met his unreadable gaze as her jaw clenched in challenge. They faced off silently like this for several breaths.
Finally Mu Bai's eyes softened somewhat and he shook his head. "No." He whispered, turning to face her completely, bowing low.
"You dishonor me with a refusal? You must!" Shu Lien stated hotly, shoving the sword up towards him again, ignoring the pounding in her head.
"You are not well enough, Shu Lien." Mu Bai said quietly, glancing uncertainly to Falmalinnar whose face remained impassive.
"We shall see. Take it." Shu Lien punctuated the words with an upwards thrust of the weapon. Mu Bai hesitated. "Take it!" She hissed.
Mu Bai reached out and took the sword slowly from her grasp and bowed reluctantly over it. Shu Lien stood in one fluid motion and turned to grab up her weapon from beside the fire and walked briskly off to the clearing a few hundred feet away where she had just meditated, not even looking to see if he followed.
Legolas moved to go after her, but Falmalinnar's hand was on his arm. "You must not interfere. It is her honor. They will not seriously harm one another. It is not their way."
"But her mind is weary..." Legolas stated softly. Falmalinnar nodded, his hand not moving from Legolas' arm. Legolas pressed his lips together and then let out a slow breath as he turned to follow their entire party to the clearing.
The two Mandärin warriors bowed low to each other.
Mu Bai took a breath and surreptitiously regarded the woman across from him. She was breathing through her nose unevenly, her eyes squinting as if she were in pain and her sword was held sloppily at her side. She was not herself. But even as such, he knew he would have to be careful in this match. She was easily a better swordsman than he; training was her life. Though he was still an exceptional warrior, he had spent his years delving into the more mystical and meditative aspects of their practice.
Shu Lien was conscious of little else but her blades in her hand. Her mindscape was frozen in the cold, slick attention of fury and intensity. The blood pounded in her ears, and if Elencálë still spoke, she did not hear it. She did hear the grinding of her teeth as Mu Bai faced her, bringing his blade before him meditatively. She stood, blade held casually at her side, and waited until his body posture changed and his blade went into the formal ready position.
Without warning, she split her blades in an instant and slashed across his body with one, moving so quickly that he was unable to deflect both it and the other that was brought to bear on his side with a whack. Having the satisfaction of that little show, she cast off the weapon in her left hand and sprang at him with her halved blade. Mu Bai deflected seamlessly, moving in the graceful, giving way of defense.
While he never gained enough access to her center to pull her into a defensive position, still his blade somehow switched the momentum of the spar and soon he was striking at her, with lightning thrusts. Shu Lien was mostly lithely dodging his blows, feinting in the face of his twisting attacks, using her body to strike, throwing his sword off its trajectory with a sliding parry, but not directly engaging his sword. Legolas had never seen her use such an evasive technique.
"She tries to spare her blade." Falmalinnar leaned over to speak in Legolas' ear. "By offering him the Green Destiny she offered him a significant advantage. It will bite into the metal of her sword if she receives a direct and forceful hit. The Elvish blade is very ancient and famous in our lands - passed down through the first sons of each of his family's generations who have become Mandärin - for the spell that makes it indestructible. I am surprised she chooses to use only one blade; it is very difficult to defend in this manner without direct impact."
Legolas' brow furrowed thoughtfully as he glanced at the Elf before he turned to watch the display again.
Mu Bai's face was set in severe concentration as he lunged towards the woman before him at the very edge of his ability. Her skill had deepened greatly. Her movements were so fluid and supple it was like dueling with a pure and liquid strength. Still, he could tell she was fatigued. Catching her off her guard in this state was probably his only chance at overcoming her. He began focusing his strikes on her sword. They fell easily into a sparring pattern of fencing.
Suddenly he changed his trajectory off the fencing thrust and sliced toward her side. With reflexes born of many hours of practice, she nimbly leapt to the air, her legs launching her into a roll to avoid Mu Bai's perilous thrust. But through the haze of fatigue she miscalculated and her leg was grazed by his flashing blade, visibly drawing blood and a grimace.
Falmalinnar glanced to Legolas and watched as he winced and fought the instinct to step forward.
Inside Shu Lien, a rage ignited, unbidden. She released the binds of sparring restraint and settled into an easy, intense aggression. In one fluid motion, she cast aside her blade and leapt off the ground impossibly high, one leg outstretched, to contact with his face. The impact threw Mu Bai back, a trickle of blood appearing at his nose. He recovered quickly and lunged at her with his sword as she turned from her landing. She bent backwards, dodging the blow, and continued with a back flip, using her momentum to kick the back of his head as she came around. Before he could even turn to attack again, she had placed a high kick to his sword arm which momentarily immobilized him so that she could grasp his wrist and slam her knee into his side. He doubled over and her leg - still raised from the previous blow - struck him again on his chin, throwing his head back. Planting both feet on the ground and turning quickly in front of him, she threw him over her shoulder, still grasping his wrist and moving with him so as not to break his arm. She wrenched the weapon from his hand as he hit the ground and rolled to absorb the considerable impact. His movement was stopped by his pain and his own sword at his throat.
He looked up at her icy blue eyes, her breath ragged and heaving, her jaw set with determination and intensity, her disregarded leg bleeding and thought there was no woman more beautiful in the Entardar. The thought shocked him. It was like the tone of a bell and suddenly he understood.
The tip of the Green Destiny prickled his throat sharply, dancing on the edge of drawing blood. Shu Lien let the adrenaline ebb, blinking through the pounding in her head, blinking against the renewed onslaught of the voice of the ring, as the rushing of the blood in her ears receded.
Shu Lien finally spoke punctuating each word in a hissing whisper, throwing his own words back at him. "Who is weak?"
Suddenly casting his sword aside into the leaves she turned on her heels and jogged into the forest.
Mu Bai swallowed and looked up at the morning sky and closed his eyes, feeling...
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