(Note; this is my first ever attempt at writing anything related to the Lord of the Rings, so please bear with me! Comments and criticism is welcomed of course).
DISCLAIMER
For entertainment purposes only.
All Over Again
A shadow hung over the docking bay, deeper than the bluest midnight. The sharp tangy smell of seawater permeated the night air like a thick blanket. At first, Arya had relished the smell of the ocean so close. At Rohan, if she stood on the top of the White Mountains she could see the ocean stretching for miles and miles and feel the gentle sea breezes caress her face. It had always given her a sense of peace and serenity, but not now. Nope, right now it felt as if someone had stuffed packets of salt up her nose. Open packets of salt. The saline smell hung so heavily in the night air that she had to resist the urge to hack and cough like she had a frog stuck in her throat.
The full moon was obscured by a flock of thick and bloated thunderclouds that didn't even allow the barest fingers of moonlight to peek through, and Arya couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing. The utter lack of light hid their hiding spot behind a box of crates well enough, but it also made things a hell of a lot more difficult to see. She could barely see the nose in front of her face, much less the person they were "following."
She turned to her partner for what seemed like the millionth time and said, "Psst! Hey, pointy-ears! Any sign of him yet?"
The shadow next to her, the one more ominous than the rest, shifted slightly, and for a moment, she saw a flash of annoyance cross his intense blue eyes. "No," Legolas said shortly, then turned away from her.
Arya folded her thin arms across her chest and made a face, shifting restlessly to get the blood flowing back into her legs again. She and Legolas had been in the same crouching positions for what seemed like hours, with Legolas keeping a lookout around the side of the crate while Arya tried her best to keep herself entertained (which wasn't working at all). "If he doesn't show up soon," she threatened grumpily, "then I'm leaving."
Legolas didn't say anything so Arya continued venting her frustration.
"It's past dinner time, and I'm cold and wet and tired and grumpy. Why did Aragorn have to send us here? We could have investigated Isengard just as well as freaking Theo and the she-elf! But no, instead he sends us on board an old stinky ship to look for some man that we know next to nothing about. And just when we're about to leave, who shows up but the man we're looking for! Then we have to stay on the damn ship and let it take us to who the hell knows where we are! And then, to top it all off, pointy-ears here decides to push me into the water just as we're getting off—"
Legolas suddenly whirled around, startling her so bad that she jerked away from him, the edge of the dagger poking one of her numb legs. "Arya, be quiet," the elf said calmly despite his sudden motion.
Arya scowled, refusing to be intimidated. "Legolas, I'm cold and I'm wet and my legs are asleep. Can we please go back now? That guy already knows we're here."
"And whose fault is that?" Legolas asked flatly.
"Are you saying it's my fault!" she demanded, squinting at him in the darkness until she could just make out his blue eyes glittering faintly in the darkness. "You're the one that knocked me into the water, Legolas!"
"No," Legolas said without a trace of emotion. "You slipped in a puddle and fell into the pool. I had nothing to do with your mishap. And while we're on the subject, our quarry would have no idea of our presence if you hadn't insisted on yelling and screaming after you had your accident."
"It was no accident!" Arya insisted, knowing she was whining and not caring. "Someone pushed me and that someone had to be you!"
"I told you before that you slipped in the puddle. All I did was pull you out of the water. Blame me if it will ease your state of mind and keep you from complaining. I don't care either way." He turned away again, the end of his green cloak brushing her leg in the darkness.
Arya pouted, but kept her mouth shut. It was bad enough that she was here, even worse that she was here with Legolas. Not that Legolas was a bad guy. In fact, he was okay if you wanted someone who didn't talk much, and he was kind of good-looking in a twisted sort of way, but he definitely wasn't Arya's idea of amiable company. Why couldn't Aragorn have partnered her up with Theo, who would probably at least sympathize with Arya's soaking wet and miserable condition? Even Will or Lhiannah would have been better company than Elf Boy.
"Hey, Legolas," she said again, glancing at the statue-still shadow next to her.
"Yes, Arya?"
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"There's a lovely pool of seawater three steps to your left."
Arya's mouth dropped open. "Did the dark and gloomy Legolas just make a joke? Wow, and I was here to witness it. Theo and Lhiannah will be so jealous. But that still doesn't change the situation. I have to go to the bathroom!"
Legolas turned to stare at her again. "What do you want me to say, Arya?"
"How about, 'Oh, Arya, since I know you're wet and cold because I pushed you in the stinky seawater that was probably filled with gross amoebas and who knows what, let me go find you a nice clean inn where you can rest, eat, and go to the bathroom.' I think you should say something like that, Legolas."
"How about, 'Piss on yourself'?"
Arya's mouth dropped open again, but she managed to sputter out, "That was so rude, Legolas! I see you've been hanging around Gimli a bit too much!"
"Actually, I think it was spending two hours with you on a boat and then waiting here with you for one more hour that did the trick."
Arya punched him in what she hoped was his shoulder. "You're so mean to me, pointy-ears! Next time, leave me in the sea water with the amoebas; I'm sure they'd be better company than you!"
"Forgive me, Arya," he said flatly. "I'm afraid I'm not in the best of moods tonight. I'm sorry for insulting you."
"No, you're not," she grumbled. "But I'll just pretend your apology was sincere. At least we can be cold and miserable together."
He didn't reply; he simply turned away from her and continued to watch for their quarry. Arya drew her trembling knees up to her chest and shivered, pushing impatiently at her shoulder-length hair.
The young girl sighed inwardly and found herself reflecting on all the things that had happened in the past years, something she had started making a habit of. It had been three long years and now Middle Earth was growing more peaceful than ever. Her thoughts shifted to Lady Éowyn. Thanks to the Noble woman, females have started to have a much more active role. Joining the Kings Guard was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to Arya. It meant a home – a purpose.
Yes, life had been good…until two months ago, when they decided that she should join pointy-ears into some sort of secret investigation. The elf too hadn't been all too happy to have her as company either. Which brought her to the present moment, soaking wet and stuck in the docking bay next to a rotting and seemingly abandoned boat. Now she had no idea where she was, what time it was, how long they were going to be here, or if they would even get a chance to apprehend the mysterious man. All she knew was that she was cold, wet, tired, and ready to let pointy-ears to fend for himself.
Arya shivered again and rubbed her bare arms. She glanced over at Legolas, who despite what he has said earlier, looked warm and toasty in his long green cape and black pants.
"Hey, Legolas," she spoke up again. "Can I use your—"
Her entreaty was cut short when her dark companion suddenly spun around and clamped a hand over her mouth. Though her first instinct was to struggle until she was released, she quickly repressed it, trusting Legola's senses and knowing that he rarely touched anyone for any reason. She flicked her eyes to the side and was just able to see a shadowy blur as Legolas shifted closer to her.
"I saw him," he whispered, lips close to her ear. His warm breath against her ear sent pleasurable chills running down her spine. Strands of blonde hair flopped forward to caress her cheek, and she was suddenly aware of how close he was, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Suddenly, she wasn't cold any more.
"He went down a stairwell to a lower level," he continued, oblivious to the change that had overtaken her. "Just follow me. Do you understand?"
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
Legolas removed his hand from her mouth and crept closer to the edge of the crate, peering out from behind it to see that there was no one hanging around the docking bay. He readied his bow, and seeing this, Arya followed in suit, trying to work the kinks out of her muscles as she did so.
The elf stepped out from behind the crate and into the open, motioning for Arya to follow him. The young girl did so, wincing as her knees and back popped loudly, protesting so much movement after being inactive for almost an hour.
Keeping as quiet as possible, she followed her shadowy partner into the darkness until the inky black seemed to swallow them whole.
