Yeah, yeah. I know I don't own Legolas. You don't have to rub it in. Cate
is mine though. Cate is short for Catylyn, which means 'pure' in Welsh. The
reason for that will become apparent later in the story, if you haven't
already figured it out. This takes place long before the Trilogy.
Another rejection. Cate sighed. She would never get into college. And now Jake was gone. Forever, was what he told her. Ha! She kicked the wall in anger. She walked across the room and took a sword off of a display on the wall. She had always been drawn to that weapon. The blade was long and sharp, though it had never been used. What would it be used for?
The handle had green sapphires set into it, which always seemed to glow when she held it, even when there was no light, and it was as light as anything. Sword in hand, she stepped outside into her parents' backyard. She began to swing the sword around, doing a few fancy twirls as well. She smiled. That had always made her feel better, for some reason.
She looked up at the sky, and the bright moonlight seemed to wash over her, carrying away her worries and tears. Finally, she looked down again and turned to go inside. She stopped, and frowned. Where was her house?
~
Legolas pointed, having spotted the source of the noise. A small band of maybe fifteen orcs was there, about sixty yards away. And there was a girl there. She had long black hair, and coming to just past her waist and her dress was equally black and flowing. In her hands was a sword, and she was facing off the orcs.
Legolas and his best friend, Alkahar, prepared to shoot the orcs, but stopped. Two of the orcs had charged her, and two orc-heads now rolled on the ground at her feet. Another came at her, and she stabbed it through the neck. Then, the orcs were all around her. Legolas and Alkahar each let fly an arrow, and each of them brought down one orc. The rest fell before the girl's blade, which seemed to glow with a faint light.
The two elves ran over to her. She was now cleaning the sword. "That was amazing!" Alkahar exclaimed.
She looked up at him. "Really? Thanks." Her voice was low, and she had black face paint on her lips and eyelids.
~
There were two of them. They were elves, she saw, by looking at their ears. "Are you alone?" The one with brown hair asked.
"No," she told him, standing. "I am here with the two of you."
He grinned. "You should not wander these woods alone."
"It's okay," she informed him. "I have my sword."
"May I see your sword?" She handed it to him. It was a pretty thing, with green stones set into the hilt. And it was light. He pressed his finger to the edge of the blade. Nothing happened.
Handing it back to her he asked, "How did you kill all those orcs with such a dull blade?"
She frowned. "It's not dull."
"By human standards, perhaps," the blond one muttered.
She swung the blade to just under his nose. "Look dull to you, pretty boy?"
He swatted it away with his arm, and yelped. He grabbed his wrist, and blood oozed between his fingers. The brown-haired elf quickly tore a piece of his shirt off and tied it around his friend's wrist. "Perhaps it will only cut for her?"
He turned back to the girl. "What is your name, milady?"
"Cate," she told him.
He took her hand. "I commend you, Cate, on your sword skill. I am Alkahar, at your service." He kissed her hand.
"And I am Legolas, prince of Mirkwood Forest," the blond elf said haughtily. She nodded curtly at him. He did not kiss her hand.
And Alkahar spoke again. "Since you are alone, perhaps you would like to accompany us back to our camp? We are just returning from Rivendell on a visit to our kin who live there. We are headed for Mirkwood Hall. There are no friendly houses closer."
"Alright," Cate said. She was slightly confused about where her house had gone, and where she was in general. She thought it a good idea to not spend the night alone in the woods. So, she followed the two elves to their campsite, which was not too far away.
~
Two more elves were at the site, sitting by a fire, and four horses were off to the side, grazing. One had fallen asleep. They were not tied. They rose when they saw that a human girl had come back with the prince. And carrying a sword, no less. Both of these elves had blond hair.
"This is Cate," Alkahar said. "She has just finished killing twelve orcs, unaided."
"Unaided?" One of them asked. "Were you too afraid to fight, then?" He grinned, and kissed her hand. "Eledan Goldsky, at your service." She met his eyes as he stepped back, and saw that they were a sparkling green color, just as hers were.
"Haldir of Lorien," the other said, also kissing her hand. He was a slightly stockier elf than the other three.
"Perhaps you are hungry, milady Cate?" Alkahar asked her.
"No," she said. "I just ate a bit ago."
He nodded.
"Then, I will take the first watch tonight," Eledan said.
~
Cate rolled over. And again. She could not get comfortable on this bare ground. She stood up and went to sit with Eledan by the fire. "Can't sleep?"
She shook her head.
"Maybe your mind will settle if you talk for a time."
"Maybe," she agreed, and looked around.
"I do not mean to sound rude, but. why are you here?"
"Well. I was just standing in my backyard," she said, leaving out the part about crying over Jake, "and staring at the stars. When I turned around, I found that my house was not there anymore. Then, those things came. orcs? After they were dead, Alkahar and Legolas ran up."
Eledan frowned, but nodded his head slowly. "Interesting."
She looked at him, and laughed. "Yes, very. But it's all the same. There, my life had abandoned me. Here, I have no place." She shrugged, and her eyes fell to the side. She noticed Legolas, sleeping there.
"What's with princy over here?" She motioned toward him with her head.
Eledan grinned. "Do you wish to ride with Legolas tomorrow?"
"Ride with him?"
"Are you not coming with us to the hall of his father? Surely you do not wish to remain in the forest alone?"
"I guess not," she said.
"Then you must ride with someone tomorrow, as there are now five of us, and only four horses. Do you wish to ride with the prince?" He raised his eyebrows.
"No," she said. "He scares me."
"Oh, he will not harm you, Cate. He is just cold."
"It's not that," she said. "It's just. if I'm not careful, I think I might fall in love with him."
He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "I have always understood love to be a good thing."
She shook her head. "Love is bitter. And when it is gone, it leaves you cold."
He looked at her in surprise. "You are young yet, but already you have tasted the grief of age." He motioned to Legolas. "Do not be too harsh on him. He was hurt similarly, by a human even. He is only wary of you."
She nodded, and stood. Before going to lie down again, she kissed him on the cheek. "Your heart is in its winter season Cate. But winter passes." He frowned into the fire. Her eyes burned with a green flame, so familiar, but so far away.
Another rejection. Cate sighed. She would never get into college. And now Jake was gone. Forever, was what he told her. Ha! She kicked the wall in anger. She walked across the room and took a sword off of a display on the wall. She had always been drawn to that weapon. The blade was long and sharp, though it had never been used. What would it be used for?
The handle had green sapphires set into it, which always seemed to glow when she held it, even when there was no light, and it was as light as anything. Sword in hand, she stepped outside into her parents' backyard. She began to swing the sword around, doing a few fancy twirls as well. She smiled. That had always made her feel better, for some reason.
She looked up at the sky, and the bright moonlight seemed to wash over her, carrying away her worries and tears. Finally, she looked down again and turned to go inside. She stopped, and frowned. Where was her house?
~
Legolas pointed, having spotted the source of the noise. A small band of maybe fifteen orcs was there, about sixty yards away. And there was a girl there. She had long black hair, and coming to just past her waist and her dress was equally black and flowing. In her hands was a sword, and she was facing off the orcs.
Legolas and his best friend, Alkahar, prepared to shoot the orcs, but stopped. Two of the orcs had charged her, and two orc-heads now rolled on the ground at her feet. Another came at her, and she stabbed it through the neck. Then, the orcs were all around her. Legolas and Alkahar each let fly an arrow, and each of them brought down one orc. The rest fell before the girl's blade, which seemed to glow with a faint light.
The two elves ran over to her. She was now cleaning the sword. "That was amazing!" Alkahar exclaimed.
She looked up at him. "Really? Thanks." Her voice was low, and she had black face paint on her lips and eyelids.
~
There were two of them. They were elves, she saw, by looking at their ears. "Are you alone?" The one with brown hair asked.
"No," she told him, standing. "I am here with the two of you."
He grinned. "You should not wander these woods alone."
"It's okay," she informed him. "I have my sword."
"May I see your sword?" She handed it to him. It was a pretty thing, with green stones set into the hilt. And it was light. He pressed his finger to the edge of the blade. Nothing happened.
Handing it back to her he asked, "How did you kill all those orcs with such a dull blade?"
She frowned. "It's not dull."
"By human standards, perhaps," the blond one muttered.
She swung the blade to just under his nose. "Look dull to you, pretty boy?"
He swatted it away with his arm, and yelped. He grabbed his wrist, and blood oozed between his fingers. The brown-haired elf quickly tore a piece of his shirt off and tied it around his friend's wrist. "Perhaps it will only cut for her?"
He turned back to the girl. "What is your name, milady?"
"Cate," she told him.
He took her hand. "I commend you, Cate, on your sword skill. I am Alkahar, at your service." He kissed her hand.
"And I am Legolas, prince of Mirkwood Forest," the blond elf said haughtily. She nodded curtly at him. He did not kiss her hand.
And Alkahar spoke again. "Since you are alone, perhaps you would like to accompany us back to our camp? We are just returning from Rivendell on a visit to our kin who live there. We are headed for Mirkwood Hall. There are no friendly houses closer."
"Alright," Cate said. She was slightly confused about where her house had gone, and where she was in general. She thought it a good idea to not spend the night alone in the woods. So, she followed the two elves to their campsite, which was not too far away.
~
Two more elves were at the site, sitting by a fire, and four horses were off to the side, grazing. One had fallen asleep. They were not tied. They rose when they saw that a human girl had come back with the prince. And carrying a sword, no less. Both of these elves had blond hair.
"This is Cate," Alkahar said. "She has just finished killing twelve orcs, unaided."
"Unaided?" One of them asked. "Were you too afraid to fight, then?" He grinned, and kissed her hand. "Eledan Goldsky, at your service." She met his eyes as he stepped back, and saw that they were a sparkling green color, just as hers were.
"Haldir of Lorien," the other said, also kissing her hand. He was a slightly stockier elf than the other three.
"Perhaps you are hungry, milady Cate?" Alkahar asked her.
"No," she said. "I just ate a bit ago."
He nodded.
"Then, I will take the first watch tonight," Eledan said.
~
Cate rolled over. And again. She could not get comfortable on this bare ground. She stood up and went to sit with Eledan by the fire. "Can't sleep?"
She shook her head.
"Maybe your mind will settle if you talk for a time."
"Maybe," she agreed, and looked around.
"I do not mean to sound rude, but. why are you here?"
"Well. I was just standing in my backyard," she said, leaving out the part about crying over Jake, "and staring at the stars. When I turned around, I found that my house was not there anymore. Then, those things came. orcs? After they were dead, Alkahar and Legolas ran up."
Eledan frowned, but nodded his head slowly. "Interesting."
She looked at him, and laughed. "Yes, very. But it's all the same. There, my life had abandoned me. Here, I have no place." She shrugged, and her eyes fell to the side. She noticed Legolas, sleeping there.
"What's with princy over here?" She motioned toward him with her head.
Eledan grinned. "Do you wish to ride with Legolas tomorrow?"
"Ride with him?"
"Are you not coming with us to the hall of his father? Surely you do not wish to remain in the forest alone?"
"I guess not," she said.
"Then you must ride with someone tomorrow, as there are now five of us, and only four horses. Do you wish to ride with the prince?" He raised his eyebrows.
"No," she said. "He scares me."
"Oh, he will not harm you, Cate. He is just cold."
"It's not that," she said. "It's just. if I'm not careful, I think I might fall in love with him."
He frowned and cocked his head to the side. "I have always understood love to be a good thing."
She shook her head. "Love is bitter. And when it is gone, it leaves you cold."
He looked at her in surprise. "You are young yet, but already you have tasted the grief of age." He motioned to Legolas. "Do not be too harsh on him. He was hurt similarly, by a human even. He is only wary of you."
She nodded, and stood. Before going to lie down again, she kissed him on the cheek. "Your heart is in its winter season Cate. But winter passes." He frowned into the fire. Her eyes burned with a green flame, so familiar, but so far away.