Aletheio grinned, urging her horse forward with a slight squeeze of her thighs.
She reared and sped on faster than the wind, clouds of dust being kicked up in her wake. Her brown curls streamed out behind her, and Legolas shook his head, catching up on his own horse.
Sharing the look that they reserved for only one another, they raced across the landscape with inhuman speed. Indeed, they were elves, elves of Mirkwood. The best kind. Both of them were so similar, both were different from the other elves.
Legolas by his heritage, Leo from her past and her appearance.
People often mistook them for a couple, they would gag and laugh. Saying that they would rather be mortal than have to kiss one another. To some extent, it was true. But deep down they did, as a family does their siblings.
The day they realised they needed each other, was the day they were torn apart.
"-Aletheio has to go." Thranduil's face was set and his voice did not betray the pain he felt from letting one of his youngest and most vulnerable elves go into the dangers that she had to face.
"WHY! Tell me why father! She has lived in Mirkwood for so long. We need her. She has a part in everything!" Legolas' eyes clouded with tears that stung, but he was to proud to let fall.
Thranduil looked down at his young son with a steely gaze.
"She must go son, for her own sake. Her father is dying. She needs to see him."
Legolas drew himself up. "Then I shall go with her. She needs me. She can't even fire a bow! It's pathetic! She can't protect herself from everything out there."
Thranduil remembered his wife's death. "And you can? No, Legolas. She must take on the journey alone."
Legolas fumed, bursting out of the throne room in a tide of fury, coming face to face with-
"Leo! They're trying to take you away from me! Don't go! I need you!"
Aletheio looked at Legolas with red rimmed eyes. She had been crying.
"My father needs me more. I shall go. And I shall go alone. I know I can't fire a bow, but I'm not useless OR pathetic WHATEVER you think, Prince of Mirkwood. I do not bow to you." Her black eyes glittered and her earthy curls stood out proud and fierce. Her lip trembled but she showed no side of weakness.
Legolas reached for her hand and she jerked away. One simple movement that crushed him. She was the one who he confided with whenever he had problems, she was the one who he had shared his first glass of wine with, who he had suffered his first hangover with.
Aletheio turned her head, it hurt her to know she had caused the pain he had on his face, but couldn't he see? Her father was dying. She had to see him. He was all she had left.
Tears made tracks down her face and she felt Legolas touch her arm. He too had a silvery tear on his cheek, but he did not wipe it away.
Turning back to him she gazed into his eyes. Those pools of liquid sapphire that she could always read as easy as a book. Now they were hard and a steely grey.
"Go now if you must." his voice was harsh and surprised even him.
Aletheio nodded, and as she carried out her last order from Mirkwood, she cried the whole way.
Legolas woke from his cruel dream in a sweat. It had been over a century since he had said goodbye to his best friend. Over 70 years since he had stopped thinking of her. Why was it now when he was travelling to Rivendell had she re entered his thoughts?
Far off in Rivendell, Aletheio thought the same.
~^w^~
this was a challenge from one of my friends to release a fanfic I made 3 years ago. my writing style was so crappy.