Mae Govannen: Well Met

Im: I

Nin estar: they call me

Pedil: thou speakest

Edhellen: Elvish

Pelargir: The great port of Gondor

Pedin i phith al-rim rennin uin haedad Elrond: I speak the words not-many I remember from the teachings of Elrond

Mellon nîn: my friend

The preparations for the festivities had gone on since the crack of dawn. Many guests from near and far were expected, and therefore Éowyn wanted everything to be perfect. The occasion for the feast was nothing in particular, merely a way of bringing old friends whom had not met for a long time, together again. Since the end of the war of the Ring many of these friends had only met a few times, others not at all. And three of these friends she knew really needed to meet again. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli… a man, an Elf and a Dwarf. Races that against all odds had become close friends, caring deeply for one another. Two of them now so heavily occupied with rebuilding what little was left of their Kingdoms, and the third always on travelling foot, that they simply had no means of staying in touch like they would have whished. This she knew grieved them all deeply. Not to mention Aragorn and Gimli's concern for Legolas ever growing torment which the sea-longing had caused him ever since Pelargir. Both were afraid of loosing their best friend, yet both knew with painful certainty that they could not ask of him to stay, nor could they do anything to make him forget the calling of the Sea. No one could.
With all of this in mind Éowyn therefore decided to arrange this gathering and bring them all together. She looked out the window just in time to see the first guests arrive, and with a smile she rushed down to greet her little friends from the Shire, Merry, Pippin and Sam.

As the sun began to set the Golden hall of Meduseld was getting crowded, and the warm laughter of old friends was filling the hall. All had arrived but one, and Éowyn genuinely hoped his absence was merely due to late arrival.
She saw the look in Aragorn and Gimli´s eyes as the hour was getting late and Legolas was no where to be seen. And just as she finished that thought the Elf stepped through the door, and Éowyn let out a sigh of relief as she approached him.
"Legolas, I am so glad to see you, welcome"

The Elf bowed gracefully "My Lady, forgive my late arrival"

"There is nothing to forgive, I am truly glad you could come, now go find your friends, eat, drink and enjoy yourself"

Legolas smiled at his host and set about finding Aragorn and Gimli in the crowded room. Éowyn's eyes followed him, and a smile came upon her lips as she saw the warm embraces in which the three friends greeted each other. Now there was only one person missing, why had she not yet joined the festivities? She could not still be dressing… could she? So Éowyn went and knocked on the door to the guestroom before stepping inside. The slender yet bewitching woman was standing by the window in the room, staring out into the night.

"Númi?" Éowyn asked, approaching her dear friend, "what is the matter?"

The woman turned around and her eyes were filled with dismay.
"I feel ridiculous Éowyn" she said with a hint of anger in her voice. The sight of her friends' beauty took Éowyn's breath away and she had to blink a few times to believe what she was seeing.

"Ridiculous? What would possess you to say so? Númi you look so beautiful you take my breath away. My dress fits you perfectly"

"That is just it, I have never willingly worn one before, and I am not particularly keen on wearing one now, no matter how beautiful it is, or presumably makes me look. I feel uncomfortable, naked even!"

"Now you are being silly, I know this sort of clothing is as far away from your ordinary wardrobe as one can possibly get. But wearing a dress for one evening as a courtesy to me, will hardly kill you Númi"

The sceptical look on her friends face made Éowyn burst into laughter, although Númi seemed all but amused, "It is only for a few hours my dear friend, now get out there and start enjoying yourself", she finished while pushing the reluctant woman out the door.

"Alright, alright… but if I make a complete fool of myself it will be on your conscience dear friend!"

"Sweet Númi", Éowyn answers almost choking with laughter, "you do not know how to make a fool of yourself"

And once they were out the door and Éowyn closed it behind them the uncertainty had completely vanished from her friends' appearance. It was only her deep green eyes that shot arrows of dismay at Éowyn, but by the time they reached the huge hall, one could have believed that Númi had never worn anything but dresses in her life.

The instant their eyes met across the room Legolas forgot everything around him, it was like everyone had suddenly vanished but her. Aragorn was in the midst of telling a joke that just a second ago had made the Elf laugh heartedly, when he realized that his friends' attention suddenly shifted and that his laughter had died out in the midst of it, as if he had suddenly lost his breath. The look on Legolas face was of a kind he had never before seen, a look he could not interpret. It was as if the Elf had frozen in time and space, lost to everything and everyone around him, but the subject of his gaze.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow and exchanged a perplexed look with Gimli, whom had also noticed the sudden change in his friend. And both were thinking the same thought, but some how the expression in Legolas eyes told them that this was not the sea calling, besides he was not looking to the west. So what was it then that so completely had caught their friends' attention? Aragorn turned his head looking the same direction his friend was, and saw her. A huge smile curled his lips and he forgot all about Legolas as he made his way towards his cousin.

"Númi!" Aragorn drew her in too a warm embrace, which she gladly answered.

"Look at you, all grown up. I have not seen you since you were a young girl"

"Yet you do not seem to have aged a day Aragorn" Númi answered with a smile.

Aragorn gazed at the beautiful woman in front of him, remembering the wild child she had been so many years ago. A beauty even then, and no matter how hard Elrond had tried to make a lady out of her, she had refused in every possible way. Preferring to play with sword and bow with the other boys, no matter how angry she made her foster father. Suddenly he realized he had only once seen her in a dress, and he smiled at the memory of the one time Elrond had tried to make her wear one. All of Imladris had heard her outraged outburst, then watched as she had ran out to the balcony where she knew all whom whished would see her. There she had torn the beautiful gown of her self and ripped it into peaces. All the while screaming at the top of her lungs "I am not wearing a dress, and you can not make me!" Needless to say, Elrond did not try again. A short time after that Aragorn had left Imladris to go to war, and had not seen her since.

And now here she was, as breathtaking as ever, wearing a dress. Númi saw the amused look in his eyes as he gazed at her dress, and knew of what he was thinking. She smiled fondly and said "Do not go there cousin, I know of what you are thinking!"

Aragorn understood the hint and dropped the comment he had in mind, and instead drew her into yet another loving embrace before saying "Come, meet my dearest friends"

They walked over to where Legolas and Gimli were standing, noticing the stunned expression written all over their faces. He smiled at the obvious questions in their eyes, "My dear friends" he said with withheld laughter in his voice, "meet my cousin/…"

"Your cousin?!" Gimli cut off, dropping his chin even further.

"Yes master Dwarf, his cousin, and it is a true pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Númi" she replied holding out her hand to shake his. "The pleasure is all mine my Lady, I am Gimli son of Glóin" Gimli answered, taking her hand and kissing it.

Legolas had still not been able to take his eyes of her, so when she turned to him and their eyes locked he felt his heart skip a few beats, and he was unable to speak. Númi saw this and smiled, knowing she would have to be the first one to speak.

"Mae Govannen, nin estar Númi"

This snapped the Elf out of his voiceless condition.

"Mae Govannen… Im Legolas... pedil Edhellen???

The bewitching being in front of him had the clearest green eyes the Elf had ever seen. And her long wavy hair shifted in all the colours of deep red flames. Her skin was touched by sunshine, and he guessed that she spent most of her time outdoors. Had he looked a little closer he might have noticed her perfectly shaped body, slim and female, yet hard and shaped by muscles. But all Legolas could apprehend at that moment was her eyes and all of the emotions that reflected within them. He could not bring himself to stop staring into them. Númi's eyes did not let go of the hold she had on his blue elven eyes even for an instant, and the look in hers was straight forward and intense. Intense in a way one does not encounter in a regular person… especially not in a Lady. There was something there that puzzled him, that told him that there was more to this beauty then met the eye. Númi tilted her head slightly to the right and the intensity in her gaze grew even stronger when she answered the Elf's puzzled question.

"Pedin i phith al-rim rennin uin haedad Elrond"

But before the now completely lost Elven prince could come up with an answer to this new and utterly surprising news, Eomér came up to them and greeted Númi with a huge embrace.

"Númi, it has been too long my friend"

Her eyes let go of the Elf's, now instead focusing on Eomér and the spell was broken. The expression on her face was the sheer joy of encountering a long lost and very dear friend, and she warmly hugged him back.

"It has indeed…" she answered warmheartedly.

"You look… magnificent, I almost did not recognize you" Eomér said to her with a hint of tease in his voice, while peering up and down at her in amazement. This statement made the perplexed Elf even more confused.

"I almost did not recognize you… what did the man mean? Did she not usually look like this?" he wondered.

"Why thank you" she answered with a slightly poisonous touch to her voice, which made Eomér burst into laughter.

"Would the Lady care to dance?" he asked, still with laughter behind his words.

"Funny, very funny indeed! Lead the way, you!" she answered with acted anger as they left.

Legolas did not know what to believe, the sudden change to her behaviour when Eomér turned up strengthened his feeling that she was not what she seemed to be. This Lady, if that in fact was what she was, was a true enigma. Although what truly puzzled him was the feeling he got watching them dance and laugh together. It was an emotion he could not name, nor could he identify it. Something he had not felt before, a cold, dark shadow filling his heart and mind, and he was so rapped up and bothered by it that he did not notice Aragorn approaching him. So he jumped high in surprise when a hand landed on his shoulder and Aragorn said "Careful mellon nîn, so that those blue elven eyes of yours do not fall out" and smiled at the startled elf. The expression in Legolas eyes however, wiped the friendly smile of Aragorns lips, and he wrinkled his brows in question. What he had seen in his friends eyes, even if only for an instant, he had never seen there before. The Elf's eyes had been almost black and vicious, a trait he did not know Legolas to possess. What had called forth that state of mind in his friend? And even if the glimpse had vanished after an instant, it had caught Aragorn by surprise and made him loose his footing.

"Aragorn…" Legolas said still somewhat perplexed, "did you say something?"

When his friend did not reply Legolas noticed the shocked look in his eyes as Aragorn stared at him, and got worried "Aragorn? Are you alright?"

Aragorn decided to let the matter rest, noticing that his friend obviously was not aware of the look he had given him a minute ago. "Yes, mellon nîn I am fine, maybe a beer to many. But how about you? Are you alright?" The elf instantly picked up on the tease in his voice and put on a tricky smile "What about me Aragorn?"

"Oh come now Legolas! Had I not interrupted you when I did, we would have had to pick up your eyes from the floor!"

Legolas felt his face grow deep red and hot, and suddenly did not know where to look, so his embarrassed gaze landed on his feet. Aragorn resisted the impulse to laugh out loud as he saw his closest friends' obvious embarrassment. Instead he grasped his shoulders making their eyes lock as Legolas looked up, and said "Númi has always been a beauty Legolas, now… she is bewitching. You were by no means alone in staring at her."

Legolas tried to smile but failed miserably, feeling like an elfling caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He had not been aware of his own staring; all he had apprehended was this beauty and her green eyes. The rest was a bit blurry to him. He hastily took a step backwards to get loose from Aragorns grip and said with a thick voice "Goheno nin, but I believe I need a huge beer", and descended as quickly yet gracefully as he could bring himself to manage. Gimli walked up to Aragorn "Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I would if I myself knew Gimli…" he answered as he watched Legolas sink a huge beer and then yet another. The Elf looked really shaken.

"Should I be worried?" The concern in the Dwarfs voice could not be mistaken. And although Aragorn himself was a bit stunned by the Elfs sudden urge to flee, he did not wish to worry Gimli any further, so he put on a convincing smile and said "No my friend, I believe he will be fine", even if Aragorn wondered if he said it to calm Gimli or himself. Gimli was about to protest, and Aragorn had no desire to continue the discussion at this point, feeling he might give away his own concerns, so he quickly suggested they have another beer hoping his short friend would drop the matter for the time being. Gilmi gave him a stern look, but understanding the hint he accepted without further discussion.

Númi, although dancing and seemingly enjoying herself, had also noticed what had happened between the two friends. Her gaze might have left the Elf, but she had still had him in her eyesight without anyone noticing it. Now she saw him standing by the barrels of beer trying not to look her way, yet not quite managing. She thought of letting his torment go on for yet a little while longer, but decided her own curiosity was more important. So she thanked Eómer for the dance, and went outside the gates of the Golden Hall to look at the stars and catch some fresh air. As she had anticipated Legolas soon joined her, standing beside her in utter silence. She smiled to herself, wondering if she would have to be the one to start a conversation yet again. But decided that the silence was quite nice in contrast to the noise in the hall, so she kept quiet.

After a while Legolas began feeling uneasy from the silence between them "Ai… there are so many a things I wish to ask you, but I cannot seem to find the words. By Valar, what is wrong with me?!" he thought. He did not move a muscle, yet Númi picked up on his discomfort.

"I do not bite you know" she said turning her head towards him with a disarming smile on her lips. Legolas felt he was beginning to blush and thanked Valar for the darkness of the night. He felt her gaze on him and knew it would be rude not to meet her eyes, so he swallowed and nervously looked into them. There was nothing but kindness in them, kindness and warmth. He felt himself relaxing a little, yet still did not know what to say to her. His heart was pounding so fast and hard he was almost afraid she might hear it. He was baffled by his own feelings, by the way his body and mind was reacting to this beautiful woman beside him. No matter how much he tried to make sense of it, he simply could not understand it.

Their eyes were locked again, none of them wishing to turn their gaze away. Suddenly a hint of tease showed up in hers and she said "Are you always this quiet, or is it merely my presence?"

Legolas wrinkled his eyebrows in surprise, and let out a little chuckle as a shy smile came over his lips "I… no."

Her smile broadened and her eyes began sparkling "So it is my presence then that deprives you of your power of speech?"

To this Legolas did not know what would be a proper and polite answer, so again he said nothing. Númi turned to stand in front of him and reached for his hand. As soon as she took it into hers Legolas yet again felt his heart skip a few beats, for the second time that evening. Her touch was soft yet there was strength to it, and again he got the distinct feeling she was more then met the eye. Her eyes found his again and this time they were serious.

"Legolas… do not let my appearance trick you into believing I am something that I am not. Not all things are what they seem, and I am no exception."

He was about to protest but she softly put a finger on his lips, hindering him as he was finally about to speak.

"Please do not gainsay me lest you know of what you speak, and you do not… Now I bid you goodnight for I have an early morning…" And with this said, she softly caressed his cheek still gazing into his eyes, and then she was gone.

Legolas was stunned… no one had ever effected him like this before. He touched his cheek where her hand had caressed him, and was overwhelmed by emotions he did not understand. His entire being was behaving in a way it had never before. It was a pleasant yet frightening experience he simply could not grasp… "I must be cheated by some spell, for I do not understand any of this… by Valar… what is happening to me?"