Chapter 2
To his surprise, it was fairly easy to treat Jestial¡¦s ¡¥ailment,¡¦ but the healer had mentioned there was an aura of overhanging¡K vileness around her at that time. ¡¥Evil?¡¦ Leoglas had scoffed, ¡¥Impossible! Jestial is the most innocent elf I have ever met!¡¦ The reply was somewhat ambiguous: Beware.
He was still pondering this thought when he arrived at her door. Even before he had a chance to knock lightly on the door, her faint voice answered: ¡§Please come in, Prince of Mirkwood.¡¨ Slowly, he swung open the door and stepped inside. The room was dark but for a few lamps¡K and her soul¡¦s fire flickering in her palm¡Xwhich she was staring at. Neither of them spoke, and at last she sighed and said, ¡§What question might you have on your mind?¡¨
He didn¡¦t say anything; he stood there staring at her pale figure standing by the window, casting only a slight shadow on the unsoiled floor. After the incident, she seemed more withdrawn, and¡K mature. That was all he could think of to describe the new feeling he got from her. Now instead of the joyful, bouncing Jestial, she was replaced with a quieter and more serious elf, yet serene at the same time.
¡§Pray, speak,¡¨ she beckoned to him softly. ¡§Your mind is troubled.¡¨
¡§Jess, why have you changed so much?¡¨ he asked, perplexed.
¡§Change is not entirely bad, Legolas.¡¨
He sat down on the edge of her bed, whilst she still stood near the balcony, but she sensed his movement and turned to face him. ¡§Nay, but you¡¦re so¡K different.¡¨
She laughed softly, the regret and sorrow clear in her voice. ¡§Difference, similarities¡K they are but an illusion creatures on earth create to separate and join things.¡¨
Taken aback by the sudden yet accurate perception of it all, Legolas could only gape at her. But the spell was soon broken as he watched her sit tiredly on a chair near her dresser. ¡§Why do you have to drive and weary yourself so?¡¨ he burst forth.
She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. ¡§Weary? It is but a pebble from a mountain compared to what many others have to endure.¡¨ Jestial saw his eyes darken, and could feel his thoughts, which read: ¡¥But it hurts me to see you this way¡K there¡¦s something you won¡¦t tell me¡K why won¡¦t you let me share your burden?¡¦ She smiled gently. ¡§Do not worry yourself over me, Legolas.¡¨
¡§And why ever not?¡¨ he countered.
¡§I¡¦m not worth your time.¡¨
¡§Stop being so selfless!¡¨ he clenched his fists. ¡§Will you not laugh and be carefree like you once were?¡¨
¡§To do so would be selfish.¡¨ Now she seemed taller, wiser, and more grief-stricken than before. ¡§And it would be selfish of me to tell you, to let you be involved in something you shouldn¡¦t.¡¨
¡§Pray, stop talking in riddles,¡¨ he implored.
¡§I am not, Prince, I¡¦m merely trying to define selfishness for you in my own terms.¡¨
¡§Jess, what the (%*#& happened to you?¡¨ Legolas leapt up from his position on the bed. ¡§You never called me ¡¥Prince,¡¦ or spoke in puzzles that confuse the mind, and you never kept any secrets from me!¡¨
¡§Never is a strong word, Legolas, use it wisely.¡¨
Exasperated and frustrated, he sat back down. ¡§Then it does not matter, if you do not wish to divulge your pain to me, you need not to,¡¨ he relented.
¡§Very well, noble Elf,¡¨ she spoke with only a hint of misery subdued. ¡§But I will tell you one thing¡K my soul¡¦s fire is dimmer now.¡¨ Jestial held out her palm with the flame shining somewhat less than what he saw last time. ¡§I do not know the reason behind this, but it is an ill omen indeed.¡¨
Legolas did not heed her words, but stood up. Worried, Jestial also got up from the chair she was sitting on. ¡§Don¡¦t¡X¡§ she began, but was cut off when he pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡§What are you doing?¡¨ she whispered, pulling away slightly.
¡§What any good friend would have done in this situation,¡¨ he answered simply. ¡§Please, Jestial, don¡¦t leave me behind¡K¡¨
She smiled a genuine smile, albeit small. ¡§I won¡¦t, elves are ageless, you have forgotten?¡¨ she joked lightly.
¡§Yes, but it seems you have aged in a day, friend.¡¨ Silence followed his last statement, and this time he did not bother to break it. Jestial moved closer to him, tracing a slender finger down his cheekbone.
¡§Nay, you¡¦ll always be older by a century¡K and do not waste your time. Dear friend Elf, say you¡¦ll always be there for me.¡¨
¡§I¡¦ve always been, Jestial,¡¨ he murmured softly. ¡§Just don¡¦t grow up too quickly for me¡K today I behaved akin to a child compared to you.¡¨ And this time it was her turn to hold him close, though soothingly, unlike his. Legolas suddenly thought of the necklace charm she had thrown at him earlier, and he took it out of his pocket to return it to its owner. ¡§You left this here,¡¨ he started, but Jestial¡¦s head was unusually heavy on his shoulder, and when he lifted her chin up, her eyes were blank again. Her body was completely limp¡K lifeless almost if not for the almost undetectable breath she drew. Once again, he saw a fleeting glimpse of a hoofed animal run away into the distance. He tried not to panic.