Here is the second chapter! Hope you enjoy the developments to come. Thank you all for the support and views! Once more, reviews and responses to this story will keep it going. I do not own anything, I'm a poor college student.
I woke up to my alarm going off on my phone and it not being plugged into the charger by my bedside. Instead, Legolas was holding it, turning it over and over, attempting to find a way to turn it off. Surprised by my own lack of surprise as to him actually still being here and not having been a dream, I sat up and said, somewhat groggily, "Touch the screen and slide it to the right." It took him a few tries, but when he did get the screen to move he made a sound that could be taken as surprised confused and impressed all in one. He proceeded to swipe back and forth on the pages of my phone while I put on my glasses and attempted to wipe the sleep from my eyes. Looking back at the elf (the freakin' elf!) in my room, I was instantly grateful I slept with my hair braided so it remained somewhat maintained. I noticed a few things were shifted around on my desk, which presumably meant he got bored through the night looking at the maps and shifted through my engineering and calculus work.
"How did you sleep?" He asked.
Smiling and fully standing out of bed now, I replied "Well enough, still feeling fresh from the hiking yesterday so that's good. What about you, how was your night?"
"I have the maps fully memorized. I spent the last few hours of the dawn looking through your papers and trying to discern what their function was. Some of the notes and figures on the page are beyond me. What language are they, for it is not the Common Tongue as I know it."
"Ah that would be Greek I think. In math and engineering we run out of our own letters so we use the letters from another language as labels for many things."
"You will have to show me how you use these letters in your math. Mathematics was always an intriguing topic to me in my earlier studies, but yours seems very different."
I grinned at him and explained, "Well I think you'll get the chance to have a bit explained by some of the best. That is, assuming you're still fine with coming to classes with me?"
Accepting his nod, I stepped toward him and asked for the phone that was still in his hand. Noting the coolness of his fingers as he placed the phone in my palm, I checked the time and the weather. Thanks to Texas spring, it can be 80F one day and then 60F the next. Today was sunny but with a definite winter chill still lingering.
Knowing that my roommate had left for her 8am from her boyfriend's room, I suggested Legolas change back into his attire from yesterday, because while yes, it is college and you can wear whatever you want, the engineering students tend to be on the more intelligent side which somehow equates to a higher standard of dress. Now, nothing fancy, but it just generally means I end up wearing nice jeans or shorts with a t-shirt or the occasional casual top. Gym shorts and sweats are usually not a thing at this college (except for finals week of course).
Leaving him to change, I went into the bathroom and quickly got myself dressed and ready. My first class was Engineering Analysis, a programming engineering class that basically teaches you how to solve complex problems using loops and conditional statements and yeah...MatLab script writing. Basically it's super nerdy and super fun.
I emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later just about ready to take on the undoubtedly curious day. The engineering class was in a room adjoining the dorm building so getting there by 10:10 was never a problem. Seeing my guest was just as well ready, gazing out the window that overlooked a grassy and tree covered field between two department buildings. Gathering my laptop and spirals for the day, I shouldered my ever packed backpack and opened the small mini fridge the dorm rooms had. I tossed Legolas a clementine back handed, know very well he was aware and could catch it. I took one for myself as well and we were out the door. As we walked down the hallway, I provided Legolas with some basic information he might need to know should someone question him or if we get separated. His name was Leo, visiting the school from New Zealand as a prospective student. He's taken his basics back home and is looking to branch out some and move to a school in Texas. I've actually hosted German exchange students in high school, so I was on the list of available hosts. If we get separated, he is to ask someone for directions to the visitors center where I will hopefully arrive at shortly. It wasn't a perfect story, but hopefully it would do for the time he was here. However long that was to be...
Greeting and waving at several people in the dorm as we left, I noticed Legolas' hair had shifted and part of a delicate ear too was peeking through. Again, at college, long hair dudes were not an uncommon thing (especially if they were presumably from New Zealand apparently) but I doubt people would miss the pointed ears thing. Stopping us right outside the classroom on the fairly low traffic sidewalk, I turned around so I was facing Legolas rather than by his side. The height difference was comfortable enough where I wasn't looking up at an uncomfortable angle to see his face, and subsequently his ear.
Quietly, I informed him, "Your ears tip is poking through your hair. Can you fix it?"
He moved his hands towards either side of his head and felt for the tips. One was still subtly concealed, but he felt the other one. He attempted to shift his hair around a bit to hide it, but only seemed to enhance the problem. Biting the inside of my lip I tried not to laugh or grin at the utter ridiculousness of the entire situation of my life at the moment.
Lifting my hand towards the side of his head, I asked, "May I?"
He sighed in defeat and twitched up the corner of his mouth, amused as I tried to brush and smooth his hair into a proper place. Being what he is, his ears were quite sensitive, and I one again found myself biting the inside of my lip as a chill seemed to pass through his body and into mine when my fingertips brushed his skin. When I looked away from my handiwork, I was surprised to find him staring intently at me once again.
Grabbing my hands, he inspected them, and make his observations out loud. "You have peculiar hands Lady Juliana. They are steady and gentle, but I can see from the scars on them and callouses that they are well worn from working. Yet, there is still an elegance in your finger. Do you know why this is?"
Suddenly grateful for my abundance of close guy friends, I was able to have this man hold my hands without shaking or feeling uncomfortable. Marching band grants you a sort of closeness ad brotherhood amongst section members, so in a section predominated by males, who treated you as one of the bros, I have a great amount of comfort interacting with guys in most all circumstances. Looking at his face, our eyes met.
"I think it comes from a combination of things, honestly. I've always been an outdoorsy type, even when my brother was not. I played sports, learned self-defense, helped out at my grandpa's farm, and I've done quite a bit of land maintenance and kitchen work at a summer camp. Playing the bassoon and doing keyboard percussion gave me fluidity in my fingers, as well as the first aid training I took a couple years ago."
Once again, he looked at me strangely. "Juliana, you have the hands of an elven warrior. Capable and strong, but gentle and compassionate."
He smiled as he said this, and gently lowered my hand to where they hung between us and then finally released them. I thanked him, assuming it was a compliment-it sure was for me, being compared to an elf in any way. We began to walk once again, now nearly at the door. Unbeknownst to me, our interaction had not gone unnoticed.
As usual, I was early to class by a few minutes. This gave me time to add a chair next to mine in the front (bad eye sight props) and start up my laptop. The classroom was simple enough. Small for a college room, no doubt, only about 30 seats. For the engineering school this was normal however, considering a lot of our work is very hands on and user based, not conducive to large lecture halls. Your laptop and your TI-89 calculator are your best friends in life. Legolas was intrigued by the room and its lights and projectors. Because there were already a few students in the room, I couldn't explain exactly what everything was, and he was aware of this, so he sat next to me, watching my hands type and pull up the last program we were working on in class.
The silence between us was beginning to get a bit too thick, despite his interest in the program being written on my laptop, so I was quite grateful when my two friends in the class walked in together like always. They took their seats to my left, Legolas being on my right. Sam and Adam were both guys in the baritone section of the marching band with me here at college, and despite both being well over 6 foot, were basically computer nerd teddy bears. Greeting me with their usual enthusiasm, they immediately noticed my acquaintance. True to their personalities, both introduced themselves and went to shake his hand before I had the chance to even return their greetings. Legolas seemed startled by their sudden arrival and introductions, but managed to put up a winning smile (and boy was it winning) and shake their hands, introducing himself just as we had discussed.
Both guys to my left looked genuinely interested in him being from so far away, but rather than ask him more about where he was from, they decided to play the big brother card (the baritone section being 22 of us, and 17 were guys, so I had become the subject of all their protective instincts) and asked how he knew me. Well, the way Adam worded it was "So how exactly do you know our Juliana?"
Saving him from the explanation, I offered our story of being an exchange student host, which they both already knew from before so they easily accepted it. As usual the two of them then went off of a humorous and loud conversation about one of the many nerdy things we joke about. To others it just sounds like gibberish but to us, it was hilarious. I couldn't help but join in and watch Legolas' reaction of amusement. Our running joke with the three of us in the class was programming different loops and functions to output words or puns based on their purpose. The number eleven is extremely comical for the entire baritone section, and I could explain why, but sometimes band humor is better left unsaid. The small time in the corner of my laptop screen read 10:12 and the professor walked in. Now Dr. H was one of those professors who is fairly young, only having graduated ten years ago from college, the same college he now teaches at actually. He is an electrical engineer so software, circuits, and programming is his thing. This guy is extremely personable and friendly. He also has a reputation for being very enthusiastic and dedicated to his craft. Willing to teach in different ways and very patient with students, he was easily one of the most liked engineering professors. He is also and alumni of the marching band, so he had a special affection for the three of us in the front who March and do engineering just like he did.
Pulling of his sunglasses and greeting the now full class, Dr. H tossed his bag and jacket onto the nice chair upfront and smiled at us all.
"Alight I hope you all had a relaxing and fun weekend, because today we are going to learn how to do image processing using MatLab! By image processing I just mean we are going to do some cool math in loops and make Instagram filters on your laptop."
Clapping his hands once and bouncing on the balls of his feet he moved behind the podium that had a desktop secured to it and began to pull up the program. As he adjusted the screen resolution, Dr. H noticed the man next to me, and knowing it was too late in the semester for class adds, he assumed he was a visitor.
Addressing Legolas directly, he said, "You must be vising! I'm Dr. H, Let me know if you have any questions about our engineering program after the lecture, and I'd be happy to talk to you about the school. What's your name and where are you from?"
Since it was a small class, everyone was aware to the conversation up front, and luckily, Legolas is not one to shy from the attention of the room. As he rose gracefully to his full height, I was reminded that this man (elf) was royalty. He knew how to carry a room and speak with conviction and authority. He has rallied armies, and negotiated war terms. He spoke confidently and with ease, adding to the authenticity of his introduction.
"Thank you for allowing me to sit in on this lecture. I am Leo. I am visiting from New Zealand as a prospective student to your program. Juliana is my American host for these next few weeks, so I hope to see many of you around the campus."
When he sat back down, is saw his eyes shift to the side to look at me for approval, and I quirked up the corner of my mouth in affirmation to his speaking. Any of the girls in the class were already trying to memorize his face and savor his exotic accent. We may be computer and math fanatics, but we aren't blind.
Dr. H grinned and said to him, "Well Leo we are very glad to have you, especially from so far away. Welcome to America and welcome to Texas!"
With that he began the lecture, showing us how to take any image and run each pixel as addressed in a matrix and multiply that by some constant for every single pixel and then add them all up. The program spat out a new image that was under some filter. These ranged from edge sharpen, to blur, to colorize, and many more.
The entirely of the class I sat with my laptop angled towards "Leo" as to help the facade of him interested in learning engineering. Honestly, Legolas was probably quite interested, but I would image his intrigue was mostly just watching a computer operate. When class was over, almost done of us noticed, as we were gladly playing around with the new program to different images. Adam and Sam has already found a way to combine filters. Dr. H dismissed the class, not without shouting a new homework assignment at us as we left the room.
Normally I would walk to my next class with Sam and another friend from engineering, but today I drug behind with Legolas, so we could walk alone and talk openly.
"Do you really think it will be a few weeks until we can get you home?" I asked with a bit of hesitation.
Legolas replied, almost grim, "No, I think it will be much longer. But I don't plan on imposing myself into you for much longer than a few weeks. I'm aware you have studies to attend and don't need my added conflict to your life. I've already imposed myself much more than I should have."
"You're thoughtfulness is much appreciated, but just so you know, I'm a big proponent of seeing things through to the end. I am glad to help, to try and get things back to how they are intended to be. It is not coincidence we ran into each other at Dawson. The people brought into things may not always seem like the most qualified, but your story is now just as a part of mine as mine is to yours. God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. I'll see my part in things out to the end, because that's what you'll need if we are to keep things on their proper track."
We were now about to cross the street to head towards the massive science building. The science building does not look like an academic structure. It looks like a castle, with three huge towers coming off the main body, with steeples and a massive clock tower that chimed every hour. The front of it was entirely glass walls with several doors, all behind six massive columns, giving it a very classical Greek feel.
The building must have stopped what Legolas was about to say next to my response, because he instead said "How beautiful. The buildings here look as if they could have been from my world, just without the tree and forest surrounding and built into them."
I agreed, for the architecture was part of what made me fall in love with this university. I voiced this and nearly tripped on the sidewalk when he said back to me, "yes, you certainly have an eye for beauty".
Issuing a soft smile as a response, we came to the doors and I led us through the many hallways and upstairs to the huge lecture hall that my physics course was in. Grateful that Sam had saved me and Leo a seat around our usual spot, we took our places. The hall could hold about 200, and it was because of this I had no problems having Legolas there with me. Really anyone could sit in on the class and the professor wouldn't notice.
Another of my friends from the baritone section was in this physics class and he normally sat next to me where Legolas was, so he instead sat next to Legolas. I introduced Gabe to "Leo" and much like Adam and Sam, Gabe greeted him graciously and even brought up causal small talk that occupied Legolas enough for me to take out my noted for the class and get myself oriented for the lecture. When the professor called us to attention and began, I mostly couldn't focus. Partially because the subject material was simple enough and partially because I was watching Legolas sketch a beautiful flower on a sheet of paper. Class dragged on and on, until it finally let out, everyone rushing to leave as usual. Saying bye to my two friends I intended to make a show of haste to Legolas so he would be prepared to depart quickly. My next class was on the opposite corner of campus and was quite a walk. It took nearly all of the 15 minutes of passing time to get there.
The day has cleared up considerably, with the sun making a sudden appearance. Students were everywhere, going all directions to their respective classes or dorms. Legolas and I merged seamlessly into the crowd, passing through the throngs of people.
"Sorry to rush, this last class is fairly far away," I explained.
Weaving around a group of frat boys, Legolas replied, "It is of no worry. I prefer to move ahead and move quickly. I may be immortal, but I don't like wasting time needlessly."
"I'm so glad you said that. I am way too impatient to get caught behind slow walkers. It is quite possibly one of the most frustrating things to me."
As if on que, I lost sight of Legolas in my peripherals, and when I turned my head back to catch sight of him again, I was amused to find he had slowed his walk to a mild canter. His expression was one of aloof innocence, and it seemed he was about to start whistling. I made a show of shrugging in mock indifference and picked up my own pace while glancing back at him with a look of amusement. Seeing he also has a mischievous glint in his eye, I turned around and kept walking, not putting another glance behind me. Let's see who would break first. I had nothing to lose by losing him. He very well knew this, and this all being in good fun, he ended up breaking first.
One moment I was walking, laughing to myself, and the next he has silently slid up next to me and slowed down my walk a tad by grabbing my hand.
"You are quite a funny human Juliana. I am glad it was you who found me in the woods."
He released my hand and I smiled at him, "You aren't that bad I guess. Not early as strange and unsettling as the books from this world suggest." I grinned a bit more at saying this and was glad to see he caught my joking, as he let out a sudden laugh, clear and smooth.
Now the class we had arrived at was by far one of my favorites. It was not common for engineering majors to take an interest in this particular field, yet I always had wanted to take these courses and my life had been changed all for the better because of them. The class we were about to enter was an ancient philosophy and theology class. It covered philosophers from Socrates all the way through the theologians up to St. Augustine's time. I had already taken the philosophy and theology class from medieval times, focusing more on Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Anselm of Canterbury, and Dante. I had the same professor for this class as I had for the previous one, and every day I leave class more intrigued and confused about life than the day before. And I absolutely loved it.
I gave Legolas no warning as to what this course would be covering, so when the professor jumped right into Aristotle's Ethics and discussing the human telos Legolas was taken aback a bit by the stark difference in this lecture from the previous two. The professor and I have a good relationship in that he bases a lot f theology around music, which is something I identify with strongly. Many times in class I have to restrain myself from dominating class discussions. Thinking about thought, about virtue, about the human good, it was one of my favorite thing to do besides solve a complicated math problem.
Legolas was quiet for almost the entirety of the class, mostly because there was no way for him to participate, and there being only 18 of us in the class, it was difficult for me to try and talk to bout anything without being rude. It was my turn to be incredibly surprised when the professor posed the question "So what come first in a rightly ordered society? Good citizens or good law? Which begets the other?", and it was not one of the usual participants who answered but none other than my companion.
"Well according to Plato and Aristotle you must train citizens into good habituation by the enforcement of sound law as made by those qualified y their proximity to the highest good."
My professor seemed startled at first when he saw who was talking as it was not one of his regular students. "That exactly right, Im sorry I didn't catch your name. You must be visiting?"
"Yes, I am Leo. I'm visiting from New Zealand. Juliana is my guide."
"I see she is. Have you studied Aristotle and Plato before Leo?"
"Yes, actually, I know their works quite well." He said this in a peculiar way, and I was certainly going to ask how in the world he knew about Aristotle and Plato.
"Wonderful, I look forward to hearing more of your insight as the course progresses. Alright, that is it for today, you are dismissed."
Once we were out of the room and out of ear shot from any others, I asked Legolas how on earth he knew about these ancient philosophers.
His answer was not what I was expecting. "I was quite surprised to her talk of these men when we began the class, for I thought they were only of my world. Aristotle was a tutor in the courts of my father for a time, I was but a few decades old during this time, but I had sat in on a few of Aristotle's lectures with the elders of Mirkwood alongside my father. He was a peculiar man with a brilliant mind. "
I cut off what he was about to say next as I started mutter numbers and dates out loud. When I had finished my calculations I stopped dead in my tracks. "Based on how old you were in the timeline of the books and how that lines up with our world and the time when Aristotle was around, it would seem your first few decades of life were the first few decades after Aristotle died. Are you meaning to tell me that after Aristotle died he was in your world? How is that possible? What does that even mean? You actually studied under the Aristotle?"
Legolas had turned back to stand in front of me, and eyed me carefully. "I do not doubt your calculations Juliana. That is quite strange. There is no record of Aristotle from my realm until a certain date and at this time he was already an old man. So I guess it is possible that this was the same man, and equally possible he was there after having died in this world. I am here so movement between the worlds must be possible. How interesting. I will have to ask my father what he kno-…" Legolas trailed off here and furrowed his brow.
I looked at him quizzically and asked, "Is something wrong? Is Thranduil not well?"
He set his gaze upwards toward the sky, and I could see his jaw working. "My father has sailed the sea." Abruptly he turned, and began to walk. "Come, make haste Juliana, I must return to the wood and begin my investigation. I must find a way back to Mirkwood.
Obediently I followed, this time leaving with more questions and confusion than ever before.
Both Legolas and I were apparently people of not wasting words, because up to this point our conversations had been with ease and casual, neither minding the lulls that occurred. Silence did not bother either of us, but before now that silence had been built on companionship. Despite having known him for less than a day, it seems I am be able to read Legolas, and he just as well to me. The silence that crept between us now as we walked toward the parking garage was not the same silence that had been with us before. I knew Legolas was thinking about something of deep importance to him, and something was wrestling back with his mind and quite possibly even his heart. I knew it was not yet my place to ask about this, and if he needed me to know, I would have to trust that he would tell as I needed to know it.
When we had climbed the stair to the level my car was parked on, I broke the silence remembering we had no yet had lunch. And by broke the silence, I mean my stomach broke it for me. Legolas and I made eye contact, because I knew he has heard it. Slowly our neutral expressions both cracked into grins and from the grins we both let out a relieving laugh.
"Do you require we go get food before continuing?" he asked still grinning.
"Shut up, I can wait until after I drop you off, unless you need to stop too."
He looked at me and questioned, "Are you not going to accompany me in my search? It is not expected of you, but I had just assumed you would be joining me."
I shook my head as I unlocked the car and got in, "No, I have ensemble rehearsal in a little while. I was just going to drop you off and pick you back up at the same spot when the sun started to set. That gives me time to take care of some work and find you a more permanent place to stay for a while. Plus I would probably just slow you down."
We were now moving out of the garage, windows down and my typical cello music softly playing in the background. "But did you need to get food before you go out? It will be several hour before I come back."
Shaking his head, Legolas replied, "I do not need to eat as often as your kind does. If I get hungry I can find some berries to sustain me for the time being. I am very capable of maintaining myself in the woods, they are my home. I do not know much of your world, but the nature still speaks to me, as clearly as the tree back home had. Their voices are father away it seems, but they reach out to me, curious as to find one whose mind can begin to connect with theirs."
Not sure what to say next, I made a sound of agreement, and continued to drive, enjoying the now beautiful day. A thought struck me as we drove. If Tranduil has really sailed, then was Legolas the King of Mirkwood? Why would the King go on a quest, leaving his kingdom alone? What would they do now that he was absent? Not wanting to upset him,, I decided to wait until Legolas returned from this trip, so that he might have found some of his own answers first.
We arrived at the park, pulling into the same area had parked the day before, knowing this would give Legolas the best chance of retracing his steps. When we stopped, I got out of the car with Legolas, to open the trunk. Nodding in thanks, he pulled out his weapons, both of us hoping he may not need them for defense, but knowing that in events such as these, it was never good to be left unprepared. Standing outside the car, I pointed toward where we had emerged from last time.
"That way should take you directly back to the river trail and from there, the Highlander Trail. I be back when the sun starts to set."
He looked at me with gentle kindness, "Juliana, your help has truly been a high blessing. I hope to find what I am looking for out there this afternoon, and if I do, this will be the end of our time together. As much as I do wish to return to my realm, it saddens me to leave when we were just forming our bond. Do not wait for me past when the sun has fully disappeared. If I have not returned to you by then, it means that I have found my passage home. I do not wish this to be our last meeting, but you must understand my need to return home?"
I smiled back at him and although there was a bit of sadness in my eyes, I answered genuinely. "I understand Legolas. You are needed. Your people need you, and Mirkwood needs you. You have a quest to finish. It is apparently possible for people to travel between the worlds, seeing as Tolkien was able to record the events of your world and Aristotle was with you after he was here. So no matter what happens, I do not think this is the last time we will meet. If I'm being honest, I feel an ease with you, like we've met before, or we were meant to have this encounter. I will wait for you here, but in the case I don't see you again, thank you for your story. Not just this one, but the ones from before. Reading them gave me hope. Never stop fighting. Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn." I did not know why or how those last words came from my mouth. I assumed it was Elvish, but I never was that much of a nerd to have learned the language.
Legolas looked at me in utter shock, hearing his own tongue. The words seemed to have a very peculiar effect on him, and I sensed a shift in his demeanor. What did I even say?
Legolas stepped closer to me and for a moment I though he was going to give me a hug in departure. Instead he lifted my hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. I smiled at him then, and laughed.
"Go, Legolas, you have much area to cover before nightfall. Good luck."
He nodded then, and I heard him utter something along the lines, "A star blessed meeting indeed," and with that, he was gone, running off into the trees, unbelievably light and fluid.
As I got back into my car and started to drive back to campus, I wondered about his last words and the phrase I had said. I knew what I had said was of some importance or significance, but was it related to what he said about 'a star blessed meeting'? Or was that just some elvish farewell?
The drive back was uneventful, but I did manage to grab some lunch on the way back. I walked into the dorm building, backpack and food in hand. I had barely made it to my hallway before two figures blocked my way. Oh no. I thought I had avoided this. Emily and Samantha, two of my close friends in the dorm from my hallway, stood in my way, both with huge grins and mischief in their eyes. I was not looking forward to what was coming.
It was not surprisingly Emily who started. "Hey. Soooo….how was your day?"
I rolled my eyes and kept walking, both of them following me. "It was fine thank you, how was yours?"
They were no buying it, and they knew I knew what was about to happen. Emily continued. "Oh it was pretty normal. I saw something kinda interesting today though, this morning on the way to class. What about you Sam, did you see anything strange?"
Sam smiled even more now, and kept playing along. "Yeah Emily, now that you mention it, I think I did."
Finally Emily cut to the chase, "Who in the world was that beautiful man you were holding hands with outside?! You know I live my love life vicariously through you, so why didn't you tell me about this guy? Heck, even if you weren't involved with him you should have at least mentioned you knew a guy that gorgeous!"
I stopped her there, knowing she would keep going if I didn't. "I am not involved with that guy! At least not in the way you're thinking! And we were not holding hands! We were talking. His name is Leo, and he is a prospective student from New Zealand. Remember how I mentioned I used to host exchange students? Well I was the only one in the system who came to the school he was looking at, so he came to my classes today."
Emily and Sam were really not buying it. "So you're telling me I did not see you and tall blonde and handsome outside intensely staring at each other while you fixed his hair and then held hands? Okay last time I checked, you so do not do that with foreign guys who you just met."
Emily looked at me expectantly, and I sighed in partial defeat. "Okay yeah, I moved his hair and he held my hands, but he was asking about the callouses and scars I have from working in the kitchen at camp and doing land work. But it isn't anything like what you are implying. He is having some complications back home, so I'll find out tonight if he is able to stay or not for a while longer."
Sam scoffed a bit before saying, "Yeah no body looks at me the way that guy was looking at you when they are asking about my hands. Juliana, I don't think a guy has ever looked at me like he was looking at you. You've either got to be blind or dumb not to see that."
Seeing my out, I retorted, "Well it's a good thing I'm legally blind then isn't it?"
All three of us laughed at this, my eye sight being an on running joke in the dorm building. We had reached my room, and the two of them followed me in without invitation, like always. Noticing the papers on my desk, Emily asked, "Since when are you into maps of Dawson Park? I thought you said you were the 'trust your instincts and hope' kind of hiker?
I shuffled them into a pile a set them aside, "I am, but a little bit of familiarity couldn't hurt." I hated not being completely honest with them, but there was no way I could tell them the truth, at least not yet. If Legolas never returned then I would let it be, but if he came back and was around us enough, Emily and Sam were going too suspect something different about him. And it wasn't exactly my place to explain his situation. Sam went into the bathroom, and Emily and I sat on the floor, Emily telling me about her frustrating English class.
Emily was midway through a sentence about the unfair grading policy the professor had when Sam came out of the bathroom, holding something in her hand. "Um, Juliana, what's this?"
I looked at what she was holding, and I worked very hard to not let the confusion show on my face. In her hand was something that looked like a headband, or maybe a circlet of some kind. The really strange part was it seemed to be handmade, woven and braided using parts of plant. A single white daisy sat on what was probably the front. Where in the world did that come from?
Seeing my blank expression and my lack of answer, Sam and Emily looked at each other, and Emily started talking before I would form any words. "Is this from Leo? Was he in your room?"
I stood while shaking my head, "Yeah he stopped by yesterday, but I don't remember him having this or leaving anything. Maybe my roommate left it here. That looks like something she would wear." My excuse was immediately shot down when Sam then pulled out a note that was written on the back side of one of the maps of Dawson Park.
"Would your roommate have left a note with it that said "A star shines over the time of our meeting."? That sure doesn't sound like a saying from around here. This is definitely from Leo. I'm calling you on your bullshit, he is totally into you. Explain. Now."
A star shines over the time of our meeting? Why did that phrase sound so familiar? Legolas has mentioned something about a star before he left… So this note was from him. But why? When did he make this, or where did he get it? And why leave me with a note? Realization dawned on me. He wasn't planning on coming back this evening. Even if he didn't find his way back to his world he was going to stay in the park. Again I just shook my head, at a loss just as the two looking at me were.
"I….I really don't know. I've got to get to practice, but I promise I'll be able to explain more tonight, one way or the other." I ushered them out of the room, placing the circlet gently in my backpack along with my music and car keys. I grabbed my bassoon and made my way across campus to the music hall. The last thing on my mind was preparing music for a concert, and not even playing one of my favorite composers, Frank Ticheli, could hold my attention. The two hour practice lulled on and on. When the conductor finally dismissed us with what segments to focus the practicing I never need to do on. I hurriedly put away my instrument and acknowledged a few of my friends around, and made my way out to my car. It was still about an hour before the sun would start to set, but I wouldn't be able to do anything else here, I needed to get out of the campus bubble.
Throwing my things into the trunk of my car, I headed towards Dawson Park. Parking in the usual spot, I got some of my work out from my backpack. Sitting under a tree a bit away from the parking area, I started my reading due for tomorrows Christian History class (Religion minor remember). Trying to focus on the history of the corrupt papacy, the time passed somewhat quicker than the previous hours. The sun started to dip down, lessening my visibility, so I decided it was time to actively wait for Legolas to emerge from the wood, although the chance of him returning were apparently lower than I had originally thought. I started out by sitting on the hood of my car, but as time began to pass I grew antsy. Looking around, I saw a few trees that would be good for climbing. Pulling myself up onto the fork of the branches, relishing the exertion from my arms, and focusing on my balance, I swung up into the tree, making myself comfortable among the branches. I began to grow nervous as time slid by.
Checking the time on my phone, as well as noticing the sliver of sunlight left, I knew the window of his return was quickly closing. Giving him another ten minutes, I lay in wait up in the tree, listening for any sounds that could signify his approach. Ten minutes slipped by, and then fifteen. Now in near darkness, and starting to feel the chill in the air, I started my decent from the tree. When I landed softly on the ground below, I looked up at the first stars beginning to shine through. Thinking back to the note and our departing words, the phrase I had said in elvish came back to me. Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn. Its meaning ran across my mind like an elvish to English translator. A star shines over the time of our meeting. How was that possible? How had I said the same thing Legolas had written prior to his departure? That was why he had given me such a strange look when saying goodbye. I had unknowingly said to him the same thing he had left with me. This is was too weird.
Shaking my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I prepared to leave, I almost missed the distant call of my name. Turning back towards the path way in surprise, I saw a figure with long blonde hair trailing behind him running straight for me. Not with was not a movie moment reunion run. This was an elf dead sprinting for his life in terror type of run. Whatever Legolas' plan had been, I was almost certain this was not part of it. When he saw I had stopped and was waiting for him, he yelled, much closer now, "Go! Get out of here!"
Taking his cue, I began to run back towards my car, even though I had no intention of leaving him. I started the car and instead of getting in, ran to the back side and opened the trunk, and yanked out the bow and an arrow I had kept with me from the Halloween party costume. I saw Legolas about to burst from the woods, and there was something, something huge following not too far behind. At this rate, whatever it was would almost certainly catch up to Legolas before he could make it to safety. Notching the arrow and praying to God I remembered enough from my past shooting experience to not accidently skewer Legolas, I took aim at the general shape of the creature following him. If I could just slow it down for a moment, it would hopefully give Legolas time to make it to the car.
As soon as the thing broke the clearing, I let fly, hoping that I had at least hit something. The arrow sunk into what would have been around the leg area, and the beast howled in pain, stumbling just enough that when it came to a drop in the landscape it tumbled to the ground. Legolas continued to run at me, and I didn't waste any time in jumping into the driver's seat, throwing the bow into the backseat, and reaching over to open the passenger door from the inside. Legolas bounded the final distance to the car and just as soon as he landed in the car I threw it in drive and took off. I sped as fast as I dared on the winding roads trying to get out of the park. The only sound was the gravel shifting on the road and Legolas' deep breathing as he tried to compose himself. After several tense moments, I dared to ask, "Is it following us?"
Legolas shook his head, and taking a large breath o fair, replied, "No, it will not reveal itself to the rest of this world. He knows better than to do that."
Nodding, I continued to drive in silence, not sure what to say next. Luckily, Legolas spoke again. "That was the demon that fell with me into this world. I had not expected him to be so eager to finish what he has started. But Juliana, why, pray tell me, why did you come back for me?"
Staring straight ahead, I answered. "Well I found your note. So I knew you were not planning on coming back. But it was no coincidence we said the same thing. Something about this doesn't sit right with me. Plus I told you, I see things out to the end. Now I think you have a few more things to fill me in on before you are totally off the hook. Like for starters, how the heck do I know elvish?"
And there we have it! Send in reviews for more to come!
