"You can't honestly be considering leaving with this messenger from
Mirkwood?" Litherel asked exasperatedly, following me outside as I strapped
my pack to my black mare, Andúnë.
"I must, Litherel. It's the only way." Andúnë shook out her mane as I climbed up into the saddle, pawing the ground in happiness to be moving. "You must understand, I don't have another choice."
"When will you be returning?" she asked, her voice becoming distinctively more pained. A tear fell down my pale cheek, falling onto my hands. In entirety I had no idea when I was going to see her again. I didn't even know if I'd ever get the opportunity to gaze into her eyes anymore. "Aylen?"
"Don't worry, Litherel. Think of me after the dawning of the sun and expect to see me on the horizon." She placed a hand on my knee and whispered,
"Nai moina." With a curt nod of promise, I pressed my feet into Andúnë's side as coaxed her into a soft trot. Feeling the wind in my hair brought back memories of riding through the meadows with my brother as he told me of his travels in Gondor and Rohan. Though it was true that we were some of the last remaining clans of elves in Middle-Earth and we often stayed in our woods, leaders such as my brother ventured out into the wider world. Hooded cloaks were worn as not to attract attention to ourselves in cities when only the race of Man lived.
"I thought I told you I'd find you?" Legolas's cool whisper said near my ear. I started, not expecting to see his face so close to mine.
"I couldn't wait, heir Prince," I answered, trying not to look embarrassed at how he'd caught me off-guard. He glared ahead of himself, readjusting his position atop the saddle of his white stallion.
"Will you ever learn to call me by name, Aylen?" He said sadly, shaking his head with a sigh.
"What road will we be taking, Legolas?" He smiled, gesturing down a path of flattened grass leading south. The sunlight fell through the boughs of birches, casting shadows and light along the trail.
"There's a harbor that way," he replied. "Our path should not be dangerous. Should it turn ill, you seem quite gifted with a sword." I hid my blush. "I offer you a bow, if you feel gracious enough to take it?" He slid an intricate curve of white wood from somewhere near his side, placing it over my shoulder. I held my gaze on his fingers as they grazed my arm slowly, suppressing the urge to press my hand against his toned leg.
"Thank you," I breathed, taking a quiver of white-feathered arrows that he lay on my lap. "We ought to leave if we want to get the rose."
"Aylen!" someone cried behind me, but I had already pushed Andúnë into a gallop. Looking back through the sheet of golden hair flying behind me, I saw Litherel watching me go with sparkling eyes. Her dress of red silk whipped about her in the wind, as tears poured over her face. All I could do was wait until she'd shrunk into the trees standing between us...
"I must, Litherel. It's the only way." Andúnë shook out her mane as I climbed up into the saddle, pawing the ground in happiness to be moving. "You must understand, I don't have another choice."
"When will you be returning?" she asked, her voice becoming distinctively more pained. A tear fell down my pale cheek, falling onto my hands. In entirety I had no idea when I was going to see her again. I didn't even know if I'd ever get the opportunity to gaze into her eyes anymore. "Aylen?"
"Don't worry, Litherel. Think of me after the dawning of the sun and expect to see me on the horizon." She placed a hand on my knee and whispered,
"Nai moina." With a curt nod of promise, I pressed my feet into Andúnë's side as coaxed her into a soft trot. Feeling the wind in my hair brought back memories of riding through the meadows with my brother as he told me of his travels in Gondor and Rohan. Though it was true that we were some of the last remaining clans of elves in Middle-Earth and we often stayed in our woods, leaders such as my brother ventured out into the wider world. Hooded cloaks were worn as not to attract attention to ourselves in cities when only the race of Man lived.
"I thought I told you I'd find you?" Legolas's cool whisper said near my ear. I started, not expecting to see his face so close to mine.
"I couldn't wait, heir Prince," I answered, trying not to look embarrassed at how he'd caught me off-guard. He glared ahead of himself, readjusting his position atop the saddle of his white stallion.
"Will you ever learn to call me by name, Aylen?" He said sadly, shaking his head with a sigh.
"What road will we be taking, Legolas?" He smiled, gesturing down a path of flattened grass leading south. The sunlight fell through the boughs of birches, casting shadows and light along the trail.
"There's a harbor that way," he replied. "Our path should not be dangerous. Should it turn ill, you seem quite gifted with a sword." I hid my blush. "I offer you a bow, if you feel gracious enough to take it?" He slid an intricate curve of white wood from somewhere near his side, placing it over my shoulder. I held my gaze on his fingers as they grazed my arm slowly, suppressing the urge to press my hand against his toned leg.
"Thank you," I breathed, taking a quiver of white-feathered arrows that he lay on my lap. "We ought to leave if we want to get the rose."
"Aylen!" someone cried behind me, but I had already pushed Andúnë into a gallop. Looking back through the sheet of golden hair flying behind me, I saw Litherel watching me go with sparkling eyes. Her dress of red silk whipped about her in the wind, as tears poured over her face. All I could do was wait until she'd shrunk into the trees standing between us...