Legolas eyed the Avergaar as she bent down and lightly touched a spot
on the ground. They had been tracking for two days now and gaining rapidly
on their quarry. Barely a word had been spoken between the companions and
the stiff silence was starting to weigh on Legolas. It wasn't that he
didn't want to speak to the Avergaar; it was just that he didn't know what
to say. This Anarkyn didn't seem like one who engaged in mush casual
conversation. Or any conversation for that matter. Yet for some reason he
wanted her to trust him. Legolas didn't know why, but for some reason he
simply wanted to ease her pain. But he didn't even know if that were
possible.
Legolas sighed.
Maybe he felt he could sympathize with Anarkyn because he had always felt different. He was never treated in the same manner as a normal Sindarin elf. He was either singled out because he was royalty, or more often then not, because he did not have the dark hair and eyes of a wood elf. He too was an anomaly and he had only escaped ridicule by demanding respect because of his royal station.
"He's been this way." Anarkyn said as she straightened up and turned back to Legolas, breaking him from his reverie.
"We stop here for now. I cannot track in darkness however good my eyesight may be."
Legolas had no argument and slowly lowered himself down on the ground next to a large tree. The last night had passed, at least for him, in extremely uncomfortable silence. He had resigned himself to spending this one in a similar manner. His father had been right, the Avergaar made a very unpleasant travel partner. He closed his eyes for a moment and softly began to hum one of the lighter ballads he knew. It was better than the complete, icy silence that had been held for so long. As he slowly opened his eyes he was thoroughly surprised to find Anarkyn watching him intently. She glanced away quickly at his gaze.
"I used to be able to sing that," she said almost inaudibly, "It was my favorite."
Legolas's eyes widened a little. This was the first statement of anything close to conversation that the Avergaar had volunteered. Not to lose the opportunity he pursued the subject.
"I can sing the words if you would like," he offered.
Legolas took Anarkyn's silence for approval and softly began to sing the words. The song was a story of two lovers doomed to be apart when the one was killed in battle, but because of the purity of their love, an Elvin king was able to restore the slain one to life and the lovers were reunited. Legolas couldn't imagine the Avergaar ever singing anything, much less something that ended so happily. When he had finished he looked over at Anarkyn. She stared off into the darkness with something akin to a slight smile on her lips.
"I should have tried that sooner," Legolas thought to himself with a small good natured smile," That worked like nothing else so far."
He watched the Avergaar. She slowly looked back over to him. There was no expression on her face, but he could sense something different. Some of the pervasive pain he always felt around her had lessened. She still didn't trust Legolas, or even really like him for that matter, that was obvious, but now it seemed she might be capable of those things even if she didn't act on them yet.
She could be reached and that counted for something.
Legolas sighed.
Maybe he felt he could sympathize with Anarkyn because he had always felt different. He was never treated in the same manner as a normal Sindarin elf. He was either singled out because he was royalty, or more often then not, because he did not have the dark hair and eyes of a wood elf. He too was an anomaly and he had only escaped ridicule by demanding respect because of his royal station.
"He's been this way." Anarkyn said as she straightened up and turned back to Legolas, breaking him from his reverie.
"We stop here for now. I cannot track in darkness however good my eyesight may be."
Legolas had no argument and slowly lowered himself down on the ground next to a large tree. The last night had passed, at least for him, in extremely uncomfortable silence. He had resigned himself to spending this one in a similar manner. His father had been right, the Avergaar made a very unpleasant travel partner. He closed his eyes for a moment and softly began to hum one of the lighter ballads he knew. It was better than the complete, icy silence that had been held for so long. As he slowly opened his eyes he was thoroughly surprised to find Anarkyn watching him intently. She glanced away quickly at his gaze.
"I used to be able to sing that," she said almost inaudibly, "It was my favorite."
Legolas's eyes widened a little. This was the first statement of anything close to conversation that the Avergaar had volunteered. Not to lose the opportunity he pursued the subject.
"I can sing the words if you would like," he offered.
Legolas took Anarkyn's silence for approval and softly began to sing the words. The song was a story of two lovers doomed to be apart when the one was killed in battle, but because of the purity of their love, an Elvin king was able to restore the slain one to life and the lovers were reunited. Legolas couldn't imagine the Avergaar ever singing anything, much less something that ended so happily. When he had finished he looked over at Anarkyn. She stared off into the darkness with something akin to a slight smile on her lips.
"I should have tried that sooner," Legolas thought to himself with a small good natured smile," That worked like nothing else so far."
He watched the Avergaar. She slowly looked back over to him. There was no expression on her face, but he could sense something different. Some of the pervasive pain he always felt around her had lessened. She still didn't trust Legolas, or even really like him for that matter, that was obvious, but now it seemed she might be capable of those things even if she didn't act on them yet.
She could be reached and that counted for something.