Seasa's eyes jerked open abruptly, and she blinked several times as the
sudden light sent piercing pain through her skull. Her eyes darted around
the campsite, moving over the warriors who were packed and ready to move
out, coming to land on a tall figure before her.
She squinted up at him. "Where am I?"
Legolas snorted, reaching down and swiftly undoing her bindings. He jerked her to her feet without answering her questions, pushing her ahead of him towards a herd of unbridled horses waiting restlessly at the edge of camp. "Where do you think you are?"
Suddenly, the memories of yesterday came flooding back to Seasa, and she barely stifled her groan. "Dammit."
Legolas chuckled without amusement. "That's what I thought."
"Where are we going then? Am I to be released?" She asked determinedly, halting at the side of one of the horses, a splendid silver mouth with wide intelligent eyes.
Legolas scowled. "No. We are returning home to the Palace. The warriors have scouted the rest of the lands and found you to be the only spy."
"You were all sent out here for me?" Seasa asked, the tiniest tint of wonder seeping into her voice. Legolas frowned. "Don't flatter yourself. You are not what we were expecting."
"What *were* you expecting?"
Legolas frowned. "I do not know. But certainly not a lone, defenseless girl."
Seasa seized the opportunity. "I did not know Mirkwood warriors were so uneducated, sir." She answered patronizingly, and his gaze caught hers.
"What?"
"If you had shown more intelligence, you would have realized the reason that I am not what you are expecting is simply because I am not *who* you are expecting."
Legolas's brow furrowed and he snapped, "Speak not in riddles, my patience with you grows thin. What are you trying to say?"
Seasa sighed and with exaggerated poise, answered calmly. Her mind was racing trying to figure out a way for her to either a) be released, or b) delay the trip with enough time that she may find some way to weasel her way into the cold heart of the Prince of Mirkwood and let him protect her. "I am not *who* you are expecting," she repeated firmly. "You are expecting a spy and a traitor, whereas I am only a girl. You said yourself that I am lone and defenseless, what threat could I poise to the mighty house of Mirkwood?"
Legolas frowned, and reaching over, grabbed her by her waist and threw her astride the horse. She landed with a graceful 'oof', her hair falling into her eyes as he whispered mockingly to her. "The poisoned fangs of the serpent have brought down many a great steed, and yet, the horse may kill it with but a stomp of his foot. Thus are you a danger to even the mighty house of Mirkwood, for there is nothing in you but poisonous lies."
Seasa stared at him, her eyes wide and yet unreadable. He had thwarted her attempts yet again.
"Nothing to say to that, my lady?" he asked mockingly as he swung on gracefully behind her. She scowled. "Nothing you would like to hear."
He chuckled again. "Try me."
"I'd rather not."
Legolas ignored her answer for once, raising a hand to the warriors on either side of him. Two flanked him, two moved ahead, and two more fell into single file behind him.
Their bodies moved together with the strides of the horse, Seasa's posture tense and upright. A bird let out a shrill cry, and with a sigh, Seasa allowed herself to glance around the woods.
She had never been to this part of the forest before, had only lived in her little village, had never truly left the borders. The trees here were lighter somehow, freer, and darkness held less weight in these parts. Not like her own village, where black shadows and dark riders wandered freely..
She shook her head firmly. She would not think of it. She would focus only on her job, her mission, her role in the fight...
But Legolas noticed the new stiffness in her back, the way her eyes strayed to the forest floor and stayed there, despite the singing of the birds and the chirping of the forest animals.
"What is it?" He asked, unsure if he had the right to know, yet curious.
She shrugged. "Nothing, my lord."
Legolas's eyes widened slightly. 'My lord'? The fiery captive he had cornered yesterday would have rather been beaten and thrown to the wolves before calling him her lord.
But he said nothing, just tucked the piece of information away in his mind to be analyze later. 'My lord'?!
Suddenly, Seasa raised her eyes determinedly, and they shined a little brighter. She had an idea.
The sound of running water reached her ears, and she turned around in the saddle to search for the source. Instead, however, she found herself face to face with the baffled Prince of Mirkwood.
"Yes?" he asked dryly, their faces now inches apart as she twisted her torso around. To her horror, a slight flush found its way up her cheeks at being so close to him, and she shook her head slightly. "Water," she managed to stutter before regaining her composer. "Is there any nearby?"
Legolas inclined his head, in a manner that had more meaning as a 'Why?' rather then a 'Yes."
"It's just...well, if it isn't too much trouble...I'd like too...well...I need my privacy!" she blurted out, and after much furrowing of the brow, Legolas nodded in understand. "Ah." He said finally. "Well then."
"Esta simone! Rest here! " He called out after a moment to the leaders of the company, who immediately halted and turned to look at him with practiced ease. "We need to stop for a moment," he announced reluctantly, and one of the captains, Sindatil, glanced up impatiently. "No disrespect in anyway, my Prince," he began politely, and Legolas nodded his pardon. "But the sun rides high as it is and we do not wish to be trapped in the center of the forest as night takes its hold. We need to keep moving. The shadows are darker and hold more danger of late. It would be in our best interests to be closer to Thranduil King's halls by nightfall."
Legolas nodded in understanding. "This I know, Sindatil, but we shall not rest long. The captive has needs to attends to--" Seasa blushed furiously, but kept her eyes raised to stare at the now understanding eyes of the elves. "--and I cannot deny them to her. We shall not stop long." Turning to Seasa, he added, "Alright, you've gotten your wish. Go, there,--" he pointed to bushes several feet away,--" and we shall keep watch." When she did not move, he added, "Hurry now!"
Reluctantly, with the eye of every male in the camp on her, she swung off the horse, and disappeared into the bushes. The undergrowth, however, was not very high, and she frowned. Standing up, she could look straight into the eyes of several of the warriors, including the Prince, as they were high up, astride their mounts. She clucked her tongue disappointedly.
"Is this how you treat a captive, submitting her to ridicule? I thank you to dismount off of those horses and point your wandering eyes in another direction!"
With a sigh, but a nod, Legolas gave the order. "Dismount, men." He commanded wearily, and every single one of the men stood by their untacked mount.
Suddenly, Seasa let out a piercing shriek. "Ai!"
"What is it?" Legolas asked immediately, his bow notched in an instant, with hands quicker then the eye could see. Several of his men followed suit.
"Ai, Ai!" Seasa continued to scream. "Ai!"
Legolas lowered his bow, his face etched into a mask of confusion. "Seasa?"
"lhûg! Snake!" She finally managed and with a shout of alarm, Legolas and two other elves, including Sindatil, rushed into the undergrowth. "Where, where? I do not see it!" Sindatil cried anxiously, his knife out. Legolas kept his bow pointed low towards the ground, and suddenly stirred in the clump of leaves closet to Seasa's foot. With a shout, she raced out of the clump of bushes, back towards the horses. Several warriors asked her what was wrong, but she only repeated, "Lhûg, Lhûg!"
No one noticed as she slipped back into the trees, back towards the direction she had come. No one noticed as she slowly hid into the shadows, her slow steps taking her further and further away from the elves. She giggled soundlessly to herself, but when she was far enough away that their arrows couldn't reach her, yet she could still see them, she turn and ran, as fast as she possibly could.
She squinted up at him. "Where am I?"
Legolas snorted, reaching down and swiftly undoing her bindings. He jerked her to her feet without answering her questions, pushing her ahead of him towards a herd of unbridled horses waiting restlessly at the edge of camp. "Where do you think you are?"
Suddenly, the memories of yesterday came flooding back to Seasa, and she barely stifled her groan. "Dammit."
Legolas chuckled without amusement. "That's what I thought."
"Where are we going then? Am I to be released?" She asked determinedly, halting at the side of one of the horses, a splendid silver mouth with wide intelligent eyes.
Legolas scowled. "No. We are returning home to the Palace. The warriors have scouted the rest of the lands and found you to be the only spy."
"You were all sent out here for me?" Seasa asked, the tiniest tint of wonder seeping into her voice. Legolas frowned. "Don't flatter yourself. You are not what we were expecting."
"What *were* you expecting?"
Legolas frowned. "I do not know. But certainly not a lone, defenseless girl."
Seasa seized the opportunity. "I did not know Mirkwood warriors were so uneducated, sir." She answered patronizingly, and his gaze caught hers.
"What?"
"If you had shown more intelligence, you would have realized the reason that I am not what you are expecting is simply because I am not *who* you are expecting."
Legolas's brow furrowed and he snapped, "Speak not in riddles, my patience with you grows thin. What are you trying to say?"
Seasa sighed and with exaggerated poise, answered calmly. Her mind was racing trying to figure out a way for her to either a) be released, or b) delay the trip with enough time that she may find some way to weasel her way into the cold heart of the Prince of Mirkwood and let him protect her. "I am not *who* you are expecting," she repeated firmly. "You are expecting a spy and a traitor, whereas I am only a girl. You said yourself that I am lone and defenseless, what threat could I poise to the mighty house of Mirkwood?"
Legolas frowned, and reaching over, grabbed her by her waist and threw her astride the horse. She landed with a graceful 'oof', her hair falling into her eyes as he whispered mockingly to her. "The poisoned fangs of the serpent have brought down many a great steed, and yet, the horse may kill it with but a stomp of his foot. Thus are you a danger to even the mighty house of Mirkwood, for there is nothing in you but poisonous lies."
Seasa stared at him, her eyes wide and yet unreadable. He had thwarted her attempts yet again.
"Nothing to say to that, my lady?" he asked mockingly as he swung on gracefully behind her. She scowled. "Nothing you would like to hear."
He chuckled again. "Try me."
"I'd rather not."
Legolas ignored her answer for once, raising a hand to the warriors on either side of him. Two flanked him, two moved ahead, and two more fell into single file behind him.
Their bodies moved together with the strides of the horse, Seasa's posture tense and upright. A bird let out a shrill cry, and with a sigh, Seasa allowed herself to glance around the woods.
She had never been to this part of the forest before, had only lived in her little village, had never truly left the borders. The trees here were lighter somehow, freer, and darkness held less weight in these parts. Not like her own village, where black shadows and dark riders wandered freely..
She shook her head firmly. She would not think of it. She would focus only on her job, her mission, her role in the fight...
But Legolas noticed the new stiffness in her back, the way her eyes strayed to the forest floor and stayed there, despite the singing of the birds and the chirping of the forest animals.
"What is it?" He asked, unsure if he had the right to know, yet curious.
She shrugged. "Nothing, my lord."
Legolas's eyes widened slightly. 'My lord'? The fiery captive he had cornered yesterday would have rather been beaten and thrown to the wolves before calling him her lord.
But he said nothing, just tucked the piece of information away in his mind to be analyze later. 'My lord'?!
Suddenly, Seasa raised her eyes determinedly, and they shined a little brighter. She had an idea.
The sound of running water reached her ears, and she turned around in the saddle to search for the source. Instead, however, she found herself face to face with the baffled Prince of Mirkwood.
"Yes?" he asked dryly, their faces now inches apart as she twisted her torso around. To her horror, a slight flush found its way up her cheeks at being so close to him, and she shook her head slightly. "Water," she managed to stutter before regaining her composer. "Is there any nearby?"
Legolas inclined his head, in a manner that had more meaning as a 'Why?' rather then a 'Yes."
"It's just...well, if it isn't too much trouble...I'd like too...well...I need my privacy!" she blurted out, and after much furrowing of the brow, Legolas nodded in understand. "Ah." He said finally. "Well then."
"Esta simone! Rest here! " He called out after a moment to the leaders of the company, who immediately halted and turned to look at him with practiced ease. "We need to stop for a moment," he announced reluctantly, and one of the captains, Sindatil, glanced up impatiently. "No disrespect in anyway, my Prince," he began politely, and Legolas nodded his pardon. "But the sun rides high as it is and we do not wish to be trapped in the center of the forest as night takes its hold. We need to keep moving. The shadows are darker and hold more danger of late. It would be in our best interests to be closer to Thranduil King's halls by nightfall."
Legolas nodded in understanding. "This I know, Sindatil, but we shall not rest long. The captive has needs to attends to--" Seasa blushed furiously, but kept her eyes raised to stare at the now understanding eyes of the elves. "--and I cannot deny them to her. We shall not stop long." Turning to Seasa, he added, "Alright, you've gotten your wish. Go, there,--" he pointed to bushes several feet away,--" and we shall keep watch." When she did not move, he added, "Hurry now!"
Reluctantly, with the eye of every male in the camp on her, she swung off the horse, and disappeared into the bushes. The undergrowth, however, was not very high, and she frowned. Standing up, she could look straight into the eyes of several of the warriors, including the Prince, as they were high up, astride their mounts. She clucked her tongue disappointedly.
"Is this how you treat a captive, submitting her to ridicule? I thank you to dismount off of those horses and point your wandering eyes in another direction!"
With a sigh, but a nod, Legolas gave the order. "Dismount, men." He commanded wearily, and every single one of the men stood by their untacked mount.
Suddenly, Seasa let out a piercing shriek. "Ai!"
"What is it?" Legolas asked immediately, his bow notched in an instant, with hands quicker then the eye could see. Several of his men followed suit.
"Ai, Ai!" Seasa continued to scream. "Ai!"
Legolas lowered his bow, his face etched into a mask of confusion. "Seasa?"
"lhûg! Snake!" She finally managed and with a shout of alarm, Legolas and two other elves, including Sindatil, rushed into the undergrowth. "Where, where? I do not see it!" Sindatil cried anxiously, his knife out. Legolas kept his bow pointed low towards the ground, and suddenly stirred in the clump of leaves closet to Seasa's foot. With a shout, she raced out of the clump of bushes, back towards the horses. Several warriors asked her what was wrong, but she only repeated, "Lhûg, Lhûg!"
No one noticed as she slipped back into the trees, back towards the direction she had come. No one noticed as she slowly hid into the shadows, her slow steps taking her further and further away from the elves. She giggled soundlessly to herself, but when she was far enough away that their arrows couldn't reach her, yet she could still see them, she turn and ran, as fast as she possibly could.