Ahh-Chew: Wow, that was one heck of a long review there, FlamingMushroomz; it's my longest one yet. I feel so special! Anyways I thank you, Enchanted Picture and brownie24 for being good to me and letting me know how you feel. Yes, I am trying to keep Legolas in character, but it proves a little difficult with the up-coming chapters as I try and make him fall in love convincingly – but no worries. If you guys keep reviewing and telling me what needs fixing – I'll be sure our elf stays in line.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
WARNINGS: Okay now, let's hope you guys read this notes. You guys remember that I said any and all elvish words were going to be shown as this – "blah and blah." I don't want any complaints telling me you had no clue what the hell those were about. Okay, here's something else – this chapter is full of talking towards the end, it's mostly Legolas venting and Alex wondering what the hell is going on. Also, if you're like Sal and easily confused – here's a run-down.
Symbols to Look For:
"Underline words mean": people talking in elven language.
Italic words in general: Are Alex's thoughts on the current situation.
Italic words in a section: Is a dream or memory sequence or people whispering loudly.
Now that that's covered – I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Cheers!
Chapter 4: The Start of Lothlorien
-
She awoke to the sound of whispers beside her. She cracked open an eye to spot Merry and Pippin whispering across her, they still had their arms wrapped around hers. She opened her eyes fully but they didn't take notice. She glanced ahead of her and smiled as Boromir nodded his head in her direction. This action alerted Frodo and Sam who in turn greeted her as well. She looked down at the hobbits cutting the circulation of blood in her arms to find them still whispering like she couldn't hear them.
"Not too loud Merry, you'll wake her."
"Fool, you'll be the one that wakes her."
"You both did." She answered. Merry and Pippin shouted in alarm and released her instantly, stumbling away a few feet before regaining their composure.
"Alex - knocked the wits out of us, you did." Merry muttered with a hand over his heart.
She smiled happily and replied innocently, "Not like you had much to begin with." The fellowship snickered at the comment and Gimli pulled up beside her, offering his hand. She reached for it and he pulled her swiftly to her feet. She stumbled a bit, but was got by Legolas, she quickly moved away from him, as she did she didn't notice the frown on his face.
"Aye lassie, you are spending far too much time with me." Gimli commented with a hint of pride. She smirked and began to help the fellowship pack what little possessions they had with them. As she bent down to retrieve her now cleaned and sharpened sword she noticed something.
"My ring!" The group turned at her shout as she frantically searched for the little silver ring her father had given her. To think she lost it here of all places. Or worse – it could have fallen off in Moria…
"Alex." Her head shot up at the call, Legolas was walking up to her with something in his hand. She dashed over to him and quickly held out her hand. Legolas turned his over and let her ring fall into her palm; she clutched it in her fist and kissed her hand. She laughed sheepishly and looked up at Legolas.
"Thanks." He nodded and walked around her. She kind of expected that, after the way she treated him in Moria. She sighed and picked up her pack that only had a small amount of food and cleaning materials, and swung it on her back.
"Once again we travel, eh lassie?" Gimli grunted next to her. She smiled at him and patted his back.
"Let's hope this goes better than last time."
-
She was partly right. Their traveling was better than last time, it was tiring walking so much, but she was happy not being chased by freakish monsters. They traveled a good distance more over a few rivers and rocky terrain and by evening they had reached the edge of a forest up ahead.
"Aragorn, where are we going?" She called from behind. She and Gimli were the ones trailing behind, but by no means were they being sluggish – the others were just too damn fast.
"To Lothlorien." Was his quick answer. Suddenly he broke out into a sprint and ran for the edge of the forest.
"Oh – damn it all!" she hollered as she and Gimli broke into a sprint as well. Aragorn clearly didn't understand the meaning of pain or the meaning of numbness. Both of which she was feeling right now. Once they had gone under the cover of foliage, Aragorn mercifully slowed to a walk. She and Gimli caught up and walked a little ways in front of Sam and Frodo.
"Stay close young ones." Gimli whispered to Sam and Frodo, she turned and looked at her friend.
"What's wrong, my dwarf?" she questioned, Gimli's eyes shot around the area as they continued to walk.
"They say a great sorceress lives in these woods." She hmm-ed in understanding, not totally believing what he was saying, but willing to listen none the less.
"An Elf-witch of terrible power…all who look upon her, fall under her spell, and are never seen again." He grumbled, Frodo gasped behind them and looked around worriedly. She snorted and told Frodo over her shoulder.
"Don't worry - Gimli's just telling stories." Gimli snorted and answered her hotly.
"Well, this is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily." He muttered and then said, "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox." She smiled and turned back to the front, only to be confronted with an arrow in her face.
"The woman and dwarf speak so loud, we could have shot them in the dark." They both growled.
-
She hated this, like she was the dangerous one? They had blinded folded most of them, and for this reason, she disliked the elven kind a little more. It had been a while since they started and she had tripped so many times, she was starting to think the elf guiding her was doing it on purpose.
"How much longer?" she growled out. She heard someone sigh from up ahead.
"Just a while longer." They answered tiredly. She snorted in frustration.
"If it's killing you to answer me, then don't." She said harshly, once again she tripped over what sounded like a log.
"It is not, you are simply annoying me, my lady." They said in a superior tone.
"At least Legolas tolerates me more than you." She heard a familiar growl from around the back and she finally knew where her friend was.
"We are simply being wary of strangers." They answered.
"Wary? I'm the one who should be wary, you could of killed me back there and I wouldn't have known." They didn't answer her retort and she finally decided that talking to her had killed them. She was pulled to a stop and her blind fold was taken away and she instantly jumped to Gimli's side as he stood next to Legolas and Aragorn. She glanced around and noticed that the day light had faded into night, no wonder her eyes adjusted so quickly.
She paid little attention as Legolas and the other elf exchanged words, then the elf turned to Aragorn and said something else.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can all understand!" Gimli growled; she clutched his shoulder as the elf rounded on them.
"We have not had dealings with dwarves since the Dark Days." He sneered.
"And you know what this dwarf says to that?" She quickly placed her hand over his mouth and shook her head.
"Not now, my dwarf…be nice, for my sake." Gimli glanced up at her and the elf; she tried to ignore Legolas' eyes as they looked at her face. His expression was unreadable. Gimli sighed into her hand and pulled it away. He kissed the back of it before letting it drop.
"Aye, lassie – but only for your sake." She smiled gently and patted his back in thanks. The other elf turned away and looked behind them. She turned and followed his gaze – to Frodo.
"You bring great evil here." he whispered harshly, turning to Aragorn he muttered, "You can go no further." She was in shock. Surely they wouldn't do this. They were tired and hungry, they were sore, how could they just turn on them? She really didn't want all their pain and suffering to be in vain. Gimli sighed and trudged away from Aragorn and took a seat not too far off. She followed after him, but a hand on her shoulder pulled her back. She turned around and looked up and Legolas' stone face.
"What do you want?" she asked stiffly. Legolas frowned and let go of her shoulder, but never dropped his gaze, which was now making her nervous.
"Do not think badly of my kind, they are merely –"
"Taking precaution, I know. But all I saw back there was prejudice against Gimli." She turned away, but thought better and turned back, "They're not letting us go further because of the Ring, it's not Frodo's fault that he has to carry it!" She whispered harshly, they both turned to Frodo who was looking at them, Frodo quickly turned away.
"It is a great evil." Legolas replied. She glared up at him.
"I know it is. Yet look at Frodo, he carries it everyday – he fears it just like the rest of us – but he is strong and brave, and he's dealing with it." She growled, and continued to look up at Legolas, him being a good foot taller than she was, but she didn't care.
"You call my kind cowards for not letting the Ring pass through their borders?" Legolas' tone grew colder with each word, but his face remained calm. She didn't back down, he only added fuel to her fire.
"Your words not mine." She snorted, and turned to join Gimli, but Legolas' hand on her shoulder pulled her back.
"I would die to protect the Ring from ill intentions." He muttered. She smirked.
"I know you would Legolas, but what about them?" she gestured to the elves all around, "They would rather kill Frodo than die for him." Legolas seemed to sober up somewhat after that and glance down to the ground. She sighed and patted his arm that still held onto her shoulder.
"They would not nor would I let them." He said as he brought his gaze back up to her. She blinked, and smiled gently.
"Legolas, would you really turn –"
"Yes." That sobered her up. His blue eyes were now dark, not the light blue she had come to recognized as his. The hand on her shoulder was stiff and tense, unwillingly to let go. Legolas shot a look at Frodo then brought his eyes back to her.
"Do not doubt my loyalty to this Fellowship, I swore to give it my bow, and I shall." He said fiercely, "I am no coward; I would stand before any evil, if only to ensure safety for Frodo." She smirked up at him and pulled him in close to whisper to him.
"I believe you, that you would –"
"– Will –"
"– will stand before evil to protect Frodo. But what if that evil was them?" She shifted her eyes to the elves behind them and looked back, "What if that evil was us?" She looked behind her to the fellowship; she turned back to him with a smile on her face and said, "What if that evil was me?" Legolas pulled back and gazed at her as if he had just seen her in a new light. He turned from her. She sighed and took that as a signal that their talk was over.
Just as she started to walk towards Gimli, the other elf returned and said, "You will follow me."
-
Once again, they found themselves walking through the forest to only God knew where, with that nasty elf – what was his name? – Oh right, Haldir or something like that. She knew better than to question again, for he had given her a very stern look last night telling her not to ask. They had trekked since then and now, she realized, it was near night once again.
Finally Haldir turned and walked up a hill; they follow and came upon a view of a forest cramped up on a very large mountain.
"Caras Galadhon, the heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light." And once again they set off. They traveled a ways before hitting the edge of the forest and traveled even further as the entered it.
"Wow…" She said breathlessly, the trees here were nothing like the ones at home. These were way taller and thicker than what she knew. She never thought a tree could get so big. Finally they had stopped in front of a really tall tree and to her horror, the stairs traveled upwards. She instantly attached herself to the nearest person she knew – which was Legolas, to her dismay, since he had not spoken to her since their talk.
"What ails you, Alex?" He said to her kindly. She looked up at him and clutched his arm tighter.
"Stairs, heights, and long ways up – that's what 'ails' me!" She whispered harshly. He smiled and pulled her under his arm trapping her against his chest and arm. She blushed and shut her eyes tight.
"Do not worry, I shall guide you." He whispered. She nodded her head rapidly and fisted her hands and clutched them to her chest as they started up the stairway.
After a few trips at the beginning, she finally got the hang of the walking with her eyes shut. Every now and then she would hear Legolas chuckle at her, but she was too frighten to fight back.
"You doing okay back there, Alex?" Merry sniggered.
She growled and said, "You only say that 'cause I can't slap you." She heard him snigger again, but now Legolas had pulled her to a stop.
"Open your eyes, Alex." She didn't.
"I won't see any heights?" He chuckled.
"Not as long as you look forward." She nodded her head and opened her eyes. Another small stairway was in front of her, elves all around guarding the place. She looked up to Legolas to ask what was happening, but a light from the top of the stairway caught her attention.
As far as she was concerned, she was now gazing upon the most beautiful beings to ever walk this earth. Both blond and tall, with a stance and poise she would kill to have. The woman must have been Galadriel; the other of course was Celeborn. She instantly felt so incredibly stupid in front of them, with all her muck and grim appearance.
"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." He paused and looked around the fellowship, as if studying them. She felt nervous under his gaze as he looked at her.
"Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him." He said smoothly. She sniffed and fought back the tears she knew were fighting to make themselves known.
"I can no longer see him from afar…" she really did her best to hold back the tears. She had time to cry a long time ago, and now was not the time to do so again.
"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land." Galadriel whispered. Alex's eyes snapped up to her and suddenly she wished she hadn't, for now she couldn't look away.
"He has fallen into Shadow…" Legolas looked up.
"He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." She sighed and looked up at Legolas, how could he say that, she thought.
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose." She heard Gimli sigh next to her and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloin." Galadriel smiled gently at him, "For the world has grown full of peril and in all the lands, love is now mingled with grief." She said gently.
"You have finally come back…" Alex jumped slightly at the voice, it sound like Galadriel, but she was talking to the rest of the Fellowship.
"Come back? What do you mean?" Alex whispered back.
"You shall see."
-
"Is this dress to your liking, milady?" She nodded her head and helped the elven maiden pull the light orange dress over her head. Galadriel had granted them stay here for as long as they wished. Aragorn had answered saying that they only needed a month's time at the most. She wondered on why they need to stay here so long, but didn't question him at that moment.
"Is that all you need, milady?" She nodded her head once again and the maiden left without another word. She was given a tent away from the rest of the fellowship. That's when curiosity had won over and she asked why.
"You forget, do you?" Boromir said good-naturedly.
"What did I forget?" She replied, Boromir bent down and kissed her forehead.
"You are a woman." She blushed deeply after that and quickly followed the maid to the tent set aside for her.
"Well, at least it was Boromir that pointed it out, and not Gimli." She snorted. She walked away from the dressing area to where the rest of the fellowship was staying. Their beds were set up inside a tree, Gimli was already dozing off, and the hobbits were happily eating the food that was brought to them. She smiled and crept pass Gimli and took a seat next to the hobbits and Boromir. Legolas and Aragorn sat across from the group.
"So there is a woman underneath it all." Boromir snickered; she smirked and slapped him playfully on the arm.
"At least I look better than you." She retorted, he blinked and smirked at her.
"How do you know?" She grinned.
"I am a woman, after all." The group chuckled; she turned her gaze to Aragorn and asked her question.
"Why are we staying so long, Aragorn?" He looked up at her from his sword and sighed.
"To train you and to recuperate our strength." She winced a little when he said train, but nodded anyway and glanced around.
"This place is so pretty." She whispered. She saw a small smile break on Legolas' face.
"It can now account for the biggest forest you have seen, yet." He smiled at her.
"Yet? Why 'yet'?" She asked.
"You have yet to see my home." She blinked.
"You home? Where is it?" He smiled and his eyes seemed to glaze over for a second before they came back into focus on her.
"You shall see it, if you wish it, when this war is over." She smiled faintly and nodded her head. She looked to her side to see a troubled expression on Boromir's face. She nudged his shoulder; he turned and smiled at her. He sighed and kissed her forehead before standing and walking out of the little home.
"Something's wrong…" She whispered to no one. Aragorn watched Boromir as he walked away and then turned to her once he was out of sight.
"It is the death of Gandalf…" He answered her, she shook her head and turned to Aragorn were a stern look.
"No, it's something else." Aragorn only nodded and continued to wipe down his sword, Legolas – for the first time she noticed – looked fidgety, and she grinned and looked at him fully. His eyes were focused on the ground.
"What's wrong, Legolas?" His eyes snapped to her and he frown. In a small, yet strong voice he answered her.
"I wish to continue our previous conversation." She instantly knew what he was talking about. But back at the lookout, she had gotten the feeling that he wanted to drop the subject.
"Here?" he shook his head and stood from his spot. He glided over to her and offered her his hand, she glanced at Aragorn and then at Gimli's sleeping form, before accepting his hand and following him out of the camp. They walked a long ways after that, she got a mini tour of the place and she was in awe of its beauty and splendor. She could see a few elves down at what looked like an archery field, she snorted inwardly – as if they needed practice, she thought.
"So what did you want to talk about, Legolas?" she whispered, she knew perfectly well that he could hear her, and she refused to break the spell the forest had over her, it sounded almost as if the trees were humming, just for her. Legolas sighed and pulled her to a seat that was a root. He motioned for her to sit and she did. She waited for him do the same but he turned from her and stared down at the archers.
"You dislike my kind." He said sternly, it gave her a start – of course – but she wasn't going to let him win so early. Her gaze also traveled down to the archers, their grace and aim both deadly and beautiful.
"I…don't really." She said, her eyes flickered to his back then back to the archers.
"Yet you speak to us with anger in your voice and something akin to hatred in your eyes." She sighed quietly. So he thought she hated his kind? On the contrary, she loved his kind. They were beautiful beings and their voices and eyes could calm anyone who felt uneasy…they reminded her so much of her father.
"It's not anger at you, but anger for the way Gimli is treated." Legolas glanced at her and quickly turned away.
"He treats elves with the same contempt." She nodded her head even though he couldn't see it.
"I've noticed it, I'm not blind Legolas." He rounded on her so fast that she clutched her chest as his eyes blazed at her.
"And yet you side with him." He said sternly, his eyes dark like the last time they talked. She gulped quietly, but she knew he saw the action; his eyes flickered to her throat before coming back to her face.
"He's my friend, he stood by me when we were in Moria, he stayed with me when my body ached and cramped. He even walked on his pride to ask you to help me." She whispered harshly, his face didn't change, it was still calm and smooth, as if they weren't having this fight at all. But his eyes. His eyes gave away a little of the emotion he was feeling.
"Who would I be if I didn't show him the same devotion?" Legolas' eyes flashed and his face twitched ever so slightly. He looked away to the ground, and then brought his face back to her, confusion clear on his face.
"You do not think that I would show you the same?" she blinked and looked up at Legolas' face. His expression was mixed with confusion and sadness. She sighed.
"Show me the same what?" He stood his ground and looked at her, never breaking his eye contact on her, even though she did more than once.
"The same devotion…as of that, which I show to the Fellowship." She sighed louder this time. It was like they were both being idiots dancing around what was really bothering them. But that was just it. She had no clue what was really bother her, let alone what was bothering Legolas.
"You know what, how about you just tell me what you think you should say and will go from there, huh?" She pinched the ridge of her nose before looking up at him, his back once again to her and his attention on the archers. She resisted the urge to kick his shin and waited patiently for him to start.
"You will not interrupt?" he asked.
"Nope. Not until your done, so you better get it all out by that time." He nodded his head and took what she thought was a calming breather before he started.
"When we first started our journey and Lord Elrond asked you to accompany us, I thought nothing of it." He sighed, "But as the days progressed, you gravitated to the dwarf." A quiet growl from her, "To Gimli, it felt – odd. As if, I was expecting something else to happen, but it never did."
He turned to her, but kept his eyes on the ground, and they shifted from one place to another.
"I – felt as if you held something against me, the way you looked at me was different from the look you gave the dw – Gimli." He flashed his eyes to her and quickly looked back down.
"The look you gave me in Moria was that of disgust. At the time I could not understand why you look upon me in such a way. But then I understood; you were protecting Gimli – like a sister did with her brother." She blinked, well that was one hell of a way of putting it. She shook it off and continued to listen to his semi, makeshift confession.
"I also noticed the way you looked at the hobbits." He looked up at her and seemed to study her face. She did her best not to move or blush uncontrollably.
"You look upon them with so much love and care, that I could not fathom why it was only them and Gimli that could receive such a thing." He again turned from her face and directed his gazed to the hands in her lap. Or at least it felt he was looking at her hands, but she didn't want to move those either. It was like wherever he looked, it froze under his stare.
"Then Aragorn, when he fixed your wound, you smiled at him with happiness…" He sighed, but kept his eyes on her hands that were now fisted together.
"When we came to the lookout, you stopped Gimli – he kissed your hand and you smiled. Your eyes were dark and I could not see what you felt. But the look you gave Haldir was similar to the look you gave to me." He whispered. He looked up and walked in front of her, just close enough were she didn't need to crane her neck to see him. His eyes were blazing and she really wondered how much this was really bothering him.
"Even Boromir received some of your happiness. You allow him to kiss you on the forehead and never scowl at him." His look was fierce. She couldn't tell if he was angry or just really confused. His eyes were darker and narrow. She was really scared now. What happened to the elf she came here with? What happened to the side that was polite?
"Why do you turn from me?" He whispered. She blinked, was this what it was all about? He was jealous of the others, he was mad that she didn't show him the same as she did with Gimli and the others. That's what it was? She looked up at him. If he was human, he'd probably be trembling right now. Heck, she was surprised that he wasn't yelling yet.
"Now do you want to hear my side of this story?" That caught him off guard. He was probably expecting an answer. Well, he wasn't going to get it just yet, he had to see it from her point of view. He nodded and she patted the empty space next to her and he sat down gracefully.
"When this all started, I was terrified. I never showed it because in the back of my mind I thought I was going psycho or something." She laughed nervously, but continued anyway, with her gaze on the archers.
"But then this mission came up and I was told to go along, I didn't know what I was thinking…the hobbits were the first to talk to me. I love them, their energy, their spirit, and the love they give me in return." She smiled to herself; she could still remember how devastated she was when she thought Frodo was dead.
"Gimli…Gimli was the next to talk to me, and I 'gravitated' to him, because he remind me of a friend." She snorted inwardly. As much as she tried to deny it, she knew deep down she missed her roommate. And her stupid boyfriend, they were always up to bicker and fight with her.
"But you – you were always quiet and never said anything to me unless it was a 'Good Morning' or 'Good Night' and that was all I ever got from you. And when I heard the way you spoke to Gimli, I was mad – because he was my friend, I didn't know what you were to me yet." Legolas shifted beside her, but remained quiet.
"But I didn't ignore you, Legolas. When you saved me from that monster, or when you found my ring…" She blushed and laughed uneasily.
"Even when you help me up the stairs, I never ignored you, I just didn't know how to act with you." She turned to him and smiled.
"You need to help me here…because I just as lost as you are…" Legolas smiled back at her and was going to reply when a loud roar filled the place. She jumped to her feet and ran in the direction of the camp.
"Gimli!"
-
Ahh-Chew: Hahaha! I ended it there! May you all suffer! Or you can review and I'll post the next chapter, I think I want at least four reviews before I put up the next one.
Laterz!
Ahh-Chew.