I've had a couple of people tell me that it seems as if I've been…making up Alaqua's emotions. My only explanation for this is that I've been struggling to keep everyone in character.
If you notice in the beginning of the story Legolas was smiley with Alaqua and now he is more distant. That was my mistake; I'm going to try and stick with this more serious Legolas, please let me know if you think he is straying from the character I've made him to be. I've had Alaqua yelling at the elves while I also have her uncomfortable and slightly frightened around them. Also my mistake. Yes, Alaqua does have a temper, but most people don't lecture people they're frightened of.
I'm fairly new to writing, as well. Yes, I've written before, but it was mostly just a load of crap that I didn't care if anyone liked or not. This is pretty much my first 'serious story' I guess you could call it.
So, basically I'll try my best to make the characters seem more realistic.
Long explanation-rant-thing over.
Thank you, everyone, for all of the reviews!
She was home.
The sentence ran through her mind repeatedly as she was helped off Arod. It was all she could think as her eyes swept over the green landscape that was her home. Over and over she heard the phrase in her mind as she watched children chase each other in the meadow while cackling wildly.
She was home.
She couldn't stop the large smile that settled upon her lips and the joy that exploded within her, sending tingles of happiness from her toes to her fingertips. Happy wasn't a valid description. Happy couldn't even begin to cover what she was feeling. She was elated, blissful, and ecstatic. Even those words seemed to fall short.
It was only when Vanimon tapped her shoulder did she realize that she had remained still for quite a while. She could see the surprise written blatantly across each of their faces when she gave them a large smile and moved forward towards her home. They were so used to her silence and indifference that when she displayed such delight at being here, they were shocked.
Each step she took towards the town lifted her spirits higher and higher until she was absolutely positive she could be no happier. Soon she could see people taking notice of their arrival, and before long there was a large crowd of people waiting to see who had come to visit. One woman was shoving her way through the mass of people, and caught Alaqua's eye.
Mother? No, it couldn't be. The mother she knew didn't look like this. The mother she knew had eyes that sparkled with joy; not the dull pair that this woman possessed. Her mother had hair that shone as if it was spindled gold, and was livelier than many of the children. This woman looked as if she had spent numerous nights without sleep and had streaks of grey in her hair. No, she was a stranger, not the mother she knew so well.
"Alaqua!"
Was it her? It sounded so much like her Mother.
"Momma?"
"Oh!" the woman broke into tears and ran to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her tightly,
"I've missed you so, Alaqua,"
Alaqua felt her own eyes begin to water as she inhaled the scent of baked bread that she always associated with her mother.
"I missed you too, Momma,"
The crowd surged forward and surrounded the pair, each person giving Alaqua a tight hug and words of happiness. Alaqua was smiling so widely and laughing so hard that her stomach and cheeks began to ache considerably. These people were so kind, so familiar; she hadn't realized how much she truly cherished them until this moment.
"Who are they?" a child's voice was heard over the chatter of the townsfolk.
Each individual's gaze turned to see the three elves standing in all their elegant beauty, staring back at them with no emotion whatsoever. The wind chose that moment to blow furiously by them, and while the humans received hair in their faces and mouths, the elves did not. Their hair simply lifted around their face, creating a halo-like appearance.
Alaqua thought they had never looked more beautiful; her friends did not agree.
"Demons!"
Alaqua listened with horror as the first cry was followed by many others, each one a more evil creature than the one before. She tried her best to protest, to tell them they were not demonic beings, but she was unheard. She began to push her way towards the elves, but no matter how many people she passed she seemed to be getting no further to them. Finally one man lifted his pitchfork with a bellow and was chorused by the others.
"No!" her yell fell on deaf ears, and she was forgotten as quickly as she had been welcomed, pushed aside as they moved forward, fully intending to kill the elves before them. She fought against the crowd desperately, trying to tell them the elves were good, but no one cared. Finally a specific man grew tired of her, and gave a harsh shove to the side, and she fell with a yelp to the ground. She screamed with mounting fright as the people began to step over and on her, none bothering to help her, none hearing her.
Except for an elf.
Legolas had been watching the scene with growing wariness, and he could feel Vanimon and Alasseo tense beside him. As the men advanced dangerously close, he prepared himself to mount Arod and simply leave the angry mob behind him, yet when he heard Alaqua's shriek of terror he knew he couldn't abandon her.
Drawing his bow and arrow, he swiftly pointed it at the nearest man.
"Move aside," his voice was low and menacing, and the man took no more than two seconds to move away from the sharp arrow that would soon be buried into his forehead, should Legolas choose to release the string.
The humans grew silent at the sight of his weapon, each one shifting quickly to the side as he progressed towards them. He inertly smirked mirthlessly at the fickle emotions of humans. So quick to kill, yet so unwilling to die.
Finally he reached her, even filthier than when he had first seen her from the dirt she was currently sitting in, but glancing up at him with a look of gratefulness. He reached out his hand, and she shakily took it, stumbling slightly as she stood.
"Are you alright?"
Her hazel eyes were quickly shrouded with the surprise he normally saw whenever he spoke to her, but faded away as she opened her mouth to answer.
"Alaqua! Do you know this...thing?"
She jerked her eyes from his, and a feeling of annoyance swelled inside him at the man who interrupted them.
"Yes," she responded, her hazel eyes moving back toward him.
"Yes, I do,"
"I am terribly sorry," her mother apologized once more as began to boil water for tea, "Had I known you actually rescued my Alaqua-,"
"T'is alright," Alasseo responded cheerfully, "We've been any many similar situations."
He went on to tell her mother the story of one of his recent adventures, and she listened with undivided attention, her eyes narrowed and lips pursed as they always were when she focused on something. Alaqua shook her head affectionately at both her mother and the elf. She never would've thought the three would be sitting at her kitchen table, looking completely out of place in the quaint cottage.
Her attention began to wander as studied the kitchen; the wooden cupboards that's paint had begun to chip off; the worn rug that her mother loved so much, and simply refused to move, regardless of the small holes scattered over it. She reveled in the feeling of recognition, running her hands over the table she had eaten countless meals at, a small grin adorning her lips.
Glancing back up, she realized Alasseo's story had ended, and they were all staring at her, humor evident in their gazes. Her eyes caught Legolas' and she instantly glanced away, blushing in remembrance of the previous day.
"I'm sorry, Alaqua, but I don't remember singing at all last night," Vanimon responded in confusion, "perhaps it was a dream,"
Alaqua said nothing as the unwanted feeling of embarrassment flooded over her, and despite her mind's insists that she shouldn't do it, she looked over at Legolas. A faint smile of amusement was present upon his lips, and her stomach gave another flip; of discomfort, of course.
"Yes," she finally answered Vanimon, "a dream,"
"Such a wonderful idea, don't you agree, Alaqua?" her mother was looking at her expectantly, and Alaqua quickly agreed with her, not wanting to risk her mother's wrath, should she know she hadn't been paying attention
"See Legolas? She doesn't mind at all! You three must stay for a few days!"
Alaqua's eyes widened.
'Stay a few days?'
"Now Alaqua, go freshen up, you must prepare yourself for the celebration!"
'Celebration?'
With a silent groan she stood up, trudging sulkily towards the bathing room.
The stars were bright over the many people who were now dancing merrily around the bonfire to the upbeat music, in contrast to Alaqua's current mood. The party had been thrown in Alasseo's, Vanimon's, and Legolas' honor. Oh, wait, and hers. The moment she had arrived people had instantly given her hugs and 'welcome backs', yet as the night went on she found herself sitting by herself and sipping at her water.
She glared over at the elves, who were surrounded by numerous girls set on snagging one of the 'most handsome creatures in Middle Earth'. She snorted in an unladylike manner, 'were they not the ones who had told her horror stories of the elves to begin with?'
She was somewhat comforted by the fact that the only one seeming to enjoy the attention was Alasseo, and found her lips curling up at the look of utter boredom upon Vanimon's face. While Legolas was putting up a believable front of cheer, it was made obvious to her that he was acting when the moment the girls looked away, his face was a mirror image of Vanimon's.
Her smile instantly faded as she saw chubby figure of Hoenir barreling his way through the crowd as he strutted towards her. Glancing around for a hiding place and finding absolutely none she moaned in horror. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to will away his eagerness to dance with her. Alaqua had managed to avoid him thus far, but now she was obviously out of luck; nearer and nearer he came until he was less than three feet away.
"Would you like to dance?"
She gasped in at the sudden voice next to her, and was surprised to see Legolas. She considered denying him, knowing the awkwardness that often accompanied dancing, but when she heard Hoenir call out her name she grabbed his offered hand and pulled him rapidly towards the other dancing couples.
Preoccupied making sure there was no sign of the overweight redhead, she was shocked to feel Legolas place a hand on her waist and instantly jerked away.
"What are you doing?"
Legolas raised a single eyebrow, as if that was somehow a legitimate response to her question.
"Dancing,"
Oh.
In her hast to escape Hoenir, she had actually agreed to dance with Legolas. And the music was no longer upbeat; no, it was now slow and romantic. This was not the type of dance she wanted to share with Legolas.
Yet she had no choice; he was holding his hand out to her again, and she took it for the third time today, but this time was different. This time it sent a spell of tingles down her arm and caused her to shiver, making her forget why she was holding his hand in the first place. When he put his hand on her hip she was brought back to reality with a jolt as she felt a whole new tingly sensation there, too. Placing her hand upon his shoulder she found that the material was quite soft and rubbed her fingers across it, blushing as she took notice to the firm muscles beneath it and not noticing Legolas' small grin.
Then they began to move, and Alaqua thought no more of the warm tingly feeling she had experienced, simply delighting in the music as Legolas swept her across the ground. Every other boy she had danced with had been clumsy and inexperienced, yet Legolas possessed an unearthly elegance. Never in her life had she felt as graceful as she did in this moment.
She didn't think about the radiant smile that soon found its way upon her lips, and she didn't think about how her mood was no longer depressed and irritated, but happy. She didn't think at all until the dance was over, and Legolas had led her back to her seat, bowing to her before leaving her presence.
Then she found she simply couldn't stop thinking about how cold she felt without the warmth of him near her.
My Birthday is on the 13th! So I'm expecting lots of reviews for presents.
Thanks to my beta, Aganippe, who was up early in the morning editing this to fit my schedule :-) Isn't she the best?
Oh, also, check out my forum! It's basically where all my readers can ask me questions, or chat with each other, or whatever.
I've decided to have a vote off between Alasseo and Vanimon. If you like Alasseo, say so in a review; if you like Vanimon, then say so in a review.
First person to review gets a plushie of the elf they vote for!
Most Entertaining Review for Chapter 6 goes to: Fear Of The Furbies
Anyone want to know who is pretty fricking cute? Tom Felton. Gorgeous AND British, what more can you ask for?
