Chapter Nine

Legolas headed straight for Boromir's cave. He saw him there, sitting against the wall and they glared at each other. "Gimli," Legolas said sternly, and Gimli looked up from his campfire where he and the two Hobbits were cooking bacon. "I'm sure Frodo would like to see his friends, will you take them up to see him?" Gimli chanced a glance at Boromir, who they had left alone when he came into the cave in an even fouler mood, and then nodded to the Elf. Merry and Pippin started to complain about missing their dinner, but Gimli glared at them and they fell silent. They hurried to remove their food from the fire, and then headed up to see Frodo, while Boromir protested as they left.

When they were gone, Legolas rounded on Boromir. Boromir had expected this and reached for his sword, but Elves are swifter than men. Legolas had his sword out and pinned Boromir to the wall before he reached his weapon. "How dare you," Legolas yelled, his eyes flashed menacingly. "I warned you once before. This will be the last time. If you ever come near her again, I'll kill you myself," Legolas seethed. "I advise you of one thing, Boromir," he said and paused.

"Yeah," Boromir spat. "And what is that?" How men and Elves had ever gotten along was beyond him.

"You do not want to anger an Elf," Legolas said menacingly. "I should kill you now, but I won't," Legolas said and lowered his weapon a fraction. "And don't take it as cowardice," he continued. "I do it because you may yet have a part to play in this quest, but I warn you, Boromir, if you ever touch her again, I will kill you. Remember, Elves are trained assassins, I could kill you in the dark in a gale and you wouldn't feel it," he barked and then turned on his heel. "You would be wise to heed my final warning," Legolas said over his shoulder, and then left Boromir alone with his cowardice.

Legolas didn't return to Gandalf's cave where Haehithien was waiting for him right way. Instead, he went to the cave with the supplies and grabbed a blanket and one of the sets of clothes supplied by Arwen. He was glad that the woollen dress she had given Haehithien had not been one of her favourites. He would hate to have to tell her what happened to it. When he returned to Gandalf's cave, he was still angry at what Boromir had done. He ignored everyone and went straight to Haehithien and handed her the clothes, and then went to sit by the fire so she could have some privacy to change.

Aragorn glanced around at the occupants of the cave and then back at the fire though he remained silent. Everyone seemed to be doing the same. After a few moments, Legolas got up and went back over to Haehithien. She had changed but done little else. She was still trembling, and he sighed heavily as he took her in his arms. When he put his arms around her, the last of her resolve crumbled, and her tears flowed freely. Legolas cursed Boromir and silently swore that he would hold to his word and kill him if he so much as touched a hair on her head. "It's ok," he whispered softly and kissed her hair. "He can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now."

Over at the fire, Pippin had turned to watch them. He leaned forward then, a wide-eyed, curious expression on his boyish face, and whispered, "What happened?"

Aragorn glanced back over to where Legolas and Haehithien stood in the darker part of the cave, and after turning back to the group around the fire, he answered quietly, "That is not our concern, unless they wish to make it known." Pippin nodded, and knowing he had overstepped his bounds, fell silent.

"I'll be right back," Legolas said quietly, but Haehithien clung to him tighter. "It's alright," he whispered, and kissed her forehead as she looked up at him. "You're safe, you're safe," he repeated as he rocked her. "I'll be right over there," he whispered and pointed to the mouth of the cave. She loosed her hold but didn't let him go. Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head so he could gaze in her eyes. "Are you ok?" he whispered and peered in her eyes as if searching for the answer. She nodded and reluctantly released him as he kissed her forehead once more.

Legolas went toward the mouth of the cave and motioned for Gandalf and Aragorn to join him. The Hobbits looked curiously from Haehithien to Legolas, Aragorn, and Gandalf, but quickly looked away when Gimli grunted. "It has happened then?" Gandalf asked quietly and both Aragorn and Legolas nodded.

"It was at least attempted," Aragorn said his tone hushed so that no one at the fire could hear. "I hope I got there soon enough."

"You did, my friend," Legolas said. "And I thank you." Aragorn nodded, then knowing the rest was not for his ears, and he took his leave and returned to the fire. After he had gone, Legolas continued, "I was stupid not to bring her here. I should have known he would try something. At least, I do not believe he has the courage to try again." Gandalf gave him an inquisitive look and Legolas smiled as he said, "I told him if he ever came near her again, I would personally make sure her prophesy about one of us meeting his death before reaching the Black Gate came true."

Gandalf nodded and chuckled softly. "Just to be sure he does not try again; I'll inform Aragorn that we are to watch over her if you are scheduled for watch again."

Legolas nodded and clasped Gandalf's hand and forearm in a handshake. "Thank you, my friend," he whispered then sighed heavily as he glanced over to where Haehithien now sat in the dark part of the cave. "She said he didn't hurt her, but I think he may have caused more harm than she realizes. He may not have hurt her physically, but mentally, she's beaten. Gandalf," he said with a sigh of anguish. "I don't know what to do. She's terrified. She didn't want me to leave her, even to come this far."

Gandalf nodded sadly. "Yes," he said. "I fear she will be for some time. Showing her that you love her is all that you can do. She has to do the rest on her own." Legolas nodded and after thanking Gandalf, he turned and headed back to Haehithien.

When they were back in their cave, Legolas was quiet. Haehithien didn't say much either; she just lay on a blanket with his cloak wrapped around her, her head resting in his lap as he sat cross-legged, and stared into the dancing flames of the fire. Every so often, he would stroke her hair, but they remain in silence for hours. The silence lasted so long, it bore with it a tension that you could have cut with a knife. Finally, Legolas realized that it was his silence, not hers, that was causing this tension.

He had remained quiet, thinking that she would tell him what happened when she was ready. He had merely been listening and waiting. He realized now that she wasn't speaking because she thought he was angry with her. He couldn't blame her, his body felt tense, even to him. He relaxed as he ran his fingers through her hair, and whispered, "Haehithien?" she remained as she was. "Haehithien," he tried again. "Yes, I was angry; but never at you. I never blamed you." She turned slowly and looked up at him, her dark blue eyes still shined with unshed tears and his heart twisted in agony. "Please believe me," he whispered hoarsely. "I love you."

His own vision blurred as he looked at her as tears welled in his eyes. "The night before we left Rivendell, and we had moved you over to my room," he whispered as he stroked her hair again. "I went back to your room because I felt that Boromir would try to come back again, thinking you would still be there. I was right. I warned him then to stay away from you, but he didn't heed my warning. If he comes near you again, I'll kill him myself," Legolas confessed as he stared into the fire. "I'm angry with Boromir," he said quietly, and looked down at her again. "And myself," he whispered and felt the tears start to trickle down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, my love. I should have taken you up to Gandalf's cave or had him or Aragorn stay with you here while I was on watch. I should never have left you with so little protection."

"It's not your fault," Haehithien said quietly as she sat up and kneeling in front of him, cradled his face in her hands and dried his tears with her thumbs. He gazed into her eyes and she continued, "Boromir's jealous. I love you, and he doesn't see why. Apparently, he thinks I'm your prisoner."

"Prisoner?" he asked in confused disbelief. "I don't understand. Where would he get an idea like that?"

"Well," Haehithien said quietly. "Think about it; who were the only people who were around me before the council meeting, and even since? You, Gandalf, Lord Elrond, and Arwen, right?" Legolas nodded though he still looked confused. "Well, when Boromir came in, he said he was here to rescue me."

"Rescue you?" Legolas repeated. "From what?"

"From you, I suppose," she answered. She nearly smiled at him. She didn't think it was possible for him to look any more confused that he already was, but she was wrong. He was presenting an entertaining countenance, and it was hard for her to keep from laughing. If anything, Legolas looked positively befuddled. "Boromir must have thought that Lord Elrond saw me as a threat, and that Arwen and Gandalf were needed to secure information and that you were a guard to keep me from escaping. Do you think he saw it like that?" Haehithien asked and Legolas shook his head.

"No, I don't," he replied. "What about Gandalf? He said Boromir looked at you in lust; that he never took his eyes off you," Legolas answered quietly and saw her shiver uneasily. Why is she defending him? Legolas wondered, and then it hit him. She was defending him to find a way to keep herself calm; keep herself sane. Hadn't he just told Gandalf that he thought Boromir had caused her mental anguish? Maybe, he realized, this was her way of trying to deal with it.

Before she could answer his question, Legolas scooped her up in his arms and kissed her. "We don't have to talk about this any more if you don't want to," he said softly as he set her in his lap. "Personally, I would rather concentrate on you." As he said this, he caressed her cheek and gazed deep into her eyes. "But," he continued. "It's up to you; I'm here if you need me to listen."

She looked out into the storm for a moment, deep in thought. She sighed and he sensed a great weight had lifted from her. "You're right," she said quietly. "The important thing is that no matter how little I was protected, he was prevented from doing anything, right?" Legolas smiled and nodded at her as he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. For the first time since he had first left the cave, she truly felt safe, and relief washed over her.

They cuddled cheek-to-cheek for a while in front of the fire. Legolas was sitting cross-legged as he held her in his lap and they stared into the fire watching the flames dance. "You know," he whispered in her ear and her gaze fell from the flames to the ground as she listened to him. "We still have a problem."

She smiled noting that there was playfulness in his voice. "And what is that?" she asked softly as she swung her feet away from the fire and twisted to put her arms around his neck and looked up at him with a smile.

"I still don't know what's expected of me," he whispered huskily, mere inches from her lips as his gaze flickered from her eyes to her mouth then back again. "I've never been with anyone before, remember? Not even as we are now," he admitted softly.

She smiled at him warmly, and then whispered, "Neither do I. I don't know anything about my past. I don't even remember if I've been with anyone like this. How would I know if I had any experience either?"

"That's right," he said and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling of the cave for a moment. "I'd forgotten," he said when he looked back at her. "Will you forgive me?" he asked and kissed her lips. She moaned softly in her throat and tightened her arms as they lay around his neck, pulling him closer. He smiled down at her when they broke the kiss. "Should I take that as a yes?" he asked and chuckled when she nodded. "So," he asked, returning to the previous subject. "What should we do about it?"

She shrugged her small shoulders, looked away, and answered simply, "Follow our instincts."