I'm just telling you right now, this chapter is very heart provoking. Please review when done!
Chapter 10: Lothlorien
I had never wished for everyone in the world to be happy until Gandalf died. The hobbits traveled behind on our way to Lothlorien, with even Gimli having a sadness in his eyes. I kept a close watch on Frodo. We had traveled for a long time, but finally came upon a forest and entered it.
"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell." Gimli said in the gruff tone of his. After one second, I heard Frodo gasp, not loud enough for the others to hear it though. I slowed down and caught up to Frodo.
"Are you alright?" I whispered. Frodo merely nodded.
"And are never seen again." Gimli loved to tell stories and scare the hobbits. Sam then tried to talk to Frodo, but he seemed to be off in his own world, like me when I daydream.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked. I looked back to Frodo, for I had gotten two feet ahead of him, but no more than that.
"Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox." Gimli said bravely. I shook my head at him. All of a sudden, elves are surrounding us. I pulled up my sword in an instant to guard Frodo, but the elves put their bows to my throat and heart. We were all surrounded.
"Oh..." Gimli huffed. I glared at the elves. Then, a elf, certainly the leader, parted the elves as if they were the Red Sea, but let the ones around me still stand at their posts.
"The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." The lead elf said. His voice was like Legolas's, but a little different. His was a little tougher, but still like the wild wind which floated past your ears.
"Haldir o Lórien. Henio aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn." Aragorn stated in elvish. Legolas had been teaching me elvish, so I translated most of it. "Haldir of Lorien...we come for help...we need...protection..."
"To hell we need them!" I growled very loudly. The one called Haldir, the lead elf, turned to me and walked in my direction. Legolas looked alarmed, but I just glared at Haldir.
"Who such a woman to speak to me in such a manner?" Haldir asked, as if he were king or something!(close to it though)
"I'm Shade, a guardian of friends!" I spat. Haldir looked surprised by my courage. He smiled and turned back to Aragorn.
"Aragorn! These woods are perilous. We should go back." Gimli howled.
"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. Come. She is waiting." Haldir lead us into his worldly woods.
I was closely guarded by armed elves. Legolas came in the back of the line to me and spoke to the guards.
"i' iirima nessa edainme yestas eresse." And with that, the men backed off. I looked at Legolas as if he were a genius, which I thought.
"What did you say?" I whispered.
"That you need some breathing room. How are you?" Legolas asked. I smiled.
"Better. But why do we need the protection of such people?" I asked.
"Because these 'people' are royalty and may give us the shelter we need for now. Don't be so valiant, they are very steady people and wouldn't hurt a fly." Legolas smiled. I looked back to see the guards looking at me as if I were the last food on the planet.
"Why are they staring at me?" I said in a creeped out voice. Legolas smiled and chuckled.
"They find you very peculiar, and yet beautiful, like I. There aren't many elves with hair the color of yours." Legolas explained. I nodded. We continued on, led by Haldir. Out of nowhere, there's a very bright light. I sheild my eyes. When I look again, two people submerge from the light. It is a woman and a man. The woman is amazingly beautiful, and the man handsome. They look like royalty, and seeing the crowns on thier heads, they must be.
"Eight that there are here, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him." The kingly elf asked. The woman looks to Aragorn.
" He has fallen into Shadow. The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail to the ruin of all." With said that, everyone in the fellowship except myself, Legolas, and Boromir look to the ground. The queen looked to Boromir. "Yet hope remains while the Company is true." The woman looks to Sam. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace..."
That woman made me feel at home. We had been led to a place to sleep. It was in front of a water fountain. We all got dressed up in elvish clothing. I danced around with the music that played above our heads. Legolas stood by the fountain and watched me.
"A lament for Gandalf." Legolas said to the others.
"What do they say about him?" Merry asked. The others didn't know what Legolas was looking at, or for what I knew.
"I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near." Legolas turned his direction back to me. I looked to him with a graceful movement and smiled. I kept the dance going.
"Take some rest. These borders are well protected." Aragorn said to Boromir.
"I will find no rest here. I heard her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor. She said to me, "Even now there is hope left." But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope." Boromir told. I watched as I danced. I saw Aragorn sit beside Boromir. " My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing. And then our... our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right, and I, I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored. Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The white tower of Ecthelion. Glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"
" I have seen the White City. Long ago." Aragorn answers truthfully.
"One day, our paths will lead us there. And the tower guard shall take up the call: 'The Lords of Gondor have returned.'" Boromir thought of only hope, but then I saw that Boromir looked at me! I stopped. Legolas soon walked over to me. I sat down on the other side of the fountain where Boromir wouldn't see me. Legolas sat beside me.
"That was magnificent!" Legolas comlimented. "Why did you cease?"
"I was getting tired." I lied. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want to start anything either.
"Well, you need some rest. You are protected here. I will guard you anywhere you go." Legolas said with a hopeful smile. I smiled too.
"Thank you!" I said. I had a feeling that I wanted this elf by myside for as long as I could live.
"You're welcome. So, what is your home like?" Legolas asked, steady not to ask too many questions at once.
"Um...well, it's sort of like this, but it has a lot more complicated things. The skies aren't as free and the grass isn't as green, but it's good." I answered.
"What's your family like?" He asked.
"Well, my sister and aunt can be pains, but my mom is as sweet as can be. My dad yells at me most of the time, so I really don't know what he's like. What about yours?" I asked.
"My father is an evil man that locked Gimli's father up. My mother died when I was young. I have an okay life if you look at it in a positive way." I gulped and looked at him with an awe stricken face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." I shook my head.
"It's okay. I wanted to know." I explained. I looked away, but Legolas asked me another question. I turned my attention back to him.
"So...did you have any friends back at home?" Legolas asked. I nodded.
"Uh-huh. I had a lot! They were great, but I some how didn't fit in and I always knew it. I could never keep a boyfriend." I answered. Legolas looked at me starngely, like a hint of jealous blew over him.
"Do you have anyone back at home?" He questioned.
"As in a boyfriend? Oh, no!" I said, shaking my head. I played with the water in the fountain. I stroked my hand back and forth. "Amazing."
"What is?" He asked.
"How water can move so elegantly, and yet convert back to it's original form. And how it can make so many colors just by a fragment of light." I replied. Legolas looked shocked.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" I asked, picking my hand out of the water.
"No. It's just I never thought of you as s very smart young woman." He retorted. I glared at him.
"Oh yeah? Well, don't judge a book by it's cover!" I then splashed Legolas. I soaked his hair.
"You did not just do that!" He growled. I smirked.
"Want to bet?" He then chased me around the water fountain until I gave in and fell on the ground. I was laying on my back looking up into the dark trees when his appearence casted over me.
"Are you okay?" He asked. I smirked again, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him down on the ground. We laughed in unison. We stared up in the trees' abyss.
"It's beautiful here." I said outloud.
"Yeah. If you think this is magnificent, you should come to my home. It's amazing in the fall!" Legolas said, lying on his side, his head proped up on his hand.
"That sounds like an invite." I summoned.
"Well, promise me you'll come with me if we finish out our task." He asked. I smiled. He was beginning to grow on me.
"I promise." I answered. He smiled. He got up and pulled me right off the ground. He swung me around in the air. I spread out my arms and it felt as if I were flying. He finally set me down. I saw how the blue lights from around made Legolas glow. He looked amazing! I smiled. He placed his hand on my cheek and stroked his thumb across my cheek. I held his hand while he caressed my cheek. Out of nowhere, a hoard of fireflies shot out of the trees. We were surrounded by blue lights. They circled around us, just like magic. I looked from the fireflies to see Legolas peering at me.
"What?" I asked. He placed his finger over my mouth to make me shut up. My heart throbbed so hard in my chest, I thought it was going to burst out. He slowly leaned into me, he being taller so he leaned downward. His lips felt like velvety ice cream. It was cold, and so satisfying! I put my hands on his arms. He laid his head on my forhead.
"Dont' be afraid. I won't hurt you." I then noticed I was shaking. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. This feeling, like we were both one, was phenomenal! I hestitated the kissing. He leaned his forehead on mine again. "Okay. I'll stop. I know it's too fast. I'm sorry." He apologized. I was still shaking. He pulled back to see my face.
"What do you fear?" He asked.
"I don't fear anything. Not Saruman, or anything." I shook more vilantly. He wrapped one of his arms around my waist and the other hand he put on my neck, which was surrounded by my hair.
"I know you fear nothing of that sort. You shouldn't. You have me. But, why do you shake when I touch you?" He asked, pain in his voice, ready to come out at any moment.
"It's just...I've never felt this way about anyone before. The first time I saw you I felt this. It's so overwhelming." I laid my head on his chest. I smelled his sweet scent. My shaking was subsiding. He hugged me a little tighter.
"I know the feeling. I'm crazy about you." He then took my hand with the arm that was wrapped around my waist. He led me around the fountain and to a rug on the ground. It's as if he's planned this. He sat, still holding my hand. He pulled me down. I sat in between his legs, my back pressing agains his thighs. I leaned back and laid on him.
"Tell me if I hurt you." I warned.
"Why would you hurt me?" He asked.
"Well, when I went out with humans in my world, when I tried to get close, I shocked them." I answered. I was now completely against him. He pulled my head back to where it was under his chin and he kissed my forehead, sending a tingling feeling down through my body.
"Never." He whispered. We sat silently, staring up at the floating fireflies, shining against the darkness of the trees. I soon was sick of the silence.
"Legolas?" I asked.
"Yes?" He replied.
"What do you think will happen?" I wanted to know what he thought. I was scared. Of the future, of the outcome, of loosing my one true love. He sighed and kissed my forehead.
"I believe that Frodo will carry out this journey. I see; you and I riding horses through falling leaves, you standing up on a balcony when I ride from a mission. The most spectaclar thing I see is your back facing me, your hair flowing with the wind, wiping behind at me. You are stroking your stomach. I walk up behind you and place my hands on your stomach. I hear myself whisper, 'How was she today'. I feel the movement in your belly. I stroke your hair back and feel your soft cheeks against mine. The feeling of something living inside you overwhelms you. I kiss you and we dance to our own music upon that balcony; that's what I see." He answered. I then cried silently to myself.
"If only that were to happen." I sighed, a tear rolling down my cheek. Legolas then sat up, his stomach against mine. He put his arms over my chest and held me. He then placed one of his hands on my stomach.
"But it is to come." Oh how I wish that were the real outcome. But who would know the real ending of this long journey?