Hello everyone,
I just wanted to whish all of you a very Happy Easter (if you do celebrate it). I cannot pass out chocolate eggs but I´ll hand you one awake Legolas, neatly wrapped with a yellow ribbon *g*
Alinah
Revelations
Legolas awoke slowly in a the way that told him he might just want to stay asleep a little longer. Usually, awareness did not approach him in this halting, tentative fashion but rolled over him in a freshening wave, leaving him fully alert within heartbeats.
He had experienced this particular feeling often enough to know that he must have been badly injured. The room that drifted into focus around him was only very vaguely familiar, but he could immediately tell by its looks and smells that it was a human dwelling. A woman stood with her back to him, obviously cooking at a small hearth, and hummed a tune that was merry on the outside but deeply sad within, as if she tried to convince herself of a happiness that she did not feel.
Meila. With the slow memory of the name came the taste of chicken broth in his mouth, the feeling of Elrohir at his side...
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing the memories to wash over him. Some where blurred, distorted by pain or healing herbs or a mixture of both, some clear as crisp morning ice in winter. He inwardly winced at the sound of his knife finding its mark in his horse´s eye but tried to not push it away. It was with him whether he wanted to or not, so it was best to face it and then file it away. More sounds returned to him, sounds of snarls and cries and familiar voices. Images followed of Estel´s face and those of the twins. Last came the feelings - anger, relief and pain. Intense pain that flared from his ankle and licked agonizing tendrils up his leg and beyond.
Yet, he was very aware that it was a remembered pain, not one plaguing him at this very moment. He cautiously concentrated on the injured limb and was surprised to find it only dully throbbing, a very bearable sensation and one that was not glazed over by soothing herbs.
Satisfied that his own state was better than could have been expected under such circumstances, he stretched his senses outwards, seeking Lord Elrond´s sons whose presence had been so dominant in his memories. It made him uneasy to find no trace of them nearby and he shifted slightly.
Immediately, the human woman´s humming stopped.
The elf opened his eyes once more and was not surprised to find Meila looking down at him, a beaming smile on her face even though he saw the remnants of tears in her eyes.
"What a pleasant sight you are! Welcome to the world of awareness, young lord."
He returned her smile readily. "Do not call me lord, mistress, for I am none to you." He was pleased to find that his voice sounded only slightly scratchy. "And young I am certainly not, either, compared to your tender age."
She laughed at that, a mirth that briefly touched her eyes. "That may be so, but I look like a wrinkled apple and you as if you could be my grandchild. It confuses my human brain to think of you as old, so humor me when I talk to you as I would to a human with your appearance. Lord Elrond´s sons garciously tolerate my addresses as well."
His face must had reacted to her mentioning his friends, because she quickly sobered and said more quietly: "It would not surprise me if you were uneasy to find yourself alone with me. I have to apologize for being a poor substitute to the company you are used to. I assure you that your friends did not leave you behind easily. If you are willing, I shall tell you the story behind this predicament."
Legolas felt a stab of guilt. Once again he sensed deep sadness in the kind woman, a sadness that would never heal. "You are not a poor substitute but rather a welcome improvement", he reassured her. "Lord Elrond´s sons have rather stressful bedside manners once their charge is out of danger. You are far more civil, I assure you."
She chuckled. "Would you say the same for Lord Elrond as well?" Again, she read his face easily when surprise overcame him. "The lord of Imladris spent a while with you yesterday, or so I was told", she explained. "Apparently he attempted to heal as many of your hurts as he was able."
The elf nodded to himself. This certainly served as an explanation for the lack of pain he felt, as well as for the strength that already returned to him. He struggled to sit up, and the woman was beside him in a heartbeat, stuffing pillows behind his back. She kept a hand on his arm that was surprisingly steady.
"Now, now, not too hasty", she chastened him. "Mayhap your healers merely try to protect you from yourself when they display harch manners towards you."
Legoas laughed, patiently waiting for the room to stop spinning around him. "So I have been told many times, but this is nothing but rumor and legend. You will find me a most compliant patient."
Meila snorted. "That seems highly unlikely, young lord. Now please sit still and do not tumble over while I get you something to eat. After that I shall tell you what has transpired to force your friends from your side."
/
Some hot broth and a long story later Legolas sat silently, still propped up on pillows, and allowed his mind to wander while Meila busied herself around the cottage. She avoided facing him for now. He did not hold her distance against her, because recounting her husband´s death to him had opened the dams of her grief.
"He was old and so am I", she had told him through her tears, "and we had long since exptected on of us to embark on the journey to the Great Beyond, but for him to go this way..." She had trailed off, unable to continue.
Just this once she had not caught the elf´s emotions, distracted as she had been, or she would have been surprised at the intense anger that had flashed through the normally gentle blue eyes. Legolas looked down at his hands, flexing them slightly, willing their strength to return even faster. He knew he could not rid her of her grief, but he fully intended to rid the world of the people who had caused it.
He was very aware that these were likely the same people that had endangered him and his friends. His thoughts turned to Estel. He was more than amazed by the change the boy had gone through since he had seen him last. Four years past he had been a child, strong-willed and carefree, though equipped with an inner strength and sense for justice that had foreshawdowed the man he would become.
Now, however, this man was already trying to break through, not unlike a snake struggeling to lose a skin that had grown too tight. True, the youth still had the rounded features of innocence and the gangly limbs of a colt, but his actions when faced with horror and death had been far removed from a child scrambling for his father´s protection.
The elf remembered Estel as he had been in the glade, horrified yet steadfast, crying one minute and screaming defiance in the next, and now Meila had filled him in on the young human´s brave agreement to embark on a dangerous journey. The fact that lord Elrond had let him go spoke of a trust in the boy´s abilities that mirrored Legolas´ own.
Even though, the woodelf felt a nagging unrest when he thought of Estel and the twins. He was more aware than most that Lord Elrond´s son were a force to be reckoned with, yet a strange forboding made him fearful for them all. Something was very wrong, something that was still lost in the shadows.
He cursed his current state of inability and it took all of his considerable power of will to keep from forcing his aching legs under him to follow his friends. That would be no good, not yet, and he knew it, but the knowledge made his weakness no easier to bear.
He turned his senses to the world outside. Meila had opened the windows to welcome fresh air into the kitchen, and for a moment he allowed himself to revel in the faint smell of earth and trees that the breeze carried in. He sighed contently at the familiar and soothing odour. Before he knew it he was carried back into the realm of dreams.
/
His next awakening was faster and more thorough. He pushed himself onto his elbows to look out of the window, pleased to see that only a few hours had passed. Still weak or not, the nagging feeling of unease Meila´s story had left in him had not abated. If anything, it had grown. He did not doubt the old woman´s motives for a heartbeat, but still he sensed that the security of her home might be elusive.
Meila was obviouly taking a rest in her bedroom. He could clearly hear her even breathing in the next room. All the better, that meant he would not be interrupted by her.
Gazing around the room his eyes quickly setteled on what he had been looking for. He grinned. Trust a healer to always be prepared for the patient´s progress – only that he meant to force this progress just a little. He would have to move a few paces along the wall to reach the crutches that rested there but he was determined not to be discouraged.
He kept his legs straight and turned, scooting backwards until his back connected with the wall. Taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed himself up on his good leg. He was careful and slow, but his stomach still clenched at the movement and the room tilted sideways dangerouly, forcing him back to the ground.
Legolas clenched his teeth and willed his breath to slow. He did not need much imagination to envision Lord Elrond, stern eyebrow raised, ordering him back to bed as he had done on several simliar occasions in the past. "Well, you are not here", he ground out at the absent healer. "Maybe you should have given Meila a stronger sleeping potion..." he rose once more, his heartbeat accelerating ,..."or better instructions."
This time Legolas did not fall, though it was a narrow escape. Sweat began to collect on his forehead and he began to wonder whether getting up already had really been a practical idea. He still leaned back against the wood, delicatedly balanced on one leg, when a scream broke the stillness of the village.
The sudden sound quite forcefully drove home the realization that up until now it had been unnaturally quiet outside. He remembered a few subdued voices in the distance when he had eaten his broth earlier, but all in all the silence had been almost complete.
The scream echoed again. This time, Legolas could detremine that it was not uttered by a human but by a horse. For a moment his heart clenched in sorrowful memory. However, the feeling passed quickly, because he could tell that this animal had not screamed in pain or fear. It was angry.
"Ah, not that again!" he heard Meila mumble from the other room. "Whenever he enters the stable there is a racket to wake the dead. When will he finally learn..." The door opened and the woman stopped speaking, looking at Legolas as if she was faced with a ghost.
The elf smiled and tried to seem completely at ease, but Meila was not fooled. Slowly, her gentle features turned stern and she harrumphed angrily. Then she took a few purposeful steps, picked up the crutches and handed them to Legolas.
"I assume you you were waiting for these to hop your way", she said, "for a wise immortal being like yourself would certainly not be silly enough to try and walk with such an injury." Her eyes bore into him with enough intensity to make him cringe. "Though in all truth, I have never heard of crutches that could walk on their own. It must be elven magic that we humble humans do not possess."
She turned away, leaving him to arrange the crutches, and closed the window.
Legolas briefly considered apologizing to her but then decided against it. Meila had quite effectively closed the subject already. Instead, he asked: "What horse is making such a racket?" On cue, the shrill neighing could be heard again.
"That is the grey stallion my neighbour bought last month. Stubborn creature, no sense can be forced into it." She threw the elf a meaningful look, clearly comparing him to the animal. "My poor neighbour is a good man and tries his best without bringing any harm to the beast but it seems to be useless. I am fairly certain that this horse can never be ridden, nor will it pull a plough."
Legolas had regained his composure by now, thankful for the security the crutches offered, and replied with real eagerness: "Mayhap I can help him. All good animals listen when an elf speaks."
She chuckled, her anger gone. "The question remains, is that grey devil a good animal? But I am certain my neighbour would welcome your assistance. It might truly be a good destination for your first little walk tomorrow, for it is not far."
She looked at him, the challenge clear, and he looked straight back.
"I am on my feet already", he pointed out.
"Barely."
"Would it not be a waste of effort for me to just stand here?"
"Not if this taught you a lesson about pushing yourself too far too soon."
"I am not pushing myself too far, I am perfectly fine."
"You are pale."
"That is in my nature."
"You are sweating."
"Your hearth is quite warm."
Meila glared at him, but he was relieved to see mirth twinkling in her eyes and she finally broke into a laugh. "Very well, if your mind is swift enough for verbal sparring I assume it can assess your abilities, also. But you shall suffer the embarassment of having an old woman guard our every step."
He smiled. "That sounds like a just punishment, mistress. Now shall we go?"
And go they did, if very, very slowly. There was no denying that the elf needed the human´s guidance, because he had to concentrate on staying upright so much that unimportant nuisances like doors or stones in his way would have gone unnoticed without her.
The neighbour´s stable was truly only a few steps away, but when they had reached it and Legolas could lean against a wall for support, he was drenched in sweat. "Never noticed a hearth in this stable", Meila commented dryly, but she stayed beside him until she was sure that he would not pass out. It took a few moments.
When the elf was able to take in his surroundings he immediately noticed the massive grey horse that stood a few paces away, watching him as closely as Meila. When the stallion felt his attention, he shook his mane and rolled his eyes dramatically. He raised himself on his hind legs, if only a little, and pounded his hooves into the ground with force.
"Im tirad almug." /I see (a) dragon/ Legolas chuckled softly. The horse stilled right away, ears pricked up in curiosity. When the elf said no more, the stallion stepped forward, strechting its muscled neck over the stall´s wall, and nudged him demandingly.
Meila shook her head in disbelief. "What compliment did you pay him? He has never allowed anyone to touch him, let alone make the effort to seek contact himself."
Legolas laughed under his breath. "It was a doubtful compliment, though he seems to consider it such. If you do not mind, I would like to stay here awhile and watch him. Maybe I can find out what ails him so."
"And it would conveniently prevent you from the need to move", Meila commented with satisfaction. "As your current healer, I whole-heartedly support that particular idea. Let me go and inform my neighbour that there is an elf in his stable and several armed men in front of it."
Legolas looked around in suprise and was astonished to find her words true. How could he have missed such a crucial fact? The woman smiled gently at him. "You were slightly preoccupied on the way here, young lord. But do not worry, they aremeant to protect you."
The nervous glances the men threw in his direction seemed to belie her words, but the elf decided that for the moment he should not dwell on what he could not change. Instead, he turned his attention back onto the horse.
/
The day passed into evening. The grey stallion seemed to enjoy the elf´s company, and the longer Legolas stayed beside him, the more he felt the great beast´s yearning for freedom. The stallion hated walls, hated bridles and saddles. He simply wanted to be free.
"A difficult endeavour", Legolas mused, stroking the soft fur. "The farmer must have spent a year´s saving for you and needs your strength on his fields. Mayhap I can ask Lord Elrond to trade you for another beast which is more suited for the toils of farmwork."
The elf had crossed the few paced to the horse´s box and now leaned directly against it. He had to admit that he was glad Meila would soon come and help him to her house. He was exhausted beyong words and his injured leg throbbed while the other one burned from taking his weight alone.
To distract himself from the discomfort he closed his eyes and listend into the village. Nearby he could hear his guards breathe deeply, obviously asleep. They had been for at least an hour. Farther away, he could faintly hear a family talking over their supper. And even farther away...
Suddenly his eyes snapped open and his heart began to race. He strained, concentrating even more. There was the voice again: "...successfully lead them astray. But the elves suspect something amiss."
Another voice replied: "Stay out of sight. And when the time is right, kill them. Kill all three. There will be no peace with Imladris after that."
To be continued...
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Review responses:
Guest: Hm – maybe?*g*
Rose61393: Sorry to disappoint you this time around, but don´t worry, there will be more action for the three.
Shire Rose: Ta-daa – one awake Legolas for you.
Snow-Glory: Well at least he has a nice old lady at his side – but you are correct, of course.
Mirwood warrior: Thank you! I must confess I love writing Elrond (though I seem to misspell his name a lot *blushes*). Hope the update was soon enough for you.
Pip the Dark Lord of All: Thank you!
Horsegirl01: You are correct that the situation is a bit – hmm, dire? You will get all the answers in time, I promise.
Annual 123: I try to be fast. Thanks!
GreyLynx: Thanks for poiting out the typos. I´ll go through the chapters again and try to erase them as soon as I have time. You would not believe how many times I DID correct Erlond´s – emr Lerond´s – erm Elrond´s name. It really gives me trouble, for whatever reason. Must be elven magic...
SnoCat: Glad you like it. I´m not giving away who is behind this just yet *g*