Hello! How are you all doing? Good I hope, because I'm doing all right myself.
I'm sixteen now! I'm sixteen now! Huzzah!
I am so sorry that this chapter is so late! My Internet connection died around the 17th of October. So here it is October 27th and I'm finally writing chapter 14. Though...my Internet still doesn't work. It's really starting to annoy me. I'm used to going and reading updates on my favorite fanfictions everyday and I haven't been on in a week and a half. I feel so withdrawn! My dad is going to go buy a new cable router thing, because we think that that may be the problem. But that may not be for a few days, because my dad isn't feeling so well lately. Anyway, once my Internet is up, I will post this chapter right away...unless my sister lets me use her computer. --evil grin-- And I just cannot say it enough. I am so, very, terribly, horribly, extremely, utterly, thoroughly, and completely SORRY! --hugs--
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Lord of the Rings.
Rating: PG-13
A/N: Oh! The thing about taking the immortality away from the elves sort of confused a few of you. I am taking the immortality away from every elf, not only Legolas. Please, don't flame me if you don't agree with my actions...tell me in a kind way.
Extra long chapter because of the lateness! I hope you all like it! And thank you all for the reviews on chapter 13!
'Calin! What is wrong with you, girl? Has it every crossed your mind that Legolas is a Prince and you are a nothing civilian?' Calin's mind shouted at her. Calin grimaced and shrugged as she made her way towards the king's office. 'Have some dignity,' the voice added in harshly. "We are friends and will be nothing more!" Calin whispered back as she turned round a corner to see the doors of the king's office coming into view. 'If you say so...' her conscience said to her as she took the few last steps before nodding to the young elf at the door and smiling curtly.
The guard lifted his hand and rapped quietly on the wooden doors. Standing in her spot, Calin examined the beautiful designs carved into the wood. A small smile found it's way to her lips and she sighed contently. The guard knocked once more and from inside came a quiet approval to let her in. Stepping aside so the guard could open the doors, the room opened up to her. Taking one step forward, she brought herself closer and then into the warm comfort of the room. Calin curtsied slightly and smiled when her gaze came upon the king sitting at his desk, which was covered with stacks of papers. The king smiled and nodded as he took another paper from the stack and began to read.
"How are you doing this day, Lady Calin?" he asked politely as he kept on with his business. Calin came forward and sat down in one of two plush chairs before the king's desk.
"Very well, your highness, and yourself?" she replied, setting back into the chair to lean against it's comfortable back. The king nodded in approval and shrugged, causing Calin to take notice of his actions, which were similar to Legolas's.
"Well, you are probably wondering why I had you come here." Calin nodded with anticipation and smiled a weak smile when the king chuckled at her curiosity. But before the king could continue a light knock came at his door. King Thranduil sighed and sat back, removing his arms that he had placed on his desk. "Come in," he called. The door then slowly pushed open and an elleth came in through the opening. The elleth smiled lovingly at the king and took a seat in the chair next to Calin. She pushed a straight lock of blonde hair from her pale face and glanced at Calin, smiling softly. "Erynien, what brings you here?" Thranduil asked, folding his hands on his lap.
"I am worried," she stated, her voice shaky. Calin cocked an eyebrow and watched her as she spoke, Thranduil doing the same. "About Legolas," Erynien added. Calin's eyebrows then both rose and her eyes widened in baffle.
"Oh?" Thranduil pressed, wondering what could possibly be worrying her about his son. Erynien nodded and placed her hands on her lap, looking down. And after a few seconds, she lifted her face again and looked to the king with a bothered stare.
"Yes. He seems so...detached lately. I will talk to him and he merely nods. And it is forever like he's not listening or as if he's not even there, but off somewhere else. Merenír just talked to him the day before yesterday and spoke the same thing to me. I am worried." Thranduil nodded and sat back into his chair sighing. He placed his face in his hands and slowly massaged it before letting go and smiling softly. Calin only sat there, stupefied by the young elleth's words...she had surly not seen Legolas act this way.
"Pardon me, but may I share something?" Thranduil and Erynien both looked to Calin, who was sitting on the edge of her chair, twiddling the hem of her tunic in her hand. They both nodded and Calin gulped, casting her gaze to the floor. "Well...I was with Legolas just the day before yesterday and he seemed perfectly fine...He was laughing and talking with me freely." Erynien only raised her eyebrows and sighed.
"I am still worried."
The air blew about Legolas as he took a seat on a small bench along the side of the cobblestone street. Elves walked by and bowed or curtsied as he sat there, staring off into the distance. Taking a deep breath he came to his surroundings and smiled weakly as he watched the elves bustling about the shops that were lining the street. He chuckled when he saw two young elflings run down the street, barefooted and cloaked (obviously engaged in some sort of tagging game that he knew very well).Flashback
"I will get you, Erynien!" a young elfling shouted, pulling his cloak on further and covering his head with his hood. Erynien looked back and laughed, never losing her pace as she threaded through the maze of a crowd on the cobblestone streets. "I am far faster!" the young boy called as he ran after Erynien.
"Prove it to me!" the young girl elfling called back as she stopped to turn in his direction. "Because I do not think you are, Legolas!" And after smiling wickedly, she turned on her heel and ran further. Legolas huffed and before he could do anything about it, collided into an elf in the crowd.
"Watch where you are going," the older elf scolded. Legolas looked up to the old man and smiled shyly.
"I am sorry, excuse me," Legolas replied, smiling wider when the man came to notice who he was. And once the man had walked away, Legolas jumped back up and his eyes flew around as he searched for Erynien. Having absolutely no luck, he ran to the edge of the crowd and gazed around. Legolas grinned when he saw a small, short, cloaked elfling running through the gates of the gardens. And with a deep breath, he darted towards the gardens in search of his sister.
Legolas chuckled. He loved his sister and always had. There were times where he had wanted to just stuff her into a room and never let her come out to bother him again. But that was all in the past (mostly during the times when Legolas had found a young elleth that he was interested in and didn't want the bothering of his little sister). For the most part though, Erynien had always been a great sister and he knew that whenever he had something on his mind, he could go to her and she would understand.
Legolas blinked and snapped out of his daze when he heard his name called. He turned to meet the gaze of Calin, who was walking his way. His heart skipped at the mere sight of her and he breathed out shakily when she sat upon the bench beside him. Resting her hands upon her lap, she looked to him and smiled sweetly then back to the shops along the street. "How are you?" she asked. Legolas sighed and looked to her.
"I am all right. How are you, Calin?" he replied, looking out into the crowds.
"I am fine..." she answered blankly. Legolas nodded and smiled softly. "Are you sure that you are okay though?" she pressed. Legolas chuckled and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together.
"I am sure," he said. "Why do you ask?"
"Well...your father had called me into his office, but before he could speak to me an elleth came into the room and said that she was worried for you. Her name was...I believe it was...Erynien." Legolas shook his head and smiled, casting his glance to the ground.
"My sister and father worry about the smallest details," he said, finally revealing to Calin who this elleth was. "You need not worry, Calin." Calin smiled and nodded slowly. "I am grateful to see that you were worried about me though," Legolas added, wiggling his eyebrow. Calin snorted and elbowed his arm, causing him to laugh and shrink back.
"Of course I would be worried...you are my friend!" she said with a giggle as she leaned her back upon the back of the bench. Legolas grinned and sighed, also sitting back and subconsciously throwing his arm around and resting it on the top of the bench. Calin caught her breath in her throat and moved a few inches away as she came to notice how close they were, causing Legolas to frown and push closer. "Well...I should be on my way," Calin said nervously as she jumped up and began to walk away. Legolas jumped up after her and jogged to her side.
"Why must you go so soon?" he asked, wishing to know exactly why she would pull away every time they had gotten close. Calin hurried her pace and kept her stone gaze straight ahead towards the halls of the palace.
"I...I met an elleth in town today and I was going to meet her in the gardens," Calin said, faltering along the way. Legolas grasped Calin's arm above her elbow and brought her to a stop. She huffed and turned on her heel to face a bewildered Legolas. "We thought we might do some shopping together," she added, "and I must go back to my room to gather some things." Legolas cocked an eyebrow and smiled smugly.
"At least let me walk you back to your room," he said, acting as if he was exasperated with her actions. Calin pried Legolas's hand off of her arm and nodded a 'good bye,' turning once again to be on her way. Legolas huffed and began to walk behind her. 'What is wrong with you?' the voice in her head asked Calin. 'I told you to have some dignity, not stupidity! Don't you run from him!' it told her. Calin rolled her eyes and kept walking towards her destination.
Once Calin had reached the doors of the halls, the guards pulled them open. She stepped inside and began her way down the endless amount of halls, her brain not even wanting to register what she had just done. She had acted so childish! "Calin!" an all too familiar voice called after her as she found herself nearing her room. "Calin! Please let me speak to you!" he called again. Calin huffed and turned on her heel to face Legolas jogging up to her.
"What? Legolas, what?" she asked. Legolas slowed and stopped before her, looking down with the most annoying grin he could muster. "Did you follow me? You followed me!" she added, realizing that he couldn't of kept this good of time behind her if he had not of done so.
"Calin you spoke of you going to your room...I did not follow you." Calin huffed and crossed her arms on her chest, looking away. "But that is beside the point," he started once again. "I would like to know why you run from me so?" he said, the question burning him up inside. Calin blinked and cast a sidelong glance at him quickly before looking away again.
"Legolas, I told you that I needed to meet someone," she retorted.
"Do you really?" he asked, moving his body over so that Calin would be looking directly at him. Calin sighed wearily and her eyes met his. "Calin..." he groaned. "You run from me so much. Why do you do so? I know that you care about me," he said referring to the time in Minas Tirith when she had practically threw herself on him and kissed him. Calin's eyes widened and she looked away, trying to forget that moment every happening.
"I do not believe I know what you are speaking of," she said blankly, shifting her weight to her other foot.
"Calin, do not tell me that you forgot. I know that I never could!" he stated, taking a deep breath and looking down to the ground. Calin tapped her foot upon the ground and sighed.
"Legolas...y-you are prince...I...I am a...a lowly civilian..." she whispered in a low tone. Legolas looked up with a confused expression and not being able to hold himself back, he placed his index finger under her chin and pushed it up causing her to look at him in the eye.
"I would never think that of you, Calin," he said slowly and softly, causing Calin to gulp and turn her head away after he removed his finger from her chin.
"I need to go, Legolas," she said, stepping away and turning to walk into her room, only to be held back when Legolas grasped her arm once again.
"Please, do not leave me out here like this, Calin..." he said sadly. Calin gulped audibly and turned slowly to the elf behind her. She smiled softly for the first time since she had been sitting on the bench with him and sighed. Legolas smiled back and found his breath caught in his throat as he waited for her to speak.
"Legolas...it is not right..."
"What is not right?" he asked, clearly perplexed by her words.
"What is not right is how I feel so...so...right!" Legolas cocked an eyebrow and turned his face to an angle.
"I do not believe I understand..." Calin sighed and looked away.
"Legolas...I feel too comfortable when I am with you...it nerves me...it just seems TOO good to be right..." Calin whispered softly, not knowing what else to say to him, but the truth.
"What is wrong with feeling 'right'? Should that not be a good feeling?" he asked, hiding his emotions about what she had just told him. It was as if he was ready to burst with excitement inside, yet not an ounce of it was shown through.
"I do not know...it just...it frightens me is all!" she yelped out, not being able to contain her own emotions.
"Calin, you need not be frightened," Legolas said in a hushed tone.
"I know...this has just never happened to me before..." Legolas nodded and smiled, stepping up to Calin. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, trying desperately to do something or anything he could think of to comfort her. Calin sighed as she breathed in his scent and lay her cheek on his shoulder, embracing him back. She was telling the truth...it did feel right.
"I shall TRY to be slow this time," he assured her, throwing Calin completely off guard, for she had not expected him to be so quick to pursuing her once again. Calin only nodded and pulled away from the warmth of Legolas and stepped back, placing her hand on the doorknob. She smiled weakly when he grinned at her playfully, his eyes gleaming. Looking back to the room she turned the knob and opened the door, stepping in. But before she closed the door she turned to Legolas and a light smirk came to her face.
"I believe I remember you telling me that you were to teach me to use a bow and arrow," she said innocently. Legolas grinned wider and clasped his hands before him.
"I believe so, too," he answered. Calin nodded and started again.
"So...when shall you be teaching me?" she asked, looking down to the floor and then back to him as she waited for an answer.
"As soon as you wish, Calin," he stated, his eyes sparkling with happiness. 'All right, Calin. Enough with being shy...you heard him say it...he likes you for you and doesn't care about titles! No more of this nervous nonsense,' Calin's inner voice told her, truly baffling her since it was so against the fact of them being friends before. Calin nodded to herself and smirked.
"All right," she said cheerfully, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. Legolas stood rooted in his spot, his mouth gaping open.
"Where are you going?" he asked, wondering what the sudden change of heart was all about.
"I am going to learn how to use a bow and arrow," she said matter-of-factly and resuming her walk down the hall. And when she came to notice that he was still standing by the door of her room, she turned and smiled. "I think I shall be needing an instructor," she commented, trying to bring him out of his daze and into the present time. Legolas blinked and looked up, turning his head to meet the gaze of Calin's eyes. With an eager smirk, Legolas turned and jogged towards Calin, walking at her side.
"Well, first of all, we shall stop at my room, which is...right here, so I can get my bow and quiver," he said, stopping at his door and letting himself in. And after only few seconds of waiting outside, Legolas came from the room and shut the door behind him. Calin smiled softly and began walking back down the hall as he walked beside her, throwing his quiver over his head and holding his bow in his right hand. "Now we shall make our way to the armory, so I can find you your own bow and quiver."
"I get my own bow and quiver?" Calin asked excitedly. Legolas smiled and nodded, turning the corner towards the armory.
"I do not think I can do it," Calin burst, her voice full of worry as she stood in her position.
"Of course you can, Calin!" Legolas said with a chuckle as he sat down on a stump in the field. Calin shook her head ferociously causing Legolas to chuckle even more.
"No...no, I really do not think I can," she whined, worried that she was going to hit someone in the head with her arrow. "I am going to hurt an elf seriously with this, Legolas." Legolas laughed and shook his head, standing from his spot. He walked over to Calin and stood next to her. "And what is this blindfold supposed to help me with?! I believe I would do better if I could see, Legolas!" Legolas chuckled and stepped to the other side of Calin.
"I told you already, Calin. The blindfold forces you to visualize the target and only the target. When you can see freely, you see everything and that will weigh you down. When you only see the target and just the target, then you have a better chance of hitting it," he explained. Calin huffed and kept her body firm.
"But I do not know where the target is!" she said, exasperated.
"Yes, I know, Calin. But right now I just want you to visualize a target in your mind. All right?" he asked. Calin sighed and nodded. "All right. Now visualize the target," he said stepping closer and fixing her tilt of the bow to an angle. Then he moved his hands to her stretched out arm and lifted it up, making it parallel to the earth. And lastly, he put his hands on her waist and straightened out her form, causing her to shudder under his touch. "Now," he said, standing behind her so his hot breath was flowing by her cheek. "See the target. Aim for the center of that target. And whenever you are ready, let go." Calin took a deep breath and closing her eyes subconsciously, she let go of her arrow, hearing the twang that the string made.
And as soon as she had heard the twang, she pulled off her blindfold and looked for the arrow, but obviously had no luck in finding it. "Wonderful, Calin. Now try it without the blindfold," he said handing another arrow to her. Calin grasped the arrow and set it to the bow, as she held it before her. Pulling back, she lifted the bow once again and moving back into the position Legolas had put her in before, she closed one eye and aimed for the target. "All right, block everything out. It is only you and the target. Nothing else is relevant, let alone even there." Calin breathed deep and nodded, watching the target and blocking out everything around her. "Nothing is here Calin, not I nor the other archers, not the trees nor the grass, not the wind nor the earth, it is just you and the target." Calin exhaled shakily and fixed her eyes on the wooden target before her. "Now let go," Legolas whispered into her ear. Calin immediately let the string from her fingertips and watched with amazement as her arrow went slicing through the air and landed on the outer edge of the target.
"I did it...I actually did it..." she said, wide eyed and her mouth agape.
"I knew you could," Legolas said warmly, patting her on the back, as a small smile crept upon her lips.
"I cannot believe it!" she shouted, dropping her bow and turning around to throw her arms around the elf behind her. Legolas embraced her and held her tightly as she giggled with happiness. Calin wrapped her arms around his neck tighter as she tried to comprehend the fact that she had actually learnt to use a bow and arrow. Then pulling away, she looked up to Legolas and smiled sincerely. "Thank you so much for teaching me," she said. Legolas smirked.
"Of course, Calin. Just a little more practice and you will be able to hit that target dead center."
"You know...I believe I am going to love this...I am going hunting!" she said, picking up her bow and with a proud smile, began to strut towards the woods. Legolas jumped and grabbed his bow, running up to the side of Calin.
"I shall come with you," he said, worrying that she would get into trouble.
"Oh, that is all right, Legolas. I can defend myself now. You need not worry. I shall be fine." Legolas kept walking at her side and chuckled at her very contented state.
"Of course, but I would like to come," he said. "But it would probably be kind of me to tell you that there are giant spiders out that way..." he added, hoping to get her to change her mind. Calin stopped immediately in her path and moved her gaze to Legolas.
"Oh..." she started, "maybe I shall just go to my room then...I am awfully tired. It has been a long day." Legolas nodded and smiled kindly, walking at her side.
"How about I take you out on a hunt sometime?" Legolas offered when he saw her door coming into view, hoping desperately that she would accept. Calin looked to him suspiciously (just so she could see his interesting facial expression) and then looked back ahead of her.
"That would be fantastic," she said with a small smirk. Legolas grinned and walked ahead of her to her door and opened it for her, holding his arm out for her to walk in. Calin smirked and walked past him into the room, leaning her bow and quiver up against the wall beside the door. Legolas remained standing just inside her room and smiled sweetly when she looked up at him questioningly. "Yes?" she asked. Legolas shrugged and grinned, slowly walking up to Calin, who stared back, confused.
Finally stopping, Legolas stood only inches away from Calin and brought up his hand. He slowly and softly wiped a strand of wavy golden hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Reveling in the moment, Legolas let his finger trail down the side of her jaw and then drop to his side, as Calin stood motionless, thoughts running wildly through her mind. Legolas then smiled sweetly and moved in, placing a short, soft kiss on her cheek. But before pulling away he moved his mouth up to her ear and let his moist breath linger upon it. "Sleep well, Calin," he whispered into her ear in a husky tone, causing a tingling shudder to run down Calin's face and through the length of her spine.
Legolas then stepped back and grinned playfully before walking out into the hallway and shutting the door behind him to leave a very shocked Calin. Legolas sighed and strut down the hall towards his room, grinning ever wider. His plan was finally beginning to go his way and now nothing would change his mind. Calin was his...no one else's.
A-ha! He is such a bad boy, seducing her like that. Ha-ha. Well, I hoped you all liked it. Again, I am so sorry that it took so long to update.
I have a poll. Yes, you read right! A poll!
Poll Question -- Do you think that I am taking their relationship too fast? (I'm very paranoid about this, because I rushed a relationship really bad in an old story I used to write.)
(A) I love it the way it is!
(B) It's a little rushed, but it's going all right.
(C) It's way to slow!
Now vote in your review! Please!
.:krista:.
P.S. Thank to my sister, I got my chapter up tonight! Thank you sister for letting me use your computer!