Chapter 20

A few days later, Elanor ducked under a sword and kicked out, landing a strong blow to Eomer's chest and causing him to stumble back. Before he could recover, she spun around and landed another kick, knocking his sword out of his hand, holding her own out to his chest. He held his hands up in defeat, smirking slightly at her as there was a smattering of claps and cheers. She couldn't help but smile as she lowered her sword and then walked over, picking his up from the ground and then held it out to him hilt first.

The man smiled and accepted it.

"I must admit, you are most formidable," he said, seeming impressed. "Though I would expect nothing less from an elven soldier."

"One does not become captain without the ability to fight," she said lightly, sheathing her sword. She couldn't help as a small, smug smile came across her face.

She enjoyed sparring with the Lord of the Mark, finding his demeanor and dry humor amusing. And he, too, was a formidable fighter. As far as ways to pass the time, sparring with him and others was a decent way to do so as they waited.

And she had to admit that it pleased her to earn the respect of Eomer and the men that fought for him.

"That is true," he admitted, looking around at his men. His eyes then turned to the horizon, with Elanor following. They had all been searching it more often than not lately as a nervous energy settled on the city. They were all waiting for any sign that Mithrandir had broken through to the steward and grew more anxious as each day passed with no word.

And the beacons still had not been lit.

Elanor never left her room without her pack made ready so that she could grab it in a moment's notice. She had already spoken at length with Eomer, who situated her company with horses. But with all those preparations made, they had nothing to do but wait. Elanor had taken to spending much of her time on the training grounds, working with Eomer or other soldiers of Rohan and her company to keep ready and in form.

And if she were being truly honest with herself, to avoid speaking at length with Legolas.

She worried that one look in his eyes would have everything tumbling from her lips and she was not yet ready to have that conversation with him. Even now, she tensed as she could see him step up to the grounds with Gimli, the two now seemingly inseparable, out of the corner of her eye.

She then returned her attention to Eomer, intending to ask for another round.

"Perhaps we should see how you fare against one of your own," a voice called out. Elanor looked over, seeing Legolas smiling at her as he walked up. For a moment, her voice left her.

It had been so long since she had seen that playful side of him. Even Gimli seemed amused by his disposition.

"Ah, but doesn't the lassie know all your tells?" Gimli shouted boisterously, his grin apparent under his beard. "And you hers? This might not be as entertaining as you think!"

"Perhaps, but it has been a rather long time since we sparred," Legolas said, already swinging his sword around. "Or, perhaps the lady is too tired."

In an instant, it was as though she were back thousands of years - to when it was only the two of them on the training grounds. Her competitive spark roared into a fire as she narrowed her eyes at him and a smirk appeared on her face. All of her previous worry and concern fled from her as all she thought about was wiping the smug smile from his face.

Much as she had when they were younger.

"Careful of your words, your highness," she said snarkily as she pulled her sword out, matching his own relaxed poise as they began to circle each other, Eomer quickly stepping out of the way. "They could very well be your last."

"I am most eager to see you try," Legolas quipped in return. "Last I remember, we stood at 20 to 25."

"Your mind must be addled with age. It's 21 to 21," she said quickly. Legolas only raised an eyebrow in reply, neither correcting her nor accepting her words as truth.

She heard Gimli chuckling in the background as he began placing bets with nearby soldiers, but pushed it aside, not wanting to be distracted. It was true they had spent many years fighting together or sparring against each other. He had trained with her. Trained her on his own as well. But it had been a century since they fought together.

However, now was not the time to allow her concerns to overwhelm her. She decided to wait and watch, allowing him to make the first move. It had been a long time and she needed to assess his movement first. Wait for him to reveal his weaknesses and not assume they would be the same. Legolas stopped moving and Elanor fixed her eyes on him. He stood still for so long, she wondered if he would move or if he was waiting for her to move, taunting her with his casual smile. But then suddenly, she saw it. The slight twitch of his finger that would be imperceptible to the human eye and she knew he was about to lunge towards her.

In an instant, they were in motion, both constantly moving with Elanor blocking his blows more than she was striking out. She knew that she could only keep up this approach for so long. She needed to go on the offense. But the prince wasn't making it easy for her. At this moment, she felt as though she spent more time pivoting just out of his reach than she did attempting to land blows.

After some time, she worried that she was not going to be able to land an attack and she could see that Legolas was beginning to think this as well. It was clear in the way he was beginning to smile. But just as he had always done, he started to get too confident.

That was always his downfall when they sparred before and it seemed it had not changed. Elanor fought off a smirk as she waited for her opening. It would be any time now, she could sense.

There.

Elanor spun around, bringing her sword down. Legolas blocked it, but in the split second before he moved, she brought her leg up and kicked him hard in the chest. Taken by surprise, he stumbled back slightly and before he could regain his footing, Elanor launched her assault. The smile faded from his face as Legolas gritted his teeth and doubled-down on his efforts to block her while searching for an opening, but she knew that she had rattled him.

And that was all she needed.

Soon enough, she was standing over him as she kicked his sword away from his outstretched hand, pointing her own at his chest. A brilliant grin filled her face as she caught her breath.

"It seems you have learned some things," he said, his eyes widened slightly, though he, too, was smiling. Elanor could not help as a warmth settled in her stomach at the sight.

"Perhaps," she said, sheathing her sword and holding her hand out to him. Legolas accepted it and for a moment, she felt a spark of something rush through her. It startled her and all Elanor could do was stare dumbly at her hand in his.

Sensing her distraction, Legolas jumped to his feet and swung her around, holding her close to his chest in a tight hold. All reasonable thought left Elanor's mind as all she could focus on was his lean body pressed against hers.

"What did I always tell you? Never let your guard down," he said in her ear, causing shivers to run down her spine. But now was not the time, she suddenly realized. The match was not yet over. She narrowed her eyes as she immediately went back on guard, managing to use her weight and momentum to flip him over her back. Shouts started up as the two elves engaged once more.

It appeared the others were entertained that the match was continuing.

For a few tense minutes, the two forgot there was a crowd as they went back and forth. In one moment, Elanor had gained the upper hand, but he quickly hopped to his feet and began to circle her again. Then he once again had her in a hold, but Elanor tripped him up, causing him to tumble to the ground again. Legolas then reached out and pulled her to the ground, rolling on top of her before she could react. Elanor struggled against him, but found he would not budge.

"A tie, perhaps?" he said, his face close to hers. Elanor then froze, finally understanding just how compromising the position they were in was. Her sight zeroed in on his lips and she felt the heat pool in her cheeks as for a moment, all she could think about was kissing him. She then moved her eyes back up to his eyes, which were full of mirth.

She was certain that he had not missed her look and that only made her more embarrassed and frustrated, snapping her fully out of her daze. She was instantly all too aware of the many eyes that were still on them, including those of her company.

Her pride was slightly bruised at being beaten in the match, but now lying under him on the ground only made her embarrassment multiply.

"Yes… a tie. Let me up, Legolas," she nearly growled. The prince took his time getting up then offered his hand, which she ignored as she got to her feet and brushed herself off. She looked around, her eyes falling on Braen, who had just walked up to the training grounds. Without a word to Legolas, she walked over to him. "What news?"

"We are in need of arrows," he said, his eyes flinting over to Legolas and then back to her. Whatever he was thinking, she was grateful that he didn't voice or express it in any way. She did not think that she could handle anymore embarrassment at the moment.

"I shall head to the armory to see to it," she said quickly before walking off. She needed to get away from Legolas, though she could hear various chortles and amused comments from the Rohorrim.

Once she was deep into the armory and alone, Elanor leaned her forehead against a wall, allowing the cool stone to soothe her. She had let herself get away there for a moment and the fact that it had happened in full view of others only made it worse.

For not the first time in the last few days, she wished she had someone there to give her advice or just listen to her. Her mother or Haldir. Even her father would likely have something to say that she would appreciate. These things running through her mind were not of a nature that she felt comfortable discussing with Braen. Nor did she wish to divulge her secrets to Lady Eowyn - it would take far too long to explain everything about their history for her to fully understand regardless.

So, here Elanor stood, alone in the armoury with nothing but her thoughts, which were many and vexing.

"Pull yourself together, Elanor," she murmured to herself. She then stepped back from the wall, turned and then leaned against it, sliding down to sit on the ground as she took in the emptiness and silence of the room. It was a welcome respite with all the noise her thoughts were creating in her mind.

For a moment, she considered sneaking into the kitchens and retrieving wine to help calm her nerves, but she knew now was not the time with the beacons possibly being lit at any moment. So instead, she leaned her head back against the wall, allowing her thoughts to take her over.

"Again!"

Elanor grunted as she ran through the drills, her frustration spiking. They had been training for hours and she was growing weary both physically and out of boredom of repetition. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she could see Legolas slowly walking around her, his eyes catching her every movement.

"Perhaps more good would come from sparring," she said, not stopping.

"Again," Legolas said, ignoring her. "You must increase your speed."

Elanor grunted, swinging her sword harder than intended, embedding it deep in the wooden dummy. She took a few steps back, glaring at it.

"You are allowing your frustration to cloud your movement," he said calmly. She continued to glare at the weapon. She had heard the statement so many times before that she wanted to smack Legolas across the face. But that would get her nowhere save more drills, so, instead she pushed her hair out of her face and walked over, grabbing hold of the hilt and yanking.

"You must be focused," he continued.

"I know!" she said sternly, yanking harder.

"You cannot-"

"I KNOW!" she roared, finally dislodging the sword and stumbling back a few steps.

She was not sure why, but she could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps she was tired from training. Perhaps it was the argument she had had with her father that morning. Or perhaps it was because everytime Legolas stepped near her, her heart began to pound so violently, she was sure that he could hear it. Every time he looked upon her, she was sure that her thoughts and affections for him were clearly written across her face.

Yet, every day he was spending more and more time with Tauriel and it hurt. Painfully. Much like her pride hurt when he was harsh during these private training sessions. She didn't really need them, but it was the only time of late that she could be alone with him. While it had begun in much the same way as all their other sessions, for whatever reason he was was starting to grate on her already frayed nerves.

She turned to glare at him, fighting to control her tears. She would never become a great fighter if she could not control herself. As always, it was her emotions that frustrated her in the end. Lifting her chin slightly, she swallowed whatever tears were threatening to fall.

"Again," Legolas said, his face betraying nothing. Elanor nodded, turning back and lifting her sword again. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm down. To focus. She started through the various movements that she knew by heart, trying to push aside everything in her mind but the task at hand. No Legolas. No feelings.

"Faster."

Elanor picked up her pace, ignoring the fact that her arms were tiring and starting to ache.

"Good. Smoother."

Gritting her teeth, she attempted to smooth out her movements. Now her legs were beginning to hurt.

"Do not stop."

Giving a loud shout, she swung and completely missed the dummy, her legs tangling up as she then fell to the ground. As the air was knocked from her lungs, she closed her eyes a moment, before glaring up at the branches above her. Legolas' face then appeared in her line of sight.

"Give me a moment," she hissed.

Rather than a stern look, his face softened. His face disappeared and Elanor glanced over a few times as he laid down on the ground next to her, staring up at the branches. Rather than stare, she too, turned her attention back to the sky above.

"Sometimes I miss the days when we spent most of our time running in the woods, sneaking off from our lessons," he said suddenly, surprising her. Elanor frowned as she looked over at him, but the prince's eyes were still fixed above. "Not preparing to fight or… learning diplomacy."

"Your father is not so bad," Elanor said. Legolas turned to look at her, an incredulous look on his face. "Well… not with me."

"He actually likes you," Legolas replied. "Sometimes I feel he prefers you to me."

"That is not true. He loves you. You're his son," she replied immediately. "Perhaps he does not always show it… or well, he's just…"

"Cold? Indifferent?" Legolas said.

"Complicated," she replied.

"At least yours still shows warmth to you," Legolas said, looking back up at the branches. Elanor did not reply at first, instead studying his face - his lashes that fanned out against his perfect skin, the curve of his lips. For a moment, she wondered how they would feel against hers.

Elanor's head snapped back up to the branches, her cheeks flushing. Why would she allow herself to think such a thing right now? She must save these thoughts for when she was alone, or at least when she was not in Legolas' presence.

"It would seem as though we both have difficult fathers," she replied, keeping her voice calm.

"At least we will always have each other," Legolas said. Elanor turned her head again, meeting his eyes as she felt her heart skip a beat, seeing his soft smile. He had not uttered such words in a long time. She could not speak for a few moments, taken aback. Finally, she nodded.

"Yes… we will always have each other…"

Elanor opened her eyes and looked around the room, hearing that someone had entered. She quickly stood and wiped her cheeks, unsure of how long she had been there, lost in her memories.

She had just straightened herself when Legolas rounded a corner, a look of concern on his face. It was the opposite of the mirth she had seen before, and he appeared truly distressed over her.

"I worried when you did not return," he said, stepping up to her.

"I am fine," she said quickly, her heart starting to beat slightly faster.

"You were crying," he replied, taking in her face as he furrowed his brow.

"It is not of your doing," she said, not wanting to tell him what she was really thinking about. "I am afraid I allowed my memories to get away from me."

"Haldir," he said softly. She looked over at him, momentarily stunned by the emotion she saw there. And that he would automatically assume that Haldir was who she had been thinking of.

She had not seen him this open to her in such a long time. There had been many times in their past when he could hide nothing from her. But the last few hundred years before she left Mirkwood, she had felt him slowly close off, holding things back from her. It still took her aback to see him open to her yet again.

"He truly is a light in the darkness," she replied, deciding it was safer to allow Legolas to continue assuming that was whom she had been thinking of for now. Better that than to tell him that she had been reminiscing of him. She hesitated a moment before speaking further. "But I am grateful that I have you here with me."

A look of hope came over his face. He looked to the ground a few moments before taking a deep breath and seeming to steel himself. He then looked up, meeting her eyes.

"I've told you before, but truly, there was never a time when I did not think of you while you were away," he said earnestly. "I often wished to reach out to you…"

"Why did you not?" Elanor asked without thinking. Her heart began to flutter. Shame suddenly flooded Legolas' features.

"With the way that you left, I thought that you would not wish to hear from me," he said. "I did not wish to cause you more strife. But ever since that day, all I wished was to make things right between us. To regain the relationship we once had and to possibly… grow closer still..."

Elanor took a deep breath, feeling everything coming to the surface as she studied him. There was so much more to that statement than what he was saying; it was clear in his eyes. And it both terrified and excited her.

Was this perhaps the moment? Was this the opportunity for her to finally tell him everything? She fought with herself a few moments, but found the words coming out of their own accord.

"I… I thought of you often as well. Near constantly, I should think," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She paused, still unsure, but there was something in his eyes, urging her to continue. She could not help as she stepped closer to him, starting to reach out for him. "Despite how I left, I…"

"LADY ELANOR!"

As soon as she heard her name and the pounding of feet, she jumped back from Legolas, her eyes wide as her heart pounded at the sudden interruption. Braen rounded the corner, stopping as he saw her standing with Legolas. He then quickly recovered from his shock and strode towards her purposely.

"What is it, Braen?" Elanor asked.

"The beacons have been lit. We ride for Minas Tirith."

Man, war… biggest cock block there is. But I decided to let Elanor and Legolas have a bit of fun before things get serious again. Really had fun with the whole fighting/flirting scene. And I promise, there are more lighthearted scenes coming… we're getting there… And I'm so close to finishing up the writing. Spent time today mostly editing everything up until the last chapter, but I'm *this* close to finishing it. Maybe tonight…

Anyway, from here to the end, while there are things from the movies, I tried to pull more from the books as well. Trying to get a good mix of things and all...

Ladyville – Haha, well, as soon as I finish this one, I'll post the other one. Or maybe I'll go ahead and start since I don't think I got nearly this far in writing the other one…

Thanks for reading and following! And I hope you guys like all the new cover art that I put together. Started with just a few and then over the weekend, turned into a flippin' monster with it…