A/N: Thank you to the reader who told me that fear of heights isn't
acrophobia, but altophobia. That's really embarrassing that I didn't know
that. I will change it. Thank you Sugar*Bunny for the review, also!
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
A Broken Oath
"Well, this is where she belongs. You understand? This is her home," he explained to Pippin.
She didn't like this being so melancholy. Yes, she might have to leave the Fellowship. "Hey, I almost forgot!" she reached in her pocket and got a deck of cards out.
"My father left a bunch of stuff here; Galadriel showed me. How would you guys like to learn a nice way to gamble?"
They both looked at each other. She grinned. "It's called Poker. Don't worry, I'll explain every step to you before I try to win all your stuff," she said as she began dealing out the cards.
"Argh, did you teach us this confounded game just so we could lose to him!" Sam said in frustration, pointing to a very content Merry as he pulled more of the food rations towards himself. Frodo and Laura grinned.
"Come on, Sam. I wanted you to learn this so you'll have something to do when you get bored on this journey," she said cheerily.
"Sure, like being bored and hungry," he said exasperatedly. Merry just laughed.
"Don't worry, I intend on giving all of it back. I just want to see how much I can rack up," he said greedily, rubbing his hands together.
"Okay, boys. Twos are wild." she began as she started dealing them another hand.
Legolas appeared from wherever he had been. "My lady, could I have a word with thee?" he asked politely. The Hobbits all looked at each other, than at her and smiled. They all knew about her crush on the Elf.
She got up and followed him. He was still in that silver suit, and looked sexier than ever. She shook her head. She wasn't here to get crushes on guys. Especially an Elf who was probably a couple thousand years older than she was.
"Something has been bothering you these past two nights, has it not?" he asked her.
She looked at him, contemplating whether to let him know or not, if he didn't already know. She assumed that he did. But then, why was he so intent on being loyal to her father if he knew what had happened? Maybe he didn't.
"The lady Galadriel.she told me my past." Laura took a deep breath, wondering how to word it exactly. "She said I was a child of Lothlorien."
He nodded. "She did. And is it the Elvish blood that bothers you now?"
He didn't know. She didn't want to ruin the way he'd regarded her father. But there was that nagging feeling that she had to tell him. There was that strange unspoken bond between her and Legolas. When he looked at her in Moria and by the fountain, she'd read his eyes. And he had a right to know.
"My mother was Lord Elrond's wife, Legolas. And my father disguised himself so my mother never knew that it wasn't her husband."
Legolas swallowed hard like he'd just gotten a lump in his throat. He looked dazed. "So he betrayed the woman he claimed to love?" he asked shakily.
She nodded wearily.
"I see."
She looked down, not letting him see the single tear that ran down her cheek. It was so hard admitting the truth. But even worse was breaking a friendship. She wiped the tear away.
"And so ends your promise, I suppose?" she asked him.
He looked closely at her. "You are staying in Lothlorien," he observed.
She nodded. "Yes. I'm staying with my people."
He smiled sadly. "Then so ends my promise to the Tainted Jedi."
She took a step back, wanting to take a final look at Aragorn, Boromir, and the Hobbits before they knew of her decision also.
"Princess!" Legolas said as if he was recalling something. "You would have been welcomed to travel with us to the end."
"I know. Thanks, Legolas. Thanks for everything."
She perched herself high up in the trees that night, watching the remainder of the Fellowship below her. Legolas was off in a heartbeat after talking with her, exploring the realm of the Silvan Elves. She watched Aragorn and Boromir, but wasn't rude enough to listen to what they spoke to each other. Boromir; what would happen to him? Every time she looked at him she got a small twinge of uneasiness, and ever since they had entered the woods he looked distressed. Was it that Ring that was getting the better of him?
And Lord Aragorn, what about him? Would he ever become the king she saw him as in those visions? Arwen his queen? And the Hobbits.what would happen to them? It had been pretty easy so far, but how much could they handle? Would there be more of those Orc things along the way? And what if they had to encounter those Ringwraiths, and a creature like a Balrog again!? There were too many questions that weren't answered.
"NO," she told herself sternly. "No, I can't go. They'll be fine." But there was so much she didn't know. And there was so much she wanted to do still. Middle-Earth was an adventure waiting to happen, not some vacation spot she'd happened to come across. She was there with a purpose.
"Adventure, excitement.a Jedi craves not these things," she told herself. But I'm only half Jedi now, aren't I? She chuckled to herself.
It had finally come down to the final evening in Lorien. All of the Fellowship sat around a table with Galadriel and Celeborn for the final feast. Laura had really gotten fond of these big, fancy feasts they had among the Elves. There were always about 87 courses of food she'd never seen before ever in her life. But somehow it tasted better than any meal she'd ever had. And she was now used to drinking wine, which wasn't really wine at all. It tasted more like watered down grape juice to her.
That evening, the group ate pretty much in silence. By now everyone knew of Laura's previous decision to stay in the woods of her mother.
At the end of the meal, Celeborn looked to his wife. "Have any of them chosen to stay behind?" he asked.
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
A Broken Oath
"Well, this is where she belongs. You understand? This is her home," he explained to Pippin.
She didn't like this being so melancholy. Yes, she might have to leave the Fellowship. "Hey, I almost forgot!" she reached in her pocket and got a deck of cards out.
"My father left a bunch of stuff here; Galadriel showed me. How would you guys like to learn a nice way to gamble?"
They both looked at each other. She grinned. "It's called Poker. Don't worry, I'll explain every step to you before I try to win all your stuff," she said as she began dealing out the cards.
"Argh, did you teach us this confounded game just so we could lose to him!" Sam said in frustration, pointing to a very content Merry as he pulled more of the food rations towards himself. Frodo and Laura grinned.
"Come on, Sam. I wanted you to learn this so you'll have something to do when you get bored on this journey," she said cheerily.
"Sure, like being bored and hungry," he said exasperatedly. Merry just laughed.
"Don't worry, I intend on giving all of it back. I just want to see how much I can rack up," he said greedily, rubbing his hands together.
"Okay, boys. Twos are wild." she began as she started dealing them another hand.
Legolas appeared from wherever he had been. "My lady, could I have a word with thee?" he asked politely. The Hobbits all looked at each other, than at her and smiled. They all knew about her crush on the Elf.
She got up and followed him. He was still in that silver suit, and looked sexier than ever. She shook her head. She wasn't here to get crushes on guys. Especially an Elf who was probably a couple thousand years older than she was.
"Something has been bothering you these past two nights, has it not?" he asked her.
She looked at him, contemplating whether to let him know or not, if he didn't already know. She assumed that he did. But then, why was he so intent on being loyal to her father if he knew what had happened? Maybe he didn't.
"The lady Galadriel.she told me my past." Laura took a deep breath, wondering how to word it exactly. "She said I was a child of Lothlorien."
He nodded. "She did. And is it the Elvish blood that bothers you now?"
He didn't know. She didn't want to ruin the way he'd regarded her father. But there was that nagging feeling that she had to tell him. There was that strange unspoken bond between her and Legolas. When he looked at her in Moria and by the fountain, she'd read his eyes. And he had a right to know.
"My mother was Lord Elrond's wife, Legolas. And my father disguised himself so my mother never knew that it wasn't her husband."
Legolas swallowed hard like he'd just gotten a lump in his throat. He looked dazed. "So he betrayed the woman he claimed to love?" he asked shakily.
She nodded wearily.
"I see."
She looked down, not letting him see the single tear that ran down her cheek. It was so hard admitting the truth. But even worse was breaking a friendship. She wiped the tear away.
"And so ends your promise, I suppose?" she asked him.
He looked closely at her. "You are staying in Lothlorien," he observed.
She nodded. "Yes. I'm staying with my people."
He smiled sadly. "Then so ends my promise to the Tainted Jedi."
She took a step back, wanting to take a final look at Aragorn, Boromir, and the Hobbits before they knew of her decision also.
"Princess!" Legolas said as if he was recalling something. "You would have been welcomed to travel with us to the end."
"I know. Thanks, Legolas. Thanks for everything."
She perched herself high up in the trees that night, watching the remainder of the Fellowship below her. Legolas was off in a heartbeat after talking with her, exploring the realm of the Silvan Elves. She watched Aragorn and Boromir, but wasn't rude enough to listen to what they spoke to each other. Boromir; what would happen to him? Every time she looked at him she got a small twinge of uneasiness, and ever since they had entered the woods he looked distressed. Was it that Ring that was getting the better of him?
And Lord Aragorn, what about him? Would he ever become the king she saw him as in those visions? Arwen his queen? And the Hobbits.what would happen to them? It had been pretty easy so far, but how much could they handle? Would there be more of those Orc things along the way? And what if they had to encounter those Ringwraiths, and a creature like a Balrog again!? There were too many questions that weren't answered.
"NO," she told herself sternly. "No, I can't go. They'll be fine." But there was so much she didn't know. And there was so much she wanted to do still. Middle-Earth was an adventure waiting to happen, not some vacation spot she'd happened to come across. She was there with a purpose.
"Adventure, excitement.a Jedi craves not these things," she told herself. But I'm only half Jedi now, aren't I? She chuckled to herself.
It had finally come down to the final evening in Lorien. All of the Fellowship sat around a table with Galadriel and Celeborn for the final feast. Laura had really gotten fond of these big, fancy feasts they had among the Elves. There were always about 87 courses of food she'd never seen before ever in her life. But somehow it tasted better than any meal she'd ever had. And she was now used to drinking wine, which wasn't really wine at all. It tasted more like watered down grape juice to her.
That evening, the group ate pretty much in silence. By now everyone knew of Laura's previous decision to stay in the woods of her mother.
At the end of the meal, Celeborn looked to his wife. "Have any of them chosen to stay behind?" he asked.