As soon as Aunorey was done, her embarrassment had died down some. She had yet spoken a word to Legolas, who still had an odd little smile pasted on his lips.
"And what is it you are so happy about, oh dear Lord?" She inquired sweetly.
Sticking a spoon full of crème of rice in his mouth, he took his hand off the handle and turned toward her, the end of his spoon hitting the tip of her nose. "Hmm?" He inquired back, his eyes still half closed.
Aunorey wanted to laugh, really truly wanted a good laugh at the way he looked, but she couldn't. Something about the way he did look was making her insides twist in and out of knots and it was making her queasy. She didn't understand this feeling. He's making me sick! She thought. Instead, she swatted at him, hitting his shoulder. "You are so strange!"
Laughing, Legolas took the spoon out of his mouth. "I'm not happy about anything in particular..." He took another bite. "Why?"
"Nevermind." She sat and brooded until he was done eating, and then allowed him to accompany her back upstairs. He took her to his room, telling her he still didn't trust her to be alone, and then began to pull things out of his bag once she was seated.
He pulled out a small leather satchel, untied it and rolled it out. It held his shaving equipment. She watched him as he shaved, rather fascinated. Aunorey had never seen it done before on a man. She had shaved her legs, yes, but watching someone shave away at their face was em... rather odd.
When he was done, he washed his face off and then applied a cream. He looked at her in the mirror, and noting the way she was looking at him, explained, "It's to help the burn... It's a type of aftershave made of herbs and water." He smeared it on his face.
And without any warning, he unbuckled his belt and took off his doublet and his waistcoat, leaving him standing there barechested to her. Not paying attention he began looking around for another waistcoat and doublet he seemed to have misplaced.
Aunorey gasped, wanting to look away but unable to.
Every time he moved, a muscle flexed. In his shoulders, at his firm, muscled waist... His strong arms, even the lines that showed where his hips began had muscle. Never having seen a man THIS unclothed before, Aunorey was agast. She looked at his navel, where a thin line of dark hair ran up to the center of his stomach, and then... And then DOWN... DOWN there... Down, where her eyes would not go, so she let them stop at the waistband of his breeches.
He was perfectly proportioned....
Legolas suddenly looked at her and gave a little laugh. "Sorry," he told her. "I'm not one for modesty." He found a loose white shirt with a v-neck and pulled that on, and then his brown over-vest, and buckled his belt.
"Are you ready to go?"
She nodded dumbly, and handed him his other bag as he grabbed his satchel of arrows and his bow from the corner. Trying to get her mind on a completely different subject, she asked, "Why did you bring those?"
"Just in case. I need some sort of protection, don't you think?"
"Yes, I know what you mean."
"Did you happen to bring any sort of weapon with you." His eyes watching her carefully.
She looked at him, and unwillingly admitted the truth. "Yes."
"Where is it?"
"It's in my bag... It's only a small knife."
"Ah.. Okay, as long as it's not a sword or something that could cause some true damage. Don't feel like dying any time soon."
Aunorey's eyes widened as she caught his meaning. "You think I would do something like THAT?" Her eyes filled with horror. "I... I... No... I wouldn't have the guts. Well, I would... But I wouldn't do it in cold-blood or anything..."
Giving her a grim look, Legolas nodded at her as he checked his room before going to hers and collecting her things. He went downstairs and paid the innkeeper again, thanking him for the rooms and then putting his hand on the small of Aunorey's waist, led her outside.
Legolas noticed she didn't suddenly jerk away when he touched her. Actually... She had been treating him quite civily. He hoped it would continue on this way when they reached Mirkwood, Rivendell... Their home. He hoped her cold, polite demeanor wouldn't return and instead she'd treat him as if he were alive instead of some... some... person who wasn't worth talking to.
As he hoisted her up onto his horse, he tied his bow to the side of the horse and then climbed on behind her. Putting his small pack inside her pack, he put the straps on her shoulders and then hunched over her, grabbing the reins and clucked to the horse.
They were on their way home... back to Mirkwood.
But it wasn't as pleasant a beginning as he would have liked.
Aunorey wouldn't keep quiet.
"Why don't we visit the dwarves?"
"No."
"Why don't we visit Hyburn?"
"No."
"Why don't we visit the Hobbits!?"
"And what is it you are so happy about, oh dear Lord?" She inquired sweetly.
Sticking a spoon full of crème of rice in his mouth, he took his hand off the handle and turned toward her, the end of his spoon hitting the tip of her nose. "Hmm?" He inquired back, his eyes still half closed.
Aunorey wanted to laugh, really truly wanted a good laugh at the way he looked, but she couldn't. Something about the way he did look was making her insides twist in and out of knots and it was making her queasy. She didn't understand this feeling. He's making me sick! She thought. Instead, she swatted at him, hitting his shoulder. "You are so strange!"
Laughing, Legolas took the spoon out of his mouth. "I'm not happy about anything in particular..." He took another bite. "Why?"
"Nevermind." She sat and brooded until he was done eating, and then allowed him to accompany her back upstairs. He took her to his room, telling her he still didn't trust her to be alone, and then began to pull things out of his bag once she was seated.
He pulled out a small leather satchel, untied it and rolled it out. It held his shaving equipment. She watched him as he shaved, rather fascinated. Aunorey had never seen it done before on a man. She had shaved her legs, yes, but watching someone shave away at their face was em... rather odd.
When he was done, he washed his face off and then applied a cream. He looked at her in the mirror, and noting the way she was looking at him, explained, "It's to help the burn... It's a type of aftershave made of herbs and water." He smeared it on his face.
And without any warning, he unbuckled his belt and took off his doublet and his waistcoat, leaving him standing there barechested to her. Not paying attention he began looking around for another waistcoat and doublet he seemed to have misplaced.
Aunorey gasped, wanting to look away but unable to.
Every time he moved, a muscle flexed. In his shoulders, at his firm, muscled waist... His strong arms, even the lines that showed where his hips began had muscle. Never having seen a man THIS unclothed before, Aunorey was agast. She looked at his navel, where a thin line of dark hair ran up to the center of his stomach, and then... And then DOWN... DOWN there... Down, where her eyes would not go, so she let them stop at the waistband of his breeches.
He was perfectly proportioned....
Legolas suddenly looked at her and gave a little laugh. "Sorry," he told her. "I'm not one for modesty." He found a loose white shirt with a v-neck and pulled that on, and then his brown over-vest, and buckled his belt.
"Are you ready to go?"
She nodded dumbly, and handed him his other bag as he grabbed his satchel of arrows and his bow from the corner. Trying to get her mind on a completely different subject, she asked, "Why did you bring those?"
"Just in case. I need some sort of protection, don't you think?"
"Yes, I know what you mean."
"Did you happen to bring any sort of weapon with you." His eyes watching her carefully.
She looked at him, and unwillingly admitted the truth. "Yes."
"Where is it?"
"It's in my bag... It's only a small knife."
"Ah.. Okay, as long as it's not a sword or something that could cause some true damage. Don't feel like dying any time soon."
Aunorey's eyes widened as she caught his meaning. "You think I would do something like THAT?" Her eyes filled with horror. "I... I... No... I wouldn't have the guts. Well, I would... But I wouldn't do it in cold-blood or anything..."
Giving her a grim look, Legolas nodded at her as he checked his room before going to hers and collecting her things. He went downstairs and paid the innkeeper again, thanking him for the rooms and then putting his hand on the small of Aunorey's waist, led her outside.
Legolas noticed she didn't suddenly jerk away when he touched her. Actually... She had been treating him quite civily. He hoped it would continue on this way when they reached Mirkwood, Rivendell... Their home. He hoped her cold, polite demeanor wouldn't return and instead she'd treat him as if he were alive instead of some... some... person who wasn't worth talking to.
As he hoisted her up onto his horse, he tied his bow to the side of the horse and then climbed on behind her. Putting his small pack inside her pack, he put the straps on her shoulders and then hunched over her, grabbing the reins and clucked to the horse.
They were on their way home... back to Mirkwood.
But it wasn't as pleasant a beginning as he would have liked.
Aunorey wouldn't keep quiet.
"Why don't we visit the dwarves?"
"No."
"Why don't we visit Hyburn?"
"No."
"Why don't we visit the Hobbits!?"