Aunorey stood there, shocked, with others looking on, their faces mirroring the same feeling. But as she turned to look at them, they fanned themselves and talked in hushed tones, no one looking at her. Her shoulders drooped, and her legs suddenly felt limp. She began walking, taking the band out of her hair and letting it fall in a shiny mass down her back. She had never gone after anyone before, but this was a time when she knew she needed to.
She reached the inn, just as she saw Legolas go in and then climb the stairs. Aunorey took delicate steps, and came in after him.
Just before he could close the door, she stopped it with her hand. Legolas's face had shock written all over it, and then it hardened and he moved away from the door. He went and sat on the opposite bed, and removed his boots.
Aunorey came over to stand behind him. Her lips trembled with unshed tears, and she had no idea why she wanted to cry. Maybe it was the painful pounding of her heart, the buzzing in her ears, the look on his face. Maybe it was all of those. Why was he acting this way? What was that cold demeanor and those harsh grim stares all about? What had she done?
Aunorey reached out and touched his shoulder, which tensed instantly. "Legolas, Please. What have I done?" She felt his heart pounding and it vibrated through his shoulders. She kneeled on the bed behind him, the bed barely moving beneath her weight. "Legolas, please." She whispered.
Legolas grabbed her wrist roughly and turned around, hauling her halfway onto his lap. "Why do you care?" he hissed. "It's not like you've ever noticed me before."
"Wha-What are you talking about?" She asked, wishing he would release her wrist before it bruised even more.
"You know what I'm talking." His voice was calm, deadly. "Think about it, Aunorey. This isn't supposed to happen."
"What's not supposed to happen?"
Legolas released her hand, almost shoving it out of his way. He stood up. "You aren't NAÏVE, Aunorey. I know that and you know it, too. Don't play stupid. You are my amarth (doom) right now, I could fall and never get back up. You are like a damn wilwarin (butterfly), it's driving me crazy. You flutter to one emotion then to another..."
"Me?!" She shrieked. "What do you think YOU'RE DOING?!"
Legolas gave her an annoyed look, turned on his heel and began striding towards the door.
"Where are you going?!" She asked, panic seemed to strangle her all of a sudden, her voice getting higher.
"I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?"
"Tumbo (Valley)." He said, his pace not breaking.
"Why?"
"To see... Undome (twilight)."
"You want to see that RIGHT NOW?" Aunorey walked around the bed and towards him before he could reach the door.
"To find a telcontar (Ranger)."
"For WHAT?!" She almost shrieked again, but calmed herself.
Turning, Legolas grabbed her upper arms and faced her, shaking her lightly. "TO GET RID OF YOU."
"Wha-WHAT? You trust a telcontar with me? The only telcontar I'll ever trust is Aragorn... But even..."
His grasp tightened at the name of Aragorn. Aunorey was sure Legolas would murder her or break a bone if she said one bad thing about him, so she closed her mouth.
"What?" He asked.
Aunorey stared at him. "Don't do that." She said quietly.
Legolas turned to look at the still latched door. "Do what?" His voice had lost its anger.
"I... I don't understand why... why you're so angry... But if you wish, I will leave you alone. We still have another what... Seven days before we reach home... I promise I will you leave you alone, please, just don't leave me with a telcontar." Her voice was meek, and she couldn't look him in the eye anymore.
Legolas's grip turned gentle suddenly, and his breathing came out hard. "Why?" At her look of inquiry, he went on. "Why do you want to stay with me?"
Her eyes searching his, she decided on a truthful answer. She came up with the most appropriate one. "Because I feel safe with you."
Legolas's eyes searched hers. "Is that all?"
Aunorey looked down, waited, and nodded. He released her, but kept walking towards the door. "Legolas, please..."
He stopped and looked back at her, waiting... Aunorey walked over until their bodies were almost touching, then, before he could react, wrapped her arms gently around his neck, raised on her tiptoes, and kissed him full on the mouth.
She reached the inn, just as she saw Legolas go in and then climb the stairs. Aunorey took delicate steps, and came in after him.
Just before he could close the door, she stopped it with her hand. Legolas's face had shock written all over it, and then it hardened and he moved away from the door. He went and sat on the opposite bed, and removed his boots.
Aunorey came over to stand behind him. Her lips trembled with unshed tears, and she had no idea why she wanted to cry. Maybe it was the painful pounding of her heart, the buzzing in her ears, the look on his face. Maybe it was all of those. Why was he acting this way? What was that cold demeanor and those harsh grim stares all about? What had she done?
Aunorey reached out and touched his shoulder, which tensed instantly. "Legolas, Please. What have I done?" She felt his heart pounding and it vibrated through his shoulders. She kneeled on the bed behind him, the bed barely moving beneath her weight. "Legolas, please." She whispered.
Legolas grabbed her wrist roughly and turned around, hauling her halfway onto his lap. "Why do you care?" he hissed. "It's not like you've ever noticed me before."
"Wha-What are you talking about?" She asked, wishing he would release her wrist before it bruised even more.
"You know what I'm talking." His voice was calm, deadly. "Think about it, Aunorey. This isn't supposed to happen."
"What's not supposed to happen?"
Legolas released her hand, almost shoving it out of his way. He stood up. "You aren't NAÏVE, Aunorey. I know that and you know it, too. Don't play stupid. You are my amarth (doom) right now, I could fall and never get back up. You are like a damn wilwarin (butterfly), it's driving me crazy. You flutter to one emotion then to another..."
"Me?!" She shrieked. "What do you think YOU'RE DOING?!"
Legolas gave her an annoyed look, turned on his heel and began striding towards the door.
"Where are you going?!" She asked, panic seemed to strangle her all of a sudden, her voice getting higher.
"I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?"
"Tumbo (Valley)." He said, his pace not breaking.
"Why?"
"To see... Undome (twilight)."
"You want to see that RIGHT NOW?" Aunorey walked around the bed and towards him before he could reach the door.
"To find a telcontar (Ranger)."
"For WHAT?!" She almost shrieked again, but calmed herself.
Turning, Legolas grabbed her upper arms and faced her, shaking her lightly. "TO GET RID OF YOU."
"Wha-WHAT? You trust a telcontar with me? The only telcontar I'll ever trust is Aragorn... But even..."
His grasp tightened at the name of Aragorn. Aunorey was sure Legolas would murder her or break a bone if she said one bad thing about him, so she closed her mouth.
"What?" He asked.
Aunorey stared at him. "Don't do that." She said quietly.
Legolas turned to look at the still latched door. "Do what?" His voice had lost its anger.
"I... I don't understand why... why you're so angry... But if you wish, I will leave you alone. We still have another what... Seven days before we reach home... I promise I will you leave you alone, please, just don't leave me with a telcontar." Her voice was meek, and she couldn't look him in the eye anymore.
Legolas's grip turned gentle suddenly, and his breathing came out hard. "Why?" At her look of inquiry, he went on. "Why do you want to stay with me?"
Her eyes searching his, she decided on a truthful answer. She came up with the most appropriate one. "Because I feel safe with you."
Legolas's eyes searched hers. "Is that all?"
Aunorey looked down, waited, and nodded. He released her, but kept walking towards the door. "Legolas, please..."
He stopped and looked back at her, waiting... Aunorey walked over until their bodies were almost touching, then, before he could react, wrapped her arms gently around his neck, raised on her tiptoes, and kissed him full on the mouth.