Aunorey awoke early the next morning. Legolas was still sleeping, and she looked up at him. Blonde tendrils of long hair were loose from his braids and his hair spilled over his chest and arms. He breathed deep and slow, his eyes fluttering from a dream. She smiled, kissing him.
Aunorey gently removed his arm, and crawled from the bed. She got up and dressed quietly, then went over to the washstand and washed her face. As she was patting it dry, she watched as Legolas rolled over and stretched, yawning, his tan, lean and muscled body stretched with each movement. He grinned as he looked at her, itching his naked hip.
"Hey." She laughed.
"Hey." He smiled at her, getting up, the sheet still wrapped around his waist. He yawned again. "What time is it?"
Looking out the window, she replied. "I'm guessing six thirty."
He groaned, falling back. "It's so early!"
She laughed, "Yes, but we need to get on the road. If we are to find a good place to sleep by nightfall, we need to leave now."
Legolas eyed her. "You are in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?"
Aunorey smiled, looking down as she emptied the water basin out the window. She felt Legolas's eyes on her, watching her movements. She had no idea that a warm feeling of love was spreading through his chest as he looked at her.
"Well... I don't know. It looks to be a nice day ahead of us, and it's stuffy in here. And I... sort of... miss my parents, the people. Not really. I just am not looking forward to going through all those rows and rows of trees again..." She sighed, walking over to him. She gave a gentle laugh, "Your braids... Let me re-do them, please?"
Legolas gave her a short, blank stare and then shrugged and yawned again. What the hell was with her? Why the sudden hurry to get out of here? All well, who cared.
"Sure, go for it." He felt the bed move slightly beneath her weight as she crawled behind him and began to unbraid the messy hair.
"Tell me why you left, Aunorey."
He felt her breathe against his shoulder, her hands skillfully repulling back his hair and then starting on the braids. She was quiet for so long, he was afraid she hadn't heard him.
"You don't want to know." Aunorey finally replied, retying the small band around the end of his right braid.
He grabbed her wrist. "Yes, I do." He pulled her forward so he could make eye contact. Her mouth set into a straight line and then she finally fell back again to start on his left braid.
"Mariu... isn't who he seems to be." She said quietly. "He's someone I despise... yet can't help to think of as a good and dear friend."
She felt Legolas tense a little, even saw the muscles along his shoulders bunch a bit. "Why do you say that?"
He could sense how uncomfortable she felt, picture her face... Her forhead lined with worry lines, the sides of her mouth lined from the straining of her lips.
"He... Legolas, I don't know how to say it."
He turned around to face her. "Aunorey, it's me."
Their eyes searched each other's for a moment, before she finally looked down. "He makes me do things... Touch him, tell him I want him... And I can't stop him. He just takes my hand and does things..." She looked at him, her eyes full of disgust and worry. Her worry sprang mostly from the thought that Legolas might be disgusted with her, and he might not want her to even touch him anymore.
Legolas's eyes took on a pity and a fury so great she got scared. She quickly finished the braid without looking at him, and then moved away from the bed. He got up, dressed quickly and then sat down.
"Why haven't you told anyone?"
"Because... he said he'd kill me."
Aunorey gently removed his arm, and crawled from the bed. She got up and dressed quietly, then went over to the washstand and washed her face. As she was patting it dry, she watched as Legolas rolled over and stretched, yawning, his tan, lean and muscled body stretched with each movement. He grinned as he looked at her, itching his naked hip.
"Hey." She laughed.
"Hey." He smiled at her, getting up, the sheet still wrapped around his waist. He yawned again. "What time is it?"
Looking out the window, she replied. "I'm guessing six thirty."
He groaned, falling back. "It's so early!"
She laughed, "Yes, but we need to get on the road. If we are to find a good place to sleep by nightfall, we need to leave now."
Legolas eyed her. "You are in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?"
Aunorey smiled, looking down as she emptied the water basin out the window. She felt Legolas's eyes on her, watching her movements. She had no idea that a warm feeling of love was spreading through his chest as he looked at her.
"Well... I don't know. It looks to be a nice day ahead of us, and it's stuffy in here. And I... sort of... miss my parents, the people. Not really. I just am not looking forward to going through all those rows and rows of trees again..." She sighed, walking over to him. She gave a gentle laugh, "Your braids... Let me re-do them, please?"
Legolas gave her a short, blank stare and then shrugged and yawned again. What the hell was with her? Why the sudden hurry to get out of here? All well, who cared.
"Sure, go for it." He felt the bed move slightly beneath her weight as she crawled behind him and began to unbraid the messy hair.
"Tell me why you left, Aunorey."
He felt her breathe against his shoulder, her hands skillfully repulling back his hair and then starting on the braids. She was quiet for so long, he was afraid she hadn't heard him.
"You don't want to know." Aunorey finally replied, retying the small band around the end of his right braid.
He grabbed her wrist. "Yes, I do." He pulled her forward so he could make eye contact. Her mouth set into a straight line and then she finally fell back again to start on his left braid.
"Mariu... isn't who he seems to be." She said quietly. "He's someone I despise... yet can't help to think of as a good and dear friend."
She felt Legolas tense a little, even saw the muscles along his shoulders bunch a bit. "Why do you say that?"
He could sense how uncomfortable she felt, picture her face... Her forhead lined with worry lines, the sides of her mouth lined from the straining of her lips.
"He... Legolas, I don't know how to say it."
He turned around to face her. "Aunorey, it's me."
Their eyes searched each other's for a moment, before she finally looked down. "He makes me do things... Touch him, tell him I want him... And I can't stop him. He just takes my hand and does things..." She looked at him, her eyes full of disgust and worry. Her worry sprang mostly from the thought that Legolas might be disgusted with her, and he might not want her to even touch him anymore.
Legolas's eyes took on a pity and a fury so great she got scared. She quickly finished the braid without looking at him, and then moved away from the bed. He got up, dressed quickly and then sat down.
"Why haven't you told anyone?"
"Because... he said he'd kill me."