"He what?"
"Mariu, being Mariu, will do it, too..." She went on. "He said, 'Aunorey, if you ever tell anyone about our meetings, I'll slice your throat.'"
Legolas's jaw grew tight, until he ground his teeth to hard he thought they would break. Fisting his hand against the table, he gave a deep breath and calmed down. "Mariu will pay for this."
Aunorey spun around. "But he can't! Legolas, you can't tell anyone! Although woman are prized highly in Mirkwood, this wouldn't be considered a huge offense!"
"I am a prince, I can have him put to death."
Aunorey paled. "He says he loves me, and that is why he does it."
"And you believe him!?" Legolas tried to keep his voice down, he shot up from the chair and pulled his arms behind his back, clasping his hands, and began to pace. "How can you be that way? Do you love him?"
She looked down at her hands. "I think last night prove indefinitely that I don't." She said quietly.
Legolas sat down and braced his forearms on his knees, his head bowed for minute. He looked up at her, his blonde hair spilling over his shoulders and down his strong arms. His eyes held something she didn't understand, and he refused to look at her. "Aunorey," he said quietly. "Tell me what I must do, you cannot let this go on."
She looked down at her own hands, longing to sit but couldn't move. Her knees felt week from the look on Legolas's face. Pity mixed with frustration and confusion and something else...
"I don't know," She said. "I want to stay away from him."
Legolas looked back up at her, then opened his arms. Confused for a moment, Aunorey gave him a weird look, and then comprehended what he wanted. Finally getting her legs to work, she walked over to him and sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. It was an odd gesture, she had never seen him do this to anyone, even hug anyone. He buried his face in between her shoulder and arm and sighed. "I'll keep him away from you. Don't ask how," he looked up at her, his eyes were hard. "But I will."
She rubbed his forearm and kissed his forehead before standing, thanking him with her eyes. She was choked with tears, what was it that made her want him even more? He was so protective... She sighed and shook her head, "We should be going," she said quickly, grabbing her things and headed out the door.
Legolas stood up, dumbfounded.
Half an hour later, they were back into the forest. Aunorey noticed it didn't seem as damp and cold and lonely now as it had when she was alone. She rode in front of Legolas, his legs straddling hers, one hand softly at her waist, the other guiding the reins. They went slowly, and she rested back against him.
Would it always be like this?
She sighed, and felt Legolas's breath on her ear, her hair, her neck. He was everywhere around her.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing... Just thinking."
"About?" He insisted, nuzzling her gently with his face playfully.
Aunorey laughed when he bit her earlobe. "We act as if we are lovers, and you are not my captor. What will it be like when we are back home, Legolas?" Suddenly, they were both solemn. "I mean, we can't let people know the happenings between us, can we? I'd be disowned, you'd be notorious for 'stealing a virginity'... It's awful, but we both know it's true."
He sighed, resting his face on her shoulder and letting her lean back against him again. "Why don't we worry about that when we get home? For lovers we are... For now." He added for appearance sake.
She laughed and brought her hand up to stroke the side of his face. "For now." She murmured. "Just for now."
Legolas's heart felt like it was bleeding, ripped apart, lying dead in his chest.
He had no idea Aunorey's felt the same way.
Along the way to d'Arnios, the next town over, Legolas kept his hand at her waist, enjoying the feel of her leaning back against his chest. They talked of little nothings, what life was like for them, what they enjoyed, what they wished and dreamed for. It was crazy, Legolas had said when they began talking. I never, ever thought we'd be here, talking like we are now. I've thought of talking to you before, when you were home, but you always were so distant. Why?
Aunorey hadn't answered his question... But now that they had lapsed into silence, Aunorey began to talk. "You asked why I was distant?" When she felt Legolas nod, she cleared her throat, and rested her hand over his, which has slid around to her stomach. "Hmmm... Well, I don't know. I think, maybe, for the way we were when we were childen."
She was silent for a moment.
"What about it?" Legolas prompted.
"We didn't like each other... You always teasing me, playing pranks. It hurt my feelings, but of course I'd never let it show." He saw her face turn red, but she went on. "And then... Seeing you after all those years, I was only seventeen, you twenty. You looked so different. You had grown into your ears, your hands, AND your feet. You looked so different... Your hair longer, your demeanor completely different. You were... I don't know, you were just very different."
"And that made things awkward?"
"Yes, I had no idea how to act around you. You no longer pulled and cut off my hair... You were still arrogant," she laughed. "But very different."
Legolas laughed, and was silent. "Did you think we'd ever end up here?" He asked quietly.
"As something more than mutual friends? We're a lot more than mutual friends... Right now... and no, if someone would have told me ten days ago that you and I were to... you know... I think I'd have died laughing." She heard him snort quietly, and then give a short laugh, but it sounded fake. "But it doesn't seem so terrible now." She joked. "Actually, I think it's a good arrangment for a long journey home."
She waited for him to come up with some arrogant, haughty reply, but he was silent. "What will it be like, then, Aunorey, when we are home? The way it always was? Distant, cold..."
"Only if you make it that way. We can no longer touch each other, but we can still talk, go on walks. Who knows? My parents expect me to marry soon..." She trailed off. Marry? So soon? She had forever!
"I don't understand why people expect their children to get married." Legolas said, as if reading her thoughts. "We live forever, we WILL live forever, unless something horrible happens, we have eternity to find someone."
"I think they want us bound and gone, off to training or off to live with the Lady of the Wood. Just away, we've lived with them for so long. (A/N Okay.. I'm making this up, but a year to them is like say... 20 years for us. You know, time goes so frickin slow when you're immortal, I bet!)... They are just ready to get rid of us and seek more adventure. There is an entire world to see, so many things, and I'm sure that even immortals can't see it all."
Legolas laughed. "I see your point. Have you given that much thought?"
Aunorey laughed, too. "No, actually, that thought just came to me. I hate to think about the future... I like to live in the here and now. The only thing I will never do is fall in love with a mortal. Arwen and Aragorn make me depressed as it is."
"Those two... I swear, the minute Aragorn met Arwen... Stars flied. Those two were meant to be."
"Yes, but... What if he dies in battle, or gets a disease? It must be wretched being a mortal. They die so easily. It's like 'Hello, mortal' and then they drop dead the next minute."
Legolas laughed. "Not exactly, but I understand what you mean. Aragorn is a very, very dear friend of mine... If I could give him my immortality," he said quietly. "I would. He is the bravest man I know, and will ever know. Immortals live forever, but in battle they are mortal. I think we Elves know the side to each life."
Aunorey pondered his words. "Why does Aragorn mean so much to you?"
"I've known him a while, he is a going to be the greatest telcontar ever born, I know it. It's sad the way he lives though, I think. Always wondering from place to place, avoiding being seen."
"Yes, but if that is the life he wishes, then may it be."
Legolas nodded and turned his hand to lace his fingers with hers. "So it be..."
"Mariu, being Mariu, will do it, too..." She went on. "He said, 'Aunorey, if you ever tell anyone about our meetings, I'll slice your throat.'"
Legolas's jaw grew tight, until he ground his teeth to hard he thought they would break. Fisting his hand against the table, he gave a deep breath and calmed down. "Mariu will pay for this."
Aunorey spun around. "But he can't! Legolas, you can't tell anyone! Although woman are prized highly in Mirkwood, this wouldn't be considered a huge offense!"
"I am a prince, I can have him put to death."
Aunorey paled. "He says he loves me, and that is why he does it."
"And you believe him!?" Legolas tried to keep his voice down, he shot up from the chair and pulled his arms behind his back, clasping his hands, and began to pace. "How can you be that way? Do you love him?"
She looked down at her hands. "I think last night prove indefinitely that I don't." She said quietly.
Legolas sat down and braced his forearms on his knees, his head bowed for minute. He looked up at her, his blonde hair spilling over his shoulders and down his strong arms. His eyes held something she didn't understand, and he refused to look at her. "Aunorey," he said quietly. "Tell me what I must do, you cannot let this go on."
She looked down at her own hands, longing to sit but couldn't move. Her knees felt week from the look on Legolas's face. Pity mixed with frustration and confusion and something else...
"I don't know," She said. "I want to stay away from him."
Legolas looked back up at her, then opened his arms. Confused for a moment, Aunorey gave him a weird look, and then comprehended what he wanted. Finally getting her legs to work, she walked over to him and sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. It was an odd gesture, she had never seen him do this to anyone, even hug anyone. He buried his face in between her shoulder and arm and sighed. "I'll keep him away from you. Don't ask how," he looked up at her, his eyes were hard. "But I will."
She rubbed his forearm and kissed his forehead before standing, thanking him with her eyes. She was choked with tears, what was it that made her want him even more? He was so protective... She sighed and shook her head, "We should be going," she said quickly, grabbing her things and headed out the door.
Legolas stood up, dumbfounded.
Half an hour later, they were back into the forest. Aunorey noticed it didn't seem as damp and cold and lonely now as it had when she was alone. She rode in front of Legolas, his legs straddling hers, one hand softly at her waist, the other guiding the reins. They went slowly, and she rested back against him.
Would it always be like this?
She sighed, and felt Legolas's breath on her ear, her hair, her neck. He was everywhere around her.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing... Just thinking."
"About?" He insisted, nuzzling her gently with his face playfully.
Aunorey laughed when he bit her earlobe. "We act as if we are lovers, and you are not my captor. What will it be like when we are back home, Legolas?" Suddenly, they were both solemn. "I mean, we can't let people know the happenings between us, can we? I'd be disowned, you'd be notorious for 'stealing a virginity'... It's awful, but we both know it's true."
He sighed, resting his face on her shoulder and letting her lean back against him again. "Why don't we worry about that when we get home? For lovers we are... For now." He added for appearance sake.
She laughed and brought her hand up to stroke the side of his face. "For now." She murmured. "Just for now."
Legolas's heart felt like it was bleeding, ripped apart, lying dead in his chest.
He had no idea Aunorey's felt the same way.
Along the way to d'Arnios, the next town over, Legolas kept his hand at her waist, enjoying the feel of her leaning back against his chest. They talked of little nothings, what life was like for them, what they enjoyed, what they wished and dreamed for. It was crazy, Legolas had said when they began talking. I never, ever thought we'd be here, talking like we are now. I've thought of talking to you before, when you were home, but you always were so distant. Why?
Aunorey hadn't answered his question... But now that they had lapsed into silence, Aunorey began to talk. "You asked why I was distant?" When she felt Legolas nod, she cleared her throat, and rested her hand over his, which has slid around to her stomach. "Hmmm... Well, I don't know. I think, maybe, for the way we were when we were childen."
She was silent for a moment.
"What about it?" Legolas prompted.
"We didn't like each other... You always teasing me, playing pranks. It hurt my feelings, but of course I'd never let it show." He saw her face turn red, but she went on. "And then... Seeing you after all those years, I was only seventeen, you twenty. You looked so different. You had grown into your ears, your hands, AND your feet. You looked so different... Your hair longer, your demeanor completely different. You were... I don't know, you were just very different."
"And that made things awkward?"
"Yes, I had no idea how to act around you. You no longer pulled and cut off my hair... You were still arrogant," she laughed. "But very different."
Legolas laughed, and was silent. "Did you think we'd ever end up here?" He asked quietly.
"As something more than mutual friends? We're a lot more than mutual friends... Right now... and no, if someone would have told me ten days ago that you and I were to... you know... I think I'd have died laughing." She heard him snort quietly, and then give a short laugh, but it sounded fake. "But it doesn't seem so terrible now." She joked. "Actually, I think it's a good arrangment for a long journey home."
She waited for him to come up with some arrogant, haughty reply, but he was silent. "What will it be like, then, Aunorey, when we are home? The way it always was? Distant, cold..."
"Only if you make it that way. We can no longer touch each other, but we can still talk, go on walks. Who knows? My parents expect me to marry soon..." She trailed off. Marry? So soon? She had forever!
"I don't understand why people expect their children to get married." Legolas said, as if reading her thoughts. "We live forever, we WILL live forever, unless something horrible happens, we have eternity to find someone."
"I think they want us bound and gone, off to training or off to live with the Lady of the Wood. Just away, we've lived with them for so long. (A/N Okay.. I'm making this up, but a year to them is like say... 20 years for us. You know, time goes so frickin slow when you're immortal, I bet!)... They are just ready to get rid of us and seek more adventure. There is an entire world to see, so many things, and I'm sure that even immortals can't see it all."
Legolas laughed. "I see your point. Have you given that much thought?"
Aunorey laughed, too. "No, actually, that thought just came to me. I hate to think about the future... I like to live in the here and now. The only thing I will never do is fall in love with a mortal. Arwen and Aragorn make me depressed as it is."
"Those two... I swear, the minute Aragorn met Arwen... Stars flied. Those two were meant to be."
"Yes, but... What if he dies in battle, or gets a disease? It must be wretched being a mortal. They die so easily. It's like 'Hello, mortal' and then they drop dead the next minute."
Legolas laughed. "Not exactly, but I understand what you mean. Aragorn is a very, very dear friend of mine... If I could give him my immortality," he said quietly. "I would. He is the bravest man I know, and will ever know. Immortals live forever, but in battle they are mortal. I think we Elves know the side to each life."
Aunorey pondered his words. "Why does Aragorn mean so much to you?"
"I've known him a while, he is a going to be the greatest telcontar ever born, I know it. It's sad the way he lives though, I think. Always wondering from place to place, avoiding being seen."
"Yes, but if that is the life he wishes, then may it be."
Legolas nodded and turned his hand to lace his fingers with hers. "So it be..."