To Elizabeth: Hi! Thanks!! ^_^ I'm also not very sure which decision Elenath would make…=P (don't come after me!!! ^^)
To mkrux: The more difficult it is, the more interesting the story would get, no? ^o^ Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it too! =D
To cherryfaerie: good question… what did you ask? ^o^ nevermind… haha… ok. Will bear that in mind when I make 'the final decision'. _^
To Amber: Wow! That's a long review! Personally, I don't find your review a flame. I've seen worse flames in other stories… =S but I really like to thank you for giving me so many suggestions. Just to answer some of your comments:
Grammar: oops… ya, I know. You're not the first to comment about my grammar, and neither would you be the last. =P I'll try to change that, though sometimes my fingers worked faster than my brains. ^^;;;
Proofreading: oops again… I wouldn't mind having someone to proofread, but… I'm not boasting or anything, usually I'm the one proofreading others' essays. *rolls eyes* yeah. But I'll try to be careful of my tenses next time round. Perhaps you'll find some improvement here?
Mary-sue: triple oops… -_-;;; I have people commenting that my OCs are much too 'Mary-Sue'. I have to admit, I tend to write towards that kind of personality. But I assure you, it's not too late to change. ^^V It's only the initial stages of the story. I'll make sure that at least one of the points you mentioned would not be true by the time the story ends. _^
Kill Leggy: Aw… I'll keep that in mind. And my ending would not be a typical 'happily ever after. ~The End'. I don't really like those kind of endings. Those are for Cindy and Snow White. Never for my stories… Somewhere in the story, I'll kill off some happy mood. =) (call me sadistic… ^_^)
Last but not least, thank you for taking time to write this long review. So happy that people like my writing style. ^o^ usually people find it confusing to have the Point of View changing from one character to another, and from a first-person to a third-person. ^^;;; Thanks!!!!
To lotrgirls: Thanks!!! Hope you like this one too… =D (ps: are you members of FF.net?)
To LOTR Chic: Ooook… I'll bear the "true love over curse" thing in mind. =D But not every elf would live to the end of my story… =) (I'm cruel… =P)
To Anne: I wouldn't want anything to happen to Leggy, but I won't mind anything happening to Ethuil, Aduial or Elenath. (*evil laugh*) here's the update. =D
Dreams and Stars
Elenath sat quietly beside Legolas. She, too, was concerned about Ethuil. The latter had been her benefactor after all, and Elenath truly wished to do something for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the anxiety clearly on Legolas' face.
"Legolas," Elenath called softly. Legolas looked at her. Her heart softened as she took in his haggard features.
"You need some sleep," Elenath commented.
Legolas shook his head. "I want to stay with her. She'll want to see me when she wakes up."
Elenath sighed. "I'm sure she would want to see a healthy looking brother, not one who looked as though he was starved for a couple of years."
That got a tiny twitch on Legolas' lips. "Do I look that bad?"
"Worse," Elenath replied. She pulled Legolas up on his feet and pushed him towards the door. "Now…go and get at least four hours of sleep. If I see you here before four hours is up, don't blame me for being violent."
Legolas finally smiled. "You sound like Ethuil."
Elenath cocked her eyebrow. "Good. Now, will you listen to the lady who sounds like your sister?"
He chuckled. "Alright, alright." Legolas finally stepped out of the room he had been in for four days. Elenath gave a sigh of relief as she turned back to the sleeping figure on the bed.
Ethuil's cheeks had a faint pinkish tinge on them, which means her body is regaining its health, though slowly. Elenath was glad that the medicinal skills she learnt the past centuries finally paid off on one patient. Usually, her medicinal skills were used to take the life of a person, never to give back the life.
Taking care of Ethuil these days, making the medicines and everything, did push the main worry in Elenath's mind to the back of her brain. Now as she sits down quietly beside Ethuil, with nothing to accompany her other than the surrounding air, the troubling decision once again haunted her mind. She knew she shouldn't and couldn't kill Legolas. But…
Could she control herself, when the time comes?
* * *
It's been a long time since she had dreams. Ever since Lome's death, she forgot what it's like to have dreams, to have her heart speaking truthfully at her mind through images.
Since young, Elenath's dreams are usually a medium through which she meets her heart. The images and the scenarios in her dreams are her heart's true desires. Even though most of the time, reality was different, she missed the feeling of able to see through what her heart truly wants.
This time, she saw herself in Mirkwood. She saw herself holding hands with Legolas. She saw herself looking upwards at Legolas, and smiling at him. And he was, too, smiling back at her with tender love shining in his eyes.
Elenath opened her eyes in fright. She was still seated in the chair next to Ethuil's bed. She was still alone in the dark room. Everything she saw was just a dream. Just a simple dream. As her mind started replaying the images she saw in her dream, her heart started pumping faster with dread.
Is that what she really wanted? To be with Legolas? To be his wife? To have history replaying?
Before she could stop it, the deeply buried memories started floating up into her mind. Elenath closed her eyes in a bid to stop the past from replaying in her mind again, but it was futile. Lome's voice and face began appearing in her mind.
'No… please…' Elenath pleaded to herself. Yet her body would not obey her wishes. Slowly, the pages of memories started flipping themselves in Elenath's mind, showing her past once again before her eyes.
* * *
Legolas did not fall asleep until an hour of staring at the ceiling later. His sleep was slow, but deep. As his mind slowed to let his weary body rest, he felt a sense of calmness that he had never felt before. During the past four days, he had been worrying so much for his sister that he almost forgot what it felt like to be calm.
He did not know how long the peaceful darkness lasted, but what seemed like three hours later, an image began forming. As he saw the image spiraling and twisting into an clear picture, his breathing stopped.
He was holding hands with Elenath, and they were sitting alone in the field. Elenath slowly laid her head on his shoulder and his arm snaked around her waist before tightened the hold. They were looking at the starry sky. Elenath looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Legolas saw his counterpart smiling back at her gently, lovingly, before planting a kiss on her forehead. Then, as they edge towards each other…
"LEGOLAS!!!!" A sound resembling a battle cry tore Legolas away from his dream and back into reality. He sat straight up, his heart still pumping fast from being scared awake, and looked around for the culprit. A few seconds later, Aduial burst through his room. His usually neat hair was strewn messily across his broad shoulders. His face was oddly flushed, and he was panting heavily. His weapon dangled limply from the belt around his waist, while his hand was touching his abdomen.
Seeing the person he want to punch, Legolas leapt out of bed and delivered a well-aimed, and hearty punch right into Aduial's stomach.
"That was for Ethuil," Legolas said, his voice laced with pure anger. Aduial coughed and sank to the floor, clutching his stomach. Legolas stared unfeelingly at him as he coughed repeatedly. In his opinion, that punch was actually letting him off.
"Le…Legolas…I…" Aduial tried hard to get his words out, but something seemed to be choking his throat. Usually, Legolas would immediately kneel down beside his friend and ask concerned question. But right now, Legolas only felt like giving Aduial more punches.
"What have you got to say for yourself?" Legolas asked coldly. It had been a long time since he had felt this angry.
Aduial's eyes were shut tightly and his brows were knitted together. He was panting quickly, and painfully. Legolas could see tears of agony touching his eyelashes, but did nothing to help his friend.
"I…" Aduial tried to talk again, but this time, red liquid trickled out of his mouth, drowning the rest of his words. That got Legolas' attention.
His anger temporarily replaced by concern, Legolas knelt down beside Aduial. "Are you alright?"
Aduial did not open his eyes. Instead, he relaxed and fell limp.
"Aduial!" Legolas exclaimed in shock as he caught Aduial's body. "Aduial!"
* * *
"Elenath…Why?" Lome asked weakly. His bloodstained hand shook as he raised it to touch Elenath's forehead.
She looked away, trying to ignore the gentle, loving, and wounded look in his light gray eyes. With an obstinate shake, she shook the hand away from her face and pushed the blade further into his chest.
"Ah!" Lome gasped as more blood gushed out of the wound. He closed his eyes tightly as his body doubled over in pain. Elenath felt the warm and sticky liquid on her hands as she held the hilt tightly. Her body was shaking with fear, with horror, but also with understanding.
"E…Elenath…" Lome wheezed. "I… I don't know why…but…" With immense effort, he raised his hand and gently traced Elenath's face. "I'll be happy… to… die… if… it will make you… happy."
Elenath felt hot tears stinging her eyes as she felt the hand touch her face. She cannot speak. She cannot explain why. Not yet.
Lome's eyelids were drooping, but he forced a smile. "Elenath…"
"I love you…"
With that, Lome's hands dropped to his side, and his body leant entirely on Elenath.
Elenath felt a sucking sensation in her throat. "Lome!" She pulled out the blade and gently laid Lome's body on the ground.
"No… No…" Why? Why can't she regain her voice a minute sooner? Just so she could tell Lome how she felt towards him.
"Lome… I'm so sorry," Elenath whispered, holding his upper body close to her heart. "I'm so sorry…"
"I love you too…"
* * *
Elenath took in a sharp breath as her memories once again pierced her heart with a stabbing pain. Tears touched her eyes and trickled out uncontrollably. She can never, ever forget the tender gaze Lome gave her before he died. And the brilliant shooting star that she saw moments after he breathed his last. It was beautiful, but it meant only death.
Just like her.
She sighed as she stood up from the table and gazed at the stars that night. Her eyes automatically looked out for ominous signs, but all she could see were the constellations.
"Gemini, Pisces, Andromeda, Perseus…" Elenath traced out the stars with her finger. Then, she noticed something.
'Gemini…' Elenath thought there was something funny with the 'twins' tonight. It was as though, they are split into two tonight.
Her eyes stared hard at the constellation. In a flash, she saw two figures. Two familiar faces, but one of them was wearing a cunning smile, an evil smile. The image faded as quickly as it appeared, but Elenath caught the picture clearly. It was then she finally realized what had happened between Ethuil and Aduial.
'If it was true… then he would be looking for…' Elenath considered. Her eyes widened as her mind finished the sentence for her.
'Legolas!'