"Do you know how to dance?"
Elora looked up at him in surprise. She had been reading under the shade of a tree while Legolas practiced his archery. There had been easy silence between them, disrupted only occasionally by Legolas' soft curses whenever he missed the target.
"What?" she asked.
Legolas was leaning against his bow, looking at her with his head tilted to one side. "Do you know how to dance?" he repeated.
"A little," she said.
Legolas nodded and stung his bow again. Elora continued reading, but couldn't concentrate. After reading the same sentence three times she looked up at him again.
"Why?"
Legolas winced as his arrow missed by a considerable margin before turning to her. "Well, you know that dance that's coming up?"
"No," Elora immediately interrupted him.
"No what?"
"No, I am not going with you. I have it on good authority that Styrn is going to ask me."
"Styrn? Styrn from history? Styrn with the gawky arms and legs?"
"Yes, Styrn."
"Oh." Legolas paused. "And you want to go with him?" he asked in disbelief.
Elora shrugged. "I think he's cute."
Legolas stared at he for a moment before shaking his head, as if to clear it. "That's not what I meant though."
"Then what were you asking?"
He sighed. "I wanted to know if you could teach me how to dance."
Elora looked at him and then back at her book. Her shoulders started to shake until she could no longer hold it in. She began to laugh.
"I'm serious!" Legolas cried dejectedly. "I don't want to look like a fool in front of Noreena."
Upon hearing this Elora immediately sombered. "You asked her? And she said yes?" she asked incredulously.
Legolas looked at the ground, making abstract markings with his foot. "No, she has a date. But I'm going to ask for a dance, and I want to look good out there."
Elora studied him for a moment. He looked so…helpless. It took her only a moment to make up her mind.
"Alright," she said. "I'll teach you. But on one condition."
"Anything!" he promised.
"You have to teach me that." She motioned to his bow.
Legolas' mouth dropped. "But…but you're a girl! You can't learn archery!"
"I can so!" cried Elora. "In Lothlorien some of the guards are women. And there's even talk that the Princess in Rivendell can shot and swordfight as well."
"But those places aren't Mirkwood." Legolas was adamant.
So was Elora.
"Fine," she shrugged. "Have fun stepping on Noreena's feet. I'm sure she'll looove that," she finished sarcastically.
Legolas scowled at her. He quickly shot off three arrows to alleviate his frustration. "If either of our fathers find out you can shoot…."
"They won't," Elora answered happily, flinging her book aside.
"Alright, fine. I'll teach you…after you've taught me."
For two weeks the young elves met after school in the woods, where no one could possibly see them. Legolas advanced quickly; he had a natural grace that made dancing come easy for him.
Elora was another story entirely.
Try as she might, and no matter how patient Legolas was with her, she simply could not master the skill.
Elora looked up at him in surprise. She had been reading under the shade of a tree while Legolas practiced his archery. There had been easy silence between them, disrupted only occasionally by Legolas' soft curses whenever he missed the target.
"What?" she asked.
Legolas was leaning against his bow, looking at her with his head tilted to one side. "Do you know how to dance?" he repeated.
"A little," she said.
Legolas nodded and stung his bow again. Elora continued reading, but couldn't concentrate. After reading the same sentence three times she looked up at him again.
"Why?"
Legolas winced as his arrow missed by a considerable margin before turning to her. "Well, you know that dance that's coming up?"
"No," Elora immediately interrupted him.
"No what?"
"No, I am not going with you. I have it on good authority that Styrn is going to ask me."
"Styrn? Styrn from history? Styrn with the gawky arms and legs?"
"Yes, Styrn."
"Oh." Legolas paused. "And you want to go with him?" he asked in disbelief.
Elora shrugged. "I think he's cute."
Legolas stared at he for a moment before shaking his head, as if to clear it. "That's not what I meant though."
"Then what were you asking?"
He sighed. "I wanted to know if you could teach me how to dance."
Elora looked at him and then back at her book. Her shoulders started to shake until she could no longer hold it in. She began to laugh.
"I'm serious!" Legolas cried dejectedly. "I don't want to look like a fool in front of Noreena."
Upon hearing this Elora immediately sombered. "You asked her? And she said yes?" she asked incredulously.
Legolas looked at the ground, making abstract markings with his foot. "No, she has a date. But I'm going to ask for a dance, and I want to look good out there."
Elora studied him for a moment. He looked so…helpless. It took her only a moment to make up her mind.
"Alright," she said. "I'll teach you. But on one condition."
"Anything!" he promised.
"You have to teach me that." She motioned to his bow.
Legolas' mouth dropped. "But…but you're a girl! You can't learn archery!"
"I can so!" cried Elora. "In Lothlorien some of the guards are women. And there's even talk that the Princess in Rivendell can shot and swordfight as well."
"But those places aren't Mirkwood." Legolas was adamant.
So was Elora.
"Fine," she shrugged. "Have fun stepping on Noreena's feet. I'm sure she'll looove that," she finished sarcastically.
Legolas scowled at her. He quickly shot off three arrows to alleviate his frustration. "If either of our fathers find out you can shoot…."
"They won't," Elora answered happily, flinging her book aside.
"Alright, fine. I'll teach you…after you've taught me."
For two weeks the young elves met after school in the woods, where no one could possibly see them. Legolas advanced quickly; he had a natural grace that made dancing come easy for him.
Elora was another story entirely.
Try as she might, and no matter how patient Legolas was with her, she simply could not master the skill.