"Stupid boys. I hate stupid boys," Elora muttered to herself. She was
carrying her shoes in one hand and holding the hem of her dress up with the
other. It had taken her all of three seconds after Legolas had left to
decide to follow him. By the time she had removed her shoes and exited the
school, he was out of sight. Not that it mattered. She knew exactly where
he was going.
There was a small clearing along the river that Legolas liked to go whenever he wished to be alone. It was surrounded by tall bushes; the only way to reach it was through the small path he had made- if, that is, you knew where to look for it.
Elora did. She was the only one who knew about it, and only because she had once secretly followed him there. She moved as quietly as she could through the bushes, though it hardly mattered. She knew Legolas would hear her.
Before she had even finished detangling herself from the bushes she heard his voice.
"Go away."
She ignored him. "Beautiful night, eh?" she asked, standing near him. He was throwing rocks out into the river and refused to look at her.
"Go away," he said again, this time with more anger lacing his voice.
Elora didn't move. "Legolas," she began. "Legolas, you're my friend. I hate seeing you angry and hurt. Will you please talk to me? Norenna's an idiot; why are you so concerned about her?"
There was a long pause before he finally spoke.
"Because," he said, his voice hollow. "I love her."
Elora laughed sharply. "No you don't."
Legolas turned to her, eyes flaming. "How do you know what I feel?"
"You've hardly ever spoken to her; you know nothing about her other than the fact that she has a pretty face. She's shallow and conceited and…."
"Don't say those things about her!"
"It's the truth!" By now they were both yelling at each other.
"It is not!" Legolas cried. "Just…just leave me alone!" He emphasized his command by giving her a sharp push. Elora tripped on the hem of her dress and fell down.
For a long second neither of them moved. Legolas didn't know whether she would cry or attack him. Part of him wanted to bend and help her up, but he was too angry with her.
Slowly, Elora stood up and brushed to dirt off her skirt. She looked up at him. Legolas had never seen her so calm before, her eyes void of any emotion.
"Alright, Legolas." Her voice was flat. "I'll leave you alone. You know where to find me." She turned and left the clearing, forcing herself to walk even as her legs urged her to run. She walked home, ignoring her mother's questions about the dance, and went straight to bed. She and Legolas quarreled at times, but they had never fought like that. And they had hit each other on numerous occasions, but never had one of them struck the other with such hatred. Elora was confused and, for the first time in her life, she cried over Legolas.
Three weeks passed. Mirkwood was in the throes of a beautiful summer. This usually meant Legolas and Elora could be found hiking together through the woods, or climbing Red Rock, a nearby bluff, or swimming in the river.
But not this summer.
They had not seen or spoken to each other since that night. Each was too proud to make the first move. Instead, they spent the summer apart. It was the worst summer of their lives.
One late afternoon, as Legolas was returning from practicing his archery in the woods, he saw a wagon in front of Elora's tree, packed with trunks. There were strange horses there, too. On their saddles he recognized the seal of Lothlorien. Curiosity momentarily overtaking his pride, he rushed over.
"What's going on?" he asked the one of the elves on horseback. "Are the Mossflowers moving to Lothlorien?"
The older elf looked at him before answering. "Nay, young Prince," he replied. Legolas wondered how he knew him. "Only their daughter."
"Which one? Alyse?"
The elf looked at his paper. "No, Elora," he stated.
Legolas looked at him with disbelief, then hurried up the ladder and into the house, putting his pride aside for once in his life.
Mrs. Mossflower looked at him in surprise as he rushed into the house. "Legolas!" she said. "I haven't seen you here for weeks!"
"Where's Elora?" he asked.
"In her room, why...?" But Legolas was already out of the living room, heading for Elora's room. He entered without knocking to find her packing her last few knick-knacks into a bag. The room was bare; all her other belongings had been packed.
She stared at him for a minute when he entered, then returned to her packing, avoiding eye contact with him at all cost. "What are you doing here?" she mumbled into her bag.
"You're leaving? Why? When? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me?"
She sighed. "Yes, I'm leaving. I got a letter two weeks ago. Remember that test we took last winter? The one about what job we should get?"
Legolas nodded. Oh yes, he remembered that test. Much to the chagrin of his father, the test had showed Legolas held great aptitude towards a career in waste disposal.
"Well," Elora continued, still talking to her bag. "Mine showed I should be a healer. I scored so high, in fact, that I qualified to enter the school in Lothlorien. It's the best school in Middle Earth, and they want me! Me!" She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm leaving today, and I didn't tell you because…well, because." There was a heavy pause. She finished stuffing the last of her items before standing straight and facing him. "Well? Are you going to say anything?"
"Elora? Are you ready?" her mother called.
"Coming." Elora picked up her bag and started out of the room. She pulled open the door when Legolas' soft voice stopped her.
"I don't want you to go."
She turned around.
"I know it doesn't matter what I want," he began. "But I wish you would stay. Who else is going to climb Red Rock with me? Or catch dragonflies? Or study with me, or teach me to dance or tell me that one day I'll be a great archer? Who…who else will talk to me like you do? And…if you do leave, I don't want you to leave hating me."
"Oh, Legolas," Elora sighed. "I don't hate you. But I have to go. I can't give up an opportunity like this."
"I know," he said quietly. "Elora, what's going to happen to us though?"
"We'll still be friends. Legolas, I promise we'll stay friends. I'm not going away forever. I'm coming back one day. And I'll write you as often as I can."
"Me too. But it won't be the same."
"Different doesn't always mean bad." She opened her door. "Walk me out?" she asked timidly.
Legolas nodded, reaching over to grab her bag from her. "I got this."
Outside the last of her bags were loaded onto the wagon. After a tearful goodbye to her family, Elora turned to Legolas. She playfully punched his shoulder. "Behave, you hear? You dumb blonde."
"Stupid red-head."
Elora nodded and mounted her horse. They would be ok.
Legolas watched as the Lothlorien elves led Elora out of Mirkwood. He stood there, staring down the road even long after they had disappeared from view.
There was a small clearing along the river that Legolas liked to go whenever he wished to be alone. It was surrounded by tall bushes; the only way to reach it was through the small path he had made- if, that is, you knew where to look for it.
Elora did. She was the only one who knew about it, and only because she had once secretly followed him there. She moved as quietly as she could through the bushes, though it hardly mattered. She knew Legolas would hear her.
Before she had even finished detangling herself from the bushes she heard his voice.
"Go away."
She ignored him. "Beautiful night, eh?" she asked, standing near him. He was throwing rocks out into the river and refused to look at her.
"Go away," he said again, this time with more anger lacing his voice.
Elora didn't move. "Legolas," she began. "Legolas, you're my friend. I hate seeing you angry and hurt. Will you please talk to me? Norenna's an idiot; why are you so concerned about her?"
There was a long pause before he finally spoke.
"Because," he said, his voice hollow. "I love her."
Elora laughed sharply. "No you don't."
Legolas turned to her, eyes flaming. "How do you know what I feel?"
"You've hardly ever spoken to her; you know nothing about her other than the fact that she has a pretty face. She's shallow and conceited and…."
"Don't say those things about her!"
"It's the truth!" By now they were both yelling at each other.
"It is not!" Legolas cried. "Just…just leave me alone!" He emphasized his command by giving her a sharp push. Elora tripped on the hem of her dress and fell down.
For a long second neither of them moved. Legolas didn't know whether she would cry or attack him. Part of him wanted to bend and help her up, but he was too angry with her.
Slowly, Elora stood up and brushed to dirt off her skirt. She looked up at him. Legolas had never seen her so calm before, her eyes void of any emotion.
"Alright, Legolas." Her voice was flat. "I'll leave you alone. You know where to find me." She turned and left the clearing, forcing herself to walk even as her legs urged her to run. She walked home, ignoring her mother's questions about the dance, and went straight to bed. She and Legolas quarreled at times, but they had never fought like that. And they had hit each other on numerous occasions, but never had one of them struck the other with such hatred. Elora was confused and, for the first time in her life, she cried over Legolas.
Three weeks passed. Mirkwood was in the throes of a beautiful summer. This usually meant Legolas and Elora could be found hiking together through the woods, or climbing Red Rock, a nearby bluff, or swimming in the river.
But not this summer.
They had not seen or spoken to each other since that night. Each was too proud to make the first move. Instead, they spent the summer apart. It was the worst summer of their lives.
One late afternoon, as Legolas was returning from practicing his archery in the woods, he saw a wagon in front of Elora's tree, packed with trunks. There were strange horses there, too. On their saddles he recognized the seal of Lothlorien. Curiosity momentarily overtaking his pride, he rushed over.
"What's going on?" he asked the one of the elves on horseback. "Are the Mossflowers moving to Lothlorien?"
The older elf looked at him before answering. "Nay, young Prince," he replied. Legolas wondered how he knew him. "Only their daughter."
"Which one? Alyse?"
The elf looked at his paper. "No, Elora," he stated.
Legolas looked at him with disbelief, then hurried up the ladder and into the house, putting his pride aside for once in his life.
Mrs. Mossflower looked at him in surprise as he rushed into the house. "Legolas!" she said. "I haven't seen you here for weeks!"
"Where's Elora?" he asked.
"In her room, why...?" But Legolas was already out of the living room, heading for Elora's room. He entered without knocking to find her packing her last few knick-knacks into a bag. The room was bare; all her other belongings had been packed.
She stared at him for a minute when he entered, then returned to her packing, avoiding eye contact with him at all cost. "What are you doing here?" she mumbled into her bag.
"You're leaving? Why? When? How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me?"
She sighed. "Yes, I'm leaving. I got a letter two weeks ago. Remember that test we took last winter? The one about what job we should get?"
Legolas nodded. Oh yes, he remembered that test. Much to the chagrin of his father, the test had showed Legolas held great aptitude towards a career in waste disposal.
"Well," Elora continued, still talking to her bag. "Mine showed I should be a healer. I scored so high, in fact, that I qualified to enter the school in Lothlorien. It's the best school in Middle Earth, and they want me! Me!" She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm leaving today, and I didn't tell you because…well, because." There was a heavy pause. She finished stuffing the last of her items before standing straight and facing him. "Well? Are you going to say anything?"
"Elora? Are you ready?" her mother called.
"Coming." Elora picked up her bag and started out of the room. She pulled open the door when Legolas' soft voice stopped her.
"I don't want you to go."
She turned around.
"I know it doesn't matter what I want," he began. "But I wish you would stay. Who else is going to climb Red Rock with me? Or catch dragonflies? Or study with me, or teach me to dance or tell me that one day I'll be a great archer? Who…who else will talk to me like you do? And…if you do leave, I don't want you to leave hating me."
"Oh, Legolas," Elora sighed. "I don't hate you. But I have to go. I can't give up an opportunity like this."
"I know," he said quietly. "Elora, what's going to happen to us though?"
"We'll still be friends. Legolas, I promise we'll stay friends. I'm not going away forever. I'm coming back one day. And I'll write you as often as I can."
"Me too. But it won't be the same."
"Different doesn't always mean bad." She opened her door. "Walk me out?" she asked timidly.
Legolas nodded, reaching over to grab her bag from her. "I got this."
Outside the last of her bags were loaded onto the wagon. After a tearful goodbye to her family, Elora turned to Legolas. She playfully punched his shoulder. "Behave, you hear? You dumb blonde."
"Stupid red-head."
Elora nodded and mounted her horse. They would be ok.
Legolas watched as the Lothlorien elves led Elora out of Mirkwood. He stood there, staring down the road even long after they had disappeared from view.