A/N: Hehe…sorry about the last chapter…I actually had this one (11)
done last night but I decided to be evil! Sorry, but I like building
tension and suspense (example: writing a romance where the characters don't
even kiss for the first 10 chapters). But, ok, here you go. Chapter 11.
Hopefully this will make some of you very happy. Also, what I'm gonna do
is stockpile some chapters this weekend, but post them one day at a time.
Legolas walked to his practice spot. It had been a week since the ball and the events that followed it, and thus far he had kept his promise to Elora. She had never once brought up what had occurred in Lothlorien; in fact, she acted as if nothing had happened at all. But now that Legolas knew that something was wrong, he could see the little subtleties in her demeanor. It wasn't that she was unhappy, he finally decided, just that she never seemed completely happy; a darkness seemed to follow her everywhere.
There was something else about that night that they had not mentioned to each other, although Legolas desperately wished they would. For the first time in their lives, he had held her in his arms and he had found it to be like a drug. A very addictive drug that he wanted to experience again and again. He was confused about what exactly that meant for them and for the future of their friendship. Was he falling for her? Could that even be possible? Questions of this nature swam through Legolas' head and they seemed to threaten to drown him at times. He wanted to talk to her about it but was scared of what her answer might be. He longed desperately to touch her again but was frightened that she might recoil at it. He sighed. The situation appeared to be lose/lose.
He entered his practice space and almost dropped his bow in surprise. There sat Elora under her tree, reading as if she had never left all those ages ago. Since she had been back she had never once come while he practiced; usually he dropped by her tree afterwards.
"What are you doing here?"
She didn't even look up. "Contrary to what you may believe, you do not yet own these woods or this spot. I can read wherever I well please, thank you very much."
"Oooo….Feisty today, are we?"
She looked up and shot him a sly smile. "Every day," she said before looking back down at her page. But even as she smiled Legolas could see the immense pain reflected in the depths of her eyes. He sighed internally. Whatever it was, it was something she would have to come to terms with on her own; he couldn't help her. He could only be there to lend an ear and gentle word when she finally decided to tell him.
He kept these thoughts buried and instead flashed her a quick smile. As he began to practice he felt the wheels of time slowly turn back. He found himself reliving the countless afternoons they had spent together, just like this. She had been there when he first tried out his bow, laughing as he struggled to string the new weapon. It had been Elora who had handed him back his bow whenever he threw it to the ground in frustrated defeat, encouraging him to try again. It was here that they had held their secret dance and archery lessons.
At this thought he stopped in mid-pose. He lowered the bow and arrow and turned to look at her. To his surprise, she was staring back at him. For a second she held the gaze, then suddenly dropped her eyes, as if embarrassed that she had been caught looking at him. "Why did you stop?" she asked.
Legolas leaned against his bow. "I was just thinking about the time I tried to teach you archery."
Elora laughed. "I turned out to be quite a poor student, if I remember correctly. And you were a most reluctant teacher."
"Well, as you always seem fond of saying, we've changed. Do you want to try again?"
Elora's eyes flew up. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "I would probably manage to somehow get us both killed." He saw it again, the flash of hurt when she said "killed."
"I really doubt that. Plus, you're stronger now than you were then. You might be able to do it now."
"That's ok." She turned back to her book.
"Alright," said Legolas, restringing his bow. "If you're too scared…" Elora glared at him before throwing her book aside and walking towards him. He handed her his quiver and weapon. "Now, remember to pull back and keep it as tight as possible."
Elora pulled back and released. The arrow flew through the air, soaring and zipping until it finally landed. Three feet in front of her. Legolas couldn't help but laugh. Much to his relief, so did Elora.
"I think I've gotten worse."
Legolas quickly sombered. "Ok, first, take off the quiver." Elora obeyed. Legolas came to stand behind her.
"Ok, now keep this arm steady," he said, running his hand down her left arm and finally placing it just under where hers rested on the bow. He covered her other hand with his own.
"Make sure the string is taut," he said as he helped her pull back on the string. "Aim carefully….and release." This arrow flew truer, although it still missed the target. "Ok," he said, stooping to pick another arrow. Again, he helped her shoot; this one missed by a much narrower margin.
Elora couldn't figure out how she was getting better as her attention diminished. It was hard enough for her to shoot, but to shoot with Legolas standing so close to her as high near impossible. She felt him remove his hand from the front of the bow and place it around her waist.
"Now, I'm still going to help you draw it back, but you're aiming. This is my last arrow, so don't miss," he told her. She nodded. Together they drew back the string and released the arrow.
THWACK!!
This last arrow flew true. It hit the very outer edge of the target, but it hit the target nonetheless. Elora shrieked. "I did it!" She turned to face Legolas. "I did…it." Her voice faltered as she noticed just how close their faces were to each other.
Legolas swallowed hard. Their faces were a mere centimeters apart. And Elora wasn't moving. On the contrary, the elf maid found herself staring into Legolas' eyes. Legolas stared back. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. It might get him nothing but trouble and a hard slap to the cheek, but it would be worth it. He lowered his lips to hers. And he kissed her.
It was soft and innocent. His hand came to rest under her chin and then traveled up her jaw line to rest behind her head. Slowly, he applied more pressure, not wanting to rush her.
Elora didn't even realize she had dropped the bow to the ground. She had seen Legolas lower his head and then had closed her eyes. She felt his mouth gently graze hers, felt the hunger and desire that lay behind the seemingly innocent kiss. Elora found her hands coming to rest on his upper chest, and then one snaked up around his neck.
Legolas took this as a sign that she was enjoying the experience as much as he was and deepened the kiss. He tightened his hold on her waist and gently forced her mouth to open slightly. Elora obeyed his wishes.
Suddenly, she stopped. She practically jumped out of his arms. One hand flew to her swollen lips, touching them in disbelief. She looked bewilderedly at Legolas. "I'm sorry," she mouthed. And then she ran into the underbrush and was gone.
Legolas walked to his practice spot. It had been a week since the ball and the events that followed it, and thus far he had kept his promise to Elora. She had never once brought up what had occurred in Lothlorien; in fact, she acted as if nothing had happened at all. But now that Legolas knew that something was wrong, he could see the little subtleties in her demeanor. It wasn't that she was unhappy, he finally decided, just that she never seemed completely happy; a darkness seemed to follow her everywhere.
There was something else about that night that they had not mentioned to each other, although Legolas desperately wished they would. For the first time in their lives, he had held her in his arms and he had found it to be like a drug. A very addictive drug that he wanted to experience again and again. He was confused about what exactly that meant for them and for the future of their friendship. Was he falling for her? Could that even be possible? Questions of this nature swam through Legolas' head and they seemed to threaten to drown him at times. He wanted to talk to her about it but was scared of what her answer might be. He longed desperately to touch her again but was frightened that she might recoil at it. He sighed. The situation appeared to be lose/lose.
He entered his practice space and almost dropped his bow in surprise. There sat Elora under her tree, reading as if she had never left all those ages ago. Since she had been back she had never once come while he practiced; usually he dropped by her tree afterwards.
"What are you doing here?"
She didn't even look up. "Contrary to what you may believe, you do not yet own these woods or this spot. I can read wherever I well please, thank you very much."
"Oooo….Feisty today, are we?"
She looked up and shot him a sly smile. "Every day," she said before looking back down at her page. But even as she smiled Legolas could see the immense pain reflected in the depths of her eyes. He sighed internally. Whatever it was, it was something she would have to come to terms with on her own; he couldn't help her. He could only be there to lend an ear and gentle word when she finally decided to tell him.
He kept these thoughts buried and instead flashed her a quick smile. As he began to practice he felt the wheels of time slowly turn back. He found himself reliving the countless afternoons they had spent together, just like this. She had been there when he first tried out his bow, laughing as he struggled to string the new weapon. It had been Elora who had handed him back his bow whenever he threw it to the ground in frustrated defeat, encouraging him to try again. It was here that they had held their secret dance and archery lessons.
At this thought he stopped in mid-pose. He lowered the bow and arrow and turned to look at her. To his surprise, she was staring back at him. For a second she held the gaze, then suddenly dropped her eyes, as if embarrassed that she had been caught looking at him. "Why did you stop?" she asked.
Legolas leaned against his bow. "I was just thinking about the time I tried to teach you archery."
Elora laughed. "I turned out to be quite a poor student, if I remember correctly. And you were a most reluctant teacher."
"Well, as you always seem fond of saying, we've changed. Do you want to try again?"
Elora's eyes flew up. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "I would probably manage to somehow get us both killed." He saw it again, the flash of hurt when she said "killed."
"I really doubt that. Plus, you're stronger now than you were then. You might be able to do it now."
"That's ok." She turned back to her book.
"Alright," said Legolas, restringing his bow. "If you're too scared…" Elora glared at him before throwing her book aside and walking towards him. He handed her his quiver and weapon. "Now, remember to pull back and keep it as tight as possible."
Elora pulled back and released. The arrow flew through the air, soaring and zipping until it finally landed. Three feet in front of her. Legolas couldn't help but laugh. Much to his relief, so did Elora.
"I think I've gotten worse."
Legolas quickly sombered. "Ok, first, take off the quiver." Elora obeyed. Legolas came to stand behind her.
"Ok, now keep this arm steady," he said, running his hand down her left arm and finally placing it just under where hers rested on the bow. He covered her other hand with his own.
"Make sure the string is taut," he said as he helped her pull back on the string. "Aim carefully….and release." This arrow flew truer, although it still missed the target. "Ok," he said, stooping to pick another arrow. Again, he helped her shoot; this one missed by a much narrower margin.
Elora couldn't figure out how she was getting better as her attention diminished. It was hard enough for her to shoot, but to shoot with Legolas standing so close to her as high near impossible. She felt him remove his hand from the front of the bow and place it around her waist.
"Now, I'm still going to help you draw it back, but you're aiming. This is my last arrow, so don't miss," he told her. She nodded. Together they drew back the string and released the arrow.
THWACK!!
This last arrow flew true. It hit the very outer edge of the target, but it hit the target nonetheless. Elora shrieked. "I did it!" She turned to face Legolas. "I did…it." Her voice faltered as she noticed just how close their faces were to each other.
Legolas swallowed hard. Their faces were a mere centimeters apart. And Elora wasn't moving. On the contrary, the elf maid found herself staring into Legolas' eyes. Legolas stared back. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. It might get him nothing but trouble and a hard slap to the cheek, but it would be worth it. He lowered his lips to hers. And he kissed her.
It was soft and innocent. His hand came to rest under her chin and then traveled up her jaw line to rest behind her head. Slowly, he applied more pressure, not wanting to rush her.
Elora didn't even realize she had dropped the bow to the ground. She had seen Legolas lower his head and then had closed her eyes. She felt his mouth gently graze hers, felt the hunger and desire that lay behind the seemingly innocent kiss. Elora found her hands coming to rest on his upper chest, and then one snaked up around his neck.
Legolas took this as a sign that she was enjoying the experience as much as he was and deepened the kiss. He tightened his hold on her waist and gently forced her mouth to open slightly. Elora obeyed his wishes.
Suddenly, she stopped. She practically jumped out of his arms. One hand flew to her swollen lips, touching them in disbelief. She looked bewilderedly at Legolas. "I'm sorry," she mouthed. And then she ran into the underbrush and was gone.