"Elora!"
The voice echoed through the trees. Elora stopped short- she knew that voice. It must be her imagination; Legolas had no business here. A quick glance at Dalani told her that she was not mistaken; someone had indeed called out her name. Slowly, she turned around-
And there he was.
"Legolas?!" Her shriek was a mixture of shock and elation. And thousand and one questions raced in and out of her mind. Only one thing mattered at the moment: getting into his arms as fast as possible.
It was almost as if she had willed herself there. One moment she was standing next to Dalani and the next she was in his embrace, arms wrapped round his neck as he wound his around her back, lifting her slightly off the ground as they laughed.
"What are you doing here?" They laughed again as they asked the same question simultaneously.
"EhhHmmm." A low gruff throat cleared itself, causing the young couple to remember their audience. They broke their embrace, but Legolas kept one arm about her waist. Both Gimli and Dalani were staring at them.
"Dalani," Elora began. "This is Legolas."
"I figured," the other elf maiden said with a small smile on her face. "I've heard so much about you," she added to Legolas as she approached with a slight, polite bow.
"Good things, I hope." Legolas returned the gesture.
"For the most part." Dalani eyed Gimli with suspicion; it was obvious that the presence of the dwarf was making her uncomfortable. "Elora, I must be going. I am needed at home. It was nice to finally meet you, Prince Legolas." With that, Dalani disappeared into the forest.
"I'm sorry…" Elora started to apologize, but Gimli cut her off with a shake of his head.
"It is to be expected," he said. "Now, Master Elf, are you going to make introductions, or have what little manners you have escaped you?"
Legolas smiled at his scolding. "Elora, this is Gimli, Son of Gloin. He is a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, and a brave warrior. And Gimli, this is my important something; this is my Elora."
Gimli attempted to maintain his gruff behavior as he answered. "A pleasure, milady, although I can't see what a nice looking elf like you sees in this clod."
"Nor I, half the time." Legolas reacted to Elora's comment with mock- pained look on his face. Elora laughed and quickly kissed his cheek.
"Come," he said. "I want you to meet the others."
The rest of the Fellowship were pleased to see Elora. Aragorn gave Legolas a meaningful look as introductions were made; he seemed to realize Elora's importance to Legolas the moment he saw her. Elora stayed with the company while they ate, and even a little after. The nine of them had settled around the fire, the hobbits softly singing Shire songs in an attempt to lift their spirits.
After a particularly horrible tune, a round about a drunken hobbit who tried to milk a bull, Legolas stood and silently helped Elora to her feet. He then led them into the trees, where they could not be seen. This was the first chance they had had to be alone together. With gentle fingers he smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and gently traced a path along her cheek to her jaw line.
"I've missed you," he whispered.
"I've missed you, so much."
Slowly he lowered he lips to hers and kissed her gently. Slowly they wrapped their arms around each other, slowly they pulled their bodies closer to one another, slowly they deepened the kiss. It had been so long since they had felt each other, and they both wanted to take their time, to revel in this moment. After a while, though, their passions could not be kept bottled up, and Elora found her back pressed against the smooth trunk of a large tree, Legolas pressed up against her. Breathless, they stopped, and Legolas placed his forehead to hers.
"I've missed you," she said softly.
Legolas gave a gentle laugh. "You already said that."
"Well, it needed to be said again." She gently kissed him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Well, there's plenty of room on my floor…" Legolas responded by softly pinching her sides, causing Elora to emit a tiny shriek of laughter. She quickly became serious again. "Yes, I want you to."
Legolas smiled as he kissed her forehead. "So do I." Slowly, Elora led him to her tree.
The voice echoed through the trees. Elora stopped short- she knew that voice. It must be her imagination; Legolas had no business here. A quick glance at Dalani told her that she was not mistaken; someone had indeed called out her name. Slowly, she turned around-
And there he was.
"Legolas?!" Her shriek was a mixture of shock and elation. And thousand and one questions raced in and out of her mind. Only one thing mattered at the moment: getting into his arms as fast as possible.
It was almost as if she had willed herself there. One moment she was standing next to Dalani and the next she was in his embrace, arms wrapped round his neck as he wound his around her back, lifting her slightly off the ground as they laughed.
"What are you doing here?" They laughed again as they asked the same question simultaneously.
"EhhHmmm." A low gruff throat cleared itself, causing the young couple to remember their audience. They broke their embrace, but Legolas kept one arm about her waist. Both Gimli and Dalani were staring at them.
"Dalani," Elora began. "This is Legolas."
"I figured," the other elf maiden said with a small smile on her face. "I've heard so much about you," she added to Legolas as she approached with a slight, polite bow.
"Good things, I hope." Legolas returned the gesture.
"For the most part." Dalani eyed Gimli with suspicion; it was obvious that the presence of the dwarf was making her uncomfortable. "Elora, I must be going. I am needed at home. It was nice to finally meet you, Prince Legolas." With that, Dalani disappeared into the forest.
"I'm sorry…" Elora started to apologize, but Gimli cut her off with a shake of his head.
"It is to be expected," he said. "Now, Master Elf, are you going to make introductions, or have what little manners you have escaped you?"
Legolas smiled at his scolding. "Elora, this is Gimli, Son of Gloin. He is a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, and a brave warrior. And Gimli, this is my important something; this is my Elora."
Gimli attempted to maintain his gruff behavior as he answered. "A pleasure, milady, although I can't see what a nice looking elf like you sees in this clod."
"Nor I, half the time." Legolas reacted to Elora's comment with mock- pained look on his face. Elora laughed and quickly kissed his cheek.
"Come," he said. "I want you to meet the others."
The rest of the Fellowship were pleased to see Elora. Aragorn gave Legolas a meaningful look as introductions were made; he seemed to realize Elora's importance to Legolas the moment he saw her. Elora stayed with the company while they ate, and even a little after. The nine of them had settled around the fire, the hobbits softly singing Shire songs in an attempt to lift their spirits.
After a particularly horrible tune, a round about a drunken hobbit who tried to milk a bull, Legolas stood and silently helped Elora to her feet. He then led them into the trees, where they could not be seen. This was the first chance they had had to be alone together. With gentle fingers he smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear and gently traced a path along her cheek to her jaw line.
"I've missed you," he whispered.
"I've missed you, so much."
Slowly he lowered he lips to hers and kissed her gently. Slowly they wrapped their arms around each other, slowly they pulled their bodies closer to one another, slowly they deepened the kiss. It had been so long since they had felt each other, and they both wanted to take their time, to revel in this moment. After a while, though, their passions could not be kept bottled up, and Elora found her back pressed against the smooth trunk of a large tree, Legolas pressed up against her. Breathless, they stopped, and Legolas placed his forehead to hers.
"I've missed you," she said softly.
Legolas gave a gentle laugh. "You already said that."
"Well, it needed to be said again." She gently kissed him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Well, there's plenty of room on my floor…" Legolas responded by softly pinching her sides, causing Elora to emit a tiny shriek of laughter. She quickly became serious again. "Yes, I want you to."
Legolas smiled as he kissed her forehead. "So do I." Slowly, Elora led him to her tree.