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Liria opened her eyes to pitch darkness. She was very confused and had no idea where she was, there were not even any stars or a moon out. She thought they must still be in the woods, but then realized that she did not smell any trees around. Perplexed, Liria cautiously slid up into a sitting position. She could not hear anything, except for the sound of faint breathing, so she was not alone.
Liria turned to place her feet beneath her, then winced with the surge of pain from the forgotten injury. Her leg felt different somehow. She turned it gently, testing it. Pain rose, but it was bearable, and she could control it. She felt as though she had finally been reconnected to her leg, and she smiled in the darkness.
Liria sensed she was indoors and put the pieces together. They had reached Mirkwood and she was in a healing house, though she did not recall coming into Mirkwood. Liria struggled to remember the last thing she could. She came up with remembering the pain and turning to Legolas to finally ask for his help. But she did not remember if she had actually said anything to him. Had she passed out? That seemed like the most likely of the situation.
Suddenly, she had a thought, where was Legolas? And Gimli? Had they left her in the healing house and then gone on to be celebrated with a grand homecoming? The possibility was likely, and Liria's mood sank. She had wanted to be present when the others found out of his return, it was sure to be a night to remember. The long-anticipated prince finally coming home.
Liria decided she was going to try to stand and find out what happened, but when the effort was made, her leg buckled dangerously and she let out a hiss of pain and frustration while being forced back down. She had to remind herself that she was healing, the wound was not necessarily closed properly. She settled back onto her makeshift bed, which she figured to be a couch, and tried to place where she was.
Legolas awoke abruptly when he heard a noise from Liria. He was sleeping lightly on the floor across the room. Giddearan had offered him one of the rooms, but he had been reluctant to leave Liria. Gimli, however, had gladly accepted the offer. Legolas sat up and saw Liria lay back down. So she was up then. He got up and crossed the floor to the couch and then knelt at the side. "Liria?" he questioned softly.
Liria jerked in surprise, he was still here. "Legolas, you are not at your homecoming?"
Legolas was confused, "What?"
"Didn't Mirkwood throw a celebration when they saw you return? I'm sorry, I wanted to be there with you, but I seemingly have no control over my body anymore."
Legolas gently laid his hand on Liria's forehead and smoothed her hair back, "Nobody knows I am here yet, save for Giddearan and a guard." He stopped momentarily as he remembered the insolent guard and anger surged through him, but it passed quickly. "We will all announce our return, when you are better. For have you not been away a while as well?"
"Yes," answered Liria, "but I doubt my presence was missed, and it will definitely not make a difference when the son of Thranduil has returned. This honor will be for you alone, and perhaps Gimli as well, as he was one of the nine companions and assisted you."
"You make little of your worth," Legolas murmured.
"It is hard to make little of something that is not there," Liria replied, somewhat bitterly. "My own father did not recognize my existence, how can I expect others to?"
"I always recognized you," Legolas replied without hesitation, "And you are definitely of value to me. Do you need the admiration of the multitudes to please you? I assure you, it is not as grand as some believe."
Liria contemplated over what he said, and accepted it. She herself did not pay much attention to others around her, she was accustomed to being solitary. Now she had Legolas, and she found that she was content. She needed no more.
Liria reached up and wrapped an arm around Legolas' neck. She pulled him down to her and kissed him, and he offered no resistance at all. Legolas finally, though somewhat reluctantly, lifted himself away from her. "You still need your rest. You will be at my side tomorrow when my return is announced, I care not for the views of others, though I believe you underestimate them. Sleep now, and sleep easy knowing that I will not leave your side."
Liria was only happy to oblige and closed her eyes, as this was not an occasion to sleep with her eyes open, she needed complete rest. Legolas remained kneeling at her side, stroking her hair back. When he was finally convinced she was asleep, he went back to his own bed on the floor and lay down. But he could not fall asleep. All the talk of his homecoming was bothering him. Perhaps it was simply because of the guard, but Legolas wondered if he himself would be well-received.
Mirkwood had been through hard times during his absence. Indeed, it was called Mirkwood because darkness had descended on it before, and then when the Dark Lord rose again, Mirkwood had once again become a target. Legolas was not able to ascertain for certain whether or not the environment was changed, since he had yet to see Mirkwood in daylight, but he was sure that it had become even darker, a hard reminder of the times.
Legolas had not been needed when Mirkwood fought off the impending darkness, would he be needed now? Sure he was the prince, but his title was the only thing that singled him out. Legolas finally drifted off into a troubled, light sleep.
Liria opened her eyes to pitch darkness. She was very confused and had no idea where she was, there were not even any stars or a moon out. She thought they must still be in the woods, but then realized that she did not smell any trees around. Perplexed, Liria cautiously slid up into a sitting position. She could not hear anything, except for the sound of faint breathing, so she was not alone.
Liria turned to place her feet beneath her, then winced with the surge of pain from the forgotten injury. Her leg felt different somehow. She turned it gently, testing it. Pain rose, but it was bearable, and she could control it. She felt as though she had finally been reconnected to her leg, and she smiled in the darkness.
Liria sensed she was indoors and put the pieces together. They had reached Mirkwood and she was in a healing house, though she did not recall coming into Mirkwood. Liria struggled to remember the last thing she could. She came up with remembering the pain and turning to Legolas to finally ask for his help. But she did not remember if she had actually said anything to him. Had she passed out? That seemed like the most likely of the situation.
Suddenly, she had a thought, where was Legolas? And Gimli? Had they left her in the healing house and then gone on to be celebrated with a grand homecoming? The possibility was likely, and Liria's mood sank. She had wanted to be present when the others found out of his return, it was sure to be a night to remember. The long-anticipated prince finally coming home.
Liria decided she was going to try to stand and find out what happened, but when the effort was made, her leg buckled dangerously and she let out a hiss of pain and frustration while being forced back down. She had to remind herself that she was healing, the wound was not necessarily closed properly. She settled back onto her makeshift bed, which she figured to be a couch, and tried to place where she was.
Legolas awoke abruptly when he heard a noise from Liria. He was sleeping lightly on the floor across the room. Giddearan had offered him one of the rooms, but he had been reluctant to leave Liria. Gimli, however, had gladly accepted the offer. Legolas sat up and saw Liria lay back down. So she was up then. He got up and crossed the floor to the couch and then knelt at the side. "Liria?" he questioned softly.
Liria jerked in surprise, he was still here. "Legolas, you are not at your homecoming?"
Legolas was confused, "What?"
"Didn't Mirkwood throw a celebration when they saw you return? I'm sorry, I wanted to be there with you, but I seemingly have no control over my body anymore."
Legolas gently laid his hand on Liria's forehead and smoothed her hair back, "Nobody knows I am here yet, save for Giddearan and a guard." He stopped momentarily as he remembered the insolent guard and anger surged through him, but it passed quickly. "We will all announce our return, when you are better. For have you not been away a while as well?"
"Yes," answered Liria, "but I doubt my presence was missed, and it will definitely not make a difference when the son of Thranduil has returned. This honor will be for you alone, and perhaps Gimli as well, as he was one of the nine companions and assisted you."
"You make little of your worth," Legolas murmured.
"It is hard to make little of something that is not there," Liria replied, somewhat bitterly. "My own father did not recognize my existence, how can I expect others to?"
"I always recognized you," Legolas replied without hesitation, "And you are definitely of value to me. Do you need the admiration of the multitudes to please you? I assure you, it is not as grand as some believe."
Liria contemplated over what he said, and accepted it. She herself did not pay much attention to others around her, she was accustomed to being solitary. Now she had Legolas, and she found that she was content. She needed no more.
Liria reached up and wrapped an arm around Legolas' neck. She pulled him down to her and kissed him, and he offered no resistance at all. Legolas finally, though somewhat reluctantly, lifted himself away from her. "You still need your rest. You will be at my side tomorrow when my return is announced, I care not for the views of others, though I believe you underestimate them. Sleep now, and sleep easy knowing that I will not leave your side."
Liria was only happy to oblige and closed her eyes, as this was not an occasion to sleep with her eyes open, she needed complete rest. Legolas remained kneeling at her side, stroking her hair back. When he was finally convinced she was asleep, he went back to his own bed on the floor and lay down. But he could not fall asleep. All the talk of his homecoming was bothering him. Perhaps it was simply because of the guard, but Legolas wondered if he himself would be well-received.
Mirkwood had been through hard times during his absence. Indeed, it was called Mirkwood because darkness had descended on it before, and then when the Dark Lord rose again, Mirkwood had once again become a target. Legolas was not able to ascertain for certain whether or not the environment was changed, since he had yet to see Mirkwood in daylight, but he was sure that it had become even darker, a hard reminder of the times.
Legolas had not been needed when Mirkwood fought off the impending darkness, would he be needed now? Sure he was the prince, but his title was the only thing that singled him out. Legolas finally drifted off into a troubled, light sleep.