A/N- I've said this once but I will say it once more for those who
read the first chapter before I posted it. Halin (who appeared in 2nd
chapter) and Lorelein are MY charactors and not Tolkeins. They may not be
used or borrowed in other stories. The name Halin has been confused with
Tolkein's Haldir once before and I would not like that mistake to happen
again. Thank you. -Aradi
"Get up." Legolas called to Lorelein as he prepared to leave. He looked back to see her lying on the ground, still asleep.
"Lorelein." He called her again. She still didn't move. Shaking his head he walked over and kneeled beside her. Leaning in close he spoke loudly.
"Wake up!"
Startled, Lorelein jumped and scrambled to her feet. Legolas looked at her with a satisfied grin on his face and continued to prepare for their leave.
"Demanding devil." She mumbled, brushing herself off.
"What was that?" Legolas raised an eyebrow.
"Why must we get up at dawn? I'm starting to think I was better off at the castle."
Legolas stopped what he was doing. Better off with Mortals? The woman's lost her mind. Though his first impression may not have been the best, he surely couldn't have made himself look that bad. Shaking his head, he mounted his horse, angered by her remark.
"Would you rather me bring you back? I'm sure they'll give you a warm welcome now that you've betrayed them."
"I would rather go my own way. You aren't exactly what I would call a kind escort."
"Well that's good. Because I'm not an escort. Just a warrior trying to do his job. Now come on."
"No. Personally, I'd rather not."
"At this point, you don't have a choice. Come, Lorelein. I don't want to force you to follow me the whole journey."
"Then don't. I'll go where I please and you can ride your handsome little steed to the Sea yourself."
"Lorelein. I haven't the time for this. We must leave."
"Do you show any emotions besides annoyance? Because it doesn't seem like it."
Riding up beside her, Legolas glared. He gripped her chin, making her look up at him.
"You are not in a position to test me. Your input is not needed, therefore it will not be given. If you are wise you will speak little on this trip and let me do my job. I refuse to deal with ignorant remarks on the entire journey across Middle Earth."
Then he pulled her up into the saddle. Lorelein waited a few minutes until asking him one more question.
"Are all Elves as cruel as you?"
Legolas looked down at her in surprise. The expression on her face showed that she was looking for an honest answer this time instead of trying to anger him. But Legolas didn't reply. He knew right then that he had been too harsh on her. His intention was not to upset or confuse her, though it seems that's exactly what he did.
He didn't want to perform this task in the first place. But she remembered nothing of what had happened twenty years before and though it would at first seem like a relief to him, he felt pity for her. It takes a lot of courage to trust a stranger with your fate and he's done nothing to help her in recalling her past like he promised to do in return for her obedience.
Looking back down at her, he spoke.
"What of your past do you remember?"
"Beg your pardon?"
"What of your past do you remember?" he repeated himself.
"Why would you want to know of my past?"
"You want to know of your past, correct? I can tell you all of what I recall of you during The Battle. But only if you let me."
"Okay. What can you tell me?"
"Well, you must answer my question first."
"I remember nothing."
"Come now, this isn't a trick. I will not fool you. Is there anything you can remember?"
"Yes, one. But it is not of any importance."
"No?"
"All I remember is knowing a tall man. Nothing else."
"A man or an Elf?"
"I don't know."
"Well do you know what he looks like?"
"Tall."
"Yes, I think we covered that. Anything else?"
"He had brown hair."
"Do you remember any other features?"
"No."
"Well, no wonder you can't remember anything. That's not exactly the best clue to start out with."
"You aren't very encouraging."
"I apologize." Legolas smiled. He was keeping them from being at each other's throats.
"So what can you tell me about my past?" Lorelein asked. There was intense curiosity and excitement in her eyes.
"Well, I know for a fact that you are of Elvish Royalty. Though how, I'm not so sure. You were a clever warrior. Though don't get any crazy ideas for you were still quite young and inexperienced. You still are young."
"How old am I?"
"Younger than I am. I know that much."
"How do you know?"
"With all your question's you're starting to sound more like a hobbit than anything else."
"Really? I thought you said I spoke like a man earlier?"
"You do. But that will all change in time."
"Do I speak differently now than I did before?"
"You never really spoke much before."
"How come?"
"Many Elves are like that. They will not speak often around people other than their own."
"Legolas?"
"Yes?"
"What's a hobbit?"
"A hobbit? You mean to say you do not know what a halfling is?"
"A halfling? Well, I was asking about hobbits."
"A hobbit is a halfling."
"Oh."
Legolas laughed. Speaking with Lorelein was like speaking to an inquisitive child. He found it thoroughly entertaining. As they made their way farther and farther from the Mortal Lands, Legolas answered as many questions as he could and seemed to enjoy her company after awhile. He learned much about her that he hadn't known before. Though she had lost most of her memory of the past, she still remembered many things she had been taught when she was young. Things such as hunting, fencing, and the usefulness of the nature around her. Though she seemed to have been taught mostly what Legolas learned when he was a child instead of what a Lady of Royalty should. But he spoke nothing of this fact.
Their journey lasted two days until finally they came to edge of the Wood of Lothlorien. It was still a fair and beautiful place and much hadn't changed since the last time Legolas had seen it. They dismounted and walked cautiously down the path. From experience Legolas knew that the woods weren't as bare as they appeared. Elves often lay hidden in the trees and shrubbery. If one isn't careful, it's very likely that they'll find themselves face to face with an armed Elf, daring them to make a sudden move.
"Quen Eldar." sure enough, an Elf stepped out of the brush beside them.
"What did he say?" Lorelein asked.
"He told us to speak. He wants to know who we are." Legolas replied, before turning back to the other Elf.
"Legolas. An Eryn Edhel."
"Wen?" the Elf asked. Lorelein looked at Legolas for a translation.
"Maiden. He's asking who you are. Tell him your name." Legolas spoke calmly.
"Lorelein."
The Elves eyes turned to fear. His people knew of her capture long ago and they too believed she had died.
Legolas explained to him what about the messenger and everything that took place in his journey so far. The Elf nodded in understanding. Then, in a low, soft voice, he spoke to Legolas in common tongue.
"I never knew that she was a mixed breed." He whispered.
Legolas looked at the Elf in confusion.
"A what?"
"You mean you cannot tell? Never mind it. I will tell you later. Come, Lady Galadriel would want to speak to you both." he said, motioning for them to follow.
And so they headed onward to meet the Lord and Lady. Little did they know that Galadriel had long expected their arrival.
"Get up." Legolas called to Lorelein as he prepared to leave. He looked back to see her lying on the ground, still asleep.
"Lorelein." He called her again. She still didn't move. Shaking his head he walked over and kneeled beside her. Leaning in close he spoke loudly.
"Wake up!"
Startled, Lorelein jumped and scrambled to her feet. Legolas looked at her with a satisfied grin on his face and continued to prepare for their leave.
"Demanding devil." She mumbled, brushing herself off.
"What was that?" Legolas raised an eyebrow.
"Why must we get up at dawn? I'm starting to think I was better off at the castle."
Legolas stopped what he was doing. Better off with Mortals? The woman's lost her mind. Though his first impression may not have been the best, he surely couldn't have made himself look that bad. Shaking his head, he mounted his horse, angered by her remark.
"Would you rather me bring you back? I'm sure they'll give you a warm welcome now that you've betrayed them."
"I would rather go my own way. You aren't exactly what I would call a kind escort."
"Well that's good. Because I'm not an escort. Just a warrior trying to do his job. Now come on."
"No. Personally, I'd rather not."
"At this point, you don't have a choice. Come, Lorelein. I don't want to force you to follow me the whole journey."
"Then don't. I'll go where I please and you can ride your handsome little steed to the Sea yourself."
"Lorelein. I haven't the time for this. We must leave."
"Do you show any emotions besides annoyance? Because it doesn't seem like it."
Riding up beside her, Legolas glared. He gripped her chin, making her look up at him.
"You are not in a position to test me. Your input is not needed, therefore it will not be given. If you are wise you will speak little on this trip and let me do my job. I refuse to deal with ignorant remarks on the entire journey across Middle Earth."
Then he pulled her up into the saddle. Lorelein waited a few minutes until asking him one more question.
"Are all Elves as cruel as you?"
Legolas looked down at her in surprise. The expression on her face showed that she was looking for an honest answer this time instead of trying to anger him. But Legolas didn't reply. He knew right then that he had been too harsh on her. His intention was not to upset or confuse her, though it seems that's exactly what he did.
He didn't want to perform this task in the first place. But she remembered nothing of what had happened twenty years before and though it would at first seem like a relief to him, he felt pity for her. It takes a lot of courage to trust a stranger with your fate and he's done nothing to help her in recalling her past like he promised to do in return for her obedience.
Looking back down at her, he spoke.
"What of your past do you remember?"
"Beg your pardon?"
"What of your past do you remember?" he repeated himself.
"Why would you want to know of my past?"
"You want to know of your past, correct? I can tell you all of what I recall of you during The Battle. But only if you let me."
"Okay. What can you tell me?"
"Well, you must answer my question first."
"I remember nothing."
"Come now, this isn't a trick. I will not fool you. Is there anything you can remember?"
"Yes, one. But it is not of any importance."
"No?"
"All I remember is knowing a tall man. Nothing else."
"A man or an Elf?"
"I don't know."
"Well do you know what he looks like?"
"Tall."
"Yes, I think we covered that. Anything else?"
"He had brown hair."
"Do you remember any other features?"
"No."
"Well, no wonder you can't remember anything. That's not exactly the best clue to start out with."
"You aren't very encouraging."
"I apologize." Legolas smiled. He was keeping them from being at each other's throats.
"So what can you tell me about my past?" Lorelein asked. There was intense curiosity and excitement in her eyes.
"Well, I know for a fact that you are of Elvish Royalty. Though how, I'm not so sure. You were a clever warrior. Though don't get any crazy ideas for you were still quite young and inexperienced. You still are young."
"How old am I?"
"Younger than I am. I know that much."
"How do you know?"
"With all your question's you're starting to sound more like a hobbit than anything else."
"Really? I thought you said I spoke like a man earlier?"
"You do. But that will all change in time."
"Do I speak differently now than I did before?"
"You never really spoke much before."
"How come?"
"Many Elves are like that. They will not speak often around people other than their own."
"Legolas?"
"Yes?"
"What's a hobbit?"
"A hobbit? You mean to say you do not know what a halfling is?"
"A halfling? Well, I was asking about hobbits."
"A hobbit is a halfling."
"Oh."
Legolas laughed. Speaking with Lorelein was like speaking to an inquisitive child. He found it thoroughly entertaining. As they made their way farther and farther from the Mortal Lands, Legolas answered as many questions as he could and seemed to enjoy her company after awhile. He learned much about her that he hadn't known before. Though she had lost most of her memory of the past, she still remembered many things she had been taught when she was young. Things such as hunting, fencing, and the usefulness of the nature around her. Though she seemed to have been taught mostly what Legolas learned when he was a child instead of what a Lady of Royalty should. But he spoke nothing of this fact.
Their journey lasted two days until finally they came to edge of the Wood of Lothlorien. It was still a fair and beautiful place and much hadn't changed since the last time Legolas had seen it. They dismounted and walked cautiously down the path. From experience Legolas knew that the woods weren't as bare as they appeared. Elves often lay hidden in the trees and shrubbery. If one isn't careful, it's very likely that they'll find themselves face to face with an armed Elf, daring them to make a sudden move.
"Quen Eldar." sure enough, an Elf stepped out of the brush beside them.
"What did he say?" Lorelein asked.
"He told us to speak. He wants to know who we are." Legolas replied, before turning back to the other Elf.
"Legolas. An Eryn Edhel."
"Wen?" the Elf asked. Lorelein looked at Legolas for a translation.
"Maiden. He's asking who you are. Tell him your name." Legolas spoke calmly.
"Lorelein."
The Elves eyes turned to fear. His people knew of her capture long ago and they too believed she had died.
Legolas explained to him what about the messenger and everything that took place in his journey so far. The Elf nodded in understanding. Then, in a low, soft voice, he spoke to Legolas in common tongue.
"I never knew that she was a mixed breed." He whispered.
Legolas looked at the Elf in confusion.
"A what?"
"You mean you cannot tell? Never mind it. I will tell you later. Come, Lady Galadriel would want to speak to you both." he said, motioning for them to follow.
And so they headed onward to meet the Lord and Lady. Little did they know that Galadriel had long expected their arrival.