Once again, I don't own, so don't sue
Chapter Eleven: Tears of Joy
The arrow that the Uruk-hai had shot found it's home in the center of Alatariel's chest. The force of the huge peice of wood hitting her sent her tumbling backwards, hitting her head on the cold, wet stone. Legolas watched, almost in slow motion as the expression on his Beloved's face turned to that of Boromir's last. He attempted to scream out her name, but instead it came out in a cracked whisper:
"Alatariel! A'melamin!" he grasped her hand and picked up her seemingly lifeless form and held her in his lap. The sight of the arrow embedded in her breast was enough to make his stomach sick. He looked up into the dark, cloud filled sky. His own tears mixed with the torrents of rain as they fell from his soft, dirt streaked cheeks. His hands brushed the arrow and made him cringe. Inbetween sobs, he choked, "Ai! I have lost the only one who I will ever love! Ai Elbereth! Why has such a fate befallen me!"
"Legolas?" whispered a soft voice, "Legolas, my dear, I am not lost!"
Legolas looked down into the face of the elf he had taken for dead, "But how in the world?" he whispered to himself.
A smile crossed Alatariel's fair face as she unclasped her tunic. Legolas had expected to see blood-stained skin, but what he did see amazed him. Under her tunic was not bare skin, but some sort of chain mail, he gently touched it with his fingertips. This was not just mail, but mithril! He saw the orc arrow's tip snared in the links of this miracle armor.
"Alatariel, where in Middle Earth did you come to acquire this??" he questioned, a smile finally forming on his troubled face.
She answered him, "King Theoden gave it to me when we stopped to wait for the other riders. He hoped that it would compensate for his rash behavior eairlier." Legolas was completely speechless at her words. Finally, he said, "We can rest for the while, up in the tower with the others. It will be a few hours before Aragorn can summon all the men together."
Alatariel began to sit up, but Legolas stopped her. "I will carry you, you have been through much toil these past hours." Alatariel gratefully accepted his offer and let him carry her slim form. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his face closer to her own. She kissed his lips gently, then leaned back against his shoulder and smiled, "You do not think I would leave this world in such an unbecoming manner, do you, Legolas?" Legolas laughed gently, and they made their way into the tower.
Once in the tower, the stench of rotting flesh filled the elves' nostrils. This was the place where the injured had been taken, and many healers were busy tending to them. In the corner of the room was a small pile of those soldiers less fortunate. Legolas and Alatariel were relieved that they did not recognize any of the lifeless forms, especially since Gimli had not been seen or heard from since the start of the battle. A healer approached them,
"O, you both look like you could do with some sleep, if you follow me I will take you to a place where you can both rest."
"We will forever be in debt to you, kind woman," replied Legolas as he followed the woman up another set of stairs.
The healer showed them to the room, and promised to let Eomer know where they were, so that he could alert them when the company was ready to ride out again. In the small room, there was no bed or cot, but a few worn blankets laid folded in a corner. Legolas set Alatariel ever so gently down on the floor, and quickly crossed the small room to retrieve a blanket. He proceeded to lay it out on the floor; he then picked up Alatariel once again and set her next to him on the blanket. He had broken off most of the shaft of the arrow that still lay embedded in the mithril, but the tip was still entangled.
"My dear, if you give me leave to, I will free the arrow's tip so that it is not a discomfort to you any longer."
She smiled, "I would greatly appreciate it."
Legolas unclasped the top of her tunic and exposed the mithril under it. The fine armor covered most of her bare skin, but he was still able to see beneath it. After trying for a few minutes, he found that the only way to get it free, was to push it out from the inside. Legolas had been through many a battle in his lifetime, but he had never sweated so much as now. He reached underneath the mithril and felt for the arrow's tip. More than once his hand brushed her tender flesh, but she did not mind, she loved the gentleness and tenderness of his touch. When the arrow tip was free, Legolas pulled her onto his lap,
"Ai, a'melamin, I have lived on this earth for more than two thousand years, but I feel as if I had never lived until I met you," he whispered as he held both her hands in his own.
She longed to whisper all of her feelings to him, but her mind was swirling and the only words she could think of, she spoke: "Legolas, I love you!" She moved her face towards his own. Their lips met and opened as they embraced. Legolas released his grip on her hands and moved his hands to her back. He pulled her closer to him and they could feel their hearts beating against each other's chests. When their kiss finally ended, Legolas spoke,
"Alatariel, I wish to ask something of you," he began, "when the War is over, and if we are still living, will you return to Mirkwood with me?"
Tears of joy filled her eyes, as she replied, "My love, I would go to the ends of the earth if it meant I could be with you!"
He smiled at her; almost instantly, she fell into a deep slumber. Though he was greatly fatigued, he kept his eyes open, for he did not want to loose sight of her ever again.
Chapter Eleven: Tears of Joy
The arrow that the Uruk-hai had shot found it's home in the center of Alatariel's chest. The force of the huge peice of wood hitting her sent her tumbling backwards, hitting her head on the cold, wet stone. Legolas watched, almost in slow motion as the expression on his Beloved's face turned to that of Boromir's last. He attempted to scream out her name, but instead it came out in a cracked whisper:
"Alatariel! A'melamin!" he grasped her hand and picked up her seemingly lifeless form and held her in his lap. The sight of the arrow embedded in her breast was enough to make his stomach sick. He looked up into the dark, cloud filled sky. His own tears mixed with the torrents of rain as they fell from his soft, dirt streaked cheeks. His hands brushed the arrow and made him cringe. Inbetween sobs, he choked, "Ai! I have lost the only one who I will ever love! Ai Elbereth! Why has such a fate befallen me!"
"Legolas?" whispered a soft voice, "Legolas, my dear, I am not lost!"
Legolas looked down into the face of the elf he had taken for dead, "But how in the world?" he whispered to himself.
A smile crossed Alatariel's fair face as she unclasped her tunic. Legolas had expected to see blood-stained skin, but what he did see amazed him. Under her tunic was not bare skin, but some sort of chain mail, he gently touched it with his fingertips. This was not just mail, but mithril! He saw the orc arrow's tip snared in the links of this miracle armor.
"Alatariel, where in Middle Earth did you come to acquire this??" he questioned, a smile finally forming on his troubled face.
She answered him, "King Theoden gave it to me when we stopped to wait for the other riders. He hoped that it would compensate for his rash behavior eairlier." Legolas was completely speechless at her words. Finally, he said, "We can rest for the while, up in the tower with the others. It will be a few hours before Aragorn can summon all the men together."
Alatariel began to sit up, but Legolas stopped her. "I will carry you, you have been through much toil these past hours." Alatariel gratefully accepted his offer and let him carry her slim form. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his face closer to her own. She kissed his lips gently, then leaned back against his shoulder and smiled, "You do not think I would leave this world in such an unbecoming manner, do you, Legolas?" Legolas laughed gently, and they made their way into the tower.
Once in the tower, the stench of rotting flesh filled the elves' nostrils. This was the place where the injured had been taken, and many healers were busy tending to them. In the corner of the room was a small pile of those soldiers less fortunate. Legolas and Alatariel were relieved that they did not recognize any of the lifeless forms, especially since Gimli had not been seen or heard from since the start of the battle. A healer approached them,
"O, you both look like you could do with some sleep, if you follow me I will take you to a place where you can both rest."
"We will forever be in debt to you, kind woman," replied Legolas as he followed the woman up another set of stairs.
The healer showed them to the room, and promised to let Eomer know where they were, so that he could alert them when the company was ready to ride out again. In the small room, there was no bed or cot, but a few worn blankets laid folded in a corner. Legolas set Alatariel ever so gently down on the floor, and quickly crossed the small room to retrieve a blanket. He proceeded to lay it out on the floor; he then picked up Alatariel once again and set her next to him on the blanket. He had broken off most of the shaft of the arrow that still lay embedded in the mithril, but the tip was still entangled.
"My dear, if you give me leave to, I will free the arrow's tip so that it is not a discomfort to you any longer."
She smiled, "I would greatly appreciate it."
Legolas unclasped the top of her tunic and exposed the mithril under it. The fine armor covered most of her bare skin, but he was still able to see beneath it. After trying for a few minutes, he found that the only way to get it free, was to push it out from the inside. Legolas had been through many a battle in his lifetime, but he had never sweated so much as now. He reached underneath the mithril and felt for the arrow's tip. More than once his hand brushed her tender flesh, but she did not mind, she loved the gentleness and tenderness of his touch. When the arrow tip was free, Legolas pulled her onto his lap,
"Ai, a'melamin, I have lived on this earth for more than two thousand years, but I feel as if I had never lived until I met you," he whispered as he held both her hands in his own.
She longed to whisper all of her feelings to him, but her mind was swirling and the only words she could think of, she spoke: "Legolas, I love you!" She moved her face towards his own. Their lips met and opened as they embraced. Legolas released his grip on her hands and moved his hands to her back. He pulled her closer to him and they could feel their hearts beating against each other's chests. When their kiss finally ended, Legolas spoke,
"Alatariel, I wish to ask something of you," he began, "when the War is over, and if we are still living, will you return to Mirkwood with me?"
Tears of joy filled her eyes, as she replied, "My love, I would go to the ends of the earth if it meant I could be with you!"
He smiled at her; almost instantly, she fell into a deep slumber. Though he was greatly fatigued, he kept his eyes open, for he did not want to loose sight of her ever again.