Once Legolas deemed everything secure, he picked up his bag and walked with Aragorn to The Winged Messenger. They walked up to the front desk and Legolas rang the bell. It wasn't long before a short, thin man approached.
"Yes? How may I hel- Oh! Legolas! How good to see you again!"
"Greetings Paull. Is my room waiting?"
"Indeed, but..." Here the man peered at Aragorn, "What will this young man be doing?"
"Uh, good question. One moment, good sir, and we shall work this out!" Paull nodded and went to busying himself with his accounts. Legolas turned to Aragorn. "Now you have a choice to make. Would you prefer your own room, or would you like to share a room where one of us could sleep on the floor?"
"A room?"
Legolas seemed amused. "Yes, a room. With a bed, and a fireplace and chairs and other nice things such as those."
"A bed. It's been five months since I've slept in a bed."
"I'm sure. But which do you prefer?"
"I don't mind sharing a room, unless perhaps you were provided with the money to afford an extra room."
"No. My father provides me with just enough to afford food, I'm afraid. I pay for the rooms with cases of wine. It's a very good exchange my father has worked out."
"I see. Then one room will be fine."
"Very well." Legolas turned his attention back to the innkeeper. "We shall just share the one room."
"All right. Here's the key." Paull handed the key to Legolas, who thanked him, before lifting his bag and leading Aragorn up a flight of stairs to the waiting room.
Once Legolas threw the door open, Aragorn couldn't help but stare in awe. It wasn't that the room was particularly elegant or lavish, so much as that it was a room with a bed. Indeed, the bed was large and full of the promise of comfort and sweet dreams.
"I insist that you take the bed," Legolas said suddenly. "It has been a long time since you've slept in one."
"I couldn't do that!" Aragorn protested. "I owe you enough already! If it comes to it, I suppose we could just share the bed. That is, if you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind."
"Then it's settled."
"I suppose so. Now why don't you go make use of the bathing faculties. Since you've been traveling so long, your hair must be terribly greasy."
Aragorn raked a hand through it, only now realizing how disgusting it had gotten. "That is probably a good idea."
"Excellent. They have some lovely warm water bathing areas set up in this inn. That's one of the main reasons I like this one in particular. You can even borrow some of my clothes to sleep in."
"Thank you." Aragorn bowed his head, deeply touched by the Elf's kindness.
"Well, let us go."
Padding quietly down the hallway, Aragorn realized how much he had missed the comfort and warmth of nice inns. He had run out of money weeks ago, only managing to find enough to keep himself fed.
"Here we are," Legolas announced, throwing wide the door. Many tubs awaited, full of warm water. Legolas wasted no time in selecting one, discarding his clothing, and slipping in. He sighed contentedly as he leaned back against the back of the tub, closing his eyes.
Aragorn moved more slowly, though his desire to become sanitary was probably greater than his companions. He wanted to prolong the experience. Slowly, he stripped off his dirty and ragged shirt, and then slid out of his pants. Gingerly, he stepped into the tub and sat down. The feeling of warm, clean water on his skin after so long was probably one of the most wonderful things he had ever experienced. Not waiting to adjust to the heat, he ducked his head under, then began scrubbing his skin clean.
His eyes drifted over to his companion, who now sported a head of wet hair and one of the most feline expressions he had ever seen. Honestly, he was getting the impression that the Elf was just an odd species of cat.
"So, have you ever been in love?" he asked nonchalantly, more to make conversation than to find out the answer.
"Aye. I am in love," Legolas replied, his smile taking on more of a predatory edge as he thought of his beloved.
"Oh, are you?"
"Yes."
"Who is she?"
"Ah, the one I can never have, of course!" Legolas cast an arm across his eyes, sending droplets of water everywhere.
"Without the melodrama, please?"
Legolas laughed heartily. "Truly, my only love is my forest home."
"And you can never have her?"
"No! Indeed I cannot!"
"Why not?"
"Why, the trees belong to everyone!"
"Oh." Aragorn was relatively sure the Elf was kidding with him, but he never knew with Elves. They got rather odd when it came to trees, or so he had heard.
"Now to seriously answer your question, no. I have never been in love with another," Legolas confessed.
"Have you ever, you know, had lovers?" He wasn't sure why he was asking. It was just that even he could see that Legolas was beautiful. If he had never had a lover...
"Yes! Of course I have!" Legolas nodded, while undoing the braids he had in his hair. "Several, both male and female. I've just never loved any of them, you see."
"Ah. Well, I have had lovers as well."
"I'm sure you have." Legolas looked at him keenly then. "Tell me, for I admit that I am quite curious, what is love like?"
"What is it like? Well, I don't know how to describe it. I suppose it's like hearing the first birds of spring after a long winter, or seeing the sun rise after dark days of rain."
"Mmm," Legolas murmured, sinking back again into the water. "Those are the most wonderful feelings I know of."
"Then increase them a hundred fold and you will know what it is like to feel love."
"Ah!"
Aragorn looked at his friend, afraid he had upset him somehow. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. It's just that you have made me want to fall in love!"
"I'm sorry," Aragorn half laughed, half teased, shaking his head.
"Oh, do not apologize. Many have told me that I should fall in love. They say I am missing out, but none have been able to describe the feeling in words I can understand as well as you have. I have had many offers. Perhaps I shall give some of them a chance."
"I recommend it."
"Well in that case, I suppose I shall."
"Yes."
They spent the next several minutes silently washing themselves. Eventually, though, the water began cooling and Legolas stepped out, stretching luxuriously before picking up a towel and drying himself off. Aragorn followed his example.
Then they both dressed in Legolas' clothes, and headed back to their room.
"Which side of the bed do you prefer?" Legolas asked sweetly, gesturing to the pile of pillows and blankets.
"I care not. Take your pick," Aragorn replied, shrugging. Having any part of that bed at all was enough for him!
"Suit yourself." Legolas climbed into the bed, taking the far side that was pressed against the wall. With him was one of the blankets he used on the road. The blanket on the bed he shoved towards Aragorn. "Take this one."
"Thank you." If he had thought the warm bath was nice, settling into a soft bed was absolute bliss. He spent a long time just arranging the blanket over him and the pillow under his head.
Before he dropped off to sleep, he glanced at Legolas, who was laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "Good night," he said. There was no reply. Aragorn nudged him slightly and still got no response. That was when he noticed the slow but steady rise and fall of the Elf's chest, almost like one sleeping. That was when he realized that his friend was asleep.
"That is rather disconcerting," he thought to himself. A slow grin crept onto his face though. "However, if I am to marry an Elven maiden, I suppose I should get used to sleeping next to people who keep their eyes open even as they slumber." With that happy thought, he too drifted off to sleep.
"Yes? How may I hel- Oh! Legolas! How good to see you again!"
"Greetings Paull. Is my room waiting?"
"Indeed, but..." Here the man peered at Aragorn, "What will this young man be doing?"
"Uh, good question. One moment, good sir, and we shall work this out!" Paull nodded and went to busying himself with his accounts. Legolas turned to Aragorn. "Now you have a choice to make. Would you prefer your own room, or would you like to share a room where one of us could sleep on the floor?"
"A room?"
Legolas seemed amused. "Yes, a room. With a bed, and a fireplace and chairs and other nice things such as those."
"A bed. It's been five months since I've slept in a bed."
"I'm sure. But which do you prefer?"
"I don't mind sharing a room, unless perhaps you were provided with the money to afford an extra room."
"No. My father provides me with just enough to afford food, I'm afraid. I pay for the rooms with cases of wine. It's a very good exchange my father has worked out."
"I see. Then one room will be fine."
"Very well." Legolas turned his attention back to the innkeeper. "We shall just share the one room."
"All right. Here's the key." Paull handed the key to Legolas, who thanked him, before lifting his bag and leading Aragorn up a flight of stairs to the waiting room.
Once Legolas threw the door open, Aragorn couldn't help but stare in awe. It wasn't that the room was particularly elegant or lavish, so much as that it was a room with a bed. Indeed, the bed was large and full of the promise of comfort and sweet dreams.
"I insist that you take the bed," Legolas said suddenly. "It has been a long time since you've slept in one."
"I couldn't do that!" Aragorn protested. "I owe you enough already! If it comes to it, I suppose we could just share the bed. That is, if you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind."
"Then it's settled."
"I suppose so. Now why don't you go make use of the bathing faculties. Since you've been traveling so long, your hair must be terribly greasy."
Aragorn raked a hand through it, only now realizing how disgusting it had gotten. "That is probably a good idea."
"Excellent. They have some lovely warm water bathing areas set up in this inn. That's one of the main reasons I like this one in particular. You can even borrow some of my clothes to sleep in."
"Thank you." Aragorn bowed his head, deeply touched by the Elf's kindness.
"Well, let us go."
Padding quietly down the hallway, Aragorn realized how much he had missed the comfort and warmth of nice inns. He had run out of money weeks ago, only managing to find enough to keep himself fed.
"Here we are," Legolas announced, throwing wide the door. Many tubs awaited, full of warm water. Legolas wasted no time in selecting one, discarding his clothing, and slipping in. He sighed contentedly as he leaned back against the back of the tub, closing his eyes.
Aragorn moved more slowly, though his desire to become sanitary was probably greater than his companions. He wanted to prolong the experience. Slowly, he stripped off his dirty and ragged shirt, and then slid out of his pants. Gingerly, he stepped into the tub and sat down. The feeling of warm, clean water on his skin after so long was probably one of the most wonderful things he had ever experienced. Not waiting to adjust to the heat, he ducked his head under, then began scrubbing his skin clean.
His eyes drifted over to his companion, who now sported a head of wet hair and one of the most feline expressions he had ever seen. Honestly, he was getting the impression that the Elf was just an odd species of cat.
"So, have you ever been in love?" he asked nonchalantly, more to make conversation than to find out the answer.
"Aye. I am in love," Legolas replied, his smile taking on more of a predatory edge as he thought of his beloved.
"Oh, are you?"
"Yes."
"Who is she?"
"Ah, the one I can never have, of course!" Legolas cast an arm across his eyes, sending droplets of water everywhere.
"Without the melodrama, please?"
Legolas laughed heartily. "Truly, my only love is my forest home."
"And you can never have her?"
"No! Indeed I cannot!"
"Why not?"
"Why, the trees belong to everyone!"
"Oh." Aragorn was relatively sure the Elf was kidding with him, but he never knew with Elves. They got rather odd when it came to trees, or so he had heard.
"Now to seriously answer your question, no. I have never been in love with another," Legolas confessed.
"Have you ever, you know, had lovers?" He wasn't sure why he was asking. It was just that even he could see that Legolas was beautiful. If he had never had a lover...
"Yes! Of course I have!" Legolas nodded, while undoing the braids he had in his hair. "Several, both male and female. I've just never loved any of them, you see."
"Ah. Well, I have had lovers as well."
"I'm sure you have." Legolas looked at him keenly then. "Tell me, for I admit that I am quite curious, what is love like?"
"What is it like? Well, I don't know how to describe it. I suppose it's like hearing the first birds of spring after a long winter, or seeing the sun rise after dark days of rain."
"Mmm," Legolas murmured, sinking back again into the water. "Those are the most wonderful feelings I know of."
"Then increase them a hundred fold and you will know what it is like to feel love."
"Ah!"
Aragorn looked at his friend, afraid he had upset him somehow. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. It's just that you have made me want to fall in love!"
"I'm sorry," Aragorn half laughed, half teased, shaking his head.
"Oh, do not apologize. Many have told me that I should fall in love. They say I am missing out, but none have been able to describe the feeling in words I can understand as well as you have. I have had many offers. Perhaps I shall give some of them a chance."
"I recommend it."
"Well in that case, I suppose I shall."
"Yes."
They spent the next several minutes silently washing themselves. Eventually, though, the water began cooling and Legolas stepped out, stretching luxuriously before picking up a towel and drying himself off. Aragorn followed his example.
Then they both dressed in Legolas' clothes, and headed back to their room.
"Which side of the bed do you prefer?" Legolas asked sweetly, gesturing to the pile of pillows and blankets.
"I care not. Take your pick," Aragorn replied, shrugging. Having any part of that bed at all was enough for him!
"Suit yourself." Legolas climbed into the bed, taking the far side that was pressed against the wall. With him was one of the blankets he used on the road. The blanket on the bed he shoved towards Aragorn. "Take this one."
"Thank you." If he had thought the warm bath was nice, settling into a soft bed was absolute bliss. He spent a long time just arranging the blanket over him and the pillow under his head.
Before he dropped off to sleep, he glanced at Legolas, who was laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "Good night," he said. There was no reply. Aragorn nudged him slightly and still got no response. That was when he noticed the slow but steady rise and fall of the Elf's chest, almost like one sleeping. That was when he realized that his friend was asleep.
"That is rather disconcerting," he thought to himself. A slow grin crept onto his face though. "However, if I am to marry an Elven maiden, I suppose I should get used to sleeping next to people who keep their eyes open even as they slumber." With that happy thought, he too drifted off to sleep.
