Once they had been on the road for a while, Aragorn cried out loud
with irritation, gave the shirt one last tug, and then threw his hands up
into the air. "And what is wrong now?" Legolas asked, casting him a very
amused glance.
"This shirt! It is too short!"
"Well, at least it is clean."
"I don't care!"
"I do!"
"Okay, fine. Where could I get some new clothes of my own then?" Aragorn asked, poking Legolas in the arm.
"At the next town, I suppose."
"Very useful. With what money?"
Legolas chuckled suddenly as an idea struck him. "In the next town there are a few houses of, well, ill-repute. Perhaps you could work there for money. All you would have to do is remove the clothing that you dislike anyway."
Aragorn bopped Legolas on his head, then crossed his arms over his chest. "No."
"Why not? I think you would make very good money at it. You are quite handsome you know."
"Oh really. You think so?"
"From a purely aesthetic point of view."
"Right. Of course. I've heard about you Elves. I've heard you tend to be a bit… well, adventurous."
Legolas laughed out loud, tossing his head back, causing his hair to fly about his shoulders, glinting in the sun. "You have, have you? Well!"
Now Aragorn was worried. "Is it true?"
Abruptly the Elf calmed. "On some level, yes. However, it is not so much because we desire a body like our own. It is more because we desire the soul housed in the body. While it is true that some Elves tend to prefer one gender or the other, that is merely because they tend to identify with that type of soul, rather than finding the body attractive. Do you understand?"
"I think so," Aragorn nodded, hesitantly.
Legolas apparently didn't think he understood quite well enough and labored to clarify. "Elves live a long time, and meet many individuals. In a life's journey, one will find people they instantly feel an attraction to on the mental level. Perhaps you are both riding and something about the way they carry themselves draws you in, or maybe you are in an archery contest and another competitor wins your respect. Often enough, with Elves, this will lead to a sexual encounter where the two souls try to connect on a deeper level and hopefully enrich themselves by the contact."
"I suppose that makes Man rather shallow. We'll take someone to bed because we find them attractive physically, and for no reason other."
"Yes, well, I always did say Man was the inferior race."
"Stop it, you," Aragorn snapped with false irritation. Then a sly look crossed his face. "How many Elves have you bedded?"
He hadn't yet managed to shock the Elf, but apparently this caught him off guard. Legolas released one hand from the reigns and brought it up to his mouth, where he proceeded to pretend to cough into it. "Why?" he squeaked.
"Just curious."
"Hmm." Legolas seemed truly lost in thought. "Seven," he said finally.
"Seven in 2,931 years?"
"Some of us bond for less reason than others. I happen to be a little less inclined towards falling into bed with someone."
"Okay. Male or female?"
"Both. More male, merely because I respect traits that are more commonly found in male Elves than females Elves. Archery, for instance."
"Any repeat visits?"
"Why do you care so much?"
"I don't. It's just something to talk about."
"Yes. Two I took to bed more than once. One I bed every time I come across him. Happy now?"
"I guess." This was followed by a pause, and then Aragorn couldn't help himself. "Would you bed me?"
Legolas didn't reply. He merely steered the horse off the road, stopped the cart on the grass and jumped out, walking briskly away towards a small nearby grove.
Worried he may have inadvertently offended his friend, Aragorn leapt down and jogged after him. He caught at his arm, pulling Legolas around to face him. "Did I say something wrong?"
Legolas' cheery smile instantly reassured him. "No. There is just a stream over here in these woods. Bring your clothes so you can wash them. That will put off having to get you new ones for a little longer."
"I'll go get them," Aragorn nodded, turning on his heel to sprint back to the cart.
"Oh, and Aragorn?" Legolas called after him.
"Yes?" Aragorn called back, turning to face him while still running.
"If your heart wasn't already taken, I would bed you so fast your head would spin!" With a last cheeky wave, Legolas darted into the trees. Aragorn tripped over his own feet and fell face first onto the grass.
Slowly he sat up and brushed the dirt off his shirt. "Well, that was unexpected." With that, he got up to get his clothes.
"This shirt! It is too short!"
"Well, at least it is clean."
"I don't care!"
"I do!"
"Okay, fine. Where could I get some new clothes of my own then?" Aragorn asked, poking Legolas in the arm.
"At the next town, I suppose."
"Very useful. With what money?"
Legolas chuckled suddenly as an idea struck him. "In the next town there are a few houses of, well, ill-repute. Perhaps you could work there for money. All you would have to do is remove the clothing that you dislike anyway."
Aragorn bopped Legolas on his head, then crossed his arms over his chest. "No."
"Why not? I think you would make very good money at it. You are quite handsome you know."
"Oh really. You think so?"
"From a purely aesthetic point of view."
"Right. Of course. I've heard about you Elves. I've heard you tend to be a bit… well, adventurous."
Legolas laughed out loud, tossing his head back, causing his hair to fly about his shoulders, glinting in the sun. "You have, have you? Well!"
Now Aragorn was worried. "Is it true?"
Abruptly the Elf calmed. "On some level, yes. However, it is not so much because we desire a body like our own. It is more because we desire the soul housed in the body. While it is true that some Elves tend to prefer one gender or the other, that is merely because they tend to identify with that type of soul, rather than finding the body attractive. Do you understand?"
"I think so," Aragorn nodded, hesitantly.
Legolas apparently didn't think he understood quite well enough and labored to clarify. "Elves live a long time, and meet many individuals. In a life's journey, one will find people they instantly feel an attraction to on the mental level. Perhaps you are both riding and something about the way they carry themselves draws you in, or maybe you are in an archery contest and another competitor wins your respect. Often enough, with Elves, this will lead to a sexual encounter where the two souls try to connect on a deeper level and hopefully enrich themselves by the contact."
"I suppose that makes Man rather shallow. We'll take someone to bed because we find them attractive physically, and for no reason other."
"Yes, well, I always did say Man was the inferior race."
"Stop it, you," Aragorn snapped with false irritation. Then a sly look crossed his face. "How many Elves have you bedded?"
He hadn't yet managed to shock the Elf, but apparently this caught him off guard. Legolas released one hand from the reigns and brought it up to his mouth, where he proceeded to pretend to cough into it. "Why?" he squeaked.
"Just curious."
"Hmm." Legolas seemed truly lost in thought. "Seven," he said finally.
"Seven in 2,931 years?"
"Some of us bond for less reason than others. I happen to be a little less inclined towards falling into bed with someone."
"Okay. Male or female?"
"Both. More male, merely because I respect traits that are more commonly found in male Elves than females Elves. Archery, for instance."
"Any repeat visits?"
"Why do you care so much?"
"I don't. It's just something to talk about."
"Yes. Two I took to bed more than once. One I bed every time I come across him. Happy now?"
"I guess." This was followed by a pause, and then Aragorn couldn't help himself. "Would you bed me?"
Legolas didn't reply. He merely steered the horse off the road, stopped the cart on the grass and jumped out, walking briskly away towards a small nearby grove.
Worried he may have inadvertently offended his friend, Aragorn leapt down and jogged after him. He caught at his arm, pulling Legolas around to face him. "Did I say something wrong?"
Legolas' cheery smile instantly reassured him. "No. There is just a stream over here in these woods. Bring your clothes so you can wash them. That will put off having to get you new ones for a little longer."
"I'll go get them," Aragorn nodded, turning on his heel to sprint back to the cart.
"Oh, and Aragorn?" Legolas called after him.
"Yes?" Aragorn called back, turning to face him while still running.
"If your heart wasn't already taken, I would bed you so fast your head would spin!" With a last cheeky wave, Legolas darted into the trees. Aragorn tripped over his own feet and fell face first onto the grass.
Slowly he sat up and brushed the dirt off his shirt. "Well, that was unexpected." With that, he got up to get his clothes.
