Disclaimer: Tolkien owns LOTR and all things Middle Earth, blah blah blah…
A/N: Gads, I can't believe how hard this chapter was to write! Please let me know what you think, because if you guys think it reads oddly then I'll see what your suggestions are and maybe make changes.
Chapter 20 – Departure
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she had a tremendous urge to rush back to fix the damage. Suppressing it with every ounce of will power she had in her, she hurried to Roxy's rooms to hide hoping Legolas would be too busy to look for her. Ensconced in her friend's room and after kicking a very curious Georn out, Alania managed to keep herself calm while telling Roxy what had happened.
Roxy's initial reaction was shock, followed quickly by anger at her and then at him, then followed with the calming words of sarcastic support Alania had been looking for. "Sweetie, I'm glad you spoke your peace, but couldn't you have found a slightly better time for it? You're just evil for breaking the poor elf's heart before he goes off to his potential death, you know" said Roxy.
"I know it wasn't exactly the best time for it Roxy. It just came out. I couldn't control my mouth. I'm so angry at him. Waiting until the last minute to tell me he was going away. And the irony of it is that I told him I loved him last night when he fell asleep. Imagine that. Thank god he didn't hear me" Alania replied with a mirthless laugh. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me Roxy?"
"You know, it might actually be good for him to be going off to battle. He can take out his anger at you on the orcs. Of course he'll forgive you Alania! Isn't the more important question if he'll understand why you said those things?"
"Well, I can't see how he'd forgive me if he didn't understand my reasoning." Alania paced the room back and forth while she vented. When she had gotten it out of her system, the reality of the morning hit her hard. "Oh my god. Roxy he's going to war. What if he gets hurt? What if he's captured? Roxy? What if he gets killed? What have I done? I'm so stupid. He's leaving and I'm being selfish!" she whispered in near panic.
Roxy spent the rest of the morning comforting her friend and reinforcing the concept that Legolas had been in a great many battles and survived. He was unlikely to up and die this time because she said some things to him anger.
Legolas spent a good two minutes in his shocked pose as her words sunk in. Staring at the door, he kept expecting her to come back in and say she was jesting. But she didn't. He hurriedly threw his clothes on and ran out to look for her, unsure if he was going to wring her neck or throw himself upon her mercy.
More stunned than hurt at first, he mused over what she had said. As he thought it over, he went from stunned to angry to hurt to utter confusion. He hadn't thought he had done anything wrong. He did a quick accounting of the past few weeks leading to this morning's events. When they first arrived he had been exceedingly attentive to her and made sure to spend as much time as possible with her. He adored being with her, talking to her, making love with her. He hadn't realized how slowly he had seen less and less of her because of his duties. He had assumed she understood that his responsibilities were greater than another's because of his position. It occurred to him then that he hadn't told her why he was with the council most of the time. Had he been ignoring her accidentally? He didn't believe so, as he always made as much time for her as he could. It bothered him too that he was not able to be with her as much as he would have liked. It hadn't been his fault that the situation was steadily growing worse and that when he had found the time for her it was late and she was tired. It wasn't as though he was the one who needed to sleep everyday. He grew angry that she blamed him.
Furious at her again because of this line of thinking, he stormed off to pack his supplies and double check the troops were status-ready. As he threw things into his rucksack, he grabbed a pair of jeans to add when he realized that on one wore jeans in Middle Earth. Scolding his lack of attention, he flung them across the room only to see that they landed on a bandana. He walked over to the small pile of clothing and a smile crept onto his face as he picked up the bandana. He recalled Alania's insistence, his refusal and their subsequent argument that he learn to tie it on his head to cover his ears. He remembered saying that she was ashamed of his ears and that's why she was asking him to cover them. He had said it in spite, knowing it wasn't true because he couldn't help but tease her into a fight. She was so animated when she sparred with him. She had almost blown up at his remark but managed to contain her fury, and stalked off to avoid throwing something at him. The thing Legolas had found remarkable though, was that she returned to him later and quietly explained her reasoning and that she hadn't meant to hurt him. Then she had apologized and told him that if he truly didn't want to cover his ears she would think of something to tell anyone who asked about them.
This recollection gave him pause about this morning's dismissal. If there was one thing he knew about Alania, it was that she never did anything with logical reasoning behind it. She was not someone given to throwing fits and tantrums or debating things if she was wrong. She had the ability to admit a lack of knowledge, a mistake she had made and to be accountable for her actions. Sighing, Legolas realized that she was one of the very few people he had ever met who weren't afraid to say they were wrong. In fact, Alania would do her best to smooth things over, including apologizing for herself even if she had done nothing. Clearly, he had done something to deserve her anger. He wished he had enough time to truly talk with her about it.
Elrohir was knocking on his door, reminding him of their imminent departure. He shook himself out of his reverie and set about with his preparations.
It was mid-afternoon as the large group of elves began leaving Rivendell to head north. A small group gathered to say their goodbyes. Georn, Roxy, Gandalf and Elladan wished Legolas and Elrohir luck and a speedy return. Legolas thanked Georn for staying behind, though reluctantly, to be with Alania and Roxy. It had been a magnificent yelling match between the two of them several days past, but the anger was long forgotten. Looking around, Legolas saw no sign of Alania though he recalled her promise to see him before he left. He did not want to leave without saying goodbye and getting a smile from her. He procrastinated as long as Elrohir allowed him, and then they set off.
Alania had not wanted to be part of a large crowd to see them off. Her heart wasn't up to plastering a smile of encouragement on her face. Instead, she had hiked up the trail a bit and waited for him to pass. She had no idea what she would say or how she would react to seeing him, but as she watched the elves pass on their way to battle she felt her fear grow for all of them. As the last of the riders passed, she began to think she had missed him. Silently cursing herself because she felt her eyes tear up and she tired of crying, she started walking back when she heard horses approaching.
Rounding the turn he rode alongside Elrohir at a trot to catch up with the rest. Seeing her on the path, he realized she had been waiting for him away from the others. She had kept her word. The two reigned their horses in as they met her.
Elrohir smiled at Alania as she approached him. He leaned down to take the hand offered, gently brushed his lips to her knuckles and charmingly said "Well met, my lady. It is a pleasure to see you on this fine day to wish us well. It would be an honor and boon to me if you would watch over my brother Elladan and made sure he did not burn our lovely home down to cinders." Alania laughed and said "I shall endeavor to make myself as useful to you as possible. It is the least I can do after your gracious hospitality. Ride well and keep safe." Elrohir gave her a slight head bow, turned and gave Legolas a wink and rode ahead.
Legolas got off his horse and walked to Alania. Neither sure of what to say, they stood silent. Legolas opened his mouth and began to speak when Alania put her hand on his lips to silence him.
"Don't say anything, please. Just… just come back in one piece, ok?" she said.
Legolas took the hand on his lips in his own and kissed her palm. A tender gesture that spoke volumes more than mere words, she was relieved to known he would not stay angry at her. He got back onto his mount and said "I swear to you I will return none worse for the wear. I have seen battles far more dangerous than this and came out without a scratch. When I next see you I will grovel at your feet and beg your forgiveness until you allow me to drape my gift back around your neck."
Not able to help it, Alania found herself laughing lightly at his words. "I'll hold you to that elf" she said. Seeing the smile he had longed to see, he locked the vision of her in his memory to hold him on weary nights. He nudged his mount, and as he trotted away he called out behind him "I am sure you will, little sprite."
******
Right, don't forget to review. Grassy-ass!
A/N: Gads, I can't believe how hard this chapter was to write! Please let me know what you think, because if you guys think it reads oddly then I'll see what your suggestions are and maybe make changes.
Chapter 20 – Departure
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she had a tremendous urge to rush back to fix the damage. Suppressing it with every ounce of will power she had in her, she hurried to Roxy's rooms to hide hoping Legolas would be too busy to look for her. Ensconced in her friend's room and after kicking a very curious Georn out, Alania managed to keep herself calm while telling Roxy what had happened.
Roxy's initial reaction was shock, followed quickly by anger at her and then at him, then followed with the calming words of sarcastic support Alania had been looking for. "Sweetie, I'm glad you spoke your peace, but couldn't you have found a slightly better time for it? You're just evil for breaking the poor elf's heart before he goes off to his potential death, you know" said Roxy.
"I know it wasn't exactly the best time for it Roxy. It just came out. I couldn't control my mouth. I'm so angry at him. Waiting until the last minute to tell me he was going away. And the irony of it is that I told him I loved him last night when he fell asleep. Imagine that. Thank god he didn't hear me" Alania replied with a mirthless laugh. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me Roxy?"
"You know, it might actually be good for him to be going off to battle. He can take out his anger at you on the orcs. Of course he'll forgive you Alania! Isn't the more important question if he'll understand why you said those things?"
"Well, I can't see how he'd forgive me if he didn't understand my reasoning." Alania paced the room back and forth while she vented. When she had gotten it out of her system, the reality of the morning hit her hard. "Oh my god. Roxy he's going to war. What if he gets hurt? What if he's captured? Roxy? What if he gets killed? What have I done? I'm so stupid. He's leaving and I'm being selfish!" she whispered in near panic.
Roxy spent the rest of the morning comforting her friend and reinforcing the concept that Legolas had been in a great many battles and survived. He was unlikely to up and die this time because she said some things to him anger.
Legolas spent a good two minutes in his shocked pose as her words sunk in. Staring at the door, he kept expecting her to come back in and say she was jesting. But she didn't. He hurriedly threw his clothes on and ran out to look for her, unsure if he was going to wring her neck or throw himself upon her mercy.
More stunned than hurt at first, he mused over what she had said. As he thought it over, he went from stunned to angry to hurt to utter confusion. He hadn't thought he had done anything wrong. He did a quick accounting of the past few weeks leading to this morning's events. When they first arrived he had been exceedingly attentive to her and made sure to spend as much time as possible with her. He adored being with her, talking to her, making love with her. He hadn't realized how slowly he had seen less and less of her because of his duties. He had assumed she understood that his responsibilities were greater than another's because of his position. It occurred to him then that he hadn't told her why he was with the council most of the time. Had he been ignoring her accidentally? He didn't believe so, as he always made as much time for her as he could. It bothered him too that he was not able to be with her as much as he would have liked. It hadn't been his fault that the situation was steadily growing worse and that when he had found the time for her it was late and she was tired. It wasn't as though he was the one who needed to sleep everyday. He grew angry that she blamed him.
Furious at her again because of this line of thinking, he stormed off to pack his supplies and double check the troops were status-ready. As he threw things into his rucksack, he grabbed a pair of jeans to add when he realized that on one wore jeans in Middle Earth. Scolding his lack of attention, he flung them across the room only to see that they landed on a bandana. He walked over to the small pile of clothing and a smile crept onto his face as he picked up the bandana. He recalled Alania's insistence, his refusal and their subsequent argument that he learn to tie it on his head to cover his ears. He remembered saying that she was ashamed of his ears and that's why she was asking him to cover them. He had said it in spite, knowing it wasn't true because he couldn't help but tease her into a fight. She was so animated when she sparred with him. She had almost blown up at his remark but managed to contain her fury, and stalked off to avoid throwing something at him. The thing Legolas had found remarkable though, was that she returned to him later and quietly explained her reasoning and that she hadn't meant to hurt him. Then she had apologized and told him that if he truly didn't want to cover his ears she would think of something to tell anyone who asked about them.
This recollection gave him pause about this morning's dismissal. If there was one thing he knew about Alania, it was that she never did anything with logical reasoning behind it. She was not someone given to throwing fits and tantrums or debating things if she was wrong. She had the ability to admit a lack of knowledge, a mistake she had made and to be accountable for her actions. Sighing, Legolas realized that she was one of the very few people he had ever met who weren't afraid to say they were wrong. In fact, Alania would do her best to smooth things over, including apologizing for herself even if she had done nothing. Clearly, he had done something to deserve her anger. He wished he had enough time to truly talk with her about it.
Elrohir was knocking on his door, reminding him of their imminent departure. He shook himself out of his reverie and set about with his preparations.
It was mid-afternoon as the large group of elves began leaving Rivendell to head north. A small group gathered to say their goodbyes. Georn, Roxy, Gandalf and Elladan wished Legolas and Elrohir luck and a speedy return. Legolas thanked Georn for staying behind, though reluctantly, to be with Alania and Roxy. It had been a magnificent yelling match between the two of them several days past, but the anger was long forgotten. Looking around, Legolas saw no sign of Alania though he recalled her promise to see him before he left. He did not want to leave without saying goodbye and getting a smile from her. He procrastinated as long as Elrohir allowed him, and then they set off.
Alania had not wanted to be part of a large crowd to see them off. Her heart wasn't up to plastering a smile of encouragement on her face. Instead, she had hiked up the trail a bit and waited for him to pass. She had no idea what she would say or how she would react to seeing him, but as she watched the elves pass on their way to battle she felt her fear grow for all of them. As the last of the riders passed, she began to think she had missed him. Silently cursing herself because she felt her eyes tear up and she tired of crying, she started walking back when she heard horses approaching.
Rounding the turn he rode alongside Elrohir at a trot to catch up with the rest. Seeing her on the path, he realized she had been waiting for him away from the others. She had kept her word. The two reigned their horses in as they met her.
Elrohir smiled at Alania as she approached him. He leaned down to take the hand offered, gently brushed his lips to her knuckles and charmingly said "Well met, my lady. It is a pleasure to see you on this fine day to wish us well. It would be an honor and boon to me if you would watch over my brother Elladan and made sure he did not burn our lovely home down to cinders." Alania laughed and said "I shall endeavor to make myself as useful to you as possible. It is the least I can do after your gracious hospitality. Ride well and keep safe." Elrohir gave her a slight head bow, turned and gave Legolas a wink and rode ahead.
Legolas got off his horse and walked to Alania. Neither sure of what to say, they stood silent. Legolas opened his mouth and began to speak when Alania put her hand on his lips to silence him.
"Don't say anything, please. Just… just come back in one piece, ok?" she said.
Legolas took the hand on his lips in his own and kissed her palm. A tender gesture that spoke volumes more than mere words, she was relieved to known he would not stay angry at her. He got back onto his mount and said "I swear to you I will return none worse for the wear. I have seen battles far more dangerous than this and came out without a scratch. When I next see you I will grovel at your feet and beg your forgiveness until you allow me to drape my gift back around your neck."
Not able to help it, Alania found herself laughing lightly at his words. "I'll hold you to that elf" she said. Seeing the smile he had longed to see, he locked the vision of her in his memory to hold him on weary nights. He nudged his mount, and as he trotted away he called out behind him "I am sure you will, little sprite."
******
Right, don't forget to review. Grassy-ass!