Title: I' Mal Lasse(The Golden Leaf)
Chapter 3: River Reflection
Author: Ista of the Dreamers
Rating: G-PG . . . I guess
Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas or any of the other characters J.R.R. Tolkien created in the Lord of the Rings.....darn. But the character of Kira Aparathon is mine.
Stuff: THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed! :) If you have any reviews or feedback or comments, I'd love to hear from you! This is a pretty short chapter, but the next one is a bit longer! I should be posting it soon! Thank you for reading this!

I' Mal Lasse(The Golden Leaf)

The next day was somber as we expected, the sky filled with clouds but rain never fell. I sewed quietly in a corner while Legolas browsed through my endless library of cookbooks, and various other materials on sewing and craftsmanship.

"Do you have any maps?" he asked me.

I smiled sweetly. "I would know where we are if I had a map."

"Too true," he said with a wink and continued his searching.

"Why? Are you thinking of leaving me?" I asked him.

"No my dear Kira," he said, and then laughed. "How would you like me to build you a boat?"

"I dislike the water."

"Surely not! Without water there is no life."

"It's too . . . wet."

"Exactly!" he said. "Now, the river we get water from flows east and west. It must have a source, and along its banks there must be a village or two where we can inquire-"

"I'm not leaving!" I said with more anger than I felt. I waited for his verbal counter attack, but none came. I looked up from my work to find him staring with deep interest at my teacup.

"What is it?"

"Reflections of a dream," he whispered.

I put down my needlework and felt my eyes melt with worry. "What do you see?"

"Your reflection," he said. "Your beautiful face."

"And you have never seen my reflection before?" I asked him with mild amusement now.

He stood very still. "I never thought that I would be able to look at myself because you said that you owned no mirror."

"I don't," I said truthfully. "And if you are talking about the teacup and window pane, they are poor replacements."

"But now my thoughts of features awaken soft dreams," he said, "of the river."

My eyes widened. "The river's reflection!"

He grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the house before I could even protest, running along the path to the river.

"Slow down, I beseech you!" came my breathless pants. "Why must you take me with you?"

"Because of comparison," he said grimly. "To eradicate endless doubts and suspicions in my mind."

"What suspicions?"

He smiled as we ran. "You ask so many questions, Kira, and already know the answers."

The trees vanished into a familiar clearing, and the vision of sparkling water met my eyes, though this time I had not come to drink of its sweet running, but merely look upon it. The edge rippled, wavering bright and clear in the sun. Lapping gently along its sandy banks, I stood, shaking, though I did not know why. My wavering image on the surface shimmered, and I stared into my eyes. I had not seen my face so clearly since a few months ago, and I was surprised to see how my complexion had changed. It was brighter with more tan and color. My face looked smooth and younger than ever before, but I was older in my features and in my eyes . . .

"Kira."

His voice made me snap out of my dreams, and I turned to him. His eyes were shut tight.

"Look," I whispered.

Legolas shook his head nervously. "I fear my reflection right now. Look for me, would you?"

"But I already know what you look like."

"Compare us."

"Why?"

"Please."

I nodded slowly although I knew that he could not see, and took a deep breath. Holding onto his warm hand I guided him to the edge of the cool running river, and opened my eyes of sight to do my love's bidding. Features were similar in both faces, both humanoid and strong. Both bodies had legs, arms, heads, eyes, but one thing was different. The ears were different. One set was elongated, pointed at the tips and larger in their curl. I touched one of my own ears in horror, but my hand fell away as I looked to his face. I had never noticed the difference of his ears before to mine, partly because I did not know my own face as well as others do, I suppose, but there it was. There he stood. There was something magical about him now, something unexpected, young, yet old; old as time and wiser than winter. Was he one of the magical creatures he had spoken of in his own dreams? I couldn't speak, and couldn't move my lips to tell him but I did not need to because just then I felt his hand on my shoulder. He stared at the water with a sort of criticizing clarity and much wonder. His fingers now strayed to the tips of his ears but fell short like mine.

"What am I?" came his words like mist upon the water.

I didn't know what to say. I was confused, ashamed, and embarrassed for not telling him sooner, for figuring out that he was different from me.

"Legolas-"

"I'm not a human," he said. "I'm not like you."

"It doesn't matter," I told him quickly. "It doesn't matter to me."

His head bowed. "I'll have to go."

I grabbed his hand. "No. No, stay with me."

"I can't-"

"I need you to," I said. "We have each other. What more do we need?"

"You're right." He took one last look at the water, face grim and set. "Let's go home."

We did not talk the rest of the day and silence fell heavily in the air. I was cleaning the house and Legolas was gardening when I found something.

There had been a loose chip in the wood under the mats in my bed, and as I pulled away the woodwork, I found a hole. In the hole was a very small book. It had no title, but as I opened it, a colored picture sprang as shocking and radiant as a stain glass window. It was a picture of a person very much like Legolas with long blond hair and long pointed ears. Below his picture was a line of words-his title.

Thranduil Greenleaf: Elf King of Mirkwood

G . . . Greenleaf, I thought. Legolas . . .

A rush of tingling excitement flooded through my bones and deep interest stirred in me as I sat down on my bed and began reading. The book contained histories of all the creatures that lived in middle earth: Hobbits, dwarves, and elves. Legolas's people. My eyes flickered over words so quick and beautiful to learn that I sat myself in front of the fire and did not get up until late that night. When I was finished reading, as if he knew, Legolas opened the door to my hut, took off the felt hat that I made him and stood before the fire. I could see the flame in his eyes, and I could see all of him. He could see me too, but we couldn't look at each other. I knew about him now and some of the great things he had done. I knew about his race, his family, and his home. I knew everything. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, there was silence. A deep sadness came with the silence, but it did not turn into tears. Why was I so sad when my love was with me?

"Legolas, I-"

"Don't speak," he whispered and the fire flickered and crackled before us.

"You can't stop me," I said. "I know the truth. I know who you are."

"And so do I," he said. "I know my name."

"But-"

"That is enough if you need to face everyday--and I mean everyday alone, but I have you so it's more than enough."

I felt like crying again, but no tears came. They would never come, I realized. Not as long as he was there. Instead, I held up the book to him, offering the truth. I saw him look at it at first with a wonderful curiosity, but the wonder became cruel, bitter, and he saw everything very clearly. He saw me, and he realized that he could not have me and have the truth as well. He had to choose.

He took the book in his hands and my heart fluttered to my throat, but then a cry came forth from it as he threw the book into the fire, pages turning blackened and curled. The book blazed and his eyes burned with mine, extinguishing into darkness.

"How could you do that?" I murmured. "Your history, your past. Yourself."

"If you think that who I am can be written down and captured in a few words or anybody for that matter, then you do not understand me. I choose you."

I choose you.

Oh how he could have echoed those words in my ears for all eternity!


*End of Chapter 3*

I should have the next chapter posted soon! :)
-Ista