Chapter 15: The Mist Clears.
Aireromen awoke to a bright sun, shining in from her window. She blinked and squinted, adjusting to the light. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was seeing Legolas running to her, just before it all went black.
She slowly looked around her, never raising her head from the pillow. She was in a beautiful room, hand woven tapestries with pictures of enchanted forests and all sorts of animals hung from the walls, beautiful paintings and furniture were strewn about the room as well.
Aireromen sighed, she was in the healing room at Mirkwood palace, a place where the sick or wounded stayed. She turned her head to the side, there, lying on the bed next to her was Legolas, his eyes were closed, he was in a deep sleep. She listened to his steady relaxed breathing. She lay there, watching him.
Legolas slowly opened his eyes, he blinked, raised his head off of the pillow, he had not expected her to be awake, but he was very glad that she was.
"Quel amrun" (Good morning) he said to her. He smiled and ran his fingers through her silky hair.
Aireromen looked puzzeld. "Amrun?" she asked. When she had blacked out it was afternoon.
"Yes, you have been asleep for three days." He said playing with her fingers that lay by his chest.
"Three days!" she exclaimed. "What- how-"
Legolas laughed quietly at her. "You lost a lot of blood, and you were in poor health….after what those filthy creatures did to you." Legolas's eyes burned at the thought. "My father and Gandalf have been attending you."
There was a knock at the door, and in walked Thranduil, followed by Gandalf and Aragorn.
"Legolas, you must go and rest, we will watch- BY THE SEA AND STARS! She's awake!" Thranduil stood in the doorway.
They came to the bed.
"How are you feeling child?" asked Gandalf. Looking her over.
"Well, besides the fact that I'm feeling a little light headed, and a bit sore, I'm doing alright." She said smiling. "Was I really asleep for three days?" she asked.
"Yes, and Legolas, has not left your side for a single minute in that time." Replied Gandalf smiling wryly at Legolas who never took his eyes off of his beloved Aireromen.
"Yes, indeed he has, which is why I came. Legolas, you need sleep and food, you must go, you are weary, and now that Aireromen is awake you can get some much needed sleep." Said Thranduil.
"Father, I would much rather stay here with Aireromen." Protested Legolas.
"Legolas, you must rest, you are weary I can see it." He said.
"I am not." Legolas argued.
"Legolas, I came in here not an hour ago and saw you fast asleep, so deeply asleep that you did not even hear me close the door swiftly behind me. Now come, you need rest, and so does Aire." Thranduil gestured towards the door.
Legolas sighed in defeat and slid out of the bed, he kissed Aireromen upon her hand and said farewell. He gave one last look at her before leaving, followed by Aragorn.
"And now, young Princess, you too must rest." Said Thranduil.
He brought forth a cup with very sweat smelling liquid in it; she could smell the herbs that were mixed within it. She took the cup and drank it willingly, letting the hot, soothing liquid flow down her throat. She felt her head sink back down to the pillow, her body relaxed, the world slowly began to fade around her and she felt her head lighten, soon she was in a deep sleep.
She awoke again in the late evening, Aireromen was not sure what time it was, but she knew that it was late for the stars were out and they shone brightly. She yawned and stretched out her legs and arms, then relaxed again. She sighed and stared out at the night, a breeze blew the silken curtains around, and the soft swish they made could be heard as they danced on the wind. Aire breathed in deeply, she had not thought about it in many days, but now, alone in her room, with no one to disturb her, she considered it. She had to make her choice; she had to choose one way or the other. And she knew now what her choice would be.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Aireromen sighed, a little irritated that she was being disturbed once again, she looked frowningly to the door.
"Come in" she said rather flatly.
The tall Grey figure of Gandalf appeared in the room, he took off his hat as he came towards her, a bright smile upon his face, he bent down and sat in a chair next to the side of the bed she was laying on. He patted her hand lovingly.
"Are you feeling any better?" his voice was caring.
Aireromen half smiled, "Yes, I am feeling better, I fear I am still weak though, but even that, I hope, wont last long." She pulled herself up into a sitting position, and leaned back against the giant, thick pillows.
Gandalf shook his head, "I am sorry that I did not sense the attack sooner, I should have been more on the look out-"
Aireromen raised a hand to him, "Please, Mithrandir, please, do not apologize, I do not think it was your fault, nor do I think that any of us could have known the attack was coming." She paused, biting her lip before she continued. " I have come to my decision, Gandalf." She said softly.
Gandalf raised a bushy eyebrow. "Sorry?" he looked at her.
Aireromen looked down at her bed sheets; she fiddled with the fringe on one of the pillows and reluctantly continued.
"I have decided that I…….I wish to return to my other home." She looked to him, and then looked away.
Gandalf said nothing, but stood and bowed. "Very well, Princess….we will leave as soon as possible." He turned from her, and bowed his head as he exited her room.
'So she has chosen' he thought. 'And she has chosen, a mortal life, and so it will be that we will loose her once more.' He closed the door behind him and walked slowly down the hall, one thought running through his mind…..What would he tell Legolas?
Aireromen awoke to a bright sun, shining in from her window. She blinked and squinted, adjusting to the light. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was seeing Legolas running to her, just before it all went black.
She slowly looked around her, never raising her head from the pillow. She was in a beautiful room, hand woven tapestries with pictures of enchanted forests and all sorts of animals hung from the walls, beautiful paintings and furniture were strewn about the room as well.
Aireromen sighed, she was in the healing room at Mirkwood palace, a place where the sick or wounded stayed. She turned her head to the side, there, lying on the bed next to her was Legolas, his eyes were closed, he was in a deep sleep. She listened to his steady relaxed breathing. She lay there, watching him.
Legolas slowly opened his eyes, he blinked, raised his head off of the pillow, he had not expected her to be awake, but he was very glad that she was.
"Quel amrun" (Good morning) he said to her. He smiled and ran his fingers through her silky hair.
Aireromen looked puzzeld. "Amrun?" she asked. When she had blacked out it was afternoon.
"Yes, you have been asleep for three days." He said playing with her fingers that lay by his chest.
"Three days!" she exclaimed. "What- how-"
Legolas laughed quietly at her. "You lost a lot of blood, and you were in poor health….after what those filthy creatures did to you." Legolas's eyes burned at the thought. "My father and Gandalf have been attending you."
There was a knock at the door, and in walked Thranduil, followed by Gandalf and Aragorn.
"Legolas, you must go and rest, we will watch- BY THE SEA AND STARS! She's awake!" Thranduil stood in the doorway.
They came to the bed.
"How are you feeling child?" asked Gandalf. Looking her over.
"Well, besides the fact that I'm feeling a little light headed, and a bit sore, I'm doing alright." She said smiling. "Was I really asleep for three days?" she asked.
"Yes, and Legolas, has not left your side for a single minute in that time." Replied Gandalf smiling wryly at Legolas who never took his eyes off of his beloved Aireromen.
"Yes, indeed he has, which is why I came. Legolas, you need sleep and food, you must go, you are weary, and now that Aireromen is awake you can get some much needed sleep." Said Thranduil.
"Father, I would much rather stay here with Aireromen." Protested Legolas.
"Legolas, you must rest, you are weary I can see it." He said.
"I am not." Legolas argued.
"Legolas, I came in here not an hour ago and saw you fast asleep, so deeply asleep that you did not even hear me close the door swiftly behind me. Now come, you need rest, and so does Aire." Thranduil gestured towards the door.
Legolas sighed in defeat and slid out of the bed, he kissed Aireromen upon her hand and said farewell. He gave one last look at her before leaving, followed by Aragorn.
"And now, young Princess, you too must rest." Said Thranduil.
He brought forth a cup with very sweat smelling liquid in it; she could smell the herbs that were mixed within it. She took the cup and drank it willingly, letting the hot, soothing liquid flow down her throat. She felt her head sink back down to the pillow, her body relaxed, the world slowly began to fade around her and she felt her head lighten, soon she was in a deep sleep.
She awoke again in the late evening, Aireromen was not sure what time it was, but she knew that it was late for the stars were out and they shone brightly. She yawned and stretched out her legs and arms, then relaxed again. She sighed and stared out at the night, a breeze blew the silken curtains around, and the soft swish they made could be heard as they danced on the wind. Aire breathed in deeply, she had not thought about it in many days, but now, alone in her room, with no one to disturb her, she considered it. She had to make her choice; she had to choose one way or the other. And she knew now what her choice would be.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Aireromen sighed, a little irritated that she was being disturbed once again, she looked frowningly to the door.
"Come in" she said rather flatly.
The tall Grey figure of Gandalf appeared in the room, he took off his hat as he came towards her, a bright smile upon his face, he bent down and sat in a chair next to the side of the bed she was laying on. He patted her hand lovingly.
"Are you feeling any better?" his voice was caring.
Aireromen half smiled, "Yes, I am feeling better, I fear I am still weak though, but even that, I hope, wont last long." She pulled herself up into a sitting position, and leaned back against the giant, thick pillows.
Gandalf shook his head, "I am sorry that I did not sense the attack sooner, I should have been more on the look out-"
Aireromen raised a hand to him, "Please, Mithrandir, please, do not apologize, I do not think it was your fault, nor do I think that any of us could have known the attack was coming." She paused, biting her lip before she continued. " I have come to my decision, Gandalf." She said softly.
Gandalf raised a bushy eyebrow. "Sorry?" he looked at her.
Aireromen looked down at her bed sheets; she fiddled with the fringe on one of the pillows and reluctantly continued.
"I have decided that I…….I wish to return to my other home." She looked to him, and then looked away.
Gandalf said nothing, but stood and bowed. "Very well, Princess….we will leave as soon as possible." He turned from her, and bowed his head as he exited her room.
'So she has chosen' he thought. 'And she has chosen, a mortal life, and so it will be that we will loose her once more.' He closed the door behind him and walked slowly down the hall, one thought running through his mind…..What would he tell Legolas?