a/n: Hullo to all those out in readerland~ So sorry this update took so long. I just moved into my dorm yesterday and life has been completely hectic~! College is already stressing me out and I haven't even started classes yet…*sigh* It's a good thing for all you continuous readers that I have already completed this story~ otherwise you'd be up a creek without a paddle…I don't feel much like writing for the time being. :o) That will change, I'm sure. Anyways~ there are only two (possibly three) more chappies to this story~ so it's winding up to the final hurrah. Thanks for reading and putting up with me~ I'm an eclectic elf-loving fanfic writing medical science major without much of a social life~ it's nice to know some people out there care about the works I write. :oD On with the show~ :
Chapter Twelve
Legolas had been riding hard for nearly three days, having met with no trace of the Lady Ëmara and no clues as to her whereabouts. The roads he had traveled were hardly frequented by kindly people and many of his requests for information were met with silence and blank stares.
He traveled with his own silence, a sound more deafening than beating drums against his ears. He thought of what he might say to her, how he was to explain all that had happened.
'Will she even care? Shall I ever find her to tell her any of the things that have transpired within me? Perhaps I was too foolish, but what can my apologies do now? I know the choice I made and I knew the consequences of that choice…am I to be forever damned for leaving my hearth and home and seeking love?'
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It came to pass that after a few days, Legolas became turned around in what appeared to be an open expanse of tall grass that stretched for miles in all directions, spotted only with a single grove of trees. 'A river, or a lake I'll wager.' He thought, staring at the random spring of growth; and so he set off for it with a gentle warm breeze pushing at his back.
Ruinfëa began to prance lightly as they came nearer and nearer the lake until he had quite worked himself up beyond Legolas' control. With a sigh, Legolas dismounted and strode towards the thick foliage surrounding what he was certain must be a large body of water. With a smile he though how nicely a bath would suit him as he made his way through the thick trees and into a clearing filled with a dark blue lake.
The flowing water ebbed against its shores and beat a lulling rhythm into Legolas' heart, stilling his thoughts of Ëmara and of Thranduil. For the first time in months he felt at ease and peaceful as he pulled off his clothes and dove into the water. The icy lake cleansed his every pore and pulled the exhaustion from his limbs as he swam into the center of the deep blue water.
To himself he began to whistle a tune, and then, thinking his shyness silly, he began to sing the song aloud, disturbing nothing for miles save a small nest of chirping fledglings. He laughed and dove through the cool water again and again, losing his thoughts on things more pleasant than the situation he had found himself in when he had been atop Ruinfëa.
'Speaking of Ruinfëa, where has he got off to?' Legolas turned his eyes about the entire lake and found that Ruinfëa was nowhere in sight. It did not concern him so much- he had known horses to wander for a bit in search of soft grasses or cool shade, Legolas had no fear that Ruinfëa would not return to his calls.
After a few more minutes bathing in the cold waters, Legolas swam towards the shore and collected his clothing. He called out to Ruinfëa, his whistle only met with the gentle lapping of the lake.
"Ruinfëa! Come here!" His voice died on the wind and concern mounted as Legolas quickly re-dressed and scurried through the underbrush in search of his lost horse. The foliage seemed thicker, or perhaps it was his imagination as he vainly tried to follow a straight line out of the trees and found himself again and again forced to turn back towards the lake.
'Strange, there seemed to be a path headed this direction before. I am certain I did not turn to the right or the left when I first made my way towards the lake. Why does everything turn around…and where is Ruinfëa?' Legolas felt his heart beating faster as he jogged off into the forest, only to make his way back towards the lake. His mind was racing with fear and confusion, 'What is this cage with no walls? Why can I not find my way out of this prison?'
Suddenly it hit him. Prison. Leomë had mentioned something of a prison with no walls where Ëmara had kept him when he had attempted his approach of Mirkwood. A familiar cold sensation shot through his veins as Legolas spun around, half expecting to see Ëmara standing there with her calm countenance. Nothing. Nothing save a few scraggly trees too close to the water to develop tough roots.
Legolas thought for a long while, occasionally spinning about at the slightest noise and quitting his search for Ruinfëa. He started and with his eyes cast towards the sky, shouted across the tops of the trees:
"Ëmara!" Silence.
"Ëmara!" This time the trees rustled a bit and a soft humming curled around the branches. Legolas called out again and the humming became louder- a tune that he recognized…the tune he had been singing. It seemed to come from the forest on his left and continued to grow stronger until Legolas was certain that someone was nearly upon him. The trees split and allowed the Lady Ëmara, clad in the same midnight blue robe Legolas had first seen her in, into the clearing.