Cailiosa made sure everyone was given their own room, and were made as
comfortable as possible. She was just closing the door to Merry's room,
where the Hobbit was sleeping soundly. As she turned away, she almost ran
directly into Legolas.
"Lord Legolas," she whispered, for most everyone in South Mirkwood was resting now, "what are you still doing up?"
"I wished to talk to you with no interruptions," his bright eyes shown in the moonlight, as well as the glow that surrounded both of them.
She nodded. "We can go sit in my chambers, if you wish, so as to not wake anyone." He nodded, and they walked to her room, closing the door and lighting a lantern by her bed.
She sat down on the bed and him in the chair across from it. "What is it that ails you, my Lord Greenleaf?"
"We are alone now, you do not have to be so regal."
"You are avoiding my question, Legolas."
"Honestly, there is nothing I truly wish to talk about. I just have missed the company of another of my kind."
Cailiosa looked at him sympathetically, "How long have you been from home?"
He seemed to suddenly find the designs on the tile of her floor very interesting. "It has been almost 7 months." She just looked at him, and let him talk. After a few moments, he indeed began to speak again. "7 months without any of our wine, or our foods, or the laughter of the children, or of any children... 7 months without dancing, or festivals, or Elfsong," his eyes were distant, "I think that's what I miss the most, the music." He stopped. It seemed he was finished.
"Do you think... that it would make you feel better? Hearing our music again?"
He nodded slowly, "I'm beginning to think that even singing it myself would help." He laughed incredulously and looked down at the floor again.
She looked at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and began to sing:
"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári-lírinen,
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?
An sí Tintallë Varda Oilossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë,
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!"
She stopped and looked at Legolas, who was staring at her. "I hope that made you feel a little better," she smiled, as he continued to stare at her, open-mouthed. "Legolas?"
He shook out of his shock, and smiled at her, "That helped me feel much better, Cailiosa. That was my favorite song when I was a child, my mother used to sing it to me."
She smiled, "Me too."
They stared at each other for a moment, then Legolas looked at the floor again, and spoke barely above a whisper, "Would you..."
"Sing more?" she smiled as he nodded embarrassedly, "I'd be happy to," and she began another song.
They talked and sang back and forth until the sunlight began to filter into her window.
"I suppose that means I should be heading back to my room, so your father does not kill me for staying the night with his daughter." He laughed.
"Are you kidding? He'd be elated. Do you forget who you are, Prince Legolas of North Mirkwood?" They laughed, then her expression turned serious, "I apologize for keeping you awake all night, Legolas. I'm sure rest was much-needed."
"It is no problem. In all honesty, I feel more rested than I probably would have if I had slept, and more relaxed. I am just sorry for keeping you up, you will need all the sleep you can get, my lady."
She smiled at him as they walked to the door of her chambers, "I thought we had dispensed with the formalities, Legolas."
A very slight blush spread across his pale cheeks as he opened the door, "You best get ready, Cailiosa. We will be leaving as soon as Aragorn rises, which should be any minute now."
She nodded, "I suppose this is our little secret? You would not want word to get out that the stoic Elven Prince was homesick." She laughed.
"Something like that, I suppose." He smiled, "I will see you soon again, Lady."
She bowed, "Tenn' enomentielva, Legolas."
"Tenn' enomentielva, Cailiosa," he repeated, the Elvish for 'until we meet again'. And then he was gone.
"Lord Legolas," she whispered, for most everyone in South Mirkwood was resting now, "what are you still doing up?"
"I wished to talk to you with no interruptions," his bright eyes shown in the moonlight, as well as the glow that surrounded both of them.
She nodded. "We can go sit in my chambers, if you wish, so as to not wake anyone." He nodded, and they walked to her room, closing the door and lighting a lantern by her bed.
She sat down on the bed and him in the chair across from it. "What is it that ails you, my Lord Greenleaf?"
"We are alone now, you do not have to be so regal."
"You are avoiding my question, Legolas."
"Honestly, there is nothing I truly wish to talk about. I just have missed the company of another of my kind."
Cailiosa looked at him sympathetically, "How long have you been from home?"
He seemed to suddenly find the designs on the tile of her floor very interesting. "It has been almost 7 months." She just looked at him, and let him talk. After a few moments, he indeed began to speak again. "7 months without any of our wine, or our foods, or the laughter of the children, or of any children... 7 months without dancing, or festivals, or Elfsong," his eyes were distant, "I think that's what I miss the most, the music." He stopped. It seemed he was finished.
"Do you think... that it would make you feel better? Hearing our music again?"
He nodded slowly, "I'm beginning to think that even singing it myself would help." He laughed incredulously and looked down at the floor again.
She looked at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and began to sing:
"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári-lírinen,
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?
An sí Tintallë Varda Oilossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë,
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!"
She stopped and looked at Legolas, who was staring at her. "I hope that made you feel a little better," she smiled, as he continued to stare at her, open-mouthed. "Legolas?"
He shook out of his shock, and smiled at her, "That helped me feel much better, Cailiosa. That was my favorite song when I was a child, my mother used to sing it to me."
She smiled, "Me too."
They stared at each other for a moment, then Legolas looked at the floor again, and spoke barely above a whisper, "Would you..."
"Sing more?" she smiled as he nodded embarrassedly, "I'd be happy to," and she began another song.
They talked and sang back and forth until the sunlight began to filter into her window.
"I suppose that means I should be heading back to my room, so your father does not kill me for staying the night with his daughter." He laughed.
"Are you kidding? He'd be elated. Do you forget who you are, Prince Legolas of North Mirkwood?" They laughed, then her expression turned serious, "I apologize for keeping you awake all night, Legolas. I'm sure rest was much-needed."
"It is no problem. In all honesty, I feel more rested than I probably would have if I had slept, and more relaxed. I am just sorry for keeping you up, you will need all the sleep you can get, my lady."
She smiled at him as they walked to the door of her chambers, "I thought we had dispensed with the formalities, Legolas."
A very slight blush spread across his pale cheeks as he opened the door, "You best get ready, Cailiosa. We will be leaving as soon as Aragorn rises, which should be any minute now."
She nodded, "I suppose this is our little secret? You would not want word to get out that the stoic Elven Prince was homesick." She laughed.
"Something like that, I suppose." He smiled, "I will see you soon again, Lady."
She bowed, "Tenn' enomentielva, Legolas."
"Tenn' enomentielva, Cailiosa," he repeated, the Elvish for 'until we meet again'. And then he was gone.