Chapter 3: Finding Comfort
Alyssa woke suddenly, catapulted out of the uneasy sleep she'd finally succumbed to by something her subconscious mind did often – convince her that she was falling. She gasped and jerked against the sensation as her eyes flew open and her confused mind wondered if this time the feeling was real.
"Careful now, little one," Legolas said quietly, tightening his hold around her as she involuntarily lashed out. "The first step can be quite dangerous." Alyssa took a couple of deep breaths, pressing her hand to her chest, while waiting for her heart to slow to a more normal rhythm.
"I'm okay," she said finally, aware that her voice had that sleep-laden quality to it. Legolas released his hold on her and she pulled away, using the branches above her head to steady herself. She looked around. Morning was just breaking and it was still gray. She trembled with the chill of the early day and balanced herself carefully long enough to zip her sweater. "Where is Aragorn?" She asked when she realized that they were alone.
"He awoke and climbed down just a moment before you. It was probably his movement that startled you so. He's gone to scout the area and will return shortly."
"Okay," she said. Alyssa yawned and stretched, grimacing slightly at the pain and stiffness in her joints. To her utter embarrassment, Alyssa realized that she had to go to the bathroom, bad. She looked around and made a move to start climbing down the tree.
"What are you doing?" Legolas asked quickly as he put his hand out to stop her. She blushed and moved out of his reach.
"I was climbing down," she said, stating the obvious. Legolas shook his head.
"Not yet. The sun is not fully up and you need to wait until Aragorn gets back." He caught the look of desperation in her eyes and smiled slightly. "He will be back soon." She nodded, and settled back down on the branch to wait.
"So...today we walk to where you live?" She asked, uncomfortable with the silence.
"Yes. It will take all day to get there, but we will reach my father's kingdom by dusk," Legolas answered easily.
"You're father's what?" She asked, quite certain she'd heard him wrong.
"Legolas! Alyssa! Awake! We must set out soon! All is well!" Aragorn's voice came to them from below, and Legolas did not get a chance to respond. Alyssa made her way quickly down the tree, her earlier physical discomfort not forgotten. She stopped at the branch that Legolas had lifted her up to. She looked down uncertainly, wondering if she could make that jump without hurting herself. Legolas jumped down and lifted his arms up to her.
"Do not worry, I will catch you," he said. Alyssa shook her head.
"No, I'm okay..." she leaned sideways, and let herself slip off of the branch, and hang. From there she was able to drop lightly to the ground. Aragorn came up beside them.
"There is a small stream not far from here in that direction. If you would like to go clean up, we will give you time to yourself," he said. Alyssa nodded thankfully and hurried away.
So this is why I hate camping, she thought to herself as she dealt with not having some of the more basic comforts of a home...like plumbing. Straightening her clothes, she made her way back to Aragorn and Legolas. Aragorn handed her a wafer of some kind, and she gratefully accepted the food. She was very hungry – and she literally couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. A lump rose in her throat as she cast her mind back to her home. She missed her mother very much, and the uncertainty of the situation that she now found herself in was suffocating. She swallowed hard, forcing the food down and blinking back tears.
They set out a short time later, and for the most part walked in a listening silence. The walk was not too arduous, and she found herself almost enjoying it. The unspoiled nature of the woods was a welcome change to what she was used to. The singing of the trees in the wind was a beautiful sound, and she was entranced by it. Legolas looked back at Alyssa once while they were walking, and the look of surprise on his face was enough to bring Aragorn to a standstill.
"Legolas?" He questioned. Legolas flicked his eyes to Aragorn, and then back to Alyssa. Aragorn looked at Alyssa, and Alyssa felt herself blushing to be the subject of such intense scrutiny all of a sudden. She raised an eyebrow.
"What?" She asked them.
"Legolas, what?" Aragorn repeated.
"You can hear them, can you not?" Legolas asked Alyssa. She dropped her eyes to the forest floor and hesitated before answering. She'd never admitted that to anyone – she didn't want anyone to think she was crazy. She kicked at the ground with the toe of her shoe. Aragorn was watching the exchange in puzzled silence.
"What can she hear?" Aragorn asked him. Legolas flicked his gaze to his human friend, and then back to the ... human ... girl.
"The trees, Aragorn. She can hear the speech of the trees," he answered quietly. Aragorn cocked an eyebrow as he fixed his gaze on the young girl. She was staring at the ground with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Can you?" He asked her, a note of disbelief in his voice. Alyssa looked up at him and over at Legolas, and came to a split second decision.
"I don't know what he's talking about," she answered. "All I hear is the wind rustling the leaves. Why? What do you hear?" Legolas didn't answer her, but looked at her a moment longer, letting her know with his eyes that he did not believe her smooth lie, even if she didn't want to admit it for whatever reason. Aragorn shook his head slightly, knowing that this was an issue that would come back to them later, but also knowing that the girl's trust was tentative and fragile. He didn't want to frighten her, or make her doubt their intentions. He caught Legolas' eye and, through years of friendship, managed to convey this sentiment with a mere look. Legolas nodded almost imperceptibly.
"We are about 6 hours away from Mirkwood. We need to keep moving – I would not like to be in the forest around nightfall," Aragorn stated. He moved off, not bothering to throw a glance over at them. Legolas fell into step behind Alyssa, keeping an eye on her. This made her uncomfortable, and she wished he'd move to the front.
* * * *
A long time later, Alyssa was dragging. She was not one who was tired easily, but when it came down to it, she was just a little girl, and the constant walking at the swift pace Aragorn set, coupled with her somewhat unrestful night and the emotional exhaustion, was taking it's toll on her. Legolas could see that she was struggling to keep up, and he quickened his step so that he was walking beside her.
"We are almost there," he told her. She glanced up at him, annoyed with herself over the weakness she felt.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. Legolas quirked an eyebrow, a small smile pulling at the side of his mouth. How many times had he heard that very comment from Aragorn, also unwilling to admit weakness? He wondered if all humans were as ... stubborn as the two he now found himself in company with, or if it was a trait that just a few of them carried. "Legolas?" She spoke quietly, hesitantly...some of that discomfort back in her voice. Not that he could fault her for being more comfortable with Aragorn. Until yesterday, she'd not even known elves existed.
"Yes?" He responded, waiting for her to continue. She didn't right away, and she appeared as if she were actually debating whether or not she could continue. She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her, and after a moment, she spoke.
"You said earlier, when we were still in the tree, that we are going to your father's kingdom..." she trailed off, and he nodded, indicating that he remembered the comment and that she should continue. "Well, what did you mean, when you said that?" Legolas glanced down at her, a look of bemusement on his face.
"I meant exactly what I said. My father's kingdom – he is the ruler, the king, of the realm of Mirkwood. Do you not have kings where you are from?"
"Not really kings...well, maybe some are kings," she answered softly, trying to remember her school's history and world culture lessons. "Not many good ones, anyways. My country has a president."
"Is he good?" Legolas asked, purposefully mimicking her choice of words, trying to make her feel more comfortable.
"Yes ... is the..." She trailed off and bit her lip, suddenly unsure of the prudence of her next words. She was about to ask if the King of Mirkwood was good, but being that she would've been asking his son, decided that maybe she should just keep her mouth shut.
"What were you asking?" Legolas prodded a moment later. Alyssa thought quickly.
"What should I call you?" She asked quietly. Legolas smiled down at her, though her eyes never raised to meet his. This was truly something she needed to know – she'd never spoken to royalty before.
"Simply 'Legolas' is just fine," he answered, and she nodded.
The three walked in silence for quite a while, though Alyssa's thoughts were anything but calm. She was wrapped up in thoughts of where she was going and whom she was going to talk to. Legolas was a prince… She was going to his father's palace…She could barely wrap her mind around that. 'Well,' she amended to herself. 'That and the fact that they're creatures that don't exist.' She found that the closer they got to their destination, the more nervous she became. 'How am I supposed to act? What am I supposed to say? What if they're not friendly? Am I safe? What if…what if they don't let me go home?'
The thoughts that had been swirling frantically in her mind, driving her closer and closer to panic, centered on that one, last terrifying idea, and it brought her feet to a halt. Aragorn and Legolas turned to look at her questioningly.
"Alyssa? Is something wrong?" Aragorn looked at her with concern. He saw the shining, teary eyes, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her breaths quickened by her fright. She flicked her eyes from Aragorn to Legolas, and back to Aragorn again. He understood; she had something to say and she didn't want to say it in front of the elf. The man and the elf exchanged a glance and Legolas nodded in understanding.
"I will scout ahead," he said quietly. Aragorn nodded and stepped closer to the girl. She'd put her sweater back on, and she had her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She gazed steadily at the ground, refusing to meet Aragorn's eyes.
"Alyssa?" He prompted gently. She glanced up at him, and she saw nothing but concern written across his features. Indeed, he was feeling very worried, and strangely protective of her. It pained him to see distrust and fear in her, though he did understand it.
Alyssa, for her part, was finding it impossible to speak her fears. Although she knew she could trust Aragorn and Legolas, she didn't know about the others they were taking her to see.
"I'm s-scared," she managed to whisper. Aragorn's gaze softened further and his heart went out to her. He took a step closer to her, and was pleased to see that she didn't back away. Hesitantly, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Of what?" He asked softly. She shrugged and looked down again, feeling much younger than her eleven years. There were a few moments of silence, but Aragorn waited her out.
"What if … I mean, are all…" she couldn't bring herself to even say it.
"Elves?" Aragorn filled in with a slight smile. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed. She nodded, blushing.
"Are they all good guys?" Aragorn furrowed his brow at her strange choice of words.
"They are the fairest, wisest beings of Middle Earth. No harm will come to you while under Legolas' care in his father's realm," he answered. Although she relaxed slightly, she did not look entirely convinced. On an impulse, he held his hand out to her, offering his support. She looked up at him shyly, but took his hand and held it tight. He felt her trembling, and he gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Together, they walked to where Legolas stood with his back to them. He glanced at Aragorn and down at Alyssa.
"Is everything well?" He asked with an arched eyebrow, noting the way Alyssa kept her eyes carefully averted while clutching Aragorn's hand. Legolas searched out his friend's eyes, and saw the compassion he felt for the child. Aragorn nodded.
"Everything is fine. Let us hurry, for we are not too much further if I am not mistaken," Aragorn said.
"No, you are not," Legolas answered, a smile gracing his features. "We have already crossed the borders, and we are not alone." Aragorn followed his friend's gaze into the trees, but Aragorn could not detect the elven sentries he was sure were there. He glanced down at Alyssa who was also watching the trees with an intensity that surprised Aragorn. If he could not see or hear them, she surely could not, either.
"I do not wish to frighten her further," Aragorn spoke in Elvish softly. Legolas nodded.
"I have already spoken with them about the situation. They will remain out of sight," he answered, also using his native language. Aragorn nodded. They continued their walk through the woods, silently for the most part. Alyssa kept glancing up into the trees – quick, nervous glances – for although neither Legolas nor Aragorn had said anything to her directly, they'd done one of the most annoying things adults can do: talk to each other as if she wasn't even there. Though some of it was in a different language, she'd caught Legolas' sentence about not being alone. She didn't feel like they were in danger, but she was uneasy with the idea of being watched. Pushing aside her pride, she gripped Aragorn's hand tightly and walked as close to him as she could, trying to not look like she needed the comfort of closeness. In the back of her mind, she realized how strange it was for her to cling to someone like this, especially someone she hardly knew. She was too young to realize, that given the strange and frightening circumstances she was suddenly thrust into, her reaction of holding to something familiar was normal. She desperately needed to feel anchored, and having the choice of either the man or the elf (both of whom she instinctively knew she could trust), she naturally went to the human.
Aragorn and Legolas were also each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Aragorn was marveling over the new feelings this young girl was stirring in his heart. As she gripped his hand tightly, he felt his heart swell with an emotion that was foreign to him. He had an overwhelming desire to protect and comfort her, to make her feel safe. He imagined that what he was feeling was what Elrond, his adoptive father, felt towards him, and this surprised Aragorn. He had never before hardly considered marriage, much less children, but the girl was awakening a paternal feeling in him that he hadn't realized he was capable of.
Legolas, for his part, also saw what was happening to Aragorn. The look in the Man's eyes was something that he'd seen countless times over his long life – and it brought a touch of warmth to his heart. He glanced at Aragorn out of the corner of his eye and felt a small smile tug at the sides of his mouth. Aragorn as a father – the notion seemed almost ridiculous to Legolas, for Aragorn was but a child to the elf. But, he recognized that Aragorn was at the age that such events took place in the lives of Men. It interested and astounded Legolas to see this change come over his friend so quickly. He shook his head slightly to himself. Men will never cease to surprise me, he thought with a touch of mirth.
The trio walked quickly to the gates of the Mirkwood palace grounds, Legolas in the lead. Aragorn glanced down at Alyssa, trying to see how she was handling this – she'd gotten quieter and quieter the closer they'd gotten to Mirkwood, and Aragorn had the feeling that he had not put her earlier fears entirely to rest. She was holding his hand tightly and had her gaze focused on the ground in front of her. Finally, they were there.
"Edro," Legolas commanded. Alyssa managed to bring herself to look up, and gaped in wonder as the gates opened at the elf's command. She swallowed hard, and did her best to compose herself, though her heart fluttered and her stomach rolled uncomfortably. Elf or not, she was going to meet a king.