Note: You may see the disclaimer on the first chapter.
Five
Legolas reached the edge of the forest just as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. He could not help the sincere smile from spreading across his face as Eowyn stepped beside him. "We are right on time, Lady Eowyn."
"Yes," she responded in a weary voice that betrayed her relief and fatigue. "We are here."
Legolas walked into the trees and beckoned for her to follow. He saw that she was falling behind, faltering slightly as she tried to make her way through the foliage, but he bit his bottom lip and refrained to offer help. She would refuse, he knew. Refuse and lash out violently for having him underestimate her. He said, "We will search for Master Gandalf, you and I. But it is my guess Gandalf will find us first. Do you want to wait until-"
"Of course not, Legolas!" Eowyn said, glaring at him and pushing her way ahead of him with a new burst of energy. "I will not sit around and waste my precious time waiting. Come on! Hurry."
Legolas thought, Just as I had expected. He jogged to her side.
The forest turned denser and darker as they traveled closer to the interior. The trees became entangled in vines and creepers and space was impossible to find; Legolas took out his dagger and cleared a tiny path to squeeze through. He gripped Eowyn's hand tightly so they would not become separated in the labyrinth.
He did not talk to her except for saying the necessary words. "Watch out for that vine." "Step this way." He thought about their embrace in the meadows earlier that day, and wondered, What did it all mean? He had been merely trying to comfort her and prevent her from going into hysterics, but somehow, after she had composed herself and dried her reddened eyes, all he felt was an urge to bring her back into his arms.
Legolas scoffed. Madness. Eowyn was a human woman. A mortal. Someone whose kingdom he needed to help. And after he did, their lives would branch away from each other forever like streams diverging from a river. And why wouldn't it? She was nothing to him. Nothing. She had tried to end his life, and he had wanted to do the same in return.
And yet he remembered the infinite relief he felt in his heart when she had told him her alliance with Wormtongue was simply a lie. Relief, and a dash of anger at himself for even believing for a second she had been sincere with her offer.
But it had been his damn pride that kept him going, kept him from forming the words of apology he had tried so hard to say. It was the pride of men that built great things, and it was the pride of men that destroyed them all. And it was the pride inside of him that rejected, and it was for this that he hated himself most.
But what if you stayed with this woman for the rest of your life? Legolas thought. The question had come out of nowhere, and it shocked him with its sincerity. He wanted to shove it away to a deep recess of his mind and never encounter it again, but it nagged at him until he thought bitterly, If I stay with her, nothing will be changed. She is mortal. She will die within a century, and I will continue living for hundreds of centuries. And in the end, it will be as if we had never met. An actual, physical pain seized his heart and he stumbled forward, gasping.
"Legolas!" It was Eowyn. "What is the matter?"
"It's nothing. Be careful." He could not look at her.
"Did you hear it too, then?" Eowyn stopped walking and cocked her head to the darkening sky. "I thought it was my imagination, but perhaps..."
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything."
"That... strange cry. Oh, never mind. We are in a forest and there are bound to be animals-"
A hollow shriek that came from far above reverberated down to the trees and made the leaves shudder with a hot wind. There was a deep sound like that of undulating silk flags, and suddenly, what little sunlight that remained was obscured by a span of something beige and flat and huge.
It was a wing.
Legolas instinctively grabbed his bow and strung it with an arrow.
The eagle that possessed the wing gave several mighty flaps, and descended down to the forest, its golden talons each grasping the tops of three or four trees as it landed. Timber cracked mercilessly and leaves flew into the air in a tumultuous hurricane. Eowyn screamed something in alarm, but the massive bird's unearthly shrieking drowned out her words.
Legolas aimed his arrow at one of the eagle's fierce yellow eyes and let it fly. But in the split second before he had released the bowstring, Eowyn had thrown herself onto him, knocking him off balance. The arrow wobbled crookedly and harmlessly into a distant ravine.
Legolas wheeled to Eowyn in disbelief. "What do you think you're-"
"Stop! Look!" Eowyn commanded, pointing ahead.
Legolas traced her finger to a white, solitary figure sitting on top of the eagle's back. Though the man appeared tiny compared to the great beast he was riding, Legolas could immediately recognize him. "Gandalf!" he shouted, nearly dropping his bow in surprise. He gaped as the wizened old wizard let out a kindly, rumbling laugh.
"Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood," Gandalf said in a voice that seemed to fill the whole forest with its power. "I do believe you are frightened."
Note: And the author runs away to study for her finals. High school can be such a bitch. Reviews and complaints about anything can reach me if you review!
Five
Legolas reached the edge of the forest just as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. He could not help the sincere smile from spreading across his face as Eowyn stepped beside him. "We are right on time, Lady Eowyn."
"Yes," she responded in a weary voice that betrayed her relief and fatigue. "We are here."
Legolas walked into the trees and beckoned for her to follow. He saw that she was falling behind, faltering slightly as she tried to make her way through the foliage, but he bit his bottom lip and refrained to offer help. She would refuse, he knew. Refuse and lash out violently for having him underestimate her. He said, "We will search for Master Gandalf, you and I. But it is my guess Gandalf will find us first. Do you want to wait until-"
"Of course not, Legolas!" Eowyn said, glaring at him and pushing her way ahead of him with a new burst of energy. "I will not sit around and waste my precious time waiting. Come on! Hurry."
Legolas thought, Just as I had expected. He jogged to her side.
The forest turned denser and darker as they traveled closer to the interior. The trees became entangled in vines and creepers and space was impossible to find; Legolas took out his dagger and cleared a tiny path to squeeze through. He gripped Eowyn's hand tightly so they would not become separated in the labyrinth.
He did not talk to her except for saying the necessary words. "Watch out for that vine." "Step this way." He thought about their embrace in the meadows earlier that day, and wondered, What did it all mean? He had been merely trying to comfort her and prevent her from going into hysterics, but somehow, after she had composed herself and dried her reddened eyes, all he felt was an urge to bring her back into his arms.
Legolas scoffed. Madness. Eowyn was a human woman. A mortal. Someone whose kingdom he needed to help. And after he did, their lives would branch away from each other forever like streams diverging from a river. And why wouldn't it? She was nothing to him. Nothing. She had tried to end his life, and he had wanted to do the same in return.
And yet he remembered the infinite relief he felt in his heart when she had told him her alliance with Wormtongue was simply a lie. Relief, and a dash of anger at himself for even believing for a second she had been sincere with her offer.
But it had been his damn pride that kept him going, kept him from forming the words of apology he had tried so hard to say. It was the pride of men that built great things, and it was the pride of men that destroyed them all. And it was the pride inside of him that rejected, and it was for this that he hated himself most.
But what if you stayed with this woman for the rest of your life? Legolas thought. The question had come out of nowhere, and it shocked him with its sincerity. He wanted to shove it away to a deep recess of his mind and never encounter it again, but it nagged at him until he thought bitterly, If I stay with her, nothing will be changed. She is mortal. She will die within a century, and I will continue living for hundreds of centuries. And in the end, it will be as if we had never met. An actual, physical pain seized his heart and he stumbled forward, gasping.
"Legolas!" It was Eowyn. "What is the matter?"
"It's nothing. Be careful." He could not look at her.
"Did you hear it too, then?" Eowyn stopped walking and cocked her head to the darkening sky. "I thought it was my imagination, but perhaps..."
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything."
"That... strange cry. Oh, never mind. We are in a forest and there are bound to be animals-"
A hollow shriek that came from far above reverberated down to the trees and made the leaves shudder with a hot wind. There was a deep sound like that of undulating silk flags, and suddenly, what little sunlight that remained was obscured by a span of something beige and flat and huge.
It was a wing.
Legolas instinctively grabbed his bow and strung it with an arrow.
The eagle that possessed the wing gave several mighty flaps, and descended down to the forest, its golden talons each grasping the tops of three or four trees as it landed. Timber cracked mercilessly and leaves flew into the air in a tumultuous hurricane. Eowyn screamed something in alarm, but the massive bird's unearthly shrieking drowned out her words.
Legolas aimed his arrow at one of the eagle's fierce yellow eyes and let it fly. But in the split second before he had released the bowstring, Eowyn had thrown herself onto him, knocking him off balance. The arrow wobbled crookedly and harmlessly into a distant ravine.
Legolas wheeled to Eowyn in disbelief. "What do you think you're-"
"Stop! Look!" Eowyn commanded, pointing ahead.
Legolas traced her finger to a white, solitary figure sitting on top of the eagle's back. Though the man appeared tiny compared to the great beast he was riding, Legolas could immediately recognize him. "Gandalf!" he shouted, nearly dropping his bow in surprise. He gaped as the wizened old wizard let out a kindly, rumbling laugh.
"Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood," Gandalf said in a voice that seemed to fill the whole forest with its power. "I do believe you are frightened."
Note: And the author runs away to study for her finals. High school can be such a bitch. Reviews and complaints about anything can reach me if you review!