Disclaimer: I have re-written some parts of this story, because I was not
liking how the romance played out. So I have just been re-writing the old
stuff, but now it fits even better with the ending so I'll post that soon.
All these characters belong to Tolkien, except for Aralyn. This story is
better now, please go back and read, then you can enjoy the ending better.
Read and review please!
As we walked along, the elf shot to me a few sympathetic looks. When the dwarf was distracted by something the human male said, he stopped and waited for me to catch up. I tried not to notice as I kept walking, following Eowyn. He fell into step with me, and I shot him a shy glance.
"I am sorry for your pain, Lirimaer." His soft male voice whispered.
"It doesn't concern you." I said softly, disgusted with myself that I had let myself get so emotional. I wiped a tear angrily away, and sniffed slightly.
"But it does. You are one of my people. When my people hurt, it concerns me."
I shook my head slightly. "No, I'm not one of your people. I'm not one of anybody's people." I said angrily and crossed my arms.
"But I thought." he trailed off, obviously meaning my ears.
"I'm not an elf." I said curtly and continued walking, my pace quickening. "I'm not human, either."
"I'm sorry milady for upsetting you." He said, catching up with me effortlessly.
"You didn't upset me. It's just." I trailed off and stopped, staring out over the land of Rohan.
"What is it?" the elf asked curiously.
"I'm a half-elf. My mother was a human, and her name was Anatyne, and my father is an elf. But he is still unknown to me."
The elf beside me didn't say anything, but the look of understanding in his eyes was enough to keep me talking.
"Rohan is falling apart around me. Edoras is my home, and I don't want to see it fall." I explained to him desperately.
"I know how you feel. Mirkwood is my home; I would never wish to see it fall."
I gave him a side glance and saw that he was staring out over the plains of Rohan, just like I was a few seconds ago. I started to laugh. He turned back to me.
"What is making you laugh, Lirimaer?" the elf asked.
I shrugged and looked back out to the plains of Rohan. I was laughing because I was opening up to a complete stranger. But I never told him that. "I don't even know your name!"
"It is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood." He said, bowing his head slightly.
"A prince?" I asked, taken aback.
"Just in title. My father is King of Mirkwood, and will be until all our people pass to Valinor." he turned back towards me and smiled. "Then, Lirimaer, what is your name?"
"What does Lirimaer mean?" I asked, repeating the word slowly.
"It means lovely one. In Elvish." He explained, seeming to enjoy the blush that I was feeling creep up my cheeks.
"My name is Aralyn, servant to Lord Theoden and Lady Eowyn." I said quickly, to forget about my blush.
Legolas looked like he was about to say something about how lovely my name was when a dwarf's voice could be heard around the corner.
"Legolas! Hurry! There's food and drink inside for us!" The dwarf interrupted our introductions as he came barreling around the corner, searching for his elf friend. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me. "I'm sorry milady. I didn't mean to interrupt with my shouting."
I looked down, not used to conversing with a dwarf. "It's quite alright. Let me not hold you up any longer." She motioned with her head that Legolas should go with the dwarf. The dwarf looked so giddy at the mere mention of food. It must have been a long time since they've last eaten.
"Nice to meet you, Aralyn." Legolas said as the dwarf practically dragged him away.
I gave him a small wave and turned back around, surveying the lands of Rohan again. My heart ached at the thought of it decaying of its natural beauty if Saruman ever got his hands on it.
With my elven eyes I could see Gandalf and Theoden standing at Theodred's grave. Tears sprung to my eyes again as I remembered Theodred and how much we all loved him.
Something then caught my eye. A horse came staggering up over the hill just beyond the grave, with a tired looking boy and girl. The boy was barely holding on, then I saw him fall down to the ground in a heap. The little girl let out a wail and reached down to the boy, but her legs were too short and had gotten wedged into the stirrups.
I flew down the steps and through the town until I reached the outside gate. I flung it open and ran out into the hills of the land, looking for the horse and the two children.
Gandalf had gotten there first, and was helping the little boy up and trying to calm down the girl. I ran up beside them and smiled warmly at the girl, and picked her up off the horse. I carried her and shushed her, soothing the girl. The boy was rambling on about their village being attacked by orcs and how they had made this journey to sound the alarm to Gandalf. During the boy's speech Gandalf just looked pleadingly at Theoden, who turned and led us back to the palace. Holding the girl, I looked quizzingly at Gandalf. He was staring sadly at Theoden's back and didn't notice my glance. Or just didn't acknowledge it. I felt that he noticed everything around him and nothing slipped past him. This Gandalf was not old and gray anymore; he was white, and more powerful then I had ever seen him.
And that sent shivers down my spine. The girl cuddled into my neck and started dozing. This little girl was a victim of Saruman and his quest to industrialize Middle Earth. Curse Saruman! He took the secure life away from this little girl and gave her chaos, something she didn't deserve. She whimpered softly and I cuddled her closer, the hatred for Saruman in my heart growing.
As we walked along, the elf shot to me a few sympathetic looks. When the dwarf was distracted by something the human male said, he stopped and waited for me to catch up. I tried not to notice as I kept walking, following Eowyn. He fell into step with me, and I shot him a shy glance.
"I am sorry for your pain, Lirimaer." His soft male voice whispered.
"It doesn't concern you." I said softly, disgusted with myself that I had let myself get so emotional. I wiped a tear angrily away, and sniffed slightly.
"But it does. You are one of my people. When my people hurt, it concerns me."
I shook my head slightly. "No, I'm not one of your people. I'm not one of anybody's people." I said angrily and crossed my arms.
"But I thought." he trailed off, obviously meaning my ears.
"I'm not an elf." I said curtly and continued walking, my pace quickening. "I'm not human, either."
"I'm sorry milady for upsetting you." He said, catching up with me effortlessly.
"You didn't upset me. It's just." I trailed off and stopped, staring out over the land of Rohan.
"What is it?" the elf asked curiously.
"I'm a half-elf. My mother was a human, and her name was Anatyne, and my father is an elf. But he is still unknown to me."
The elf beside me didn't say anything, but the look of understanding in his eyes was enough to keep me talking.
"Rohan is falling apart around me. Edoras is my home, and I don't want to see it fall." I explained to him desperately.
"I know how you feel. Mirkwood is my home; I would never wish to see it fall."
I gave him a side glance and saw that he was staring out over the plains of Rohan, just like I was a few seconds ago. I started to laugh. He turned back to me.
"What is making you laugh, Lirimaer?" the elf asked.
I shrugged and looked back out to the plains of Rohan. I was laughing because I was opening up to a complete stranger. But I never told him that. "I don't even know your name!"
"It is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood." He said, bowing his head slightly.
"A prince?" I asked, taken aback.
"Just in title. My father is King of Mirkwood, and will be until all our people pass to Valinor." he turned back towards me and smiled. "Then, Lirimaer, what is your name?"
"What does Lirimaer mean?" I asked, repeating the word slowly.
"It means lovely one. In Elvish." He explained, seeming to enjoy the blush that I was feeling creep up my cheeks.
"My name is Aralyn, servant to Lord Theoden and Lady Eowyn." I said quickly, to forget about my blush.
Legolas looked like he was about to say something about how lovely my name was when a dwarf's voice could be heard around the corner.
"Legolas! Hurry! There's food and drink inside for us!" The dwarf interrupted our introductions as he came barreling around the corner, searching for his elf friend. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me. "I'm sorry milady. I didn't mean to interrupt with my shouting."
I looked down, not used to conversing with a dwarf. "It's quite alright. Let me not hold you up any longer." She motioned with her head that Legolas should go with the dwarf. The dwarf looked so giddy at the mere mention of food. It must have been a long time since they've last eaten.
"Nice to meet you, Aralyn." Legolas said as the dwarf practically dragged him away.
I gave him a small wave and turned back around, surveying the lands of Rohan again. My heart ached at the thought of it decaying of its natural beauty if Saruman ever got his hands on it.
With my elven eyes I could see Gandalf and Theoden standing at Theodred's grave. Tears sprung to my eyes again as I remembered Theodred and how much we all loved him.
Something then caught my eye. A horse came staggering up over the hill just beyond the grave, with a tired looking boy and girl. The boy was barely holding on, then I saw him fall down to the ground in a heap. The little girl let out a wail and reached down to the boy, but her legs were too short and had gotten wedged into the stirrups.
I flew down the steps and through the town until I reached the outside gate. I flung it open and ran out into the hills of the land, looking for the horse and the two children.
Gandalf had gotten there first, and was helping the little boy up and trying to calm down the girl. I ran up beside them and smiled warmly at the girl, and picked her up off the horse. I carried her and shushed her, soothing the girl. The boy was rambling on about their village being attacked by orcs and how they had made this journey to sound the alarm to Gandalf. During the boy's speech Gandalf just looked pleadingly at Theoden, who turned and led us back to the palace. Holding the girl, I looked quizzingly at Gandalf. He was staring sadly at Theoden's back and didn't notice my glance. Or just didn't acknowledge it. I felt that he noticed everything around him and nothing slipped past him. This Gandalf was not old and gray anymore; he was white, and more powerful then I had ever seen him.
And that sent shivers down my spine. The girl cuddled into my neck and started dozing. This little girl was a victim of Saruman and his quest to industrialize Middle Earth. Curse Saruman! He took the secure life away from this little girl and gave her chaos, something she didn't deserve. She whimpered softly and I cuddled her closer, the hatred for Saruman in my heart growing.