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!
Packing my bag, I surveyed the room that had been my home ever since my mother died. It had a cold sense to it, a feeling that nobody really lived in it. Which was true. I never truly lived in my room; I lived in the city of Edoras itself. I finished packing my few belongings and changed into a more practical dress, one made for traveling. I pulled back my hair into a bun at the base of my neck, and my ears showed freely. I was not shy of them in the solitude of my room.
Placing my bag on the bed, my attention turned to my belt lying next to it. The belt held my long knives, and I studied them for a while, pondering my past. I then picked it up and put it on, feeling complete with my weapons at my side. I heard footsteps outside the door and I spun around.
"Eowyn said I'd find you in here." Legolas said, stepping into the room. "I was wondering if you needed any help."
"No, I can do this by myself." I said, exasperated that he thought I needed help. "I'm not helpless Legolas, I can take care of myself."
He looked a little sheepish. "I can tell that about you milady. It was just that nobody else needed my help either. I am used to being needed."
"Well, I'm done in here." I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Milady, can I ask you a question?" he asked, a shadow falling over his eyes.
"Yes, you may. And please, call me Aralyn." I said, surveying his face.
"Lady Aralyn, what did Lord Aragorn mean by that Helm's Deep is a trap?"
I sighed and sank unto the bed. "It is a trap. Helm's Deep is built into the side of a mountain. If we go there we will be well protected, but if we get trapped there it could be our hell."
Legolas sat down beside me. "And Saruman realizes that Theoden knows Edoras is vulnerable, and that he will head for Helms Deep." He filled in the rest of the story.
"You catch on quick." I said sadly, feeling trapped. "I know what our city needs, but I cannot argue with the King."
"Just do as much as you can." Legolas tried to comfort me.
"We can defend our city of Edoras, but we cannot fight a war. Not without Eomer and the Riders of Rohan."
"I saw them on my way here. They were headed north." Legolas offered.
I sighed angrily. "They must be leagues away now."
Legolas rested his hand on mine, to soothe me. "Rohan will survive. I do not foresee it's crumble."
I looked down at his hand then up into his eyes. "If only I can truly believe that in my heart." I looked back down as a tear dropped from my eye. "I feel so helpless, and I hate that feeling."
Legolas seemed to know that words could not console me any longer. He took me into his arms as I cried softly, pondering the helpless feeling I had. He stroked my hair gently and rocked me, and whispered softly into my ear.
"Legolas?" I whispered as the tear flow slowed.
"Yes?" he asked, leaning towards me.
"Thank you."
"Lle creoso." He replied, kissing the top of my head.
"Elvish must be a beautiful language." I commented, slowly leaving Legolas's comforting embrace. It was nice to be consoled by him, but I must find strength in myself.
"It's alright, Lirimaer." He said, with quiet understanding in his eyes. "It is alright to trust your feelings with someone else."
"That's not what my mother told me." I said defensively.
"Have you ever stopped to think that your mother might not be always right?" Legolas asked. "I do not want to upset you, Aralyn, but it is hard to become close friends with someone who relies on herself for everything."
"I'm sorry Legolas, it's a new concept to me."
"Elves are very open and caring with each other. We all rely on each other." Legolas explained gently.
"Why me? Why do you want to become so close with me? You just met me." I argued, closing up again.
"Because I felt as if I've met you before. You seem so familiar to me. I have a feeling." He said, stepping closer to me. The air between us seemed almost electrified.
"Should I trust elvish intuition?" I asked, staring up into his eyes.
"You are half elf. Do you trust your feelings?" He asked rhetorically.
"Yes, I do." I said, and he reached up to cup my cheek.
"What does your intuition say about me?" He asked me softly.
"You would protect me with your life." I said softly, repeating what the little voice inside my head was saying.
"Exactly, Lirimaer." He smiled and caressed my cheek with his thumb. "You are special to me."
"We should go now." I said, stepping away from him and breaking the tension that hung in the air between us. "They are probably ready to go now."
He looked at me with a tender look and smiled. He picked up my bag for me and slung it over his shoulder.
"You don't need to do that." I said.
"Oh, anything for milady." He smiled at me. "What are those?" he asked, peering at my belt.
"They are my long knives." I answered him, turning to face him.
"May I see them?" He asked, his eyes peeked with interest.
"Of course you may." I said, pulling one out with my free hand and handing it to him. He gazed at them slowly.
"They are Lothlorien made. This wasn't a Mirkwood or Rivendell elf who made these." He said slowly, studying the etchings and marks on them. "Look, there's elvish carved into it." He exclaimed.
"What does it say?" I asked, instantly interested.
"Cormamin niuve tenna ta elea lle au." He read out loud. "My heart shall weep until it sees thee again."
Tears stung at my eyes again. "Really? It does?" I asked, emotions flooding over me. "My father gave those to my mother when he had to leave to be with his people. He must have carved that in." In a way, I felt that the message was also extended to me, his daughter.
"Where is your mother?" Legolas asked softly, handing the long knife back to me.
"She's dead. She died when I was young. Of a sickness I couldn't understand." I explained, staring at the long knife. I had never doubted my father's love, but with this knife it was confirmed.
"I'm sorry my Lirimaer." He whispered, using his chosen nickname for me, 'lovely one.' He took my hand and squeezed it, for comfort.
"It's alright." I said, grinning up at him. At that moment a horn could be heard outside the palace walls. "Sounds like its time for us to leave." I observed and left the room, with Legolas right behind me.
My heart shall weep until it sees thee again. A warm feeling grew in me as I thought of my father's love. Legolas put a hand on my shoulder, feeling the warmth grow in me. I looked back and gave him a joyful grin as we both shared that feeling together. It must be an elf thing.
Packing my bag, I surveyed the room that had been my home ever since my mother died. It had a cold sense to it, a feeling that nobody really lived in it. Which was true. I never truly lived in my room; I lived in the city of Edoras itself. I finished packing my few belongings and changed into a more practical dress, one made for traveling. I pulled back my hair into a bun at the base of my neck, and my ears showed freely. I was not shy of them in the solitude of my room.
Placing my bag on the bed, my attention turned to my belt lying next to it. The belt held my long knives, and I studied them for a while, pondering my past. I then picked it up and put it on, feeling complete with my weapons at my side. I heard footsteps outside the door and I spun around.
"Eowyn said I'd find you in here." Legolas said, stepping into the room. "I was wondering if you needed any help."
"No, I can do this by myself." I said, exasperated that he thought I needed help. "I'm not helpless Legolas, I can take care of myself."
He looked a little sheepish. "I can tell that about you milady. It was just that nobody else needed my help either. I am used to being needed."
"Well, I'm done in here." I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Milady, can I ask you a question?" he asked, a shadow falling over his eyes.
"Yes, you may. And please, call me Aralyn." I said, surveying his face.
"Lady Aralyn, what did Lord Aragorn mean by that Helm's Deep is a trap?"
I sighed and sank unto the bed. "It is a trap. Helm's Deep is built into the side of a mountain. If we go there we will be well protected, but if we get trapped there it could be our hell."
Legolas sat down beside me. "And Saruman realizes that Theoden knows Edoras is vulnerable, and that he will head for Helms Deep." He filled in the rest of the story.
"You catch on quick." I said sadly, feeling trapped. "I know what our city needs, but I cannot argue with the King."
"Just do as much as you can." Legolas tried to comfort me.
"We can defend our city of Edoras, but we cannot fight a war. Not without Eomer and the Riders of Rohan."
"I saw them on my way here. They were headed north." Legolas offered.
I sighed angrily. "They must be leagues away now."
Legolas rested his hand on mine, to soothe me. "Rohan will survive. I do not foresee it's crumble."
I looked down at his hand then up into his eyes. "If only I can truly believe that in my heart." I looked back down as a tear dropped from my eye. "I feel so helpless, and I hate that feeling."
Legolas seemed to know that words could not console me any longer. He took me into his arms as I cried softly, pondering the helpless feeling I had. He stroked my hair gently and rocked me, and whispered softly into my ear.
"Legolas?" I whispered as the tear flow slowed.
"Yes?" he asked, leaning towards me.
"Thank you."
"Lle creoso." He replied, kissing the top of my head.
"Elvish must be a beautiful language." I commented, slowly leaving Legolas's comforting embrace. It was nice to be consoled by him, but I must find strength in myself.
"It's alright, Lirimaer." He said, with quiet understanding in his eyes. "It is alright to trust your feelings with someone else."
"That's not what my mother told me." I said defensively.
"Have you ever stopped to think that your mother might not be always right?" Legolas asked. "I do not want to upset you, Aralyn, but it is hard to become close friends with someone who relies on herself for everything."
"I'm sorry Legolas, it's a new concept to me."
"Elves are very open and caring with each other. We all rely on each other." Legolas explained gently.
"Why me? Why do you want to become so close with me? You just met me." I argued, closing up again.
"Because I felt as if I've met you before. You seem so familiar to me. I have a feeling." He said, stepping closer to me. The air between us seemed almost electrified.
"Should I trust elvish intuition?" I asked, staring up into his eyes.
"You are half elf. Do you trust your feelings?" He asked rhetorically.
"Yes, I do." I said, and he reached up to cup my cheek.
"What does your intuition say about me?" He asked me softly.
"You would protect me with your life." I said softly, repeating what the little voice inside my head was saying.
"Exactly, Lirimaer." He smiled and caressed my cheek with his thumb. "You are special to me."
"We should go now." I said, stepping away from him and breaking the tension that hung in the air between us. "They are probably ready to go now."
He looked at me with a tender look and smiled. He picked up my bag for me and slung it over his shoulder.
"You don't need to do that." I said.
"Oh, anything for milady." He smiled at me. "What are those?" he asked, peering at my belt.
"They are my long knives." I answered him, turning to face him.
"May I see them?" He asked, his eyes peeked with interest.
"Of course you may." I said, pulling one out with my free hand and handing it to him. He gazed at them slowly.
"They are Lothlorien made. This wasn't a Mirkwood or Rivendell elf who made these." He said slowly, studying the etchings and marks on them. "Look, there's elvish carved into it." He exclaimed.
"What does it say?" I asked, instantly interested.
"Cormamin niuve tenna ta elea lle au." He read out loud. "My heart shall weep until it sees thee again."
Tears stung at my eyes again. "Really? It does?" I asked, emotions flooding over me. "My father gave those to my mother when he had to leave to be with his people. He must have carved that in." In a way, I felt that the message was also extended to me, his daughter.
"Where is your mother?" Legolas asked softly, handing the long knife back to me.
"She's dead. She died when I was young. Of a sickness I couldn't understand." I explained, staring at the long knife. I had never doubted my father's love, but with this knife it was confirmed.
"I'm sorry my Lirimaer." He whispered, using his chosen nickname for me, 'lovely one.' He took my hand and squeezed it, for comfort.
"It's alright." I said, grinning up at him. At that moment a horn could be heard outside the palace walls. "Sounds like its time for us to leave." I observed and left the room, with Legolas right behind me.
My heart shall weep until it sees thee again. A warm feeling grew in me as I thought of my father's love. Legolas put a hand on my shoulder, feeling the warmth grow in me. I looked back and gave him a joyful grin as we both shared that feeling together. It must be an elf thing.