Author's Note: Newness! Get it while it's...new...
Oh, and if anyone from the Academy reads this...
GIVE GOLLUM AN OSCAR, DAMN IT!!
Okay then...
Chapter Three-Decisions and Departures
Elenien just wanted to stay in her rooms and think about things the next morning, but this was the one morning on which she couldn't. The Council of Elrond was to be held today, and the entire reason for her visit to Rivendell was to be an observer at the Council and bring a full report back to Galadriel in Lorien. And she wasn't going to let herself start avoiding Legolas either. She was not going to start acting like a silly girl over what had happened between them.
When she reached the open hall where the Council was to be held, Legolas was already there. Elenien's breath caught in her throat for a second, but she forced her anxiety down and walked over to the empty seat next to him. "Good morning, Legolas."
He turned to face her fully, seeming glad to see her. "I want to apologize for what happened yesterday." he said before she could say anything. "I shouldn't have been so forward."
She smiled slightly and shook her head. "If either one of us was forward, I'm afraid it was me. And I should be apologizing for running off like that." He started to interrupt, but she held up a hand to stop him. "I like you, Legolas. I like you very, very much. And what happened yesterday...I enjoyed every second of it. But I've never allowed myself to feel so deeply for anyone, to get that...intimate with anyone so quickly, and, well, it unnerved me. I'm not sure about what I feel for you, and I don't want to rush into anything."
He smiled in relief and nodded. "I was afraid that I'd offended you...but I understand, and I agree with you." It simply wasn't fair for anyone to have eyes as beautiful as his. Looking into them, Elenien felt a sudden urge to kiss him again, but they were in public, and they had just agreed not to rush into anything. She contented herself with giving his hand a little squeeze before they both turned their attention to the rest of the assembled company.
........................................................................
"Are you sure you're sure about this?" Legolas nodded solemnly. "I've thought about everything-the risks we face, how small our chance of success is-and I want to go with Frodo and his companions. In a way, I feel as though I have to." "Because Gollum escaped from Mirkwood when your people were supposed to be guarding him?" "Partially. I was one of those who encouraged his guards to be kind to him, and that made it easier for him to escape. But there's more to it than simply that. Perhaps it's pride, but I feel as though I can be a great help to them-as though they're going to need me in some way." Elenien smiled slightly. "That isn't pride. You're a skilled warrior, Legolas, and your skills will be valuable on a quest such as this. And besides that, you're someone Aragorn knows and trusts." She looked away from him with a slight sigh. "Part of me wants to go with you." "Why don't you?" he asked. "I know I, for one, would be glad to have you with us." "For one thing, I need to return to Lorien to report to Lady Galadriel on what was discussed at the Council...but if you want to know what really holds me back? I've thought hard about it, and I honestly don't know if I could handle being close to Frodo, feeling the power of the Ring, for a long period of time. I don't know if I could resist the temptation to try and use it." Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "I think you could. You're strong-willed, Elenien...I could feel it from the moment we met." "Perhaps...but as much as I would like to go with you, I would rather not take the chance." "Then we part in the morning." Legolas rose from the bench they had been sitting on, walking out a little ways into the surrounding garden. "I wish we had had more time together." Elenien moved to stand beside him, slipping her hand into his. "We'll see each other again soon. I'm sure of it." "What makes you so sure?" he asked in a half-teasing, half-anxious tone. "I just...know. I get presentiments about things sometimes, and I'm rarely ever wrong. Look-" Unclasping the silver chain around her neck, Elenien took her mother's star pendent and, lifting Legolas's hand with her free one, pressed it into him palm. "This was my mother's. Give it back to me the next time we meet...that's how sure I am." He shook his head slightly and tried to hand the pendent back to her. "I can't take this..." "Take it." she replied firmly, closing his fingers around it. "I trust you to keep it safe."
........................................................................
They stayed together through the rest of the night, talking about anything that crossed their minds, as if it were their last night to spend with each other for a long time-despite Elenien's sureness that their parting would be short. In the morning, earlier than either of them wanted, they stood in the main courtyard of Rivendell with the rest of the "Fellowship of the Ring", as everyone had began to call Frodo and his companions, and several members of Elrond's household.
Elenien looked around at them all. Frodo and the other hobbits-Sam, and the two mischievous ones whose names she kept forgetting or mixing up-all looked sort of nervous and excited at the same time. Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, and the man from Gondor-Boromir, she remembered-all wore serious, determined looks, but she wouldn't be surprised if, deep inside, the Gondorian was thinking of all the old legends of heroic adventurers among his people, and feeling just as excited as the hobbits. Gandalf was watching all of them with the look of a fond uncle or grandfather, making him look deceptively like a normal old man as he leaned on his staff. As for Legolas, he looked serene, confident. He'd expressed some doubts and fears to Elenien the night before, but either he had put them away, or he wanted to appear confident for the benefit of his less strong companions.
During the last moments they had in which to speak together quietly, Elenien turned to Legolas and fingered the silver chain of the pendent, which was tucked into his tunic. "Think of me when you wear it." she said softly. He caught her hand in his for a moment. "I'll think of you all the time, whether I wear it or not."
As the Fellowship departed from Rivendell, Elenien watched them until they were out of sight. Legolas turned once, as if feeling her eye, and lifted a hand in farewell before dropping out of sight as he and his companions descended to the valley below.
........................................................................
A.N.: Debated the whole have-the-original-character-tag-along-with-the- Fellowship idea, but I decided that a) that's farther into the Fanfic Cliché Barrel than I care to dip and b) I'm too darn lazy to re-write that much of the story.
Yes, I stole the pendent thing from Arwen and Aragorn...no, I don't feel guilty for stealing it.
Oh, and if anyone from the Academy reads this...
GIVE GOLLUM AN OSCAR, DAMN IT!!
Okay then...
Chapter Three-Decisions and Departures
Elenien just wanted to stay in her rooms and think about things the next morning, but this was the one morning on which she couldn't. The Council of Elrond was to be held today, and the entire reason for her visit to Rivendell was to be an observer at the Council and bring a full report back to Galadriel in Lorien. And she wasn't going to let herself start avoiding Legolas either. She was not going to start acting like a silly girl over what had happened between them.
When she reached the open hall where the Council was to be held, Legolas was already there. Elenien's breath caught in her throat for a second, but she forced her anxiety down and walked over to the empty seat next to him. "Good morning, Legolas."
He turned to face her fully, seeming glad to see her. "I want to apologize for what happened yesterday." he said before she could say anything. "I shouldn't have been so forward."
She smiled slightly and shook her head. "If either one of us was forward, I'm afraid it was me. And I should be apologizing for running off like that." He started to interrupt, but she held up a hand to stop him. "I like you, Legolas. I like you very, very much. And what happened yesterday...I enjoyed every second of it. But I've never allowed myself to feel so deeply for anyone, to get that...intimate with anyone so quickly, and, well, it unnerved me. I'm not sure about what I feel for you, and I don't want to rush into anything."
He smiled in relief and nodded. "I was afraid that I'd offended you...but I understand, and I agree with you." It simply wasn't fair for anyone to have eyes as beautiful as his. Looking into them, Elenien felt a sudden urge to kiss him again, but they were in public, and they had just agreed not to rush into anything. She contented herself with giving his hand a little squeeze before they both turned their attention to the rest of the assembled company.
........................................................................
"Are you sure you're sure about this?" Legolas nodded solemnly. "I've thought about everything-the risks we face, how small our chance of success is-and I want to go with Frodo and his companions. In a way, I feel as though I have to." "Because Gollum escaped from Mirkwood when your people were supposed to be guarding him?" "Partially. I was one of those who encouraged his guards to be kind to him, and that made it easier for him to escape. But there's more to it than simply that. Perhaps it's pride, but I feel as though I can be a great help to them-as though they're going to need me in some way." Elenien smiled slightly. "That isn't pride. You're a skilled warrior, Legolas, and your skills will be valuable on a quest such as this. And besides that, you're someone Aragorn knows and trusts." She looked away from him with a slight sigh. "Part of me wants to go with you." "Why don't you?" he asked. "I know I, for one, would be glad to have you with us." "For one thing, I need to return to Lorien to report to Lady Galadriel on what was discussed at the Council...but if you want to know what really holds me back? I've thought hard about it, and I honestly don't know if I could handle being close to Frodo, feeling the power of the Ring, for a long period of time. I don't know if I could resist the temptation to try and use it." Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "I think you could. You're strong-willed, Elenien...I could feel it from the moment we met." "Perhaps...but as much as I would like to go with you, I would rather not take the chance." "Then we part in the morning." Legolas rose from the bench they had been sitting on, walking out a little ways into the surrounding garden. "I wish we had had more time together." Elenien moved to stand beside him, slipping her hand into his. "We'll see each other again soon. I'm sure of it." "What makes you so sure?" he asked in a half-teasing, half-anxious tone. "I just...know. I get presentiments about things sometimes, and I'm rarely ever wrong. Look-" Unclasping the silver chain around her neck, Elenien took her mother's star pendent and, lifting Legolas's hand with her free one, pressed it into him palm. "This was my mother's. Give it back to me the next time we meet...that's how sure I am." He shook his head slightly and tried to hand the pendent back to her. "I can't take this..." "Take it." she replied firmly, closing his fingers around it. "I trust you to keep it safe."
........................................................................
They stayed together through the rest of the night, talking about anything that crossed their minds, as if it were their last night to spend with each other for a long time-despite Elenien's sureness that their parting would be short. In the morning, earlier than either of them wanted, they stood in the main courtyard of Rivendell with the rest of the "Fellowship of the Ring", as everyone had began to call Frodo and his companions, and several members of Elrond's household.
Elenien looked around at them all. Frodo and the other hobbits-Sam, and the two mischievous ones whose names she kept forgetting or mixing up-all looked sort of nervous and excited at the same time. Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, and the man from Gondor-Boromir, she remembered-all wore serious, determined looks, but she wouldn't be surprised if, deep inside, the Gondorian was thinking of all the old legends of heroic adventurers among his people, and feeling just as excited as the hobbits. Gandalf was watching all of them with the look of a fond uncle or grandfather, making him look deceptively like a normal old man as he leaned on his staff. As for Legolas, he looked serene, confident. He'd expressed some doubts and fears to Elenien the night before, but either he had put them away, or he wanted to appear confident for the benefit of his less strong companions.
During the last moments they had in which to speak together quietly, Elenien turned to Legolas and fingered the silver chain of the pendent, which was tucked into his tunic. "Think of me when you wear it." she said softly. He caught her hand in his for a moment. "I'll think of you all the time, whether I wear it or not."
As the Fellowship departed from Rivendell, Elenien watched them until they were out of sight. Legolas turned once, as if feeling her eye, and lifted a hand in farewell before dropping out of sight as he and his companions descended to the valley below.
........................................................................
A.N.: Debated the whole have-the-original-character-tag-along-with-the- Fellowship idea, but I decided that a) that's farther into the Fanfic Cliché Barrel than I care to dip and b) I'm too darn lazy to re-write that much of the story.
Yes, I stole the pendent thing from Arwen and Aragorn...no, I don't feel guilty for stealing it.