Legolas sat in the old tree house in silence. What was he *doing*? He
loved Arwen, yes. But he didn't *love* her. Or did he? His feelings were so
mixed up. He hadn't seen Arwen for almost a year. If not longer. He
clutched his knees to his chest. He felt like he was eight years old again.
When he first set eyes on Arwen. He listened to the sounds of the woodland
around him. The soft whispers of the trees and the distant calls of the
birds. He felt like time slowed down to a crawl. Maybe even stop. A light
breeze ruffled his long hair. He wished more than anything that he could
talk to Arwen about all of this. But he felt a heave in his heart when he
thought about her. What would he say to her? How would he approach her? All
these questions. Where were the answers?
Arwen sat in a stunned silence for several minutes. She blinked suddenly and realised she could hear her father's calls from somewhere near the palace. She mounted her horse and trotted slowly onto the road. She searched it with her quick Elvin eyes, but Legolas was no where to be seen. She tried to put him to the back of her mind. She rode to her father who did *not* look pleased.
"Arwen. Where have you been?" he asked simply.
"I took the wrong path." She lied quickly. "I know these woods well, but I was going to fast-"she paused. "I was greatly looking forward to arriving here." She took a deep breath. "I was looking forward t-to seeing Legolas"
"Ooh" Arwen's brothers taunted, blowing mock kisses at her. She simply ignored them and smiled briefly.
"Yes. Very well." nodded Elrond. He didn't seem to believe her. But it *was* sort of true. He shook his head.
Thranduil smiled at Arwen. "My son is in his room." He glanced up at the window. "Or was. He locked me out. As always. I dare say he is not in there still." He breathed and muttered something to Elrond. He said it so quietly that Arwen only picked up "behaviour for a prince".
Thranduil and Elrond began a conversation in Westron. Normally Arwen would have listened intently, but she couldn't be bothered to think. Her head was spinning. She needed a walk. She slid away from the king and her father quickly and walked off into the forest. She followed the path so far and then turned off through some trees. She was on her way to the tree house. She was not in search of Legolas. Quite the opposite. She was trying to get as far away from them all as possible. She did not feel like talking to anybody at the moment. Her head was still spinning, she was almost there. Almost to the tree. But she didn't make it. She collapsed on the ground with a delicate thud. A thud that a certain Prince heard immediately.
Legolas sprung from the tree and landed on his feet like a cat. He saw her lying on the ground. He frowned. Just who he *didn't* want to talk to. The Prince picked her up and carried her into a clearing just near where she had collapsed. He lay her down and sat against an old gnarled tree. It seemed an age before she awoke. Legolas was half happy, half nervous that she had stirred. He simply sat and watched her wake up. She looked around dreamily.
"Wh-where. Wh-what happ-" she broke off when she saw Legolas. Her gaze fell to her feet which she shifted nervously. "What happened?" she asked, not lifting her head.
Legolas smiled. "You collapsed."
"I know that. But-" she looked around the small clearing. "How did I get here?"
"I carried you." He rose to his feet. He reached behind him and un strapped his bow. "In my eyes I had two choices," he explained as he knocked an arrow and adjusted it in his bow slowly. "I could leave you there for your brothers to jeer at. Or," he paused as he shot directly into a log which lay on the ground at Arwen's feet. She felt her heart jump. Legolas continued. "Or I could bring you here. Did I make the right choice?" he asked pulling the arrow from the log.
"Yes. Well. No. You should have just..just left me be." She stood too and brushed down her dress. "My brothers did not know I was gone."
Legolas gazed out of the clearing. Arwen followed his gaze and saw her brothers scampering off. He strapped his bow back on. "They followed you. They wanted to know as much as I, why you ran off from the palace for no reason."
"You know very well why I left." She hissed. Not rudely. But directly. "I needed to be alone to think."
Legolas nodded as if he agreed. "Your plan didn't work did it?" he smirked. He walked towards her. He placed his hand on her forehead for a second and brought it back down for her to see. It was dappled with blood. "You have a nasty cut. Maybe even a concussion. You should go back to the palace. The nurses will care for your wound and give you a bed."
Arwen stepped back. "No." she said folding her arms. "I won't go."
"Of course you won't." Legolas moved quickly towards her and flung her over his shoulder and carried her away towards the palace. Arwen made a moan of disagreement and fell silent. She lay still. She knew very well there was no point in fighting him. When she was only fifteen, she fell whilst racing Legolas and her brothers across Rivendell. She sprained her ankle and couldn't walk. Of course she refused being carried to the aid of a nurse, but Legolas was much stronger and swept her off her feet and carried her away. She had tried to fight then. In vain.
Legolas left Arwen in the care of the palace nurses. He knew she was in good hands there. He looked back at her lying on the bed. There eyes met for a moment but her tore away from her glance. They were not meant for each other. They were meant to be there for each other. They both knew that. But Legolas silently felt that he didnt just want to be friends anymore.
Arwen sat in a stunned silence for several minutes. She blinked suddenly and realised she could hear her father's calls from somewhere near the palace. She mounted her horse and trotted slowly onto the road. She searched it with her quick Elvin eyes, but Legolas was no where to be seen. She tried to put him to the back of her mind. She rode to her father who did *not* look pleased.
"Arwen. Where have you been?" he asked simply.
"I took the wrong path." She lied quickly. "I know these woods well, but I was going to fast-"she paused. "I was greatly looking forward to arriving here." She took a deep breath. "I was looking forward t-to seeing Legolas"
"Ooh" Arwen's brothers taunted, blowing mock kisses at her. She simply ignored them and smiled briefly.
"Yes. Very well." nodded Elrond. He didn't seem to believe her. But it *was* sort of true. He shook his head.
Thranduil smiled at Arwen. "My son is in his room." He glanced up at the window. "Or was. He locked me out. As always. I dare say he is not in there still." He breathed and muttered something to Elrond. He said it so quietly that Arwen only picked up "behaviour for a prince".
Thranduil and Elrond began a conversation in Westron. Normally Arwen would have listened intently, but she couldn't be bothered to think. Her head was spinning. She needed a walk. She slid away from the king and her father quickly and walked off into the forest. She followed the path so far and then turned off through some trees. She was on her way to the tree house. She was not in search of Legolas. Quite the opposite. She was trying to get as far away from them all as possible. She did not feel like talking to anybody at the moment. Her head was still spinning, she was almost there. Almost to the tree. But she didn't make it. She collapsed on the ground with a delicate thud. A thud that a certain Prince heard immediately.
Legolas sprung from the tree and landed on his feet like a cat. He saw her lying on the ground. He frowned. Just who he *didn't* want to talk to. The Prince picked her up and carried her into a clearing just near where she had collapsed. He lay her down and sat against an old gnarled tree. It seemed an age before she awoke. Legolas was half happy, half nervous that she had stirred. He simply sat and watched her wake up. She looked around dreamily.
"Wh-where. Wh-what happ-" she broke off when she saw Legolas. Her gaze fell to her feet which she shifted nervously. "What happened?" she asked, not lifting her head.
Legolas smiled. "You collapsed."
"I know that. But-" she looked around the small clearing. "How did I get here?"
"I carried you." He rose to his feet. He reached behind him and un strapped his bow. "In my eyes I had two choices," he explained as he knocked an arrow and adjusted it in his bow slowly. "I could leave you there for your brothers to jeer at. Or," he paused as he shot directly into a log which lay on the ground at Arwen's feet. She felt her heart jump. Legolas continued. "Or I could bring you here. Did I make the right choice?" he asked pulling the arrow from the log.
"Yes. Well. No. You should have just..just left me be." She stood too and brushed down her dress. "My brothers did not know I was gone."
Legolas gazed out of the clearing. Arwen followed his gaze and saw her brothers scampering off. He strapped his bow back on. "They followed you. They wanted to know as much as I, why you ran off from the palace for no reason."
"You know very well why I left." She hissed. Not rudely. But directly. "I needed to be alone to think."
Legolas nodded as if he agreed. "Your plan didn't work did it?" he smirked. He walked towards her. He placed his hand on her forehead for a second and brought it back down for her to see. It was dappled with blood. "You have a nasty cut. Maybe even a concussion. You should go back to the palace. The nurses will care for your wound and give you a bed."
Arwen stepped back. "No." she said folding her arms. "I won't go."
"Of course you won't." Legolas moved quickly towards her and flung her over his shoulder and carried her away towards the palace. Arwen made a moan of disagreement and fell silent. She lay still. She knew very well there was no point in fighting him. When she was only fifteen, she fell whilst racing Legolas and her brothers across Rivendell. She sprained her ankle and couldn't walk. Of course she refused being carried to the aid of a nurse, but Legolas was much stronger and swept her off her feet and carried her away. She had tried to fight then. In vain.
Legolas left Arwen in the care of the palace nurses. He knew she was in good hands there. He looked back at her lying on the bed. There eyes met for a moment but her tore away from her glance. They were not meant for each other. They were meant to be there for each other. They both knew that. But Legolas silently felt that he didnt just want to be friends anymore.