Legolas woke late the next morning. At first, he did not quite remember why he was in Rivendell so soon, but then he recalled the maiden. He jumped from his cot, yanking on his clothing from the previous night, flew out the door, and tore down the hall. 'Why am I so anxious to see that girl again?' he thought as he ran. His mind being else where and he not paying much attention to his surroundings, he promptly slammed into an Elf going in the opposite direction. They both fell backwards onto the floor. Rubbing his head, Legolas' mutters of apologies were smothered by a happy squeal.
"Legolas!"
He looked up, confused, and saw his old friend, Arwen, daughter of Elrond.
"Arwen! Good Valar! How long has it been?"
"Too long!" replied Arwen, grabbing Legolas' long hand, "Come! Father sent me to fetch you! Apparently some girl has recovered or something, I don't know, he didn't tell me what's happening! What's going on Legolas?"
"I'll tell you on the way." he answered, following Arwen. After several minutes of walking and story telling, they were almost at the House of Healing. Arwen had remained silent for Legolas' story, and now, with knitted brow, was repeating the details to herself.
"Legolas," she whispered jerking his sleeve, "what did this girl look like?"
"I don't really know, there wasn't a lot of light for me to see her by," he responded. By now they had reached their destination, and were hovering uncertainly outside the entrance. Surprising both of them, Elrond, opened the door, smiling.
"You can come in you know. You needn't have to look through the door," he teased.
Legolas looked sheepish, while Arwen grinned.
"Do you recognize her father?" whispered Arwen as the entered the dim room.
"No, but perhaps you will." replied Elrond. Meanwhile, Legolas lingered in the door way, uncertain if he really did want to see the girl. What if she was in horrible shape? What if, because he had declined to shoot for all that time, she was scarred for life? These thoughts haunted his mind as he slowly ambled up to the bed beside Elrond and Arwen. He felt relieved when he saw the maiden sleeping soundly. He was taking his first opportunity to take in what he looked like. She was an Elf, for he now saw the delicate points on her ears. She had dark brown, almost copper-colored, hair, a sheen he had never seen on an Elf before. She had been cleaned up slightly, but marks and slashes still lingered on her pale face and arms. Legolas' thoughts were cut short by a gasp from Arwen.
"Father! This is Lalwendë!"
Elrond turned to his daughter sharply.
"Are you sure?" he hissed, grey eyes fixed on the sleeping girl in front of him.
"Look at her necklace!"
Legolas bent forward, curious who Lalwendë was. Both Elrond and Arwen were silently observing the necklace that, the previous night, had been hidden under the collar of the maiden's dress. Now, a thin, silver chain was visible, strung with six small beads, three neatly positioned on each side of an elegant charm at the tip. The charm was what fascinated Legolas. It was a small leaf, exquisitely made out of silver, and with a little jewel, green in hue and probably a precious stone, in the center.
Suddenly, the girl stirred, opening her large eyes. She seemed rather confused at her surroundings, and promptly jumped when she saw the three Elves bending over her. But the fright and puzzlement left her face when her eyes fell on Arwen.
"Ar-Arwen?"
The girl's empty face burst into a smile. Legolas was stunned. Only moments ago, the girl's eyes had been a dark brown, almost black they were so dark. But now, they gleamed a greenish-greyish-brownish color. He had never seen a hue such as that! Her eyes seemed to be changing color as the light shone on her now pleasant face.
"Legolas, come 'ere!"
He felt himself being dragged over to the bed side. The maiden looked up, innocently puzzled.
"This, Lalwen," stated Arwen proudly, "is Legolas. He found you last night, and brought you here!"
The girl seemed rather abashed. She looked down at her bed coverings and mumbled,
"Thank you,"
"Oh, come now, Lalwen! He won't bite!" cried Arwen, wrenching her friend's head up to look at Legolas'. Lalwendë grinned.
"Er, hello!" she giggled.
"Hello!" responded Legolas, laughing at Lalwen's blushing smile.
It is good to see you again, hinya [1]," declared Elrond, "but I'm afraid I must be going. Other guests are arriving for the Council."
Lalwen nodding, beaming up at the Elf Lord like a father. He turned and left the room.
"So, Lalwen," started Legolas conversationally, "where are you from?"
An odd flicker shot through Lalwen's eyes. They hovered on Arwen for a moment, who wasn't watching her as Legolas was, before they returned to him
"Er...Lothlorien," she replied. Arwen turned her head.
"Lal," she stated, confused, "I thought you were from Mirkwood!"
Lalwen blushed, looking down again.
"Oh yah," she mumbled, "It's been so long, I'd forgotten!"
After an awkward silence, Arwen laughed.
"Oh you!" she declared, hugging her friend. But Legolas couldn't help but notice a partly relieved, partly guilty, partly secretive look on Lalwen's face.
"Legolas!"
He looked up, confused, and saw his old friend, Arwen, daughter of Elrond.
"Arwen! Good Valar! How long has it been?"
"Too long!" replied Arwen, grabbing Legolas' long hand, "Come! Father sent me to fetch you! Apparently some girl has recovered or something, I don't know, he didn't tell me what's happening! What's going on Legolas?"
"I'll tell you on the way." he answered, following Arwen. After several minutes of walking and story telling, they were almost at the House of Healing. Arwen had remained silent for Legolas' story, and now, with knitted brow, was repeating the details to herself.
"Legolas," she whispered jerking his sleeve, "what did this girl look like?"
"I don't really know, there wasn't a lot of light for me to see her by," he responded. By now they had reached their destination, and were hovering uncertainly outside the entrance. Surprising both of them, Elrond, opened the door, smiling.
"You can come in you know. You needn't have to look through the door," he teased.
Legolas looked sheepish, while Arwen grinned.
"Do you recognize her father?" whispered Arwen as the entered the dim room.
"No, but perhaps you will." replied Elrond. Meanwhile, Legolas lingered in the door way, uncertain if he really did want to see the girl. What if she was in horrible shape? What if, because he had declined to shoot for all that time, she was scarred for life? These thoughts haunted his mind as he slowly ambled up to the bed beside Elrond and Arwen. He felt relieved when he saw the maiden sleeping soundly. He was taking his first opportunity to take in what he looked like. She was an Elf, for he now saw the delicate points on her ears. She had dark brown, almost copper-colored, hair, a sheen he had never seen on an Elf before. She had been cleaned up slightly, but marks and slashes still lingered on her pale face and arms. Legolas' thoughts were cut short by a gasp from Arwen.
"Father! This is Lalwendë!"
Elrond turned to his daughter sharply.
"Are you sure?" he hissed, grey eyes fixed on the sleeping girl in front of him.
"Look at her necklace!"
Legolas bent forward, curious who Lalwendë was. Both Elrond and Arwen were silently observing the necklace that, the previous night, had been hidden under the collar of the maiden's dress. Now, a thin, silver chain was visible, strung with six small beads, three neatly positioned on each side of an elegant charm at the tip. The charm was what fascinated Legolas. It was a small leaf, exquisitely made out of silver, and with a little jewel, green in hue and probably a precious stone, in the center.
Suddenly, the girl stirred, opening her large eyes. She seemed rather confused at her surroundings, and promptly jumped when she saw the three Elves bending over her. But the fright and puzzlement left her face when her eyes fell on Arwen.
"Ar-Arwen?"
The girl's empty face burst into a smile. Legolas was stunned. Only moments ago, the girl's eyes had been a dark brown, almost black they were so dark. But now, they gleamed a greenish-greyish-brownish color. He had never seen a hue such as that! Her eyes seemed to be changing color as the light shone on her now pleasant face.
"Legolas, come 'ere!"
He felt himself being dragged over to the bed side. The maiden looked up, innocently puzzled.
"This, Lalwen," stated Arwen proudly, "is Legolas. He found you last night, and brought you here!"
The girl seemed rather abashed. She looked down at her bed coverings and mumbled,
"Thank you,"
"Oh, come now, Lalwen! He won't bite!" cried Arwen, wrenching her friend's head up to look at Legolas'. Lalwendë grinned.
"Er, hello!" she giggled.
"Hello!" responded Legolas, laughing at Lalwen's blushing smile.
It is good to see you again, hinya [1]," declared Elrond, "but I'm afraid I must be going. Other guests are arriving for the Council."
Lalwen nodding, beaming up at the Elf Lord like a father. He turned and left the room.
"So, Lalwen," started Legolas conversationally, "where are you from?"
An odd flicker shot through Lalwen's eyes. They hovered on Arwen for a moment, who wasn't watching her as Legolas was, before they returned to him
"Er...Lothlorien," she replied. Arwen turned her head.
"Lal," she stated, confused, "I thought you were from Mirkwood!"
Lalwen blushed, looking down again.
"Oh yah," she mumbled, "It's been so long, I'd forgotten!"
After an awkward silence, Arwen laughed.
"Oh you!" she declared, hugging her friend. But Legolas couldn't help but notice a partly relieved, partly guilty, partly secretive look on Lalwen's face.