Fear was the first word that came to Azurea's mind as she ran as fast as
her legs could carry her. A large gash from a dagger had colored her white
robe crimson. She wasn't sure of the extent of the damage, as the rest of
her body had gone numb. She staggered and though her legs ached and she was
in much pain, she knew she had to get away. The forest floor was covered in
obstacles, and though she was alert, Azurea didn't see the stone lying in
her path. She fell and lie there, motionless, praying for a miracle to come
her way. She sobbed softly as she ground her fingernails into the moist
earth.
Legolas had been enjoying his walk though the woods, taking in the beauty of the nature that surrounded him. The wind enveloped him and a soft smile spread across his face. It was his only alone time, the only time he could really allow the façade to crumble.
A soft whimper found its way to his Elven ears. He drew his dagger and silently followed the sound. It led him to a young woman, no older than 25, crumpled on the forest floor. He returned his dagger to its rightful place and kneeled down beside the woman.
His hand fell softly to her shoulder. "M'lady? Can you hear me?" Another whimper escaped her cracked lips.
Legolas' nimble hands gripped her shoulder softly and he slowly turned her onto her back, allowing him to survey the damage. There was a cut down the center of her lip and a particularly large wound above her brow. His arm grazed her side and a small screech was emitted from her feeble figure.
The Prince was startled by what he saw. A huge gash lie across her stomach. Blood covered the entire side of her body. This was the work of a sword or a dagger, no doubt.
Legolas quickly tore a piece of cloth from his tunic and pressed it softly onto the wound, knowing it wouldn't do much, yet hoping it would stop the blood flow a little. "We need to get you to a healer."
Azurea's vision was blurry and she couldn't make out who was hovered above her. She blinked several times but all she could decipher were blonde locks and blue eyes. "Who are you?" she managed to whisper quietly before her vision slowly blackened and the woods that surrounded her quieted.
Legolas watched as her eyes slowly fluttered closed. Praying that she wasn't dead, he touched his fingers to her chest. Thankfully, her heart was still beating and he knew there was still time to get her to the healer in Mirkwood. He picked her limp body up off the floor and started the walk towards his home.
When Azurea awoke, she found herself in a small room, decorated mostly with soft pink roses and white linens. She tried to pull herself up to better study her surroundings, but was met with a sharp pain.
"Ay, m'lady, you shouldn't be trying to move. Get some rest."
As she looked over to the owner of the voice, her eyes locked with those of a Dwarf. "What is your name?" he questioned softly.
She slowly brought her body back down to the bed. "Azurea," she answered feebly. Though she was in a complete daze, millions of questions flooded her mind. "Who are you? Are you the one who brought me here?"
"I am Gimli, son of Gloin. I, however, am not the one who brought you here. Legolas, son of King Thranduil, is the one you question of."
As if on cue, the slender frame of the Elf Legolas appeared in the doorway. He gracefully made his way over to the bed and sat at its edge. "How are you feeling?"
Azurea was completely taken aback by the beauty of the young Elf. She was surprised that she was able to find her voice. "Not well," she answered honestly.
A smirk crossed the Elf's lips. "Your wounds will take time to heal. I presume you to be bedridden for the next four days."
A sigh of resignation, and at the same time relief, escaped from her dry lips. "What happened to you out there?" Legolas asked softly.
She averted her eyes. "I do not wish to speak of it. Not now."
Legolas noticed that her eyes, though turned away from him, reflected great pain. He felt as though he were prodding and making her uncomfortable.
Azurea turned her eyes back up to his for a brief moment before he began to turn and walk away. "Wait."
"Yes?" he questioned as he faced her again.
"I owe you my life. If it weren't for you, Master Elf, I would have bled to death. Thank you for saving me and taking me in. I fear I will never be able to express my gratitude to you."
"You're welcome," he said, bowing his head ever so slightly. "I must be going. I shall check up on you again later, and I shall bring something for you to eat. You must regain your strength." And with that, he exited.
"He is quite a pretty one, is he not?" Gimli questioned in a joking manner.
"Master Dwarf!" Azurea exclaimed, blushing a bright crimson. She managed to emit a small laugh from high in her throat.
The seriousness returned to the Dwarf's face. "M'lady, you must get your rest. Legolas will wake you up later in the evening for some supper." He smiled softly at her and left her to her dreams.
Legolas had been enjoying his walk though the woods, taking in the beauty of the nature that surrounded him. The wind enveloped him and a soft smile spread across his face. It was his only alone time, the only time he could really allow the façade to crumble.
A soft whimper found its way to his Elven ears. He drew his dagger and silently followed the sound. It led him to a young woman, no older than 25, crumpled on the forest floor. He returned his dagger to its rightful place and kneeled down beside the woman.
His hand fell softly to her shoulder. "M'lady? Can you hear me?" Another whimper escaped her cracked lips.
Legolas' nimble hands gripped her shoulder softly and he slowly turned her onto her back, allowing him to survey the damage. There was a cut down the center of her lip and a particularly large wound above her brow. His arm grazed her side and a small screech was emitted from her feeble figure.
The Prince was startled by what he saw. A huge gash lie across her stomach. Blood covered the entire side of her body. This was the work of a sword or a dagger, no doubt.
Legolas quickly tore a piece of cloth from his tunic and pressed it softly onto the wound, knowing it wouldn't do much, yet hoping it would stop the blood flow a little. "We need to get you to a healer."
Azurea's vision was blurry and she couldn't make out who was hovered above her. She blinked several times but all she could decipher were blonde locks and blue eyes. "Who are you?" she managed to whisper quietly before her vision slowly blackened and the woods that surrounded her quieted.
Legolas watched as her eyes slowly fluttered closed. Praying that she wasn't dead, he touched his fingers to her chest. Thankfully, her heart was still beating and he knew there was still time to get her to the healer in Mirkwood. He picked her limp body up off the floor and started the walk towards his home.
When Azurea awoke, she found herself in a small room, decorated mostly with soft pink roses and white linens. She tried to pull herself up to better study her surroundings, but was met with a sharp pain.
"Ay, m'lady, you shouldn't be trying to move. Get some rest."
As she looked over to the owner of the voice, her eyes locked with those of a Dwarf. "What is your name?" he questioned softly.
She slowly brought her body back down to the bed. "Azurea," she answered feebly. Though she was in a complete daze, millions of questions flooded her mind. "Who are you? Are you the one who brought me here?"
"I am Gimli, son of Gloin. I, however, am not the one who brought you here. Legolas, son of King Thranduil, is the one you question of."
As if on cue, the slender frame of the Elf Legolas appeared in the doorway. He gracefully made his way over to the bed and sat at its edge. "How are you feeling?"
Azurea was completely taken aback by the beauty of the young Elf. She was surprised that she was able to find her voice. "Not well," she answered honestly.
A smirk crossed the Elf's lips. "Your wounds will take time to heal. I presume you to be bedridden for the next four days."
A sigh of resignation, and at the same time relief, escaped from her dry lips. "What happened to you out there?" Legolas asked softly.
She averted her eyes. "I do not wish to speak of it. Not now."
Legolas noticed that her eyes, though turned away from him, reflected great pain. He felt as though he were prodding and making her uncomfortable.
Azurea turned her eyes back up to his for a brief moment before he began to turn and walk away. "Wait."
"Yes?" he questioned as he faced her again.
"I owe you my life. If it weren't for you, Master Elf, I would have bled to death. Thank you for saving me and taking me in. I fear I will never be able to express my gratitude to you."
"You're welcome," he said, bowing his head ever so slightly. "I must be going. I shall check up on you again later, and I shall bring something for you to eat. You must regain your strength." And with that, he exited.
"He is quite a pretty one, is he not?" Gimli questioned in a joking manner.
"Master Dwarf!" Azurea exclaimed, blushing a bright crimson. She managed to emit a small laugh from high in her throat.
The seriousness returned to the Dwarf's face. "M'lady, you must get your rest. Legolas will wake you up later in the evening for some supper." He smiled softly at her and left her to her dreams.