AN: Hiya! I'm supposed to wait until next week to post this, but I couldn't wait! Hm… does the romance seem like it's going too quickly? I didn't think so… I didn't think there was any romance yet, actually. Hopefully, after this chapter, you'll forgive me! ^_~ Anywhoo, the cordof tree is similar to the apple tree… sorry but I couldn't find any Sindarin words for the pear.
The characters of Lord of the Rings belongeth not to me.
Chapter 4: Cordof
Auruin ran easily through the trees giggling with laughter. The sun overhead glittered brightly in the sky. Suddenly, the trees ended and she found herself walking up a steep hill. As she approached the top, she noticed that the grass began to darken. She could see the sky above her, no longer bright and happy, but black and thundering. A crackle of electricity shot down and struck the ground before her and as it flashed out of sight, a large, looming orc stood over her. She fell to her knees and cowered away only to be stopped by something—a tree… she had backed up into a tree. She was a child again, in the middle of the forest. Turning away, she cradled herself and prepared for the blow.
But it never came…
Gentle fingers caressed her shoulder before pulling her into a deep, comforting embrace. It was the one who had saved her that night long ago. He was here again… caring for her. He held her kindly in his arms as she sobbed. Here, she always felt safest. "You will be all right," he said and she knew she would.
* * *
Auruin awoke slowly. She could barely remember her dream except for the elven boy… and the euphoric feeling that still hung around her. She hugged the vague memories closely to herself and then sitting up in her bed, yawned and stretched lazily thrusting a fist into the air. She was startled when her hand came into contact with something solid. Puzzled, she fumbled around but, finding nothing, she rolled out of bed to dress. Her feet met a large, groaning lump and she found herself tumbling to the hard floor. The assailant scrambled up and apologized profusely.
"Legolas?" she asked as he helped her to her feet, "What are you doing here!"
"Your mother kindly allowed me entrance… I took the liberty to rouse you from your slumber. I thought you had heard me…" he finished, rubbing his jaw. "It is nearly noon, we should leave soon."
Auruin nodded, "Just allow me to dress and we can be off."
Legolas waited patiently below her flet. After the girl had made her way down the ladder, he saw her take the small green, leaf pin and pin it to her cloak. He recognized it immediately as his own—the same one he saw yesterday. He marveled at how she had kept it after all these years.
"What is that?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
Her head snapped up in alarm, "Hmm? Oh. It is but a brooch." Quickly, she changed the subject, "Where are we going?"
"Ah… it is a surprise."
Legolas led her out through intricate paths in the forest. They walked on for quite some time before finally stopping. "We have arrived!" he grinned.
Auruin cocked her head to the side, a hint of amusement on her lips. "Where exactly have we arrived?"
"Can you not smell it?" Curious, the girl inhaled deeply the rich scent of the cordof fruit. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"A cordof orchard? I know of no cordof orchards near…" In fact, the cordof was rarely seen among Mirkwood forest.
"Ah… but it is not an orchard but a single tree. Is it not beautiful?" It took him a moment to realize what he had said… he would have to be more careful not to offend her. How absurd he must have sounded. But to his surprise, she walked up to the tree and placed her hands on the trunk without so much as a chuckle.
"Yes, it is very beautiful. Its scent and texture… it is beautiful." Carefully, Legolas plucked a fruit from one of the branches and handed it to Auruin. She eagerly accepted and munched on it. After plucking one for himself, he sat down on a fallen log near the tree and invited her to sit beside him.
He watched as the girl bit into the cordof and chomped heartily. She really does like her fruit, he thought. Their little excursion had finally made the maiden more comfortable with the prince. She realized he was her friend, her only friend. Legolas noticed a little bit of the juices running down her chin and resisted the urge to wipe them off.
"How came you by this?" the girl asked, her mouth full. The cordof was a delicacy Auruin had only seldom tasted but enjoyed greatly.
"I have always liked the cordof," he explained, "and one day, when I was but a young elf, I decided to burry the core of one under the ground. I hoped it would grow into this… A tree… A cordof tree."
She laughed, "Were you expecting a pear tree?"
He joined in. "I am glad that you find this amusing. I enjoy hearing your laughter." The little elf girl's giggles died away as her cheeks flushed. She took another bite and as she did so, the sun caught a small green-gold leaf and it glittered in the light. It reminded the prince of his initial motives.
"Auruin?" She barely looked up from the sweet fruit. "May I be so bold as to ask you a question?" The girl turned her attention completely to him.
"Yes, you may."
He paused before continuing on. "What is it that became of your sight?"
Startled, the girl dropped the cordof to the floor much to her dismay. Although it was an obvious question, she hadn't anticipated its being asked. "My sight…"
"I am too forward…" Legolas said quickly flapping a nonchalant hand in the air. "Pay no attention to my bizarre questions." He moved to get up but hearing this, she reached out and unwittingly caught his arm.
"No, wait…" This prince had no reason to want to know; his curiosity must have been derived from concern. For her, she realized. The girl felt warmth engulf her heart. Her brow furrowed in thought as she mulled over the proper response to his question. "Do you remember the story of the picnic that I told you?" Legolas nodded and hearing nothing but silence, Auruin continued. "That same day, I had also run off and was attacked by an orc. I was lost and knew not what to do… it blinded me…" She sighed and turned away. A single tear slipped from her eyes, but before it could fall down her cheek, Legolas easily caught it. "The healers did everything they could," she whispered, "but they could do nothing to fix it…"
He wrapped the girl in a warm and simple embrace. "I am sorry…"
Auruin was stunned. Those three simple words were said so genuinely and laced so thickly with sincerity that she found herself feeling wholly comforted. Somehow, she knew deep within her heart that she could trust him without question. "How ever did you deal with such a trial?"
Auruin shyly unbound herself from his grasp. "My parents helped me greatly… if it were not for them, I would not have willed to continue on with my life…" She debated telling him about the one that had saved her. But in the end, the girl knew that her rescuer was someone special and a secret she wished to keep only for herself. "It was my father who taught me to use the bow."
"Ahh," Legolas said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "A fine job he has done." He reached up and pulled another cordof from the tree's branches and handed it to Auruin. A cheerful smile spread over her face.
The hushed sound of shuffling feet roused them from their quiet conversation. Legolas quickly jumped up. "Someone is approaching."
* * *
Thank you all very much for your lovely reviews! They're very encouraging. As for where exactly Auruin lives, I hope this chapter's cleared it up somewhat? The set time for this story will be revealed in one of the next few chapters. ^.~ Comments, suggestions and flames are very much appreciated!