Chapter 8: When the Wind Blows
Legolas knocked on Karalynn's door.
"Come in!" she called out from behind the thick wood and Legolas pushed the door open.
She was sitting on the floor with a small, red book in her hands. Outside her closed window, the inexplicable summer storm pounded down on the earth but inside her room, the air was cozy and warm.
Legolas had decided to wait until after lunch, when Lohr was busy with his studies, to go to Karalynn. He reasoned that she would be more relaxed and open to receiving visitors after she had eaten and rested.
"Kythe, I can not read this book." she said, without looking up. Her soft pink lips were set in a pout and her gray eyes were focused on an open page in front of her. "The letters don't make sense to me. Are these even letters? They look like little slashes and dots! The characters are..."
Her voice faltered as she looked up. Legolas could see the surprise on her face as she struggled to get to her feet. He held out his hand and she took it shyly but without fear.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry." she said, in a quieter voice. Her eyes seemed to stare at his chest as if she were trying to avoid his gaze. "I thought that you were Kythe."
"You call me your Highness and yet you do not use the title with my brother Lohr." Legolas mused.
Karalynn's pale cheeks turned a bright pink and Legolas realized that his teasing was lost on her. Of course- Kythe and Lohr were more expressive than most elves and so Karalynn was not used to the delicateness of elven features.
He allowed his face to soften and smiled.
"I.. I'm sorry, your Highness, I meant no disrespect to Loh- your brother." she said quickly. "I shall use his title from now on."
"You don't have to do that." he said, moving closer to her. "With Lohr or with me. In fact, I would prefer you not to."
"Yes, your Highness." she muttered.
Legolas sighed.
It was true- she was no longer afraid of him and nor did she seem to be repulsed by his presence but this shyness was almost worse. Maybe Kythe was wrong, maybe he should stay away from her. It was obvious that she was flustered with him standing in her room but inside, he knew he wanted to see her. Wanted to be near her when she was awake instead of when she was sleeping, unaware of his presence. For three days now he had watched her actions every moment he could. His father had given him few duties to perform and so he had many free hours to spend studying the human girl before him.
She seemed to have completely blocked out whatever thoughts she had of her past. Many times she would utter unfamiliar snippets of tales or sing songs that were not known to his ears but that seemed almost reflexive now. She seemed to be absorbing the ways and customs of the elves of Mirkwood at a fast pace and that disturbed Legolas.
It was as if she were desperately trying to make a connection with anyone and anything around her by completely letting go of her memories. There was no struggle in her face anymore- no uneasiness or confusion. In fact the only emotions she seemed to exhibit were wonderment and awe.
What disturbed Legolas even more was the way she acted as the days passed. She was indeed acting like a little child now and Kythe was falling into the role of her mother. He had been around humans before, many times, and had had many opportunities to study their ways and customs. Human women that were Karalynn's age behaved in sharp contrast to the way she did. First of all, they seemed to be concerned with their appearance and men. Legolas doubted if Karalynn even thought twice about looking in the mirror much less the differences in males and females. Second of all, she often danced and sung about, begging Kythe to tell her the tales and myths of Middle Earth at almost every hour of the day. In fact, her appetite for such story-telling was almost voracious in its intensity. Only human children seemed to exhibit that sort of hunger for stories. Lastly, the way she looked at everything- with wide eyes and open mouth- reminded him strongly of the way human infants looked when they were exploring new places and people. Everything seemed to be new to her and he often found her touching, tasting, listening to things that most creatures would have found to be commonplace.
But the same things that bothered him, drew him to her. She was a fascinating mix of mystery and innocence, beauty and wonder. He was held captive by the way she ran across the grass in her bare feet or by the way she would reach up to the sky, as if she were greeting the sun with her hands. Sometimes, when Kythe or Lohr were not nearby, she would run to the trees at the very edge of the wood and throw her arms around their massive trunks, as if trying to embrace the spirits within the bark. She was a creature full of joy at the world around her... but at night...
At night, she was different.
When she slept, the peacefulness that she had during the day was gone. In her sleep, she would scream and weep as if she saw terrors beyond imagining in her mind. Legolas had a feeling that her nightmares were connected to her past and though he knew it wasn't possible, he did not want to return her to wherever she had come from.
He wanted to keep her in Mirkwood. He wanted to learn all her secrets so that they could share them together.
"Your Hi.. I mean, Legolas?" she said, hesitantly raising her eyes to meet his. She blinked a few times as if she did not know what to say. "Legolas, is something wrong?"
Legolas exhaled sharply.
Had he been staring at her as he was lost in his thoughts?
He felt his cheeks growing hot and so he gestured down to the book she still held, trying to divert her attention from his face.
"You say you can not read that book?" he asked. She handed it to him and nodded.
"Kythe gave it to me last night." she said. "She told me that it was her favorite tale and that I might like it. But... I can't read it."
"Can you read, Karalynn?" Legolas asked.
She paused, frowning.
"I... I think I can." she said, thrown off by his question. "I assumed I can. I didn't think about it though so perhaps... perhaps maybe I can't."
Legolas opened the book and laughed softly.
He should have known Kythe would give her this particular book to read.
"The book is written in Sindarin." he said. "Perhaps you can read the common language of Westron and not the elfin characters. It takes many years of learning to be able to read these characters."
Karalynn looked relieved and Legolas was glad.
"Could you... I mean, if you're not busy... " she began slowly.
Legolas lifted his eyebrows.
"Would you like me to read to you, Karalynn?" he asked, reading her face like a book.
She nodded happily, all shyness gone now. He sat down on the floor and she followed him. He opened the book but before he could even read the first word, she had tugged on his arm, pulling it down on the soft carpet of the floor. Without a word, she crept into his lap like a little girl and laid her head against the crook of his neck. Her long legs settled comfortably on top of his thighs and her arm rested on his chest.
For a moment, Legolas sat, surprised and shocked at the way her body seemed to wrap itself around his. But then surprise grew into warmth then warmth grew into need and Legolas curled his arm around her back, drawing her closer to him. Her eyelashes tickled his skin as she blinked and he bent his head down towards her, wanting to feel her hair against his cheek. For a moment he did nothing but marvel at the way she gone to him so easily and how perfectly she fit against him.
Karalynn tapped her finger on the cover of the book impatiently, bringing his attention back to his task.
Legolas opened the book with his other hand and read the title first, before turning the page.
"Tinúviel." he said softly. "The Nightingale. The tale of Luthien and Beren."
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Karalynn laughed brightly as Legolas swung himself gracefully up onto the lowest branch of the tall tree. When he had reached the thickest part of the branch, he bent down and extended his hand to the laughing girl below.
"I can't!" she said, her cheeks growing pink. "It's too high!"
"Take my hands and I'll lift you up." he said, smiling faintly. "Just jump up and you'll reach my hands."
"I'm too heavy!" she exclaimed.
Legolas knew that she was afraid he would drop her. Though the height was not at all far from the ground, it was enough to make a human think twice. Both of his hands were a distance above her head and he was leaning down to even be able to reach her.
"Do you doubt an elf's strength?" he teased. "Would you disobey a direct command from a prince of the land?"
She would pose no real effort on his part but he knew that appearances were deceiving. Though he was lithe and slender, his arms were strong and sure. Karalynn looked at him reluctantly.
"If I fall..." she said, narrowing her eyes and he laughed, flexing his fingers at her.
"You won't." he said. "I won't allow anything to happen to you."
She grinned at him and then jumped up with outstretched arms. At the briefest touch of her skin, Legolas' hands clamped over hers and he pulled her up easily next to him on the branch.
"Ah!" Karalynn said, clapping her hands in delight. "We're so far up!"
Legolas only smiled and stood up, leaning against the trunk. He reached up to another branch and motioned for her to follow him. It was an easy climb- the limbs were thick and steady and Legolas was there to pull her up and support her when she needed help.
Finally, at the near top of the tree, Legolas stopped and sat down on a wide branch, letting his legs dangle from both sides. Karalynn sat down between his legs and he wrapped his arms around her waist, both providing her security at this dizzying height and allowing himself the fulfillment of her touch.
Though it had only been a few days since the time he had gone to her, it felt like longer. Kythe and Lohr now had to fight with Legolas over who got to the spend the most time with her during the day and Legolas almost always won.
He did everything he could for the girl- reading to her when she asked, walking around the palace grounds when she wanted and sometimes he even rolled around on the grass with her when she was in the mood to play. She was addictive- he wanted to wrap himself around her all the time and though a part of his mind warned him of the dangers of his developing emotions, he paid it no heed and allowed himself the joy of her presence. After all, they had so little time left to spend together.
Legolas knew that as each day passed, the inevitability of losing her was coming closer.
The first two messengers the king had sent out had arrived the day before and fortunately, they had nothing to say of where she had come from or who she was. Legolas had gone to his father's council room in fear and trepidation that the messengers would announce the name of her family and township. When they hadn't, he had almost exhaled a sigh of relief.
He did not want to let her go.
Legolas had decided that once he found out where her home was, he would visit her as often as he could. He did not want to even think about her mortality or consider the fact that the more time he spent with her, the more he was losing a part of himself to her. Death and sickness and loss were subjects that he had successfully pushed out of his mind for the time being.
He lived in the present and for now, it was all he needed.
Karalynn looked down at the sight below her. Her gray eyes grew wide with shock and amazement at how high she was and her hands blindly grabbed for his. He held her tightly and laughed when she began to laugh.
"We are not so far up that we can touch the birds as they fly about." he teased her lightly.
"Oh, but I wish we were!" she said happily.
She closed her eyes, threw back her head and inhaled deeply, as if drinking in the fresh air. Legolas' eyes traveled up the length of her graceful neck, to her jaw and circled around her face. Legolas felt his body grow weak at the sight of her thick lashes against her smooth cheek. He wanted to lean forward and press his mouth against her pale skin, wanted to run his tongue against the soft pink lines of her lips. He wondered what she would taste like, feel like, sound like when he kissed her- if he ever got the chance to.
In the five days that had passed, Karalynn had not shown any trace of feeling for him.
Of course, she had been kind to him. She had often reached out to him, pulling him with her hands and eyes to hold her and take care of her. But she had done the same to Kythe and Lohr. She loved innocently as a child would, and like a child her love seemed to be pure and untainted by passion or lust.
Without opening her eyes, she leaned her head against him and began to sing softly.
"Rock-a-bye, baby. On the treetop."
The melody was unfamiliar and the words disturbing but her voice was sweet as she sang.
"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock..."
Though he was an elf, Legolas was not wholly without desire or cravings. He had been with females before and he had experienced the carnal release of physical pleasure. In fact, most of the female elves at his father's court would have been happy to have the prince in their beds for even one night. Legolas thought that he had long since lost the need or interest to feel such things anymore and had gone a long time without casting his mind on such thoughts.
"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall...."
Yet now, with Karalynn in front of him and in his arms, he found that he was wrong.
For the first time in many years, he no longer wanted to be alone.
"And down will come baby, cradle and all."
Yes, his emotions were becoming quite dangerous.
"That's not a very pleasant thought." he said. "A cradle falling from the treetop? "
She smiled and nuzzled her cheek against his chest.
"It's a lullaby." she muttered. "Being up here reminded me of it."
"A lullaby." he said, in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
She said nothing and shrugged. He began to rock her gently in his arms, thinking that she was tired and wanted to fall asleep. For a moment, she lay still, her breathing soft and deep and Legolas closed his eyes, feeling her drowsy warmth seeping into his body.
Suddenly she sat up and he opened his eyes in surprise.
"Karalynn?"
"Something stirs in the wind." she said, blinking. She turned her head to look at him and Legolas stared into her eyes unflinchingly.
"What is it?" he asked.
"One rider." she said. Her eyes seemed to become glassy and distant and Legolas frowned. He did not like the strange expression on her face. "One rider is coming near to the gates of your kingdom. An elf."
Karalynn tilted her head to the side as if listening but Legolas' ears could not detect anything.
"One of your father's messengers." she said softly. "He is not riding quickly. I'm afraid that indicates he has brought no news about me."
Legolas tightened his grasp on her.
"I hear nothing, Karalynn." he said. "What makes you say these things?"
"The wind tells me." she said simply. "It whispers things in my ear sometimes."
A dark shadow swept over him.
"What does it tell you now, Karalynn?" he asked carefully, watching her face.
Was she going mad?
Was the creature that he was beginning to care for so deeply- going mad?
"It tells me that the summer rains are not yet over." she said, looking dazed. "In two days time, the clouds will once again come over this place because the land calls it."
She paused.
"The land is thirsty and it calls for water."
Legolas' mind whirled with her words. This was the first time she had uttered such things and it disturbed him. The intensity of her nightmares had increased during the past few nights and sometimes Legolas had to sing to her for hours before she would calm down. Had her nightmares affected her mind in some way? Were they the reason why she had regressed to such child-like behavior? Or were they now leaking into her waking hours, causing her to hear voices in the wind and earth?
"What else does the wind tell you?" he asked.
A slight breeze blew past them and Legolas tightened his arms around her waist.
Her eyes darkened slightly and her smile faded.
"Now it is telling me that it is sad." she said. A trace of fear passed over her face. "It tells me that... that I am not of your world. I don't belong here… and it pities me."
Suddenly she winced and the distant look disappeared from her eyes as she looked at him.
"You're hurting me!" she cried out.
Legolas looked down and realized that he was almost crushing her soft body with the force of his grip. He instantly loosened his arms and she inhaled deeply. Her eyes looked at him warily now and he was sorry for the look of reproachfulness she gave him.
"I am sorry, dear one." he said earnestly. "I did not mean to hurt you."
She smiled and he knew that he had been forgiven and the incident forgotten. Karalynn leaned against him and he reached up to stroke her hair.
His heart was troubled.
Legolas decided that he would have to speak to his father about what she had said to him. Though he knew that she probably did not want her words to be repeated to anyone else, Legolas considered the health of her mind at stake. Along with her memory loss and strange child-like behavior, something else was wrong. Something was threatening her thoughts, her mind, her very sanity and though Karalynn seemed at ease with it, Legolas was not.
Suddenly his sensitive ears heard it.
The faint slow trot of a horse approaching Mirkwood, where the gates stood tall and proud. His heart seemed to stop in his chest and his hand paused above her hair.
( "One rider is coming near to the gates of your kingdom...." )
She had been right!
Legolas said nothing, lost in thought and he pressed his lips down on the soft silky strands.
What was happening to her?
( "The wind tells me. It whispers things in my ear sometimes." )
She lifted up her head carefully and he leaned back as she looked up into his face.
"Have I said something wrong?" she asked. "Are you upset with me, Legolas?"
The innocence of her words and the pleading in her eyes softened his heart once more and he smiled at her. He touched her cheek with his fingertips and shook his head.
"No, of course not." he said. "I could never feel anything of that nature towards you. I was merely wondering if being at this height bothered you."
Karalynn smiled at his words and shook her head.
"No, I'm glad that you brought me up here." she said quietly. "Thank you for being so kind to me, Legolas."
He said nothing as his fingers made their way up, past her cheek to her ear. He traced the soft edge of her lobe and then upwards to the rim of her delicate flesh. Had he thought this a physical deformity once? No, how could anything so perfectly formed be a deformity?
No human or elf could ever match Karalynn in his eyes- he was sure of that now.
Legolas brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear and traced a line down the side of her neck. She looked at him curiously, as if she did not suspect what the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips was doing to him. He carefully drew her up to his face and searched her eyes for any sign that she was uncomfortable with his touch. He brushed his fingertips gently against her warm, slightly moist lips and sighed. She blinked at him, surprised, but she did not move and that encouraged him. He leaned forward slightly so that their lips were only a short distance apart and stopped.
"Say the word and I shall move no further than this." he whispered. "I do not wish to force anything on you but you must know- you have enchanted me as no other has before you. May I kiss you? I leave the choice to you."
They stared at each other for a moment and her lips opened and closed.
Legolas waited patiently, feeling the soft warmth of her breath on his lips.
"No." she said quietly.
Disappointment coursed through his body but his face betrayed none of it as he closed his eyes briefly and nodded. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
"As you wish, my lady." he said after a moment, pulling away.
She blinked at him and frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I..."
Legolas smiled slightly at her and shook his head.
"No apologies are needed." he said. "Nor explanations."
She lowered her eyes and nodded.
Misery, strong and wild, filled his head but he did not hold it against her. After all, she had never shown any sign of interest in him before and he had been aware of that. Yet he had allowed himself to hope and that was folly. Legolas had left the choice to her. If she did not want him, then he would have to accept that.
But acceptance would not lessen the ache inside his chest.
This rejection was personal and it cut deep.
"I want to go down now." she said in a small voice.
Legolas nodded at her, forcing his face to remain neutral and sat up. She moved away from him and he swung one leg over the branch and jumped down to the branch below. With his hands on her waist, he helped her down to where he stood. Without words, they continued on down the tree in that manner- with Legolas leading the descent and then reaching for Karalynn to help her down.
When they finally jumped down to the soft dirt, she turned to him and placed her hand on his chest.
"Legolas, please." she said. Her face was lined with worry and sadness. "Please don't push me away after this. Don't be angry with me. Please? I... I need to..."
Legolas took her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her fingers gently before releasing her.
"Karalynn, nothing has changed between us." he said. "I only hope that you are not angry with me for asking this of you. If my friendship is all that you desire, then you shall have it without fear of me asking anything more from you."
His words only seemed to distress her more and she opened her mouth to speak again when something else caught her attention. Her head whipped to the side and Legolas saw a small white rabbit peeking out of its hole and looking around.
Without warning, it jumped onto the grass and darted across the field.
Legolas heard a small gasp escape from Karalynn and he looked down at her, frowning.
Her gray eyes had grown large and glassy once more and her face seemed to pale in the sunlight. Her mouth trembled and slowly, the rest of her body followed.
"Karalynn." he said her name softly, trying to snap her out of the trance that she had suddenly fallen in but she paid him no heed.
"Karalynn!" This time his tone was sharper.
She blinked slowly but did not look up.
"White rabbit." she muttered. "Pulled the watch out of his waistcoat pocket. Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be late."
Legolas grabbed her arms and forced her to face him. Her eyes seemed to look at something that he could not see and he suddenly got the feeling that her mind had fled from her physical body. Her eyes were empty, shallow orbs.
"Karalynn!"
"Alice." she said in a distant, disjointed voice. "Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time."
She was making no sense now! Legolas shook her slightly, trying to get her attention and her head moved with the action.
"Follow the white rabbit." she continued on. "White rabbit. The white rabbit. Where is he? Should I jump? Daddy? Momma? Where..."
A crimson liquid began to trickle down her upper lip and Legolas' eyes widened at the sight of it. She was bleeding! Her nose was bleeding! Without a second thought, he wiped it away with his fingers but the flow seemed to continue.
Without warning, her eyes rolled up into her head and she shoved him away from her, grabbing the sides of her head as if something was hurting her there. He stumbled back at the force of her push, horrified at the thickening crimson mess that poured down her mouth and chin.
"Stop it!" she screamed out. She was squeezing her eyes shut and her body doubled over. "Stop! Stop! I don't want to see! I don't want to see! I don't want to jump!"
"Karalynn!" he cried out.
Legolas grabbed her and though she struggled viciously against him, he pulled her to his chest and tried to pull her fingers apart to release her hair.
"In this hour of grief and sorrow!" she screamed. "I call on Heaven with all its power!"
The wind began to howl fiercely and it blew at Legolas with chilling violence. He gave up on trying to pry her fingers apart and wrapped his arms around her, trying to shield her from the sudden harsh cold. He felt as if it were trying to pull him away from, trying to take him apart in order to attack her so he dug his fingers into her flesh, unwilling to let the suddenly hostile element harm her.
"Stop it! Stop it!" she yelled. "Make it stop! I don't want to jump, I don't want to jump! The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters. I... I...."
The wind grew more forceful and it carried her screams across the field and into the palace. Legolas raised his head and saw that a few elves were running towards them.
"Prince Legolas!" one of them called out to him. "What is happening? We heard screams..."
"Call my father!" he cried out. "Get the healers! HURRY! She is bleeding!"
The wind stopped abruptly, as quickly as it had come, and for a moment, Legolas was dazed beyond comprehension. The elves finally reached him and their wide eyes reflected the shock they felt as they looked at him.
Legolas glanced down and saw that his clothing was covered in fresh blood and then he gasped out loud as he saw the limp, blood-spattered figure he held in his arms.
She was no longer conscious.