Disclaimer: I don't own any bit of LotR or it's characters, I'm just borrowing! Lol. No profit is made here either…crap
Note: Again, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!!!! Thank you guys very, very much! I hope this chapter is ok with you guys. I was glad that Alexia and some others that emailed me wanted a romance scene cause I SO wanted to do one! Yay! I hope you guys like it and its not bad or anything. Next chapter will be up within the week!
Chapter Eight: Love of Past and Present
"Surely an Elf such as you would not be afraid of simple shadows. In the morning at that."
Arwen turned to face the voice but found no one.
"I am not there Evenstar." The deep rumble of a voice said speaking from behind her again.
Turning Arwen searched around her and still saw no one. A laugh filled the hall coming from seemingly no where. "What trickery are you in which you must hide from me?" She demanded firmly.
"Trickery? I suppose you could put it as such…I know not. Tell me Lady Evenstar, where is your betrothed?"
Arwen tensed further. Aragorn? Why would this..voice..want to know where he was? " 'Tis not your affair to know." She told him.
"Oh?" Silence held for a moment until a shadow passed behind the Evenstar of Rivendell. "I assure you Lady, it will be."
Arwen turned. A stricken look crossed her face as well as shock. She started to say a name but all went black before she could utter a word.
* * *
Dawn broke through the sky and streamed through the forest trees that swayed discouraged in the small breeze of morning. Below their canopies and on their floor was a band that was not meant to be there. Among that band that moved moderately through the forest was one of Mirkwood's own.
Silent and wry Syla trailed behind her keeper in which she was bound to. Her tired eyes swept over the trees around her spotting the small creatures watching them from their hiding. Gradually she slid to stare at the back of her keeper.
In her silence she took note that they were heading south east…
* * *
Gimli said nothing to Legolas since they left Aragorn behind. They were riding hard South, the trained eyes of the Prince and others guiding them. Vilnor was exceptionally well trained as he rode barely infront of Legolas.
The ground was torn, even Gimli could see that. These creatures were not looking to loose them or through them off and he did not know why. They had a reason behind all of this, they had to. And this danger that Legolas spoke of to Aragorn, even in Elven Gimli understood it, what did that mean? Why was it revolving around Aragorn?
The Dwarf sighed and he generally wished he knew how to ride on his own as he was riding with a complete stranger at the moment known as Eilyer. Again he looked to his friend infront of them as he and Vilnor raced side by side. Never, not in war nor battle, had Gimli seen such a look on his friend's smooth face. Disperation was laced with anger, rage even. He knew that those empty eyes were not a good thing for an Elf to have. He also knew that the fires of rage that burned in them were dangerous and he pitied the fool who caused them.
The entire companied swayed as Legolas suddenly reined hard in stopping his steed with a slide. Vilnor passed him then turned back in confusion, though staying where he was. The rest of the company swarmed, trying not to hit their Prince but to stay near him.
"Legolas! What is the meaning of this?" Gimli exclaimed as he nearly flew off the horse he was on as his rider reined to the left and circled to slow them.
"Listen." Legolas said lowly. Gimli knew he wasn't talking to him. He would not hear what an Elf would.
The group around them fell silent, spite their horses moving in an aggitated fashion.
"Riders. Messenger chain." Vilnor announced from the way front.
"Your brothers my Lord." Another Elf said.
Legolas's gaze snapped to the other Elf. Thrundir and Hindirn were coming back today? They weren't expected until tomorrow. He glanced to Vilnor who nodded.
"It sounds as though they are heading this way. Shall we meet them?" The Mirkwood Guardian asked.
Legolas turned his head towards the sound. Yes, they were coming this way. "Let us meet them before they disrupt the trail even more." Truly that was what he wanted, but he also wanted to see his brothers again.
Turning out the company sprinted further on.
* * *
Syla watched as the creature known as Biefir sniffed the air loudly. The group had stopped a short while ago. Abruptly so..
Dread was seeping into her. A half of her was begging that it was Legolas they heard, another screamed for it not to be. Not for his life would she want him here. The words in which Kilier told her of her purpose here haunted her. She knew Legolas, she knew him better than she knew herself, and she was certain, no matter how much it pained her to realize this, that the creature was right. If he was not the end of Legolas, she would be.
She filtered out of her thoughts as someone growled a word in a language she did not understand. Kilier looked to her with a glare then silently signalled onward. Again they ran, but the Elven Keeper's thoughts drifted from the running. It drifted far away from the moment and tangled in with the past. So long ago it was…but that time ago was what was keeping her despair at bay as she ran mechanically behind her keeper.
* * *
Legolas didn't know why he started thinking as he did. They were riding hard, still southbound. His thoughts, however, drifted from the rage that boiled in him. The fear that lapped inside him eased as his mind calmed into a glaze of memory. He did not think about it, he only trusted his ride to his stead beside Vilnor and slipped into the past.
"What do you think?" Legolas asked with a smile.
Syla eyed him a moment just to see if he was serious. When he did not take his words back she smiled and laughed shaking her head. "Legolas, that is mad!"
"It is perfect!" Legolas exclaimed, his smile turning into a thrilled one, his eyes dancing into an untamed fire.
"Your father will kill us both." Syla told him backing away from the advancing Prince.
"I care not." He told her.
"Legolas." Syla laughed. Truly she was filled with joy that he was acting as he was, not so weighed down with his status, not worrying about so many things that he should not have to worry about. "It is a day's ride from here."
"And no other would I want to spend that ride with." He told her as she finally had no where to back up to as she came to the corner of her chambers. He did not stop walking until he was as close as he could be without actually touching her keeping her caught between his hands on either wall of the corner.
"Nor I, but-" She tried to reason with him. She had awoken that morning to find the Prince of Mirkwood sitting on the edge of her bed. The strange look in his eyes when she looked at him sent something through her that she did not know was possible. The strangest feeling as if a warm blanket was gently laid over her soul.
"Then why are we still here?" Legolas asked her, his head tilted towards her, eyes peering at her from the different lower angle.
Syla looked at him a moment. Where he got the idea to ride to the Forest Falls in the south of Mirkwood she did not know, but he did. Stranger than that he wanted to go that morning, right when he said it. "You are truly mad you know." She told him tugging him closer by the front of his tunic before kissing him.
The smile that never seemed to leave his handsome features this morning was still there when the kiss ended. Syla could only laugh lightly.
"Then we ride?" He asked expectantly.
"Yes, we will ride." She replied receiving another kiss for the answer he had been seeking all morning.
* * *
Aragorn sighed as he walked into the Home of Thrunduil. He did not actually pay much attention to those around him. He was still troubled by what had happened in the forest. What had Legolas spoken of? What danger?
As he roamed meaninglessly through the halls he noticed the scarce Elves around him. Few were in the halls and it was an odd occurance really. The Home was weighed in dread and the saddness of their Prince spread to them from their love for him.
Silently Aragorn came to the conclusion that he should find Arwen. He knew she was a good friend of Syla's, more so than he for she had known her longer, and he had not the time earlier to speak to her of the disappearance. She had urged him to help Legolas and now he could not on Legolas's own wish.
He then saw an Elf that rode with Arwen from Rivendell and to here; Mirkwood. If Aragorn recalled correctly his name was Milein. He called out the name and the Elf turned around. He smiled seeing the King of Gondor.
"Good day King of Gondor." He greeted.
"And to you Milein, though I have doubts about how good it is." Aragorn told him dully.
Milein frowned slightly and turned from whatever it was he was pushing. It looked as though a tray table with a sheet over it.
"Perhaps you can tell me where the Lady Evenstar is?" Aragorn asked, barely glancing at what was behind the Elf.
Milein thought a moment then shook his head, "The last I saw her, Lord, was near King Thrunduil's chambers."
Aragorn nodded, "Thank you Milein." he said continuing on with a bow of his head.
Milein watched him go before continuing on his own way pushing the table tray along.
* * *
"I am a terrible aim!" Syla concluded while laughing with the Prince of Mirkwood as the grape that was meant for his open mouth flew off to the side. This was the third one..
"Just a little miscalculated!" Legolas assured her.
"Ah, you lie." She told him with a mocking tsk-tsk look.
"Lie? You accuse me of such a thing?" He questioned in fake disappointment and hurt. "I thought you knew me better."
"Oh, be silent." Syla groaned looking to the river.
Legolas followed her eyes and an idea struck him. "Come." He said.
Syla didn't even realize what was going on before she was suddenly being pulled to a stand and led towards the river. "What are you doing?!"
" 'Tis a beautiful day out, such a chance at the Forest Falls should not be ignored." Legolas told her as he looked to her.
"Absolutely not Legolas Greenleaf!" Syla exclaimed in Elven between surprised laughs trying to stop.
"Oh, but absolutely Ni'Syla Monteridi." Legolas told her turning and pulling her forward into his grasp. "And if you will not walk, I shall carry you." He said as he swept her off the ground and continued on.
* * *
Thrundir was surprised when another band of riders suddenly came around the bend. He slowed his horse mostly subconciously but as soon as he saw Legolas among that group he gave the rein down.
They two companies met quickly, pulling their steeds to a stop in the minst of eachother happily greeting the newcomers in Elven, completely forgetting their worries for a time. Legolas reached forward and gripped his older brother's right hand firmly, he was nearly pulled off his horse as Thrundir forced him to embrace suddenly. He laughed no matter and did the same to his eager younger brother.
"A blessing it is to see you again!" Hirdirn exclaimed.
"And you my brother!" Legolas replied merrily.
"What is it that bring you south of our city?" Thrundir asked, expecting the answer he was about to receive.
"We are tracking a pack of Uruk-Hai that came near the city." Vilnor provided from beside his own brother Vilis.
Thrundir's company looked amongst themselves. Legolas looked at his older brother, his happiness at seeing his kin again slowly dying away as the dread of the time was creeping back into him.
"Thrundir?" He questioned seeing the look on his face.
Thrundir looked at Legolas and sighed slightly, "You are headed in the right direction my brother, but these are not all ordinary Uruk-Hai."
Confusion filled the air and Gimli peered out from behind his rider. Hirdirn saw him and frowned slightly, but said nothing at the moment. A Dwarf traveling with a group of Elves? His brother no less.
"What is it that you speak of my Lord?" Vilnor questioned.
Thrundir turned his gaze of the Mirkwood Guardian and said, "We incountered your pack and as the reality we did attack in secret."
"We fell three Uruk-Hai, but there were different races in that group. Larger, more deformed Uruk-Hai that did not fall to our aim nor our arrows." Hirdirn provided.
"What were they?" Eilyer questioned.
"I am not cert-" Thrundir was interrupted by Legolas suddenly.
"You encountered the group?"
"Yes." Thrundir told him, a frown slipping across his strong face.
"Did you see Syla?" Legolas's horse moved under him feeling his rider's anguish and adrinaline.
"Syla?" Thrundir questioned, dread layering over him and his face paling slightly.
"Yes, Syla. You remember her do you not?" Legolas said.
"Yes, of course I do." In truth he had spent quite a bit of time with the she-Elf in his brother's absence. They were nothing more than friends, but Thrundir would not deny that at times he wished for more..but he never allowed himself to do such a thing to his brother no matter what Legolas had told her before he left. And, he knew, Syla would never come to tide with such a thing. She was too good for that and there was a time he resented it.
Coming from his thoughts he realized Hirdirn was talking. "Syla was not among them Legolas. Not to my eyes did I see her in the minst of those foul creatures. Why would she be?" Hirdirn was saying.
"We were riding," Legolas said. Thrundir came to the conclusion that if the two were riding together Syla must of forgiven his younger sibling and the Prince of Mirkwood. He received a glance from his close friend Dairo but he did not look back as Legolas continued, "when we were pursued by an band of Uruk-Hai. I saw none of the creatures of which you speak however." He paused and his two brothers glanced at eachother, equal looks of dread passing over them.
"A hand full caught up to us and took my steed down. They were after me, I knew they were..Or so I thought. Syla convinced me to leave her and make for the city."
"My company, myself, along with Aragorn, son of Arathron, and Gimli, Son of Gloin, reached him just outside the city as did the Uruks. Lord Legolas was wounded and fought the night of poison. By morning he told us of the Elven Keeper Ni'Syla. We have been tracking ever since." Vilnor finished for his Prince, seeing the guilt beginning to crush him as he had tried to ignore it all morning.
Thrundir looked regretfully at his brother. He took a breath and let it out slowly before saying, "Only because we did not see her does not mean she is not still alive and unharmed. They are not a drastic distance Legolas, we will find her, I assure you."
Legolas slowly dragged his gaze back to his sibling, full of guilt and plague. The words he spoke however, did give him something of hope just for the fact of a childhood installed faith in his older sibling. He nodded gratefully.
"Do you not wish to return to the city my Lords?" Niorn questioned, his horse shifting under him.
"As for myself, I will not." Hirdirn told him.
"Nor I." Thrundir replied, vaguely in his mind he wondered if they had stayed but a few moments longer would they have seen Syla? Would they have been able to help her had he not given the order to fall back? "Stay or go, I ask none of you not, but I do ask for one to continue on to the city and inform our father that we are in Mirkwood lands and bring him tidings from our travels." He added.
Niorn glanced at Dairo and Vilis. He nodded then and turned his horse, "Farewell then, and do not hesitate to return for help, I will have our Guardians at arms in waiting."
"Farewell Niorn." Legolas told him, bidding him leave. He did, sprinting off towards the great Mirkwood city.
"Time is passing." Hirdirn pointed out.
"Yes it is. We shall lead you to where we last saw the pack." Thrundir said, turning his steed sharply.
Legolas nodded and glanced at Gimli as if asking him if he wanted to continue. The Dwarf nodded and Legolas looked grateful. Spinning about he allow his horse to leap forth beside his older brother and the group of now 16 set out again.
Little did they know of the peril falling on the King of Gondor and the Evenstar of Rivendell north, in the city they were distancing from.
* * *
The water was rather cool as the Elven Prince plunged her into it and waded behind as she surfaced. The water was deep where he had practically thrown her and she was surprised but not dazed. She glared at him as he neared and offered a hand. She did not reply by grasping it, instead she slipped back under the water's surface.
Legolas's eyes swept over the water but did not find her to surface again. Shaking his head slightly he dropped under the surface as well. Not but a few moment later he spotted her in the clear waters. The Elven Prince had no problems catching up to her as she was truly waiting for him there in the waters depths.
Almost in unison they both paused as their hands interwove. They both seemed to notice the same thing at the same time. The sunlight that streamed through the water's realm glittered down on them. Shadows of passing channels filtered over them and the bending of the light and the swirls of water rippled on their clear figures in the water.
The smile that graced Legolas's features was surely different in the waters deminsions as it seemed to strike that feeling again within the Elven Keeper as he pulled her towards him, water making the two next to weightless.
The current gently swayed past them winding through their long hair and tugging at the drapping sleeves of the she-elf.
Gently, and slow enough not to break whatever bound them at the moment in such a way Legolas brought them both to the surface and kept Syla close as the water streamed down their faces and the smiles could not disappear.
"Do you know why I brought you here?" He asked quietly.
Syla tilted her head slightly but said, "No. Why did you bring me here?"
Legolas carefully brought them into more shallow water so they could stand though barely surfaced from the water. "Do you remember how we met?"
Syla's smile grew, "How could I forget? Not many she-Elves are thrown into rivers by Elven Princes." Suddenly recognition flashed in her eyes.
"And what better of a place for that Elven Prince to remind one particular she-Elf what it felt like…Because its haunted me with its blessing for many months." Legolas told her.
Her eyes held question but a curious glimmer, "I do not believe I would be allowed to forget for my heart would not allow it."
Legolas gently gripped her hand, still keeping her close with the other. "And my own heart tells me of many things since that meeting. Many things.." His smile turned into one of almost victory as he softly continued, "It has cried for me to speak of what it tells me to you. No longer can I resist the pleas."
Syla was not completely sure what he was speaking of. Too many thoughts were going through her mind. They had ridden all day just to get here at dusk and not once in the entire day did Legolas loose that new, strange, wonderful aura about him that was suddenly added to his loveworthy being.
"Long have I wished to tell you what I promised myself I would this day." He said slipping a soaked lock of hair that strayed to her face.
"What is it you wish to tell me Legolas?" She asked quietly.
Legolas leaned towards her and whispered quietly into her ear, "My heart cries in joy and pleas in a longing to speak. 'Tis now that you shall hear it." He gently slid their again combined hands to his chest, placing her's to feel his heart. "Hear me tell you, that I love you."
Syla was surprised honestly. She turned her head to find him exceptionally close to her. Once the surprise melted, only after a moment, she smiled softly. "Perhaps then a weight can be lifted from me and sent into the winds of a power I do not understand." She told him before tilting her head upward and whispering back to him, "Hear me, as I have longed to hear you, as I tell you alas that I love you as well, Legolas of Mirkwood."
Legolas smiled merely taking the words in for a moment before turning into her, their lips meeting as the sun cast the orange light of dusk over the lands.
- - -
Ok! Updated! Hope you guys are ok with the chapter! Thanks again for the reviews! Please keep them coming! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Until next time! *waves*
D.Night
P.S. Sorry for any errors guys, I didn't really have time to proofy. Hope it was still decent!
