He took one of his hands and gently wiped the tears from her face. He
moved his face to hers and kissed her gently on her lips. Lenalaith closed
her eyes, the warmth flowing from her lips to the end of her toes- like the
river, flowing from the mountains to the sea. She was in pure bliss for a
moment, until she floated back down to sanity and realized what was going
on.
She pulled her head back ever so slightly, "Why did you do that?"
Legolas looked at her, "Lenalaith, I love you, I give you all my love." She looked up at him, her lips tight but her eyes worried.
"Legolas... I'm sorry," she whispered, crying more, "I cannot accept it."
With that, she walked back into her chamber, where she shut the door. Legolas stood there for a moment, staring into the beautiful yet dark gardens of his palace, and he shed a single tear. It was said that elves almost never cried, that all but less than a handful never shed a single tear in all of their immortal lives. Legolas walked to his chamber, taking a small glass bottle and placing the tear inside it. He crossed the room to his bed, where he lay awake the whole night.
Meanwhile, Lenalaith had been lying in her bed, buried underneath the blankets but her head propped on top of the pillow. She moved as close as possible to the wall, trying her hardest to disappear. Lenalaith pulled the blankets closer to her, wrapping herself about them an endless amount of times. She cried as quietly as she could, burrowing herself in her pillow, quieting the sound until she had no energy left to cry and lay there- trying to sleep but unable to.
The next morning, Lenalaith rose from her bed, dried tears on her face. She had to leave; she could bear it no longer. 'The sooner I leave, the less pain for Legolas,' she thought. Then added, 'and me... This is for me, right? I do not have a feeling for the elf.' she insisted. She didn't take anything- for it wasn't hers to take. She changed into her normal clothes, and looked outside to see the sun rise. Lenalaith sighed, roughly wiping the fresh tears that were falling from her face. She ran out quickly, but quietly- almost like an Elf, but not silent- she was graceful and elegant, even while running- down the stairs and out to the stable, where she took the reins off the hook. It was at that point that she noticed something moving in the corner of her eye, but quickly disregarded it as another horse. She climbed atop of her horse and ordered it to move.
"Nemo lim, Laurina!" she whispered, at which the horse quickly ran, hoofs clicking slightly on the stone floor. Together, they ran past the guards and away against the sun- to the west. It was then that Legolas walked out from behind the stable door, which Lenalaith had carelessly left swinging open.
He got on his own horse, which was white and almost godly, and whispered, "Nemo lim." He could see Lenalaith and her horse, just a mile ahead of them. A few hours later, they reached the end of the forest, Lenalaith still not knowing that Legolas had followed her. She slowed her horse to a walk, and let her have a drink from the river.
"I wish I knew how to swim," she said softly to her horse, which in turn rubbed her nose against Lenalaith's cheek. Lenalaith laughed lightly, and Legolas smiled, still in his hiding place, behind a tree.
"Come, Laurina. We should be off, I should very much like to go home," she sighed unhappily, as she climbed atop her horse and rode on. A few days later, they arrived in Esgaroth. Lenalaith lived in a nice two-story stone house, on the outskirts of Esgaroth, yet she rarely stayed there. 'She is like a ranger,' Legolas thought, as he watched from behind a small group of trees. Lenalaith tried to dismount, obviously with other things on her mind, and instead fell. Legolas dismounted quickly and ran to help, but his horse pulled him back, almost as if knowing what he was there for. Lenalaith instead laughed and her horse rubbed her nose against Lenalaith's cheek once again. She was still chuckling to herself as she opened the wooden door of the stone gate that surrounded her house and closed it softly. Legolas took his horse and ran to the gate, pressing his pointed ears against the wood. He heard a door open, probably the stable; hoofs of the horse; then a door close; then walking, which he assumed was Lenalaith; then another door opening; and closing. Legolas sighed, 'Go in, or stay out... go in or stay out...' Then he laughed quietly to himself, 'Did I come all this way to wait outside her gate?' He opened the gate, as he pulled his cloak over his head, covering his face. He led his horse inside to the front door, which he gently knocked. Legolas waited impatiently for a moment, when the door opened.
"Hello," Lenalaith answered the door, eyeing the stranger oddly, "Are you lost? Never mind that, do come in. I've just prepared dinner."
A large black dog came running up to Legolas, barking madly.
"Come, Shadow! Leave him alone," she commanded. Shadow instantly fell silent and walked to Lenalaith, at which she picked him up in her arms.
"I do apologize, please, sit down and make yourself comfortable," she replied giving only a slight glance to the stranger, who sat on the soft sofa. She turned to the kitchen and put the rather large dog down, who at once ran over to Legolas, still covered and hidden in his gray cloak. Shadow sniffed Legolas, and jumped onto the sofa, cuddling with Legolas. Lenalaith walked out with a simple tray, with a simple glass containing water and a potato.
"Do forgive me, for I have only just returned from travels," she replied, looking down just slightly at the guest.
"Where have you traveled to?" Legolas asked, knowing her answer ahead of time, and grinning, although she couldn't see his face. He picked up the potato and nibbled at it. Legolas, being an elf, wasn't hungry but wishing to be polite he ate anyway.
"I have just returned from Mirkwood," she replied, walking to the kitchen and taking a potato for herself. Legolas waited for her to return before he asked his next question.
"Why were you in Mirkwood?" he asked, trying to act curious.
She sighed, thinking as she ate a bit of her potato, "How shall I say this? I had been traveling along West the Forest River. I wanted to travel through the Grey and Blue Mountains... perhaps to Lindon? I didn't know. I was going to go to the sea. I found an elf sleeping by the river, about halfway to Mirkwood. He was Legolas, prince of Mirkwood. I had met him before, have you heard of him?" she politely asked, trying to include him in the conversation.
"Ah, yes. Prince Legolas, of Mirkwood. He was of the Fellowship of the Ring," he smiled, although she could not see it. Then, he wondered why she had nothing with her, no belongings, and was about to ask when he remembered what he was doing and who he was supposed to be.
"Yes. Well anyway, he was sleeping along a river-" she closed her eyes, lingering in the memory. Legolas noticed this and smiled more, "- and a small band of Orcs attacked. There were only three, as I believe they were Snaga- weak little creatures- holding only flimsy swords. They stole all my belongings, which I had prepared for the trip. I slay them and left them on the other side of the river, hidden in the bush, but I never found my items. Laurina and I swam across the river, back to the elf. I didn't dare leave him there, alone in the plain so I dismounted and waited for him to wake. He convinced me to go to a feast and I went. I returned this morning."
"He had to convince you to go with him?" he asked, looking carefully at her eyes.
"Yes, I did."
"Why didn't you want to go with him?"
Her green eyes glittered, "I was afraid of hurting him," she smiled grimly.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously, not needing to act this time.
"I had met him once before. I had lost my horse, which had wandered into Mirkwood. I went to find her and was instead attacked. When I woke, I found myself in the palace or the Elven-King-" she hung her head sadly, but looked up again, her eyes glassy, "-I fell in love with him. But-" she sighed, "-I was worried. He would get hurt if we were to stay in love- I am a mere mortal. I wouldn't be able to let myself live with that, knowing that I would be the cause for so much pain."
Legolas fell silent. But Lenalaith broke the silence, "Are you done?" Legolas nodded and she rose and took the tray and cup. Lenalaith returned and sighed, sitting next to him.
She pulled her head back ever so slightly, "Why did you do that?"
Legolas looked at her, "Lenalaith, I love you, I give you all my love." She looked up at him, her lips tight but her eyes worried.
"Legolas... I'm sorry," she whispered, crying more, "I cannot accept it."
With that, she walked back into her chamber, where she shut the door. Legolas stood there for a moment, staring into the beautiful yet dark gardens of his palace, and he shed a single tear. It was said that elves almost never cried, that all but less than a handful never shed a single tear in all of their immortal lives. Legolas walked to his chamber, taking a small glass bottle and placing the tear inside it. He crossed the room to his bed, where he lay awake the whole night.
Meanwhile, Lenalaith had been lying in her bed, buried underneath the blankets but her head propped on top of the pillow. She moved as close as possible to the wall, trying her hardest to disappear. Lenalaith pulled the blankets closer to her, wrapping herself about them an endless amount of times. She cried as quietly as she could, burrowing herself in her pillow, quieting the sound until she had no energy left to cry and lay there- trying to sleep but unable to.
The next morning, Lenalaith rose from her bed, dried tears on her face. She had to leave; she could bear it no longer. 'The sooner I leave, the less pain for Legolas,' she thought. Then added, 'and me... This is for me, right? I do not have a feeling for the elf.' she insisted. She didn't take anything- for it wasn't hers to take. She changed into her normal clothes, and looked outside to see the sun rise. Lenalaith sighed, roughly wiping the fresh tears that were falling from her face. She ran out quickly, but quietly- almost like an Elf, but not silent- she was graceful and elegant, even while running- down the stairs and out to the stable, where she took the reins off the hook. It was at that point that she noticed something moving in the corner of her eye, but quickly disregarded it as another horse. She climbed atop of her horse and ordered it to move.
"Nemo lim, Laurina!" she whispered, at which the horse quickly ran, hoofs clicking slightly on the stone floor. Together, they ran past the guards and away against the sun- to the west. It was then that Legolas walked out from behind the stable door, which Lenalaith had carelessly left swinging open.
He got on his own horse, which was white and almost godly, and whispered, "Nemo lim." He could see Lenalaith and her horse, just a mile ahead of them. A few hours later, they reached the end of the forest, Lenalaith still not knowing that Legolas had followed her. She slowed her horse to a walk, and let her have a drink from the river.
"I wish I knew how to swim," she said softly to her horse, which in turn rubbed her nose against Lenalaith's cheek. Lenalaith laughed lightly, and Legolas smiled, still in his hiding place, behind a tree.
"Come, Laurina. We should be off, I should very much like to go home," she sighed unhappily, as she climbed atop her horse and rode on. A few days later, they arrived in Esgaroth. Lenalaith lived in a nice two-story stone house, on the outskirts of Esgaroth, yet she rarely stayed there. 'She is like a ranger,' Legolas thought, as he watched from behind a small group of trees. Lenalaith tried to dismount, obviously with other things on her mind, and instead fell. Legolas dismounted quickly and ran to help, but his horse pulled him back, almost as if knowing what he was there for. Lenalaith instead laughed and her horse rubbed her nose against Lenalaith's cheek once again. She was still chuckling to herself as she opened the wooden door of the stone gate that surrounded her house and closed it softly. Legolas took his horse and ran to the gate, pressing his pointed ears against the wood. He heard a door open, probably the stable; hoofs of the horse; then a door close; then walking, which he assumed was Lenalaith; then another door opening; and closing. Legolas sighed, 'Go in, or stay out... go in or stay out...' Then he laughed quietly to himself, 'Did I come all this way to wait outside her gate?' He opened the gate, as he pulled his cloak over his head, covering his face. He led his horse inside to the front door, which he gently knocked. Legolas waited impatiently for a moment, when the door opened.
"Hello," Lenalaith answered the door, eyeing the stranger oddly, "Are you lost? Never mind that, do come in. I've just prepared dinner."
A large black dog came running up to Legolas, barking madly.
"Come, Shadow! Leave him alone," she commanded. Shadow instantly fell silent and walked to Lenalaith, at which she picked him up in her arms.
"I do apologize, please, sit down and make yourself comfortable," she replied giving only a slight glance to the stranger, who sat on the soft sofa. She turned to the kitchen and put the rather large dog down, who at once ran over to Legolas, still covered and hidden in his gray cloak. Shadow sniffed Legolas, and jumped onto the sofa, cuddling with Legolas. Lenalaith walked out with a simple tray, with a simple glass containing water and a potato.
"Do forgive me, for I have only just returned from travels," she replied, looking down just slightly at the guest.
"Where have you traveled to?" Legolas asked, knowing her answer ahead of time, and grinning, although she couldn't see his face. He picked up the potato and nibbled at it. Legolas, being an elf, wasn't hungry but wishing to be polite he ate anyway.
"I have just returned from Mirkwood," she replied, walking to the kitchen and taking a potato for herself. Legolas waited for her to return before he asked his next question.
"Why were you in Mirkwood?" he asked, trying to act curious.
She sighed, thinking as she ate a bit of her potato, "How shall I say this? I had been traveling along West the Forest River. I wanted to travel through the Grey and Blue Mountains... perhaps to Lindon? I didn't know. I was going to go to the sea. I found an elf sleeping by the river, about halfway to Mirkwood. He was Legolas, prince of Mirkwood. I had met him before, have you heard of him?" she politely asked, trying to include him in the conversation.
"Ah, yes. Prince Legolas, of Mirkwood. He was of the Fellowship of the Ring," he smiled, although she could not see it. Then, he wondered why she had nothing with her, no belongings, and was about to ask when he remembered what he was doing and who he was supposed to be.
"Yes. Well anyway, he was sleeping along a river-" she closed her eyes, lingering in the memory. Legolas noticed this and smiled more, "- and a small band of Orcs attacked. There were only three, as I believe they were Snaga- weak little creatures- holding only flimsy swords. They stole all my belongings, which I had prepared for the trip. I slay them and left them on the other side of the river, hidden in the bush, but I never found my items. Laurina and I swam across the river, back to the elf. I didn't dare leave him there, alone in the plain so I dismounted and waited for him to wake. He convinced me to go to a feast and I went. I returned this morning."
"He had to convince you to go with him?" he asked, looking carefully at her eyes.
"Yes, I did."
"Why didn't you want to go with him?"
Her green eyes glittered, "I was afraid of hurting him," she smiled grimly.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously, not needing to act this time.
"I had met him once before. I had lost my horse, which had wandered into Mirkwood. I went to find her and was instead attacked. When I woke, I found myself in the palace or the Elven-King-" she hung her head sadly, but looked up again, her eyes glassy, "-I fell in love with him. But-" she sighed, "-I was worried. He would get hurt if we were to stay in love- I am a mere mortal. I wouldn't be able to let myself live with that, knowing that I would be the cause for so much pain."
Legolas fell silent. But Lenalaith broke the silence, "Are you done?" Legolas nodded and she rose and took the tray and cup. Lenalaith returned and sighed, sitting next to him.