Chapter 9

Confessions

A/N:: OOH… for those of you who like it when those two interact, this chapter's for you. Another interesting conversation between Laera and Legolas! My favorite so far!

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Laera woke to a gloomy gray sky. She rolled over and yelped when she felt an object press her spine. Frowning, she pulled from under her an arrow. Memories from last night filled her head and she solemnly placed the arrow in Legolas's quiver which he had placed in her room. Poor girl… she thought sadly.

She got out of bed and strode sleepily towards the window, opened it, and leant across the sill. Brreathing in the moist morning air, she distinctly smelt rain. The menacing dark clouds overhead confirmed her prediction. "Surely Legolas will not want us to continue our travels in the rain?" she asked a bird that had lit on the sill, chirping sweetly for crumbs.

Laera closed the window and made her way to the room where Rhovan was busy serving Legolas and Feredir breakfast. "Good morning," she greeted. Laera nodded in reply and sat down.

After a few minutes of chewing through a satisfactory breakfast, Laera spoke. "Do we continue today?" she asked, her reluctance apparent in her voice.

"Yes," he replied, taking a bite out of some bread. "We cannot dally in this cabin while…" he paused, remembering the presence of Rhovan and her father. "…while we our efforts are needed elsewhere." Laera slumped back n her chair, disappointed. Of course Gandalf needed them… she wanted to get him help as soon as possible! But this mission was already trying during fine weather. The thought of walking through the rain seemed intolerable!

"You are not leaving already?" said Rhovan pouting. "If you feel you are wearing out your welcome, you could not be more incorrect. Please, I insist you stay awhile."

Legolas smiled and took her hand. "You are very kind. We appreciate your hospitality. But we really must move on." They stood like that, for a moment or two and Laera could not look away. Suddenly, she could not wait until they depart from this cabin.

Their goodbyes were short and quite formal although Rhovan gave Legolas a quick embrace and an equally quick kiss on the cheek. She turned to Laera, "I do hope we will meet again."

"Yes, so do I," replied Laera, wondering if she meant it.

Rhovan then gave her a hug, which greatly surprised Laera. "Do take care, Laera."

Laera's heart warmed and she hugged her back. "Oh, I will. Goodbye." She smiled at Feredir who was watching from the doorway. "Goodbye dear Feredir."

"Be off, now! Before Rhovan drags you back indoors!" he chuckled, waving a hand at the pair.

Laughing, the two set off to continue their adventure. Laera did not go back on the horse. She felt almost as good as new and she felt like walking. Legolas and her went on, once more, in silence.

"Did you like Rhovan?" asked Legolas suddenly.

"Not exactly. But you obviously did."

"She is a sweet girl," said Legolas vaguely. Laera glanced sidelong at him. He was looking straight ahead, his face expressionless.

"If you were not so busy fawning over her you would have noticed I was very angry with you," said Laera.

"Fawning? Angry with me? Whatever for, Laera?" puzzled Legolas, stopping the horse and facing her.

"Yes. You rudely insulted me in front of her. And yes, you did fawn," her anger from the day before had returned and with it the burning humiliation.

"Oh. You mean my remark after you very nearly gave our mission away!" he glared at her, also remembering. "Very thoughtless and foolish of you Laera. I could have wrung your neck! Never trust whoever you meet on the road. No matter how pretty she may be."

"So you admit she is pretty!" cried Laera triumphantly. "I knew you fancied her!"

"Yes! She is pretty. But it is not she, Laera, who I fancy!" He was yelling now. Laera was not used to this and she was quickly intimidated. She had seen Legolas angry yes, but never upset. He was breathing heavily and his blue eyes flashed with impatience.

"I apologize," she said meekly. "You are probably betrothed, Legolas."

His face softened and his anger rapidly diminished. "No, I am not," he said quietly, continuing to walk. He smiled at her curious expression. "Many a beautiful and kind Elven maid I have seen, but never one that I felt was for me."

"So Legolas is looking for that special Elf who is beautiful and perfect in every way."

"Perhaps I have already found her," he said quietly. "But it is not perfection I seek. The treasures of life are often hidden under the most unusual guises."

Laera frowned, puzzling over this. Perhaps she knew what Legolas was implying… perhaps she chose not to understand. "So the idea of marriage has never crossed your mind?" she said.

"Once. I was nine."

Laera laughed and looked at Legolas. "Nine? Who in Middle-Earth did you want to marry at the age of nine?"

Legolas joined in her laughter and stared at the dark clouds overhead. "You," he said simply.

Laera laughed even harder. "That object in your pocket. Was that a ring?"

"Yes. I fashioned one from a stem of meril I picked from your father's garden," he said, smiling. "I was going to propose to you that night. In the clearing."

"What a marriage that would have been!" said Laera, shaking from her laughter. "I never suspected it. I always thought you hated me so."

"Hated you? Never…although I knew you despised me. What an unhappy boy you made me, Laera."

"Why would you propose to a girl who you knew hated you?"

"You were special, Laera. It seemed worth the risk of being horribly rejected."

"What stopped you?" she asked, suddenly curious.

"I am not sure. Probably realized what a fool I was. Besides, you had such anger and hatefulness in your one eye. My courage failed me at that pivotal moment." Laera gawked at Legolas for awhile. She felt like reaching across time to throw her arms around the little Elven boy she hated and comfort him. She also felt like embracing the grown up Legolas. This revelation put him under a different light in her eyes.

"Are you betrothed?" Legolas asked casually. He almost felt the question was indeed casual… If it weren't for the way his ears pricked up to hear her answer it very well would have been.

The sudden change in topic of conversation made Laera pause, trying to grasp at the answer. "No…" she said finally. "Like you, I'm waiting for the right one. The Elf of my dreams to whisk me off to worlds unknown and unseen."

Legolas did not reply… he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Then, finally, "I am surprised you are not promised to anyone."

Laera laughed and shook her head. "You may, but I am not. I am no Arwen Evenstar. It is she the men look at and it is I who they befriend." Legolas glanced at Laera. No, she wasn't Arwen. She was unlike any Elf he had ever known.

"It is trying… to be the middle child sometimes," she continued. "They look at my sister and they say 'There is Elrond's beautiful daughter,' and then at the twins saying 'There are Elrond's tall, handsome sons'. They turn to me and say 'There is Laera… Elrond's other daughter.' It can get quite sad being called the 'other daughter'," she sighed. "I love them all, of course. This is just another of my little complaints."

"Are there many that seek Arwen's hand?"

"Oh yes… leagues of Elven men come from hither and thither… hoping she will take a liking to them. I wish I could tell them all they have come in vain. My sister's heart is already claimed."

Legolas glanced at her sharply. "You know of it as well?"

"Of course… I was never certain of Aragorn's feelings. My sister loves him to no end, however. She was debating over whether to tell him or not."

"Aragorn loves Arwen," said Legolas. "He is also reluctant to tell her his feelings."

"I have always yearned for a love like that of my sister's and Aragorn's… even if they have not revealed it to each other yet. Those two were meant for each other… their destinies are written in the stars. How cruel is fate to only bestow such a bliss to only a select few whilst it leaves others to watch and desire?"

"Perhaps one day you will find a love like that. A love that may even surpass that of Arwen and Aragorn's. A love that will cause mountains to shake and oceans to part. A love that fill your heart with happiness and ecstasy that you have never seen and never could imagine," he said, throwing his arms out expressively.

"To find such love one must find the perfect match."

"Maybe, like me, you already have and do not realize it. You must open your eyes to things you are afraid to see. Take a chance and maybe you will find something beautiful and sacred… maybe you will find you have been blinded by your fear."

"And why would I fear such a love?"

"Because it might come from a place you have never dreamt it coming from." Laera looked at Legolas… wondering if this conversation had some hidden meaning to it. Whatever the meaning could be… she did not want to find it. I think I prefer the silence… she thought to herself.

She was just about to reply when deafening noise of thunder crashed through the once peacefully quiet woods. Terrified, Laera moved closer to the horse, clinging onto it's neck fearfully. A flash of blinding light from a lightning bolt lit up the sky and stuck a tree to her left. A loud cracking sounds filled her ears as the tree broke in two, it's boughs toppling to the forest floor. The next moment, the rain arrived, filling Laera's eyes and soaking her clothes. It was coming down in a continuous shower.

"Come!" Legolas cried, his voice almost lost in the howling wind. She followed him through the trees… barely being able to see through the gray sheets of rain. They eventually came to what appeared to be the mouth of a cave. They hurried inside and waited. Waited and watched as the world outside was bathed and cleansed.

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A/N:: OH YEAH… another chapter completed. So there was a RING in his pocket! I admit… it was originally the teacup, but a review gave me an idea so I changed it. Cute change, huh? I love little Legolas!

ERIKA:: But yeah… I'm kind of conflicted on whether or not to let Rhovan come along on the adventure. I don't want her to be there… as she will disrupt Laera's and Legolas's developing relationship. But it may make for some interesting reading… hmm I don't know… what do you think?