"You mean to tell me that after all the time you spent searching for Legolas... alone, might I add, that you now care about propriety?" His eyes wash over her in mockery, as he stifles a cruel chuckle, "In any case, you do have my word. I do have restraint." He places his index finger over his slightly parted lips, tapping the finger ever so gently on their delicate surface. "A place you can change? Hmmmmm." His eyes brighten, causing the blue hues to dance mercilessly in the slight darkness of the poorly lit house due to the setting sun. "In reckless honesty, I have seen other maidens unclothed before. If you were to undress it would be nothing new to my eyes. After all, your immodesty reflects your actions. You were all too eager to raise your skirt and reveal your dagger. I doubt you need but little coaxing to show the entirety of your flesh."

Chimera's eyes narrow in utter rage as she gnaws restlessly upon her lip to suppress the anger that threatens to erupt. Her fingertips grip the edge of the wooden table before her, until the delicate tips turn ghastly pale with hues of bruised bluish. Her mouth is dry, and uncomfortable silence rings out noisily throughout the small home.

Legolas slowly removes the tan colored tunic cloaked on his muscular body. He is well aware of the heated she-elf before him, and basks in her outrage. He carefully folds the garment and sets it down neatly folded next to the fire pit. He then removes his undershirt. It is molded complimentary to his body, offsetting his toned and well defined muscles. The color is a deep brownish, almost identical to a dirt floor drenched in cool rainwater. The sleeves are long and end at his wrists. After removing it he folds the item and lays it on top of the tunic. His skin glows from the candlelight that licks its surroundings, causing shadows to bounce and dance upon the walls. Small embers are the only light in the dying fire pit. They flicker and pop as they cling to life within the growing darkness. He stretches his arms out, and the muscles contract. Leisurely, he places his arms by his side. He glances in Chimera's direction to watch her reaction. He walks to the fur mat, placed a few feet from the fire pit, and lays down on it. Only his right side is laid upon the fur as he holds his head propped up in his cupped hand. His blue eyes lazily gaze into Chimera's foreboding green eyes. Cynically he questions, "Would you like me to blow out the candle?"

Chimera, still horridly offended by his harsh accusations, is silent. She walks towards the table and picks up the water pitcher. " Allow me," her voice mocks as she continues, "Milord." She pours out the water onto the pillar candle causing light to dissolve and darkness to encompass them. Their only light source is the few embers still dancing in the pit. Chimera, offering Legolas an idea of her obvious disapproval, stomps back over to the cot. "I will sleep in my clothes, I suppose. Perhaps you are used to females undressing in front of you... as for me, I am proper! And how dare you think that when I revealed my dagger it was for your perverted voyeuristic amusement! Far from it! It was only a warning." Chimera, heatedly, plops onto the small gray lined cot. She rolls to her side so that only her backside faces him. She scrounges inside her pouch once more for the picture of Legolas. She pulls it out and looks questioningly at it whispering, "I hope I am not waisting my time."

Legolas stares at her curvaceous backside that tempts his blue eyes. Amused by her childishness he states, "Since you are dressed, and have foolishly wasted every precious drop of water defusing the candle, would you mind fetching some so that I may have some water?" He clears his throat from the laughter rising within it. He knows as to what she is looking at. "Don't worry, Milady, I will get you to him." He thinks to himself, One of these days.

Irritated, and a bit sleepily, Chimera responds, "Have you no manners? First you invite me to sleep here, with no proper rooms for sleeping in and undressing in, and now you ask me to go fetch you water! If you are in desperate want of water than you should suck a few droplets off your melted candle! Goodnight," her voice turns cold as she mocks, "Milord."

Heatedly, Legolas replies, "I invited you to my home, offered you a decent meal, gave up my sleeping cot so that you would not have to endure the discomfort of the floor! What did you do? You attempt to entice me with your unshaven thighs and waste my water! The least you can do," Bitterly Legolas thinks, I know exactly what she can do for me.. "is to fetch some water. Go on now, then you may sleep, Milady."

"How Dare You!" She spits at him. Chimera removes herself from the comfort of the cot. She staggers to the table as her hands clench into small white fists at her side. She lunges for the water pitcher and places the grip inside her hand. She storms out of the house and slams the door shut. Laughter bursts from within Legolas after the door slams. He quickly tries to compose himself before she returns. Only a few minutes pass until she reappears. Her figure is hovered over the fur mat. She pours the water from its clear container. Her voice is full of sugary sarcasm as she speaks, "Your water, Milord." Chimera walks back to the cot laughing evily.

Legolas stands up. He had situated himself at the table, and was now removing himself from it. He walks over to the cot, and leans over her, "Ahem," he states as he clears his throat, "My, my, look who thought she was clever." Chimera bolts from the cot and stares up at him. She notices that he is perfectly dry. Legolas's eyes burn into hers as he continues, "It is getting late. I have had enough of your childness. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. Go to sleep!" Legolas returns to the fur mat which is soaked in the middle. As he walks by the window the moon shines upon his smooth, bare, muscular flesh. The only covering is a suede cloth over his groin area, "Goodnight, Milady." He reaches for a large weathered cloth to blanket himself in. Since the fur mat is soaked with water he pulls out one of the chairs situated at the table and lays within it. The blanket cloaks him smugly within the hard surface of the chair.

Chimera glances at him coldly thinking, What have I gotten myself into? She sighs in a defeat and lies down onto the soft cot. Slowly, she drifts into sleep.

THE NEXT DAY....



Legolas, awaken by a loud snore, looks around to find himself starring at the young girl. He thinks, Goodness she is loud! Annoyed by the harsh clamor he removes himself from the chair, throwing his blanket off of him. Quietly, he makes his way across the room to a small bureau against the wall between the fire pit and cabinets. He opens the wooden drawer. Presented to him are leggings, tunics, and other earth-colored garments. He pulls out a gray undershirt, deep brown leggings, and olive green tunic. His eyes glance to Chimera and scans her appearance. The young girl is curled up most unusual, in a fetal position. Her rings of mahogany lay neatly intact upon her head. The weathered dress she wears is wrinkled and has long lost the shine and splendor of it. Her light green eyes are glazed over and open, which is that of the sleeping ritual of elves. The only difference between her eyes when she is awake and asleep is the color. The clarity of the pure green is invaded by a yellow-orange color that only appears on the inside of the green. Legolas, as though hypnotized, stands over her and watches her sleep. He then shakes himself from his trance and fetches his blanket to place over her. Legolas ventures outside, and begins to prepare for their journey.

Chimera, feeling the warmth of the blanket, wakes up. She groggily cranes her head around to seek out Legolas. With no avail, she kicks off the blanket, plants her feet to the ground, and walks to the door. She turns the knob and heads outside. From the distance she sees him. She wipes the sleep from her eyes and approaches him. "I saw you last night, Legolas," a slow smile graces her fine porcelain features as her green eyes rake over him and suddenly shoot up into his eyes. His eyes are a lighter shade of blue than they were the previous day. They look questioning into her own. Chimera barely breathes out. Her words are a warm, soft caresses against his skin, "Helluin*." Confused Legolas's eyebrows knit as he stares down at her. Her eyes widen in confusion of her pure sincerity to associate the beauty of his eyes to that of the star Sirius. Quickly she redeems herself as she continues, "I was... impressed." She quickly escapes the close proximity of Legolas by stepping away from him. "Yet... you seem to be lacking," her gaze shifts from his eyes to his lower region, "in certain areas." She flashes him a defiant smile, turns around, and heads back towards the house.

He shakes his head negatively, thinking to himself, For a virgin she certainly acts as though she knows a lot about male genitalia. Legolas ventures into the dense trees to gather berries and fruit to bring with them on their journey. Once he is content with the amount of gathered fruit he heads back to his home. He wipes the beads of sweat from his brow and looks down at his hands. Dirt had menacingly buried itself into the short fingernails of Legolas. Disgusted with his sodden appearance he undresses until there is not a single garment upon his body. Brazenly, he enters his home holding the sack of fruit along with his clothes. He sees Chimera sitting at the wooden table, her back is turned to him. She appears to be, once again, studying the drawing of the infamous Legolas. His eyes sparkle with amusement at the start he will surely give to her if she turns around. "Milady, would you mind washing these along with the garments I wore yesterday? I plan on swimming before we leave." He places the fruit and his clothes on the edge of the table. He glares at her crown of reddish brown locks as he stands there completely uncovered. "Perhaps if you sew, you could hem my undergarments. They are immensely restricting, after all I am still growing."

Angered at the elf' treating her as a mere servant she turns to face him. Her jaw drops as her eyes take in the sight of his naked flesh. Chimera turns away quickly from the view. Her fine creamy face begins to redden a deeper color than the pinkish hue of blush that lightens her face. She thinks to herself, I was wrong about him lacking... definitely not lacking. She composes herself quickly, all the while, a giant grin spreads like wildfire over Legolas's obviously amused features. Chimera bursts out speaking in a foreign tongue. Suddenly her index and thumb come together to form a snap, as she replies, "There! Your ...undergarments should fit you now." Without turning to look at him she adds, "How much longer until we are on our way?"

Legolas, taken aback from the quick magic spell Chimera performed, thinks to himself, She knows magic? Interesting. He picks up the newly mended undergarment, holding it up before him to study. "We shall leave after my dip in the lake."

Without looking at him she speaks, "I called you Legolas, and you did nothing to correct me. Which makes me ponder the idea that you are indeed Legolas." She states curtly.

"Did you?" He questions placing the garment on its previous resting spot on the table.

"I did. I called you Legolas this morning when I first saw you." Chimera replies matter-of-factly.

Amused, Legolas's eyes dance merrily at the back-turned she-elf. "Aye, so you did. As I recall you gave me no chance to correct you. If you wish to know my name, ask, but I will only give you the answer in the stream."

Chimera rolls her eyes as she grumbles, "Very well."

Legolas turns and heads out the door. His destination is the peaceful, clear blue stream up ahead. He reaches it and allows the gentle caress of the water to lick his toes until the wetness encompasses his being.

Chimera waits a few minutes. She sneaks a peak at him out the window, watching his muscular buttocks, thighs, and calves sink away from her sight by the obstruction of the side of the house. She slowly leaves the safety of the house and walks to the edge of the stream. Reluctantly, she follows his lead out to the water. She delicately places her toes into the crisp water to check the temperature. Feeling the coolness of it, she picks up the lower half of her pink dress, not wanting it to get wet. She cautiously begins to slosh towards the elf who is already waist high in the aqueous source. "Go ahead, speak your name."

Legolas's muscled arms are crossed defiantly against his glorious abdomen. He smiles inwardly as he taunts, "I cannot hear you!" A smile curves on his lips as he continues, "TĂșlsi. Pedo Edhellen*."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elvish Translations:

Hellui: (Blue Ice). The star Sirius, which shines blue. (helka = ice, luin = blue)

TĂșlsi: Come here

Pedo Edhellen: Speak [in] Elvish