I Abaur - The Morning After
During the week following Calina's return to her flet she was kept busy, not only by the workshop, but also by a constant stream of visitors coming to inquire about "her health", but Calina saw they just wanted all the gossip from the palace. Lathrin had obviously been keeping her mouth shut about the whole affair, a very unusual occurrence, which obviously sparked everyone's curiosity. All anyone managed to prise out of Calina was that during the presentation to Lord Aragorn she had bumped into some friends she had known before she arrived in the village and was spending some time with them as she had not seen them for some time. No one dared mention the visits from members of the royal family in front of her, but Calina knew that their private suspicions were very close to the truth. She threw herself into clearing the workshop and ordering new supplies so they could begin afresh. Legolas had not visited her since he had spent the night in her flet and she had not heard from him expect a short note telling her that his father was spending a lot of time with his brother and Legolas had taken charge of much of the day to day running of the palace and the forest in general. Calina sent a short reply asking to be remembered to his father and asking Legolas to forward on a letter to Gimli as she knew no messenger who would even dream of going to Erebor.
About a fortnight after her return Calina re-opened the workshop and everyone began work on Gimli's order. She also had orders from every other part of the forest to complete and she was utterly snowed under because they had no stock in reserve. Calina worked on Gimli's chair quietly in the corner, ignoring the noise from the rest of the workshop thinking carefully before taking even the smallest chip out of the wood. Gradually, bit by bit, it was taking shape though and her design became more and more complicated as she went on. Calina was so absorbed one morning thinking about how to finish off one part that she didn't hear the clatter of hooves as they came to a halt outside the workshop. A silence fell over the workers as the visitors got off their horses and it was this silence that finally caught Calina's attention. She turned to see two elves silhouetted against the bright greens of the forest behind them. Calina could not see their faces but she knew who they belonged to. She dropped her tools and ran towards them, letting herself be swept up in a pair of arms belonging to one of them.
Legolas felt Calina's small body pressed against his clinging to his neck and he closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. She smelt of wood and the earth, something he had not noticed before, and her hands were covered in little cuts. He took her hands from around his neck and held them in from of him for inspection,
"What have you been doing to yourself? I take my eye of you for a little while and you always end up in trouble!"
"Not all of us have the benefit of employment in a warm cosy palace Legolas, and we suffer the consequences." She broke into a smile and no longer cared what anyone thought. She lifted her lips to his for the first time in what seemed like an age. A calmness and serenity washed through both of them at that moment and a certainty that their love was the only thing that really matter to them both. There was a sharp cough behind them and they broke apart. Lathrin was standing next to Verlat, but an arm's length away, just in case they had another round of their seemingly endless disagreement. Calina straightened her hair and saw that everyone was staring at them. She felt the Sun beat down on the back of her neck and she realised it was noon, "Would you two care for some lunch?" Legolas nodded,
"Yes please Calina."
"Lathrin are you coming too?" Calina asked. Calina noticed Verlat looked as if he was silently pleading with Lathrin to join them and she smiled. Lathrin pulled her apron off and flung it at what she was working on,
"Of course I am. You always have those nice cakes baked!"
The rest of the workshop returned to work, but with a louder than usual buzz about it. Calina turned her back on it, putting that worry to the back of her mind. As she did so, another one popped up,
"Legolas, what about your father?" She heard Verlat laugh behind her and there was a smile on Legolas' face,
"I starting working at dawn this morning and about breakfast time father came to see me. He said he appreciated what I was trying to do for him but my efficiency was disturbing the staff and he felt it best I leave the palace for the day so some work would pile up and I would get behind and not plague all his advisors with incessant questioning. I think they were his exact words." Calina laughed,
"I cannot imagine your father letting any work pile up."
"Oh you would be surprised. Father has a wonderful talent for finding something more important than the paper work in his study."
Calina showed them into her flet and made them sit down while she made some sandwiches for them all. She was joined by Lathrin, who began arranging them on a plate and whispered to Calina,
"I do not know why Verlat has come. I am sure Legolas had something else on his mind other than lunch." Calina gave Lathrin a look telling her to be quiet and handed her a tray with plates and a cake on and Calina followed her with some glasses, drinks and the sandwiches. They had a pleasurable time by all accounts although Calina noticed several times that Lathrin's hands were clenched tight, her knuckles white, restraining herself from making some comment or other. Once it had all been cleared away Calina suggested that perhaps they should take a walk. Legolas agreed, but Verlat and Lathrin quickly declared that they would rather stay inside much to Calina's relief. She wanted to spend some time with Legolas. Calina warned them not to destroy her flet in her absence and disappeared down the ladder with Legolas and off into the trees.
Calina held tight onto Legolas' hand and as soon as they were out of sight of the village she pushed him against a tree and kissed him passionately. She felt the warmth spread through her body, starting from her lips and her waist where his hands rested and moving quickly through her body. When it finally reached her toes she pulled away. Legolas was left breathless and Calina smiled, "I have been wanting to do that for weeks now." Her smile faded. Legolas pulled her back close to him and they stood like that for quite some while, just taking comfort from each other. Calina shifted in Legolas' arms and he looked down at her face. Tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks. Legolas sat down on a tree trunk and sat Calina on his lap,
"Shhh, do not cry Calina." He kissed her forehead, "It will be over soon. They are leaving in a few days and then we can be together till we are sick of each other and you send me back to the palace." She pressed her hot cheek against his cool one and Legolas stroked her hair until she had calmed down,
"It is so lonely in my flet without you there. I had not noticed it before, but when the wind howls and the tree rocks I wish you were there with me. It is not the same anymore, everything is different now and I do not know what it all means." Legolas kissed away all the remaining tears on her face and said,
"We will work it out together soon, I promise." Calina nodded a little, "Why not show me how Gimli's chair is going?" Calina slid off his lap and took his hand to lead him in the direction of the workshop. They slipped in unnoticed as the excitement of Legolas' arrival had died down. Someone had thrown a sheet over the chair to keep it clean and Calina pulled it down.
"What do you think?"
"You did all this?" asked Legolas, trying to take it in - the gentle curves, the intricately carved figures - it seemed effortless, but hours of work must have gone into it,
"Well most of it. I had a bit of help at the beginning."
"You are far too modest Calina. All we did was help you cut large chunks off the block of wood when it arrived," said a voice behind them. Everyone was now aware of her presence. Calina blushed and absentmindedly brushed some sawdust from the arm of the chair closest to her. Legolas put his arm round her waist and kissed her head,
"You are blushing my lady," he pointed out. Calina raised her hands to her flushed face to try and cool it. She put the sheet back over the chair and Legolas laughed, "You are far too modest Calina. Come on, let us go and see if Lathrin and Verlat have thrown your furniture at each other yet." Calina smiled and allowed herself to be led from her workshop and back through the trees to her flet.
There was a curious silence at the base of the tree, they could here nothing from inside. They had left the rope ladder dangling down so Calina and Legolas climbed up to take a peep at what was going on. Silently Calina lifted the trap door to her living room just enough so they could look through. The movement of the floor did not disturb the room's occupants however. Lathrin and Verlat were sitting very close together on one of Calina's sofas pouring over an old book. They were pointing out things on the pages for each other. Calina watched as Lathrin's hand brushed against Verlat's as they both went to point at the same thing. She pulled it away and looked at him to apologise, but he did not say anything. Verlat took Lathrin's other hand which was resting between them and brought it to his lips slowly and gently. Calina looked at Legolas dangling next to her on the ladder who was having trouble controlling his laughter. She shook her head at him to make him be quiet so they could see what would happen next and turned back to her spying. Verlat was still holding onto Lathrin's hand and her gaze as well. He was starting to lean towards her and Calina was silently willing him on, but Legolas chose that moment to let his feet slip off the rope so he was dangling by his arms and his laughter finally burst through. Calina pushed the trapdoor open and Lathrin and Verlat sprang apart. She climbed into the living room and left Legolas to sort himself out once he had stopped his hysterics.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room and Legolas finally managed to haul himself through the trapdoor. Calina rolled up the ladder and banged the door closed, "You needn't have worried about your flet Calina," he said grinning at Verlat, "it seems they had better things to do than throw your furniture at each other. Much better things." Calina gave Legolas a slight slap to make him be quiet. Lathrin and Verlat sat very uncomfortably in the sofa as Calina went to make a drink. Lathrin stood up and announced,
"I think I will be going home Calina. I shall see you tomorrow." Verlat surprised even himself when he stood up and offered to walk her home. Calina and Legolas watched them out of the window as Verlat took Lathrin's hand as they went through the trees.
"Well I never saw that one coming," said Legolas sitting down on the sofa. Calina curled up beside him,
"I did. You just need that spark. We had it years ago, and they certainly do. It is so exciting. I might match Lathrin at her own gossiping game!"
"I cannot wait to tell Mineta and Nithin."
"I do not think Mineta will be too surprised. She knows Verlat even better than I know Lathrin and I am sure Nithin will know if Mineta knows."
"Why am I the last to realise these things?" Legolas said.
"You are not always the last. When I realised I loved you it was almost too late. You knew by then."
"That is true. But I am glad you finally realised," he said before kissing her softly. They sat together for a while, sometimes talking, sometime not, and Legolas absentmindedly played with Calina's hair while her head laid on his shoulder. She sighed contentedly many times as she snuggled further into Legolas or shifted her position slightly. Eventually she ended up sitting in Legolas lap, her legs curled up against one side of his body and her head resting against his chest. She was listening to his heartbeat and feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he took in slow deep breaths. She left his smell envelope her, it made her feel so safe and calm. She took his hand from her leg and started to examine it. Its long slender fingers with a hidden strength, the strength that ran through all of Legolas, his cool palms and the small calluses on his fingers from stringing countless arrows. She began to stroke down the length of the underside of each finger in turn and she felt Legolas turn his head so he could watch her fascination. Calina felt his gaze and turned her head to look at him, blushing as she had been caught in the act.
"Calina, why do you examine me so?" Her blush deepened and she looked away from him, "Tell me Calina," Legolas voice was teasing now, but she was too embarrassed to admit to the real reason, which was simply that she wanted to be able to recall every minute detail of him at the drop of a hat. The way his hand felt in hers was unique, no one else could say it would feel the same. Calina began to suspect that she was starting to get a bit soppy over Legolas. He simply laughed at her silence, "I do not mind, it is quite flattering really that something as simple as my hand can keep you occupied for quite a while. I dread to think what you will be like with other parts of my body!" Calina could not take his teasing anymore and hid her face in his chest, but Legolas just laughed harder, "Since when did you get so coy Calina?"
"Stop teasing me Legolas!" she said into his collar,
"Sorry what was that?" he asked. Calina let out a noise of infuriation and got off his lap and sort solace in an armchair across the room. She crossed her arms and looked out of the window at the leaves getting blown from the trees that were becoming barer and barer with every passing day leaving a golden carpet on the forest floor. She could still hear Legolas laughing on the other side of the room so she got up and went to her room, letting the door close in Legolas' face, "Oh come on Calina I was only teasing." He tried the door handle and the door swung open. Calina was sitting on the bed opposite the door with a questioning look on her face. Legolas sat down next to her and pulled her close to him,
"I only want to be able to remember you when you are not here. I am worried I will forget," she said quietly and then turned to meet his eyes. His face softened and he smiled,
"You will not forget Calina, do not trouble yourself. Close your eyes and I will always be there. Every time I shut my eyes you are there. Your beautiful blue eyes," and he kissed her eyelids shut, "the soft skin of your cheeks leading to your little ears," Calina's breath came more and more quickly as she felt his words and then the gentle friction of his tongue on her ear. "Then down to the soft line of your jaw and your neck," Legolas traced a line of gentle kisses and little nips of his teeth down her neck and across her collar bone and up the other side, his mouth hovering just over her slightly parted lips, "leading finally to your beautiful, red, warm, full," Legolas words came out as a husky whisper onto her lips. Calina closed her eyes waiting for him to bridge that last gap between them, "sweet, loving, caring lips." Legolas touched her lips gently with his own, and then again and again until she let him capture her mouth and claim her in a kiss full of passion and desire. Calina allowed herself to fall back down onto the bed all the while concentrating on the feel of Legolas' lips on hers. She sank down into the soft mattress and placed her arms around Legolas waist and in his hair. They stayed like that for a long time, and once their kiss was over Legolas pushed Calina's hair behind her ears and they lay together watching each other breath into the quiet of the evening.
Verlat had not returned for his horse by the time darkness fell and so Calina stabled Legolas' and Verlat's horses along with her own and then returned to the flet to prepare something for dinner. She was surprised to see Legolas throwing ingredients into a pan on her stove. Calina was worried by the numbers of spices and other flavouring being tossed in,
"Legolas, sometimes it is nice to taste the meat as well," but the only reply she got was a curious smile and a gesture to go and sit down. Legolas had laid the table as well placing a large candle in the centre, which lit the room enough for them to eat by, but nothing else. She returned to the kitchen and the smell of the cooking hit her. It was not unpleasant by any means, just curious, she had never smelt anything like this before. "Legolas what are you cooking?"
"You will see. It is a recipe I picked up in Gondor. You should see the dining halls in Minas Tirith Calina. And the food, oh the food. I have never eaten so well in all my time in Eryn Lasgalen. There can be no comparison. You must come one day. If you climb into the hills you can see the sea stretching out before you. The sea! How I long to see that again!" Calina watched Legolas as he stopped stirring the pan and gazed into the middle distance locked in some memory Calina could only imagine. Legolas shook himself back to the present and back to the task in hand, "Calina do you have a nice bottle of wine we can drink with this?" She smiled and said,
"I have just the thing Legolas," and opened a door that led to her larder. She selected a bottle and showed Legolas the label,
"Excellent choice, my lady. Would you like to pour? This is ready now. Where have you put your plates?" He said opening door after door, "Ah here they are! Mmm this does smell good even if I do say so myself. Time to eat!" He followed Calina to the table with two steaming plates in his hands while Calina had two glasses and a bottle of wine. They sat down and Calina poured the wine into the glasses before taking a tentative bite at the food Legolas had made. She was so shocked by its taste that her fork clattered down onto the plate,
"Legolas this is delicious!"
"Do not sound so surprised Calina. You know I can cook."
"Yes but nothing like this. What is your secret?"
"Now that would be telling," The playfulness in each of them was aroused once more,
"Please Legolas. Then I can cook it for Lathrin and anything that may render her speechless or at least keep her quiet for a while is welcome."
"Oh is that the reason? You will have to do better than that Calina." She narrowed her eyes at him and went back to eating. Legolas poured more wine into her glass, "Drink up Calina."
"Anyone would think you were trying to get me drunk Legolas Greenleaf. How shameful for a prince."
"In case you had not noticed Calina, there is no one here but us, so it does not really matter what other people think does it?" He raised his glass to her, drunk from it and then raised an eyebrow at Calina who was watching him closely. Calina made a noise of disapproval and Legolas laughed aloud. Calina could not help but smile at the sound that never failed to warm her heart. She looked up and her eyes met with his. Tentatively she reached a hand across the table and caressed Legolas' hand that lay opposite her. He captured her hand in his, his turn to stroke her knuckles and small fingers. Calina laid down her fork, her food forgotten and reached to take Legolas' other hand. She brought it to her cheek, kissing its palm and then closing her eyes as Legolas stroked her face gently. She kissed it one last time and as she went to put it back down on the table Calina knocked her candle. Legolas let go of her for a fleeting second to catch it before it fell and then took hold of her hand once more. With her fingers entwined with his, Calina stood up and bent over slowly. She took a deep breath and blew the candle out. Legolas scraped his chair back too and allowed Calina to pull him through the darkness of her flet, leaving the remains of their meal behind. Legolas felt the brush of gentle fabrics as they entered her bedroom. Calina struck a match to light a candle, but Legolas blew it out and took her in his arms and to bed.
Calina woke as the dawn light streamed through her window. She felt a pair of eyes on her and she lifted her head to see Legolas watching her,
"How long have you been awake?" She asked,
"Not long," he replied. Calina shifted in his arms as she rolled over onto her front, kicking her legs in the air and supporting her head on her arms. She smiled at him and Legolas stroked down her nose with his index finger. Calina's hair fell about her shoulders and tumbled down her back. She reached over to her bedside table for a strip of material and pulled her hair back away from her face then she curled up against Legolas, skin against skin. Calina kissed his shoulder and then slowly moved along it to his neck to the soft skin under his ear. She let the fingers of one of her hands wander up Legolas' chest and behind his neck to massage the skin there. She whispered into his ear, her hot breath tickling his skin,
"If I could have one wish right now, it would be to wake up beside you every day, for nothing else matters to me more than you." Legolas rolled onto his side to face her,
"Then come and live in the palace, come and live with me, and it can be like this forever,"
"Legolas, I cannot leave the workshop. It is everything I have. Do not be silly," Calina rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling. She felt Legolas do the same. They were no longer skin to skin,
"So you did not mean what you said. There is something that matters to you more than me. Your precious workshop."
"Would you give up your archery for me Legolas?" Calina was met by silence, "No I did not think so. Do not ask this of me." Calina stood up to go and wash and get dressed for the day. She heard Legolas sink back into the bed.
The birds were singing outside welcoming the new day, but there was nothing to celebrate inside Calina's flet. She washed and dressed in silence and left Legolas to get his own breakfast. She tidied papers and collected everything necessary for her day's work from around the room. She was getting ready to leave when Legolas finally appeared, dressed,
"I am going to the workshop now. There is lots to do," she said, not looking at him, while braiding her hair to keep it off her face while she worked. Legolas nodded his head, but Calina did not look to see his response. She lifted up the trapdoor and kicked down the rope ladder. Clutching the papers to her she started down. Legolas watched her go and just as her head was about to disappear from view he found his courage,
"Calina, wait!" He lay down on the floor so their eyes were level, "I will not take back the invitation to live with me, because I mean it with all my heart, but I want to tell you this. Do not stay here because you feel obligated to hold up your family name. Do not spend your time playing with dead trees out of loyalty to a dead family and miss out on something very much alive." Calina's eyes narrowed,
"I do not play with dead trees Legolas. Wood is in my blood, heart and soul, the very essence of my life. You cannot be more alive that that. Be sure to close the stable door when you leave." She descended down the ladder and heard Legolas sigh and close the trapdoor. She met Verlat coming through the trees as she went towards the workshop. He smiled brightly at her and wished her good day, but Calina either did not see him or did not want to. Verlat stopped and watched the slow walk of Calina towards the workshop where he had left Lathrin. It appeared to him that there were too many cares placed on the shoulders of such a lively and young elf and her body was bent by all that weight. He wondered where Legolas was and if he was the cause of her sorrow. Calina was drifting out of sight through the trees and Verlat turned towards her flet to find his horse and friend and head back to the palace.
Calina found Lathrin singing to herself and she polished some finished pieces. She smiled contentedly at Calina,
"Good morning Calina. I trust you had a good night." Calina stopped and looked at her,
"The night was lovely, it was the morning that was a problem." Lathrin stopped her work and followed Calina to her corner of the workshop, where she was pulling the sheet of Gimli's chair. She began to chip away less than carefully at the carvings and Lathrin decided to step in. She took the chisel out of Calina's hand and sat on the bench facing her,
"If you want to work out your anger then I suggest you do it on a piece of less importance where one misplaced stoke will not ruin hours of careful work."
"Thank you for your advice Lathrin, now if you do not mind I would quite like to get on with my work," but Lathrin would not hand over the chisel. Calina flung her hammer down in frustration and stood up to face her friend. She held out her hand, but still Lathrin would not relinquish the tool,
"I do not know why you are in such a foul mood Calina, but do you think it is a good idea to hack away at such a beautiful piece as this? It is your best work that I have seen, do not let one morning of anger ruin it." Calina sighed and sat on the floor. Lathrin came and sat down next to her, leaning on the wall of the workshop, "What happened?"
"He wants me to give up all of this and move to the palace to be with him and I cannot, I just cannot. It would be like cutting out my heart and soul and becoming an empty shell. I just cannot do that." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and Lathrin took her in her arms,
"Do not cry Calina. This was bound to happen. You are only a couple of hours from the palace. If you cannot leave here then I am sure Legolas will come to you. He loves you very much." Calina sat up and looked at her friend,
"Are you sure?" Lathrin nodded, but underneath she was not all that sure at all.
During the week following Calina's return to her flet she was kept busy, not only by the workshop, but also by a constant stream of visitors coming to inquire about "her health", but Calina saw they just wanted all the gossip from the palace. Lathrin had obviously been keeping her mouth shut about the whole affair, a very unusual occurrence, which obviously sparked everyone's curiosity. All anyone managed to prise out of Calina was that during the presentation to Lord Aragorn she had bumped into some friends she had known before she arrived in the village and was spending some time with them as she had not seen them for some time. No one dared mention the visits from members of the royal family in front of her, but Calina knew that their private suspicions were very close to the truth. She threw herself into clearing the workshop and ordering new supplies so they could begin afresh. Legolas had not visited her since he had spent the night in her flet and she had not heard from him expect a short note telling her that his father was spending a lot of time with his brother and Legolas had taken charge of much of the day to day running of the palace and the forest in general. Calina sent a short reply asking to be remembered to his father and asking Legolas to forward on a letter to Gimli as she knew no messenger who would even dream of going to Erebor.
About a fortnight after her return Calina re-opened the workshop and everyone began work on Gimli's order. She also had orders from every other part of the forest to complete and she was utterly snowed under because they had no stock in reserve. Calina worked on Gimli's chair quietly in the corner, ignoring the noise from the rest of the workshop thinking carefully before taking even the smallest chip out of the wood. Gradually, bit by bit, it was taking shape though and her design became more and more complicated as she went on. Calina was so absorbed one morning thinking about how to finish off one part that she didn't hear the clatter of hooves as they came to a halt outside the workshop. A silence fell over the workers as the visitors got off their horses and it was this silence that finally caught Calina's attention. She turned to see two elves silhouetted against the bright greens of the forest behind them. Calina could not see their faces but she knew who they belonged to. She dropped her tools and ran towards them, letting herself be swept up in a pair of arms belonging to one of them.
Legolas felt Calina's small body pressed against his clinging to his neck and he closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. She smelt of wood and the earth, something he had not noticed before, and her hands were covered in little cuts. He took her hands from around his neck and held them in from of him for inspection,
"What have you been doing to yourself? I take my eye of you for a little while and you always end up in trouble!"
"Not all of us have the benefit of employment in a warm cosy palace Legolas, and we suffer the consequences." She broke into a smile and no longer cared what anyone thought. She lifted her lips to his for the first time in what seemed like an age. A calmness and serenity washed through both of them at that moment and a certainty that their love was the only thing that really matter to them both. There was a sharp cough behind them and they broke apart. Lathrin was standing next to Verlat, but an arm's length away, just in case they had another round of their seemingly endless disagreement. Calina straightened her hair and saw that everyone was staring at them. She felt the Sun beat down on the back of her neck and she realised it was noon, "Would you two care for some lunch?" Legolas nodded,
"Yes please Calina."
"Lathrin are you coming too?" Calina asked. Calina noticed Verlat looked as if he was silently pleading with Lathrin to join them and she smiled. Lathrin pulled her apron off and flung it at what she was working on,
"Of course I am. You always have those nice cakes baked!"
The rest of the workshop returned to work, but with a louder than usual buzz about it. Calina turned her back on it, putting that worry to the back of her mind. As she did so, another one popped up,
"Legolas, what about your father?" She heard Verlat laugh behind her and there was a smile on Legolas' face,
"I starting working at dawn this morning and about breakfast time father came to see me. He said he appreciated what I was trying to do for him but my efficiency was disturbing the staff and he felt it best I leave the palace for the day so some work would pile up and I would get behind and not plague all his advisors with incessant questioning. I think they were his exact words." Calina laughed,
"I cannot imagine your father letting any work pile up."
"Oh you would be surprised. Father has a wonderful talent for finding something more important than the paper work in his study."
Calina showed them into her flet and made them sit down while she made some sandwiches for them all. She was joined by Lathrin, who began arranging them on a plate and whispered to Calina,
"I do not know why Verlat has come. I am sure Legolas had something else on his mind other than lunch." Calina gave Lathrin a look telling her to be quiet and handed her a tray with plates and a cake on and Calina followed her with some glasses, drinks and the sandwiches. They had a pleasurable time by all accounts although Calina noticed several times that Lathrin's hands were clenched tight, her knuckles white, restraining herself from making some comment or other. Once it had all been cleared away Calina suggested that perhaps they should take a walk. Legolas agreed, but Verlat and Lathrin quickly declared that they would rather stay inside much to Calina's relief. She wanted to spend some time with Legolas. Calina warned them not to destroy her flet in her absence and disappeared down the ladder with Legolas and off into the trees.
Calina held tight onto Legolas' hand and as soon as they were out of sight of the village she pushed him against a tree and kissed him passionately. She felt the warmth spread through her body, starting from her lips and her waist where his hands rested and moving quickly through her body. When it finally reached her toes she pulled away. Legolas was left breathless and Calina smiled, "I have been wanting to do that for weeks now." Her smile faded. Legolas pulled her back close to him and they stood like that for quite some while, just taking comfort from each other. Calina shifted in Legolas' arms and he looked down at her face. Tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks. Legolas sat down on a tree trunk and sat Calina on his lap,
"Shhh, do not cry Calina." He kissed her forehead, "It will be over soon. They are leaving in a few days and then we can be together till we are sick of each other and you send me back to the palace." She pressed her hot cheek against his cool one and Legolas stroked her hair until she had calmed down,
"It is so lonely in my flet without you there. I had not noticed it before, but when the wind howls and the tree rocks I wish you were there with me. It is not the same anymore, everything is different now and I do not know what it all means." Legolas kissed away all the remaining tears on her face and said,
"We will work it out together soon, I promise." Calina nodded a little, "Why not show me how Gimli's chair is going?" Calina slid off his lap and took his hand to lead him in the direction of the workshop. They slipped in unnoticed as the excitement of Legolas' arrival had died down. Someone had thrown a sheet over the chair to keep it clean and Calina pulled it down.
"What do you think?"
"You did all this?" asked Legolas, trying to take it in - the gentle curves, the intricately carved figures - it seemed effortless, but hours of work must have gone into it,
"Well most of it. I had a bit of help at the beginning."
"You are far too modest Calina. All we did was help you cut large chunks off the block of wood when it arrived," said a voice behind them. Everyone was now aware of her presence. Calina blushed and absentmindedly brushed some sawdust from the arm of the chair closest to her. Legolas put his arm round her waist and kissed her head,
"You are blushing my lady," he pointed out. Calina raised her hands to her flushed face to try and cool it. She put the sheet back over the chair and Legolas laughed, "You are far too modest Calina. Come on, let us go and see if Lathrin and Verlat have thrown your furniture at each other yet." Calina smiled and allowed herself to be led from her workshop and back through the trees to her flet.
There was a curious silence at the base of the tree, they could here nothing from inside. They had left the rope ladder dangling down so Calina and Legolas climbed up to take a peep at what was going on. Silently Calina lifted the trap door to her living room just enough so they could look through. The movement of the floor did not disturb the room's occupants however. Lathrin and Verlat were sitting very close together on one of Calina's sofas pouring over an old book. They were pointing out things on the pages for each other. Calina watched as Lathrin's hand brushed against Verlat's as they both went to point at the same thing. She pulled it away and looked at him to apologise, but he did not say anything. Verlat took Lathrin's other hand which was resting between them and brought it to his lips slowly and gently. Calina looked at Legolas dangling next to her on the ladder who was having trouble controlling his laughter. She shook her head at him to make him be quiet so they could see what would happen next and turned back to her spying. Verlat was still holding onto Lathrin's hand and her gaze as well. He was starting to lean towards her and Calina was silently willing him on, but Legolas chose that moment to let his feet slip off the rope so he was dangling by his arms and his laughter finally burst through. Calina pushed the trapdoor open and Lathrin and Verlat sprang apart. She climbed into the living room and left Legolas to sort himself out once he had stopped his hysterics.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room and Legolas finally managed to haul himself through the trapdoor. Calina rolled up the ladder and banged the door closed, "You needn't have worried about your flet Calina," he said grinning at Verlat, "it seems they had better things to do than throw your furniture at each other. Much better things." Calina gave Legolas a slight slap to make him be quiet. Lathrin and Verlat sat very uncomfortably in the sofa as Calina went to make a drink. Lathrin stood up and announced,
"I think I will be going home Calina. I shall see you tomorrow." Verlat surprised even himself when he stood up and offered to walk her home. Calina and Legolas watched them out of the window as Verlat took Lathrin's hand as they went through the trees.
"Well I never saw that one coming," said Legolas sitting down on the sofa. Calina curled up beside him,
"I did. You just need that spark. We had it years ago, and they certainly do. It is so exciting. I might match Lathrin at her own gossiping game!"
"I cannot wait to tell Mineta and Nithin."
"I do not think Mineta will be too surprised. She knows Verlat even better than I know Lathrin and I am sure Nithin will know if Mineta knows."
"Why am I the last to realise these things?" Legolas said.
"You are not always the last. When I realised I loved you it was almost too late. You knew by then."
"That is true. But I am glad you finally realised," he said before kissing her softly. They sat together for a while, sometimes talking, sometime not, and Legolas absentmindedly played with Calina's hair while her head laid on his shoulder. She sighed contentedly many times as she snuggled further into Legolas or shifted her position slightly. Eventually she ended up sitting in Legolas lap, her legs curled up against one side of his body and her head resting against his chest. She was listening to his heartbeat and feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he took in slow deep breaths. She left his smell envelope her, it made her feel so safe and calm. She took his hand from her leg and started to examine it. Its long slender fingers with a hidden strength, the strength that ran through all of Legolas, his cool palms and the small calluses on his fingers from stringing countless arrows. She began to stroke down the length of the underside of each finger in turn and she felt Legolas turn his head so he could watch her fascination. Calina felt his gaze and turned her head to look at him, blushing as she had been caught in the act.
"Calina, why do you examine me so?" Her blush deepened and she looked away from him, "Tell me Calina," Legolas voice was teasing now, but she was too embarrassed to admit to the real reason, which was simply that she wanted to be able to recall every minute detail of him at the drop of a hat. The way his hand felt in hers was unique, no one else could say it would feel the same. Calina began to suspect that she was starting to get a bit soppy over Legolas. He simply laughed at her silence, "I do not mind, it is quite flattering really that something as simple as my hand can keep you occupied for quite a while. I dread to think what you will be like with other parts of my body!" Calina could not take his teasing anymore and hid her face in his chest, but Legolas just laughed harder, "Since when did you get so coy Calina?"
"Stop teasing me Legolas!" she said into his collar,
"Sorry what was that?" he asked. Calina let out a noise of infuriation and got off his lap and sort solace in an armchair across the room. She crossed her arms and looked out of the window at the leaves getting blown from the trees that were becoming barer and barer with every passing day leaving a golden carpet on the forest floor. She could still hear Legolas laughing on the other side of the room so she got up and went to her room, letting the door close in Legolas' face, "Oh come on Calina I was only teasing." He tried the door handle and the door swung open. Calina was sitting on the bed opposite the door with a questioning look on her face. Legolas sat down next to her and pulled her close to him,
"I only want to be able to remember you when you are not here. I am worried I will forget," she said quietly and then turned to meet his eyes. His face softened and he smiled,
"You will not forget Calina, do not trouble yourself. Close your eyes and I will always be there. Every time I shut my eyes you are there. Your beautiful blue eyes," and he kissed her eyelids shut, "the soft skin of your cheeks leading to your little ears," Calina's breath came more and more quickly as she felt his words and then the gentle friction of his tongue on her ear. "Then down to the soft line of your jaw and your neck," Legolas traced a line of gentle kisses and little nips of his teeth down her neck and across her collar bone and up the other side, his mouth hovering just over her slightly parted lips, "leading finally to your beautiful, red, warm, full," Legolas words came out as a husky whisper onto her lips. Calina closed her eyes waiting for him to bridge that last gap between them, "sweet, loving, caring lips." Legolas touched her lips gently with his own, and then again and again until she let him capture her mouth and claim her in a kiss full of passion and desire. Calina allowed herself to fall back down onto the bed all the while concentrating on the feel of Legolas' lips on hers. She sank down into the soft mattress and placed her arms around Legolas waist and in his hair. They stayed like that for a long time, and once their kiss was over Legolas pushed Calina's hair behind her ears and they lay together watching each other breath into the quiet of the evening.
Verlat had not returned for his horse by the time darkness fell and so Calina stabled Legolas' and Verlat's horses along with her own and then returned to the flet to prepare something for dinner. She was surprised to see Legolas throwing ingredients into a pan on her stove. Calina was worried by the numbers of spices and other flavouring being tossed in,
"Legolas, sometimes it is nice to taste the meat as well," but the only reply she got was a curious smile and a gesture to go and sit down. Legolas had laid the table as well placing a large candle in the centre, which lit the room enough for them to eat by, but nothing else. She returned to the kitchen and the smell of the cooking hit her. It was not unpleasant by any means, just curious, she had never smelt anything like this before. "Legolas what are you cooking?"
"You will see. It is a recipe I picked up in Gondor. You should see the dining halls in Minas Tirith Calina. And the food, oh the food. I have never eaten so well in all my time in Eryn Lasgalen. There can be no comparison. You must come one day. If you climb into the hills you can see the sea stretching out before you. The sea! How I long to see that again!" Calina watched Legolas as he stopped stirring the pan and gazed into the middle distance locked in some memory Calina could only imagine. Legolas shook himself back to the present and back to the task in hand, "Calina do you have a nice bottle of wine we can drink with this?" She smiled and said,
"I have just the thing Legolas," and opened a door that led to her larder. She selected a bottle and showed Legolas the label,
"Excellent choice, my lady. Would you like to pour? This is ready now. Where have you put your plates?" He said opening door after door, "Ah here they are! Mmm this does smell good even if I do say so myself. Time to eat!" He followed Calina to the table with two steaming plates in his hands while Calina had two glasses and a bottle of wine. They sat down and Calina poured the wine into the glasses before taking a tentative bite at the food Legolas had made. She was so shocked by its taste that her fork clattered down onto the plate,
"Legolas this is delicious!"
"Do not sound so surprised Calina. You know I can cook."
"Yes but nothing like this. What is your secret?"
"Now that would be telling," The playfulness in each of them was aroused once more,
"Please Legolas. Then I can cook it for Lathrin and anything that may render her speechless or at least keep her quiet for a while is welcome."
"Oh is that the reason? You will have to do better than that Calina." She narrowed her eyes at him and went back to eating. Legolas poured more wine into her glass, "Drink up Calina."
"Anyone would think you were trying to get me drunk Legolas Greenleaf. How shameful for a prince."
"In case you had not noticed Calina, there is no one here but us, so it does not really matter what other people think does it?" He raised his glass to her, drunk from it and then raised an eyebrow at Calina who was watching him closely. Calina made a noise of disapproval and Legolas laughed aloud. Calina could not help but smile at the sound that never failed to warm her heart. She looked up and her eyes met with his. Tentatively she reached a hand across the table and caressed Legolas' hand that lay opposite her. He captured her hand in his, his turn to stroke her knuckles and small fingers. Calina laid down her fork, her food forgotten and reached to take Legolas' other hand. She brought it to her cheek, kissing its palm and then closing her eyes as Legolas stroked her face gently. She kissed it one last time and as she went to put it back down on the table Calina knocked her candle. Legolas let go of her for a fleeting second to catch it before it fell and then took hold of her hand once more. With her fingers entwined with his, Calina stood up and bent over slowly. She took a deep breath and blew the candle out. Legolas scraped his chair back too and allowed Calina to pull him through the darkness of her flet, leaving the remains of their meal behind. Legolas felt the brush of gentle fabrics as they entered her bedroom. Calina struck a match to light a candle, but Legolas blew it out and took her in his arms and to bed.
Calina woke as the dawn light streamed through her window. She felt a pair of eyes on her and she lifted her head to see Legolas watching her,
"How long have you been awake?" She asked,
"Not long," he replied. Calina shifted in his arms as she rolled over onto her front, kicking her legs in the air and supporting her head on her arms. She smiled at him and Legolas stroked down her nose with his index finger. Calina's hair fell about her shoulders and tumbled down her back. She reached over to her bedside table for a strip of material and pulled her hair back away from her face then she curled up against Legolas, skin against skin. Calina kissed his shoulder and then slowly moved along it to his neck to the soft skin under his ear. She let the fingers of one of her hands wander up Legolas' chest and behind his neck to massage the skin there. She whispered into his ear, her hot breath tickling his skin,
"If I could have one wish right now, it would be to wake up beside you every day, for nothing else matters to me more than you." Legolas rolled onto his side to face her,
"Then come and live in the palace, come and live with me, and it can be like this forever,"
"Legolas, I cannot leave the workshop. It is everything I have. Do not be silly," Calina rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling. She felt Legolas do the same. They were no longer skin to skin,
"So you did not mean what you said. There is something that matters to you more than me. Your precious workshop."
"Would you give up your archery for me Legolas?" Calina was met by silence, "No I did not think so. Do not ask this of me." Calina stood up to go and wash and get dressed for the day. She heard Legolas sink back into the bed.
The birds were singing outside welcoming the new day, but there was nothing to celebrate inside Calina's flet. She washed and dressed in silence and left Legolas to get his own breakfast. She tidied papers and collected everything necessary for her day's work from around the room. She was getting ready to leave when Legolas finally appeared, dressed,
"I am going to the workshop now. There is lots to do," she said, not looking at him, while braiding her hair to keep it off her face while she worked. Legolas nodded his head, but Calina did not look to see his response. She lifted up the trapdoor and kicked down the rope ladder. Clutching the papers to her she started down. Legolas watched her go and just as her head was about to disappear from view he found his courage,
"Calina, wait!" He lay down on the floor so their eyes were level, "I will not take back the invitation to live with me, because I mean it with all my heart, but I want to tell you this. Do not stay here because you feel obligated to hold up your family name. Do not spend your time playing with dead trees out of loyalty to a dead family and miss out on something very much alive." Calina's eyes narrowed,
"I do not play with dead trees Legolas. Wood is in my blood, heart and soul, the very essence of my life. You cannot be more alive that that. Be sure to close the stable door when you leave." She descended down the ladder and heard Legolas sigh and close the trapdoor. She met Verlat coming through the trees as she went towards the workshop. He smiled brightly at her and wished her good day, but Calina either did not see him or did not want to. Verlat stopped and watched the slow walk of Calina towards the workshop where he had left Lathrin. It appeared to him that there were too many cares placed on the shoulders of such a lively and young elf and her body was bent by all that weight. He wondered where Legolas was and if he was the cause of her sorrow. Calina was drifting out of sight through the trees and Verlat turned towards her flet to find his horse and friend and head back to the palace.
Calina found Lathrin singing to herself and she polished some finished pieces. She smiled contentedly at Calina,
"Good morning Calina. I trust you had a good night." Calina stopped and looked at her,
"The night was lovely, it was the morning that was a problem." Lathrin stopped her work and followed Calina to her corner of the workshop, where she was pulling the sheet of Gimli's chair. She began to chip away less than carefully at the carvings and Lathrin decided to step in. She took the chisel out of Calina's hand and sat on the bench facing her,
"If you want to work out your anger then I suggest you do it on a piece of less importance where one misplaced stoke will not ruin hours of careful work."
"Thank you for your advice Lathrin, now if you do not mind I would quite like to get on with my work," but Lathrin would not hand over the chisel. Calina flung her hammer down in frustration and stood up to face her friend. She held out her hand, but still Lathrin would not relinquish the tool,
"I do not know why you are in such a foul mood Calina, but do you think it is a good idea to hack away at such a beautiful piece as this? It is your best work that I have seen, do not let one morning of anger ruin it." Calina sighed and sat on the floor. Lathrin came and sat down next to her, leaning on the wall of the workshop, "What happened?"
"He wants me to give up all of this and move to the palace to be with him and I cannot, I just cannot. It would be like cutting out my heart and soul and becoming an empty shell. I just cannot do that." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and Lathrin took her in her arms,
"Do not cry Calina. This was bound to happen. You are only a couple of hours from the palace. If you cannot leave here then I am sure Legolas will come to you. He loves you very much." Calina sat up and looked at her friend,
"Are you sure?" Lathrin nodded, but underneath she was not all that sure at all.
