Of Fairy Tales and Arrows
Chapter Six
His eyes were wide and almost hurt looking. He knew it. He was hoping she wouldn't remember... but he also, deep down had been wishing that she did. He couldn't deny it. "You're beginning to remember aren't you?"
Her expression turned from inquiring to perplexed. "No",she shook her head,"it's just.... I remember your... presence."
He walked back to her unable to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.
"Tell me how I know you." Heidi demanded once he stood before her again.
He smiled weakly, then looked down shifting slightly in his place. "When you were a child you used to open your window at night and sit there looking out into our woods..."
The songs she heard in her mind returned.
"I used to sing you to sleep." He stopped, as he looked at her. Recognition was starting to show in her eyes. "One time... after your father died- just after...", he watched her look away, then back up in shock. Clearly she was wondering how he knew about her father. ,"your grandmother was looking after you for a fortnight, but two days into it you had a... a dream."
She remembered that horrible dream... but it had been a long time since she had had it on a consistent basis. In it she relived her father's death, in it he kept calling out for her from the inferno he was trapped in by the metal frame work of the car he died in. Each time she tried to go to him to get him out, but it was like something was blocking her way....
"Your grandmother couldn't quiet you. You sneaked out... much as your young cousin had tonight, and I found you."
The images were coming back to both of them now. Images of a muddy, scared, heartbroken child and a brilliant golden, angelic like creature coming to her rescue. Giving to each an unknown and strange peace and calm. Like she was with a person she belonged with... he with a child he could for those moments call his. A tear unknownest to Heidi fell down her cheek. She shivered again from both cold and from the release of a pint up emotion... one she had buried so long ago... one she felt she wanted to leave there.
"I tried taking you back. You refused to go. I took you finally to my sister's house amongist the ancient trees of this forest. I stayed with you almost the entire time. You would only stop crying for your father when I was there... You let us take you home after three days..."
He remembered it acutely now and it pained him to a point. It was the closest to feeling like a father he'd ever known, or ever would know. He'd never let the feeling go. He had chosen to live out his life alone... contenting himself with other feelings and pleasures, doing his best not to long for love or family. Yet he could not deny it. This girl or rather the girl she was brought the feelings, the longing to him with force. Now the grown woman stood before him, heart much the same, but still grown and no longer the child he had once cradled as his own those three nights, or sang asleep under the moon. His eyes were wide with emotion s he watched her catch up in revelry.
"I pretended you were there when I got back... I could only sleep if I sang the songs you sang to me before I closed my eyes... they were the only things that had driven away the monsters and horrors of the night and in my dreams..." she whispered. She looked up and around his back at the feathery backs of his arrows sticking out, then let out a little laugh tinged with tears. He cocked his head looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I wanted to make arrows like yours... I remember that. I tried for years, even when I could not remember the reason why anymore. I never could. My skills were inclined elsewhere. In drawing, not sculpting. I suppose in a way, I thought of you as my father."
He smiled at that and of the memory of watching her from a distance trying to carve an arrow out of wood. He nodded in answer for her to go on. She was still like his child in some ways now even, and his heart almost leapt and cried at once with her next words.
"You were my father to a point. I loved you like one... but... but...", she looked him up and down as two more fat tears splattered down her cheeks, "that was over 20 years ago... How...?" she wondered at his youth still haunting his features.
"We do not die... Heidi." he whispered. "We do not grow old... we just continue on as we always have been." he answered guessing at her unspoken question.
He saw her frown as she took this in, and then for some reason her memory finally yeilded his name, "Legolas?"
His eyes registered surprise for an instant then he nodded.
Before she could even think twice about it she flung herself at him and hugged him tightly crying into his tunic. Images of her father, of her very vague memory of his sister's home spun in her head... but he was clear- as clear as her father's memory, and the feeling of childlike love came back to her for him.
Legolas was slow to react and when he did it was but gently. "Again I need to urge you... you must leave my embrace, and go back where you belong..."
She looked up and a stubborn streak flashed into her eyes. But it quickly went away and she pulled away now aware of the night's chill more acutely after having been in his warmth. She turned and began walking.
"Heidi..." he said behind her. She turned and looked back at him wiping her eyes. "Remember that brief time in our keep and when I called you daughter... It will bring you comfort and the strength to believe it'll be all right in even the most desperate time. Remember..."
She smiled and nodded then in a steady run made for home. Legolas stared after her until his vision could carry him no further, then with a somewhat satisfied feeling whispered, "Namarie" to her only to be answered by the whispering of the forest.
Chapter Six
His eyes were wide and almost hurt looking. He knew it. He was hoping she wouldn't remember... but he also, deep down had been wishing that she did. He couldn't deny it. "You're beginning to remember aren't you?"
Her expression turned from inquiring to perplexed. "No",she shook her head,"it's just.... I remember your... presence."
He walked back to her unable to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.
"Tell me how I know you." Heidi demanded once he stood before her again.
He smiled weakly, then looked down shifting slightly in his place. "When you were a child you used to open your window at night and sit there looking out into our woods..."
The songs she heard in her mind returned.
"I used to sing you to sleep." He stopped, as he looked at her. Recognition was starting to show in her eyes. "One time... after your father died- just after...", he watched her look away, then back up in shock. Clearly she was wondering how he knew about her father. ,"your grandmother was looking after you for a fortnight, but two days into it you had a... a dream."
She remembered that horrible dream... but it had been a long time since she had had it on a consistent basis. In it she relived her father's death, in it he kept calling out for her from the inferno he was trapped in by the metal frame work of the car he died in. Each time she tried to go to him to get him out, but it was like something was blocking her way....
"Your grandmother couldn't quiet you. You sneaked out... much as your young cousin had tonight, and I found you."
The images were coming back to both of them now. Images of a muddy, scared, heartbroken child and a brilliant golden, angelic like creature coming to her rescue. Giving to each an unknown and strange peace and calm. Like she was with a person she belonged with... he with a child he could for those moments call his. A tear unknownest to Heidi fell down her cheek. She shivered again from both cold and from the release of a pint up emotion... one she had buried so long ago... one she felt she wanted to leave there.
"I tried taking you back. You refused to go. I took you finally to my sister's house amongist the ancient trees of this forest. I stayed with you almost the entire time. You would only stop crying for your father when I was there... You let us take you home after three days..."
He remembered it acutely now and it pained him to a point. It was the closest to feeling like a father he'd ever known, or ever would know. He'd never let the feeling go. He had chosen to live out his life alone... contenting himself with other feelings and pleasures, doing his best not to long for love or family. Yet he could not deny it. This girl or rather the girl she was brought the feelings, the longing to him with force. Now the grown woman stood before him, heart much the same, but still grown and no longer the child he had once cradled as his own those three nights, or sang asleep under the moon. His eyes were wide with emotion s he watched her catch up in revelry.
"I pretended you were there when I got back... I could only sleep if I sang the songs you sang to me before I closed my eyes... they were the only things that had driven away the monsters and horrors of the night and in my dreams..." she whispered. She looked up and around his back at the feathery backs of his arrows sticking out, then let out a little laugh tinged with tears. He cocked his head looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I wanted to make arrows like yours... I remember that. I tried for years, even when I could not remember the reason why anymore. I never could. My skills were inclined elsewhere. In drawing, not sculpting. I suppose in a way, I thought of you as my father."
He smiled at that and of the memory of watching her from a distance trying to carve an arrow out of wood. He nodded in answer for her to go on. She was still like his child in some ways now even, and his heart almost leapt and cried at once with her next words.
"You were my father to a point. I loved you like one... but... but...", she looked him up and down as two more fat tears splattered down her cheeks, "that was over 20 years ago... How...?" she wondered at his youth still haunting his features.
"We do not die... Heidi." he whispered. "We do not grow old... we just continue on as we always have been." he answered guessing at her unspoken question.
He saw her frown as she took this in, and then for some reason her memory finally yeilded his name, "Legolas?"
His eyes registered surprise for an instant then he nodded.
Before she could even think twice about it she flung herself at him and hugged him tightly crying into his tunic. Images of her father, of her very vague memory of his sister's home spun in her head... but he was clear- as clear as her father's memory, and the feeling of childlike love came back to her for him.
Legolas was slow to react and when he did it was but gently. "Again I need to urge you... you must leave my embrace, and go back where you belong..."
She looked up and a stubborn streak flashed into her eyes. But it quickly went away and she pulled away now aware of the night's chill more acutely after having been in his warmth. She turned and began walking.
"Heidi..." he said behind her. She turned and looked back at him wiping her eyes. "Remember that brief time in our keep and when I called you daughter... It will bring you comfort and the strength to believe it'll be all right in even the most desperate time. Remember..."
She smiled and nodded then in a steady run made for home. Legolas stared after her until his vision could carry him no further, then with a somewhat satisfied feeling whispered, "Namarie" to her only to be answered by the whispering of the forest.