**Legolas**
I sped into a glade, Narmo standing to the side a bit.
"Are you alright?" I asked, gasping for breath. "I heard a scream ."
I went to touch her arm, but she pulled away.
"What is the matter?" I asked.
"How could you?" she asked. "I thought we were friends ."
"How could I?" I replied.
I looked around the glade. To my horror, I saw my sword, lying bloody on the ground. I stooped, picking it up in my hand. I studied it. I had left it in my room. How . ? I looked to Narmo and saw a tear run down her right cheek as she looked up to the midnight sky. I ran to her, pressing her body against mine in an embrace, trying to comfort her, with still no idea of what had happened. She pushed me away, but I grabbed her left arm. Narmo looked at me, horror in her eyes. I slowly released her from my grip.
"What happened, mellon [friend]?" I asked, almost in a whisper.
"You were the one," she answered. "You did it. Shall you not admit to your own foul deeds?"
Narmo glared at me. I was more hurt than I had ever been in my life. The woman I loved and my best friend in the world staring at me with such hatred that I had never seen from even the worst of my enemies.
"I did nothing," I replied. "Tell me, what has happened to turn you from me?"
She told me what had transpired, relating the terror in her heart, all the while, keeping her distance from my touch. I could not believe it. Someone had hurt her, masquerading as me, with my weapon.
"Narmo, I did no such thing," I replied. "I never could bring myself to hurt you. Trust me ."
She looked me in the eyes, her own softening a bit.
"Oh, Legolas," said Narmo, tears pouring from her eyes as she accepted the embrace I offered.
I held her, closer than we had been in years. I felt awful for finding pleasure in such a horrible touch. I was to be comforting her, not be taking advantage. I pulled away, but upon doing so, I saw blood coming through the fabric of her tunic. Narmo saw my discovery and tried to turn away, but I caught her by the shoulders.
"May I?" I asked, motioning to her tunic clasps.
**Narmo**
I shook my head at Legolas' request. I loved him; I could not let him.
"Please," he said, worry overwhelming his kind eyes. "I wish only to help. Trust me as you said you would ."
I looked at him, studying his face, looking for anything resembling kindness. What I saw was the truth and nothing but. He did not love me as more than a friend, as did I, nor did he want to take advantage of me. Legolas knew herbs well, and healing also. I would consent; he would help me.
"Aye," I said, finally. "I shall, but please, my bedroom, not this dreadful forest ."
As I said that, I slipped into darkness, a terrifying darkness.
**Legolas**
Narmo went limp in my arms, as I caught her; she had fallen into unconciousness. I had forgotten her pain and exhaustion, selfishly keeping her. I stood up, and as gently as possible, carried her back to the Royal House, to her bedroom. I hated myself for having been so thoughtless. I shuddered in the cold night air, playing her torture out in my mind. As I looked up from the trail, her face caught my attention. The trails of wept tears glistened in the soft, silver light. Who could have been so cruel and heartless to such a noble and beautiful creature?
Entering her room, I gently laid her on the bed, underneath the dark purple canopy and on top of the matching, velvet duvet. She looked so beautiful in the warm candlelight, but I could not let my secret feelings come in the way of my aid to my best friend. I set a kettle of water over the fireplace to warm and acquired some herbs from the herbalist of the Royal House. Just as I returned, Narmo stirred awake.
"Are you alright?" I asked, holding her hand as she came to.
She saw me and nodded vaguely. I took the water off the fire and wet a cloth with it. I gave to Narmo another cloth, thicker. I turned my back.
"Alright," she said.
**Narmo**
Legolas turned around, after I alerted him that I had taken off my tunic and covered my chest with the cloth he had given me. Legolas went to the fireplace, removing a kettle of water from it, and sat down on the bed beside me. He poured some of the water into a bowl, the steam rising into the midnight air, as he mixed herbs into the concoction.
"Thank you ." I said.
"For what?" asked Legolas, smiling. "Helping my dearest friend? I am only too glad to be here for you. You are an amazing creature. You trusted me, when any other maiden would not have."
"You are my friend, Legolas," I replied. "I trust you more than anyone. You could do anything to me, and I would never leave you, our friendship broken ."
**Legolas**
"Nor I," I said to Narmo. "Here we are ."
The herbs were done steeping.
"Lay back," I said.
Narmo did so, and I pulled down the cloth on her chest just far enough to reveal the wound, a deep wound diagonal across her left collarbone, down to just above her right breast. She looked at me, studying my face. This was awful, possibly fatal if she lost must more blood or it became infected, but I could not tell her that. She could not know .
"It shall be healed soon," I said. "It is but a scratch."
She smiled, a look of relief sweeping over her face. Narmo relaxed, putting her hands behind her head and closing her eyes.
I sped into a glade, Narmo standing to the side a bit.
"Are you alright?" I asked, gasping for breath. "I heard a scream ."
I went to touch her arm, but she pulled away.
"What is the matter?" I asked.
"How could you?" she asked. "I thought we were friends ."
"How could I?" I replied.
I looked around the glade. To my horror, I saw my sword, lying bloody on the ground. I stooped, picking it up in my hand. I studied it. I had left it in my room. How . ? I looked to Narmo and saw a tear run down her right cheek as she looked up to the midnight sky. I ran to her, pressing her body against mine in an embrace, trying to comfort her, with still no idea of what had happened. She pushed me away, but I grabbed her left arm. Narmo looked at me, horror in her eyes. I slowly released her from my grip.
"What happened, mellon [friend]?" I asked, almost in a whisper.
"You were the one," she answered. "You did it. Shall you not admit to your own foul deeds?"
Narmo glared at me. I was more hurt than I had ever been in my life. The woman I loved and my best friend in the world staring at me with such hatred that I had never seen from even the worst of my enemies.
"I did nothing," I replied. "Tell me, what has happened to turn you from me?"
She told me what had transpired, relating the terror in her heart, all the while, keeping her distance from my touch. I could not believe it. Someone had hurt her, masquerading as me, with my weapon.
"Narmo, I did no such thing," I replied. "I never could bring myself to hurt you. Trust me ."
She looked me in the eyes, her own softening a bit.
"Oh, Legolas," said Narmo, tears pouring from her eyes as she accepted the embrace I offered.
I held her, closer than we had been in years. I felt awful for finding pleasure in such a horrible touch. I was to be comforting her, not be taking advantage. I pulled away, but upon doing so, I saw blood coming through the fabric of her tunic. Narmo saw my discovery and tried to turn away, but I caught her by the shoulders.
"May I?" I asked, motioning to her tunic clasps.
**Narmo**
I shook my head at Legolas' request. I loved him; I could not let him.
"Please," he said, worry overwhelming his kind eyes. "I wish only to help. Trust me as you said you would ."
I looked at him, studying his face, looking for anything resembling kindness. What I saw was the truth and nothing but. He did not love me as more than a friend, as did I, nor did he want to take advantage of me. Legolas knew herbs well, and healing also. I would consent; he would help me.
"Aye," I said, finally. "I shall, but please, my bedroom, not this dreadful forest ."
As I said that, I slipped into darkness, a terrifying darkness.
**Legolas**
Narmo went limp in my arms, as I caught her; she had fallen into unconciousness. I had forgotten her pain and exhaustion, selfishly keeping her. I stood up, and as gently as possible, carried her back to the Royal House, to her bedroom. I hated myself for having been so thoughtless. I shuddered in the cold night air, playing her torture out in my mind. As I looked up from the trail, her face caught my attention. The trails of wept tears glistened in the soft, silver light. Who could have been so cruel and heartless to such a noble and beautiful creature?
Entering her room, I gently laid her on the bed, underneath the dark purple canopy and on top of the matching, velvet duvet. She looked so beautiful in the warm candlelight, but I could not let my secret feelings come in the way of my aid to my best friend. I set a kettle of water over the fireplace to warm and acquired some herbs from the herbalist of the Royal House. Just as I returned, Narmo stirred awake.
"Are you alright?" I asked, holding her hand as she came to.
She saw me and nodded vaguely. I took the water off the fire and wet a cloth with it. I gave to Narmo another cloth, thicker. I turned my back.
"Alright," she said.
**Narmo**
Legolas turned around, after I alerted him that I had taken off my tunic and covered my chest with the cloth he had given me. Legolas went to the fireplace, removing a kettle of water from it, and sat down on the bed beside me. He poured some of the water into a bowl, the steam rising into the midnight air, as he mixed herbs into the concoction.
"Thank you ." I said.
"For what?" asked Legolas, smiling. "Helping my dearest friend? I am only too glad to be here for you. You are an amazing creature. You trusted me, when any other maiden would not have."
"You are my friend, Legolas," I replied. "I trust you more than anyone. You could do anything to me, and I would never leave you, our friendship broken ."
**Legolas**
"Nor I," I said to Narmo. "Here we are ."
The herbs were done steeping.
"Lay back," I said.
Narmo did so, and I pulled down the cloth on her chest just far enough to reveal the wound, a deep wound diagonal across her left collarbone, down to just above her right breast. She looked at me, studying my face. This was awful, possibly fatal if she lost must more blood or it became infected, but I could not tell her that. She could not know .
"It shall be healed soon," I said. "It is but a scratch."
She smiled, a look of relief sweeping over her face. Narmo relaxed, putting her hands behind her head and closing her eyes.