**Narmo**
"This may sting a bit," said Legolas, putting a wet cloth on my wound.
A biting sensation ran through my body, but I was accustomed to the feeling. Soon, the pain dulled. Legolas cleaned my wound, gentle beyond reckoning. After he applied the herbs, he bandaged the injury as well as possible. I was joyous that it was benign; 'a scratch' Legolas had said. As he finished wrapping my wound with a strip of gauze, I opened my eyes, and smiled up at him. Legolas smiled back. How had I thought that this man could have hurt me?
"Finished," said Legolas. "Please, sleep. You must."
"Alright," I replied.
Legolas exited the room, having left the remainder of the herbs for the next healing session, along with the kettle. He entered his own bedroom, which adjoined my own. I quickly changed into a favourite nightgown of mine: navy blue, crisp, light, reaching down to just above my knees. I crawling under the duvet and sheets of my bed, the night almost through, my sleep just beginning, along with Legolas'. My mind drifted to him. Legolas was an amazing man, cleaning my wounds gently, when just minutes before I had accused him of trying to murder me. How I wished that he was in bed beside me .
Just then, the door between my room and Legolas' slowly opened. Legolas stepped into my bedroom, wearing silk, forest-green night pants, his chest bare. He smiled, seeing me awake.
"What brings you?" I asked, surprised.
"I was merely seeing that you were asleep, but I find it not so," he answered. "Still frightened? I can stay with you if you like ."
**Legolas**
This was awful of me, taking advantage of Narmo's anxiety for my own fulfillment, but perhaps she also would benefit.
**Narmo**
I saw my chance.
"Yes," I answered, telling an absolute lie. "Very frightened."
How horrid of me to take Legolas' kindness and bend it to my own will. But maybe, he would feel better also.
**Legolas**
Narmo moved over, pulling back the sheets, motioning to the place beside her.
"Are you certain?" I asked.
"But of course," Narmo answered.
She smiled and I returned it with my own, lying down beside her, as she pulled the duvet and sheets over the two of us.
"I feel safer," Narmo said.
"Wonderful," I replied.
She laid back down, her back to me. I should not have, but I had to .
**Narmo**
My heart raced as Legolas slipped his arms around me, around my waist, molding his body to mine. What a dear friend.
**Legolas**
I held Narmo, our bodies pressed together, hers not refusing. I felt horrid, and yet I could not part myself from her. I was doing no harm.
"Quel ló [Good night]," I whispered, after a few moments.
But Narmo was already asleep, my arms around her. She was evidently comfortable in my embrace as she breathed slowly, regularly, her body relaxed and peaceful. How could someone, anyone hurt her?
Since she would never know, I kissed her neck once, softly. What she did not know could do nothing to her. I drifted into sleep, unexplainably happy while holding my desire, the maiden I loved but could never have.
**Narmo**
As I roused to life, the sun streamed in through the balcony entryway, shining brightly on my face. I heard the soft cadences of birds and felt a cool breeze ripple through my hair. I slowly became aware of arms around my waist: Legolas. It had not been a dream after all. I escaped from Legolas' embrace, my dear friend's embrace. I smiled as I looked at his handsome face in the morning light, the sun dancing on his golden hair, his golden hair on my pillow. I could not stop myself; I softly kissed him on the right cheek. What he did not know could not harm him. Legolas did not even stir, his chest still rising and falling with regular metre.
I forced myself out of bed and changed into a proper dress, the attire of the woman of the Royal House, Aragorn's people, Gondor's people. The dress I donned touched the floor and was sky blue with white lace at the trimmings. It fit me well, comfortable and yet flattering, with a very low neckline, unfortunately showing my bandages, and sleeves wide from the elbow. It was all very beautiful, but not the clothing of my people. Just as I finished brushing my hair, Legolas stirred.
**Legolas**
I sat up, somewhat in a daze as always I was from sleeping. I looked over to Narmo. She was standing in front of the mirror on her dresser, brushing gorgeous hair.
"Quel arin [Good morning]," she said, lying down her brush and turning, a smile on her lips.
It had not been a dream after all. I returned her smile and got out of bed.
"Thank you," she said, "for all that you have done for me. How much it means to me I shall never be able to say."
"Then, bother not," I replied, "for it was no inconvenience to me. You are my dearest friend. I wish only to help you."
We stood for a moment, frozen, looking at each other. I saw a look in Narmo's eyes that I had never seen before, not once in our many years. After a second, she turned her head and it disappeared.
"Hurry," she said, briskly. "Lunch is finished. If we do not rush, we can be certain that dinner will be also."
I went back into my room and dressed as quickly as possible: a silver tunic, blue pants, black boots, my hair tied back loosely at the nape of my neck with a black ribbon. I dashed back into Narmo's room, almost out of breath. She took one look at me and burst into laughter.
"Surely, those four hobbits have effected you," she said.
I caught my breath.
"Possibly ." I replied.
"This may sting a bit," said Legolas, putting a wet cloth on my wound.
A biting sensation ran through my body, but I was accustomed to the feeling. Soon, the pain dulled. Legolas cleaned my wound, gentle beyond reckoning. After he applied the herbs, he bandaged the injury as well as possible. I was joyous that it was benign; 'a scratch' Legolas had said. As he finished wrapping my wound with a strip of gauze, I opened my eyes, and smiled up at him. Legolas smiled back. How had I thought that this man could have hurt me?
"Finished," said Legolas. "Please, sleep. You must."
"Alright," I replied.
Legolas exited the room, having left the remainder of the herbs for the next healing session, along with the kettle. He entered his own bedroom, which adjoined my own. I quickly changed into a favourite nightgown of mine: navy blue, crisp, light, reaching down to just above my knees. I crawling under the duvet and sheets of my bed, the night almost through, my sleep just beginning, along with Legolas'. My mind drifted to him. Legolas was an amazing man, cleaning my wounds gently, when just minutes before I had accused him of trying to murder me. How I wished that he was in bed beside me .
Just then, the door between my room and Legolas' slowly opened. Legolas stepped into my bedroom, wearing silk, forest-green night pants, his chest bare. He smiled, seeing me awake.
"What brings you?" I asked, surprised.
"I was merely seeing that you were asleep, but I find it not so," he answered. "Still frightened? I can stay with you if you like ."
**Legolas**
This was awful of me, taking advantage of Narmo's anxiety for my own fulfillment, but perhaps she also would benefit.
**Narmo**
I saw my chance.
"Yes," I answered, telling an absolute lie. "Very frightened."
How horrid of me to take Legolas' kindness and bend it to my own will. But maybe, he would feel better also.
**Legolas**
Narmo moved over, pulling back the sheets, motioning to the place beside her.
"Are you certain?" I asked.
"But of course," Narmo answered.
She smiled and I returned it with my own, lying down beside her, as she pulled the duvet and sheets over the two of us.
"I feel safer," Narmo said.
"Wonderful," I replied.
She laid back down, her back to me. I should not have, but I had to .
**Narmo**
My heart raced as Legolas slipped his arms around me, around my waist, molding his body to mine. What a dear friend.
**Legolas**
I held Narmo, our bodies pressed together, hers not refusing. I felt horrid, and yet I could not part myself from her. I was doing no harm.
"Quel ló [Good night]," I whispered, after a few moments.
But Narmo was already asleep, my arms around her. She was evidently comfortable in my embrace as she breathed slowly, regularly, her body relaxed and peaceful. How could someone, anyone hurt her?
Since she would never know, I kissed her neck once, softly. What she did not know could do nothing to her. I drifted into sleep, unexplainably happy while holding my desire, the maiden I loved but could never have.
**Narmo**
As I roused to life, the sun streamed in through the balcony entryway, shining brightly on my face. I heard the soft cadences of birds and felt a cool breeze ripple through my hair. I slowly became aware of arms around my waist: Legolas. It had not been a dream after all. I escaped from Legolas' embrace, my dear friend's embrace. I smiled as I looked at his handsome face in the morning light, the sun dancing on his golden hair, his golden hair on my pillow. I could not stop myself; I softly kissed him on the right cheek. What he did not know could not harm him. Legolas did not even stir, his chest still rising and falling with regular metre.
I forced myself out of bed and changed into a proper dress, the attire of the woman of the Royal House, Aragorn's people, Gondor's people. The dress I donned touched the floor and was sky blue with white lace at the trimmings. It fit me well, comfortable and yet flattering, with a very low neckline, unfortunately showing my bandages, and sleeves wide from the elbow. It was all very beautiful, but not the clothing of my people. Just as I finished brushing my hair, Legolas stirred.
**Legolas**
I sat up, somewhat in a daze as always I was from sleeping. I looked over to Narmo. She was standing in front of the mirror on her dresser, brushing gorgeous hair.
"Quel arin [Good morning]," she said, lying down her brush and turning, a smile on her lips.
It had not been a dream after all. I returned her smile and got out of bed.
"Thank you," she said, "for all that you have done for me. How much it means to me I shall never be able to say."
"Then, bother not," I replied, "for it was no inconvenience to me. You are my dearest friend. I wish only to help you."
We stood for a moment, frozen, looking at each other. I saw a look in Narmo's eyes that I had never seen before, not once in our many years. After a second, she turned her head and it disappeared.
"Hurry," she said, briskly. "Lunch is finished. If we do not rush, we can be certain that dinner will be also."
I went back into my room and dressed as quickly as possible: a silver tunic, blue pants, black boots, my hair tied back loosely at the nape of my neck with a black ribbon. I dashed back into Narmo's room, almost out of breath. She took one look at me and burst into laughter.
"Surely, those four hobbits have effected you," she said.
I caught my breath.
"Possibly ." I replied.