Chapter 7
"Ai!" What are those?" Luiduin cried out in pain and gagged slightly as a third stone flew swiftly and hit him in the neck.
"Rocks! And I will continue pelting you with them until you let me be on my way!" Laicaliel carefully squatted and pried another loose stone from the edge of the pillar; she stood up once more, and gripped the large rock tightly in her fist.
"Corogir, why can't we hit her back? There are loads 'a rocks 'round here!" pleaded the Man. He was gingerly touching a swollen black bruise on his shoulder.
The tall, stately Elf replied with a sigh. "You must never strike a lady, unless she has gone violently mad. Did you not learn that during whatever education Men bestow upon their young?"
WHAP! A rock smacked the Man across the side of his head and skipped off into the distance. The Man shrieked in pain and fell to his knees, cursing bitterly in his native tongue.
"THAT is why you must never strike a lady. She will most definitely retaliate," remarked Laicaliel with her hands resting proudly upon her soft hips. Luiduin knelt next to the poor moaning victim and gently removed the Man's hand from his temple so that the wound could be properly inspected (Elves have a natural desire to heal). However, Luiduin pushed the Man away at once and grumbled reproachfully.
"There is not even a bruise, you andodulin! Judging by the way you were screaming, I thought you were apt to die!" Luiduin skulked off and sat several yards away from the edge of the cliff. The Man whimpered pitifully and curled into the fetal position. Corogir sighed once more and prepared a small mattress out of rolled up blankets that Luiduin and he could share for the quickly approaching night.
***
By the next afternoon, Laicaliel was growing frustrated at the three men's heckles. Whenever she would mention Legolas, they would burst into laughter. She decided to call his name one more time, and if he didn't respond she would attempt a daring escape.
"LEGOLAS! Damn you!" she cried miserably.
"Keep shouting, I will find you faster!" called a deep, clear, male's voice from very far away.
Corogir, Luiduin, and the Man gasped. Was that Legolas? But- that would be impossible! How could Laicaliel ever possibly meet the famed Prince, much less begin to court him? They quickly leapt to their feet and leaned over the edge of the cliff, waiting anxiously for more signs of Legolas's existence.
Laicalel's eyes grew bright and watery at the sound of Legolas's voice, and a bounty of hope sprang into her heart. "What do you want me to shout?" she yelled in no particular direction.
"Anything! Scream me a song, if you like!" came his humorous reply. His voice still sounded very muffled and distant, as if spoken through a wall.
The small Elf chuckled and cleared her throat exaggeratedly. She drew a deep breath. "There once was a girl from Old Natchez Whose clothes were always in patches When asked by some moles About all the big holes She replied, 'When I itches, I scratches!'"
She had barely finished the limerick when she heard Legolas's musical laughter from somewhere nearby. She grinned; she had never heard him laugh before.
"What kind of a song was that?" demanded Luiduin with a look of confused disgust on his fair Elven face. Corogir was now even more convinced that his friend's daughter had lost her mind. No self-respecting Elf would sing such a bawdy song as that.
Minutes later, a tall blonde Elf picked his way through a tangle of branches and sticks and into the small meadow in which the pillar of stone was situated. He looked up and saw Laicaliel looking very pale and sick but smiling gratefully at him. He then shifted his blue gaze to the left and saw two Elves and a Man standing on the edge of a cliff over a narrow river. He immediately felt anger rise in his chest and called to the men. "Why is she trapped up there like that? Is this your doing?"
The two Elves exchanged worried glances, and then Corogir dared to answer. "We did not force her up there. She chose to resist our advances, and she got herself stuck."
Legolas pulled an arrow out of his quiver and aimed his loaded bow at the trio faster than a human eye could blink. "What kind of advances?"
It was Laicaliel who stopped Legolas from killing them. "No, they were not trying to harm me! The Elves are friends of my father, and the Man is their companion. They wanted to bring me home to marry a lord- you know Beldan, right?"
Legolas nodded. "We were friends during my childhood." He dropped his weapons and looked up at Laicaliel, opening up his arms. "Jump down, I will catch you."
She hesitated. "I have been standing still for five days. I do not trust my legs to function properly."
"I promise I will catch you. Trust me, just throw yourself off." She took a deep breath and leapt off the rock, and felt herself land heavily in a pair of strong arms. Glancing up bashfully, she met Legolas's cheery blue eyes and relieved smile. "I told you I would catch you." Acting on an impulse, Laicaliel wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. They were both shy, so the kiss was quick but it had done its toll. Legolas's porcelain cheeks had turned scarlet, and Laicaliel couldn't think of a word to say. They both laughed nervously and averted their eyes.
Suddenly Legolas's muscles grew tense and he set Laicaliel on the soft ground. Then he dashed across the meadow and stood at the edge of the riverbed, looking up at the cliff face. "Where have you cowards gone?" There was no sign of her three peaceful hunters save a scrap of food left by the Man. Legolas leapt across the river and clung to the front of the rock face, deftly climbing up it like a spider. He pulled himself atop the cliff, then stood up and looked around. "They have left. Do you wish for me to pursue them?" There was no response from the meadow. "Laicaliel?" He turned around to see her digging furiously through his pack, then triumphantly pull out a wafer of lembas. She hastily tore off the covering of Lorien leaves and ripped off a chunk of the waybread with her teeth. Legolas smiled again and leapt gracefully off the cliff, just missing the river as he landed primly on the edge of the meadow. He strolled towards Laicaliel and sat down on the grass very near her. "Hungry?"
She nodded shakily and swallowed hard before replying. "I was up there for quite a while. I could not sleep, I could not eat, I could not drink, and I could not sit down. So yes, I am extremely hungry. Famished, if you will."
Rather amused, Legolas quietly surveyed her for several minutes while she finished off the lembas, then handed her the canteen of water before she could ask for it. She chugged the entire gallon of water, then collapsed upon her side on the grass. "You look exhausted," remarked Legolas. Laicaliel nodded again, and stared at him as he fingered a small pink flower.
"Why are you here?" she asked. It was a simple question; yet it struck Legolas heavily.
"You mean here, in the meadow with you?"
"No, in Rivendell. Remember when you talked to me in the infirmary, and you told me that you were here to be healed? What are you trying to be healed of? You look fine to me." She wriggled about on her side until she could rest her head in Legolas's lap. Once there, she gazed up at him curiously. "Tell me."
He was silent for a moment as he ran his fingers through her silky dark hair and collected his thoughts. "I killed my best friend."
Laicaliel's bottle-green eyes shot open and she stared aghast at Legolas, her jaw hanging open. "No. I could never imagine you doing something like that!" Legolas didn't like the way that she was looking at him; it was a mix of disbelief and terror. He leaned back on his elbows, causing Laicaliel to have to remove her head from his hips and re-adjust herself so that she could lay adjacent to him on the grass.
"I never said that I did it purposefully. He stepped in the way of one of my arrows." His dark, thick eyelashes fluttered to a close and he sighed deeply. "It has taken me many years to overcome that. After the incident, I was found by a friend of mine and he brought me to Rivendell. So, to answer your question, I am being healed of dark emotions." Laicaliel was unusually quiet, and Legolas regretted telling her the sordid tale so bluntly. "You do not speak because you are afraid of me."
Once again, the female Elf did not immediately respond. She sat up onto her bottom, brushing off the end of her dress, then leaned over Legolas and placed her right hand upon his chest. "I am not afraid of anything." She tried to stand fully upright, but only succeeded for several seconds before her muscles gave out and she crashed onto the ground. "Smooth, Laicaliel; very smooth," she muttered to herself as she tried dejectedly to pull the weeds and sticks out of her hair.
"You were standing still for nearly a week; it is no wonder that your legs are weary. Here, let me help you." Legolas stood up and held out an open hand, and Laicaliel reluctantly accepted. She faltered for a moment under her own weight, but Legolas gently picked her up and cradled her in one arm like a child as he packed up his stuff (which Laicaliel had recklessly strewn across the meadow in her desperate search for sustenance). He swung his pack over one shoulder and shifted Laicaliel so that he could carry her with both arms. "It took me nearly a day to find you. The sun is now almost set, and I fear we may have to spend the night in the forest somewhere on the way back to Rivendell."
For the next several hours, Legolas lightly stepped through the grassy underbrush of the dense forest. Soon the golden afternoon light ceased to shimmer between the trunks of the trees, and everything around him faded into indistinguishable shadowy figures. However, his keen Elvish sight allowed him to just barely see through the chill twilight fog, and when he shifted his gaze downward towards the slender creature that he carried in his arms he noticed that she was asleep. Her skin was soft and pale in the waning blue twilight, and her small hands were unconsciously clutching the fabric of his shirt- he would have been wearing his cloak, but that was wrapped around Laicaliel like a blanket. A small part of him wished that she was awake so that he could talk to her and perhaps sneak a kiss, but she needed her rest so he did not stir her.
He continued to walk until all sources of light died away save the natural white light that emanated from his Elven body. He could see almost nothing in the oppressive black darkness except the green and yellow shimmers of light that reflected off the eyes of the forest's natural inhabitants. Naturally, he was determined to not stop walking until he reached Rivendell, but as soon as he nearly collided with a tree he decided to halt and wait until the sun began to rise so he could continue safely. He laid the small Elf-maiden on the ground leaning against the trunk of the tree that he almost ran into, and stood vigil next to her.
"Ai!" What are those?" Luiduin cried out in pain and gagged slightly as a third stone flew swiftly and hit him in the neck.
"Rocks! And I will continue pelting you with them until you let me be on my way!" Laicaliel carefully squatted and pried another loose stone from the edge of the pillar; she stood up once more, and gripped the large rock tightly in her fist.
"Corogir, why can't we hit her back? There are loads 'a rocks 'round here!" pleaded the Man. He was gingerly touching a swollen black bruise on his shoulder.
The tall, stately Elf replied with a sigh. "You must never strike a lady, unless she has gone violently mad. Did you not learn that during whatever education Men bestow upon their young?"
WHAP! A rock smacked the Man across the side of his head and skipped off into the distance. The Man shrieked in pain and fell to his knees, cursing bitterly in his native tongue.
"THAT is why you must never strike a lady. She will most definitely retaliate," remarked Laicaliel with her hands resting proudly upon her soft hips. Luiduin knelt next to the poor moaning victim and gently removed the Man's hand from his temple so that the wound could be properly inspected (Elves have a natural desire to heal). However, Luiduin pushed the Man away at once and grumbled reproachfully.
"There is not even a bruise, you andodulin! Judging by the way you were screaming, I thought you were apt to die!" Luiduin skulked off and sat several yards away from the edge of the cliff. The Man whimpered pitifully and curled into the fetal position. Corogir sighed once more and prepared a small mattress out of rolled up blankets that Luiduin and he could share for the quickly approaching night.
***
By the next afternoon, Laicaliel was growing frustrated at the three men's heckles. Whenever she would mention Legolas, they would burst into laughter. She decided to call his name one more time, and if he didn't respond she would attempt a daring escape.
"LEGOLAS! Damn you!" she cried miserably.
"Keep shouting, I will find you faster!" called a deep, clear, male's voice from very far away.
Corogir, Luiduin, and the Man gasped. Was that Legolas? But- that would be impossible! How could Laicaliel ever possibly meet the famed Prince, much less begin to court him? They quickly leapt to their feet and leaned over the edge of the cliff, waiting anxiously for more signs of Legolas's existence.
Laicalel's eyes grew bright and watery at the sound of Legolas's voice, and a bounty of hope sprang into her heart. "What do you want me to shout?" she yelled in no particular direction.
"Anything! Scream me a song, if you like!" came his humorous reply. His voice still sounded very muffled and distant, as if spoken through a wall.
The small Elf chuckled and cleared her throat exaggeratedly. She drew a deep breath. "There once was a girl from Old Natchez Whose clothes were always in patches When asked by some moles About all the big holes She replied, 'When I itches, I scratches!'"
She had barely finished the limerick when she heard Legolas's musical laughter from somewhere nearby. She grinned; she had never heard him laugh before.
"What kind of a song was that?" demanded Luiduin with a look of confused disgust on his fair Elven face. Corogir was now even more convinced that his friend's daughter had lost her mind. No self-respecting Elf would sing such a bawdy song as that.
Minutes later, a tall blonde Elf picked his way through a tangle of branches and sticks and into the small meadow in which the pillar of stone was situated. He looked up and saw Laicaliel looking very pale and sick but smiling gratefully at him. He then shifted his blue gaze to the left and saw two Elves and a Man standing on the edge of a cliff over a narrow river. He immediately felt anger rise in his chest and called to the men. "Why is she trapped up there like that? Is this your doing?"
The two Elves exchanged worried glances, and then Corogir dared to answer. "We did not force her up there. She chose to resist our advances, and she got herself stuck."
Legolas pulled an arrow out of his quiver and aimed his loaded bow at the trio faster than a human eye could blink. "What kind of advances?"
It was Laicaliel who stopped Legolas from killing them. "No, they were not trying to harm me! The Elves are friends of my father, and the Man is their companion. They wanted to bring me home to marry a lord- you know Beldan, right?"
Legolas nodded. "We were friends during my childhood." He dropped his weapons and looked up at Laicaliel, opening up his arms. "Jump down, I will catch you."
She hesitated. "I have been standing still for five days. I do not trust my legs to function properly."
"I promise I will catch you. Trust me, just throw yourself off." She took a deep breath and leapt off the rock, and felt herself land heavily in a pair of strong arms. Glancing up bashfully, she met Legolas's cheery blue eyes and relieved smile. "I told you I would catch you." Acting on an impulse, Laicaliel wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. They were both shy, so the kiss was quick but it had done its toll. Legolas's porcelain cheeks had turned scarlet, and Laicaliel couldn't think of a word to say. They both laughed nervously and averted their eyes.
Suddenly Legolas's muscles grew tense and he set Laicaliel on the soft ground. Then he dashed across the meadow and stood at the edge of the riverbed, looking up at the cliff face. "Where have you cowards gone?" There was no sign of her three peaceful hunters save a scrap of food left by the Man. Legolas leapt across the river and clung to the front of the rock face, deftly climbing up it like a spider. He pulled himself atop the cliff, then stood up and looked around. "They have left. Do you wish for me to pursue them?" There was no response from the meadow. "Laicaliel?" He turned around to see her digging furiously through his pack, then triumphantly pull out a wafer of lembas. She hastily tore off the covering of Lorien leaves and ripped off a chunk of the waybread with her teeth. Legolas smiled again and leapt gracefully off the cliff, just missing the river as he landed primly on the edge of the meadow. He strolled towards Laicaliel and sat down on the grass very near her. "Hungry?"
She nodded shakily and swallowed hard before replying. "I was up there for quite a while. I could not sleep, I could not eat, I could not drink, and I could not sit down. So yes, I am extremely hungry. Famished, if you will."
Rather amused, Legolas quietly surveyed her for several minutes while she finished off the lembas, then handed her the canteen of water before she could ask for it. She chugged the entire gallon of water, then collapsed upon her side on the grass. "You look exhausted," remarked Legolas. Laicaliel nodded again, and stared at him as he fingered a small pink flower.
"Why are you here?" she asked. It was a simple question; yet it struck Legolas heavily.
"You mean here, in the meadow with you?"
"No, in Rivendell. Remember when you talked to me in the infirmary, and you told me that you were here to be healed? What are you trying to be healed of? You look fine to me." She wriggled about on her side until she could rest her head in Legolas's lap. Once there, she gazed up at him curiously. "Tell me."
He was silent for a moment as he ran his fingers through her silky dark hair and collected his thoughts. "I killed my best friend."
Laicaliel's bottle-green eyes shot open and she stared aghast at Legolas, her jaw hanging open. "No. I could never imagine you doing something like that!" Legolas didn't like the way that she was looking at him; it was a mix of disbelief and terror. He leaned back on his elbows, causing Laicaliel to have to remove her head from his hips and re-adjust herself so that she could lay adjacent to him on the grass.
"I never said that I did it purposefully. He stepped in the way of one of my arrows." His dark, thick eyelashes fluttered to a close and he sighed deeply. "It has taken me many years to overcome that. After the incident, I was found by a friend of mine and he brought me to Rivendell. So, to answer your question, I am being healed of dark emotions." Laicaliel was unusually quiet, and Legolas regretted telling her the sordid tale so bluntly. "You do not speak because you are afraid of me."
Once again, the female Elf did not immediately respond. She sat up onto her bottom, brushing off the end of her dress, then leaned over Legolas and placed her right hand upon his chest. "I am not afraid of anything." She tried to stand fully upright, but only succeeded for several seconds before her muscles gave out and she crashed onto the ground. "Smooth, Laicaliel; very smooth," she muttered to herself as she tried dejectedly to pull the weeds and sticks out of her hair.
"You were standing still for nearly a week; it is no wonder that your legs are weary. Here, let me help you." Legolas stood up and held out an open hand, and Laicaliel reluctantly accepted. She faltered for a moment under her own weight, but Legolas gently picked her up and cradled her in one arm like a child as he packed up his stuff (which Laicaliel had recklessly strewn across the meadow in her desperate search for sustenance). He swung his pack over one shoulder and shifted Laicaliel so that he could carry her with both arms. "It took me nearly a day to find you. The sun is now almost set, and I fear we may have to spend the night in the forest somewhere on the way back to Rivendell."
For the next several hours, Legolas lightly stepped through the grassy underbrush of the dense forest. Soon the golden afternoon light ceased to shimmer between the trunks of the trees, and everything around him faded into indistinguishable shadowy figures. However, his keen Elvish sight allowed him to just barely see through the chill twilight fog, and when he shifted his gaze downward towards the slender creature that he carried in his arms he noticed that she was asleep. Her skin was soft and pale in the waning blue twilight, and her small hands were unconsciously clutching the fabric of his shirt- he would have been wearing his cloak, but that was wrapped around Laicaliel like a blanket. A small part of him wished that she was awake so that he could talk to her and perhaps sneak a kiss, but she needed her rest so he did not stir her.
He continued to walk until all sources of light died away save the natural white light that emanated from his Elven body. He could see almost nothing in the oppressive black darkness except the green and yellow shimmers of light that reflected off the eyes of the forest's natural inhabitants. Naturally, he was determined to not stop walking until he reached Rivendell, but as soon as he nearly collided with a tree he decided to halt and wait until the sun began to rise so he could continue safely. He laid the small Elf-maiden on the ground leaning against the trunk of the tree that he almost ran into, and stood vigil next to her.