Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Authors Note: Thank you to all my reviewers out there - Lady in Red, TigerLily713, Doova, wannabeanelvengirl, Duke Storm, silver swan, Nikki, Gilimirin, Nelinde, and, of course, SplendiferGoddess.
Your feedback is very much appreciated, even if it is scolding me for using a corny line...Sorry, it was the best thing I could come up with. But as for all your questions about Elisandra's father, you'll just have to wait...*evil grin* NO, it's not Gimli, Splendifer. Or any other short person. As a side note, I'm following the books for the background of this story, not the movies.
Now enjoy the chapter!
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter IX-
-Friendship Forming-
------------------------------
After leaving the dancing hall, Legolas wandered through the halls of the palace, lost in thought. A few court Ladies had tried to follow him, he knew, but he simply ignored them as if he hadn't heard them and they quickly left. Then he pointed himself in the general direction of the palace gardens and started walking while he thought.
It was unlike him to forget anything so obvious about someone as them being blind or human. When Arwen had reminded him that Elisandra was human, it had come as a true shock. He had literally completely forgotten that she was human and blind - he had thought of her as an elven maiden with exceptional dancing skills. How he could have forgotten was beyond him.
As was how Elisandra managed to dance the Linta Rusco without harming herself. She had to have had Elvish blood in her background. But if it was strong enough for her to be able to dance the Linta Rusco, there should also be some physical sign. Entering the palace gardens, Legolas absently made a mental note to watch her more closely to see if he could see some trace of Elvish grace in her movements.
Pausing in his thoughts to look around, Legolas went to the largest tree in the gardens - an ancient oak - and climbed to its topmost branches before settling down again to think. There, he began to go through the list of Elves that he'd ever heard of having relations with a human woman, trying to recall if any of the women had been from Minas Tirith. He drew a blank however, and gave up on that line of thought, realizing that not many Elves choose to make their relationships with humans publicly known, anyways, and if Elisandra showed so little physical signs of Elvish blood, then her Elvish ancestor could be several generations back. More then enough time for a family to move to Minas Tirith from another country entirely. Her Half-Elven ancestor could have originally been half Rohirrim, and nobody would know.
And then it hit Legolas. Elisandra DID have physical signs of her Elvish blood - she was incredibly tall and had blonde hair and blue eyes. The Rohirrim had blonde hair, to be sure, but not THAT blonde, and blue eyes amongst them were a rarity. Legolas laughed to himself and shook his head.
As he shook his head, he caught sight of movement on the ground, and turned his head more fully to see whoever it was that was coming. To his surprise, he saw the object of his thoughts slowly making her way through the garden, running her hand along the bushes to keep herself on the path. Elisandra had changed out of her feast clothes and was now in a simple dress, plain enough to belong to one of the lower classes in the city - and it'd greens and browns blended into the garden quite well. She looked as if she was trying very hard to blend in. Curious, Legolas watched as she made her way along, arching an eyebrow in appreciation of her memory when she lifted her hand just in time to skip over a thorny rose bush before continuing down the path. He wondered if her memory was another result of her Elvish heritage, as most Elves had good memories, but set the thought aside as she paused in the clearing and suddenly looked up.
Though Legolas was well hidden in the branches, and no normal human would have been able to see him, Elisandra looked straight at him. She stiffened, and then turned to leave. Legolas, realizing she was most likely mad at him about the dance, jumped down from the tree and quickly walked over to her.
"Elisandra." he said simply, and she stopped. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at him, matching his gaze.
"Legolas." she acknowledged icily. She hadn't meant it to come out so coolly, and internally winced as she saw the slight hurt flicker through Legolas's fëa. She had come out here to think, however, not to confront the one who had caused her to seek solitude. The fact that she had flawlessly danced the Linta Rusco, without harming herself, had sent her thoughts into a whirlwind, and after assuring her handmaidens that she was going to sleep, she'd snuck out to come to the gardens for some quiet so she could think. But instead she had found Legolas, his fëa shining like the sun, sitting high above the ground, presumably in a tree.
Realizing the silence had stretched on, Elisandra looked at Legolas curiously. His fëa was a mess of emotions, most of which was uncertainty.
"Was there something you wanted to speak with me about?" she prompted, hoping to make things easier for him.
"Yes." There was a slight pause before Legolas continued. "I wanted to apologize for leading you into the Linta Rusco. I was not thinking at the time." he said.
"Obviously not." Elisandra said dryly, then let her expression soften. "But your apology is accepted. Just don't ever do that again."
"I promise I will not." Legolas said with an impish grin. "Though it is doubtful we will get the opportunity to dance again in the near future. Even the small amount of hounding I received from the court ladies tonight was more then enough for me for the rest of my visit to Minas Tirith."
"That is your own fault for wearing what you did." Elisandra said with a grin.
"I was actually rather hoping that wearing this outfit would cause most of them to leave off." Legolas said dejectedly. "But it apparently did not work all that well."
"No, it didn't. Not this time, and not when King Eomer tried it, either. He went to visit Dol Amroth - and found his future wife - because a few ladies were so persistent." Elisandra said.
"Oh, was that why he left Minas Tirith in the fall after assuring everyone that he would be staying there over winter?" Legolas asked with amusement, and Elisandra nodded.
"It's a little known fact, of course." she said. "One I wouldn't even have known if it wasn't for my sight."
"Your sight is sounding like a handy thing to have." Legolas commented. "It provides entertainment and information all in one."
"Ah, but the price one has to pay for that easily outweighs it." Elisandra replied.
"So you would rather be able to see then keep your current sight?" Legolas asked curiously.
"Who wouldn't?" Elisandra replied. "Even a truly blind person would most likely rather be blind then have my sight."
"Oh?" Legolas asked inquisitively, and Elisandra paused a moment before replying.
"A blind person is completely blind, and can see nothing at all, all the time. A normal person can see everything, all the time, unless they close their eyes. I, however, am stuck halfway in-between, being able to see the fëa's of living beings, but unable to see anything around them, or their actual faces - except in Elves cases. It's almost like somebody decided that, instead of taking my sight completely, they'd let me see just enough that I would always thirst to see more." Elisandra explained carefully. "So you can understand why I would rather have my sight back or go completely blind then keep my current sight simply for the amusement and information it lets me have."
"Yes, I do." Legolas said after a moments thought, nodding.
"Good. And please don't repeat any of that to Mother and Father. They're under the impression that I have completely adjusted to my sight and am a happy young lady." Elisandra said, and rolled her eyes slightly at the last part. Legolas grinned and bowed slightly to her.
"In that case, I promise that I shall not break the trust I have been given." he said. Elisandra smiled at him, and he just grinned back for a few moments. Then he offered his arm to her, and she took it before they set off down the path at a walk. They walked in comfortable silence for awhile, then Legolas spoke up.
"You said that you can not see a living beings face, except in the case of Elves?" he asked.
"Yes." Elisandra said, nodding.
"So you can see Elves faces?" Legolas asked with curiosity.
"Only full Elves, like yourself. I cannot see Mother's face, nor Elrohir's or Elladan's." Elisandra replied. "It was actually quite a shock when you walked into the Hall, as I've never seen a full Elf for a prolonged period of time."
"Really? I was under the impression that Elves were frequently visiting Minas Tirith." Legolas said with surprise.
"Ah, they may visit, but that doesn't mean I get to see them." Elisandra said.
"Good point." Legolas said. There was a moment of silence, and then Legolas cocked his head to one side, apparently listening to something intently. After a few moments, he grinned.
"What is it?" Elisandra asked with curiosity.
"Your maids are almost hysterical over something. Their voices have become quite high-pitched." Legolas replied, still grinning, mischief and amusement sparkling through his fëa. Elisandra shook her head and grinned back at him.
"They tend to over react whenever they find me missing. Even though it happens at least once a month." she said. Legolas arched an eyebrow.
"So you tend to go for a lot of walks by yourself?" he asked, and Elisandra nodded.
"It's nicer to go by myself. Then I'm alone with my thoughts, except for the fëa's of the few animals and insects." she said. "It's almost like, for a moment, that I'm truly blind, and it makes it that much more easier." There was silence for a moment, and then Legolas winced at a rather high-pitched squeal from one of Elisandra's maids.
"Perhaps you should go calm your maids." he suggested. Elisandra pretended to ponder this for a moment, then shook her head.
"I was subjected to them fussing over me for over an hour before the feast this evening. They can worry over where I've gotten to for a while longer." she said emphatically. Legolas laughed.
"I believe I like your sense of revenge." he said once he stopped laughing, his eyes still sparkling with mirth. "However, if we continue to wander through the gardens, I am sure they will find us quite soon, as they have already cajoled some guards into helping them search for you."
"Well then, lets not stay in the gardens." Elisandra said.
"I would dearly love to leave the gardens. However, there is no way out except through the palace, which would result in the guards finding you." Legolas replied dryly.
"That's what you think." Elisandra said with a mischievous grin. "Find the exit from the gardens that's farthest from my room. Then let me go first." Legolas eyed the lady for a moment, wondering what she was up to, and then shrugged. She sounded like she knew what she was doing. So he set off towards the exit in the gardens farthest from Elisandra's rooms, then let Elisandra take the lead.
He watched with appreciation as she navigated her way through the corridors without any help, and even more so when he discovered the reason she'd wanted to go first. As they were approaching an intersection, Legolas heard the footsteps of a guards coming their way, and opened his mouth to warn Elisandra, only to find himself being pulled into a small alcove in the wall. He stared at Elisandra in amazement.
"How -" Elisandra shushed him, watching the wall which hid the intersection for their view intently. As Legolas heard the guards footsteps fading again, Elisandra turned back to him. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief as she grinned, and Legolas looked at her curiously.
"Another thing nobody, especially my parents, don't know - if I concentrate hard enough, I can sense people before I can see them." she said. Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"That is an amazing gift indeed." he said.
"Yes, it is. Now let's continue before another guard comes along." Elisandra said. Legolas nodded, and they stepped out of the alcove, and Elisandra set off again. She led Legolas through the darkened back passages of the Palace, the ones that were barely used, avoiding the guards that always stood sentry outside Lords and Ladies doors, and more then once pulling Legolas into an alcove or doorway before he had even heard the guard that was coming.
Legolas, not paying too much attention to where they were going, was very surprised when Elisandra suddenly turned into a small garden and stopped. Looking around, Legolas realized he recognized the garden, and his eyes drifted up to his window where it overlooked the garden. He arched an eyebrow at Elisandra.
"Why are we here?" he asked.
"Well you don't intend to go traipsing around outside the palace in your feast clothes and crown, do you?" Elisandra said with a light snort. "I came prepared for a walk. You did not." Legolas blushed slightly.
"Wait here, then." he said, and scrambled up a tree near to his window, then jumped in through the window, hoping no court Lady had decided to take the prerogative and 'visit' him in his chambers. He almost sighed with relief when he remembered that he'd locked the door for that very reason. Quickly, he strode over to the wardrobe where his clothes were being stored and picked out a simple outfit. It wasn't as plain as Elisandra's, but no Elvish clothing ever would be. He changed hurriedly, then simply jumped out of the window. He heard the hiss of an indrawn breath, and turned to see Elisandra looking at him with almost shock. He arched an eyebrow at her questioningly.
"Elves are mad, especially you." she said in reply to his unspoken question. "Jumping from that height..." Elisandra shook her head and continued mumbling things about broken limbs and heights while she led the way out of the garden again. Legolas just grinned as he followed her.
They ran into more guards as they went, and Legolas was pretty sure one saw him, but they were not challenged. It was amazingly easy to get out, in fact. So easy that it wasn't until they stepped through a doorway and onto a city street that Legolas wondered how they were going to exit the palace, and then it was too late to wonder. He blinked in surprise and looked around.
"My father likes to sneak out of the palace every once and awhile in ranger garb." Elisandra explained to Legolas when she saw his surprise and confusion. "I followed him once." she added with an impish grin. Legolas chuckled.
"I guess that explains why it was so easy to get out." he said.
"That and I know half the guards from when they were younger. They find it quite amusing to cause my maids more aggravation by purposely looking for me in places I'd never be." Elisandra replied with another impish grin, then turned sarcastic. "They, at least, know that when I disappear on my own, it's because I want to be alone and not because I've gotten lost somehow." Legolas arched an eyebrow.
"Is that really why your maids are so frantic to find you?" he asked, and Elisandra nodded her head emphatically.
"One time, I simply hid in my room to hear what they always went hysterical about when I disappeared. They seemed absolutely certain that I'd gotten lost and fallen out a window or some such thing." she said, then added with another light snort. "They treat me like an imbecile, half the time."
"Ah. In that case, the twinge of pity I felt for them has disappeared." Legolas said.
"Good for it." Elisandra said with a nod. "Now it's your turn to lead the way, as I only know my way around the palace."
"Where shall we go, then?" Legolas mused, almost to himself.
"How about the fourth ring of the city?" Elisandra asked innocently. Legolas eyed her. She was asking TOO innocently not to be up to something. But once more, he shrugged and gave in.
"All right." he said, and held out his arm for Elisandra to take. She did, and they set off down the streets, leaving the palace and Elisandra's worried maids behind them.
\/---Review please! I'll give you a cybercookie if you do!---\/
Authors Note: Thank you to all my reviewers out there - Lady in Red, TigerLily713, Doova, wannabeanelvengirl, Duke Storm, silver swan, Nikki, Gilimirin, Nelinde, and, of course, SplendiferGoddess.
Your feedback is very much appreciated, even if it is scolding me for using a corny line...Sorry, it was the best thing I could come up with. But as for all your questions about Elisandra's father, you'll just have to wait...*evil grin* NO, it's not Gimli, Splendifer. Or any other short person. As a side note, I'm following the books for the background of this story, not the movies.
Now enjoy the chapter!
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter IX-
-Friendship Forming-
------------------------------
After leaving the dancing hall, Legolas wandered through the halls of the palace, lost in thought. A few court Ladies had tried to follow him, he knew, but he simply ignored them as if he hadn't heard them and they quickly left. Then he pointed himself in the general direction of the palace gardens and started walking while he thought.
It was unlike him to forget anything so obvious about someone as them being blind or human. When Arwen had reminded him that Elisandra was human, it had come as a true shock. He had literally completely forgotten that she was human and blind - he had thought of her as an elven maiden with exceptional dancing skills. How he could have forgotten was beyond him.
As was how Elisandra managed to dance the Linta Rusco without harming herself. She had to have had Elvish blood in her background. But if it was strong enough for her to be able to dance the Linta Rusco, there should also be some physical sign. Entering the palace gardens, Legolas absently made a mental note to watch her more closely to see if he could see some trace of Elvish grace in her movements.
Pausing in his thoughts to look around, Legolas went to the largest tree in the gardens - an ancient oak - and climbed to its topmost branches before settling down again to think. There, he began to go through the list of Elves that he'd ever heard of having relations with a human woman, trying to recall if any of the women had been from Minas Tirith. He drew a blank however, and gave up on that line of thought, realizing that not many Elves choose to make their relationships with humans publicly known, anyways, and if Elisandra showed so little physical signs of Elvish blood, then her Elvish ancestor could be several generations back. More then enough time for a family to move to Minas Tirith from another country entirely. Her Half-Elven ancestor could have originally been half Rohirrim, and nobody would know.
And then it hit Legolas. Elisandra DID have physical signs of her Elvish blood - she was incredibly tall and had blonde hair and blue eyes. The Rohirrim had blonde hair, to be sure, but not THAT blonde, and blue eyes amongst them were a rarity. Legolas laughed to himself and shook his head.
As he shook his head, he caught sight of movement on the ground, and turned his head more fully to see whoever it was that was coming. To his surprise, he saw the object of his thoughts slowly making her way through the garden, running her hand along the bushes to keep herself on the path. Elisandra had changed out of her feast clothes and was now in a simple dress, plain enough to belong to one of the lower classes in the city - and it'd greens and browns blended into the garden quite well. She looked as if she was trying very hard to blend in. Curious, Legolas watched as she made her way along, arching an eyebrow in appreciation of her memory when she lifted her hand just in time to skip over a thorny rose bush before continuing down the path. He wondered if her memory was another result of her Elvish heritage, as most Elves had good memories, but set the thought aside as she paused in the clearing and suddenly looked up.
Though Legolas was well hidden in the branches, and no normal human would have been able to see him, Elisandra looked straight at him. She stiffened, and then turned to leave. Legolas, realizing she was most likely mad at him about the dance, jumped down from the tree and quickly walked over to her.
"Elisandra." he said simply, and she stopped. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at him, matching his gaze.
"Legolas." she acknowledged icily. She hadn't meant it to come out so coolly, and internally winced as she saw the slight hurt flicker through Legolas's fëa. She had come out here to think, however, not to confront the one who had caused her to seek solitude. The fact that she had flawlessly danced the Linta Rusco, without harming herself, had sent her thoughts into a whirlwind, and after assuring her handmaidens that she was going to sleep, she'd snuck out to come to the gardens for some quiet so she could think. But instead she had found Legolas, his fëa shining like the sun, sitting high above the ground, presumably in a tree.
Realizing the silence had stretched on, Elisandra looked at Legolas curiously. His fëa was a mess of emotions, most of which was uncertainty.
"Was there something you wanted to speak with me about?" she prompted, hoping to make things easier for him.
"Yes." There was a slight pause before Legolas continued. "I wanted to apologize for leading you into the Linta Rusco. I was not thinking at the time." he said.
"Obviously not." Elisandra said dryly, then let her expression soften. "But your apology is accepted. Just don't ever do that again."
"I promise I will not." Legolas said with an impish grin. "Though it is doubtful we will get the opportunity to dance again in the near future. Even the small amount of hounding I received from the court ladies tonight was more then enough for me for the rest of my visit to Minas Tirith."
"That is your own fault for wearing what you did." Elisandra said with a grin.
"I was actually rather hoping that wearing this outfit would cause most of them to leave off." Legolas said dejectedly. "But it apparently did not work all that well."
"No, it didn't. Not this time, and not when King Eomer tried it, either. He went to visit Dol Amroth - and found his future wife - because a few ladies were so persistent." Elisandra said.
"Oh, was that why he left Minas Tirith in the fall after assuring everyone that he would be staying there over winter?" Legolas asked with amusement, and Elisandra nodded.
"It's a little known fact, of course." she said. "One I wouldn't even have known if it wasn't for my sight."
"Your sight is sounding like a handy thing to have." Legolas commented. "It provides entertainment and information all in one."
"Ah, but the price one has to pay for that easily outweighs it." Elisandra replied.
"So you would rather be able to see then keep your current sight?" Legolas asked curiously.
"Who wouldn't?" Elisandra replied. "Even a truly blind person would most likely rather be blind then have my sight."
"Oh?" Legolas asked inquisitively, and Elisandra paused a moment before replying.
"A blind person is completely blind, and can see nothing at all, all the time. A normal person can see everything, all the time, unless they close their eyes. I, however, am stuck halfway in-between, being able to see the fëa's of living beings, but unable to see anything around them, or their actual faces - except in Elves cases. It's almost like somebody decided that, instead of taking my sight completely, they'd let me see just enough that I would always thirst to see more." Elisandra explained carefully. "So you can understand why I would rather have my sight back or go completely blind then keep my current sight simply for the amusement and information it lets me have."
"Yes, I do." Legolas said after a moments thought, nodding.
"Good. And please don't repeat any of that to Mother and Father. They're under the impression that I have completely adjusted to my sight and am a happy young lady." Elisandra said, and rolled her eyes slightly at the last part. Legolas grinned and bowed slightly to her.
"In that case, I promise that I shall not break the trust I have been given." he said. Elisandra smiled at him, and he just grinned back for a few moments. Then he offered his arm to her, and she took it before they set off down the path at a walk. They walked in comfortable silence for awhile, then Legolas spoke up.
"You said that you can not see a living beings face, except in the case of Elves?" he asked.
"Yes." Elisandra said, nodding.
"So you can see Elves faces?" Legolas asked with curiosity.
"Only full Elves, like yourself. I cannot see Mother's face, nor Elrohir's or Elladan's." Elisandra replied. "It was actually quite a shock when you walked into the Hall, as I've never seen a full Elf for a prolonged period of time."
"Really? I was under the impression that Elves were frequently visiting Minas Tirith." Legolas said with surprise.
"Ah, they may visit, but that doesn't mean I get to see them." Elisandra said.
"Good point." Legolas said. There was a moment of silence, and then Legolas cocked his head to one side, apparently listening to something intently. After a few moments, he grinned.
"What is it?" Elisandra asked with curiosity.
"Your maids are almost hysterical over something. Their voices have become quite high-pitched." Legolas replied, still grinning, mischief and amusement sparkling through his fëa. Elisandra shook her head and grinned back at him.
"They tend to over react whenever they find me missing. Even though it happens at least once a month." she said. Legolas arched an eyebrow.
"So you tend to go for a lot of walks by yourself?" he asked, and Elisandra nodded.
"It's nicer to go by myself. Then I'm alone with my thoughts, except for the fëa's of the few animals and insects." she said. "It's almost like, for a moment, that I'm truly blind, and it makes it that much more easier." There was silence for a moment, and then Legolas winced at a rather high-pitched squeal from one of Elisandra's maids.
"Perhaps you should go calm your maids." he suggested. Elisandra pretended to ponder this for a moment, then shook her head.
"I was subjected to them fussing over me for over an hour before the feast this evening. They can worry over where I've gotten to for a while longer." she said emphatically. Legolas laughed.
"I believe I like your sense of revenge." he said once he stopped laughing, his eyes still sparkling with mirth. "However, if we continue to wander through the gardens, I am sure they will find us quite soon, as they have already cajoled some guards into helping them search for you."
"Well then, lets not stay in the gardens." Elisandra said.
"I would dearly love to leave the gardens. However, there is no way out except through the palace, which would result in the guards finding you." Legolas replied dryly.
"That's what you think." Elisandra said with a mischievous grin. "Find the exit from the gardens that's farthest from my room. Then let me go first." Legolas eyed the lady for a moment, wondering what she was up to, and then shrugged. She sounded like she knew what she was doing. So he set off towards the exit in the gardens farthest from Elisandra's rooms, then let Elisandra take the lead.
He watched with appreciation as she navigated her way through the corridors without any help, and even more so when he discovered the reason she'd wanted to go first. As they were approaching an intersection, Legolas heard the footsteps of a guards coming their way, and opened his mouth to warn Elisandra, only to find himself being pulled into a small alcove in the wall. He stared at Elisandra in amazement.
"How -" Elisandra shushed him, watching the wall which hid the intersection for their view intently. As Legolas heard the guards footsteps fading again, Elisandra turned back to him. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief as she grinned, and Legolas looked at her curiously.
"Another thing nobody, especially my parents, don't know - if I concentrate hard enough, I can sense people before I can see them." she said. Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"That is an amazing gift indeed." he said.
"Yes, it is. Now let's continue before another guard comes along." Elisandra said. Legolas nodded, and they stepped out of the alcove, and Elisandra set off again. She led Legolas through the darkened back passages of the Palace, the ones that were barely used, avoiding the guards that always stood sentry outside Lords and Ladies doors, and more then once pulling Legolas into an alcove or doorway before he had even heard the guard that was coming.
Legolas, not paying too much attention to where they were going, was very surprised when Elisandra suddenly turned into a small garden and stopped. Looking around, Legolas realized he recognized the garden, and his eyes drifted up to his window where it overlooked the garden. He arched an eyebrow at Elisandra.
"Why are we here?" he asked.
"Well you don't intend to go traipsing around outside the palace in your feast clothes and crown, do you?" Elisandra said with a light snort. "I came prepared for a walk. You did not." Legolas blushed slightly.
"Wait here, then." he said, and scrambled up a tree near to his window, then jumped in through the window, hoping no court Lady had decided to take the prerogative and 'visit' him in his chambers. He almost sighed with relief when he remembered that he'd locked the door for that very reason. Quickly, he strode over to the wardrobe where his clothes were being stored and picked out a simple outfit. It wasn't as plain as Elisandra's, but no Elvish clothing ever would be. He changed hurriedly, then simply jumped out of the window. He heard the hiss of an indrawn breath, and turned to see Elisandra looking at him with almost shock. He arched an eyebrow at her questioningly.
"Elves are mad, especially you." she said in reply to his unspoken question. "Jumping from that height..." Elisandra shook her head and continued mumbling things about broken limbs and heights while she led the way out of the garden again. Legolas just grinned as he followed her.
They ran into more guards as they went, and Legolas was pretty sure one saw him, but they were not challenged. It was amazingly easy to get out, in fact. So easy that it wasn't until they stepped through a doorway and onto a city street that Legolas wondered how they were going to exit the palace, and then it was too late to wonder. He blinked in surprise and looked around.
"My father likes to sneak out of the palace every once and awhile in ranger garb." Elisandra explained to Legolas when she saw his surprise and confusion. "I followed him once." she added with an impish grin. Legolas chuckled.
"I guess that explains why it was so easy to get out." he said.
"That and I know half the guards from when they were younger. They find it quite amusing to cause my maids more aggravation by purposely looking for me in places I'd never be." Elisandra replied with another impish grin, then turned sarcastic. "They, at least, know that when I disappear on my own, it's because I want to be alone and not because I've gotten lost somehow." Legolas arched an eyebrow.
"Is that really why your maids are so frantic to find you?" he asked, and Elisandra nodded her head emphatically.
"One time, I simply hid in my room to hear what they always went hysterical about when I disappeared. They seemed absolutely certain that I'd gotten lost and fallen out a window or some such thing." she said, then added with another light snort. "They treat me like an imbecile, half the time."
"Ah. In that case, the twinge of pity I felt for them has disappeared." Legolas said.
"Good for it." Elisandra said with a nod. "Now it's your turn to lead the way, as I only know my way around the palace."
"Where shall we go, then?" Legolas mused, almost to himself.
"How about the fourth ring of the city?" Elisandra asked innocently. Legolas eyed her. She was asking TOO innocently not to be up to something. But once more, he shrugged and gave in.
"All right." he said, and held out his arm for Elisandra to take. She did, and they set off down the streets, leaving the palace and Elisandra's worried maids behind them.
\/---Review please! I'll give you a cybercookie if you do!---\/