Disclaimer: Me no owny anything but Elisandra!
Authors Note:
Ah yes, another difficult chapter to write...So many things to cause and reveal, and no idea how to do it. I hate it when chapters are pains in the arses to write. *mutter* On the plus side most of the horribly hard to write chapter was a nice setup for a scene with a Nice!Gimli. :) Still, short chapter.
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter XVIII-
-Dazed and Confused-
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Elisandra woke to the feeling of sun shining on her, and a warm body pressed against her back. It took her only a moment to remember the reason for both of them, and promptly blushed furiously. She quickly recovered from that, however, and turned over so she was facing Legolas. His eyes were open in Elvish sleep, and his fëa glittered with contentment. He looked peaceful and Elisandra smiled slightly at the sight, and then frowned. Something didn't feel quite right...
It took her a few moments to realize what it was that was bothering her, and when she did realize what it was, she stiffened in shock. Her eyes were closed. How in Arda could she see Legolas if her eyes were closed? With that thought, her eyes flew open. But that wasn't quite right, either. She couldn't seem to see Legolas' fëa now that her eyes were open. And the details of his face were somehow clearer and sharper than before.
Frowning, Elisandra propped herself up on her elbow to see if it was just an odd angle. As she did so, she caught a flash of green behind him. Her head snapped towards the flash of colour, expecting to see someone - most likely Gimli - though not quite knowing what she'd say if she did see someone. What she found, however, stunned her into speechlessness.
It was close to half an hour later when Legolas woke to find Elisandra propped up on her elbow, staring over his shoulder in opened-mouthed shock. Quickly, he glanced behind himself, already preparing to leap into a fighter's crouch, but he saw nothing. Curious, he turned back to Elisandra and lifted his hand and waved it in front of her face to try to get her attention. There was no reaction. Now thoroughly worried, Legolas propped himself up on his elbow so he was completely blocking Elisandra's line of sight.
"Elisandra?" he asked worriedly. There was a moments pause, then Elisandra looked up at him with a dazed expression.
"The sky is blue." she said weakly. Legolas blinked.
"And?" he asked.
"The SKY is BLUE." Elisandra said, her voice stronger this time. Legolas looked at her in confusion, wondering why on Arda she was telling him the sky was blue, which he already knew since he'd seen it every day for his entire life - and suddenly it hit him.
"You can see it?!" he exclaimed with his eyes wide. Elisandra nodded once, still looking dazed.
"Not just it, but everything. I do not know how or why, but I just woke up, and..." Elisandra said, motioning to her eyes, letting the gesture fill in what she didn't have the nerve to voice yet, lest it turn out to be nothing but a dream and disappear.
"Perhaps it is best not to ask how or why." Legolas said with a soft smile, brushing some of Elisandra's hair behind her ears. He felt her shiver slightly as he did so, and he casually glanced up to his hand, only to suck in a shocked breath.
"Legolas?" Elisandra asked, looking up at him curiously. After a moment, Legolas wrenched his gaze back to Elisandra's face, his eyes sparkling.
"I think my theory about you having close to Half-Elven blood in you has just been proven correct." he said with an impish grin, and Elisandra looked at him strangely. In response, still grinning, he grabbed her hand and brought it up to her ear. When she felt the point that was now on her ear, her eyes widened and she squeaked, her arm suddenly collapsing underneath her so she fell onto her back. This, of course, brought the sky back into her field of vision, and she just lay there in dazed confusion until Legolas appeared above her.
"We should really get dressed and get up to camp before the sun gets to high. Otherwise Gimli is going to come looking for us." he said with an arched eyebrow.
"I doubt he would be able to find us." Elisandra replied with a snort. "He has no tracking abilities to speak of."
"Perhaps not, but when he finds your things gone, he will figure out where you are, at least." Legolas replied with a small smile as he sat up, and Elisandra snorted again.
"From my experience, all he thinks about is food and ale. He would have trouble thinking of anything else long enough to figure anything out." she said, also sitting up.
"Indeed." was Legolas' response as he now grinned heartily and set about finding his clothes. Elisandra eyed Legolas suspiciously, but that resulted in her becoming distracted by not only Legolas' rather bare body, but all the pretty colours that she could now see. In the end, Legolas had to pull her back to the business at hand, though the sight of Elisandra sitting there, completely absorbed in him and wearing nothing at all, almost distracted Legolas himself.
Still, a short while later, they wandered back into camp to find Gimli wide awake and the horses packed, and a cold breakfast waiting for them.
"And where were you two?" Gimli grunted as they quickly ate their breakfast. Elisandra was entirely to busy eating and looking around at any and everything to answer, and wouldn't have even if she hadn't been busy, anyway, so it was left to Legolas to answer.
"Cleaning Elisandra's clothing." Legolas replied cheerfully, motioning to where he'd put the pile of Elisandra's now-clean clothes on the ground for proof, glad that they'd remembered the clothes. They almost hadn't, until Elisandra had spotted them through the trees. She was proving to have better eyesight than Legolas - or at least, she noticed things he didn't because everything was so new to her.
"For half the night?" Gimli asked, arching an eyebrow as Elisandra finished eating and wandered over to the horses. Out of Elisandra's line of sight, Legolas shot his friend a look that warned him not to say anymore. Legolas and Elisandra had not talked about what had happened last night - Elisandra seemed to have completely forgotten, what with her eyesight suddenly returned - and Legolas didn't want the subject brought up in any company other than just him and Elisandra until they'd had a chance to talk. He knew they'd have to - it had been entirely too sudden, and he knew it. Not to mention that if Gimli found out, therefore, so would Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir. And though Legolas could only die once, he had no doubt that the three of them would march to the Halls of Mandos himself to get Legolas back so that they could each have a crack at him.
Fortunately, Gimli took the hint, and said no more as they finished packing and mounted up for the day. Legolas, noting that Elisandra was far to absorbed in her surroundings to pay attention to where she was going, and not really wanting to explain to Gimli why Elisandra could now steer her own horse, took Elisandra's reins like he had in past days. She didn't even notice.
So they continued that day and the next; Elisandra looking around constantly, absorbed everything with wide eyes; Legolas steering them through the wilderness, lost in his thoughts, and Gimli perched behind Legolas on Arod trying to figure out what in all of Arda was going on with his two traveling companions. He had several guesses, and had noticed Elisandra's now pointed ears, but remembering Legolas' warning look, didn't want to say anything until he could get Legolas alone.
It seemed they were at an impasse, with hardly any conversation passing among the three of them, until two nights after Elisandra had recovered her sight. Gimli, sensing that some private talks needed to occur between Legolas and the other members of their group, offered to take first watch. It wasn't really his turn - it was Legolas' - but he used the excuse that Legolas looked tired. Legolas didn't really look tired, nor was he, even though he had taken Elisandra's watch the night before. But when Legolas tried to protest, Gimli sent him a looked that let him know he was doing it so that Legolas could talk - to either him or Elisandra - in privacy. Legolas sent his friend a grateful smile, and then waited until Gimli was out of sight and hearing before attempting to start the needed conversation with Elisandra.
"Elisandra, we need to talk." he said, crouching down in front of the girl, who was currently inspecting the top of a tall piece of grass that was growing beside her. She looked up when he spoke, but then turned her attention back to the grass.
"About what?" she asked, still inspecting the grass.
"What happened. Between us." Legolas replied with a sigh. This would not be easy normally, and she was only making it harder by seeming to be more interested in the grass than the conversation.
"What about it?" Elisandra asked as she continued inspecting the grass, and her voice shook slightly. Legolas realized with a small smile that she was using the grass as a way to hide her nervousness. Then, turning serious, he determinedly decided that if he had to face the subject head on, so did she. Reaching out, he caught her chin and turned her face towards his, locking eyes with her to stop her from looking back to the grass. For a moment, they did nothing but look, then Elisandra closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, her eyes sparkled.
"What about it shall we talk about, then? How you were neglect in your duties of watchman?" she asked, smiling impishly, and Legolas gave her a withering look, suddenly reminded that he was close to three millennia older than her. After a moments pause, Elisandra seemed to recognize that this was no time for humour, and sobered, leaning forward and looking at Legolas intently. "So many things have happened in the past few weeks, Legolas, that I am more lost then I was when I first lost my sight. All I can really tell you right now is that we are going to Rivendell to look for my father, I can see again, I have somehow gained Elvish ears and abilities, and I have feelings for you that I have never felt before for anyone else." Legolas blinked in surprise, not having expected such bluntness, then smiled softly and nodded.
"Very well then, I shall not ask for more." he said, then moved his hand from where it still held her chin to cup the side of her face before continuing softly, "I shall, however, tell you more. I love you, Elisandra. I do not know how I could have come to love you so quickly, nor do I really want to know. I am simple accepting it, and hoping that you shall accept it, as well." Elisandra drew back slightly, with a stunned expression on her face, and then her eyes closed again for a few moments. When she opened them, she was smiling softly, and she reached over and hugged Legolas tightly. The hug continued for quite some time, as neither one of them wanted to break it. In the end, they silently and mutually decided that instead of going through the annoying effort of separating and going to their own bedrolls to sleep, it would be much easier to just lie down, still holding each other, and sleep.
So it was that Gimli found them several hours later when he came to wake Elisandra for her turn at watch, holding onto each other, both with their eyes creepily open in Elvish sleep, and far from any bedroll.
"Figures." he grunted, eyeing the two. Then he tromped over to Elisandra's bedroll, grabbed the blanket from it and dumped it on top of his two companions before heading back out and sitting on watch for the rest of the night.
\/---Review or I'll sic Legolas on you! Or, hm, if you prefer, review *and* I'll sic Legolas you. :)---\/
Authors Note:
Ah yes, another difficult chapter to write...So many things to cause and reveal, and no idea how to do it. I hate it when chapters are pains in the arses to write. *mutter* On the plus side most of the horribly hard to write chapter was a nice setup for a scene with a Nice!Gimli. :) Still, short chapter.
------------------------------
-No Eyes Needed-
------------------------------
-Chapter XVIII-
-Dazed and Confused-
------------------------------
Elisandra woke to the feeling of sun shining on her, and a warm body pressed against her back. It took her only a moment to remember the reason for both of them, and promptly blushed furiously. She quickly recovered from that, however, and turned over so she was facing Legolas. His eyes were open in Elvish sleep, and his fëa glittered with contentment. He looked peaceful and Elisandra smiled slightly at the sight, and then frowned. Something didn't feel quite right...
It took her a few moments to realize what it was that was bothering her, and when she did realize what it was, she stiffened in shock. Her eyes were closed. How in Arda could she see Legolas if her eyes were closed? With that thought, her eyes flew open. But that wasn't quite right, either. She couldn't seem to see Legolas' fëa now that her eyes were open. And the details of his face were somehow clearer and sharper than before.
Frowning, Elisandra propped herself up on her elbow to see if it was just an odd angle. As she did so, she caught a flash of green behind him. Her head snapped towards the flash of colour, expecting to see someone - most likely Gimli - though not quite knowing what she'd say if she did see someone. What she found, however, stunned her into speechlessness.
It was close to half an hour later when Legolas woke to find Elisandra propped up on her elbow, staring over his shoulder in opened-mouthed shock. Quickly, he glanced behind himself, already preparing to leap into a fighter's crouch, but he saw nothing. Curious, he turned back to Elisandra and lifted his hand and waved it in front of her face to try to get her attention. There was no reaction. Now thoroughly worried, Legolas propped himself up on his elbow so he was completely blocking Elisandra's line of sight.
"Elisandra?" he asked worriedly. There was a moments pause, then Elisandra looked up at him with a dazed expression.
"The sky is blue." she said weakly. Legolas blinked.
"And?" he asked.
"The SKY is BLUE." Elisandra said, her voice stronger this time. Legolas looked at her in confusion, wondering why on Arda she was telling him the sky was blue, which he already knew since he'd seen it every day for his entire life - and suddenly it hit him.
"You can see it?!" he exclaimed with his eyes wide. Elisandra nodded once, still looking dazed.
"Not just it, but everything. I do not know how or why, but I just woke up, and..." Elisandra said, motioning to her eyes, letting the gesture fill in what she didn't have the nerve to voice yet, lest it turn out to be nothing but a dream and disappear.
"Perhaps it is best not to ask how or why." Legolas said with a soft smile, brushing some of Elisandra's hair behind her ears. He felt her shiver slightly as he did so, and he casually glanced up to his hand, only to suck in a shocked breath.
"Legolas?" Elisandra asked, looking up at him curiously. After a moment, Legolas wrenched his gaze back to Elisandra's face, his eyes sparkling.
"I think my theory about you having close to Half-Elven blood in you has just been proven correct." he said with an impish grin, and Elisandra looked at him strangely. In response, still grinning, he grabbed her hand and brought it up to her ear. When she felt the point that was now on her ear, her eyes widened and she squeaked, her arm suddenly collapsing underneath her so she fell onto her back. This, of course, brought the sky back into her field of vision, and she just lay there in dazed confusion until Legolas appeared above her.
"We should really get dressed and get up to camp before the sun gets to high. Otherwise Gimli is going to come looking for us." he said with an arched eyebrow.
"I doubt he would be able to find us." Elisandra replied with a snort. "He has no tracking abilities to speak of."
"Perhaps not, but when he finds your things gone, he will figure out where you are, at least." Legolas replied with a small smile as he sat up, and Elisandra snorted again.
"From my experience, all he thinks about is food and ale. He would have trouble thinking of anything else long enough to figure anything out." she said, also sitting up.
"Indeed." was Legolas' response as he now grinned heartily and set about finding his clothes. Elisandra eyed Legolas suspiciously, but that resulted in her becoming distracted by not only Legolas' rather bare body, but all the pretty colours that she could now see. In the end, Legolas had to pull her back to the business at hand, though the sight of Elisandra sitting there, completely absorbed in him and wearing nothing at all, almost distracted Legolas himself.
Still, a short while later, they wandered back into camp to find Gimli wide awake and the horses packed, and a cold breakfast waiting for them.
"And where were you two?" Gimli grunted as they quickly ate their breakfast. Elisandra was entirely to busy eating and looking around at any and everything to answer, and wouldn't have even if she hadn't been busy, anyway, so it was left to Legolas to answer.
"Cleaning Elisandra's clothing." Legolas replied cheerfully, motioning to where he'd put the pile of Elisandra's now-clean clothes on the ground for proof, glad that they'd remembered the clothes. They almost hadn't, until Elisandra had spotted them through the trees. She was proving to have better eyesight than Legolas - or at least, she noticed things he didn't because everything was so new to her.
"For half the night?" Gimli asked, arching an eyebrow as Elisandra finished eating and wandered over to the horses. Out of Elisandra's line of sight, Legolas shot his friend a look that warned him not to say anymore. Legolas and Elisandra had not talked about what had happened last night - Elisandra seemed to have completely forgotten, what with her eyesight suddenly returned - and Legolas didn't want the subject brought up in any company other than just him and Elisandra until they'd had a chance to talk. He knew they'd have to - it had been entirely too sudden, and he knew it. Not to mention that if Gimli found out, therefore, so would Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir. And though Legolas could only die once, he had no doubt that the three of them would march to the Halls of Mandos himself to get Legolas back so that they could each have a crack at him.
Fortunately, Gimli took the hint, and said no more as they finished packing and mounted up for the day. Legolas, noting that Elisandra was far to absorbed in her surroundings to pay attention to where she was going, and not really wanting to explain to Gimli why Elisandra could now steer her own horse, took Elisandra's reins like he had in past days. She didn't even notice.
So they continued that day and the next; Elisandra looking around constantly, absorbed everything with wide eyes; Legolas steering them through the wilderness, lost in his thoughts, and Gimli perched behind Legolas on Arod trying to figure out what in all of Arda was going on with his two traveling companions. He had several guesses, and had noticed Elisandra's now pointed ears, but remembering Legolas' warning look, didn't want to say anything until he could get Legolas alone.
It seemed they were at an impasse, with hardly any conversation passing among the three of them, until two nights after Elisandra had recovered her sight. Gimli, sensing that some private talks needed to occur between Legolas and the other members of their group, offered to take first watch. It wasn't really his turn - it was Legolas' - but he used the excuse that Legolas looked tired. Legolas didn't really look tired, nor was he, even though he had taken Elisandra's watch the night before. But when Legolas tried to protest, Gimli sent him a looked that let him know he was doing it so that Legolas could talk - to either him or Elisandra - in privacy. Legolas sent his friend a grateful smile, and then waited until Gimli was out of sight and hearing before attempting to start the needed conversation with Elisandra.
"Elisandra, we need to talk." he said, crouching down in front of the girl, who was currently inspecting the top of a tall piece of grass that was growing beside her. She looked up when he spoke, but then turned her attention back to the grass.
"About what?" she asked, still inspecting the grass.
"What happened. Between us." Legolas replied with a sigh. This would not be easy normally, and she was only making it harder by seeming to be more interested in the grass than the conversation.
"What about it?" Elisandra asked as she continued inspecting the grass, and her voice shook slightly. Legolas realized with a small smile that she was using the grass as a way to hide her nervousness. Then, turning serious, he determinedly decided that if he had to face the subject head on, so did she. Reaching out, he caught her chin and turned her face towards his, locking eyes with her to stop her from looking back to the grass. For a moment, they did nothing but look, then Elisandra closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, her eyes sparkled.
"What about it shall we talk about, then? How you were neglect in your duties of watchman?" she asked, smiling impishly, and Legolas gave her a withering look, suddenly reminded that he was close to three millennia older than her. After a moments pause, Elisandra seemed to recognize that this was no time for humour, and sobered, leaning forward and looking at Legolas intently. "So many things have happened in the past few weeks, Legolas, that I am more lost then I was when I first lost my sight. All I can really tell you right now is that we are going to Rivendell to look for my father, I can see again, I have somehow gained Elvish ears and abilities, and I have feelings for you that I have never felt before for anyone else." Legolas blinked in surprise, not having expected such bluntness, then smiled softly and nodded.
"Very well then, I shall not ask for more." he said, then moved his hand from where it still held her chin to cup the side of her face before continuing softly, "I shall, however, tell you more. I love you, Elisandra. I do not know how I could have come to love you so quickly, nor do I really want to know. I am simple accepting it, and hoping that you shall accept it, as well." Elisandra drew back slightly, with a stunned expression on her face, and then her eyes closed again for a few moments. When she opened them, she was smiling softly, and she reached over and hugged Legolas tightly. The hug continued for quite some time, as neither one of them wanted to break it. In the end, they silently and mutually decided that instead of going through the annoying effort of separating and going to their own bedrolls to sleep, it would be much easier to just lie down, still holding each other, and sleep.
So it was that Gimli found them several hours later when he came to wake Elisandra for her turn at watch, holding onto each other, both with their eyes creepily open in Elvish sleep, and far from any bedroll.
"Figures." he grunted, eyeing the two. Then he tromped over to Elisandra's bedroll, grabbed the blanket from it and dumped it on top of his two companions before heading back out and sitting on watch for the rest of the night.
\/---Review or I'll sic Legolas on you! Or, hm, if you prefer, review *and* I'll sic Legolas you. :)---\/