Disclaimer: Nothing LOTR - related belongs to me.you know the drill. I own
this story and Aislin; no use of the character or this particular storyline
w/o permission. Thank you : - )
A/N: Sorry this took so long - many personal things that I wish to keep personal.
Acadia Jules: Actually, this story is set after the Ring, so there's no going off to war.
To those who mentioned it: I know Thranduil's kingdom is a series of mazes b/c it kept his people safe from all the evil in Mirkwood; but this story takes place after the Ring so I let my imagination run wild on that one. Plus I needed something to work for the story and that just kind of worked. It won't be mentioned as I go along anyway; it was just kind of a one-time thing. And I know Elves generally aren't evil like that, and most would never rape, but there have been a few bad Elves so I used that as my permission to have an evil Elf. He'll be mentioned later in the story though, and he'll kind of be explained. But I'm glad you're enjoying it!
tigerlili: It's a valid argument, but I felt that I would have a better cliffhanger this way.
~*~*~*~*~Chapter Five~*~*~*~*~
Aislin's nervousness returned swiftly as she lay there on top of Legolas. She had never felt this comfortable with anyone in this way; the whole experience was new to her. Part of her considered being bold and kiss him to see just where they stood and if the affection she had read in his eyes earlier that day meant what she thought it had meant. The other part protested against it, afraid of being hurt all over again. It was a complete internal tug-of-war, which she didn't know how to solve.
Legolas gazed up at her, nearly pleading with his eyes for her to bring her lips back down to him. The feelings that had stirred in him that first night he found her had not lessened, but rather grew the longer he was with her. Perhaps it was foolish that he, crown prince of Mirkwood, fell in love with a mortal woman who, by some odd event came from another world, yet it was better to know love even for a little while than live an eternity without it. Softly he rubbed her right arm, hoping the gesture would assure her of his feelings.
His touch immediately settled her, and she made up her mind. She lowered her head allowing her lips to touch his again as she shut her eyes, worrying about what she would do next; her worry was needless.
As soon as her lips brushed his, he captured them in his own as he shut his own eyes. Her taste was that of the summer breeze he remembered from his younger years when his home was not threatened by shadows. He placed his own hands atop hers, pulling them to his face before sliding his own down her arms and to her back. He could sense what she was feeling without knowing how; feeling the solace she was finding in his tender embrace as she explored his face with her fingers, wrapping strands of his golden hair around them. He could almost see the trust in her as he shifted one hand to come to rest on the back of her neck as the other came to the middle of her back, rubbing it reassuringly. He opened her mouth with his own, deepening the kiss and tending to the need he knew was buried in her somewhere.
She could not resist giving in to him. His kiss was long and sweet; it appeared as though he made time stop. Her heart beat wildly in excitement, and for the moment nothing else concerned her as he took her breath away, seeking to fill a need they both seemed to share. She felt as though she had been thrown into soft uncertainty and she welcomed it with all the strength and reckless abandon she possessed. Wisps of her hair brushed his slender fingers as the breeze played on them, and he pulled her closer to his body in response to the light caress. They were both completely oblivious to anyone that could have seen them, neither caring of what anyone would say if they were found right this moment. Between the breathless kisses he whispered sweet words to her, both in common speech and his native tongue, and she could do nothing but continue to give in.
He pulled away reluctantly, allowing her a chance to breathe and saw the amazement in her eyes. Suddenly her entire soul was an open book to him, which he studied carefully as he began to comb his fingers through her hair. She had never trusted anyone as she was trusting him now, never having a reason to - he could see it plain as day. But what amazed him more was her willingness to give others a chance to earn her trust, when she could have so easily just pushed everyone away and closed herself from the world. Her greatest strength seemed to be the belief that there were gentle souls in the world, and one need only keep themselves open to their affection to find them. He was grateful for its presence, otherwise he might not have had this opportunity to show his own affection towards her. Gently he nuzzled her face, upon which encouraged her to nuzzled back, and he sat upright to lean back against a large tree root, pulling her after him.
Not a word was either spoken or signed between the two, concealing themselves in silence except for the sounds of the forest. Kisses were broken with pauses to look into each others' eyes or investigate a sensitive spot, and both had lost all conception of time or requirements; all that mattered to either one was the other. So intent were they on each other's company that they were nearly stumbled upon.
The muttering of elven voices caught Legolas' sharp hearing. They were at the edge of the forest, clearly searching for them. He heard his name mentioned several times. He turned his gaze away from Aislin for just a moment, hoping to determine just exactly where they were and perhaps glimpse who it was - some attendants were easier to elude than others. Aislin was puzzled; she couldn't hear what Legolas was hearing, but he didn't look too worried so she pushed her own worry aside. After a minute or two he turned back to her with a broad smile, pulling her close again.
"We seem to be followed," he whispered into her ear, sounding quite amused. "My father, it seems, had decided to address Romandir a little earlier than I had expected him to and has sent out two of his attendants to fetch me."
~Then you should go~ she replied, but he shook his head.
"Not yet. I will arrive on my own accord at my own time. Besides, I wish to have a little fun with them first."
Looking behind them one last time, Legolas silently got up and pulled Aislin up after. He kept his back to the tree and her close to him so as not to be seen. The two attendants were not looking quite hard, rather waiting until they got farther into the forest to actually search; Legolas wasn't known for sitting within the eaves of the forest or close to its boarders. He preferred being farther in, and he would have been there if circumstances had favoured it. But here in the eaves he was, listening with amusement as the attendants passed by them without knowing. Carefully he shuffled around the tree, guiding Aislin along with him, timing his movements in his mind. They had to be silent; the two attendants that had come in search of the prince were not all that wise, but they were able to put two and two together if enough clues were left. Even the snap of a twig would lead them to himself and Aislin.
When he felt the attendants had wandered off far enough, he nodded over his right shoulder with a smirk. She nodded her understanding, biting her lip in excitement; he couldn't help but smile broadly and kiss her forehead. Legolas looked back again, took her right hand into his left, crept around the tree some more, and made a mad dash towards a thicket. Aislin did her best to run lightly so she made little noise, but compared to Legolas she sounded like a couple of wild horses. The attendants didn't so much as turn a head as her feet brushed the ground, following Legolas' graceful lead. He stopped behind a large oak too sudden for Aislin and in her rush to stop as he did she stumbled over an exposed tree root and right into Legolas. He let out a muffled gasp, completely caught off-guard and struggling not to laugh out loud. They both went as still as the trees around them, Legolas smiling broadly with lips pursed together and his eyes closed shut, and Aislin also smiling broadly with her face buried in his chest, her fingers grasping his tunic tightly. The attendants turned at the sound, and Legolas could hear them debating whether to check it out or not; one was convinced that it was just some small woodland animal, the other wanted to find out for himself. Legolas knew that if they came close he would never be able to get away with Aislin without causing some noise, and he wasn't about to leave her behind. The only solution was up.
The nearest branch was too far for her to reach on her own he guessed - he would have to lift her up. He ran his hand lightly over her hair, brushing it back behind the ear to get her attention and obediently she looked up. He nodded up, indicating climbing up the tree, his eyes asking her if she could handle it and she nodded, her smile returning much to his delight. His hands gripped her hips firmly as he asked her silently if she was ready, and when she indicated that she was he counted to three without sound and lifted her up. Without missing a beat she grabbed the branch and pulled herself up, sliding out of Legolas' grip and minding her dress. He was amazed to say the least, for she didn't look like the type who climbed trees often if at all. It almost made him forget to follow up himself. Looking back discreetly just to see where the attendants were, he grabbed the branch and pulled himself up effortlessly, ascending the tree after Aislin. She had a good feel for which branches would hold her and which wouldn't, and he allowed her to weave a complicated path high up into the tree until the branches below hid them from sight. Aislin stopped at one near-horizontal branch, holding the one just above her head for support and her left foot resting in a joint where two branches below her met. Legolas joined her, sitting right up behind her, his left foot beside hers and his right on a thick branch below them. His left arm grabbed the branch above as well and his right slid around her waist to pull her closer to him, encouraging her to lean into him, which she did. Feeling suddenly unsteady, her left hand flew to grip his arm which her right was already doing causing him to gaze down on her and smile. He nuzzled the side of her face, closing his eyes as he turned to lay a gentle kiss on her cheek, meeting her eyes when she turned to look up at him. She was slightly puzzled, as if questioning the authenticity of his affection; basically, did he really care about her or did he want something? It made him take a step back and analyze himself, keeping in mind that she knew nothing of his race and their ways as well as the fact that no male had ever given her a reason to trust him besides her own father. He couldn't deny that she enticed him completely, and that even if she ended up being the only one he ever loved in his life he wouldn't care. He loved her and that was all that mattered. He smiled for her, kissed her lips and her forehead and nestled her head under his chin, hoping to somehow send her his thoughts and feelings as proof of his affection.
The two attendants wandered over to the tree from where they heard the noise, the first being impatient and still convinced it was nothing. The pair in the tree sat in silence, Legolas using his sharp hearing to track the footsteps and movements of the two attendants. Sure enough, there was nothing of interest around the tree besides the footprints of a mortal that just suddenly ended. They muttered about it below the pair and Aislin held her breath; she had forgotten that they would be able to make out her tracks. Her grip tightened slightly on his arm in worry, and he whispered in her ear that everything would be alright - he would ensure that they were not caught. Looking above them he searched for a similar branch that they could climb to, just in case the two below them should look up. Though they were well hidden from a glance, a hard look by elven eyes would reveal them for sure. There was a branch on the other side of the tree a few feet up, which even if the two attendants did look up into the branches the pair would still be hidden. The only downfall was that it was a difficult climb, even for an elf.
Legolas nuzzled Aislin to get her attention, and she looked up. He kept the side of her face close so that he could whisper low enough that only she would hear him.
"Do you see that branch above, on the other side?" he pointed, upon which she nodded in reply. "I am going to go up ahead, and I want you to follow. They will not see us there if they look up."
Aislin turned to look up at him, alarm in her face, and she shook her head violently. He could see in her eyes that she didn't believe herself capable of the climb. But they had to if they wanted to escape being caught.
"Aislin we must," he whispered. An impish smile curled on his lips. "You do not want to spoil the fun, do you?"
She couldn't hold back the smile that followed, and she looked down briefly at the two attendants looked around the immediate area. Taking a deep breath, she reached with both hands to grab the branch Legolas was already holding, and he took this as her acceptance. He pulled himself up, pausing to whisper one last time into her ear:
"I promise I won't let you fall."
Without a sound he pulled himself up onto the branches above, crawled towards the trunk, and shifted to another branch before turning around to Aislin. He beckoned with his hand for her to follow, which she did with some hesitation, taking her hand and in one swift movement pulled her up and around the tree. Her feet scraped slightly against the bark, the attendants below pausing in their search to come back to the tree. Legolas froze on his perch, one hand holding tightly to a branch above, the other tight around Aislin's waist pressing her up against him. Her right foot was between both of his, her left was beside his right, and her arms circled his back. He could feel her heart beating rapidly in excitement, and he smiled to himself; this was much more enjoyable with someone to share it with.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Some time later the attendants left the forest, having given up on their search. When he was sure they were gone, Legolas helped Aislin down the complicated climb, both minding her dress, and motioned for her to sit on the lowest branch as he jumped down first. He couldn't help the chuckle that he had been holding back as Aislin turned to lower herself down, letting go of the branch when she felt his firm grip on her hips again.
"I wonder what will frustrate my father more - that those attendants didn't look hard enough for me, or that I eluded them again."
~You admit to your father that you do this?~ she asked as he led her back towards the halls.
"No," he answered, hooking her arm in the crook of his. "But he guesses anyway. I used to do this before I came of age, but now I do it merely to exercise my independence. He wishes for me to be more like him, begin to take on some of the responsibilities he bears should I ever have to take the throne of Mirkwood. I do not think he has enough confidence in me that should he chose to leave or is killed in some manner, that I will be able to succeed him." He shrugged. "The likelihood of him voluntarily stepping down in the near future is unlikely at best, and it is impossible to attack my father's halls. When the day comes that he chooses to leave, his people will go with him, so there will be no kingdom to rule anyway."
~Why?~ she asked. He walked her through the door she had run out of earlier.
"My people are leaving this world," he explained, walking them slowly through the halls. "They have been here for many millennia now, and they grow weary of it now. By the next century, I expect Elves will be gone completely."
His answers were doing nothing to quell her curiousity, but rather fuel it, and questions kept arising. ~Where is it that they go?~
Legolas smiled just a bit; her interest was refreshing. There were very few he had met in his years that didn't know at least something of his people, whether it was thought myth or truth, and none of those few had been as interested as Aislin was. He felt a sort of pride, sharing his people's history with her.
"To Valinor, where many Elves already dwell along with the Valar. Stories say it is beautiful beyond any description, out of the reach of this world where it cannot be reached by those not meant to enter. It is a haven, I suppose you could say."
Those not meant to enter. The phrase played over and over again in Aislin's mind. Legolas had not said anything about humans residing in this Valinor, and she had a feeling she knew what exactly was meant by his words.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The pair were approaching the throne room when Thranduil met them halfway, his stately robes billowing out behind him. He looked quite majestic and exhaulted, not the gentle easy-going person she had met earlier. He was beautiful and slightly terrifying at the same time.
"Legolas, take Lady Aislin to her chambers before joining court," he said, sounding harsher than he intended. Legolas frowned.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Legolas please this is not the time," the king answered, exasperated. "Do as I say now, and I will explain later."
Knowing there was no point arguing, he nodded once and turned down another hallway as Thranduil proceeded into the throne room. Aislin stopped him, sliding her arm from his.
~I can find my way back to my own rooms. Whatever has your father tensed up is obviously important, and you shouldn't be wasting time seeing me to my rooms when I am capable of getting there myself.~
"It is not a waste of time Aislin," he tried, but was silenced by the look in her eyes. She smiled.
~Really, I will be fine.~
He returned her smile, pulled her close and kissed her gently. He knew what it meant if he chose to pursue something deeper with Aislin, especially with there being so much mystery around her arrival in Middle Earth, but he was quickly losing all those cares. He had her and that was all that mattered. They ended the kiss and she parted reluctantly from his company. He watched her walk down the hall until she was out of sight before proceeding to his own rooms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was dark, and cold, wherever this place was. She couldn't see her own hand in front of her face even if it was touching it. Silence except for the odd scurry of a rat somewhere on the other side of this place she was in. Chains on her wrist, ankles and neck restricted her movements, allowing her enough leave to lie on the floor to sleep - that is, if she could sleep. The stench was great enough to keep even someone who had been deprived of a week's worth of sleep. She was hungry, her stomach growling quietly in protest to lack of sustenance, and her throat was dry. She could feel a draft but there were no windows. Her chains did not seem at all old, and were tight to prevent escape.
A door opened. Light poured into the room like water down a riverbed, and a figure was silhouetted against its brilliance. Her heart lifted, hoping it to be Legolas, and indeed it looked it from what little she could tell. Then the figure clapped once, and torches were immediately lit all around the walls, revealing the horror she was in. Skeletons and half-decayed bodies were strewn everywhere, some still chained to the walls, others thrown in heaps. Indeed there were rats, but not as many and not as large as she had imagined, and the figure in the door was not Legolas.
He had dark hair, like midnight, which hung longer. Black robes he donned, and his eyes were a sharp green against the deathly paleness of his skin. Elf or man, he wasn't here to save her. Somehow, she knew this person was keeping her here, and he had no intention of letting her go. She tried to back away from him, but the room seemed to have shrunk as the figure descended the stairs and walked towards her, reaching out a hand to touch her, his fingers like talons of some bird of prey..
Aislin shot up in bed, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead and her breath coming in short gasps. Legolas sat on the edge of her bed beside her, wearing robes of green trimmed with earthly browns and a gold circlet in his hand. Worry was etched on his face, and she hadn't realized his hand was on her shoulder until it moved to her neck. She looked at him, bewilderment in her eyes, and puzzlement joined his worry.
"Aislin, are you all right?"
She didn't reply, just looked at him a moment before moving into his arms, burying her face in his neck. Instinctively both his arms wrapped around her, his circlet discarded on the bed, hoping to offer some comfort despite his own concern and confusion. Romandir's dark secrets and purpose, which he learned in court would have to wait for later.
A/N: Sorry this took so long - many personal things that I wish to keep personal.
Acadia Jules: Actually, this story is set after the Ring, so there's no going off to war.
To those who mentioned it: I know Thranduil's kingdom is a series of mazes b/c it kept his people safe from all the evil in Mirkwood; but this story takes place after the Ring so I let my imagination run wild on that one. Plus I needed something to work for the story and that just kind of worked. It won't be mentioned as I go along anyway; it was just kind of a one-time thing. And I know Elves generally aren't evil like that, and most would never rape, but there have been a few bad Elves so I used that as my permission to have an evil Elf. He'll be mentioned later in the story though, and he'll kind of be explained. But I'm glad you're enjoying it!
tigerlili: It's a valid argument, but I felt that I would have a better cliffhanger this way.
~*~*~*~*~Chapter Five~*~*~*~*~
Aislin's nervousness returned swiftly as she lay there on top of Legolas. She had never felt this comfortable with anyone in this way; the whole experience was new to her. Part of her considered being bold and kiss him to see just where they stood and if the affection she had read in his eyes earlier that day meant what she thought it had meant. The other part protested against it, afraid of being hurt all over again. It was a complete internal tug-of-war, which she didn't know how to solve.
Legolas gazed up at her, nearly pleading with his eyes for her to bring her lips back down to him. The feelings that had stirred in him that first night he found her had not lessened, but rather grew the longer he was with her. Perhaps it was foolish that he, crown prince of Mirkwood, fell in love with a mortal woman who, by some odd event came from another world, yet it was better to know love even for a little while than live an eternity without it. Softly he rubbed her right arm, hoping the gesture would assure her of his feelings.
His touch immediately settled her, and she made up her mind. She lowered her head allowing her lips to touch his again as she shut her eyes, worrying about what she would do next; her worry was needless.
As soon as her lips brushed his, he captured them in his own as he shut his own eyes. Her taste was that of the summer breeze he remembered from his younger years when his home was not threatened by shadows. He placed his own hands atop hers, pulling them to his face before sliding his own down her arms and to her back. He could sense what she was feeling without knowing how; feeling the solace she was finding in his tender embrace as she explored his face with her fingers, wrapping strands of his golden hair around them. He could almost see the trust in her as he shifted one hand to come to rest on the back of her neck as the other came to the middle of her back, rubbing it reassuringly. He opened her mouth with his own, deepening the kiss and tending to the need he knew was buried in her somewhere.
She could not resist giving in to him. His kiss was long and sweet; it appeared as though he made time stop. Her heart beat wildly in excitement, and for the moment nothing else concerned her as he took her breath away, seeking to fill a need they both seemed to share. She felt as though she had been thrown into soft uncertainty and she welcomed it with all the strength and reckless abandon she possessed. Wisps of her hair brushed his slender fingers as the breeze played on them, and he pulled her closer to his body in response to the light caress. They were both completely oblivious to anyone that could have seen them, neither caring of what anyone would say if they were found right this moment. Between the breathless kisses he whispered sweet words to her, both in common speech and his native tongue, and she could do nothing but continue to give in.
He pulled away reluctantly, allowing her a chance to breathe and saw the amazement in her eyes. Suddenly her entire soul was an open book to him, which he studied carefully as he began to comb his fingers through her hair. She had never trusted anyone as she was trusting him now, never having a reason to - he could see it plain as day. But what amazed him more was her willingness to give others a chance to earn her trust, when she could have so easily just pushed everyone away and closed herself from the world. Her greatest strength seemed to be the belief that there were gentle souls in the world, and one need only keep themselves open to their affection to find them. He was grateful for its presence, otherwise he might not have had this opportunity to show his own affection towards her. Gently he nuzzled her face, upon which encouraged her to nuzzled back, and he sat upright to lean back against a large tree root, pulling her after him.
Not a word was either spoken or signed between the two, concealing themselves in silence except for the sounds of the forest. Kisses were broken with pauses to look into each others' eyes or investigate a sensitive spot, and both had lost all conception of time or requirements; all that mattered to either one was the other. So intent were they on each other's company that they were nearly stumbled upon.
The muttering of elven voices caught Legolas' sharp hearing. They were at the edge of the forest, clearly searching for them. He heard his name mentioned several times. He turned his gaze away from Aislin for just a moment, hoping to determine just exactly where they were and perhaps glimpse who it was - some attendants were easier to elude than others. Aislin was puzzled; she couldn't hear what Legolas was hearing, but he didn't look too worried so she pushed her own worry aside. After a minute or two he turned back to her with a broad smile, pulling her close again.
"We seem to be followed," he whispered into her ear, sounding quite amused. "My father, it seems, had decided to address Romandir a little earlier than I had expected him to and has sent out two of his attendants to fetch me."
~Then you should go~ she replied, but he shook his head.
"Not yet. I will arrive on my own accord at my own time. Besides, I wish to have a little fun with them first."
Looking behind them one last time, Legolas silently got up and pulled Aislin up after. He kept his back to the tree and her close to him so as not to be seen. The two attendants were not looking quite hard, rather waiting until they got farther into the forest to actually search; Legolas wasn't known for sitting within the eaves of the forest or close to its boarders. He preferred being farther in, and he would have been there if circumstances had favoured it. But here in the eaves he was, listening with amusement as the attendants passed by them without knowing. Carefully he shuffled around the tree, guiding Aislin along with him, timing his movements in his mind. They had to be silent; the two attendants that had come in search of the prince were not all that wise, but they were able to put two and two together if enough clues were left. Even the snap of a twig would lead them to himself and Aislin.
When he felt the attendants had wandered off far enough, he nodded over his right shoulder with a smirk. She nodded her understanding, biting her lip in excitement; he couldn't help but smile broadly and kiss her forehead. Legolas looked back again, took her right hand into his left, crept around the tree some more, and made a mad dash towards a thicket. Aislin did her best to run lightly so she made little noise, but compared to Legolas she sounded like a couple of wild horses. The attendants didn't so much as turn a head as her feet brushed the ground, following Legolas' graceful lead. He stopped behind a large oak too sudden for Aislin and in her rush to stop as he did she stumbled over an exposed tree root and right into Legolas. He let out a muffled gasp, completely caught off-guard and struggling not to laugh out loud. They both went as still as the trees around them, Legolas smiling broadly with lips pursed together and his eyes closed shut, and Aislin also smiling broadly with her face buried in his chest, her fingers grasping his tunic tightly. The attendants turned at the sound, and Legolas could hear them debating whether to check it out or not; one was convinced that it was just some small woodland animal, the other wanted to find out for himself. Legolas knew that if they came close he would never be able to get away with Aislin without causing some noise, and he wasn't about to leave her behind. The only solution was up.
The nearest branch was too far for her to reach on her own he guessed - he would have to lift her up. He ran his hand lightly over her hair, brushing it back behind the ear to get her attention and obediently she looked up. He nodded up, indicating climbing up the tree, his eyes asking her if she could handle it and she nodded, her smile returning much to his delight. His hands gripped her hips firmly as he asked her silently if she was ready, and when she indicated that she was he counted to three without sound and lifted her up. Without missing a beat she grabbed the branch and pulled herself up, sliding out of Legolas' grip and minding her dress. He was amazed to say the least, for she didn't look like the type who climbed trees often if at all. It almost made him forget to follow up himself. Looking back discreetly just to see where the attendants were, he grabbed the branch and pulled himself up effortlessly, ascending the tree after Aislin. She had a good feel for which branches would hold her and which wouldn't, and he allowed her to weave a complicated path high up into the tree until the branches below hid them from sight. Aislin stopped at one near-horizontal branch, holding the one just above her head for support and her left foot resting in a joint where two branches below her met. Legolas joined her, sitting right up behind her, his left foot beside hers and his right on a thick branch below them. His left arm grabbed the branch above as well and his right slid around her waist to pull her closer to him, encouraging her to lean into him, which she did. Feeling suddenly unsteady, her left hand flew to grip his arm which her right was already doing causing him to gaze down on her and smile. He nuzzled the side of her face, closing his eyes as he turned to lay a gentle kiss on her cheek, meeting her eyes when she turned to look up at him. She was slightly puzzled, as if questioning the authenticity of his affection; basically, did he really care about her or did he want something? It made him take a step back and analyze himself, keeping in mind that she knew nothing of his race and their ways as well as the fact that no male had ever given her a reason to trust him besides her own father. He couldn't deny that she enticed him completely, and that even if she ended up being the only one he ever loved in his life he wouldn't care. He loved her and that was all that mattered. He smiled for her, kissed her lips and her forehead and nestled her head under his chin, hoping to somehow send her his thoughts and feelings as proof of his affection.
The two attendants wandered over to the tree from where they heard the noise, the first being impatient and still convinced it was nothing. The pair in the tree sat in silence, Legolas using his sharp hearing to track the footsteps and movements of the two attendants. Sure enough, there was nothing of interest around the tree besides the footprints of a mortal that just suddenly ended. They muttered about it below the pair and Aislin held her breath; she had forgotten that they would be able to make out her tracks. Her grip tightened slightly on his arm in worry, and he whispered in her ear that everything would be alright - he would ensure that they were not caught. Looking above them he searched for a similar branch that they could climb to, just in case the two below them should look up. Though they were well hidden from a glance, a hard look by elven eyes would reveal them for sure. There was a branch on the other side of the tree a few feet up, which even if the two attendants did look up into the branches the pair would still be hidden. The only downfall was that it was a difficult climb, even for an elf.
Legolas nuzzled Aislin to get her attention, and she looked up. He kept the side of her face close so that he could whisper low enough that only she would hear him.
"Do you see that branch above, on the other side?" he pointed, upon which she nodded in reply. "I am going to go up ahead, and I want you to follow. They will not see us there if they look up."
Aislin turned to look up at him, alarm in her face, and she shook her head violently. He could see in her eyes that she didn't believe herself capable of the climb. But they had to if they wanted to escape being caught.
"Aislin we must," he whispered. An impish smile curled on his lips. "You do not want to spoil the fun, do you?"
She couldn't hold back the smile that followed, and she looked down briefly at the two attendants looked around the immediate area. Taking a deep breath, she reached with both hands to grab the branch Legolas was already holding, and he took this as her acceptance. He pulled himself up, pausing to whisper one last time into her ear:
"I promise I won't let you fall."
Without a sound he pulled himself up onto the branches above, crawled towards the trunk, and shifted to another branch before turning around to Aislin. He beckoned with his hand for her to follow, which she did with some hesitation, taking her hand and in one swift movement pulled her up and around the tree. Her feet scraped slightly against the bark, the attendants below pausing in their search to come back to the tree. Legolas froze on his perch, one hand holding tightly to a branch above, the other tight around Aislin's waist pressing her up against him. Her right foot was between both of his, her left was beside his right, and her arms circled his back. He could feel her heart beating rapidly in excitement, and he smiled to himself; this was much more enjoyable with someone to share it with.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Some time later the attendants left the forest, having given up on their search. When he was sure they were gone, Legolas helped Aislin down the complicated climb, both minding her dress, and motioned for her to sit on the lowest branch as he jumped down first. He couldn't help the chuckle that he had been holding back as Aislin turned to lower herself down, letting go of the branch when she felt his firm grip on her hips again.
"I wonder what will frustrate my father more - that those attendants didn't look hard enough for me, or that I eluded them again."
~You admit to your father that you do this?~ she asked as he led her back towards the halls.
"No," he answered, hooking her arm in the crook of his. "But he guesses anyway. I used to do this before I came of age, but now I do it merely to exercise my independence. He wishes for me to be more like him, begin to take on some of the responsibilities he bears should I ever have to take the throne of Mirkwood. I do not think he has enough confidence in me that should he chose to leave or is killed in some manner, that I will be able to succeed him." He shrugged. "The likelihood of him voluntarily stepping down in the near future is unlikely at best, and it is impossible to attack my father's halls. When the day comes that he chooses to leave, his people will go with him, so there will be no kingdom to rule anyway."
~Why?~ she asked. He walked her through the door she had run out of earlier.
"My people are leaving this world," he explained, walking them slowly through the halls. "They have been here for many millennia now, and they grow weary of it now. By the next century, I expect Elves will be gone completely."
His answers were doing nothing to quell her curiousity, but rather fuel it, and questions kept arising. ~Where is it that they go?~
Legolas smiled just a bit; her interest was refreshing. There were very few he had met in his years that didn't know at least something of his people, whether it was thought myth or truth, and none of those few had been as interested as Aislin was. He felt a sort of pride, sharing his people's history with her.
"To Valinor, where many Elves already dwell along with the Valar. Stories say it is beautiful beyond any description, out of the reach of this world where it cannot be reached by those not meant to enter. It is a haven, I suppose you could say."
Those not meant to enter. The phrase played over and over again in Aislin's mind. Legolas had not said anything about humans residing in this Valinor, and she had a feeling she knew what exactly was meant by his words.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The pair were approaching the throne room when Thranduil met them halfway, his stately robes billowing out behind him. He looked quite majestic and exhaulted, not the gentle easy-going person she had met earlier. He was beautiful and slightly terrifying at the same time.
"Legolas, take Lady Aislin to her chambers before joining court," he said, sounding harsher than he intended. Legolas frowned.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Legolas please this is not the time," the king answered, exasperated. "Do as I say now, and I will explain later."
Knowing there was no point arguing, he nodded once and turned down another hallway as Thranduil proceeded into the throne room. Aislin stopped him, sliding her arm from his.
~I can find my way back to my own rooms. Whatever has your father tensed up is obviously important, and you shouldn't be wasting time seeing me to my rooms when I am capable of getting there myself.~
"It is not a waste of time Aislin," he tried, but was silenced by the look in her eyes. She smiled.
~Really, I will be fine.~
He returned her smile, pulled her close and kissed her gently. He knew what it meant if he chose to pursue something deeper with Aislin, especially with there being so much mystery around her arrival in Middle Earth, but he was quickly losing all those cares. He had her and that was all that mattered. They ended the kiss and she parted reluctantly from his company. He watched her walk down the hall until she was out of sight before proceeding to his own rooms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was dark, and cold, wherever this place was. She couldn't see her own hand in front of her face even if it was touching it. Silence except for the odd scurry of a rat somewhere on the other side of this place she was in. Chains on her wrist, ankles and neck restricted her movements, allowing her enough leave to lie on the floor to sleep - that is, if she could sleep. The stench was great enough to keep even someone who had been deprived of a week's worth of sleep. She was hungry, her stomach growling quietly in protest to lack of sustenance, and her throat was dry. She could feel a draft but there were no windows. Her chains did not seem at all old, and were tight to prevent escape.
A door opened. Light poured into the room like water down a riverbed, and a figure was silhouetted against its brilliance. Her heart lifted, hoping it to be Legolas, and indeed it looked it from what little she could tell. Then the figure clapped once, and torches were immediately lit all around the walls, revealing the horror she was in. Skeletons and half-decayed bodies were strewn everywhere, some still chained to the walls, others thrown in heaps. Indeed there were rats, but not as many and not as large as she had imagined, and the figure in the door was not Legolas.
He had dark hair, like midnight, which hung longer. Black robes he donned, and his eyes were a sharp green against the deathly paleness of his skin. Elf or man, he wasn't here to save her. Somehow, she knew this person was keeping her here, and he had no intention of letting her go. She tried to back away from him, but the room seemed to have shrunk as the figure descended the stairs and walked towards her, reaching out a hand to touch her, his fingers like talons of some bird of prey..
Aislin shot up in bed, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead and her breath coming in short gasps. Legolas sat on the edge of her bed beside her, wearing robes of green trimmed with earthly browns and a gold circlet in his hand. Worry was etched on his face, and she hadn't realized his hand was on her shoulder until it moved to her neck. She looked at him, bewilderment in her eyes, and puzzlement joined his worry.
"Aislin, are you all right?"
She didn't reply, just looked at him a moment before moving into his arms, burying her face in his neck. Instinctively both his arms wrapped around her, his circlet discarded on the bed, hoping to offer some comfort despite his own concern and confusion. Romandir's dark secrets and purpose, which he learned in court would have to wait for later.