Chapter 6
Legolas ate breakfast quickly and went outside into the forest. He wanted to get out there and maybe do some practicing. He walked deep into the forest with his twin daggers, an elven sword, bow, and a quiver of arrows. He was absolutely itching to feel the daggers in his grasp again, like many warriors after a time of peace and tranquility. When he reached a nice open spot in the middle of the forest, he grabbed his bow and strung an arrow on its string, watching the dropping leaves. In a few moments, three of the falling leaves were stuck to the piece of board he had brought along, so he didn't have to harm the trees. Glad he hadn't lost his touch after all, and continued to aim at the falling leaves for a while longer. When he felt satisfied, he laid his bow and quiver to the side and retrieved the arrows. He inspected the arrow tips to make sure they were still usable and put the arrows back into the quiver. With that done, he pulled out his daggers danced gracefully around, cutting leaves in half as they fell. He moved silently and effortlessly, but every stroke was as deadly as the last. Watching him was like watching poetry in motion. Finally he stopped and looked at the ground at the leaves he had severed. Quietly, he apologized to nature, hoping the trees knew he didn't mean any harm. As the trees heard his apology, they rustled the leaves that remained on their branches, as if telling him it was quite all right. With a smile, he bowed his head and sheathed his daggers again.
Legolas stopped for a little while to go down to the stream and get a drink of the clear, cold water. He walked around listlessly, listening to the trees and all of nature's creatures before he returned to the part of the forest where he had been practicing. When he got back to the open space, he pulled out his elven sword from its scabbard by his side. He looked at his sword, it's hilt the same colour as his daggers and the blade a gleaming white in the sun. Wordlessly, he started another dance, gracefully attacking non-existent enemies. He moved in circles for a while, jumping and striking at different angles, re-living the trials he had faced with his weapons. He turned a half circle, striking down with his sword from above his head. Instead of hearing the hissing of the air moving around his blade, he heard the clang of metal against metal. With a smile on her face, Pheraearwen had countered his blow with her own elven sword. Legolas was surprised for a moment, but smiled as well. A friendly spar had begun between them. All through the forest, you could hear the clash of the metal against metal, but to the human eye, you could not have possibly seen what was causing it. The two elves were moving so fast that they were just a blur with leaves falling all around them.
The elves danced around each other and parried and countered each other with such grace that it didn't look like they were sparring at all, but just merely dancing. The spar went on for what seemed like only a few minutes to the elves, but had actually started over an hour ago. The two elves clashed their swords together, harder each time and deflecting one another's blows with more power as the spar became more intense. Now even elves would probably have a hard time following the spar. Finally tiring out after a good hour or two, the two elves clashed their swords again, leaning heavily against them, their faces close, but the swords between them. Giving a laugh, Pheraearwen leapt into a tree, with Legolas close behind her.
The two elves leapt from tree to tree and ended up at a different part of the forest, not too far from where they had begun their spar. Rain had suddenly begun to fall, soaking the elves and the forest floor, but they didn't stop their spar. Now as metal crashed upon metal water sprayed with each motion the elves and their swords made. Suddenly, Pheraearwen slipped on a small pile of wet leaves as she spun and started to fall. She let out a small cry as her elven sword landed on the floor, waiting for her body to connect with the floor, but it didn't. Seeing Pheraearwen slip, Legolas had dropped his sword and ran to her rescue, catching her in his arms before she fell to the ground. He spun in a small circle as he grabbed her waist to stop gravity from pulling her any further and felt her arms fly up and grab hold around his neck. They stood there for a moment staring into the other's eyes, letting the rain pound on them. They were both breathing heavily from their hours of sparring, but their hearts pounded quickly, not from the exertion, but from a different feeling. Slowly, ever so slowly, Legolas leaned in, bringing his face closer to Pheraearwen's. He stopped about an inch away from her lips and his eyes searched hers, asking if this was okay. In answer, Pheraearwen tilted her head up slightly and tightened her hold around his neck. Legolas' lips met hers as he kissed her softly, and pulled away. They opened their eyes to look at each other for a moment, and kissed again, but deeper and harder with each passing moment. The rain pounded but they no longer felt it, the only feeling that existed was the hunger they had for each other.
Suddenly, Pheraearwen's eyes flew open and she pushed Legolas away. Legolas stumbled backwards a few steps, looking slightly bewildered. Pheraearwen stepped back a few steps, breathing hard.
"I shouldn't have done that," she said quietly, more to herself than Legolas. Quickly she turned but before she could get anywhere, Legolas grabbed her arm. "Wait, Pheraearwen, please," Legolas said, at a loss for words. "Why do you run?" "I-I should be getting back," Pheraearwen said, not turning to look at him. "Why won't you look at me?" Legolas said, using his free hand to turn her head slowly. Now she was facing him, but she wouldn't look into his eyes and it pained him greatly. "Pheraearwen, I." Legolas started, but was interrupted when Pheraearwen placed a hand gently over his lips. "Please, don't say it," Pheraearwen said softly, close to tears. "If you do, I would not be able to leave without my heart breaking," she said, finally looking into his eyes. "I will leave tomorrow, but do not come after me. I do not deserve someone like you. I am not what I seem to be, and I don't want to pull you into my troubled life," she said, her hand still over his mouth, not allowing him to speak. "I'm sorry." She removed her hand and kissed him lightly on the lips and leapt into the trees and was gone before he had a chance to react. "Pheraearwen," Legolas whispered into the rain.
Legolas ate breakfast quickly and went outside into the forest. He wanted to get out there and maybe do some practicing. He walked deep into the forest with his twin daggers, an elven sword, bow, and a quiver of arrows. He was absolutely itching to feel the daggers in his grasp again, like many warriors after a time of peace and tranquility. When he reached a nice open spot in the middle of the forest, he grabbed his bow and strung an arrow on its string, watching the dropping leaves. In a few moments, three of the falling leaves were stuck to the piece of board he had brought along, so he didn't have to harm the trees. Glad he hadn't lost his touch after all, and continued to aim at the falling leaves for a while longer. When he felt satisfied, he laid his bow and quiver to the side and retrieved the arrows. He inspected the arrow tips to make sure they were still usable and put the arrows back into the quiver. With that done, he pulled out his daggers danced gracefully around, cutting leaves in half as they fell. He moved silently and effortlessly, but every stroke was as deadly as the last. Watching him was like watching poetry in motion. Finally he stopped and looked at the ground at the leaves he had severed. Quietly, he apologized to nature, hoping the trees knew he didn't mean any harm. As the trees heard his apology, they rustled the leaves that remained on their branches, as if telling him it was quite all right. With a smile, he bowed his head and sheathed his daggers again.
Legolas stopped for a little while to go down to the stream and get a drink of the clear, cold water. He walked around listlessly, listening to the trees and all of nature's creatures before he returned to the part of the forest where he had been practicing. When he got back to the open space, he pulled out his elven sword from its scabbard by his side. He looked at his sword, it's hilt the same colour as his daggers and the blade a gleaming white in the sun. Wordlessly, he started another dance, gracefully attacking non-existent enemies. He moved in circles for a while, jumping and striking at different angles, re-living the trials he had faced with his weapons. He turned a half circle, striking down with his sword from above his head. Instead of hearing the hissing of the air moving around his blade, he heard the clang of metal against metal. With a smile on her face, Pheraearwen had countered his blow with her own elven sword. Legolas was surprised for a moment, but smiled as well. A friendly spar had begun between them. All through the forest, you could hear the clash of the metal against metal, but to the human eye, you could not have possibly seen what was causing it. The two elves were moving so fast that they were just a blur with leaves falling all around them.
The elves danced around each other and parried and countered each other with such grace that it didn't look like they were sparring at all, but just merely dancing. The spar went on for what seemed like only a few minutes to the elves, but had actually started over an hour ago. The two elves clashed their swords together, harder each time and deflecting one another's blows with more power as the spar became more intense. Now even elves would probably have a hard time following the spar. Finally tiring out after a good hour or two, the two elves clashed their swords again, leaning heavily against them, their faces close, but the swords between them. Giving a laugh, Pheraearwen leapt into a tree, with Legolas close behind her.
The two elves leapt from tree to tree and ended up at a different part of the forest, not too far from where they had begun their spar. Rain had suddenly begun to fall, soaking the elves and the forest floor, but they didn't stop their spar. Now as metal crashed upon metal water sprayed with each motion the elves and their swords made. Suddenly, Pheraearwen slipped on a small pile of wet leaves as she spun and started to fall. She let out a small cry as her elven sword landed on the floor, waiting for her body to connect with the floor, but it didn't. Seeing Pheraearwen slip, Legolas had dropped his sword and ran to her rescue, catching her in his arms before she fell to the ground. He spun in a small circle as he grabbed her waist to stop gravity from pulling her any further and felt her arms fly up and grab hold around his neck. They stood there for a moment staring into the other's eyes, letting the rain pound on them. They were both breathing heavily from their hours of sparring, but their hearts pounded quickly, not from the exertion, but from a different feeling. Slowly, ever so slowly, Legolas leaned in, bringing his face closer to Pheraearwen's. He stopped about an inch away from her lips and his eyes searched hers, asking if this was okay. In answer, Pheraearwen tilted her head up slightly and tightened her hold around his neck. Legolas' lips met hers as he kissed her softly, and pulled away. They opened their eyes to look at each other for a moment, and kissed again, but deeper and harder with each passing moment. The rain pounded but they no longer felt it, the only feeling that existed was the hunger they had for each other.
Suddenly, Pheraearwen's eyes flew open and she pushed Legolas away. Legolas stumbled backwards a few steps, looking slightly bewildered. Pheraearwen stepped back a few steps, breathing hard.
"I shouldn't have done that," she said quietly, more to herself than Legolas. Quickly she turned but before she could get anywhere, Legolas grabbed her arm. "Wait, Pheraearwen, please," Legolas said, at a loss for words. "Why do you run?" "I-I should be getting back," Pheraearwen said, not turning to look at him. "Why won't you look at me?" Legolas said, using his free hand to turn her head slowly. Now she was facing him, but she wouldn't look into his eyes and it pained him greatly. "Pheraearwen, I." Legolas started, but was interrupted when Pheraearwen placed a hand gently over his lips. "Please, don't say it," Pheraearwen said softly, close to tears. "If you do, I would not be able to leave without my heart breaking," she said, finally looking into his eyes. "I will leave tomorrow, but do not come after me. I do not deserve someone like you. I am not what I seem to be, and I don't want to pull you into my troubled life," she said, her hand still over his mouth, not allowing him to speak. "I'm sorry." She removed her hand and kissed him lightly on the lips and leapt into the trees and was gone before he had a chance to react. "Pheraearwen," Legolas whispered into the rain.