Chapter 3: Surprise
Finally she began to stir, first backing away from the nest of bushes she was standing in. Then she began to turn towards him, her hands still held out for him to see as a sign of friendship, or lack of confrontation. She kept her head bowed, however, so that when she faced him at last, all he could see was a dark veil under the robes.
"Tell me your name," he demanded more firmly.
"I, I do not think of it as a safe move on my part," she muttered calmly, "or if I do deliver a name, it will not be as truthful as you may wish."
Legolas considered. His attention remained devoted entirely to the mysterious female before him, whom he found to be consistently intriguing.
"I can tell that you mean no harm. The berries you selected were of a poisonous origin, and if you meant to keep them for yourself to consume, I fear what the result may have been." The woman chuckled softly, the hood about her face seeming to be made of stone as it did not waver with her gestures.
"And the sword at my side, it was a gift, I haven't the faintest idea how to even hold it, much less strike you with it," she added sincerely.
Legolas smiled faintly, though somewhat frustrated with her persistence to remain anonymous, he asked in a careful tone, "please, remove your hood."
She raised a hand slowly to her head, where she very carefully drew back the hood of the dark robe. It fell about her shoulders in a heap, to reveal a striking woman of youthful age, much to Legolas' surprise, for her speech made her sound much more sagely.
He lowered the bow, but kept his grip on it. He stared silently for several moments, before commenting, "I would not expect to see a young woman of the race of the Elves to be wandering here alone in a time so dangerous."
The girl peered at him with wild, round brown eyes. The wind passed gently over them, the trees whispering to one another in secrecy, Legolas' long, silver strands of hair hardly moving out of place. The girl's own mahogany locks flowed astray, a few strands gathering over her face and waving across her eyes, as she beheld the elf-man before her in flashes.
"I know what it must seem, but I am here on an errand." The girl studied the elf with utmost caution. Much to Legolas' dismay, she seemed to view him now with more distrust than when he had his arrow to her back. She continued, "May I please leave, for I think a face gives you more information than any name you would have to go by."
Legolas shifted, his bow now down to his side. He found himself fumbling for words, as he began to start a sentence, only to cut himself off several times. Finally, he said, "I just need to know if you have seen anything out of the norm around these parts as you have ventured through."
The girl looked away for the first time, staring up into the tree-covered sky as if in deep recollection. After a time, she said softly, "no, I haven't seen anyone save yourself for many weeks."
Legolas nodded slowly, himself staring off in thought. He returned the arrow to its place upon his back, carrying the bow over his shoulder. He watched the girl for several moments, feeling an unusual sense of premature trust build within him. He had no reason to, but somehow he felt greatly indebted to this girl. She didn't move once and only stared at him as if waiting for something.
"Have you no questions for me?" he asked quickly, wondering why she had failed to inquire of himself news that might help her own errand.
"No, elf sir," she responded hastily. "Thank you for causing no trouble."
And at that, she turned away and began to head opposite the direction Legolas first found her.