Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR!.... But I wish I did.
AN: This story takes place during the Fellowship's quest to destroy the ring. They have entered the woods of Lothlórien, where Legolas stumbles across a former love… One that he hasn't quite forgotten.
Translations:-
Melamin = My love.
Mellonamin = My friend.
Lirimaer = Lovely one.
~*~
Prologue
~*~
The amber leaves of the trees in Lothlórien seemed to whisper to him. The branches swayed and the leaves rustled apprehensively, in knowledge of their coming and the great evil they bore in their midst. He had only entered Lady Galadriel's forest once before, and the memories from that time, pained him to core.
It was because of a certain woman that it pained him to enter the woods. She was still here, where he did not know, but she had not left Lórien for the Gray Havens. He knew they must make haste if they were to ever reach the fires of Mount Doom. Still, he could not rid the memories. If only he hadn't left, if only he hadn't lied…
His thoughts were interrupted as Gimli, son of Glóin, spoke to the awed hobbits.
Legolas tilted his head to listen to the ridiculous comments made by the Master dwarf. The short man could be utterly pompous at times! Yet the good heart her bore upon his sleeve outweighed any negative aspects of the loud dwarf.
"Nothing can get past me I tell you young hobbits… Nothing at all!" The dwarf's voice tapered off in embarrassment.
Legolas frowned in confusion, but he soon found the problem as the point of an arrow pressed lightly into the side of his head. He froze, trying to shift his sight to look upon the owner of the arrow. He could see nothing. How could he have let his guard down? The woods of Lórien always caused him to behave irrationally and to think that he had been caught unaware was a great shame for the proud Prince.
A familiar lilting voice filled his sensitive peaked ears.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Legolas's breath caught in his throat. The arrow from his head was removed and a small, lithe figure jumped down in front of him. His eyes grew wide, remaining fixed on a pair of glittering violet eyes. He could see his own shocked expression reflected in the simmering gaze. "Namiir…?" He whispered, choking on the soft name.
The others behind him grew silent and regarded Legolas in bewilderment, yet he could still pick up the quiet murmurs of the ever curious hobbits Merry and Pippin. They had not yet been freed from the arrows that were pointed at their heads, but that did not stop them from their nosy intentions.
Legolas ignored the hushed voices as he stared upon the woman that had captured his heart many years ago. His eyes darted across the smooth features over the woman, glancing at her flushed cheeks to the pert nose and full lips that pouted out from her face. She had not aged a day.
It was her long raven hair that brought him to his knees. The softly feathered locks came down to frame her face, and rolled in waves down to her back like an endless waterfall. Yet at present her hair was bound into a lengthy braid, thick and full that fell down to her waist. Her clothing was not the usual for a she-elf, for she wore a warriors' attire complete with a beige cape that hid the fragile body beneath. A body Legolas knew and remembered all too well…
She smirked as though nothing dire had transpired between them, "You keep strange company for an elf, Legolas. Four hobbits, two men and a Master Dwarf? Yes, this is indeed strange times when an elven Prince seeks the company of a dwarf and hobbits no less. Let alone the companionship of men." Namiir said, her soft voice teasing him. She held back a chuckle as she heard the dwarf and one of the men sputter in indignation.
Her greeting shocked him, but if this was the way in which she chose to deal with their parting, then he would oblige her with the same countenance.
"We only mean to pass through Lórien, Namiir." He replied gently.
She quirked her perfectly arched eyebrow in thought as she gave the Mirkwood Prince's companions a cold glance.
Aragorn frowned and strode up to his friend, bracing himself against the hostile stares of the elves surrounding them. He looked down quizzically at the young woman's face. "We mean no harm, Lady Namiir. As my friend has declared, we only wish to pass through." His face did not betray the astonishment he felt as he gazed at the beautiful woman clad in men's wear. She was not of the Lórien elves, for she darker in colour compared with the Lórien elves. He secretly wondered how she chanced upon servicing the Lady of the Wood.
"Aragorn!" Gimli cried from his frozen position, "These woods are perilous. We should go back!"
The she-elf fixed her hard gaze upon the stout dwarf and said darkly; "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back." Her comment merely earned her shocked expressions from the fellowship.
She turned her gaze back to the elven Prince and continued to stare into the deep blue eyes of her former lover. "I know you mean no harm, Aragorn, Son of Arathorn." she whispered softly. Her proclamation unnerved the Fellowship.
For the entire manly disposition Namiir displayed in wearing the warrior clothing, her feminine voice could not be hidden from them, nor could the soft features of her face. Her countenance changed, "Follow me, Lady Galadriel has been expecting you," she said harshly, before placing her gaze upon a certain silent hobbit. "Come. She is waiting." There was a strange flash in her eyes as she stared at the young ring bearer, yet it disappeared the very next moment as she turned around and walked swiftly away, deeper in the woods of Lothlórien.
Legolas shook his head resignedly before following, avoiding Aragorn's questioning eyes. It seemed as though she had changed quite a bit from their past relationship.
Namiir's elven companions sent the Fellowship daring glares before turning to follow the commanding elf-maiden, striding rapidly behind her.
Pippin shook his head and cried out in indignation, "Well, they're certainly friendly! They must have forgotten to eat their luncheon, no wonder they're so uptight! Isn't that right Merry?" He looked at his shire friend, but only received a blank stare in return.
"Hush that mouth of yours Pip," Merry whispered, "We don't want any unwanted enemies."
"Aye, don't you worry your wee heads, young hobbits!" The Master dwarf piped from beside Merry. "Although I would be careful around that she-elf of a witch, if I was you. They say she can cast a spell upon any creature that enters her woods. Terrible, terrible dark magic"
"Come now Gimli; do not trouble them with your extravagant stories!" Boromir called out from ahead in amusement.
Pippin held back a chuckle at the expression on the dwarf's face.
Gimli scrunched his eyes into a glare, before muttering a few dwarvish curses under his breath as they trudged through the woods of Lorien.
It would certainly be an interesting meeting between the Fellowship and Lady Galadriel. Not even the Master dwarf could deny that.
~*~
"Go to him, melamin…" A soft familiar voice whispered tenderly into her ear as she stared out at the lake positioned at the base of one of the spectacular trees of Lórien.
She sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest as she lowered her hand to gently into the lake, causing a trail of ripples in the sparkling water with her fingertips. The grassy bank she sat upon glistened with midnight dew as the round moon above the trees of Lórien shone down upon her, bathing her in an ethereal pale glow. "I cannot," she uttered back with sorrow. Tearing her gaze away, she looked up and found herself staring into the emerald eyes of Haldir.
Both husband and wife gazed at each other silently. Husband and wife in elven law alone.
They were bound together by Namiir's father; it was he who had proposed for their marriage. Namiir was against it from the start but she could not deny her father his last wish and so they were joined and bound together for the rest of their living days. Although Namiir held no feelings for Haldir, his affections towards her were unrequited, an endless love. He had her in every way he could imagine through marriage, but he did not have her heart. That, he knew, belonged to a certain Mirkwood Prince.
He slowly sat down beside her upon the moist grassy bank, brushing away a few amber leaves in the process. "Namiir," his voice grew stern, "You cannot run away from him forever. There will come a time when you will have to face him and tell him what has happened." It was strange that they were husband and wife. At present, he seemed more like a father scolding a child.
The she-elf blinked, looking out at the lake once more. "Why did you bind yourself to me, Haldir?" She questioned painfully. They had not spoken of their arranged joining in many years.
There was a pause and she felt as though an eternity had been stretched in that silence.
"You know why, melamin." He finally answered.
"You call me 'melamin' and yet you know perfectly well we are only bound together by elven law." She could almost feel him wince. "Tell me, why you bound yourself to me when you knew my heart belonged to another?"
Haldir drew a sharp breath, gazing forlornly at the portrait of her face. "You know why," he responded quietly. "Your father said you were grieving for your lost love. He asked me to save you, give you something to live for once again. He wanted to see you protected before he left for the Gray Havens. That is why I chose to bind myself to you. That is why your father made you promise him you would live on, and be happy."
She almost snorted at the word 'happy'. "And I suppose you gained nothing out of the arrangement?" She spat bitterly, not daring to cast a glance upon Haldir's face.
"Nay, for I have not gained your love… Have I?" Had Namiir not been an elf, Haldir's comment would have been lost in the whispering wind surrounding Lórien. She would never understand how much he loved her. From the first moment she had stepped foot into Lothlórien on her return from Rivendell, he had been captivated by her.
He had never seen her prior to the time he had caught her shedding tears by the very same lake they sat by now. Shedding tears for the Mirkwood Prince. It was then that he learned she was fleeing from past ghosts that had haunted her every step, following her to Lothlórien. He later learned that Legolas had indeed followed her to Lórien, but had also abruptly left after a few words had been spoken between them.
And from that day, Haldir had vowed to vanquish the ghost of Legolas that still lingered in her heart. But it seemed he could not fulfil his vow, for here she was as troubled as the day they met and still deeply in love with the Prince. He had failed to gain her love, for her heart still belonged to Legolas. And yet, he respected her feelings for the Prince and so merely bound himself to her out the duty to her father. He could never have denied the wise elf of his final wish. To see his daughter protected and happy.
After what seemed an age, she shifted from her position and gently placed her head upon Haldir's sturdy shoulder. "Your behaviour towards me is gentle Haldir, yet you show others a cold countenance bordering on arrogance. Why is that?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
He almost chuckled. For the many years they had been bound, she had never taken an interest in his business or behaviour. "Well melamin, I am cold because I do not have the patience to trust others."
She raised her head slightly, "And yet you have the patience to trust me?" Her strangely coloured violet eyes flashed in the pale moonlight.
He adored her eyes. They were his only weakness. Haldir simply allowed a small smile to cross his face before he gave a slight nod.
"Wise elf," Namiir teased, her spirit lifted already. No matter what issues they had between them, Haldir always managed to make her feel better in the end.
She closed felt a feathered kiss linger upon her cheek. It was at times like this when she wondered whom she loved more, Haldir or Legolas.
"You will go to him melamin," he whispered into her ear, "And you will be happy."
She frowned and pulled away from the warmth of his body, "What?"
Haldir looked away, his eyes filled with pain. "I will unbind myself from you, Namiir. You will be free to choose how you will spend your life with Legolas."
Namiir shook her head, her loose hair rustling in the soft breeze, "But why, Haldir?"
"I made a vow to your father and to myself for your happiness and I will see it done. No matter what the cost." His voice had grown stern once more as he refused to look into her strangely coloured violet eyes.
The she-elf could feel a dull pain in her heart at the words, but the idea of being free was also appealing. "Forgive me, mellonamin."
He looked at her in heartache. "Forgive, melamin? What is there to forgive?"
She raised her hand and gently placed it upon his cheek, "Forgive me for not loving you in the way you deserve to be loved…" Somehow, the words she had spoken contradicted the slight twinge in her heart. "I am sorry to have caused you such pain these past years."
Although he felt disappointed at her words, he knew that this was her choice and for that alone, he would not interfere. "Do not apologise melamin, you have no control over your heart." He leaned closely for a chaste kiss upon her cheek.
Namiir felt her heart go out to her husband… Her former husband. Could such bonds be broken so easily? Surely it would be looked down upon…
A slight rustle of leaves in the distance caught his attention. He knew who approached and so the elven soldier swiftly rose to his feet. "I unbind you from myself, lirimaer. You were not happy with me, but join the one you love and be happy with him." Before she could say anything, he was gone.
Namiir froze, staring once more at the lake. So much had transpired in one night, her head was swimming. Haldir… He had told her to join the one she loved. But with whom did her love reside?
~*~
Night had fallen upon the ethereal forest of Lothlórien, but Legolas could find not sleep. Instead, he wandered down the soiled path, following the small trail of the shimmering river that flowed over the browning rocks.
Seeing his former lover had brought nothing but unanswered questions to his mind. How could he have let her go? Why had they parted on such grievous terms? And now, why was she behaving as though he were a distant friend?
The questions were driving him past insanity into the depths of solitude. He had never been one to express emotions. Stoicism was his strong point, and if he were honest, it prevented him the heartache he felt now at the thought of Namiir.
He looked up through the billowing branches of the tree, gazing quietly at the dazzling stars before him. They seemed so far away… He sighed, wondering where Namiir could be. He assumed she was sleeping, but that was not so as he approached the clearing that led to the lake.
There she sat beside the inky depths of the lake, bathed in pale moonlight. She had changed her clothes and now wore a simple white laced gown that accentuated her curves and contrasted with her raven locks. This was the she-elf he had known before, not the warrior she proclaimed to be during the day.
He wanted to turn around and leave, but he felt his body being drawn nearer to hers like an arrow spiralling towards its target. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat, announcing his presence as he approached.
Namiir looked up from the shining lake, only to find herself staring up into deep blue eyes. She wrapped her arms consciously around her body, allowing her a shy smile to cross her face. It was rather ironic that the person, whom she had been thinking about, now stood before her. All countenance of her prior arrogance had been lost as he looked down into her eyes.
Legolas did not know what to make of her shy smile, but he forced himself to smile in return.
"Forgive me Legolas," she whispered solemnly, gazing out at the lake once more. It seemed that the eve was full of her pleas for forgiveness. First it was Haldir and now Legolas.
"To what do I owe this forgiveness, Namiir?" He asked lightly before settling down upon the grassy bank beside her in the same manner that Haldir had.
She almost chuckled, "As ever, you try the mask the severity of the conversation."
"As do you," he replied in a monotonous voice.
Namiir sighed. He was certainly in no mood for light banter. If truth be told, neither was she.
It was time to speak of the events that had transpired between the two many years ago.
~*~
AN: A lot of Haldir I know, but more Legolas/Namiir to come soon. If you want to know what happened between the two in the past and how they got together, stay tuned for the next chapter! Please leave a review and let me know if you wish this story to continue, or if you think it is a waste of time.
Too Mary Sue? Let me know!