( If I only had a brain.. If I only had a heart, if I only could own Lord of the Rings.. )
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All in the Past~**~**~*~**~**~
Chapter 2 – The Distance Between
-;-
"Arwen! Where are you?"
"You should probably go now, Arwen," Legolas said.
"Aww, not yet," Arwen replied.
"But, if you don't go back, we'll get in trouble," Legolas countered.
"Arwen!!!"
Very reluctantly, Arwen turned her horse around and galloped back toward the palace. Her father always had to call her over to do something when she was having fun. When she was bored, he'd tell her to go find something to do and she'd end up thinking and thinking, but never did anything.
-;-
Sometimes, Legolas found it annoying that whenever he had found some free time with Arwen, her father would call her away to do run an errand or something.
Legolas began a slow trot back to the palace, to wait for Arwen.
-;-
"Yes, father?"
"Arwen, where have you been all this time? Never mind that, Haldir is here to see you. He's waiting in the library."
"Oh, I guess I'll be going then."
Arwen was quite frustrated that her time with Legolas had to be interrupted by Haldir. Recently, Haldir had been trying to court Arwen. 'Highly unlikely,' Arwen thought to herself.
-;-
It turned out that Arwen lasted a bit longer than usual. Maybe it was because it'd be time for dinner soon and she wouldn't have to listen to him much longer.
"Lady Arwen, your father requests that you go down to the dining hall now."
'Yes, escape!' Arwen thought.
Arwen felt as if she were a little child, always looking to play and have fun. She realized that, no matter how many years have passed, she still had a childish side. Smiling inwardly, she rushed to the dining hall to have her dinner.
-;-
It turned out that Haldir would stay for dinner and then go back to Lothlorien.
Arwen sat between Legolas and Haldir. She found it a bit difficult to talk to Legolas with Haldir observing her. Luckily, Arwen and Legolas had come up with a simple code to communicate between each other. They were great friends and whenever Legolas was in Rivendell, they were commonly seen talking, laughing, and having fun together.
"Arwen, how have you been doing with your studies?" Legolas asked. In other words, "Do you have free time tonight?"
"Well, I've been working on stuff almost all morning and I'm just about done for the day," Arwen responded. In other words, "I'm free for the rest of the night."
Legolas said, "That's good. Have you improved in your studies?" In other words, "Would you like to go riding tonight? Maybe you can beat me."
"Yes, I've been improving at a good rate," Arwen replied. In other words, "I'll take you on!"
Other small bit of conversation was just some table talk about recent events and such.
They always finished eating early on. Both of them were only trying to pass some time so that they'd be the only ones left at the dinner table. Then, they would dart out of the room, through the green gardens, and head for the stables or whatever.
-;-
In this case, they sped through the gardens and found their way to their own horses. The horses were already saddled up and ready to go since they were interrupted before. This time, being that it was in the evening and Lord Elrond usually spent his time reading in the library, they'd be able to race each other undisturbed.
Arwen loved the feel of the wind rushing against her face and the speed and excitement of it all.
Legolas loved to watch the scenery speed by in blurs of blue, green, and brown.
They always had fun racing through the obstacle course of a forest that led out into the plains and hillside. They would always race each other and end up riding slowly, in dancing circles, across the endless plains.
Without a moment's hesitation, they bolted into the depths of the forest; jumping a log here, swerving through the trees over there.
Arwen had tried a different route in the forest than last time, hoping that she would beat Legolas. Of course, Legolas still beat her, as usual, and was waiting for her, his horse trotting in everlasting, perfect circles across the plains.
Arwen loved the close bond that she shared with Legolas. They knew each other ever since they were little elves – causing mischief, passing each other notes in class. Arwen could only stifle her giggles that wished to burst out. She was still young, for an elf at least, and she loved thinking back to those good times.
Legolas felt that Arwen was a lost part of his soul. They shared the same interests, they had a thing for fun and games, and they loved hanging out together.
It was a routine for Legolas to visit Rivendell on a regular basis. At the dawn of Midsummer's Eve, he'd be there and Arwen would always have her arms ready to hug him. Occasionally, Arwen would go visit Legolas but only for two weeks or so.
-;-
'I wonder what those two are up to. They always wander off after dinner and I usually don't find them in their beds in the morning…At least they're always back in time for breakfast.'
Lord Elrond didn't bother to worry about the whereabouts of Arwen and Legolas. They took care of themselves, helped out whenever they had to, and always work hard in their studies. It always brought a smile to his face when he saw the two together.
-;-
Meanwhile, Arwen and Legolas lay upon the grass, staring at the cloudless, starry sky. They loved chatting with each other but they also liked to listen to the activities of the animals at night. Crickets chirping, the gentle stirring of fish in the creek, and the sparkles of fireflies during the night were all things that they took notice of. After a few moments, they'd start thinking back to the memories that they shared.
It'd start with a 'Remember when we...' and it'd end with an 'I'll remember it for the rest of my life'.
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Legolas was now in the Fellowship of the Ring and he was thinking of thoughts of Arwen. He missed her so much. IN the past years, they grew farther apart. They tried to keep in touch by writing letters to make up for all the summers lost. It turned out that it was too hard to keep up with each other, especially with the recent events.
All he could think about was those distant memories. In those memories, he could recall Arwen always being there for him. When they were little, they were inseparable. As the years passed, they learned to live a year or two without seeing each other. Soon enough though, they both felt lonely and made it a daily routine for Legolas to go to Rivendell every Midsummer's Eve. They were the best of friends, perfect lovers, and they would have been wonderful parents. The only thing was, with parents arranging marriages that were unknown to them, they couldn't continue being lovers.
And as Legolas's life unfolded, he realized, nothing would ever be simple.
-;-
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I tried my best to get the chapter done before October, but school's been very busy and I had to find time during a day off to finish writing the chapter. It's tough.
In the next chapter, there will be the memories of when Arwen and Legolas were little. I mean when they were about 10 years old, when they first met each other.
I really hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. I'd like to take a moment for thanking all of my reviewers so far. You all gave me the energy to go on and continue the story. You see, I had told my idea to my younger sister, whom I consider a good author, but it turns out that she didn't really like the idea. I thank all of you for supporting me.
Reviews fuel me. They keep that fire going. Hopefully, I can write the next chapter and have it up before Halloween. I just have a feeling that it'll be quite long and I know you'll enjoy it.
Thank you all!
~ Liangsui