Chapter 22
Lilluil wrung her hands nervously beneath the cover of her cloak. No need for them to see that she was nervous, a gentle elven maiden that needed sheltering. However she was, and while maintaining a look of calm agreement she wrung her hands out of their sight.
They were sitting in her and Tanielle's room, or rather Tanielle was sitting. She was leaning against the tree half under the covers, still a little weak from the poison. The two elven men were leaning against a slim railing that she had mentally wished would collapse several times, Legolas was calm and thoughtful currently, his mental capabilities undistracted from her sudden appearance. Iiten looked uncomfortable, to her and Tanielle's amusement.
The battle still progressed below them, Legolas had confirmed that they were winning "how could you ever doubt us?" and they were continuing to wear down the numbers of the orc group.
"So is your name really Lilluil?" Tanielle asked. "I won't be offended if it isn't but I'd like to know what your real name is."
She smiled at her friend, sometimes Tanielle rarely surprised her. "Yes, it is. It was simply that people would get awfully suspicious if I didn't respond to it."
Tanielle smirked. "More like you couldn't think of one. A entire credible story but you couldn't come up with a name." She started laughing, a sharp contrast to the whiz of arrows stories beneath them. Lilluil fidgeted sharply and hid her glare beneath her hair.
"Lilluil." Legolas murmured. She glanced up to see what he wanted but he was staring in thought at the tree a ways above her head. I hope he doesn't daydream while fighting.or other activities. She ducked her head as she felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. It subsided instantly at Legolas's next comment though.
"I want to take her to see Father." He announced. She fought the urge to fidget again. His father?
"What about your." She went silent at Iiten's hurried shushing movement. She waited patiently for him to explain but Legolas had heard.
"My mother died.a long time ago." He told her softly.
Guilt rocked her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up." She really didn't want him to feel bad. She wasn't sure she wanted his love yet. but she didn't want to kill him from sorrow before she ever got the chance to decide on it. He had held her for hours.she had felt so bad when Tanielle had come back with Iiten and announced the need for a talk. "An intelligent talk, with real thought which means we should all have our personal space to think in."
"It's not your fault. I wish to know about your mother as well." But not my father anymore. She smiled understandingly. He would like her mother, and perhaps if her older sister liked him she could actually make this work. .if! She decided to make this work.
"Well, I want to know if she can do all those cool spells!"
Tanielle reached across to pinch him sharply. "Iiten! Shush! Lilluil, you don't need to tell us if you don't want to."
The spells? She shrugged. "I know that you can do all of yours. It's not necessary for you to know, southern spells.aren't commonly used."
Iiten frowned. "How do you know that we can do our spells? It's not normally talked about."
Did they think she was blind, and amnesiac? "Well, your sight and hearing are much better than mine. The hunters arrived hours before one of you came up for food or anything. And the first was used on me."
Tanielle gave Legolas a disapproving look. "I think I can understand her point of view now."
He met her gaze evenly. "I used it for safety. At the time she was still completely in favor of southern views, I couldn't have her suiciding while I was traveling the trees."
Iiten gave him a stern look now. "Why did you bring her up anyway, it was safe where we were and southern elves almost never get off the ground."
Lilluil rolled her eyes. "Northie rumors. That's not true.exactly."
Tanielle winced. "Could you not call us northies?"
"Sorry."
"What about the fifth spell, or sense as we tend to think of it."
She smiled slyly. "Tanielle was in an awful good mood yesterday." The smile grew. "An AWFULLY good mood."
To her incredible amusement both Tanielle and Iiten found something on the ground intensely interesting. Whatever it was, was turning them lush shades of red. She glanced to Legolas to see if he was similarly amused but found him somber. I made him feel bad again. She snapped her mouth shut.
That's right, there wasn't any question about it in the north. It was perfectly acceptable to know exactly who you would love. So there was never any reason not to hug and probably kiss too. She felt like apologizing again, but it wouldn't do any good. Actions spoke louder than words.
"Okay, let's go see your father." The mood immediately perked up again.
"Mm, he'll be able to help with the diplomatic area. Perhaps we'll be able to turn this into an alliance of sorts. I'm sure your father would approve of that."
"Yes, I think that would persuade him well. But." Her hand fingering the hilt of her sword realized what it was doing. She stared down at her greatest accomplishment and realized it might be her greatest error as well. "But not the King."
Lilluil wrung her hands nervously beneath the cover of her cloak. No need for them to see that she was nervous, a gentle elven maiden that needed sheltering. However she was, and while maintaining a look of calm agreement she wrung her hands out of their sight.
They were sitting in her and Tanielle's room, or rather Tanielle was sitting. She was leaning against the tree half under the covers, still a little weak from the poison. The two elven men were leaning against a slim railing that she had mentally wished would collapse several times, Legolas was calm and thoughtful currently, his mental capabilities undistracted from her sudden appearance. Iiten looked uncomfortable, to her and Tanielle's amusement.
The battle still progressed below them, Legolas had confirmed that they were winning "how could you ever doubt us?" and they were continuing to wear down the numbers of the orc group.
"So is your name really Lilluil?" Tanielle asked. "I won't be offended if it isn't but I'd like to know what your real name is."
She smiled at her friend, sometimes Tanielle rarely surprised her. "Yes, it is. It was simply that people would get awfully suspicious if I didn't respond to it."
Tanielle smirked. "More like you couldn't think of one. A entire credible story but you couldn't come up with a name." She started laughing, a sharp contrast to the whiz of arrows stories beneath them. Lilluil fidgeted sharply and hid her glare beneath her hair.
"Lilluil." Legolas murmured. She glanced up to see what he wanted but he was staring in thought at the tree a ways above her head. I hope he doesn't daydream while fighting.or other activities. She ducked her head as she felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. It subsided instantly at Legolas's next comment though.
"I want to take her to see Father." He announced. She fought the urge to fidget again. His father?
"What about your." She went silent at Iiten's hurried shushing movement. She waited patiently for him to explain but Legolas had heard.
"My mother died.a long time ago." He told her softly.
Guilt rocked her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up." She really didn't want him to feel bad. She wasn't sure she wanted his love yet. but she didn't want to kill him from sorrow before she ever got the chance to decide on it. He had held her for hours.she had felt so bad when Tanielle had come back with Iiten and announced the need for a talk. "An intelligent talk, with real thought which means we should all have our personal space to think in."
"It's not your fault. I wish to know about your mother as well." But not my father anymore. She smiled understandingly. He would like her mother, and perhaps if her older sister liked him she could actually make this work. .if! She decided to make this work.
"Well, I want to know if she can do all those cool spells!"
Tanielle reached across to pinch him sharply. "Iiten! Shush! Lilluil, you don't need to tell us if you don't want to."
The spells? She shrugged. "I know that you can do all of yours. It's not necessary for you to know, southern spells.aren't commonly used."
Iiten frowned. "How do you know that we can do our spells? It's not normally talked about."
Did they think she was blind, and amnesiac? "Well, your sight and hearing are much better than mine. The hunters arrived hours before one of you came up for food or anything. And the first was used on me."
Tanielle gave Legolas a disapproving look. "I think I can understand her point of view now."
He met her gaze evenly. "I used it for safety. At the time she was still completely in favor of southern views, I couldn't have her suiciding while I was traveling the trees."
Iiten gave him a stern look now. "Why did you bring her up anyway, it was safe where we were and southern elves almost never get off the ground."
Lilluil rolled her eyes. "Northie rumors. That's not true.exactly."
Tanielle winced. "Could you not call us northies?"
"Sorry."
"What about the fifth spell, or sense as we tend to think of it."
She smiled slyly. "Tanielle was in an awful good mood yesterday." The smile grew. "An AWFULLY good mood."
To her incredible amusement both Tanielle and Iiten found something on the ground intensely interesting. Whatever it was, was turning them lush shades of red. She glanced to Legolas to see if he was similarly amused but found him somber. I made him feel bad again. She snapped her mouth shut.
That's right, there wasn't any question about it in the north. It was perfectly acceptable to know exactly who you would love. So there was never any reason not to hug and probably kiss too. She felt like apologizing again, but it wouldn't do any good. Actions spoke louder than words.
"Okay, let's go see your father." The mood immediately perked up again.
"Mm, he'll be able to help with the diplomatic area. Perhaps we'll be able to turn this into an alliance of sorts. I'm sure your father would approve of that."
"Yes, I think that would persuade him well. But." Her hand fingering the hilt of her sword realized what it was doing. She stared down at her greatest accomplishment and realized it might be her greatest error as well. "But not the King."