Disclaimer: If I owned the Lord of the Rings and had Orlando Bloom,
my life would be perpetual happpiness... But that'll never happen. Next
time I'll try crying and see if they pity me. I just might get an action
figure...
Random Tolkienized Shakespearean quote: 'It is the east! and Legolas the sun!'
Wow... I got no flames this time either! Yippee! Sorry for the wait in updating. My stupid computer wouldn't let me access any sites that even had links to ff.net, not to mention ff.net itself! I beat it up. Now it's working, albeit unwillingly. (darned computer! quit doing stupid stuff like that!)
In reponse to reviews:
MoroTheWolfGod: No kidding? I love Princess Mononoke! And the name takes on a new light when I look at it that way... Thanx for the enthusiastic compliment :)
moonlightgoddess: I feel so loved, too, because of you wonderful peoples!!! And thank you for the 'poetic' comment :) Made me happy. Yeah, I do write fast, but this chapter was giving me trouble. And my computer has been being a total brat.
val: :) K I will. You flatter me. Do keep it up! :)
Jagwen: I'm writing. :)
Alexis: Hey, if you offer something with Leggy darling on top, how could I possibly refuse? Don't worry, no one can stop me from writing, not writer's block, not even a flamer. And of course Aragorn will show he loves Legolas! ... just not quite yet. He's shy. Well, not exactly shy, but... Don't worry, I already have it planned how he's going to convince our little introverted elf. :)
Anthem: :) Why thank you! Congrats on being brave and reviewing.
Now, off I go, to do battle against the swords with my pen! For the pen is indeed mightier than the sword...
Chapter Four: Dormant Rose
Legolas woke from his dreams, gazing up into the predawn light. He sighed slowly, keen elven senses allowing him to see everything as though it were the brightest part of the day, when the sun reached its zenith. The grass felt cool and slippery underneath his head, and a gentle wind from the west played with his hair.
//No use putting it off,// he decided, albeit unwillingly. //I might as well get up.//
He straightened up slowly, taking time to stretch out the tension in his chest and and arm muscles. Then, leaping gracefully down to the mouth of the cave, he set inside to wake Aragorn. To his faint surprise, the Man was already awake.
"Morning, Ghost," he said thoughtfully.
"Good morning, Aragorn," Legolas said, shyly smiling at the back of Aragorn's head. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, nothing," Aragorn said distractedly. Legolas decided delicately not to intrude. He didn't want to seem nosy.
//Though that's the least of my heartaches// he thought sadly. He sat down on a jutting stone and let his mind wander. But he kept on thinking of Aragorn, no matter how hard he tried. He rebuked himself fiercely. //Aragorn does not belong with a deformed elf, he belongs with his people.//
//I've been shunned for so, so long// he brooded. //Aragorn's probably the first person I've met who hasn't screamed at the sight of my face. Though I know he has to be disgusted- who wouldn't be? I'm repugnant- at least he didn't faint. I can't hope he's attracted to me, though. I am so, so appalling I cannot stand to even look at my own face. I'm just glad he didn't wail in terror.//
//Which is more than I can say for some of my former friends. I think it's time I went over those memories. Maybe then I'll be able to convince myself Aragorn will never love me. Maybe then I'll get over it.//
//Let me see// he thought bitterly, //the first people I met after my torment were the elves I had been traveling with. They ran from me in disgust, fear, and hatred. They didn't know me. I was covered in black and red blood, head to toe, and my face was still a gaping wound. They took me for an orc. One of them went to far as to shoot at me. It hit my arm.// Legolas unconsciously traced the scar with his fingers, shivering.
//My magic was raw and untrained. I could not heal myself. After I had cleansed myself in the waters of the lake, I began walking home. I met a group of traveling men on the second day- after two days without food and water! They drove me off the road with jeers... and stones. By then, the scar tissue had formed, and no healer could have saved me.// Legolas suppressed a sob of humiliation and grief, and forced himself to remember what had happened after that.
//When at last I reached Mirkwood, no one believed I was really Legolas, their Golden Star. They called me cold and cruel. I remember Namrie, the elf who first laid eyes upon me. She fainted, screaming. My father... my beloved father... was torn with grief over my 'death'. He looked at me- yes, Legolas, relive the memory- He looked at you and did not recognize you. He disdainfully ordered you thrown out of the city, but by then you would gladly have run from that place. That night, before they caught you, you ran.// Legolas let three tears slip from his eyes. //And I never went back. I have not gone back for the past two thousand years.// Legolas brushed the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, sighing. //How would Aragorn ever love me? I am a shame to Mirkwood.//
Aragorn had broken out of his train of thought already, and was gazing at Legolas. Legolas's stomach, slowly and quietly, tied itself into a double-knotted bow. //I wonder if he realizes the effect his long gazes have on my stomach? I am not entirely certain that unrequited love is having a positive effect on my health...//
"Anything on your mind?" he repeated, faintly annoyed that his innards were misbehaving once more. Aragorn shook his head again, sending his small braids flying out to the sides. Legolas smiled. "You look amusing when you do that," he said in dulcet tones. Aragorn smiled grimly back.
"Now I know why you keep me here." Legolas chuckled, then frowned, wrinkling his nose delicately.
"You realize you haven't bathed since you came, nearly six days ago. Unwashed man is not one of my favorite aromas, and I think that the amusement loses its appeal when combined with the smell." He paused. "You're going to have a bath, you know. And it had better be soon." Aragorn stared at him, incredulous.
"Wha-?" he said knowledgeably. Legolas nodded. "But I don't usually- " Legolas glared at him menacingly.
"Bear in mind that I am in better physical condition than you, and am quite capable of knocking you unconscious." Aragorn shut his mouth. Legolas was all smiles once more, and he set about with his daily rituals (brushing his hair, cleaning under his nails, etc.) with what seemed to Aragorn as an unnecessarily cheerful attitude. Once he had finished, he knelt down by Aragorn's bedside with a thoughtful frown on his face.
"Can you swim?" he asked urgently. Aragorn nodded. "Good. Your ankle is nearly well again, and swimming shouldn't be too hard for you." He paused in thought, and then dug out a wooden box of a slightly pink powder. Aragorn took the box, opened it, and stirred the contents with his finger. He looked back up at Legolas, an expression of disbelief on his face. Aragorn sniffed at it delicately, then smiled dryly.
"SCENTED soap?" Legolas nodded.
"I chose rose and chrysanthemum. It's the most commonly found around here." Aragorn sighed.
"You have far too much time on your hands, you know." Legolas grinned.
"I know."
"So, we go out to the brook?"
"No, you're too sweaty and dusty for just that. The brook empties into a lake, so we're going there. You're having a full-body wash." Aragorn sat there in shock, hands shaking slightly. Legolas waved a hand in front of his eyes when he did nothing but sit there for several minutes.
"Aragorn?"
Several minutes later, when Aragorn had been calmed and Legolas assured him that he would not be watching while Aragorn stripped himself of his clothing, the two headed out to the lake. Aragorn merely needed a staff to help him limp along, and Legolas watched his progress with a sinking heart. //He'll be leaving soon,// Legolas thought sadly. //I wish I could have been with him just a little longer... //
Aragorn, while Legolas was thinking, had hobbled on ahead. He looked back over his shoulder teasingly. "So much for the speed and grace of the elves!" he called back. Legolas gave a mock scowl, and began to run after him. Aragorn cackled, and began to hobble faster.
It ended when Legolas tripped over Aragorn's protruding staff and landed, quite unceremoniously, inches away from the lake. He winced as he sat up. "Ow." He glared at Aragorn, who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud. "You cheated." Aragorn gave a wry grin.
"Pity I still would have won, o vain elf." He dropped the staff, and shooed Legolas away. "Now get thee gone! Remember your promise! Much as I would like to have you with me, you elves are not as shameless as humans." Legolas blushed furiously.
"Aragorn!" he snapped. "Don't joke around like that!"
Aragorn gave him a cheerful smile and began to unbutton his shirt. "If you want to avoid turning that lovely shade of scarlet once more, I do suggest you get going, Ghost." Legolas stalked off, still burning with embarassment.
//How dare he toy with me like that?!// he brooded, sulking in a corner of his cave. //I know he's going to go back. Has he no respect for my feelings at all?//
//But... maybe he wasn't joking? What if he doesn't dislike me?//
The thought was as frightening as it was relieving. Legolas shook all over. //I don't have the slightest idea what to do,// he realized. //My body has forgotten how to react to another's. I can't even remember what it felt like to be loved by someone else. I have no control over this aspect of my emotions at all.// He shuddered, eyes wide with fear. //I don't even know if what I feel is truly love, or something else. What can I do? What can I do?!//
Legolas took several deep, calming breaths. He let it soothe him, its rhythm calming his heart until it no longer pounded like a startled bird's. He exhaled gustily. //I can not. If Aragorn starts to like me back and stays, there will be rampant chaos in Gondor. A king does not simply disappear without someone noticing!//
//Besides, he probably has dozens of suitors in his kingdom. This is merely something that will pass for him if I do not encourage it. Right now I am the only one around, and that is the only reason he is showing me affection.// Legolas sighed again, feeling wretched. //It's probably the best for the both of us if I do not respond at all to him. I have to hurt him. I have to make him lose interest in me for his own good.// He gave a strangled sob and began to cry again.
//Even if it kills me.//
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn waited until Ghost was out of sight, and began cursing in every toungue he knew. Which, considering his highly educated upbringing, was quite extensive and informative to listen to. Finally he managed to regain a shred of calm and took his aggravations out on an unsuspecting blueberry bush. //God, why did I do that?// he asked the sky above him, hands lifted to the heavans. A bird gazed at him, wondering what he was doing. Strange creatures, these humans... The bird opted to fly away before the crazy man decided to vent his anger on him.
//I am an IDIOT.// He sighed and sat down, wishing he was anywhere else in the world but here. //Damn it, I KNEW he was shy, I KNEW he didn't like being approached, but I did it anyway. And now he's stalked off, he's probably furious with me, and when I go back he's probably going to hash me out.// He shut his eyes, but the incredible weight of his stupidity did not let up. Aragorn blinked. Then he noticed the box of scented soap, and moaned.
//And he'll kill me if I come back without cleaning myself.// Resigned to smelling like flowers for the rest of the day, he began to undress and take out the braids Ghost had put in his hair. //Let's just hope he doesn't kill me anyway for acting like that to him.//
A few hours later, Aragorn shuffled slowly back to the cave, having put the hairbands into the now-empty box and put the box into his tunic. Ghost was sitting disconsolately by a small fire. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um. Ghost?" he asked quietly. Ghost did not respond.
"Ghost?" Ghost turned his head up towards Aragorn's face, gazing at a point somewhere beyond the Man's head.
"Yes?" he said coldly, normally bright blue eyes a stormy grey. Aragorn shivered.
"I didn't- I don't- Well, I'm... sorry," he mumbled, eyes to the ground. Ghost raised a brow.
"You should be."
"Uh... Can I make it up to you at all?" he asked desperately. Ghost sniffed.
"You can leave me alone. You can take back what you said. You can go away and never come back. You can curl up in a ball and sob. You can even punch me like there's no tomorrow. Really, what you do next is up to you." He paused, and gave him a frosty smile. "Seeing as I clearly don't matter to you, however, staying here any longer than absolutely necessary seems to be out of the question." Aragorn sat by the fireside, dumbstruck into utter silence as Ghost finished what was clearly a rejection.
"I said I was sorry," he whispered, fighting the urge to throttle something. Ghost stood up, but didn't come over to him. Instead, he stood there, just out of reach.
"You know, it's the strangest thing..." he remarked casually into the night air. Aragorn raised his head and looked at him.
"What?" he asked warily, forcing himself not to do as Ghost had suggested and pound him like there was no tomorrow. He wanten to wipe that cold sneer off that face so badly it made him itch...
"You've said that two thousand years too late." Ghost did not give him a backward glance as he strode out of the clearing, head held proudly. Aragorn didn't really feel anything. Just numb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas struggled to keep his emotions in control as he stalked out of the clearing. He waited until he was out of earshot, then began to shake at what he had done. He had been cruel and distant to Aragorn. He had deliberately hurt the man, and rejected his apology to his face. Legolas felt dirty and unclean at what he had just done.
He began to retch, anxiety and a hundred other emotions toruring him until he could not stand the torment. Tears began to spill once more, and he collapsed on the welcoming forest floor.
//If this is what love feels like I think I'd rather be dead.// He began to stop vomiting, and instead clutched at the moss, digging his fingers into it. //I would really rather be dead than hurt him like this. Why? Why did he have to be born a King?//
Stil shaking with raw emotion, Legolas cried himself to sleep. Above him, the moon shone brightly as it waned. Soft light embraced the sleeping elf, and gave him the relief he searched for. He slept a night without dreams, unhurt and unfettered. Free from pain and guilt. Free from anger and accusation, free from memories, free from hatred.
Free from love.
*****tbc*****
A/n: (yawns) I'm so tired... spent all last night and the first few hours of this morning reading my new books. But I typed this anyway. I have nothing else to do, after all! :) I'm gonna sleep now, though. G'night to y'all, and gentle breezes!
Nightbird*Songbird
Random Tolkienized Shakespearean quote: 'It is the east! and Legolas the sun!'
Wow... I got no flames this time either! Yippee! Sorry for the wait in updating. My stupid computer wouldn't let me access any sites that even had links to ff.net, not to mention ff.net itself! I beat it up. Now it's working, albeit unwillingly. (darned computer! quit doing stupid stuff like that!)
In reponse to reviews:
MoroTheWolfGod: No kidding? I love Princess Mononoke! And the name takes on a new light when I look at it that way... Thanx for the enthusiastic compliment :)
moonlightgoddess: I feel so loved, too, because of you wonderful peoples!!! And thank you for the 'poetic' comment :) Made me happy. Yeah, I do write fast, but this chapter was giving me trouble. And my computer has been being a total brat.
val: :) K I will. You flatter me. Do keep it up! :)
Jagwen: I'm writing. :)
Alexis: Hey, if you offer something with Leggy darling on top, how could I possibly refuse? Don't worry, no one can stop me from writing, not writer's block, not even a flamer. And of course Aragorn will show he loves Legolas! ... just not quite yet. He's shy. Well, not exactly shy, but... Don't worry, I already have it planned how he's going to convince our little introverted elf. :)
Anthem: :) Why thank you! Congrats on being brave and reviewing.
Now, off I go, to do battle against the swords with my pen! For the pen is indeed mightier than the sword...
Chapter Four: Dormant Rose
Legolas woke from his dreams, gazing up into the predawn light. He sighed slowly, keen elven senses allowing him to see everything as though it were the brightest part of the day, when the sun reached its zenith. The grass felt cool and slippery underneath his head, and a gentle wind from the west played with his hair.
//No use putting it off,// he decided, albeit unwillingly. //I might as well get up.//
He straightened up slowly, taking time to stretch out the tension in his chest and and arm muscles. Then, leaping gracefully down to the mouth of the cave, he set inside to wake Aragorn. To his faint surprise, the Man was already awake.
"Morning, Ghost," he said thoughtfully.
"Good morning, Aragorn," Legolas said, shyly smiling at the back of Aragorn's head. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, nothing," Aragorn said distractedly. Legolas decided delicately not to intrude. He didn't want to seem nosy.
//Though that's the least of my heartaches// he thought sadly. He sat down on a jutting stone and let his mind wander. But he kept on thinking of Aragorn, no matter how hard he tried. He rebuked himself fiercely. //Aragorn does not belong with a deformed elf, he belongs with his people.//
//I've been shunned for so, so long// he brooded. //Aragorn's probably the first person I've met who hasn't screamed at the sight of my face. Though I know he has to be disgusted- who wouldn't be? I'm repugnant- at least he didn't faint. I can't hope he's attracted to me, though. I am so, so appalling I cannot stand to even look at my own face. I'm just glad he didn't wail in terror.//
//Which is more than I can say for some of my former friends. I think it's time I went over those memories. Maybe then I'll be able to convince myself Aragorn will never love me. Maybe then I'll get over it.//
//Let me see// he thought bitterly, //the first people I met after my torment were the elves I had been traveling with. They ran from me in disgust, fear, and hatred. They didn't know me. I was covered in black and red blood, head to toe, and my face was still a gaping wound. They took me for an orc. One of them went to far as to shoot at me. It hit my arm.// Legolas unconsciously traced the scar with his fingers, shivering.
//My magic was raw and untrained. I could not heal myself. After I had cleansed myself in the waters of the lake, I began walking home. I met a group of traveling men on the second day- after two days without food and water! They drove me off the road with jeers... and stones. By then, the scar tissue had formed, and no healer could have saved me.// Legolas suppressed a sob of humiliation and grief, and forced himself to remember what had happened after that.
//When at last I reached Mirkwood, no one believed I was really Legolas, their Golden Star. They called me cold and cruel. I remember Namrie, the elf who first laid eyes upon me. She fainted, screaming. My father... my beloved father... was torn with grief over my 'death'. He looked at me- yes, Legolas, relive the memory- He looked at you and did not recognize you. He disdainfully ordered you thrown out of the city, but by then you would gladly have run from that place. That night, before they caught you, you ran.// Legolas let three tears slip from his eyes. //And I never went back. I have not gone back for the past two thousand years.// Legolas brushed the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, sighing. //How would Aragorn ever love me? I am a shame to Mirkwood.//
Aragorn had broken out of his train of thought already, and was gazing at Legolas. Legolas's stomach, slowly and quietly, tied itself into a double-knotted bow. //I wonder if he realizes the effect his long gazes have on my stomach? I am not entirely certain that unrequited love is having a positive effect on my health...//
"Anything on your mind?" he repeated, faintly annoyed that his innards were misbehaving once more. Aragorn shook his head again, sending his small braids flying out to the sides. Legolas smiled. "You look amusing when you do that," he said in dulcet tones. Aragorn smiled grimly back.
"Now I know why you keep me here." Legolas chuckled, then frowned, wrinkling his nose delicately.
"You realize you haven't bathed since you came, nearly six days ago. Unwashed man is not one of my favorite aromas, and I think that the amusement loses its appeal when combined with the smell." He paused. "You're going to have a bath, you know. And it had better be soon." Aragorn stared at him, incredulous.
"Wha-?" he said knowledgeably. Legolas nodded. "But I don't usually- " Legolas glared at him menacingly.
"Bear in mind that I am in better physical condition than you, and am quite capable of knocking you unconscious." Aragorn shut his mouth. Legolas was all smiles once more, and he set about with his daily rituals (brushing his hair, cleaning under his nails, etc.) with what seemed to Aragorn as an unnecessarily cheerful attitude. Once he had finished, he knelt down by Aragorn's bedside with a thoughtful frown on his face.
"Can you swim?" he asked urgently. Aragorn nodded. "Good. Your ankle is nearly well again, and swimming shouldn't be too hard for you." He paused in thought, and then dug out a wooden box of a slightly pink powder. Aragorn took the box, opened it, and stirred the contents with his finger. He looked back up at Legolas, an expression of disbelief on his face. Aragorn sniffed at it delicately, then smiled dryly.
"SCENTED soap?" Legolas nodded.
"I chose rose and chrysanthemum. It's the most commonly found around here." Aragorn sighed.
"You have far too much time on your hands, you know." Legolas grinned.
"I know."
"So, we go out to the brook?"
"No, you're too sweaty and dusty for just that. The brook empties into a lake, so we're going there. You're having a full-body wash." Aragorn sat there in shock, hands shaking slightly. Legolas waved a hand in front of his eyes when he did nothing but sit there for several minutes.
"Aragorn?"
Several minutes later, when Aragorn had been calmed and Legolas assured him that he would not be watching while Aragorn stripped himself of his clothing, the two headed out to the lake. Aragorn merely needed a staff to help him limp along, and Legolas watched his progress with a sinking heart. //He'll be leaving soon,// Legolas thought sadly. //I wish I could have been with him just a little longer... //
Aragorn, while Legolas was thinking, had hobbled on ahead. He looked back over his shoulder teasingly. "So much for the speed and grace of the elves!" he called back. Legolas gave a mock scowl, and began to run after him. Aragorn cackled, and began to hobble faster.
It ended when Legolas tripped over Aragorn's protruding staff and landed, quite unceremoniously, inches away from the lake. He winced as he sat up. "Ow." He glared at Aragorn, who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud. "You cheated." Aragorn gave a wry grin.
"Pity I still would have won, o vain elf." He dropped the staff, and shooed Legolas away. "Now get thee gone! Remember your promise! Much as I would like to have you with me, you elves are not as shameless as humans." Legolas blushed furiously.
"Aragorn!" he snapped. "Don't joke around like that!"
Aragorn gave him a cheerful smile and began to unbutton his shirt. "If you want to avoid turning that lovely shade of scarlet once more, I do suggest you get going, Ghost." Legolas stalked off, still burning with embarassment.
//How dare he toy with me like that?!// he brooded, sulking in a corner of his cave. //I know he's going to go back. Has he no respect for my feelings at all?//
//But... maybe he wasn't joking? What if he doesn't dislike me?//
The thought was as frightening as it was relieving. Legolas shook all over. //I don't have the slightest idea what to do,// he realized. //My body has forgotten how to react to another's. I can't even remember what it felt like to be loved by someone else. I have no control over this aspect of my emotions at all.// He shuddered, eyes wide with fear. //I don't even know if what I feel is truly love, or something else. What can I do? What can I do?!//
Legolas took several deep, calming breaths. He let it soothe him, its rhythm calming his heart until it no longer pounded like a startled bird's. He exhaled gustily. //I can not. If Aragorn starts to like me back and stays, there will be rampant chaos in Gondor. A king does not simply disappear without someone noticing!//
//Besides, he probably has dozens of suitors in his kingdom. This is merely something that will pass for him if I do not encourage it. Right now I am the only one around, and that is the only reason he is showing me affection.// Legolas sighed again, feeling wretched. //It's probably the best for the both of us if I do not respond at all to him. I have to hurt him. I have to make him lose interest in me for his own good.// He gave a strangled sob and began to cry again.
//Even if it kills me.//
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn waited until Ghost was out of sight, and began cursing in every toungue he knew. Which, considering his highly educated upbringing, was quite extensive and informative to listen to. Finally he managed to regain a shred of calm and took his aggravations out on an unsuspecting blueberry bush. //God, why did I do that?// he asked the sky above him, hands lifted to the heavans. A bird gazed at him, wondering what he was doing. Strange creatures, these humans... The bird opted to fly away before the crazy man decided to vent his anger on him.
//I am an IDIOT.// He sighed and sat down, wishing he was anywhere else in the world but here. //Damn it, I KNEW he was shy, I KNEW he didn't like being approached, but I did it anyway. And now he's stalked off, he's probably furious with me, and when I go back he's probably going to hash me out.// He shut his eyes, but the incredible weight of his stupidity did not let up. Aragorn blinked. Then he noticed the box of scented soap, and moaned.
//And he'll kill me if I come back without cleaning myself.// Resigned to smelling like flowers for the rest of the day, he began to undress and take out the braids Ghost had put in his hair. //Let's just hope he doesn't kill me anyway for acting like that to him.//
A few hours later, Aragorn shuffled slowly back to the cave, having put the hairbands into the now-empty box and put the box into his tunic. Ghost was sitting disconsolately by a small fire. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um. Ghost?" he asked quietly. Ghost did not respond.
"Ghost?" Ghost turned his head up towards Aragorn's face, gazing at a point somewhere beyond the Man's head.
"Yes?" he said coldly, normally bright blue eyes a stormy grey. Aragorn shivered.
"I didn't- I don't- Well, I'm... sorry," he mumbled, eyes to the ground. Ghost raised a brow.
"You should be."
"Uh... Can I make it up to you at all?" he asked desperately. Ghost sniffed.
"You can leave me alone. You can take back what you said. You can go away and never come back. You can curl up in a ball and sob. You can even punch me like there's no tomorrow. Really, what you do next is up to you." He paused, and gave him a frosty smile. "Seeing as I clearly don't matter to you, however, staying here any longer than absolutely necessary seems to be out of the question." Aragorn sat by the fireside, dumbstruck into utter silence as Ghost finished what was clearly a rejection.
"I said I was sorry," he whispered, fighting the urge to throttle something. Ghost stood up, but didn't come over to him. Instead, he stood there, just out of reach.
"You know, it's the strangest thing..." he remarked casually into the night air. Aragorn raised his head and looked at him.
"What?" he asked warily, forcing himself not to do as Ghost had suggested and pound him like there was no tomorrow. He wanten to wipe that cold sneer off that face so badly it made him itch...
"You've said that two thousand years too late." Ghost did not give him a backward glance as he strode out of the clearing, head held proudly. Aragorn didn't really feel anything. Just numb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas struggled to keep his emotions in control as he stalked out of the clearing. He waited until he was out of earshot, then began to shake at what he had done. He had been cruel and distant to Aragorn. He had deliberately hurt the man, and rejected his apology to his face. Legolas felt dirty and unclean at what he had just done.
He began to retch, anxiety and a hundred other emotions toruring him until he could not stand the torment. Tears began to spill once more, and he collapsed on the welcoming forest floor.
//If this is what love feels like I think I'd rather be dead.// He began to stop vomiting, and instead clutched at the moss, digging his fingers into it. //I would really rather be dead than hurt him like this. Why? Why did he have to be born a King?//
Stil shaking with raw emotion, Legolas cried himself to sleep. Above him, the moon shone brightly as it waned. Soft light embraced the sleeping elf, and gave him the relief he searched for. He slept a night without dreams, unhurt and unfettered. Free from pain and guilt. Free from anger and accusation, free from memories, free from hatred.
Free from love.
*****tbc*****
A/n: (yawns) I'm so tired... spent all last night and the first few hours of this morning reading my new books. But I typed this anyway. I have nothing else to do, after all! :) I'm gonna sleep now, though. G'night to y'all, and gentle breezes!
Nightbird*Songbird