~~Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, they belong to the brilliant
mind of J.R.R. Tolkein.~~
~~~Thank You: Thank you stellamucca and Lomiothiel for your reviews!!!
Very helpful and much appreciated.~`~`~`~`( Now on with Chp. 2!!
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The chase had begun.
Lithile laughed out loud. She had led Legolas through a maze of branches, vines, and rocks, but his pace had never faltered. Lithile knew where she was going. She had been there many times throughout her life and it had always been her secret. Until now.
"Follow me, my Greenleaf," Lithile whispered.
Suddenly, the forest disappeared, the darkness fled, and sunlight blinded Lithile for a moment. She ran forward to the center of the clearing to her sunning rock. Since she was young, she had spent countless hours in this clearing, soaking up the sun's warmth, the moon's beams, and the star's silence. Legolas had not yet reached the clearing, so Lithile jumped onto the rock, positioned herself prettily, and gazed up into the heavens, hoping she would look dramatic when Legolas found her. A soft rustling on the fringe of the clearing told her he had arrived.
Legolas froze in awe. Not only had he found his sunbeam, but she had led him back to the sun. He walked out into the clearing with his face turned towards the sky and finally looked down to find Lithile seated on a rock, her long hair and dress arranged perfectly.
"A little too perfectly," he thought, smiling to himself.
It was then the Lithile turned her face away form the sun and toward the new arrival.
"I have brought you the sun," she said in a clear voice.
Legolas regarded her for a moment and the came forward and climbed up on the rock next to her. He looked straight into her eyes and said,
"You have brought me more than that." * * *
They stayed on the rock the rest of the day. Soon, the sun began to sink behind the trees and the sky turned a brilliant shade of pink. Stars started to twinkle as the moon began to rise. Legolas watched every change in wonderment. He could not ever remember seeing the stars.
"To think I have missed this all my life," Legolas said, after dark had fallen.
Even though the forest around them was frighteningly dark, the clearing seemed brilliantly lit with moon and starlight. Lithile and Legolas lay on the rock gazing up into the night sky. Their faces were pale in the dim moonlight and Lithile's eyes sparkled as she said,
"Now that you have seen it, do you ever want to let it go?"
Legolas turned his head to look at her.
"Would you let it go?" he asked.
"No," she said.
Suddenly, a cold wind swirled around the clearing, picking up leaves and grass and tossing them into the air. The wind chilled Lithile to the bone, but strangely, it did not feel evil. The chilled air seemed to swim closer and closer to the rock, but Legolas felt that he wanted it to come closer. The bits of debris seemed to form a wall around the two young elves as it closed in, blocking their view of everything except the starry sky. As they felt and saw this happen around them, a single star seemed to outshine the others. It shone brighter and brighter until they could see nothing else. Then.it seemed that pieces of the star floated down into their eyes.
Lithile gasped then the first flake touched her eye. It felt as if ice had frozen her mind for an instant and instantly thawed, letting in the light for the first time. Legolas felt as though his mind were on fire and then springing up from the ashes was blinding light. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The swirling leaves fell immediately still, the blackness crept back into the night, and the chill vanished.
Legolas and Lithile sat up and looked about them. It was Lithile who broke the silence with a whisper.
"The trees.I can.hear them."
"Yes," Legolas said, his eyes wide. "They are whispering to one another. But it is not the trees that amaze me. I know the stars! I know all their.secrets."
Lithile took his face in her hands and turned him toward her.
"We are Awake," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.
"Yes," he whispered. "We are Awake."
The chase had begun.
Lithile laughed out loud. She had led Legolas through a maze of branches, vines, and rocks, but his pace had never faltered. Lithile knew where she was going. She had been there many times throughout her life and it had always been her secret. Until now.
"Follow me, my Greenleaf," Lithile whispered.
Suddenly, the forest disappeared, the darkness fled, and sunlight blinded Lithile for a moment. She ran forward to the center of the clearing to her sunning rock. Since she was young, she had spent countless hours in this clearing, soaking up the sun's warmth, the moon's beams, and the star's silence. Legolas had not yet reached the clearing, so Lithile jumped onto the rock, positioned herself prettily, and gazed up into the heavens, hoping she would look dramatic when Legolas found her. A soft rustling on the fringe of the clearing told her he had arrived.
Legolas froze in awe. Not only had he found his sunbeam, but she had led him back to the sun. He walked out into the clearing with his face turned towards the sky and finally looked down to find Lithile seated on a rock, her long hair and dress arranged perfectly.
"A little too perfectly," he thought, smiling to himself.
It was then the Lithile turned her face away form the sun and toward the new arrival.
"I have brought you the sun," she said in a clear voice.
Legolas regarded her for a moment and the came forward and climbed up on the rock next to her. He looked straight into her eyes and said,
"You have brought me more than that." * * *
They stayed on the rock the rest of the day. Soon, the sun began to sink behind the trees and the sky turned a brilliant shade of pink. Stars started to twinkle as the moon began to rise. Legolas watched every change in wonderment. He could not ever remember seeing the stars.
"To think I have missed this all my life," Legolas said, after dark had fallen.
Even though the forest around them was frighteningly dark, the clearing seemed brilliantly lit with moon and starlight. Lithile and Legolas lay on the rock gazing up into the night sky. Their faces were pale in the dim moonlight and Lithile's eyes sparkled as she said,
"Now that you have seen it, do you ever want to let it go?"
Legolas turned his head to look at her.
"Would you let it go?" he asked.
"No," she said.
Suddenly, a cold wind swirled around the clearing, picking up leaves and grass and tossing them into the air. The wind chilled Lithile to the bone, but strangely, it did not feel evil. The chilled air seemed to swim closer and closer to the rock, but Legolas felt that he wanted it to come closer. The bits of debris seemed to form a wall around the two young elves as it closed in, blocking their view of everything except the starry sky. As they felt and saw this happen around them, a single star seemed to outshine the others. It shone brighter and brighter until they could see nothing else. Then.it seemed that pieces of the star floated down into their eyes.
Lithile gasped then the first flake touched her eye. It felt as if ice had frozen her mind for an instant and instantly thawed, letting in the light for the first time. Legolas felt as though his mind were on fire and then springing up from the ashes was blinding light. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The swirling leaves fell immediately still, the blackness crept back into the night, and the chill vanished.
Legolas and Lithile sat up and looked about them. It was Lithile who broke the silence with a whisper.
"The trees.I can.hear them."
"Yes," Legolas said, his eyes wide. "They are whispering to one another. But it is not the trees that amaze me. I know the stars! I know all their.secrets."
Lithile took his face in her hands and turned him toward her.
"We are Awake," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.
"Yes," he whispered. "We are Awake."