Chapter 7
Legolas walks with Ithil back to her room. They are still laughing over the events that happened during supper.
"In a few days I shall return to Lothlorien, I can not say that I am completely happy to be leaving Rivendell for it is a fair and wondrous place. But my heart sings at the thought of seeing Haldir again."
"Sweet Lady," Legolas begins, "There is something that I must say to you before you go."
"Why Legolas muin, what is it? You know you may tell me anything." Ithil says turning to him.
"I." he stops and looks into her face, not knowing how to continue. Placing one hand upon her cheek and the other on the small of her back, he pulls her close to him. Lowering his face to hers, he kisses her. Ithil's eyes open wide in shock. So many things race through her mind. 'He can't do this. I can't do this. I.'
But this kiss is not like one from Haldir, whose kisses are soft and gentle. This kiss from Legolas is hard and passionate, it warms her body all over, and his touch burns her skin. She did not know that she could feel anything like this. Coming back to her senses Ithil realizes that she is kissing Legolas back just as passionately. Suddenly she breaks away from him.
"No I can not do this." Ithil turns and goes quickly into her room and shuts the door.
--------------------
Far away in Lothlorien Haldir is having a fitful dreamless sleep when suddenly he awakens.
--------------------
The next day the sun rises bright and cool. Ithil wakes before most of the house, dressing quickly she makes her way down the stairs and out to the garden. She does not want to see anyone or be seen by anyone. However two people witness her departure. From her window Arwen who has been watching the morning sunrise happens to look down and sees Ithil making her way down the path. And one person Ithil most wanted to hide from sees her.
Legolas had been up all night pondering what happened. Spending the night on one of the many rooftops he relived kissing Ithil over and over in his mind. It is torture to him, for he promised Haldir, who is her intended, that he would keep her safe from harm. But now he has caused her great anguish. He did not intended to kiss Ithil last night, he only wanted to tell her how brave and wise he thinks she is and how much he has come to care for her. He sits silently. Suddenly it dawns on him; he loves her, not care for, but love, a deep undying love.
Just then he sees her, his eyes follow as she walks along the path, and his heart starts beating fast and hard in his chest. He resists the impulse to run to her and sweep her into his arms. She looks up and sees him there; she breaks into a fast run away from him.
He can just kick himself for allowing things to get so out of control. Now here is Ithil, who has become the delight of the court of Elrond, now she is hiding from everyone who has come to love her, because of being in torment by what he did to her. How could he have been so stupid, so selfish, how could he cause so much suffering to her and too himself?
Feeling unwanted eyes looking upon her Ithil looks around, her gaze is drawn upward to the rooftops. There she sees him, his eyes on her. She cannot bear to see Legolas look at her. She takes off running to the streams. There she turns upstream and makes her way as quickly as she can to one of the waterfalls. She finds herself a place to sit in the shade of an old willow tree. She takes comfort in the sound of the falls and breeze blowing in the branches of the tree.
The words of her past now come back to haunt her,
'I will keep true to my word to you, now and always.'
'For you take this and let us be bound forever.' Pictures of Haldir fill her mind; pictures of the first time he took her to the Nimrodel, where he had saved her life, and memories of the celebration when they first danced together and of their first kiss under the pale moonlight. It all seems so long ago, like a story that time has faded.
Thoughts of Haldir turn their way into thoughts of Legolas, so much have they been through together. It is like she is two different people, a young and naïve Ithil who only wants to roam the forests of Lothlorien with Haldir and the Ithil that just emerged in the past few days, having been through war, seeing the death of friends and comrades all around her and also being the cause of death as she used her bow and daggers to bring down much of the enemy.
In that moment the two Ithils struggle one against the other. The Ithil of Lothlorien longing for Haldir, his wit, his skill with song and dance, and most of all for his tender touch.
The Ithil that has been through death, darkness and the rising of the new dawn of man, longs for Legolas' arms, to again feel the fire of passion that swept over her just last night. This Ithil thinks about traveling the world of Middle Earth with Legolas, knowing no home save for the ground that is beneath their feet.
A sound breaks her train of thought. Quickly rising to her feet preparing to run if need be, she looks to see who is approaching. Out of the shadows of the trees, Arwen appears. Ithil sits back down.
"You seem to be lost to the world." Arwen says sitting down beside Ithil. "I saw you walking down to the garden, and then you took off running as though the very wind was chasing you. I came to see if you were all right."
"Thank you My Lady, I am not all right. You are as wise as your father and I have need of your counsel." Ithil goes on to tell Arwen all that is troubling her heart.
Finally Arwen sighs and shakes her head sadly. "I can not say that I know what you are going through. My only advice that I can give is, be true to your heart. There were many things that sought to drive Aragorn and myself apart. But I held fast to what I knew was true in my heart. That, and that alone is what brought us back one to the other."
"My Lady my heart is treacherous, it tells me one thing but the next it tells me something different. I do not know what is true. I feel like a leaf on the river, enjoying the ride of smooth steady flowing current, but then leaping for joy on the ride of fast moving whitewater. I am torn My Lady and I fear the future."
"Search your heart and take your time, do not make hasty decisions. That is my counsel." Arwen rises to leave. "You will find your way Ithil Linde of the Galadrium." "Thank you Arwen." Ithil says as Arwen leaves.
Once again alone Ithil lingers in thought, the warmth of the mid-morning sun and overwhelming emotions make for a powerful sleeping combination. Soon she is asleep.
---------------------- Far across the lands, Haldir sits upon a rock at the base of the falls of Nimrodel and ponders his night. He is deeply upset; never has he had a night such as that. Every fiber of his being told him something was wrong, very wrong with Ithil. He longed for her laughter, her warm green eyes and the touch of her hand. Haldir sighs, perhaps it is just lover's longing that troubles his sleep. But then again, he can ask Lady Galadriel if she will let him look into her mirror; just to be sure that Ithil is all right. Suddenly a sharp pain in his side interrupts his thoughts; his wounds have been giving trouble as of late. 'Perhaps' he thinks 'I should ride to Rivendell and seek healing at the house of Elrond.'
------------------------- When Ithil finally opens her eyes; she sees that the sun is low on the horizon and twilight is upon her. Sighing she sits up and watches the moon rise in the sky. Stars twinkle and wink in the velvety blue of the nighttime sky. 'Well there is one thing I know my heart won't lie about loving.' She laughs to herself.
Looking all around to see if anyone is nearby and seeing no one, she walks up to the pool of water under the waterfall. She removes her gown and walks into the water naked. There is nothing she enjoys more than a moonlit swim by a waterfall. Relaxing Ithil starts to sing. She sings one of her favorite songs about the beauty of the night and the stars.
But of course during times such as this, she is mistaken about being alone.
Legolas has been in the willow tree all day watching her sleep. He kept himself well hidden in the thick branches of the tree. Now he watches as Ithil swims in the water, and as she stands naked under the waterfall. His emotions are churning inside and he has no idea what to do. When she starts to sing he thinks, "She is well named, for she is the song of the moon." Her pale skin glows like the moon itself and her voice soothes his troubled soul. He wants nothing more than to go to her but he contents himself with watching from the tree. She swims back to the shore. Getting out of the water she dresses back into her gown. It clings to her wet body, the moonlight highlighting her feminine curves. She passes underneath the willow tree.
Legolas hopes she cannot hear his heart beating like a wild animal wanting release from it cage. She passes by; if she hears him she makes no sign. When she is out of sight he sighs and makes his way down out of the willow. He starts to walk around the tree to take the path back to the house when he walks face first into Ithil.
"Good Evening Legolas."
"Um yes it is a good evening." Legolas says as his face burning so fiercely that he was sure Ithil can see it in the dark.
"Nice night for a swim is it not, Legolas?"
"I would not know I did not swim tonight." His face if possible is getting even redder.
"Let us walk together, we have much to talk about." Ithil says. "I desire to see what is farther up the waterfall, let us go that way."
"As you wish." Legolas makes a small bow and gestures for her to go ahead of him. Ithil starts walking up the path that leads up the side of the waterfall. When they get to a part in the path that's close to the water Ithil suddenly turns around and pushes Legolas into the water.
"Ha ha ha that will teach you to spy on people as they enjoy their evening swim!" Legolas' head comes up out of the water, gasping for breath. Suddenly he reaches up and grabs her by the foot and pulls her into the water with him. Her head bursts out of the water, gasping for breath.
"Why you." She splashes him with a huge wave of water and Legolas returns the favor. Soon they are both laughing and chasing each other in the water. They stop under the waterfall; Legolas holds her by the wrists under the waterfall. They both are laughing; meeting each other's eyes they stop laughing.
Drawn to each other, still gazing into each other's eyes, they press their bodies together and kiss. Caught up in the moment, in the heat of passion all else seems to fade away; nothing exists but them. Legolas pulls slightly away.
"Ithil I love you. I loved you from the first moment that I saw you in Lothlorien. I have tried to deny it for I know of your promise to Haldir, but I can no longer do it. For it rips me apart inside to try." At the sound of Haldir's name Ithil breaks away from him.
"I can not deny either my feelings for you Legolas, I have never felt like this before; I did not even know I could." Ithil starts to swim for shore and Legolas follows. They both are soaked. "We better go change into something warmer, the night is getting cold." In silence they walk back to Elrond's house. Legolas again walks her to her room, by this time Ithil is shivering from the chill in the air and her wet clothes.
"I'll see you in the morning Legolas, we will figure this out together." Ithil turns away from him to go into her room but he stops her. Pulling her back around to him; he can no longer resist his urges.
Encircling her in his arms he says, "I can not fight this torment any longer Ithil. If I kiss you again, do not turn me away."
"If you kiss me again I could not turn you away Legolas." Ithil says breathlessly. They enter her bedchamber and close the door.
Legolas walks with Ithil back to her room. They are still laughing over the events that happened during supper.
"In a few days I shall return to Lothlorien, I can not say that I am completely happy to be leaving Rivendell for it is a fair and wondrous place. But my heart sings at the thought of seeing Haldir again."
"Sweet Lady," Legolas begins, "There is something that I must say to you before you go."
"Why Legolas muin, what is it? You know you may tell me anything." Ithil says turning to him.
"I." he stops and looks into her face, not knowing how to continue. Placing one hand upon her cheek and the other on the small of her back, he pulls her close to him. Lowering his face to hers, he kisses her. Ithil's eyes open wide in shock. So many things race through her mind. 'He can't do this. I can't do this. I.'
But this kiss is not like one from Haldir, whose kisses are soft and gentle. This kiss from Legolas is hard and passionate, it warms her body all over, and his touch burns her skin. She did not know that she could feel anything like this. Coming back to her senses Ithil realizes that she is kissing Legolas back just as passionately. Suddenly she breaks away from him.
"No I can not do this." Ithil turns and goes quickly into her room and shuts the door.
--------------------
Far away in Lothlorien Haldir is having a fitful dreamless sleep when suddenly he awakens.
--------------------
The next day the sun rises bright and cool. Ithil wakes before most of the house, dressing quickly she makes her way down the stairs and out to the garden. She does not want to see anyone or be seen by anyone. However two people witness her departure. From her window Arwen who has been watching the morning sunrise happens to look down and sees Ithil making her way down the path. And one person Ithil most wanted to hide from sees her.
Legolas had been up all night pondering what happened. Spending the night on one of the many rooftops he relived kissing Ithil over and over in his mind. It is torture to him, for he promised Haldir, who is her intended, that he would keep her safe from harm. But now he has caused her great anguish. He did not intended to kiss Ithil last night, he only wanted to tell her how brave and wise he thinks she is and how much he has come to care for her. He sits silently. Suddenly it dawns on him; he loves her, not care for, but love, a deep undying love.
Just then he sees her, his eyes follow as she walks along the path, and his heart starts beating fast and hard in his chest. He resists the impulse to run to her and sweep her into his arms. She looks up and sees him there; she breaks into a fast run away from him.
He can just kick himself for allowing things to get so out of control. Now here is Ithil, who has become the delight of the court of Elrond, now she is hiding from everyone who has come to love her, because of being in torment by what he did to her. How could he have been so stupid, so selfish, how could he cause so much suffering to her and too himself?
Feeling unwanted eyes looking upon her Ithil looks around, her gaze is drawn upward to the rooftops. There she sees him, his eyes on her. She cannot bear to see Legolas look at her. She takes off running to the streams. There she turns upstream and makes her way as quickly as she can to one of the waterfalls. She finds herself a place to sit in the shade of an old willow tree. She takes comfort in the sound of the falls and breeze blowing in the branches of the tree.
The words of her past now come back to haunt her,
'I will keep true to my word to you, now and always.'
'For you take this and let us be bound forever.' Pictures of Haldir fill her mind; pictures of the first time he took her to the Nimrodel, where he had saved her life, and memories of the celebration when they first danced together and of their first kiss under the pale moonlight. It all seems so long ago, like a story that time has faded.
Thoughts of Haldir turn their way into thoughts of Legolas, so much have they been through together. It is like she is two different people, a young and naïve Ithil who only wants to roam the forests of Lothlorien with Haldir and the Ithil that just emerged in the past few days, having been through war, seeing the death of friends and comrades all around her and also being the cause of death as she used her bow and daggers to bring down much of the enemy.
In that moment the two Ithils struggle one against the other. The Ithil of Lothlorien longing for Haldir, his wit, his skill with song and dance, and most of all for his tender touch.
The Ithil that has been through death, darkness and the rising of the new dawn of man, longs for Legolas' arms, to again feel the fire of passion that swept over her just last night. This Ithil thinks about traveling the world of Middle Earth with Legolas, knowing no home save for the ground that is beneath their feet.
A sound breaks her train of thought. Quickly rising to her feet preparing to run if need be, she looks to see who is approaching. Out of the shadows of the trees, Arwen appears. Ithil sits back down.
"You seem to be lost to the world." Arwen says sitting down beside Ithil. "I saw you walking down to the garden, and then you took off running as though the very wind was chasing you. I came to see if you were all right."
"Thank you My Lady, I am not all right. You are as wise as your father and I have need of your counsel." Ithil goes on to tell Arwen all that is troubling her heart.
Finally Arwen sighs and shakes her head sadly. "I can not say that I know what you are going through. My only advice that I can give is, be true to your heart. There were many things that sought to drive Aragorn and myself apart. But I held fast to what I knew was true in my heart. That, and that alone is what brought us back one to the other."
"My Lady my heart is treacherous, it tells me one thing but the next it tells me something different. I do not know what is true. I feel like a leaf on the river, enjoying the ride of smooth steady flowing current, but then leaping for joy on the ride of fast moving whitewater. I am torn My Lady and I fear the future."
"Search your heart and take your time, do not make hasty decisions. That is my counsel." Arwen rises to leave. "You will find your way Ithil Linde of the Galadrium." "Thank you Arwen." Ithil says as Arwen leaves.
Once again alone Ithil lingers in thought, the warmth of the mid-morning sun and overwhelming emotions make for a powerful sleeping combination. Soon she is asleep.
---------------------- Far across the lands, Haldir sits upon a rock at the base of the falls of Nimrodel and ponders his night. He is deeply upset; never has he had a night such as that. Every fiber of his being told him something was wrong, very wrong with Ithil. He longed for her laughter, her warm green eyes and the touch of her hand. Haldir sighs, perhaps it is just lover's longing that troubles his sleep. But then again, he can ask Lady Galadriel if she will let him look into her mirror; just to be sure that Ithil is all right. Suddenly a sharp pain in his side interrupts his thoughts; his wounds have been giving trouble as of late. 'Perhaps' he thinks 'I should ride to Rivendell and seek healing at the house of Elrond.'
------------------------- When Ithil finally opens her eyes; she sees that the sun is low on the horizon and twilight is upon her. Sighing she sits up and watches the moon rise in the sky. Stars twinkle and wink in the velvety blue of the nighttime sky. 'Well there is one thing I know my heart won't lie about loving.' She laughs to herself.
Looking all around to see if anyone is nearby and seeing no one, she walks up to the pool of water under the waterfall. She removes her gown and walks into the water naked. There is nothing she enjoys more than a moonlit swim by a waterfall. Relaxing Ithil starts to sing. She sings one of her favorite songs about the beauty of the night and the stars.
But of course during times such as this, she is mistaken about being alone.
Legolas has been in the willow tree all day watching her sleep. He kept himself well hidden in the thick branches of the tree. Now he watches as Ithil swims in the water, and as she stands naked under the waterfall. His emotions are churning inside and he has no idea what to do. When she starts to sing he thinks, "She is well named, for she is the song of the moon." Her pale skin glows like the moon itself and her voice soothes his troubled soul. He wants nothing more than to go to her but he contents himself with watching from the tree. She swims back to the shore. Getting out of the water she dresses back into her gown. It clings to her wet body, the moonlight highlighting her feminine curves. She passes underneath the willow tree.
Legolas hopes she cannot hear his heart beating like a wild animal wanting release from it cage. She passes by; if she hears him she makes no sign. When she is out of sight he sighs and makes his way down out of the willow. He starts to walk around the tree to take the path back to the house when he walks face first into Ithil.
"Good Evening Legolas."
"Um yes it is a good evening." Legolas says as his face burning so fiercely that he was sure Ithil can see it in the dark.
"Nice night for a swim is it not, Legolas?"
"I would not know I did not swim tonight." His face if possible is getting even redder.
"Let us walk together, we have much to talk about." Ithil says. "I desire to see what is farther up the waterfall, let us go that way."
"As you wish." Legolas makes a small bow and gestures for her to go ahead of him. Ithil starts walking up the path that leads up the side of the waterfall. When they get to a part in the path that's close to the water Ithil suddenly turns around and pushes Legolas into the water.
"Ha ha ha that will teach you to spy on people as they enjoy their evening swim!" Legolas' head comes up out of the water, gasping for breath. Suddenly he reaches up and grabs her by the foot and pulls her into the water with him. Her head bursts out of the water, gasping for breath.
"Why you." She splashes him with a huge wave of water and Legolas returns the favor. Soon they are both laughing and chasing each other in the water. They stop under the waterfall; Legolas holds her by the wrists under the waterfall. They both are laughing; meeting each other's eyes they stop laughing.
Drawn to each other, still gazing into each other's eyes, they press their bodies together and kiss. Caught up in the moment, in the heat of passion all else seems to fade away; nothing exists but them. Legolas pulls slightly away.
"Ithil I love you. I loved you from the first moment that I saw you in Lothlorien. I have tried to deny it for I know of your promise to Haldir, but I can no longer do it. For it rips me apart inside to try." At the sound of Haldir's name Ithil breaks away from him.
"I can not deny either my feelings for you Legolas, I have never felt like this before; I did not even know I could." Ithil starts to swim for shore and Legolas follows. They both are soaked. "We better go change into something warmer, the night is getting cold." In silence they walk back to Elrond's house. Legolas again walks her to her room, by this time Ithil is shivering from the chill in the air and her wet clothes.
"I'll see you in the morning Legolas, we will figure this out together." Ithil turns away from him to go into her room but he stops her. Pulling her back around to him; he can no longer resist his urges.
Encircling her in his arms he says, "I can not fight this torment any longer Ithil. If I kiss you again, do not turn me away."
"If you kiss me again I could not turn you away Legolas." Ithil says breathlessly. They enter her bedchamber and close the door.