Chapter 13: Waiting and Training
A/N: Hey, I think my chapter are going to get longer and longer, or else this thing is going to be like 150 chapters, and I can't stand for that! Anyway, enjoy, the plot is developing nicely, isn't it? ^_^
…
The next seven days passed quickly because Aila dreaded leaving Arwen and the safety of Rivendell.
"I should never have volunteered," she moaned to her good friend, while Arwen was brushing her hair. "I knew exactly what I was getting myself into! No way was I destined to join the Fellowship, it's just not right!" Strangely enough, Aila still held her tongue about the books (a/n: okay, well if I type book instead of books, its because I have the Trilogy in One book, get it?) being her source of information.
She had already packed most of her clothes for the trip and she had Aragorn teaching her to ride a horse. Legolas took her for weaponry training and she surprised him day after day with her knowledge and skill. Soon, she could shoot well enough so that she could hit anything on the first try, no matter how difficult the shot. The Prince showed her techniques she was sure weren't even in existence in her world. He showed her many sword techniques, as well.
"I don't see the point in this, Legolas," she complained, frustrated at her incompetence with the sword. "I'll just stick to the bow. I don't even have a sword anyway." Sighing, Legolas tried to explain it to her again. He loved teaching her, but when she got too frustrated herself she locked up her mind and refused to learn. *She's so stubborn …*
"Aila, listen. What happens in close quarters? You can't use bow and arrows then, you have to have something else to resort to, and not kicking and punching, either," he added, throwing her a meaningful glance. She had suggested that before. "Hands and feet are no use against sharp blades. You need to learn to use the sword and then I can give you one of my elven blades that you can fight with." A smile crossed her lips as she thought about how Orlando Bloom, playing Legolas, had pulled out two blades and had fought with both hands. It was the coolest looking thing Aila had ever seen in her life. And here she was, being trained by Legolas himself, and she was complaining?
"You're right, Legolas. I can't get frustrated I guess." Legolas nodded and continued to drill into her head every move that he could think possible.
"Now, you always want to stay on the offensive, Aila. Being defensive all of the time won't get you anywhere in swordplay. All you'll be doing is tiring yourself and whoever you're fighting. When you block, follow through with a clever slice or offensive move. I've lived by that rule and it hasn't failed me yet."
"Obviously," Aila smiled. Legolas returned the smile and Aila's grin grew wider yet. "I was under the impression you didn't smile very often, Prince Legolas." Not knowing the answer to why he smiled so much when he was around her, Legolas shrugged the idea off and went straight back to swordplay. She rolled her eyes but then went to her learning with a will.
Legolas was quite surprised at her determination. It seemed that once she decided she needed to learn something, she learned it in the least amount of time possible. Within only a couple of hours, Aila was finally able to at least hold off Legolas' moderate attacks. Aila sat down upon the ground, her chest heaving in the exertion.
"Come, Aila, let us fight when I'm not being nice and lightening my attacks." He grinned at her and she looked up at him, her exhaustion leaving her body at the chance of competition.
"Are you saying that I suck, Prince Legolas?" The elf raised his eyebrows at her, suggesting that he meant just that. "Let's roll," she said, jumping up and retrieving the sword she had borrowed. She faced him, at the ready, and gave a lopsided, confident grin. "Prepare to meet your doom, elf."
"Not likely," he replied coolly, "I have never been bested by a maiden before." Rage rose within Aila, she had always hated how men always thought females the weaker sex. Maybe physically, but not mentally, or in skill. She gripped her sword even tighter at this and just blinked at Legolas. Her military training had taught her to keep her face trained and it showed: she gave away none of her emotion. It was just like an inspection to Aila. "If you yell at me, I'll yell at you," had been her mantra during her high school days for the inspection days.
Holding her military bearing, Aila sliced, parried, thrust, and fought off every one of Legolas' attacks. After minutes of swordplay, looking like it was all choreographed, Aila grinned at the intricate pattern that they danced across the grass. Several elves had gathered around them, wanting to see an exhibition of Legolas' fighting skill. Determined to show him up in front of the elves, Aila pushed on, keeping her cool and not forgetting to breath. The entire time, Legolas kept his face straight and she could tell he was concentrating quite a bit at the task at hand.
However, Aila didn't allow her eyes to linger on Legolas to get his full expression, a quick sweep was all that she needed. Quickly, she pushed her mind wraiths into Legolas' mind and simply waited. This time, instead of her original four, Aila had two medieval warriors, which would only be fair, because Legolas would automatically send two warriors with swords and bows. Grim determination was set upon the faces of the mind wraiths and Aila worried about concentrating on them too much, but she felt her physical body move as if under a trance and effortlessly continue to defend and attack Legolas.
Dim and hazy, she could tell that she could still control herself in the physical world, if not better than she could when she was fully in it. Concentrating mostly on her mind wraiths now, allowing her body to do what it will, she watched calmly as two likenesses of Legolas came running up, bows drawn, firing with a will.
Arrows flew everywhere around Aila's mind warriors but they stood as if nothing was happening but a slight downpour of rain. Several times, the wildly running wraiths would loose a good shot and Aila's warriors would be forced to grab the arrow from mid-air and snap it in half, throwing it back towards the two Legolas'. Drawing swords, they stood ready for the two elven wraiths, who were also drawing their double elven blades. Fighting with both hands, the two elf warriors fought furiously and Aila's warriors fought with knowledge and heart.
Knowing her warriors were stronger in mind, Aila watched silently, listening to the shouts within Legolas' mind commanding his warriors unconsciously. After several minutes of battle within his mind, Aila's medieval warriors had both of his warriors pinned to the ground, Aila's warriors' feet on their chests and swords at their necks. Legolas became aware of her conquering his mind and let out a cry.
Inwardly triumphant, Aila forgot to pay any attention to the physical world and her physical body went slack, just as Legolas attacked again ferociously after his cry of defeat from within his mind. She felt a sharp pain across her upper arm and warmth rushed down her arm. Through the pain, Aila left her warriors to take care of anything else within his mind and returned to the physical world.
A/N: Hey, I think my chapter are going to get longer and longer, or else this thing is going to be like 150 chapters, and I can't stand for that! Anyway, enjoy, the plot is developing nicely, isn't it? ^_^
…
The next seven days passed quickly because Aila dreaded leaving Arwen and the safety of Rivendell.
"I should never have volunteered," she moaned to her good friend, while Arwen was brushing her hair. "I knew exactly what I was getting myself into! No way was I destined to join the Fellowship, it's just not right!" Strangely enough, Aila still held her tongue about the books (a/n: okay, well if I type book instead of books, its because I have the Trilogy in One book, get it?) being her source of information.
She had already packed most of her clothes for the trip and she had Aragorn teaching her to ride a horse. Legolas took her for weaponry training and she surprised him day after day with her knowledge and skill. Soon, she could shoot well enough so that she could hit anything on the first try, no matter how difficult the shot. The Prince showed her techniques she was sure weren't even in existence in her world. He showed her many sword techniques, as well.
"I don't see the point in this, Legolas," she complained, frustrated at her incompetence with the sword. "I'll just stick to the bow. I don't even have a sword anyway." Sighing, Legolas tried to explain it to her again. He loved teaching her, but when she got too frustrated herself she locked up her mind and refused to learn. *She's so stubborn …*
"Aila, listen. What happens in close quarters? You can't use bow and arrows then, you have to have something else to resort to, and not kicking and punching, either," he added, throwing her a meaningful glance. She had suggested that before. "Hands and feet are no use against sharp blades. You need to learn to use the sword and then I can give you one of my elven blades that you can fight with." A smile crossed her lips as she thought about how Orlando Bloom, playing Legolas, had pulled out two blades and had fought with both hands. It was the coolest looking thing Aila had ever seen in her life. And here she was, being trained by Legolas himself, and she was complaining?
"You're right, Legolas. I can't get frustrated I guess." Legolas nodded and continued to drill into her head every move that he could think possible.
"Now, you always want to stay on the offensive, Aila. Being defensive all of the time won't get you anywhere in swordplay. All you'll be doing is tiring yourself and whoever you're fighting. When you block, follow through with a clever slice or offensive move. I've lived by that rule and it hasn't failed me yet."
"Obviously," Aila smiled. Legolas returned the smile and Aila's grin grew wider yet. "I was under the impression you didn't smile very often, Prince Legolas." Not knowing the answer to why he smiled so much when he was around her, Legolas shrugged the idea off and went straight back to swordplay. She rolled her eyes but then went to her learning with a will.
Legolas was quite surprised at her determination. It seemed that once she decided she needed to learn something, she learned it in the least amount of time possible. Within only a couple of hours, Aila was finally able to at least hold off Legolas' moderate attacks. Aila sat down upon the ground, her chest heaving in the exertion.
"Come, Aila, let us fight when I'm not being nice and lightening my attacks." He grinned at her and she looked up at him, her exhaustion leaving her body at the chance of competition.
"Are you saying that I suck, Prince Legolas?" The elf raised his eyebrows at her, suggesting that he meant just that. "Let's roll," she said, jumping up and retrieving the sword she had borrowed. She faced him, at the ready, and gave a lopsided, confident grin. "Prepare to meet your doom, elf."
"Not likely," he replied coolly, "I have never been bested by a maiden before." Rage rose within Aila, she had always hated how men always thought females the weaker sex. Maybe physically, but not mentally, or in skill. She gripped her sword even tighter at this and just blinked at Legolas. Her military training had taught her to keep her face trained and it showed: she gave away none of her emotion. It was just like an inspection to Aila. "If you yell at me, I'll yell at you," had been her mantra during her high school days for the inspection days.
Holding her military bearing, Aila sliced, parried, thrust, and fought off every one of Legolas' attacks. After minutes of swordplay, looking like it was all choreographed, Aila grinned at the intricate pattern that they danced across the grass. Several elves had gathered around them, wanting to see an exhibition of Legolas' fighting skill. Determined to show him up in front of the elves, Aila pushed on, keeping her cool and not forgetting to breath. The entire time, Legolas kept his face straight and she could tell he was concentrating quite a bit at the task at hand.
However, Aila didn't allow her eyes to linger on Legolas to get his full expression, a quick sweep was all that she needed. Quickly, she pushed her mind wraiths into Legolas' mind and simply waited. This time, instead of her original four, Aila had two medieval warriors, which would only be fair, because Legolas would automatically send two warriors with swords and bows. Grim determination was set upon the faces of the mind wraiths and Aila worried about concentrating on them too much, but she felt her physical body move as if under a trance and effortlessly continue to defend and attack Legolas.
Dim and hazy, she could tell that she could still control herself in the physical world, if not better than she could when she was fully in it. Concentrating mostly on her mind wraiths now, allowing her body to do what it will, she watched calmly as two likenesses of Legolas came running up, bows drawn, firing with a will.
Arrows flew everywhere around Aila's mind warriors but they stood as if nothing was happening but a slight downpour of rain. Several times, the wildly running wraiths would loose a good shot and Aila's warriors would be forced to grab the arrow from mid-air and snap it in half, throwing it back towards the two Legolas'. Drawing swords, they stood ready for the two elven wraiths, who were also drawing their double elven blades. Fighting with both hands, the two elf warriors fought furiously and Aila's warriors fought with knowledge and heart.
Knowing her warriors were stronger in mind, Aila watched silently, listening to the shouts within Legolas' mind commanding his warriors unconsciously. After several minutes of battle within his mind, Aila's medieval warriors had both of his warriors pinned to the ground, Aila's warriors' feet on their chests and swords at their necks. Legolas became aware of her conquering his mind and let out a cry.
Inwardly triumphant, Aila forgot to pay any attention to the physical world and her physical body went slack, just as Legolas attacked again ferociously after his cry of defeat from within his mind. She felt a sharp pain across her upper arm and warmth rushed down her arm. Through the pain, Aila left her warriors to take care of anything else within his mind and returned to the physical world.