A/N: Sorry it took so long to post. I spent the last four days a in
another state at a swim meet. Ah.ba humbug. It didn't go as well as
planned, but that's not important. Plus I had to read like a whole book so
that occupied the small amount of free time I had. I hate how homework has
to come first. Anyhow, I hope this is not what people expected (sorry if
it's written poorly, I wrote it quickly at 11 o'clock last night to satisfy
impatient readers). Alright enjoy.
Chapter Three
"Well, this is unsure. . ." Thranduil paused and silence echoed throughout the room. Moments later he continued. "We believe we may have found the family."
"Kama's family?"
"Yes. It may not be. We need to ask the child some questions, but she may not be from this world."
Legolas was taken aback. "What do you mean not of this world?"
"The search party came across an odd rip in time that we cannot decipher. It is either a porthole to the past, future, or to another world entirely."
"How do you know it is where she is from? She may be from a human civilization. Rohan. . ."
"Patience. Let me continue. Where was I. . . ah. They did not know what to make of it. It had just suddenly appeared in their path, but before an extensive investigation, it vanished. A group of guards on their rounds had reports of the same thing happening, but it stayed longer. They saw a girl out in the woods crying and whispering, 'Kama, it's all my fault.' They could hear and see her, but she did not seem to possess this trait for she took no notice of them.
I realize this is a lot to swallow at once, but I want you to be prepared for the worst. If it is indeed her true home, then you and the child may end up spending some days living outside the city's borders until you come across the porthole and send her through."
Thranduil looked at his son who was staring expressionlessly at the floor. He knew how much he cared for the child, but he saw no other options.
"Legolas?"
He looked up at him, swallowed and took a deep breath.
"May I be excused?"
His father did not know how to react. This was not what he expected. He nodded. "Yes."
The prince bowed like a civilian would and promptly left. This was odd behavior for Legolas who winced when he saw anyone bow or treat him as royalty. The king wondered if he had presented the matter the wrong way. He sighed and hoped his son would recover.
He stood from his throne and exited the room. After asking the guard to bring the child to him, he returned to his chair to wait, pondering what to ask the child.
~~~
He lied, he was taking her away.
Legolas felt weak. He wanted to drop to his knees and cry. He tried to remain strong for he was an elf. Not just any elf, mind you, a prince. He could not fall apart. He had to hold a strong reputation and be a role model.
A friend long ago told him never to love.
*FLASHBACK*
"Legolas." His eyes looked helplessly into his friend's as he struggled to form the words from where he was on the ground. "Do not ever fall for another. They only cause you pain." He managed to accompany the words with a smile.
"No, no. This is my fault; do not blame it on her. Do not worry. We will heal this quickly and the pain will exist no longer." He moved his eyes from his friend's to the arrow in his chest. It had gone straight through the heart. Blood covered Legolas' hands, tunic and stained the tips of his hair.
"Thank you." His friend's eyes seemed calmer and they blinked slowly. "It feels better already. . ."
"No, hang in there. Fight the peace!" the elf beside Legolas whispered sharply. "Do not leave me!"
**
Legolas understood that his friend was not referring literally to the pain the arrow caused, but the pain the arrow of love created. It was the pain of being left behind. . . alone.
~~~
"Hello."
The girl's eyebrows raised in greeting as she stared innocently up at the ruler of Mirkwood.
"It is alright. You need not fear."
"Where's Leg-las? Did I make him mad?"
"No, no, my child," he knelt beside the girl. "He just needs to think."
"He didn't look happy earlier. He was going in the woods."
"Yes, well, he is having a hard time."
"Why?"
"Never mind that. We shall speak of it later. May I ask you a few questions about your home?"
"He doesn't like me and wants me to leave doesn't he?"
"No, no! He cares very much for you." 'If only she knew he feels just the opposite,' he thought silently. "Now Kama, where is your home?"
"I don't know. I couldn't find it."
"Do you live with other humans?"
"My sista and brotha. But I like Leg-las. There's no elfs where I lived. But I liked it here. Milo wouldn't and Ari would be sad."
"Why would Ari be sad?"
"Ari is always sad."
"You don't know where home is?" the king asked, trying to stay on topic.
"I want home to be here. It's better than any of my homes."
~~~
Legolas returned to his room, a solemn look on his face. He gathered his bow, quiver, and traveling tunics and had the maid fill a sack with food.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to push the news to the back of his mind and replace the frown with a smile. He couldn't let Kama see this side of him.
It was getting late and they would need to head out before sunset. Gathering his pack and quiver, he headed to retrieve the child and tell her the news.
Once realizing she was not where she left her, nor was the maid, he headed to the throne room to see if she was with his father.
He found his father on the throne room floor kneeling before Kama. He looked up at him and stood. Kama turned to look at him.
"Kama will you go with Aethinia shortly while I talk to Legolas shortly?"
Aethinia, the maid Thranduil left her with earlier, emerged from the courner and lead Kama outside.
"Legolas, she suspects you are unhappy already. She felt like it was her fault. Do you wish that of her?"
Legolas didn't anwer.
"Then I suggest you get your act together," he finished, knowing the answer to the rhetorical question. "I see you are ready. She was not very helpful in terms of straight answers, but I do believe she lives in a world where no elves exist, but are myths."
"Myths!"
"Yes, indeed. Well, it is late. I wish you well on getting her safely home. I have readied five guards to assist you."
"Thank you, but we will travel alone if we must travel at all."
"That is not an option."
"Do you not know how shy she is with strangers? I think it would be better if it was just me and her."
"Yes. . . I see your point. Very well. I will expect your arrival in a few days."
"Goodbye. Until then."
~~~
Aethinia had clothed Kama in elvin traveling clothing that looked much like a hobbit's because of its size. Just looking at her in it reminded him of Frodo and the Fellowship.
He smiled and extended his hand. "Come Kama. We have an adventure before us."
~~~
A/N: Okey dokey. Hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.
Chapter Three
"Well, this is unsure. . ." Thranduil paused and silence echoed throughout the room. Moments later he continued. "We believe we may have found the family."
"Kama's family?"
"Yes. It may not be. We need to ask the child some questions, but she may not be from this world."
Legolas was taken aback. "What do you mean not of this world?"
"The search party came across an odd rip in time that we cannot decipher. It is either a porthole to the past, future, or to another world entirely."
"How do you know it is where she is from? She may be from a human civilization. Rohan. . ."
"Patience. Let me continue. Where was I. . . ah. They did not know what to make of it. It had just suddenly appeared in their path, but before an extensive investigation, it vanished. A group of guards on their rounds had reports of the same thing happening, but it stayed longer. They saw a girl out in the woods crying and whispering, 'Kama, it's all my fault.' They could hear and see her, but she did not seem to possess this trait for she took no notice of them.
I realize this is a lot to swallow at once, but I want you to be prepared for the worst. If it is indeed her true home, then you and the child may end up spending some days living outside the city's borders until you come across the porthole and send her through."
Thranduil looked at his son who was staring expressionlessly at the floor. He knew how much he cared for the child, but he saw no other options.
"Legolas?"
He looked up at him, swallowed and took a deep breath.
"May I be excused?"
His father did not know how to react. This was not what he expected. He nodded. "Yes."
The prince bowed like a civilian would and promptly left. This was odd behavior for Legolas who winced when he saw anyone bow or treat him as royalty. The king wondered if he had presented the matter the wrong way. He sighed and hoped his son would recover.
He stood from his throne and exited the room. After asking the guard to bring the child to him, he returned to his chair to wait, pondering what to ask the child.
~~~
He lied, he was taking her away.
Legolas felt weak. He wanted to drop to his knees and cry. He tried to remain strong for he was an elf. Not just any elf, mind you, a prince. He could not fall apart. He had to hold a strong reputation and be a role model.
A friend long ago told him never to love.
*FLASHBACK*
"Legolas." His eyes looked helplessly into his friend's as he struggled to form the words from where he was on the ground. "Do not ever fall for another. They only cause you pain." He managed to accompany the words with a smile.
"No, no. This is my fault; do not blame it on her. Do not worry. We will heal this quickly and the pain will exist no longer." He moved his eyes from his friend's to the arrow in his chest. It had gone straight through the heart. Blood covered Legolas' hands, tunic and stained the tips of his hair.
"Thank you." His friend's eyes seemed calmer and they blinked slowly. "It feels better already. . ."
"No, hang in there. Fight the peace!" the elf beside Legolas whispered sharply. "Do not leave me!"
**
Legolas understood that his friend was not referring literally to the pain the arrow caused, but the pain the arrow of love created. It was the pain of being left behind. . . alone.
~~~
"Hello."
The girl's eyebrows raised in greeting as she stared innocently up at the ruler of Mirkwood.
"It is alright. You need not fear."
"Where's Leg-las? Did I make him mad?"
"No, no, my child," he knelt beside the girl. "He just needs to think."
"He didn't look happy earlier. He was going in the woods."
"Yes, well, he is having a hard time."
"Why?"
"Never mind that. We shall speak of it later. May I ask you a few questions about your home?"
"He doesn't like me and wants me to leave doesn't he?"
"No, no! He cares very much for you." 'If only she knew he feels just the opposite,' he thought silently. "Now Kama, where is your home?"
"I don't know. I couldn't find it."
"Do you live with other humans?"
"My sista and brotha. But I like Leg-las. There's no elfs where I lived. But I liked it here. Milo wouldn't and Ari would be sad."
"Why would Ari be sad?"
"Ari is always sad."
"You don't know where home is?" the king asked, trying to stay on topic.
"I want home to be here. It's better than any of my homes."
~~~
Legolas returned to his room, a solemn look on his face. He gathered his bow, quiver, and traveling tunics and had the maid fill a sack with food.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to push the news to the back of his mind and replace the frown with a smile. He couldn't let Kama see this side of him.
It was getting late and they would need to head out before sunset. Gathering his pack and quiver, he headed to retrieve the child and tell her the news.
Once realizing she was not where she left her, nor was the maid, he headed to the throne room to see if she was with his father.
He found his father on the throne room floor kneeling before Kama. He looked up at him and stood. Kama turned to look at him.
"Kama will you go with Aethinia shortly while I talk to Legolas shortly?"
Aethinia, the maid Thranduil left her with earlier, emerged from the courner and lead Kama outside.
"Legolas, she suspects you are unhappy already. She felt like it was her fault. Do you wish that of her?"
Legolas didn't anwer.
"Then I suggest you get your act together," he finished, knowing the answer to the rhetorical question. "I see you are ready. She was not very helpful in terms of straight answers, but I do believe she lives in a world where no elves exist, but are myths."
"Myths!"
"Yes, indeed. Well, it is late. I wish you well on getting her safely home. I have readied five guards to assist you."
"Thank you, but we will travel alone if we must travel at all."
"That is not an option."
"Do you not know how shy she is with strangers? I think it would be better if it was just me and her."
"Yes. . . I see your point. Very well. I will expect your arrival in a few days."
"Goodbye. Until then."
~~~
Aethinia had clothed Kama in elvin traveling clothing that looked much like a hobbit's because of its size. Just looking at her in it reminded him of Frodo and the Fellowship.
He smiled and extended his hand. "Come Kama. We have an adventure before us."
~~~
A/N: Okey dokey. Hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you.