Part Six: Sword Dance
She watched as he walked back toward the camp. He had shed his jerkin and vambraces in favor of his soft silver-blue silk tunic and gray-green suede leggings.
Above in the trees, elves could be heard singing.
Legolas looked up as he carried a pitcher of water over to the hobbits. "A lament for Gandalf." He whispered.
"What do they say about him?" Merry asked following the elf's gaze.
"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near."
Ithilin walked up beside him, "Can I ease your grief, herven-nîn?"
Legolas smiled, her eyes were dancing again. Setting the pitcher down near the hobbits, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and full, tasting every inch of her soft petal pink lips. The last time they had kissed like this had been in Rivendell. He stepped closer to her as her hands grabbed his tunic. His lips left her mouth and trailed along the line of her jaw. She moaned softly as he playfully nibbled at her ear. Her hands slid up his silk tunic and began unhooking the silver clasps. He gasped as he felt her fingers caress his skin, pushing the soft fabric from his slender shoulders.
"Ai, not here love!" he chuckled, slipping into elvish as he shrugged his shirt back on. "We wouldn't want to frighten the hobbits."
"You'd think, with the way they are staring, they had never seen elves kiss before."
Legolas laughed. "Not like that, I bet."
Merry and Pippin stood watching them, eyes wide and mouths open.
Legolas nipped the tip of her ear, playfully. Her body arched toward his in response. Then she broke away and tugged at his hand, wanting him to follow her.
"Do you think that they're lovers, Merry?" Pippin asked as he watched the two elves disappear into the surrounding forest.
Meriadoc looked at his friend incredulously, "Would they have done that, if they weren't?"
"I don't know how it is with elves."
"I don't either, Pip. But they're obviously not shy about it, whatever they are."
* * *
Legolas found a small secluded clearing and laid down on a bed of leaves pulling Ithilin with him. She straddled his waist, her hands sliding up his chest brushing his tunic open. He gasped as her lips contacted the skin at the base of his throat. A small moan escaped him as her tongue slid up the soft flesh of his throat to his ear.
"Ai Iluvatar!" he breathed as he felt her teeth close on the tip of his ear. "What you do to me!"
She had him completely undone. He couldn't move anymore than to support her weight above him. Fire and desire were coursing along their bond. He could feel her need yet at the same time his body refused to respond to that desire. He had never wanted her like this before, yet he was powerless to act.
He cried out in frustration.
"What is it?" she asked breathlessly, seeing the tears in his eyes.
"I want you." He panted, "But my body will not stir."
She smiled tenderly at him, "I know, a'maelamin. I will do all I can to give you some sort of release."
Legolas drew her into a kiss, hungry and passionate. He wanted this, no needed this. His hands slid up and down her clothed body as her mouth traced the line of his jaw down his neck to his chest. Her lips closed over one of his nipples and it was all he could do to keep from arching into her, until she began to tease it and suck on it at the same time. His eyes flew open wide and he gasped in shear pleasure at the sensation. He couldn't stop the cry of joy that ripped from his throat as his back arched.
Ithilin came back up and kissed him, her mouth still half full of his milk. She let the sweet, warm liquid trickle into his mouth, letting him taste the sweetness of their bond.
"Here lies the Prince of Mirkwood." A voice sneered from behind the tree.
"Haldir?" the prince gasped.
"Get up." The guardian commanded.
Legolas scrambled to his feet, keeping himself between Haldir and Ithilin. He felt his silk tunic sliding from his arms as he stood. He knew what the elder elf wanted, and he wasn't about to let him have it willingly.
"You know what I want, little one."
"Yes."
"Then let's get this over with, son of Thranduil" He said drawing his sword.
"I will not fight you, Haldir." Legolas said evenly.
The guardian smiled contemptuously. "Then you forfeit any rights you might have had."
"I am bound to her."
"Not if you will not defend it. A poor choice indeed, my lady. Sylvan's are so backward."
Haldir reached out and pulled Ithilin to him, kissing her roughly. Ithilin drew back and slapped him across the face. He smiled as he crushed her against him, his tongue forcing itself into her mouth.
Legolas' eyes blazed. He knew Ithilin was strong but not strong enough to fend off a battle hardened elf. "Let her go." His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but deadly.
"Make me. Defend what you say is yours, princeling."
"Here laddie!" came the gruff voice of Gimli as he tossed Legolas' knives to him.
"I said 'let her go', Haldir." He crossed the long knives in front of him. He knew he had the advantage of being smaller and lighter than his opponent.
Haldir gave Ithilin one more crushing kiss and tossed her to the ground. He shed his jerkin and tunic then brought his sword to the ready. The soft moonlight danced over his light bronze skin, kissing the well formed hard muscles on his chest, back, and shoulders. He made the younger elf look scrawny.
Though not as visibly muscled, Legolas was built like a hunting cat. Lithe and beautiful and deadly when provoked. He appeared weaker because of his slight stature, but he was really frighteningly strong. His hair fell over his deceptively fragile shoulders as he stared at the elf across from him.
Their blades connected with a clang of steel on steel. The two elves pushed away from one another, trying to stare the other down. They twisted and spun, pale golden hair fanning out around them. Again and again their blades clashed, each time the dance became faster and more lethal. Their movements began to blur, their eyes locked on one another with deadly intent. Only one could walk away from the Sword Dance, unless the victor chose to spare the loser's life.
"What's going on?!" Aragorn breathed as he entered the clearing, seeing his friend locked in combat with the Lórien guardian.
"Do not interfere, laddie." Gimli said holding the ranger back.
"I told him not to do this."
"It matters not. It has already begun." Ithilin answered.
"We can not afford this. What will happen if he is injured or worse, killed?"
Ithilin shook her head and smiled. Aragorn still underestimated the prince, even after such a long friendship. She knew what he was capable of. In the two months before the fellowship left Rivendell, she and Legolas had many sparring sessions. Though she would never be able to match his strength, she would not let him hold back to keep from hurting her. She had told him that if she was going to be fighting alongside men she might as well learn how the counter their strength. Reluctantly he had agreed, but was taken by surprise when she pinned him to the floor.
Clang! Skrieeeech! Clang!
Haldir was beginning to show signs of tiring, yet Legolas was quite the opposite. He was barely even sweating. One well placed kick and the Lórien elf landed on his back, the air knocked from his lungs and his sword flew from his hand.
"Do you yield?" Legolas said, panting slightly as he pressed one of his knives to the older elf's throat.
"Get it over with." Haldir growled, angry that he had been bested by this child prince.
"No. I will let you live, Haldir." He said offering the guardian his hand. "But you will make no further attempts to take Ithilin."
The stunned elf nodded and took the proffered hand.
Legolas easily pulled Haldir to his feet. "No hard feelings?"
Surprise flashed across the guardian's face. "I was wrong, forgive me."
"Ú-moe edaved, Haldir." A genuine smile lit up the younger elf's features. "You are a worthy opponent."
Ithilin retrieved his tunic and handed it to him.
"Do you realize what you have, young one?" Haldir said looking at Ithilin
"Aye, mellon-nîn." Legolas answered calmly as he shrugged the light blue silk over his shoulders, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. "The Coithuliel."
Haldir's eyes went wide and he swallowed hard as he watched them leave the clearing. Had he really fought the son of Thranduil for the daughter of Varda? And lost?
"I don't deserve you." Legolas chuckled, giving her a quick kiss.
"With that kind of display?" she laughed as they walked, hand in hand, back into their camp, "It is I who should be saying that, Prince of Mirkwood."
Author's Note: Elvish translations:
"Ú-moe edaved, Haldir." (There is nothing to forgive, Haldir.)
Coithuliel literally means "daughter of the breath of life"
She watched as he walked back toward the camp. He had shed his jerkin and vambraces in favor of his soft silver-blue silk tunic and gray-green suede leggings.
Above in the trees, elves could be heard singing.
Legolas looked up as he carried a pitcher of water over to the hobbits. "A lament for Gandalf." He whispered.
"What do they say about him?" Merry asked following the elf's gaze.
"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near."
Ithilin walked up beside him, "Can I ease your grief, herven-nîn?"
Legolas smiled, her eyes were dancing again. Setting the pitcher down near the hobbits, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and full, tasting every inch of her soft petal pink lips. The last time they had kissed like this had been in Rivendell. He stepped closer to her as her hands grabbed his tunic. His lips left her mouth and trailed along the line of her jaw. She moaned softly as he playfully nibbled at her ear. Her hands slid up his silk tunic and began unhooking the silver clasps. He gasped as he felt her fingers caress his skin, pushing the soft fabric from his slender shoulders.
"Ai, not here love!" he chuckled, slipping into elvish as he shrugged his shirt back on. "We wouldn't want to frighten the hobbits."
"You'd think, with the way they are staring, they had never seen elves kiss before."
Legolas laughed. "Not like that, I bet."
Merry and Pippin stood watching them, eyes wide and mouths open.
Legolas nipped the tip of her ear, playfully. Her body arched toward his in response. Then she broke away and tugged at his hand, wanting him to follow her.
"Do you think that they're lovers, Merry?" Pippin asked as he watched the two elves disappear into the surrounding forest.
Meriadoc looked at his friend incredulously, "Would they have done that, if they weren't?"
"I don't know how it is with elves."
"I don't either, Pip. But they're obviously not shy about it, whatever they are."
* * *
Legolas found a small secluded clearing and laid down on a bed of leaves pulling Ithilin with him. She straddled his waist, her hands sliding up his chest brushing his tunic open. He gasped as her lips contacted the skin at the base of his throat. A small moan escaped him as her tongue slid up the soft flesh of his throat to his ear.
"Ai Iluvatar!" he breathed as he felt her teeth close on the tip of his ear. "What you do to me!"
She had him completely undone. He couldn't move anymore than to support her weight above him. Fire and desire were coursing along their bond. He could feel her need yet at the same time his body refused to respond to that desire. He had never wanted her like this before, yet he was powerless to act.
He cried out in frustration.
"What is it?" she asked breathlessly, seeing the tears in his eyes.
"I want you." He panted, "But my body will not stir."
She smiled tenderly at him, "I know, a'maelamin. I will do all I can to give you some sort of release."
Legolas drew her into a kiss, hungry and passionate. He wanted this, no needed this. His hands slid up and down her clothed body as her mouth traced the line of his jaw down his neck to his chest. Her lips closed over one of his nipples and it was all he could do to keep from arching into her, until she began to tease it and suck on it at the same time. His eyes flew open wide and he gasped in shear pleasure at the sensation. He couldn't stop the cry of joy that ripped from his throat as his back arched.
Ithilin came back up and kissed him, her mouth still half full of his milk. She let the sweet, warm liquid trickle into his mouth, letting him taste the sweetness of their bond.
"Here lies the Prince of Mirkwood." A voice sneered from behind the tree.
"Haldir?" the prince gasped.
"Get up." The guardian commanded.
Legolas scrambled to his feet, keeping himself between Haldir and Ithilin. He felt his silk tunic sliding from his arms as he stood. He knew what the elder elf wanted, and he wasn't about to let him have it willingly.
"You know what I want, little one."
"Yes."
"Then let's get this over with, son of Thranduil" He said drawing his sword.
"I will not fight you, Haldir." Legolas said evenly.
The guardian smiled contemptuously. "Then you forfeit any rights you might have had."
"I am bound to her."
"Not if you will not defend it. A poor choice indeed, my lady. Sylvan's are so backward."
Haldir reached out and pulled Ithilin to him, kissing her roughly. Ithilin drew back and slapped him across the face. He smiled as he crushed her against him, his tongue forcing itself into her mouth.
Legolas' eyes blazed. He knew Ithilin was strong but not strong enough to fend off a battle hardened elf. "Let her go." His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but deadly.
"Make me. Defend what you say is yours, princeling."
"Here laddie!" came the gruff voice of Gimli as he tossed Legolas' knives to him.
"I said 'let her go', Haldir." He crossed the long knives in front of him. He knew he had the advantage of being smaller and lighter than his opponent.
Haldir gave Ithilin one more crushing kiss and tossed her to the ground. He shed his jerkin and tunic then brought his sword to the ready. The soft moonlight danced over his light bronze skin, kissing the well formed hard muscles on his chest, back, and shoulders. He made the younger elf look scrawny.
Though not as visibly muscled, Legolas was built like a hunting cat. Lithe and beautiful and deadly when provoked. He appeared weaker because of his slight stature, but he was really frighteningly strong. His hair fell over his deceptively fragile shoulders as he stared at the elf across from him.
Their blades connected with a clang of steel on steel. The two elves pushed away from one another, trying to stare the other down. They twisted and spun, pale golden hair fanning out around them. Again and again their blades clashed, each time the dance became faster and more lethal. Their movements began to blur, their eyes locked on one another with deadly intent. Only one could walk away from the Sword Dance, unless the victor chose to spare the loser's life.
"What's going on?!" Aragorn breathed as he entered the clearing, seeing his friend locked in combat with the Lórien guardian.
"Do not interfere, laddie." Gimli said holding the ranger back.
"I told him not to do this."
"It matters not. It has already begun." Ithilin answered.
"We can not afford this. What will happen if he is injured or worse, killed?"
Ithilin shook her head and smiled. Aragorn still underestimated the prince, even after such a long friendship. She knew what he was capable of. In the two months before the fellowship left Rivendell, she and Legolas had many sparring sessions. Though she would never be able to match his strength, she would not let him hold back to keep from hurting her. She had told him that if she was going to be fighting alongside men she might as well learn how the counter their strength. Reluctantly he had agreed, but was taken by surprise when she pinned him to the floor.
Clang! Skrieeeech! Clang!
Haldir was beginning to show signs of tiring, yet Legolas was quite the opposite. He was barely even sweating. One well placed kick and the Lórien elf landed on his back, the air knocked from his lungs and his sword flew from his hand.
"Do you yield?" Legolas said, panting slightly as he pressed one of his knives to the older elf's throat.
"Get it over with." Haldir growled, angry that he had been bested by this child prince.
"No. I will let you live, Haldir." He said offering the guardian his hand. "But you will make no further attempts to take Ithilin."
The stunned elf nodded and took the proffered hand.
Legolas easily pulled Haldir to his feet. "No hard feelings?"
Surprise flashed across the guardian's face. "I was wrong, forgive me."
"Ú-moe edaved, Haldir." A genuine smile lit up the younger elf's features. "You are a worthy opponent."
Ithilin retrieved his tunic and handed it to him.
"Do you realize what you have, young one?" Haldir said looking at Ithilin
"Aye, mellon-nîn." Legolas answered calmly as he shrugged the light blue silk over his shoulders, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. "The Coithuliel."
Haldir's eyes went wide and he swallowed hard as he watched them leave the clearing. Had he really fought the son of Thranduil for the daughter of Varda? And lost?
"I don't deserve you." Legolas chuckled, giving her a quick kiss.
"With that kind of display?" she laughed as they walked, hand in hand, back into their camp, "It is I who should be saying that, Prince of Mirkwood."
Author's Note: Elvish translations:
"Ú-moe edaved, Haldir." (There is nothing to forgive, Haldir.)
Coithuliel literally means "daughter of the breath of life"