Chapter 17

Laramin stayed with them that night, sharing the braised elk that Legolas had managed to capture. He was a funny little man with a personality to match his comical features. His eyes were large and round, and black as coal, his straight nose matched in size, extending well over his other features. His lips were spread wide into a permanent smile and his cheeks remained slightly dimpled. In contrast to his rather large facial features, his physique was quite small, reaching only to Aura's shoulders.

He brought news from the lands that the collective was to visit, and this news was highly welcomed.

"I was on my way to visit the elves of Rivendell- having never seen any before and being a highly curious person- when I first saw the masses, the orcs. I had been riding for three weeks already, with my brother Maronmir. We were on a hill when we saw the swarm; they were like a black sea, I say, endless. They trudged along to an endless beat," Laramin thumped his hand on his thigh to demonstrate, "Boom, BOOM, BOOM. Just like that. They were steady, yes, but slow. So me and me brother rode back as quick as we could, and it only took us two days. We warned them people in Bree then, them little people in the Shire. Master Took and Master Brandybuck went to Bree, took up their little swords as they says; them runts are goners, I says. So I flee all the way to here, and I'm not stopping till I get to Gandarl, or farther."

Laramin finished his story telling and Aragorn gave him a light smile. "Good luck with your journey then. I'm sure the King of Gandarl will give you a warm welcome, as it is custom."

"Well, I'll get me some sleep then," Laramin bade goodnight,

"You should," Aragorn returned, "Oh, but Laramin," he paused while the little man turned around, "Do not under estimate the hobbits, they have saved us once, one does not know what potential they hold to do so again."

Laramin looked at the King of Gondor in silence for a mere moment before his usual smile broke out onto his face and a hearty laugh escaped his lips.

"Goodnight, my friends, goodnight!" he shouted as he went off into his little dark corner of the camp to sleep.

Legolas and Gimli soon removed themselves from Aragorn's company as well; choosing to spar while arguing over whom killed more orc, leaving but Eomer and Aura at the campfire with Aragorn.

"Now Aura, there is a subject that we must address," Aragorn began.

"What is this subject?" Aura asked in return.

"The hazard which is your dress." Aragorn answered, " It seems to me that it could have caused you great peril today."

"It would seem so," Aura agreed as she turned towards he memories of the day with a shudder.

"Perhaps it would be wise to rectify that little problem?" he suggested, leaving a smirk on the girl's face.

"I would gladly trade with you, your highness, but I doubt that this dress would suit you."

Aragorn let out a little chuckle and Aura continued; "However, if you will kindly lend me a robe, I will alter this to your likings."

Aragorn had no robe, but upon inquiry, Legolas donated his. Aura slipped on the velvety garment, which was too large for her own liking and undressed herself of her other garments that she were to fix. She began with the dress itself. Having no shears, the task was more difficult, but she improvised using her sword. She cut off all the material underneath the hips, making herself a top. She slit the froth of it with the tip of her sword, made holes along each side of the slit, one inch apart from each other. From the long skirt, she cut a long thin strip of leather that she used to lace up the front. From the skirt, she also fashioned a pair of shorter pants that ended just below her knee, as she no longer had enough material to make them full length. From the scraps of material she made a hood for her suede top. Aura easily tired from her task of sewing and after much debating, she decided to go out in the open field for a walk.

As she was about to leave the sights of the camp, a voice caught her.

"You won't go out there…"

Aura turned angrily to see Legolas' face only inches from hers. Once again, he was always there, watching her every move, keeping her from doing what she needed to do.

"All I want to do is see the stars. I may well take care of my own." She said bitterly, holding back what she really wanted to say "I may be a woman but I'm just as strong as you"

Legolas sighed, succumbing to Aura's angry eyes in her sweet face.

"Aura, I do not doubt you, but you must know that I would not let anyone go into the black of night alone, not even Aragorn." He told her, knowing that the compliment of being compared to Aragorn was enough to sooth her.

"Then will you come with me?" Aura asked, not knowing how eager Legolas' was to accept.

They walked into the open field and past a ridge lit only by the starry night. The shadowed rocks were unwelcoming but Aura sat there anyway. After scanning the area many times over, Legolas finally took his seat beside Aura who did not seem to notice him at all. She looked straight towards the heavens and her mind was not in that world anymore. She closed her eyes in silent prayer, to whom he did not know. As her mind traveled through the galaxies his stayed fixated on her, and as he continued to stare at her, his heart grew warm. To his elven eyes, she radiated a light so pure that it began to hurt. The light brightened until the intensity became too much for his eyes, and in the time for him to blink once, it had ceased. The only light belonged to the moon and the stars above.

Aura had also awaken from her dreams, her mind had returned to her body but a mournful look remained on her face.

"What pains you?" the question escaped the elf's lips before it had registered in his mind. Legolas knew that he was not one to give advice of the heart for it was an organ that he had become detached from long ago. He did not understand pain or suffering, nor could he tell Aura how to overcome it. From her expression, Aura knew as well that it was not usually of him to ask such a question, which is why she actually took the pains to answer him.

"This journey, it will…" tears rolled down her cheek as she looked deeply into his eyes and she stopped short. "Even if I tell him, he will not understand," she thought.

However Legolas' soft eyes and concerned look assured her that she could trust to tell him.

"I'm not ready to die," she confessed and knew right that Legolas was at a loss. He knew what death was, he knew the pain of losing someone, but never had he feared death itself and never had he contemplated what it was to die. Emotion caught in her throat and tears spilled down her cheeks as she tried to explain herself,

"I have only begun to live."

Once again, her words were lost upon him. Never had he felt the fear that Aura felt nor did he remember how he felt when the world was still knew to him. Aura stood up, ready to walk away, perhaps to the mountains that were ruled by darkness but where she was guaranteed solitude, or run away from this 'quest', back to the forest of Fangorn and save her own life. Instead she succumbed to the sandy ground, where she found herself crying on her knees begging for any being to take away the burden; of her father, of the sword, of her dreams, of her prophecy and of feelings which she had no understanding.

Seeing Aura in such despair, Legolas did not pity her but admired her for her ability so easily express such emotion. That ability, he had lost to pride many years ago, but now Legolas renounced his elvish demeanor and did what is virtually unknown to an elf. He lowered himself before Aura's gaze, to his knees in front of her and wiped away her tears.

"I refuse to believe that the fates would be so cruel," Legolas murmured, "I… too many people love you so." He removed a strand of hair from her face, pushing it behind her ear, his cheek brushing against hers. When reopening his eyes, a flash of light caught his attention. He pushed her golden strands further past the nape of her neck, drawn by the faintness of the light, to find a mark. A strange elvish marking that he had seen before but could not recall. He recorded it in his memory and drew back to look into Aura's eyes.

"I will not let death take you, I will protect you with every ounce of strength that I own. I give you my word."

Tears welled up in her eyes at the kind words and there was a long pause before anything else was said. Legolas stood up, lifting Aura with him. He took in the sight of Aura in his robe and now knew that his feelings were true. However, all he said was, "It is time we returned, they will begin to worry soon."