Title: Diplomacy Part 2
Author: Arisma
Rating: R Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own LOTR, the characters, the settings, any of it. I write non-fan based fiction and this story is the product of that line being crossed with my unhealthy fixation with a certain elf. I'm making no money off this, in any way, shape or form, though feedback is better than cheesecake. Feedback: chalice_nazarene@hotmail.com
His horse whickered and Legolas patted the animals' neck, whispering soft words of encouragement. He looked to the Quel warriors, riding at ease and wondered if anything upset the fierce band. He angled his mount nearer their leader, feeling his heart leap as her eyes met his, calm and steady.
He smiled as he neared, bending his head to speak to her, trying to appear professional, "Morning, lady. I trust the day finds you well?" She smiled softly in return, nodded. His smile broadened and he said more loudly, "Soon we will approach an area known to be frequented by orcs, I think it best if you readied yourselves for engagement."
He heard a derisive snort and looked to the large elf riding at her side. He was glaring menacingly but as she turned her head to regard her second in command he painted an expression of bemusement swiftly across his features. Legolas blinked in astonishment, if he had not seen the large warriors glare he would have never believed it had existed. "May I help you, Kallo?" she asked calmly, a slight tinge of amusement in her voice.
"I was just wondering if anyone had informed my Lord that Quel warriors ride at the ready, Rhya, and have no need of "readying" anything, save drawing our blades." he replied, pointedly light in his tone.
She shook her head and returned her gaze to Legolas. "Please forgive him, lord, he is sorely lacking in social graces. What he says is true however, we ride at the ready." she finished with a smile. Legolas smiled in return, feeling himself drawn into her gaze. He remembered the feel of her lips against his, her arms pulling him tight against her. He began to lean forward, forgetting his surroundings, when she spoke, breaking the trance. "What trees are those, Lord? We have none like them in Quelnassar." He gave her a brief smile of thanks and followed her outstretched hand, answering her question and excusing himself as soon as possible.
Returning to the head of the line he felt Kailins smirk as the other elf nudged his horse closer to his old friend and leader. Legolas grimaced slightly, knowing he was in for some ribbing. "Smooth." said Kailin, his face full of jovial humor. Legolas looked at him askance, eyebrow raised. The other elf raised his hands defensively saying, "Hey, I'd have done the same thing, but consider yourself lucky she stopped you when she did, I think that large fellow was ready to wring your neck as it was." Legolas turned and looked towards the Quel warriors, seeing Kallo staring at him with menace bare in his eyes.
He smiled cheekily and nodded to the large elf, watched as his face darkened further before turning back to his friend. "Probably shouldn't have done that.." he said, shaking his head at his own foolishness.
"Likely not." replied Kailin, grinning broadly and shrugging his shoulders.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The campfire burned brightly as Legolas finished speaking with Kailin, tallying the days efforts in his mind. They'd found no orcs, though sign of their recent passing was plentiful. They'd found and disarmed several crude snares and filled in a few basic pit traps. All in all the day had been productive, the woods were safer now then they had been this morning.
He walked towards the Quel, calculating when they would be likely to reach the roving band of orcs who were now their targets. The firelight was blocked suddenly and he looked up to see Kallo glaring at him and was disheartened to note his head was shoulder height to the massive warrior. "Ahh, Kallo," he said quickly, "I was just coming to brief your commander on the days events. If you could point her out, I'd be most grateful." Instead of words the large elf emitted a low growl and took a step nearer Legolas. Determined to stand his ground he raised his eyes to meet the others and merely stood, watching and waiting.
Finally after agonizing seconds the large elf raised a beefy arm and pointed to his commander, away from the others, nearly lost in shadow, relaxing against a large oak. At the sight of her a smile broke across his face and he heard the warrior growl again. Hurriedly saying his thanks he headed towards her, settling onto the ground after receiving a nod. He began telling her of the facts of the day, the likely numbers they would encounter, when they would likely meet up with them. She remained silent, watching him with eyes that glittered in the dark.
When he finished she stood and extended a hand to him, smiling softly. "Will you walk with me?" she asked in a low voice. He nodded and she helped him stand. "I'll be right back." She said and turning she approached the large warrior. They spoke briefly and Legolas saw him make a negative gesture and saw her lift her chin to a defiant angle and speak a single word in the Quel language. The large warrior nodded, grudgingly and she left him, returned to Legolas. "Ready?" she asked, and they turned and left the camp side by side.
Their light footfalls were the only sound for some time, the light of the campfire fading and finally disappearing, leaving only the moon to light their way. The silence stretched and Legolas wondered why she had brought him here. Finally she stopped walking and turned to face him, with eyes that shone brightly. He returned her gaze and took a step closer. "I thought of you all day." she said, pressing against him, arms hanging limply at her side. He felt himself shudder at her simple words and opened his mouth to speak when she continued. "I dreamt of you, imagined the others gone. I pictured what it would be like if it were just the two of us, alone, together." her voice trailed off and she lifted her face and kissed him lightly under his chin, arms still dangling.
He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the soft firmness of her melting into him. " I thought of you as well." he said simply, feeling his desire for her growing by the second. She kissed him again, tracing his jaw line with butterfly kisses, tasting his flesh, and he struggled to maintain his calm. "Rhyalla." he whispered, feeling his composure slip as she brought her hands to his chest, began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing and licking at his neck all the while.
She pulled back slightly, looked deep into his eyes, moonlight reflecting with impossible brightness from her own. "No words, Legolas." she whispered, watching him intently. He nodded slightly and bent his neck towards her, electricity shooting up his spine when his lips finally connected with hers. She sighed into mouth as he ran his hands down her back, cupping her buttocks, lifting her leg and resting it on his hip.
He felt his tunic slip down his arms and released her long enough to shrug it to the ground, pulling her to him before it settled. Again he opened his mouth to speak, gasped instead as she bent her head to his chest, teasing the smooth skin, hands and mouth working together to enflame him. His body responded to her touch, his face flushing, his skin pebbling with want. Her lips moved lower, teasing his navel, her hands resting on his hips, working slowly beneath the fabric of his leggings.
He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to find his balance in the current of sensation washing over him. She began to tug his leggings down and he let her, twining his hands in her long, dark hair. Lost in the sensations it took a moment for him to register the sounds, to feel her pulling away from him. Confused he looked around the clearing, asked quietly "Rhya, what's wrong?" She looked at him sideways, eyes wide and whispered, "There's something in the bushes." He followed her gaze and strained his ears, hearing a branch snap in the darkness.
He reached behind him and removed the twin blades strapped there. He caught a flash of light as she freed her own blades. They shared a look of concern as they waited, silent and tense. Soon more rustlings, from every direction, and he saw a gleam light in her eyes. He swallowed hard and felt the rush of impending battle overwhelm him. From somewhere very near a snuffing could be heard, feet shuffling. He felt her lean closer and whisper, "I'm going to make a light. be ready."
Before he could ask how, she shouted strange words and flung a hand forward, shooting a small globe of pale blue light, arcing it into the center of the clearing. It hung for a moment and then shattered, each shard suspended high in the air and glowing brightly. Prepared, his eyes adjusted smoothly and quickly, in time to see a group of orcs, perhaps ten strong, cringing and shielding their eyes from the glare.
She shouted something in the Quel language and then cried "Ambush!" moving her body away from him, blades flashing as she began to fight desperately. He tightened his grip on his long daggers and waded in, slicing an orcish throat on the upswing, deflecting a blow on the return. He felt a rush of air and saw a dark-feathered arrow protruding from the ground where he'd just been standing. Looking quickly to the trees he saw more orcs streaming behind, archers, firing their arrows with speed if not precision.
He twisted to avoid a stab and felt another clip his shoulder, warm blood running down his arm. Furiously he whipped his blades around his body, warding away any would be attackers with his sheer speed. He heard the sounds of battle behind him, heard metal clang on metal but was unable to take his eyes from the enemy surrounding him to check how the elf-maid was fairing. He thrust a blade through a throat and smiled grimly at the knowledge that his life would not be bought cheaply.
Blood rained and metal clashed as he worked his way around the clearing, avoiding most blows though many small gashes marred his skin. Lost in the fight for survival he did not feel them. An arrow whizzed by him and he heard a gasp behind, and he knew she had been hit.
"How bad?" he called, deflecting a clumsy chop, lopping off the hand that held the blade.
"I'm still going." she answered through clenched teeth, moving so her back was pressed to his.
They fought back to back, desperately overwhelmed, each enemy replaced by two when it fell. He felt his strength ebbing and knew he was near his end. He heard her gasp again and felt her stumble into him. "What's happening?" he asked, wanting desperately to turn to see, knowing it would be the end if he did. He stepped backwards and nearly tripped over her prone form, instead moving so one leg was on either side of her, desperately deflecting blow after blow. An arrow blew past him, catching a foe in the chest and the creature fell, grasping for the haft.
Elven warriors poured into the clearing, Mirkwood soldiers fighting alongside the Quel seamlessly. No longer so sure of their victory, many orcs turned and fled and soon Legolas found himself without an opponent. He knelt in the dirt and looked at the fallen maid, an arrow protruding form her shoulder and a wicked gash marring the smooth flesh of her abdomen. Grasping the bottom of her tunic he ripped a long strip, binding her wounds as best he could. Soon the battle was ended, and he called for a healer.
A large hand grasped his shoulder and he found himself sailing through the air, his breath gone in a whoosh as he collided with a tree. Dazedly he saw Kallo stalking towards him, huge hands clenched into monstrous fists. He brought his arms up to ward the blow, needn't have bothered as the large elfs fist crashed through his defenses, slamming with monstrous force into his cheek. He felt something snap and then the world tipped sideways into a sea of gray light.
Author: Arisma
Rating: R Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own LOTR, the characters, the settings, any of it. I write non-fan based fiction and this story is the product of that line being crossed with my unhealthy fixation with a certain elf. I'm making no money off this, in any way, shape or form, though feedback is better than cheesecake. Feedback: chalice_nazarene@hotmail.com
His horse whickered and Legolas patted the animals' neck, whispering soft words of encouragement. He looked to the Quel warriors, riding at ease and wondered if anything upset the fierce band. He angled his mount nearer their leader, feeling his heart leap as her eyes met his, calm and steady.
He smiled as he neared, bending his head to speak to her, trying to appear professional, "Morning, lady. I trust the day finds you well?" She smiled softly in return, nodded. His smile broadened and he said more loudly, "Soon we will approach an area known to be frequented by orcs, I think it best if you readied yourselves for engagement."
He heard a derisive snort and looked to the large elf riding at her side. He was glaring menacingly but as she turned her head to regard her second in command he painted an expression of bemusement swiftly across his features. Legolas blinked in astonishment, if he had not seen the large warriors glare he would have never believed it had existed. "May I help you, Kallo?" she asked calmly, a slight tinge of amusement in her voice.
"I was just wondering if anyone had informed my Lord that Quel warriors ride at the ready, Rhya, and have no need of "readying" anything, save drawing our blades." he replied, pointedly light in his tone.
She shook her head and returned her gaze to Legolas. "Please forgive him, lord, he is sorely lacking in social graces. What he says is true however, we ride at the ready." she finished with a smile. Legolas smiled in return, feeling himself drawn into her gaze. He remembered the feel of her lips against his, her arms pulling him tight against her. He began to lean forward, forgetting his surroundings, when she spoke, breaking the trance. "What trees are those, Lord? We have none like them in Quelnassar." He gave her a brief smile of thanks and followed her outstretched hand, answering her question and excusing himself as soon as possible.
Returning to the head of the line he felt Kailins smirk as the other elf nudged his horse closer to his old friend and leader. Legolas grimaced slightly, knowing he was in for some ribbing. "Smooth." said Kailin, his face full of jovial humor. Legolas looked at him askance, eyebrow raised. The other elf raised his hands defensively saying, "Hey, I'd have done the same thing, but consider yourself lucky she stopped you when she did, I think that large fellow was ready to wring your neck as it was." Legolas turned and looked towards the Quel warriors, seeing Kallo staring at him with menace bare in his eyes.
He smiled cheekily and nodded to the large elf, watched as his face darkened further before turning back to his friend. "Probably shouldn't have done that.." he said, shaking his head at his own foolishness.
"Likely not." replied Kailin, grinning broadly and shrugging his shoulders.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The campfire burned brightly as Legolas finished speaking with Kailin, tallying the days efforts in his mind. They'd found no orcs, though sign of their recent passing was plentiful. They'd found and disarmed several crude snares and filled in a few basic pit traps. All in all the day had been productive, the woods were safer now then they had been this morning.
He walked towards the Quel, calculating when they would be likely to reach the roving band of orcs who were now their targets. The firelight was blocked suddenly and he looked up to see Kallo glaring at him and was disheartened to note his head was shoulder height to the massive warrior. "Ahh, Kallo," he said quickly, "I was just coming to brief your commander on the days events. If you could point her out, I'd be most grateful." Instead of words the large elf emitted a low growl and took a step nearer Legolas. Determined to stand his ground he raised his eyes to meet the others and merely stood, watching and waiting.
Finally after agonizing seconds the large elf raised a beefy arm and pointed to his commander, away from the others, nearly lost in shadow, relaxing against a large oak. At the sight of her a smile broke across his face and he heard the warrior growl again. Hurriedly saying his thanks he headed towards her, settling onto the ground after receiving a nod. He began telling her of the facts of the day, the likely numbers they would encounter, when they would likely meet up with them. She remained silent, watching him with eyes that glittered in the dark.
When he finished she stood and extended a hand to him, smiling softly. "Will you walk with me?" she asked in a low voice. He nodded and she helped him stand. "I'll be right back." She said and turning she approached the large warrior. They spoke briefly and Legolas saw him make a negative gesture and saw her lift her chin to a defiant angle and speak a single word in the Quel language. The large warrior nodded, grudgingly and she left him, returned to Legolas. "Ready?" she asked, and they turned and left the camp side by side.
Their light footfalls were the only sound for some time, the light of the campfire fading and finally disappearing, leaving only the moon to light their way. The silence stretched and Legolas wondered why she had brought him here. Finally she stopped walking and turned to face him, with eyes that shone brightly. He returned her gaze and took a step closer. "I thought of you all day." she said, pressing against him, arms hanging limply at her side. He felt himself shudder at her simple words and opened his mouth to speak when she continued. "I dreamt of you, imagined the others gone. I pictured what it would be like if it were just the two of us, alone, together." her voice trailed off and she lifted her face and kissed him lightly under his chin, arms still dangling.
He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the soft firmness of her melting into him. " I thought of you as well." he said simply, feeling his desire for her growing by the second. She kissed him again, tracing his jaw line with butterfly kisses, tasting his flesh, and he struggled to maintain his calm. "Rhyalla." he whispered, feeling his composure slip as she brought her hands to his chest, began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing and licking at his neck all the while.
She pulled back slightly, looked deep into his eyes, moonlight reflecting with impossible brightness from her own. "No words, Legolas." she whispered, watching him intently. He nodded slightly and bent his neck towards her, electricity shooting up his spine when his lips finally connected with hers. She sighed into mouth as he ran his hands down her back, cupping her buttocks, lifting her leg and resting it on his hip.
He felt his tunic slip down his arms and released her long enough to shrug it to the ground, pulling her to him before it settled. Again he opened his mouth to speak, gasped instead as she bent her head to his chest, teasing the smooth skin, hands and mouth working together to enflame him. His body responded to her touch, his face flushing, his skin pebbling with want. Her lips moved lower, teasing his navel, her hands resting on his hips, working slowly beneath the fabric of his leggings.
He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to find his balance in the current of sensation washing over him. She began to tug his leggings down and he let her, twining his hands in her long, dark hair. Lost in the sensations it took a moment for him to register the sounds, to feel her pulling away from him. Confused he looked around the clearing, asked quietly "Rhya, what's wrong?" She looked at him sideways, eyes wide and whispered, "There's something in the bushes." He followed her gaze and strained his ears, hearing a branch snap in the darkness.
He reached behind him and removed the twin blades strapped there. He caught a flash of light as she freed her own blades. They shared a look of concern as they waited, silent and tense. Soon more rustlings, from every direction, and he saw a gleam light in her eyes. He swallowed hard and felt the rush of impending battle overwhelm him. From somewhere very near a snuffing could be heard, feet shuffling. He felt her lean closer and whisper, "I'm going to make a light. be ready."
Before he could ask how, she shouted strange words and flung a hand forward, shooting a small globe of pale blue light, arcing it into the center of the clearing. It hung for a moment and then shattered, each shard suspended high in the air and glowing brightly. Prepared, his eyes adjusted smoothly and quickly, in time to see a group of orcs, perhaps ten strong, cringing and shielding their eyes from the glare.
She shouted something in the Quel language and then cried "Ambush!" moving her body away from him, blades flashing as she began to fight desperately. He tightened his grip on his long daggers and waded in, slicing an orcish throat on the upswing, deflecting a blow on the return. He felt a rush of air and saw a dark-feathered arrow protruding from the ground where he'd just been standing. Looking quickly to the trees he saw more orcs streaming behind, archers, firing their arrows with speed if not precision.
He twisted to avoid a stab and felt another clip his shoulder, warm blood running down his arm. Furiously he whipped his blades around his body, warding away any would be attackers with his sheer speed. He heard the sounds of battle behind him, heard metal clang on metal but was unable to take his eyes from the enemy surrounding him to check how the elf-maid was fairing. He thrust a blade through a throat and smiled grimly at the knowledge that his life would not be bought cheaply.
Blood rained and metal clashed as he worked his way around the clearing, avoiding most blows though many small gashes marred his skin. Lost in the fight for survival he did not feel them. An arrow whizzed by him and he heard a gasp behind, and he knew she had been hit.
"How bad?" he called, deflecting a clumsy chop, lopping off the hand that held the blade.
"I'm still going." she answered through clenched teeth, moving so her back was pressed to his.
They fought back to back, desperately overwhelmed, each enemy replaced by two when it fell. He felt his strength ebbing and knew he was near his end. He heard her gasp again and felt her stumble into him. "What's happening?" he asked, wanting desperately to turn to see, knowing it would be the end if he did. He stepped backwards and nearly tripped over her prone form, instead moving so one leg was on either side of her, desperately deflecting blow after blow. An arrow blew past him, catching a foe in the chest and the creature fell, grasping for the haft.
Elven warriors poured into the clearing, Mirkwood soldiers fighting alongside the Quel seamlessly. No longer so sure of their victory, many orcs turned and fled and soon Legolas found himself without an opponent. He knelt in the dirt and looked at the fallen maid, an arrow protruding form her shoulder and a wicked gash marring the smooth flesh of her abdomen. Grasping the bottom of her tunic he ripped a long strip, binding her wounds as best he could. Soon the battle was ended, and he called for a healer.
A large hand grasped his shoulder and he found himself sailing through the air, his breath gone in a whoosh as he collided with a tree. Dazedly he saw Kallo stalking towards him, huge hands clenched into monstrous fists. He brought his arms up to ward the blow, needn't have bothered as the large elfs fist crashed through his defenses, slamming with monstrous force into his cheek. He felt something snap and then the world tipped sideways into a sea of gray light.