Behind blue eyes
Chapter 14: Ghosts?
(Lucciola)
Standing up and brushing myself off I give Elrohir a withering look, pure anger mostly at myself and my own stupidity are thrown into that glare and the twin seems slightly taken aback for he holds up his hands in a gesture of peace.
" I'm sorry, I didn't think he would take it that bad." He says and goes to his horse, leading him back into his comfortable stall while I finish tending to my own.
" So?" Elrohir leans against the wall, arms crossed while his human brother sits on the stall wall, his own involvement in this making him fear the Prince's rage.
" So what?" I throw back, making damn sure that they both hear how annoyed I am with this whole thing. Elrohir seems unaffected with the tone and presses for more information.
" What happened? Did he say anything?" He asks and I shrug, watching Estel jump off the wall and walk out of the barn.
" He said I lie." I respond simply and lead my horse into his stall, closing the door and turning to leave. Going back out into the air I take a deep breath and look up at the sky, wondering slightly if everything was all right in Mirkwood without me there.
" I'm sure they are getting along well without you Lucciola." Elladan says from where he leans in the shadows of a tree. I glance at the other twin and then back again, not really caring if he sees my want to go home.
" I can't help but think that it would have been better if I didn't come with Adar." I mutter and sigh, heading back to my bedroom where I can sit and think over this whole thing alone. Surely the prince's stubborness has to do with something Elrond told him when he was younger. Why else would the Prince be so adamant about not wanting to see his father and the man never changing? Wondering the many halls I come to a stop at a staircase, one I have never seen before. Growling with annoyance I turn back the way I came, only to turn down the wrong hall for I come to stop at the door of a closet.
" Why is it always me?" I sigh and turn to go back when I see someone pass by the hall, quickly running to the mouth I stop and look around the darker halls. My eye catches on a glint of something white and I make my way toward it, rounding a corner I stop, my breath suddenly is seen in the air. In front of me stands a young boy, his body aglow with an unnatural light, his golden hair more like freshly spun gold. He looks up at me, tears streaking down his face as he sobs, the sounds so light and faint it isn't possible this child could be making them.
" Young one? Is there something wrong?" I ask softly going to where the boy is huddled on the floor his head buried in his knees, sobbing. Kneeling beside him I try to console the youth but he seems beyond that.
" Please young one, what's wrong?" I try again, and the youth slowly picks up his head and gazes at me with tear-reddened eyes.
" My adar loves me no more, and mother has left me forever." He says quietly and I widen my eyes.
" What is your name young one?" I ask and the child closes his eyes, shutting them off from my eyes.
" Legolas Greenleaf!" I blink, startled by the name. Surely this isn't the same Prince that pounded me in the stable only a short while ago? The name isn't spoken by the boy, but by a voice far off. Looking around I catch the sight of another glowing being coming down the hall. The child seems to huddle closer into himself and buries his head in his knees. As I watch the other being, now closer reveals himself as Lord Elrond, although younger and a worried look upon his face. He catches sight of the child all curled up on the floor. He kneels at his side, rubbing soothing circles on the child's back as he speaks soothing words to him.
" What is it penneth?" Elrond asks, his eyes never leaving the child.
" No one loves me, they never will." The little one says and begins to cry harder.
" That is not true young one, your father loves you very much, but he is going through some hard times. Just wait, you'll see he really does love you." Elrond says and pulls the young Legolas into a hug while the young elf sobbed into his robes.
" Lucciola! Where are you!" I jump at the voice, turning away from the two elves and looking at Elladan and Elrohir racing down the hall. Glancing back at where the two sat I am startled to see that they are gone. Blinking quickly I put a hand to my head and conclude I am loosing my mind.
" I am lost." I state quickly and the twins stop their running and laugh.
" Come, we'll show you the way." Elrohir says and falls into step beside me as I follow his twin out of this hall and down another.
" We kind of figured you would get lost, so we went to search for you." He smiles and I nod, being aware of my surroundings as they show me to the guest quarters. They stop in front of my room, the large golden oak door opened slightly. I vaguely wonder why but brush it off as I smile at my guides.
"I think that tonight I have had enough exploring. I'm going to turn in." I tell them and they nod, turning to leave.
" I'll come and get you in the morning so you don't lose your way to the dinning hall." Elrohir smiles and I resist the urge to smack him. The twins race off down the hall like little elflings and I sigh, wondering if I had ever been so young. Pushing my door open further then stepping in I stop, noting the lit candles. Bending down and taking the dagger out of my boot I quickly walk the room, moving swiftly around it, looking for traces of an intruder. When I find none I relax and am about to return the blade to my boot when I stiffen. Against the small of my back the pointed edge of the blade is felt.
" For being a Mirkwood warrior, your not good at searching a room." The voice hisses and I set my face straight.
" Well there usually isn't anyone in the bedrooms of the Warriors." I tell my attacker, already knowing the identity. The knife is taken from my back and I turn around quickly to encounter Legolas standing there, one of his famous white-handled knives in hand.
" What are you doing here prince Legolas?" I ask, saying the honorary in a hiss. Legolas isn't taken aback by this and only sheaths the blade before fixing me with his dark gaze. I stand there, watching my adopted brother with my own anger rising.
" You're not as strong as you appear you know." I suddenly say as my brother turns away to the window, he stops and slowly looks at me, his eyes blazing.
" You are not the great warrior you want to be." He counters and I stop. I'm a great warrior! How dare he, he doesn't know what I have been through, he has no idea what Mirkwood has had invade her boarders.
" What would you know? You left Mirkwood." I snarl and stalk to the other side of the room, watching my brother out of the corner of my eye. His face never changes from the hard mask he has placed over it.
" Yes, I know I did. Not by choice." He says almost in a whisper. I turn quickly and stare openly. I always thought that the prince had left the Kingdome, this is a very interesting turn.
" What do you mean 'not by choice'? The way I heard it is that you found a way out and ran like the scared child you are. Unable to stand and be strong when threatened." I say not thinking before those words come spilling over my lips. I clasp a hand over my mouth and stare at my brother in pure shock. Legolas stands there, now playing with the knife in the leather sheath. Long blonde hair falling about his shoulders.
" When threatened? Tell me Lucciola, ever watch your own mother cry as she died in your arms? Ever try to stop the bleeding of the first woman you ever gave you heart to but to no avail? Did you really earn those warrior braids? Or get them at your coming of age?" Legolas asks, his voice like Ice, but as soft as silk. I look down at my hands, now fisted and trembling in rage.
" No, maybe not my mother, but my own older brother." I ground out, old memories surfacing quickly. Legolas stares at me, his eyes never leaving me.
" And I got them defending your father and a few representatives from Lorien." I add for good measure. If he wanted to know more about me, than I would answer his questions, and ignore the insults. Legolas sweeps his fingers lightly over the carver surface of a table, his eyes down and hidden from my view but I can tell by the way his jaw muscle twitches that he is becoming annoyed.
" And, unlike you I didn't allow anyone to die." I add, and at the tame I didn't know the effect those words would have on him, but I soon knew when a pale hand comes crashing into my jaw, making it pop. I fall to the ground taken off guard by the remarkable strength put behind the blow as it sends me sprawling onto the floor. I lay there a moment, collecting myself when the shadow of my brother looms over me, his fierce eyes darkened with anger and something else. Looking harder I realize it is self-loathing, a hatred the prince holds for himself. Gathering myself I push myself to my feet, watching the price wearily. Legolas stands there, glaring at me his ice colored eyes a darker shade, almost gray.
" I didn't allow them to die." It came as a mere whisper but I caught it as he said it. I stand there, an idea coming to my head about how to talk to Legolas, how to get inside his head and find out the reason why he is so distrustful.
" Than what happened? What went wrong?" I ask, falling into a defensive stance, waiting for the violent reaction from my half-brother… who isn't even looking at me.. instead Legolas is looking down at his clenched fists that are trembling.
" I don't know…" he starts and then turns away, angrily slamming his trembling fist into the wall, a resounding crack is heard and I cringe, knowing full well that he had just broke one of his knuckles of not all. He doesn't even make a sound and his expression doesn't change almost like he didn't feel the pain.
" I shouldn't have come here." He says and starts for the door but jumping in front of him I block his path, leveling my eyes with his own. For the first time in years I have finally found someone that might know what I went through as a child, what pains I still go through today. Yet now that I look into the stone depths of my adopted brother's eyes I begin to realize just how different our situations were. When I was a youth my brother use to protect me from father, he was my savior, never allowing father to touch me and always took it upon himself to help me when I was hurt. Yet, now that I look into the soul of Legolas I being to see that he had no one, no mother, no older brother's arms to sob into, he had no one but himself to turn to.
" Please…. Let me help you." I begin raising my hands to put them on his shoulders but Legolas shakes his head and shoves me out of the way.
" Why would you want to? Nobody cared before, why should they now?" He says and stalks from the room, leaving me to gape in horror at the words. Shaking my head I leave the room and stop in the hall, looking both ways for the way Legolas might have gone. Spinning in a circle I fail to notice the other being in the hall and collide with him, sending us both to the ground.
" What the hoolies!" The other swears and I turn to apologize when I see Estel rubbing his abused elbow.
" I..I'm so sorry Estel. Forgive me." I apologize to the man and help him to his feet. Estel calmly brushes himself off and gives me a smirk.
" Don't worry about it Lucciola." He says and then gives me a frown.
" What happened? You look like you have been through Mandos and back." He says and I smile at the reference.
" Well, I had a run in." I begin and the humans eyes shine.
" Really now?"
" Yes, with my brother, a white handled Knife and his fist." I add ruefully and shine in the Man's eyes dim slightly.
" He pulled a blade on you?" I nod my head and watch worriedly as the human son of Elrond runs a hand through his hair, letting out an annoyed sigh.
" I'm sorry to involve you in my problems Estel." I tell the man looking down quickly but the human laughs before placing a hand on his shoulder.
" Ah no need to be sorry. I'll go and speak to Legolas. Why don't you turn in, don't worry I'll track down the Princling." He smiles and I nod and as the human turns to track down his friend I stop him.
" When you do find him, look at his left hand. He punched a wall and I think he might have broken something." Estel turns and nods
" Ya know, he might not show it but he is glad to see another warrior of Mirkwood, his heart is not as healed as it can be. He needs to be around another warrior, and I think you are just that warrior." He says and turns, racing down the hall his feet barely hitting the surface. Going back into my room I prepare for bed, my thoughts swirling around this day's events.
Immortal Sadness: Well {sigh} there you go another update. Man… I have been writing another story, actually two. Hehe. Well Thank you to all those who have reviewed and for being so patient! Back to school tomorrow and I have a report due that I haven't even started ::bites nails:: Don't worry I can do it! *.~U lol. REVIEW! Please? REVIEW!