"Fine, then. I'll keep my mouth shut," said Legolas reluctantly.
Legolas turned and walked out of the room. He headed towards the center of Rivendell, enjoying the sunshine and good weather. He strode into the square and then headed left through an alley way. Ducking past a low archway, he came upon little, neat houses in a row. He came to the number 22 house and knocked on the door. An elderly woman answered the door.
"Ah, Legolas, Arilyte is in the garden. Do you want to come in?" said the woman with a warm smile.
"Yes, Rylieth," said Legolas, stepping inside the house.
Inside, it was cool and dark. The inside was neatly kept and looked warm and homey. Rylieth led Legolas to the back door leading to the garden. "Arilyte is somewhere around here," she said, searching for her granddaughter.
"Don't worry, I'll find her," he said. He gave Rylieth a quick wave and set off to find her.
Meanwhile, Arilyte was picking some wenkryn flowers to brighten up her home with its beautiful, delicate white petals. She heard footsteps and glanced behind her. There, Legolas stood with a smile on his face. She loved the way the sun shone on him, his form outlined in a faint glow. She set the basket down and rushed into his arms.
Legolas hugged her tight. It had been so long since he had seen her last. He inhaled the flowery scent of her hair as they embraced. He had missed her so much.
"We meet again, Arilyte," said Legolas, with a grin. She looked up at him, with her eyes sparkling.
"You haven't lost your sense of humor I see," she said with a laugh. "It's been a long time since you last visited me. I heard you went to Lothlorien for something. What was it?"
"I had to attend a Council of Celeborn. My father had me attend in his place so I can experience how politics really works," sighed Legolas. "I may be the son of a Noble but I do not envy them. The task is very tedious."
"Er…Legolas," said Arilyte tentatively, "There's something I need to ask of you."
"Go ahead," said Legolas, sitting down on a tree stump with Arilyte in his lap.
"Well, I was wondering if you could spend the night here."
Legolas looked deeply into her eyes before he answered. "All right, I could stay here for the night. Anything for you."
* * *
Legolas rolled over. His arm went around Arilyte and he drew closer to her. Her face, looking seraphic and glowing stunned him. He kissed her softly on the lips and she opened her blue-green eyes.
"I love you, Legolas," her voice barely a whisper.
"I love you, too, Arilyte. Sleep now, you need some rest," said Legolas gently.
He kissed her again and watched her eyes close. All of a sudden, Legolas heard the Horn of Rivendell in the distance. He sat up quickly, awaking Arilyte. He knew that only the Horn was sounded when there was something important going on or worse, danger is near. He supposed Arilyte knew this too for her expression on her face was aghast. Legolas got up and started to dress quickly. He knew that sooner or later, he would have to be at the palace.
"I-I'm sorry, I have to leave before my father finds out that I'm here," apologized Legolas.
"It's ok. I'm just worried what happened that caused the alarm." She looked slightly scared as if something terrible was going to happen to all of them.
"Don't worry, Elrond will sort it out. He has never failed us in his decisions. I'll try to come back as soon as I can, okay?"
"Okay." She relaxed somewhat and kissed him good-bye. "Go through the back so no one will see you. You can find your way to the palace unseen."
"Okay, thanks." He hurried through her bedroom door and went outside. He glanced back at her and saw that she was watching through her window. He had an uneasy feeling that this was going to be the last time he would see her. Stealing through the trees, he found a way into the palace from the kitchens. At this time, the kitchens were deserted and he had no problem being spotted. He ran into the main hallway and almost ran into his father.
"Slow down, Legolas, you'll break something," said his father, not noticing why his son was coming from the kitchens, panting.
"Sure, father, what happened?" said Legolas, taking a deep lungful of air.
"A large group of scavengers have raided some small towns of Rivendell. The towns are so far away from here that we only reached the warning now. The recent reports show that the scavengers are vicious and are very tough. There is a Council of Elrond in the meeting room, that's where I'm going right now."
They both walked to the meeting room and as they walked in, the whole room was in chaos.
"I WILL NOT RISK THE RISK OF ENDANGERING MY PEOPLE!"
