I whipped around, my hair flowing through the air and time seemed to stop,
or at least slow. I threw my sword into the air, launching myself into the
air. I had never jumped as high as I did then, twisting myself in mid-air.
I landed directly behind Legolas, my feet firm on the path, facing his
back. Before he could even begin to comprehend and react, I had caught my
sword with one hand, inches from his beautiful face, and steadied it at his
throat. I could feel Legolas' breath, shallow and quick. I could almost see
his mind racing. He slowly dropped his sword.
"Do you surrender?" I asked, my tone harsh and steely, as I had never heard before. The pulse in my hands was unrelentingly quickening and my own breath got shallower with every intake. Now was the time. I pressed the blade's edge to Legolas' throat and just as I was about to slit it, I realized what I was doing. What had come over me? I had the man I loved by the throat and was actually prepared to kill him! I began to shake uncontrollably; my sword fell to the ground with a clatter on the cobblestones. What had I done? What had I let take control of me? I began to melt back into myself. I stepped back from Legolas and he turned around to face me. He looked into my eyes for a second. I looked down. The fear still lingered in his eyes.
"Legolas, I was about to slit your throat when I dropped the sword," I whispered. He almost said something in rebuttal, but as he heard what I had just said, he closed his mouth and looked at me, his eyes somewhat narrowed, as though trying to figure out whether or not I had meant it. He saw the truth in my face. The hot tears began to run down my face. "I don't want to kill you...I really don't...I don't know what happened...it just...took over..." After a few seconds, Legolas stepped towards me and smiled.
"I forgive you. 'Tis alright," he replied. "I shall have to be on guard better from now and on and remember that you are a beast to be reckoned with." He put his arms around me and pulled me tight against him. I rested my head on his shoulder. He had really forgiven me, even after I had almost killed him, and he knew it. It would have been so easy for my hand to slip and cut his throat. What had I been thinking? "Syd, 'tis alright. You did not kill me when you had the chance. Come now. You know you would never kill me. You are my dearest friend." I smiled up at Legolas. He had no idea how close I had come to that one movement, Legolas' last moment. He had no idea how in that split second I had yearned for the blood to drip down his neck, how I had nearly let the wolf take hold. He had no idea and he never would. I had to keep it inside me, keep inside the desire to see him bleed.
"I'll try not to," I said. "I'll try not to kill you." Legolas laughed.
"Do you despise me that much?"
"No," I answered. "No, I don't hate you. You know that."
"Really now..."
"Absolutely, Legolas," I replied. "I could have killed you right then. I didn't. That should be proof enough."
"I shall have to sleep with a sword under my pillow every night from this one on," said Legolas, laughing. I joined him. "Let us go back to the flat. I believe I have had enough life threatening moments for today. No warrior has ever come that close to killing me. You are indeed something legends are made of." I smiled. We walked back to the flat and had breakfast. During the meal, I gave Legolas the "should we tell Peter about me being an elf?" look. Legolas nodded. I told Peter all of Legolas' dream and how he came to know for sure.
"Well, well, well," said Peter, in a less than entertained tone, which shocked me. "An elf?"
"Aye," answered Legolas, and went on to tell Peter how I had almost killed him this morning.
"Such an eventful morning," replied Peter evenly. After breakfast, Peter and I cleaned up while Legolas went out running, to train for football. Peter told him to skip practice and just run, but we didn't know to tell Legolas how far to run, big mistake. He left at about eleven in the morning. At after seven in the evening, I opened the flat door to a knock. Legolas stood on the other side, sweaty for once, but he had a huge smile on his face.
"Where did you go?" I asked ushering him inside and making him sit down at the kitchen table.
"I ran," Legolas answered simply.
"Ran? That whole time?" I was amazed. I had never heard of such a thing.
"Aye," he answered. "The entire time. My legs hurt a bit, but I am alright."
"Oh my God," I said, going to the coffee pot, but stopping short as I remembered that he didn't like coffee. "Tea?"
"Aye, thank you," he answered. I poured two cups, one tea, one coffee, and sat down with him. In just those minutes, his countenance had returned to perfectly normal, amazing.
"Oh, I've been wondering something," I said. Legolas looked up at me inquisitively. "Why don't you like coffee?" Legolas laughed.
"Do you wish to know the truth?" he asked.
"Yup, absolute truth."
"'Tis orc-draught," he replied. I choked in mid-swig of my coffee. I swallowed painfully and looked down into the cup. "Coffee tastes and looks exactly like orc-draught."
"Eeeeeeew!" I screamed, running to the sink and pouring the contents of my cup down it. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"No reason to ruin your enjoyment," Legolas answered, smiling deviously. "You might have suspected on your own. Did your Tolkien never mention it?"
"Well, he said something about Merry and Pippin being forced to drink some nasty stuff by the orcs to keep them going, but I never thought..." Legolas laughed at the disgusted look on my face. The clock struck eight.
"Do you surrender?" I asked, my tone harsh and steely, as I had never heard before. The pulse in my hands was unrelentingly quickening and my own breath got shallower with every intake. Now was the time. I pressed the blade's edge to Legolas' throat and just as I was about to slit it, I realized what I was doing. What had come over me? I had the man I loved by the throat and was actually prepared to kill him! I began to shake uncontrollably; my sword fell to the ground with a clatter on the cobblestones. What had I done? What had I let take control of me? I began to melt back into myself. I stepped back from Legolas and he turned around to face me. He looked into my eyes for a second. I looked down. The fear still lingered in his eyes.
"Legolas, I was about to slit your throat when I dropped the sword," I whispered. He almost said something in rebuttal, but as he heard what I had just said, he closed his mouth and looked at me, his eyes somewhat narrowed, as though trying to figure out whether or not I had meant it. He saw the truth in my face. The hot tears began to run down my face. "I don't want to kill you...I really don't...I don't know what happened...it just...took over..." After a few seconds, Legolas stepped towards me and smiled.
"I forgive you. 'Tis alright," he replied. "I shall have to be on guard better from now and on and remember that you are a beast to be reckoned with." He put his arms around me and pulled me tight against him. I rested my head on his shoulder. He had really forgiven me, even after I had almost killed him, and he knew it. It would have been so easy for my hand to slip and cut his throat. What had I been thinking? "Syd, 'tis alright. You did not kill me when you had the chance. Come now. You know you would never kill me. You are my dearest friend." I smiled up at Legolas. He had no idea how close I had come to that one movement, Legolas' last moment. He had no idea how in that split second I had yearned for the blood to drip down his neck, how I had nearly let the wolf take hold. He had no idea and he never would. I had to keep it inside me, keep inside the desire to see him bleed.
"I'll try not to," I said. "I'll try not to kill you." Legolas laughed.
"Do you despise me that much?"
"No," I answered. "No, I don't hate you. You know that."
"Really now..."
"Absolutely, Legolas," I replied. "I could have killed you right then. I didn't. That should be proof enough."
"I shall have to sleep with a sword under my pillow every night from this one on," said Legolas, laughing. I joined him. "Let us go back to the flat. I believe I have had enough life threatening moments for today. No warrior has ever come that close to killing me. You are indeed something legends are made of." I smiled. We walked back to the flat and had breakfast. During the meal, I gave Legolas the "should we tell Peter about me being an elf?" look. Legolas nodded. I told Peter all of Legolas' dream and how he came to know for sure.
"Well, well, well," said Peter, in a less than entertained tone, which shocked me. "An elf?"
"Aye," answered Legolas, and went on to tell Peter how I had almost killed him this morning.
"Such an eventful morning," replied Peter evenly. After breakfast, Peter and I cleaned up while Legolas went out running, to train for football. Peter told him to skip practice and just run, but we didn't know to tell Legolas how far to run, big mistake. He left at about eleven in the morning. At after seven in the evening, I opened the flat door to a knock. Legolas stood on the other side, sweaty for once, but he had a huge smile on his face.
"Where did you go?" I asked ushering him inside and making him sit down at the kitchen table.
"I ran," Legolas answered simply.
"Ran? That whole time?" I was amazed. I had never heard of such a thing.
"Aye," he answered. "The entire time. My legs hurt a bit, but I am alright."
"Oh my God," I said, going to the coffee pot, but stopping short as I remembered that he didn't like coffee. "Tea?"
"Aye, thank you," he answered. I poured two cups, one tea, one coffee, and sat down with him. In just those minutes, his countenance had returned to perfectly normal, amazing.
"Oh, I've been wondering something," I said. Legolas looked up at me inquisitively. "Why don't you like coffee?" Legolas laughed.
"Do you wish to know the truth?" he asked.
"Yup, absolute truth."
"'Tis orc-draught," he replied. I choked in mid-swig of my coffee. I swallowed painfully and looked down into the cup. "Coffee tastes and looks exactly like orc-draught."
"Eeeeeeew!" I screamed, running to the sink and pouring the contents of my cup down it. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"No reason to ruin your enjoyment," Legolas answered, smiling deviously. "You might have suspected on your own. Did your Tolkien never mention it?"
"Well, he said something about Merry and Pippin being forced to drink some nasty stuff by the orcs to keep them going, but I never thought..." Legolas laughed at the disgusted look on my face. The clock struck eight.