Snoggles for my eldy(.hope you enjoy! Twangs xXXXxxxXXXXXXoOOXOXOxx
Thanks to everyone for reviewing.don't stop now!
See chapters 1&2 for the disclaimer
4.Lembas Bread
She looked over at the Elf again, would he...? Yes he did it again! Mouse laughed to herself, every time she looked at the Elf one of his hands would stray to an ear, absently massaging the delicate tip. He was so different to any man she'd ever seen. Gimli, for all he was a dwarf, was a lot more like the men Mouse had spent time around, at least those she could remember, apart from the whole having manners and respect for other living things part Mouse reminded herself as Gimli solicitously offered a mouthful from his water flask. Legolas, the name tripped something in Mouse's short memory, but it was frustratingly out of reach. Legolas was so ... there wasn't really a word that came close to explaining the luminous quality of his face, which in the few times of danger they'd encountered was so fierce it made shivers dance down her spine, at other times when he was speaking with Gimli a smile brought such warmth to his face it made Mouse stare.
She wouldn't mind having that smile graced upon her she thought, and then stuffed the thought like a stray sock out of sight. Looking around at where they were walking She realized they were almost at the edge of the forest. Legolas was walking a little more slowly and Gimli was speeding up, so for the first time Mouse found herself walking beside Legolas. The silence stretched. Mouse rubbed self-consciously at a new smudge of dirt on her nose, a sideways glance at Legolas confirmed that he was, as always, looking pristine. Anyone else walking through Fangorn Forest would be coming out the other side of the deep shadows and leaf littered paths as dirty as she and Gimli were. Even the trees looked dirty.
Looking upwards into the canopy Mouse watched as the trees swayed, their leaves touching and rustling, communicating silently with each other. The trees could talk, but they didn't always need to. The dappled greens and flashes of silver were mesmerizing.
"Watch... Out!" Mouse found her nose pressed up against a warm chest, the falling sensation she'd momentarily experienced, due to a large root across her path, vanished. She looked up and found herself pinned by clear sky blue. His eyes were rather pretty... "Are you alright?" Mouse realized Legolas was starting to look a little concerned and stepped back out of his strong feeling arms, only to find herself back in them almost instantly. So the root was behind her now, Mouse realized a little too late. This time Legolas picked her up like a small child's toy and placed her gently back on the path Gimli had forged a few moments earlier, she could hear him talking excitedly about nearing the caves while she and Legolas tried hard not to look at each other; even so Mouse noted he was playing with his ear- tip again, it was an endearing little habit that made him just human enough for Mouse not to be completely over-awed "Perhaps looking where you are walking would be a little safer."
Mouse felt her temper rise until she looked up and saw the teasing light in Legolas' eyes. Despite herself she laughed.
"Thank you."
"It was... my pleasure," Legolas responded and Mouse had something else to think about when she realized he hadn't meant to say exactly that. They walked slowly, the soft leaf litter masking any noise they might have made. "Mouse?"
"Yes?" Mouse concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, noting with a small grimace that her shoe was worn thin on the scuffed toe, what would Barath do if he caught her with shoes in that condition...?
"Are you not stopping to eat and rest with myself and Gimli?" Legolas' voice was gently teasing and Gimli chortled. "We have lembas bread." His smile made her look away quickly; there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach again, plus the disconcerting feeling of memories prickling in the back of her mind.
Lembas bread, even though it kept her stomach full and her limbs moving Mouse was tired of lembas to the point of wondering if the bark on the trees would have a more interesting taste. There was a challenge in Legolas' eyes when he held some out. Mouse gave him a tight grin and then sat down on a handy rock to eat, not that it took long to eat the tiny square.
"This is not food." Gimli said for maybe the hundredth time, it was like habit for him to say it now, "If we were back in my home we would be feasting on whole pig roasted over open flame and served with roasted potatoes and carrots." Gimli mumbled through his lembas. Mouse tried to hide the grumble in her stomach; Legolas looked up and caught her glance. It was impossible for her to keep the small guffaw of laughter in, and it quickly turned into and all out laugh as Gimli looked up in surprise.
It was too funny, The Elf and the Dwarf: it was like some pub tale Camdin had been fond recounting. It usually ended with the dwarf riding the elf back to his mine. Mouse realized tears were rolling down her face and swiped at them before taking a calm nibble of bread and a sip of water. She choked as she laughed again. Both Legolas and Gimli got up to pat her back. "Enough. thanks!" Mouse coughed and then sat back and listened as Gimli told another tale about his home. Mouse listened with interest.
".and *that* is why I don't particularly like limestone." Gimli finished and then looked at Legolas.
"I have no voice for singing tonight," Legolas said softly, and Mouse reasoned that Gimli probably looked just as downcast as she felt, Legolas had a lovely voice and even though he said his translations into the Westron speech were more than a little rough his songs were hauntingly beautiful. To mouse they always sounded a little bit on the sad side, except for the ones she could tell he was censoring. "What about you mouse, do you have a song for us?"
Mouse looked directly at Legolas for the first time since tripping over, his finger twitched and she bit back a chuckle, but the question made her fumble for words, "I uh, don't sing, at least I don't know any songs that would be... appropriate."
"Nothing that would be appropriate?" Gimli looked at her closely, Mouse ducked her head and tried to think of something to say when he asked, "Just where did ye learn to sing then lass?"
She could feel Legolas' piercing blue eyes on her, it was an uncomfortable feeling, she was used to being invisible, definitely not the centre of attention. "Our local pub," Mouse said quietly and was rewarded with a stunned silence. "The other stable hands and I used to sneak in the back to get warm and hear the story telling and singing." The truth was that Mouse had usually been the only one sneaking in to listen the other boys had been more interested in the ale on offer. With a slight shift of her shoulders Mouse remembered why she'd finally left the small town. The constant riding and walking of the past few weeks hadn't allowed the welts on her back to heal completely, every so often she would feel a catch on the inside of her rough tunic. The pain was nothing; even the beating itself had been milder than some she'd received, for some imagined trespass or a rule broken. She healed well generally.
She looked up and found two pairs of intelligent eyes were watching her. "Well, unless you want to hear the one about the dwarf and the elf."
"Dwarf?" Gimli said in surprise
"Elf?" Legolas' voice was no less intrigued, and mouse felt her face redden as his clear gaze was firmly trained on her face again. "Now you have to sing it, tell me does the dwarf snore so loudly in his sleep that there's never any need to post sentry?"
"Or does the Elf say more than three words at a time?" Gimli shot back and the two gave each other mock glares.
"Ah no, well maybe... ok... its well don't blame me, you asked for it, this is 'The Falling Elf' Mouse cleared her throat nervously; she took a deep breath and sang softly. The song started out fairly simply:
"There once was an elf who drank like a fish, a gallon of wine a casket of rum, as one would expect this caused him to list"
He weaved and he wove and oftentimes dove, you wouldn't have thought his was on a flat road"
Some say he was cursed or that it was magic or maybe poor sight, that found our fair elf with a dwarf for a wife,
. "'It wasn't her height and it wasn't the stink, it were my wife's whiskers that drove me to drink'"
I really must say that my hearts never been gladder, than knowing it's not me who'll be living forever!" Mouse finished the song and bowed hammily at her two companions, using it as a good excuse not to see exactly what their reactions were.
"Bwahahahahaahaaaa" Gimli chuckled loudly, and smacked Legolas hard on the back, "Now that was a song!"
"Hmm." Legolas looked us and Mouse let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when he laughed.
"I suppose ye'd have to consider fairy carefully if you'd want to live with someone for eternity," Gimli laughed again. "My friend here is definitely taking his time."
Mouse watched as Legolas stared at Gimli for a second before shrugging ruefully. "Gimli you sounded much like my father just now, it disturbs me, please don't do it again." His light laugh made Mouse want to rub her arms as a tingle across her skin made her shiver. Gimli was laughing as he drank from his water skin.
"Will we see the caves today do you think?" Mouse asked and accepted the skin from Gimli with a smile.
"We have at least four more days walking outside the forest, under the blue sky and in the fair wind," Legolas answered
"You'd think he didn't like it in here eh?" Gimli prodded Mouse with his elbow, and she barely managed to keep upright.
"Its what lies ahead that's making me look forward to the sky," Legolas said softly and Mouse chuckled. She looked in the direction they'd been heading before their stop and wondered if she'd find the answers to her questions soon.
See chapters 1&2 for the disclaimer
4.Lembas Bread
She looked over at the Elf again, would he...? Yes he did it again! Mouse laughed to herself, every time she looked at the Elf one of his hands would stray to an ear, absently massaging the delicate tip. He was so different to any man she'd ever seen. Gimli, for all he was a dwarf, was a lot more like the men Mouse had spent time around, at least those she could remember, apart from the whole having manners and respect for other living things part Mouse reminded herself as Gimli solicitously offered a mouthful from his water flask. Legolas, the name tripped something in Mouse's short memory, but it was frustratingly out of reach. Legolas was so ... there wasn't really a word that came close to explaining the luminous quality of his face, which in the few times of danger they'd encountered was so fierce it made shivers dance down her spine, at other times when he was speaking with Gimli a smile brought such warmth to his face it made Mouse stare.
She wouldn't mind having that smile graced upon her she thought, and then stuffed the thought like a stray sock out of sight. Looking around at where they were walking She realized they were almost at the edge of the forest. Legolas was walking a little more slowly and Gimli was speeding up, so for the first time Mouse found herself walking beside Legolas. The silence stretched. Mouse rubbed self-consciously at a new smudge of dirt on her nose, a sideways glance at Legolas confirmed that he was, as always, looking pristine. Anyone else walking through Fangorn Forest would be coming out the other side of the deep shadows and leaf littered paths as dirty as she and Gimli were. Even the trees looked dirty.
Looking upwards into the canopy Mouse watched as the trees swayed, their leaves touching and rustling, communicating silently with each other. The trees could talk, but they didn't always need to. The dappled greens and flashes of silver were mesmerizing.
"Watch... Out!" Mouse found her nose pressed up against a warm chest, the falling sensation she'd momentarily experienced, due to a large root across her path, vanished. She looked up and found herself pinned by clear sky blue. His eyes were rather pretty... "Are you alright?" Mouse realized Legolas was starting to look a little concerned and stepped back out of his strong feeling arms, only to find herself back in them almost instantly. So the root was behind her now, Mouse realized a little too late. This time Legolas picked her up like a small child's toy and placed her gently back on the path Gimli had forged a few moments earlier, she could hear him talking excitedly about nearing the caves while she and Legolas tried hard not to look at each other; even so Mouse noted he was playing with his ear- tip again, it was an endearing little habit that made him just human enough for Mouse not to be completely over-awed "Perhaps looking where you are walking would be a little safer."
Mouse felt her temper rise until she looked up and saw the teasing light in Legolas' eyes. Despite herself she laughed.
"Thank you."
"It was... my pleasure," Legolas responded and Mouse had something else to think about when she realized he hadn't meant to say exactly that. They walked slowly, the soft leaf litter masking any noise they might have made. "Mouse?"
"Yes?" Mouse concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, noting with a small grimace that her shoe was worn thin on the scuffed toe, what would Barath do if he caught her with shoes in that condition...?
"Are you not stopping to eat and rest with myself and Gimli?" Legolas' voice was gently teasing and Gimli chortled. "We have lembas bread." His smile made her look away quickly; there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach again, plus the disconcerting feeling of memories prickling in the back of her mind.
Lembas bread, even though it kept her stomach full and her limbs moving Mouse was tired of lembas to the point of wondering if the bark on the trees would have a more interesting taste. There was a challenge in Legolas' eyes when he held some out. Mouse gave him a tight grin and then sat down on a handy rock to eat, not that it took long to eat the tiny square.
"This is not food." Gimli said for maybe the hundredth time, it was like habit for him to say it now, "If we were back in my home we would be feasting on whole pig roasted over open flame and served with roasted potatoes and carrots." Gimli mumbled through his lembas. Mouse tried to hide the grumble in her stomach; Legolas looked up and caught her glance. It was impossible for her to keep the small guffaw of laughter in, and it quickly turned into and all out laugh as Gimli looked up in surprise.
It was too funny, The Elf and the Dwarf: it was like some pub tale Camdin had been fond recounting. It usually ended with the dwarf riding the elf back to his mine. Mouse realized tears were rolling down her face and swiped at them before taking a calm nibble of bread and a sip of water. She choked as she laughed again. Both Legolas and Gimli got up to pat her back. "Enough. thanks!" Mouse coughed and then sat back and listened as Gimli told another tale about his home. Mouse listened with interest.
".and *that* is why I don't particularly like limestone." Gimli finished and then looked at Legolas.
"I have no voice for singing tonight," Legolas said softly, and Mouse reasoned that Gimli probably looked just as downcast as she felt, Legolas had a lovely voice and even though he said his translations into the Westron speech were more than a little rough his songs were hauntingly beautiful. To mouse they always sounded a little bit on the sad side, except for the ones she could tell he was censoring. "What about you mouse, do you have a song for us?"
Mouse looked directly at Legolas for the first time since tripping over, his finger twitched and she bit back a chuckle, but the question made her fumble for words, "I uh, don't sing, at least I don't know any songs that would be... appropriate."
"Nothing that would be appropriate?" Gimli looked at her closely, Mouse ducked her head and tried to think of something to say when he asked, "Just where did ye learn to sing then lass?"
She could feel Legolas' piercing blue eyes on her, it was an uncomfortable feeling, she was used to being invisible, definitely not the centre of attention. "Our local pub," Mouse said quietly and was rewarded with a stunned silence. "The other stable hands and I used to sneak in the back to get warm and hear the story telling and singing." The truth was that Mouse had usually been the only one sneaking in to listen the other boys had been more interested in the ale on offer. With a slight shift of her shoulders Mouse remembered why she'd finally left the small town. The constant riding and walking of the past few weeks hadn't allowed the welts on her back to heal completely, every so often she would feel a catch on the inside of her rough tunic. The pain was nothing; even the beating itself had been milder than some she'd received, for some imagined trespass or a rule broken. She healed well generally.
She looked up and found two pairs of intelligent eyes were watching her. "Well, unless you want to hear the one about the dwarf and the elf."
"Dwarf?" Gimli said in surprise
"Elf?" Legolas' voice was no less intrigued, and mouse felt her face redden as his clear gaze was firmly trained on her face again. "Now you have to sing it, tell me does the dwarf snore so loudly in his sleep that there's never any need to post sentry?"
"Or does the Elf say more than three words at a time?" Gimli shot back and the two gave each other mock glares.
"Ah no, well maybe... ok... its well don't blame me, you asked for it, this is 'The Falling Elf' Mouse cleared her throat nervously; she took a deep breath and sang softly. The song started out fairly simply:
"There once was an elf who drank like a fish, a gallon of wine a casket of rum, as one would expect this caused him to list"
He weaved and he wove and oftentimes dove, you wouldn't have thought his was on a flat road"
Some say he was cursed or that it was magic or maybe poor sight, that found our fair elf with a dwarf for a wife,
. "'It wasn't her height and it wasn't the stink, it were my wife's whiskers that drove me to drink'"
I really must say that my hearts never been gladder, than knowing it's not me who'll be living forever!" Mouse finished the song and bowed hammily at her two companions, using it as a good excuse not to see exactly what their reactions were.
"Bwahahahahaahaaaa" Gimli chuckled loudly, and smacked Legolas hard on the back, "Now that was a song!"
"Hmm." Legolas looked us and Mouse let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when he laughed.
"I suppose ye'd have to consider fairy carefully if you'd want to live with someone for eternity," Gimli laughed again. "My friend here is definitely taking his time."
Mouse watched as Legolas stared at Gimli for a second before shrugging ruefully. "Gimli you sounded much like my father just now, it disturbs me, please don't do it again." His light laugh made Mouse want to rub her arms as a tingle across her skin made her shiver. Gimli was laughing as he drank from his water skin.
"Will we see the caves today do you think?" Mouse asked and accepted the skin from Gimli with a smile.
"We have at least four more days walking outside the forest, under the blue sky and in the fair wind," Legolas answered
"You'd think he didn't like it in here eh?" Gimli prodded Mouse with his elbow, and she barely managed to keep upright.
"Its what lies ahead that's making me look forward to the sky," Legolas said softly and Mouse chuckled. She looked in the direction they'd been heading before their stop and wondered if she'd find the answers to her questions soon.