Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
*******
"Of all the pain, the greatest pain, it is to love, but love in vain." –
Abraham Cowley
********
After the snow fight several days earlier, he was wary to let Annowe out of his sight for very long, lest she take it upon herself to "teach him a lesson" again as she put it. Not that he would have minded. Their verbal sparring and wrestling matches helped to ease the tension he felt about the possibility of Sauron's return. That and it was just plain fun and made him feel young again.
"Do you think The One Ring has been found?" she asked him as they were settling in for the night.
He thought for a moment. "It's possible," he conceded but did not pursue the matter further, much to her frustration. He was busily getting a small fire going.
"I should have found that accursed thing when I had the chance!" she muttered darkly. The signs were there and she had a very bad feeling that war was inevitable again.
"You knew where it was?" he demanded, casting a troubled glace at her.
"No, not exactly. I heard the same rumors as everyone else. So I went to search for it. If the rumors were true and it was in the Great River then I had a better chance than most to find it," she reasoned and squatted down to help him with the fire.
Horrified at thought, he hesitantly asked, "what would you have done with it had you found it?"
She blinked at him and then laughed. "Well, I can tell you that I wouldn't have a world of darkness, smoke, fire and smelly Orcs," she assured him but he did not smile. He was taking this quite seriously and she frowned. He sat down next to the fire and waited for her to continue.
"Very well, then, since you will not indulge my attempt at humor, I'll tell you what I wanted to do. Destroy that infernal thing once and for all," she said and tossed a stick into the fire to make her point.
"How would you do that?" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted, sliding into a sitting position. "But there has to be a way. If it was made, it can be unmade."
They sat in silence for a few minutes and Legolas wondered what the world would be like if his humorous friend had found the Ruling Ring. He almost laughed out loud despite the graveness of the subject.
"What would you do if you found it?" She asked, seeing the glint in his eyes.
"I'm not sure," he pondered. "Maybe it could be used to destroy him."
"Listen to me, young one," she hissed and took his hands in hers and gazing deep into his eyes. "Don't you ever touch that thing. It cannot be used to destroy him. It IS Sauron. Do you understand?"
He swallowed hard. "What do you mean, 'it is Sauron'?" He asked in a low whisper, his dark eyes wide with curiosity.
"I mean that when he made that Ring, he poured himself into it. He does not exist in physical form without it. That's why he vanished when Isildur cut it from his hand. All of his malice, hatred and evil is in that accursed thing and you must never, ever touch it. Promise me," she demanded and squeezed his hands.
At her words, a chill crept up his spine. It would never be anything but evil. Destroy the Ring and you would destroy Sauron. He removed his hands from hers and placed them on either side of her face, drawing her close and keeping his eyes fixed on hers. He was utterly beautiful, she thought fleetingly as he spoke.
"If I ever see it, I will not touch it," he promised and kissed her forehead to seal the bargain.
She sighed with relief and relaxed but he did not let go of her. He had seen his reflection in her eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Time seemed to stop as he gazed into her eyes and she felt as if the wheels in some giant cog were clicking into place between them. Then she hastily pulled away, cursing her rebellious heart and his proximity. He must never know how she truly felt about him because no good could come of it.
Legolas let her go but kept an eye on her as she nervously stood up and paced, not sure if he should say anything to her or not. She seemed distressed over more than The Ring but he wisely did not press her for answers.
*******
"Of all the pain, the greatest pain, it is to love, but love in vain." –
Abraham Cowley
********
After the snow fight several days earlier, he was wary to let Annowe out of his sight for very long, lest she take it upon herself to "teach him a lesson" again as she put it. Not that he would have minded. Their verbal sparring and wrestling matches helped to ease the tension he felt about the possibility of Sauron's return. That and it was just plain fun and made him feel young again.
"Do you think The One Ring has been found?" she asked him as they were settling in for the night.
He thought for a moment. "It's possible," he conceded but did not pursue the matter further, much to her frustration. He was busily getting a small fire going.
"I should have found that accursed thing when I had the chance!" she muttered darkly. The signs were there and she had a very bad feeling that war was inevitable again.
"You knew where it was?" he demanded, casting a troubled glace at her.
"No, not exactly. I heard the same rumors as everyone else. So I went to search for it. If the rumors were true and it was in the Great River then I had a better chance than most to find it," she reasoned and squatted down to help him with the fire.
Horrified at thought, he hesitantly asked, "what would you have done with it had you found it?"
She blinked at him and then laughed. "Well, I can tell you that I wouldn't have a world of darkness, smoke, fire and smelly Orcs," she assured him but he did not smile. He was taking this quite seriously and she frowned. He sat down next to the fire and waited for her to continue.
"Very well, then, since you will not indulge my attempt at humor, I'll tell you what I wanted to do. Destroy that infernal thing once and for all," she said and tossed a stick into the fire to make her point.
"How would you do that?" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted, sliding into a sitting position. "But there has to be a way. If it was made, it can be unmade."
They sat in silence for a few minutes and Legolas wondered what the world would be like if his humorous friend had found the Ruling Ring. He almost laughed out loud despite the graveness of the subject.
"What would you do if you found it?" She asked, seeing the glint in his eyes.
"I'm not sure," he pondered. "Maybe it could be used to destroy him."
"Listen to me, young one," she hissed and took his hands in hers and gazing deep into his eyes. "Don't you ever touch that thing. It cannot be used to destroy him. It IS Sauron. Do you understand?"
He swallowed hard. "What do you mean, 'it is Sauron'?" He asked in a low whisper, his dark eyes wide with curiosity.
"I mean that when he made that Ring, he poured himself into it. He does not exist in physical form without it. That's why he vanished when Isildur cut it from his hand. All of his malice, hatred and evil is in that accursed thing and you must never, ever touch it. Promise me," she demanded and squeezed his hands.
At her words, a chill crept up his spine. It would never be anything but evil. Destroy the Ring and you would destroy Sauron. He removed his hands from hers and placed them on either side of her face, drawing her close and keeping his eyes fixed on hers. He was utterly beautiful, she thought fleetingly as he spoke.
"If I ever see it, I will not touch it," he promised and kissed her forehead to seal the bargain.
She sighed with relief and relaxed but he did not let go of her. He had seen his reflection in her eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Time seemed to stop as he gazed into her eyes and she felt as if the wheels in some giant cog were clicking into place between them. Then she hastily pulled away, cursing her rebellious heart and his proximity. He must never know how she truly felt about him because no good could come of it.
Legolas let her go but kept an eye on her as she nervously stood up and paced, not sure if he should say anything to her or not. She seemed distressed over more than The Ring but he wisely did not press her for answers.
