To my reviewers:
Thank you for your kind remarks. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Please let me know if it gets out of sorts or stretches your imagination too far.
I wanted "Legs" to be as believable as possible and not just some good- looking jerk or whiny sap as he sometimes turns out to be. He is, after all, a male and they all have some things in common - elf, human, dwarf, hobbit, wizard or otherwise. He would feel joy, hope, fear, pain, loss and love like any of the rest of us. He would rationalize his actions, kid himself, and behave selfishly at times. However, he would, given his age and life experiences, be more patient, more perceptive and probably less ego driven than a human male.
Hopefully, this isn't too much of a "Mary Sue" as I tried to use characters that Tolkien had already "mentioned" in the LOTR series and to keep to the book setting. Mr. Tolkien has graciously left us plenty of room in his world to play and for that I am thankful.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
****** "A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself-- and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to--letting a
person be what he really is." - Jim Morrison
*****
After she had managed to pull herself together they sat down next to the fire and she wrapped her cloak tightly around her as if to protect her self from the memories of that time.
She wouldn't look at him directly but stared into the fire and spoke to him of things he had only heard in legends. He shivered at her recollections but did not interrupt as she poured out the terrible story of the Last Alliance Between Elves and Men.
Her voice grew soft as she recalled how her companion had answered the call to defend the land against Sauron and his minions. Tears streamed down her face at the memory but she did not stray from her tale.
Legolas felt his own tears prick the corners of his eyes and his throat grew tight with grief but he made no move to comfort her. She was lost in the past and there was little he could do but listen.
"I never found his body," she barely whispered. "I searched for years and years but I could not find him. All I found was this," with a quivering hand, she pulled a ribbon out of her pocket and held it out to him.
Gently, he took it from her and turned it over. It was a large pearl button edged in silver. He swallowed back tears for the pain and loss she must be feeling and silently handed the treasure back to her.
"That's it. Just this stupid button. Darion hated those buttons," she smiled faintly at the memory. "But I insisted that he wear them, since they were pearls. And now this is all I have left," she curled her fingers gently over the button and put it back in her pocket, raising her eyes to his as she did so.
"I'm sorry," he said, lamely. He was at a complete loss for words.
She gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. "I do not want to go through that again, young one," her tone brokered no argument. "Do you understand me?" She opened her eyes and gazed at him directly.
He understood her perfectly. "I cannot make you any promises," he warned her gently.
"I know. I'm not asking for promises," she said and wiped her tear-stained face with the hem of her cloak. "And I'm hoping that Elrond is being over- cautious and this is just a goose-chase. But I do want you to be careful."
He slid next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I, too, am hoping it is a goose-chase," he agreed. "And I will be careful." He certainly did not want to see the terrible days and senseless carnage she had described.
She rested her head on his chest, thankful for his warmth and compassion. "Thank you for listening," she murmured to him.
He squeezed her shoulders in reply, knowing that he needed to hear her tale as much as she needed to say it. He now understood why she was reluctant to let him get close to her and it made him more determined than ever to protect their world.
Thank you for your kind remarks. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Please let me know if it gets out of sorts or stretches your imagination too far.
I wanted "Legs" to be as believable as possible and not just some good- looking jerk or whiny sap as he sometimes turns out to be. He is, after all, a male and they all have some things in common - elf, human, dwarf, hobbit, wizard or otherwise. He would feel joy, hope, fear, pain, loss and love like any of the rest of us. He would rationalize his actions, kid himself, and behave selfishly at times. However, he would, given his age and life experiences, be more patient, more perceptive and probably less ego driven than a human male.
Hopefully, this isn't too much of a "Mary Sue" as I tried to use characters that Tolkien had already "mentioned" in the LOTR series and to keep to the book setting. Mr. Tolkien has graciously left us plenty of room in his world to play and for that I am thankful.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
****** "A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself-- and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to--letting a
person be what he really is." - Jim Morrison
*****
After she had managed to pull herself together they sat down next to the fire and she wrapped her cloak tightly around her as if to protect her self from the memories of that time.
She wouldn't look at him directly but stared into the fire and spoke to him of things he had only heard in legends. He shivered at her recollections but did not interrupt as she poured out the terrible story of the Last Alliance Between Elves and Men.
Her voice grew soft as she recalled how her companion had answered the call to defend the land against Sauron and his minions. Tears streamed down her face at the memory but she did not stray from her tale.
Legolas felt his own tears prick the corners of his eyes and his throat grew tight with grief but he made no move to comfort her. She was lost in the past and there was little he could do but listen.
"I never found his body," she barely whispered. "I searched for years and years but I could not find him. All I found was this," with a quivering hand, she pulled a ribbon out of her pocket and held it out to him.
Gently, he took it from her and turned it over. It was a large pearl button edged in silver. He swallowed back tears for the pain and loss she must be feeling and silently handed the treasure back to her.
"That's it. Just this stupid button. Darion hated those buttons," she smiled faintly at the memory. "But I insisted that he wear them, since they were pearls. And now this is all I have left," she curled her fingers gently over the button and put it back in her pocket, raising her eyes to his as she did so.
"I'm sorry," he said, lamely. He was at a complete loss for words.
She gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. "I do not want to go through that again, young one," her tone brokered no argument. "Do you understand me?" She opened her eyes and gazed at him directly.
He understood her perfectly. "I cannot make you any promises," he warned her gently.
"I know. I'm not asking for promises," she said and wiped her tear-stained face with the hem of her cloak. "And I'm hoping that Elrond is being over- cautious and this is just a goose-chase. But I do want you to be careful."
He slid next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I, too, am hoping it is a goose-chase," he agreed. "And I will be careful." He certainly did not want to see the terrible days and senseless carnage she had described.
She rested her head on his chest, thankful for his warmth and compassion. "Thank you for listening," she murmured to him.
He squeezed her shoulders in reply, knowing that he needed to hear her tale as much as she needed to say it. He now understood why she was reluctant to let him get close to her and it made him more determined than ever to protect their world.
