Strange Meetings
"I can assure you, nothing will go wrong, Saruman," she said quietly. "I will not fail you." Her voice was not her own it seemed, and this was just the way he wanted it. His plan was working. Nothing would stop him from succeeding in cloaking Mirkwood in the darkness that had already begun to creep into the shadow of its borders. Now, with her help, the demise of Middle Earth would continue. His plans were finally working. Rising from where he sat in the dark room, he walked slowly over to where the elf stood.
"You cannot fail me now and if you do, you know what the consequence will be," he hissed. "Go, now! I do not care how you do it, just go...and don't come back until you are finished!" With that, the elven one fled from his presence as her dark green cape swirled around her. When she finally reached the opening of the evil place, she did not stop running until the heavy black doors clanged shut behind her. She ran as only her race could, vaguely noticing the dark clouds overhead.
** "We had better get inside your father's house if you don't want to be wet through, Legolas!" Strider yelled through the howling wind that swept through the trees. His dark hair swirled around his face, making it hard to see the tall elf standing a few yards in front of him.
"All right, I'll meet with you at the house after I check to see if Ran and Trelan are coming back through the forest yet. Tell my father I'll be there soon." Legolas said, gesturing for Aragorn to go to the house as he ran towards the opening of the forest. Rolling his eyes, the young ranger walked quickly in the direction of the house. His friend was a born leader, always looking out for everyone, never thinking of himself.
** Rain was pouring down in dark sheets now, making the rocky ground slick under her feet. She didn't stop running. She'd been running for two days now, barely noticing the storm that had been brewing since she'd started her trip. Being an elf made her unnaturally strong and resilient and very fast. However, she had eaten only the berries and roots she could find as she went, and her strength was beginning to diminish slightly. The rain made it difficult to see, even with her elven vision. And she was so cold. Her green cloak clung to her skin, as did her navy blue garments, soaked with rain and mud. Lifting her head, she saw the forest of Mirkwood, illuminated suddenly by the flash of distant lightning. She was almost there, but her strength was wearing thin now through the cold, hunger and relentless running. Suddenly, she stumbled, twisting her leg in a hole and striking her head on a rock, rendering her unconscious.
** Finally satisfied that both of his elven friends had returned from hunting, Legolas started to turn back from the edge forest. By now the rain was falling heavily and he could barely see anything a few feet in front of him. But as he turned, something caught his eye. As he walked closer, a figure lying on the ground became visible through the driving rain. Running over, he quickly turned the figure onto its side. An elf?! Gently rolling the elf over onto its back, he carried it in his arms. Running as fast as he could, dodging trees and rocks, he noticed that the hood of the being's cloak was beginning to slip. He stopped dead in his tracks. It was an elf maiden...a woman.
Climbing up the stairs to his home, he slammed the large wooden doors open, bringing the rain in with him. "Risdil!" he called to the bewildered elf nearest him "Go...take her to a room...tell father, please, take her now!..." Risdil obediently took the elf from the prince's arms without a word, hurrying down a hall to an open room. Legolas' breath was coming back now. He leaned against the wall, still dripping water onto the marbled floor below him. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, questions began to fill his mind. Who was she? What was she doing here, in the middle of a storm? Was this her destination? Opening his eyes, he quickly walked over to the room in the adjoining hallway where Risdil had taken the elf woman. Pressing his hand against the door he quietly pushed it open without making a sound.
An elven servant was applying athelas to an open wound on the elf's temple, a remedy that Elrond had introduced to them on his last visit in Mirkwood with Strider. Two others were positioned at the foot of the bed and looked to be setting a broken bone. Had she fallen or had someone meant to hurt her?
"Son, why don't you go in now, her treatments are finished," Thranduil said, almost causing Legolas to fall into the room as his father opened the door he'd been holding onto. "I...all right," he whispered, succeeding in covering his surprise. "Tildur, Risdil, Adamir, Legolas will take over now. Thank you for your help." "Legolas, please notify either Risdil or Adamir if she awakens." Shutting the door behind him, Thranduil led the servants out. Crossing the large room to a chair that had been placed next to the bed, he sat down quietly and looked at the young elven woman lying in the bed before him. A bandage had been wrapped around her head that encased the wide gash on her left temple. Still, he realized she was one of the most beautiful elven women he had ever seen. Her hair was a dark brown that contrasted brilliantly with her ivory skin and flowed past her shoulders onto the white gown the servants had put on her in exchange for the wet clothing she'd had when he had brought her in. He leaned back in his chair, and watched her silently until at last the rain lulled him to sleep; unaware of the wet clothing he still wore.
** Late into the night the rhythmic rustling of bedsheets awakened Legolas from his light sleep. He felt the coolness of the air as soon as he became conscious of where he was. The fire had gone out and he rose quietly to start it up again. Soon the warmth filled the room again, creating a warm glow in the dark room. Walking over to the elf's bedside he noticed how her face had begun to shine in the firelight and when he touched her head she flinched, moaning and tossing in her bed. She was much too hot to the touch than she should have been. Taking a cloth and dipping it in the water basin beside the bed, he gently mopped her forehead, whispering in Elvish to calm her as he had many times when Strider had been sick or injured. He smiled at the picture the memory conjured in his mind. Where was he anyway?
Suddenly, the elf woman grabbed his wrist, hard, and her eyes flew open. Snapped out of his reverie by the sudden movement he pinned her other arm down on the bed so she wouldn't unknowingly hurt him or herself. Her eyes were wild and unseeing as she stared up at him. Legolas knew she wasn't seeing anything around her. The fever was causing her to do this against her will. Twisting his arm from her unyielding grip he pinned it down also, as gently as he could while still keeping her under his control. Unfortunately this did not stop her from trying to move away from him. She pushed herself up towards the edge of the bed with her arms still grasped by Legolas, muttering words that made little sense to him. As he tried to push her back down on the bed her foot swung around and hit one of the wooden posts of the bed, causing her to fall back from the pain of injuring her already broken bone. Her struggle ceased and she was brought back to consciousness immediately. Staring up at the blonde elf that was leaning over her, pinning her arms to the bed did not help the fact that she didn't know where she was. It was all so vague. She remembered falling, a bright flash of light and then darkness. Legolas released her wrists slowly from his grip. He could see the pain she was in, most likely from injuring her foot. But she seemed to know him. How was that possible? And who was she?
TBC...
"I can assure you, nothing will go wrong, Saruman," she said quietly. "I will not fail you." Her voice was not her own it seemed, and this was just the way he wanted it. His plan was working. Nothing would stop him from succeeding in cloaking Mirkwood in the darkness that had already begun to creep into the shadow of its borders. Now, with her help, the demise of Middle Earth would continue. His plans were finally working. Rising from where he sat in the dark room, he walked slowly over to where the elf stood.
"You cannot fail me now and if you do, you know what the consequence will be," he hissed. "Go, now! I do not care how you do it, just go...and don't come back until you are finished!" With that, the elven one fled from his presence as her dark green cape swirled around her. When she finally reached the opening of the evil place, she did not stop running until the heavy black doors clanged shut behind her. She ran as only her race could, vaguely noticing the dark clouds overhead.
** "We had better get inside your father's house if you don't want to be wet through, Legolas!" Strider yelled through the howling wind that swept through the trees. His dark hair swirled around his face, making it hard to see the tall elf standing a few yards in front of him.
"All right, I'll meet with you at the house after I check to see if Ran and Trelan are coming back through the forest yet. Tell my father I'll be there soon." Legolas said, gesturing for Aragorn to go to the house as he ran towards the opening of the forest. Rolling his eyes, the young ranger walked quickly in the direction of the house. His friend was a born leader, always looking out for everyone, never thinking of himself.
** Rain was pouring down in dark sheets now, making the rocky ground slick under her feet. She didn't stop running. She'd been running for two days now, barely noticing the storm that had been brewing since she'd started her trip. Being an elf made her unnaturally strong and resilient and very fast. However, she had eaten only the berries and roots she could find as she went, and her strength was beginning to diminish slightly. The rain made it difficult to see, even with her elven vision. And she was so cold. Her green cloak clung to her skin, as did her navy blue garments, soaked with rain and mud. Lifting her head, she saw the forest of Mirkwood, illuminated suddenly by the flash of distant lightning. She was almost there, but her strength was wearing thin now through the cold, hunger and relentless running. Suddenly, she stumbled, twisting her leg in a hole and striking her head on a rock, rendering her unconscious.
** Finally satisfied that both of his elven friends had returned from hunting, Legolas started to turn back from the edge forest. By now the rain was falling heavily and he could barely see anything a few feet in front of him. But as he turned, something caught his eye. As he walked closer, a figure lying on the ground became visible through the driving rain. Running over, he quickly turned the figure onto its side. An elf?! Gently rolling the elf over onto its back, he carried it in his arms. Running as fast as he could, dodging trees and rocks, he noticed that the hood of the being's cloak was beginning to slip. He stopped dead in his tracks. It was an elf maiden...a woman.
Climbing up the stairs to his home, he slammed the large wooden doors open, bringing the rain in with him. "Risdil!" he called to the bewildered elf nearest him "Go...take her to a room...tell father, please, take her now!..." Risdil obediently took the elf from the prince's arms without a word, hurrying down a hall to an open room. Legolas' breath was coming back now. He leaned against the wall, still dripping water onto the marbled floor below him. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, questions began to fill his mind. Who was she? What was she doing here, in the middle of a storm? Was this her destination? Opening his eyes, he quickly walked over to the room in the adjoining hallway where Risdil had taken the elf woman. Pressing his hand against the door he quietly pushed it open without making a sound.
An elven servant was applying athelas to an open wound on the elf's temple, a remedy that Elrond had introduced to them on his last visit in Mirkwood with Strider. Two others were positioned at the foot of the bed and looked to be setting a broken bone. Had she fallen or had someone meant to hurt her?
"Son, why don't you go in now, her treatments are finished," Thranduil said, almost causing Legolas to fall into the room as his father opened the door he'd been holding onto. "I...all right," he whispered, succeeding in covering his surprise. "Tildur, Risdil, Adamir, Legolas will take over now. Thank you for your help." "Legolas, please notify either Risdil or Adamir if she awakens." Shutting the door behind him, Thranduil led the servants out. Crossing the large room to a chair that had been placed next to the bed, he sat down quietly and looked at the young elven woman lying in the bed before him. A bandage had been wrapped around her head that encased the wide gash on her left temple. Still, he realized she was one of the most beautiful elven women he had ever seen. Her hair was a dark brown that contrasted brilliantly with her ivory skin and flowed past her shoulders onto the white gown the servants had put on her in exchange for the wet clothing she'd had when he had brought her in. He leaned back in his chair, and watched her silently until at last the rain lulled him to sleep; unaware of the wet clothing he still wore.
** Late into the night the rhythmic rustling of bedsheets awakened Legolas from his light sleep. He felt the coolness of the air as soon as he became conscious of where he was. The fire had gone out and he rose quietly to start it up again. Soon the warmth filled the room again, creating a warm glow in the dark room. Walking over to the elf's bedside he noticed how her face had begun to shine in the firelight and when he touched her head she flinched, moaning and tossing in her bed. She was much too hot to the touch than she should have been. Taking a cloth and dipping it in the water basin beside the bed, he gently mopped her forehead, whispering in Elvish to calm her as he had many times when Strider had been sick or injured. He smiled at the picture the memory conjured in his mind. Where was he anyway?
Suddenly, the elf woman grabbed his wrist, hard, and her eyes flew open. Snapped out of his reverie by the sudden movement he pinned her other arm down on the bed so she wouldn't unknowingly hurt him or herself. Her eyes were wild and unseeing as she stared up at him. Legolas knew she wasn't seeing anything around her. The fever was causing her to do this against her will. Twisting his arm from her unyielding grip he pinned it down also, as gently as he could while still keeping her under his control. Unfortunately this did not stop her from trying to move away from him. She pushed herself up towards the edge of the bed with her arms still grasped by Legolas, muttering words that made little sense to him. As he tried to push her back down on the bed her foot swung around and hit one of the wooden posts of the bed, causing her to fall back from the pain of injuring her already broken bone. Her struggle ceased and she was brought back to consciousness immediately. Staring up at the blonde elf that was leaning over her, pinning her arms to the bed did not help the fact that she didn't know where she was. It was all so vague. She remembered falling, a bright flash of light and then darkness. Legolas released her wrists slowly from his grip. He could see the pain she was in, most likely from injuring her foot. But she seemed to know him. How was that possible? And who was she?
TBC...
