Truth or Lies
She knew who he was, where she was, but how she didn't know how she'd found herself here with the Prince of Mirkwood leaning over her, pinning her to the bed. She was beginning to notice the unrelenting throb that radiated through her head and up her leg, both fighting for her attention. She closed her eyes and felt his hands remove themselves from her wrists. She knew he had questions for her. He had seen her recognition of him in her eyes. Suddenly she felt something soft being removed from her head and her eyes opened as her hand reached up to touch Legolas' hand.
"Am I hurting you?" Legolas asked, drawing his hand away quickly from the bandage. Her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse and painfully quiet as she answered. "No, go on." She moved her head slightly to look at him and sucked in a breath as a flash of pain shot across her forehead. The room seemed to be spinning slowly around her, gaining momentum as her temple began to throb from being touched, no matter how gentle the prince's intentions were. Still, she lay quietly without a sound and closed her eyes to block out both the constant aches of her leg and head. "Drink this, it will ease your pain and help you sleep," Legolas said, taking her arm gently and guiding her to a sitting position. He handed her the cup and nodded for her to drink from it.
Even the smallest motion of sitting up made her head spin, and she felt sick. Still, she held the cup to her lips and drank the liquid down. She handed the empty cup back to Legolas with shaking hands and slid back down into the coolness of the sheets. Already the liquid was making her pain subside a little.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that he was watching her with a genuine calm. He had questions, she knew, but would only ask if she spoke first. She must be careful not to let on how much she knew about him.
"You have many questions, do you not Prince Legolas?"
He knew that she could see he had questions, so her inquiry wasn't a surprise. "Yes, many, and rightfully so wouldn't you say? But first, who are you and how did you find yourself so near to Mirkwood, for that is where you are. Somehow I gather that you know that and who I am already."
"Eldárwen Lissësúl," she hesitated briefly, an unasked for pang of guilt punctuating her inner thought as she said the words surprised her. This was her name, was it not? Why did she feel that she was lying? "And yes, I do know where I am and who you are." She hesitated again, "Though only because I have heard of you elsewhere."
Legolas noticed her hesitation. Was she lying to him? And if she was, why? "I see. And where do you come from?" He was watching her face closely, watching for any sign of hesitation. Her pale face remained impassive for the moment.
She had to think of something quickly. He was studying her eyes, her face, anything that would give away her story. Anything that would give her away.
"I once lived in the woods of Lothlorien," she began, with more energy than she had answered before, "with a couple who took me in when my parents died under the hand of orcs. I do not know where I lived before that. I had thought perhaps Rivendell was my home at one time, but I never ventured near there to begin my search. I have spent my years wandering in and out of Lothlorien. 'Why?' you ask, would I leave The Wood? Look at me, Legolas." She stopped and waited for the blonde elf to do as she said.
Her story was strange and sad, but he could not help but wonder if it was true. Legolas' eyes wandered across her face. She was beautiful, that much was true. Her silky, dark brown hair and large, warm brown eyes gave her the look of royal lineage. But he knew what he had wanted her to see. "You are not of Lothlorien descent. But why did you leave?" Of course he knew that part of the reason must have been because her physical appearance was different, but surely she would not have left just because of that? "No, I did not only leave because I was different in appearance, but also because I was different in the being that I was, especially compared to all of the Lothlorien elves. In the back of their minds they knew this, but were still very kind to me. They treated me as one of their own, but somehow I never felt that I belonged." she said, "So I fled the forests in search of a life with my own kind." she added quietly, lowering her head to look at her hands. Some of her story was true, about being adopted by the Lothlorien elves, about being different from those around her. But her reason for leaving was only half-true.
Legolas wasn't sure what to believe about her so-called story. Her eyes were amazingly good at hiding everything that she didn't want him to see. It was difficult for him to tell whether or not she was lying. He had one last question for her, for now at least. "What are you doing so near to Mirkwood?"
Eldárwen knew that she could not avoid the question, but she had no answer. She knew that whatever she said would be untrue, because she could not tell the truth. She couldn't tell him that she was here because of him. He would wonder why and. She closed her eyes and opened them again. She hoped her face remained impassive. "I-I am, or was, traveling..to.I-" Her hands were cold and shaking now. What was happening to her? The room was once again spinning around and darkness threatened to rob her of all conscious thought.
Legolas noticed the change. "Eldárwen?" he asked, quietly. When she did not respond, he asked again, none of the panic that was in him showing through his voice, "Eldárwen? What is." He wasn't even able to finish his sentence. At that moment she fell limp and did not awake, even as Legolas tried desperately to revive her. Her lips were cold and her skin was becoming sallow. He crossed the room to the door and was just about to call for Risdil when he heard her speak. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She seemed to still be unconscious, possibly sleeping, and was saying something that only his elven hearing could detect.
"Don't tell him.don't let him hurt me.no!" Her voice was one of sheer terror, something that she had concealed while talking to him. Now it was quieter, meek even "Yes sir.I know what.consequences.if I do not .succeed. The face that had been so peaceful, so careful to hide any emotion was now a flurry of panic and sorrow. Eldárwen's beautiful face was hiding nothing now. Unchecked tears flowed from her eyes, creating tiny wet trails that traveled down her pale face.
Legolas suddenly realized that he had been walking across the room to her bedside and was now leaning over her once again. He shook her gently and she responded by waking slowly, as if she had been sleeping deeply. What was wrong with her? This reaction could not have been the result of her head injury. He felt her head with the back of his hand. She was cooler than she had been. Legolas sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into her face. She was actually smiling now and he returned it with one of his own.
"Are you all right?" he asked, quietly.
"Yes, I'll be fine." She paused. "Did I. say anything. strange?" Despite the fact that she was trying to remain calm, an edge of doubt crept into her voice.
Legolas debated with himself for a moment over whether or not to mention her outburst. "Yes, you did say something, though I could not understand it fully," he said.
Her face paled and her slight smile faded as soon as he said the words.
Legolas continued, "You were saying something about not letting someone hurt you.that you knew what the consequences would be if you didn't succeed.Can you tell me what you meant by all this?"
"No, I cannot and if I could I would tell you," she said. He could tell that she was telling the truth this time, at least he hoped so. Perhaps earlier she had been a little wary of telling an almost total stranger her life story. He understood her carefulness about what she could and could not reveal to others.
"I will leave now, so that you can rest, and if you need anything please feel free to call either myself or the servants," he said, quietly. Eldárwen nodded, "Thank you, I will."
And with that, Legolas closed the door and began to walk down the spacious hallway toward his father's room. He had much to discuss with Thranduil, on the topic of the elven woman that would not stray from his thoughts.
TBC.
She knew who he was, where she was, but how she didn't know how she'd found herself here with the Prince of Mirkwood leaning over her, pinning her to the bed. She was beginning to notice the unrelenting throb that radiated through her head and up her leg, both fighting for her attention. She closed her eyes and felt his hands remove themselves from her wrists. She knew he had questions for her. He had seen her recognition of him in her eyes. Suddenly she felt something soft being removed from her head and her eyes opened as her hand reached up to touch Legolas' hand.
"Am I hurting you?" Legolas asked, drawing his hand away quickly from the bandage. Her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse and painfully quiet as she answered. "No, go on." She moved her head slightly to look at him and sucked in a breath as a flash of pain shot across her forehead. The room seemed to be spinning slowly around her, gaining momentum as her temple began to throb from being touched, no matter how gentle the prince's intentions were. Still, she lay quietly without a sound and closed her eyes to block out both the constant aches of her leg and head. "Drink this, it will ease your pain and help you sleep," Legolas said, taking her arm gently and guiding her to a sitting position. He handed her the cup and nodded for her to drink from it.
Even the smallest motion of sitting up made her head spin, and she felt sick. Still, she held the cup to her lips and drank the liquid down. She handed the empty cup back to Legolas with shaking hands and slid back down into the coolness of the sheets. Already the liquid was making her pain subside a little.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that he was watching her with a genuine calm. He had questions, she knew, but would only ask if she spoke first. She must be careful not to let on how much she knew about him.
"You have many questions, do you not Prince Legolas?"
He knew that she could see he had questions, so her inquiry wasn't a surprise. "Yes, many, and rightfully so wouldn't you say? But first, who are you and how did you find yourself so near to Mirkwood, for that is where you are. Somehow I gather that you know that and who I am already."
"Eldárwen Lissësúl," she hesitated briefly, an unasked for pang of guilt punctuating her inner thought as she said the words surprised her. This was her name, was it not? Why did she feel that she was lying? "And yes, I do know where I am and who you are." She hesitated again, "Though only because I have heard of you elsewhere."
Legolas noticed her hesitation. Was she lying to him? And if she was, why? "I see. And where do you come from?" He was watching her face closely, watching for any sign of hesitation. Her pale face remained impassive for the moment.
She had to think of something quickly. He was studying her eyes, her face, anything that would give away her story. Anything that would give her away.
"I once lived in the woods of Lothlorien," she began, with more energy than she had answered before, "with a couple who took me in when my parents died under the hand of orcs. I do not know where I lived before that. I had thought perhaps Rivendell was my home at one time, but I never ventured near there to begin my search. I have spent my years wandering in and out of Lothlorien. 'Why?' you ask, would I leave The Wood? Look at me, Legolas." She stopped and waited for the blonde elf to do as she said.
Her story was strange and sad, but he could not help but wonder if it was true. Legolas' eyes wandered across her face. She was beautiful, that much was true. Her silky, dark brown hair and large, warm brown eyes gave her the look of royal lineage. But he knew what he had wanted her to see. "You are not of Lothlorien descent. But why did you leave?" Of course he knew that part of the reason must have been because her physical appearance was different, but surely she would not have left just because of that? "No, I did not only leave because I was different in appearance, but also because I was different in the being that I was, especially compared to all of the Lothlorien elves. In the back of their minds they knew this, but were still very kind to me. They treated me as one of their own, but somehow I never felt that I belonged." she said, "So I fled the forests in search of a life with my own kind." she added quietly, lowering her head to look at her hands. Some of her story was true, about being adopted by the Lothlorien elves, about being different from those around her. But her reason for leaving was only half-true.
Legolas wasn't sure what to believe about her so-called story. Her eyes were amazingly good at hiding everything that she didn't want him to see. It was difficult for him to tell whether or not she was lying. He had one last question for her, for now at least. "What are you doing so near to Mirkwood?"
Eldárwen knew that she could not avoid the question, but she had no answer. She knew that whatever she said would be untrue, because she could not tell the truth. She couldn't tell him that she was here because of him. He would wonder why and. She closed her eyes and opened them again. She hoped her face remained impassive. "I-I am, or was, traveling..to.I-" Her hands were cold and shaking now. What was happening to her? The room was once again spinning around and darkness threatened to rob her of all conscious thought.
Legolas noticed the change. "Eldárwen?" he asked, quietly. When she did not respond, he asked again, none of the panic that was in him showing through his voice, "Eldárwen? What is." He wasn't even able to finish his sentence. At that moment she fell limp and did not awake, even as Legolas tried desperately to revive her. Her lips were cold and her skin was becoming sallow. He crossed the room to the door and was just about to call for Risdil when he heard her speak. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She seemed to still be unconscious, possibly sleeping, and was saying something that only his elven hearing could detect.
"Don't tell him.don't let him hurt me.no!" Her voice was one of sheer terror, something that she had concealed while talking to him. Now it was quieter, meek even "Yes sir.I know what.consequences.if I do not .succeed. The face that had been so peaceful, so careful to hide any emotion was now a flurry of panic and sorrow. Eldárwen's beautiful face was hiding nothing now. Unchecked tears flowed from her eyes, creating tiny wet trails that traveled down her pale face.
Legolas suddenly realized that he had been walking across the room to her bedside and was now leaning over her once again. He shook her gently and she responded by waking slowly, as if she had been sleeping deeply. What was wrong with her? This reaction could not have been the result of her head injury. He felt her head with the back of his hand. She was cooler than she had been. Legolas sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into her face. She was actually smiling now and he returned it with one of his own.
"Are you all right?" he asked, quietly.
"Yes, I'll be fine." She paused. "Did I. say anything. strange?" Despite the fact that she was trying to remain calm, an edge of doubt crept into her voice.
Legolas debated with himself for a moment over whether or not to mention her outburst. "Yes, you did say something, though I could not understand it fully," he said.
Her face paled and her slight smile faded as soon as he said the words.
Legolas continued, "You were saying something about not letting someone hurt you.that you knew what the consequences would be if you didn't succeed.Can you tell me what you meant by all this?"
"No, I cannot and if I could I would tell you," she said. He could tell that she was telling the truth this time, at least he hoped so. Perhaps earlier she had been a little wary of telling an almost total stranger her life story. He understood her carefulness about what she could and could not reveal to others.
"I will leave now, so that you can rest, and if you need anything please feel free to call either myself or the servants," he said, quietly. Eldárwen nodded, "Thank you, I will."
And with that, Legolas closed the door and began to walk down the spacious hallway toward his father's room. He had much to discuss with Thranduil, on the topic of the elven woman that would not stray from his thoughts.
TBC.
