@ Baby Blaize : Oh. Sorry. I just had to stop there. I can't resist it. LOL! Hawkeye's age will be revealed in the next chapter.
@Lady Lenna : Billy Crystal is one real funny guy. But he surely looked hideous in Legolas' outfit!
@tbiris : Believe it.
@Hp-Azn : Hawkeye is going to be okay. But our favorite elf will not. He! He! (Nara and Leggy will keep it down. Err…maybe not!)
@Dur En Thurin Naur : Thanks for telling me your new e-mail add. I also have just sign up a new e-mail. The address is adromir2kimi@yahoo.co.uk.
@Lucy : He! He! Dirty, it is. You are going to know why and how Hawkeye happens to be this way.
@szhismine : I will explain, I promise. So, you want to know more about Leggy and Nara's wedding? I'll think of something soon.
@Aranel of Mirkwood : Let's just hope that Michael Schumacher get stuck in the immigration so he can't attend the race. He! He!
@IrishQT : How can he be human indeed. Well, it's like this…read more, mellon! By the way, get well soon!
Something must have gone wrong with the board. They told me I got 13 reviews, but none ever get through my e-mails. And when I clicked the reviews button, nothing appears. That got me so confused. Then I remember the back-up files and that was how I picked up your reviews. Weird, huh? So there must be some of you who has given your reviews but they never appears on the board.
Anyway, the next chapter is here. Be warned though; Leggy and Nara are at it again!
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Legolas woke up to the sound of Narasene's lilting singing voice. He pushed himself on his elbows, and smiled in appreciation when he saw his wife deep to her neck in the bathtub at the far corner of the chamber. Swiping the coverlet aside, Legolas got off the bed and silently approached her from behind.
Narasene chuckled when she felt her husband's naughty fingers trail down her bare arms. "Good morning, dear husband."
"Good morning, my lady wife," he replied, kissing her lips.
She reached up and gripped the back of his neck. "Join me?"
He kissed her again before pulling away quite reluctantly. "I'd love to. But if I do, I will have a hard time removing myself to tend to my duties."
"You are the lord of this keep, but even you need a time off for yourself," she said, pouting prettily.
"That is true, but just not today, sweetheart." Legolas rummaged through the dresser for fresh tunics after he did his morning wash. "Besides, I need to see how our guest is doing."
Narasene rose and stepped out of the tub. Legolas went completely still and gaped at the sight of his enchanting wife, all wet and fresh from her bath.
"If you are trying to seduce me, it's working," Legolas mumbled, almost choking.
Smiling coyly, Narasene grabbed her satin robe and put it on, much to her husband's relief as well as disappointment. She then walked languidly towards him and took the tunic off his hand. "Let me help you dress, my lord."
Legolas gulped as she began to untie the laces of his leggings. "Uh…help me dress or…help me undress actually?"
She only chuckled in reply.
It was a half hour later when the prince finally left the chamber, fully dressed and blushing furiously. His wife had practically shoved him out the door, saying, "See you tonight, my lord. We still have unfinished business to…err…discuss."
He just stood there for several moments, staring at the firmly closed door with a foolish grin on his face. "Wench," he muttered, chuckled, and started to head for the guest room.
It had been two days since they received the unexpected guest. The man's injury had been made worse by a vile poison on the dart, which had spread quickly throughout his system. Luckily, Legolas' household kept a cure for such venom. After they fed him the draught every few hours, 'Hawkeye' gradually turned for the better. His high fever had lessened and he had stopped groaning and twitching restlessly in his sleep.
Nodding at the two guards standing sentry by the door, Legolas entered the chamber. He found the patient still had not awakened. Gazing down at the sleeping man, the prince couldn't help feeling the peculiarity of the entire situation and he had trouble believing that it was actually happening.
The 'Hawkeye' he knew was once a majestic looking eagle, with golden furs and razor sharp talons. Gimli had given the great bird to him almost thirty years ago to help pull Legolas out of a terrible depression following an awful incident that had cost the prince his innocence and dignity. The dwarf knew of the magical healing power of the manyan stone that was in Legolas' possession at that time. The stone was once buried at the back of Legolas' neck for he had been born a manyan, the one with a mystical healing touch, but it had been robbed off him viciously over a hundred years ago. A wicked witch had dug the stone out of his neck, causing him to lose the healing ability that had been a gift to his people and every other living thing in Middle-earth.
Understanding Legolas' weakness for helpless animals, Gimli had been completely certain that the prince would use the healing stone to heal the eagle's broken wing, and to heal his own battered spirit along the way. But it had taken Legolas almost a week to do just that, and that was after he had attempted suicide—with the injured eagle as the sole witness.
Thankfully, Lady Galadriel of Lórien managed to talk some sense into his head. Legolas had slowly pulled out of his depression and recovered from his ghastly experience. He had also used the manyan stone to heal the eagle. The regal bird had been following him ever since, sharing with him many adventures and escapades. Then Hawkeye would fly to other unknown parts of Arda before returning to the prince now and again. And that was how the friendship had flourished throughout the long years they had known each other.
And what a strange one this friendship will turn out to be, Legolas thought to himself as he kept gazing thoughtfully at the man who claimed to be his winged friend.
The door opened after a brief knock and a tall elven warrior entered. He was Béregund, Legolas' right hand man.
"Good morning, your highness," greeted the elder elf with a smile. He then inclined his head towards the man on the bed. "He still hasn't awakened?"
Legolas ruefully shook his head. "His condition looks to be improving, though. He is lucky the dart didn't strike his heart or the story would be different."
Béregund was thoughtful for a moment as he gazed down at the patient. "This might sound odd, but he looks just like you, your highness."
Legolas broke out laughing. "I know. It's the hair, right? We share the same color, the same length. You should have seen my wife's face when she first saw him!"
The other elf also chuckled. And that was when Hawkeye began to stir. The two elves moved closer towards the bed, watching intently as the man's eyes fluttered open. He stared back at them dazedly before full recognition kicked in, and he weakly smiled. "Looks like…I'm going to live then."
Legolas sat on the edge of the bed and stared into Hawkeye's familiar golden eyes. "Indeed you will."
A servant suddenly entered, carrying a tray of food. "Lady Narasene wishes that the patient take his meal if he has awakened," said the servant, putting the tray on the side table.
"Tell my lady wife I'm glad and thankful of her thoughtfulness," Legolas responded. Then he added with a sly grin, "And please do tell her that I will be missing her kisses the whole day."
Stupefied, the servant blinked repeatedly for several moments, and turned to Béregund for aid. The warrior just laughed and nudged the poor servant out of the chamber with him. When they were left alone, elf and man stared intensely at each other.
Hawkeye sat up straighter, his face straining with the effort. He glanced at the food tray on the table and grimaced. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but uh…I'm not really hungry."
Legolas smiled. "I understand what you mean. I've been bedridden countless of times myself to know that your appetite is deserting you right now. But my wife will flay my hide if you don't finish the meal," the elf said, picking up the jug of water and pouring into a glass.
"Your marriage to her has done wonders, Lord Legolas. You look happier than I ever remember. You seem content," Hawkeye said, accepting the glass. He took a tentative sip before finishing the whole content in several large gulps.
"You might not be hungry but you surely are thirsty," Legolas commented in amusement as Hawkeye asked for more.
The man shrugged. "My throat feels so parched. The last I remember, I've been flying for a full day without rest."
Legolas gazed hard at the man. "There is more to that, I believe. And I want to hear all about it, but later. First, I want to know who you truly are, starting with your real name."
Hawkeye grew silent. His fingers gripped the glass for a full minute before he carefully placed it back on the table. "I am called Gallard," he started. "Well, Prince Gallard actually. I am the youngest of seven sons of King Fallon of Tasqamaran."
Legolas was completely dumbfounded. "You are son of a king? Tasqamaran? But that's…I thought the kingdom was only a myth!"
"It is not a myth…at least, has not been for many centuries," Hawkeye, or Gallard, said with a sad smile. "But now, it is about to become one."
The elf prince silently got to his feet and walked to the opened window, contemplating Gallard's words. He stared out to see the string of activities that were already being carried out all around the keep. The sentry was changing shift, while a band of warriors was riding out through the great gate towards the woods for their daily patrol. The servants were heard doing their chores—planting and weeding in the vegetable garden, tending to the horses in the stable, washing and polishing the marble tiles in the courtyard until it shone bright under the sun. They might seem to be tiresome errands, but the elves seemed to enjoy doing them. They sang as they worked, harmonious and carefree.
Legolas was glad that his own small kingdom was thriving under his governance. He was even more proud to note that the new colony of elves he had founded was becoming a kind of haven for those of them who still lingered in Middle-earth, waiting for the perfect moment to sail over to Valinor. Like him.
"You are a man, yet you are also a bird." Legolas spoke after a long silence. He turned to face Gallard once more. He leaned his back against the window ledge with his arms crossed over his chest. "What exactly are you?"
Gallard bit his lips before answering, "I'm a draq, a shape shifter that changes form between man and eagle. Tasqamaran is our sole fortress and home."
Frowning, Legolas asked again, "But why did you never take the shape of a man with me before?"
"I'm more comfortable in eagle form," Gallard softly replied. "It gives me more freedom and space. Besides, I never changed shape in front of others except for my own people and kin." Tears began to form in Gallard's eyes after saying this. "And now, I no longer have any kin."
Legolas moved towards the bed and reclaimed his seat. "What happened? And who shot you? How did you come to be this way?"
Gallard's fists clenched against the coverlet. "It was Kalden, my father's younger brother," he said through gritted teeth as the unbidden tears spilled onto his cheeks. "He led a coup over our kingdom with an army of shraq, the shape-shifting ravens, and…and they slew our king. All my brothers…were also killed…and that left only me…Only me…"
TBC…..
