Chapter 2: Mirkwood's Newest Visitors
"Oh, I do hope the others are ok," said the soft voice belonging to Yuna. She had been worried about her missing guardians ever since she had awoken, and she wasn't afraid to show it in front of Rikku or LuLu.
"I'm sure they're all fine, Yunie," Rikku said. "They're all men. They can take care of themselves."
"She's right," LuLu chimed in. "They'll be fine."
"I hope you're right. But... Where are we?" Yuna said, looking at the thick woods around her. The others looked around and shrugged, both having no recolection of such a place.
They were beside a large river, which foamed as it hit the banks. On the opposite side of the river, there were more trees, in some places thicker than the ones near them.
"I wish Tidus were here..." Yuna said. The other two sighed.
"Yuna, we still don't even really know him. You shouldn't give your heart to a man you don't know... Just be patient. The right man will drop in sooner or later," LuLu said.
As if in response to her comment, a fair faced man suddenly jumped out of the tree Yuna was leaning against. He was blond headed with blue eyes, and had surprisingly pointy ears. On his back was a bow and two small swords.
Yuna screamed, Rikku hid behind a tree, and LuLu was preparing a spell when he landed.
"What business do you have in these woods?" the man asked.
"Our own," LuLu said defiantly.
"Which would be all well and good, if you weren't tresspassing," returned the man. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, prince of these woods." At these words, Rikku jumped from behind the tree.
"A PRINCE!?" she shouted.
"Yes," Legolas replied.
"A prince who travels alone?" Yuna asked suspiciosly. Again, as if responding to her comment, several more men fell from the trees, gracefully landing on their feet. They, too, had blond hair and pointy ears.
"Not alone," Legolas said. "I will ask you again. What business do you have in these woods?"
"What's with the pointy ears?" Rikku said, ignoring his question. The men looked at each other, extremely annoyed and confused.
"What kind of ears would you expect an elf to have?" Legolas asked, tilting his head.
"An Elf? So... You're an Elf-Prince?" Rikku said. Legolas nodded. "If only I knew what an elf was..." There was another murmur amongst the men.
"Surely, you know what an elf is..." Legolas said, titling his head a little more.
"No, we don't," Yuna said, meeting Legolas' eyes for the first time. In that instant, the world around her stopped. There was a sparkle in his eye and a small smile on his lips that made Yuna shake with nerves.
"Elves are immortal. Elves are wise," Legolas said.
"And don't forget the ears!" Rikku shouted.
"And we have... pointy ears... as you have so gracefully pointed out. We are the wisest creatures living in Middle-Earth," Legolas said.
"Middle-Earth?" LuLu asked, a little confused.
"So THAT'S where we are!" Rikku shouted, jumping for joy at their discovery. "Well... If only I knew where Middle-Earth was..."
"What business do you have in these woods?" Legolas asked, this time with a slightly raised voice.
"We're lost," Yuna said simply.
"Then let us show you to the borders of these woods. Where is your destination?" Legolas asked, his voice now calm again.
"I... We.... We don't know," Yuna stammered.
"If you have no destination, then how can you be lost?" Legolas asked, folding his arms.
"We DO have a destination. It just isn't in this 'Center-Earth' place you said we're in," Rikku said, walking up to Yuna's side.
"MIDDLE-Earth," Legolas corrected.
"Whatever. We're looking for some of our friends. Has anyone else shown up here?" LuLu said.
"No. You three are the only people who have ventured this far into Mirkwood in some time," Legolas said.
"Well... We need to stay here in case they show up," Yuna said.
"This isn't a meeting point for friends, I'm afraid," Legolas said. Again, Yuna met his eyes and the same feeling came over her as before.
"But we need to find our friends, you big meanie!" Rikku shouted. Legolas turned to the others and looked into their eyes one at a time. They all nodded and Legolas slowly turned back to the girls.
"Then you will come with us to Rivendell. We're going there shortly, and I'm sure there will be news of any strange people," Legolas said with a smile.
The three girls looked at eachother. Rikku showed slight signs of fear. LuLu showed suspicion. Yuna showed... Joy... Her eyes met Legolas' one more time, and he winked at her. She smiled weakly, happily resigned to the new arrangments.
"Oh, I do hope the others are ok," said the soft voice belonging to Yuna. She had been worried about her missing guardians ever since she had awoken, and she wasn't afraid to show it in front of Rikku or LuLu.
"I'm sure they're all fine, Yunie," Rikku said. "They're all men. They can take care of themselves."
"She's right," LuLu chimed in. "They'll be fine."
"I hope you're right. But... Where are we?" Yuna said, looking at the thick woods around her. The others looked around and shrugged, both having no recolection of such a place.
They were beside a large river, which foamed as it hit the banks. On the opposite side of the river, there were more trees, in some places thicker than the ones near them.
"I wish Tidus were here..." Yuna said. The other two sighed.
"Yuna, we still don't even really know him. You shouldn't give your heart to a man you don't know... Just be patient. The right man will drop in sooner or later," LuLu said.
As if in response to her comment, a fair faced man suddenly jumped out of the tree Yuna was leaning against. He was blond headed with blue eyes, and had surprisingly pointy ears. On his back was a bow and two small swords.
Yuna screamed, Rikku hid behind a tree, and LuLu was preparing a spell when he landed.
"What business do you have in these woods?" the man asked.
"Our own," LuLu said defiantly.
"Which would be all well and good, if you weren't tresspassing," returned the man. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, prince of these woods." At these words, Rikku jumped from behind the tree.
"A PRINCE!?" she shouted.
"Yes," Legolas replied.
"A prince who travels alone?" Yuna asked suspiciosly. Again, as if responding to her comment, several more men fell from the trees, gracefully landing on their feet. They, too, had blond hair and pointy ears.
"Not alone," Legolas said. "I will ask you again. What business do you have in these woods?"
"What's with the pointy ears?" Rikku said, ignoring his question. The men looked at each other, extremely annoyed and confused.
"What kind of ears would you expect an elf to have?" Legolas asked, tilting his head.
"An Elf? So... You're an Elf-Prince?" Rikku said. Legolas nodded. "If only I knew what an elf was..." There was another murmur amongst the men.
"Surely, you know what an elf is..." Legolas said, titling his head a little more.
"No, we don't," Yuna said, meeting Legolas' eyes for the first time. In that instant, the world around her stopped. There was a sparkle in his eye and a small smile on his lips that made Yuna shake with nerves.
"Elves are immortal. Elves are wise," Legolas said.
"And don't forget the ears!" Rikku shouted.
"And we have... pointy ears... as you have so gracefully pointed out. We are the wisest creatures living in Middle-Earth," Legolas said.
"Middle-Earth?" LuLu asked, a little confused.
"So THAT'S where we are!" Rikku shouted, jumping for joy at their discovery. "Well... If only I knew where Middle-Earth was..."
"What business do you have in these woods?" Legolas asked, this time with a slightly raised voice.
"We're lost," Yuna said simply.
"Then let us show you to the borders of these woods. Where is your destination?" Legolas asked, his voice now calm again.
"I... We.... We don't know," Yuna stammered.
"If you have no destination, then how can you be lost?" Legolas asked, folding his arms.
"We DO have a destination. It just isn't in this 'Center-Earth' place you said we're in," Rikku said, walking up to Yuna's side.
"MIDDLE-Earth," Legolas corrected.
"Whatever. We're looking for some of our friends. Has anyone else shown up here?" LuLu said.
"No. You three are the only people who have ventured this far into Mirkwood in some time," Legolas said.
"Well... We need to stay here in case they show up," Yuna said.
"This isn't a meeting point for friends, I'm afraid," Legolas said. Again, Yuna met his eyes and the same feeling came over her as before.
"But we need to find our friends, you big meanie!" Rikku shouted. Legolas turned to the others and looked into their eyes one at a time. They all nodded and Legolas slowly turned back to the girls.
"Then you will come with us to Rivendell. We're going there shortly, and I'm sure there will be news of any strange people," Legolas said with a smile.
The three girls looked at eachother. Rikku showed slight signs of fear. LuLu showed suspicion. Yuna showed... Joy... Her eyes met Legolas' one more time, and he winked at her. She smiled weakly, happily resigned to the new arrangments.