Mo: Weee! Third chapter already? Wow! If anyone wanted to know, I edited
this chapter. Will do so to the other chappies, but later.
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or Lord of the Rings.
When Kenshin woke, he found his captors were already awake. He stretched and looked up through the canopy, finding the sun lower than he had expected. It was much easier to tell the time up here than on the ground. These people were quite the early birds.
"Come, it is time to head out. We will blindfold you once you have descended from the Flet."
"Must I go blindfold again? It makes shessha uneasy de gozaru." Kenshin said as he started down the ladder.
"It is the rule that outsiders must go blindfold. I cannot make an exception." He shook his head, watching Himura climb down, then tying the cloth over his eyes. Kenshin sighed, his shoulders sagging. Another few hours of sensing his way along the path? It took an immense amount of concentration to follow the footsteps of the elves, as their steps were light and not easily heard. He should have accepted Orophin's offer to guide him.
"It will not take long to reach Caras Galadhon. Maybe an hour, if we quicken our pace. Are you up to it?"
Kenshin bit his lip and nodded. It is better to work hard on my own. Better to break a sweat than end up becoming a nuisance.
As Kenshin and his captors made their way through the wood, it gave Kenshin some time to think to himself, as he felt disrupting the silence was a bad idea. 'A couple of years ago, I would have slain anyone in my path. Instead of coming with Haldir peacefully, I would have just killed my way through this forest. He shook his head, as if in disbelief. How is it that I never realized what I was doing? How could I have been so blind. Perhaps Shishou was right. I am just a 'baka-deshi'. But how am I atoning for that now? By letting these people lead me around blind fold in a strange forest I'd never wanted to enter in the first place? Perhaps this is Kami's way of teaching me patience.
The ground had begun to incline slightly. After the path leveled out a bit, Kenshin was so lost in his silent musings to pay attention to the almost undetectable steps of his captors.
"Oro!!" He cried, his foot catching in a tree root. He fell face flat after shaking his arms wildly about as if grabbed by some unseen foe. "Itai." he murmured, rubbing the dirt off of his face. An Elf, most likely Haldir or Orophin had stooped to help him up, when the blindfold came off in his hand.
"Aiya! I swear I didn't mean to do tha.." He stopped abruptly when his eyes fell upon the scene farther ahead. "Haldir-donno.." he whispered as Orophin lifted him to his feet. It was not a difficult thing to do, Orophin noted, because this wanderer was really as lithe as he looked.
"I had hoped to show it to you later on, when we are at a better angle, when the sun hits it just right." He smiled, and patted Kenshin on the back.
"This is.." Kenshin stared in awe, forgetting for a moment that he was a prisoner.
"Yes," Haldir waved a hand at the great city intertwined with the trees, "this is Caras Galadhon. The home of my people, the Elves. It is, in the opinion of most Elves, the greatest Elven kingdom on the face of Arda."
Staring in awe was the most Kenshin could do. The city was magnificent. It wove between the trees, giving each tree room to grow, and even seemed to give of a silver glow. It was mind boggling mow much care and precision must have been needed to construct such a place. The group walked forward, and Kenshin found it was harder to keep his footing without the blindfold, as he was to busy staring at the city to pay attention.
The outer gates opened, letting Haldir and his group enter into the city. Kenshin was led up what seemed like several hundred flights of stairs, then to a small lift. What Kenshin could not figure out was the source of the strange silver glow. It's light filled lanterns, and graced arches and pavilions. Staring around wide-eyed like a kid in a candy store, Kenshin followed the rest of the Elves to a (you guessed it) silver pavilion. Down a small stair came two shining figures, and all of the elves bowed. Kenshin moved to do the same.
"Haldir, faithful guardian, we did not expect to see you back so soon." An enchanting male voice echoed. As the light subsided, the features of the two forms could be seen. They were both very tall, and garbed in the finest clothing Kenshin had ever seen. Had he been able to take his eyes off them, he would have inspected his own tattered and dirty kimono and hakama with utter disgust. The male figure on the left had a stern yet noble face, and the lady on his right seemed as mysterious as the silver light. Her hair seemed to be woven of fine gold, and her eyes held the stars of the heavens within them. Old yet young they both seemed, the Lord and Lady of the Wood.
"Nor did I expect to return my Lord. We have found yet another trespasser, but this one is strange to us. His name is Himura Kenshin, and he did not claim to be a man of the south, or of the north. He is not a friend of the Elves, yet has shown no aggression towards us either. I could not decide what to do with him, as all he requested was passage through our lands. He said that he was ignorant of the borders of our land. I believe he speaks the truth, as he was most surprised to know that he was trespassing."
The golden haired woman wore a mask of gentle kindness, but with one look into her eyes, Kenshin could tell she knew far more than she let on. She studied Haldir's face with a curious scrutiny, then lifted her eyebrows in an amused manner.
"Ah, but Haldir, there is another reason you trust this, Himura Kenshin, is there not?" her melodic voice chimed like a clear silver bell.
Haldir hesitated, and looked as if he were trying to figure out what to say in response. Kenshin studied him at this moment, and saw the reluctance to speak in his posture.
"I cannot lie, there is another reason."
"Would you care to share this reason with us? If we know why you trust him, perhaps it will help us to make a decision on whether or not he shall pass." The tall Lord stated.
Haldir trusted him? How could be possibly? No stranger had ever trusted him before.
"Yes, my Lord Celeborn. It is, my instincts that tell me to trust him. I am not sure why, but somehow I know that Kenshin speaks the truth."
This was all news to Kenshin. He had expected Haldir to take him to the Lord and Lady, and then he'd have to make his own case. He hadn't expected to have an ally on his side.
The Lord and Lady exchanged glances, the one called Celeborn choosing to remain in silence to contemplate what this ment, as the Lady spoke.
"Haldir, in the many years you have served as this land's guardian, your instincts have never led you astray. But perhaps the stranger should speak for himself."
That was his queue. Kenshin stepped forward and bowed in respect to the Lady. Best to start off on the right foot, he thought dryly. "My Lord and Lady. (1)Shessha wa, Rurouni, Himura Kenshin, desu. What Haldir-donno says is the truth, I did not mean to trespass, I only ended up here on accident." Well that sounded dumb, he thought then continued, "I have no intention of bringing harm to you, or any of your people, that I do not. Shessha is here to beg for your clemency, and to ask for permission to cross through your forest."
"Though his speech is difficult to understand, the wanderer speaks more respectfully than any human I have ever met. At first glance he looks to be a filthy vagabond, but in his heart he is fair. He is no servant of the enemy, I will give him that." Celeborn spoke to his wife in the flowing elvish tongue. A couple of the elves blushed at Celeborn's blunt words.
Galadriel took her own personal evaluation of Kenshin's words, and then looked deep into his eyes. Kenshin felt a little uncomfortable, being stared at so intently. Her gaze was more intense than any other stare he had ever gotten, which was quite a few. She seemed to be searching for something, deep, deep within him. Kenshin began to panic, wondering if within the depths of his eyes she would discover Hitokiri Battousai, and he tried to look away, but the connection wouldn't break. Suddenly, as if as clear as she was speaking out loud, her voice entered his mind.
You are a strange one, Himura Battousai. Yes, I have seen it, that part within you that has been locked away. You have made a difficult decision, suppressing that part of you, quelling the urge you have to slay men. You are welcome here, in the Golden Wood, for I have respect for those willing to atone for their sins. It is those who do not recognize their wrongdoings, that I will not tolerate. Take rest within our borders, Kenshin Himura, you are safe here.
Galadriel came out of his mind and spoke softly, "This wanderer is to be aloud through our lands. But allow him to rest first, he has had a long journey." Celeborn did not second guess his wife's decision, he knew she had her own way of judging people. Haldir nodded and bowed again, grabbing Kenshin's arm. He was whisked away before he was able to thank them.
A/N's: Ok ok! I started using Shessha! (Literally translated, it means, 'this unworthy one'.) Sorry if it bugs anyone! Wow, much longer chapter ne? I hope I didn't end it to abruptly! Good thing it's a weekend! You'd never get this quality stuff from me normally, be thankful! ^_^ Never mind, I guess it is I who should be thankful that I even have reviewers! Kudos to you all who reviewed! I really appreciate it!
(1) Basically, "This unworthy one is Himura Kenshin, a wanderer." (Sentence structure can be flopped around) Sorry if my Japanese is a little off!
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or Lord of the Rings.
When Kenshin woke, he found his captors were already awake. He stretched and looked up through the canopy, finding the sun lower than he had expected. It was much easier to tell the time up here than on the ground. These people were quite the early birds.
"Come, it is time to head out. We will blindfold you once you have descended from the Flet."
"Must I go blindfold again? It makes shessha uneasy de gozaru." Kenshin said as he started down the ladder.
"It is the rule that outsiders must go blindfold. I cannot make an exception." He shook his head, watching Himura climb down, then tying the cloth over his eyes. Kenshin sighed, his shoulders sagging. Another few hours of sensing his way along the path? It took an immense amount of concentration to follow the footsteps of the elves, as their steps were light and not easily heard. He should have accepted Orophin's offer to guide him.
"It will not take long to reach Caras Galadhon. Maybe an hour, if we quicken our pace. Are you up to it?"
Kenshin bit his lip and nodded. It is better to work hard on my own. Better to break a sweat than end up becoming a nuisance.
As Kenshin and his captors made their way through the wood, it gave Kenshin some time to think to himself, as he felt disrupting the silence was a bad idea. 'A couple of years ago, I would have slain anyone in my path. Instead of coming with Haldir peacefully, I would have just killed my way through this forest. He shook his head, as if in disbelief. How is it that I never realized what I was doing? How could I have been so blind. Perhaps Shishou was right. I am just a 'baka-deshi'. But how am I atoning for that now? By letting these people lead me around blind fold in a strange forest I'd never wanted to enter in the first place? Perhaps this is Kami's way of teaching me patience.
The ground had begun to incline slightly. After the path leveled out a bit, Kenshin was so lost in his silent musings to pay attention to the almost undetectable steps of his captors.
"Oro!!" He cried, his foot catching in a tree root. He fell face flat after shaking his arms wildly about as if grabbed by some unseen foe. "Itai." he murmured, rubbing the dirt off of his face. An Elf, most likely Haldir or Orophin had stooped to help him up, when the blindfold came off in his hand.
"Aiya! I swear I didn't mean to do tha.." He stopped abruptly when his eyes fell upon the scene farther ahead. "Haldir-donno.." he whispered as Orophin lifted him to his feet. It was not a difficult thing to do, Orophin noted, because this wanderer was really as lithe as he looked.
"I had hoped to show it to you later on, when we are at a better angle, when the sun hits it just right." He smiled, and patted Kenshin on the back.
"This is.." Kenshin stared in awe, forgetting for a moment that he was a prisoner.
"Yes," Haldir waved a hand at the great city intertwined with the trees, "this is Caras Galadhon. The home of my people, the Elves. It is, in the opinion of most Elves, the greatest Elven kingdom on the face of Arda."
Staring in awe was the most Kenshin could do. The city was magnificent. It wove between the trees, giving each tree room to grow, and even seemed to give of a silver glow. It was mind boggling mow much care and precision must have been needed to construct such a place. The group walked forward, and Kenshin found it was harder to keep his footing without the blindfold, as he was to busy staring at the city to pay attention.
The outer gates opened, letting Haldir and his group enter into the city. Kenshin was led up what seemed like several hundred flights of stairs, then to a small lift. What Kenshin could not figure out was the source of the strange silver glow. It's light filled lanterns, and graced arches and pavilions. Staring around wide-eyed like a kid in a candy store, Kenshin followed the rest of the Elves to a (you guessed it) silver pavilion. Down a small stair came two shining figures, and all of the elves bowed. Kenshin moved to do the same.
"Haldir, faithful guardian, we did not expect to see you back so soon." An enchanting male voice echoed. As the light subsided, the features of the two forms could be seen. They were both very tall, and garbed in the finest clothing Kenshin had ever seen. Had he been able to take his eyes off them, he would have inspected his own tattered and dirty kimono and hakama with utter disgust. The male figure on the left had a stern yet noble face, and the lady on his right seemed as mysterious as the silver light. Her hair seemed to be woven of fine gold, and her eyes held the stars of the heavens within them. Old yet young they both seemed, the Lord and Lady of the Wood.
"Nor did I expect to return my Lord. We have found yet another trespasser, but this one is strange to us. His name is Himura Kenshin, and he did not claim to be a man of the south, or of the north. He is not a friend of the Elves, yet has shown no aggression towards us either. I could not decide what to do with him, as all he requested was passage through our lands. He said that he was ignorant of the borders of our land. I believe he speaks the truth, as he was most surprised to know that he was trespassing."
The golden haired woman wore a mask of gentle kindness, but with one look into her eyes, Kenshin could tell she knew far more than she let on. She studied Haldir's face with a curious scrutiny, then lifted her eyebrows in an amused manner.
"Ah, but Haldir, there is another reason you trust this, Himura Kenshin, is there not?" her melodic voice chimed like a clear silver bell.
Haldir hesitated, and looked as if he were trying to figure out what to say in response. Kenshin studied him at this moment, and saw the reluctance to speak in his posture.
"I cannot lie, there is another reason."
"Would you care to share this reason with us? If we know why you trust him, perhaps it will help us to make a decision on whether or not he shall pass." The tall Lord stated.
Haldir trusted him? How could be possibly? No stranger had ever trusted him before.
"Yes, my Lord Celeborn. It is, my instincts that tell me to trust him. I am not sure why, but somehow I know that Kenshin speaks the truth."
This was all news to Kenshin. He had expected Haldir to take him to the Lord and Lady, and then he'd have to make his own case. He hadn't expected to have an ally on his side.
The Lord and Lady exchanged glances, the one called Celeborn choosing to remain in silence to contemplate what this ment, as the Lady spoke.
"Haldir, in the many years you have served as this land's guardian, your instincts have never led you astray. But perhaps the stranger should speak for himself."
That was his queue. Kenshin stepped forward and bowed in respect to the Lady. Best to start off on the right foot, he thought dryly. "My Lord and Lady. (1)Shessha wa, Rurouni, Himura Kenshin, desu. What Haldir-donno says is the truth, I did not mean to trespass, I only ended up here on accident." Well that sounded dumb, he thought then continued, "I have no intention of bringing harm to you, or any of your people, that I do not. Shessha is here to beg for your clemency, and to ask for permission to cross through your forest."
"Though his speech is difficult to understand, the wanderer speaks more respectfully than any human I have ever met. At first glance he looks to be a filthy vagabond, but in his heart he is fair. He is no servant of the enemy, I will give him that." Celeborn spoke to his wife in the flowing elvish tongue. A couple of the elves blushed at Celeborn's blunt words.
Galadriel took her own personal evaluation of Kenshin's words, and then looked deep into his eyes. Kenshin felt a little uncomfortable, being stared at so intently. Her gaze was more intense than any other stare he had ever gotten, which was quite a few. She seemed to be searching for something, deep, deep within him. Kenshin began to panic, wondering if within the depths of his eyes she would discover Hitokiri Battousai, and he tried to look away, but the connection wouldn't break. Suddenly, as if as clear as she was speaking out loud, her voice entered his mind.
You are a strange one, Himura Battousai. Yes, I have seen it, that part within you that has been locked away. You have made a difficult decision, suppressing that part of you, quelling the urge you have to slay men. You are welcome here, in the Golden Wood, for I have respect for those willing to atone for their sins. It is those who do not recognize their wrongdoings, that I will not tolerate. Take rest within our borders, Kenshin Himura, you are safe here.
Galadriel came out of his mind and spoke softly, "This wanderer is to be aloud through our lands. But allow him to rest first, he has had a long journey." Celeborn did not second guess his wife's decision, he knew she had her own way of judging people. Haldir nodded and bowed again, grabbing Kenshin's arm. He was whisked away before he was able to thank them.
A/N's: Ok ok! I started using Shessha! (Literally translated, it means, 'this unworthy one'.) Sorry if it bugs anyone! Wow, much longer chapter ne? I hope I didn't end it to abruptly! Good thing it's a weekend! You'd never get this quality stuff from me normally, be thankful! ^_^ Never mind, I guess it is I who should be thankful that I even have reviewers! Kudos to you all who reviewed! I really appreciate it!
(1) Basically, "This unworthy one is Himura Kenshin, a wanderer." (Sentence structure can be flopped around) Sorry if my Japanese is a little off!