Mo: Standard disclaimer. I'm not making money off of this, I'm don't own
these things, etc.
Haldir led Kenshin back down the seemingly endless stairs, and into a small glade where a pavilion was set up.
"Other strangers have entered Lothlorien with the permission of the Lady. You may rest here with them." At Haldir's voice, Kenshin saw a head, covered in thick, curly hair peer out from inside the pavilion.
"Oi! Merry! You've got to see this!"
"What now Pip?" The second voice sighed, and another, slightly lighter curly head popped out. "I wonder who he is?" the blonde one asked as his eyes studied Kenshin, who pretended not to notice.
"You think we should tell Aragorn?"
"Nah, see? He's walking with that Haldir chap, he's alright."
"If you say so Merry."
Haldir led the vagabond to a seat carved into a living tree, a few pillows were set there. Kenshin took a seat and looked up to Haldir.
"Rest a while, you may depart when you are ready." With a discrete bow, he turned and walked away, shaking his head slowly, then stopped and spoke lowly, as if to himself, though Kenshin knew it was meant for him. "I asked you once why you had no home, and why you wield your sword for strangers. You're answer was for atonement, but I don't understand. What could you have done to sentence yourself to a life of wandering and selflessly helping others?" There, I asked him. Haldir thought, I am far to curious for an elf.
Kenshin closed his eyes as if to think of an appropriate answer. He waited a moment, and as he did, the two curious, curly headed creatures crept closer in silence, hoping to catch the gist of the conversation.
"Haldir-donno, I am not proud of my past, dae gozaru." He lifted his hands and studied them, "With these hands, many men have been cut down. Many men who were trying to live their lives the way they saw was right. And because I thought that slaying them would protect the weak, and usher in a new era of peace, I became a ruthless assassin. My name was, and is still feared throughout my homeland. I have killed so many, I killed them without even knowing their names. Not one murder mattered, because I didn't know them. As long as it created a new world of peace, I didn't care. It was only until I took the life of the person closest to me, did I realize what I'd become." He let his hands drop, and lifted his eyes to meet Haldir's wide and astonished ones. "Is that a good enough reason? To wield this reverse bladed sword for the weak, knowing who the enemy in front of me is, and helping those who are suffering, just as I should have done from the beginning?"
Kenshin's words echoed through Haldir's pointed ears, and slowly but surely, he began to understand. This man had killed many men, even one closest to him. He must have died inside that day. But was reborn with his decision to wield this non-killing sword. At least, that was the way Haldir saw it.
Two very surprised Hobbits listened from behind a nearby tree in astonishment.
"What's a man like that doing in Lothlorien?" The one called Merry asked.
"Didn't you hear? Haldir had said something about trespassers. Perhaps that's what this chap is?"
"But how did he manage to persuade Haldir not to kill him for trespassing?"
"Who knows Merry? Maybe we should wake Aragorn."
"That would be hard to do," came a gruff whisper from behind, "For I am already awake."
The two Hobbits jumped around, looking at Aragorn with faces filled with surprise and shame.
"You should know better not to eavesdrop Master Hobbits."
"Yes, well." They each stuttered until Aragorn's attention was distracted. He shook his head, eliminating the urge to eavesdrop with them. "This is none of our business, come, let's get back to the others." He turned and the two ashamed Hobbits followed him in silence.
Haldir shook his head, "I was wrong to have questioned you so, it is obviously a personal matter." He walked off briskly, still meditating on the wanderer's words.
Kenshin watched him walk off thoughtfully, not knowing how to reply. Growing restless, he stood and decided he ought to take a walk.
Boromir stood, poised with his sword stretched out in front of him. He made a few sharp, crisp swings, then rolled his shoulders and stretched out his back, swinging his arms to get his blood flowing.
Practice always clears my head, he thought while going through one of his easiest drills, just to start off. He completed the movements, and moved to a harder succession of moves, harder this time.
"It feels to easy for some reason," he grumbled to himself.
"If it feels easy, you are probably doing it wrong, dae gozaru," a voice came from behind.
The warrior tensed, who was this person to offer commentary on the way he drilled? Turning, he glared at who he expected to be one of those haughty elves, but found a red-haired man, blinking curiously. He looked more curious than haughty. Boromir shook it off. "You're probably right, I've had a lot on my mind as of late. Who are you?" his eyes drifted to the stranger's left hip, where a long slender sword rested.
"Oh, shessha is just a wanderer," the man waved a hand, "You don't look like you are from around here."
"Me? An elf? It should be obvious," he laughed, resting the tip of his blade in the ground. "Now, tell me, what was I doing wrong? I can't seem to figure it out." He fisted his hand in anger.
"Oh, you just look to tense, that's all. And you are going to fast. Complicated strokes take patience, not to mention that you are keeping your shoulder a bit to low." He leaned against a tree, watching to see what the man would do next.
"Thank you for the advice, I shall keep it in mind." He lifted his sword again, going through the same strokes, this time slower, and making sure not to drop his shoulder again. It felt more right, and he felt the familiar strain in his muscles that said he was doing it right. He laughed and looked up, finding the red-haired man had disappeared.
A/N: Thanks for sticking with me this far! I'm soooo sorry for not updating soon! *dodges pelted food items and dangerous objects&* Please forgive me! Hopefully chapters will come faster now. "Hopefully" I said! If anyone has any suggestions or comments please tell me in your review! Yes, I DO expect you to review! No flames please, all will be fed to Momiji, the rabbit with big pointy teeth!
Thanks everyone!
Haldir led Kenshin back down the seemingly endless stairs, and into a small glade where a pavilion was set up.
"Other strangers have entered Lothlorien with the permission of the Lady. You may rest here with them." At Haldir's voice, Kenshin saw a head, covered in thick, curly hair peer out from inside the pavilion.
"Oi! Merry! You've got to see this!"
"What now Pip?" The second voice sighed, and another, slightly lighter curly head popped out. "I wonder who he is?" the blonde one asked as his eyes studied Kenshin, who pretended not to notice.
"You think we should tell Aragorn?"
"Nah, see? He's walking with that Haldir chap, he's alright."
"If you say so Merry."
Haldir led the vagabond to a seat carved into a living tree, a few pillows were set there. Kenshin took a seat and looked up to Haldir.
"Rest a while, you may depart when you are ready." With a discrete bow, he turned and walked away, shaking his head slowly, then stopped and spoke lowly, as if to himself, though Kenshin knew it was meant for him. "I asked you once why you had no home, and why you wield your sword for strangers. You're answer was for atonement, but I don't understand. What could you have done to sentence yourself to a life of wandering and selflessly helping others?" There, I asked him. Haldir thought, I am far to curious for an elf.
Kenshin closed his eyes as if to think of an appropriate answer. He waited a moment, and as he did, the two curious, curly headed creatures crept closer in silence, hoping to catch the gist of the conversation.
"Haldir-donno, I am not proud of my past, dae gozaru." He lifted his hands and studied them, "With these hands, many men have been cut down. Many men who were trying to live their lives the way they saw was right. And because I thought that slaying them would protect the weak, and usher in a new era of peace, I became a ruthless assassin. My name was, and is still feared throughout my homeland. I have killed so many, I killed them without even knowing their names. Not one murder mattered, because I didn't know them. As long as it created a new world of peace, I didn't care. It was only until I took the life of the person closest to me, did I realize what I'd become." He let his hands drop, and lifted his eyes to meet Haldir's wide and astonished ones. "Is that a good enough reason? To wield this reverse bladed sword for the weak, knowing who the enemy in front of me is, and helping those who are suffering, just as I should have done from the beginning?"
Kenshin's words echoed through Haldir's pointed ears, and slowly but surely, he began to understand. This man had killed many men, even one closest to him. He must have died inside that day. But was reborn with his decision to wield this non-killing sword. At least, that was the way Haldir saw it.
Two very surprised Hobbits listened from behind a nearby tree in astonishment.
"What's a man like that doing in Lothlorien?" The one called Merry asked.
"Didn't you hear? Haldir had said something about trespassers. Perhaps that's what this chap is?"
"But how did he manage to persuade Haldir not to kill him for trespassing?"
"Who knows Merry? Maybe we should wake Aragorn."
"That would be hard to do," came a gruff whisper from behind, "For I am already awake."
The two Hobbits jumped around, looking at Aragorn with faces filled with surprise and shame.
"You should know better not to eavesdrop Master Hobbits."
"Yes, well." They each stuttered until Aragorn's attention was distracted. He shook his head, eliminating the urge to eavesdrop with them. "This is none of our business, come, let's get back to the others." He turned and the two ashamed Hobbits followed him in silence.
Haldir shook his head, "I was wrong to have questioned you so, it is obviously a personal matter." He walked off briskly, still meditating on the wanderer's words.
Kenshin watched him walk off thoughtfully, not knowing how to reply. Growing restless, he stood and decided he ought to take a walk.
Boromir stood, poised with his sword stretched out in front of him. He made a few sharp, crisp swings, then rolled his shoulders and stretched out his back, swinging his arms to get his blood flowing.
Practice always clears my head, he thought while going through one of his easiest drills, just to start off. He completed the movements, and moved to a harder succession of moves, harder this time.
"It feels to easy for some reason," he grumbled to himself.
"If it feels easy, you are probably doing it wrong, dae gozaru," a voice came from behind.
The warrior tensed, who was this person to offer commentary on the way he drilled? Turning, he glared at who he expected to be one of those haughty elves, but found a red-haired man, blinking curiously. He looked more curious than haughty. Boromir shook it off. "You're probably right, I've had a lot on my mind as of late. Who are you?" his eyes drifted to the stranger's left hip, where a long slender sword rested.
"Oh, shessha is just a wanderer," the man waved a hand, "You don't look like you are from around here."
"Me? An elf? It should be obvious," he laughed, resting the tip of his blade in the ground. "Now, tell me, what was I doing wrong? I can't seem to figure it out." He fisted his hand in anger.
"Oh, you just look to tense, that's all. And you are going to fast. Complicated strokes take patience, not to mention that you are keeping your shoulder a bit to low." He leaned against a tree, watching to see what the man would do next.
"Thank you for the advice, I shall keep it in mind." He lifted his sword again, going through the same strokes, this time slower, and making sure not to drop his shoulder again. It felt more right, and he felt the familiar strain in his muscles that said he was doing it right. He laughed and looked up, finding the red-haired man had disappeared.
A/N: Thanks for sticking with me this far! I'm soooo sorry for not updating soon! *dodges pelted food items and dangerous objects&* Please forgive me! Hopefully chapters will come faster now. "Hopefully" I said! If anyone has any suggestions or comments please tell me in your review! Yes, I DO expect you to review! No flames please, all will be fed to Momiji, the rabbit with big pointy teeth!
Thanks everyone!