Disclaim – I don't own LOTR or anything from it.
Arweni was careful to stay hidden the next few days. Her ears weren't as good as full-blooded elves, but she had learned how to be unseen. Mostly, she stayed in her room and watched the leaves fall past her windows. Arweni was living in Arwen's room. She knew because she had found 'Arwen' engraved in a stone piece of furniture. Arweni added her own name just below it. The palace was large, and Arweni sometimes crept to the room where the shards of Narsil once were. The statue was still there, as was the tapestry, but the cloth as empty. Arweni would talk to the statue, just to make sure her voice still worked. She always conversed in Elvish, the tongues of men seemed disrespectful here. A week after meeting the Prince, Arweni tired of leaving only when she needed food. So Arweni saddled Nim Sul and they rode to a large pool of water, fed by a waterfall. She left Nim Sul to graze, stowing her dress in a saddlebag she hid in a bush. In her shift now, she waded into the water. She dove under and swam for a bit before lying on her back and floating, her head tilted back, arm and legs fluttering to keep her afloat. Arweni's blonde hair became a wispy cloud as it billowed in the water.
"So the Half Elf can swim?" A voice teased. Arweni opened her eyes to see Prince Legolas on the shore. She got out of the floating position, drawing in a sharp breath of surprise. She sank down until only her face was above the water. But Legolas had seen her attire. Embarrassed, he turned around.
'Forgive me Arweni, I didn't know." He apologized. Arweni sloshed towards the bank, trying to get out.
"No, it's all right." Arweni said. Legolas turned around to see Arweni drenched, but shocked he was looking again. She quickly got to deeper water and sank down. Legolas turned around again; even his ears burning as he blushed red.
"I'm sorry. Don't let me cut your swim short. I only meant to return your cloak." He turned cautiously. Luckily, Arweni was still in hiding.
"Thank you. I wondered about it." She answered. They stood uncomfortably for a minute. Suddenly, Legolas broke the silence.
"May I join you?" He asked. Arweni floundered for an answer. Was denying a prince treason? Would saying yes be forward?
"Yes. No. Yes, I mean no, I mean...whatever you like, my lord." Legolas laughed and began pulling off his boots.
"I'll join you." Next he pulled off his shirt. Shocked, Arweni turned around. Legolas dove in and swam in front of her.
"Do Half Elves get cold?" He asked, asking the question that had been bothering his mind.
"Not really. If there's an extreme cold yes, but not otherwise." Legolas nodded.
"Interesting." Arweni was vaguely annoyed at the interrogation. She slipped underwater and swam to the edge, pulling her cloak around her as she climbed out.
"No, wait! I'm in need of conversation!" The prince pleaded, swimming closer. Arweni sighed.
"Fine. But if you ask questions, I'll do the same." She threatened. The prince who was now treading water smiled.
"Fair enough. To whom do you give your allegiance?" He asked as Arweni settled cross-legged upon a rock.
"Your father and Queen Arwen. Mainly elf dignitaries. Mirkwood, Lothlorien, but Gondor because of Arwen and I live nearby." She answered, wringing out her hair. "And my question, my prince, is what you're doing here."
"My father demands I marry and take the Crown. I don't want to."
"So you ran away."
"Yes. And why are you here?" He asked.
"I don't belong with men or elves. I used to belong with my mother but she left for Valinor a while ago. My father left when I was young. So I chose to live alone." Arweni felt something nudge her back and turned to see Nim Sul. "Except for my horse anyway."
"Where'd you get that horse?" The prince asked, swimming closer. Arweni patted Nim Sul's head affectionately.
"Nim Sul is a descendant of the horse Shadowfax. My mother bought him with gold my father left."
"I knew Shadowfax. An amazing creature." Legolas said in admiration, reaching up to pet Nim Sul while murmuring in Elvish.
"Ah, maybe the prince does have a heart." Arweni teased. Legolas smiled good naturedly.
"I guess I deserved that."
"Maybe. Will you go back home?" Arweni asked finally.
"Eventually. But I don't look forward to it."
"Isn't your family worried?"
"I guess."
"Don't you care?"
"Not really." Legolas replied with a shrug. Arweni stood up, slipping her feet into her shoes.
"I should go. Enjoy your stay here, my lord, but I must move on." She pulled her saddlebag out from behind the bush and slung it over Nim Sul's broad back.
"But milady, aren't you living here?" Asked the blonde prince teasingly, hanging onto a rock. Arweni stared openmouthed.
"How'd you know?"
"You told me." He pointed out with a grin.
"Oh. Right. Well, goodbye then." Arweni said, climbing into the saddle.
"Do Half Elves die?" Legolas called out. Arweni turned in the saddle.
"I don't know!" She called back, spurring Nim Sul to a gallop. Legolas stared after her. Yet again she had left him with a question. He climbed out of the small pool and pulled on his shirt. When did Half Elves die?
Arweni was careful to stay hidden the next few days. Her ears weren't as good as full-blooded elves, but she had learned how to be unseen. Mostly, she stayed in her room and watched the leaves fall past her windows. Arweni was living in Arwen's room. She knew because she had found 'Arwen' engraved in a stone piece of furniture. Arweni added her own name just below it. The palace was large, and Arweni sometimes crept to the room where the shards of Narsil once were. The statue was still there, as was the tapestry, but the cloth as empty. Arweni would talk to the statue, just to make sure her voice still worked. She always conversed in Elvish, the tongues of men seemed disrespectful here. A week after meeting the Prince, Arweni tired of leaving only when she needed food. So Arweni saddled Nim Sul and they rode to a large pool of water, fed by a waterfall. She left Nim Sul to graze, stowing her dress in a saddlebag she hid in a bush. In her shift now, she waded into the water. She dove under and swam for a bit before lying on her back and floating, her head tilted back, arm and legs fluttering to keep her afloat. Arweni's blonde hair became a wispy cloud as it billowed in the water.
"So the Half Elf can swim?" A voice teased. Arweni opened her eyes to see Prince Legolas on the shore. She got out of the floating position, drawing in a sharp breath of surprise. She sank down until only her face was above the water. But Legolas had seen her attire. Embarrassed, he turned around.
'Forgive me Arweni, I didn't know." He apologized. Arweni sloshed towards the bank, trying to get out.
"No, it's all right." Arweni said. Legolas turned around to see Arweni drenched, but shocked he was looking again. She quickly got to deeper water and sank down. Legolas turned around again; even his ears burning as he blushed red.
"I'm sorry. Don't let me cut your swim short. I only meant to return your cloak." He turned cautiously. Luckily, Arweni was still in hiding.
"Thank you. I wondered about it." She answered. They stood uncomfortably for a minute. Suddenly, Legolas broke the silence.
"May I join you?" He asked. Arweni floundered for an answer. Was denying a prince treason? Would saying yes be forward?
"Yes. No. Yes, I mean no, I mean...whatever you like, my lord." Legolas laughed and began pulling off his boots.
"I'll join you." Next he pulled off his shirt. Shocked, Arweni turned around. Legolas dove in and swam in front of her.
"Do Half Elves get cold?" He asked, asking the question that had been bothering his mind.
"Not really. If there's an extreme cold yes, but not otherwise." Legolas nodded.
"Interesting." Arweni was vaguely annoyed at the interrogation. She slipped underwater and swam to the edge, pulling her cloak around her as she climbed out.
"No, wait! I'm in need of conversation!" The prince pleaded, swimming closer. Arweni sighed.
"Fine. But if you ask questions, I'll do the same." She threatened. The prince who was now treading water smiled.
"Fair enough. To whom do you give your allegiance?" He asked as Arweni settled cross-legged upon a rock.
"Your father and Queen Arwen. Mainly elf dignitaries. Mirkwood, Lothlorien, but Gondor because of Arwen and I live nearby." She answered, wringing out her hair. "And my question, my prince, is what you're doing here."
"My father demands I marry and take the Crown. I don't want to."
"So you ran away."
"Yes. And why are you here?" He asked.
"I don't belong with men or elves. I used to belong with my mother but she left for Valinor a while ago. My father left when I was young. So I chose to live alone." Arweni felt something nudge her back and turned to see Nim Sul. "Except for my horse anyway."
"Where'd you get that horse?" The prince asked, swimming closer. Arweni patted Nim Sul's head affectionately.
"Nim Sul is a descendant of the horse Shadowfax. My mother bought him with gold my father left."
"I knew Shadowfax. An amazing creature." Legolas said in admiration, reaching up to pet Nim Sul while murmuring in Elvish.
"Ah, maybe the prince does have a heart." Arweni teased. Legolas smiled good naturedly.
"I guess I deserved that."
"Maybe. Will you go back home?" Arweni asked finally.
"Eventually. But I don't look forward to it."
"Isn't your family worried?"
"I guess."
"Don't you care?"
"Not really." Legolas replied with a shrug. Arweni stood up, slipping her feet into her shoes.
"I should go. Enjoy your stay here, my lord, but I must move on." She pulled her saddlebag out from behind the bush and slung it over Nim Sul's broad back.
"But milady, aren't you living here?" Asked the blonde prince teasingly, hanging onto a rock. Arweni stared openmouthed.
"How'd you know?"
"You told me." He pointed out with a grin.
"Oh. Right. Well, goodbye then." Arweni said, climbing into the saddle.
"Do Half Elves die?" Legolas called out. Arweni turned in the saddle.
"I don't know!" She called back, spurring Nim Sul to a gallop. Legolas stared after her. Yet again she had left him with a question. He climbed out of the small pool and pulled on his shirt. When did Half Elves die?