Disclaimer – I don't own LOTR, any characters, events, plots, settings,
etc. It belongs to Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, and mostly to J.R.R
Tolkein.
CORRECTION – I screwed up my typing in the last chapter and instead of writing 'Edoras' I have 'Dorsa'. Sorry about that!
Legolas was coming back from Rohan one day. He was trying to make the journey back to Mirkwood, when he caught sight of something white shining out of the darkness. Then, it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Curious, Legolas tugged the reins in that direction. Nim Sul began to chase after the white flash. For half an hour Legolas chased it with no sign of the flash again, instead he was just looking for a second flash. He drew in the reins and Nim Sul slowed considerably. Legolas patted his horse's neck.
"It was a good chase. Perhaps I didn't really see anything." He said with a sigh, turning towards home. Suddenly, the sound of a horse whinnying could be heard. Legolas turned back towards it, excited. Nim Sul sprang away once more, towards the source of the sound. Suddenly, Legolas saw it. A white horse, leaning heavily on a tree. Legolas smiled.
"Bragol Gil." He said, moving forward. The horse snuffed and then extended its neck to smell his fingers. It recognized him as a friend and allowed him to come forward. Quickly, he jumped down out of the saddle and began to stroke the horse's mane. His eye caught on a long scar that was nearly hidden by the white coat. The scar was on Bragol Gil's side, and about half a foot. Suddenly, there was a rustling from above him. He had been so entranced it had escaped his hearing. And then, she dropped down from the branches. Arweni dropped back into his life just as suddenly as she'd disappeared. Legolas simply stared, his eyes wide, thinking that if he blinked she would be gone. As his eyes watered from not blinking, she moved forward and stood on the other side of Bragol Gil. After a long time, Legolas blinked.
"Arweni?" He asked his voice sounding like he hadn't used it in years.
"Yes, my prince?" She asked casually.
"What are you doing here?" He asked after a few more moments passed. Arweni finally met his gaze and sighed.
"I think we should sit down." She led the way through the darkness to a small, murky pond. To Legolas's surprise, there was a cup there. Arweni sat down next to the pond, picked up the cup and swirled it through the water. She took a sip and then offered it to Legolas, who had sat down next to her. He looked curiously at the cup then at the water in the pond.
"Don't worry, it's safe. I've drank from here many times." She assured him. Legolas nodded and took a sip.
"So what are you doing here?" Legolas asked again, confused. His heart was pounding uncomfortably, and he felt like his brain had fogged.
"I left Mirkwood and came in here, intending to find my way back. But I kept getting lost, and I didn't know where to go to get out."
"In four years you never found an exit?" Legolas asked incredulously. Arweni looked down at the pond's surface.
"Well, I did find the edge of the forest a few times. But every time I turned back around. I wasn't sure what to do when I got out, so here I am."
"So you just...live in here." Legolas said incredulously, looking around at the scenery. Arweni nodded.
"Yes."
"Why? Why did you leave without saying anything? You lied to my father, and you said nothing to me!" Legolas said angrily. Arweni took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"I didn't want to be a burden." She said evenly. Legolas blinked, startled to hear those words come back to him.
"You...you heard that?"
"I heard that." Arweni said quietly.
"Arweni, you misunderstood. Aragorn told me to watch after you, and it was difficult because you didn't know as much as the rest of us. But you were not a burden." Legolas said gently, feeling stupid never the less. Arweni looked surprised.
"Thank you Legolas. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"Come back with me. You can't live in the forest. It's dangerous." Almost on cue, Arweni stood up suddenly.
"Look out. Something's coming." She warned Legolas. He got up and listened. He heard it suddenly, the high pitched squealing. A spider. Arweni pulled out her blade and readied herself. Legolas recognized his blade and his hand instinctively went to his own. The spider entered the small clearing and instantly headed of Arweni. As one leg jabbed out to her, she rolled under its fat body and cut off a leg while it was confused. It gave a shrill cry and turned to eat her. Nearly quicker than Legolas could see, she sheathed the knife and jumped up into a tree. The spider's many eyes blinked and the spider moved to face the tree. Suddenly, Arweni jumped out and landed on top of it's body. One by one she hacked away at the remaining legs, cutting them off. When she had cut off all but seven, the spider went crashing down to the forest floor. Arweni quickly sliced off the remaining legs and stabbed the body. Panting slightly, she grabbed the hilt and yanked it out. Legolas moved forward.
"That was very good. You've obviously been working on that."
"Well, when you live surrounded by them, you do get some practice." Arweni said with a grin.
"And as good as you are, it's still far too dangerous to live here. Come back with me." Arweni's face emptied of all emotion.
"I don't really want to go back..." She said, looking around.
"You owe me."
"I owe you. How?" She asked with a look of misbelieve. Legolas pointed to the blade she was still holding.
"That's mine. You stole it. And as payment for this debt, you must come back with me." He ordered. Arweni rolled her eyes.
"No, my prince." Legolas glared.
"Fine. You know what I'm going to do? Go under the water and stay there until you say yes." He growled, jumping down into the pond water. Arweni leaned over it.
"Legolas, get out of there." She ordered.
"No!" Came the gurgled reply.
"You really should get out of there."
"Not before you agree to come back." He answered, his voice clear enough to be heard luckily.
"Legolas, get out of there right now!" She demanded.
"No. Not until, hey...what?" Legolas saw something swimming below him. It looked like a cute little fish.
"Legolas, get out NOW!" Arweni ordered.
"Not until OWWW!" Legolas yelped. He reached up out of the water and found the bank and pulled himself out. Arweni knelt down next to the sodden prince, ready to help.
"What was that?" Legolas yelped, looking down at his right leg which was bleeding.
"Man eating fish. Or, Elf eating fish rather. They live in nearly all the ponds. I found that out the hard way too." She said grimly. Legolas was surprised by what she did next. She tore a piece off her dress and wrapped it around his leg tightly.
"Go home. The forest is no place for an elf ling." She teased. Legolas scowled.
"Come back with me." Arweni sighed.
"Well, you did almost get eaten for me. I'll come back." She decided. Legolas smiled and led her back to where the two horses were getting reacquainted. He was only limping slightly. The two saddled up and rode once more to Mirkwood.
A/N – Not many chapters left, many two. Thanks to all who read this!
CORRECTION – I screwed up my typing in the last chapter and instead of writing 'Edoras' I have 'Dorsa'. Sorry about that!
Legolas was coming back from Rohan one day. He was trying to make the journey back to Mirkwood, when he caught sight of something white shining out of the darkness. Then, it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Curious, Legolas tugged the reins in that direction. Nim Sul began to chase after the white flash. For half an hour Legolas chased it with no sign of the flash again, instead he was just looking for a second flash. He drew in the reins and Nim Sul slowed considerably. Legolas patted his horse's neck.
"It was a good chase. Perhaps I didn't really see anything." He said with a sigh, turning towards home. Suddenly, the sound of a horse whinnying could be heard. Legolas turned back towards it, excited. Nim Sul sprang away once more, towards the source of the sound. Suddenly, Legolas saw it. A white horse, leaning heavily on a tree. Legolas smiled.
"Bragol Gil." He said, moving forward. The horse snuffed and then extended its neck to smell his fingers. It recognized him as a friend and allowed him to come forward. Quickly, he jumped down out of the saddle and began to stroke the horse's mane. His eye caught on a long scar that was nearly hidden by the white coat. The scar was on Bragol Gil's side, and about half a foot. Suddenly, there was a rustling from above him. He had been so entranced it had escaped his hearing. And then, she dropped down from the branches. Arweni dropped back into his life just as suddenly as she'd disappeared. Legolas simply stared, his eyes wide, thinking that if he blinked she would be gone. As his eyes watered from not blinking, she moved forward and stood on the other side of Bragol Gil. After a long time, Legolas blinked.
"Arweni?" He asked his voice sounding like he hadn't used it in years.
"Yes, my prince?" She asked casually.
"What are you doing here?" He asked after a few more moments passed. Arweni finally met his gaze and sighed.
"I think we should sit down." She led the way through the darkness to a small, murky pond. To Legolas's surprise, there was a cup there. Arweni sat down next to the pond, picked up the cup and swirled it through the water. She took a sip and then offered it to Legolas, who had sat down next to her. He looked curiously at the cup then at the water in the pond.
"Don't worry, it's safe. I've drank from here many times." She assured him. Legolas nodded and took a sip.
"So what are you doing here?" Legolas asked again, confused. His heart was pounding uncomfortably, and he felt like his brain had fogged.
"I left Mirkwood and came in here, intending to find my way back. But I kept getting lost, and I didn't know where to go to get out."
"In four years you never found an exit?" Legolas asked incredulously. Arweni looked down at the pond's surface.
"Well, I did find the edge of the forest a few times. But every time I turned back around. I wasn't sure what to do when I got out, so here I am."
"So you just...live in here." Legolas said incredulously, looking around at the scenery. Arweni nodded.
"Yes."
"Why? Why did you leave without saying anything? You lied to my father, and you said nothing to me!" Legolas said angrily. Arweni took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"I didn't want to be a burden." She said evenly. Legolas blinked, startled to hear those words come back to him.
"You...you heard that?"
"I heard that." Arweni said quietly.
"Arweni, you misunderstood. Aragorn told me to watch after you, and it was difficult because you didn't know as much as the rest of us. But you were not a burden." Legolas said gently, feeling stupid never the less. Arweni looked surprised.
"Thank you Legolas. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"Come back with me. You can't live in the forest. It's dangerous." Almost on cue, Arweni stood up suddenly.
"Look out. Something's coming." She warned Legolas. He got up and listened. He heard it suddenly, the high pitched squealing. A spider. Arweni pulled out her blade and readied herself. Legolas recognized his blade and his hand instinctively went to his own. The spider entered the small clearing and instantly headed of Arweni. As one leg jabbed out to her, she rolled under its fat body and cut off a leg while it was confused. It gave a shrill cry and turned to eat her. Nearly quicker than Legolas could see, she sheathed the knife and jumped up into a tree. The spider's many eyes blinked and the spider moved to face the tree. Suddenly, Arweni jumped out and landed on top of it's body. One by one she hacked away at the remaining legs, cutting them off. When she had cut off all but seven, the spider went crashing down to the forest floor. Arweni quickly sliced off the remaining legs and stabbed the body. Panting slightly, she grabbed the hilt and yanked it out. Legolas moved forward.
"That was very good. You've obviously been working on that."
"Well, when you live surrounded by them, you do get some practice." Arweni said with a grin.
"And as good as you are, it's still far too dangerous to live here. Come back with me." Arweni's face emptied of all emotion.
"I don't really want to go back..." She said, looking around.
"You owe me."
"I owe you. How?" She asked with a look of misbelieve. Legolas pointed to the blade she was still holding.
"That's mine. You stole it. And as payment for this debt, you must come back with me." He ordered. Arweni rolled her eyes.
"No, my prince." Legolas glared.
"Fine. You know what I'm going to do? Go under the water and stay there until you say yes." He growled, jumping down into the pond water. Arweni leaned over it.
"Legolas, get out of there." She ordered.
"No!" Came the gurgled reply.
"You really should get out of there."
"Not before you agree to come back." He answered, his voice clear enough to be heard luckily.
"Legolas, get out of there right now!" She demanded.
"No. Not until, hey...what?" Legolas saw something swimming below him. It looked like a cute little fish.
"Legolas, get out NOW!" Arweni ordered.
"Not until OWWW!" Legolas yelped. He reached up out of the water and found the bank and pulled himself out. Arweni knelt down next to the sodden prince, ready to help.
"What was that?" Legolas yelped, looking down at his right leg which was bleeding.
"Man eating fish. Or, Elf eating fish rather. They live in nearly all the ponds. I found that out the hard way too." She said grimly. Legolas was surprised by what she did next. She tore a piece off her dress and wrapped it around his leg tightly.
"Go home. The forest is no place for an elf ling." She teased. Legolas scowled.
"Come back with me." Arweni sighed.
"Well, you did almost get eaten for me. I'll come back." She decided. Legolas smiled and led her back to where the two horses were getting reacquainted. He was only limping slightly. The two saddled up and rode once more to Mirkwood.
A/N – Not many chapters left, many two. Thanks to all who read this!