Chapter 5
Who ever told us that elves were the most graceful creatures were unmistakably wrong. After Legolas had turned the corner and left Gaia in the healing halls he had tripped and stumbled his way into Aragorn's chambers. Realizing that he was not there Legolas sprinted down to the library; hoping that Aragorn would be in there. Finally arriving in the library Legolas paused to rub his bruised knee and shin. Aragorn was sitting at an old wooden desk with his back to Legolas. He had a piece of parchment, which seemed as though it had been torn out of an ancient book, very close to his face. Many more pieces of aged parchment sat on the table next to him. Aragorn seemed so absorbed in this piece of parchment that he did not even realize when Legolas entered.
"Aragorn" Legolas demanded as he strode over to him. By his voice, Aragorn realized that it was Legolas at once. Rather than wondering why Legolas had finally decided to leave the young woman in the healing halls of the city, Aragorn had his thoughts entirely focused upon this piece of parchment. He lifted his hand above him and signaled for Legolas to come closer to the table.
"Legolas, can you understand this writing?" he asked. Aragorn pointed to the parchment he was holding. It was covered in an old form of elvish that he could not understand. "I know many forms of elvish, but this is unlike any form I have seen before. Can you translate this for me Legolas?" Legolas gingerly sat down upon a stool next to Aragorn. Aragorn placed the parchment closer to the immortal. He stared down at the writing and wrinkled his eyebrows close together.
"Aragorn, this is written in Quenyan. It is infact the oldest form of elvish known, so there is no surprise that you may not understand it." He took and parchment from Aragorn's hand and moved it closer to his face with one hand while using his other hand to pick up the candle from the side of the table and held it closer to the writing; illuminating it so it was easier for him to read. "This writing died away ages and ages ago. This is even hard for me to understand, for the writing is so faded." Aragorn looked at the immortal's face as he read over the writing again and again. The candlelight danced and flickered upon his chin.
"It speaks of an old form of magic... It contains a prophecy... I cannot understand what it means for the writing becomes very difficult to read here" he pointed to a faded out area of the parchment that seemed like it had been washed away. "...This is interesting... look here- the writing changes." He pointed to another area of the parchment. "The language is indeed similar to Quenyan, but it is more difficult to understand. I did not even know that this sort of writing existed... Where did you find this?"
"I am concerned with these creatures, Legolas. They have taken the lives of many of my men and I was trying to find some sort of sorcery to stop them. I have been trying to decode it for days. I found the paper inside of Arwen's drawer... Legolas, what are the demons? From what you have told me they are so terrible to behold, but do you know what they truly are?"
"I have heard that there is such a prophecy that speaks of what these creatures are; where they come from, how to stop them. This prophecy was written down so very long ago, but it was lost..." Legolas once again focused his attention to the parchment in front of him. Aragorn picked up the pile of parchment and began to shuffle through it. Legolas soon forgot about Gaia's awakening and spent hours in the library with Aragorn, the two of them pouring over the old books and papers. Legolas carefully placed down the parchment next to him and began to read through the many books near to him. Aragorn and Legolas felt their energy waning as the hours ticked slowly away. Night faded into morning, and the rose colored light gently filled the room, waking Aragorn up. His eyes flickered open and he slowly lifted his head off the library desk in front of him. He turned his head and looked over at Legolas. The immortal was staring into an ancient looking book in front of him; his eyes unmoving. Aragorn realized at once what had happened. Releasing a deep and throaty yawn he lifted his hand and waved it in front of Legolas's face. He sat still and even as Aragorn mocked a punch at his face, Legolas did not flinch.
"Legolas" he whispered very loudly into the immortal's ear. Legolas shook and inhaled sharply. His back straightened up at once and he quickly turned his head in Aragorn's direction. His eyes blinked several times.
"I'm sorry Aragorn" he said while swallowing his breath. "I must have fallen asleep..."
"I know Legolas," he replied half smiling. "I am very glad that fell asleep in fact. You have closed you eyes while sleeping for the past four nights that you have been here. I know you are facing many troubles, but why this past night did you eyes not close? Did something pull your mind away from the troubles you are facing?" As if something had slapped him in the face, Legolas sprang to his feet and grabbed Aragorn by the hand. Quickly pocketing the parchment and the last book that he had been reading he pulled Aragorn down the out of the library and down the hall.
"The girl!" he said while racing down the hall with Aragorn at his side "She's awoken! Dammit I forgot!!" the words rolled of his tongue.
As this point in time, Aragorn found it very difficult to hide his laughter.
As they neared the halls of healing, Aragorn pulled Legolas to a halt and told him not to run into the halls while making a scene. Legolas slowed his pace and calmly walked into the hall. Legolas and Aragorn approached the young woman's bed.
"Gaia" the immortal whispered to Aragorn. "Her name is Gaia" Gaia was fast asleep upon the bed. Legolas wondered how long she had been waiting for him before sleep claimed her. He looked over at the stool that he had been sitting upon last night and saw an apple core sitting upon it. While biting his lower lip he made a weak smile. The poor girl, he realized, must have been absolutely famished in order to have eaten his already bitten apple. It must have been three days since she had last eaten. Aragorn stood by his side.
"Well, am I going to meet her or not?" Aragorn questioned.
"I'll wake her up...but... when I first met her... we had a slight incident..." and slowly, Legolas recalled the painful story. By the end of it, Aragorn had tears brimming his eyes and Legolas was red as a brick wall again and staring down at his boots. It seemed that Aragorn had momentarily forgotten his troubles. It was the happiest he had seemed in months.
Who ever told us that elves were the most graceful creatures were unmistakably wrong. After Legolas had turned the corner and left Gaia in the healing halls he had tripped and stumbled his way into Aragorn's chambers. Realizing that he was not there Legolas sprinted down to the library; hoping that Aragorn would be in there. Finally arriving in the library Legolas paused to rub his bruised knee and shin. Aragorn was sitting at an old wooden desk with his back to Legolas. He had a piece of parchment, which seemed as though it had been torn out of an ancient book, very close to his face. Many more pieces of aged parchment sat on the table next to him. Aragorn seemed so absorbed in this piece of parchment that he did not even realize when Legolas entered.
"Aragorn" Legolas demanded as he strode over to him. By his voice, Aragorn realized that it was Legolas at once. Rather than wondering why Legolas had finally decided to leave the young woman in the healing halls of the city, Aragorn had his thoughts entirely focused upon this piece of parchment. He lifted his hand above him and signaled for Legolas to come closer to the table.
"Legolas, can you understand this writing?" he asked. Aragorn pointed to the parchment he was holding. It was covered in an old form of elvish that he could not understand. "I know many forms of elvish, but this is unlike any form I have seen before. Can you translate this for me Legolas?" Legolas gingerly sat down upon a stool next to Aragorn. Aragorn placed the parchment closer to the immortal. He stared down at the writing and wrinkled his eyebrows close together.
"Aragorn, this is written in Quenyan. It is infact the oldest form of elvish known, so there is no surprise that you may not understand it." He took and parchment from Aragorn's hand and moved it closer to his face with one hand while using his other hand to pick up the candle from the side of the table and held it closer to the writing; illuminating it so it was easier for him to read. "This writing died away ages and ages ago. This is even hard for me to understand, for the writing is so faded." Aragorn looked at the immortal's face as he read over the writing again and again. The candlelight danced and flickered upon his chin.
"It speaks of an old form of magic... It contains a prophecy... I cannot understand what it means for the writing becomes very difficult to read here" he pointed to a faded out area of the parchment that seemed like it had been washed away. "...This is interesting... look here- the writing changes." He pointed to another area of the parchment. "The language is indeed similar to Quenyan, but it is more difficult to understand. I did not even know that this sort of writing existed... Where did you find this?"
"I am concerned with these creatures, Legolas. They have taken the lives of many of my men and I was trying to find some sort of sorcery to stop them. I have been trying to decode it for days. I found the paper inside of Arwen's drawer... Legolas, what are the demons? From what you have told me they are so terrible to behold, but do you know what they truly are?"
"I have heard that there is such a prophecy that speaks of what these creatures are; where they come from, how to stop them. This prophecy was written down so very long ago, but it was lost..." Legolas once again focused his attention to the parchment in front of him. Aragorn picked up the pile of parchment and began to shuffle through it. Legolas soon forgot about Gaia's awakening and spent hours in the library with Aragorn, the two of them pouring over the old books and papers. Legolas carefully placed down the parchment next to him and began to read through the many books near to him. Aragorn and Legolas felt their energy waning as the hours ticked slowly away. Night faded into morning, and the rose colored light gently filled the room, waking Aragorn up. His eyes flickered open and he slowly lifted his head off the library desk in front of him. He turned his head and looked over at Legolas. The immortal was staring into an ancient looking book in front of him; his eyes unmoving. Aragorn realized at once what had happened. Releasing a deep and throaty yawn he lifted his hand and waved it in front of Legolas's face. He sat still and even as Aragorn mocked a punch at his face, Legolas did not flinch.
"Legolas" he whispered very loudly into the immortal's ear. Legolas shook and inhaled sharply. His back straightened up at once and he quickly turned his head in Aragorn's direction. His eyes blinked several times.
"I'm sorry Aragorn" he said while swallowing his breath. "I must have fallen asleep..."
"I know Legolas," he replied half smiling. "I am very glad that fell asleep in fact. You have closed you eyes while sleeping for the past four nights that you have been here. I know you are facing many troubles, but why this past night did you eyes not close? Did something pull your mind away from the troubles you are facing?" As if something had slapped him in the face, Legolas sprang to his feet and grabbed Aragorn by the hand. Quickly pocketing the parchment and the last book that he had been reading he pulled Aragorn down the out of the library and down the hall.
"The girl!" he said while racing down the hall with Aragorn at his side "She's awoken! Dammit I forgot!!" the words rolled of his tongue.
As this point in time, Aragorn found it very difficult to hide his laughter.
As they neared the halls of healing, Aragorn pulled Legolas to a halt and told him not to run into the halls while making a scene. Legolas slowed his pace and calmly walked into the hall. Legolas and Aragorn approached the young woman's bed.
"Gaia" the immortal whispered to Aragorn. "Her name is Gaia" Gaia was fast asleep upon the bed. Legolas wondered how long she had been waiting for him before sleep claimed her. He looked over at the stool that he had been sitting upon last night and saw an apple core sitting upon it. While biting his lower lip he made a weak smile. The poor girl, he realized, must have been absolutely famished in order to have eaten his already bitten apple. It must have been three days since she had last eaten. Aragorn stood by his side.
"Well, am I going to meet her or not?" Aragorn questioned.
"I'll wake her up...but... when I first met her... we had a slight incident..." and slowly, Legolas recalled the painful story. By the end of it, Aragorn had tears brimming his eyes and Legolas was red as a brick wall again and staring down at his boots. It seemed that Aragorn had momentarily forgotten his troubles. It was the happiest he had seemed in months.