Chapter 4
"Laurelin, please, wake up." Legolas dabbed her pale face with a cloth. It had been two days since the altercation between Totholain and Laurelin. She had steadily improved, but had not wakened from her dreams. Every so often she groaned and called out in a clear voice, "Noro lim, Asfaloth!" Legolas did not understand why she was saying that. Asfaloth was Glorfindel's horse, but Laurelin had never met Asfaloth or Glorfindel. It confused the young Prince.
He sighed and patted her hand, praying to the Valar that she would come out of it. He had tried every spell and enchantment that he knew, but he could not get her out of her reveries. Totholain had been working with her until Thranduil drug him downstairs to have a word with him. Legolas could tell his father was very angry. Laurelin's father was not at Mirkwood, for he was out with some Elves on their Annual hunting trip. When he would be called back from it, he would not be happy.
"Why did he do this to you?" Legolas said to the sleeping Elf. Legolas understood that if Elf-lords got enraged, they could kill or knock down anything in their path. That had not happened very often, however, for Elves are not quick to anger. "But why did he hurt you?" Legolas thought. Totholain was one of the gentlest Elves out of Mirkwood, and he loved Laurelin more than his own self. It just did not make sense.
The clouds from outside started to cover the sun, and it grew dark. Legolas guessed that the Elf-lords were really at each other's throats. Sighing, he placed a light kiss upon her lips, and then went downstairs. He said a mental thanks to Eru that he was not an Elf-lord. yet.
****
"What happened?" was the first thing out of Thranduil's mouth when he took the Elvish general to the wine cellar downstairs. The King wanted peace and quiet so he could talk to the other Elf-lord one on one.
Totholain's eyes glazed. "She took me. She was trying to stop me from saying something, something that I did not want to say, but felt that I had to. She hurt Laurelin through me so that I could not and will not ever be able to tell her again. If I do try, I will die."
Thranduil rubbed his chin. "Elbereth got you that time. I thought you were wise enough and powerful enough to stay out of her path. Totholain, you can't change fate, no matter what. You may know the future of some, but you can NEVER change it."
Totholain went white. "How did you know? I never told you."
~ Please don't let Thranduil know who I am. Please don't let Thranduil know what I am ~
"You didn't have to. I read it off you. Just because you are the wisest doesn't make you the hardest Elf to read. I have not an idea what Laurelin and Legolas's fate is, but I can comprehend it is not a good one. It makes me sad, but we can't do anything."
"We can go to Elrond. He is the Lord of understanding. I bet you that he can get the Valar to change their act of plans." Thranduil shook his head.
"No," he said bluntly. " I can't leave, Mirkwood, remember? And if you go to him, Elbereth will make sure you do not get your message known. Elrond is very dangerous to her, for he does have the power to override the Maiar. and even sometimes the Valar. But that has never happened, and probably won't. The Valar write down everyone's fate before they are born, and make sure that the sequence of events goes in that order. It was the first time an Elf has ever tried to alter it, and Elbereth stopped you the only way she could."
Totholain tried to think of other solutions. They could go to Valinor. but the Valar, especially Manwe, would not receive them, for their time was not yet accounted for when they could leave.
" So you are saying that we have to sit back and watch this all happen?"
" Yes, my general, we do."
Totholain closed his eyes. He could feel anger bottling up inside him. Outside, the sky darkened and the horses snorted in terror. Can't save her. can't save her. can't save her. "NO!" he thundered.
~ I was not put here by Elbereth to watch her die ~
Thranduil jumped back and withdrew his sword, terror flashing in his eyes. "Totholain, it is okay. They have much more time left till their fate is played into action, I am sure of it. Just trust me. I may not be that wise, but I do have a clue. We just have to love each other always, because we never exactly know when our time will come."
Totholain looked back and forth, panic-stricken. He had failed. He could do nothing. His power could not save her. She was going to die. and so was Legolas.
****
~ ** "Totholain!" Laurelin cried. She ran over to him and tugged on his tunic. "I hit a bull's eye!" She proudly pointed at where her arrow had hit its mark. Totholain smiled and picked the Elf-child up, cradling her in his arms. "You are getting good, my pretty one. Soon you will be able to beat your father." Laurelin laughed, and snuggled into his arms. "You have always been my father, and always will be." **~
Laurelin opened her eyes to see Legolas sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was asleep, breathing in and out, shuddering every so often. "What happened?" she thought. She tried to concentrate, but her brain was fuzzy. "Where is Totholain? I was just talking to him." Then, she remembered. The light, and the sickening feeling of Totholain's eyes and his despair. Laurelin groaned. "Totholain. Totholian!" she whimpered.
Legolas awoke with a jolt and came over to her bed. Sitting down, he took her hand in his. She instantly felt safe. "Legolas," she whispered. "You are here."
"Of course, my Lady. I have been here for three days. I hope you have had a good rest, sleeping beauty."
"You shouldn't have stayed so long. Totholain could have been here. Or Retkia."
"You are my fiancée, my Lady. I could never leave you." Laurelin gripped his hand tightly, and willed herself never to let go. "Please, don't let Totholain get hurt. He is like my father."
"But my Lady, you already have a father."
"He didn't even say good-bye to me when he left. He has never loved me. Totholain practically raised me, when my mother died. He was the only one who treated me like a daughter when I was a child. Totholain was the only one who cared." Laurelin paused, she was getting tired. " I love him, Legolas, even though he did hurt me, it was not his fault. He tried to save me, but he will never be able to again."
"Laurelin, what are you speaking of?"
"I do not rightly know. I think it is probably the medicine messing with my mind." She didn't know. All she knew is that someone was coming, someone who was going to tear Totholain and Legolas away from her.
"Legolas, I love you." She looked over at the rose, which had been on her vanity. It was still in its vase, and was as pretty as ever. Legolas kissed her hand.
"I love you too."
"Laurelin, please, wake up." Legolas dabbed her pale face with a cloth. It had been two days since the altercation between Totholain and Laurelin. She had steadily improved, but had not wakened from her dreams. Every so often she groaned and called out in a clear voice, "Noro lim, Asfaloth!" Legolas did not understand why she was saying that. Asfaloth was Glorfindel's horse, but Laurelin had never met Asfaloth or Glorfindel. It confused the young Prince.
He sighed and patted her hand, praying to the Valar that she would come out of it. He had tried every spell and enchantment that he knew, but he could not get her out of her reveries. Totholain had been working with her until Thranduil drug him downstairs to have a word with him. Legolas could tell his father was very angry. Laurelin's father was not at Mirkwood, for he was out with some Elves on their Annual hunting trip. When he would be called back from it, he would not be happy.
"Why did he do this to you?" Legolas said to the sleeping Elf. Legolas understood that if Elf-lords got enraged, they could kill or knock down anything in their path. That had not happened very often, however, for Elves are not quick to anger. "But why did he hurt you?" Legolas thought. Totholain was one of the gentlest Elves out of Mirkwood, and he loved Laurelin more than his own self. It just did not make sense.
The clouds from outside started to cover the sun, and it grew dark. Legolas guessed that the Elf-lords were really at each other's throats. Sighing, he placed a light kiss upon her lips, and then went downstairs. He said a mental thanks to Eru that he was not an Elf-lord. yet.
****
"What happened?" was the first thing out of Thranduil's mouth when he took the Elvish general to the wine cellar downstairs. The King wanted peace and quiet so he could talk to the other Elf-lord one on one.
Totholain's eyes glazed. "She took me. She was trying to stop me from saying something, something that I did not want to say, but felt that I had to. She hurt Laurelin through me so that I could not and will not ever be able to tell her again. If I do try, I will die."
Thranduil rubbed his chin. "Elbereth got you that time. I thought you were wise enough and powerful enough to stay out of her path. Totholain, you can't change fate, no matter what. You may know the future of some, but you can NEVER change it."
Totholain went white. "How did you know? I never told you."
~ Please don't let Thranduil know who I am. Please don't let Thranduil know what I am ~
"You didn't have to. I read it off you. Just because you are the wisest doesn't make you the hardest Elf to read. I have not an idea what Laurelin and Legolas's fate is, but I can comprehend it is not a good one. It makes me sad, but we can't do anything."
"We can go to Elrond. He is the Lord of understanding. I bet you that he can get the Valar to change their act of plans." Thranduil shook his head.
"No," he said bluntly. " I can't leave, Mirkwood, remember? And if you go to him, Elbereth will make sure you do not get your message known. Elrond is very dangerous to her, for he does have the power to override the Maiar. and even sometimes the Valar. But that has never happened, and probably won't. The Valar write down everyone's fate before they are born, and make sure that the sequence of events goes in that order. It was the first time an Elf has ever tried to alter it, and Elbereth stopped you the only way she could."
Totholain tried to think of other solutions. They could go to Valinor. but the Valar, especially Manwe, would not receive them, for their time was not yet accounted for when they could leave.
" So you are saying that we have to sit back and watch this all happen?"
" Yes, my general, we do."
Totholain closed his eyes. He could feel anger bottling up inside him. Outside, the sky darkened and the horses snorted in terror. Can't save her. can't save her. can't save her. "NO!" he thundered.
~ I was not put here by Elbereth to watch her die ~
Thranduil jumped back and withdrew his sword, terror flashing in his eyes. "Totholain, it is okay. They have much more time left till their fate is played into action, I am sure of it. Just trust me. I may not be that wise, but I do have a clue. We just have to love each other always, because we never exactly know when our time will come."
Totholain looked back and forth, panic-stricken. He had failed. He could do nothing. His power could not save her. She was going to die. and so was Legolas.
****
~ ** "Totholain!" Laurelin cried. She ran over to him and tugged on his tunic. "I hit a bull's eye!" She proudly pointed at where her arrow had hit its mark. Totholain smiled and picked the Elf-child up, cradling her in his arms. "You are getting good, my pretty one. Soon you will be able to beat your father." Laurelin laughed, and snuggled into his arms. "You have always been my father, and always will be." **~
Laurelin opened her eyes to see Legolas sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was asleep, breathing in and out, shuddering every so often. "What happened?" she thought. She tried to concentrate, but her brain was fuzzy. "Where is Totholain? I was just talking to him." Then, she remembered. The light, and the sickening feeling of Totholain's eyes and his despair. Laurelin groaned. "Totholain. Totholian!" she whimpered.
Legolas awoke with a jolt and came over to her bed. Sitting down, he took her hand in his. She instantly felt safe. "Legolas," she whispered. "You are here."
"Of course, my Lady. I have been here for three days. I hope you have had a good rest, sleeping beauty."
"You shouldn't have stayed so long. Totholain could have been here. Or Retkia."
"You are my fiancée, my Lady. I could never leave you." Laurelin gripped his hand tightly, and willed herself never to let go. "Please, don't let Totholain get hurt. He is like my father."
"But my Lady, you already have a father."
"He didn't even say good-bye to me when he left. He has never loved me. Totholain practically raised me, when my mother died. He was the only one who treated me like a daughter when I was a child. Totholain was the only one who cared." Laurelin paused, she was getting tired. " I love him, Legolas, even though he did hurt me, it was not his fault. He tried to save me, but he will never be able to again."
"Laurelin, what are you speaking of?"
"I do not rightly know. I think it is probably the medicine messing with my mind." She didn't know. All she knew is that someone was coming, someone who was going to tear Totholain and Legolas away from her.
"Legolas, I love you." She looked over at the rose, which had been on her vanity. It was still in its vase, and was as pretty as ever. Legolas kissed her hand.
"I love you too."