Disclaimer: If you don't know by now then I'm disappointed in you. (I'm tired of writing these lol). If you read the first 4 chapters you know my disclaimer.
Author's Note: I'm going to be using a writer's artistic prerogative to change the layout of things a bit and allow the Fellowship to stay in Lothlorien for a few extra days. Also, some of you might wonder why, if Julia is an elf, that she still sleeps with her eyes closed. Easy, she lived most of her life on Regular Earth as a human so it's really just a habit for her to continue sleeping like that.
GeneticallyElvenGryffindor- Julia's journey is definitely going to be interesting, at least I think so anyway.
Ana- I'm glad you like my story. I'm really trying to make this story different from most fan fictions. I was in the mood to write something different and this is what's made it's presence known in thoughts.
Jennifer Bloom- That's my name too *giggles*. How long have you and my husband been married? lol seriously though, I'm glad you like what you've read so far.
Tourniquetangel- It is isn't it. I have to say I really like the direction the story is taking and I myself am looking forward to the chapters coming up.
Funky- Well, that's what I'm going to call you anyway. Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. I do that so often it's quite embarrassing lol.
Starfire- You think so, do you? Hmmm. That's an interesting thought. *shrugs* Who knows what's going to happen? I guess I do lol.
three amigas- Thank you very, very much. I'm loving all of these positive reviews.
Chapter 5The morning came and sun shined down through the tops of the trees, it was an exceptional day filled with beauty and only a slight sense of shadow still remained. Through out the city, elves worked to keep it beautiful. She-elves worked their magic in the kitchen creating a magnificent breakfast feast for their guests. It was not often that they received visitors of such magnitude and it was the elven way to remain gracious hosts.
As her people worked, Lady Galadriel stood outside Julia's bedroom, her hand pressed slightly against the wood. She did not need the use her gift to feel the tension inside the room. For it was evident in the air that Julia was in a state of distress, distress induced by what Galadriel did not know for certain, but she suspected and her feelings were hardly ever wrong.
She knocked softly on the door and receiving no reply, caughtiously turned the doorknob and made her way inside. It was even worse than she had originally thought. Julia's room was dark and horribly dreary, her bed had not been slept in and the flowers, which, yesterday had been blooming, were dried and weathered. Galadriel frowned at the repugnant smell they were starting to give off.
"Julia?" She called, her voice echoing against the walls. It was almost as if she hadn't even dwelled in this room at all. It worried her as she looked into that adjoining room and glanced out onto the balcony and found that Julia was nowhere around. It was then that she closed her eyes and organized her thoughts to seek out her missing granddaughter.
Within seconds she found her and a soft smile began to takes it's place upon her face. She was safe and in a remote area not often used by the other elves. A place where she felt the comfort of solitude engulfing her.
Galadriel reached a bit further and recognized the emotions radiating from her granddaughter were not just grief brought by the news of Gandalf's passing, no, there was also fear and terrible confusion. It hurt her heart to feel Julia's sadness and she was prepared to go and comfort her granddaughter if not for a sudden movement in her mind.
Her eyes opened and the smile returned to her face. Julia was not alone and there could be no greater companion for her in that moment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The warmth of the sun and soft texture of the velvety grass beneath her is what Julia awoke to. The birds were chirping and she could hear the angelic singing of elvish songs drifting down to meet her ears. It was almost peaceful enough to make her forget the regretful events of the night before. Almost.
The second her eyes truly opened for the first time that morning she felt a sudden feeling of dread. She had made a complete and utter fool of herself in front of the fellowship. Her reaction to the ring had been violent and incredibly demeaning. They must think her to be a silly maiden for acting in such a strange way.
The reasoning behind that reaction was something that baffled her. She had never felt pain like that. It had been excruciating and all consuming. Every muscle in her body had been racked with it and she'd had no control over herself. She didn't enjoy not having power over herself and having to lean on others to help her discomfort. She sighed as she thought of Prince Legolas. Her cheeks tinged with red and she felt the embarrassment returning as if she were still in that moment.
What must he think of her? She'd probably scared him away, ruining any chance of ever having any kind of friendship with him. Of course she hadn't even considered that, she thought to herself. He had more important people in his life and had no use for a silly young she-elf without the grace and other endearing qualities other elves were known for.
She sat up slowly and cursed her body when she still felt the same weakness in her muscles. It was better, but still there nonetheless. "Ugh…this is ridiculous. I must look like a complete moron." Julia spoke aloud as she struggled to stand.
"What makes you say that, my lady?" A voice spoke, causing Julia to freeze. It couldn't be him. He couldn't be standing behind her.
She turned and her eyes immediately met the smile of the Prince of Mirkwood himself. "Prince Legolas, Quel amrun (Good morning)."
He bowed his head. "Quel amrun."
She swallowed her embarrassment and smiled. "I trust you and your companions rested well last night?"
"We did." He walked over to her and leaned casually against the tree she had chosen to sleep beneath. He had watched her as she slept, her eyes closed instead of open like most elves, unwilling to move out of fear of waking her. He'd watched as she'd caught her first aware breath of the fresh morning air, and he didn't miss the look of mortification on her face, realizing she had probably been remembering the night before.
"I'm sure there is a great breakfast being prepared for you and your friends." She was glad that he couldn't read her mind at that moment. He made her nervous and she couldn't handle him thinking even more badly of her. "Would you like for me to show you where to dine?"
He shook his head. "That is not necessary, but I do appreciate your offer." Noticing the look of bafflement on her face her decided to explain his reasons for not attending breakfast. "I found myself in a patch of berries earlier in the morning and I'm afraid I ruined my appetite."
Julia felt her mouth water at the mention of berries; it had been so long since she'd tasted any of the fruit that grew in Lothlorien. "Berries. It's been so long since I tasted the sweetness of them."
He frowned. "But, you live here do you not? Surely you can have them at any time."
"You would think so wouldn't you?" She said with a shrug.
A sudden inspiration hit him and he grinned. "Come with me." He said, holding out his hand to her.
She frowned and glanced down at his hand. "What?"
He motioned with his outstretched hand for her to take it. "Come with me."
It surprised her how fast she gave in and slipped her hand effortlessly into his. "Where are we going?"
His eyebrow rose. "To find more berries of course."
She immediately stopped walking and tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, failing terrible as his grip was quite strong. "Are you crazy? We can't just go off looking for berries. We're expected in the dining hall."
"You said you wanted berries."
"I do…I did…I have responsibilities. I can't just go off hunting for berries."
"Do not think of it as hunting for berries. Think of it as giving your guest a detailed tour of the city." He replied rationally, keeping a smile on his face as he tugged her arm and began pulling her behind him.
Julia knew she was going to regret the decision to go with him, but it would rude of her to refuse any one of her grandparent's guests. If Legolas wanted her to go with him to pick berries, then she would go with him to pick berries. If she enjoyed herself in the process then that would make things a bit easier.
Oh who was she fooling? For the first time since her arrival back in Middle Earth, Julia was excited about something. She was going off on an adventure in the forest with an elvish prince. So maybe it wasn't necessarily the kind of adventures Legolas had obviously lived through, but she would take what she could get.
It helped that he hadn't brought up her behavior the night before. It seemed as if he was doing everything in his power to make sure she felt comfortable in front of him. And while she definitely was nowhere near comfortable around him, she was feeling a bit less reserved in his presence and that was a large accomplishment for her.
"Are you always this spontaneous?" Julia asked as she struggled to keep up with Legolas, he had an extremely large stride and she had considerably shorter legs.
"Not always." His eyes held an amused gleam. "Come on now. Keep up."
She rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, noting the lack of soreness in her legs, but she ignored it and adjusted her speed yet again to keep up with him. They were almost at a run now and it wasn't as difficult as she thought it was going to be. She was amazed by the fact that even with the running, she wasn't even out of breath. The air smelled different at a run, it was more fresh and vivacious, almost as if it was alive.
It seemed like they had only been running a short time when Legolas suddenly stopped and she had to adjust her steps to keep from colliding with his back. "What's wrong?"
He turned to look at her and grinned, before motioning for her to look with the nod of his head. "Look."
She looked in the direction he pointed and let out a tiny squeal of glee. "Berries!" She felt a sudden burst of excitement rise up inside her as she quickly made her way to the first bush. As she grasped the first berry and placed it in her mouth, she closed her eyes in obvious bliss as it's flavor burst inside of her mouth and she licked the juice from her bottom lip.
Legolas hadn't missed the action, but
scolded himself, as his eyes seemed to dwell on her lips. This wasn't why he
had brought her here. He had wanted to distract her from the unpleasantries
that haunted her mind.
As he looked at her now, he saw that his plan had worked. He cocked his head to one side and studied her thoroughly. She had an almost childlike demeanor as she greedily enjoyed the ripe fruit. It was refreshing for him; elves were not known to act in such ways. It gave him a feeling of hope and strength to think that she was exactly the reason why it was so important to preserve Middle Earth. Why it was so important to fight to regain peace.
Julia turned to face Legolas and noticed the thoughtful expression on his face. "Penny for your thoughts?"
He frowned and looked at her curiously. "I don't understand."
She could have kicked herself, but instead she sighed. "Sorry. I meant, what are you thinking?"
He wondered if perhaps he should keep his thoughts from her. She didn't need to be burdened with anything else, but he understood as he looked at her that his honesty would mean more to her than his attempt to protect her.
"I was thinking that you're like a breath of fresh air in these dark times. It helps me to understand what we're fighting to save."
She popped another berry into her mouth before taking a seat on the ground, her eyes keeping their focus on him. "Does it ever scare you? The thought that in every battle you chance not making it to the next?"
He took a seat in front of her and his arms draped limply over his knees. "I have no fear of death. I'm lived more life times than thirty mortal men and have seen much death and destruction. But, I always know that if I leave this life I will go on to the next."
She sighed and nodded her head. "I thought you would say as much."
He leaned forward a bit. "Why do you ask? Does the thought of death bother you?"
"I don't know. Maybe sometimes. But I haven't lived anywhere near as long as you have."
"How old are you, my lady."
She laughed and shook her head. "Uh uh. Never ask a lady her age. Besides you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Please, tell me."
She looked into his pleading eyes and cursed the affect they were having on her. "Legolas, is my age really important?"
He paid no heed to the fact that she had used his name without bothering to put the word "prince" before it, instead he nodded his head. "If for no other reason than to help me know you better, yes."
She eyed him closely and tried to decide what her best course of action was. In the end, it didn't really matter. He would know it if she lied. So, going out on a limb she told him the truth. "I am twenty-one years old."
He looked unsure as to whether or not she was serious, but when her face remained straight he frowned. "Twenty-one? How is that possible? There have not been any elflings in centuries."
She nodded her head. "Yeah, I know. It's difficult to explain and it would take way too long to tell you." She turned her head at the sound of a twig breaking not too far away, but seeing that there was no one there she continued. "Besides, I don't think my grandparents are quite ready to allow my story to be told."
"It must be a story of immense significance for them to keep the knowledge of your existence from most of the other Eldar."
"I know. I'm not quite sure I understand all if it, in fact I'm sure I don't." She gnawed on her bottom lip and frowned a bit as a sudden question came to mind. "Aragorn suspects I'm not who I say I am doesn't he?"
"I do not know my friends mind, but I do think it is more out of curiosity than disbelief that he questions your existence."
She found his words comforting and she smiled and was about to respond when she heard another sound. "Do you hear that?"
He turned his head and his eyes sharpened. "Someone is coming." No sooner had those words left his mouth that a figure stepped out from behind a tree.
Julia's eyes widened and she glanced briefly at Legolas before standing up and bowing her head in salutation. "Quel amrun. (Good morning), Haldir."
Haldir's eyes narrowed and his body language stiffened. "I've been sent to summon you. The Lord and Lady of the wood wish for your presence. I'm to take you to them immediately. Come." And without giving her another word he turned and began to walk.
"Haldir…"
"We will talk later, Julia." His voice held the anger that reverberated inside of him and she had never heard him use that tone of voice with her before. Without another word and without bothering to acknowledge Legolas, she immediately followed.
For a brief time Legolas stood in place, watching in confusion as she followed behind the watched of the woods. But, before long he followed, interested in seeing what would happen next.
Well, that's it for another chapter of "Music of love". I just wanted to take a moment to think you guys for giving me your feedback. You have no idea how much I absolutely adore reading your thoughts on my story and it's interesting how inspiring your words can be. Just a few encouraging words and my artistic juices start flowing. Keep it up!