Realisation
He was woken in the early morning by a loud cry of frustration and raised his head to see the woman struggling to break free. He got to his feet and went over to her to see with surprise that she was elven. Her black curls fell back from her pointed ears as she struggled and her stunning face was set into a determined and angered expression. The unusual beauty of the maiden mixed with the feisty strength she showed momentarily took Legolas aback. When he appeared above her she glared at him. "How dare you hold me!" she hissed, kicking the blanket off her to reveal her black and grey travelling garb. They fit nicely to her curvaceous body and Legolas remembered discovering that night that she was female by feeling those curves beneath his grasp. He merely stared with a stony expression at her and then turned away to kneel by the fire to stoke it. When he twisted back to her he found she was still glaring at him but had ceased her struggling. "Do you always treat a lady like this?" she spat. Legolas raised his dark eyebrows in amusement and chuckled much to her frustration. "Only ones that attack me in the middle of the night for no apparent reason." "Humpf," she said, lifting her chin up with an airy arrogance. "Would you care to offer me an explanation?" he asked, putting a pan of water over the newly blazing fire to boil. "No." "Well then, I shall have to take you to my father for trial. Most likely you will be sentenced to death for the king does not take lightly the attempted killing of a son." To his astonishment, the maiden did not seem even remotely surprised that he was a prince. He frowned and then realised. "You were sent by someone to kill me," he said, turning to face her fully. She was watching him coldly. "You are an assassin." For a brief moment he saw a hint of fear in her eyes but it disappeared again leaving him wondering if he had imagined it. "So what if I am?" "Tell me who sent you; I can offer you help..." The woman laughed disdainfully. "No you can't; no one can." Legolas regarded her for a moment longer then turned back to the fire to find that the water was boiling. "Fair enough." He heard her sigh deeply behind him and lay her head back down on the ground.
When Legolas had packed his things away, he untied the woman's feet and led her through the forest. She walked before him silently but the prince could see that she was scanning the area for an escape route. They travelled through the day and came to the edge of the forest to see the White Mountains before them. Their route lay through the pass high in the peaks and then into Rohan. It was a long journey and Legolas didn't know how he would cope with the woman as a threatening presence. He had no doubt that she would try and make a break for it again and it was tedious keeping an eye on her all the time. He had tried to get some information out of her from time to time but had been unsuccessful.
"Where are you taking me?" the woman asked, stumbling over a loose stone as they ascended the steep rise to the mountains. "Mirkwood. We will stop off at Edoras on our way so that I may greet friends. You have until then to tell me who sent you or your stay will be... uncomfortable." She glared back at him and then cast her eyes to her sword, which the prince carried in his belt. Then she turned to face the mountains ahead again. "Do you think you are scaring me with your threats?" she asked. "What you have in mind for me is nothing compared to what awaits me if I give anything away." Legolas frowned, sensing the sorrow in her voice. Maybe she was bound to follow the orders of her master. He could not imagine who her master might be though, to scare such a woman as this. "What is your name, lady? Can you allow me that?" "Elimay." Legolas was amazed at the beautiful name, and smiled. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood." "I know." His smile slipped slightly. "Of course."
They continued up into the mountains and thankfully for Legolas, she did not make an attempt to escape. He could see she was patient though, and would wait for the best opportunity to arise.
By the evening they came upon a cave that Legolas stayed in once before with Aragorn and Gimli on their way into Gondor. He tied Elimay's legs together again despite her protests, and set about making a fire in the entrance from dry wood he found on the mountainside. There were few trees on the slopes and all the wood he could find was dry gorse, grass and the occasional log from a fallen tree. It was not really sufficient and he knew the grass would create a lot of smoke so he dumped the collection of fuel a metre or so away from the entrance to the cave. When he entered again after lighting the fire, he did not see Elimay for a minute and he looked round. Then he saw her in the shadows near the back, asleep against the wall. He smiled and did not wake her while he cooked the dinner. He thought about Edoras and tried to remember the last time he had visited. It had been a while that was for sure. He looked forward to seeing Eomer and his sister Eowyn again and to wander the corridors of the castle that reminded him of his time with the fellowship. They had all gone their separate ways now, which saddened him. He had just been to visit Aragorn and Arwen in Gondor and now was on his way back to his home. The smell of cooking meat roused Elimay and she sniffed hungrily, hearing her stomach grumble. She raised her weary head from the wall and saw Legolas sitting just outside the entrance, tending to the dinner. She smiled, finding the scene somewhat amusing. She had never seen a prince fend for himself; all the ones she had met were hardly self-sufficient. Legolas stood and she awed at the full height of the elf and the display of such a lithe and strong body. He was a lethal killer under all that gentleness that she had had a hint of. She wondered what the elf looked like in battle. When she had fought with him the night she had tried to kill him she had not been able to free herself from his strong arms, which was saying something; she had been chosen for this task for she was the strongest and most skilled. The prince turned and came towards her carrying a tin bowl from which steam rose. Her eyes followed his fluid movements as he knelt down to her and put the bowl beside her. "I can't eat with my hands tied like this," she said, holding up her wrists before his face. His blue eyes regarded her unflinchingly. "Oh come on, night is closing in and the mountains are a dangerous place in the dark. I'm not stupid enough to make an escape." After a pause he reached his hands up to her wrists and untied the ropes, letting them fall to the ground. "Much appreciated prince," she smiled mockingly. "Do not call me prince," he told her, watching as she took up the bowl and ravished the food hungrily. It tasted too good to be true. She frowned. "Do you not like your title?" "I'd much rather be called Legolas," he told her evenly. Elimay stopped eating to observe him. Then she laughed and put her hand to her mouth. He frowned at her and looked slightly taken aback. "What amuses you so?" "Nothing," she shook her head. "It's just that of all the royalty I have met, I have never met one that refuses their title so passionately. But then again I have never met a prince as skilled and independent as you." Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise. Had she just complimented him? Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued eating her meal. "You have met many then?" She shrugged. "Enough to know that you are unusual." He laughed and got to his feet with liquid ease. He went back to the fire and took up his own meal, leaning against the wall at the entrance and watching her as he ate. "Am I really that interesting?" she asked, after he had observed her for a long few minutes. "I'm just trying to figure you out. I cannot think who might have sent you to kill me." "I'm afraid it will have to remain a mystery to you." The prince scowled at her and then turned his head to gaze at the night outside. "I would get some rest," he said without looking at her. "Tomorrow will be hard travelling." "And I need to preserve my energy for killing you," she grinned. He instantly turned back to her but found that she had closed her eyes and lay on the floor. He sighed deeply and wondered why he did not feel alarmed at her threat. It was as if she was just playing with him.
He was woken in the early morning by a loud cry of frustration and raised his head to see the woman struggling to break free. He got to his feet and went over to her to see with surprise that she was elven. Her black curls fell back from her pointed ears as she struggled and her stunning face was set into a determined and angered expression. The unusual beauty of the maiden mixed with the feisty strength she showed momentarily took Legolas aback. When he appeared above her she glared at him. "How dare you hold me!" she hissed, kicking the blanket off her to reveal her black and grey travelling garb. They fit nicely to her curvaceous body and Legolas remembered discovering that night that she was female by feeling those curves beneath his grasp. He merely stared with a stony expression at her and then turned away to kneel by the fire to stoke it. When he twisted back to her he found she was still glaring at him but had ceased her struggling. "Do you always treat a lady like this?" she spat. Legolas raised his dark eyebrows in amusement and chuckled much to her frustration. "Only ones that attack me in the middle of the night for no apparent reason." "Humpf," she said, lifting her chin up with an airy arrogance. "Would you care to offer me an explanation?" he asked, putting a pan of water over the newly blazing fire to boil. "No." "Well then, I shall have to take you to my father for trial. Most likely you will be sentenced to death for the king does not take lightly the attempted killing of a son." To his astonishment, the maiden did not seem even remotely surprised that he was a prince. He frowned and then realised. "You were sent by someone to kill me," he said, turning to face her fully. She was watching him coldly. "You are an assassin." For a brief moment he saw a hint of fear in her eyes but it disappeared again leaving him wondering if he had imagined it. "So what if I am?" "Tell me who sent you; I can offer you help..." The woman laughed disdainfully. "No you can't; no one can." Legolas regarded her for a moment longer then turned back to the fire to find that the water was boiling. "Fair enough." He heard her sigh deeply behind him and lay her head back down on the ground.
When Legolas had packed his things away, he untied the woman's feet and led her through the forest. She walked before him silently but the prince could see that she was scanning the area for an escape route. They travelled through the day and came to the edge of the forest to see the White Mountains before them. Their route lay through the pass high in the peaks and then into Rohan. It was a long journey and Legolas didn't know how he would cope with the woman as a threatening presence. He had no doubt that she would try and make a break for it again and it was tedious keeping an eye on her all the time. He had tried to get some information out of her from time to time but had been unsuccessful.
"Where are you taking me?" the woman asked, stumbling over a loose stone as they ascended the steep rise to the mountains. "Mirkwood. We will stop off at Edoras on our way so that I may greet friends. You have until then to tell me who sent you or your stay will be... uncomfortable." She glared back at him and then cast her eyes to her sword, which the prince carried in his belt. Then she turned to face the mountains ahead again. "Do you think you are scaring me with your threats?" she asked. "What you have in mind for me is nothing compared to what awaits me if I give anything away." Legolas frowned, sensing the sorrow in her voice. Maybe she was bound to follow the orders of her master. He could not imagine who her master might be though, to scare such a woman as this. "What is your name, lady? Can you allow me that?" "Elimay." Legolas was amazed at the beautiful name, and smiled. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood." "I know." His smile slipped slightly. "Of course."
They continued up into the mountains and thankfully for Legolas, she did not make an attempt to escape. He could see she was patient though, and would wait for the best opportunity to arise.
By the evening they came upon a cave that Legolas stayed in once before with Aragorn and Gimli on their way into Gondor. He tied Elimay's legs together again despite her protests, and set about making a fire in the entrance from dry wood he found on the mountainside. There were few trees on the slopes and all the wood he could find was dry gorse, grass and the occasional log from a fallen tree. It was not really sufficient and he knew the grass would create a lot of smoke so he dumped the collection of fuel a metre or so away from the entrance to the cave. When he entered again after lighting the fire, he did not see Elimay for a minute and he looked round. Then he saw her in the shadows near the back, asleep against the wall. He smiled and did not wake her while he cooked the dinner. He thought about Edoras and tried to remember the last time he had visited. It had been a while that was for sure. He looked forward to seeing Eomer and his sister Eowyn again and to wander the corridors of the castle that reminded him of his time with the fellowship. They had all gone their separate ways now, which saddened him. He had just been to visit Aragorn and Arwen in Gondor and now was on his way back to his home. The smell of cooking meat roused Elimay and she sniffed hungrily, hearing her stomach grumble. She raised her weary head from the wall and saw Legolas sitting just outside the entrance, tending to the dinner. She smiled, finding the scene somewhat amusing. She had never seen a prince fend for himself; all the ones she had met were hardly self-sufficient. Legolas stood and she awed at the full height of the elf and the display of such a lithe and strong body. He was a lethal killer under all that gentleness that she had had a hint of. She wondered what the elf looked like in battle. When she had fought with him the night she had tried to kill him she had not been able to free herself from his strong arms, which was saying something; she had been chosen for this task for she was the strongest and most skilled. The prince turned and came towards her carrying a tin bowl from which steam rose. Her eyes followed his fluid movements as he knelt down to her and put the bowl beside her. "I can't eat with my hands tied like this," she said, holding up her wrists before his face. His blue eyes regarded her unflinchingly. "Oh come on, night is closing in and the mountains are a dangerous place in the dark. I'm not stupid enough to make an escape." After a pause he reached his hands up to her wrists and untied the ropes, letting them fall to the ground. "Much appreciated prince," she smiled mockingly. "Do not call me prince," he told her, watching as she took up the bowl and ravished the food hungrily. It tasted too good to be true. She frowned. "Do you not like your title?" "I'd much rather be called Legolas," he told her evenly. Elimay stopped eating to observe him. Then she laughed and put her hand to her mouth. He frowned at her and looked slightly taken aback. "What amuses you so?" "Nothing," she shook her head. "It's just that of all the royalty I have met, I have never met one that refuses their title so passionately. But then again I have never met a prince as skilled and independent as you." Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise. Had she just complimented him? Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued eating her meal. "You have met many then?" She shrugged. "Enough to know that you are unusual." He laughed and got to his feet with liquid ease. He went back to the fire and took up his own meal, leaning against the wall at the entrance and watching her as he ate. "Am I really that interesting?" she asked, after he had observed her for a long few minutes. "I'm just trying to figure you out. I cannot think who might have sent you to kill me." "I'm afraid it will have to remain a mystery to you." The prince scowled at her and then turned his head to gaze at the night outside. "I would get some rest," he said without looking at her. "Tomorrow will be hard travelling." "And I need to preserve my energy for killing you," she grinned. He instantly turned back to her but found that she had closed her eyes and lay on the floor. He sighed deeply and wondered why he did not feel alarmed at her threat. It was as if she was just playing with him.