Feels Like Home
It seemed like years since she had woken up in a real bed. The soft mattress moulded to her body and the sheets hugged her welcomingly. She looked around the bedroom she had woken in and saw the balcony windows were slightly open letting in a light breeze that moved the muslin curtains. It was a beautiful room in its simplicity and plainness. It had a homely feel like it had been lived in instead of just being a guest room.
She sat up and let her legs hang off the side. She saw that her tunic had been replaced with a warm but plain russet coloured dress and a long woollen cardigan. She dressed and then left the room, not knowing where she was going but just exploring. Her heart felt lightened and she was released from the grief for a while, knowing that there were people that could help her save her family.
Following the corridor she found herself descending some stairs down into a dim hallway. Many doorways led off the hall into rooms unseen. She followed the hallway out onto a sheltered balcony that looked out onto a beautiful garden full of Rhododendrons. The tributary that they had followed on their way here ran straight through the garden with a quiet tinkling over the stones. A light mist of rain filled the air but the balcony had a curved roof that sheltered her. She could hear the raindrops pattering lightly on the clay tiles. It was uncannily like her home in Rhun, with the reed mats and simple whitewashed walls.
Someone tickled her waist from behind and she jumped and turned to see Legolas grinning at her. "Good morning," he said, "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled, seeing the boyish charm sparkle in his eyes at the thrill of being home again. "Better than I have in days," she smiled. She turned back to the view of the garden and Legolas stood just beside her, his arm just brushing hers.
"This place reminds me so much of home," she told him, making him look across at her. "It almost feels like I am back there."
"Does that mean you like it?"
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful; I could easily live here."
He gazed at her while she looked out at the garden. She clutched the cardigan around her but he could see she wore a dress beneath for it appeared a few inches below the bottom of the wrap. Her loose hair tumbled down her back and blew slightly back from her pointed ears. She didn't wear her hair down often and it made her look different; he wanted to hold her curls in his hands and burn her with the touch of his lips.
His examination of her was interrupted when someone stepped onto the balcony behind. Both of them turned to see a tall dark blonde haired elf smiling at them, slightly amused.
"Galion, do you always have to creep up on me?" Legolas asked, hitting his brother lightly on the arm.
Galion ignored him and looked to Elimay, bowing to her. "My lady, I am Galion."
Elimay smiled and introduced herself, looking upon the older prince with interest. He did not really look like Legolas at all. He seemed more superior and less mischievous but there was a kind look in his eyes that Elimay liked.
"Has my brother been treating you well?" he asked. "I shall be having words with him if he hasn't."
Elimay laughed and cast a look at Legolas to see he was scowling slightly. "He has been quite the prince."
Galion looked slightly amused. "Really? That is certainly unlike him."
"Shut up brother," Legolas interrupted.
"Have you seen our father since you arrived?"
Legolas cringed and his jaw tensed. "Not yet. I have more pressing business to see to."
Galion raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I would see him if only to prevent further aggravation."
"Seeing that I am in Mirkwood, it is only right that I see the King of Mirkwood," Elimay interrupted, knowing that Galion was right. "Perhaps you might take me Legolas?"
Galion smiled and Legolas looked round at Elimay blankly. After a pause he said, "I suppose so. Come, I would rather get this over and done with."
Elimay winked at Galion who managed to stifle a laugh, and followed the prince down the corridor.
They walked in silence and soon came to a heavy door. Legolas knocked and a gruff voice told them to enter.
He opened the door and let Elimay step in first; closing the door once he was inside.
Elimay looked round the large room to see there was a blazing fire in the hearth and a desk at which sat a silver haired elf. He looked up when they entered and Elimay suddenly felt afraid, seeing the hardness and authority that enveloped him. He was dressed in rich colours but they did not add a colour to his pale face. He appeared both young but very old at the same time.
"Father," Legolas bowed in a composed greeting.
Elimay bowed too and went to introduce herself but Legolas did it instead. The king looked at them both silently for a long moment then got to his feet, moving around the desk towards them.
"Lady Elimay, you are most welcome in my kingdom," he said, though it didn't sound like he meant it. Then he turned to look at his son. "Legolas, how nice of you to finally show up."
Elimay saw a muscle in Legolas' jaw twitch and she watched the silent exchange between the two. "I am glad to be back home," the prince said, emotionlessly.
"How long will you be gracing us with your presence?"
"A few days at the most. I have an urgent calling to attend to."
"Legolas, you don't have to..." Elimay started but she was silenced with a cold stare from him.
Thranduil looked at her for an instant then turned back to his son once more. "So be it."
With that he turned his back to them, going to stand by the fire. Legolas looked at his father for a moment longer, feeling anger run through his veins, and then strode out of the room, closing the door loudly once Elimay had slipped through.
They stood outside the door in silence for a moment, Legolas not meeting Elimay's gaze until she spoke. "Legolas, your duty to me ends here; you do not have to come with me."
He looked down at her and she saw he was still tense. "No. I am coming."
She went to protest but he put his hand over her mouth. "Don't argue."
He turned away from her and made his way down the corridor, back the way they had come. She sighed and went in the opposite direct in search of some breakfast.
It seemed like years since she had woken up in a real bed. The soft mattress moulded to her body and the sheets hugged her welcomingly. She looked around the bedroom she had woken in and saw the balcony windows were slightly open letting in a light breeze that moved the muslin curtains. It was a beautiful room in its simplicity and plainness. It had a homely feel like it had been lived in instead of just being a guest room.
She sat up and let her legs hang off the side. She saw that her tunic had been replaced with a warm but plain russet coloured dress and a long woollen cardigan. She dressed and then left the room, not knowing where she was going but just exploring. Her heart felt lightened and she was released from the grief for a while, knowing that there were people that could help her save her family.
Following the corridor she found herself descending some stairs down into a dim hallway. Many doorways led off the hall into rooms unseen. She followed the hallway out onto a sheltered balcony that looked out onto a beautiful garden full of Rhododendrons. The tributary that they had followed on their way here ran straight through the garden with a quiet tinkling over the stones. A light mist of rain filled the air but the balcony had a curved roof that sheltered her. She could hear the raindrops pattering lightly on the clay tiles. It was uncannily like her home in Rhun, with the reed mats and simple whitewashed walls.
Someone tickled her waist from behind and she jumped and turned to see Legolas grinning at her. "Good morning," he said, "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled, seeing the boyish charm sparkle in his eyes at the thrill of being home again. "Better than I have in days," she smiled. She turned back to the view of the garden and Legolas stood just beside her, his arm just brushing hers.
"This place reminds me so much of home," she told him, making him look across at her. "It almost feels like I am back there."
"Does that mean you like it?"
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful; I could easily live here."
He gazed at her while she looked out at the garden. She clutched the cardigan around her but he could see she wore a dress beneath for it appeared a few inches below the bottom of the wrap. Her loose hair tumbled down her back and blew slightly back from her pointed ears. She didn't wear her hair down often and it made her look different; he wanted to hold her curls in his hands and burn her with the touch of his lips.
His examination of her was interrupted when someone stepped onto the balcony behind. Both of them turned to see a tall dark blonde haired elf smiling at them, slightly amused.
"Galion, do you always have to creep up on me?" Legolas asked, hitting his brother lightly on the arm.
Galion ignored him and looked to Elimay, bowing to her. "My lady, I am Galion."
Elimay smiled and introduced herself, looking upon the older prince with interest. He did not really look like Legolas at all. He seemed more superior and less mischievous but there was a kind look in his eyes that Elimay liked.
"Has my brother been treating you well?" he asked. "I shall be having words with him if he hasn't."
Elimay laughed and cast a look at Legolas to see he was scowling slightly. "He has been quite the prince."
Galion looked slightly amused. "Really? That is certainly unlike him."
"Shut up brother," Legolas interrupted.
"Have you seen our father since you arrived?"
Legolas cringed and his jaw tensed. "Not yet. I have more pressing business to see to."
Galion raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I would see him if only to prevent further aggravation."
"Seeing that I am in Mirkwood, it is only right that I see the King of Mirkwood," Elimay interrupted, knowing that Galion was right. "Perhaps you might take me Legolas?"
Galion smiled and Legolas looked round at Elimay blankly. After a pause he said, "I suppose so. Come, I would rather get this over and done with."
Elimay winked at Galion who managed to stifle a laugh, and followed the prince down the corridor.
They walked in silence and soon came to a heavy door. Legolas knocked and a gruff voice told them to enter.
He opened the door and let Elimay step in first; closing the door once he was inside.
Elimay looked round the large room to see there was a blazing fire in the hearth and a desk at which sat a silver haired elf. He looked up when they entered and Elimay suddenly felt afraid, seeing the hardness and authority that enveloped him. He was dressed in rich colours but they did not add a colour to his pale face. He appeared both young but very old at the same time.
"Father," Legolas bowed in a composed greeting.
Elimay bowed too and went to introduce herself but Legolas did it instead. The king looked at them both silently for a long moment then got to his feet, moving around the desk towards them.
"Lady Elimay, you are most welcome in my kingdom," he said, though it didn't sound like he meant it. Then he turned to look at his son. "Legolas, how nice of you to finally show up."
Elimay saw a muscle in Legolas' jaw twitch and she watched the silent exchange between the two. "I am glad to be back home," the prince said, emotionlessly.
"How long will you be gracing us with your presence?"
"A few days at the most. I have an urgent calling to attend to."
"Legolas, you don't have to..." Elimay started but she was silenced with a cold stare from him.
Thranduil looked at her for an instant then turned back to his son once more. "So be it."
With that he turned his back to them, going to stand by the fire. Legolas looked at his father for a moment longer, feeling anger run through his veins, and then strode out of the room, closing the door loudly once Elimay had slipped through.
They stood outside the door in silence for a moment, Legolas not meeting Elimay's gaze until she spoke. "Legolas, your duty to me ends here; you do not have to come with me."
He looked down at her and she saw he was still tense. "No. I am coming."
She went to protest but he put his hand over her mouth. "Don't argue."
He turned away from her and made his way down the corridor, back the way they had come. She sighed and went in the opposite direct in search of some breakfast.