Disclaimer: I hope that wasn't too weird for all of you still reading my
story. Man, it's twelve in the morning, I really should go to bed, but I
just can't! I still have inspiration! Anywho...I don't own any LOTR
characters, but...um...I own...some people...at least I think I do... Whoa,
I just got totally sleepy! yawn That was random and out of the blue...
Thanks if you reviewed, Rusty
Ps-Oh, and in this chapter, keep under consideration that Legolas had figured out that Aliana is from another world, K? Because he's such a smart little elf who looks sooooooooooooooooooooo... 20 minutes later deep breath hot standing there at the end of Return of the King! Well, he looks hot anywhere, but that seductive smile on his lips was extremely appealing...
Chapter Twelve: A Strange New Change
As the evening dawned and people made their way to the festival, Rina was still trying to figure out how Legolas had known that Aliana was in danger and how he had been scratched in the same place she had. She walked down the dirt path beside Ben and Maleena, thinking silently to herself.
Ahead of them, in a magnificent, colorful garden, were many tables with smooth white tablecloths over them. Above, multicolored lights hung from the think tree branches. Elves stood here and there, wearing beautiful outfits of the finest material and brightest colors.
Maleena ushered them to the table at the other side of the garden where Galadriel and Celeborn already sat, patiently waiting for the rest to arrive. The two seats at the head of the table were empty, most likely waiting for Aliana and Legolas. Galadriel and Celeborn sat on either side, Haldir beside Lord Celeborn. Maleena took a seat beside Haldir, leaving Rina and Ben to sit across from them.
Soon the empty seats began to fill and all eyes looked towards their Lord and Lady. Finally Galadriel rose and the remaining whispers quieted, staring expectantly towards the trees. A faint rustle emitted from their depths and Legolas strode towards Galadriel.
He wore a silver tunic that sparkled in the soft light. His hair was perfectly smooth with two small braids on each side. His face was calm, yet in his eyes, one could see a youthful happiness that had long been lost in past years.
Galadriel kissed him on the forehead and looked up towards the back of the garden and the last row of tables. There stood Aliana watching Legolas with her bold green eyes. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves and the crown of flowers sat atop her head. The dress fell loosely around her ankles and waist, but was tight around her chest.
She walked gracefully through a row in the center of the tables and came to stand in front of Legolas. She embraced him warmly and rested her head against his chest. Galadriel turned to address the rest of the crowd. "May I present the Spring Goddess, Aliana and the Harvest God, Legolas."
They cheered with joy, some rising from their seats and clapping loudly. The two smiled brightly and glanced at each other. Legolas took Aliana's hand and helped her to her seat then took a seat next to her. Galadriel sat down as well and clapped her hands.
Waiters arrived, bearing plates with exquisite foods and bowls with juicy sauces. Bottles of wine were corked and poured into silver goblets. Rina and Ben ogled at the delicious looking food set before them. Conversation bubbled as people had their fill of food and drink.
When the last elf had pushed away his plate and the waiters had returned to whisk away the dirty flatware, a band began to play. The soft enchanting music seemed to draw the guests from their seats and onto a large patch of grass. Couples smiled joyously and began to dance-moving gracefully over the soft grass. Young female elves sat patiently, awaiting some handsome elf to sweep them off their feet and into a dreamlike waltz.
Ben stood up and faced Rina, his hand extended towards her in an inviting fashion. She glared at him dangerously over the edge of her water goblet. After a few seconds though, she realized the look on his face was not love-struck, but desperate.
The two quickly headed for the dance-floor, Ben making sure not to come anywhere near Rina's hand. Unwillingly, he placed one hand on her shoulder and the other around her waist. She bit her lip and tried to look natural.
After a minute or so of moving back and forth to the rhythm of the music, Ben cleared his throat and spoke. "What is going on?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Well, you were with her all afternoon. I would think you might have noticed something. Did she accidentally mistake a glass of water for a pitcher of ale? Did she hit her head on a rock? Did some crazed wizard try to hypnotize her? What?"
Rina shook her head. "I didn't notice anything like that. Perhaps Maleena did something."
"You mean she drugged her?"
"No!" Rina scowled, purposely stepping on Ben's foot. "Maybe Maleena was actually able to talk some sense into her."
"Oh... Darn, I would've liked to she Aliana on drugs... I bet it would be funny!"
"I think it might have something to do with that spark..."
Ben stopped dancing and gaped. "You saw it, too?! I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me! It was weird... Although, an electric spark isn't normally that bright... I thought it might have been something else."
"Well, Mr. Science, what else do you think it was?"
"Uh... I don't know... Magic?!" he said eagerly. "We are in Middle Earth, after all! Anything's possible!"
They both jumped when a voice was heard behind them. "I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
They spun around and saw Aliana laughing at them, her arms tightly around Legolas. She giggled girlishly and smiled. Legolas was completely missing the hilariousness of it all, but just smiled and continued to steer Aliana across the floor.
Rina and Ben both breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think she heard anything else of our conversation. But perhaps we should save the rest of it for later when no one else is around."
"Good idea," Ben agreed.
"Well?!" Rina exclaimed, after a few minutes of dancing.
"What?" Ben asked, obviously clueless.
"Are you going to stop dancing?!" she snapped. "I don't want to be doing this any longer then I have to!"
Ben almost stopped before an idea struck him. "But if we keep dancing, maybe we can keep an eye on Aliana and see if anything's up. Make sure she doesn't have one of her mood swings again and start beating the macaroni out of Legolas."
"Alright."
The two moved around in circles, keeping a close eye on Aliana. She appeared happy enough with Legolas. Her feet glided across the grass gracefully and the smile never left her face. Legolas didn't seem to notice this change. He was just happy to see her smiling and in a good mood.
"Macaroni?" Rina asked suddenly. "Ben, what on earth were you talking about?"
"Well, I bet if I had said what I really meant, the whole forest would be staring at us."
"That's true, I suppose, but why macaroni? Why couldn't you have said, 'what the heck'? Nothing's wrong with that."
"Oh...I guess I just didn't think about it very much..."
"What can I expect? You hardly think about anything that much."
"Hey! That's not true!" Ben cried. "I think a lot!"
"Oh really? And when would that be?" Rina inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Ben looked hurt. "Well, let's see... When... No wait, that's not it... Give me a second here... Ha! I've got it!" He took a breath, as if he were about to give a huge speech. When he spoke, his voice was as loud as a locomotive speeding down the track. "When I figured out that we need to keep dancing to spy on Aliana! Ha! Beat that!"
Rina immediately stopped moving, causing Ben to fall to the ground. All of the elves stared down at him, their eyes curious and confused. One face, staring straight at him with piercing green eyes and reminding him somewhat of the sea, made him to gulp.
Aliana glared at him with eyes full of anger and hatred. Legolas stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder, watching the fear and embarrassment grow in Ben's eyes. Rina stood, rooted to the ground, her face calm and unwavering.
Ben stood up and reached out to Aliana. "Lex, I'm sorry... We-I was just worried about you. I didn't want you to get hurt."
"So you spied on me?"
Ben didn't know what to say. He looked to Rina for help, but she made it quite clear to him that she wanted no part in this feud. "I'm sorry. You were just so different. I wanted to make sure you weren't delusional or something."
Aliana shook her head sadly. "I thought you were my friends. And yes Rina, I am referring to you. I know you had a part to play in all this. It seems as if I can't trust anyone. Even my own friends and companions!"
She tore her shoulder from Legolas's grip and stormed out into the forest. The crowd began to utter in a low whisper and all eyes fell on Ben. He shrugged sheepishly and turned to Rina.
Expecting to find a look of calmness or even one void of any emotion, it startled Ben to see on filled with such fury. But though her face was so angry, her voice was saddened and soft. "That's it. I can't take it anymore, Ben. I'm going home. Aliana can just get on without us."
Ben stared at her in shock. "You can't mean it, Rina?"
"I do, Ben. This time, I really am serious. I'm through with Aliana and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind."
"But we can't just let her run off all alone! What if something finds her?! A wild animal! Or worse! I mean, we don't know what happened to Ivellios! For all we know he could still be out there! You remember what he said!"
"She's gotten herself into this; she can get herself out of it."
Rina brushed a strand of hair behind her ears and walked away. The crowd parted to allow her passage, everyone careful not to get in her way. Ben looked up at Legolas, his emotions of helplessness portrayed clearly on his face.
"We have to go after her," he stated.
Legolas shook his head. "I think you've done enough tonight, Ben. I'll go after her. Though I hardly doubt there is anything worth worrying about in these woods."
Without another word, Legolas strode after Aliana, leaving Ben to stare after him.
The thick branches of the trees dug into her skin and scraped across her face as Aliana ran through the Golden Wood. The rough pine needles dug into her feet, but still she kept going. She tripped countless times, stubbing her feet on the rocks along the path.
After a quarter of an hour, her breath was ragged and the many scratches along her body bled. Her dress had ripped in several places and was stained with red blood. Her hair was in a tangled mess and the crown of flowers had long since fallen to the ground.
She had no idea in what direction she was going or even where she was trying to get to, but she ran. It never occurred to her that she had no food, no water, and no money. She didn't have a single belonging on her.
She stopped running and slowed down to a walk, taking deep breaths and holding her hands behind her head. She heard the sound of a soft trickling river, not far off and followed its welcoming sound.
She arrived shortly at a rapidly flowing river. The swiftly moving rapids would sweep her away if she set one foot in their depths. A thick layer of white foam rested on the surface of the river, indicating its strong currents.
She followed the river downstream for a ways until the water had slowed down. The river had widened and made a small pond. From a clearing in the trees and the bright moonlight, she could see the clearness of the water.
She quickly slipped out of her clothes and tossed them on the shore. She jumped into the water and swam around, letting the water rush around her and cleanse her wounds. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to wash out the dirt.
Legolas looked down at the ground, following the trail of broken branches and small drops of blood. He leaned over and picked up a leaf with a little blood on it. He quickened his pace and followed her late into the night.
At last he came to the small pond Aliana had found only half an hour before. Noticing Aliana's tattered dress on a small rock, he looked around for the elf maiden.
A loud splash behind him caused him to turn around and look in the center of the water. Aliana had surfaced the lake and was wringing out her hair. Legolas's heart skipped a beat as his eyes saw Aliana's unclothed body.
His proper upbringing caused him to avert his eyes quickly, knowing such a lust was forbidden to his people. He turned around and waited for her to finish and clothe herself, clearing his throat loudly so that she knew he was there.
Aliana looked up, startled. Seeing Legolas on the shore, she half scowled, half smiled-not quite sure which emotion was predominant over the other. She swam to the water's edge and grabbed her clothes off the rock she had tossed them on.
"Why did you follow me?!" she yelled.
Legolas turned around and faced her, knowing she had every reason to be mad. "Ben wanted to make sure you were alright, but I told him he had caused enough trouble for tonight. So I told him that I would go and make sure you were alright."
Aliana clenched her fists and frowned, staring down at the ground. "I can't believe he and Rina would do something like that... I thought they were my friends."
"Friends don't always do the right things, Aliana. They did what they thought was the right thing to do in order to keep you safe."
"Keep me safe?! From what?!"
"I don't know," he sighed in an exasperated tone. "But I am sure they were not trying to pry into your personal life or spy on you intentionally. They were just worried about you."
Legolas stared at Aliana. For the first time, he realized he clothes were tattered, there were large cuts across her arms, and he face was red from crying. There was a large gash in her dress, right across her breast, with blood caked over it even after bathing in the river.
"Well I'm through with it," she said at last.
"Through with what, me heri?"
"I'm through with people watching after me. I don't need their help anymore. I can get by on my own. I'll get to Isengard without them."
Legolas appeared somewhat disappointed. "So you're going back home then? Wherever it is that your home may be."
"Yes," she said in answer to his question. "Although I hate my father, I do miss home terribly-my other friends, my family, my old life. It will be hard to go back though. This I know for a fact. Knowing that I have been places I never dreamed possible. I've met people I never knew existed. I will miss Middle Earth."
There was a long pause in which neither elf looked at each other. Aliana suddenly became very interested in her feet-red and raw from scratching them along the path-and Legolas stared hard at a tiny freckle on his arm.
"Why didn't you say anything about being from another world?" Legolas asked abruptly.
Aliana became nervous, as if she was afraid to answer the question. "I don't know...I suppose I just...um... I didn't... Oh, I don't know!"
Legolas took her hand in his and smiled softly at her. "I think you do."
"Why do you have to make this more difficult than it already is?!" she cried, pulling away from his grasp. "It would have been better if I'd never met you at all! Why couldn't I have ended up in the Shire with Frodo or Sam?!"
"Aliana," Legolas began calmly, "I'm sorry if my actions displease you, but I am only trying to help you. You must understand that. I never intended to cause you so much pain and uncertainty."
Aliana chanced a glance back at Legolas and saw the hurt in his eyes. Immediately she wished she hadn't seen them. She felt tears in her eyes and without thinking, she allowed them to fall-running down her torn dress, falling to a soft patch of grass, and staining her face red.
Thanks if you reviewed, Rusty
Ps-Oh, and in this chapter, keep under consideration that Legolas had figured out that Aliana is from another world, K? Because he's such a smart little elf who looks sooooooooooooooooooooo... 20 minutes later deep breath hot standing there at the end of Return of the King! Well, he looks hot anywhere, but that seductive smile on his lips was extremely appealing...
Chapter Twelve: A Strange New Change
As the evening dawned and people made their way to the festival, Rina was still trying to figure out how Legolas had known that Aliana was in danger and how he had been scratched in the same place she had. She walked down the dirt path beside Ben and Maleena, thinking silently to herself.
Ahead of them, in a magnificent, colorful garden, were many tables with smooth white tablecloths over them. Above, multicolored lights hung from the think tree branches. Elves stood here and there, wearing beautiful outfits of the finest material and brightest colors.
Maleena ushered them to the table at the other side of the garden where Galadriel and Celeborn already sat, patiently waiting for the rest to arrive. The two seats at the head of the table were empty, most likely waiting for Aliana and Legolas. Galadriel and Celeborn sat on either side, Haldir beside Lord Celeborn. Maleena took a seat beside Haldir, leaving Rina and Ben to sit across from them.
Soon the empty seats began to fill and all eyes looked towards their Lord and Lady. Finally Galadriel rose and the remaining whispers quieted, staring expectantly towards the trees. A faint rustle emitted from their depths and Legolas strode towards Galadriel.
He wore a silver tunic that sparkled in the soft light. His hair was perfectly smooth with two small braids on each side. His face was calm, yet in his eyes, one could see a youthful happiness that had long been lost in past years.
Galadriel kissed him on the forehead and looked up towards the back of the garden and the last row of tables. There stood Aliana watching Legolas with her bold green eyes. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves and the crown of flowers sat atop her head. The dress fell loosely around her ankles and waist, but was tight around her chest.
She walked gracefully through a row in the center of the tables and came to stand in front of Legolas. She embraced him warmly and rested her head against his chest. Galadriel turned to address the rest of the crowd. "May I present the Spring Goddess, Aliana and the Harvest God, Legolas."
They cheered with joy, some rising from their seats and clapping loudly. The two smiled brightly and glanced at each other. Legolas took Aliana's hand and helped her to her seat then took a seat next to her. Galadriel sat down as well and clapped her hands.
Waiters arrived, bearing plates with exquisite foods and bowls with juicy sauces. Bottles of wine were corked and poured into silver goblets. Rina and Ben ogled at the delicious looking food set before them. Conversation bubbled as people had their fill of food and drink.
When the last elf had pushed away his plate and the waiters had returned to whisk away the dirty flatware, a band began to play. The soft enchanting music seemed to draw the guests from their seats and onto a large patch of grass. Couples smiled joyously and began to dance-moving gracefully over the soft grass. Young female elves sat patiently, awaiting some handsome elf to sweep them off their feet and into a dreamlike waltz.
Ben stood up and faced Rina, his hand extended towards her in an inviting fashion. She glared at him dangerously over the edge of her water goblet. After a few seconds though, she realized the look on his face was not love-struck, but desperate.
The two quickly headed for the dance-floor, Ben making sure not to come anywhere near Rina's hand. Unwillingly, he placed one hand on her shoulder and the other around her waist. She bit her lip and tried to look natural.
After a minute or so of moving back and forth to the rhythm of the music, Ben cleared his throat and spoke. "What is going on?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Well, you were with her all afternoon. I would think you might have noticed something. Did she accidentally mistake a glass of water for a pitcher of ale? Did she hit her head on a rock? Did some crazed wizard try to hypnotize her? What?"
Rina shook her head. "I didn't notice anything like that. Perhaps Maleena did something."
"You mean she drugged her?"
"No!" Rina scowled, purposely stepping on Ben's foot. "Maybe Maleena was actually able to talk some sense into her."
"Oh... Darn, I would've liked to she Aliana on drugs... I bet it would be funny!"
"I think it might have something to do with that spark..."
Ben stopped dancing and gaped. "You saw it, too?! I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me! It was weird... Although, an electric spark isn't normally that bright... I thought it might have been something else."
"Well, Mr. Science, what else do you think it was?"
"Uh... I don't know... Magic?!" he said eagerly. "We are in Middle Earth, after all! Anything's possible!"
They both jumped when a voice was heard behind them. "I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
They spun around and saw Aliana laughing at them, her arms tightly around Legolas. She giggled girlishly and smiled. Legolas was completely missing the hilariousness of it all, but just smiled and continued to steer Aliana across the floor.
Rina and Ben both breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think she heard anything else of our conversation. But perhaps we should save the rest of it for later when no one else is around."
"Good idea," Ben agreed.
"Well?!" Rina exclaimed, after a few minutes of dancing.
"What?" Ben asked, obviously clueless.
"Are you going to stop dancing?!" she snapped. "I don't want to be doing this any longer then I have to!"
Ben almost stopped before an idea struck him. "But if we keep dancing, maybe we can keep an eye on Aliana and see if anything's up. Make sure she doesn't have one of her mood swings again and start beating the macaroni out of Legolas."
"Alright."
The two moved around in circles, keeping a close eye on Aliana. She appeared happy enough with Legolas. Her feet glided across the grass gracefully and the smile never left her face. Legolas didn't seem to notice this change. He was just happy to see her smiling and in a good mood.
"Macaroni?" Rina asked suddenly. "Ben, what on earth were you talking about?"
"Well, I bet if I had said what I really meant, the whole forest would be staring at us."
"That's true, I suppose, but why macaroni? Why couldn't you have said, 'what the heck'? Nothing's wrong with that."
"Oh...I guess I just didn't think about it very much..."
"What can I expect? You hardly think about anything that much."
"Hey! That's not true!" Ben cried. "I think a lot!"
"Oh really? And when would that be?" Rina inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Ben looked hurt. "Well, let's see... When... No wait, that's not it... Give me a second here... Ha! I've got it!" He took a breath, as if he were about to give a huge speech. When he spoke, his voice was as loud as a locomotive speeding down the track. "When I figured out that we need to keep dancing to spy on Aliana! Ha! Beat that!"
Rina immediately stopped moving, causing Ben to fall to the ground. All of the elves stared down at him, their eyes curious and confused. One face, staring straight at him with piercing green eyes and reminding him somewhat of the sea, made him to gulp.
Aliana glared at him with eyes full of anger and hatred. Legolas stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder, watching the fear and embarrassment grow in Ben's eyes. Rina stood, rooted to the ground, her face calm and unwavering.
Ben stood up and reached out to Aliana. "Lex, I'm sorry... We-I was just worried about you. I didn't want you to get hurt."
"So you spied on me?"
Ben didn't know what to say. He looked to Rina for help, but she made it quite clear to him that she wanted no part in this feud. "I'm sorry. You were just so different. I wanted to make sure you weren't delusional or something."
Aliana shook her head sadly. "I thought you were my friends. And yes Rina, I am referring to you. I know you had a part to play in all this. It seems as if I can't trust anyone. Even my own friends and companions!"
She tore her shoulder from Legolas's grip and stormed out into the forest. The crowd began to utter in a low whisper and all eyes fell on Ben. He shrugged sheepishly and turned to Rina.
Expecting to find a look of calmness or even one void of any emotion, it startled Ben to see on filled with such fury. But though her face was so angry, her voice was saddened and soft. "That's it. I can't take it anymore, Ben. I'm going home. Aliana can just get on without us."
Ben stared at her in shock. "You can't mean it, Rina?"
"I do, Ben. This time, I really am serious. I'm through with Aliana and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind."
"But we can't just let her run off all alone! What if something finds her?! A wild animal! Or worse! I mean, we don't know what happened to Ivellios! For all we know he could still be out there! You remember what he said!"
"She's gotten herself into this; she can get herself out of it."
Rina brushed a strand of hair behind her ears and walked away. The crowd parted to allow her passage, everyone careful not to get in her way. Ben looked up at Legolas, his emotions of helplessness portrayed clearly on his face.
"We have to go after her," he stated.
Legolas shook his head. "I think you've done enough tonight, Ben. I'll go after her. Though I hardly doubt there is anything worth worrying about in these woods."
Without another word, Legolas strode after Aliana, leaving Ben to stare after him.
The thick branches of the trees dug into her skin and scraped across her face as Aliana ran through the Golden Wood. The rough pine needles dug into her feet, but still she kept going. She tripped countless times, stubbing her feet on the rocks along the path.
After a quarter of an hour, her breath was ragged and the many scratches along her body bled. Her dress had ripped in several places and was stained with red blood. Her hair was in a tangled mess and the crown of flowers had long since fallen to the ground.
She had no idea in what direction she was going or even where she was trying to get to, but she ran. It never occurred to her that she had no food, no water, and no money. She didn't have a single belonging on her.
She stopped running and slowed down to a walk, taking deep breaths and holding her hands behind her head. She heard the sound of a soft trickling river, not far off and followed its welcoming sound.
She arrived shortly at a rapidly flowing river. The swiftly moving rapids would sweep her away if she set one foot in their depths. A thick layer of white foam rested on the surface of the river, indicating its strong currents.
She followed the river downstream for a ways until the water had slowed down. The river had widened and made a small pond. From a clearing in the trees and the bright moonlight, she could see the clearness of the water.
She quickly slipped out of her clothes and tossed them on the shore. She jumped into the water and swam around, letting the water rush around her and cleanse her wounds. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to wash out the dirt.
Legolas looked down at the ground, following the trail of broken branches and small drops of blood. He leaned over and picked up a leaf with a little blood on it. He quickened his pace and followed her late into the night.
At last he came to the small pond Aliana had found only half an hour before. Noticing Aliana's tattered dress on a small rock, he looked around for the elf maiden.
A loud splash behind him caused him to turn around and look in the center of the water. Aliana had surfaced the lake and was wringing out her hair. Legolas's heart skipped a beat as his eyes saw Aliana's unclothed body.
His proper upbringing caused him to avert his eyes quickly, knowing such a lust was forbidden to his people. He turned around and waited for her to finish and clothe herself, clearing his throat loudly so that she knew he was there.
Aliana looked up, startled. Seeing Legolas on the shore, she half scowled, half smiled-not quite sure which emotion was predominant over the other. She swam to the water's edge and grabbed her clothes off the rock she had tossed them on.
"Why did you follow me?!" she yelled.
Legolas turned around and faced her, knowing she had every reason to be mad. "Ben wanted to make sure you were alright, but I told him he had caused enough trouble for tonight. So I told him that I would go and make sure you were alright."
Aliana clenched her fists and frowned, staring down at the ground. "I can't believe he and Rina would do something like that... I thought they were my friends."
"Friends don't always do the right things, Aliana. They did what they thought was the right thing to do in order to keep you safe."
"Keep me safe?! From what?!"
"I don't know," he sighed in an exasperated tone. "But I am sure they were not trying to pry into your personal life or spy on you intentionally. They were just worried about you."
Legolas stared at Aliana. For the first time, he realized he clothes were tattered, there were large cuts across her arms, and he face was red from crying. There was a large gash in her dress, right across her breast, with blood caked over it even after bathing in the river.
"Well I'm through with it," she said at last.
"Through with what, me heri?"
"I'm through with people watching after me. I don't need their help anymore. I can get by on my own. I'll get to Isengard without them."
Legolas appeared somewhat disappointed. "So you're going back home then? Wherever it is that your home may be."
"Yes," she said in answer to his question. "Although I hate my father, I do miss home terribly-my other friends, my family, my old life. It will be hard to go back though. This I know for a fact. Knowing that I have been places I never dreamed possible. I've met people I never knew existed. I will miss Middle Earth."
There was a long pause in which neither elf looked at each other. Aliana suddenly became very interested in her feet-red and raw from scratching them along the path-and Legolas stared hard at a tiny freckle on his arm.
"Why didn't you say anything about being from another world?" Legolas asked abruptly.
Aliana became nervous, as if she was afraid to answer the question. "I don't know...I suppose I just...um... I didn't... Oh, I don't know!"
Legolas took her hand in his and smiled softly at her. "I think you do."
"Why do you have to make this more difficult than it already is?!" she cried, pulling away from his grasp. "It would have been better if I'd never met you at all! Why couldn't I have ended up in the Shire with Frodo or Sam?!"
"Aliana," Legolas began calmly, "I'm sorry if my actions displease you, but I am only trying to help you. You must understand that. I never intended to cause you so much pain and uncertainty."
Aliana chanced a glance back at Legolas and saw the hurt in his eyes. Immediately she wished she hadn't seen them. She felt tears in her eyes and without thinking, she allowed them to fall-running down her torn dress, falling to a soft patch of grass, and staining her face red.