Disclaimer: I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I don't own lotr, so
don't sue me if I haven't gotten the point across yet.
Chapter ten:
Hardened Hearts
Leslee awoke to find the sun high above her. She squinted at the bright light, and went to rub the sleep from her eyes, only to find that her hands were tied. Her stomach dropped as she realized the truth. He'd found her.
She sat up quickly, but almost fell over as her head spun. She looked around, and saw Legolas leaning up against a tree, his arms folded across his chest, his deep eyes staring at her. She swallowed, not sure of what to say. He was waiting for her to ask the obvious question, but she didn't want to know. She would rather die NOT knowing. But still he waited, so she complied and cleared her throat. "What are you going to do with me?"
Yes, that was the question he was waiting for, yet he dreaded hearing it now. He knew as well as she did, what he would do with her. "I'm taking you to Mirkwood. My father will decide your fate."
"And what would you guess my fate to be?" she asked cautiously. She wasn't sure if he still intended to kill her or not.
He hesitated, not wanting his voice to crack with emotion if he uttered the words too soon. The silence grew, pressing in on them, until even Legolas couldn't stand it. "You will die, Menla. I do not doubt it. Can you accept that?" His voice was cold, but there was a hint of sorrow to it, as if he regretted the words, but whatever he was thinking, his face did not reflect it.
She gawked at him for a moment. She wasn't sure if he was pulling a joke on her or not. If he really loved her, then why would he kill her? Unless the whole thing was a lie. He might NOT love her, but had simply said that to hurt her, play with her, before she died. She barely noticed as he knelt down in front of her until he cupped her chin in his hand. Her eyes focused on his, and questioned him. He firmly pressed up, closing her mouth that had once again been hanging open. "It's not polite to stare," he whispered, just as he had not two days ago. She whimpered a little at the thought of how long ago that had seemed, yet it was only two nights ago.
Legolas' heart broke at such a pathetic cry. He knew that his face was finally betraying his emotions, but he didn't really care at the moment. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, and tell her not to worry, that everything would be all right, but as much as he wanted to tell her these things, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. Because it wouldn't be okay. Everything wouldn't be fine. He found himself leaning close to her, so close that their noses almost touched. He sat there, mere centimeters between them, waiting. He wouldn't do anything she didn't want. "Legolas..." she whispered, her hot breath sending a shiver down his spine. She leaned just a little bit closer, not wanting to be the one to make contact first. She wanted to be sure that he DID love her. He wanted to let her know how he felt, but he was afraid. He had to keep on his mask in order to please his father. "Please..." Her breath sent another shiver coursing through his body. Just one more...
Leslee opened her eyes to find Legolas' still closed. It had been a light kiss, but it was full of meaning. He really did love her, but why did he still insist on killing her? She turned her head, not wanting Legolas to see the look of confusion on her face.
But he did. Her emotions were hard for her to hide, and they always seemed to shine through her face. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't turn. "Menla...please understand, I have to do this."
"Why?" She whispered, still not looking at him.
No. He couldn't tell her why. "Trust me, please."
"Why should I trust the one who hunted me down last night?" she asked bitterly. "How can you ask me to trust you after what you're doing to me?"
The words cut deep. It was as if they were back on Amon Hen, before they'd kissed. Did she hate him now? He shakily removed his hand from her shoulder, and she closed her eyes. "I've tried, Menla. I've tried to fight fate, but I can't."
"Once the threads of fate are tangled, they cannot be undone," she quoted, that scene from Inu Yasha coming to mind. Her fate was tangled with Legolas. She knew there was no fighting it. She couldn't undo coming to this Middle-Earth. She couldn't undo meeting Legolas. She couldn't undo loving him either.
But she also couldn't undo him hurting her. She didn't really want to be mad at him, but after how he'd treated her last night, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. He wasn't telling her something, and it was deeply frustrating. "Why can't you tell me what's going on?" she finally asked.
He stood up, "We need to get moving."
"Legolas! Dime! Ahora! Aqui!" she yelled before she remembered that he didn't know Spanish. He cocked his head at her, and she would have laughed at his curious expression, had she not been in such a foul mood. "Tell me. Now!"
He looked down at her, his inner turmoil reflecting in his flashing eyes. Finally, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go, Menla," he said firmly. She clenched her teeth, ready to scream.
"Fine," she said, deathly cold. She looked up at the sun. It was slightly off to one horizon. "What time is it?" she asked when she remembered that she couldn't look at her watch.
"It's nearly midday."
"Which means the sun is still in the east, so we want to turn around and go north," she said, turning in afore said direction, but speaking to herself more than to Legolas. She started off down the path she'd come down the night before, though she didn't recognize it as she went.
He followed in suit, watching her struggle to walk with out the balance of her arms. She really was clumsy, even for a human, and he was slightly amused by it, but the laugh did not linger for long. He felt his heart sink lower and lower with each step, until it seemed that it resided in the deepest caverns of Hell. When he couldn't take it any longer, he let his mind take over his feelings, rather than his weighted heart, and he became numb as that thought came across him again. 'She is going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.' 'Then let her die knowing she's loved,' his heart whispered in a feeble attempt to gain control again, but his determined mind brushed it off without a second thought.
OMG that took a llooooonnnnngggggg time to get out of my head. Apologies, Jamie Star, I said I would get it up last night, but alas, sleep beckoned, and I could not resist. Ja ne!
Chapter ten:
Hardened Hearts
Leslee awoke to find the sun high above her. She squinted at the bright light, and went to rub the sleep from her eyes, only to find that her hands were tied. Her stomach dropped as she realized the truth. He'd found her.
She sat up quickly, but almost fell over as her head spun. She looked around, and saw Legolas leaning up against a tree, his arms folded across his chest, his deep eyes staring at her. She swallowed, not sure of what to say. He was waiting for her to ask the obvious question, but she didn't want to know. She would rather die NOT knowing. But still he waited, so she complied and cleared her throat. "What are you going to do with me?"
Yes, that was the question he was waiting for, yet he dreaded hearing it now. He knew as well as she did, what he would do with her. "I'm taking you to Mirkwood. My father will decide your fate."
"And what would you guess my fate to be?" she asked cautiously. She wasn't sure if he still intended to kill her or not.
He hesitated, not wanting his voice to crack with emotion if he uttered the words too soon. The silence grew, pressing in on them, until even Legolas couldn't stand it. "You will die, Menla. I do not doubt it. Can you accept that?" His voice was cold, but there was a hint of sorrow to it, as if he regretted the words, but whatever he was thinking, his face did not reflect it.
She gawked at him for a moment. She wasn't sure if he was pulling a joke on her or not. If he really loved her, then why would he kill her? Unless the whole thing was a lie. He might NOT love her, but had simply said that to hurt her, play with her, before she died. She barely noticed as he knelt down in front of her until he cupped her chin in his hand. Her eyes focused on his, and questioned him. He firmly pressed up, closing her mouth that had once again been hanging open. "It's not polite to stare," he whispered, just as he had not two days ago. She whimpered a little at the thought of how long ago that had seemed, yet it was only two nights ago.
Legolas' heart broke at such a pathetic cry. He knew that his face was finally betraying his emotions, but he didn't really care at the moment. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, and tell her not to worry, that everything would be all right, but as much as he wanted to tell her these things, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. Because it wouldn't be okay. Everything wouldn't be fine. He found himself leaning close to her, so close that their noses almost touched. He sat there, mere centimeters between them, waiting. He wouldn't do anything she didn't want. "Legolas..." she whispered, her hot breath sending a shiver down his spine. She leaned just a little bit closer, not wanting to be the one to make contact first. She wanted to be sure that he DID love her. He wanted to let her know how he felt, but he was afraid. He had to keep on his mask in order to please his father. "Please..." Her breath sent another shiver coursing through his body. Just one more...
Leslee opened her eyes to find Legolas' still closed. It had been a light kiss, but it was full of meaning. He really did love her, but why did he still insist on killing her? She turned her head, not wanting Legolas to see the look of confusion on her face.
But he did. Her emotions were hard for her to hide, and they always seemed to shine through her face. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't turn. "Menla...please understand, I have to do this."
"Why?" She whispered, still not looking at him.
No. He couldn't tell her why. "Trust me, please."
"Why should I trust the one who hunted me down last night?" she asked bitterly. "How can you ask me to trust you after what you're doing to me?"
The words cut deep. It was as if they were back on Amon Hen, before they'd kissed. Did she hate him now? He shakily removed his hand from her shoulder, and she closed her eyes. "I've tried, Menla. I've tried to fight fate, but I can't."
"Once the threads of fate are tangled, they cannot be undone," she quoted, that scene from Inu Yasha coming to mind. Her fate was tangled with Legolas. She knew there was no fighting it. She couldn't undo coming to this Middle-Earth. She couldn't undo meeting Legolas. She couldn't undo loving him either.
But she also couldn't undo him hurting her. She didn't really want to be mad at him, but after how he'd treated her last night, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. He wasn't telling her something, and it was deeply frustrating. "Why can't you tell me what's going on?" she finally asked.
He stood up, "We need to get moving."
"Legolas! Dime! Ahora! Aqui!" she yelled before she remembered that he didn't know Spanish. He cocked his head at her, and she would have laughed at his curious expression, had she not been in such a foul mood. "Tell me. Now!"
He looked down at her, his inner turmoil reflecting in his flashing eyes. Finally, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go, Menla," he said firmly. She clenched her teeth, ready to scream.
"Fine," she said, deathly cold. She looked up at the sun. It was slightly off to one horizon. "What time is it?" she asked when she remembered that she couldn't look at her watch.
"It's nearly midday."
"Which means the sun is still in the east, so we want to turn around and go north," she said, turning in afore said direction, but speaking to herself more than to Legolas. She started off down the path she'd come down the night before, though she didn't recognize it as she went.
He followed in suit, watching her struggle to walk with out the balance of her arms. She really was clumsy, even for a human, and he was slightly amused by it, but the laugh did not linger for long. He felt his heart sink lower and lower with each step, until it seemed that it resided in the deepest caverns of Hell. When he couldn't take it any longer, he let his mind take over his feelings, rather than his weighted heart, and he became numb as that thought came across him again. 'She is going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.' 'Then let her die knowing she's loved,' his heart whispered in a feeble attempt to gain control again, but his determined mind brushed it off without a second thought.
OMG that took a llooooonnnnngggggg time to get out of my head. Apologies, Jamie Star, I said I would get it up last night, but alas, sleep beckoned, and I could not resist. Ja ne!