Part 3
Midnight came upon the forest. Starlight barely penetrated the thick ceiling of leaves and branches. Clark Kent sat upon a lone rock several yards away from the stream. Lana had claimed that Chloe drowned in that stream. For all the strength he had spent saving people, most of whom he truly did not care about, Clark knew he could not take another step forward to even look for Chloe.
He had called for help. The fire department and rescue team had been all over the forest for days. Today, with no clue or trace, they had suspended the search. Clark had to find his friend. He did not save her from meteor mutants only to lose her in a simple accident.
Gritting his teeth against the pain that he just knew would hit him, Clark gripped his stomach in defense and stumbled towards the green stream.
~~
Chloe looked up at the tree surrounding them. Since the last horse escapade, Legolas had been hunting and gathering for the two of them. A lot of things changed since that day. He no longer scowled as many times. That was a benefit. However, Legolas also became too fidgety. He often got on her nerves because she could count the number of times he looked back at her to make certain she was still walking properly. Before he forcibly placed her on top of the horse, Legolas checked on her progress about six times an hour. Now, she would find him glancing at her every five minutes or so. To tell the truth, it was a nerve racking experience.
She did not like the way he made certain that whenever they stopped to eat, he would lay out everything he had collected. Her remaining responsibilities then were to chew and make sure that she did not choke on seed or bone. Not even that. With his slender finger, Legolas would often indicate whether or not she could expect bare flesh, seed or bone in her food.
It was something that she was not used to. It was something that made her feminist skin crawl.
And so Chloe decided that this time, she was going to provide them with fruits. She had closely watched him the last few days, and memorized the fruits that seemed safe and the fruits that he avoided. When Legolas left to hunt for meat, Chloe eyed her chosen tree and started to climb. After gathering a few pieces of fruit, Chloe started on another tree, then another. It was not long until she heard the frustrated masculine yell from below.
Very slowly, with no obvious urgency, Chloe climbed down. Her palms were burning and her muscles were sore. However, Chloe felt energized and exhilarated. She very carefully dumped her gathering on the ground and grinned. "Not so useless after all," she exclaimed.
Legolas smirked and shook his head. She could have insulted him for all her cared. At least she was showing initiative. "Not so useless after all," he acknowledged.
He walked over to her, ignoring the fruits for the meantime. He picked up her hands and looked down at the red skin. "Such a shame to mark soft skin." And then he frowned when he saw an unidentified dark blotch on her fingers. "What suffering has wrought this?"
Chloe was blushing furiously. Her hands have never been as soft as she would have liked. Certainly, her palms were smooth enough. Her fingers were an entirely different matter, though. She was a writer. She naturally had calluses on her pen fingers. Legolas touched her ink stains.
They sat in front of the fruits. Since she took even numbers of all, they easily divided the loot. Chloe noticed Legolas looking at her in admiration, and assumed that it was because of the food she was able to provide.
Always eager to flaunt new knowledge, Chloe stood up and pointed to the trees one by one, giving the same and whether or not the fruit was edible. She spied a small plant and pointed to it. Then she included, "The leaves of this plant you get but never eat." She shrugged.
Legolas saw what she pointed to. He shook his head. "All observations were correct except for that. We can't eat the athelan. We gather the leaves so by Aragorn's hands they may be used to heal." Again, he plucked two leaves and secreted them away. "But the rest was laudable."
She sat again and took one of the fruits in her heads. It was yellow and especially juicy. Chloe rubbed it against her shirt until it shone. And then, as if it were a trophy, she held it up high before sinking her teeth into it. The explosion of sweet juices in her mouth made her smile.
Legolas nodded at her enthusiasm and sat with her. He reached for a similar fruit and started eating. When he looked up again, Chloe was almost done with hers. He pointed to the yellow juice that dribbled down her shin. Chloe's tongue darted out to try to remove it. Legolas shifted in his seat. He leaned over and with his fingers, wiped the juice from her chin himself.
Chloe's smile faded at the touch. Legolas looked up at her and held her gaze. They stayed stationary for a few more seconds. Then, Legolas straightened and told her, "I will help you prepare suitable bedding."
Chloe frowned. It was the worst moment to not understand his words. She watched his quick graceful movements and saw him spread a blanket on the ground.
Midnight came upon them as Chloe stared up and watched the stray glimpses of starlight that the breeze provided her with. The branches would shift here and there. With every movement, the stars would wink at her. She stood very slowly and deliberately. It was too warm. The thoughts that ran crazily in her head were no help at all. She needed to be refreshed and she needed it now.
She heard the wonderful gurgling of a steam. In the days that she and Legolas had been traveling, she had not seen a stream. Feeling the enchantment of the forest, Chloe followed the sound and found a silver stream. The stream was a clearing, unhidden from the moon. The moonbeams then hit the water directly, giving her a more amazing view of what was beneath the water. Chloe teased the surface with her toe. The broken surface called to her, and she dove.
Chloe swam as deeply as she could. She explored the richness underwater. When she was as deep as could go, Chloe manipulated herself to swim upwards.
The closer and closer she came to breaking the surface, Chloe's sight was no longer clear. She blinked her eyes underwater. If she did not know better, this was Clark Kent grimacing down at her from above the water.
Chloe's arms moved faster as she strove to resurface. When she could finally suck in breath, she saw in Clark's very same spot, a frowning Legolas stood instead.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
Chloe shook her head and sighed. "Can you please not be here when I'm taking a bath?"
Legolas extended his arm, with a gesture for her to take his hand. Chloe reluctantly placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her out of the stream. She found Legolas' gaze fixed on her wet blouse.
Midnight came upon the forest. Starlight barely penetrated the thick ceiling of leaves and branches. Clark Kent sat upon a lone rock several yards away from the stream. Lana had claimed that Chloe drowned in that stream. For all the strength he had spent saving people, most of whom he truly did not care about, Clark knew he could not take another step forward to even look for Chloe.
He had called for help. The fire department and rescue team had been all over the forest for days. Today, with no clue or trace, they had suspended the search. Clark had to find his friend. He did not save her from meteor mutants only to lose her in a simple accident.
Gritting his teeth against the pain that he just knew would hit him, Clark gripped his stomach in defense and stumbled towards the green stream.
~~
Chloe looked up at the tree surrounding them. Since the last horse escapade, Legolas had been hunting and gathering for the two of them. A lot of things changed since that day. He no longer scowled as many times. That was a benefit. However, Legolas also became too fidgety. He often got on her nerves because she could count the number of times he looked back at her to make certain she was still walking properly. Before he forcibly placed her on top of the horse, Legolas checked on her progress about six times an hour. Now, she would find him glancing at her every five minutes or so. To tell the truth, it was a nerve racking experience.
She did not like the way he made certain that whenever they stopped to eat, he would lay out everything he had collected. Her remaining responsibilities then were to chew and make sure that she did not choke on seed or bone. Not even that. With his slender finger, Legolas would often indicate whether or not she could expect bare flesh, seed or bone in her food.
It was something that she was not used to. It was something that made her feminist skin crawl.
And so Chloe decided that this time, she was going to provide them with fruits. She had closely watched him the last few days, and memorized the fruits that seemed safe and the fruits that he avoided. When Legolas left to hunt for meat, Chloe eyed her chosen tree and started to climb. After gathering a few pieces of fruit, Chloe started on another tree, then another. It was not long until she heard the frustrated masculine yell from below.
Very slowly, with no obvious urgency, Chloe climbed down. Her palms were burning and her muscles were sore. However, Chloe felt energized and exhilarated. She very carefully dumped her gathering on the ground and grinned. "Not so useless after all," she exclaimed.
Legolas smirked and shook his head. She could have insulted him for all her cared. At least she was showing initiative. "Not so useless after all," he acknowledged.
He walked over to her, ignoring the fruits for the meantime. He picked up her hands and looked down at the red skin. "Such a shame to mark soft skin." And then he frowned when he saw an unidentified dark blotch on her fingers. "What suffering has wrought this?"
Chloe was blushing furiously. Her hands have never been as soft as she would have liked. Certainly, her palms were smooth enough. Her fingers were an entirely different matter, though. She was a writer. She naturally had calluses on her pen fingers. Legolas touched her ink stains.
They sat in front of the fruits. Since she took even numbers of all, they easily divided the loot. Chloe noticed Legolas looking at her in admiration, and assumed that it was because of the food she was able to provide.
Always eager to flaunt new knowledge, Chloe stood up and pointed to the trees one by one, giving the same and whether or not the fruit was edible. She spied a small plant and pointed to it. Then she included, "The leaves of this plant you get but never eat." She shrugged.
Legolas saw what she pointed to. He shook his head. "All observations were correct except for that. We can't eat the athelan. We gather the leaves so by Aragorn's hands they may be used to heal." Again, he plucked two leaves and secreted them away. "But the rest was laudable."
She sat again and took one of the fruits in her heads. It was yellow and especially juicy. Chloe rubbed it against her shirt until it shone. And then, as if it were a trophy, she held it up high before sinking her teeth into it. The explosion of sweet juices in her mouth made her smile.
Legolas nodded at her enthusiasm and sat with her. He reached for a similar fruit and started eating. When he looked up again, Chloe was almost done with hers. He pointed to the yellow juice that dribbled down her shin. Chloe's tongue darted out to try to remove it. Legolas shifted in his seat. He leaned over and with his fingers, wiped the juice from her chin himself.
Chloe's smile faded at the touch. Legolas looked up at her and held her gaze. They stayed stationary for a few more seconds. Then, Legolas straightened and told her, "I will help you prepare suitable bedding."
Chloe frowned. It was the worst moment to not understand his words. She watched his quick graceful movements and saw him spread a blanket on the ground.
Midnight came upon them as Chloe stared up and watched the stray glimpses of starlight that the breeze provided her with. The branches would shift here and there. With every movement, the stars would wink at her. She stood very slowly and deliberately. It was too warm. The thoughts that ran crazily in her head were no help at all. She needed to be refreshed and she needed it now.
She heard the wonderful gurgling of a steam. In the days that she and Legolas had been traveling, she had not seen a stream. Feeling the enchantment of the forest, Chloe followed the sound and found a silver stream. The stream was a clearing, unhidden from the moon. The moonbeams then hit the water directly, giving her a more amazing view of what was beneath the water. Chloe teased the surface with her toe. The broken surface called to her, and she dove.
Chloe swam as deeply as she could. She explored the richness underwater. When she was as deep as could go, Chloe manipulated herself to swim upwards.
The closer and closer she came to breaking the surface, Chloe's sight was no longer clear. She blinked her eyes underwater. If she did not know better, this was Clark Kent grimacing down at her from above the water.
Chloe's arms moved faster as she strove to resurface. When she could finally suck in breath, she saw in Clark's very same spot, a frowning Legolas stood instead.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
Chloe shook her head and sighed. "Can you please not be here when I'm taking a bath?"
Legolas extended his arm, with a gesture for her to take his hand. Chloe reluctantly placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her out of the stream. She found Legolas' gaze fixed on her wet blouse.