Part 13
January 13, 3019
My fleet foot and light stride enabled me to stay above the snow while others trudged chest deep. Whenever I looked up and saw the white sky, I thought that the weather was truly against us. Gandalf had no doubt that it was in Saruman's bidding that we now fight nature itself. The Fellowship had one duty now, and it was to cross the Pass of Caradhas. Yet now a blizzard prevents us from doing so.
When heavy the snow fell upon us, burying all, I am shamed to say that my first thought was not of the Ringbearer, whose safety I had vowed to keep. My thoughts, on those moments when the freezing cold surrounded me, were that your embrace was so warm and your kisses close to scalding. Since I met you, I have not been as I should have. I had not been true to my nature. Am I then decaying as a warrior, to be so focused on merely you?
We decide to leave the light and go through the Mines of Moria. Sadly I depart the cold, because dark as it was with the blizzard, I still could see some slivers of light. The light is my lone memory of your eyes. I knew that in the mines, there would be none save for torches we shall light.
This is perhaps my last missive in a long while. We shall sink into the Dwarvish city, and I shall not be able to send my letters to you. I trust my realm is sufficient haven to keep you in my absence.
My heart is yours.
When Chloe saw the missive in Clark's hand, she almost wept with joy. Legolas had been gone for far too long. She needed to read the words and pretend that he was whispering them into her ear. In her deepest fantasies, she would open a missive that told her that Legolas was finally going home.
"So what is it?" her eager friend prompted.
Chloe's brows furrowed as she read Legolas' words.
"Is he finally coming to at least take you away from here?"
Clark desperately wished he could do something, but he knew he should not leave Mirkwood. The stream had got to be the portal back to their world. He had to wait for a change in the stream. And then, he would drag Chloe in with him. They would resurface in Smallville and everything would be okay again. Chloe would be back to her normal self. If not... then... if not he would just have to own up to it. It wouldn't be difficult. He supposed that in their own world he and Chloe had been gone for some time. They could claim that they fell in love and that her baby was his. He hoped Chloe would go along with it. Actually, he hoped the baby would not be born to look too much like an Elf. The gold or silver hair they could explain. Pointed ears were another story altogether.
"He's not coming back," she whispered. "Not for a long time."
Clark took her hand and squeezed. "It's okay, Chloe," he assured her. "I'll be with you through this. I promise." She shook her head. "Come on! I'll take you to the pond. We'll see if you can see Legolas there."
When Chloe opened her eyes again, they were standing on the flat stone that often stayed on, the flat stone on which she and Legolas created the wonder that now grew inside her. Carefully, she sat on the stone and moved enough to the edge that she could peer down to the surface of the water again.
"Show me the Prince of Mirkwood," she said softly.
Before she could open her mouth to make the request one more time, the water before her turned murky, then formed the illusion that she needed to see. She saw Legolas stumble out of a cave, a tunnel, more-like. Etched on his face was the guilt and burden of a thousand worlds. He stood on a plain desolate, his companions as lonely as he did.
"Is that Legolas?"
Chloe turned to see Clark sitting beside her. She nodded. "He looks so sad."
Clark was silent for some time. Then, he shook his head. "They lost one."
"What?"
"They lost one person. I know that look. One of them probably got killed in the mines." Chloe swallowed heavily. "You did say that whatever they're doing is dangerous, Chloe. They're bound to lose people." After realizing what his statement meant, Clark immediately started. "But Legolas is definitely going to be fine. All the stories I've heard about him are amazing! He's a terrific archer, right? He'd bring down all his enemies before they even get close."
Chloe did not answer. She was focused on the image on the water. Legolas walked away from the group. She noted the way his shoulders were hunched, at the way that he stared at the sky. She wished so desperately that she could be there with him.
Legolas sat heavily on a lone rock, away from his companions, away from Aragorn's harsh commands to stand and continue the journey. He needed to mourn Gandalf. He had felt Gandalf's heart rebelling against going into the Mines. He had known, with his Elven sense, that something would go terribly wrong in those Mines.
He had been too focused on his own problems. Had he been more cautious of Gandalf's pain, the wizard may still be with the group.
Legolas covered his face with his hands and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. But Aragorn was right. The wizard had yelled for them to fly. Fly they must. They needed to go to Lothlorien fast. The Ringbearer must throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The sooner they destroy the Ring, the sooner he could lay down his bow and live in peace.
When he stood to heed the ranger, Legolas caught a wispy white figure at a distance. He stepped towards it and then froze in his tracks. It was the very image of a woman he had been longing for the very second he left her.
In his grief he did not question how she came to be there. Like a man long been in the desert, he strode to her as if she were an oasis. She turned and smiled at him, then extended her arms. Legolas embraced her, lifting her feet off the ground, his fingers burying into her hair, his lips seeking hers.
"I needed you so much," he breathed against her lips. He kissed a burning path across her cheek until he was kissing her eyelids closed.
Legolas gently put her back on her feet and released her just enough that she could look down at her. His eyes widened in horror as he looked into violet eyes. Legolas took an abrupt step back and gazed at the olive skin drawn tight around the woman's face as she gave him a satisfied smirk. He recoiled from the lush body barely covered in a thin shift.
"Spawn of Saruman," he spat out.
The woman in front of him reached for his cheek. At her cool touch, Legolas drew back. "I can be what you want," she told him, her voice wrapping around him like warm butter.
When slowly, the color of her skin faded into the paleness of Chloe's, and her dark hair shortened, curled and lightened, when her violet eyes grew green, Legolas turned away and strode as fast as he could from the temptress.
The moment she saw his lips touch that of the strange woman, Chloe turned away from the water. Clark wrapped his arms around her held her head to his shoulder. He thought of so many things about this prince, because he had heard so many traits about him that close to beatify him. Yet there he was, clear as day, on the very pond that he suggested Chloe use to see him during his travels.
"Maybe this was why it was so hard to see him before. Maybe the magic was protecting you from getting hurt," he suggested.
Chloe shook her head against his skin.
"I'm sorry, Chloe."
She started to rise. Clark rose to his knees and held her by her elbows, then rose with her. He helped her down the stone and waited while she silently stared at the trees of Mirkwood. She was too far inside herself now, and he respected her need to think in silence.
Then, she turned to him, her eyes still moist, and said in a hoarse and tight voice, "I need to get out of here, Clark."
Clark looked into her determined eyes and nodded. "First thing tomorrow morning."
"Now," she insisted.
"You have to rest," he reminded her. He saw her hand stray to the swell of her belly, barely visible in the heavy gown she wore. Her eyes softened and she agreed. "First thing in the morning, Chloe. I promise. You don't have to be afraid or uncomfortable anymore."
He would take her to the stream. Powerful magic must have brought her here. The same disturbance probably took him. Clark hoped that tomorrow, when they arrived by the stream, the same magic would be at work to send them back where they came from.
January 13, 3019
My fleet foot and light stride enabled me to stay above the snow while others trudged chest deep. Whenever I looked up and saw the white sky, I thought that the weather was truly against us. Gandalf had no doubt that it was in Saruman's bidding that we now fight nature itself. The Fellowship had one duty now, and it was to cross the Pass of Caradhas. Yet now a blizzard prevents us from doing so.
When heavy the snow fell upon us, burying all, I am shamed to say that my first thought was not of the Ringbearer, whose safety I had vowed to keep. My thoughts, on those moments when the freezing cold surrounded me, were that your embrace was so warm and your kisses close to scalding. Since I met you, I have not been as I should have. I had not been true to my nature. Am I then decaying as a warrior, to be so focused on merely you?
We decide to leave the light and go through the Mines of Moria. Sadly I depart the cold, because dark as it was with the blizzard, I still could see some slivers of light. The light is my lone memory of your eyes. I knew that in the mines, there would be none save for torches we shall light.
This is perhaps my last missive in a long while. We shall sink into the Dwarvish city, and I shall not be able to send my letters to you. I trust my realm is sufficient haven to keep you in my absence.
My heart is yours.
When Chloe saw the missive in Clark's hand, she almost wept with joy. Legolas had been gone for far too long. She needed to read the words and pretend that he was whispering them into her ear. In her deepest fantasies, she would open a missive that told her that Legolas was finally going home.
"So what is it?" her eager friend prompted.
Chloe's brows furrowed as she read Legolas' words.
"Is he finally coming to at least take you away from here?"
Clark desperately wished he could do something, but he knew he should not leave Mirkwood. The stream had got to be the portal back to their world. He had to wait for a change in the stream. And then, he would drag Chloe in with him. They would resurface in Smallville and everything would be okay again. Chloe would be back to her normal self. If not... then... if not he would just have to own up to it. It wouldn't be difficult. He supposed that in their own world he and Chloe had been gone for some time. They could claim that they fell in love and that her baby was his. He hoped Chloe would go along with it. Actually, he hoped the baby would not be born to look too much like an Elf. The gold or silver hair they could explain. Pointed ears were another story altogether.
"He's not coming back," she whispered. "Not for a long time."
Clark took her hand and squeezed. "It's okay, Chloe," he assured her. "I'll be with you through this. I promise." She shook her head. "Come on! I'll take you to the pond. We'll see if you can see Legolas there."
When Chloe opened her eyes again, they were standing on the flat stone that often stayed on, the flat stone on which she and Legolas created the wonder that now grew inside her. Carefully, she sat on the stone and moved enough to the edge that she could peer down to the surface of the water again.
"Show me the Prince of Mirkwood," she said softly.
Before she could open her mouth to make the request one more time, the water before her turned murky, then formed the illusion that she needed to see. She saw Legolas stumble out of a cave, a tunnel, more-like. Etched on his face was the guilt and burden of a thousand worlds. He stood on a plain desolate, his companions as lonely as he did.
"Is that Legolas?"
Chloe turned to see Clark sitting beside her. She nodded. "He looks so sad."
Clark was silent for some time. Then, he shook his head. "They lost one."
"What?"
"They lost one person. I know that look. One of them probably got killed in the mines." Chloe swallowed heavily. "You did say that whatever they're doing is dangerous, Chloe. They're bound to lose people." After realizing what his statement meant, Clark immediately started. "But Legolas is definitely going to be fine. All the stories I've heard about him are amazing! He's a terrific archer, right? He'd bring down all his enemies before they even get close."
Chloe did not answer. She was focused on the image on the water. Legolas walked away from the group. She noted the way his shoulders were hunched, at the way that he stared at the sky. She wished so desperately that she could be there with him.
Legolas sat heavily on a lone rock, away from his companions, away from Aragorn's harsh commands to stand and continue the journey. He needed to mourn Gandalf. He had felt Gandalf's heart rebelling against going into the Mines. He had known, with his Elven sense, that something would go terribly wrong in those Mines.
He had been too focused on his own problems. Had he been more cautious of Gandalf's pain, the wizard may still be with the group.
Legolas covered his face with his hands and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. But Aragorn was right. The wizard had yelled for them to fly. Fly they must. They needed to go to Lothlorien fast. The Ringbearer must throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The sooner they destroy the Ring, the sooner he could lay down his bow and live in peace.
When he stood to heed the ranger, Legolas caught a wispy white figure at a distance. He stepped towards it and then froze in his tracks. It was the very image of a woman he had been longing for the very second he left her.
In his grief he did not question how she came to be there. Like a man long been in the desert, he strode to her as if she were an oasis. She turned and smiled at him, then extended her arms. Legolas embraced her, lifting her feet off the ground, his fingers burying into her hair, his lips seeking hers.
"I needed you so much," he breathed against her lips. He kissed a burning path across her cheek until he was kissing her eyelids closed.
Legolas gently put her back on her feet and released her just enough that she could look down at her. His eyes widened in horror as he looked into violet eyes. Legolas took an abrupt step back and gazed at the olive skin drawn tight around the woman's face as she gave him a satisfied smirk. He recoiled from the lush body barely covered in a thin shift.
"Spawn of Saruman," he spat out.
The woman in front of him reached for his cheek. At her cool touch, Legolas drew back. "I can be what you want," she told him, her voice wrapping around him like warm butter.
When slowly, the color of her skin faded into the paleness of Chloe's, and her dark hair shortened, curled and lightened, when her violet eyes grew green, Legolas turned away and strode as fast as he could from the temptress.
The moment she saw his lips touch that of the strange woman, Chloe turned away from the water. Clark wrapped his arms around her held her head to his shoulder. He thought of so many things about this prince, because he had heard so many traits about him that close to beatify him. Yet there he was, clear as day, on the very pond that he suggested Chloe use to see him during his travels.
"Maybe this was why it was so hard to see him before. Maybe the magic was protecting you from getting hurt," he suggested.
Chloe shook her head against his skin.
"I'm sorry, Chloe."
She started to rise. Clark rose to his knees and held her by her elbows, then rose with her. He helped her down the stone and waited while she silently stared at the trees of Mirkwood. She was too far inside herself now, and he respected her need to think in silence.
Then, she turned to him, her eyes still moist, and said in a hoarse and tight voice, "I need to get out of here, Clark."
Clark looked into her determined eyes and nodded. "First thing tomorrow morning."
"Now," she insisted.
"You have to rest," he reminded her. He saw her hand stray to the swell of her belly, barely visible in the heavy gown she wore. Her eyes softened and she agreed. "First thing in the morning, Chloe. I promise. You don't have to be afraid or uncomfortable anymore."
He would take her to the stream. Powerful magic must have brought her here. The same disturbance probably took him. Clark hoped that tomorrow, when they arrived by the stream, the same magic would be at work to send them back where they came from.