Chapter 3: Beginnings
Bows frantically I am so sorry about not posting. May was a busy month. The youth orchestra I'm in had a concert, then I had a piano recital, then finals...everything was piled up and there was no time to write. Along with that, I've had some...other problems along the way that clogged my mind so I couldn't write! But I'm just making excuses! I am so sorry, really! Posting will go faster since it's summer though. More time to write!!!!!!!!!
So, I hope you enjoy this chappy. Its unbetaed, but I'll get you a revised, betaed copy soon. I just didn't want to postpone posting any longer!
"I don't care that this is a sketch! That's no excuse to make the arm that short." I slipped the pencil from Aragorn's hand. He pouted and waited for me to erase the arm on his drawing a place a new one, draped across the railing of a deck. He grumbled and took the pencil from me.
"Now her arms look too wide," he complained, erasing my lines. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, hands behind my head.
"Well, at least it isn't three inches shorter then its supposed to be now." He shrugged his shoulders and hunched over his drawing. I picked my own pencil from behind my ear, starting once more to edit my picture. Around us, the students worked furiously. Éowyn sat across from me, her head bent over her paper, her hair creating a shield. Haldir was not here. He had skipped school again today, and it was only the second day of classes. I let out an exasperated sigh.
"Something wrong?" Aragorn asked. I shook my head, engrossed in my own work. "Well, I was just wondering. You sound put out today." Silence fell over us. I let my mind wander as my hand worked furiously.
You know, Aragorn does look cute when he pouts.
I shook my head furiously. "Fool!" I whispered. Aragorn looked up.
"Yes?" he said. I stared at him, my anger growing at my own stupidity. I glared at him.
"Just talking to myself," I said. Aragorn held up his hands.
"I didn't mean to offend you, you know." I gave him a quick smile.
"That's all right. I'm just a bit angry today." Thinking that would stop the conversation, I buried myself in my work. But Aragorn would not stop. He cleared his throat.
"Is it because of your boyfriend?" I think he saw my muscles tense, because Aragorn did not say anything after that. My heart fell. I did not know why, but I felt like apologizing to the sulking figure beside me, even if I had done nothing wrong. It was he, who pressed me for answers, so why did he mope over it?
Mr. Greyhame wandered around the class, inspecting our work over our shoulders. He carried with him a large staff, and every time he passed by a student who was getting out of line, he tapped them on the back with it. They quieted down afterwards.
I sighed and put down my pencil. My sketch was almost complete now, save adding extra details to my mother. I made to pick up the eraser, but another hand came to rest on mine. I looked up to see Aragorn reaching for it also. His gulped and lifted his hand away, making expansive hand movements now.
"You...you can...can have it," he managed to say. I snatched the eraser away, my blood boiling. That little blush creeping across his cheeks, the way he hid it with a frown...I couldn't think about that. I threw the eraser the short distance between us, and he took it without a word. And so the silence fell on us once more. Éowyn looked up occasionally from her paper, staring at us with a strange expression on her face. She measured the silence, shrugged, and paid us no attention afterwards. I let my mind fall into the patterns of my hand, the pencil moving back and forth, lines, sketching in the rest of my mother. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders to rest delicately on her breasts. She had a small smile on her face, the same smile, according to my father, that I sometimes give the world, that small of politeness. Her green dress shone in some unknown light, probably from the full moon outside. Thranduil said that she loved to stand under the full moon and sing softly to herself, serenading the air around her with her honey-sweet voice. But I could not remember those times. By the time I was born she had changed from the angel under moonlight.
Mr. Greyhame hit his staff upon the tile floor to gather the class's attention.
"Well, class is dismissed for now," Mr. Greyhame announced. I set down my pencil and carried my work to the counter. "Hurry now, all of you. Ah, Legolas, that is beautiful work, if you do not mind me saying," he said as he picked up my drawing. He looked at me with pitying eyes and smiled. "Yes, your mother..." his voice trailed off into silence. I shrugged my shoulders and exited the room.
"What do you have next?" Aragorn asked. I was about to answer when a high-pitched cry halted our conversation.
"Aragorn, Aragorn, where are you?" a girl called. She ran through the hallways as best she could, holding on to the edges of her short skirt and stumbling in her heeled shoes. Aragorn cringed and visibly cowered behind me. "Oh, there you are! I've been looking all over for you." She took his arm, the smile on her face breaking through the layers of make-up.
"Hello, Arwen," Aragorn said. He turned back to me with a beseeching look upon his face. "I'm glad to see you now." Arwen embraced him, her long legs pressed against him in a way that made my stomach churn. Aragorn attempted to dislodged himself from the girl, arms thrown around him, but Arwen held him in a death-grip. She kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm so glad I could find you. Last night you were so quiet and you wouldn't let me talk to you..." Aragorn put an arm around her shoulder as she pried herself from him. She grinned. My fists clenched and unclenched at the sight of her, pressing her pink clad form against Aragorn. I had known of their little relationship, but it never entered into my thoughts when I conversed with Aragorn. He was polite, almost painfully quiet, and yet, not in a bad way, and one of the few people that did not hate me at first glance, yet here he was, with the woman around his waist that despised my existence more then any other. I watched them round the corner before stalking off in the other direction.
"Hey, hey Legolas!" Glorfindel cried. He caught up to me, panting. The chains around his waist jingled as he came to a halt. "You seen Haldir lately?" he asked. I shrugged and turned away from him.
"He's not at school today," I replied. Glorfindel nodded. He fell into step beside me as I made my way along the long hall. It was my free period now, and I meandered to my locker to drop off my books. I listened to Glorfindel's footfalls, one of the few ways to gauge his mood. He seemed pleased enough with himself, the way that he did not drag his black-clad feet along the ground.
"So, what went right for you today?" I asked. Glorfindel looked down at me, surprised. He coughed, a small blush creeping upon his almost white cheeks. I chuckled. There was only one thing in the world that could make Glorfindel blush.
"Oh, nothing," he stammered. I shrugged again.
"If that answer pleases you." Glorfindel let out a bit of air through his clenched teeth. I opened my locker, threw in the books, and slammed it shut. But as I closed it, a small slip of paper drifted down from it. Glorfindel reached out and caught it.
"So, what's this? 'Sorry?' What's that supposed to mean?" I snatched the paper from Glorfindel. The handwriting was unfamiliar, very neat and orderly. And yes, the only word on there was "sorry." No explanation, no name, nothing, simply that one word printed in dark blue ink. "So, is there something you're not telling us?" he said with a sneer. I ripped the paper in half, tossing it behind my shoulder.
"Dunno where it came from. Come on, let's get some fresh air." I walked the rest of the way down the corridor to the exit. The swinging door clicked as I pressed it open, and I let the warm ocean air cover me. Glorfindel ran to catch up, and under his footsteps I heard the soft rustling of the note as it drifted down the hallway.
I don't think there was ever a time afterwards when that note did not come back to my mind. The last note I found pinned inside my locker was from Haldir, one asking me to "meet him under the shade of the oaks." And there he confessed his love to me. But Haldir had not resorted to notes afterwards; if he was sick, he would call me up, faking as my father, then give his excuse as to why he wasn't at school. And "sorry" was not a word in his common vocabulary.
It would be a long while until I pieced that note in with all of the other parts of the puzzle around me, but no matter if I didn't know whom it was from, I could not get it out of my head. Dark blue ink, beautiful handwriting, the whiteness of the paper, the way the "r's" curled around each other, entwined...I would wake to see it, close my eyes and see it. And every time my mind drifted back to its mysterious author.
Glorfindel and I wandered the campus for a while before entering the cafeteria. We slipped some food from the vending machines, sneaking outside to eat it in the shadows of the building. Neither of us said much to each other; there wasn't much to say. Without Haldir around, I had no real place to them. And, Glorfindel was in his own little world at the time, absorbed in thoughts I could not interpret. Sometimes, he let out a laugh, grinning at some memory, but all I gave him was a questioning look. He shook me off, so I took it as a time to ignore him.
Near the end of the free period, I heard voices, laughter, the shrill laughter of a woman and the chuckles of a man. Arwen and Aragorn walked in our direction, Arwen wrapped around Aragorn's arm. Aragorn did not appear to hate her attention as much as before, one hand snaking around her waist slowly. Arwen giggled at some joke, staring at Aragorn with fake admiration. She pressed herself against him, batting her long lashes. They passed by us and into the cafeteria. I tried to make myself inconspicuous, but Aragorn caught sight of me. He smiled, inclining his head in greeting. I did not move to acknowledge his presence.
The last hours of school drug by. I sat through an exceptionally long math class, doodling small pictures of people on my notes page. Sometimes, I would only draw an eye, and beside it write the word "sorry," just as it was done upon my note. And I drew one sketch of Haldir, sitting on a windowsill, looking out across a tree spotted landscape. His cold eyes looked so sad in the drawing I could not help but run my hands along it. He could love; I knew that. I wondered how he fared, for even with his fanatical possessiveness, he was my lover, and one that I did love with all of my heart (though not with my body). I made a mental note to drop by his place on the way home then. Finally, the bell tolled. I ripped the sheet of doodles in half, tucking one half into my math book and the other in my pocket; Haldir loved to see my drawings, and it would of good use in patching up the little holes if I showed him a drawing of himself. I hurried from the room. The rest of the day was short in comparison, and finally the final bell called us away from the classrooms and into freedom.
On the way out of the building, I met Faramir and Éowyn. They were happily making out behind Faramir's car, and Glorfindel leaned on the other side, avoiding them. But they stopped when they saw me. Faramir waved, lifting himself from Éowyn who had her back to the car and was slipping slowly to the ground, losing some of her outer layers of clothing in the process. Glorfindel was pleased to have a release from standing there and rushed towards me. Éowyn straightened herself before slipping into her car. She and Faramir kissed once more before she drove away.
"She couldn't give you a lift?" I asked. Faramir shrugged. He shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh.
"Nope; her house is on the other side of the island, and she has homework to do. God, why'd she do that?" Glorfindel punched Faramir's arm.
"See? Having a good-girl girlfriend isn't as nice as it seems..." Faramir glared at Glorfindel, and the two would have most likely started into a new argument had a car not honked beside us. Glorfindel turned, and his face broke into a smile.
"Well, looks like I have a ride," he said. He grabbed his books, grinning all the while. The window on the car rolled down to reveal Elrond. He nodded to me, then to Faramir, while Glorfindel threw his things in.
"Hello, boys. Would either of you like a ride home? I do believe there is room." Faramir shook his head, more to clear the haze from his eyes then anything, and I chuckled, waving him off.
"You go on, sir. I will walk." He shrugged and rolled up the window again. Through the dark tinted glass I could barely discern Glorfindel and Elrond having a more then friendly greeting, but before I could speculate, they were gone.
"Nice...car," Faramir breathed. I brushed past him and down the street towards my own home. Faramir ran to catch up. "You can wait, you know?" he reminded me. I looked up. Faramir was tall, at least three inches taller then I was, and I would not have been surprised if he grew more. Boromir, a year older, was taller still, and Faramir would no doubt grow to that height.
"Well, seeing Elrond and Glorfindel like that was quite a surprise. In a way, I suppose..." Faramir's voice trailed off. He skipped a few steps ahead of me and waved a hand in my face. "Are you even listening to me? Without Haldir here, I can't get you to say a word!" I looked up.
"I was thinking," was my terse response. He held up his hands and fell back in line. "But yes, I did hear you, and no, it's not that surprising. Glorfindel's been giving Elrond eyes for years now. And the same with Elrond. It was only now that they actually paid each other attention, since Glorfindel's eighteen and all. No longer any legal barriers to outsmart." Faramir laughed.
"Well, gotta go! Don't zone out or anythin' on the way home; Haldir would have my head if something happened to you!" He waved to me before running down his own street. I sighed. He was not usually as cheerful as now. But something about being around Éowyn always made him happier, as if she was a light in the darkness of his life. Whenever they were apart for more then eight hours, he retreated to the safety of his own mind. Oh well. I shrugged it off, other problems assaulting me as I found myself standing in front of Haldir's home. The white steps creaked under my feet as I made my way up the porch. I knocked on the ornate door.
"Hello?" a woman opened it a crack. It was Galadriel, Haldir's foster mother. A strand of blond hair fell in front of her pale face. She flashed a smile at me and swung the door wide. Even I felt my stomach churning at the sight of her: tall, thin, with a long floor-length skirt pooling around her bare feet and a thin white top adorning her, her wavy hair let long to fall past her waist. "I suppose you have come seeking tidings of Haldir. Please, enter, and seat yourself. There is a chance that he still slumbers; yet I will awaken him if I see it fit." I stepped over the threshold, and in a flurry of cloth, she was gone, down the back hall to Haldir's dark room. I sat down on one of the couches in the front room, waiting.
Before long I heard the soft patter of Galadriel's feet. She smiled to me before departing towards the kitchen, where I could smell enticing scents of food. And behind her was Haldir. He had managed to slip on a pair of pants, but his hair was a mess and there were bags under his eyes.
"Hey," he said, plopping down beside me. Haldir gave me a greeting kiss before settling to wrap an arm around my waist. "Sorry I wasn't at school..."
"I'd like to hear your reason," I retorted. He sighed and held me close to him, his messy hair tickling my face. "It's only the second day of school and you're already skipping?!"
"I'm sorry, I really am. I wasn't feeling good and needed some extra rest today, that's all." He held my face in his hand, looking into my eyes. I glared back at him. "And you don't look so good either. Something the matter?"
"Just you," I grumbled. He laughed and pulled me on his lap.
"But aren't I always a problem?" He traced lines along my thighs, looking at me with thirsty eyes. "I missed you today, lover-boy. So, how was school? Lonely without me?" I moved his hands away.
"I'd watch yourself, Haldir. You're already walking on thin ice, and not just with me. Many of the teachers were talking about your early disappearance. Listen, I wouldn't make things any worse. Come to school tomorrow, like you promised..."
"Oh shut up!" he said. "I never promised you a damn thing. I was sick; can't you understand that? I thought you had some mind in that head of yours, but maybe it's only good for kissing." I yanked free of his grasp, at least momentarily. But he had me again; this time pinned on the couch. "Listen, I won't take that from you, got it? I was sick! Can't you trust me?" My face fell. I knew a losing battle when I saw one, and now was not the time to fight him.
"I'm sorry, Haldir. You do look a bit sickly, today. It was my fault." I craned my neck forward and gave him a long kiss, while my hands wandered his body, eliciting soft moans from him.
"I take that back. You are good for something," he whispered. He reached down to me, but before more could happen, the door creaked open. Haldir shot away from me, settling himself on the other side of the couch, and in came Galadriel's husband, Celeborn.
"Well, hello Legolas. It is nice to see you again. How's your father doing, by the way?"
"Fine, as usual, sir," I answered the tradition question with my traditional answer. "Sometimes business gets the best of him, but I do believe that he is doing better nowadays." Celeborn laughed.
"And it looks like you, Haldir, are doing better yourself. That's good. I'm going to change, and after that, Galadriel and I will be spending some time together. I expect you two to behave yourselves." He glared at Haldir before leaving us in peace.
"Behave, ha," Haldir said. He leaned over me again. "Now where were we?" I held up my hand.
"Not here. Please, Haldir, I don't feel in the mood right now."
"According to you, you're never in the mood," he groaned, sitting back. I snuggled next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. "But you are a good cuddler," he said, rubbing my arm, though his hand slowly worked its way back to my leg.
"Ah, Haldir, I have a picture for you," I said, breaking the silence. I pulled the folded piece of paper from my pocket and presented it to Haldir. He grinned. "Another product of math class." I grinned as he studied it. "I love this. Have to put it with all the rest, my dear little lover-boy artist." He nuzzled my neck, but I put distance between us.
"Um, Haldir?" I said. "I think I need to leave now. My father's expecting me home soon. I'm so sorry about this." Haldir shrugged. He gave me one farewell kiss before standing and letting me free. I almost ran to the door and down the stairs from his porch to the gravel driveway.
Oh, why did Haldir always have to do that? I attempted to show him compassion and friendship, and all he took it for was a chance to fuck me! I stared down the street. There was my house, looming over the others, calling for me, but to my right was also the ocean, the sloshing waves, the smell of the salt water. No, home would not be a safe place to return to. The ocean it was then.
The beach was not empty but still held very few people. I stepped off the boardwalk across the dunes and onto the soft sand. The waves rushed back and forth in their never-ending sequence, always the same, back and forth, rush, pull, the roar drowning out most other noise. Gulls swooped and dove, skimming over the water. Sometimes a screech would overpower the sound of the waves. I meandered along the shoreline. Waves splashed on my feet, soaking through my shoes. Back and forth, back and forth.
The beach was my spot, my place where I went to hide from life. Sure, Haldir and I came here during the summer, swimming in the mid-morning tides, laughing, joking, but we never walked and admired the scenery, never took in the world silently with each other. That was my time, my world to envision. I could empty my thoughts on those pounding waves and watch the water whisk them away, and in their place would come fresh water, pure water for me to see.
My walk took me closer to the beach's long boardwalk, not one that led across the dunes but the one that stretched out to the ocean. I could see people standing upon it, happily talking to each other, admiring the sights of the ocean, but that boardwalk seemed so empty. I walked beneath the tangle of old wooden pillars, oh so slowly, and crept up the stairs to it. Afternoon sunlight covered the world around me, painting everything in gold, even the water. I inhaled deeply. After living by the ocean for ten years of my life, I could never tire of that scent, salty fresh air, tinted with the smell of fish, and humans, sometimes the gulls that forever populated the beaches, but always the salt, the water. When I closed my eyes, all that was, was that one breath, that one smell, the salt, swimming in my lungs, pumping through my veins; there was no Haldir, no school, no father tapping his foot and awaiting my arrival home, no letter, no Aragorn, no Arwen, no pressures. There was nothing but the ocean and my body.
But every moment fades. I turned from the ocean, holding up my hand in farewell, and left for the dusty roads of this small beachside town on a small island off the coast of North Carolina and headed towards my home, my father, and my life.
Well, there's chapter 3. Thanks so much to the people who are trudging along with this story and are leaving reviews! I'm swamped right now, trying to catch up on my posting on my two other fics, while keeping up my original fiction writing, so I need inspiration.
Oh, and if you have any ideas as to what I should do with this fic (or any of my other stories, for that matter), tell me in the review. I'll consider putting them in somewhere, if I can find a place.