AN—Holy crap, I'm here again!!
Chapter 07:
Legolas had successfully evaded basically any elf or dwarf that was within respectable distance. High and hidden in the branches of a beech tree, he was safe from eyes and words that he would much rather live without. Especially those two elves, he'd met the night before blithering on about what they didn't know.
Taking a piece of bread from his basket of food, he leaned back and watched the distant archery range. It was clear in his sight and he'd been watching elf after elf take to the range and shoot arrows into the even farther targets. It was repetitive but strangely calming. After the months he'd been away, something so natural and routine was unusual for Legolas but the sun was near setting. The archers were leaving one by one and a steady stream was exiting the range except for a strange couple coming in to enter it. Putting down his food, Legolas began to leap from tree to tree, curious to who would be practiving archery in the dark.
"… The boy fell! Only elf I've ever seen trip and serves the arrogant one right!" Gimli quipped.
"I don't think I can really picture Legolas falling," Luin-gil laughed lugging along her old bow and their own basket of food as Gimli, since he had persisted in doing so, carried the (bag) of arrows.
"Yes, well he can… Little bugger had the nerve to laugh when I fell off the horse. What goes around comes around I say," Gimli grumbled.
The mention of his fall made Luin-gil laugh harder.
Legolas could hear it clear into the branches of the wood that surrounded the clear field. He frowned that they were laughing at his expense and just kept listening to their conversation.
"Why are you shooting arrows as everyone leaves? Shouldn't you socialize?" Gimli asked not so subtle in his hints.
"I've told you once before and I am quite dismayed that you must force me to say it again," Luin-gil groaned, sitting on a bench as Gimli set down the arrows. "I'm not welcome. I'm not invited. I'm not one of the beautiful, ethereal elves. I look for human than elf and people think I'm strange." She picked up an arrow and set it on her fingers and putting her eye on the target.
"Ever considered the possibility that you might have human lineage? Like my friend, Aragorn… Good man. Dunedain. A bit too broody for my taste however…"
"Not a drop of my blood is human, which makes me even stranger. Oh, I've met Aragorn before and he was a bit tense when I came across him." Luin-gil pulled the string taut and then released it. She was aiming for the nearest target about a hundred yards off and the arrow had flown that distance… missing terribly to the right. "It was a bit before the prince was called to Imladris."
Luin-gil barely even frowned at her horrible aiming while Legolas was snickering smugly in his seat at the trees. The girl was god-awful in archery. He didn't think he even ever missed that badly when he had begun at a young age.
"That was pretty bad," Gimli commented.
"I'm terrible. I don't know why I keep doing this." She released another arrow and this time it hit the target's left edge. "I think it's because I like to make myself believe I can change this about myself when everything else is so bloody frustrating…"
"May I try?" Gimli asked.
"Gimli, I'm afraid my bow is far too big for your stature," Luin-gil smiled.
"Child, do you think that matters?" He snatched te bow and attempted to release an arrow without any advice from the elleth.
"Are you trying to make me feel better about my lack of archery skills?" Luin-gil laughed when the arrow flew a few feet and dropped like a rock.
"It was an attempt," Gimli said, a laugh hidden under his beard.
"And you succeeded in it with flying colors."
Legolas rolled his eyes, then saw his younger brother entering the range. He remembered his words last night. (He wouldn't admit it was one of the few things he COULD remember.) He needed to take his princely responsibilities to shoulder and put an end to this silly infatuation.
"Leutilalaren!" Legolas called from across the range, jumping down from the tree. The young elf looked up, briefly and waved over Legolas as he stopped beside Luin-gil.
"My prince, your family has been looking for you all day… especially the master dwarf," Luin-gil murmured, her head bowing softly.
"Well, he seemed to be doing fine without me," Legolas snapped. Luin-gil stepped back, pursing her lips at the insult that was about to escape them. "Brother, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at supper?"
"Well, so are you… But I've finished my meal and have come to spend sometime with Luin-gil and Gimli. Gimli had gone searching for you and had asked for Luin's company… They ended up on a tour of the grounds… Now I've come to join them," Leuthilalren grinned. "And of course, I've come to pay my respect to Luin's applaudable skill at the bow." He was hit upside the head so fast, Legolas almost missed Luin-gil's hand.
"That's not funny," she muttered under her breath though a laugh was evident in her tone.
"That hurt," Leutilalren whined. Gimli chuckled and Legolas just glowered. Luin-gil and Leuthilalren have obviously bonded beyond measure if they could joke about in such a way.
"Obviously, I'm not needed here… It's already party without my presence and I wouldn't even dream of ruining it," Legolas growled.
"No… Legolas, please… Come join us…" Leuithilalren pleaded. "It'll be fun."
"No…" Legolas replied. He turned and went for the forest again, ignoring the tense silence he left behind. He knew he should have been heading for the castle. It was already so late and his father would be furious but he found himself staring into the darkness until he heard the sound of tinkling laughter, music and glasses being passed around.
It was a merry-making circle. The shadows danced in the elves' faces, hiding their identity and a skin filled with wine was being poured liberally. Legolas remebered the memories again. And he remembered that he didn't have to think about it when the sweet liquid had flowed in his blood. Grabbing a glass, he went to elleth holding a skin.
"I'd like some…"
Ahh!! She updated! 'Tis a miracle! Review please!