Chapter 7 - Love begins to bloom
For 2 days Alana and Aragorn avoided each other. Alana spent most of her time with Legolas and Bergil. Aragorn spent most of his with Neera, trying to forget his feelings for Alana, which was hard when he was responsible for planning when, how and with whom, she should start her training. The three hobbits and Gimli, spent most of their time going between the two.
On the third day, Alana went out riding with Legolas, Bergil and the hobbits. They rode all of the way around the valley, before they stopped to rest.
"Well I think we should be getting back soon." Alana sighed. "I don't want to though, this ride has put me in the mood for another great adventure." She lay back and lay her head on Legolas' chest as he lay staring at the clouds.
"I think we can stay for a little while longer." He said. "If everyone else doesn't mind." He added as if just remembering that they were there.
"We don't mind." Sam said. "It was getting a little tiresome staying inside all of the time for me, I'm too used to being outside in the garden." He closed his eyes sleepily. "Just let me have a little rest and we'll be off." He began to snore almost immediately.
Merry chuckled. "We won't be leaving for a couple of hours yet. When he falls asleep no amount of shaking, nipping or pinching, will wake him up for a good two hours." Pippin laughed.
"We'll just have to tie him to his horse and hope he doesn't fall off!" Bergil said. This made Pippin laugh harder, and eventually Merry had to pour water from the stream which they were sitting beside, before he would stop.
"Hey!" Spluttered Pippin. "That wasn't fair!" So he promptly ducked Merry's head in the stream. This caused everyone else to laugh almost uncontrollably and they started a water fight, as Sam snored on and Legolas watched.
"Aaahhh!" Cried Alana as Bergil splashed her. "I give up, you can continue yourselves." She strode over to where Legolas was sitting laughing.
He smiled as she cuddled into him, and rested his cheek on her head. "We really should be getting back soon." He whispered.
"I know." She said. "They're just having such a good time. I don't want to spoil it."
"Aren't you having a good time?" He asked. "You look happier now, than you have in days." She smiled up at him.
"Come on." She said getting up, and pulling him up after her. "We should go now."
Alana sat at her dressing table, brushing her long black hair. That day had been a good day, she enjoyed spending time with Legolas. More than she cared or wanted to admit.
"Why?" She thought absentmindedly. "Did he have to be so wonderful?" She was confused. That was the top and bottom of it, she was so confused. Why did she feel so strongly for Legolas, when Aragorn was the one she thought she wanted all along?
A sudden noise in the courtyard below her window broke into her thoughts. Many horses were arriving.
"We're under attack!" Alana sprang from here chair and ran to the window, grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows as she went by the bed. She peered out into the courtyard, she could see the intruders, they seemed to glimmer with light which came from, their cloaks. One, obviously the leader, was the brightest of them all. She heard voices. Elven voices.
"Lord Celeborn!" She shrieked. Alana turned and ran through the doorway and down the stairs. Lord Celeborn entered the Great hall from the West door, just as she was entering from the East. Alana ran into his arms. "My Lord it has been so long! How I've missed your company!" She squealed.
"My beautiful Alana. You are right, it has been too long." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. Although they were close in age, Celeborn treated Alana as though she were a child, his child. They had been very close since Alana had gone to live with the Lord and his wife Galadriel, as a child, after her own mother and father passed into the West, and her elder brother, Glorfindel, had been sent to Imladris (the elven name for Rivendell) to train as an elven warrior, and gain the Lord Elrond's teachings.
"Lord Celeborn, welcome to Imladris" Aragorn said as he entered the hall. He walked towards the elven lord and embraced him warmly. "My Undomiel send her love to you and your's." Aragorn's face turned serious. "My Lord there are grave things we must speak about urgently. It cannot wait."