You used to captivate me,
By your resonating light,
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind.
Your face - it haunts my once pleasant dreams,
Your voice - it chased away all the sanity in me...
These wounds won't seem to heal,
This pain is just too real,
There's just so much that time cannot erase...
Evanescence.
Utinu en lokirim - son of snakes.
CHAPTER 4
Legolas sighed as he studied the Elf who was now bound and kept in front of him on Arod. She hadn't stopped hurling insults at him.
His favourite one so far, was when she said, "Lle holma ve' edan (you smell like a human)."
He had no doubts that she had flung that one in honour of Aragorn, who had foiled her plans of carving him in two. His only wish was that his friend had been around when she had let out that phrase, but sadly, he had walked off to gather Arod and Brego, the two horses having wandered a slight distance during the fight, when their masters had dismounted.
"Nadorhuan, (cowardly dog)," she spat. "Is that the best you can do, caun (prince)?"
"Sedho! (Quiet!)" He ordered as his patience began to wear thin. "Antolle ulua sulrim, melanin. (Much wind pours from your mouth, my love.)"
"I am NOT your love," she retorted hotly. "You never loved me. We were just a pleasant diversion for each other."
"Well, if you know that, then why are you so angry at me?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Because my brother died due to your ineptitude!" she snarled. "It was your failure to bring down the Uruk-hai at Helm's Deep that caused Haldir's death!"
Legolas was silent for a long while. When he answered her, his voice was heavy and weary. "'Tis true that I failed in bringing down the Uruk, and I shall live with the knowledge that my shortcomings that day caused the deaths of many good elves and men. There is nothing that you can tell me that I've not said to myself - "
It was then, that Aragorn, who had been riding silently behind them, broke into the conversation. "Daro ?! (Stop that!). He faced Erúvë. "Legolas did the best that he could have under the circumstances. It was Haldir's decision to come to the battle, knowing that he might lose his life. It might have been any of us that died that day. Would you have hated Haldir if he had been the one to shoot at the Uruk and Legolas had died instead?"
Erúvë was silent at Aragorn's words. He could almost see her brain taking in his words, and measuring them. He knew that elves were by nature, cool, logical creatures who were able to keep emotions rigidly in check. There was only a handful that he had met, that were different enough to let free their feelings and let loose once in a while.
Legolas was one of these, Arwen, another. Aragorn considered himself extraordinarily lucky to have these two amazing beings in his life; and he would have done anything, within his power, to keep them happy. Seeing his friend being attacked emotionally and the memories of a time that Legolas had finally managed to move on from, being brought back up, had incensed him so much, that he was no longer able to hold his tongue.
Such was his rage, that he was deliberately cruel to the female elf. "What would you have Legolas do? Do you want him to hack himself to pieces in the name of your brother? Do you think Haldir would be proud of your behaviour? Or do you think that he would be ashamed to call you 'sister' for attacking a friend that he held dear?'
"Estel." It was his name, softly spoken by Legolas that stopped his tirade. He looked at his friend and Legolas' silver-blue eyes flicked down to the female held in his arms.
Aragorn saw that she was trembling and there was a look of such pain and sorrow on her face, that his heart went out to her. He sighed. "My apologies Erúvë. Sometimes my tongue gets carried away and I speak rashly. I meant to cause you pain, I will admit that, but now that I have, it is a hollow victory. We all loved Haldir and his death hit us all hard. I can only imagine what it feels like for you, as his sister, to go on without him."
Erúvë blinked and raised her eyes to his. Once again, the intense green of her eyes hit him like a physical blow. Up close, he could see the flecks of gold in the iris and he was yet again struck by the power of her personality.
"Cormlle nee tanya tel'raa, (Your heart is that of the lion,)," he murmured softly to her. "Do not despair and let not your grief over your brother force you to do something that you will regret in the future." He glanced up at the fair elf that held her. "Legolas is a true friend and he would have died to save Haldir - if it was possible. But it was your brother's time to leave and you must let him go."
She bowed her head and took a couple of deep breaths. When she looked up again, her face was a mask of composure and dignity. "You are correct, Elessar."
He smiled at her.
She continued, now directing her words to Legolas. "Forgive me, Caun. I was wrong to accuse you of killing my brother. I allowed emotions and anger to get in the way of rational thinking. It shall not happen again."
Legolas gently took her chin in his fingers and made her look at him. "Erúvë, it is alright to let your feelings free once in a while. We cannot keep them all bottled up inside - it's not healthy for you. But for what's it's worth, I do not hold your actions against you, and I hope that we can remain as friends."
She smiled at that. "Friends? Hmmm, yes, I'd like that."
Aragorn grimaced slightly. That Elf! Only Legolas would hold a beautiful female in his arms and offer her friendship. He rolled his eyes skyward. Would this damned Elf never settle?
Legolas was well aware of Aragorn's thoughts and he suppressed a smile. He knew that Aragorn was riding on the bliss of love and was looking to get all of his friends settled especially after Faramir and Eowyn were living in marital bliss. In fact, he had heard from Gimli, not two weeks ago, about how Aragorn had introduced him to a very short mortal woman.
Legolas had laughed until he almost collapsed at the tale that Gimli had written, of the wench and her voracious appetite - apparently not one for food. He was rolling on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes, when he had reached the part of how Gimli had to resort to hiding under a pile of hay to escape the abominable woman. The Dwarf had complained that he had itched for days and that he was still picking straw from his beard.
Eventually, Gimli's patience had grown thin and he had proceeded to toss the woman into the lake at Ithilien. Then, he had ordered her clothes and belongings packed and had dumped them outside the gates of Ithilien. The dwarf had also written that when he got his hands on Aragorn, he was going to shove the same pile of hay up a very sensitive part of Aragorn's anatomy.
Legolas thought it best to not warn his friend - and as well to ensure that he was with Aragorn the next time the king decided to visit Ithilien. This was something that he had no intention of missing.
His thoughts were drawn to the present as Aragorn signaled to him that they should make camp for the night. He nodded and dismounted, then helped Erúvë down from Arod.
"Can I trust you not to leave before we have talked, my lady?" he asked.
She nodded and he smiled. "Good. Stay with Aragorn. I am going to scout around and ensure that there is no danger."
"Should there be?" she asked curiously.
"No, not really. But it is better to be sure than to have your throat cut in the middle of the night."
With that, he was gone, vanishing swiftly into the trees.
By your resonating light,
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind.
Your face - it haunts my once pleasant dreams,
Your voice - it chased away all the sanity in me...
These wounds won't seem to heal,
This pain is just too real,
There's just so much that time cannot erase...
Evanescence.
Utinu en lokirim - son of snakes.
CHAPTER 4
Legolas sighed as he studied the Elf who was now bound and kept in front of him on Arod. She hadn't stopped hurling insults at him.
His favourite one so far, was when she said, "Lle holma ve' edan (you smell like a human)."
He had no doubts that she had flung that one in honour of Aragorn, who had foiled her plans of carving him in two. His only wish was that his friend had been around when she had let out that phrase, but sadly, he had walked off to gather Arod and Brego, the two horses having wandered a slight distance during the fight, when their masters had dismounted.
"Nadorhuan, (cowardly dog)," she spat. "Is that the best you can do, caun (prince)?"
"Sedho! (Quiet!)" He ordered as his patience began to wear thin. "Antolle ulua sulrim, melanin. (Much wind pours from your mouth, my love.)"
"I am NOT your love," she retorted hotly. "You never loved me. We were just a pleasant diversion for each other."
"Well, if you know that, then why are you so angry at me?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Because my brother died due to your ineptitude!" she snarled. "It was your failure to bring down the Uruk-hai at Helm's Deep that caused Haldir's death!"
Legolas was silent for a long while. When he answered her, his voice was heavy and weary. "'Tis true that I failed in bringing down the Uruk, and I shall live with the knowledge that my shortcomings that day caused the deaths of many good elves and men. There is nothing that you can tell me that I've not said to myself - "
It was then, that Aragorn, who had been riding silently behind them, broke into the conversation. "Daro ?! (Stop that!). He faced Erúvë. "Legolas did the best that he could have under the circumstances. It was Haldir's decision to come to the battle, knowing that he might lose his life. It might have been any of us that died that day. Would you have hated Haldir if he had been the one to shoot at the Uruk and Legolas had died instead?"
Erúvë was silent at Aragorn's words. He could almost see her brain taking in his words, and measuring them. He knew that elves were by nature, cool, logical creatures who were able to keep emotions rigidly in check. There was only a handful that he had met, that were different enough to let free their feelings and let loose once in a while.
Legolas was one of these, Arwen, another. Aragorn considered himself extraordinarily lucky to have these two amazing beings in his life; and he would have done anything, within his power, to keep them happy. Seeing his friend being attacked emotionally and the memories of a time that Legolas had finally managed to move on from, being brought back up, had incensed him so much, that he was no longer able to hold his tongue.
Such was his rage, that he was deliberately cruel to the female elf. "What would you have Legolas do? Do you want him to hack himself to pieces in the name of your brother? Do you think Haldir would be proud of your behaviour? Or do you think that he would be ashamed to call you 'sister' for attacking a friend that he held dear?'
"Estel." It was his name, softly spoken by Legolas that stopped his tirade. He looked at his friend and Legolas' silver-blue eyes flicked down to the female held in his arms.
Aragorn saw that she was trembling and there was a look of such pain and sorrow on her face, that his heart went out to her. He sighed. "My apologies Erúvë. Sometimes my tongue gets carried away and I speak rashly. I meant to cause you pain, I will admit that, but now that I have, it is a hollow victory. We all loved Haldir and his death hit us all hard. I can only imagine what it feels like for you, as his sister, to go on without him."
Erúvë blinked and raised her eyes to his. Once again, the intense green of her eyes hit him like a physical blow. Up close, he could see the flecks of gold in the iris and he was yet again struck by the power of her personality.
"Cormlle nee tanya tel'raa, (Your heart is that of the lion,)," he murmured softly to her. "Do not despair and let not your grief over your brother force you to do something that you will regret in the future." He glanced up at the fair elf that held her. "Legolas is a true friend and he would have died to save Haldir - if it was possible. But it was your brother's time to leave and you must let him go."
She bowed her head and took a couple of deep breaths. When she looked up again, her face was a mask of composure and dignity. "You are correct, Elessar."
He smiled at her.
She continued, now directing her words to Legolas. "Forgive me, Caun. I was wrong to accuse you of killing my brother. I allowed emotions and anger to get in the way of rational thinking. It shall not happen again."
Legolas gently took her chin in his fingers and made her look at him. "Erúvë, it is alright to let your feelings free once in a while. We cannot keep them all bottled up inside - it's not healthy for you. But for what's it's worth, I do not hold your actions against you, and I hope that we can remain as friends."
She smiled at that. "Friends? Hmmm, yes, I'd like that."
Aragorn grimaced slightly. That Elf! Only Legolas would hold a beautiful female in his arms and offer her friendship. He rolled his eyes skyward. Would this damned Elf never settle?
Legolas was well aware of Aragorn's thoughts and he suppressed a smile. He knew that Aragorn was riding on the bliss of love and was looking to get all of his friends settled especially after Faramir and Eowyn were living in marital bliss. In fact, he had heard from Gimli, not two weeks ago, about how Aragorn had introduced him to a very short mortal woman.
Legolas had laughed until he almost collapsed at the tale that Gimli had written, of the wench and her voracious appetite - apparently not one for food. He was rolling on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes, when he had reached the part of how Gimli had to resort to hiding under a pile of hay to escape the abominable woman. The Dwarf had complained that he had itched for days and that he was still picking straw from his beard.
Eventually, Gimli's patience had grown thin and he had proceeded to toss the woman into the lake at Ithilien. Then, he had ordered her clothes and belongings packed and had dumped them outside the gates of Ithilien. The dwarf had also written that when he got his hands on Aragorn, he was going to shove the same pile of hay up a very sensitive part of Aragorn's anatomy.
Legolas thought it best to not warn his friend - and as well to ensure that he was with Aragorn the next time the king decided to visit Ithilien. This was something that he had no intention of missing.
His thoughts were drawn to the present as Aragorn signaled to him that they should make camp for the night. He nodded and dismounted, then helped Erúvë down from Arod.
"Can I trust you not to leave before we have talked, my lady?" he asked.
She nodded and he smiled. "Good. Stay with Aragorn. I am going to scout around and ensure that there is no danger."
"Should there be?" she asked curiously.
"No, not really. But it is better to be sure than to have your throat cut in the middle of the night."
With that, he was gone, vanishing swiftly into the trees.