A/N: PLEASE READ!!! OMG!!! I am soooooo sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. I have been soooooo busy, with work, and now school has started, and I've had so much homework. Anyways, here's the next chapter.
NOTE!!! Also, the italics are what she sees in the Pool of Wisdom.
Reviewers:
Hunibuni479: Hope you aren't too mad with me. Here's your update!
Glil Greenleaf: I'll try to make them longer, but I write them out before hand, so they might not be as long as you'd like them to be.
CrzySxyCoolPirateOfMirkwood: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it.
DramaQueen007: I don't know. I got a major case of writer's block, and I didn't know if I wanted to continue.
Banbie: Well, he's seen her when he was younger and he was hanging out with Elladan and Elrohir. They knew each other, but just not very well.
Feltonsgurl: Thanks for the review. You'll just have to see what's going to happen...
Lia06: Thank You!!!
Elandrial: Thank you. I'm glad you are enjoying. I hope this chapter is to your liking!
raye25: Thanks! I hope you like this chapter!
Moons: I'm glad you think so. Anyways, I've got to get on with the story...
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that you recognize from the books or movies.
Chapter Ten
There she was. The young elleth he was looking for.
"It can't be happening," Legolas said to himself. He walked to the recruiting table, and clapped a hand on the female's shoulder. "Fonia."
"She jumped and dropped the quill she was holding, splattering ink all over the floor.
"What," said Legolas, his lip trembling, "are you doing?"
"I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago. I'm joining the elven army." She stared him in the eye, and didn't back down.
"Are you asking for a death wish?" Legolas asked, growing a little agitated.
"I don't understand," Fonia commented bluntly, looking at her hand to examine her nails.
Legolas abruptly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off in the direction of his quarters. She didn't fight him. She knew what he was going to say to her, at least she thought she knew, but she wanted to hear it from him. After a couple minutes of walking in silence, they reached legolas's room. Fonia walked away from him as he closed the door, and sat down in a chair by the half-circle table up against the wall.
"Legolas, I..." she began.
Legolas tightly grabbed her shoulders, and when he saw her wince slightly, he loosened his grip. "Fonia, please don't go." She looked him in the eyes, and saw fear running deep through them. "Why are you doing this? You might die, and I'd never forgive myself." Legolas looked down at the floor, tears gleaming in his light blue eyes. He let go of her, and fell to his knees, his head in his hands.
"Legolas, why are you trying to make me feel guilty? I've wanted to do this for so long, and now that I have gotten my chance, you're trying to stop me. Legolas, I..." she gained eye contact once more with Legolas. Tears stained her face.
Tears stained his face. "I care about you, but..." Before she could continue, Legolas interrupted her.
"If you do care for me as you say, than you'll stay here and not go away."
"I'm sorry, but I can't stay behind anymore. I've had enough. I'm ready to fight orcs, and nothing you say can make me stay here. My mind is up. Once the orcs have been defeated, I will go home." Fonia finished.
"And what if you don't come back?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take."
He quickly brushed his face clear of tears. "Then, I guess there's only one way I can guarantee that you'll make it home safely." He quickly walked over to his bedroom door, opened it, and left. Fonia was getting a little curious about what the prince was going to do, so she quickly exited his room and followed the faint footsteps of Legolas through the corridors and finally reached the stairs. Leaning over the railing, she saw him at the recruiting table. She quickly made her way down the stairs, and at the base, she met Legolas. Tears were forming in her eyes. Before he could say anything, Fonia ran away from him. She threw open the door of the palace, and ran into the woods. Legolas stood there in shock.
"What has happened now?" he asked himself, and he quickly followed after her.
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Fonia ran through the woods for a few minutes, and after she caught sight of a heavily camouflaged tree, she climbed up it. No one would see her if they just looked at the tree. She'd only be seen if someone stood directly under and looked up in the branches. She quickly perched herself on the highest branch that could support her, and thought about why Legolas joined the elven army.
"He is the prince of Mirkwood. Why is he putting his life at risk of death?"
"He is putting his life at risk of death because an elleth he cares deeply about joined the elven army, and he wants to protect her so she can come home safe."
Fonia looked at Legolas, who had crept up on her and sat down next to her on the branch.
"Why are you joining the elven army? You have other responsibilities here."
Legolas thought for a couple seconds about what he was going to say. "Fonia, there is no way I can keep this from you any longer. I care for you more deeply than I've ever cared for anything else in my entire life. If you died out there, I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could ever forgive myself. I am going with you so I can make sure you survive. I'm going so there might be a chance that something could happen between us." Fonia continued staring into Legolas's deep blue eyes, a look of overwhelm on her face.
"I need time to think about this. I too care for you, but I don't know if there could ever be anything between us besides friendship. I'll talk to you in the morning before we leave." She climbed down the tree, and slowly made her way to the barn. She headed to her horse's stall. Her head buzzed with questions, and she didn't know what to think about first. "Cydrim, I'm so confused. I care for Legolas, but...I don't know. What do you think of him?" Cydrim tossed her head up and down, as if she was saying she approved of him. "At least someone does...I think I'll consult the pool of wisdom." She rubbed Cydrim's nose, and then entered the woods once more, following the calling of the pool.
Fonia picked up a half filled, very beautiful and elaborate, silver pitcher. She slowly poured some of its contents into an elaborate stone basin, which was about waist height, supported by a stone base. The basin was shallow, and when it was three quarters filled, she set down the pitcher. Slowly stepping up, she looked into the basin.
Fonia saw herself riding to war next to Legolas. The picture sped up, and she saw herself fighting orcs. She got knocked down, but before she got stabbed with the blade, an arrow shot into its shoulder, and another into its head. She saw herself look at Legolas, and she smiled at the image. The picture sped up again, and she saw herself with a bundle in her arms. The ring her father had given her had been replaced with another. She was wearing clothes of fine, rich material. Her hair was glowing. She glowed with radiance. The bundle in her arms gave a small cry. The blanket was moved from over the top, and she saw the face of a newborn baby.
The images faded, and a voice behind her sounded.
"This is what may happen in the future." Fonia quickly turned around and came face to face with her father.
"Oh Ada," Fonia whispered, and threw her arms around Elrond's neck. "I am so confused."
Elrond gently rubbed his daughter's back. "I know, my daughter, I know. I came as soon as I caught word of you joining the elven army."
"And you're okay with it?" She took a small step away from him so she could get a good look of his face.
"I knew it would happen sooner or later. I saw it whenever I looked into your eyes. Your mother was the same way, and then she fell in love." He placed a hand on his daughter's cheek and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. "You are so much like your mother," he whispered. He cleared his throat and dropped his hand. "I believe there is a young elf who has fallen in love with you."
"I love him so much, but I am afraid," she confessed.
"Of what?" questioned Elrond.
"Of losing him." Another tear ran down her cheek, and then another.
Elrond led her back to the basin, and she saw another image.
She saw herself, but she wasn't with Legolas. They were actually on separate sides of the group, and she saw hurt and danger in his eyes. The image passed, and then she came upon battle after battle, and the two elves still weren't talking to each other. The image then landed on a hill. At the top was a newly dug grave, and an elf sat at its base crying.
Before the grave came close enough to read, she looked away, tears streaming down her face. The image faded, and Elrond spoke.
"There are two paths you can take. Take the wrong one, and your life will become ruined."
"How do I know which is the right path?" she asked.
"Listen to your heart, for it will tell you which is the path for you."
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A/N: Well, how did you like it? I think it was a pretty good chapter. Did you see anything wrong with it? What didn't you like about it? What did you like? What can I work on? Please tell me!!! Please review! Thanks!
Elven at Heart