Chapter 8:

"The First Cold Stabs of Jealousy

Note- This be from the beta, CB. Liz is very sorry that the chapter was generally screwed up when she first posted it, and hopefully you all can read it now.

The two of them had stayed up there well past sunrise and had eventually gone back down the ivy wall to eat breakfast.

As of right now they were all eating in silence. Theoden (who appeared thoughtful) at the head, Aragorn (who looked as though he could jump up any moment) at his right, Gimli (atop a few cushions and just short of stuffing his face, as usual) across from Aragorn. Next to Gimli was Legolas, (who was staring at Lee when he thought no one was looking) Across from him was Lee, (who was thinking her own respective thoughts about no on in particular) and then there was Merry next to her, (also on a few cushions.) Eomer and Eowyn had decided to eat together privatley, so they were off somewhere else.

If one of them would only say something, she thought. I've always hated silence and usually when I feel like I need to say something, I do and it's always the worst thing I could say. Ah, the curse of being related to Han Solo, she held in a laugh.

Attempting to hold in anything stupid that may come out, she said, "My Lord, you have a beautiful country."

Theoden's gaze lifted to Lee. "It has seen better times." he replied.

Lee didn't know what to say to that, so she only nodded.

"And what of your home, lady? Is it anything like Rohan?"

"My home? It....it's hard to describe. " She let a smile creep onto her lips. "You could say that it is one great big forest."

Aragorn grinned. "Sounds a bit like Mirkwood, Legolas."

"Mirkwood?" Lee looked curiously at her new Elven friend. (or was it something more than friend?)

"It where my home lies, Lady."

"Really? Does it have treetops so thick that sometimes you can't see the sky?" she asked.

"Everywhere." he replied.

"Does it have trees that are able to go forever and ever and when you finally reach the top it feels like you can see the whole world."

"Yes." Legolas nodded, but it seemed that Lee was far away and in her own little world.

"Does it have tree trunks so thick that not even the reach of your arms can go around them?" she continued, her voice sounded strained.

Everyone was staring openly at her.

"Does it ever feel like when you leave for a long time and then come back that it's like you never left? Does it....it..." her eyes began to water and they were threatening to spill over. "Excuse me." She stood up so quickly that her chair fell over, and she almost ran out of the hall.

Legolas stood up to go after her.

"No." A voice came from the side of the hall. It was Eowyn. She had come to seek out her Uncle, but after seeing the scene that just occurred, her plans had changed just a smidge. "I will go speak with her. I think that she needs a "girl" talk. If you catch my meaning." And with that she walked away.

Lee ran and ran and ran. She ran until she couldn't breath anymore. And where did her running take her? It took her to an empty stall in one of the many, many stables located in Rohan.

She sobbed into the hay trying to wish all of her pain away. I just want to go home, she thought desperately. Is that too much to ask?

"Excuse me?"

Lee's head snapped up. Dear God of all people that should stumble upon her it had to be a man. And not just any man, it was Eomer, that man who was the head of Rohan's army or something. What was it called? Ah, yes. The Rohirrim.

"Y-yes?" she answered.

"Are you alright?" he asked a little gentler, kneeling in front of her.

"Yes." she replied more confidently.

"And I don't need to send for someone?"

"Yes."

"Yes I do, or no I don't?"

Good Lee, confuse the man. That's just what you should do. "No, you don't." she paused. "I was just having a small moment of homesickness. It happens to the best of us."

He laughed softly and sat next to her.

"You are Lady Lee, correct?"

"Yep, that's me. And you are Eomer, correct?"

"That I am."

She smiled. "Well Eomer, thank you for helping in my momentary lapse of...."

"Sadness?" he supplied.

She nodded. "Sadness. I hear that you are incredibly fond of horses."

He laughed. "Most people in Rohan are."

"Yesterday Legolas and Aragorn tried to teach me how to ride a horse. It was a rather...painful experience."

"I can imagine."

They sat in momentary silence before she asked him,

"Have you ever given lessons before?"

It was the clear sound of Lee's laughter originally that drew Legolas out by the East gate. It was the fact that she was with a man that made him walk over to them.

She was laughing again as she slid off the horse to go talk to him.

"Hey Legolas, you know Eomer, right?"

"We've met." He glanced over at Eomer, who was walking over to them, the horse behind him.

"Good afternoon Legolas."

"Good afternoon Eomer. How fare you?"

"I'm alright."

"Eomer was teaching me how to ride a horse." Lee said mischievously with a certain glint in her eye.

"I see." He paused, suddenly feeling cool. "I thought I was going to teach you."

"No offense Legolas, but I fell off when you were teaching me."

"Ah, but you fell off on purpose."

Eomer looked between the two of them, sensing an argument coming on. "I think I will go and take Firefoot back to the stables, if you'll excuse me." he walked away.

"It's just a few lesson's not like I was doing anything wrong Legolas, calm down."

"You could have told me."

"Told you? What, so now I have to tell you when someone is going to teach me to ride a horse?" her voice grew a bit louder. "You've taken the term 'jailer' to a whole new level Legolas!"

"I would have liked to know, that's all!"

"Why?" realization dawned on her face. "You're jealous!"

"I am not!" he cried.

"Yes you are! Oh my god!"

"I have nothing to be jealous about!"

Lee looked at him, her face suddenly very serious. "So, what did watching the sunrise mean to you then?"

"What?"

"You're saying that after we just basically snogged on a roof and then I went to go get lessons from a good looking man, you don't care? It ment nothing to you?"

"It means nothing to me." he repeated, but as soon as he said the words he was sorry that he did."

"Alright then." Lee said unemotionally. "I guess I'll just see you later then. Good bye Lord Legolas." She walked away her shoulders shaking.

She didn't know how much it hurt that she had addressed him formally.

Note- There you go. Snogging means like kissing and stuff. I read it somewhere. NOT the OTHER thing. I imagine Lee with a slight English accent for some reason. Sorry it took so long to update. I can't help it if all of my teachers are crazy. No really, I can't. Who knows where that quote is from? Anyone?