Chapter Six: Occupational Hazards of Soul Mates
A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition. ---Clare Whiting
Legolas sat on a chair in one of the healing rooms. Rhiannon was lying on a bed, still unconscious. Earlier, Elrond and Gandalf had informed Legolas to bring Rhiannon here and watch her until she awoke. He had not received any answers to his questions. What had happened out there? He felt as if something was missing inside him, it wasn't a bad feeling. It also was not a good feeling, he felt.violated. Gandalf had refused to tell him anything, saying there were too many eyes and ears in Rivendell to tell such things. He was informed by Gandalf to "take away Rhiannon's pain." That was a bit of a problem. How do you heal someone when they are not awake, you are not a healer, and when you touch each other it causes one to feel violated and another to be knocked unconscious? His attention was drawn to the bed as he heard a small sound. Rhiannon's brow was furrowed; at least she was showing signs of life.
************************************
Many pictures played across Rhiannon's mind. She remembered all she had first seen when Legolas had touched her arm. There was his birth, the first bow and arrow, his first competition, his first love and then sadder memories. There was him leaving home the first time, a day a friend had been killed by one of the spiders of the forest. There was the day he had his first kill, and the day he had his first heartbreak. The most touching were the memories of his mother. Memories he most likely did not remember. She was a lady beyond beautiful. Her hair was as straight and as pale as Legolas'; her bright eyes shone brighter than his own. She was a woman that radiated light and warmth. Then there was the day she left. A very young elf with wide eyes was forced to say goodbye to his mother, before he could even comprehend such things. A woman who was hidden behind a cloak that covered all, even her hands. There was such sadness, and now Rhiannon knew she had taken it on for him; had taken some of the burden of this pain away. But the pain combined with her own was almost too much to bear. Suddenly the memories were no longer those of Legolas. There was her own fears, her own nightmares, were starting to bring her to a darkness that she refused to go back to. There was another presence there with her. She could feel it now. It was a warmth to the cold. Warmth. Legolas always brought the feeling of warmth. He was like his mother. Pure warmth.
"Do you wish to explain to me what that was?"
A voice said to her sharply. Rhiannon blinked a few times and carefully pushed herself up. The room was a healing room, she had glanced them once. She turned towards the window, noticing that dusk was coming. She didn't have to look at Legolas to know what he was feeling. The emotions were rolling off of him; something an elf could usually control. He was confused and scared. Scared of her. He seemed very.human right now. Being around Legolas, a wood elf, she started to note the differences between the different types of elves. The Mirkwood elves were near human lands, they had most certainly dealt with the mortals more than once. Not that many wandered into Mirkwood these days, unless they wished to meet death. Either way, Legolas seemed to have something about him that seemed.innocent. She knew he was truly far from that. He was like...a bear cub. Precious to look at, but with an underlying fierceness. And that fierceness was very much around him now. He wasn't just scared. He was angry.
"Legolas, you should be resting. Preparing for the mission ahead."
He gave her a cold look, "You violated me." She had never heard such venom in his voice.
Rhiannon could admit to what he said; even if it wasn't her fault. She didn't want to see all those personal images of his life. All the pain of his childhood, all the pain in his life. The elf that never truly fit in, still childish and mischievous after all these years. Once he did calm down, he would notice all of his precious emotional pain had been dulled. Rhiannon had taken some of it on for him. Nearly 3,000 years of painful memories, some she was sure even he didn't remember, had knocked her unconscious. Legolas had to notice something missing and wanted to know what truly caused it. She could understand his fear, she was scared herself. She made a move to touch his hand, but he quickly flinched away. That small movement caused her much inexplicable pain.
"Legolas, I apologize greatly for what happened. It is part of who I am. Damn powers."
"If you cannot control your powers than maybe you should not use them."
"In this situation, I had no choice in the matter. That one power, I believe Gandalf calls it 'clairvoyance', controls me. I do not control it. I have not experienced it for at least 200 years. I apologize for the feeling of violation, I know elves are not used to dealing with that. I could not control it. I would never purposely do so, not to anyone. Ever. A weaker person's mind may have broken form the shock of that."
Legolas stared out into the coming night. He did not seem to be truly looking anywhere, just as if he was off in his own world. Rhiannon took time to study him. To appreciate the strong structure of his face. The almost violet color of his bright eyes. The long hair that was almost white. It reminded her of some of the wheat fields she had glimpsed at home. He was not yet dressed in the clothes he would wear on the quest. It made Rhiannon sad that he would be leaving so soon, tomorrow. She took this time to memorize him, even though she knew she would see him again. Legolas then turned to her. Rhiannon's breath caught. She felt as he must have earlier today. As if someone was searching your soul. He lightly raised a hand to her face. Rhiannon felt her own memories of anger and hurt and distrust well up. Memories wanting to reach out to him, have him lift them from her soul. But she held back, not wanting to burden him. Legolas gave her an almost chastising look. Rhiannon could feel something around them rising. Power, most likely, but elves don't believe in magic.
Legolas grasped her forearms. The heat he gave off almost felt like it was branding her skin. He tugged her closer to him. Rhiannon did not know how to react, but she did not pull away. She noted briefly that Legolas was moving them so close together, hardly any room was between them now. As she was almost sitting in his lap, she slightly pulled back; breaking the small spell he was weaving around her. Legolas traced his fingers around her face, down her neck, over her shoulders, down her arms, to her waist, resting there. The touch sent shivers down her spine, an odd reaction, but she knew what he was doing. He was memorizing her in his own way. She stopped his hand as it moved upwards to trace her lips.
"No, Legolas. I do not want to cause a flare of the power. It is still beneath the surface."
He ignored her quite plainly, and traced her lips so softly, that if she had not seen him do it, she would have barely noticed it.
"There is so much pain and power in you. Two mighty forces warring for control."
Before she could respond, Legolas moved quickly and crushed his lips to her own. The power within the both of them rose so quickly she could not control it. Yet, it was different. There was more warmth this time, and Rhiannon was the one at mercy. She tried desperately to fight back the memories of her past rushing forth, but knew it was futile. Legolas would be the receiver of her pain, as she had done for him. Pain in exchange for pain. Rhiannon, very reluctantly, pulled away. She did not wish for Legolas to glimpse all the memories and aspects of her life. No one in this realm, not even great Mithrandir himself, knew the true history and life of her people. And she would never entrust such knowledge to Legolas, only knowing him for such a short time. She was thankful to him, her whole being felt much lighter. She was also upset. For so long she had felt this bitterness, this pain of her past, especially here in Rivendell. Had carried that day when Elladan had ended their engagement with her for a very long time. The pain of having to flee her own family to protect them. Would he now feel that also? Would he become distraught? They could not afford that.
"You should not have done that, Legolas."
"Gandalf told me to. And now I understand why. At least I am feeling a bit more complete now."
"Stupid elf. Stupid Wizard."
A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition. ---Clare Whiting
Legolas sat on a chair in one of the healing rooms. Rhiannon was lying on a bed, still unconscious. Earlier, Elrond and Gandalf had informed Legolas to bring Rhiannon here and watch her until she awoke. He had not received any answers to his questions. What had happened out there? He felt as if something was missing inside him, it wasn't a bad feeling. It also was not a good feeling, he felt.violated. Gandalf had refused to tell him anything, saying there were too many eyes and ears in Rivendell to tell such things. He was informed by Gandalf to "take away Rhiannon's pain." That was a bit of a problem. How do you heal someone when they are not awake, you are not a healer, and when you touch each other it causes one to feel violated and another to be knocked unconscious? His attention was drawn to the bed as he heard a small sound. Rhiannon's brow was furrowed; at least she was showing signs of life.
************************************
Many pictures played across Rhiannon's mind. She remembered all she had first seen when Legolas had touched her arm. There was his birth, the first bow and arrow, his first competition, his first love and then sadder memories. There was him leaving home the first time, a day a friend had been killed by one of the spiders of the forest. There was the day he had his first kill, and the day he had his first heartbreak. The most touching were the memories of his mother. Memories he most likely did not remember. She was a lady beyond beautiful. Her hair was as straight and as pale as Legolas'; her bright eyes shone brighter than his own. She was a woman that radiated light and warmth. Then there was the day she left. A very young elf with wide eyes was forced to say goodbye to his mother, before he could even comprehend such things. A woman who was hidden behind a cloak that covered all, even her hands. There was such sadness, and now Rhiannon knew she had taken it on for him; had taken some of the burden of this pain away. But the pain combined with her own was almost too much to bear. Suddenly the memories were no longer those of Legolas. There was her own fears, her own nightmares, were starting to bring her to a darkness that she refused to go back to. There was another presence there with her. She could feel it now. It was a warmth to the cold. Warmth. Legolas always brought the feeling of warmth. He was like his mother. Pure warmth.
"Do you wish to explain to me what that was?"
A voice said to her sharply. Rhiannon blinked a few times and carefully pushed herself up. The room was a healing room, she had glanced them once. She turned towards the window, noticing that dusk was coming. She didn't have to look at Legolas to know what he was feeling. The emotions were rolling off of him; something an elf could usually control. He was confused and scared. Scared of her. He seemed very.human right now. Being around Legolas, a wood elf, she started to note the differences between the different types of elves. The Mirkwood elves were near human lands, they had most certainly dealt with the mortals more than once. Not that many wandered into Mirkwood these days, unless they wished to meet death. Either way, Legolas seemed to have something about him that seemed.innocent. She knew he was truly far from that. He was like...a bear cub. Precious to look at, but with an underlying fierceness. And that fierceness was very much around him now. He wasn't just scared. He was angry.
"Legolas, you should be resting. Preparing for the mission ahead."
He gave her a cold look, "You violated me." She had never heard such venom in his voice.
Rhiannon could admit to what he said; even if it wasn't her fault. She didn't want to see all those personal images of his life. All the pain of his childhood, all the pain in his life. The elf that never truly fit in, still childish and mischievous after all these years. Once he did calm down, he would notice all of his precious emotional pain had been dulled. Rhiannon had taken some of it on for him. Nearly 3,000 years of painful memories, some she was sure even he didn't remember, had knocked her unconscious. Legolas had to notice something missing and wanted to know what truly caused it. She could understand his fear, she was scared herself. She made a move to touch his hand, but he quickly flinched away. That small movement caused her much inexplicable pain.
"Legolas, I apologize greatly for what happened. It is part of who I am. Damn powers."
"If you cannot control your powers than maybe you should not use them."
"In this situation, I had no choice in the matter. That one power, I believe Gandalf calls it 'clairvoyance', controls me. I do not control it. I have not experienced it for at least 200 years. I apologize for the feeling of violation, I know elves are not used to dealing with that. I could not control it. I would never purposely do so, not to anyone. Ever. A weaker person's mind may have broken form the shock of that."
Legolas stared out into the coming night. He did not seem to be truly looking anywhere, just as if he was off in his own world. Rhiannon took time to study him. To appreciate the strong structure of his face. The almost violet color of his bright eyes. The long hair that was almost white. It reminded her of some of the wheat fields she had glimpsed at home. He was not yet dressed in the clothes he would wear on the quest. It made Rhiannon sad that he would be leaving so soon, tomorrow. She took this time to memorize him, even though she knew she would see him again. Legolas then turned to her. Rhiannon's breath caught. She felt as he must have earlier today. As if someone was searching your soul. He lightly raised a hand to her face. Rhiannon felt her own memories of anger and hurt and distrust well up. Memories wanting to reach out to him, have him lift them from her soul. But she held back, not wanting to burden him. Legolas gave her an almost chastising look. Rhiannon could feel something around them rising. Power, most likely, but elves don't believe in magic.
Legolas grasped her forearms. The heat he gave off almost felt like it was branding her skin. He tugged her closer to him. Rhiannon did not know how to react, but she did not pull away. She noted briefly that Legolas was moving them so close together, hardly any room was between them now. As she was almost sitting in his lap, she slightly pulled back; breaking the small spell he was weaving around her. Legolas traced his fingers around her face, down her neck, over her shoulders, down her arms, to her waist, resting there. The touch sent shivers down her spine, an odd reaction, but she knew what he was doing. He was memorizing her in his own way. She stopped his hand as it moved upwards to trace her lips.
"No, Legolas. I do not want to cause a flare of the power. It is still beneath the surface."
He ignored her quite plainly, and traced her lips so softly, that if she had not seen him do it, she would have barely noticed it.
"There is so much pain and power in you. Two mighty forces warring for control."
Before she could respond, Legolas moved quickly and crushed his lips to her own. The power within the both of them rose so quickly she could not control it. Yet, it was different. There was more warmth this time, and Rhiannon was the one at mercy. She tried desperately to fight back the memories of her past rushing forth, but knew it was futile. Legolas would be the receiver of her pain, as she had done for him. Pain in exchange for pain. Rhiannon, very reluctantly, pulled away. She did not wish for Legolas to glimpse all the memories and aspects of her life. No one in this realm, not even great Mithrandir himself, knew the true history and life of her people. And she would never entrust such knowledge to Legolas, only knowing him for such a short time. She was thankful to him, her whole being felt much lighter. She was also upset. For so long she had felt this bitterness, this pain of her past, especially here in Rivendell. Had carried that day when Elladan had ended their engagement with her for a very long time. The pain of having to flee her own family to protect them. Would he now feel that also? Would he become distraught? They could not afford that.
"You should not have done that, Legolas."
"Gandalf told me to. And now I understand why. At least I am feeling a bit more complete now."
"Stupid elf. Stupid Wizard."