Chapter 18

"Lainfea?" Legolas asked. " Where are Limloeth and Lanthir? Are they not with you, little one?" The girl in his arms shook her head.
"They are at home. I woke up first and you were gone, so I went to find you."
"Alone?" That was a possibility Legolas had never thought about. He realized now that he should have. His sister was a very brave little girl, that solved the problems she encountered with the practicality of youthful innocence. So of course she wouldn't wake her siblings when she had found
him gone. Of course she had tried to find him by herself. Foolish, stupid, brave, little girl.

"No, not alone. Going out alone is very dangerous," the elfling said very matter-of-factly.
"But not with Lanthir and Limloeth either. Who did you bring then? Artamir?" He wondered if that was the case, why the human was not with her now.
"Bear," Lainfea said and she pointed at the stuffed animal stuck in her belt.
"Bear? Lainfea, sweety, Bear is not … Bear is not…" He tried to tell Lainfea that a stuffed animal could hardly count as a companion without hurting his little sisters feelings, but realized there was no way.
"So you and Bear are traveling together."
Lainfea nodded, glad her brother understood.

Legolas gave his sister one last hug and put her back on her own two feet again. He sighed, ondering what to do. Would he go on and take his sister with him? Or would he have to return, and bring Lainfea back to Artamir and Biddy, where she could be safe?

"Oh Lainfea..." he whispered. "Why did you have to follow me?"
"Because you were gone," she answered. Her sharp, elvish hearing had picked up the words, even though they were not really meant for her. "I had to find you. Artamir said it is dangerous to go out alone. You went out alone," she said accusingly.

"I had to, Lainfea. Listen, I am going on a trip. It will take a long, long time and it will be very dangerous."
The little girl stared at him, not understanding what he was trying to say.
Legolas sighed and continued.
"But first I'll take you back to Biddy and Artamir."
The girl nodded. "Yes, we have to go back."
Legolas kneeled to see eye to eye with her.
"No, little one. I will take you back to Osgilliath, and then I´ll leave. And you can not follow me, I have to do this alone."
" Can´t. Alone is not safe. Artamir said so. I will come, and Bear too."

Legolas closed his eyes for a moment. He didn´t know how to explain to Lainfea that she had to go.
"Lainfea, you want to stay with Biddy and Artamir, right?" he asked.
Lainfea nodded.
"But if you come with me," Legolas continued "You can't."
Lainfea stared at him.
" So… you will have to choose. Either stay with Biddy and Artamir, or you come with me. And you want to stay with Biddy and Atramir, right?"
Lainfea nodded, proud that she had understood. "And with you." She added.

Legolas bit his lip an tried to stay calm. She was only a little girl.
"No," he said. "you have to choose: stay with Biddy and Atramir, or you can come with me where it is very dangerous.
The elfling nodded.
"So..." Legolas said. "What do you choose?"
"You," Lainfea said.
Legolas sighed. She still didn't understand.
"No," Legolas said. How many times was he going to have to explain this? "I meant: You can stay safe with Biddy and Artamir, where you can read and write and sing and play games, OR you can come with me, on a very dangerous and boring journey. Now, what do you choose?"
"You," the girl answered, puzzled as to why her brother didn't understand.

Legolas smiled sadly. He wanted his little sister with him so badly, but he had seen how happy she was at Biddy and Artamir´s house. He had seen her shine. It would be wrong to listen to hear and think that she had meant what she said. She just didn´t realize her choices, she was too small.
Legolas knew he had brought just enough food for one person. He had only one cloak. They would have to travel through marches and sharp rocks, and all his sister had brought with her was a stuffed animal.
He could not abuse her innocence, just because he wanted someone with him. He could not take away her happiness because he was lonely.

Legolas sank to his knees. "Lainfea," his voice was desperate, begging her to understand. "Little one, you can´t come with me. Don´t ask me to do that to you. Please!"
She put a small hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"But I want to come with you," she whispered.
"Don´t ask that, please. For I will listen to you and never forgive myself. Please. Let me take you back. If you liked Biddy and Artamir, than why do you want to come with me?"
"I like you more," Lainfea said simply and truthfully.

Legolas' heart was breaking, trying to understand why the Valar would tempt him so to take an infant with him on a near suicidal journey.

Lainfea looked at her brother and she could she he was very sad. She didn´t really understand why, she just knew she had to do something about it. Something good. Frowning, she thought. At last, she knew what to do.

"Here," she said as she pushed her bear into his arms. "You can hold Bear for a while. But you must stop crying. Bear doesn´t like it when elvies are crying."
"I wasn´t crying," Legolas said, his pride getting in the way of the situation.
Lainfea shrugged. " There was water in your eyes. But it doesn´t matter. Bear will help you feel better. You have to hold him like this."

She pulled Legolas' arms tighter around the toy. "See," she said, as Legolas laughed as he watched her working. "It works. Bear is really good at making people feel better."
"You are right, Lainfea." Legolas pretended for her sake. "I feel much better."
Lainfea smiled happily.
"Bear is the best bear in Arda. Did you know he could make wishes come true?"
Legolas shook his head.
"Well," his little sister said "Just before I found you there were a lot of orcs,and I was really scared. But I just held Bear, and he said that if I closed my eyes, and wished real hard, he would offer me shelter till the orcs went away."
"Bear said that?" Legolas asked, not quit believing the story.
"He whispered it into my ear," Lainfea said.
Legolas smiled as he understood. A tree. A tree must have offered Lainfea shelter. She was a wood elf after all.

The talk about orcs had made him realize how dangerous Ithilien was.
He gave the bear back to his little sister and got onto his feet. Then he suddenly stopped moving as he felt a cold blade press on his throat.

"You, my friend," a voice said, "have stayed in one place for far too long."

TBC

Moriarwen: Well This one is for you, because you reviwed so quickly..