A/N: It's me again! I'm sorry about the wait, but I have a big school trip
coming up, and all my teachers are giving me tons of homework, and I
haven't had much time to write. Yes, write. I am officially out of pre-
written stuff so now I'm just writing as I go. The reviews have been
really encouraging so far. Still no nasty reviews, makes me smile. And
we're all much happier when I smile, aren't we? *Group of scared looking
teens behind her nod* Angelsmile, thanks so much for keeping Ana. She
didn't drive you crazy did she? It gave me a lovely break in which to
write, so I thank you. Ok, now enough of my incessant rambling, here's a
nice long chapter to make up for the wait. Y'all are wonderful, thanks for
reading!
Disclaimer: NO!!! *sobs pathetically and bangs head on desk* Leggy escaped! Said I didn't have the right shampoo and took a plane back to Middle Earth. Who knew it'd be that easy to get there? So now I'm here alone again, with only Ana for company. We're all gonna die. And I still don't own anything. *sigh*
*********
"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."
The speaker was a tall blonde elf with a decidedly unpleasant expression on his face. He was clearly the leader of the group for he stepped forward from the others who held their arrows steady.
Legolas had strung his bow immediately and stood bravely facing the elven archers. Aragorn recognized the elf, and after a moment so did Legolas. It was Haldir, the warden of Lothlorien. They had nothing to fear from him.
Haldir led them to a raised stone platform where they stood discussing the situation. Aragorn and Legolas knew Haldir from their travels together when they were all younger, and they were the negotiators for both parties. They stood speaking in elvish since all three knew the language, but Gimli being a dwarf, rudely asked why they did not use words they could all understand.
At this Haldir became hostile and replied that they had not had dealings with the dwarves for a very long time, to which Gimli gave an insult that Aragorn immediately reprimanded him for. Next came Frodo, and here Haldir paused and looked down at the little hobbit.
"You bring a great evil with you, Frodo Baggins. You can go no farther." Aragorn pulled Haldir to the side and began speaking rapidly to him in elvish. Legolas walked over to Ana laying a hand on her shoulder.
She stood staring straight ahead right where Legolas had left her when they arrived. Due to her lack of movement and sound she had been overlooked by Haldir. Or perhaps, he thought, Haldir knew that she would not respond to him and decided not to press the matter. He moved in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes. All of a sudden he felt her mental wall go down, and his touch on her shoulder transferred her emotions to him. He was assaulted with a wave of terror and grief; he was almost blinded by the pain he felt. Amidst it all was a cry for help, a desperate call to be saved from the sea of sorrow she was drowning in. The grief was locking a door; she was trapped inside her mind and there was no way out.
Just as suddenly as it had begun the flood of emotions stopped and Legolas stood panting in front of Ana. He realized that Ana had just let him in, because even this kind of distress could not knock out the wall that she had built around herself. A wall built to protect herself from every possible enemy. She was scared by what was happening to her and she was looking to him for comfort. He would see her eyes flash again if it was the last thing he did.
Ana was enclosed in a tight dark space. No matter how hard the tried she just couldn't get out. She was surrounded by her grief, her sorrow and fear holding her and locking the only way out. She was trapped by her inability to let other people in. Ana realized to late that she should have asked Legolas for help with the dreams, should have trusted him enough to open her heart to him. Now the fears and doubts and sorrows that had been building up inside her for so long were finally so high that the wall around her heart was near impenetrable. Gandalf's death had been the last straw, the last brick in the wall, the key that locked the door. There was no way out, she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. How badly she longed to speak to Legolas, to have him comfort her and tell her it was all right. All of a sudden Gandalf's words came back to her: "Always know, Maranwe, there are people in the world who only want to love you and not hurt you. Even if I can not be there, if it is at all possible Legolas will be. For that is the way with friendship." She knew what she had to do. When Legolas came over she felt vaguely his hand on her shoulder and concentrated on knocking down at least a part of the wall. He would feel it, they had practiced enough to where they could practically read each others minds. And they were best friends. That had to count for something. Finally she felt the wall go down and all her emotions flood out. She felt them wash out of her and his hand tighten as they hit his mind. She focused on the word help, and the feeling that came with the word. But the resistance to sharing her emotions she had worked so hard to build up would not be silenced for long and the wall snapped back into place. But somewhere in the darkness was a faint glow. Estel... hope.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~ *~
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance.
There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice.
They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert.
When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana.
It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form. Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair. "The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark." The speaker was a tall blonde elf with a decidedly unpleasant expression on his face. He was clearly the leader of the group for he stepped forward from the others who held their arrows steady. Legolas had strung his bow immediately and stood bravely facing the elven archers. Aragorn recognized the elf, and after a moment so did Legolas. It was Haldir, the warden of Lothlorien. They had nothing to fear from him.
Haldir led them to a raised stone platform where they stood discussing the situation. Aragorn and Legolas knew Haldir from their travels together when they were all younger, and they were the negotiators for both parties. They stood speaking in elvish since all three knew the language, but Gimli being a dwarf, rudely asked why they did not use words they could all understand. At this Haldir became hostile and replied that they had not had dealings with the dwarves for a very long time, to which Gimli gave an insult that Aragorn immediately reprimanded him for. Next came Frodo, and here Haldir paused and looked down at the little hobbit. "You bring a great evil with you, Frodo Baggins. You can go no farther." Aragorn pulled Haldir to the side and began speaking rapidly to him in elvish. Legolas walked over to Ana laying a hand on her shoulder. She stood staring straight ahead right where Legolas had left her when they arrived. Due to her lack of movement and sound she had been overlooked by Haldir. Or perhaps, he thought, Haldir knew that she would not respond to him and decided not to press the matter. He moved in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes. All of a sudden he felt her mental wall go down, and his touch on her shoulder transferred her emotions to him. He was assaulted with a wave of terror and grief; he was almost blinded by the pain he felt. Amidst it all was a cry for help, a desperate call to be saved from the sea of sorrow she was drowning in. The grief was locking a door; she was trapped inside her mind and there was no way out. Just as suddenly as it had begun the flood of emotions stopped and Legolas stood panting in front of Ana. He realized that Ana had just let him in, because even this kind of distress could not knock out the wall that she had built around herself. A wall built to protect herself from every possible enemy. She was scared by what was happening to her and she was looking to him for comfort. He would see her eyes flash again if it was the last thing he did.
Ana was enclosed in a tight dark space. No matter how hard the tried she just couldn't get out. She was surrounded by her grief, her sorrow and fear holding her and locking the only way out. She was trapped by her inability to let other people in. Ana realized to late that she should have asked Legolas for help with the dreams, should have trusted him enough to open her heart to him. Now the fears and doubts and sorrows that had been building up inside her for so long were finally so high that the wall around her heart was near impenetrable. Gandalf's death had been the last straw, the last brick in the wall, the key that locked the door. There was no way out, she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. How badly she longed to speak to Legolas, to have him comfort her and tell her it was all right. All of a sudden Gandalf's words came back to her: "Always know, Maranwe, there are people in the world who only want to love you and not hurt you. Even if I can not be there, if it is at all possible Legolas will be. For that is the way with friendship." She knew what she had to do. When Legolas came over she felt vaguely his hand on her shoulder and concentrated on knocking down at least a part of the wall. He would feel it, they had practiced enough to where they could practically read each others minds. And they were best friends. That had to count for something. Finally she felt the wall go down and all her emotions flood out. She felt them wash out of her and his hand tighten as they hit his mind. She focused on the word help, and the feeling that came with the word. But the resistance to sharing her emotions she had worked so hard to build up would not be silenced for long and the wall snapped back into place. But somewhere in the darkness was a faint glow. Estel... hope.
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance. There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice. They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert. When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana. It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form. Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair.
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance. There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice. They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert. When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana.
***It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.***
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form.
Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair.
*********
Ana: YAY! We got reviews.
Me: Don't you mean YOU got reviews?
Ana: What's the difference?
Me: *to side* Spoiled, selfish, snobby... What? No, I said sweet, talented, wonderful... What garbage, stupid character taking over my life.
Ana: You created me. Just for that I think I'm gonna make your story more difficult for you. I'm not cooperating anymore! *pouts*
Me: I knew I should have left you with Angelsmile, I just knew it. Anyways, everyone please review! It makes me happy, even if it does just feed my annoying character's already over large ego! Maybe I could have a nice even fifteen??? Pretty please? Luv y'all, bye!
Disclaimer: NO!!! *sobs pathetically and bangs head on desk* Leggy escaped! Said I didn't have the right shampoo and took a plane back to Middle Earth. Who knew it'd be that easy to get there? So now I'm here alone again, with only Ana for company. We're all gonna die. And I still don't own anything. *sigh*
*********
"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."
The speaker was a tall blonde elf with a decidedly unpleasant expression on his face. He was clearly the leader of the group for he stepped forward from the others who held their arrows steady.
Legolas had strung his bow immediately and stood bravely facing the elven archers. Aragorn recognized the elf, and after a moment so did Legolas. It was Haldir, the warden of Lothlorien. They had nothing to fear from him.
Haldir led them to a raised stone platform where they stood discussing the situation. Aragorn and Legolas knew Haldir from their travels together when they were all younger, and they were the negotiators for both parties. They stood speaking in elvish since all three knew the language, but Gimli being a dwarf, rudely asked why they did not use words they could all understand.
At this Haldir became hostile and replied that they had not had dealings with the dwarves for a very long time, to which Gimli gave an insult that Aragorn immediately reprimanded him for. Next came Frodo, and here Haldir paused and looked down at the little hobbit.
"You bring a great evil with you, Frodo Baggins. You can go no farther." Aragorn pulled Haldir to the side and began speaking rapidly to him in elvish. Legolas walked over to Ana laying a hand on her shoulder.
She stood staring straight ahead right where Legolas had left her when they arrived. Due to her lack of movement and sound she had been overlooked by Haldir. Or perhaps, he thought, Haldir knew that she would not respond to him and decided not to press the matter. He moved in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes. All of a sudden he felt her mental wall go down, and his touch on her shoulder transferred her emotions to him. He was assaulted with a wave of terror and grief; he was almost blinded by the pain he felt. Amidst it all was a cry for help, a desperate call to be saved from the sea of sorrow she was drowning in. The grief was locking a door; she was trapped inside her mind and there was no way out.
Just as suddenly as it had begun the flood of emotions stopped and Legolas stood panting in front of Ana. He realized that Ana had just let him in, because even this kind of distress could not knock out the wall that she had built around herself. A wall built to protect herself from every possible enemy. She was scared by what was happening to her and she was looking to him for comfort. He would see her eyes flash again if it was the last thing he did.
Ana was enclosed in a tight dark space. No matter how hard the tried she just couldn't get out. She was surrounded by her grief, her sorrow and fear holding her and locking the only way out. She was trapped by her inability to let other people in. Ana realized to late that she should have asked Legolas for help with the dreams, should have trusted him enough to open her heart to him. Now the fears and doubts and sorrows that had been building up inside her for so long were finally so high that the wall around her heart was near impenetrable. Gandalf's death had been the last straw, the last brick in the wall, the key that locked the door. There was no way out, she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. How badly she longed to speak to Legolas, to have him comfort her and tell her it was all right. All of a sudden Gandalf's words came back to her: "Always know, Maranwe, there are people in the world who only want to love you and not hurt you. Even if I can not be there, if it is at all possible Legolas will be. For that is the way with friendship." She knew what she had to do. When Legolas came over she felt vaguely his hand on her shoulder and concentrated on knocking down at least a part of the wall. He would feel it, they had practiced enough to where they could practically read each others minds. And they were best friends. That had to count for something. Finally she felt the wall go down and all her emotions flood out. She felt them wash out of her and his hand tighten as they hit his mind. She focused on the word help, and the feeling that came with the word. But the resistance to sharing her emotions she had worked so hard to build up would not be silenced for long and the wall snapped back into place. But somewhere in the darkness was a faint glow. Estel... hope.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~ *~
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance.
There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice.
They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert.
When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana.
It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form. Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair. "The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark." The speaker was a tall blonde elf with a decidedly unpleasant expression on his face. He was clearly the leader of the group for he stepped forward from the others who held their arrows steady. Legolas had strung his bow immediately and stood bravely facing the elven archers. Aragorn recognized the elf, and after a moment so did Legolas. It was Haldir, the warden of Lothlorien. They had nothing to fear from him.
Haldir led them to a raised stone platform where they stood discussing the situation. Aragorn and Legolas knew Haldir from their travels together when they were all younger, and they were the negotiators for both parties. They stood speaking in elvish since all three knew the language, but Gimli being a dwarf, rudely asked why they did not use words they could all understand. At this Haldir became hostile and replied that they had not had dealings with the dwarves for a very long time, to which Gimli gave an insult that Aragorn immediately reprimanded him for. Next came Frodo, and here Haldir paused and looked down at the little hobbit. "You bring a great evil with you, Frodo Baggins. You can go no farther." Aragorn pulled Haldir to the side and began speaking rapidly to him in elvish. Legolas walked over to Ana laying a hand on her shoulder. She stood staring straight ahead right where Legolas had left her when they arrived. Due to her lack of movement and sound she had been overlooked by Haldir. Or perhaps, he thought, Haldir knew that she would not respond to him and decided not to press the matter. He moved in front of her and looked deeply into her eyes. All of a sudden he felt her mental wall go down, and his touch on her shoulder transferred her emotions to him. He was assaulted with a wave of terror and grief; he was almost blinded by the pain he felt. Amidst it all was a cry for help, a desperate call to be saved from the sea of sorrow she was drowning in. The grief was locking a door; she was trapped inside her mind and there was no way out. Just as suddenly as it had begun the flood of emotions stopped and Legolas stood panting in front of Ana. He realized that Ana had just let him in, because even this kind of distress could not knock out the wall that she had built around herself. A wall built to protect herself from every possible enemy. She was scared by what was happening to her and she was looking to him for comfort. He would see her eyes flash again if it was the last thing he did.
Ana was enclosed in a tight dark space. No matter how hard the tried she just couldn't get out. She was surrounded by her grief, her sorrow and fear holding her and locking the only way out. She was trapped by her inability to let other people in. Ana realized to late that she should have asked Legolas for help with the dreams, should have trusted him enough to open her heart to him. Now the fears and doubts and sorrows that had been building up inside her for so long were finally so high that the wall around her heart was near impenetrable. Gandalf's death had been the last straw, the last brick in the wall, the key that locked the door. There was no way out, she couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. How badly she longed to speak to Legolas, to have him comfort her and tell her it was all right. All of a sudden Gandalf's words came back to her: "Always know, Maranwe, there are people in the world who only want to love you and not hurt you. Even if I can not be there, if it is at all possible Legolas will be. For that is the way with friendship." She knew what she had to do. When Legolas came over she felt vaguely his hand on her shoulder and concentrated on knocking down at least a part of the wall. He would feel it, they had practiced enough to where they could practically read each others minds. And they were best friends. That had to count for something. Finally she felt the wall go down and all her emotions flood out. She felt them wash out of her and his hand tighten as they hit his mind. She focused on the word help, and the feeling that came with the word. But the resistance to sharing her emotions she had worked so hard to build up would not be silenced for long and the wall snapped back into place. But somewhere in the darkness was a faint glow. Estel... hope.
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance. There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice. They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert. When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana. It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form. Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair.
Legolas looked over to Aragorn and Haldir. He caught a snatch of their conversation and gasped. They were going to Caras Galadhorn, the home of the Lord and Lady of the Wood. The road was long and Ana still could not go forward without assistance. There was some difficulty when Haldir had to blindfold them but all was quickly solved by Haldir taking over the steering of Ana himself. Legolas trusted him with her, he knew from experience that Haldir was able to be trusted and if neither he nor Aragorn could take the girl Haldir was the next best choice. They walked until they entered the grand city of Lothlorien. They had an audience with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Standing before the rulers of the mighty elf kingdom the members of the Fellowship felt as though their minds were open to inspection. She entered the mind of each one in turn and promised them things that they much desired to give up the quest, but none were willing to desert. When she got to Legolas she met some resistance. He automatically put up a mental block, just because of all the surprise attack training sessions he had been through with Ana. Lady Galadriel was impressed, this elf could fight her. There was some kind of connection between him and the girl. Ah, yes, the girl. She was special. One of the lost Sensors. But she was hurt, terribly hurt. Galadriel gently probed at the wall around Ana's mind and found a small week spot. She smiled slightly to herself when she realized what the week spot was and then spoke telepathically to Ana.
***It's all right, little one. Soon your troubles will trouble you no longer. Sleep well tonight, in the morning life will have a new meaning. Your mind and heart will be renewed. Trust him, that's where you will find your healing. I can't help you, you have to help yourself.***
After being excused from the gathering, Legolas put his arm around Ana's shoulders and drew her away from the Lord and Lady to where the group would be sleeping. Choosing a soft pile of blankets in a darker corner he gently sat Ana down in the middle of her bed. He pulled off her weapons and laid them carefully in a pile beside him on the ground. The soft tunic and breeches she was wearing would be plenty comfortable to sleep in, so he pulled the blankets up over her and sat on the edge staring down at her now sleeping form.
Legolas jumped in surprise when Ana's hand snaked out and grasped his own. Sighing he settled back, preparing to get comfortable. As long as she wanted him there he would stay. It had been a long day and before he knew it, he was slipping into the semi-consciousness that is elven sleep.
When he awoke again it was the middle of the night and there was a gaping space where Ana's body should have been. He got up quietly so as not to disturb any of his friends and moved stealthily outside into the night. Something higher than logic told him which path to take and he stepped lightly down a trail to his left until he came to a large clearing.
Legolas tread softly up to the large rock where Ana was sitting staring up into the stars, searching for an answer to some deep question. She started as he slid onto the rock beside her, then relaxed as she saw who it was. For a while the two sat side by side staring up at the sky each thinking their private thoughts.
Finally Legolas broke the silence and asked, "Ana, tell me, what are your thoughts? I know at least part of why you're upset, but there's more, isn't there? Let me in, let me help you."
She turned, her stormy gray eyes gazing into his piercing blue ones. Their gazes held for a moment, then Ana turned away and sighed.
At first the elf thought she thought she wasn't going to answer, and was surprised when she started speaking.
"Do you ever feel..." she began, "do you ever feel like you could drop off the face of Middle Earth, and no one would notice or care?"
Her face was turned away from him, looking intently into the nearby trees, but he could tell she was trying very hard not to cry. He knew that she would view him seeing her cry as a weakness. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close saying simply, "I would care."
Sniffing she tried to pull away and hide her face, but he kept a firm grip and finally she relaxed against him. Too much had been taken out of her to fight back.
"Crying isn't a weakness, Ana, it's a sign of life, of having a heart. I know you think that nobody cares about you, but for once you are wrong." He laid his forehead on the top of her head, and rocked her back and forth as she began to sob. Legolas held her until all her tears were spent and she fell asleep in his arms.
Aragorn found them like that as the sun was rising and sighed. He had known the two were very close, but he hadn't expected... Legolas stirred and Aragorn once again cursed his humanness. He seemed to have a talent for coming up on the two in awkward moments. It was obvious Ana had been crying, finally, and he knew it would be hard enough for her to face Legolas, much more himself. But of course Legolas sensed his presence after a moment.
Without turning around, he said as softly as possible, trying to keep Ana's sensitive ears from catching his voice and wake her up, "Do you need something, mellon nin?" Legolas wasn't annoyed with Aragorn, he was annoyed with himself. He should have known better than to fall asleep, he should have been gone long before his leaving would disturb her. But after her first good sleep in what must have been a very long time, Ariana would be very sensitive to all movements.
As if to prove his point, Ana stirred against him and Aragorn cursed lightly. She startled them both by saying, "Aragorn, really, such language in front of a lady." Turning to the form beside her she questioned in a fake annoyed manner, "And you, must you think so loudly? Goodness, it's enough to wake a dead Sensor."
Legolas started to blush pink, berating himself for forgetting how open her mind was when she slept. They had found that out the hard way once before, an incident he would rather not remember just now. Or let Aragorn know about for that matter.
Aragorn stared down at Ana in some shock. Truth be told he had forgotten how good her hearing was and it was plain disconcerting to have two friends who could hear you coming before they even saw you. And one could read your mind! This just wasn't fair.
*********
Ana: YAY! We got reviews.
Me: Don't you mean YOU got reviews?
Ana: What's the difference?
Me: *to side* Spoiled, selfish, snobby... What? No, I said sweet, talented, wonderful... What garbage, stupid character taking over my life.
Ana: You created me. Just for that I think I'm gonna make your story more difficult for you. I'm not cooperating anymore! *pouts*
Me: I knew I should have left you with Angelsmile, I just knew it. Anyways, everyone please review! It makes me happy, even if it does just feed my annoying character's already over large ego! Maybe I could have a nice even fifteen??? Pretty please? Luv y'all, bye!
