A/n: I have reposted this chapter because the first go around was not good. Sorry guys - here it is, revamped.
Chapter 5
Legolas slowly turned the ring over in his fingers, never taking his gaze from it. It was a brilliant silver, and looked like two vines intertwined to make a ring. The leaves on the vines were vibrant emerald green. It was a traditional Elven Ring, given to and Elven woman by an Elven man as a sign of affection.
Legolas sighed. Ayah...
It was about 2 days after her apology up on the Ridge.
She was the one for him. He knew it. She was so beautiful, among other things. And he desperately wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He somehow wanted to let her know that he cared.
He sighed again, and leaned back against his headboard, still holding the ring. He'd tried to tell her once, before the Journey, but that had not happened. He'd been debating for days on just how to tell her how he felt about her. He'd been practically in love with her since he could remember. He'd finally decided that he was going to tell her before Ayah left for the Journey. His only problem was lack of courage. Then of course, it was the morning Ayah left. Could he have made it any more last minute?
Legolas had been laying on his bed, trying to memorize a sort-of speech that he would say to Ayah.
"Ayah, ever since I met you I..." and then he'd suddenly realized that Ayah had most likely left already, or was just about to be leaving. He got dressed as fast as he could, dashed out of his home, ran back inside to grab the ring, jumped onto his horse and rode as hard as his horse could go to Ayah's home. He prayed he wouldn't be too late...
So many Journiers came back from the Journey with a special love for someone. Legolas had to let her know he loved her before she went on the Journey and fell in love with someone else. Of course, there was always the chance that she would reject him, and Legolas was in a way prepared for that. Althpugh it was the farthest thought from his mind as his horse galloped up to Ayah's home. He saw a group of Ayah's friends and her brother. They were standing on the doorstep waving to 3 people on horseback, beginning to shrink into the distance.
Legolas looked desperately at Tarèn who seemed to know what Legolas was there for, but didn't give Legolas any reassuring grin or comment. Legolas could see her horse speeding away...
"Ayah!" he called. "Ayah! Wait!" Her horse slowed. She looked like she was squinting to see him. Arwen yelled something to Ayah. She looked desperately at Legolas, called, "I'm sorry!" and turned her horse back to follow Arwen.
"AYAH!" Legolas tried one last time, and then let his tired horse slow. He clenched his jaw, and a tear or two welled in his eyes. He blinked them away as he stared at the ring in his hand.
He thought for sure that he had lost her.
Legolas stood from his bed, back in the present, his thoughts still dwelling on every detail of Ayah. Her pale pink lips, her perfect fiar skin, her long wavy blonde hair... His heart ached for her. He wanted so much to give her the ring and just say it. Just say those words: 'I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.'
'Instead of stewing about, go talk to her!' He thought around in his room merely thinking about her wasn't bringing her to him.
He took a deep breath and headed out of his home. He wasn't totally sure where to find her, but would start at her house. Hopefully it would take some time to find her, because then he had time for his courage to build up.
As he walked, he rehearsed all kinds of speeches in his mind: 'Since first I met you...From the first time I saw you... For a very long time...Look, I love you and that's all there is to it...I love you so much I would die for you in a heartbeat...' But none of them sounded right. He would have to keep thinking about it.
As he walked toward her house, he tried to further prepare himself to tell her how much he cared, and offer her the ring. After that, he had no idea.
Ayah sat on a small silvery coloured rock as she gazed at the twinkling crystal blue Lake. It was 2 days since she had apologized to Legolas up on the Ridge. Not surprisingly, she was thinking about him.
She thought about his face. His handsome features. The smoothness of his skin, and how she wanted to put her hand on that skin...
'Don't you dare think that way!' she thought, and tried to mentally change the subject. But only a few seconds later, her thoughts had brought her back to Legolas. His glittering eyes, his perfectly shaped nose, his wonderful looking lips and how much she wanted to put her lips to his...
Again, she was irritated at herself for thinking such things. Ayah thought for the millionth time, 'He's just a friend. Just a friend.'
And yet, no matter how many times she thought or said that, she still knew deep down that it was not true. True, she'd only spent a day really with Legolas. But she felt like she cared for him. Loved him maybe.
'You can't love him. You barely know him.'
That was also true. She did barely know him. But she'd barely known Shaomer when she'd fallen in love with him. And then she'd gotten to know, he'd begun to fall in love with her... And then he was killed.
All too familiar tears stung Ayah's eyes. That was why she shouldn't ever fall in love. Because she'll get hurt one way or another. There was still an ache in her heart for Shaomer. The strange thing was it was always significantly less noticeable when she was with Legolas.
Legolas. Just the name made her smile. She happily filled her mind with images of him, to push away the sad, hurt feelings left behind by Shaomer's death.
She sighed and turned her eyes away from the Lake. Who was she kidding? She really cared for Legolas. Why? Just a few days ago, he was merely a childhood friend – she reminded herself for at least the 18th time in 10 minutes. And before she remembered who he was, she couldn't even remember his name! And now she cared for him.
'You have to tell him.' A small voice in Ayah's head said. She outwardly shook her head. No way was she telling him. That would only wreck the friendship they had going.
But the little voice persisted. 'Do you not see the way he looks at you?' Yes, she had. There was always that...emotion on his face. He always looked so happy to see her. His eyes seemed to light up when he said her name. He seemed to treasure every moment they were together...
Surely he must love her back.
'There you go.' Said the little voice. 'Tell him you care.'
Ayah let out a breath. This was going to be real tough. She'd never been very good at verbally expressing how she felt. Now here she was going to try to tell someone she loved them. She'd told Shaomer she'd loved him, but he had said it first. It was easier that way.
She buried her head in her hands and made a promise to herself to gather some strength and courage, and to tell Legolas she cared.
"Ayah?"
Ayah jumped. "L-legolas?" Her heart fluttered. Just the person she wanted to talk to... well, sort of.
"Can I talk to you?" Legolas sat down on the grass beside her.
"Yes. I need to talk to you too." Ayah said determinedly. She swallowed and her pulse quickened. Legolas seemed to look even more attractive than usual.
"Oh? Well then you go first." Legolas gestured towards her. He tried not to stare at her beautiful hair rippling in the very slight breeze.
"No, no. You go ahead." Ayah insisted, and cleared her throat slightly.
"Really? Are you sure?" Again, Legolas tried not to stare. Her hair was glinting in the evening sunshine, and it was becoming hard to resist running his fingers through it.
"Yes. Go first." Ayah said, and silently added, 'That way I can gather some courage and self control.' She found her self really wanting to kiss Legolas at that moment...
Legolas gently grasped her hand, and swallowed. Ayah's hand tingled at his touch, and shivers rocketed up and down her spine.
"Ayah..." he said breathily.
"Yes?" Ayah's heart pounded. She didn't know what was coming, but she could tell it was hard for Legolas to say and equally important.
"I..." Legolas took a deep breath and seemed to try to find the right words. "I tried to tell you before. But I... the thing is... I really, really..." Legolas clenched and unclenched his jaw. This was much harder than he thought it was going to be. Why did she have to look so exceptionally beautiful right at this moment?
"Ever since I met you I - "
"AYAH!"
Ayah didn't want to take her eyes away from Legolas, but the urgency in the call caused her head to whip around.
Arwen was running towards Ayah, holding up the bottom of her deep purple coloured dress, as her chestnut coloured hair streamed behind her. "Ayah! Thank goodness I found you. You need to come quickly!" Arwen sounded out of breath.
Ayah looked to Legolas and back to Arwen. "Why? What's wrong?"
Arwen shook her head as she said, "There's no time to explain. You need to hurry!"
Legolas released Ayah's hand and mumbled, "Maybe you should go." He didn't want her to leave – he'd finally been close to revealing his true feelings!
Arwen jiggled her leg as Ayah reluctantly stood up.
"Ayah, please!" Arwen gestured, and took a step back.
As much as Ayah didn't want to leave, Arwen's tone scared her. "Is it Tarén?" Ayah asked as the 2 girls began running. Ayah glanced over her shoulder at Legolas. "Should Legolas be coming too?"
"No." Arwen said rather firmly. "To both."
Arwen jumped on her horse, and Ayah jumped on behind her. An ominous feeling descended into the pit of Ayah's stomach. What had happened?
Arwen gave her horse a mighty kick, followed by a hearty "HI-YAH!" and the milky white horse took off.
Legolas watched Arwen and Ayah ride into the distance, and felt a familiar sense of loss. Why couldn't he just say it?
The sun was beginning to slowly set, casting orange and pink shadows about. Legolas sighed. He wondered what was so desperately urgent to take Ayah away.
He turned away from the direction Ayah and Arwen had exited and slowly began heading... somewhere. Anywhere, away from there. He just hoped nothing was seriously wrong. It would tear him up to see Ayah hurt.
He briefly considered jumping on his horse and following, but what good would it do him? He'd most likely find out what was going on anyway. And besides, if it was in fact bad or serious, he was pretty sure Ayah wouldn't want him lingering around.
Arwen and Ayah soon reached Ayah's home. Ayah saw that a shining black horse was tied up in front of her house. Ayah did not recognize the horse at all, sure she'd never seen it before.
"Whose horse is that?" Ayah asked and slid off Arwen's horse.
Arwen didn't really answer. She just said, "Hurry. Inside." She hopped off her horse, her cheeks still slightly flushed from the chilly wind whipping at them while they rode. The two Elven women jogged up the steps and into the magnificent entranceway.
"Oh, Ayah! You're here." Tarén looked a little relieved, a little smug and a little secretive. He half-smiled. "Go to your room."
"Wha - ?" Ayah started to protest in confusion. Arwen rushed her over here like someone was dying and now she's to go to her room?
"Just do it." Tarén said, with that annoying little half-smile. "Trust me." He was acting really strange...
Ayah looked to Arwen for support. Arwen nodded vigorously and pointed to Ayah's room. "Go already!"
To Tarèn, she said, "She was down at the Lake. I got her here as fast as I could."
Ayah turned the corner into her room and saw a tall man standing by her window. He turned around and smiled. Ayah grabbed her doorframe in shock as she nearly passed out.
It was Shaomer.
A/n: There. That's much better. BIG HUGE thank you to my most faithful reviewer, CountryChick928. You rock, honey! And to everybody else whose been reviewin' THANK YOU THANKYOU! :)
