spotnmushlover246 – Killing the queen now would have been too easy for Leggy. Don't want to spoil it, but she'll get what's coming to her later…hehe

Eve6 – Thanks for reading.

Linilya elf – Had to have the distraction, otherwise it would have been hard for them to leave unnoticed. I thought Roxana needed to make up for not warning Aleera of what was expected. By the way, I read your response to one of the reviews on your fic "The World Forgotten" regarding writing the sex parts. I have to agree. It's very difficult. I crack up because I'm usually sitting on the couch with my laptop on my lap, typing away and my husband looks at me and goes, 'what's with the look on your face?' and it's usually when I'm in the middle of a steamy love scene. Haha!

Maren L P – Thanks, here's more.

WARNING – Some mild sexual content will appear later in this chapter.

Chapter 7 – Discovering Feelings

When Aleera woke, she found herself lying on the blanket, a cloak covering her. The fire was dying down and remnants of daylight began to appear. She saw Legolas standing like a sentinel near the entrance of the alcove, arms crossed over his chest, longbow tucked under one of them. Aragorn was asleep on the other side of the dying fire, his back to her. His arms were wrapped around himself. She realized then that he had given up his cloak to her, suffering through the chilled early morning air.

Legolas heard Aleera stirring and turned to her as she sat up. When he saw her reaching for the clothing Aragorn had given her, Legolas quickly walked over. "Let me help you."

Glancing quickly over her shoulder to see if Aragorn was still asleep, Aleera allowed Legolas to help her up on her feet. She lowered the cloak from her back when Legolas moved around behind her to check on the wounds, touching the lacerations gently.

"They no longer bleed." Legolas came back around to stand in front of her again and could not stop his eyes from drifting down over her bare chest when she let the cloak drop to the ground. He gently helped her into the tunic. "Does the material hurt you?"

"It is all right for now," she replied through slightly clenched teeth, trying to fight back the tears from the pain.

Then Legolas licked his lips and crouched down before her. He pulled the nightgown the rest of the way down her hips until it fell to her ankles. Aleera placed her hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she raised one foot into the trousers he held up and then the other foot. Legolas pulled the trousers up over her, tying the leather strap as tightly as it would go. The trousers were too long so he rolled up the cuffs. Then he saw that even tied as tight as they were, they were still too big and rode low on her hips, but did not fall. Then he stood up and began fastening each of the clasps in front.

Aleera looked up and studied his face as his fingers worked on the clasps. She saw the corners of his lips curve upward "What is it, Legolas?"

"Nay, nothing."

She touched his face. "Tell me."

Legolas smiled briefly and reached down to part the lower half of the tunic she wore, revealing her bare torso and the trousers riding low on her hips. "You make quite an alluring vision."

Aleera pointed to her eyes. "Up here, Legolas."

His eyes came up to hers again with a smile. "Aye, of course." Then he leaned forward toward her.

Aleera did not pull away from him as his lips met hers. "More alluring than seeing me completely bare?" she asked.

"Aye…" he said between kisses.

"Why is that?"

"Because I have seen what is beneath and my eyes long to feast upon that vision once again," he whispered against her lips.

Aleera parted her lips for him and his tongue slowly slipped into her mouth. The heat threatened to consume her the moment she felt its presence. He held such power over her, and whether he knew it or not, she was helpless to resist. The world around her seemed to disappear. All she knew was the feel and taste of him. No sounds except for their breathing and the wet resonance from their lips as they kissed and licked and sucked and nibbled.

And then Aragorn stirred.

Legolas released her immediately and in her eyes he saw a look of sorrow, as if she had not wanted for the moment to end. As Aragorn rolled onto his back and sat up, Legolas moved to a pack on the floor and crouched to rummage through it.

Aragorn stood up and glanced around briefly before his eyes found Aleera. "Your face is flushed, my lady. Are you in pain? What has befallen you?" When he walked over to her he saw Aleera's eyes move to where Legolas stood up with a wafer of Lembas in his hand. He noted the crooked smile on the elf's face and knew that the cause of Aleera's flushed face had much to do with his friend. When Legolas looked up, his smirk immediately faded to a picture of complete innocence.

Legolas held the Lembas out to Aragorn. "Lembas?"

Aragorn turned back to Aleera and it only served to flush her even brighter. A smile crept to Aragorn's face and he shook his head before taking a piece of the Lembas and walking away.

Aleera took the Lembas when Legolas offered some to her and she ate it silently as she watched him and Aragorn break up camp. They tied Aragorn's bedroll and pack to his horse's saddle. She followed Legolas to his gray stallion.

Legolas turned to Aleera. "Do you wish to ride in front or behind me today?"

"My strength slowly returns to me. I will ride behind you."

Legolas vaulted up on the stallion's bare back, then reached his arm down to grab Aleera's. He pulled her up behind him. She scooted closer and grasped the sides of his suede tunic as he nudged the horse forward, falling into a light canter beside Aragorn's horse.

Twice during the day, Aleera lost her grasp and nearly fell from the horse. Legolas urged her to wrap her arms around his waist where he held her hands firmly in place, allowing her to lean against his back and drift off to sleep. He was comforted by her warm body pressed against him. Ever since they had left Kozar, the tension within him had left as well. Aleera was safe with him. He would not allow any further harm to come to her.

Aragorn watched the two elves riding together. Seeing his friend so absorbed in the female sleeping against his back warmed Aragorn's heart. He observed Legolas's movements, the way he held Aleera's hands together around his waist with one hand, while the other hand rested firmly on her left thigh, the way he often glanced over his shoulder to see if she was asleep or perhaps it was just to look upon her face. Aleera was indeed stunning as Legolas had said. Aragorn's lips curved into a smile as he recalled waking this morning to the sound of their whispers and then the silence that followed. He knew they had been kissing. The evidence had been clear on Aleera's face when he looked at her and she blushed.

Then it occurred to him that Legolas never informed him whether Aleera had suffered any other consequences besides the lashes to her back. He edged his horse a little closer and turned to him. "Were there any other wounds upon her?"

Legolas looked over at the ranger. "She had other cuts but they were from previous injuries."

"Did Hurrnäd…damage her?" he asked carefully.

Knowing what the ranger was asking, Legolas glanced over his shoulder at Aleera, seeing that she was still asleep. Then he turned back to Aragorn with a smile. "Nay, she managed to slam her foot into his…royal jewels…before he had the chance."

"Good girl."

"Unfortunately, that was what earned her the lashes from the queen."

Aragorn frowned. "The queen did that to her?"

"Aye, I found the whip in her hands when I smashed through the door."

"And what did you do to the queen?"

"I slammed the handles of my knives into her face. I believe I broke her nose in the process."

"I am certain that Hurrnäd is not a very happy Kozari at the moment."

"Your mission failed because of me, Aragorn. Kozar will not be an ally to Rivendell. Goheno nin." (forgive me)

Aragorn would have reached over to grasp Legolas's shoulder, but he did not wish to wake Aleera up. "Ú-moe edaved, mellonen. I would have done the same thing." (there is nothing to forgive, my friend)

Legolas was comforted that Aragorn did not blame him for the incidents in Kozar. All that had occurred was purely coincidental. That they had arrived in Kozar when they did, that Legolas met Aleera before she had been defiled by the ruler, that he had bonded with her. And now he had taken her from that place.

Later when Aleera woke again, she glanced at the land around her. They had been crossing over mountains for two days, each looking the same as the one they had just gone over. Of course nothing looked familiar to her because she could not remember whether she had ever passed through there. "Where are we going, Legolas?"

Legolas glanced over his shoulder as he felt her arms tighten around him and the heat of her breath against the back of his neck. "Lothlorien is our final destination. The Lady of the Wood may be able to help you discover your true identity."

"Is it far to Lothlorien?"

"Aye, it is. We will be traveling for many days. But we will stop in Rivendell to rest for awhile and so Aragorn can spend time with his love."

Aleera glanced over at Aragorn who rode slightly ahead of them. "Aragorn mentioned a lady during the evening meal back at Kozar Keep."

"Aye, his love is Arwen and she is elf-kind, like you and I."

"Really? He is in love with an elf maid?"

Legolas chuckled. "I have known both Aragorn and Arwen for a very long time and I never imagined that…" Legolas suddenly brought his horse to a sudden stop and he turned to look into the line of trees to the right. He perked his ears and listened to the sounds coming from there.

Aragorn glanced back and saw that Legolas had stopped. He turned his horse around and moved it to stand beside him. "Man cerich lasto, Legolas?" (what do you hear)

Legolas strained his ears and was able to discern the sound of multiple footfalls. "Orcs, approximately one hundred and sixty of them, moving in a northwesterly direction."

"How far?" asked Aragorn.

"Five miles."

"Do we have reason to fear them?"

"Nay, their purpose is not with us. But let us make haste before it becomes so." Legolas leaned toward his horse. "Noro lim." And his horse bolted forward, followed by Aragorn as they headed toward the shadows of several mountains off in the distance. (Run fast)

As night fell, they found another alcove to shelter themselves in from the heavy rains that had begun two hours before. There was even room for the horses, so they were brought in as well.

Aragorn made a fire using dried grasses and branches scattered about the alcove. He removed his wet tunic and laid it near the fire to dry. Then he unrolled his bedroll. "There is no need to stand watch on this night. Let us all get some rest." A moment later he rolled over on his side and promptly fell asleep.

Aleera sat shivering against the wall, her clothing soaked all the way through. She looked up as Legolas came and sat down beside her, pulling a dry cloak over them both. "Why am I feeling so cold, Legolas?"

"You are injured. I will keep you warm." Legolas guided her down on the floor and laid behind her. Beneath the cloak, he slid his arms around her from behind and pulled her close against him, mindful of the injuries on her back and shoulders. Aleera's shivers soon died down.

Aleera was ever so conscious of him behind her and the heat his body emanated. With one arm wrapped around her, just below her neck and the other wrapped around her waist, he seemed to be protecting her from more than just the cold. His breath was hot against the back of her neck and she closed her eyes to the sudden desires surfacing within her. She seemed to always be aroused when Legolas was so near her. As if in response to what she felt, Legolas brought his lips to her neck and kissed her there. She replied by wrapping her arms over his arm which was around her waist. He pulled her even closer against him and continued to kiss the back of her neck. Aleera's stomach fluttered at the contact, but she desired more than this. Having tasted his lips before, she had an urge to taste them again. She slowly and carefully turned around in his arms until she was facing him. Their eyes met. "Kiss me," she whispered to him.

Legolas closed the gap between them and brought his lips to hers. He kissed her with a lot more passion than on previous occasions. His tongue sought hers and caressed it slowly. They continued to engage in this manner, her lips soon swollen from him licking and sucking and biting them. His hand traveled up along her torso until it rested lightly over her breast. When he made no further move, she moved her own hand up over his, urging him on whatever task he had hoped to accomplish. He squeezed her breast and traced the outline of her hardened bud with his thumb.

The touch over the tunic she wore brought heat through Aleera, but she wanted him to touch her bare flesh. Again Legolas seemed to know what she wanted as the thought entered her mind. He slipped his hand beneath her tunic and his fingers brushed over her. She bit her lower lip to keep herself from voicing the pleasure she felt from his touch.

But Legolas wanted the lip she bit down on. He sucked it into his mouth while his fingers circled lightly over her bud. It elicited a soft moan from her throat. The feel of her and the sudden sound of her pleasure put him in an instant state of arousal and he had to stop now before he was no longer able to. She voiced her dismay as he reluctantly removed his hand from beneath her tunic. "Shhh, Aleera. I do not want Aragorn to awaken. Perhaps it is not the best time for this." He kissed her lips and nibbled on them one last time. "Let us rest now." Legolas pulled back slightly and remained only a couple of inches away from her lips. Her breath lingered on his face and he inhaled it deeply into his lungs, relishing in the sweet scent that reminded him of the way she tasted. She soon drifted off to sleep. He drew her slightly closer to him so that her face was pressed against his.

Two days later Legolas and Aleera heard the pounding hooves of many horses a distance away. Aragorn followed them up to a hill where they looked down at the cloud of dust traveling in their direction.

"What do you see?" asked Aragorn.

"Fifteen riders on horses." Legolas concentrated his eyes, trying to penetrate the cloud of dust around the riders. "And I shall give you two guesses as to who leads them," he said with a smile.

"The sons of Elrond," replied Aragorn, confident that his answer was correct.

Legolas turned to him with a broader smile. "I would venture to say that they are on a hunt."

Without another word, Legolas and Aragorn kicked their horses into a gallop, heading straight for the others. They were still quite a distance away, but reached them within a half hour.

Elladan and Elrohir had noticed the riders from afar and quickly discovered their identity as their adoptive brother Aragorn and their long-time friend, Legolas. When the two groups met, they stopped to greet each other.

"Suilad!" said Aragorn to the dark-haired twin elves. (greetings)

"Mae govannen," they replied in unison. (well met)

"Mas bennich?" asked Elladan of Aragorn. (where did you go)

"We traveled into the Northern Wastelands and found a land called Kozar."

Elladan gave Aragorn a frown. "You might have asked us to come along with you, Aragorn. We were dreadfully bored back home."

Aragorn turned to Legolas who raised an eyebrow at him. Then they exchanged smiles as both recalled their conversation many days ago regarding the twin sons of Lord Elrond.

Elrohir noticed the elf maid sitting behind Legolas. "Man eneth lín?" he asked her. (what is your name)

"Aleera i eneth nín," Aleera replied shyly, unable to look the other elf in the eye. (my name is Aleera)

Legolas glanced over his shoulder at Aleera, sensing her discomfort under the scrutiny of the others. She tightened her grip on his tunic and he placed a possessive hand on her thigh behind his, reassuring her that he would not let anything happen to her.

Aragorn noticed the small movement. "Come, we still have a two day journey before we reach Rivendell." Aragorn nudged his horse forward and everyone else fell in behind him.

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