Between the Lines
By penpunk
Disclaimer: Not mine (the characters, places, events, ect. created by Tolkien, that is).
(A/N): Because this is coming from my mind, I have a clear sense of what is going on but I'm not entirely sure it will be as clear to you. So to combat any confusion anyone might have later in this chapter, there is a flashback within a flashback. So the whole episode where Legolas meets Elenril for the first time is a flashback within the flashback he's having. Make sense? I hope so.
Chapter 9: Open Wounds
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"Legolas!"
Kat sped her horse back towards Legolas. He managed to slash the throat of the closest orc, but still had five more descending on top of him, not giving him a chance to regain his footing. With speed she had no idea she possessed, Kat drew an arrow out of her quiver, notched it, and let it fly. Her aim was true and deadly, catching one orc in the eye. He fell back, causing the orc behind him to fall. Kat was surprised by her quick actions. It seemed the threat to Legolas' life had given her the needed push to make the kill.
Whatever the cause, this was the time Legolas needed. He jumped up and continued fighting the rest of the orcs. Kat killed one more with her bow as Legolas stabbed and slashed away with his double elven knives. As the last one fell, Kat dismounted Sitha and ran over to the blonde elf. Legolas wiped his blades clean on the clothing of one of the dead orcs and sheathed them.
"Legolas? Are you alright?" said Kat as she laid a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw the full out concern in her now blue eyes. He was so lost in their depths that he forgot that he was clutching his side. Kat saw the stained clothing under his hand and lifted it away. He hissed in pain as she moved the fabric to see the deep bloody gash that marred his side. "You're hurt."
"Obviously," choked out Legolas as he swatted her hand away and recovered the wound with his own hand. "Come, we must continue. They're may be more orcs present. We must keep riding."
Legolas started to his horse despite Kat's protests.
"Legolas, you have to do something about that wound, or would you rather bleed to death?"
Legolas grabbed the reigns of Blaith and led him over to Kat and her mount.
"Elenril, orcs don't usually travel in small packs. There are more where these came from. We are but a few hours from leaving this forest. From there, the danger is lessened and I will feel safe to stop. Now let's go."
With that note of finality, Legolas mounted his horse, but not without emitting a small groan of pain in doing so. Kat remounted Sitha and followed Legolas as he soldiered on through the forest.
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After a few hours, like Legolas said, the trees thinned out slightly. It felt good to be out from under the cover of the dense trees of Mirkwood. Kat looked over at Legolas after both were bathed in moonlight after entering open terrain. He still was clutching his chest with one hand and holding the reigns of his horse in the other. She thought it was strange that the son of an elf skilled in healing would do little to keep himself well. It also gave merit to the fact that Legolas was a very stubborn elf.
After a while of riding on the almost open and clear landscape, Kat pulled her horse up next to Legolas'. Along with clutching his side, he was also slouching in the saddle slightly, his normal posture interrupted by his wound.
"Legolas, I think it would be a good idea if we stopped," said Kat quietly as she rode next to him. He looked over at her and searched her face for a brief moment. The moonlight flooded over his face and enhanced the contours and angles of it. He showed no expression as Kat spoke, nor did he stop his horse or give her an answer. "Legolas, you are wounded. We must stop."
Finally, Legolas nodded and stopped his horse on the edge of a grouping of trees. Kat dismounted quickly and tied Sitha loosely to a tree before walking over and grabbing the reigns of Blaith. She led the horse over next to her own and tied him up. Legolas looked on from atop his dark brown stallion. Kat then turned and held an arm out to the elf to help him dismount from his horse. Legolas eyed her strangely as she offered her assistance. Kat simply grew impatient and scolded him for being stubborn.
"You hardly got on your horse in the first place. Swallow your pride for a moment and allow me to help you. That is all I'm trying to do, Legolas," said Kat as she moved her arm closer to him. Legolas finally grabbed a hold of it, trying hard not to allow his full weight to fall on her. As much as he'd like to swallow his pride and have her carry him off his horse, for the pain in his side was worthy of that sort of treatment, he wasn't going to give into her that easily. He may be wounded, but his pride was very much intact. He tried to keep in a slight groan of pain as he slid off, but was unable to as the position he slid into put pressure on the wound. He let himself of the horse quickly and his full weight fell onto Kat. She buckled slightly under the pressure of his weight but held her ground and helped him up into a standing position.
Kat then led Legolas to the base of one of the trees and sat him down. Legolas leaned back on the trunk of the tree, still clutching his wound. Kat bent down next to him and removed his hand from the gash. Under only moonlight, she could hardly see a thing so she gathered up wood and started a fire. She returned to Legolas' side and began to examine the wound again. It was much deeper then she had thought, although it was hard to make any sort of assessment with the layers of clothing that Legolas was wearing.
"I'm not going to be able to do anything unless you take off your tunics," said Kat as she sat cross-legged in front of Legolas. He nodded and reached up to take off his quiver, but the movement irritated the wound even more.
"Here, let me," said Kat as she began to unbuckle the straps. She pulled the quiver over his head and set it aside. Legolas began to remove his outer tunic as Kat stood up and started to walk back towards the horses.
"In my bag," said Legolas as he struggled to pull his tunic over his head, "is a small woven satchel. It has a small supply of healing items."
Kat nodded and walked over to Blaith. She dug around in Legolas' bag for a moment before finding the satchel. As she walked back to Legolas, she was taken aback slightly at the sight of Legolas sitting shirtless in the moonlight. His perfectly sculpted elven body looked magnificent in the moonlight, his fair skin shining brightly. After a few moments, she realized that she had been staring at him for a while. She regained her senses and started walking back over to him.
Sitting down in front of him once again, she handed him the satchel. Legolas dug through it until he pulled out a jar filled with a green paste. He handed it to Kat before digging through the bag again. Kat opened the jar and sniffed the contents cautiously. She made a face of disgust as she covered the jar quickly.
"That is possibly the most awful thing I've ever smelled," said Kat as she screwed the jar's lid on tightly. Legolas merely chuckled as much as his wound would allow.
"It is foul, I know, but it works wonders," said Legolas as he pulled out a roll of cloth. "It is a recipe I found in a book in Rivendell. A Númenórean healing paste, I believe. Strange thing really. It uses athelas, which is known for its lovely smell, but when mixed with everything else, it makes it positively awful."
"No kidding," said Kat as she scrunched her face in revulsion. Legolas looked at her for a moment before laughing as much as the wound would allow. Kat looked up at him from the jar and eyed him strangely.
"I am sorry," said Legolas, still sputtering laughter as he tried to speak. "It's just the look on your face. I could not help myself from laughing. Please forgive me for doing so."
Kat watched Legolas regain composure slowly before looking back down at the jar. In the back of her mind, she thought about how good it was to actually see the elf smile and laugh for once. Too many times had Kat been the source of unhappiness for Legolas, and she had been doing it unknowingly. She couldn't imagine what Elenril had done purposefully to make Legolas unhappy. She just wished that Elenril was somewhere other than her modern body. To think about what a horrid person could possibly be doing to her reputation back in her own time was enough to make Kat sick.
"Elenril?"
Kat was brought back to the moment as Legolas spoke. She shook her head quickly and focused on the issue at hand.
"How do you use this stuff?" she asked as she held up the jar in her hand. Legolas handed her the roll of cloth he had taken out of the satchel.
"Fill the gash with the paste and then wrap it with cloth," said Legolas as he moved away from the tree and sat up as straight as possible. Kat opened the jar once again and scooped up some of the paste on her forefinger and lightly dabbed it into the gash on Legolas' side. Legolas winced slightly but remained still as Kat finished filling the gash. She then took the cloth and wrapped it around Legolas' chest.
"It's not too tight, is it?" asked Kat as she finished wrapping.
"No, it's perfect, thank you," said Legolas. He looked on as Kat tied the wrapping securely and smoothed it out. She looked up and locked eyes with the elf sitting across from her. He was staring at her with one of his intense, yet soft gazes. This was a new stare for Legolas, at least where Kat was concerned. His eyes usually held contempt. They didn't now, though Kat wasn't sure what to make of his eyes now. She looked away quickly after growing uncomfortable.
"Well," said Kat as she wiped her hands and closed the jar of healing paste, "I think you'll live."
Legolas gave her a half smile as he nodded and started to redress himself. As he slipped his outer tunic over his head, he looked back up at Kat.
"I don't think I ever thanked you for what you did back there in the forest, but I. . . er, well, thank you and. . . uh, if there is any way I can repay you. . . ."
Kat smiled as Legolas stumbled through his appreciation speech and stopped him mid-sentence.
"I think we're even Legolas," said Kat.
Legolas nodded after thinking about it for a moment. This woman was beginning to confuse him greatly. She had changed; there was no doubt about that. Was his father right when he talked about Elenril accepting the Valar? Had she moved away from the life her mother had chosen? Was the Avari in Elenril gone? It was very possible considering the kind of elf she was the last time Legolas had seen her
*****(Flashback)*****
Thranduil sat at his desk, his face set in deep thought as his fingers strummed on the desktop. Legolas sat across from him, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Thranduil looked up at his son. His brow furrowed at the look on his son's face and his demeanor.
"Do not fret Legolas," said Thranduil as he stood up and walked around the desk. "I'm sure Lady Elenril has a perfectly good reason for not being here."
Legolas looked up from his hands up to his father.
"A perfectly good reason? This wasn't an appointment, father. It was our wedding. A ceremony to bind us together for eternity," said Legolas before returning his head into his hands.
"I know son, and that is my point. Only something dire would have prevented her from not showing up. As soon as Lady Elenril returns, we'll assemble everyone and resume the ceremony."
Legolas did not answer. He was still ruminating over the events from earlier. He had stood at the altar for a very long time, waiting for Elenril to show up. Their guests, made up of elves from Mirkwood, Aelin-Brethil, Lorien, and Rivendell waited patiently, as is with elves. Legolas, however, was not waiting patiently. As time passed slowly, his hope for her arrival faded until at last, Thranduil announced that the ceremony would be postponed for the time being.
Afterwards, Elladan and Elrohir tried to cheer up Legolas as they usually did when something was wrong by annoying Arwen in all ways possible but even the antics of the twins would not chase away the sorrow Legolas was feeling for he was deeply in love with Elenril. The way she made him feel was like no other. He had been waiting for this day ever since he first laid eyes on the princess.
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She had been riding from Aelin-Brethil with a party of Elves, including Queen Luinuial's advisor who was paying a visit to the North Realm for reasons unknown to Legolas. That day, Legolas had been away celebrating with the men of Esgaroth over the victory over a small conflict that was fought. Some of the men had gotten carried away with the ale and had run in the depths of the dark forest of Mirkwood. Legolas and Galarien took the responsibility of finding the men and bringing them back to Laketown before they were devoured by a giant spider.
Legolas rode through the hours of the night and finally had brought back all the men but one. He rode back into the trees to search for the man. He didn't have to search long. As he came to a small clearing, he could see the man standing in the middle of it, looking up at a figure a top a horse at the edge of the trees.
He rode to the clearing and dismounted. The man from Esgaroth stood staring at the dark figure as Legolas approached him. He put a hand on the man's shoulder and led him back to his horse before walking back to the clearing.
"You must be Legolas," said the figure as it rode forward. Legolas saw that a top the horse was an elf, with long dark hair, dressed in a dark green gown.
"I am," he said as he stepped closer. "How did you know?"
"You're a splitting image of your father," said the elf. She rode forward, stopping in front of Legolas. "There was no mistaking you."
The way she was looking at Legolas with her deep green eyes made him uncomfortable and enthralled all at the same time. She was an image of beauty surpassing that of all elves thought Legolas but her eyes held much more.
"And who are you, My Lady?" asked Legolas quietly.
"I am Elenril, Princess of Aelin-Brethil. I am visiting your home for a brief time," she said in a cool tone. Legolas stood entranced as she spoke. Never had anyone had this effect on him before. He couldn't figure it out but the way she looked and spoke sucked him in and she held him there with her eyes. Their depths so green that it looked as though they were mirrors, reflecting the color of the forest around them.
It was only when Galarien rode up behind Legolas that he was brought out of the trance Elenril had put him into.
"Good, you found him," said Galarien as he dismounted and walked over to Legolas. Legolas turned to his friend and greeted him. Galarien then looked up at Elenril. "And who is this?"
"Princess Elenril of Aelin-Brethil," said Legolas. "This is my dear friend Galarien."
"Princess, welcome," said Galarien as he smiled up at her. "What are you doing riding by yourself at night? These woods are not safe."
"I can take care of myself, dear Galarien," said Elenril, speaking with a touch of arrogance. "It is you who should be worried."
"Why is that?"
Elenril smiled as her eyes flitted over to Legolas.
"Because it is not safe to be riding in the dark when there are creatures like me on the loose," she said. He eyes lingered a little on Legolas before turning back to Galarien, who chuckled a little at the princess' comment. "Now, Galarien, would you mind doing me a favor?"
"Anything."
"Would you escort that lost man back to his home. I would like Legolas to escort me back to his home."
Galadriel's face fell slightly at the request but brightened when he saw the small smile creep across Legolas' face as his name was mentioned.
"Certainly my Lady," said Galarien as he bowed. He turned and gave a quick wink to Legolas before leading the intoxicated man out of the forest. Legolas remounted his horse and rode through the forest, back to his home, with Elenril at his side.
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"Legolas?"
Legolas was brought out of his thoughts as his father spoke and laid a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I am sorry father. I was lost in my thoughts," said Legolas.
"I know you were," said Thranduil as he squeezed Legolas' shoulder.
A knock on the door caused both elves to turn. Thranduil walked over and opened the door. The elf on the other side said a few quiet words that not even Legolas could pick up with his sharp elven ears. Thranduil turned to his son as the elf left.
"Elenril has arrived," said Thranduil. Legolas stood up quickly.
"And?" said the elf prince impatiently as he walked over to his father.
"She was escorted back by a group of Lake-men," said Thranduil. Legolas' face grew puzzled. "I know no more than what I was just told but I suggest you go to her. Come back after and I will send word that the ceremony is back on."
Legolas nodded as he walked briskly out the door. He tried hard to keep himself from breaking out into a full run as he went through the halls. Finally, he reached the entrance to the palace and walked outside. Elenril was waving to a group of men on horse back riding into the forest. She turned away from them and saw Legolas walking towards her.
"Hello Darling," she said as Legolas stood in front of her.
"Elenril, what happened? Are you alright?" asked Legolas as he looked over his betrothed.
"Of course I am," she said with a laugh. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you weren't here," said Legolas, trying to sort things out.
"I know I wasn't," she said as she started towards the palace doors. "Those nice Lake-men were going hunting and I asked if I could join them. Legolas, you should have come with us, it was so exhilarating!"
"What?" said Legolas with shock. "You accompanied those men instead of being here?"
"Yes, so what?"
Legolas grabbed Elenril softly by the elbow and turned her around to face him.
"We were to be married today, Elenril," said Legolas. The deep hurt was clear in his voice.
"Were we?" asked Elenril. She shrugged. "Must have slipped my mind. Anyway, the Lake-men were-."
"Slipped your mind?" asked Legolas. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around everything. "Are you telling me that you forgot about our wedding?"
"I believe that is what I said Legolas," Elenril put her hands on her hips and look at Legolas with annoyance.
Legolas sputtered for a moment as he tried to form words to convey his feelings.
"How could you Elenril? Don't you love me?"
At this, Elenril laughed, causing Legolas' face to fall.
"Of course I do Darling, but I love a lot of things."
"But you agreed to marry me."
"I know I did," said Elenril. "But truthfully, I never had any intention of actually doing it."
"What?"
"Sorry Legolas, but I don't want to marry you. I mean, you were fun to have around for a while but frankly, I'm bored. You don't want me to be bored, do you?" Elenril moved closer to Legolas and traced a finger down his chest.
"Well, no-."
"Good," said Elenril, cutting him off. "Then we want the same thing. You don't want me to be bored and since you've lost your novelty, its time for me to move on."
"I don't understand," said Legolas. He was at a loss for any feeling.
"It's quite simple," said Elenril. "Goodbye Legolas."
*****(end flashback)*****
Kat watched Legolas fall into deep thought. Many emotions crossed his face and made her wonder what he was thinking about. She moved closer to the elf and cautiously laid a hand on his arm.
"Legolas, are you alright?" she asked. It took a moment for him to respond. He nodded and looked down at the hand on his arm. He then looked back up and at Kat.
"Yes, I'm fine," he said quietly. Kat removed her hand and moved away from him slightly, fearing he might get uncomfortable.
"Actually, I'm not fine," said Legolas after a long pause. Kat looked at him with concern.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"It's what you are saying, the way you're acting," said Legolas. "You act as if you are concerned for me. You pretty much saved my life back in the forest. I just don't understand, Elenril. What has happened to you? Why are you so different? Or is it just another act? Something to fool me with like you did last time."
Kat sat in silence as she listened to Legolas. After he finished speaking, a tiny voice popped in the back of her head, urging her to tell Legolas the truth. Urging her to tell Legolas that she isn't Elenril or an Elf, but a modern woman locked in the body of an elf with one hell of a reputation.
"What is it Elenril? I need to know," Legolas sounded as if his very sanity rested on her answer.
"Legolas," began Kat, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Kat took a deep breath, the voice in her head getting louder, pushing her to tell him the whole story.
"Legolas, I. . . ."
The blonde elf sat, waiting for an answer. He raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue.
"I. . . ."
He still waited.
"Yes?"
Kat sighed deeply. There was no way he would believe her. In fact, she had the distinct feeling that her answer would only anger Legolas.
"I've changed," she said finally.
"That is obvious," said Legolas.
"Time can do that to you," continued Kat. "Even elves are capable of change."
Legolas looked at her for a moment before standing up.
"Come, we need to continue riding through the rest of the night."
He held a hand out to her, which she took. She stood up, careful not to cause anything to spark pain in Legolas' now healing wound. As she stood, he did not let go of her hand, instead holding it in both of his hands. He stood in silence for a few moments before speaking.
"I like the change," he said as he gave Kat's hand a light squeeze. He then let go and walked over to the horses, mounting Blaith. Kat walked over to Sitha and mounted her, still trying to figure out what Legolas meant. Had he forgiven Elenril? She had no idea but decided that whatever he meant, he was at peace with something inside himself. At least, that's what she hoped for.
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Ahhh! I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated in like, forty years. I do have my reasons though none of them are proper excuses for what I did. I will say that this chapter was freakin' hard to get out. I know what I wanted to happen, it just was a very hard transition from my head to my hands. But it's finally done. Yay! Hopefully, the next chapter won't be so hard or take me as long to write. I will try and update as much as possible but I'm starting new classes and I'm taking a larger class load so once I get back in the swing of things, I'll be able to tell how much writing time I'll have. Hope everyone had a lovely lovely holiday! Thanks to all my reviewers. Responses to those reviews are in the Index. I also started a yahoo group so anyone who wants to get an email when I update is welcome to join.