Alright, new chapter a day early because I've taken my exames and I'm Frreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!... for a week. In that week, I probably won't update. I was planning on it, but apparently the internet where I'm going is on the fritz, which bites, because I was going to start pulling together a graduation gift for a friend. Oh well.
sharon: Yup, you're the first one to review. I think you reviewed within a half hour of me posting the storyquite impressive. Yeah, things are less tense now that Legolas and Lunian have things more or less worked out.
CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Long name. Anyway. Ahem goes into zombie trance Yes maaster... ;-)
HyperSquishy: I checked and rechecked. I didn't use 'possibly' in the chapter, even in the author's note. ?
SofiaB: When I first used that, I think one person got it and everyone else, if they noticed, were completely confused. 'Lord Rondy? Who's Lord Rondy? I don't remember him in the movies... doesn't sound very much like Tolkien, either...' LOL.
LJP: Is that good or bad?
The Hobbit Ivy: I completely sympathize with being interrupted. I think my roomie has radar. Anytime I'm in the midst of a good story, she has to come and tell me thousands of things I never cared to know about guys I'll never meet and don't think are cute. (read: stars).
juvenile delinquent: I have another story I'll begin posting soon. I just wanted to let it be for a little while so if I had anything completely insane in there I would be objective enough to catch it so I don't confuse people (myself too, at times). It's a Legolas/OC.
Chapter 2: Protective arrows
She closed her eyes against the sun, but accepted its warmth gladly, absently toying with her hair as it dried. "What's it like?" she asked suddenly, breaking the lazy torpor they'd fallen into.
"What is what like?"
She smiled faintly in the voice's direction, but didn't bother to turn. "Knowing you've died before."
Lunian was silent for a long time, and when she did speak, it was with uncertain hesitance. "I… I've avoided thinking about it, really."
"You shouldn't."
Carathwan snapped her head to the side, wincing at a faint crack of bones when she'd done so. Lord Glorfindel inclined his head slightly to her in greeting, before sitting down with his back to one of the near-by trees. He drew his knees up as he tilted his head back to watch the leaves above them.
"Shouldn't what?" she asked at last.
"Lunian shouldn't avoid thinking about the memories of her death."
Both slightly damp females sat up to look at him, Lunian with more understanding than Cara. "Perhaps she should have asked you."
"Asked me what?" he asked, looking slowly from her odd eyes to Carathwan's plain grey ones.
She flushed slightly and looked away.
Lunian moved forward, sitting so she was facing him, arms folded over his knees. She set her chin on her arms and studied him for a long moment. "What is it like, remembering your death?"
He closed his eyes, a look of pain touching his features for a long moment. "Painful, remembering the agony of flesh and soul at that time… but my death was far different than yours."
"Yes," she agreed, reaching up to lightly touch his cheek for an instant. "I died an old woman. You died a hero."
"You died with certainty. Were it not for my fear for the others, my concern for them… I would have died in relief."
"Relief?" Carathwan asked.
He didn't look away from Lunian's eyes. "Yes. For so long… I don't even know how long, exactly, days, weeks… maybe it was merely hours. I'm certain the historians could tell me exactly, if I truly cared to know. But for that eternity of attack I watched my house dwindle. I watched families torn asunder or completely destroyed. Friends, brothers, sisters… no one was left untouched. The House of Golden Flower was all but decimated, and my house not alone. Gondolin fell… and took much of myself with it. After so long of fighting, surviving somehow only to fight some more… only the thought of leaving those few remaining kept me from welcoming death when it came."
Lunian had moved as he spoke, and now lay curled against his chest, her ear just over his heart.
He lifted a hand, running his fingers through her hair, helping it dry as he had when she was a much younger elf… or human. That he didn't embrace her seemed sad, to Carathwan. But, really, Lunian wasn't embracing him, simply resting against him.
"What do you remember, Lunian?" he asked after a long pause.
She sighed wearily, and shook her head.
"You need to remember."
"Legolas has told me."
"But you need to remember."
"Why?" she asked, sitting up, her distress obvious enough to make him flinch.
"Lunian," he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You know you died."
"And I know how."
"But not knowing will eat at you, believe me. I… I remembered most of it, but the last moments eluded me… until suddenly rearing up." He stopped, shaking his head slightly. "It is… very troubling," he managed at last, his words stilted as he tried to explain what was hard for most elves to comprehend.
She nodded. "I know. I'm scared, too."
He snorted slightly but reached up, smoothing her hair back a bit, his fingers curving around her jaw, gathering at her chin. "What do you remember?" he asked again.
She bit her lip, and slowly shook her head, withdrawing. "No, Glorfindel. I won't. Not now."
"Why not?"
"I need Legolas," she murmured, wrapping her arms around her knees, which had been drawn tightly to her chest.
"Would you face it when with him, or would the pain of his memories stop you?" he pressed.
"Glorfindel!" she cried, covering her ears with her hands, ducking her head away from his gaze. "Stop!"
His lips pursed slightly as he reached for her, but a sudden dull thud paused his movements. He stared at the arrow protruding from the ground between himself and Lunian for a long moment, slowly looking up from it to the furious elf who had fired it. "You're back a bit early, aren't you?" he asked, withdrawing his hand.
A growling snarl of a snort was his only response as Legolas dropped to the ground behind Lunian, wrapping her tightly in his arms. He rocked her gently as she turned to him, eyes filled to overflowing with salty drops of fear and pain, soaking into his shoulder. Carathwan and Glorfindel could both see the emotions chasing across his face—worry, pain, concern, slight relief, then ruefulness as he looked at the arrow. He looked up from it to Glorfindel.
Glorfindel just smiled slightly, letting his head fall back against the trunk once more. "Don't let her hide from it, Legolas. It is a big part of your previous life together, isn't it?"
"How could it be?" Carathwan asked.
Glorfindel sighed. "Because they were both trying to deal with it the entire time, child," he stated slowly.
She could almost hear him telling her to think before speaking, and lowered her gaze to the grass between her toes.
Lunian's tears had stopped, as had Legolas's gentle rocking of her.
Carathwan waited a moment more before tentatively asking, "Lunian?"
The faintest flicker turned her friend's lips. "I'm fine," she answered, though her voice came out barely a whisper. "Sorry, love," she murmured a moment later.
"I was already preparing to return," he countered softly, voice slightly muffled by her hair. He drew back a bit, and sighed. "You do need to remember it sometime."
"And sometime, I will."
"No, love. If you put it off, I'm told it's only worse."
"How could anything be worse than leaving you to die?"
His breath whooshed out, his bright eyes darkening a bit before closing. "You gave me what hope you could."
"Which hardly kept you alive and then had to sustain you for a thousand years."
"But I made it, love, and I'm here, just as I was there. The memories are hard, yes, but I will always be here."
She looked off to the side for a moment, then nodded, curling herself up tightly before she leaned against him, her head thus tucked under his chin.
He smiled wryly and kissed her temple, before nudging her side. "Shall we head in, love?"
"I suppose," she agreed, grasping the arrow as she fluidly rose beside her prince, brushing the dirt from the tip before dropping it back into his quiver.