Disclaimer: I don't own anyone that was ever in the movies/books.
Author's note: Third chapter. Hope you all like how it's turning out, and hope I can actually finish this before everyone looses interest. Thank you all for your reviews! They really helped me write! Honest, they did!Chapter Three: Avo 'Osto! (Fear Not!)
The footsteps echoed around the halls of Legolas' home, the prince escorting the maiden through the corridors. Legolas was dressed in a pale green tunic and pants, his pale hair in two small plaits that ran from his temples and joined the rest, which was left free.
Selene wore the best dress she had; a shade of dark red with a full skirt that nearly reached her feet, and sleeves that were wide and long. Her dark wavy hair framed her face that was made pale with nervousness. Her arm trembled in his.
They were headed for the balcony that faced the forest behind his home, where the King and Queen of Mirkwood waited for them. Just the day before Thranduil spoke to Legolas, saying he would be happy to set aside time for them to meet the girl that was with their son so often. Selene agreed, however hesitant.
She was nervous with the very thought of meeting the royal pair; but it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Everything she imagined that could go wrong flashed through her head all at once. She wasn't normally a paranoid person, but she was so anxious her mind was beyond her control. She was half-conscious of the fact that she was still walking down the hallway; Legolas was guiding her, so she had no concerns over getting lost or stumbling.
'What if they do not like me? What if I stutter or unknowingly insult his mother? What if they deem me unworthy of their son's friendship? What if I spill my drink on myself- or worse, them? Oh, there are so many things that could go wrong! What if…'
'What if they suspect?…'
She unconsciously stopped, her face paler than ever and her dark eyes widening. Legolas stopped beside her, his blue eyes watching her with part concern and part questioning.
'…What if they know?'
"Selene?"
Her mind suddenly snapped back at the sound of the familiar soft voice, her head suddenly snapping to her right to see Legolas standing beside her, watching her with concern.
"Are you all right?"
She suddenly felt her face grow hot with the embarrassment of letting herself become so distracted. "I…" Her left hand came to her face in a half-hearted attempt to hide her blush. "… am fine. Just nervous."
He smiled in an attempt to reassure her. "Avo 'osto! My parents are reasonable elves. Surely they won't judge you right away. And they would find no fault in you."
She lowered her head and took a deep breath, willing her trembling to stop. She managed to muster up a small smile before looking back up at Legolas, whose smile grew.
"Tolo hi! (1) My parents are waiting just a few rooms further."
With that they continued, Selene gathering most of her composure. She kept the small smile in place as they passed by three more arched doorways before coming to one that had no door. It was in this one they entered, passing through the wide doorway. They immediately beheld the room beyond it, open to the outside with the treetops dominating the view. The white stone floor shone brightly in the sunlight. Several benches- all of the same white stone- were arranged suitably for conversation. A small table was placed in the middle of the arrangement, an elegantly carved piece that fit in nicely with the room. On one of the benches sat the King and Queen of Mirkwood, both facing the pair that stood just beyond the doorway. Thranduil was dressed in a tunic and pants of earthly tones, an elven crown holding his fair hair back. His green eyes carefully studied the young pair before him, but kept a welcoming expression. He could easily sense the young maiden's anxiety. His wife, who sat to his left, was clad in a dress a light purple in color. Her dark hair was loosely kept back. Her blue eyes also watched the two in the room, yet with a warm smile.
"Adar, Naneth- this is Selene."
The elf in question lowered her head in a sign of polite respect and greeting. She still somehow managed to keep the small smile in place.
The prince led her to a bench just across from his parents where they sat, him releasing her arm. She let her hands rest in her lap, unable to think of anything else to do with them.
"Mae govannen(2), Selene," greeted Thranduil, nodding as she returned the greeting. "Our son has told us much about you."
"Indeed," added his wife, "and he speaks fondly of you."
'Naneth!' Legolas cried mentally, trying to hold back the rush of heat that threatened to rise into his face. He knew his parents would embarrass him somehow!
Selene glanced at the elf sitting beside her, slight surprise in her dark eyes. However the emotion faded and she smiled slightly. She realized Legolas only became more handsome when he blushed.
Thranduil smiled, noting the expressions of both the young ones. "Legolas tells us that Tegalad and Silivrenniel were the ones that agreed to take you in. I trust they have been treating you well?"
The maiden's gaze returned to the elven king, some of her nervousness receding. She nodded once, the slight waves of her hair following the movement. "Yes. Very well, if I were to be completely honest. Almost as though I was their very own. It was Silivrenniel who made the dress I am wearing now. I didn't know of it until she gave it to me. They've both been so kind to me… I feel I may never be able to repay them…" It was almost impossible to hide the emotion in her eyes. She was truly grateful for everything the older couple had done for her; they treated her as if she was their own daughter. She didn't deserve it. If they only knew the real reason why she was here in Mirkwood, they wouldn't treat her so…
If only they knew…
Time passes…It had gone well. They talked for nearly an hour and a half before the younger pair left, the prince escorting the maiden. The king and queen had risen to their feet as their son and his companion had, him embracing first his father then his mother before he left. The parents watched them leave the room, waiting until they were sure they were out of their hearing range. Then Thranduil turned towards his wife, who still held her gaze at the doorway.
"Selene certainly does seem to be a fine young woman. However I sense something… different about her."
She didn't turn her eyes away from the doorway. "Yes; I noticed it as well. But I feel our son doesn't."
The elven king nodded, his eyes darkening with thought. It was true; by the standards of Men, their son appeared to be at the age of nineteen- no longer a child, yet just barely an adult. He was inexperienced in life, and if they weren't careful to guide him his mistakes could lead to disaster- or worse.
"He is young, and thus may be unable to perceive it as well as we do. I can't help but to think that we may have to control this situation somehow."
The elven queen then turned toward her husband, her eyes somewhat alarmed. "If we forbid them from meeting… He would not take to that at all. He truly does care for her…"
Thranduil released a faint sigh, his eyes returning to the empty doorway. He knew it was true. Legolas seemed to be quite fond of Selene, and there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that his son wouldn't let her go so easily. "There is nothing we can do- for now, at least. We can only wait and see how this develops as time progresses."
Several days later…Several clouds dotted the sky above the woods of Mirkwood, casting odd shadows here and there along the landscape. Below the canopy, Selene stood leaning forwards against a large tree. This time she wore a rather plain blue dress, her hair left down. Her hands were up near her face as she counted out loud. When her countdown was completed, she turned around and began to look- primarily upwards.
They had begun this game when Legolas had tried to teach her how to talk with the trees. He taught her what he knew, then tested her by hiding in the woods while she tried to find him, using the trees as an aid. Now it had become their regular game; the trees were left out, but they seemed to be perfectly glad having two Elves play in their midst. Legolas would often hide up in their branches, the trees silently giggling as they shared in his mirth.
She carefully observed the ground as well as the treetops. As usual, the male elf was wearing earthen colors, making him much more difficult to spot in the woods. Selene traveled several steps to the northeast, gently letting her slender hand rest on the trunk of a nearby tree. It was happy, and it made her smile; a happy forest was a healthy forest.
She then continued on, carefully walking several more feet, touching each tree she passed. They were all happy, and she continued to smile. Taking several more steps, she reached out for the next tree. As she did, a cloud passed over, making the forest become ominously dark.
Her smile suddenly fell.
It was weeping?…
She hurried forward, reaching for another nearby tree. It was weeping as well, only more so.
Why would they be weeping?
A rustle made her quickly look a little to her right. The trees off in the distance began to tremble, the leaves quaking on their branches. It wasn't caused by a sudden gust of wind; it was too organized, too linear. And it was heading straight toward her.
A flash of dull gray in the distance made her realize what it was. Her dark eyes suddenly widened in complete and utter terror. Legolas' voice echoed in her mind.
'When Dark Creatures near, the trees weep; when they pass, they wail.'
The Dark Creatures were coming. For her.
The tree's weeping became more intense. It was coming closer.
Her hand flew off the tree, her taking flight back the way she came. She didn't know where she was going; Dark Creatures terrify her beyond all reasoning. The world around her was a green and brown blur, save a small area directly in front of her. The small area was perfectly, painfully clear: a safe place that was further away the faster she ran.
She continued to run, her chest beginning to heave for breath, her breathing becoming a raspy gasp. Her dark hair seemed to fly behind her. She didn't know how fast she ran; she could hear it gaining speed behind her, pursuing her. She didn't know what direction she was going; she had to constantly dodge trees, just barely avoiding their slightly upraised roots. She didn't know how far she had run; her world had become a blur of the forest passing by. And yet all she could think of was the dark eyes that once bore into her own, making her insides feel as though they were on fire. The malice in them seemed to glow with a red light as their owner grinned, his horrid and discolored teeth gleaming in the firelight. Then the dark and hideous face turned away slightly, and then there was a splatter of hot substance on her face-
She was violently ripped from the forced memory as her foot suddenly found a root of a tree she was passing in her panicked sprint. With a cry she twisted in mid fall, landing on her right side at the base of a large tree. Her ankle throbbed, but she couldn't focus on it. The terror still ran exceedingly high through her. The leaves rustled a short distance away, and her wide eyes quickly turned towards the source of the noise.
It was still coming. And there was nothing she could do.
Her breath caught in her throat and she dragged herself across the ground, moving closer to the tree. Still on her right side, her legs curled up beside her in a desperate attempt to keep as far away from it as possible. Her arms came tightly to her chest, her becoming as small as she possibly could.
And yet it came. Slowly, as it knew its prey was wounded and cornered. It knew she couldn't run. There was no need to rush.
And suddenly Selene was aware of the many-faceted eyes staring at her, the pincer-like mandibles opening and closing slowly with toxin-green saliva seeping from its jaws. Small hairs stuck stiffly out from its chitin-covered body, each of its eight legs taking their time to take their own individual step closer to her. If it had stood up straight on all eight legs, it would have been as high as her hips at the very most. But it was the biggest and most terrifying spider she had ever seen. Both due to the fact that it was a Creature of the Dark, spawned by Melkor or one of his foul underlings. And its next meal was going to be her.
It was now five feet away at the most, and still advancing slowly. The elven maiden pushed herself back further against the tree, her arms pressing even tighter to her chest. It was then she screamed, the shrill sound cutting through the forest and making the trees shudder at the terror within it.
Still it came, taking more steps slowly, almost tauntingly, almost getting three feet from her. Then there was a swift movement above and a blur in front of her that stopped at the ground, hardly even an inch from the face of the beast. Startled, it quickly moved backwards a pace; hissing and loosing even more noxious spittle.
A feathered arrow stood stuck in the ground, still quivering slightly from its flight.
A gasp barely had time to escape from her before an earthen-colored blur fell to the ground, landing gracefully on its feet directly in front of her. There he stood, blue eyes deep and intense, staring down the shaft of another arrow at the creature before him.
"Stay back!" the prince of Mirkwood ordered it, the string of his bow stretching back fully in the promise of the warning. "Come no closer to her!"
For several moments nothing moved- the trees stood silent, and Selene had long since lost her breath. Then one of the front legs of the spider raised slowly, carefully putting it back down one step forward.
"Back to the hell that spawned you."
Legolas released the arrow. It flew straight and true, deeply embedding into the eyes of the beast.
With an otherworldly screech it reared up, its front four legs flailing in the air similar to that of a frightened horse. Within an instant another arrow was fitted into the bow and aimed, but not fired. The oversized arachnid jerked violently to its left then right, trying to displace the object causing such pain. Its movements began to slow and it struggled less. Then finally, with a last screech, it threw itself back, almost standing up on its back two legs. Then it toppled backwards, landing on its back and its legs folding up against its underbelly. It didn't move from that position. It was dead.
For several moments afterwards Legolas didn't move, his eyes and ears tuned to the forest, listening for any other sound of any similar beasts nearby. However the moments passed and he heard nothing. The arrow was placed back into his quiver and his bow was replaced. He then turned towards the female that was still curled against the tree. Her dark eyes- still wide and frightened- were fixed on the sight of the dead spider several feet away. Her face was unnaturally pale, and appeared even more so with her dark hair framing her face. Her dress had become somewhat tattered during her run for her life, and was dirty from the dirt of the ground.
"Selene…"
Still she stared at the spider, her arms beginning to tremble despite being tightly held against her.
Legolas stepped directly in front of her, kneeling down onto both knees so he could look directly into her eyes. With her view of the spider obstructed, her eyes suddenly focused on him. He observed her carefully, looking for any injuries with concerned, almost worried eyes.
"Man mathach?(3) Are you hurt?"
For a few moments she could only stare at him; her eyes were still wide, but the terror in them had dimmed to an extent. Her breath was still lost and for a moment he had the horrifying thought that she looked almost as though she had died terrified where she sat. Then relief seemed to wash over her, and she let out a sound that was something between a gasp and a sob. The next thing Legolas knew Selene's face was buried in the upper chest of his shirt, her arms still held tightly to herself. Her entire body trembled.
It took several moments for his surprise to wear off. His eyes still concerned, he gently put his right hand on her back. Her head moved slightly, and her whispered words just barely reached his ears.
"Im gosta(4)…"
His heart ached to see her like this. She seemed so small now, trembling against him in need for comfort. Her eyes seemed to pierce into his own when they had focused on him, and she was just so terrified…
His right arm stretched across her back, and his left across her upper back. She needed comforting; who was he to deny her it?
"Avo 'osto," he said quietly, hoping to ease her fear. "I am here. Nothing will harm you now."
"Gen hannon(5)…"
He let himself hold her a little closer, and she didn't seem to object. Her trembling still hadn't abated and her breathing still came out ragged. So he continued to hold her, gently letting his head rest slightly against hers, her hair soft against his right cheek. He could feel her chest rise and fall irregularly, her arms pressing up against his upper body whenever she inhaled.
It wasn't long, a few minutes perhaps, before her breathing evened and she stirred. Legolas released her slowly, smiling as she slowly pulled herself away from him.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, embarrassed of her reactions. She didn't look at him, and instead kept her eyes towards the ground.
"You have nothing to apologize for," he responded, and his smile grew when her eyes, still dark and troubled yet at the same time hopeful, raised to meet his. She didn't return his smile, but he could see how grateful she was for him being there in her eyes.
"Can you stand?" he asked her, getting to his feet before offering her his hand to aid her.
She accepted it and, with her other hand on the tree, slowly stood up. "Yes, but… I think I hurt my ankle when I fell…" She slowly put weight on her injured foot, only to wince and quickly lift it back up.
Concerned now that he knew she was injured, he carefully analyzed the situation. She wasn't entirely over her scare; not only could he see it in her eyes but her arms still trembled as well. Her ankle, not to mention the various scratches she obtained during her panicked run, had to be treated soon. They needed to see Tegalad and Silivrenniel to explain what had happened, and he needed to tell his father of the creature in the woods. There really was only one solution.
Selene gasped as she was suddenly swept up off her feet, feeling arms around her back and under her knees. She instinctively tensed, finding herself several feet off the ground. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked at Legolas, who she was physically closer to now than she was hardly a minute ago. He just reassured her with a smile and an "I apologize if I startled you. But you need to get home, and it's obvious you can't walk." She slowly relaxed and he started walking, being careful not to jostle her.
Time passes…Selene still hadn't recovered from her earlier terror; Legolas could still feel her shaking in his arms, and see that her eyes were still darkened and distant. It seemed to him that it would be a while before her unfortunate experience would fade.
Silivrenniel and Tegalad were surprised at their arrival together, and were even more surprised to find their adopted daughter in the arms of the prince. Their surprise quickly gave way to worry when they realized she was injured and the look in her eyes. Legolas carefully passed Selene to Tegalad as he explained what had happened, wisely stopping after the part where he had killed the spider. As the elder elf quickly carried Selene to her bedroom, Silivrenniel thanked the elven prince profusely, looking so sincere and grateful that for a moment Legolas was absolutely positive she was going to suddenly and fiercely hug him. But by some force of willpower she didn't, and only continued to thank him. She then led him deeper into her home and into Selene's bedroom.
It was easy to see that the elderly couple did think much of the child in their care. Hues of brown and beige decorated the room. It was well furnished, with a wide window to let in the sunlight. A pale coverlet was spread over her bed, seemingly reflecting the light further into the room. Selene sat up on the bed, her back cushioned by pillows against the wall as her adoptive father treated a scratch on her arm. She was still shaking, and her eyes were still distant. Clearly there was more to it than just being hunted by the giant spider, but the thought was faintly regarded before being set aside. Legolas was more concerned about her physical well being.
"It may be a week before she walks again," announced Tegalad, pausing for a moment in his work as his silver-tinted eyes turned towards the younger male elf in the room. "If it wasn't for you, she would have never returned home. We are in your debt, Prince Legolas."
He shook his head and smiled, his blue eyes reassuring them against the possibilities of them owing him anything. "I would never let any harm befall her. I would gladly protect her; she will always be guarded by my bow." After this, he seemed to pause. "However, there is one thing I would like to ask of you."
"Anything."
The blue eyes slid towards the maiden sitting on the bed, whose dark eyes were watching him as well.
"I would like to come and visit Selene until she heals; if you would allow me."
Silivrenniel smiled, her blue-green eyes lighting up. She noticed Selene instantly reacted to the words, her own demeanor lightening. "I see no harm in it," the elderly female said to her husband. "No doubt Selene will become rather bored while she is bedridden."
Tegalad had also noticed his adoptive daughter's reaction to the request. Although he appeared youthful, he had many decades of experience in life and almost everything within it. He recognized the look in Legolas' eyes as his gaze fell upon Selene.
Tegalad smiled. Perhaps his daughter would be well off in the future…
"Yes, perhaps it would be wise for you to keep her company. She does seem to prefer yours over anyone else's."
This time it was Selene's turn to be embarrassed, the blush rising quickly to her face. Legolas couldn't help but to notice how the sunlight accentuated the red of her cheeks, or how her hair seemed to glow in the bright beams.
It wouldn't be until later Legolas would make his leave, promising to return the next day.
To be continued…(1)- Come now!
(2)- Well met.
(3)- How do you feel?
(4)- I'm afraid
(5)- I thank you
Author's note: Ten page chapter! Longest one so far! So, how did I do? Next chapter coming… well, sometime. Hopefully soon.