Disclaimer: Well lets see, this one took a long time to get out! The muse simply disappeared, and I got lazy. Sigh, anyway chapter 14 includes a lovely new character who I DON'T own! A certain marchwarden of Lorien my ladies. Yes indeed. Craig Parker is my newest crush, and eee Haldir!
Chapter 14 – Didn't you die?
Things settled into some form of normalcy for Laura and Legolas. She had agreed to go with Legolas when he took Aragorn and Arwen away from the coming preparations.
The two met every day for a lunch by their spot, and Laura again took up her position in the stables. Upon entering the stables for the first time after her incident, she rolled her eyes in disgust. Things had gone severely downhill in her absence. Piles of soiled hay lay in the corners of the stalls, and some of the horses had dirty water. "I guess I am needed for something here." She told herself.
Late one evening Laura lay on her bed exhausted. She had not even bothered to bathe when she'd returned from the stables. She slowly drifted off to sleep when a knock at the door caused her to wake, and very nearly jump out of her skin. Growling profanities under her breath, she rolled off the bed, and to the floor. With all her remaining strength she managed to crawl over to the door, and open it.
She was met with someone's feet only, so she let her eyes wander up, and over the being standing in front of her. Legolas. She found herself smiling despite her annoyance at being woken up. She noticed the looked confused, and that his eyes scanned the room for her. "Down here Legolas." She whispered. He looked down to where she was on her hands and knees looking up at him.
She giggled at the confused look upon his face, which soon changed to a look of concern. He crouched down to be at her level. "Are you well?" He asked. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You worry too much. I'm fine, just a bit tired. I thought crawling sounded like less work than walking to the door." Legolas smiled. "Allow me to help you to your bed?"
She shook her head, and turned, crawling back on her own. She turned her head around halfway there to face him, and with a grin said. "I can manage thank you, come in." Legolas did as she said, shutting the door behind him.
"So what can I do for you Leggy?" She asked while pulling herself back up onto her bed. Turning her head to face him again, she saw he once again wore a confused look on his face. She smiled at this, and rephrased her question. "What is the reason you have stopped by my room so late Legolas?"
He nodded, and took a nearby familiar seat. "I have come to discuss the day excursion with the king Aragorn and queen Arwen with you. You are to join us so I have thought you should share in the planning though if you are too weary I can return tomorrow."
Laura smiled at his constant concern for her, and makes a note to beat that out of him later, having dealt with over protective loved ones all her life. "It's okay Legs, go on." She says with a smile.
"We, my father and I were thinking that Aragorn and Arwen need to be gone for the entirety of the day. He has said I should take them to a quiet romantic location. He has also suggested I take an elleth along for my own entertainment, I will however be taking you Laura. What do you think of a quiet picnic at our little lake with the waterfall with the king and queen?"
"You want to take them to our lake?" Laura replied in disbelief, feeling hurt he would want to share it with others. Legolas sensing her change in mood frowned. "You would not?" He asked confused.
She stood from her seat on the bed, all weariness seeming to leave her, and began pacing the room. "Well Legolas, if it does not mean as much to you as it does me, then no, I would not mind sharing it with your friends."
Legolas stared incredulously as Laura paced the room, afraid that his next words would somehow set her off and begin a quarrel. "It-it means much to me Laura, but they are both very close friends, thus I see no harm in sharing it with them for one day. After all, we are not the only ones who know of it, other elves venture there daily."
Laura looked at Legolas, and frowned again. "Very well Legolas, as you wish." Legolas sensed that both were not in agreement, but he could think of no other place to take his dear friends that was far enough away, and as beautiful.
He nodded, and stood. "I shall come again tomorrow, and I would very much like it if you would join me in informing Aragorn of our plans for the day. Good evening my lady." He took her hand in his and laid a sweet and gentle kiss upon it that caused Laura to momentarily forget her anger, and subsequently melt into a puddle of goo on the floor.
Only able to nod and stare, she watched as Legolas left her room. Upon hearing the click of the door, she immediately snapped out of her reverie, and let out a torturous groan. "Bloody tease that blasted elf." She growled collapsing on her bed, and slipping under the covers.
The following morning Laura awoke later than was her normal schedule. Crawling out of bed she cursed the elf, and blamed him for her sleeping troubles of the previous night. Dressing quickly she rushed out to attend to her duties in the stables. "Lady Mel."
Turning at the sound of her name being voices, she was greeted by Aragorn standing nearby looking tired, and dirty and tending to his horse. He had requested that she not do it as he claimed only he was allowed near the horse or to touch it. He'd said that the horse had been abused by previous owners.
Smiling Laura abandoned her current task of cleaning old hay, and replacing it with new and went to hug Aragorn. "Good morning Aragorn. I trust you're well, and the lady Arwen as well?" Returning the hug tentatively Aragorn smiled. The girl had taken to hugging him whenever they met, ever since their talk in the woods. "Aye Lady Mell, we are both indeed quite well. I trust you are as well?"
Laura broke the hug and nodded to Aragorn with a smile on her face. She decided then in that moment it wasn't such a bad thing to share her and Legolas' spot with them, and she would apologize for her behavior when he'd mentioned it.
"Splendid, I really must be off now Lady Mell. Legolas had asked me to attend to something in the woods with him." Aragorn announced climbing atop his horse. "He has, has he? Well tell him I have said hello will you please?" Aragorn nodded nobly, and nudged his horses sides with his heel, causing the horse to depart Laura's company.
Sighing she returned to her work finishing in two short hours. Surprised by her early completion of her duties she returned to her room and quickly changed into clean clothes.
Laura slowly made her way down the beautifully decorated elvish corridors. To either side of her on the walls hung richly colored silk, or merely what she thought to be silk, hangings with images of golden mallorn trees, and tall snow capped mountains. Of beautiful elves of both sexes, and lovers in many different moments of their lives.
Laura admired the use of color and the amazingly intricate stitching within each hanging. She thought to herself that it surely must have taken the elves who created them months or even years to complete a single hanging.
Looking above her, as a sparkle from above caught her eye, she stopped and stared in wide eyed and in awe at the beautiful glittering ceiling above her. Jewels shone, and glistened down at her with every beam of light that they caught. She found herself walking again seemingly not of her own free will.
With each jeweled inch of ceiling that passed over her head, she found herself slipping away from herself as if she were floating away. All around her faded, sound, touch, and smell were no more, her entire being was as if it were numb, floating among the jewels.
Hearing nor seeing warning of what was ahead of her, she found herself rudely knocked to the hard cold stone floor beneath her. Being knocked back into reality so rudely Laura lowered her attention from the ceiling and down to stare at the offender. A tall blonde elf stood before her staring down, an elf she recognized from the movies.
Before she could stop herself however she found herself screaming at him. "Why don't you fucking watch where you're going would ya dude?!" The elf only stared down at her in what seemed a mixture of confusion and disgust. He seemed to sneer at her as he extended his arm out for her to take. "Allow me." He said in an emotionless deep voice.
Laura only gave him the finger, secretly hoping against hope he did understand it's meaning, and stood on her own. "Forgive me milady, I was however not walking but only standing when you walked into me. I am Haldir of Lothlorien." He offered bowing slightly, a hand to his chest. "Er, well I guess I'll have to figure you for standing in my way. I would very much like it if you would in turn forgive my initial reaction, and my walking into you."
Haldir only nodded, and turned to walk away. Confused Laura quickly made her way to his side, matching his pace, and stride. "Hey, why are you here Haldir? Lothlorien isn't too nearby as far as my memory serves me. Also, didn't you um, die?" She mumbled embarrassed.
Haldir stopped immediately and faced Laura again. "What are you asking? If I had died would I be standing before you as I am? Would I do this if I were dead?" He asked before grabbing Laura by the shoulders and pressing his lips roughly to hers.
Forcing her lips to part, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Laura dropped her arms to her side powerless to stop what was happening, and unsure if she wanted to. The kiss ended, and a smirking Haldir released a breathless Laura and turned to leave again.
Going but a few paces he turned again to face her, smirk still present on his face. "I am here at the prince Legolas' request to attend a very special nights festivities." With a final nod Haldir was gone down another passage.
Confused Laura set off in search of Legolas to ask about Haldir's part in the war of the ring. She could have sworn he had died in the second movie, and she assumed since Legolas greatly resembled Orlando Bloom that it was following the movies line of events, rather than the books. But her stomach interrupted her mission by growling a complaint for lack of food.
Changing her direction she soon found herself in the castles cast dining hall. She collected a plate full of fruits and vegetables for her lunch. She looked around the dining hall to find it was empty save for herself and a lone blonde elf in a far corner.
As if the elf knew he was being looked at he turned to look at Laura. It was him again, and that arrogant smirk formed again. Laura frowned and turned away, forcing herself not to look back. She knew she wouldn't normally do that, it wasn't in her to back down from anything or anyone.
But there was something about the elf, and he had kissed her. That kiss, it had left her completely dumbfounded, and she noticed now that her lips tingled at the mere memory of it. She almost jumped out of her skin as Haldir appeared before her and took a seat across from her.
"Would you mind if I were to join you milady?" Laura seethed inside as she gritted her teeth, formed a smile, and nodded. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Haldir of Lothlorien." He bowed his head slightly as the table would allow, and Laura swore she saw him hiding a smirk as his head bowed.
"I believe we have already met Haldir of Lothlorien, in the great jeweled halls a mere hour or less ago." Haldir smiled. "Forgive me, I have met so many elf maidens since my arrival." Laura laughed and pushed her hair back exposing her rounded ears.
"I'm afraid I am no elf friend." Haldir only nodded arrogantly. "I originally suspected as much, however I did not wish to offend you. Elf maidens indeed possess far more beauty than those of mankind." Laura stood immediately, and leaving her plate of food behind, she stalked out of the hall leaving an amused elf behind.
Laura stalked into her room in a fury of anger running directly into Legolas's back, being knocked to the ground for the second time in one day. "Dammit!" She screamed in frustration and anger. Legolas stared down at Laura in confusion.
Reaching his hand down to help her up he apologized. "Laura, forgive me, I did not mean to startle you." Taking Legolas' hand she pulled him towards her, and commanded. "Down."
He did as she said, and found his face in her hands, his lips being pulled in to hers. Losing his balance at the unexpected kiss, he tumbled down on top of her, and the two then rolled into a lying position on the floor, her on top of him now.
Laura's tongue snaked out past her lips, and his opened in response inviting her tongue in to meet his. Legolas rose a hand up to stroke her cheek, causing Laura to stare deep into his azure eyes, now dark with desire.