Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or Beorn

Chapter 6

Promises

Legolas couldn't let go of her. He didn't want to let go. He just wanted to keep kissing her. The way she ran her hands over him, the way she felt in his arms, it just felt natural and exciting. The way her tongue gently licked his lips and the way her hands tickled the back of his neck aroused him. He eventually pulled back for breath. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes were sparkling, a clear sign she was in love. He rested his forehead against hers as they both panted for breath. Sky wrinkled her nose. "You need a bath," she said, "I know where some hot springs are." She stood up and led the way through the forest.

The spring was filled with clean hot water, heated by the rocks of some ancient volcano. Sky moved to leave him to some privacy but he grabbed her arm. "Sky, join me," he said softly. Sky hesitated for a moment then nodded. She undid the fastening of his cloak and let it drop. She slid her feet out of her boots and her fingers gently undid his belt and cast it aside. They pulled off his tunic, shirt and wrist guards and threw them into a pile. Legolas pulled his feet out of his boots. His fingers gingerly went to the laces of her tunic and began to undo them. By the grace of some god, Sky had been endowed with a large chest, clearly shown when the few laces of her tunic were undone. Legolas' breathing got faster. She slid out of the tunic and dropped it. She was bare for only Legolas to see. She moved slowly and slid into the water. Legolas took off his trousers, which were beginning to feel rather tight. He climbed in after her. Sky slowly turned to look at him. She moved forward and kissed him. Legolas held her to him tightly. Sky could feel his arousal pressing against her. Her shoulders were covered in goosebumps where the cold air teased her skin. Legolas could tell that she was cold. He gently dipped both of them beneath the water. When they came back up, the water had straightened Sky's long black curls. For a long time they just looked at each other. A pair of blue eyes looking straight into another. "Why do you hide here?" Legolas asked eventually.

"I'm protected here," she replied, "Suiadan can't find me."

"Sky, come home," Legolas said, "Your family is worried about you. They fear you may be dead."

"I can't," she said, "If I go home, Suiadan will find me and he'll kill me now."

"No," said Legolas gently, "I won't let him."

"You can't watch me day and night," she said.

"I can try," said Legolas. Suddenly an idea hit him.

"Come to Mirkwood," he said.

"What?" said Sky.

"Come to Mirkwood," he repeated, "Suiadan will never find you there and we can be together."

"Legolas," said Sky, "I do want to be with you but I fear there will be another war before long."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been translating some ancient text for Suiadan," she said, "There was something in there about creating the ultimate orc warrior. An unstoppable killer."

"He has the translations?" Sky nodded. Legolas looked down at the water.

"Why?" he said simply, "Why did you do it?" Sky didn't answer; she began to sob. Legolas looked up at her face. Sky backed away from him. "Please don't be angry," she said. Legolas moved towards her but Sky backed away even further until she hit the other side of the spring. "Sky," Legolas said softly, "I'm not angry with you." Sky looked at him. "You're not?" she said.

"No," said Legolas, "You were doing what you thought was right. I just want to know why."

"I…I was scared," she said, "I was scared he would kill me then he started getting violent." Legolas moved forward in the water and placed one hand on her cheek. Sky looked at him. "It's alright to be scared sometimes," he said before gently kissing her. He eventually tore his lips away from hers and started kissing her along her jaw. Sky's lips found their way to his ear, one of his most sensitive areas. "Sky," he breathed, "You have no idea what you are doing to me." He started to attack her neck with his lips. His teeth gently bit at her skin causing her to gasp. One of Legolas' hands trailed up from her waist to cup her breast, making her gasp even louder. He gave it a squeeze making her moan. "Stop," she muttered, "Please stop." Legolas didn't. He kept on kissing her and touching her. Since the moment he had seen her, her presence had been pure torture. He had longed to kiss her and make her his. He had longed to bury his face in her hair and now he had her trapped. She couldn't move without him moving first and he wasn't letting her go anywhere. Legolas gently whispered these things to her between kisses. He told her he wasn't going to let her go until she knew how he felt around her. Legolas' hands and lips seduced and teased her body. Her hips started to move against his. She was begging him for a release. But he wasn't going to give it. His hand trailed down over her stomach and naval. It slipped to between her legs. He could how warm the water was around her and knew he was having the right effect. "Please," she whispered into his ear. Legolas brought his lips back to hers and claimed them. He gently lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He sat her on the side of the spring and climbed up so he was on top of her. He encouraged her to lie back as his lips assaulted her neck again. He kissed his way along her neck and down over her chest and stomach. He stopped when he reached the small patch of hair between her legs. "What are you going to do?" she asked in pants. Legolas smiled and Sky watched his head disappear between her legs. The feeling took her completely by surprise as he pressed his lips to her and sucked in. She let a long, loud moan. Legolas felt her inner muscles move as they would if he had actually entered her. They were desperately trying to find something to pull in. Legolas pulled himself back up to look at Sky's face. Her mouth was open. He gently planted a kiss on it. "Legolas," she panted. Legolas placed a finger over her mouth to silence her. He reached out behind her and grabbed his cloak. He pulled it over both of them. The sun was beginning to set. "Go to sleep," he whispered, "I'll take you home in the morning. We'll take everything from there."

"Why?" she asked, "Why did you do those things?"

"I wanted you to know how I feel every moment I'm with you. One day, Sky, daughter of Beorn, you shall be my wife and I look forward to it." Sky closed her eyes and let sleep take her. Legolas held her in his arms. He wanted to protect her at whatever cost and he was never going to let Suiadan harm a hair on her head. He gently stroked her wet hair and raked his fingers through it.

As the sun rose the following morning, Sky opened her eyes. She could feel someone lying naked next to her. She looked and saw it was Legolas. The scratches on his face were healing quickly but were still noticeable. He looked down on her and smiled. She smiled back. She lent up and whispered, "You, my lord, are a very bad elf. Those things you did to me yesterday will not go unpunished."

"I certainly hope so," Legolas whispered back naughtily.

"Legolas, if you desire me so much, why did you not take me yesterday?" she asked.

"I already told you this," said Legolas, "If I did, then I would have to call you my wife."

"And you do not desire me that way," asked Sky.

"I do," said Legolas, "I just wish for your father's blessing first. My own father gave up on me finding a wife a long time ago. He no longer cares whom I marry but I want your family to agree to it as well." Sky shivered suddenly.

"It's cold," she said. She rolled out from under his cloak and with her back to him, started to pull on her tunic and boots. "Why do you face away from me?" he asked, "You have nothing I didn't see yesterday."

"I don't know," she said. Legolas sat up and wrapped the cloak around his waist. He knelt behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "He never truly loved you did he?" he said. Sky stopped pulling on her boot.

"He never once stopped to just admire you," he said, "And realize just how beautiful you are."

"I am not beautiful," said Sky, "Serena and Star are the beautiful ones. They resemble my mother, a great beauty herself. I am nothing. The number of notches on their bedposts is so many their beds may soon collapse. I have one and that was by force. They have attracted men in a way I never shall."

"But you attracted me," he whispered, "And I have seen the fairest maidens in all the kingdoms of elves and men. I have looked upon the Arwen Undomiel herself and none of them compare to you. You have a beauty that is unique. Men do not pursue you because they fear you are already taken. Your sisters have a common beauty, one that men have seen time and time again, and have no long-term interest in. You are beautiful, Sky, in a way no one except your daughters will ever be." Sky smiled. Most of the men her sisters had taken had merely said 'you are beautiful' but had never explained it to them or said them to be unique. She knew deep in her heart that Legolas was right and that she was in love with him. His hands were gone from her shoulders. She turned around to see him getting dressed. She smiled again, the first true smile to grace her face in a long time. Legolas finished getting dressed and turned to face her. She was smiling at him and it made her even more beautiful. He walked up to her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "When we return to your father's home, I am going to ask him for your hand," said Legolas, "I shall not demand, just ask. If I'm polite he may give it to me."

"What if he says no," she asked.

"That is why I'm taking you with me," he said, "So that if he says no, he may see the pain on your face, pain I'm sure you would feel."

"I would want death to take me should he say no," she said. Legolas smiled. He put his cloak around her shoulders. "I need it not," he said. He bent down and kissed her. Deep in his heart, he knew that he would feel the same way as Sky, should Beorn say no. He would be broken-hearted and death would come on swift wings to him. He gently licked her lips with his tongue and they gently parted, admitting him to her mouth. His tongue slid in and made Sky giggle. He pulled back. "Come, my love," he said, "Let us go ask for your fathers blessing."

The walk back to Beorn's house was a long one and took nearly all day with the stops they kept making. Legolas couldn't keep his hands off her. He kept repeating the movements he had made the day before, each time her pleasure increasing. Sky found she did not fear Suiadan when she was with Legolas. Just after sunset, they arrived at the gate leading to Beorn's house. The door to the hall was open and the sound of people shouting came through it. "But he has also taken Legolas," shouted Aragorn, "There will be war! Mirkwood will not take kindly to their prince being killed." Legolas stepped through the door, leading Sky by the hand. "Who said I'm dead?" he said loudly. A lot of Sky's people, the Beornings, were there having come after hearing of Sky's disappearance and Star's kidnapping. Serena ran over to her sister and embraced her. Beorn sat down rather quickly in shock. "You found her?" he said weakly when all had gone quiet. Legolas nodded. "And Star?" Beorn added.

"She was alive and in perfect health when I saw her yesterday," he said.

"What the hell happened to your face, lad!" shouted Gimli, appearing from the kitchen with a tankard. "Suiadan," answered Legolas. Gimli nodded and started to drink.

"That brings us back to the matter in hand," said Gandalf, "How do we rescue Star?"

"His lair is in the Misty Mountains," said Sky suddenly. Many of her own people looked surprised to hear her speak. "It's in line with this house. So he probably already knows what we're planning. He uses it to keep an eye on me." The Beornings went back to arguing amongst themselves. Beorn looked at Sky and Legolas and nodded his head towards the kitchen. He went in and they followed. Once they were in, Beorn embraced a very surprised Legolas. "Thank you, lad," he said, "For bringing Sky back safely. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, let me know." He let Legolas go. Legolas looked round at Sky, who smiled and nodded. "There is one thing," he said.

"Absolutely not!" yelled Beorn so loud that everyone in the next room could hear him.

"Father, please be quiet," said Sky.

"How dare you come and ask this of me?" said Beorn in a quieter voice, "Why should I give my daughter to you?"

"Because I love her," said Legolas.

"You've known her only a few days," said Beorn.

"And it only took a second for me to fall in love with her," said Legolas. Beorn looked at Sky, who was stood behind Legolas and had a hand on his arm. "Please father," she said, "Please grant me this one happiness."

"Alright," said Beorn, "But you wait until your sister has been found before you do anything." Sky nodded in agreement as did Legolas. Perhaps they had moved a little too quickly but still Suiadan hadn't been lying. The hatred of the idea of Sky and Legolas in love with each other had been obvious. But now they had a little time to spend together before they joined. Legolas hoped nothing would take Sky away from him.