A/N: Sadly, I don't own anything else but a crazed spider and an even wierder dark elf.
My computer went mad and ate the newer version of my story - meaning I'll have to type chapter 7 and onwards once more... Be patient concerning the time of the next update, please.
Chapter 6: Mornings
The sun rose into the sky, its light filtering through the foliage of the trees outside, and managed to make its way through the curtains hanging before his windows. Blinking sleepily, Legolas watched the flicker of sunrays over the ceiling, before he yawned and sat up, determined to fresh up and head to breakfast. Tarantoun, sleeping in the foot end of his bed, woke up as well, and made a burping sound, as if she asked him if he was serious about getting up already.
"You can sleep on, if you want to," Legolas laughed, affectionately scratching the spider's head as she nestled deeper into the blanket.
Still smiling, he moved out of bed, limping out into the bath chamber and cleaned himself up, feeling a deep pleasure of being able to take a warm bath, rather than having to settle with a small stream or what other supply of water Mel had been able to locate while they had been on the road.
Drying off, careful to not tear open the thin skin that had grown over his wounds, he re-wrapped the bandages and dressed in a simple tunic and breeches. Giving Tarantoun a final pat on the head, and making certain the window was opened so she could leave if she wished to, the wood elf left his bedroom behind and walked down the hallway leading to the Grand Hall, supported by his crutch.
The healers had assured him that his leg would heal fully, and that he would no longer have need of the crutch after a week, though, at the moment, he needed rest and peace to let the torn tissue of the muscle grow back together. Legolas still wondered how many days it would take for him to grow insane with the lack of physical activity he would have to endure. On the road, Mel had managed to be a great source of amusement, and the wood elf had yet to recall exactly how many games they had played.
Smiling, remembering suddenly that the rooms the dark elf had been assigned lay on his road from his own chambers to the Hall, he thought to see if his friend had arisen yet. Stopping by the door, one of the three leading to rooms designated for guests of the King, he lightly rapped the door with a knuckle, then paused and hear the sound of movement within.
"Enter," Mel's melodious voice called, and Legolas pushed open the door, finding himself facing a, though slightly chaotic, clearly inhabited room.
Apparently, the dark-skinned elf had been in the process of unpacking not long ago, as most of his belongings lay on the bed and the floor, carefully sorted to ease their re-packing. The curtains had been withdrawn, allowing the sun to shine in, and Legolas could hear his friend move about within the bath chamber.
"Are you ready?" Legolas called, smiling lightly as he noticed some of Mel's more odd equipment, which included a wicked-looking pair of spikes attached to thick bracers.
"Moment, karaitka saru," Mel replied from the bath chamber, followed by the rustle of cloth.
Not long after, the dark elf emerged from the adjoining room, carrying a small bundle of what appeared to be cloth, and dressed in a pair of breeches and a white shirt akin to the others he owned. He nodded in greeting with a light smile, before dropping the bundle onto the bed and searched through his pack, pulling forth a pair of light shoes.
However, Legolas noticed that the bundle had some dark-red spots, and noticing his gaze, Mel shrugged.
"Was hurt. Not bad – healed now. Yrch no good hitters," he explained with a grin, receiving a light nod and a smile from the Mirkwood elf.
Once Mel had finished dressing, moving without any visible pain, Legolas noticed, he followed the woodelf out of the room and in the direction of the dining hall. He walked in a slow pace; allowing Legolas to keep up without problems, and yet with enough speed that the other elf did not feel his pride diminish from slowing down his friend.
"I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far," Legolas said with a smile.
"Yes. People friendly, even to Mel," the dark elf replied with a grin. "Though female elves TOO friendly, think I."
"You're an exotic catch," Legolas admitted, though in his mind he added the adjectives intelligent and beautiful. "We've never seen anyone like you before."
"Kin from south," Mel commented with a light nod. "Far south. Very cold. Mel not usual, have Northern father. Dark skin carry to light skin clan."
"So your father was the reason for why you have dark skin, while the rest of your clan looks like us?" the woodelf asked, blinking in surprise. He had never before heard of any elves living outside Middle Earth, although, of course, Arda was a huge world, and there were plenty of places that he had never visited or heard of.
"Look, act other," Mel replied, frowning as he clearly tried hard to find the words he needed to describe the place he came from. "Tarn yialuty, not stranger-friend. Not like new things."
"Afraid of changes," Legolas helped, knowing that the dark elf's vocabulary was expanding every time he said something.
Mel nodded, repeating the sentence and looking to the lighter elf for confirmation on the pronunciation.
"Clan afraid of changes," he continued, pausing a little. "Disliked Mel because of skin-colour, and for Mel's… skills?"
"Abilities."
"Disliked abilities. Not normal. When old enough, thrown out of clan."
"So you were banished from your clan because of your skin and your abilities?" Legolas asked, surprised over the seemingly cruel way Mel had been treated by his people. "That sounds barbaric..."
"As said, clan not like changes. Mel was danger to clan, and clan family. Clan protect family, banish Mel," the dark elf continued with a shrug and a wry smile. "I wander, find friends. Go north, further than father. Seek adventure. Kill yrch and bad people."
"And both I and my father are very glad that you showed up," Legolas replied with a smile.
Mel merely shrugged.
"I do what you do," he said with a grin. "Leglas help many same way. Mel not know much common tongue, but hear rumours still. Big hero, with other of Fellowship."
The woodelf found heat rising in his cheek, and was happy to notice that they were but a very short distance from the dining hall, thusly allowing him to avoid talking further about his accomplishments before, during and after the time of Sauron's fall and while he travelled with the Fellowship of the Ring. He had never particular been fond of telling anything about his accomplishments of any kind, and only discussed the Quest with Gimli or if another from the Fellowship were visiting. As he constantly claimed, he didn't really do anything else than shoot a few orcs – at least not the way that he saw it...