A Stranger In The Woods

Chapter 12: The Thoughts of an Elf

Legolas cocked his head to the side as he stared down at the woman he held in his arms. He smiled slightly as she let out another low snore. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after he had begun to carry her, and he didn't believe she would be waking anytime soon. She shivered in her sleep, and Legolas instinctively pulled her closer to him, attempting to warm her cold, limp body. With slight difficulty he tucked her cloak back tighter around her legs and took the opportunity to stare down at her freely.

She looked so peaceful as she slept; blissfully unaware of everything going on around her while she wandered through her dreams. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks and Legolas fought the urge to tuck it behind her ears with his fingers. He was startled at how drawn he was to her; never before had he taken such notice of a human woman. Now it seemed she was all he thought about.

She was a puzzle, an enigma. She used bizarre language, and spoke her mind in a blunt, unladylike way. The clothes she wore were men's clothing, yet she wore them more comfortably then she wore a dress. She walked like a man, and cursed like a man, but the unintentional sway of her hips and her feminine laugh betrayed her as definitely a woman.

Ever since he had seen her in the woods- lost and alone- she hadn't been far from his thoughts. He found himself always watching her, listening to her, thinking about her. He realized he had been doing these things quite unaware he was doing them.

Overall, he was uncertain how he felt about her. Katie. Such a bizarre name. Such a bizarre woman. 'No, not bizarre,' he thought, trying to think of a word to better describe her. 'Interesting. Fascinating. Surprising.' All three fit.

She had definitely surprised him the night before when she leaned over him as he slept. He had of course been aware of her; elves never slept completely unaware. She had approached him and leaned over him and for one heart-stopping moment, Legolas thought she was going to kiss him. Then she had left and walked away from the group. Strange Indeed.

Legolas couldn't imagine how she must feel, away from her world, stuck with four hobbits, two men, a wizard a dwarf and him. He knew he had not made her journey any easier and she probably wished Aragorn, not him, had been chosen as her protector.

Most of all, Legolas did not feel like himself and it shook him to the core. He had always prided himself on knowing what to say, even if he hardly spoke. He possessed his mother's internal sense of grace and until recently had not known how awkwardness felt. In addition, he had never second-guessed his feelings before. Until now. Until her.

Legolas was still pondering this when Aragorn approached him, breaking his thoughts.

"Do you need a rest?" He asked, motioning to Katie. "I will take her if you do."

"I can manage," Legolas said shortly. Seeing the rangers confused look, he added, "Elves do not tire as easily as humans."

Aragorn gave him a knowing smile. "I understand," he said, walking away. Legolas sighed to himself, fearing the ranger did understand. Aragorn probably understood more than he did. He looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms and vowed not to think about her anymore. He failed.

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Katie was immediately aware of two things when she opened her eyes: 1) Legolas was still carrying her and 2) he was staring down at her rather intensely. Intensely enough to make her uncomfortable. She shifted, trying to put some distance between their bodies and politely cleared her throat.

"Uh, how long have I been asleep?" she managed.

Legolas blinked and snapped his head up, looking straight ahead. "Several hours."

"Holy shit!" she muttered in awe. "You've been carrying me for several hours?"

"Yes," Legolas said shortly, trying not to let his amusement show.

"Well, aren't you tired?" Katie knew elves were strong and all, but this was really too much.

"No," he said with a small grin. "You are light."

Katie snorted. "I doubt that, though I have lost weight since this trip began…something about hardly eating and walking twenty miles a day," she muttered.

Legolas couldn't help but tease her. "You were snoring again though," he trailed off as she looked down in mortification.

'Do I really snore?' she wondered frantically. "I haven't been carried since I was 15," she said, trying to steer the conversation away from that embarrassing topic.

"By whom?" Legolas asked, finally looking down at her again. "A beau?"

Katie laughed loudly. "A beau? Like a boyfriend! At the age of 15?" she chuckled. "No- heavens no- my dad carried me. Get your head out of the gutter, Greenleaf."

Legolas gave her a confused look. "Why would my head be in a gutter?" he asked seriously.

Katie couldn't stop the smile that rose on her lips. "It's an expression. It means quit thinking dirty thoughts."

"There are a lot of weird expressions like that where I come from," she realized aloud.

"Like 'holy shit'?" Legolas asked pleasantly.

Katie felt her eyebrows shoot up. Way up. She could not believe he had just said that. Everything sounded so much better when he said it in his soft, silky voice. She was surprised he was talking to her at all, let alone joking around with her.

She grinned wickedly. "Do they have an elf-word for that?" she asked, and was shocked and pleased to hear him laugh.

It was a true laugh, a beautiful laugh. It lit up his whole face. It made him glow.

"You should laugh more often," she whispered without thinking.

His face automatically turned serious again. "Why did your dad carry you?" he asked, in attempt to steer the conversation back.

Katie closed her eyes, remembering that day so long ago. They had been at the lake and she had slipped and fallen, hitting her head against the boat. "I got hurt," she whispered. "He carried me and complained that I weighed a ton." She smiled sadly at the memory.

"I am sorry if my questioning has upset you," Legolas apologized gently, noting the look of sadness in her eyes.

"It hasn't," she lied, "I think I can walk now," she added boldly. For some reason, she couldn't think properly when he was so close.

Wordlessly, he stopped walking and sat her on her feet. Katie could feel the cold air clinging to where his arms had been; she wondered if he could feel it as well.

"Thank you for carrying me, Legolas." She whispered as her eyes found his face. His blue eyes met hers hesitantly.

"You are welcome," he replied politely, and with out another word, walked away.

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A/N:

Well, here's chapter 12. Hope everyone likes it. Is everyone keeping up with the story? You'd better be…

How did you like getting a little peek inside Legolas' mind?

Expect update soon.

Thanks to my bold beta The Hobbit Ivy!

Katie-sue