Through A Nightingale's Eyes

Disclaimer I do not own any of Tolkien's creations. I only own my characters and most of the storyline

RATED "R" FOR LANGUAGE AND POSSIBLY OTHER STUFF

Author's Note: Thanks to all my faithful reviewers. And now…CHAPTER 19!

Chapter 19: Caught in the Rain

Legolas wandered down the hall rather quickly, peeking into every main room he could. It had been hours since his encounter with Lúthien in the stables, almost a day in fact…and for some reason he had to see her again. She was interesting to speak with and even more fascinating to watch. He remembered when he had met her all those years ago in Rivendell. Besides her sister, Arwen, he had never seen an elleth more beautiful…not including the Lady of the Golden Wood…for not even Arwen matched her beauty (especially to Gimli).

He could remember the way she laughed and joked with her brothers, the way she would smile before stepping out into the spring rain, the way she would look at everyone with care and affection. It was just fantastic. No, he did not love Lúthien…not then and not now. She was older than him, and the sister of his best friend's wife. It seemed somewhat wrong for him to even consider that he might like her more than just a friend. He admitted one thing though…she was better than-

"LEGOLAS! THERE YOU ARE!" The elf prince sighed softly and turned around to see Nessa run joyfully up to him. "I've been looking for you everywhere, my prince. You left so abruptly last night and you've been missing all day."

"I'm sorry, love. I've just…it's been a busy afternoon. I was actually looking for Lúthien of Imladris. Have you seen-?"

"Oh, she's in the training hall with her brother. She's been practicing swordplay all day. Kind of unusual, really. Not many of us elleth enjoy battles."

"Would you care to accompany me to the hall anyway, Nessa?"

"I will follow you until the day we die," she stated with a smile. Legolas mentally slapped himself, for he knew that if they were to be together until death…let's just say it would be a verylong time.

When they finally reached the hall and pushed open the large doors, they found Elrohir standing over Lúthien, who was laying on the marble floor, with a sword pointed down at her throat. "You know you have to watch your footing!"

"Elrohir, we've been practicing the same techniques all day. My footing would also be fine if you hadn't tripped me so often."

"Well, in a battle your opponent will try to trip you up."

"Eh hem…" Both Kayla and Elrohir looked over toward the door and saw Legolas and Nessa standing arm in arm, small smiles plastered on their faces.

"What's so funny?" Kayla asked as she pushed Elrohir's sword away from her throat and jumped to her feet. Legolas looked her over for a moment silently. Her eyes were an icy blue and her hair darker and drenched in a thin layer of sweat. She had changed her clothes and was now wearing a dark maroon riding dress with violet flowers stitched along the sleeves. "Well?"

"Just seeing you both fight like that. It's amusing."

"I'm actually not a horrible fighter, Legolas. I'm able to hold my own."

"It's true," Elrohir interrupted, "She can, but she needs to learn that her opponent will not go easy on her like I do."

"Would you like a true warrior of Mirkwood to show her what a real battle is like?"

"I think that a wise choice, Legolas," the Imladris prince said with a smirk as he looked at Kayla, who was giving him pleading eyes that said no way!

"Alright then…my lady?" Legolas asked. Kayla looked at him and slowly nodded her head before picking up her sword. She took a deep breath and looked at Legolas, who picked up two Elven daggers and faced her. She couldn't back down…so she reluctantly agreed. Nessa simply backed up with Elrohir and watched with nervous eyes. Both Legolas and Kayla walked to the center of the empty floor and stood a few feet apart, just staring at one another. "So…shall I give you the first strike?"

"No thank you, my lord."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he raised his weapons, "I did fight as a member of the Fellowship who destroyed the One Ring."

"Master Elf, I don't need your charity. I'm quite capable of taking you down."

"Very well," Legolas stated as he raised his daggers higher, twirled them around and lunged at Kayla. She shrieked softly and blocked both of the knives with her sword before pushing herself back a step and looking at the elf. He was much stronger than she assumed he would be. Compared to this guy, Elrohir was a noble she-elf with dainty hands. When Legolas charged again, Kayla used as much force as she could and pushed back with her sword, causing both of them to step extremely close to one another. "You're forcing it," he whispered.

"And you're holding back," she stated softly in return before swiftly ducking away and meeting his next strike. It went on like this for many minutes, just moving in circles and dodging attacks. Legolas then abruptly leapt back a great amount of feet and looked Kayla over.

"Lúthien, I never knew you to be filled with so much rage."

"You can't believe everything you once knew," she replied as she quickly ran at him and raised her sword. Nessa screamed and gripped Elrohir's arm, praying that Legolas wouldn't get killed. She was very naïve after all…so she would always assume the worst. Kayla however shrieked as her sword was flung from her hands and landed behind Legolas. She looked into his eyes and saw the glint of victory as he began to approach her. She slowly took a step back and looked to Elrohir, who smirked and nodded.

Swiftly, Kayla reached behind her back and whipped out two Elven blades quite similar to those of Legolas. The elf prince smiled at her spirit, but inside he knew that he could triumph over her at any given moment. He watched as she twirled the daggers in her hand and when she attacked once more, he simply blocked. This is going to be a long day he thought. Here was a princess of Rivendell, and a very stubborn one at that, trying to defeat him in battle. Like he was going to let that happen. He instantly went into "killing mode," attacking just as quickly as he blocked, trying to tire Kayla quickly. Yet, she showed no signs of exhaustion.

However, Kayla knew she was tiring. She could feel her limbs beginning to ache from every step and swing she took. Beads of sweat began pouring down the sides of her cheeks and she could feel her heart racing like a hummingbird's. It was pure insanity and rage now. Nothing more and nothing less. Abruptly, Kayla swung one of her knives forward and found it knocked from her hands, landing with a clang on the floor. She gasped and ducked another blow from Legolas, who was smirking victoriously. Kayla quickly darted toward the nearest wall and leapt up, pushing herself from the wall and across the room. She landed behind her opponent, but shrieked when she found herself lying on her back.

Legolas had caught her ankle with his foot and made her fall. He smiled and knelt above her, quickly putting his knives to her throat. His legs were straddling her torso and the knives on either side of her pale neck. "Drop your weapon," he ordered. Kayla nodded in shame and tossed it to the side before closing her eyes. "Do you admit defeat?" he asked.

"No!" she practically shouted as she opened her eyes and tried to jump up, not realizing that Legolas hadn't removed his knives from her neck. She cringed at the slight pain and watched as the elf above her gasped.

"I'm sorry, Lúthien. I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" He didn't have time to finish. Kayla grabbed his arms and pushed him off before jumping to her feet and storming from the room.

Kayla kept herself hidden for the rest of the night. She had cleaned up her wound and locked herself in her room. Why had she let that elf get the best of her? She knew that she could have done better, but she couldn't keep fighting. Legolas had outsmarted her…and it surprisingly hurt. As she sat on the cushioned stool in front of her vanity and brushed her hair, she studied her face. She honestly had never taken a real look at herself. However, now that she had, she wished she didn't.

Her dark eyes that she treasured were gone and the soft highlights strung through her hair were now barely seen through her long dark locks. She felt a tear run down her cheek, but quickly wiped it away before it reached her chin. She couldn't cry now. She just couldn't. Her life may have been a lie, but sometimes it wasn't so bad. After all, she was going to live forever…if she didn't die of a broken heart of Elrohir's training first.

Kayla gently tossed the brush onto the table, stood up, and walked over to her closet, opening it. She pulled out a thin nightgown of a light emerald (refer to Arwen's nightgown in Aragorn's dream in TTT) and got changed into that before looking into the mirror again. She had to admit that it looked stylish, but maybe a little too intimate at the same time. Well, who was going to see her anyway? Most of the elves were probably asleep by now. They had to sleep sometime.

Slowly she walked to her door and opened it a crack, peering out into the dim hall. It was as empty as a tomb, and in a way chilling and soothing at the same time. Kayla strolled out, shutting her door softly and then walked down the hall, listening to the delicate sound her nightgown made as she moved. It was a gentle swish and made her smile for some odd reason. Even as an elf, she was easily amused.

As she made her way down many long, straight halls, she finally came upon a dead end. A huge tapestry of a forest with a sunrise hung there, tenderly lit by candlelight. As Kayla ran her fingertips over the soft fabric, she found herself moving toward the edges of it. Curiosity got the best of her and she gasped as she pushed it aside. There was a large wooden door with a golden handle hidden behind it! She quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching and pushed it open before rushing inside and shutting it quietly.

It felt like an adventure, which is something she had always longed for. Even though she had expected the whole Middle Earth experience to be one, it really wasn't. It was more like just an escape from reality. She was in her own story. Kayla looked around and noticed that there was a dark spiral staircase in front of her. She picked up a candle from a nearby niche in the stone wall and began to climb the stairs slowly. Her feet made no sound on the stone and all she could hear was the sound of her thumping heart. In a way it was exciting, yet something inside her told her to turn around and go back to her room. She did need a good night's sleep for once.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she found that there was another wooden door with a golden lock. To her surprise, the key was still in it. It seemed that whatever was on the other side wasn't allowed inside. "What the hell," she mumbled to herself as she turned the key slowly until a soft click echoed all around her. Kayla took a soft intake of breath and pushed the door open only to behold a beautiful view. No…beautiful did not cover it. It was extraordinary! She was standing at the top of the mountain that the palace reached. She could smell the forest and hear the soft noises of animals from far below. As she walked over to the railing and gripped it firmly in her hands, she looked down and almost fainted.

She was much farther up than she realized. Still, this was unbelievable. Why would someone want this locked out? There were dangers in Mirkwood, yes, but this was so high up. A small smile crossed her face as she glanced up at the sky, seeing twinkling stars peeking through the grey clouds that had covered the sky. Just as if magic, she felt cool, soothing droplets of rain hit her face. It was only a moment before it turned into a gentle downpour. She was drenched, but it was calming. The weather wasn't aggressive for once.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Kayla turned around abruptly and almost jumped at the sight of Legolas. "I said…what are you doing here!" he asked, his voice still loud and filled with rage.

"I-I…"

"ANSWER ME!" he shouted. Kayla jumped and looked toward the ground. She felt very self-conscious of herself at the moment, and the fact that her body was almost completely visible through her nightgown didn't help. She was shaking violently and sunk to the floor, a small tear running down her face. She was scared! Legolas was scaring her! It must have been the fact that he had yelled. From what she perceived, he was a quiet elf…and one that didn't raise his voice often. When she felt a soft hand lift her chin, she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"I-I'm sorry," she choked out, trying to sound brave, "I was only curious as to-"

"Lúthien, I should be apologizing." Kayla felt her eyes open slowly and through the grey curtain of rain she saw sky blue staring at her. "I just never expected anyone to find this place. I…it's my special place. It's not your fault." She nodded slightly and sighed softly as she studied his features. He was still as perfect as he always was. His skin was still flawless and she wondered if it was as silken as it had been before. It was unusual that she could love him so much, yet he couldn't know. He didn't know who she truly was either…and that's how she liked it.

As Legolas looked her over, he finally realized how gorgeous the maiden before him was. He always knew her to look amazing, but especially now. He could see something in her eyes though, something that was hurting her. It looked almost as if she was fading, but her eyes still glistened with life and wonder. He calmly reached down and grasped her hands before helping her to her feet. He watched as she kept her eyes down and saw her tremble. It couldn't have been the cool rain. Elves never felt the cold, well…they did, but it did not affect them. "Are you alright, my lady?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered as she slowly lifted her head and looked up into his eyes again. Legolas blinked quickly, for a moment seeing brown instead of blue like his own. He began to lean toward her, but she quickly stepped away, pushing his hands away. She shook her head and then ran past him and through the door and down the stairs.

Legolas' eyes followed her as she left and then he placed a hand on his head. "I could have sworn…"

"Be careful, Legolas." The prince glanced to the doorway again and saw Elrond standing there in the shadows.

"Lord Elrond, I-"

"I'm not going to say anything except for be careful. Don't hurt her."

"I wasn't trying to-"

"You're getting married…and Lúthien has very conflicting emotions right now. Don't do anything that will kill you both."

Author's Note: Uh oh…emotional issues. Gotta love them!

Next: Chapter 20…and who knows what else…