A/N: My loyal readers, I am EXTREMELY sorry that I didn't update this sooner! My last update was at the end of May, and seeing as this is October 2nd, I feel that it's nothing but my own fault.
Orli: You bet it is...
Me: You're not helping. I'm trying to tell the people that I've been suffering from a mean bout of writers block, and you're still as cynical as usual!
Orli: Well, of course!
Me: Okay... You're being taped up this time... I don't care! Tapes Orli up and hides him in attic
Well, I don't have anything else to say, except my disclaimer:
Disclaimer: I own Fanya. I own the tree. And I own a bunch of other stuff. The rest goes to Tolkie! I love Tolkie!!
Chapter 23: Into the Woods
"Fanya?" Legolas asked, slightly dumbfounded. His world was spinning; He didn't know whether he was dreaming or not... whether Fanya was standing in front of him or not.
As if she felt the same way, she smiled and placed her arm on his. The warmth of her touch brought him back to his senses. "Yes, it is me," she answered. He smiled at her '...oh how I want to kiss her...' He thought. She smiled back. He felt his heart go from jumping to soaring. That simple gesture of affection sent his senses wild...
"The Lady of the Wood wishes to speak with you all. But you will stay here for the night." Haldir gestured up to the talan up the tree next to him.
"I'm not sleeping in any tree!" said Pippin grumpily.
"Then dig a hole in the ground, Pippin, for it would be much safer! Orcs patrol these borders, you know." Legolas replied, a bit more sharply than he had intended. Pippin's face paled slightly and he hurriedly followed his friends up the ladder. Aragorn and Boromir followed the halflings, and the dwarf after them, (only after he sent a suspicious glance towards the rest of the elves around him). Legolas went last, throwing a glance back at the Half Elven beauty, who gladly sent one back.
Fanya stayed behind with Orophin as Legolas and Rúmil ascended the ladder as well.
"Good choice." Orophin said with a subtle smile, as he observed Fanya follow Legolas's back up the rope ladder.
"What?" Fanya asked. Legolas started talking with Rúmil once he got up the ladder and onto the stable platform. She tried to hear what he was saying.
"Good choice." Orophin repeated.
"On...?" she asked, he gaze descending onto her friend and she raised an eyebrow.
"The prince. A good choice." He said again, slightly more slowly this time, flickering his eyes towards Legolas.
"Oh..." Fanya blushed. "Thanks..." she muttered. "But how do you know?"
"I can see that he makes you quiet, shy, and that the blush on your cheeks does not seem to go away." Orophin ticked off everything on his fingers. "Oh, and because you're still trying to watch him without my noticing." He added. Fanya chuckled.
"That obvious, huh?" she mused.
"Yes, mellon nín. That obvious." Orophin smiled. "Now, I will not refrain you from your watching him any longer." He gestured up the ladder. She grinned and, in a few seconds, she managed to ascend the rope ladder. She collected herself and made her way reluctantly to a branch. She was still on patrol, right? She had to fulfill what she had come for. She sighed to herself and kept an eye on the ground. Although, she found if she turned slightly, she was able to see both Legolas and the riverbank. For a while, she sat still and daydreamed, (mostly about a certain blonde elf), until a glint caught her eye. It looked like an eye, catching the light of the moon. In an instant, she had her bow out, ready to fire. She wasn't the only one, either. Every patrol elf in the vicinity had bows tensed in the same direction, below her.
Finally, Haldir gave the word that nothing was there. He had gone down there to check. He was a bit unsettled though, as was everybody else. It was like a fever; one person got it, then another, and soon the entire village would be sick...except that it was fear and uncertainty, instead of an illness that was spreading right now.
Pippin whispered to another hobbit. "Eh, Merry, what d'you think tha' was?"
"I dunno, Pip." Merry whispered back.
"None of us do." Legolas spoke. His voice was a song...Fanya was now convinced of it. "It looked like a goblin, but it was much too quiet and small to be one."
"I agree." Boromir spoke up. "Much too small..."
Most of the elves and the two humans nodded to themselves. Fanya started to stand up to leave her post, when a hand stopped her. She looked up hopefully and saw... Orophin. Her face dropped back to a neutral stage. She had been hoping that it would be Legolas. Orophin immediately saw the look in her eyes.
"Ah, ah, ah! Elves on guard stay on guard. Until notified, at least." Orophin taunted. "I don't think you'll be popular if you leave your post!"
"Well then why aren't you at your own post?" Fanya asked grudgingly, glaring at the nearest branch.
"Because Haldir told me to come and check on you." Orophin winked, sitting down. "And anyway, I thought you looked lonely." He nudged her with his shoulder. She did the same to him, smiling.
"Well thank you, Orophin." She said. She leaned past her friend to get a look at the eight companions. They were lying down. A glance at the moon between the trees told her that it was well into the night – probably past midnight. Orophin stayed next to her for about an hour, before leaving to talk to his brother; leaving Fanya alone, again, to watch for any threats to this divine environment.
Legolas could not keep his eyes off of a single spot. Aragorn came and joined him, following his friend's gaze.
"Is that she?" he whispered. The rest of the camp was asleep already.
Legolas said nothing, but he nodded. "I do not understand why she distances herself." He muttered, more to himself than to Aragorn.
"She is unsure of how to feel, I believe." Aragorn counseled his friend. Suddenly, Legolas saw her eyes flicker to his, and they locked gazes. He felt his stomach lurch and his heartbeat quicken. A split second later, she had averted her eyes again. Well, one moment of happiness made up for all those moments before...
"I thought that she would be more excited to see you." Aragorn said after a couple minutes of silence.
"As did I." Legolas replied. He kept on staring at her back, trying to will it to turn round.
"You should go to her." Aragorn gave his friend a little push on his back.
"I want to, but I dare not. I do not want to be rejected." He answered, looking at his friend.
"You won't be." The human answered. But Legolas did not bend to his will. He stayed still, continually and openly gazing at the beautiful half elf. Yet soon, exhaustion from the journey took over him, and he unfocused his eyes. His world spun as he found he was transported to the barren fields. There was no large boulder nearby; he must be in another part of this world. Fanya was not there, either.
Hours of wandering into this dreamworld passed. Every once and a while, a feather-tipped blade of tall yellow grass would brush against his leg as he wandered. He finally heard an angelic voice behind him. Fanya was there! A smile graced her lips. Legolas turned to face her. He started to walk towards her... but he couldn't! Some unknown force was stopping him from approaching her! What was it?
'So close, and yet so far...' he thought sadly and desperately. Fanya seemed to be going through the same exact thing. She seemed to not be able to come within five feet of Legolas.
They tried to get nearer to each other, to call out to one another... but they could not hear a thing but their own desperate voices. The sky above them was rapidly churning reds and oranges...both were desperate to get to one another... but all was futile. Tears leaked down Fanya's cheeks, gracefully falling onto her dress and then the ground. All of Legolas ached...ached to be next to her.
But it mattered not, for he had awakened from his elven sleep.
"I will take you to the Lady Galadriel. There she will council you." Haldir said. "But I cannot allow the dwarf to go." He added.
"He must come, he is part of our Fellowship." Aragorn argued pointedly.
"Elves have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark days of old. But if he must go, then he will be blindfolded."
"I will not! I have as much a right to see those trees as you do!" Gimli grumbled haughtily.
"I cannot allow you to pass into our realm with sight." Haldir persisted venomously.
"Peace!" Aragorn interrupted. "If one of our company is to go blind, then we all shall."
Legolas became very sad. "I was hoping to lay my eyes upon this beautiful realm." He said with a note of despair in his voice.
"You shall, just not right now." Fanya said, popping up behind him holding a cloth.
"Fanya..." Legolas whispered. All around him, guard elves were tying blindfolds onto the company. He was glad that Fanya had gotten to him first.
As Fanya tied the cloth around Legolas, she whispered, "I've missed you, Princy boy." She said sweetly yet teasingly into his ear. She tied the not and smoothed down his hair. He felt her fingertips graze his cheek and the lobe of his ear. He couldn't decide whether this was an intentional or accidental gesture. She rested her hands on each of his shoulders and guided him. He relished the feeling of her touch, and all remnants of the nightmare of the previous night ebbed away from his memory. "I won't let go of you..." she assured in a quiet murmur.
Of course, Legolas, as an elf, did not need someone to guide him through the paths. Although, any chance for him to rely on Fanya was a chance he would not miss.
Why was I so bold as to assure him of such things? I still wasn't positive of my love for him...But why wasn't I positive? Hadn't I already established my conclusion? That I did love him? Last night, I had a nightmare... I was in a field and Legolas was there. Except, I couldn't get to him. It felt as if my soul had been ripped in two, and someone was dancing on its pieces... it was awful. I can't bear the thought of it. It's been the first dream that I've been able to remember in weeks.
So I held onto Legolas, and he let me guide him. All of the eight companions had a guard right next to them, but none of them were actually being guided like I was guiding the elf. Orophin caught my eye and he raised his eyebrows at me. I sent a glare in his direction and he smirked at me.
Later on in the day, as we made camp for the night, I stayed near Legolas. All the time, I wondered about what I was doing. I hated my doubt! Why couldn't I just accept that I...
"Fanya," came the voice of Legolas from my left. His hand found mine, as if it were magnetically attracted to it. "Take me into the woods. I would like to speak with you alone." He murmured. I complied quietly by standing up and excusing Legolas and myself from camp for a few minutes. I returned to Legolas and took his hand again. I walked a ways into the dense wood, warning him of branches and plants. Soon, the campfire was just a small glimmer in the distance.
Legolas reached back behind his head to undo his blindfold, and I thought momentarily whether I should let him. He untied the blindfold and brought it down. Seeing his crystal blue eyes made me forget about my indecision. He smiled and said to me,
"Thank you."
"For what?" I asked. Why was he thanking me?
"For trusting me and leading me here." He murmured. "And for guiding me with your gentle touch." He added in a whisper. He picked up one of my hands with both of his own and massaged each finger. He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed each knuckle. Every time his lips came in contact with my skin, fire seemed to erupt from the spot, and quiet shivers were sent up my spine. He stopped. I opened my eyes. My eyes were closed? I hadn't even realized it! Legolas and I were bathed in strips of moonlight that strained themselves through the forest canopy.
"Do you wish me to stop?" Legolas whispered. 'Stop?! No! Don't stop!' I said nothing, and Legolas misinterpreted it as a yes. He stepped back slightly and looked like he was sorry.
Something that my Father told me floated back to me from the back of my memory. I remember, I asked Ada why he fell in love with Atara...
"Father... How is it that you loved Atara?" she asked one day over breakfast. Birds chirped outside and the sun streamed through the windows.
He set down his goblet of wine and stared at his daughter thoughtfully. "Fanya, if there is anything that you must know about love, it is that once love has caught you, you do crazy things. You do not know what drives you. Something that you wouldn't normally do becomes a routine in your daily life. Always remember this. I loved your mother with all my heart, and she loved me. This was all I needed to know when I made love with her." He concluded. Fanya thought this over for a long time.
A crazy thing.... yes. Fanya stepped forward until their noses were an inch away; there bodies barely touched, and their eyes were locked.
"I don't wish you to stop." She whispered. She bypassed his lips, leaned forward, and (working on impulse) she kissed the lobe of his ear gently.
It was established in a rulebook of love long ago, that when two beings of the opposite sex came this close, a deep, passionate kiss would immediately follow. In this case, this was the perfect situation. My lips were centimeters away from hers. She and I stood that way for quite a while, until she whispered, "I don't wish you to stop..." (Which I didn't want to, but I did) and she kissed my earlobe. That was enough for me to return the favor, instead aiming a bit higher. I softly kissed the tip of her ear, barely touching that sensitive area. It was enough for her body to go limp and knees to buckle. She fell into my embrace, where I held her there forever. She finally found the strength to pull back slightly and to look deeply into my eyes. I could tell that the contact had sent her heart racing, because her breath was still quick and short. Everything stood still. I waited. She waited. Finally, she stood on her does and planted a feather kiss on my cheek.
"Before we go back, I just wanted to say that I-" Fanya paused mid-sentence. "I'm sorry. Yet somehow I also feel like I've said this to you before."
"And I have forgiven you." I whispered back to her. "No explanation is necessary for now." I continued. "All will be said in time." I told her what my father used to say to me.
"Thank you." Fanya said. She then whispered, "We have to go back now. I'm sure that they will have missed us by now."
She tied the fold around my head, and again I was lost in a sea of darkness. I waited for her to take my hand and lead me back, but she never did. She was right in front of me; I could sense she was there. I blindly found her hand, and her other, then I glided my hands up her arms then back down her back. I placed my hands at the base of her back and pulled her into me. I held her close and I could tell that she was apprehensive.
"Shh." I murmured, even though there was no noise but the sound of crickets and the rustling of trees. "I won't let go of you." I whispered what she had promised me earlier. With that assurance, I gently planted a kiss on her lips.
He kissed my lips. And again... and again. He didn't seem to stop, and each kiss was getting slightly more intense and longer.
Not that I was complaining...
He paused for a second. When he did not kiss me again, I stood on my toes and kissed him lightly. That was enough for him to hit me with a passionate kiss. A kiss that blew my mind. A kiss that I had seen countless couples share... I didn't want it to stop. When it did, I felt myself blush, even though Legolas could not see. I took his hand and said, "Orophin has definitely missed us by now..."
"I'm sure of it," Legolas replied. "Although, didn't you tell him that you were taking me somewhere?"
"Yes, but I only said for a couple minutes... I'm sure that much more time has elapsed by now." I said. "Legolas?" I said, after another minute of silence.
"Yes?"
"Can we not mention this to anyone yet? I'm not sure that I wish everyone to know now..." I said. Even to me it sounded quite a stupid thing. Yet for some reason, I wished our relationship not to be known to anyone... almost as if Legolas were mine, and I childishly didn't want to share him with anyone.
"Of course." Legolas replied. He would do anything to please her, even though he was slightly disappointed not to disclose their starting relationship, as young as it was.
Fanya took her place behind him, and led him back to camp. The fire in the distance was growing closer and closer, and soon- much too soon- they reached it. She steered Legolas to where Aragorn was, (He was talking with Boromir) and left to sit next to Orophin and Rúmil. Orophin shooed Rúmil off to talk to Haldir and leant in to whisper to Fanya.
"What did you do?" he hissed. In the firelight, Fanya blushed.
"Nothing... I did nothing... Legolas just wished for a bit of air away from camp..." she said, trying to mask guilt.
"A bit of air away from camp... and a kiss or two, from what I can gather." Orophin added casually, his face forming into a smile.
Fanya blushed a deeper red. "What are you talking about?" she tried to defend herself, failing miserably.
"Do you think I'd let you go alone out into the forest?" Orophin raised an eyebrow.
"Well... yes, I'd expect you to stay here. That would be the reasonable thing to do!"
"Well... do you notice that when you're distracted that you don't notice things like you would normally?" he asked. "Well, I had a pretty nice view of you and the Prince over there." He jerked his thumb over to the forest. Fanya hung her head.
"And, I saw that you took his blindfold off..." Orophin grinned.
Fanya thought back to her moment of indecision. "He took it off himself... I didn't take it off." She defended herself.
Orophin gave her a little nudge on her shoulder. "All the same... I may have to report you to Haldir..." he threatened lightly, almost teasing her. Fanya knew that this would happen when he found out. She hung her head again and admitted defeat, although she pleaded,
"Orophin, please don't tell anyone yet. I really don't wish anybody to know now."
"And how would you feel if you were in my position?" he said in a lightly mortified voice. "To know that your own brother has wished to court your best friend, then finally find out that your best friend is in love with a prince!" he said. "Who wouldn't wish to know such information?" he asked.
"Orophin!! Please!!" she took his hands and said very seriously.
"All right! All right! Your secret is safe with me." He said, placing a hand over his heart.
Fanya sighed. "Thank you..." she whispered. Then she went to where her bedroll was laid out, on the outskirts of the camp. She lay down and thought about what she had experienced less than an hour ago, and smiled, settling down and closing her eyes.
In her dreams, she felt whole again. And in the morning, as the sun rose and the dew started to fade away, she smiled at knowing a new day was to begin, bringing new challenges and new love.
A/N: I know... Short, but not really! (3014 words, to be exact!) Well, I have NOTHING to say, except that I LOVE my two betas, Shivvers and Lady Ardonelle, because they're awesome and have put a lot of effort into editing this for me!
Review Responses:
Harmony727: Thanks! I'm glad you like it... hope you enjoyed this one!
StarAngel Caelum SunSoar: Sorry I had to leave it right there! I just love cliffhangers, though! :D Well, thanks for dropping the review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Loveroflegolas: Yeah...Legolas does rock, doesn't he?!
Al: Well, I had to be harsh with Haldir, because he's not the main thing in the story, is he? ;) Thanks for the review!!
Bert, Tom, and William: NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW NICE REVIEW.
Moonbunny77: I believe I've already talked to you about your review... not entirely sure, but I didn't enjoy what you said, and I didn't like how you read until ONLY chapter 7... it gets better!
Crystal Moon Magic: Sorry I didn't update soon enough for yeh! Thanks a bunch for the review!
Shivvers: ...loadsa luvvies and sexy elf fantasies? Mmm... maybe we should add that to our site!!
Idget2301: Thank you! I appreciate all the comments so much! Notice that I didn't give a cliffie this time? Thanks again!
YueMichiruNaragiswaMiko: Thanks for the review!! I appreciate it a lot!
Silverstar188: What a wonderful review! I have to say, I was smiling a lot the day that I received your review! I'm glad that you like the way that I format the story, and how I tell it... Again, thank you so much!
Dark Destiny2: Thanks for the tip about the elvish... I don't think I used any elvish in here that I didn't translate... but thanks for reminding me! I often forget to translate it... And thankies for the review! I hope you liked this chapter, too!
Crecy: Lol! I loved your review! Thanks! (Notice there was no cliffie this time!!)
Nilimade: Sorry about the 'update xtra soon' bit... kind late, aren't I? Thanks for the review!!
Skylark Rose: Thankies! bounces
CourtneyNKay: I understand update! I swear! shies away yells from far off Thanks for the review!
Anilmathiel: Thanks for the review! I think I explained how they talk in that email that I wrote to you... thanks for the review, it's much appreciated!
BlackRaven32: No... I don't want to kill the reviews; it's just that I get so busy that I don't have much time to write! Yes, I know I had all summer, but my two betas weren't quick at editing it... so here's your chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!!
A/N: Wow! 17 reviews for that one!! Two more reviews and I have 200! Quick! Everybody REVIEW!! My 200th reviewer gets a pretty review, too!! :D
Please, peek at the new website that Shivvers and I have created! w w w . g e o c i t i e s . c o m / s h i v v e r s g (just delete the spaces, or click the link on my profile!!)
And now... adieu! Remember, Orli is taped up in my attic, and 20 reviews will set him free!!
The Hobbit Ivy (10/2/04, 4:42pm)
