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Chapter 6

Cecilia was panting quietly, walking behind the group, growing increasingly tired of hiking. They had been on the road for more than eight hours and she wished to rest on more than few occasions.

The forest hummed with life all around her. She had fun for a bit, twirling around and gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that sung so sweetly. The sun broke through the cracks, lighting up the dirt path ahead of them, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves that crunch beneath the many feet. The fascination which the forest provided was of a brief life, too brief and all of a sudden she could no longer take it. Oh, what Cecilia would have given for any sign of civilization!

Any time a given pace would change or whenever one of the hobbits stopped in his tracks she felt eager to drop to the floor and die, but, whenever a chance for rest appeared, they just kept walking.

It would seem that the hobbits had the same idea, looking pleadingly into either Gandalf's or Aragorn's eyes, silently begging them to allow a moment's rest. The latter managed to undergo the torture for only so long, and finally, concluded the journey for the day.

"The sun will soon start to feign." Said Gandalf, looking reassuringly into the hobbit's eyes. Aragorn agreed, satisfied by the clearing on which they would camp.

Sam hurriedly began unsaddling the pony while the rest of his cheery group murmured amongst each other. The rest of the men knew their duties all too well and each left to tend their own, leaving Cecilia wondering if she should help as well.

The hobbits sat around the pile of wood which Gimli kept adding to, an evening chill soon began setting in the air and to be near the fire would have been a welcome sensation. Alas, it seemed rude to interrupt the hobbits in their conversation and Cecilia thought any kind of attention unwanted, hence she stayed where she was.

The clatter around her soon ceased and the men settled down in a circle waiting for the roundest hobbit to finish cooking dinner. Cecilia turned her back to them and pondered on all the ways to retrieve her bag from the pony without getting invited to sit down.

Whenever she decided to inspect the situation and glanced their way her eyes would meet with at least one person who was looking at her. They have been staring since they set off.

Their company was not necessarily unwanted, on the contrary, a real conversation would have been nice, she had many questions which she felt foolish to word in front of them all.

She wished that perhaps the wizard sat beside her and gave some more much needed information, the hobbits weren't out of the question either, their friendly manner a refreshing change. Yet the other men seemed somewhat menacing and reluctant to speak with her, even Legolas who was eager to do so before now made no attempt to question her. He appeared uncomfortable whenever the topic concerning their acquaintance came up and refused to shed light on the situation more than once. It almost felt like Legolas did not want to speak because he did not want the group to think that she was in any way connected to him.

Whatever it was that Samwise Gamgee had prepared, judging by the sudden pause of chat few were left unimpressed.

No one had offered Cecilia a plate and although it was her own fault for clearly distancing herself she could not help but secretly hope that someone might be braver than her and approach. It, of course, did not happen and she was left with only glancing back and forth until finally meeting eyes with the cook.

He held up his plate as if asking her to come and eat and smiled fondly once she finally stood up.

Cecilia strode to the fire as elegant and proud as she thought possible, well aware that all eyes were on her and that it was crucial to play her cards right. She seated herself on a stump which Sam freed for her, content to be of service. Upon bringing her a bowl of meaty stew and bread he sat down below her, the stew was very good and she gulped it up in moments.

A few more quiet minutes passed in munching before the first of many questions to follow.

"Gandalf said" the youngest hobbit greedily dipped his last piece of bread into the almost empty bowl. "That you are from a far away land." He was waiting for her to elaborate.

What was she supposed to say now?

Gandalf did not meet her looks and she was left to fend for herself. She could not tell them the truth, that was certain. They would think her bonkers.

"I, ah… " Not sounding very convincing she too dipped the bread into what was left of the stew, afraid to meet Pippin's eye. "It's pretty far away. You wouldn't have heard of it."

"We live in the Shire. Have you ever heard of it? It is quite nice in the summer."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry." Said the lady from the stump. "I haven't heard about it."

Pippin, a bit disappointed but not discouraged inquisited further. "Not many people have. Summer's over now though. The winters can get a bit dull."

"It's true." Pippin's red headed cousin joined in, happy to speak more over the topic. "The pipeweed farmers get a bit stingy with their crop, you're better off getting it during the summer."

As if proving a point a whisk of smoke from Aragorn's direction passed Cecilia, she felt it less inappropriate to light up herself, seeing as almost everyone smoked.

"Where could you buy one of those?" She had only a few more cigarettes left in this pack and one more pack in her bag. The herb they smoked did not seem to differ that much from her own.

"The pipeweed is best harvested in Hobbiton." Said the cook.

"But you could get a pipe anywhere, really." Merry blew a second smokey cloud her way.

"Settle down, young hobbits." Gimli's gruff voice silenced the bunch, he seemed put off by the noise coming from either of his sides. The hobbits were a loud, rowdy bunch inside a reserved company. No one bothered to question her but them. Until Boromir, after careful evaluation of the conversation joined in.

"You are not from the realms of men." His conclusion was just and tone accusing.

"I'm not from here."

"Where then?"

"You wouldn't have heard of it."

"I know of many land."

"Well, you wouldn't know about this one."

"Mind your manners, lady Cecilia." Her respectless answers earned her an unapproving gaze from the ranger because of whose words she shied back from any further interaction. Boromir did not seem offended and continued pleasantly chatting, content that Aragorn said nothing about his own tone of voice.

It did not take long for the company to scatter about, one by one took their leave for all were too tired to be held up in conversation. Cecilia had returned to her secluded shelter and was left alone with her thoughts once again.

The dark was pleasant, only Gimli's mighty snores disturbing the otherwise quiet night.

Legolas had taken the first watch, Cecilia could see him pacing about from where she was settled. He seemed put off by something and did not stay in one place for too long. He was soon out of sight and Cecilia had to find something else to capture her attention.

She had tried getting comfortable enough to doze off, even for a bit, she knew more walking awaited on the day to come. The ground was hard and small rocks poked into her skin making it impossible for her to sleep.

Did anyone know she was missing? Did time somehow work differently here than in the real world? Would anyone be able to find out what happened to her?

She once more wished that she simply stayed home, none of this bullshit would have happened to her if she had done so. Oh, why was the world so cruel?

It only needled her more that no one was telling her anything yet. Surely, she had the right to know just what was going on in this walking circus. Dwarves, elves and hobbits aside, she had had enough of this medieval roleplay. It was bad enough that they seemed to look down upon her for being a woman, they were suspicious as well. As if they had the right to be.

If she had a little less common sense she would have dragged Gandalf by the beard and demanded answers that instant. This living nightmare was tearing her logical brain apart. she had already thought this situation a thousand times over.

She did not think it wise to walk around the forest, both in fear of what lurked about and what someone who saw her might have to say. Still, she had to do something to tire herself out.

And so, after a moment's hesitation she made way to where Legolas sat, stopping just behind his back and thinking twice about approaching him. She did not move and thought of something to say. He seemed friendly enough when they last met.

"It is unwise to be stalking about in these late hours."

"I couldn't sleep." She told to his back.

"Aye." The elf shook his head in understanding and gestured for her to sit. He immediately distanced their bodies once she obliged and continued looking into the darkness, not allowing her to distract him from his duty. "I can imagine."

"You can go to sleep if you want. I can take the rest of your watch. If you're tired, that is."

"Unnecessary." The reply was swift and cool, his face showing nothing of the tension within.

They kept mostly quiet after that, and while Legolas was fidgeting with his bow and darting his eyes left and right, Cecilia looked him up and down several times, making sure he did not see, of course.

He did not mean to come off as impolite and seeing as Cecilia shied away once more he explained further.

"I will not be able to rest tonight."

"Why not? " Come to think of it, despite the tiring road they crossed Legolas did not seem weary at all. "We walked for eight hours straight, how can you not be tired?"

"I simply am not." He served her another cold reply and abruptly stood up, an action that gave Cecilia a strange feeling of rejection. She did not like it and decided to stop questioning him.

But then he spoke again, without looking at her.

"Come with me." Said he, with an arm extended to her and body turned to the trees.

She did not accept the helping hand but still made to follow. He turned left and disappeared in the deep woods with Cecilia at his tail.

The forest was dark and unwelcoming and Cecilia only now realized that they had strayed far away from camp. She did not like it and grew even more tense.

"Where are we going?" Her body stiffened and Legolas probably noticed.

Was she afraid of the woods or of him?

"You are upset."

Of course she was fucking upset, but careful not to burst she remained calm, waiting for what he would say next.

"As am I." Smiled the elf. "We are going for a walk."

This calmed the woman down and they continued the path, walking slowly and quietly in circles around camp. He did not speak and held his head high, not paying much attention to her.

Cecilia did not like the silence, it made her uncomfortable. Legolas's strange manner put an off feeling of anticipation in the air, one that was building up rapidly, making her nervous. It always felt like he would say something but never did.

And yet it seemed somewhat rude to leave. She was not sure why.

"Do you mind?"

The question shook Legolas out of his transe, he turned his head left to where the girl walked. She was holding a strange little white stick and looking at him, her hands were a bit shaky. It was odd and he did not understand what he could mind. Why would he dislike her holding this thing?

Not wanting to appear foolish he said that he did not mind and waited for what she would do next.

Surprisingly enough she took out this green machine, quite small in size and girth yet somehow if handled right it emitted a flame. It was simple enough yet Legolas had never seen anything like it before.

She sat down on the ground, staring at him from a frog perspective, looking for what he would do next. As expected, he sat down in front of her, gallantly crossing his legs. They were very long.

Cecilia smoked with enjoyment, finally feeling a bit calmer. This reminded Legolas of the first time they had met, she smoked then too.

She had noticed him staring and abruptly realised how rude she was.

"Do you want one?" asked she, handing him a half full box of the sticks.

He had never heard of a woman partaking in pipe smoking in middle earth. It must have been the norm from where ever she was. But he was not rude and would not inquire, just like many times before.

"Ah, nay. But thank you." said the elf, not staring at the cigarette anymore but at the smoke which became and disappeared in the darkness.

"And you usually do this by night?" The girl asked. "Walk around dark forests?"

She had obviously never heard of woodland elves. Legolas smiled sincerely, amused by her ignorance. Oh, it was always a joy to speak of elven tails with humans. But the elf knew that Cecilia was not ready to hear them. She was too green in this world.

This bothered Legolas. He wished to speak but knew not what was allowed to say and what was not. "The dark tends to be simply a continuation of day."

She thought it his turn to ask a question and kept quiet until he finally turned his face to her. He did not speak for a time and started examining her over. He had done this in a very strange manner and it struck Cecilia as quite odd, but she did not look away.

"I must admit, lady Cecilia, I am most curious to see how all this plays out."

"I suppose i would be too," The imploring voice was enough to draw back the fair face of Legolas to her, if only for a moment. "If only someone told me where it is that we're going."

"Tis not my place to say." His stature did not crack and he showed little interest in her change of demeanour, if even noticing it at all. "Yet I trust that it would not be folly to tell that we have gotten ourselves into some dangerous business."

This was something Cecilia dreaded to hear yet deep down knew to be true. A familiar sense of concern settled in her stomach, the same feeling she felt when she first heard of this quest that has not left since.

"And by dangerous business you mean…"

"That which I have said."

"But what kind of danger?" She persisted.

"Hiril nin, I am bad at keeping secrets and think it best for you to cease questioning me of this. I have told plenty which i should not have." His tone was not as harsh as his words and he was eager to change the subject. Cecilia did not know if he wanted to speak at all, men were rarely this reserved back home. But he was not a man, something which Cecilia was yet to comprehend.

"Sorry." She retorted sourly, disappointed by his answer.

"Do not allow this to upset you, the gray wizard is wise and knows what is to be done best." He seemed very sure of his words and nodded accordingly, content to see that Cecilia did not disagree.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, regarding each other every so often whilst the other looked away, unlike Cecilia, the elf did not care to hide his stares and was a lot more obvious.

Her chestnut hair barely reached over her shoulder, Legolas had never seen a lady wear it like that and while unusual he did not dislike it. She had an overall charming appearance and looked as if she could be a pleasant person to be around.

He soon grew tired of examining and turned his head back to the forest, proceeding looking about.

His watch was nearing its end.

"The sun will rise soon." He said, standing up and extending a chivalrous arm once more. Their palms touched and Cecilia noticed that she felt something strange, deep in her abdomen, because of the repressed strength in his grasp, which she liked.

He did not notice this strange feeling in her and remained unbothered, unclutching their hands once she was on her feet and moved onwards.

She could only follow, staring at him from the back, wishing, for some strange reason, that he held her hand a bit longer.

He did not seem to share the emotion and moved hastily.

They were back in camp in no time and with only a few parting words Legolas had left her in the grass, leaving to stand on his own.

He leaned on a tree with crossed arms, staring at Aragorn who had taken a seat on the same log he had occupied during his own watch. He would stay like this for the whole night.

Hello lovelies,

Im happy to announce that after fucking with this chapter for almost 6 months; im finally done.

I cant promise you guys how often i will publish because english is not my first language and its kind of hard to write something like this because i strive for absolute perfection, which is very hard to do. The elves are also very hard to present but idk i think im doing an okay job. Im sorry for thedelay and hope that some of you will still read my story.

So, for the giveaway oneshot; copy and paste of what i already wrote in some other chapter: Once again, really sorry about the delay BUT i have decided to redeem myself by providing 5 OF MY READERS a oneshot of their own choice, i dont know if the pairing for the stories will be only Legolas and Cecilia or something else but for now, lets limit the choice at that. There will also be a possibility of chosing an only Legolas oneshot. Idk i thought it would be neat because i found myself liking a Oc and character pairing many times and wished for more opportunities to see them together. Naturally, if you dont like my pairing you will not partake in this.

So, the rules are simple; 3 people who leave the most reviews win, and the other 2 will be chosen randomly. You can choose whichever topics you like; lemons, gore, more romance, fluff (which i do not like writing and it will probably turn out horrible), you can also chose situations, for instance: Someone getting drunk, trying drugs, the ultimate human death… Basically, i will write whatever you want to read and will try my best to do it as good as possible. The first winner will be announced by chapter 10 (the person who leaves most reviews by that time wins, but keep in mind that the minimum number of reviews for entry will be 5). More details will be sufficed by chapter 7.

Thank you for reading and let me know what you think.