"Be careful, you are weak. The wound has taken much blood." He said sternly. She winced, and tried to support herself without his grip but fell back to him.
She looked up at him with adoring eyes, "You are Legolas Greenleaf aren't you? Is this a dream?"
He furrowed his brow, "she knows my name?" he whispered quietly to himself, bringing her back to the bed where he lay her down with care. She exhaled, calming in his presence.
"Do you know what happened, I remember falling into a map, and spider webs, why am I here? it doesn't seem real at all?" she breathed. She looked at his perfect face, he seemed so angelic, so thoughtful.
He began to talk "You fell from another world, the spiders, they wounded you." Harriet shuddered, remembering the stab of it's jaws.
"We watched you struggle in the webs, and killed the spiders, except we missed one, it's name was irazad, leader of that spider clan, it was crafty and I did not see it until it had drawn blood. I ran here with you, these are the healing rooms, the healing elf saved you, you have been asleep for many hours." His voice entranced her, then she blushed imagining him running here with her in his arms.
"Thank you." She whispered. "For saving me."
"You are welcome, I just couldn't- I couldn't leave-" he trailed off, and then finished the sentence inaudible to her, "I couldn't leave such beauty of yours to die."
"Where are my friends?" She said, growing scared.
"Safe and comfortable" he lied, he did not want her to be worried.
She lay back deeper into the pillows, relaxing. A sharp knock at the door startled them. Legolas stood from where he had been sitting on the side of the bed to open the door, but the visitor barged in unwelcomed.
"Father." He exclaimed, then in turning to Elvish so Harriet could not understand he said "do not be forceful, she is still weak." Thranduil answered sharply, with a glare, "The creatures fallen from the sky are our prisoners! However we treat them it will not be with kindness. You must learn Legolas!"
Directing his stare at Harriet he snapped, "Girl, I must know your race, how did you to this land? Are you an evil craft made by a sorcerer, for you are not of this world, I can sense it, no human of middle earth is like you."
"We come from earth, that is what we call it, in our land you are all from a story book created by a dead man called Tolkien, you are all supposed to be in story books!" she explained.
He walked another step towards her, threateningly "You lie, and that is what your friends told us, but it cannot be true. We have been real before your world existed! If you do not tell me the truth we will have to torture you and your friends, they are down their now in fact, my men are waiting for my command, if you do not speak I will order them to bleed them, slowly, till you start blabbing. You can only be creatures of evil, and evil deserves to suffer."
Legolas looked at his father, with a look of utter terror on his face, "You promised me you would not harm them," he hissed.
Harriet cried "No! Do not hurt them, for it is truth! Please I beg you."
"I shall leave you to decide whether you let your friends die, or you tell me truth. I will return when the sun rises," spat Thranduil, turning and leaving.
Harriet started to sob, and Legolas was distressed at her upset. He came closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, unsure of what to do for elves never showed their feelings publicly, he had not experience in comforting. She dried her reddened eyes and told herself, "I must find them, I must."
Legolas drew back his hand as she tried to stand. She stumbled forward, her legs wobbled and she clutched her side in agony, falling into him again, she threw her arms round his neck, not caring she had only just met, and burst into to floods of frustrated tears of misery. He held her there, and relaxed, feeling her grief as well. Her intimate embrace, in comfort for sadness or in love made him feel strange, his heart sung, what was this fond feeling that rose within him?
Her tears began to dry and she loosened her grip from him, sitting back onto the mattress, holding her face in her hands. Legolas sat down next to her, she looked at him, face full of admiration.
"Come, do not despair fair one, for there is so much joy to be had in this world, let me tell you stories of old, of battle and sadness, but the light and peace that comes afterwards. In all darkness there is light that subdues suffering." He comforted. And she listened to his words of utter beauty for what seemed like years and was put at peace, her head leaning on his shoulder.
As he finished speaking she realised their hands were interlocked together, his slender fingers wrapped tenderly around hers. She smiled at the sight of it and then turned to him, they looked at each other gazing into each other's deepest souls. She leaned towards him, and he lowered his head to hers. They were so close; he paused for a moment, gazing at her. 'What was this feeling; he had never felt it before? And what was this intimacy he shared with her?' he thought.
Their lips touched, a shiver went through Harriet's spine. His lips were soft, and cold. Her senses ran wild, heart thumping inside her chest. It was like a pure dream. She reached up and tangled her fingers within his hair, pulling him closer. For a moment they explored the kiss deeper, and then drew away. Legolas looked at her, dazed.
" I hear the birds sweet song, it is morning, My Father shall be here soon, I sense him coming." He said.
He left, leaving her dumbstruck and utterly in love.