It took two months for my arm to heal, and during that time, I passed my days exploring Minas Tirith in the morning, working out in the training fields with the knights of Gondor, and in the evenings eating dinner and taking walks with Legolas in the gardens. I had washed ashore five years after the fall of Isengard in this world. I had met all of the fellowship, besides the ones that had left for the white shores already.
I had become fast friends with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Merry, Pippin, and Faramir. Legolas especially, we became best friends, because we had all the same interests. I was also good friends with Eowyn and Arwen but they reminded me too much of my two sisters from my world so I limited my contact with them.
Aragorn agreed to let me be trained as a knight, to guard the walls of the white city, as the first female to be knighted. My preferred weapon was the bow (to Legolas's delight) but until my arm healed I could only be trained in the way of the sword. My right hand was the most dominate of the two.
When I did finally get my cast off, I went straight to the archery range that took up the end of the practice field. I was a skilled archer, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to shoot anything until the muscle in my arm was up to par with my other one. So for another month I worked on the muscle of my left arm. Finally when I decided I was ready, I told my friends that I would not be coming to lunch so I could practice.
Legolas had gone with me to see my skill. I went through the bows that the armory offered, but I growled in frustration when I couldn't find a bow with my preferred poundage. They were all to light. And I had a feeling that I wouldn't like the arrows much either.
"Are all of Gondors archers weak?" I asked under my breath. Legolas smiled at me. Of course he heard me with his stupid elf ears. He laughed and said something in elvish.
"Are you sure you can't find a bow to your preference?" He asked me with amusement. I nodded in all seriousness. He slid his bow off of his shoulder and offered it to me.
"If you can pull this back then you can have it," he said. I looked at the offered bow. I knew how he'd gotten it, and how much he loved the thing.
"I-I can't take it," I said quietly. I was touched that he would even consider it.
"I doubt you will be able to pull it back," he said.
I glared at him; he knew that issuing a challenge like that to me would be taken personally. We had only known each other for a short time, but I felt as if I'd known him for my whole life. I nodded exited and accepted the bow. I had always wanted an elvish bow anyway.
I went to the range with Legolas at my side. I turned to him and grind wickedly. Before he could register what I was about to do, I stepped close to him, wrapping my hand around the strap of his quiver. His light blue tunic had a few buttons undone, showing of his smooth, pale chest. Where my hand was, my fingers brushed against the hard marble that was his muscle.
I looked into his crystal eyes and before I knew it, I was drowning in them. They captured my own, and I saw an unreadable expression cross them. Before I knew what I was doing I was leaning into him; my hand unwrapped from the strap, and smoothed its way up his chest, curling around his shoulder. As I looked into his eyes, they began to darken to a stormy blue.
If I didn't stop now, I would only torcher myself more. I knew all too well how off limits he was, being a Prince and all. I quickly maneuvered my hand to grab the strap again, and another wicked smile crossed my lips, much to Legolas's astonishment.
I pulled the quiver off his shoulder and slung it across mine. Then I stepped away from him and tested the string, before I turned towards the target. I held the long bow out at an angle and grabbed an arrow. I knocked it and pulled the rawhide string back. To everyone's amazement but mine I pulled the string all the way back to the corner of my mouth. I let the arrow fly but it was off and only just hit the target. After a few tries, adjustments, and calibrations, I was hitting the target every time.