The smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth, the feeling of her skin seemed to have got inside him, or into the air all round him. She had become a physical necessity." ―George Orwell

Chapter 5

Near the end of December was the day set to start their journey. The East wind had a chill as it blew through the courtyard where the fellowship gathered.

Legolas felt himself preparing with an excitement that he could not share with the rest of the solemn group. Dark times were ahead of them, that was for certain; but ahead too, was adventure, and a freedom of such strength he had never felt. The purpose was clear, get the ring to the fiery mountain in the dark lands of Mordor and destroy it. Legolas knew not how they would manage the journey unscathed, and the more time that had passed from the council day to now, the more it had felt like a journey that would never truly start.

Schooling his features to remain neutral against the others' grim faces, he cast a last eye over the group he would now spend likely months traveling with and fighting besides, as fighting there would surely be.

Two men, a dwarf, four hobbits and a pony were readied for journey, laden with heavy packs. His pack was lighter, as less warmth of clothing he required than mortal races.

At the sound of footsteps on stone, Legolas looked up to see Gandalf the grey wizard carrying both staff and his own pack down the steps of the hall of Imladris, accompanied by the half elven Beorning whom Legolas had come to call 'friend'. She wore the same travelling clothes as the first day he had seen her, at the council of Elrond; plus a fur-lined cloak as gifted them all by Elrond and his folk for their journey. Her curls of orange hair framed her face and tucked beneath the cape, giving her the look of wearing a thick travelling hood of bright spun copper. Her eyes found the elf almost immediately upon arriving in the courtyard; and seeing his attention was on her, she smiled. Her smile, the one without teeth which only in the past few weeks Legolas had begun to receive in her company, took his breath as it had the first time she bestowed it on him. Her cheeks dimpled and her usually piercing golden eyes were softened by lowering her lids slightly. His heart fluttered in his chest and he returned the smile, heedless of any who saw their exchange.

Then, the Lord Elrond came to bid them a last farewell. Elrond spoke to them for the last time of their journey and purpose; reminding them to only go as far as their hearts bade them.

They then departed, elves of Imladris watching them in quiet respect, for no music nor fanfare was to accompany them out into the dusk.

First walked Gandalf, with Aragorn at his side, for it was they who planned most of the journey to be taken, and they who knew the paths to keep hidden in the lands ahead. Many days had the pair walked in the gardens surrounding the elven home, discussing the coming journey.

After them followed the man Boromir with Gimli the dwarf, both faces grim and set for the long road ahead. The hobbit Frodo followed, his companions leading Bill the pony who was to be their beast of burden. Lastly, as their senses were keenest, walked Legolas and Amber; there to protect the rear of the party from any who may wish to attack them.

Legolas noticed that Amber wore no weapon on her belt, nor a bow on her back, as he carried. Even the hobbits had long knives which served as swords for their small stature. Again, he was reminded of how much he had yet to learn of her and her beast form, for that is what he guessed to be her version of a weapon.

Long they walked into the night, largely unspeaking as they wished to remain as unnoticed as was possible, to ensure the secrecy of their journey. Once morning light broke, they made camp in a hidden patch of trees to keep from view and rest before the next night of walking.

The men and dwarf lay their bedrolls on the south end of their camp, while the wizard, elf and Beorning took the north, keeping the hobbits in the middle for their protection. Amber lay her bedroll out close to Legolas' as there was not much room in which to keep under the trees as was best for keeping from view

Legolas felt his throat dry a the prospect of sleeping so close, not only to an unwed woman, but to one so beautiful as she and who had given his heart little rest since they had first met, only two months ago, though longer it seemed to him. He felt that he had not known so much of another person, of their mannerisms or feelings as he had her, for she was rarely withheld in her countenance, sharing her emotions readily on her face. He had grown fascinated to simply watch the play of her expression as she spoke, and often asked her to describe to him events or places she had seen, just to see her live it again through her face.

Aragorn took the first watch, and so it would not be until the afternoon that Legolas would have chance to escape this enclosed spot next to Amber, the thrill of such a confinement embarrassing him, though he spoke it, of course, to no one.

On his back, hands placed atop one another on his stomach, Legolas listened to the breathing of the others grow deeper. Amber, beside him, took a long while, curled on her side away from him, her back so close that should he choose, he could reach out and stroke the length of it. He wondered if she too, listened to the others, hearing them fall asleep one by one.

Finally, her breathing grew deeper, and he found himself setting his own to the rhythm of it.

When Aragorn woke him for his watch, Legolas found the ranger smiling with an amusement he had often begun to show when Legolas and Amber were close to one another. In his slumber, Legolas seemed to have reached unthinking towards her, for his fingers were now curled in a loose lock of her orange hair which flowed behind her on the grass.

Flushing to be caught so by his friend, Legolas sat quickly, startling the woman out of her sleep. She sat up as if herself shaken, and eyed the two males with confusion and suspicion, in equal measure.

Aragorn held out his hands, as if to say he had nothing to do with her sudden waking, and left, smiling still, to find his own rest.

Legolas did not meet Amber's eye, still thinking of his wandering hand and the feeling of her hair, which he had held without permission. She frowned at his lack of response to her look, and stood, looking up at the early afternoon sun ahead of them.

Legolas rolled his bed and tied it to his pack before standing, stepping towards a gap in their tree shelter so that he could better look for danger.

He heard Amber follow him and looking back at her, tipped his head in question, as he had many times seen her do.

"I have rested enough" she muttered, keeping her voice low so as not to wake their camp. He nodded, allowing her to follow him to the edge of the narrow band of trees behind which their companions sheltered.

Legolas stood, still kept hidden, watching their surroundings and listening for sign of anything beyond the ordinary wild sounds about them.

Amber leaned against the tree opposite him, watching him with unguarded curiosity. After some time had passed, and she had not yet looked away, he questioned her "Why do you watch me this afternoon? We have spent many together, I cannot be so different as before"

"I enjoy to look at you, it pleases my eyes" she replied, unabashed. Legolas felt his cheeks colour at this brazenly statement, not entirely surprised by the clench that it brought in his stomach and the heat in his torso at her words. He had been called handsome by many an elf maiden, and he knew that even among elves he was considered so by most; but to have such a thing said to him by this woman, he could hardly think how he might reply.

Before the silence was too long between them, Amber grinned, teeth flashing at him, "You flush as you did when I had awoken. What is it that made you so, before?" she asked him.

This he did not want to answer, trying instead to turn his gaze back to the wilderness about them. She chuckled at his clear avoidance, turning then to head back to their camp. Before she went. She reached out to him and squeezed his forearm, smiling in amusement as his eyes flashed to hers at her touch.

"I will try to rest again as I can see you have much on your mind melanin" she said, using the elvish words for friend as he had taught her, one day on the hill when she had asked him to speak in his tongue. That day he had recited some of his favourite tales and sung a song to her, all in elvish. She had closed her eyes and laid on the grass beside him to listen, sighing contentedly at the sound, though she did not understand the words. She had told him that her mother seldom spoke in her nature tongue as her father had not known it, and it had brought sad memories of her estranged kin. When finished reciting, Amber had told the elf that when he spoke in elvish, she felt that he were threading together the sounds of all the natural world and weaving them into a spell to capture her heart. At this, he had gazed into her eyes, unsure if he dared hope that her words were true, as indeed, those words had caused the same in him and she spoke them. Long he had suspected that his heart had become hers, though he dared not hope that it would be reciprocated.

Now he stood, looking out to the lands before him, replaying this most precious of memories in his mind.