Ithilwen was still sitting in Legolas' lap even after her tears had subsided. She rubbed her cheeks, embarrassed that she had made such a fool out of herself in front of him. "I'm sorry, Legolas," she sighed, not looking at him. "I didn't mean to do what I did earlier. I was doing so well when I was sitting up with Fiona, but then I go to sleep and seem to go to pieces all over you."
Legolas smiled, even though she wouldn't look at him. He was relieved that she had gotten the outburst out of her system, even if she was ashamed of her actions. He still rubbed her back in comfort and kept a firm hold of her small frame; he wasn't about to let her move away until she let it all out. "It's alright, Ithilwen. It's better to let these things out than to hold them in. Why did you stay awake so late?" he asked, perplexed by her words.
"Oh, that." Ithilwen wasn't sure how to describe her decision to him. She was afraid she'd sound silly, but then she realized that she had previously bawled over him, so any dignity she had left was gone. "Well, after Fiona came and got me, we came home and she fixed me some dinner. Afterwards, we stayed up watching the late night programs in the den. Fiona kept telling me that I ought to go to sleep every couple of hours, but I couldn't. I didn't want to go to sleep and not dream. I was scared that if I did, you wouldn't be there." She took the risk and glanced at Legolas to see him staring intently at her. "I know, I know! It's stupid! But I've gotten so used to meeting up with you in these dreams that to not scares me, considering what you were going through tonight."
"You were worried about me?" Ithilwen turned back to look at the elf, noting that his surprised tone of voice did not match the smirk he was currently bearing.
She smacked his shoulder lightly. "Of course I was!" she blurted out rather loudly. "I always worry about my friends!" Ithilwen's voice returned to its normal volume as she continued. "So really, are you all okay?"
Legolas' smirk moved into a small smile, glad to see that she was beginning to return to normal. "Yes, we are all well. I will be sure to tell the others that you expressed concern over their wellbeing." He paused, debating on whether to tell her his next piece of information or not. "Ithilwen, do you recall me mentioning that the Rohirrim were outnumbered at Helms Deep?"
Ithilwen nodded. "How bad was it?"
"Not as bad as you might think. You see, at the last minute, we had some assistance…"
"Ada was at Helms Deep?!" Ithilwen's voice squeaked. "How is he? Is he alright? Why was he there?"
Legolas delved into the reasoning that Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel came to in sending an army of elves to assist the men of Rohan. It took some quick history lessons to explain to the elleth why they weren't there in the first place, from which she commented that it was a stupid reason to wait so long. He was pleased to see that she had such an open mind about things, but he wasn't sure if Haldir would be thrilled to find this out. Unlike his elven friend, the daughter was more than excited to be able to meet Gimli. "He suffered a small injury on his back, but he is doing well," he supplied. Legolas didn't want to scare her by telling her that the 'small injury' from the Uruk-hai broadsword had cut the length of his ribcage. It wasn't a deep cut, thanks in part to the now useless armor, but the mangled metal had served its purpose in saving its master's life.
Ithilwen breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Nana will be pleased to hear this as well."
"How is she?" Legolas asked.
"She's doing well. Better since she first learned about the dreams when you went to Lothlorien. She misses Ada and home terribly, and she's recently expressed interest in meeting you."
Legolas didn't bother to ask why. He had a feeling that from Ithilwen's description of him to Morwen, she already knew that he was a prince of Mirkwood, whereas Ithilwen did not. "And Fiona?" he asked.
"Busy," the elleth laughed. "Very busy. She's been doing more local work lately, but she's going to be on the other side of the country in a few weeks for a big event." Ithilwen had once tried to explain the concept of photography to Legolas, but she wasn't sure if he understood it half as well as he told her. Realizing early on how advanced the mortal world she was in was compared to middle-earth made for some simplified explanations that turned out not to be so simple at all. After all, showing how the gadgets worked would be more fun that explaining the process.
"What about yourself?"
"Myself?"
"Yes," Legolas pressed. "What all have you been doing during your days?" He was curious, because she never mentioned having an occupation like Fiona, even though hers wasn't a necessity. She had brought up many projects in conversation with him, and he hoped that boy had not deterred her from finishing any of them.
Ithilwen looked thoughtful, then down at herself, realizing that she was still sitting in his lap. A blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks and she ducked her head, moving to slide out of his lap to sit beside him. Legolas moved his arms to allow her movement, knowing that she was not in any danger of a breakdown again. Once she was situated and felt that she could look up again, Ithilwen murmured an apology and answered his question. "I finished doing revisions on that story I wrote last summer. I just have to decide on if I'm going to get it bound by an outside source or if I will do it myself. I'm still working on my Sweet Pea costume, though. There's a girl in the town over that is making plans to come visit soon so she can fit me for the pauldrons. I've also got to put in an order for some boning for the corset-cloak before I can finish it. What I have is too weak for it to fit right." She tucked a strand of hair behind her pointed ear and looked back at him. "I guess the bright side is that I've got more time now to finish it all!"
Legolas smiled at her attempt at humor, knowing full well that she was only trying to reassure him. You don't get over something like that when your emotions tear you up that severely. Ithilwen was prepared to end the relationship, so whatever Payne had said to her that night was bad for her to sound so broken. "I am sorry, Ithilwen. I am relieved that you are no longer courting this boy, but I wish that it would have come to an end in a more civil manner." Legolas wanted to add that he would thoroughly enjoy stringing the mortal up by his short hairs and using him as a target, but refrained.
She shrugged, trying to show that she was accepting what had happened. "Thanks, Legolas. I wish it had too, but it's over and done with now."
"How do you feel about that?"
"Glad, in a way. Drained physically and emotionally in the other. Is it even possible to feel drained in a dream?"
He chuckled. "I feel physically exhausted. Does that tell you how rough the battle was tonight, for an elf to be tired?"
Ithilwen laughed. "It does!"
As the dream progressed, the conversations drifted to different things. Legolas told Ithilwen about the killing contest he had going with Gimli. He even stated rather smugly that he was tied with Gimli for 43 kills, even though Gimli declared that the elf's last one was already dead by his axe. Ithilwen got a good laugh at that, especially when he added that the shaking of the axe caused the Uruk's leg to twitch.
Ithilwen told him about Burgess and the Guardians of Childhood. Legolas seemed intrigued by the concept of the guardians and other spirits that worked in the realm, but one in particular person stood out in his mind. "This…Ber-nard," he sounded the name out slowly, "he is an elf as well?"
"Uh huh," she nodded. "He's the elf that assists North at his factory along with the yetis. ..What's that strange look for?"
"Nothing," Legolas said quickly. "I just assumed that you and Lady Morwen were the only elves in that realm, based on what you had told me before."
"We're the only two elves from middle-earth," she corrected him. "Bernard is a Christmas elf, a whole other type with different abilities. He's essentially a guardian, in my opinion. He's been working for the children of the world for far longer that Nana and I have been there."
The next question he asked caught her by surprise. "Has he ever courted you?"
Once she quit coughing from shock, she started to laugh, confusing him. "Bernard? No, heavens no! He's like a brother to me. I am pretty sure that he has feelings for Fiona, though. Why do you ask?"
Ithilwen noticed that Legolas looked indifferent to her question and couldn't figure out why. "Merely curiosity," he replied. "Will you be able to say goodbye to them when the time comes?" He sounded concerned, because the way she spoke of these people, it wasn't hard to see that they had become an odd collective of family-friends. Leaving would mean that she would return to her true home, but she would be leaving so many behind.
"It's crossed my mind more than once, believe me," she said. "We all knew long ago that Nana's and my place was not in that world and have accepted that. It won't be easy to say goodbye, and I almost dread it, but I will be coming home at last. I know they'll be alright without Nana or I there, even if it does hurt at first." Her voice sounded strong when she spoke, but her eyes showed the tiredness of the earlier night's events coupled with the thoughts of leaving.
Legolas put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her small frame against his in a half-hug. "Will you do me a favor when you wake, Ithilwen?" She looked up at him questioningly. "Promise me that when you wake, that you will not linger in sadness over what has happened. That mortal is not worth the emotional stress that you have gone through, and to succumb would give him the satisfaction that he has hurt you. Do something for you, something you will enjoy."
Ithilwen smiled. "I can do that."
"Good. Because I'll know if you don't," he emphasized with a tap to his breastbone, just above his heart.
A/N: Have an extended dream meeting! This one is a continuation of the meeting from the last chapter, which was too long already to add in. I've got some notes for the next couple of chapter files typed up, and with each break between coursework I try to write a section. We'll see how the next couple of days go and I'll have a better idea of my updates; still have a chunk of work to finish before Thursday. Which by the way, someone take my DS away from me! I bought Lego LOTR at the end of my spring break and I cannot put it down!