*crawls out from beneath rock I've been under*…uh, hi guys! I know, I leave off on a cliffhanger and then disappear for a couple years…life got crazy, I'm sorry! This chapter is gonna be kind of a little bit of history/backstory for Callon, and then it will be another filler chapter before the Council of Elrond. I hope this makes up for being gone for so long!
The Woman and the Elf
10 years ago…
The forest was calm; no touch of darkness anywhere in sight, of course that didn't mean that something sinister wasn't lying in wait in some shadow. That was the training the Dunedain Rangers and her brother had instilled in Callon, ever since she was 18 years old. Now at 75, it was second nature to be on guard whenever she was alone, especially when she was traveling. She was on her way back to her brother; having visited Rivendell to see Lord Elrond whom she considered her surrogate father and her surrogate sister, and she hoped one day her actual sister, Arwen. She had to get away form her brother, Aragorn, for a while. He was being his usual overbearing self when it came to her.
"Callon, you need to keep your guard up at all times."
"Do you want to be killed? You and I need to be able to fell any enemy that crosses our path."
"The enemy will not stop when you are downed, they will not stop until you are dead."
She understood where he was coming from, he was trying to protect her in his own way. They were the two heirs of Isildur, they had targets on their backs the moment they were born. But by the Valar, Aragorn wouldn't relent. In her mind, Aragorn must think because she's so young she's a burden to the Rangers, and since she's his sister she's his burden to bear. He was getting on her nerves, as older brothers tend to do.
The trip back took her near the border forests of Mirkwood, who's shade provided a bit of relief from the sun beating down on her cloaked self. Another of Aragorn's insistences.
"You must keep your hair hidden when you are traveling, it is not safe for a young woman to be trekking alone." She grumbled under her breath and kicked a nearby stick on the ground in frustration. The day was warm, and her cloak was stifling. Callon leaned against the side of a tree and heard a nearby stream, which caused her to quicken her pace to get a cool drink. Which, also, didn't allow her to hear the light footsteps following her. Without pushing her hood back, she kneeled next to the stream and cupped her hands into the cool water. Before she could lift her hands to her mouth, however, she felt a blade at her neck. She froze while mentally kicking herself for being so careless, Aragorn was going to kill her if this person didn't.
"Who are you? Strangers are not permitted within the borders of Mirkwood." She knew that voice from the times he met with her brother. Callon slowly lifted her hands to show she wasn't armed.
"Since when do princes patrol the borders of his own kingdom?" Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, recognizing this woman's voice as well, pulled his knife away and looked at her face.
"You are Estelle's sister, Idril?" Callon, slowly lowering her hands and standing up, chuckled at him.
"Since we're not entirely within the territory of elves, you may call me Callon, Prince of Mirkwood." She bowed slightly before him.
"Since we are just outside of the city you don't have to be so formal, and you should call me by my given name as well, Callon," he smiled at her, "Legolas will do just fine."
"Well, Legolas, it has been nice to be formally introduced to my brother's friend. Although, you did not answer my question. Why is the Prince of Mirkwood patrolling the borders of his own kingdom?" Callon pushed back her hood, revealing her dark auburn hair, and kneeled back down to take a drink from the stream.
"The official answer is because even as a prince, I need to be able to look after my lands and defend them rather than push that responsibility onto others." He watched her as Callon stood back up, giving him her full attention, and noticing the faint freckles on her nose and cheeks.
"And the unofficial reason?" She watched him as he chewed on his lip for a moment, she caught that.
"I'm frustrated with my father."
"I understand. Needing time to be away from those who disrupt your life, even if they are family; yes, I understand completely." Callon moved under the canopy of trees out of the glaring sunlight, as Legolas nodded at her.
"I gather that Aragorn is the reason you are here? You need time away from a disruption?"
"Very much so. I was visiting Lord Elrond in Rivendell when my brother sent a messenger yesterday, asking when I would return. And in my anger, I left Rivendell at dawn and left without a horse," she looked up at the prince, a look of both amusement and understanding on his face, "I apologize for airing my troubles to you, Legolas. I don't know what came over me." Callon looked down with a blush staining her cheeks, embarrassed, as Legolas smiled at her.
"No need for an apology, I get as angered with my father every now and again. If you need, you are more than welcome to stay here for the night and I will personally allow you one of our horses for you to reach your brother."
"I don't want to impose on you…" Legolas cut her off, very un-princely of him.
"You won't. Consider it repayment for having an honest conversation with me, being a prince rarely affords me one." Callon saw the slight blush that appeared on his own cheeks, also very un-princely.
"I would be honored, Prince Legolas."
Legolas led Callon into the Kingdom of Mirkwood; his father not entirely happy that he brought in a stranger, but since she was well known and liked among elf-kind he couldn't do much. Legolas personally showed her around the kingdom, as well as taking his dinner when she did and walked her back to her room for the night. King Thranduil encountered his son when Legolas was making his way back to his own room.
"You gave the woman, Idril, a warm welcome." Not a question.
"I did, she is our guest and I wanted to make her feel comfortable here."
"To be shown the kingdom by the prince, quite the honor."
"She is the sister to a friend, father, and I hope she will become a friend as well. That is all."
"You were on the verge of anger most of the day today, and once you encountered her your mood changed considerably. You do not hope for just friendship from her, son." Again, not a question.
"That is all I can ask of her, I will not ask for more unless that is what she desires." Legolas bid his father goodnight and turned toward his own chambers, to which he didn't catch the small smile on the face of his father.
"I hope you can find love, again, my son."
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8 years ago…
Three years had passed since that day, and Legolas and Callon had grown ever closer. Legolas decided to travel with the Rangers for a while, mainly traveling with Callon and Aragorn or rather Stryder* and Reesa. Aragorn was glad to see his friend again, and that his sister had befriended him as well. After a few weeks of traveling together, he had noticed that the elf and his sister began to look at each other for longer than necessary as well as lingering touches whenever their hands would "accidently" touch. Aragorn could see all of this plain as day, but the two seemed to be completely oblivious of the way they acted around each other. One night, when Callon had turned in earlier than the men, Aragorn decided to confront the elf. He and Legolas were sat around a fire, watching for any enemies that might be around.
"What are your intentions with my sister, Legolas?"
"I know not of what you speak?" Legolas looked intently at the fire.
"You really are blind then, both you and Reesa. It is plain as day the way you both look at each other, as it is the same way that she says I gaze at Arwen. You care for each other, Legolas. I may even go as far to say you love each other." Aragorn glanced at his sister behind him, hoping he didn't wake her.
"I care for her, Stryder. After Tauriel I did not think I would ever allow my heart to love again, and then she came into my life. She makes me laugh, she challenges me, she makes me be a better man, and I would be lucky and grateful to call her mine. But I will not push my will upon her, Stryder. I want to earn her love, never take it." Aragorn put his hand on Legolas's shoulder.
"With the way she gazes at you, my friend, you have earned it. You have my blessing, I just ask that you do no harm to her in any way. If you do, I will kill you," Legolas let out a nervous laugh as Aragorn continued, "when you both wake in the morning, tell her." Legolas nodded as Aragorn went to his bed roll for the night. When the sun rose the next morning, Callon was cooking their breakfast as Legolas rose while Aragorn continued to sleep. Callon smiled up at him as he warmed his hands by the fire.
"Good morning."
"Good morning"
"Did anything happen last night while I was sleeping?"
"Nothing, no enemies, just a calm night." Callon turned back to the fire.
"No conversations between friends?" Legolas turned to her with weary eyes as she continued, "you should make sure others can not hear you, even if they appear asleep."
"You heard it all?"
"Until Stryder turned in for the night." Callon stood and turned to put the food she had just made onto a nearby rock, and Legolas followed her.
"Then let me ask you, Reesa, have I earned your feelings? Do you feel the same as I?" Callon turned to him, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
"You have, and I do." Legolas took her face in his hands and kissed her with all the love he had in him, as did Callon. They held onto each other until they heard Aragorn start to rise for the day.
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5 years ago…
Callon raced through the storm that was beating down on her, she wanted to put as much distance between herself and the North as she could. She couldn't be with her brother anymore, it had come to a point that she didn't know they would ever reconcile from. Tears and rain were blinding her, but she eventually found herself entering the forests of Mirkwood. She stopped at the front gates, the guards recognizing her immediately, and quickly dismounted. The guards let her inside as Legolas ran to her, him pulling her into his arms seeing her crying.
"What happened?" She shook her head as she cried into his shoulder. He put his arm around her and they both walked to his chambers, him rubbing her arm to both comfort and warm her as best he could. When they got to his chambers, he sat her on his bed and looked through his clothes to find her something dry to put on. Callon was no longer sobbing, just tears leaking from her eyes, but the silence was unnerving to Legolas. She was always talking about whatever was on her mind at the moment. He brought her one of his oversized shirts, and touched her cheek causing her to look up at him.
"I can step out while you change, or I can turn my back." Callon smiled at him, ever the gentleman.
"Please stay, I'll be quick if you turn around." He nodded and turned as she got out of the wet clothes she arrived in. His shirt was warm and smelled just like him, bringing her instant comfort. After she was dressed, she walked over to him and put her arms around him and buried her face in his back. He turned in her arms and put his around her, just holding her as long as she needed.
"How can I take your pain away?"
"Just hold me, that's all I need." He kissed her forehead.
"You don't have to tell me what happened, just know I'm here." Callon squeezed him tighter before she spoke again.
"Aragorn…we fought…worse than we have ever before. He went on about how I'm his responsibility, how he needs to make sure I stay alive. And I told him that I didn't need him to remind me that I am his burden to bare, that I didn't need him to be a father to me when I just needed my brother. He told me to leave if I didn't need him anymore, and I told him that I never wanted to see him again." Callon started crying again. Legolas didn't know what to do other than hold her, so he hummed a lullaby that his mother had taught him in her ear. Eventually, Callon had calmed enough that she was practically asleep in his arms. He scooped her up and laid her on his bed pulling the bedding up around her, before laying on top of the blankets next to her and joining her in sleep.
The next morning, Legolas awoke without Callon by his side. He looked around the room to find her sitting in the window seat of his room, watching the sun rise. He walked over to her and sat down next to her.
"Are you alright?" She slightly smiled at him.
"Better. Thank you, for everything, Legolas." He took her hand.
"I will always come to your aid, I love you."
"I love you, too." He pulled her into his arms, her back to his front, as they gazed out the window.
"Where will you go now? You can stay here as long as you like." Callon smiled as she kissed his hand that was in hers.
"I know, but Gandalf once offered to have me travel with him across Middle Earth, and I have been wanting to actually see it rather than travel through it."
"You can never stop moving, can you?" Callon could feel the smile in his voice against the top of her head.
"I will, one day. I just want to see everything before I settle." Legolas put his head on her shoulder.
"Would the place you settle be here, with me?" Callon turned to look at him.
"If that would be alright with you?" He leaned forward to gently kiss her.
"I would want nothing more, my love," he stood up and knelt in front of Callon, "except maybe one thing." Callon stared at him with surprise and adoration.
"Legolas…"
"Callon, daughter of Gilraen, when the travels you desire to take have come to an end, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Callon threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, over and over. Eventually, she looked him in the eyes with tears falling from her own.
"Yes, with all my heart yes." He picked her up and spun her around as they laughed with excitement.
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Today…
Callon told Legolas to check on his companions and to rest for a bit, since he had ridden for so long. The only things that finally convinced him to go was the promise that they would take dinner together and a few kisses. She watched him walk away from the archery fields, and then slightly turned to look behind her.
"You can come out now, Sam." Samwise Gamgee came out from his hiding spot, a look of shock and anger on his face.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Miss Callon."
*If you're new to this story, I previously wrote "Stryder" instead of "Strider" for Aragorn's Ranger name and I was too lazy to change it all and I like the way it's spelled. So I'm keeping it.
SAM WAS THE LURKER! Yeah, a lot of you suspected that it was Frodo who was spying on Callon, but at this point in the story he's still unconscious. ANYWAY, I hope you guys like this chapter and I hope it gave you a little more insight into Callon and Legolas's relationship as well as Callon and Aragorn's. As always, please leave a review and let me know what yall think and stay tuned for more!
