Special thanks to Magenta, Elizabeth and Liz for betaing this chapter for me.
Chapter 34: Melethril
Kaitlyn lay in bed within the house outside the Golden Halls of Edoras. She heard the sound of people gathering in the streets. They met family and friends which remained to bid farewell to their loved ones who had fallen at Helm's Deep.
Flame crackled in the fireplace across the room, casting its orange glow on the floor and walls, creating oddly shaped shadows. The log split from the heat of the fire, cracking and hissing as it settled against the metal grate.
Kaitlyn sighed, her eyes just about to close when someone cleared their throat. Her eyes shot open, wondering if Legolas had returned, but she instantly realized Legolas would not have announced himself.
"Gimli!" she cried out as she laid her eyes upon the Dwarf.
Gimli stood in the doorway, holding back the curtain that separated Kaitlyn's room from the rest of the house. Oddly, his ax was nowhere to be found and he was not wearing his armor or helmet. His wavy brown hair was wild and flowed all around him, as if it had a life of its own. He beamed as his eyes fell upon the woman.
Kaitlyn slowly propped herself up on the pillows of the bed. She was feeling much better after her bath. The salt and warm water had eased her injury and she found that as she sat up it hurt her side much less.
Her skin glowed with life and her cuts and injuries were healing. Her hair was slightly damp from her bath, kept in a single braid that fell down her shoulder.
Gimli stepped into the room, and a man dressed in white robes moved into the doorway. He smiled warmly as he balanced against his white staff.
Kaitlyn's eyes filled with tears at the sight of Gandalf. The last of her companions had come to see her, and her heart swelled with joy.
Gimli made his way to her bed and put a gloved hand upon her arm. "It does me well to see you alive," he told Kaitlyn.
"I'm so happy you've come to see me. I'm sorry I worried you all. That was never my intention."
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Kaitlyn," Gandalf told her. "Your bravery surely saved Aragorn's life. Indeed, there is nothing to be sorry for."
"We have not much time, but I wished to see how you faired." Gimli told her and chuckled. "The Elf has spoken of nothing else but you since he entered the hall. He does not think of the coming feast with so much food and drink. If Legolas were not in the King's company I am certain he would be here fussing over you." He wagged his finger at her, grinning the entire time.
Kaitlyn felt her cheeks burn at the mere mention of Legolas, and She inwardly cursed herself.
Gandalf smiled broadly at the sight of Kaitlyn's rosy cheeks, but said nothing.
Kaitlyn cleared her throat. "Promise me that you'll help Legolas enjoy the feast, Gimli. I know he's been worried. He needs to lighten up a bit." She smiled, the blush beginning to fade.
Gimli grinned and rubbed his hands together. "You worry not of that. I will make certain the Elf has a good time if it kills me!"
Kaitlyn laughed softly. She could only imagine what she had gotten the poor Elf into. But then her laughter faded along with the smile on her face. She wished she were well enough to attend the feast. Although it would be a sad event due to the loss of so many, it would also be joyous with good food, music and company.
"Gimli, will you give us a few moments?" Gandalf asked suddenly. "I shall meet you outside."
The Dwarf nodded and took Kaitlyn's hand into his own, and squeezing it gently. He gazed into her eyes as he spoke, "Rest well, young lassie."
Kaitlyn smiled and Gimli released her hand before exiting the room.
Gandalf smiled at the woman who sat propped upon feather pillows. "You look very well. The color has returned to your face and your injuries are mending."
"I have good friends who took very good care of me, even if I wasn't aware of it," she added with a broad smile. While she seemed content on the outside, inside something nagged at her. She did not understand why Gandalf had sent Gimli away.
Gandalf smiled and nodded. "You look well indeed, though your heart seems heavy."
Kaitlyn's brows rose at the Wizard's ability to sense her inner turmoil. He was like the damn Elves!
Gandalf's blue eyes were filled with seriousness.
"There will be many decisions laid before you in the days ahead. Already you sense this. Trust in your heart to seek the proper answers. That is the wisest advice I can give you."
Kaitlyn frowned openly. She knew there would be decisions to come. Where would she live and would she be separated from her friends? She was injured and she had no desire to fight in the terrible battle that was certain to lie ahead.
She glanced at Gandalf and noticed his lips were pursed and his blue eyes held a sadness that was not present before. A sense of dread filled her. "Why does it feel like you're saying goodbye?"
Gandalf tilted his head to one side and gazed at her thoughtfully. "There are no goodbyes; Only different paths for a time. We will see each other again."
Kaitlyn's brows furrowed and her heartbeat quickened. "Gandalf?" Her expression was full of fear of the unknown, and thought Gandalf might know something he was not telling her.
"I know not the future, Kaitlyn Westerly. I only have feelings of what may happen. I will tell you that which I will tell the others. Cherish the gifts given to you by Eru. Cherish each day as if were your last, and cherish your friendships for they will be valuable in the days ahead."
Gandalf gazed over Kaitlyn for a few silent moments. He could see her mulling over his words. Her brows were drawn over her eyes, causing wrinkles to appear on her forehead.
"Dwell not on what I have said. They are the ramblings of a senile old man," he grinned and chuckled, lightening the mood. "Rest for a time. I am certain before you know it, you will have an Elf sitting by your bed."
Kaitlyn flushed hotly at his words. Was it her imagination or did everyone kept mentioning Legolas in her presence? She suddenly realized that her friendship with the Mirkwood Prince might be seen as something more from outsiders. She swallowed and risked a look at the wizard. Gandalf was smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
"I really worried Legolas, didn't I?" she managed to say softly.
"Aye, you did. You worried us all. You disobeyed the orders of the King, donned armor of his men and nearly lost your life. It was a fool hardy thing to do."
Kaitlyn lowered her head and toyed with the end of her braid.
"But it was also brave and honorable," Gandalf told her proudly. "Why did you do it?"
She glanced up slowly. Gandalf was standing with his hands clasped together in front of his white robes.
"I…I don't know," Kaitlyn offered lamely.
"You know not why you risked your own life?"
"I…I wasn't thinking and yet I was. I didn't intend on fighting."
Gandalf raised his right brow above his eye.
"I didn't!" Kaitlyn blurted honestly at his expression. "I just wanted to warn Aragorn that the Uruk-hai knew who he was. I had to fight to get to him and then the Uruk-hai were all around us." She made wild hand gestures of swords slashing and then stopped, glancing down into her lap. "I had to do something,"
"How did you know the enemy knew who Aragorn was?" The wizard's brows were lowered over his eyes, giving him a puzzled look.
Kaitlyn lifted her head and gazed into Gandalf's eyes. "Thunin told me."
"Thunin of Lorien?" Gandalf asked, his eyes widening with remote surprise.
"Yes, you know of him?" Kaitlyn perked, her large eyes focused on Gandalf with interest.
"Only in passing. He was one of the border guards and served under the March Warden."
Kaitlyn looked away at the mention of Haldir.
"Thunin died in the caves, but not before he told me about the Uruk-hai who were after Aragorn," she said quietly a few moments later.
Gandalf was silent and Kaitlyn began to speak once again.
Tears clouded her eyes and she kept her gaze on the shadows the fire was creating on the floor. "I had never seen an Elf die before," she admitted quietly. "I held his hand…when he…" she paused and opened her left hand, glancing at the scar that Boromir had given her. Thunin had held her left hand.
"I actually felt the life leave his body and I thought about…" She swallowed and turned her face away unable to finish her sentence.
Gandalf was well aware of the tears in her eyes and he knew the name she had nearly uttered aloud.
"I cried after he died. All I could think about was Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, and I knew I had to warn Aragorn or he could end up like…like Thunin."
She looked to the Wizard now and he saw passion in her eyes.
" I didn't think about death or failing. I just thought about losing my friends. I'd decided that warning Aragorn was much more important than anything, though I was scared out of my mind trying to fight those things." Her pupils darted left and right as memories surfaced. The terrible sounds of men screaming.. of metal scraping bone… She shivered visibly and continued. "I only think I made it as far as I did because I was having an adrenaline rush. I don't even remember half of what I was doing or how I did it."
Gandalf smiled. "Regardless, you saved Aragorn's life. It has been said you used the dagger given to you by the Lady of the Wood."
Kaitlyn looked to the wizard and nodded. "Yes, I used the dagger." She shook her head at the irony of the situation. "The damn thing could have saved my life. I had dropped my bow and my sword and it was all I had left."
Gandalf grinned sagely. "The Lady of the Wood is wise indeed."
Kaitlyn nodded.
"I am afraid I must leave you now."
Kaitlyn frowned. "Do you have to?" Suddenly the idea of being alone again bothered her.
"I must. The ceremony will begin soon."
Kaitlyn sighed. "Enjoy the feast," she bid him flatly.
Gandalf had not missed the melancholy in her tone. "Enjoy your peace and quiet while it has been given to you. Mark my words, there will be an Elf in this very room in a few short hours."
Kaitlyn's lips curled into a smile and she laughed softly. With how Legolas had been acting, this might be the only peace she received over the next few days, or months!
Gandalf turned and stepped away. He stopped at the doorway and faced Kaitlyn.
"Remember what I have told you, trust your heart to find the answers you seek."
Kaitlyn opened her mouth to call out to him, but her throat had become dry. No words would come, so she simply nodded. She watched Gandalf leave, feeling a sense of utter confusion descend upon her.
Legolas wondered if it was entirely appropriate for him to wish to leave so soon after the end of King Theoden's rally for his fallen subjects, and the beginning of the meal. The Elf was not hungry, though the roasted birds and vegetables smelled delicious. He desired to return to Kaitlyn. Surely, she had finished her bath by now. He wished to speak with her before she fell into slumber. He also admitted to himself that he just wanted to see her. The idea of being alone with her stirred the giddy, excited feeling an elfling felt when he was ready to head out on his first hunting trip.
He inched toward one doorway only to turn away when he saw Aragorn standing not far from it. He glanced across the room and saw King Theoden and his niece speaking in close proximity to his second means of escape. He noticed the side door that faced east, was devoid of Rangers or Kings and he walked in that direction. He smiled politely to mortal maidens who giggled at him and bid him hello, and he clasped hands with men he had fought along side with at Helm's Deep. He noted it was still early in the night and most of Edoras' inhabitants seemed to have consumed too much ale.
"And where do you think you are off to?"
Legolas closed his eyes and nearly groaned out loud. He had been close, so very close. With a sigh, he turned to face Gimli.
The house was quiet when Legolas entered and he knew that Aragorn was right in saying that Kaitlyn would be asleep when the Elf arrived. It was well that she had not been in attendance at the feast that night with all that had come to pass. Legolas could still see the Great Eye in his mind and it caused him to shudder visibly. Each day things became more and more complicated. Who would have thought that a trip to Imladris as a messenger for his King would have brought about such an adventure?
The small kitchen was cleaned, and despite dinner having been hours earlier, the scent of beef and freshly baked bread still clung to the air. Kaitlyn was sure to have eaten well.
Legolas heard them before he saw them, but to the right side of the kitchen, beside a stove that was still burning brightly, laid several soldiers of the King. Some snored while others slept quietly wrapped in their wool capes. With the arrival of so many new men, women and children from the Westfold, every house in Edoras was cramped with bodies.
Legolas stood before the curtain to Kaitlyn's room and raised his hand to part it. He paused and listened for a moment. It was difficult to concentrate with the noises the men made, but he realized it was silent in Kaitlyn's room. He realized Ammora must have been sleeping as well since the curtain to her room was drawn and it appeared dark behind the fabric.
The fair Elf moved the curtain to Kaitlyn's room aside and noticed that a metal basin was sitting not far from the doorway. Legolas smiled as the curtain swished closed behind him. The scent of lavender hung loosely in the air though it was overpowered by the smell of the wood burning in the fire and the oil burning low in the lanterns.
Legolas' eyes fell upon Kaitlyn's bed and his eyes widened when he realized she was not resting in it. The blankets were drawn back hastily. Panic gripped him, fearing she might have fallen out of bed and harmed herself, until he realized that she was standing by the window.
She was dressed in a green robe with golden trim. The silhouettes of horse heads adorned the wide trim at the shoulders and the belt at her waist. Kaitlyn's dark hair was gathered in a messy braid that traveled halfway down the length of her back. The mortal woman stood completely still, the gentle light of the candles and low burning fire illuminated her back. The window was open and the cool spring wind was rustling the heavy fabric of the robe, causing it to billow around her legs.
Concern took the place of panic. What was Kaitlyn doing out of bed at this late hour? What was she doing out of bed at all?
Legolas moved swiftly across the room and stopped a few feet from her. She turned toward him and he was surprised that she had known he was there.
Legolas gazed over her and noticed her eyes were red. He guessed that she had been crying at some point in time and it caused his heart to ache that he had not been present to comfort her.
"Tell me what has happened," he bid softly.
She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "I…had a nightmare," she admitted quietly.
Legolas frowned, his expression visible in the dim candlelight of the room. He moved toward her and she met him halfway. His arms circled her like one who cradled a fragile bird with a broken wing within their hands. "You have dreamt not in a long time."
"I know…"
"Man ceritha le ôl ned?" (What did you dream of? )"
She pressed her ear to his chest and closed her eyes as the sound of his steady beating heart filled her head. She felt his thumb moving slowly over her vertebrate. "You…"
The Elf's frown deepened. "You had a nightmare about me?" Horror filled him and his fingers stopped moving along her back. "Did I hurt you?"
She moved away and stared into his concerned face. "I didn't mean it like that. I dreamt that you…died."
"Oh, melethril…" ( Beloved ) Legolas stroked the side of her face and Kaitlyn rolled her cheek into the palm of his hand.
"I dreamt it was you that died in the caves and not…Thunin."
"Thunin?" Legolas asked in confusion at the name.
"He was an injured Elf who died in the caves. I was afraid when they brought him in that he was you. I had the dream and then I awakened and you weren't here…" Her voice broke and she was unable to continue. She shivered partly due to the cold coming in from the window and because of the fear she had felt when she awakened and Legolas was not to be found.
Legolas dropped his hand from her face and with both hands he gripped her arms, rubbing them up and down in an attempt to keep her warm. "Goheno nin. I came as quickly as I could." ( Forgive me ) He could only imagine her horror upon finding him missing. It must have compared to how he felt when Aragorn had told him Kaitlyn had been hurt.
"Istan." ( I know ) She paused and gazed at his fair face and hair. She tilted her head. "How was the feast?"
"Forget the feast. Your dream-"
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Legolas. It was a dream and a horrible one I'd rather forget. You're alive and here, that's all that matters." She traced the silver swirling designs on his suede tunic with her fingers.
"How did you know I was behind you when you were standing by the window? I made not a sound."
"I saw your shadow on the wall and your reflection on the glass of the window," she replied.
Legolas nodded, feeling foolish for underestimating her senses. "Before I tell you anything, I wish to know why you are up. How are you out of bed?"
"I have two legs," she attempted lightly.
"Aye, you do." Legolas told her, though he felt it was a shame they were covered up by the robe she wore. The thought surprised him and he unconsciously shifted his weight.
"I felt better after my bath and when Ammora left me to go to the feast I stood by the window. I listened to the sounds of the feast for a while and when I started feeling tired, I went to sleep. Then I had the dream and I couldn't stay in bed. I had to get up and breathe some fresh air."
"How is your injury?" Legolas gently ran his fingers over her side and he felt the bandaging beneath her robe and sleeping garments. "It must pain you."
"It's better. It still hurts if I move too quickly, but I feel a hell of a lot better than I did earlier."
"Maer." ( Good)
They fell silent for a few moments and Kaitlyn turned, closed the window and latched it. Legolas came up behind her and enveloped her within his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed in her scent. She smelled of lavender and smoke from the fire. He had been waiting all night to hold her and Eru had finally granted his desire.
Kaitlyn clasped her hands over his, which rested over her stomach. His warm breath tickled her face and neck and his embrace left her feeling safe and secure.
Unfortunately the quiet moment was short lived when Kaitlyn spun around in disbelief to face the Elf. The action hurt her injury, but she hid her pain.
"You've been drinking! Your breath smells like ale!" she exclaimed, startled at the discovery she had made. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
Legolas knew she had a reason to be disturbed by this. Twice men had hurt her after drinking. "Worry not. I did not consume enough to compromise my senses. I did not plan to drink at all. It was all Gimli's fault."
"Gimli?" Kaitlyn questioned and then she paused remembering her own words to the Dwarf, not more then 10 hours earlier.
"Promise me that you'll help Legolas enjoy the feast, Gimli. I know he's been worried. He needs to lighten up a bit." What had she gotten Legolas into?
"What happened?" she asked.
"He challenged me to a drinking game and he lost."
Kaitlyn's eyes widened in disbelief at what he told her. "You and Gimli had a drinking game?"
"Aye, and several men of the Rohirrim. It is a very good thing that Elves are not easily effected by ale or wine."
Kaitlyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. Innocent Legolas had participated in a drinking game with Gimli and several other men. She just could not imagine it happening.
She laughed softly at the absurdity of it all. "Exactly how much did you drink to beat them?"
"I had twelve pints, and it was all well that it ended at twelve, because my fingers were just beginning to tingle."
Her jaw dropped. "You drank twelve pints of ale?"
Legolas nodded and Kaitlyn noticed the proud look in his eyes. She shook her head. "That's an incredible amount of liquid." Forgetting whom she was speaking to, she blurted, "You must have had to piss like a horse after that!" Her eyes widened as soon as the words escaped her mouth.
"Piss?" Legolas asked in honest confusion.
"Pee?" Kaitlyn shrugged, feeling her cheeks grow redder with each passing second. At Legolas' blank expression she continued and she felt herself blush further. "Relieve yourself? Uh, Mother Nature called?"
Legolas continued to pretend that he had no idea what she was speaking about. He enjoyed the lovely red color that had appeared on her cheeks.
"If you don't know what I'm talking about I'm going to let this drop."
Legolas chuckled softly and pulled her against him, breathing in the smoky scent of her hair. "I know of what you speak, melethril." His smile widened. "The color on your cheeks suits you."
Kaitlyn gasped and then promptly smacked his shoulder. "You're awful! Letting me go on like that."
Legolas laughed again and, Kaitlyn's breath caught in her throat.
She coughed into her first in an attempt to compose herself. "So, what happened after the drinking game?"
" Gimli passed out, mumbling about Dwarves going swimming with hairy women. Some of the men who were still sober carried him to a room so that he could sleep off his ale. I went to clear my mind by gazing at the stars and then things happened that I did not expect."
Kaitlyn didn't miss the way Legolas' joyful tone faded to be replaced by one of seriousness.
"What happened that you didn't expect?"
"The hour grows late. You should rest," he told her shaking his head. His long blond hair cascaded down the front of his tunic.
"I want to know what happened that you didn't expect." Kaitlyn saw his doubt. "Oh, no. You have to tell me what happened. You can't say something happened and then not tell me what it was."
Legolas sighed, knowing she was right. "Pippin gazed into the Palantir and put himself in great danger."
"Palantir?"
"A seeing stone. Pippin found the stone at Isengard. Gandalf took it and hid it from the curious hobbit. Pippin's curiosity got the better of him. He took if from Gandalf and looked into it."
Kaitlyn's brows drew together. "I don't understand. What is so dangerous about a rock."
"You misunderstand, Kaitlyn. This is no mere stone. It is a sphere of crystal in the heart of which flickers a tiny flame, " Legolas explained. " One who gazes into the stone will see the light expand until the surface of the sphere becomes a mass of spinning color, into which the mind can be transported wherever the gazer wishes. They were created by Fëaner of the Noldor, during the Elder Days. They were brought to Middle Earth and distributed to the Nùmenoean realms in exile. They were used to communicate to each other until they disappeared. They then were lost or stolen by enemies of the Dùnedain. Sauron has one of the Palantirs, and Saruman had the other. The Dark Lord can see any who gaze into the Palantir, unless it is concealed. "
"So, you're telling me that the creepy bad eye who wants the ring could see Pippin, because he looked into the stone?"
"Aye. Pippin was fortunate that Aragorn and myself arrived and Gandalf was present. It is still unknown what Sauron learned from the Hobbit. Gandalf bid us to rest while he spoke with Pippin. We will know what happened on the morrow."
Kaitlyn wasn't completely certain what this all meant, but she was sure she would find out. " Is Pippin okay?"
Legolas nodded. "He is frightened, but unharmed."
"It sounds like you had an interesting night," she told him as she raised her brows.
"Indeed. Dawn will come in several hours. You should rest." The Elf noticed the tired look in the mortal woman's eyes.
"Will you stay with me?" Kaitlyn asked hopefully.
"Of course."
She smiled and Legolas helped her walk slowly to the bed, his arm across her back for support. She removed her robe, once by the bed, to reveal a dark green sleeping gown.
Legolas tried not to stare as she lowered the robe. While the gown beneath it did nothing to show the shape of her body, the fact that she wore next to nothing as she stood beside him, made his throat go dry and his heart pound. Legolas took the robe from her and draped it over the back of the chair. He watched as she sat upon the bed, drew her legs and feet over the mattress and pulled up the blankets.
Legolas sat in the chair beside her bed.
"There is plenty of room…" she told him, glancing at the space beside her.
Legolas swallowed. "I do not know if it wise, melethril. I might hurt you unintentionally." ( Beloved )
She shook her head. "You need to sleep."
"I will sleep in the chair," he told her.
"No."
Legolas blinked. Kaitlyn's voice had been firm. He gazed at her and realized he could not deny her, just as he could no longer deny that he desired to do what she asked. The thought of her falling asleep in his arms greatly appealed to him, especially after such a long evening.
His answer was to begin unbuckling his quiver. He felt her eyes upon him as he removed his weapons. He laid his quiver against the chair, careful not to spill his arrows and placed his Lorien bow beside it. He removed his woven cape and draped it over the back of the chair on top of her green robe. He removed his boots, his fingers fumbling more than once as he undid the laces. He displaced his arm braces and slowly began to release the ties beneath his arms that held his suede tunic. This simple task of readying himself for bed felt far more intimate than he would have expected. He wondered if Kaitlyn could feel the tension as he did. He slid his tunic over his head revealing a silver silk shirt with bell sleeves and a beautifully woven belt beneath. It was same shirt Kaitlyn had seen him wear in Lothlorien during their first night.
She silently watched him blow out the candles and lanterns, wondering if it had been entirely appropriate for her to ask him to join her in bed. She kept telling herself that even though they were going to sleep together it was rest and nothing else. He had held her many nights out on the plains and they had shared a bed in Edoras. The only difference this time was that they were completely alone. Gimli and Aragorn were elsewhere.
Legolas fed the fire and turned toward her and a feeling of tension combined with giddiness filled Kaitlyn's body. She barely felt the bed shift under the Elf's weight as he climbed atop it.
Legolas settled on the opposite side of the bed. For a few moments the room was quiet except for the crackling fire. Beyond the room the mortal men snored away.
"May I ask you something?" The Elf broke the silence between them.
"Mmm-hmm," the woman murmured.
"What do you desire for the future?"
The question took Kaitlyn off guard as did the feeling of Legolas' fingers brushing back some of the hair that had fallen from her braid. The pads of his fingers were warm against her face. "Um..well, that the war would be over and the ring would be destroyed, I guess."
"We all desire that. What do you desire for yourself?"
She shifted on the bed and rolled slowly to face him. She could barely see him in the dark as he lay on his side facing her, but she knew he could see her. "I desire what most people want. I want to find a place to call home. I haven't spent much time in one place. With all this traveling I feel a bit like a vagabond." She sighed. "I want to fall in love with the right person and get married, maybe have children."
Legolas smiled. Hope filled him so fully he feared he would be unable to contain it all.
"What do you want for the future Legolas?"
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a gentle kiss against the back of it and smiled when she shuddered. "Much the same, Rodwen. Much the same."
A short time later, and hours before the sun had yet to rise, a mortal woman rested comfortably in the arms of an Elven Prince.
Kaitlyn could not remember a night when she slept so soundly. No more nightmares plagued her, and as she awakened slowly from her sleep, she was aware of the warm body beside her. She smiled, imagining that he was mostly likely already awake and watching over her. For a moment she dreamt things were different and frowned a second later when she knew they could not.
Kaitlyn opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the faint morning light. The sun had not yet risen, but it was brighter in the room than it had been during the night. She glanced to the Elf that lay on the bed beside her and she realized that he was looking at the ceiling. He was staring intently and she wondered what he found so interesting to look at in the wooden rafters.
"What are you looking at?" she asked softly, her voice still thick with sleep.
Legolas did not answer and Kaitlyn sat up. Her brows lowered over her eyes. "Legolas?"
Again, he did not respond. She wondered if he was playing a joke on her as he had when she had asked about all the ale he had consumed the night before.
She waved her hand over his eyes several times. "Yoo hoo," she called and a lump rose in her throat when he did not blink.
"Legolas?" She felt her heart begin to pound against her chest. He wasn't moving or blinking. Tears clouded her eyes. She choked back a sob. He looked dead to the world and her dream came rushing back to her.
"Legolas!" she cried out and she grasped his arm shaking it roughly.
The Elf sat up quickly, reaching for his weapons only to find they were not beside him. Kaitlyn gasped and tumbled back, nearly falling off the bed if Legolas had not been quick to grab her.
"What is it? What is wrong?" Legolas asked in fear. Kaitlyn sat on the edge of the bed, trembling violently.
"You weren't moving. You weren't answering. I thought you were…" She swallowed hard.
Legolas sighed, instantly recognizing the problem. "I was sleeping."
"Sleeping?" Kaitlyn's eyes widened and then she shook her head. "No, you weren't. Your eyes were open and you were staring at the ceiling. You weren't blinking."
Legolas chuckled softly despite the situation.
"I don't see what's so funny about this," Kaitlyn told him angrily.
"Elves sleep with their eyes open."
"What? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."
Legolas could tell she did not believe him. He reached for her hands and held them. "I speak the truth. Elves sleep with their eyes open. In normal situations we awaken quickly, with awareness as to what is happening around us." Legolas rubbed his head. "Apparently, the ale affected me more than I first believed and I slept more soundly then what is normal for me."
She looked him over for a minute. She realized that she had never seen him sleep and she knew that he didn't lie, so, he had to be telling the truth. "Shit, Legolas. You scared me half to death."
"Goheno nin." ( Forgive me. ) He rubbed her hands and he saw her breathing slow.
"I've never seen an Elf sleep before." Kaitlyn moved off the bed as she tried to compose herself. She must have looked like an idiot.
"For one who has never seen an Elf sleep it may very well appear that we are dead," Legolas attempted to comfort her. He swung his long legs across the bed and rose to his feet. He moved forward and pulled Kaitlyn into his arms. He hated to see her upset and he disliked the fact that he had caused her discomfort. He skimmed the backs of his fingers across her face and then buried his fingers in her hair.
"Goheno nin, Melethril." ( Forgive me, Beloved. )
Her brows drew together, causing lines to appear on her forehead. "Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Man?" (What? )
"Melethril. Beloved…you called me that all last night and now this morning. Is it a new nickname?"
Legolas moved his fingers through her dark hair and watched as she closed her eyes. "It is much more than a nickname…" he whispered softly.
The sun crept over the horizon signaling a new day, and Legolas made a decision.
The Elf watched the mortal woman before him. Her eyes were still closed as his fingers combed through her hair. The cuts on her face from the helmet she had worn were healing, as was the injury on her side. He had nearly lost her. It took much will power to keep Legolas from trembling at the thought.
"Is it not obvious?" Legolas could not control his own voice. His words were low and filled with passion. Could she not see what everyone around him had seen and he had not? Was she also blind to the force that drew them together?
He watched her eyes flutter open. They were filled with confusion and he felt his heartbeat quicken to a speed he thought was impossible.
Legolas looked down at the floor through the small gap between their bodies. Then he gazed into Kaitlyn's face, his eyes shining brightly like the sun on a clear day.
"Gerich 'uren nin." ( You have my heart.)
Kaitlyn blinked rapidly and stared into Legolas' eyes. The Elf's eyes were glazed with an unknown emotion, something both thrilling and frightening. Kaitlyn felt her heartbeat quicken. She felt his hand on her face, his fingers smoothing over her skin. His blue eyes bored into hers.
"Gerich veleth nîn," he whispered. ( You have my love.)
Kaitlyn's lips parted in surprise at the words and Legolas took the action as an invitation. His eyes slipped closed and he leaned down and forward at the urging of his heart, brushing his lips hesitantly with hers in a tentative light kiss.
Involuntarily, Kaitlyn's eyes fluttered closed and all rational thought left her as his warm mouth fitted her own. One of his arms circled her body and pulled her gently toward him, effectively closing the gap between them. One of his hands fell to her waist while the other cupped her face.
Everything around them was lost. All they knew was the warmth of their bodies against each other and the hazy desire that invaded their minds, urging them on.
Kaitlyn kissed Legolas back, pressing timidly against his inviting mouth as if this was the first time she had ever kissed anyone before. Their kisses began like those of clumsy young lovers. They occasionally skimmed past the corner of a mouth and more than once they bumped noses as they compensated for the difference in their height.
Legolas' hand on Kaitlyn's waist slid up her back, his fingers making slow circles over the soft silk of her sleeping gown. Feeling the warmth of his hand through the fabric, she instinctively pressed harder against the Elf's mouth. His lips parted beneath the pressure and he tilted his head to embrace her deeper.
Kaitlyn's hand slid up his chest, her fingers rubbing the Elf's soft silky shirt.
Emotion and warmth filled Legolas' body. In response he took her lower lip into his mouth and sucked it gently. Kaitlyn clenched her teeth together to keep from crying out at the sudden raw heat that flooded her entire body.
One of her hands smoothed his soft blond hair that tickled her face. She brushed it back behind a finely pointed ear and forgetting how sensitive it was, she slightly skimmed the flesh repeatedly with her fingertips.
To be continued…
Thank you everyone for your continued reviews and comments through the sites where I post this story as well as through e-mail. And I thank those who normally do not read these types of fics for giving this story a chance.
I know I ended the chapter at a bad spot, but there is a reason for this. Instead of being upset with me for this reason just keep telling yourself that after 34 chapters Legolas and Kaitlyn have finally kissed!
Happy New Year!
Cormak