Chapter 13 - I Like My Lembas Soft in the Morning
He jogged nimbly over the rocky ground, gracefully placing his feet in all the right positions. As he walked, he couldn't help but think of her. The way that, if she were with him, she would be decidedly less agile.
He smiled to himself as he imagined her following him, desperately trying to keep her feet to his path, but failing miserably and falling over at every opportunity. Probably with a few choice curses.
Legolas closed his eyes and shook his head, ridding his mind of the unwanted image.
She had asked him to leave. There was nothing else to it. Now he must return to Mirkwood and assist his father in rebuilding the army that the orcs had destroyed. Elves were strong warriors, but were no match for a multitude of the horrific creatures that monstrous size.
Elves were no match, yet she was, he thought to himself, with a small smile. The only time she had seemed truly at ease was with a dagger in her hand and a knife in her belt. Legolas couldn't help but remember standing by her as she fought, her face a mask of fire and ice and pure concentration as she whirled around, hair flying, and let a knife soar from her hand, always hitting its target.
"Don't be a fool," he muttered to himself, as he placed his foot once again on a large, water-covered rock, balancing perfectly.
The sound of the crashing river beside him drowned out his voice, and he shook his head once more.
Really, besides her skill with blades, she was very ordinary. There were many elves who were more beautiful, more worthy of his attention, more regal and ladylike.
She was just a silly little girl who he had helped to escape a punishment that she didn't deserve. That was all.
Yes, she could make him laugh in a way that nobody else ever had. She could cause him to grin so wide he felt his mouth would split open, but that was all unimportant.
He was a prince. Royalty. Even if he had developed small feelings for this woman, he knew that it was impossible.
He would marry a princess from a neighbouring province, or perhaps a noble-elf from a rich family. She would be beautiful and graceful and feminine and elegant, everything that the human girl wasn't. She would have no imperfections, no sudden outbursts of emotion, most certainly no cursing like a sailor when things didn't go to plan.
Sighing to himself as he ran, Legolas turned the corner of the river and came into view of the guards guarding the doors of Mirkwood. Loud shouts of "The prince, the prince has returned," echoed around the valley, and many elves ran up to him, concern masking their beautiful features.
"My Lord, are you injured?"
"Prince Legolas, where is the prisoner?"
"Did she attack you, your majesty?"
Legolas wafted the barrage of questions away with his hand away and stood up straight, "I followed her into the woods, but I lost her..."
He inwardly cringed as he realised that he was using the excuse that she had given him. The excuse that he had originally reacted to with contempt and disgust was now the reason that he was giving for his five-day absence.
Five days since he had released her from her cell and they had travelled together through river and forest. Five days to get to know her. It seemed like less.
He was hurried quickly into the halls of Mirkwood, his eyes becoming accustomed to the darkness around him.
"My Lord, you should see your father. He has been worried about you." said one of the guards, a tall elf with pin-straight black hair, standing in front of Legolas and blocking his path. The hand holding his long spear quivered slightly and Legolas bit back a grin.
Instructed to do everything the king asked, and terrified of Thranduil's son.
"Tell my father I apologise," replied Legolas kindly but firmly, gently pushing passed the petrified soldier, "but I wish to be alone."
The guard considered his proposal and nodded reluctantly, and Legolas made his way past him, walking to his chambers through the winding, twisting paths.
Finally, he reached them and pushed open the door, breathing in the familiar smell of books and dust. He closed the door behind him and sat on the large bed, reaching out his hand to grab a book that lay half-open next to him. Fingering the yellowing pages gently, he scanned his eyes over it, trying to remember what he had been reading about the last time he had been in this room, the night when the dwarves had escaped.
'Annastia, Queen of the Quyatzah realm, was a well-known fighter. Her skill with a bow and arrow was unparalleled, and she known to hit eagles clear out of the sky with her aim...'
Brows knotting in confusion, he flipped the book over in his hands to read the intricately engraved title on the dusk red leather cover, "Female Battle-Legends of the Ages."
He remembered now. He had picked the book up on a whim, the night that he had visited her in the cells. Her fiery temper and strong-willed disposition had intrigued him, and he had been desperate to find out more about women fighters.
Just for educational purposes, he reminded himself as he lay on his back, fully clothed, and his mind drifted to their last encounter. The smudge of dirt that covered her cheek. The unwilling tears that she had held in, desperate not to show. The way her voice cracked at her last goodbye, and his unexpected urge to breach the distance between them and crush her to his chest, never letting go. Where in the Valar had that come from?
Sighing, he dispelled the thought. It was probably just as well they had decided to go their separate ways. Elvish emotions were often much more intense than those of humans, and it was likely he would scare her away.
Saying a quick prayer to the Valar to keep her out of harm's way in her journey, he adjusted his position and sunk into a fitful sleep.