Between Friends
folder
Lord of the Rings Movies › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
27
Views:
6,153
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Lord of the Rings Movies › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
27
Views:
6,153
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
A Vision of the Future
“A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway” - Fr. Jerome Cummings
~~~~~~
Her tears soaked his tunic and he continued to hold her as he cursed his own oblivion. After several minutes, she sniffed and pulled away from him to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.
He smiled weakly as she struggled to compose herself but he did not press her. She had certainly been worried about the much larger picture and Legolas wondered what she suspected. His father had told him that some of the naiads had been cursed with foresight and Legolas shivered at the thought.
“You are too young to remember the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” Annowe began softly, her voice straining against the tears. “But I’m not. I remember it, Legolas, and the terrible battle against Sauron that followed.” She tipped her chin up to him and he could see the pain in her eyes.
Again, he cursed his selfishness and lowered his eyes guiltily. How could he have been so blind?
“It was,” she began before her voice broke with emotion. He glanced at her anxiously and she put a quivering hand to her lips to steady herself. After taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and began again.
“It was worse than you can possibly imagine. The dead – on both sides – were piled higher than a mountain troll’s head. I saw men, elves and foul creatures torn apart and their blood stain the earth – even turning the Great River red for an entire day.” Her eyes grew distant as she remembered the horrors she had seen first hand but Legolas had only heard of in legend.
He had no idea that she had actually witnessed the terrible battle. Certainly she had never spoken to him of it before. Wisely, he let her pour out her story in her own time, afraid that if he were to interrupt her she would never speak to him of it again. He stared at her in morbid fascination as she continued to speak, her eyes looking back through the mists of time to that terrible day.
“I still hear the screams of men in my sleep sometimes. Do you know what a dying man sounds like? A dying elf?” She paused and swallowed hard. Legolas remained silent. “It is the most terrible sound you will ever hear in your life and it will haunt you as long as you live. Elves were not meant to die violently, Legolas, and when they do,” she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears as if trying to block out a sound that only she could hear. After a few moments, she shook her head and opened her eyes to him.
“When they do they make the most pitiful cries. Just hearing one is enough to tear your heart in two. But to hear hundreds of elves . . . . Crying like that at one time,” she shook her head slowly. “It is enough to drive even the strongest to madness.”
With a sound between a sigh and a sob she sat down heavily near the fire and stared into the flames. Legolas sat near her and watched as the flames lit the contours of her face. He wanted to reach out and touch her but was afraid to break the spell she seemed to be under. So he remained silent, watching and waiting as she continued her devastating story.
“The ‘fortunate’ ones were killed outright. The not so fortunate were left to bleed to death, be picked apart by scavengers or rot where they lay wounded. It was the most horrible event I have ever witnessed in my long life and I do NOT want to see it happen again.” Here she looked directly at him, her eyes boring into his and he suddenly understood her fear.
“You think that it will? Happen again?” Legolas whispered in a terrified voice.
“It already IS happening,” she hissed. “It is happening again and I am not going to sit by and watch as you,” she struggled to find the words. “You do something crazy!” It was all she could manage to spit out as the image of Legolas wounded, bleeding and dying flashed before her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath and clenched her fist, determined not to start crying again.
“I’m not going to do anything crazy,” he soothed gently.
Annowe snorted. “You don’t understand! Have you ever stopped to think – just for one second – what would become of ME if anything happened to YOU?” She ground her teeth as she felt her frustration rise.
Legolas blinked. Somehow he had managed to make her angry again without saying anything. No, he had not considered anyone but himself lately he realized with a twinge of guilt.
“What would happen to you if,” he paused and gulped. “If something happened to me?” He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know the answer.
The nymph shook her head sadly and gazed back into the fire. She didn’t answer him for a long time and when she did he could barely hear her. “Elves are not the only ones who can will themselves to die,” she said more to the fire than to him.
Legolas felt the hair on his neck stand up and he made a lunge for her, grabbing her wrist. “No!” He shouted at her. “No! You can’t do that!”
“Oh, yes, I can,” she answered grimly, extracting her wrist from his grasp. “You are not the only selfish one here, Prince of Mirkwood! There would be no reason for me to . . . .” She stopped abruptly, afraid she had already said too much. As much as she loved and desired him she refused to beg him or even threaten him. She had her pride.
Annowe had seen the signs and had a terrible feeling that no matter what she said or did the crazy elf would pursue his own path. She had known that from the beginning – when Elrond had asked her what she knew of The Ring – for she had seen that Legolas’ fate was entwined with it. The matter was completely out of her hands but she was determined to keep Legolas safe no matter what the cost.
Legolas moved closer to her and put his arm protectively around her shoulders. Now he completely understood everything – why she was so reluctant to speak to him of her desire, why she had been silent and withdrawn and how frightened for him she truly was.
She had allowed him to see her innermost fears and desires and it unnerved him.
Despite knowing her for years he had never seen her so vulnerable and frightened. He wondered if he could be strong enough for her. If he could hold her knowing that he could make her no promises.
As if to answer his unspoken question, Annowe gently rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to stare into the fire.
Legolas placed his cheek on her hair and sighed. He was confused and frightened by this strange turn of events. Always their conversations turned back to that accursed Ring. He determined that he would do whatever he could to rid their world of the evil that threatened it.
He squeezed her tightly and rested his cheek on her soft hair as they both stared silently into the fire.
~~~~~
~~~~~~
Her tears soaked his tunic and he continued to hold her as he cursed his own oblivion. After several minutes, she sniffed and pulled away from him to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.
He smiled weakly as she struggled to compose herself but he did not press her. She had certainly been worried about the much larger picture and Legolas wondered what she suspected. His father had told him that some of the naiads had been cursed with foresight and Legolas shivered at the thought.
“You are too young to remember the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” Annowe began softly, her voice straining against the tears. “But I’m not. I remember it, Legolas, and the terrible battle against Sauron that followed.” She tipped her chin up to him and he could see the pain in her eyes.
Again, he cursed his selfishness and lowered his eyes guiltily. How could he have been so blind?
“It was,” she began before her voice broke with emotion. He glanced at her anxiously and she put a quivering hand to her lips to steady herself. After taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and began again.
“It was worse than you can possibly imagine. The dead – on both sides – were piled higher than a mountain troll’s head. I saw men, elves and foul creatures torn apart and their blood stain the earth – even turning the Great River red for an entire day.” Her eyes grew distant as she remembered the horrors she had seen first hand but Legolas had only heard of in legend.
He had no idea that she had actually witnessed the terrible battle. Certainly she had never spoken to him of it before. Wisely, he let her pour out her story in her own time, afraid that if he were to interrupt her she would never speak to him of it again. He stared at her in morbid fascination as she continued to speak, her eyes looking back through the mists of time to that terrible day.
“I still hear the screams of men in my sleep sometimes. Do you know what a dying man sounds like? A dying elf?” She paused and swallowed hard. Legolas remained silent. “It is the most terrible sound you will ever hear in your life and it will haunt you as long as you live. Elves were not meant to die violently, Legolas, and when they do,” she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears as if trying to block out a sound that only she could hear. After a few moments, she shook her head and opened her eyes to him.
“When they do they make the most pitiful cries. Just hearing one is enough to tear your heart in two. But to hear hundreds of elves . . . . Crying like that at one time,” she shook her head slowly. “It is enough to drive even the strongest to madness.”
With a sound between a sigh and a sob she sat down heavily near the fire and stared into the flames. Legolas sat near her and watched as the flames lit the contours of her face. He wanted to reach out and touch her but was afraid to break the spell she seemed to be under. So he remained silent, watching and waiting as she continued her devastating story.
“The ‘fortunate’ ones were killed outright. The not so fortunate were left to bleed to death, be picked apart by scavengers or rot where they lay wounded. It was the most horrible event I have ever witnessed in my long life and I do NOT want to see it happen again.” Here she looked directly at him, her eyes boring into his and he suddenly understood her fear.
“You think that it will? Happen again?” Legolas whispered in a terrified voice.
“It already IS happening,” she hissed. “It is happening again and I am not going to sit by and watch as you,” she struggled to find the words. “You do something crazy!” It was all she could manage to spit out as the image of Legolas wounded, bleeding and dying flashed before her eyes. She drew in a sharp breath and clenched her fist, determined not to start crying again.
“I’m not going to do anything crazy,” he soothed gently.
Annowe snorted. “You don’t understand! Have you ever stopped to think – just for one second – what would become of ME if anything happened to YOU?” She ground her teeth as she felt her frustration rise.
Legolas blinked. Somehow he had managed to make her angry again without saying anything. No, he had not considered anyone but himself lately he realized with a twinge of guilt.
“What would happen to you if,” he paused and gulped. “If something happened to me?” He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know the answer.
The nymph shook her head sadly and gazed back into the fire. She didn’t answer him for a long time and when she did he could barely hear her. “Elves are not the only ones who can will themselves to die,” she said more to the fire than to him.
Legolas felt the hair on his neck stand up and he made a lunge for her, grabbing her wrist. “No!” He shouted at her. “No! You can’t do that!”
“Oh, yes, I can,” she answered grimly, extracting her wrist from his grasp. “You are not the only selfish one here, Prince of Mirkwood! There would be no reason for me to . . . .” She stopped abruptly, afraid she had already said too much. As much as she loved and desired him she refused to beg him or even threaten him. She had her pride.
Annowe had seen the signs and had a terrible feeling that no matter what she said or did the crazy elf would pursue his own path. She had known that from the beginning – when Elrond had asked her what she knew of The Ring – for she had seen that Legolas’ fate was entwined with it. The matter was completely out of her hands but she was determined to keep Legolas safe no matter what the cost.
Legolas moved closer to her and put his arm protectively around her shoulders. Now he completely understood everything – why she was so reluctant to speak to him of her desire, why she had been silent and withdrawn and how frightened for him she truly was.
She had allowed him to see her innermost fears and desires and it unnerved him.
Despite knowing her for years he had never seen her so vulnerable and frightened. He wondered if he could be strong enough for her. If he could hold her knowing that he could make her no promises.
As if to answer his unspoken question, Annowe gently rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to stare into the fire.
Legolas placed his cheek on her hair and sighed. He was confused and frightened by this strange turn of events. Always their conversations turned back to that accursed Ring. He determined that he would do whatever he could to rid their world of the evil that threatened it.
He squeezed her tightly and rested his cheek on her soft hair as they both stared silently into the fire.
~~~~~