Lim Aear

Author’s Note: I’m really sorry it took me so much time to update, but my previous Beta was too busy to work on my story, so I had to find a new one. So first of all, a HUGE thank you to my life-savior, Marisa, who does me the honor to be my new Beta!! Welcome to all the new readers who have joined our company and many thanks to all of you who are still following the story! I cannot believe the number of hits and reviews… You people are amazing! Unfortunately I started working, so I’m writing in a slower pace… But rest assured that I WILL finish this story, even if I have to quit my job! I’m obliged to you more than words for your wonderful support!

I don’t know how I can reply individually to reviews in this site, so I’m gonna have to say my ‘thank yous’ here… dee dee, Patty P, Mary, Jennifer, Jane, Kumi Seguchi, luthien, aelfwine, Katie, Suzie, Morgan thank you all so much for reviewing!!


Disclaimer: See Prologue.

italics: thoughts

[translations]

Chapter 16

Elaine slowly woke up from the gentle shaking of her shoulders. She opened her eyes but had to close them again to block the bright sunlight.

‘Sunlight’. Whatever, she thought amused, realizing she was still in Lim Aear and the light wasn’t coming from any sun or any other such source for that matter.

“Elaine, it’s past noon. You have to wake up”, Belwen’s melodic voice forced her to open her eyes. The sight that greeted her was not what she expected.

Great. Probably every single living being in Lim Aear hates me for what I did to Legolas. Including vegetation.

She stretched and sat up on the bed, stealing another look at Belwen’s frowning face. She opened her mouth to explain herself before Belwen started her reprimand but stopped herself when she saw Legolas’ weapons and things still in her room.

“Why are Legolas’ things still in the room?” she asked Belwen confused and turned to look at her.

Belwen blinked. “Where else should they be?” Belwen asked equally confused.

“He said he would send someone to get them in the morning”, Elaine replied sliding off the bed and stretching her stiff limbs.

Belwen still looked clueless.

“Did something happen?”

Elaine froze. She slowly let her hands fall and looked down feeling completely stupid. Of course he hadn’t told anyone! He was not some immature young man, but an elf who had lived for thousands of years! He was right, her mortal immature mind could only think so far.

Then why the look on Belwen’s face?

“We’ll talk about it later. What happened to you?”

Belwen looked away and sighed.

“I should not alarm you needlessly”, she answered and put on a fake smile. “You missed breakfast, but we are having lunch soon! Come, you have to get dressed or you will miss that too!”

Her change of subject rose suspicions in the young mortal. Elaine approached Belwen and took her hands in hers.

“Alarm me about what, Belwen?”

Belwen’s hesitation and silence was scaring her.

“Belwen?”

Belwen sighed and shook her head in defeat. She would hear sooner or later anyway.

“A scouting team returned today and reported Orc activity at the south shores. They met a small group of them some days ago, probably a scouting team too, but it was dealt with. It is probably nothing alarming, Lady Elaine, that is why I didn’t want to tell you”, Belwen added quickly seeing a look of utter terror in the young woman’s face.

“Your face tells me otherwise Belwen”, Elaine commented numbly and sat down on the bed again.

It was so hard to believe. Even after witnessing elven magic, those… creatures… they sounded so much like out of a fairy tale. Legolas’ description reminded Elaine of monsters in a low-budget movie and made it so hard for her to believe that they were actually real.

And dangerous.

“Are those things even real??” she asked Belwen in bewilderment.

“Unfortunately. Although we haven’t had any problems for the last centuries. We thought that their numbers had started diminishing…” she trailed off.

Elaine felt the sudden urge to be in the safety of her home, where no magic, monsters, dragons or whatsoever threatened her life. She had never felt the unease of eminent danger, having grown up in the safety of a country where the threat of war or any kind of danger seemed so far away from her. Everything seemed so distant and unable to reach her from the safety of her living room. They were nothing more but pictures on TV. But now, she felt the cold grip of fear in her stomach slowly making itself present. She shook her head and dismissed her thoughts as ridiculous. These things would never reach her. Right?

“You should not fear, my Lady. These borders are well protected. Nothing will reach you here”, Belwen said as if reading her thoughts.

The words ‘my lady’ were enough to pry Elaine away from her previous terrifying thoughts and make her forget them completely.

“Oh for God’s sake Belwen, do I have to wear a tag with my name so that you’ll remember to use it?” She groaned in frustration and let a laughing Belwen pull her up to get dressed.

*****************************************************************************

The day passed quickly. Elaine was comfortably laying on her soft bed high in her talan enjoying the gentle breeze, finally being able to rest from walking all over the Golden Wood. She had been introduced to so many elves, that she hardly remembered the names of only a few of them. And it was not John, or Jason or Mary or Natalie, but Maethor, Idhion, Minuial, Turwaith and… What was that other name…? Saelwur… Saelwon… Saelwen…?

She shook her head and chuckled. She would never remember all those names! And I won’t have to… she thought sadly. She would be leaving soon and she would forget all about this magical place. The picture of Legolas’ face flashed in her mind and she winced. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about him all day. Actually, she didn’t have time to. Belwen had literally dragged her all over the Golden Wood to give her a tour of the place and introduce her to practically everyone, which of course had made Elaine want to disappear under the ground from embarrassment. They would laugh and talk but she was not blind to the tension in the air, nor to the increased activity in the city that seemed so out-of-place in that otherworldly city.

She hadn’t seen Legolas all day, but from what she had gathered he was with Lord Celeborn and some other Elves in the royal talan since morning, discussing the Orcs. She was actually glad for it, since a meeting with him would be most awkward. Especially when probably everybody expected to see some kind of affection between them. From what Belwen had told her, it was not everyday that Legolas arrived in the Golden Wood in the company of a female. And a mortal one, nonetheless. But that was as far as the discussion about Legolas went. Belwen was very discreet not to ask any questions about what had happened, although Elaine could sense her curiosity. She would tell her –eventually- but that day she really didn’t feel like discussing the matter. It hurt too much to be reminded of Legolas’ painful expression at the horrible lies she had told him.

She was about to surrender herself in the comforting arms of sleep, when a faint commotion coming from outside pulled her back to consciousness. She blinked and sat up confused, stretching her neck in an effort to see outside her balcony towards the cause of the upheaval. Suddenly the door burst open making her jump out of her skin. Legolas rushed in, running to the corner where his weapons were placed and strapping his quiver and daggers on his back.

“Where are you going?” she asked him confused, a feeling of unease growing in her stomach.

“Since when do you care where I am going?”

Fair enough, Elaine thought with bitterness at his cold voice. He didn’t even bother to turn and look at her.

Legolas felt his anger return. Her rejection had not completely settled in yet and all he could feel was a blinding rage first at himself for being so naïve and then at Elaine, for treating him in that manner. It was still too early for his anger to give way to grief and sadness and the incident with the orcs had not given him time to really think about what had happened. He had been leaving the talan, when the scouting team had returned bearing the news of their meeting with orcs and he had spent the rest of the day studying maps and gathering information about the orcs’ movement with Lord Celeborn and the Marchwarden. Then, half an hour before, the wardens of the southern borders had sent a message that a small party of orcs was moving towards them and soldiers were gathering to reinforce the small elven force already there.

Legolas stole a glance towards Elaine and felt a tug at his heart upon seeing the hurt on her face. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. He shouldn’t care. She was the one who hurt him first more than words could ever describe.

“The wardens have spotted a small party of yrch near the southern borders and we are leaving to meet them. You should not worry, ‘tis only a small group.” [orcs]

With that, he cast a last look towards Elaine, grabbing his bow and sped out of the talan, leaving Elaine frozen in the middle of the bed with a look of utter terror on her face.


Oops… Cliffhanger…