Ringspell

Chapter 22.
On thin ice...

Aragorn stepped past the guard and back into the increasingly familiar darkness of Legolas' room. Inside, he found the prince, standing in the centre of the floor, gazing across at him, somewhat expectantly. Down the left side of the elf's exquisite face ran a dark, nasty looking blemish, painfully obvious against the elf's pale, flawless skin.

Instantly the Ranger opened his mouth, to ask what had happened but a second look into his friend's dark eyes stayed his tongue. There was really no point in asking, he already knew what had happened, after all. Thranduil had hit the boy. Now Legolas waited, defiance in his eyes, to tell Aragorn that his father had beaten him. Fearing for his friend's pride the Ranger tried a different, less confronting approach.

"I thought we might go up to lunch together." He offered, by way of greeting.

Legolas shook his head, his brow furrowing slightly, perhaps in irritation or confusion, Aragorn could not tell which.

"Thank you, Aragorn but I am not hungry." The prince declined, in a small voice.

The Ranger nodded, he understood. Though the elf could easily have lived for a week or more on what he had eaten the previous night, it did not take a genius to realise that Legolas did not want to be seen. Despite his own violently protesting stomach, Aragorn lingered near the doorway, not entirely sure Legolas wanted him there but loathed to remove himself from the elf's presence.

Seconds ticked by and inevitably, the silence became uncomfortable.

"Was there something else?" Legolas asked, his tone suggesting strongly that he wanted to be left alone. Ignoring the veiled dismissal, Aragorn pushed on.

"How went it with your father, this morning?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

Legolas hesitated, casting his dark eyes to the floor.

"**How do you think it went?**" The prince returned, his guard strengthening a little, under the Ranger's attention. The elf's tone was challenging, even hostile and Aragorn was stunned by it.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, watching closely for the elf's reaction. Legolas raised his eyes to look defiantly at the Ranger.

"Yes." The elf lied. "Everything is fine." Aragorn held back a sigh of resignation. Though he could understood the elf's reluctance to admit that something was wrong, a part of him felt put-out, even offended, that after all that had happened between them, Legolas would not let him in.

"You are a terrible liar.” He noted.

Legolas shifted uncomfortably.

"What would you have me say?” He asked, in his beautiful voice.

At this Aragorn could only shrug, unsure whether the elf actually expected him to answer.

Seeming frustrated, Legolas turned his back on the Ranger, wandering across the floor towards the lounge. Aragorn followed, slowly, a step at a time. He felt unwelcome, but he could not bring himself to leave. In front of him, the elf sank down onto the lounge, settling himself with infinite grace, on the soft cushions. Aragorn hovered for a moment beside the couch, waiting for Legolas to invite him to sit but the elf ignored him, resolutely avoiding the man's eyes.

"Should I leave?" The man asked, unable to bear the discomfort any longer. He waited for what seemed an eternity but Legolas did not answer. Finally, Aragorn turned to go, despairing that his friend seemed to want nothing to do with him.

He reached the door of the chamber much too soon and when he passed back into the corridor and the guard pulled the door closed behind him Aragorn almost wept. He had not believed the elf would actually watch him leave, had thought that Legolas would call him back and ask him to stay. He could almost hear his friend's sweet voice, in his head;

"Forgive me, Estel. I am not myself. Please, do not go."

But no such call had come. Legolas had been distant and withdrawn, utterly unapproachable. A part of Aragorn wondered if the elf wanted to end their friendship or if perhaps Thranduil was the cause of the sudden distance between them. Whatever the case, Legolas had swiftly and completely shut the Ranger out.

Despondent, Aragorn relented to the incessant call of his stomach and headed off, in the direction of the Dining Hall.