Country Side

Chapter 3 Duet

Snapping out of my reverie, I spoke. Concern lacing my every word.

“You are soaked to the bone and soon to catch cold. Please, seat yourself by the fire over there and warm yourself up.” I said, pointing to a rocking chair beside the fire.

“Thank you for your concern, though I am afraid it will do no good, I never ‘catch colds’ as you say, nor do er ger get sick.” the man replied.

I looked at him, slightly amused and laughed.

“Well, I suppose that is every person’s wish, though it will do us no good to wish for something we can never have now will it?” I said.

I looked into his eyes and saw an unrecognizable emotion flash through them, albeit, it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

“You are right, My Lady, I shall take your advice and sit down to warm up.” He said smiling sadly as he walked over to the rocking chair.

The man lowered himself into the seat and it tilted back. He jerked forward in alarm and surprise and quickly stood up.

“What kind of chair is that? It is off balance and dangerous for a person to sit in!” he cried in panic.

I looked at him, surprised that he had never sat in a rocking chair before…then I laughed, I laughed so hard that I doubled oholdholding my stomach with tears coming to my eyes.

“What are you laughing at? I could have been hurt!” he cried.

When I finished, I looked up at him and wiped the tears away, though my eyes were still filled with laughter.

“Oh dear, I am terribly sorry. Its just, well, I have never met a person that has by no means sat in a rocking chair before. And your face when you jolted forwards was so comical that I just couldn’t help but laugh. I…its just…, I’m so sorry. Here, you can sit in this chair over here.” I said pointing to another one that was not a rocking chair.

He turned his head as a blush crawled up the side of his cheeks, and to his pointed ears. Wait... pointed ears! My eyes bulged slightly as I took them in. How could I have not noticed them before? Maybe his hair was covering them earlier... yes, that must be it. I guess they are a birth defecet... poor thing, and yet... something about them was natural though... like I had seen them before. He muttered something that I didn't catch, then hurriedly sat down in the other chair. It was then that I realized that I did not know his name so I asked him.

“What is your name?”

“Legolas Greenleaf.” He whispered, his eyes straying to the floor.

The mention of that name sent chills up my spine; it sounded so familiar. I mentally chastised myself, I knowing that it was impossible for me to know him.

“Are you feeling well my lady?” he asked in concern.

“I… yes I am fine.” I said shaking off the feeling. “If you like, I can fetch you some of mtherther’s old clothing for you to put on while your clothing dries.” I offered.

“That would be wonderful. Thank you Patricia.” He replied with a warm smile.

I was able to suppress yet another shudder as I headed to the back room. Why does this stranger have such an effect on me? Shaking my head I took out my father’s wool robe, his favorite blue shirt and matching pants. I wd bad back into the living room and stood in front of him.

“These were the thickest clothes I could find.” I said handing them to him. “You may lay your clothes near the hearth.” I added while gesturing towards the fire.

I started to walk away when his voice stopped me.

“My intentions arent to be a nuisance but, do you have a place for me to change?” he asked.

I turned back to him, thanking God for the glow the fire cast over my face, therefore easily concealing my blush

“Oh, I am dreadfully sorry, you may change in that room down the hall.”

Legolas lingered for a brief moment then walked into the room I had mentioned.

As he changed, I hurried over to my bedroom and pulled on warmer bed clothes, however they were not the garments I would usually wear to bed. Familiar or not, I was not comfortable wearing them around a complete stranger. As I dressed, the rational part of my brain told me to keep my shotgun near, but for some reason I felt he was not a threat to me.

When I re-entered the living room, I saw him kneeling by the rocking chair. He appeared to be examining it by the way he was pushing and pulling it. He stood up with is brow knitted in a mixture of confusion and wonderment. He then turned and looked at me, his eyes moving up and down my body. My breath caught in my throat as soon as I saw him in better light; my, was he a sight to behold. He was beautiful. The glow of the fire made him look like an angel. Even though my father’s clothes were nice, they did not do this man justice. They appeared unfit for his lithe yet seemingly toned figure and I felt a tinge of guilt for giving him clothes at all. I blushed at my inappropriate thoughts.

“Would you like something to drink?” I asked, itching to break the silence.

“Yes, that would be lovely.” He replied.

“Is tea okay? I have milk and water as well if tea is not to your liking.”

“No, tea is fine thank you.”

I nodded and quickly headed to the kitchen. As I took out the necessary items to make the drink, I did not hear Legolas enter the room. I nearly spilled the pot of water when I turned to find him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed staring at me leisurely.

“Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you. I…I thought you might need some assistance.” He stated hesitantly.

I turned my back to him and put the pot on the stove. Ild fld feel his eyes upon me, searching for something, but what it was, I did not know.

“No, thank you, I can manage. However, if you would like to stay and keep me company while I make it that would be fine.” I said in a rush. I mentally kicked myself sounsounding so needy.

“I would like that.” He replied sitting down at a table chair.

There was a pause, but it was broken when I turned to ask him a question.

“Legolas?” I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed saying his name, how easily it rolled off of my tongue.

I thought I saw him shudder at the mention of his it, though it was brief. I think my mind is playing tricks on me…although, it was the first time I used his name, maybe…ugh, I mentally shook my head ignoring the foolish thoughts.

“Yes?” he said after a moment.

“You said that you were separated from your companions, am I correct?” I asked.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed as we stood in the kitchen.

“You are.” He responded, looking at me with kind eyes that held dark secrets.

“I was traveling with Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Gimli, son of Gloin to the citadel of Imladris to speak with Lord Elrond. We had been traveling through green fields bordered by a forest when a storm was suddenly upon us. I could also sense that something was not right and became uneasy, so we all ran into the forest for shelter, while unintentionally splitting up. Once the storm and my uneasiness cleared up, I went back to where the fields were, hoping my companions were there but they were no where to be seen, and neither were the fields.” Pausing for a moment, Legolas closed his eyes in what I thought was sorrow.

“I found myself in this strange land, alone and stranded. I wandered for many a day searching for my companions and familiar territory, but to no avail. I am worried for their safety; I know they are both strong and exceptional warriors but…” He trailed off as the anguish took over his voice.

“Well I’d hate to think they were out in this storm.” I said, attempting a lighter subject…it did not , so, so I moved on.

“Where are you from Legolas?”

“I come from a place called Greenwood the Great, or, as it is better known as, Mirkwood. Its beauty was great and too vast to put into words, although that beauty was corrupted by an evil long ago. Now, the only place that is still beautiful is the palace and village region; my kin and I are working on clearing out the darkness and making it whole again, if you will, however it is taking a long time to complete. I…I miss it dearly.” He said as his eyes filled with longing. I turned back to the stove, allowing him slight privacy. He continued. “The beauty that still remains cannot be described justly with words. You have to witness it firsthand, but I will try to give you a general idea of the scenery the way I perceive it.” He smiled thinking about his home. “There are different shades of green everywhere you look. What place you find that aren’t green are covered with stunning wildflowers, most of which line the forest floor. Streams are abundant and if you look in the right places you can find waterfalls that feed crystal clear lakes and pools. Nature is undisturbed there; wild animals make there homes in our land along with a plentiful amount of trees; trees that hold wisdom speak an unknown language to those who do not live among them. When you see a patch of sky, it is usually cloudless and the purest of blues with the sun kissing each of the tree tops. There is life everywhere; you are one with nature when at my home.” When he finished, something in my mind clicked and it made me remember my dreams. I looked up and found that his eyes had caught mine. They were filled with such intense emotion that I had to look away.

“Unfortunately, this place has no association with it.” He added looking down.

“Actually, its ironic that you mention such a place,” I missed the way his eyes lit up. “I know of a place similar to that. Trees for miles around, wild flowers littering the floor, and an ethereal glow surrounding the forest...it is simply breath-taking and awe-inspiring…beautiful. Even the people were beautiful, they weren‘t like me or any that I know of...I can truly picture them though. All I know is that they speak a graceful language and have a beauty that flows both through their veins and their mind. They are elegant creatures, and I wish that I was born among them, there was just something about them was different and innocent. But there were dark places within this world that were filled with unimaginable things. Large creatures, spiders I believe they were, lurked within its depths, nameless fear were scattered throughout, no living soul entered those areas for fear they would either die or lose themselves to the darkness. I have never shared that with anyone before, well, up until now that is. They were just silly fairytales that occurred in my dreams. I am unsure of why I have these dreams, but they overwhelm me in sleep every night, they seem so real. Ah, I am talking nonsense, I‘m suppose to be getting to know you.” I said snapping back to reality.

I sneaked a glance at his features, only to find a stoic expression.

“No, please, I enjoy the sound of your voice.” Legolas said almost inaudibly. Attempting to hide the redness of my cheeks, I quickly turned to the stove focusing my attention back on the tea.

“Um, could you please stop that?” I asked with slight embarrassment.

“Stop what?” he inquired.

“Staring at me. I, um, I don’t like it when people stare at me.” I replied.

“My apologies, it’s just that, this may sound folly to you but…you remind me of someone.” He said sadly.

“I do?” I asked skeptically.

“You remind me of a maiden I once knew. Her hair was sandy blonde, just like yours, and her lips as red as a roses petals, and her eyes a pale blue.”

“Just like mine?” I asked turning around.

“Yes…you could easily be mistaken for her.” he smiled sheepishly.

“What happened to this maiden?” I did not know why I was asking these questions but I couldn’t resist; they seemed to just flow through my mouth

“She…died...of unnatural causes.” Legolas said. “She was modest a maiden who often displayed false courage, just like you…in a way.”

“Oh my, I am deeply sorry for your loss.” I said avoiding his gaze. I was getting too involved with his personal life; this stranger did not need to be reminded of his sorrows. Trying to distract us, I quickly grabbed the pot handle of the kettle, forgetting to use a towel. I instantly dropped the kettle with a crash and backpedaled to the counter while staring at and holding my shaking wrist, careful not to touch the injured parts. I let out short breaths and gasps of pain as I cradled my hand; the pain that flared through my burnt flesh was so intense that I was unable to scream. Tears came unwillingly to my eyes as I slid down the counter still holding my wrist. I barely registered Legolas’ hurried foot steps toward me until I felt him crouch next to me.

“May I see?” Legolas said as he gingerly took my hand.

I nodded and bit my lip as he took it, pain rippling through my veins at the movment. I had expected more pain when he touched the burnt area, but instead, I felt a cool sensation replace the pain as he caressed my stinging flesh.

“I am sorry if I distracted you…you know, you should try to be more careful next time. You have only got two of these you know.” He said gesturing to his hands.

I laughed lightly and smiled a teary smile.

“Thank you.” I said weakly, forgetting about his ‘magical touch’.

Legolas smiled back at me and said that he would clean up the mess that I made. I did not have the energy to protest so he did. As I sat there with my head against my cabinets and my eyes closed, I could her him singing softly as her worked. The song was enchanting and filled with every emotion, from sorrow to love. His voice so like a caress to my ears, so tender and captivating; I relished in the sound of his voice.

When he came to a certain part of the song, I found myself joining in. I sang every word and note perfectly without a flaw; I had never heard this song, but I knew it…deep down in my heart I knew the song. I finished the last verse alone. I opened my eyes and looked at him, tears were welling up, but at this point…I was unable to tell if they were his or mine...

TBC....