LotR - Rise to War {LegoRomance}

XIX: Preparations

Imladris, 3018 TA, October 26

It was the day to leave Rivendell and go on a new adventure. Everything she knew would go on that fateful day. Familiarity would be a memory stored in an old dusty wooden box, to be opened later to reflect. She'd go to places she'd never been before. She would come into contact with mankind. The excursion she was about to embark on seemed fascinating. She had always longed to see Middle-Earth. It was in her blood to go on adventures. She was constantly on an adventure in her prior life.

At first look, it appeared as if she was thinking about today's short trip to buy some supplies from the human village. Though the truth was, other deeper thoughts were keeping her mind occupied. She was not done recalling her darkest and more terrible moments in her previous life. She still felt that until today she had never redeemed herself from all the evil she had risen. Maybe it would be better if she remained dead. Death seemed much easier than the pain that started to grow in her heart.

Xena was troubled. Troubled like never in her life. Physically, she felt better. Better than ever. However, her mind and heart were in turmoil. There was the part of her who wished to die or spent this life to redeem herself, and even then she would never atone for that deed of killing thousands. And there was a very small part of her who wanted to find her previous self, to go on an adventure and find out about Middle-Earth.

If Gabrielle would be around, she would ease her worries, but not her fears. Because those lived with Xena forever. In her old life, it was Hercules who managed to pull her out of that darkness, a darkness that she dwelled in prideful. After meeting him, she acknowledged her wrongdoings, but her past never managed to give her the retribution she wanted.

Her time with Gabrielle was like extra time given to her, thinking she would face her misdeeds. And although she tried to aid those in need, she surely paid some of it. She still felt the weight on her shoulders, and the darkness hunting her. There was something missing, something she could never find the answer. At least until now. 

She'd dealt with her pain before, and she knew she could do it again. Only this time, she was sharing the trip with a bunch she couldn't clearly read. The majority of their responses were ones she would accept. But every now and again, they'd do something so audacious or out of place that she was left speechless. And, most notably, the elves' behaviour. Elrond, for example, expressed his faith in her by inviting her to Imladris and placing her under his care.

And there was one more annoying elf, Legolas. He resembled men, save for the shape of his ears, and the perfection of his looks. She could not ignore the very long straight silver-blonde hair, that was braided in a specific way. His features were well defined, he was handsome, too handsome she would say. His frame was slender and tall, but he was strong, stronger than his features would reveal.

The Mirkwood elf seemed to have a low-key personality benefiting him not drawing attention to himself. He was fully ingrained in the Elvish culture, but he seemed to be more open-minded than most elves. He was hot-headed and proud, he was a soft-spoken elf, but he was extremely quick to anger. Xena had witnessed that part of him very often, they could have a casual conversation in one moment, and he could end up fiery the next. To be though honest, she would antagonize him all the time.

She couldn't refute Legolas' bravery. She saw it with her own eyes as he threw himself and took an arrow aimed at her. And she was sure that it was not due to his false reaction, he surely never met an enemy that he backed down from, and he never would let fear show. Actually, he could hide all his thoughts and emotions under an expressionless face.

As for his eyes, those held a spark that was unsettling. His attitude was one of a kind, it would urge her to react and want to strike him. He confused her and surprised her at the same time. As for her luck, it was not on her side, as it would make her always come to cross the most ridiculous situations between the two. Like last night, when both ended up following down on top of each other.