✓ Wizard's Apprentice | Legolas |

Book One: Chapter Four

  We came to the forest of Lothlorien. Legolas looked around as if he was coming home. I looked at it in disgust since I was going to see my mom after twenty years.

"Ah, Lothlorien. The fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of this land, for in autumn the leaves fall not, but turn gold. Not till spring comes and the new greens open do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and it's pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees are smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. Have you ever been to Lothlorien, Arietta?"

"No," I lied to Legolas. I saw Gimli look around nervously in front of me.

"Stay close young hobbits. They say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell." I snickered.

"That sorceress is-" I was about to say Lady Galadriel when I tripped over a tree root. Legolas caught me before I fell and Gimli started chuckling.

"Aren't elves supposed to be light on their feet and flawless?" I glared at him.

"Yeah, but I'm part dwarf." Legolas laughed at my small dwarf insult.

"I do not trip. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Suddenly, a female elf had her bow in my face, the tip of the arrow only a few inches from my face.

"Get any closer and I'll burn your bow so fast that your arms will be scorched. They'll send you off to Mordor because you'll fit right in with the orcs," I said in elvish tongue. I looked ahead as an elf stepped out. Not just any elf, though. Haldir, the elvish captain that tried to marry me twenty years ago. Well, isn't this just lovely.

He walked up in front of me with a smile on his face.

"Well, hello, Arietta. I haven't seen your pretty face in quite awhile." He lightly caressed my face and I took a step back. This was all because of my grandmother's meddling in personal lives. Haldir turned and started to lead us.

******

  It was now dusk and Haldir was speaking to Legolas and I.

"Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil." Haldir said in the elvish language.

"Our fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien," Legolas said and Hadlir turned to Aragorn.

"Oh, Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us."

"Haldir," Aragorn said in acknowledgement.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves! Speak words we can all understand." Gimli said in a frustrated tone.

"We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days."

"And you know what this dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" Which meant: I spit on your grave!

I gasped alittle as Aragorn grabbed Gimli and scolded him. Haldir moved on to Frodo.

"You bring great evil with you. You can go no further." Hadlir walked away.

*********

  Aragorn began pleading with Haldir to let us stay. Hadlir was firm and denied him. Then I did the unexpected. I walked up to Haldir and began running my fingers up and down his arm. I leanede in and whispered in elvish softly,

"Remember that kiss that we shared before I left? I might do it again if you let us in." I knew that I was being low but we needed in and if using my feminine side got us in there, then so be it.