The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 57

"Where will you go?" asked Thranduil, masking his sorrow as he faced his son.

"I don't know... perhaps Rivendell for a time." Legolas turned to leave, but was stopped by his father's voice.

"And your fiance?" questioned Thranduil causing Legolas to freeze. After a moment Legolas's shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I think I'd like to try having a... relationship with her. But in the end, it'll be up to her. I don't want to be with someone who doesn't love me."

Thranduil and Legolas looked at each other for a long moment. The elven king's mouth opened, hesitating, on the brink of speaking, when a voice interrupted them.

"Oi! Leggy!" Legolas's face scrunched into a confusion -- which dissipated into mild exasperation when he turned to see Nienna approaching.

"Leggy? Is that necessary?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Completely," she grinned. "Now what was this I hear about heading to Rivendell?"

Legolas blinked, taken aback by the implications of her tone.

"Well," he said slowly, "I was thinking I'd stay there for a while... at least until I have some direction."

"Great," said Nienna happily. "I didn't feel like traveling alone."

Legolas froze, his expression bearing a striking resemblance to a puppy who saw the promise of a treat on the horizon.

"I have to talk to Elrond," she went on smoothly, ignoring his expression.

"Why?"

"Oh gee I don't know, maybe about how I ran away from home? I need to get in contact with Galadriel as well, but I'd rather not go directly to her." Nienna grimaced at the wrath she'd be facing from her guardian.

"Oh, okay," Legolas said, still dazed at his turn of luck. Nienna finally took a long look at him, then she chuckled and grabbed his arm.

"Come on lover boy, let's go get ready."

Thranduil watched the two depart towards their tents with a bittersweet feeling. His son was leaving. Not for good, he would see Legolas again, but their relationship was changing and now, only time would tell if it was for the better of the worse.

* * *

Runa was hiding -- again.

She was thoroughly sick of being in a bed, bandaged and forced to "rest". This irritation may or may not have built up over the past two days as she was only allowed to leave the Healing Tent to attend the funeral ceremonies for her friends. And it may or may not have led to her sneaking out of the Healing Tent despite being expressly forbidden by everyone to do so.

So was was hiding.

She'd found a sort of crevice that jutted out along one of the rocky cliffs. It was low enough that she was able to scale the short distance up with relative ease, ignoring the twinges coming from beneath her bandages, and was now curled there, watching the sunset.

It was peaceful and serene and she could ignore all of her problems and her swirling, confused emotions--

"Runa..."

Oh for Pete's sake... Runa peered over hoping her ears deceived her and the angry voice didn't belong to the elven king she had been avoiding ever since her confession on the battle field.

Her ears weren't deceiving her.

Runa's eyes met his piercing ones and the eye contact was enough to let her know she was in a lot of trouble. He was standing below her perch and looking directly into her eyes, clearly furious.