The Exile's Daughter

An Uneasy Parting

As soon as we had returned to camp at day's dawning, we reported the events of the night to Aragorn. He said little in response to our adventures, only speaking at any length to check on me, and insisted we all go to bed for the morning. Legolas pulled Aragorn aside to speak as I opened the door to the cabin. Doubtlessly he was telling him of my panicked reaction to the news that the men who had murdered my family were actively searching for me. I turned to the wall, pretending to be fast asleep when he joined me in our tiny room.

In reality it felt like I had not slept at all. My thoughts raced each other around the branches of my mind, keeping me in the strange world between wakefulness and the peace of elvish dreams. However, I must have slipped into the realm of sleep somehow.

I was in my old nightdress, which was torn, and the slash wound on my leg stung. A pack of wargs surrounded me, speaking with the harsh voices of the men who had come to my home on that terrible night, tearing chunks out of my nightdress until there was not a scrap left. The largest warg knocked me to the ground with its paws on my shoulders. It opened its mouth. Inch long teeth sunk towards my exposed neck.

"Lá!" My voice broke and I bolted up, gasping, from my blankets. I could barely draw breath. However, there was no danger in the hut. It looked the same as it always did: our weapons leaning against the wall, my cloak strewn messily on the floor. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes with a shaky sigh. (Q: no!)

"Ness?" I heard Legolas call in concern from outside. Opening my eyes again, I stood and wrapped my cloak around me. My hands were unsteady, but he would not judge. I walked out into the bright, cold sunlight of early afternoon to see him sat straight, gazing at the cabin door with a frown crossing his face. His shoulders relaxed as I sat beside him.

"What happened? I thought I heard you shout."

"Nightmare." I muttered, my eyes on my knees. Legolas' frown deepened and he laid a hand on my shoulder.

"That is unlike you. You're shaking." He wrapped an arm cautiously around me. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head and he squeezed me closer reassuringly. "I will not force you."

"I know." I said, mastering myself and looking into his eyes. "It helps that you never pressure me."

"It reassures me to know I can help you, dear Ness." We shared a lingering gaze, sitting in silence, side by side, for a few moments, then broke eye contact. I thought I knew what he would say when he next spoke. We had barely begun our conversation about the orc's words, never reconciled ourselves with what it meant. Imrathiel, oblivious, turned to wave. We waved back, but I knew that we could not put this off. We had to discuss this.

"We should go inside." Legolas nodded and stood, holding open the door for me and pushing back the canvas, letting me pass before he stepped into the room and let it fall. We sat, side by side, beneath the window on his straw mattress.

I turned to study his ageless face, lingering on the sharp cheekbones, the long eyelashes that glowed like sunbeams in the bright light of early afternoon, the angular jaw. His eyebrows were dark and furrowed in worry. His straight nose complimented the elegant curve of his lips, shaped just like his war-bow, which rested on the wall by his bed.

None of this helped in the moment.

He did not look back at me but stared at the canvas covering the doorframe on his left. "I think we need to talk." I swallowed, fearing what he was about to say, but wondering, at the same time, quite what I wanted his next sentence to contain.

Legolas stretched out his fingers towards mine. They were not as steady as usual. I brushed the ends of my fingers with his. The touch was as uplifting as athelas on my soft skin. Finally, he looked into my eyes. On his face there was that now familiar mix of hope and fear. It was intoxicating. I moved my fingers closer and nestled my hand into his warm palm. He bit his pale bottom lip, allowing the delicate skin to free itself from his white tooth.