| Of Icy Lakes and Red Moons: Jei sat, thinking herself foolish. Yet again Legolas was tending to her even as Gimli sat with lifeless limbs, complaining roughly about his axe and the punishment it took for a Campaign that wasn’t really his own. She ignored the stout dwarf, feeling the elf’s deft fingers caring for the lump at the back of her head. He had cleared away the blood but she did not want him to bandage it. It would heal by itself, she had said and she knew a little something about herb-lore. In no time at all she would be good as new and they would continue on. “Unless of course you have changed your mind and do not wish to come?” she asked Gimli all too innocently. He plainly ignored her and she leaned back once more into Legolas with a withering look aimed at the trees to her right. Stormrider paced almost indignantly, Arod beside her waiting with the same patience as his master. She sighed inwardly and closed her eyes, sitting still as Legolas finished up. “He had your swords,” Legolas murmured then, soft voice faint in her ear. He sounded absentminded as he worked. Jei wished to nod but did not as he did not allow her. “I know. When I came to they were lying strewn about as if they were nothing but haphazard rubbish. I am most wary of that, truthfully. If they were out for your heads why then was I spared and only my swords taken? Would it not have been better for them to kill me as well?” Legolas hesitated behind her, hand pausing with the bloodied wet rag. “Perhaps,” he said thoughtfully. She glanced to the side, wishing to see the expression on his face that accompanied the tone in his voice. But he had himself well hidden behind her. She bowed her head instead, losing herself to her own thoughts. I know why they come for me. And I know why they would spare me but not you. But you will not know until I think you ready to know and though I wish to be honest with all my heart…I don’t think you will ever be ready or ever understand… “We should set out soon, I think,” Merry said after several moments of silence. “We have lost the night and our rest but we must quickly be off or they will find us again.” “Right you are,” Gimli said and he rose with an aching groan. “And the sooner the better. We can widen our distance by much, perhaps even enter the Midgewater Marshes by nightfall if we take our meals as we walk.” Jei slowly pulled away from Legolas and glanced at him as he questioned her with a look, still holding the wet rag. Her blood was a clear stain across the white material and she assured him that she was fine, that she would feel better if they just started off. He nodded silently and also rose, moving to set up Arod once more. “Do any of you know how to use a bow? Anyone other than Legolas, of course,” Jei said as she went to her bag and began to rummage through it. She glanced up and around when no one answered and by the looks on their faces she guessed no one else could. “A crossbow, I mean,” she reiterated. Still no response so she guessed not. With a sigh she pulled out a rather heavy looking device, long and wooden. She unhooked a small piece and two wooden curved wings snapped free, a wire connecting them across the span of the wings. “I have a quarrel for them somewhere but not many,” she murmured and she slowly set aside the crossbow, digging through her bag once more. Legolas came forth and crouched beside her silently, examining the crossbow. “Is this Elven as well?” he asked as he looked at it. A moment later he saw that it indeed have an Elven flair to it. “Elves tend to make the more natural long bow for that very reason. Because it is natural,” Jei said as she looked at him and he smiled as if it were a small tease. She smiled also. “Of course you would know that, being an Elf. But it’s true. Do you know how to handle one?” “I do,” he replied with a nod. “Yourself?” She also nodded. “But I am not as efficient with bows as I am with swords. I was trained mostly with the swords but in the case that I was not in range with the swords I was also taught to use the crossbow and the longbow.” Legolas gazed at her in fascination. “What else are you proficient with?” Jei paused, lifting her head as she thought, and she pulled forth a small case at that moment. “Darts, a bit. Small knives. I’ve tried an axe but I’m not very good with it. A bo staff, or a morning star. Quite a few things, actually. Twenty years is a long time, although you, as an elf, may not think so.” She cast him a quick glance as she looked through the case. “I understand, believe me.” Jei counted up the small, sturdy arrows in the case. “I have thirteen here. Lucky thirteen.” She snapped the case shut and rose to her feet, hesitating. Legolas politely handed the crossbow back to her and she easily took it. “I was under the impression thirteen was an unlucky number,” he said. “Only for everyone else,” she replied, taking the crossbow. “You don’t wish to use it?” “I have my own bow, thank you kindly,” he answered. “But perhaps, should I lose all my arrows, I will be forced to have need the crossbow. And for the moment I do, I thank you once more.” He waited for her as she took the crossbow, setting the quarrel of arrows back in her bag and cautiously folding up the crossbow once more. “Can we be on our way now?” Gimli called over in an irritated tone. “Yes,” Jei said and she tied up her bag, loading it back onto Stormrider. “Let us be off.” The sun dipped slowly as they traveled. It was the second day now out of Bree and already, strangely enough, it felt as if at least a week had passed. The wilderness was the tiniest bit eerie as the sun set and Jei found herself anxious the closer night came. The ground became damp ever so slowly and she guessed the Midgewater was indeed only as far as nightfall. Already small insects, the only sign of life, were hovering about them and their small noises and buzzing was enough to drive even an elf mad although Legolas showed no sign of being the least bit uncomfortable. Gimli grumbled every minute of every hour and Jei was sure that before the quest was over she would very well kill him. The hobbits walked fearfully, eyeing the small dirty pools and reeds that signaled their entry into the Marshes. The moon slowly became visible as the rays of the sun were swallowed by her ever approaching blanket of night. Soon it would be time to stop and rest and they all knew that sleep would be difficult if not downright impossible with the flies buzzing about. The ground sank below their feet as they trudged, trapping them several times when they sank too deep. And there was a thick film of mist hanging about the Marshes, allowing only Legolas to see further ahead and even he became a bit impatient for not having his full sense of sight at his disposal. “We should stop,” Jei murmured, holding onto Stormrider as she was led. Legolas walked in front, light on his feet. He was not dirty in the least and for some strange reason the flies left him alone but they did not spare the rest of the Campaign. Jei swatted at her cheek again, wanting to brush away the creature that buzzed in her ears. Gimli was downright nasty, stained form the Marshes with mud. The hobbits wandered between Gimli and Jei and they had fallen several times, cursing the dingy waters. “I would really rather not stop here in the Marshes,” Pippin said in a tremulous voice and he looked about with wide eyes, curly hair soaked with his perspiration. The Marshes were thickly saturated with heat, as if the mist had swallowed up the rays of the sun. Merry shook his head, also sweating profusely. “We shan’t make it out of this furnace for quite a bit. We should stop and rest. Not all of us got rest last night.” Jei nodded in absentminded agreement before suddenly feeling her heart drop out from under her. “Stop, we must stop,” she said and she said it loud enough for Legolas to hear from his position in front. The group turned to her and she had already come to a stop several feet behind. She looked about, searching for a small spot that seemed drier than the murky waters and muddy earth of the Marshes. “We will stop for the night. Master Meriadoc is correct, and I insist,” she looked clearly at Legolas, who returned the look questioningly, “for Legolas has not rested in two nights.” Without another word nor pause for any of them she wandered off their path, heading toward a bit of land that seemed fairly dry and hard to sleep on. The night was going to be a horror, she felt it in the way the flies buzzed about her ears, but so long as Legolas slept, she would be satisfied. It was enough that he cared for her in her moments of weakness but she did not wish for him to fail because of her. She paused beside a withered tree and whispered to Stormrider, running her hand over her snout tenderly before unsaddling the mare. “Who will take first watch?” Merry asked as the group huddled about Jei, setting down their equipment and Pippin guiding the pony to the side to stand with Arod. “I will,” Jei announced. She looked at the group in its entirety and nodded as if to convince them. “Two hours, correct? It will be fine.” Without a word Gimli dropped his pack to the ground and lay out upon it wearily, stretching out for the night. Pippin and Merry nodded to each other and did likewise, settling a few feet from Gimli. Jei looked at Legolas and he watched her wordlessly, slowly putting down the pack that Arod usually carried. She waited for him, seating herself beside Stormrider as he sat down as well. There did not seem to be need for words and there were none as the elf lay out fully, long legs straightening. Jei smiled faintly and waited for him to sleep as he faced the moon, form weary. Half an hour had passed and still he did not sleep. Jei kept watch over him with a slight frown, wishing for him to rest but he merely gazed at the moon, blinking now and again. He had not moved from his position at all and she knew he was weary. In his position, without a night of rest and strewn out as he was, she would have long been fast asleep. She did not understand why he was still conscious. “Legolas,” she whispered to him, her voice loud enough to carry over to him. “Sleep. It is late and I do not wish for your watch to come up without having rested at least an hour.” He did not respond in any way, eyes focused on the moon above. She exhaled, feeling a bit jaded, and rose onto her knees, crawling over to him. The ground was still moist beneath her and she grimaced in distaste. Her robe might very well be a mess in the morning. She pulled up beside the elf and cast him an impatient look, leaning over him. “Now is not the best time to ignore my words, Prince. You have not rested in-“ and she paused in mid-sentence, staring at him in wonder for as she spoke he showed no sign of even hearing her, much less paying her any mind. His eyes were focused but lost in the distance, heavy and hooded. She blinked, marveling at him. This was the waking world then, the place the elves rested and roamed when they slept. She studied him in absolute wonderment, wanting to see his world of dreams, wanting to see what he saw for all she saw was the sparkle in his eyes. And that gleam could only lead her to light and elven enchantment. She tilted her head slightly and slowly reached a hand up to his jaw, hoping not to wake him with any sudden movement. But she knew much about the Elven people and it was said that it was difficult to wake one who wandered the worlds. It was also not recommended to wake one from their dreams. Gently, she allowed the back of her fingers to graze his jaw, tracing the hard line slowly. He was beautiful, smooth perfect skin over hard bone. She gazed at him, her fingertips tracing the line of his lips, the molded angle of his cheekbone and then, very softly, brushing across his eyelashes. He blinked as she did so but he did not awaken, still focused far away. With bated breath she lifted her fingers to his brow, her palm cupping and running across his skin, lips parted. They were a magical race, she felt his magic in her flesh, and all throughout her figure. And she felt mesmerized by him, feeling as if she were pulled tightly in two different directions and yanked taut. Her heart swelled strangely, quickening its beat deep inside her and pounding strong enough to rock her. If she spoke his name, would he hear her? And would he know that she found herself lost in his presence? She thought not and her face saddened, fingers hesitating along his hair, brushing a slender braided lock. With an inward sigh she slowly backed away, dragging her hand back even as she ached to explore more of him. And dragging her knees against her chest she waited, gazing at him, for her watch to end. He danced upon the gentlest breeze, feeling the breath of the wood sweep though his hair and embrace him lovingly. He did not know where he was but it was home. Home, surrounded on all sides by trees, the gleaming rays of sunlight and the clear blue of a morning sky. Mirkwood, Rivendell, even the Golden Wood. Any of them was beautiful enough of a place to call home. But he was strangely incomplete and as the leaves brushed by in a whirl of gold and red he found himself searching about, reaching for something, for someone that was not there. That had not yet arrived. Whoever it was, they were late and the festivities could not begin without their presence. He continued to dance, though, caught up in a whirlwind of color and sound, tender chimes and golden light. Legolas. It rained, now. The gray sky had swallowed the blue and the rain had followed, the gentle scent of the showers hovering upon every leaf and blossom of every plant. Tears of the sky, raining down to caress his upturned face and he smiled innocently, lifting his arms and raising his hands to welcome the drizzle. They fell, sounding like crystal clear bells, bouncing upon the leaves and darting off in an explosion of liquid. Falling slowly, ever so slowly. He drew closer, the person, still lost in the distance but as if finally finding his way, realizing that he was needed elsewhere. Legolas… Soon came the snow, floating down gently, as tenderly as the touch of a lover. Hovering and spilling forth from the same gray sky. Winter and ice, the frozen lake of fire, and the icy breath of fear. He was lost in the white wonderland, standing elegantly upon the lake, balanced upon the frozen surface and still waiting. Always waiting. The trees had long since given up their children, their leaves lost in the mourning wind. He hoped they would come soon. That she would come soon, for the wind howled through the tress of that which was lost and was not meant to be found. And she needed to be found for she was already late. He could not send word for the festivities for he could not find his way home and he could never leave her to find her way herself. She had been lost for so long, she could not be expected to find her way home by herself. Legolas! When darkness fell, would she find her way to him? He would glow for her, shimmer in the darkness and bring her home. The moon was large and full overhead, the stars gleaming in welcome. He welcomed her just the same, a hand held out and waiting to be taken and held, warmed with a smile. The snow would melt and the rain would return and still he would wait. Even as the moon brightened and boiled red, like heated blood. And then it would glow silver for a moment and in that metallic radiance he would see the slender, scaly form of the silver dragon and he knew then that she would not come and he could not wait. He needed to go home and if he went alone then so be it. So be it. Legolas… His eyes focused sharply and he inhaled deeply, lips parting. The dream world faded away into black at the edges of his vision before vanishing completely and he was left with the starry night and the buzz of the flies hovering about him. But it was a beautiful moon nonetheless and it brought his dream to him, making him ache for the one that was not to be found. With a small inhalation he looked toward Gimli and saw Merry up and about, wandering absentmindedly for it was his watch. Pippin still slept, shooing flies away sleepily as they hovered above him. He turned his head in Stormrider’s direction and came face to face with Jei, her face innocent in sleep. She slept on the hard-packed ground, her hand cushioning her head, brow creased in a frown as she slept. He wondered if she dreamed about someone who was lost as well. Slowly, he rose up a bit and slid closer to her, one hand reaching out to her face. She murmured as he cupped her cheek, his thumb running across her lips. Wordlessly, he lifted her head off the ground a bit and he slipped his pack under her as well. She settled once more, wriggling closer to him, and he allowed her, setting his own head back down upon the pack and watching her from inches away as she dreamed. He hoped she dreamed of better things than icy lakes and red moons. He hoped she dreamed of him. And from his position several feet away Merry watched them both and smiled. |
| All images and works done/altered by ShiNoFuriko and TasogareBan. Please do not steal and always give credit to where it is due. |