Hope - A Lord Of The Rings Chronicle

Piggyback Races

I sat up tiredly, rubbing my eyes. Frodo had already gotten up, conversing with Gandalf and Sam. Across from me are Merry and Pippin, also yawning.

To say that I was tired would be wrong, I was drenched in fatigue.

But there was also a pain. A pang in my chest that all that happened between Legolas and I was a dream. The kiss, the jokes, the smiles. None of it was real.

Boromir came up to me and laughed.
"It would seem that you are not the only sleepy head."
"I know." I yawn, standing up.

"Morning." I say to Merry and Pippin.
"Hello..." Pippin yawns "Raina."
"How are you?" Merry adds sleepily.

I yawn, again, sinking down to the floor beside them. My eyes begin to close.

A snore rings.

I jump.

Another sounds.

Beside me, Merry and Pippin lay asleep, their mouths wide open.
"Merry? Pippin?"

My hands shake them awake.
"Huh?" Pippin blinks.
"What? Raina?" Merry moans "I was having a lovely dream."
"About all the food you can eat." Pippin describes "And drink. It was all mine."

I laugh standing up, and hold my hands out to them. They grab them, and pull themselves up, but I topple over because of the imbalance of weight. My laugh sounds harder, but before I can get up, strong arms wrap themselves under my armpits, and haul me upward.

My heart thumps in my chest.

Legolas.

I turn around.
"Thank you."
He holds out my cape that I left on the floor. I breathe heavily, his orbs weighing heavy on me.
"How could I forget?" I smile.

My dimples show as I receive it gladly, my knuckles brushing against his softly.

The heart within my chest thumps louder.

The hobbits watch our exchange eagerly.

As if after an age, Legolas moves away at Aragorn's call.

I sigh, vapour forming on the air. Recomposing myself, with clenched fists I turn to the two hobbits and smile.

"I have an idea that will get you two woken up."
"What?" Pippin yawns as I re-tie my cloak.
"How about a piggy back race?"
"Piggyback? Eh?"

My lips curl upward at his childlike ignorance.
"One of you will ride on my back, another on someone else's. Then we race like jockeys and mighty steeds!"
"Alright." Pippin agrees "That's sound fun."

"Now we just need someone else to race with." Merry finishes.

My gaze wanders around the camp. Gimli? Check that. Aragorn? No, too serious. Not Frodo and Sam. And definitely not the wizard. Boromir, maybe? Legolas? I grin mischievously.

Definitely Legolas.

But, before I do this, my heart thumps. What if he won't like the way I address him? What if he doesn't understand the joke?

What if he says no? And doesn't want to spend time with me...and the hobbits of course.

Why am I so pedantic over a simple game?

'Just think of him as a friend Raina. That's all.'

But what if I want us to be more?

I cup my hands, shouting through my fingers that were blocks of ice.
"Leggy!" He turns round sharply.

Gimli laughs with the hobbits.

I see the tips of his ears turn pink and he raises an eyebrow at me. "Come and be in our race!"