Home Soon, Love (Book 1)

26 Have I Lost All Hope?

It had been five days since our quick trip to Rivendell. I informed Lord Elrond of how the pathway is close to Fangorn Forest and could help me in emergencies. We enjoyed the hospitality of the elves and had fun. Yet all fun ended when it came time to say goodbye to my dear friend Akita.

Now I was sitting up against the shed of the training field with Theodred. He had taught me many skills when yielding swords, yet I still had plenty of learning to do. "Please. Just need a break" I spoke between pants. I was worn out from the beating I was just given, being defeated in our sword fight multiple times. "Alright. I will be on the far side of the field. Whenever you are ready, come to me." he stood up and walked away from me.

I stared up at the night sky, admiring each individual star that shined down on me. "Latalia" the whisper caused me to turn my head left dangerously fast. My eyes teared up as he stood there next to me, after two weeks of hiding. I reached for his outstretched hand, but did not feel his soft skin. Instead, it felt like dipping my hand into fog, with anything but emptiness fading. "I am dreamwalking Latalia. I am sorry that I am not in Edoras with you, but I can communicate." sorrow filled his eyes as I could feel tears fall from my face.

"Where are you?" I asked. Even if the fingers that now traced my face were ghostly, he still knew how to send soft electricity pulsing throughout my body. "T'is not important. What is important is that you do not wait around for me in the Fangorn Forest when the time comes." I stepped back, not wanting to hear the words he had spoke. "Legolas, what is going on?" I said a tad bit louder than intended. He sighed for a while, finally ready to tell me the truth. "I was kidnapped. They want to use me as bait to lure you into the forest in two weeks. They will kill you when you wait for me. I am to be there, so Latalia you must promise me this. If you see me in the forest ever, you must not come to me. It will only be a trap." The elven prince in front of me seemed to flicker like a candle being slightly blown at.

"No, I cannot tell you who is to come after. I do not know of who keeps me there besides that they are elves, and their leader." he trailed off, not wanting to continue. "Who?" he pulled out a small object from his pocket, making my heart stop. "Why do you have Baeltrice's ring?". He said nothing, just stared into my eyes, waiting for me to understand. Tears pricked my eyes again at the thought of the friend I was close to wanting me dead.

"Promise me Latalia" Legolas said harshly, urging me to agree. "I promise" I nodded my head. "I must go now, for I do not know how much longer I have, but I love you. And I plan to-" my head once more jerked around, cutting off what Legolas had said now that my attention was directed towards Theodred. "Basilia, who are you talking to?" I went to look back to Legolas, but when I turned my head, he was gone. I stayed quiet, hoping he would drop the question.

"Latalia" he whispered, truly concerned. "Legolas. He is being held captive somewhere, and was reaching me through dreamwalking. He told me the people holding him are to wait for me to meet Legolas, use him as bait, and then kill me on the spot." Tears began to fall once again, yet I did not care to stop them. Theodred pulled me into a tight hug, telling me he would never let the evil plan work out. "He's gone now and I know not of when he can reach me again." I sobbed into his chest as he began lightly petting my hair.

"Here. We are done for the night." he placed his hand gently on my back and guided me to the Golden Hall. "No arguing. You're sleeping here tonight. You have not rested for many days." I truly was too tired and upset to protest, so I simply nodded.

He pushed through the entrance doors after lots of walking from the field. His arm was still wrapped around me as he lead us to his bedroom. The door opened and if I had more energy, I would gasp at how pretty the room was. Beautiful paintings hung on every wall, illuminating the chamber with many bright colors. Theodred let go of me and began pulling back the top layer of his fur covered bed. "You can sleep here, I will be right over there on that cot." he brought out a folding screen and set it in a corner of the room. He grabbed a creme nightgown out of a drawer and passed it to me. "It's one of Eowyn's for when she has nightmares and doesn't want to bother Eomer. She often sleeps on the cot so she isn't lonely." I took the gown and headed to the folding screen where I began putting on the outfit.