The Antagonist [ A lord of the Rings / Legolas Fan-Fic]

Act17: A yak in the dawn

River Anduin - 22 September 3018 TA

An autumn wind swept across the river Anduin with a bold honesty, a rawness that brought one's soul into the gentle cloud-filtered sun caressed its rippling surface as it appeared. She sat on before the river, her knees tucked beneath her chin, her brown long hair loose and untamed about her face. Behind her, Legolas gazed at her impatiently. He knew, as well as her, that what had occurred last night was a small break from the shadows and the circumstances that they had endured.

'... such a union is an abomination. An elf and a dwarf bonding, is the worst insult! How could an Elf, an Elf from Mirkwood match with Durin's she-dwarf.' Awarthrie recalled Legolas words echoing again and again in her mind. The brief cast of poisonous words should not hold any meaning, but the half-dwarf couldn't escape from that thought. Not because she wanted any kind of union with the tree-hugging-pixie. That didn't bother her.

"How disappointing," she finally spoke facing away from Legolas and towards the cold water of the river Anduin "your trusted friend bonding with a dwarf. Such an insult, and from that union this, " she paused and pointed at herself "abomination was born. It is disappointing, isn't it?"

Legolas heard the words, those were words not usually spoken from the she-dwarf. They wound together and soared, silence fell into the dawn as his gaze locked against her unmoved frame. He wasn't used to this type of expression of her, usually she would get angry, curse him and attack him. Her reaction this time was different, filled with sadness and disgust.

'Now was not the time.' His mind triggered unpleasant thoughts. However, those were his exact words. A long silence followed, broken only by the strong wind that was demanding their attention. The elf remained calm, the only thing that was pointing at his distress were his fists, that were clenched tightly. He ignored the biting meaning in her words, and responded.

"Tauriel and Kíli were brave, brave to the end. Your mother defined the Elvenking, she was banished from Mirkwood, she lost everything and followed the dwarves. Your father lost his life to protect her. Their union wasn't an insult." Legolas admitted speaking in a very low tone "Those born from such an extraordinary bond have always suffered from this flaw. Hard to bend through custom and traditions, of the old times beliefs. A flaw to their pride and adulation, yet not an abomination."

She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, last night comfort lost "A flaw?" she quizzed a scary grin spreading across her face to hide the new emotions that were slowly building up. "Then what I am to your people? An abomination, a mistake or something far worse? My mother loved my father, she loved him so dear, that she ended up fading from this world. I was five when I found out what grief and sadness can do to your kind. It seems that my father loved equally my mother, you just said so. He lost his life protecting her. Isn't that true? Yet here you stand, as the Prince of Mirkwood, the pride of your people, and call me a mistake... An abomination!"

The she-dwarf finally turned and faced the elf, brown confused eyes met with cold blue ones. "Prince, you are a shame to your legacy. A prisoner of the customs and traditions of Mirkwood. And long have I believed that Mirkwood elves were not my kin. Though, lately you started to blind me, your impact was so strong, I wanted to learn more about your realm and your folk. I was mistaken. Now tell me, please tell me again, my mistakes, elf!"

"Since I can remember there has been distrust and ill-feeling between Elves and Dwarves," Legolas accepted with his expression on his fair face unchanged "It's common knowledge to even the most causing them not to be on the best of terms. The growing camaraderie between Elves and Dwarves has a symbolic of the wider breaking down of barriers. Elves of the Mirkwood realm have only recently started trusting dwarves. By all means, it's not my personal opinion, Awarthrie, I speak the truth when I say no one can bend through old barriers. It's unthinkable for an elf to be even friends with a dwarf. Not to say anything further. I owed to state the facts right."

Legolas gazed at her sighing and shaking his head, and observed her reaction to his words. "Awry beliefs that need to change. Beliefs that can torment people. But those aren't mine. There has been a very long enmity between us. It dates right back to the First Age, when the Dwarves murdered the Elf King Thingol of Doriath after a quarrel over the Nauglamir, the Necklace of the Dwarves, an Elf-made jewel. In our records we keep stories through the centuries that outlines the reasons of our dislike. However, the hostility between Thranduil and Thorin, had a deeper reason, Thorin saw the elves watching the destruction of Durin's folk and turning their backs! My father didn't aid the dwarves. A deceitful decision."

It was then when she noticed the meaning behind his words. The answers that the elf offered were not his personal beliefs, he was briefing her about the common way that the Mirkwood elves thought of dwarves. Tension grew in her entire body, as she came to understand that her dwarves would think the same way of the elves. It was not long ago, she was stubbornly cursing the elves. Indeed, she had a valid reason to hate them, or to dislike them, because she recalled various elves telling her that hate was a very strong word. Understandably so, she had her reason to dislike the elves, but wouldn't she feel same even without a reason? After all, they had been on different sides. Legolas was a Mirkwood elf, and she was a dwarf from the House of Durin, -half-dwarf a small voice inside her corrected her.

"Do you intend to keep educate me about the views of the Mirkwood elves for longer," she posed the question allowing him to hear the irritation to her tone "I would prefer to know where you stand?"

He was wary of her. The she-dwarf wanted to know his personal opinion, and although Legolas never had an issue to state his point of view, at that moment it was taking him a great effort. "Very well," Legolas whispered after yet some time as he sat lightly onto the ground next to her. "Elves often have a poor outlook on dwarves, as said, thinking of them as thieves and simple folk. I used to feel no differently."

"Used to?" the she-dwarf interrupted him casting a glance at him to see him watching her, with a unfamiliar smile pulling at his lips. It reminded her of the time he had threatened her the first time, she felt strangely cowed.

"I only aided your folk before because it was what Tauriel wanted. Your mother, insisted. However, through meeting them, I did get to see that there was much more to them that being gold-obsessed mountain dwellers. It made me realize they were capable and loyal warriors, too. It didn't erase my ill feelings towards them nonetheless. I felt betrayed and heartbroken over Tauriel choosing a lowly dwarf over our kin. I have to admit Durin's folk showed good qualities, they also fully showed off their dangerous greed. I had contemplated these observations and emotions. I still feel negatively about dwarves, but in a much more nuanced way. Particularly, after meeting you. I own you an apology of the bitter words I spoke a few nights ago. But haven't I uttered them, Glorfindel would cause problems. And even an respectful ellon as he, loves to gossip."

"Doesn't your kind hold themselves better than us Durin's folk?" Awarthrie frowned brown eyes meeting blue "Elves who gossip? That cannot be!" she snort.

"You take great pleasure in belittling us, don't you dwarf," he hissed "It's time to let go of that treat!" He noted the change in her behavior, she was now mocking and cursing him. Legolas had recognize it was part of her strange personality. Light curses and mocking seemed to be a friendly approach between dwarves. He hated to admit it, but he was now at ease hearing her insults. Her previous calm advance had scared him.

Her lips curled into a earnest smile "It sounds as if you cannot get enough of my insults, Princely!"

"Iston (I know)," he looked at her "I suppose I am!"

They sat in silence as the sounds of the water echoed around them. Why none spoke, the she-dwarf didn't know. Perhaps, both were thinking of the deep conversation they just had. There was something in his manner which led her to believe that Legolas weighted her words. Now both had spoken bitter words, that hurt each other. Words that were for now forgotten, but kept burning inside them. For him, Awarthrie was an abomination, a mistake, that the prince's trusted friend had done. For her, he was a shame to his legacy. If they honestly believed in those words, none could know.

However, there was some kind of truth hiding in between.

((Next Act: 18 Unbearable Truths))

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