Within Dreams [A Legolas love story]

Rain and Other Traumas

That night, it rained.

The earlier day had been favourable, with only a slight breeze, until Legolas decided to inform us that there would be a rainstorm and it would be best to camp for the night.

Naturally, he was right, and we sat huddled under a thin outcropping of rock as the raindrops began to fall.

"How far are we from the ruins?" Faewyn asked, languidly stretching.

"About a week, maybe less if it stops raining," he replied, gravely looking out into the misty dusk.

"A week?" I intoned disbelievingly. "How do we know I even have that long?"

"We don't," Legolas sighed. "That's why I didn't exactly recommend this."

"But you said yourself we need to find the documents anyway," I pointed out.

"Indeed," he replied, glancing at me. "If it stops raining early in the morning, we should set out then to make the best time."

I nodded and attempted to find a comfortable position to sleep in without getting wet. Regardless of my attempts, it failed, so I irritably announced, "I am sleeping in the rain."

"Are you sure?" Legolas said from his side of the rock shelter. "You'll just get wet and get some kind of sickness."

"Just because I'm mortal doesn't mean I constantly get sick," I said with annoyance. "Legolas, look, the rain is stopping anyway."

Most of the moisture had dissipated into a prevalent mist.

Maldor was watching the whole thing interestedly from a relatively dry spot near the end of the shelter.

"Fine," Legolas said, cocking his head. "Sleep in the rain."

Faewyn turned over.

"I'd rather be wet than have no place to stretch out," she admitted. "Come on, Legolas, Gia's right. It'll probably be clear by morning."

Legolas started a small, cheerfully crackling fire and we all gathered around it, pulling a few blankets onto the ground from one of the horses.

"Losto vae," Legolas said softly from the quickening darkness.

I turned to him, watching the flames reflected in his eyes.

"You as well," I murmured sleepily.

I pulled closer to the fire and watched the blue and orange sparks flick towards one another, spinning off to vanish into the night.

********

Then I choked, I couldn't breathe. There was a heavy film covering my face and my lungs screamed.

Not a film, smoke. It was fire, everything wreathed in golden orange flames. My eyes stung as I tried to look around. I scrambled around, coughing, and came up with a handful of sheets, already burning at the edges. I heard sirens and I caught the familiar shape of my door through the blazing flames.

I had gone back. And my house was on fire.

I tried to scream and roll out of my bed, but already I could feel the heat searing my skin into bubbling blisters. I couldn't see or breathe or think, and as my vision blurred, I heard the door collapse.

"Hurry!" someone shouted, distantly. "There's another person somewhere!"

I was going to tell them, here I was, I was going to die here, covered in burning sheets and suffocated by smoke.

With another silent scream, my lungs failed.

I woke up, and yet didn't. I could feel the very essence of air, all the life around me, and yet I simply...wasn't. I became vaguely aware that I was being held by someone and someone's urgent tone said "I don't know what else to do."