Sword and Arrow

Chapter 51

"My lord?"

Beruthiel and Aragorn stood in silence, looking out at the eastern sky, hand in hand. Occasionally one would break the silence to point out a constellation in the sky, or a star that streaked across the dark canvas.

The side door to the hall of Meduseld was open, spilling yellow and orange light out into the darkness. Aragorn turned: they were the only ones outside.

"The King would like to speak to you, Lord Thorongil." A rather flustered soldier of Rohan - he couldn't have been more than twenty winters - stood with his hands behind his back and his feet slightly apart in perfect parade rest posture.

"Of course." Aragorn looked back at Beruthiel, an eyebrow raised.

"I think I'll stay here," she responded, squeezing his hand. "The stars really are beautiful tonight." She didn't say the next part on her mind: and I don't know how much longer we'll be able to see them. If Gandalf had been right, and Sauron would soon move to cover the sky in darkness, then she should better appreciate beauty while it still lasted.

Beruthiel was still looking at the door minutes after it had closed, an elbow resting on the wooden railing at her side. I should probably go to sleep, she thought, but I don't want to.

The door opened again, letting firelight mingle with the moonlight and starlight outside, but this time, it was a slender blond figure that stepped through. Legolas approached Beruthiel with quick strides, grinning broadly.

"Aragorn told me I might find you here," he said somewhat breathlessly.

"It's nice outside," Beruthiel said nonchalantly. "It was getting too hot and stuffy inside the hall."

"That's fair." Legolas rested his elbows on the railing, cupping his chin in his hands and looking up at the dark sky.

"So," Beruthiel began, "what have you and Gimli been up to? I haven't seen you two since we returned from Isengard."

"Well." The elf flicked a strand of perfect hair over his shoulder. "I did absolutely destroy Gimli in a drinking game." Beruthiel could just hear the smug smile in his voice.

"I didn't know you did that sort of thing."

"You'll be surprised at the sort of things I do," Legolas said quite eagerly, though he had never gone toe-to-toe with a dwarf in a drinking game. And besides, elven drinking games were a bit more refined. And reserved for peasantry - though he couldn't deny that he had snuck out with his wife to drink with the guards on many occasions. "I, for one, am very eager to learn what sort of things you were doing out here with Aragorn."

Beruthiel flushed beet red. "Nothing of that sort," she mumbled. "I'll have you know that we had a nice conversation and held hands."

Legolas laughed. "Pull your mind out of the gutter, Betty dear. I could merely have been asking if you had a particularly engaging discussion on the lumber industry of Rohan."

Beruthiel swatted at him. "Rohan doesn't have a lumber industry. It's all plains and grasslands, and they're all afraid of Fangorn Forest."

"See?" he exclaimed. "You know so much already."

"You are a horrible person."

"Why thank you!"

Beruthiel was silent for a few moments, looking down the hill at the city of Edoras. "He's a wonderful man," she eventually said.

Legolas smiled. "Yes. He is." Catching her looking towards him, he added, "And I'm very happy for you. And proud that you managed to work up the courage to talk to him."