Of Futures Past (Legolas)

43

They stayed in that position staring at the gates for a while, ignoring the awkward glances of passing Rohirrim who were not used to such intimate displays of affection. Sexual intimacy was not frowned upon, in fact, it was quite rare to find a soldier of Rohan who hadn't at least once been to a brothel or engaged in other premarital acts, many having even been seen in the act, but emotional intimacy such as this was rare to find in the open. Most kept their relationships behind closed doors, and certainly not right in front of the gates of the city where any might walk in on them.

Though there was an anxiety eating at her mind, the soothing sounds of Legolas's ever steady heartbeat kept her stable and safe from worries. 

It was only when Legolas's shocked voice rang out that she pulled away.

"Two horsemen approach!" 

Alana squinted her eyes, and indeed, in the distance, two horses were approaching steadily, though, as they got closer, it became clear that one of them was, in fact, a woman.

The moment they were close enough for Alana to see their faces, she was grinning and urging the guards to open the gates, bouncing from foot to foot excitedly. The guards denied the request, still needing to verify his identity before he entered Edoras.

Alana waited right at the gate's entrance, and once they started to open, she ran through them. Boromir was there, helping the lady down from her horse.

"Boromir!" Alana greeted, a nervous smile upon her face. Legolas still seemed to be in shock that Boromir was alive.

"It's good to see you again, my friend." The elf finally said.

"It's about time you got here." Alana added in a teasing voice.

"I would've been here sooner had I not been stuck under an illusion for three days." Boromir replied laughingly, though guilt shone in his expression.

A similar guilt made its way onto Alana's face as she wondered how many difficulties that had caused him. Legolas grabbed her hand comfortingly. "You did your best, Alana, and saved his life. There is nothing to feel guilty for." His words were too quiet for the others to interpret, but Alana heard them loud and clear. She let out a shuddering exhale, as if breathing out all the worries in the world.

"My apologies, Boromir." Alana said simply, starting to smile.

"I'll take it as you getting even for my offending you in Lothlorien." It took a moment for the memory to return to Alana's mind, but it had her bursting into laughter, remembering that ridiculous circular argument from so long ago. 

"Not sure those quite line up in magnitude, but I'll accept it." Alana giggled.

Boromir's face lightened of the burden it had been carrying. "Of course, you saved my life, so I'll have to find some way to repay that as well."

Alana shook her head. "It may not have been quite so dramatic, but you did save my life in Moria from the cave troll. Let's say we're even on all fronts, alright?"

Boromir's face was hesitant, but seeing her smile, he nodded reluctantly. Almost to reassure herself he was actually there, Alana gave him a gentle hug, looking him over to make sure he was unhurt.

"Your elf will get jealous from all this attention you're giving me." Boromir teased, his eyes flickering to Legolas, whose face was perfectly neutral.

Looking backwards, Alana giggled, a rose blush painting her cheeks. She had truly grown to know him so well as to read even his most expressionless facades, and the unhappy twinge in his eyes she remembered from the party post-Helmsdeep was indeed subtly visible.

Alana walked back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist once more and looking up at him with a wide smile. "Yes, he's surprisingly silly like that, but he knows I will never leave him." Looking back over at the previously missing companion, she noticed for the first time his female travel partner. "Boromir, you haven't introduced your companion to us yet. I'm Alana, and this is Legolas. It's nice to meet you."

The sweet-looking brunette with warm brown eyes smiled nervously back at them with a somewhat clumsy curtsy. "I am Beyhild, my lady. It is an honour to meet you."

"No need for formalities, please. We are all friends here. Unless, of course, Boromir has already found a way to annoy you." Alana teased, glancing at Boromir who chuckled despite his still somewhat reserved expression.

"No, no!" Beyhild shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "Nothing of the sort."

The woman was not the type you'd expect to see travelling; though her hair was a wild mess, her face was sweetness itself with rosy, round cheeks and eyes of melted chocolate. She also had very little muscle mass, indicating she was no soldier, but calloused fingers, so she was also no noble.

"How did the two of you come to be travelling together?" Alana asked.

Beyhild's naturally rosy cheeks seemed even pinker. "I had just escaped an orc raid and found him on his way to Edoras. He had no horse, so I leant him mine, and I've been his guide, I suppose."

Alana quirked an eyebrow. "It sounds like you did all the work."

Once again, Beyhild flusteredly denied the comment vehemently. "No, of course not! Boromir hunted food for me and protected me from any stray orcs."

"She's teasing Boromir again." Legolas clarified for the pink-cheeked young woman.

The girl nodded embarrassedly, glancing between Alana and Boromir.

"Where are the others?" Boromir asked, once more bearing a serious expression.

"Well, we're quite split up now. Gandalf has just taken Pippin to Gondor, Frodo and Sam are somewhere East, and the rest of us are here now. Aragorn is likely waiting for the lighting of the beacons somewhere." Alana summarized. Boromir was flummoxed, and couldn't seem to decide which of these things to question.

"Gandalf's not dead?" Boromir decided on.

"Oh, well, he defeated the Balrog and died, but then was sent back by the Valar. So, he's alive again." Alana shrugged nonchalantly, as if what she'd just said wasn't mindblowing. Boromir stayed silent, allowing the shocking information to sink in. 

"Should we get back to the Hall?" Legolas asked, turning to look at Alana. "The others will want to see him. I'm afraid we didn't quite believe you when you said you'd saved him."

Alana smiled gently. "Many things happened, and the illusions from Lorien's spirits are powerful enough to ensnare any of the senses." Their hands linked together, and Alana gestured for Boromir to follow them as they walked through the city of Edoras. Beyhild offered to take the horses to the stable, so it was just the elves and the man once more.

Boromir explained what had happened since his awakening, which was much less exciting than Alana had feared and expected, then fell silent for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Alana. I do not believe myself worthy of what you did, but I will not insult you by being anything less than grateful. I am in your debt."

Alana punched his arm gently. "I'd rather you just be my friend. It is in the past already, and there is no use fixating on it. Understood?"

Boromir nodded, still frowning though his visage had relaxed some, and the three companions made their way back to the Golden Hall, explaining to each other every missing details of their adventures.