Shades Of Darkness (Legolas/LotR) Book 2 ✔️

XVIII

To ThePuginator5000 - because apparently I am a queen!

Arya flinched slightly as the healer dabbed at her split skin, and the healer moved backwards with wide eyes, hands raised almost as if in surrender.

"Please," Arya said softly trying to seem as sincere as possible – "I mean you no harm, the stinging of the wound just surprised me. If it would please you, we can call Rumíl back into the room and he can either hold my arms behind my back or tie them together. If that would make you feel safer, that is."

"Forgive me," the healer spoke softly stepping forwards. "That will not be necessary, it's just that I have been told stories of the Darklings since I was nothing but a little girl, and all we ever heard was of their cruelty. To have one sitting here right in front of me is very unsettling."

"I understand." Arya offered her a reassuring smile, "but know that I am not like that, I fight the darkness within me every day."

Nodding her head decisively the healer went to work again, no longer backing away when small groans of distress left Arya's lips.

* * *

Rumíl came into the room as the healer left, and she fought not to sigh exasperatedly as he once again tried to start up a conversation with her. Assuring him she was fine after the short fight with Legolas, and that she only wanted to rest alone for a while, he finally left.

Not five minutes had gone by before there was a soft knock on the door. She said nothing, hoping that whoever it was would think she was sleeping and would leave her alone. Settling on the windowsill with her back resting against the frame. With her feet propped up in front of her, arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees she looked out into the coming dusk, wondering why every bad thing that could happen, had happened.

Withholding the groan that threatened to burst through her lips as the door opened despite her not welcoming the 'knocker' in, she stayed immobile, hoping whoever it was would just turn around and walk right back to where they came from.

"Sevin dhaw? (may I?)"

She should have known that it was a certain blonde haired princeling the moment he opened the door, and she would later blame her distressed state – the matter of the fact was that his soft voice surprised her so much that she whirled around, promptly falling off of the windowsill and landed in a heap on the ground.

Groaning and making sure the bandages were still in place she carefully sat up; finding Legolas practically tripping over himself at the door, his face worried but at the same time not seeming to be sure if she would want him to come closer.

"I'm fine," she croaked after a time, feeling the wound throbbing dully. Getting to her feet she stumbled slightly before pulling herself up onto the windowsill again, her back facing the view, and her feet dangling towards the floor.

When it became apparent he was not going to enter without her consent she smiled slightly before letting him know it was ok to enter and settle down wherever he wanted. To her surprise he walked straight up to her, his hands bracing themselves on the windowsill to her side, and his hip gently brushing against the outside of her left thigh. His face remained serious, and he did not meet her eyes for even a second, fastening them instead on a talan that was built in a tree across from the one they were in. Turning around until she managed to move one of her legs to the outside of the talan she rested her back against the window frame, her eyes taking in his troubled expression.