Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 82 * One Final Fight

For days she rode but found no trace of him until the day she came to a hot spring. There she made camp for the evening and retreated into the calming pool after dark had fallen. The night was cold, creating a thick fog to settle upon the pond

Her mind wandered much, mostly of Thayonidas and Legolas until she could not handle it anymore and walked out of the pool and wrapped herself in a blanket before sitting on a rock.

"Oh Legolas." She whispered and out of the mist she heard his voice softly reply, "Please forgive me."

She shot to her feet and watched him come forth from the fog like a dream.

She stared at him unbelieving for a moment until he stood in front of her within arms reach. Her wonder quickly vanished before she angrily stated, "You knew!"

Legolas was staring into her liquid gold eyes and nodded his head.

She glared at him harder and demanded to know for how long he had known

"I've known he was my brother since the day you were born thirty three years ago."

She took a step back, shocked that he knew how old she was.

Legolas said, "I had just made amends with my father and my first order was to take a 9 year old boy to his mother. I took the boy with me even when he tried to escape many times. He hated me for reasons I did not know until I brought him before the chief of the Alexzandron, Niven the fearless."

Kordelia's heart saddened as she heard her father's name fall from someone's lips. She had not heard his name so much whispered since the day she came upon the heartbreaking scene.

Legolas assessed her for a moment and continued, "He told me that he had no knowledge as to who the boy was and demanded I return him to his father, the ruler of Mirkwood. I was shocked by the statement and assured him that he was no son of Thranduil, my father, but inside I knew. I saw myself in him in many ways. Niven was firm in his decision and was unyielding to my persuasion to dismiss the boy as Thranduil's son. He told me that for a boy to become a true man he needed a father to teach him unless the father was dead which Thranduil was not. It was Thranduil's duty to raise the boy to become great whether by man's laws of that of elves. He excused himself then so he could tend to his duties. I stood there watching the Alexzandron people for some time with Thayonidas by my side who told me that he would never become like his father and he hated elves.

I turned to leave and that was when I felt your spirit come into the world just before I heard your cry. I had become immobile and could only stare at the tent which the cries came from. I wished to see this child and felt something race inside of me until Thayonidas said that he would not return to Mirkwood with me and he knew that King Thranduil would not take him. I finally made him a deal. I would show him how to live upon the people he wished to be like, the ones which he shared blood with and looked up to. I would only do so if he would promise to watch over the little girl who was just born. He immediately agreed and for a year I taught him how to watch your people, how to live in solitary, how to stalk, how to take care of himself and hunt. I had spoken with Niven who was still firm in his belief that Thayonidas should return to his father but we also agreed that he needed to learn to also be like his mother's people so to become a good man. He and the others tolerated Thayonidas when he was present but I knew they would never accept him fully because of your beliefs which I respect and honor. On the eve marking a year since the day you were born I parted with Thayonidas who stated that he still hated elves. Since that day I have often been haunted with the failing I had done. I had failed to returned Thayonidas to the Alexzandron people as I was commanded, I failed to take him to his father to be raised, and I failed in making him see the good in elves. As the years went on I tried to become invaluable to Mirkwood until my guilt could handle no more and I returned to find Thayonidas. I had decided that even though I was not his father, I was still kin and would take on responsibility to raise him right and earn his respect. It had been ten years and when I returned I discovered that he was gone, taken to sea. I had no choice but to return to Mirkwood where I recalled seeing you once and shortly after I saw Thayonidas still fulfilling his promise to watch you. I cornered him and he tried to kill me. I demanded to know what was going on but he refused to tell me anything except that once you left Mirkwood he would be returning to the ship. He told me that he was a man and was through babysitting but might return when the filly he was looking after had grown to a full woman. He wanted to know what would become of her with time."

Every word was making Kordelia furious. Legolas should have acted sooner! He should have never let Thayonidas become a loner! He should have taken care of him! Thayonidas was just a boy!

Kordelia turned from him and went and dressed herself in her tent before reemerging with Thayonidas's mother's sword.

Legolas shook his head and said, "Our days of fighting are over."

"Then on your knees and beg my forgiveness." She hissed.

This certainly caused a flicker of anger to pass over the elf's eyes and he said, "You know I will not do that. There is no need to call for humility. I've lived long enough with my suffering and regrets but will not continue to live with it and allow you to condemn me."

"Then raise your blade and fight me."

Legolas sighed and then Kordelia said, "Is the son and follower of Thranduil frightened?"

That was the insult that caused him to draw his blade with a flood of anger pouring into him.

Kordelia smiled in delight as he raised his blade. She raised hers and gently tapped her steel to his and the fight erupted like a glorious volcano. Their dancing blades made the music for their feet to dance to. Such grace and fierceness danced through the mists as their blades sparked together. For hours they crossed blades, for hours their feet tiptoes across the dirt until they found themselves on the rocks in the water.

Kordelia would never back down and Legolas knew there was only one way for her to consider forgiving him. It would be the most dangerous move he would ever do and might even kill him but it was his only chance. Thrust and perry and then he touched a foot to the water and kicked it toward her which had no effect until he stepped back a stone and she jumped to the one he had just been on. The once familiar rock had a greasy patch of moss which was why Legolas kicked the water. By the time she knew it was too late. With one finaly thrust she extracted his sword him him, sending it into the water 20 feet away just before she felt herself falling backwards.

She closed her eyes for only a moment but when she opened them under the water she saw Legola's face there in front of hers. She jerked out of the water and found herself pulled tightly into him so she could not move. She titlted her head up to look at him with eyes still burning with anger.

"Forgive me." He said, "I made a huge mistake of losing someone I loved but was afraid to allow myself to be apart of his life. He left this world not know how proud I was of him. How ashamed I was for not taking him in, for not allowing him to be apart of my life. I'm proud of my brother and wish I could be the man he was. The only way I know how is to make sure the one I love knows of my love and the desire I have to be apart of her life." And then he put his hands up to her face and pulled her to him as his lips crashed into hers, taking away both their breaths.

The heat of his lips against his that were cool sent an exhilarating tingle through both their bodies before Kordelia abruptly pulled away from him. He knew her mind was rushing with a million thoughts and so before she could speak he said, "I love you Kordelia. I can't stop thinking about you day and night. I want to be with you no matter where you are. I wish to give up my immortality to be with you. To follow you through this world. To share every moment I can with you both good and bad. All I want is to be a part of your life. I wish to give you my heart and hope that one day to possess yours. You can tell me to leave and never cross your path again, you can slit my throat, curse me, hate me, whatever you please but I wanted you to know and have a choice."

She stared at him with an unreadable expression before she whispered, "I chose to take your life... and connect it with mine." Now it was Legolas's turn to be speechless and with that Kordelia pulled him to her and kissed him with a fire that made both their souls ignite into a wildfire of passion.

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