Deluge (A Legolas Romance）

Where They Drift

Chapter 4 – Where They Drift

Not often was the house of the King's advisor visited at the crack of dawn, and never to the purpose of the young Elves crouched beneath one of its windows, manifestly engaged in a fierce bout of hushed conversation.

"She could be awake. You know her; she will maim us if she finds out."

"You were the one to propose this scheme, Feredir. Now is not the time to doubt it," said the other.

The ellon addressed let out an uneasy breath, but objected no further. "We ought to be careful. Ensure that she is unconscious first."

His pale-haired friend nodded curtly to acknowledge the caution, before swinging one leg up onto the windowsill. Placing a hand on the frame, he pulled himself up, and balanced nimbly on the crooked ledge. The action was carried out soundlessly, which made one suspect that such business was not unfamiliar to him.

Upon stealing a glance at the bed across the room, he confirmed that the subject of their discussion was indeed asleep. Cautiously, he slipped from his perch and onto the floorboards, before turning to signal to his associate. Perceiving his friend's affirmative gesture, Feredir too scaled the elevation and joined the ellon in the room.

"Make haste," Legolas hissed, "where did she put the letter?"

Holding up a hand in response, Feredir crossed the room to approach a chest of drawers pushed up against the wall. Smoothing his fingers upon the worn surface, he muttered, "I remember – it was here."

His fingers had stilled above a small drawer. Legolas, who had followed beside him, drew it open softly. Weighted by an ink vial was a piece of folded parchment, which the conspirators turned over in their hands to scrutinise with curiousity.

"Read it," Feredir urged, glancing up briefly at the sleeping elleth. "Quick."

They studied the letter's contents with growing incredulity. "I wouldn't have –" Legolas began erewhile, yet his speech trailed into silence. There had been a shifting of air behind him, subtle enough to be mistaken for the wind, and yet -

"What are you doing?"

The friends started at the new voice, turning to the speaker with barely concealed horror. The latter was sitting up in bed, her hair tousled with sleep, her brows furrowed.

"I wake up," Eroth said slowly, "when the sun has barely risen, and I find two persons in my bedroom. Rummaging, it seems-" she raised an eyebrow, "– through my drawers.

"From my knowledge of aforementioned individuals," Eroth continued, rising from the bed, "they have no previous habit of breaching the regulations of privacy at ungodly hours, and therefore I may reasonably come to the conclusion that they are here under no good intent."

"Eroth –" Feredir began, somewhat flustered as the elleth advanced towards them, her eyes narrowing.

"What, then –" Eroth said quietly, heedless of her friends' efforts to stem her approach, "may I repeat, are you partaking in?"

Suddenly, her eyes fell to the parchment in their hands, and realisation flashed across her features.

The elleth had barely taken another step when her friends started into action, taking advantage of her sleep-addled state by making their escape through the windows.

If Eroth had not been fully lucid before, the flight of the guilty individuals certainly served to rouse her into action. In a fluid motion she had leapt out after them, easily trailing their clumsy retreat into the trees.