The Bone Witch- A Legolas x Reader LOTR Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Burns

With your burns still bad, but ever so slightly better, you wake early and go for a walk.
Heavily armed, of course. You had no wish to suffer further at the hands of a hostile elf.
You've barely taken three steps before you sense a presence behind you, following you. You whip around, sword at the ready, only to see Legolas.
"Good morning." He says.
You simply look at him suspiciously.
"Look, I know you don't trust me, and I can understand that."
You continue to stare coldly.
"Has anyone told you who got you free of those bonds?"
"No. But I assume it was my brother, with little to no input from you."
"Wrong." You look shocked. "Your brother did speak up for you, but it was I who convinced them."
"I don't believe you." You say, turning away.
"How are your wrists?" He says.
You stop. "Fine, thank you."
"I have equal reason to not believe you."
You glare at him angrily and walk further.
"I saw your burns. Admittedly, all I had was a glimpse, but no one, not even you, should suffer such pain."
"I thank you for your words, even though I doubt you mean them."
"May I see them?"
"Must you?"
"No."
You look at him doubtfully before beginning to peel off the bandages. You had yet to see them yourself. They are awful. Deep and red and charred, the very sight of them screams of pain and suffering.
Legolas gasps. "I'm so sorry."
"Save it. You had nothing to do with it."
"Can't you even..." He gestures, meaning magic.
"No. Not with these burns."
"But you can with other things?"
"Yes. But it takes a ridiculous amount of power and, depending on the injury, can have me knocked out for days. My brothers worry that it will kill me someday." You turn back to him.
"What do you think?"
"I don't think it will kill me, but it does hurt. A lot." He nods and looks away. "Why did you try to save me?"
"I thought you didn't believe that."
"Well, this will help clear that up, won't it?"
"Well, for a start I already didn't mention you when questioned about the members of the company. I- ah- I thought you'd be useful, later on. Frodo could use someone with such magic on his side."
"Is that it?"
"Despite all your, ah, quirks, I think it would be better to have you on my side." He smiles hopefully.
"So you didn't care that I might die, that my brothers could lose a sister and a friend all at once? That Faramir may not know for months afterwards that the younger sister he'd protected through the darkest of days had died?"
"I. Ah. Well."
"You didn't think of that. All you thought of were all the benefits it would have for you. You're just like your father."
"So this is what I get for saving your life?!" He shouts at your retreating form.
"It's more than you deserve." You shout back over your shoulder.
You try not to look back at the elf. You try. But you cannot.
You see nothing you did not expect. You see a lonely elf standing in a tree, watching you walk away, hair blowing around his lost expression.
You turn and, holding your head high, walk out of sight.

~¤~

Thanks for reading my story so far!
If you'd like more Legolas X Reader, please check out my (very creatively named) Legolas X Reader One-Shots!
Or, if you just like LotR fanfics in general, maybe give my other one-shots a shot (pun intended)!