Only Time

Ch. 6 ~ Seeing You

          Months passed since that first kiss and Legolas and I met frequently on the plains of Middle Earth. So often we would speak of the future, the present, even the gathering darkness. Our letters were still often written. But it was our visits that I looked forward to the most. I would ride Sunset to our predetermined spot and when we would arrive, he would always be waiting. His face would break out into a wide smile that made me love him even more. No one I knew ever looked upon me with such reverence and love. I had forgotten all about Haldir by that time and barely spent any time in Lorien. 

          I was content on living in Rivendell and having seen my aunt visit there, there really was not time for me to go to Lorien. My life was now preoccupied with training and writing letters to my new love. Arwen was quite thrilled for me. Now we both had men in our lives to gossip about. We would go for long walks and a lot of times on rides on our horses. It took everything in my power to persuade uncle Elrond to let us go alone without the usual guard. It would be too conspicuous if the guard was with us. Besides, he underestimated his own daughter's prowess with a weapon. But he finally relented with a sigh. We ran toward the stables giggling all the way.

          She had her sword strapped to her steed and I had Altherial on me along with my daggers. I knew I could take care of both of us just fine. The one thing Arwen could do better than me and I was still learning was how to ride a horse. Though Sunset was a fast steed indeed, Arwen's stallion seemed to grow wings when she would get on board and nearly every race we had, she won. So we always pushed ourselves and our steeds to the limit but it was a wonderful way to get the lay of the lands.

          As I got ready for another meeting with Legolas, I smiled as I thought about that. This time I was wearing a purple frock with a matching cape. I had put the Greenleaf broach he gave me into my sacred wooden jewelry box where I had my own familial jewelry hidden. I only wore that for official gatherings and meetings so I knew it would be safe there. When I rode out to meet him, I was ready for another amazing afternoon and evening. The sky was clear and visibility was as far as the eye could see. And that is just the way I liked it. I gave Sunset a bit of a nudge with my boots and that was all it took to have him fly off. I loved the wind making my hair fly back and just the smell of the grass, flowers, and mountain air. It was a heavenly experience.

          As I rode in to where I knew he was waiting, my smile grew. He was off his steed already and playing around with the reins. His head jerked around as I came in and jumped off the horse before he even had time to grab a hold of Sunset's reins. He did respond naturally and grabbed me into a hug and lifted me off the ground as I was spun around in circles. I shrieked and giggled with glee until he set me back upon the ground and kissed me unceremoniously. We stayed that way for a long time with me snuggled up against his chest. He was a decent amount taller than me so it was very easy to get lost in his arms. Finally he drew me back so he could look into my eyes with his own piercing gaze.

"What is that look for?" He asked quietly.

"Just seeing you....made me smile.....and a bit dizzy." I said giggling again and stumbling after he spun me around. He caught me before I took a tumble.

"So much for a great warrior. A little bit of twirling and you are ready to pitch forward." He teased me as I playfully shoved him; he side stepped it quite nicely. I shook my head to clear it of all the stars I was seeing.

"Stop." I said pouting a bit.

"Make me." He said and proceeded to try to chase me around the plains as I shrieked and laughed. I think our horses thought we had lost our minds.

          We ran around some rock formations when he finally cornered me and I ran under his arm as he grabbed a hold of my waist and we both toppled to the ground laughing. We finally just lay there laughing and trying to catch our breaths. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me not saying a word. His face was solemn.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" I asked almost self-consciously.

"You are beautiful." He said simply, his gaze not breaking mine.

"Hardly. It is just the light." I looked away and blushed gazing toward the west where the sun had started to set. How quick our times passed. 

"I did not say the light was beautiful, I said you were. And if nothing else, the light just adds different contours to your already lovely face." He continued; his voice closer.

"I-" I started to shake my head to deny his compliment yet again but did not get past the first syllable as he lowered his head and kissed me.

          As he kissed me, all thoughts of other things left me. The world was no longer there. It had vanished beneath his velvet touch. There were not any problems or a gathering dark force in the world; everything was filled with light. I silently wished the feeling and sense would stay that way forever. But eventually we had to pull apart and breathe. I lay down on his chest and listened to his heart as it beat rapidly for a while. That meant that our kiss had affected him as well. I stole a glance toward his face and saw contentment there. We lay there in silence watching the clouds drift across the sky.

          Soon, way too soon, the clouds gave their space to winking stars that appeared as if the cloak of the day was taken away to reveal the real sky for all to see. We had laid there for hours and it was starting to get chilly. He sat up, then hopped to his feet and held out his hands for me to take in order for him to help me up which he did. Once I was back on my feet, he put his arms around me again in a hug. Then lifted my face to meet his for another kiss. Had I known this was going to be our last kiss for a long time, I would have clung to him longer but I let him go and got back onto Sunset for the journey home.

          This time we had ridden pretty far out so he rode by my side half of the trip. When it was time to part we did so silently, clasping hands until our steeds walked in opposite directions breaking our hold. I looked at him one last time and nudged Sunset into a gallop which he very happily obliged. It did not take me that long to get back to Rivendell. As I reached the outer gate, it opened for me; I slowed Sunset down to a very slow trot. I smiled at myself as I led him back to the stables and got off him. After patting him on his mane, I went back to my wing unstrapping Altherial and my daggers as I went.

          It was very late when I entered my sitting room which led to my bedroom so I decided against going down the hall and seeing Arwen in her own wing. I figured I could speak to her the following day. I got ready for bed and lay myself down. I fell asleep easily and slept straight through the night. I awoke to voices outside and went up to see what was going on. My uncle was speaking with one of his sons and though I could not hear his conversation; one phrase did enter my ears.

"The dwarves were here a few nights past. They are looking to reclaim Erebor."

          Dwarves? When did we have dwarves here? Then I remembered when both of the wizards were here and thought that perhaps Gandalf had come with them. But what was Erebor? I knew it was time to go study up on the lands of Middle Earth. I went to the library that we had deep within Rivendell which housed all of the books on the histories of our lands and the lands of others. Not too many people ever set foot in there. But I recalled as a child, I would spend hours there just reading everything I could get my hands on. That is how I learned so much about almost every species in Middle Earth; how I knew what goblins looked like without ever seeing them in person. In order to know, you have to learn.

          I spent hours in there researching Erebor and came up with the name Thorin Oakenshield eventually as the heir to the fortune under the Lonely Mountain. Also came up with the name Smaug that was a dragon that had chased the dwarves from their homeland. Furthermore, I found out that the sheer amount of gold would corrupt the dwarves and make them greedy. The whole history was quite fascinating. Arwen knew I was in the library but she had not expected me to spend days on end in there. I just could not let go of the story of the dwarves, orcs, and goblins; not to mention a huge dragon. I was like an elven sponge just inhaling all of the details on everything from what they looked like to the description of their weapons and fighting skills.

        My uncle learned that I had found out about the dwarves and was spending an inordinate amount of time in the library doing research. When I was younger he considered it knowledge worth knowing. But now understanding full well that I had turned into a true warrior, he was a little afraid I may decide to turn this into a self-discovery adventure. What made me finally come up for air after spending days doing my research in that library was the realization that the letters from Legolas had stopped coming completely.