Daughter Of Lórien || Book 1||

Ch 21 ~ Swords Crossed

The sound of my blade whizzing through the air is the only noise disturbing the tranquility of Mirkwood as I practice in an empty clearing of the forest, duelling with imaginary opponents. The soreness and fatigue of my muscles occupies the entirety of my thought, leaving no room to ponder on the confusing events of earlier this morning.

I'm a good distance from the palace, having walked through the forest at a brisk pace for nearly an hour until I found this clearing, furiously trying to regain control over my head and heart. I have no idea what had happened with the Prince and I have a feeling I don't want to know.

His touch, the closeness, the way I reacted to it... it made my head hurt just thinking about it.

So I empty my mind and let my sword take control of my body if only to distract me from the question I do not want to know the answer to. Slipping into a trance, a killing-calm, I twist my feet over the carpet of leaves covering the forest floor; parrying, shielding, attacking, and letting the actions flow out of me like the steps of a subconscious dance hidden deep within my memory.

The hollow clang of metal on metal snaps me out of my trance. I twist around to find myself staring into the eyes of the very elf I was trying to forget. His sword blocks mine, the silver blades crossed in front of our faces as his questioning eyes search mine, betraying no emotion of their own. The intensity of his stare is maddening and my heart skips a beat as my breath quickens.

Unable to withstand his piercing gaze for any longer, I push him back with a deft maneuver of my sword and swing around to attack, needing anything to distract me from his stare. He returns the attack, his eyes calm, as his sword meets mine in silent combat.

Over and over again.

No words are spoken between us as we duel on the forest floor beneath the canopy of fading autumn leaves. The clanging of our swords echo through the forest, locked together and equally matched, even as we both begin to tire. His eyes remain calm, and despite the turmoil that raged through my head earlier, I know I mirror that calm.

The calmness in his eyes quickly disappears when I send his sword flying out of his hand and into the surrounding foliage.

I feel my adrenaline fade as I slip the point of my sword under his chin, only realizing now how heavy both our breathing is, the sound magnified by the quiet of the forest. His eyes snap up to mine as the cool blade touches his throat, sending a tremor shuddering through my body at the burning intensity in his gaze. Not full of anger but of an emotion just as consuming...

His fervent eyes distract me, and before I can react, he has side stepped my sword and knocked me off my feet, pinning me to the floor and sending my sword skittering out of my reach. The breath is knocked out of my lungs as my body hits the floor. His arms grip mine forcefully, his knees digging into my thighs as he holds me firmly against the ground with strength only possible to obtain after countless years of training as a warrior.

I shift from under him, trying to toss his body off of mine but after a few minutes of struggling I give up, going still. My breath comes in short bursts, ruffling his silvery hair as it hangs above me. His body hovers over mine, his broad chest heaving from physical exertion as his thundering heart beats so close to my own. His hot breath tickles my lips as I lay on the ground, and I find myself captivated by the fire in his gaze, his eyes burning into mine. I feel my heartbeat quicken as heat blooms across my cheeks and throughout my body. His face is so close above my own, my lips parting as I gaze up him.

"Legolas..." I breathe softly, the hunger in his eyes both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

My voice snaps him out of his trance and the fervor in his eyes fades as quickly as it had appeared, his grip on me loosening. He swiftly gets to his feet, shaking his head, as he extends a helping hand to me and pulls me up. I quickly release his hand once I'm back on my feet, turning from him to go retrieve my sword. My face is still heated, the lingering trace of his breath brushing my face causing my lips to tingle as confusion swirls in my head. Nothing today is making any sense.

Absolutley nothing.

"Your skill with a sword is impressive."

His voice is soft but it startles me, breaking my train of thought as I reluctantly turn back to him, inclining my head at the compliment. He stands a respectful distance from me, his overall demeanor normal but his eyes carrying a haunted look; confused and... dazed. Unnerved with either himself or with me.

I sheathe my sword and fold my arms across my chest, a feeble shield against my own questions or his as I stand there, staring at the ground, unsure of whether I should head back to the palace or attempt to talk to him. I lift my gaze to him, only to find staring at me, a flicker of worry his eyes. He catches my gaze and takes a tentative step toward me, opening his mouth to speak-

The sound of hooves snaps my attention away from him to the rider now approaching us from the direction of the palace. I arch an eyebrow in surprise as the Captain of the Guard rides into the clearing atop a lively snow-white stallion.

"Celebríel! Thank Varda I found you!" Nëniel shouts, her silvery eyes full of worry as she dismounts and rushes to me."Word has come from your father in Rivendell. Your brothers await you back at the palace. You must come at once. They said the matter was urgent."

My heart drops in my chest.

News from father was usually always a bad sign, and it was still months away from when my visit here would be over. Any thought of Legolas or today's events immediately leave my mind as terror seizes my heart.

Please, by the Valar, let everything be alright.

I quickly mount the sleek horse with Nëniel at the reins.

"I'm sorry my Prince, the horse can only hold two," she calls back to Legolas. "I'll send for someone to come get you as soon as we reach the palace."

She spurs the horse on and I urge her to hurry as fear for my family and home consumes my thoughts.

And although constant worry eats at my heart on the way back to the palace, somewhere buried beneath it all, I find a small part of me curious to know what would have happened if I stayed there in the forest clearing, with the Prince we left behind.