Wanderlust (Legolas LOTR)

Travelers from Imladris

Chapter Four: Travelers from Imladris

Dawn sped swiftly to Faendol, crowning the crest of the vineyard with a shimmering helm, and bright droplets of dew caught the morning light, almost blinding as the sun rose over the eastern hills. Legolas marveled how even the air seemed to shine here as he crossed over to the stables at check on his horse Locien, a pitch black stallion with white fetlocks, whom had been gifted to the young prince by his father several years ago.

The prince's horse had obviously been well cared for by the stable hands, and Legolas was quite content as he strolled out of the barn, whistling a chipper tune, and just as he glanced back to bid farewell to his horse, he stumbled into Thaliniel, who promptly dropped her full basket of eggs onto his boots.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed, just as he started apologizing for running into her. "I am really sorry about your shoes." Sticky yolk and shells dripped down in globs, forming a puddle around his feet.

"It is hardly your fault," he disagreed, while trying to shake some of the broken yokes off of the fine leather. "After all, I bumped into you."

Thaliniel shook her head in protest. "Locien, please, let me help-it is the least I can do!" She steered the prince to a low stone wall where he could sit down. "Aunt Maeben claims I just attract all sorts of trouble," she confessed, dismayed at the mess.

Legolas pulled off the first boot and started to pick the shells off. He glanced sideways at Thaliniel, who offered him her apron. "Your cook is probably going to fire you from collecting any more eggs," he joked.

"Oh, it is usually Narylfiel's job to visit the hens; only I made a deal with her, so I had to go this morning," she said and then blushed slightly at her admission.

"A deal?" Legolas questioned and arched an elegant eyebrow.

"Remember dinner? I bribed her into going by offering to do her morning chores," Thaliniel confessed sheepishly.

"I do not believe that there is any possible way that I should ever forget that dinner," Legolas admitted. "It has become firmly lodged in my memory." He pulled off the second boot, and Thaliniel took it from him to wipe it down with her apron.

"You are hardly blameless, Master Locien," Thaliniel countered, "with your mad talk of weaponry and owls. In fact, some might label you as an instigator." She looked up at him and smiled, and Legolas noticed for the first time the warm brown of her eyes and the fact that she had a dimple in her right cheek.

He cut his eyes away from her, and suddenly feeling very self-conscious, roughly pulled on his first boot and then the second. They were still sticky. "It was not I who hid under the table, my lady," he said. Her inquisitive gaze made him all kinds of nervous. He needed to deflect her attention away from himself.

"What about this Barathion character? He seemed fairly keen on taking you out for a stroll," he teased and stood up, picking up the egg basket and offering his other arm to her.

She took his arm, and they began to walk back to the house. "Barathion is the son of my father's closest friend and our neighboring vineyard. We grew up together. I am sure my father would love nothing more than if we were courting, but I..." her voice trailed off wistfully.

"Have other plans?" Legolas supplied helpfully, thinking of the passionate lines she had written about travelling.

She bit her lower lip and looked up at him through dark, tangled lashes. "Something like that," she agreed and added, "Now I am sure that you would like to look at those reports this morning. You probably want to get back to the palace as soon as possible."