The Last Light of the Star

25 - The Truest Way to One's Heart: Starting a Forest Fire

As the sun left the sky, leaving behind a pink and orange trail, the elven warriors filtered back into the Mirkwood Castle; they left a long training session behind them. King Thranduil insisted upon multiple practices a day ever since the fire in the forest gave rise to anxieties of war. It was tiring and hard to maintain for some, but elves were gifted with abilities far greater than any humans'.

Arryin made her way to her chambers, longing for a warm bath to soothe her sore muscles. She quickly twisted the doorknob and entered, only to lay eyes on Miliel, her chamber maid.

"Arryin! How good to see you. I have drawn you a bath. I assumed you would want one after training."

The Ranger smiled warmly as she begun to unload the weapons from her body. "I thank you, Miliel."

The chambermaid exited soundlessly, leaving Arryin alone with her thoughts.

The Ranger walked through the archway that led to her personal bathing room and stripped herself of her dirty clothing. She gently pulled the white bandage off her forearm before silently sinking into the large basin. Arryin immediately allowed the water to envelop her. She closed her eyes as steam from the water danced upon her face and the heat subdued her aching form. The cuts on her arm stung a bit as it made contact with the warmth, but she chose to ignore it; for smell of eucalyptus and lavender enthralled her senses and brought tranquility to her mind. Arryin leaned her head back, descending into the relaxing atmosphere.

The past two weeks had been quite taxing on her—mentally that is. Revealing her past and powers to Legolas was incredibly difficult, for she basically had forsaken her whole ideology. She never had told anyone of her abilities. It was a danger. However, since then she had decided on one thing: she could trust the blond elf. Not only did he promise to keep her secret, but in the past he had not given her up the numerous times he had caught her spying on his father.  Arryin knew the two of them had always had a connection. Legolas was her first friend after the death of her family, sure 984 years after, but after nonetheless. He had shown her a kindness that none had before. But now, it seemed deeper than that. That night the two of them had bonded further of a sort. The Wayward Warrior now considered him her closest confidant and, if she was being honest, she would admit that she felt drawn to him.

As these thoughts swirled her mind, the Ranger gently picked up the soft sponge that was on the ledge. She began to scrub the dirt and grime from her body and hair. It easily came off, revealing her tan skin and the pattern upon her back. When she had finished the water was dark grey, and quite frankly, it was disgusting.

Quick to get out of the muck, Arryin stepped from the basin and wrapped a towel around her drenched form. As she walked through the archway once again, her eyes fell to the opened window. She must have been in the hot water long, for the moon had risen and the stars had taken the place of the clouds. She assumed she had missed dinner, not that she really cared as she couldn't bring herself to deal with anyone at the moment. Of course, she liked her friends, but right now she was just too emotionally exhausted.

Arryin pulled a pair of black trousers from her drawer as she searched for a comfortable tunic. She paused when her hand came in contact with a soft, dark-green fabric. The Ranger could tell that it was high quality as it slipped through her fingers with ease. At first she was confused as to where it came from, but a slight smile came to her lips when she realized what exactly it was. It was the tunic Legolas had lent to her when they were ambushed on their way back from Lothlorien. It had been months; she had forgotten she still had it. Arryin brought the fabric to her face and inhaled deeply. Even though it had been washed and sitting in her drawer, his scent still lingered, providing her with a sense of comfort and solace.