Only Time

Ch. 17 ~ Nymphs

Right after returning to Lorien post battle, both Legolas and I slept for 3 days straight. When I finally stirred; the sun was setting yet again in the west and I got up carefully not to stir him. I knew that I was overdue to have my bandage removed so I put on a robe and on soundless feet, made my way out of my bed chamber and down the pathways until I reached the ground. I walked through the maze of bridges and trees until I was standing where the nurse maidens lived in the deeper part of the forest. I saw them sitting and having just eaten dinner; I did not want to interrupt them so I started to walk away but they saw me and all stood up.

"Princess, please do not leave." I turned around and smiled at them as they bowed to me.

"I did not want to interrupt your meal. Please continue, I can always come back later." I said softly.

"Not at all, we are finished. It is not often that members of the hierarchy come visit us." The eldest of them said with a kind smile.

"I am sorry about that. We do not mean to make you feel inferior to us." I said apologetically frowning then.

"Not at all, we understand. Everyone is busy with their own lives. Now, let me remove that bandage and see what your wound looks like." She said then, gesturing me to sit which I did.

I pulled my hair to my right side as she carefully removed the bandage and felt up my scalp. I did not feel anything. She then put my hair back into place and smiled.

"Good as new. It healed beautifully."

I smiled back at her then, thanked her and took my leave. I did not want to go back to my quarters but walked around the grounds, stretching. My stomach rumbled a bit and I decided to head toward the dining room to see if I could find something to eat. I walked slowly; there was no need to rush anywhere anymore. Breathing the fresh air carefully through my lungs, I let my mind drift until I heard a voice behind me.

"You are finally awake." I turned to see Haldir.

"Yes, I did not realize how tired I was." I spoke as I watched him; thinking carefully to the last time we spoke. We had not parted on good terms with my ordering him to mind his own business and not meddle in the battle. He must have felt what I was thinking about:

"I owe you an apology again." He said quietly. I did not say anything but let him continue.

"You must understand, you are like mine own family; my younger sister. The last thing I want is you hurt or worse. I know I come across as stubborn but your safety means more to me than anything else." He said looking me straight in the eyes then as I nodded.

"I understand that, but you have to trust me when I say I know what I am doing. I am not a novice at this. If I do not do well in something, I do not rush in head first. I only go when I know I can fight and win or do my very best. Yes I got injured, but I am healed now. I know where I made my mistake and how not to make it in the future. Unlike what you may think, Haldir; I do not have a death wish." I said seriously than as he nodded.

He said nothing than as everything had been said and understood. He walked with me to the dining hall as a dinner was prepared for us both. I also asked that some be delivered to my bed chamber where I knew sooner or later Legolas would awaken and no doubt be hungry. We sat quietly and ate together in mostly silence. We had come to peace with each other once again because after all; blood kin or not, one could not stay angry at family for too long.

As King Thranduil said, 100 years is but a blink of an eye in the life of an elf. Time flew by on angels' wings. Legolas and Haldir grew close even sparring with their swords. One day, I came from my chamber to see them going at it. They were blocking my exit and there was nowhere around them unless I took the long way around. So I went back to my quarters, picked up Altherial and walked back down toward the ground where they were still trying to outdo each other. As I still could not reach the ground the way I wanted, they left me no choice as I sighed. Then I backed up a little, ran, jumped, flipped over the railing while striking their joined swords with Altherial, knocking them both out of each other's way and landing with my feet on the ground on the other side. I shook my head at them both as they looked stunned as it took them a few seconds to understand what happened. They looked at me with their faces mirror images of one another.

"Next time, you will spar elsewhere, so people could actually walk down the pathways." I shook my head at them.

"Nice one, cousin mine."

A voice said behind me as I whirled around in shock to see Arwen and Uncle Elrond getting off their horses and coming toward me. This was the first time I had seen either of them in ages. As I was wearing a regular gown that did not have a strap on it, I tossed Altherial to Legolas to hold as I raced into my cousin's open arms. We hugged so tight we could not breathe anymore. They had both come here to see me; leaving Rivendell in the capable hands of Elrohir.

After she and I let go of each other, I saw my uncle standing there not far behind her with a proud smile on his face as I made my way toward him. He hugged me tightly. I missed everything about him, about both of them, about Rivendell. I knew soon, I would be returning to my other home. Uncle Elrond lifted my chin with his hand and looked me deeply in the eyes.

"I am so proud of you mine child. You fought bravely and with cunning unlike anything seen before in Elven lands. I am glad you are all healed for your wound worried me."

"Thank you uncle. But I should not be the one you should worry about; you were present when Aunt Galadriel used her power to banish that evil to the east. She was hardly in a good space." I replied.

"Now now, I do what I can. And have for many centuries. You on the other hand, this was your first real battle and you showed your might and heart to both friend and foe. Your path is a powerful one, my precious child." Aunt Galadriel said as we looked at her.

Arwen went to hug aunt Galadriel then as did I. Uncle Elrond then went up to see and speak with my aunt and Celeborn. Meanwhile, Arwen and I looped our arms around one another and made our way back toward the pathway. We stopped briefly so I could officially introduce Legolas to Arwen. They both bowed to each other and exchanged pleasantries. After that we left the males to do their own thing as it was girl time. They could spar all they wanted as I took Arwen to my favorite place in all of Lorien; the tree top. There was a place to sit and even lay down if one felt like it. You were surrounded by leaves and stars.

We spent a few hours up there, just catching up as I gave her the play by play of the battle and my betrothment. I also told her that Legolas would be leaving me soon to follow his father's request to find someone named 'Strider', a ranger who was supposed to make some sort of impact on the future. She found it interesting and did not know who Strider was either. As we were sitting and chatting, music came wafting upward toward us and we giggled and ran back down toward the ground.

The music that was being played by the Elvish musicians on different flutes and other instruments. One of the songs was 'Stolen Kiss' and Arwen and I had made it toward the ground just in time for it to be played and we took our positions as all of the Lorien elves gathered to watch us. What many did not know that when we were younger we had choreographed a lot of the music played in our lands and now we were performing these dances for our loved ones as all of the elves watched in awe. We spun around each other, clapping our hands as our hair and dresses twirled and we moved forward and back bowing and moving in perfect synchronicity.

We would get closer then draw apart as the music got faster we locked hands and spun faster and faster as those around us clapped to the beat. As the night progressed we looked nothing like elves but like woodland nymphs; here one moment and gone the next. Fireflies and the lights of Lorien only made us look more ethereal. Our dresses and pale skin illuminated in the light of Earendil. The music flowed for hours as we switched our dances from hard to soft.

But no matter what; each dance move was made out of love and in peace and total harmony. The serenity flowed out of our beings and into the hearts and souls of those around us. No matter what happened tomorrow, right now was all that mattered.