Live Journal FeedIt's gets really tiring just writing about Lekrisa all the time. I decided to experiment on this one. It's in Arodras' POV for this chapter.
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“I’m sorry, but we didn’t find her,” the leader of the last search party said to Keldar. “We’re sorry for your loss. We will all mourn her death greatly.” The elf bowed before Lekrisa’s father and turned to leave.
Arodras listened to the retreating footsteps of the elf as they echoed in his father’s halls. He did not have to look to know that Keldar was crying. The elf prince kept his eyes focused on Lekrisa’s bow that he held in his hands, pondering whether he should comfort him or not.
It had been two days after he had found the bow and his father had sent out ten parties of five to search for Lekrisa. Nine of them returned without seeing any sign of her, and Arodras had placed all of his hope on the last group that had just returned. But now, all hope seemed to be lost.
He ran his fingers down the wood of the bow, the bow that Legolas had made for her. Arodras rolled his eyes at the memory. It had been only a few years ago when Lekrisa’s original bow had snapped in half during an archery competition. His brother decided to make her another bow, carving it out of the finest wood in the land and even using several strands of hair from a horse as the string. Of course, Lekrisa had accepted the gift and used it ever since.
Arodras had also made a bow for her, which unfortunately broke on her first try. He had never shared the same skills of his brother. Legolas could make anything out of wood while Arodras could craft anything out of metal. Legolas was quiet and only spoke important things while Arodras was too talkative and mostly talked nonsense. His brother could shoot anything from a far distance while Arodras couldn’t even shoot the target if it was only two feet away. Legolas was good at anything from taking care of children to shooting an army of orcs by himself without even missing. Arodras, however, wasn’t good at anything except crafting swords. It was no wonder that Lekrisa had chosen Legolas over him.
The brothers were always trying to compete with each other- well at least Arodras was. He had to admit that he was always trying to be better than Legolas whenever it came to Lekrisa. If Legolas did one thing, he always had to do something better. It came to the point when his brother questioned him of it and Arodras confessed that he loved Lekrisa.
“Did you tell her how you feel?” Legolas had asked him.
“I haven’t had the chance. She spends every single minute with you.” Arodras had replied with a sour tone.
After that conversation, Legolas left to go hunting, saying that he would return in a week. But Arodras knew that hunting wasn’t the real reason his brother left; it was because of him. He knew that Legolas was giving him a chance to talk to Lekrisa. But he later regretted it…
One night, he found her standing by herself near a small stream that ran near his father’s halls. He had snuck up on her, which happened rarely since she had sharp hearing. But as Arodras looked back upon that day, he realized that she wore a troubled look as she gazed up at the stars in empty silence.
He began a conversation with her about the stars, later telling her that he loved her. Lekrisa stared back at him with no expression on her face.
“Arodras, do you remember what they say about there only being one person right for someone?” she had asked him. “About how everyone has someone out there that is perfect for them?”
“Yes, I remember. What about it?” Arodras said with his fingers shaking with nervousness.
“Arodras, I don’t want to hurt you, but…” she hesitated. “I’m afraid that you’re not the person that is right for me.”
Arodras had clenched his hands at his side with anger. “It’s my brother that is right for you, isn’t it?”
“Arodras, Legolas is my friend. I- I couldn’t possibly allow him to mean anymore than that to me. And I’m certain that he wouldn’t allow that either-“
“Are you blind?! Haven’t you seen the way he acts around you?”
She had bit her lip and stared up at him with her eyes shining. “I’m not the one for you, Arodras, and I don’t love you. I never had, and I never will.”
Those words had stung Arodras and he didn’t even raise a finger as she left. The following days were worse. Lekrisa avoided him and ran away whenever he approached. What was even more surprising was that Lekrisa had decided to help her father in his forge instead of filling out duties in Thranduil’s court. This caused her to be busy all the time, and when Legolas returned, they barely talked to each other, and when they did have a chance to, Lekrisa always said she was needed elsewhere. Arodras knew this because he followed his brother, helping out with the duties their father sent them on.
She’s avoiding him too, he had noted silently.
Feeling bad for what he did, Arodras apologized to her. Even though Lekrisa said there was no reason for him to apologize, she forgave him. After he had apologized, Lekrisa began talking to him like she always did before, but he noticed that she was still avoiding his brother.
Perhaps she knew what she was going to do, Arodras pondered, or perhaps not.
It did not surprise him one bit that Legolas had asked her, but what really surprised him was that she would reject him. When he told her that the necklace she wore represented that she was the betrothal of Legolas, she grew pale and ran out as if she were being chased by a thousand wargs.
But why didn’t she know? He asked as he ran his fingers along the string.
Lifting his eyes away from the bow, he watched as Keldar stood with his head in his hands. Standing up from his seat, Arodras came to his side with the bow in one hand.
“I do not believe that she is dead,” Keldar said softly as he raised his head to meet his gaze. “She is alive.”
Arodras nodded silently. “Her loss is… hard to believe,” he began to say slowly. “But I am afraid that my father is right. There is nothing else we can do.”
Keldar stayed silent for a while, his eyes no longer shining with tears. “Yes, there’s nothing else that can be done,” he murmured as he turned towards the door. Arodras raised an eyebrow and watched as Lekrisa’s father left without another word.
He sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Before he had left to return home, Legolas made him promise that he would do one thing for him: Protect Lekrisa. But already, that promise was broken. She was gone and he didn’t even have a chance to fulfill it.
She’s dead. Arodras realized as he closed his eyes. Legolas will die when he hears about this.
But what if she’s not dead? The voice inside his head whispered. What if she’s still alive and captured by orcs or wounded so greatly that she can’t move?
His eyes opened at this. Wait for me, Lekrisa. I’m going to find you.
~()~()~()~
Arodras watched in silence as the sun started setting, casting a pale, red light over the land. Dark clouds were already closely approaching the woodland skies, telling all who saw that darkness was coming. But it was not just the kind of darkness that came during nightfall. This darkness came from Sauron.
War approaches our land. Arodras thought with sadness. He did not wish to see battle scar the forests he was raised in and he didn’t want many elves to lose their lives protecting their homes. Most importantly, he wished that his brother never went on a quest that he might never return from. But he knew that even if Legolas were home, he would be too busy filling out their father’s orders to look for Lekrisa.
Arodras scanned his eyes in the dark, jumping when he saw a small creature leap in the trees near him. It turned out to be a black weasel and he sighed with relief. Already they had lost a lot of men guarding the creature called Gollum, who ended up escaping after many orcs attacked the elves. Arodras shuddered at the memory. The attack was quick and took them all by surprise that none of them had time to react.
There was so much blood spilt that night that the ground beneath the trees was still stained red months later. He should have fought, but he couldn’t. The cries of his kin and the clash of many swords forced Arodras to flee. He was a coward. Even though it was his kin who were dying, he still ran off without even running his blade into a single orc. Arodras always bragged about how he could win any battle, but when a battle really happened, he always fled. It was all just too much for him. The cries… The blood… The pain…
Arodras’ hand touched the hilt of his sword, the sword that he had never used. Perhaps if it’s Lekrisa’s life at stake, I’ll be able to fight, he thought. Doubt filled him at this thought and he shook his head. It’s not going to happen…
Then, he heard a twig snap nearby and he saw the long shadow of a figure coming towards hem. He could tell that the figure wasn’t supposed to be out there because a still silence quickly followed after the snap. Arodras watched the shadow without breathing, noting that the being didn’t notice his presence when it continued coming towards him.
“Does my father know of your leaving, Lord Keldar?” he asked quietly.
The cloaked figure froze and turned around. “Where are you?” it hissed, “What do you want?”
“It is I, Arodras Thranduilion.” He stepped out of the shadows and Keldar gazed at him with a bewildered look.
“What are you doing here?” Lekrisa’s father asked in a whisper.
“Waiting for you,” Arodras replied. “You’re going to look for Lekrisa without my father’s permission.”
The elf stayed silent before he spoke again. “Your father doesn’t need to give me permission to look for my daughter!” Keldar turned around and started walking away. “Go back home, Arodras.”
Arodras ran up to his side and walked alongside him. “Ah, so you do admit it,” the elf prince said. “Then in that case, I’m going to accompany you.”
Keldar stopped and turned to him with his eyes blazing with anger. “Go home! I am not in need of your help!” He spat and then continued to walk away again.
“Do you trust me that much? How do you know that I won’t just run back home this very second and tell my father of your doing?” Arodras asked with his back against a tree. “And may I also add that you won’t be far from here in the morning. I know several shortcuts that could help you get there faster, but you don’t want me to join you-”
“Fine, you can come with me, “ Keldar spoke without even stopping. “But if you slow down, I’m leaving you behind.”
“Well done, sah. I knew you wouldn’t be that foolish to travel by yourself,” Arodras commented as he raced up to his side in a flash. “And I must say that you are awfully slow. A snail could outrun you, I bet. And did I mention that you’re loud? I’m surprised that no one else could hear you. They must be awfully deaf. Oh, turn here! You want to go to the same area we found Lekrisa’s bow, right? I reckon we’ll be there by sunrise tomorrow. Oh, do you want to hear a story while we’re traveling? Legolas and I played this prank on Elrond-”
The two companions traveled beneath the trees that shone by the faint light of the moon. Arodras glanced up at the moon, not realizing that his brother and Lekrisa were looking upon it at that very same moment. He looked forward to the next day, hoping that they would find Lekrisa. The only thing he knew was that she was not dead.
But he did not know that they would arrive in the area where Lekrisa hid only to find her gone… He did not know then that they would meet someone else there who would bring much dread to their lives… And he did not know that only one of them would return back home alive…
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Chapter End Notes:
Nasty cliff- hanger!! I'll try to get more chapters posted next Friday. Perhaps five.
