The Elf From America

"Do we really have to do this?" Elenya asked, looking at her breeches as she stood in front of Aragorn and Legolas.

"You said you wanted to learn?" Legolas said.

"You couldn't very well fight in that dress," Aragorn smiled.

"Fine."

Legolas, Aragorn, and Elenya stood in the courtyard. She was with her two favorite men. They had agreed to teach her to shoot with a bow and arrow and fight with a sword. Aragorn could shoot, but he was not as experienced with a bow as Legolas, and the elf was unskilled with a sword and usually carried a long dagger. Legolas took the long bow and Elenya focused on him as he pulled the arrow back and let go suddenly. The arrow landed with a perfect bull’s eye on the target, which Gimli was holding. She knew the method, but had never tried it. She fitted an arrow in the bow. Legolas placed a hand on her arm as she slowly pulled back and let the arrow fly. She thought it wouldn't hit the target but it did. It landed right on the edge.

"That was too close!" Gimli shouted. "Aragorn, why don't you hold it? Why should I risk my life??

"Because I am too tall, Master Dwarf."

Elenya let out a short giggle.

"You did well considering you said you have never touched a bow and arrow before," Legolas smiled, taking her hand. "Shall we try again?"

Elenya nodded. Aragorn noticed the slight connection (or bond) between them, but didn't speak. Elenya fitted the arrow in the boy alone this time. She slowly aimed it at the middle of the target and let go. It landed right next to Legolas's. She smiled.

"Very good eyes," he said, looking into hers.

"The doctor said I had twenty fifteen vision," she laughed. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli looked at her puzzled. "Never mind," she answered.

"We shall continue later with the bow. I do not wish to waste more of Aragorn's time," Legolas said turning to him.

"Oh, I rather enjoy it," he smiled.

"And so do we!"

Elenya turned and saw the hobbits sitting nearby laughing. The men and the elf didn't even notice them. Pippin held an apple in his hand chewing it like a cow when Merry wrenched it from his hand. She laughed, as the two fought over it like birds for seed.

"Shall we?" Aragorn asked, taking Elenya's hand.

"Sure."

Elenya took the sword he had given her. It was quite heavy. She remembered her sister had taken fencing lessons but with more along the lines of a saber. These swords were different, but she grasped it firmly in her hand.

"For the first time, you wish to practice slowly. Attack! Low!"

Elenya and Aragorn clashed their swords together in a low frontal. Then they switched to a high frontal. It was a little harder for her since the sword was heavy, but she succeeded.

"Very good," Aragorn said. "Now try that method faster."

Legolas watched as he leaned across a pillar. Aragorn and Elenya continued quickly. Aragorn and Legolas both could tell that her talent lay with the bow.

"Would you like to stop?" Aragorn asked her.

"If I am going to fight orcs, I will need to learn to handle a sword, for I obviously don't have the quick skill of Legolas," she said turning her face to him.

"You will learn," Legolas told her.

"Come. I will show you another method," Aragorn replied.

Aragorn showed her many more methods and she continued to become more skilled with a sword. She tried many out and finally found one that was easy to handle. She held it up to the light and it glittered.

"I shall name it elen telpe, which I think means silver light," Elenya said.

After all she still was an American girl. She had studied elvish some but not much. Legolas did not comment.

"Well, I believe that I can teach you no more of the way of swords. We've been doing this for quite a while. It is time for your next lesson with a bow," Aragorn said wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Thank you, Estel."

"I will always be here," he smiled. "But I am afraid I must go. Someone I dearly wish to see is here."

Emilie knew who it was. "Please, Aragorn! Go to her! I don't wish to detain you longer," Elenya said feeling guilty and quite honest.

"No, this was a pleasure. But thank you. Till next time, master elf," Aragorn made a slight bow to Legolas.

Elenya watched him leave.

"There are few like him in the world," Legolas said.

"Aye. I dearly love him," Emilie said.

"You do?" he asked surprised folding his arms.

"Yes. Oh, not like that, Legolas," she said quickly. "He is my liege lord. I dearly admire him is what I meant to say."

"Good," he said.

"I thought I once was in love with him," she said softly. "But I am happy for him and the Evenstar. They are truly the most magnificent couple. Even more than Luthien and Beren.. Few shall ever be as happy as they."

"But for us, aye?" he smiled, taking her hand and drawing closer to her.

"Legolas, please. Try to understand. I can't-"

"You love me, do you not? I can see it in your eyes when you look at me."

"I will not tell you," she said.

"We are both elves. Please," he said his face meeting hers.

She could feel his breath upon her face. His lips began to meet hers when she suddenly said, "Are you going to show me to use the crossbow?"

He backed away. "Yes. But we shall finish this later."

"Indeed."

Legolas fitted an arrow in the crossbow. He shot a perfect mark at the dummy Gimli was holding. It landed in the head of the dummy. Legolas handed the crossbow to her. He laid a hand on her arm as she held it. She shrugged it off, earning a frown from him. She let the arrow go. It flew right past Gimli’s arm narrowly missing it and striking the wall.

"Elves!" he said, angrily walking away.

"Sorry about that!" she said. "It was an accident," she said looking at Legolas.

"Let us try again."

*****

Elenya had enjoyed learning about the different ways to fight. Gimli had even shown her to use an axe. She actually did quite well at it but enjoyed the bow and the sword better.

"Foolish elves! The axe is the noblest of weapons," he had said.

She laughed as she remembered it. Elenya looked at herself in the mirror.
She wasn’t used to seeing herself in breeches when she had so long worn dresses. She would start wearing them tomorrow when the Fellowship set out.
She would be very sorrowful tomorrow at having to leave Rivendell.

Elenya slowly peeled off the breaches and changed into the nightwear set out for her. She slowly pulled the white nightdress over her and climbed into the bed. She wondered if tomorrow she would wake up for real in her own room and America. She hoped not. She wanted to find out what would happen next.

*****

She didn't awake in her own bed. She awoke in the same bed but it was still dark out. She heard a tapping sound on her window and a voice coming from it. She crawled out of bed and saw Legolas in the window knocking on it. She went and opened it up.

"What are you doing? Are you mad?" she asked, staring at him.

"No. Come with me."

"What?"

"To see the sunrise. Please? Tis our last day here."

"You’re crazy!"

"Please?"

"Alright. I’ll meet you down in the garden."

Elenya did. She felt she had to since it was the last day. She met him in the garden where she had said. He took her hand and began leading her away from the city.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"You'll see."

Legolas led her up a steep cliff from which flowed a waterfall. He helped her climb up and they finally made it to the top. The view was magnificent. She could see the entire city of Rivendell and the forests and waterfalls that surrounded it.

"It's beautiful," she sighed.

"Indeed it is. Are we to finish the conversation?"

"What one?"

"The one in the courtyard."

"No, I do not wish to discuss it."

"You can't avoid it forever," he said taking her hand. "Why can't you love me forever?"

"Because I'll not last forever," she said the first words that spilled off her tongue.

"What do you mean? You are an elf are you not?"

"Yes." But in truth she wasn't. At least not by heart and mind. But Legolas didn't know her mind. He knew her heart obviously from the way he looked straight through her.

"Then there is nothing to fear," he brushed a hand across her cheek.

"But...you wouldn't understand."

"I understand that you're hurting. You're hurting because you want to be with me too."

She struck him on the face. It was the first time she had ever hit any guy. She felt brave enough to do it. He touched his cheek and took her hand again.

"What did I say?"

"You insulted me!" she remembered a line from another movie.

Legolas pulled her to him and met her lips with one firm kiss. He stopped and said, "Now I have insulted you."

"You said you would never do that again!"

"I never said anything of the sort. Back in the garden, I simply ceased, for I could see that you were afraid."

"I'm afraid of nothing. Least of all you!" Emilie said bravely.

"Then look at me," he said, raising her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes. Her mouth opened and shut nervously. He grasped her shoulders and knew she was trembling.

"You are. You do love me don't you?" he asked her.

"I can not say," she whispered.

Legolas kissed her again. She saw the sun rising in the distance as it crept behind the city of Rivendell. She thought that they should go. She still was clothed in the simple white robe and nightdress. Legolas wrapped his arms around her and kissed her still. She braced her hands on his chest and pushed him back.

"We should go."

"Indeed we should. The hour is getting late."

That was the last she spoke to him until the journey of the Fellowship began. That was the last time he confronted her face to face as well, until Moria.