The Witch of Mirkwood

Chapter 14 - Getting to Know You

Nicassius had been awake again for some hours, she was getting bored, after scanning the room for something to read, and every book being written in elvish, she sat on the edge of the bed brushing her hair again for the umpteenth time. Earlier she had tried to leave to go for a walk but there was a guard stood outside who told her she should probably stay were she was for the moment. The only other break in the day was when the healer came and told her she was now well enough for him not to have to visit again.

She jumped to the door when she heard another knock, she opened it to find Legolas waiting in the corridor

"Would you care to join me for a walk" he said, she didn't need to be asked twice as she closed the door behind her and walked towards him without replying. She followed him silently through the tunnels of the elven halls, not knowing or caring where they where going, she was just glad to be out of that room.

The tunnels were long and winding, like a maze, Legolas seemed to know where he was going, she would have gotten lost quite quickly if she had attempted to navigate them alone.

"Where are you taking me" she asked

"You will see"

She followed him, watching him as he stepped gracefully through the corridors, he had a playful look on his face, like he was leading her to a secret place that only he knew about. They came to a small door at the end of a particularly dark tunnel. He unbolted it and stepped outside, holding his hand back for her to take it, as she stepped through the door her eyes were lit up by a flora of green, green grass, green leaves and green bushes. They were in a garden. He lead her to a bench and they sat. She breathed in the fresh air as they sat silently, Legolas was being purposely silent, she was the only human he had met who seemed unnerved by this. How did she do that, he thought, how was she able to stay silent when he knew she probably had a world full of questions for him. But he liked it, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, and there is a lot to be said for silence, it is a very powerful thing.

"You are very quiet" he said finally "how do you do that?"

"Do what?" she replied

"Enjoy the silence, when most men seem incapable of it?"

"How do you?" She retorted

"Good answer" he said surprised "I think silence is something we have in common, and the inability to stay silent is one of mans greatest failings" he mused

"You have questions for me?" She asked

"I do indeed, but only when you are ready to answer them"

"I am ready when you are" she replied "I have nothing to hide from you Legolas" this brought a small smile to his face, yet another answer he had not predicted

"I would like to get to know you"'it seemed a peculiar thing to being saying after all they had been through together but she understood its meaning.

"That could prove difficult"'she said "for I am not sure who I am, or what my purpose is in this world. I have questions myself"

"I do not understand" he said, so she told him about the argument she overheard between her father and her brother. She told him that she knew her parents were not her real parents, they were just kind people who had taken her in.

"I feel different now, I have questions for my father, but I am not sure he will have the answers" she continued "I am not sure I will ever find the answers"

"It must have been very difficult for you" he spoke

"My parents, I mean the people I know as my parents, they do not know that I know. I never told them. I'm not sure they even know I am still alive"