A Face in the Crowd: Faramir

Chapter Sixteen - Starlight

A familiar silhouette was standing in the darkness of the doorway.

Her initial thought was to pretend she had not seen him, but she knew an elf would not fall for that, so she looked into the shadows where he stood and spoke.

"Why are you here? Why are you always...?"

The moon came out from behind a cloud, and by its light she saw that Legolas looked ill at ease himself. His face, though usually solemn, was tonight especially drawn. But she was in no mood to be polite, even to a prince among elvenkind.

"What do you want?"

She watched as the elf blinked and inhaled deeply.

"At last I know the cause of your pain," he said, not answering the question.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You love," he replied. It was not a question. "All the talk of change we had when last we met, it is all down to one being. One man. He has great power over you."

"He does not have..." Keren knew better than to continue.

"And yet, judging from his manner when I saw him walking from this place a few moments hence, it would appear you also have power over him, for he was much shaken."

"You spoke to him?"

"Nay, not a word was said, do not fear. He did not even see me," he reassured her.

"How do you know of this place?" she asked. "It's mine."

Still he did not smile.

"This building is the King's. And as such he gives me leave to walk where and when I will in it. I was not to know I would find you."

"You're angry." She realised belatedly that that was the emotion on his face. "What has happened?"

"It is not anger. I am fearful. I – I did not understand such love, before," Legolas began. "But now I see how much it pains you, I begin to."

He took a step closer, and reached out to take her hand as if to comfort her, but appeared to hastily change his mind.

"Seeing you thus," he went on, "I fear it, for it has not brought you happiness. And you are mortal, you will not have to endure the pain for long, whereas I..."

She frowned at his blunt words as he continued.

"It will be an eternity. Even sailing to Tol Eressëa, I will not escape it."

Keren had never thought to ask if the elf was married, but his statement now made it clear that he had yet to know love at all. She did not wish to ask his age, for she sensed the answer would unsettle and concern her – thousands of years seemed impossible to face without love, despite the fact he did not seem to welcome it.

"My apologies." His voice was suddenly far softer. "You are troubled. I should be offering you words of comfort, not seeking them for myself."

Keren was surprised that an immortal being would admit to looking for sympathy. She knew not what to say to him. She rather wished to just be left alone. But then what would she do?

"My troubles must seem very small and unimportant to you," was the thing she found herself saying.

"It is not for one person to measure another's sadness and compare it to their own," he replied. "I see that something profound has happened to you. I see that you are sad, so I offer you my..."

He seemed unsure how to proceed. Keren could not imagine that many elves had had to deal with a jilted human.

"I offer you my friendship," he decided upon, "if you will have it. We seem to keep meeting, and I would prefer it if each time we met it was as friends."