The Odyssey of the daughter of the forest

Chapter 26 : The Enemy's Eye

'' I keep hope to see them shining again'', she answered softly, stopping to his side.

''You have always keep hope, Tauriel. And I admire you for this'', he said, turning to her.

Under the muted light produced by the moon, his blond hair seemed silver-colored, and his eyes were becoming grey. He was staring at her with a new intensity. She smiled in the darkness.

''Nothing has been harder than the months you were not here'', he added. ''Leaving, then saw you leaving hurt me so much. I should never have left, neither let you go alone. And now I blame myself, because I know I could live without you''.

Her smile left her lips, and, for some seconds, she did not know what to say, stunned by what she had just heard. It has been so sudden, but so true and so right. Never the truth has been told so clearly between the two elves.

''I could not neither, Legolas'', she told him, unable to keep silence any longer. ''It was when I was alone that I finally realize I needed you. It is a vital need''.

Legolas came closer to her, and, stood right in front of her, without any distance bewteen them. Elves were not very touch-sensitive, but with him, it was different. Everything was different. Because everything was perfect.

With an infinite tenderness, he embraced her waist and pressed her against him, letting her feel his heart that beat in rythm with hers, regularly but faster than usual. She put her arms around her neck, totally surrendering. Times were too hard to resist. Without even noticed, her eyes became wet. She blinked back tears and finally relaxed.

Blond elf's hand went up to her back, comforting, as he had felt her tears.

Their embrace lasted long minutes, however, when they stepped back, Tauriel was feeling like just some seconds had passed. Her eyes met Legolas' ones, shining under the moonlight. He kissed tenderly her forehead, then the top of her head, and  the roots of her hair. His lips went down on her temple, and stayed a long time.

She felt her heart beat faster than usual. Every single touch was giving her delicious shivers. When Legolas moved back his face, their forehads met each other and stayed like this for some instants again, just enjoying the calm and the proximity of the moment. Then, they definitively stepped back. They had both heard footsteps, inside. Elves were not very touch-sensitive, but they were very modest too.

Aragorn appeared behind them, and came closer to the two elves, that had recovered a normal distance. He prepared his pipe, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

''Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice. The eye of the enemy is moving '', Legolas said calmly.

Tauriel had not paid any attention when she had come out, however, he was right : their enemy was awoken, and preparing for battle. She could feel it, and despite the distance, she could see it. In the east, at the limit of her vision, she was looking a red light in the dark night, that only people with a great sight could see.

Legolas had just noticed it when she felt a malevolent strength take possession of the place, and try to enter her mind, to bring her with him in the deepest shadows. Her eyes opened wide, and she faced the truth : their enemy was now powerful enough to attack them from distance, moving his mind in theirs.