Nothing is Forever ~ Legolas/LOTR

The King

Gandalf began whistling. The air carrying the high sound. Agardess flinched at the sudden loud noise, but soon relaxed softly into its tune. The whistle seemed to echo before eventually stopping. It seemed a first that nothing had happened, but Gandalf still stood out in front, waiting. 

A whinny sounded and Agardess found herself watching a horse galloped towards them. 

"That is one of the Mearas," Legolas said, his voice full of awe. "Unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." 

"Shadowfax," Gandalf murmured as the horse approached him. Gandalf reached out an arm and rested his hand on the horse's nose. "He is the Lord of all horses. And has been my friend through many dangers." 

Agardess found herself swung up on the back of Aragorn's horse again. Gimli was behind Legolas while Gandalf rode along, ahead of both of the other horses. Although Agardess would never admit it, she rather enjoyed the feeling of not being in control for once. In fact riding on the back of a horse like that made her feel as if she were flying almost and she resisted the urge to let go of Aragorn's waist and lean backwards into the wind. Instead she imagined she was doing so. Imagining what the air would feel like as it rushed through her fingers. 

But she couldn't bare just imagining. She soon released Aragorn's waist with one hand, letting the other trail behind her. She loved the feeling. How the wind pressed against her skin, trying to drag her hand with it, to wherever it wished to go. She couldn't explain in words how much she loved it, but soon she replaced the hand back on Aragorn's waist, pretending the event had never happened. She was an assassin. She wasn't supposed to have emotion. Yet her emotionless mask seemed to be cracking and although it felt amazing, it scared her. 

~*~

A piece of cloth fluttered from the fortress of sorts that they were approaching. The flag of Rohan, laid to rest on the side of the road. Although it caught Agardess' gaze it didn't seem to bother any of her companions and they continued without worry. 

Guards stopped them before they could enter the throne room, where the king was no doubt sat. He ordered them to turn over their weapons and Agardess complied, surrendering all of her weapons after one simple look from Gandalf. 

"Your staff," The guard ordered coming to Gandalf. Gandalf looked surprised.

"You wouldn't part an old man from his walking stick..." Gandalf trailed off and the guard complied. Legolas took Gandalf's arm, acting as if he were supporting him. The door swung shut and Gandalf and Legolas separated. No longer needing to pretend. 

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late," Gandalf stated as they approached the throne. A king sat, if you could even call him that. He was sickly, old, frail looking. Disgusting really, his eyes were clouded over and bloodshot. He looked awful. "Theoden King." Gandalf continued. The five of them walked at them, stretched across the middle of the hall they walked, almost as if Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn and Agardess were Gandalf's guards. They walked like it too. 

The man sitting next to Theoden leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He was almost as gross as the king himself. Greasy hair, pale skin, rotting teeth. Agardess suppressed a shudder. Rohan seemed full of disgusting important people. Her eyes flicked over to the shadows, where men walked, watching them, seeming ready to strike. She made no move to warn the others, knowing the probability of them seeing the men too was high. Instead she watched them out of the corner of her eye, pretending to only be focusing on the task at hand.  

"Why should I welcome you Gandalf Stormcrow?" Theoden drawled, his eyes unfocused. The man on the side of him leaned over. 

"A just question my liege," The man nodded turning to the five 'intruders'. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear." In the shadows the men moved, almost stalking them. Agardess realized she missed the beginning of what the man had said and turned her attention onto him. Stopping with the others as he stood directly in front of Gandalf. "...ill news is an ill guest."