Northern Secrets (A Legolas/ LOTR novel)

Chapter 37

I am in the North again, riding Khatar across the frozen tundra with no particular place to go. I'm free to do whatever, go wherever I please.

"If this is death," I whisper to my four-legged companion, "then it is not so bad."

"Truly there are worse things." I hear from behind me, causing me to pull Khatar to a halt.

"Is that you, Narok?" I call out, not seeing anyone as I turn around to search for the source of the voice.

He abruptly appears out of thin air. "Yes it is, my daughter." he says kindly. "You fought very bravely today, and I could not be more proud of you."

"Thank you. Do you know where exactly I am?" I ask him. "If I am dead, why are there no others here with me?"

"You are in the in-between; not quite dead, but not alive either. You have a difficult choice to make now, Arra."

"What do you mean?" I ask confusedly.

"You are one of the rare few with a choice over your fate, as you are not dead just yet. There are healers working in the world of the living to bring you back, but they will only be able to hold the bridge for you to enter through for a little longer." Narok replies quickly. "Do you wish to return?"

"Yes, but how do I get back?"

He smiles at me mysteriously. "All you must do is make the decision; you know the way back."

"And what about you?" I ask, turning back to face him with hesitation.

"I will still be here whenever you return, however long that may be from now." Narok smiles. "And I would not want you skulking all around here, bemoaning the loss of your Elven Prince." he laughs.

I smile at him. "I will see you again, Narok. So long, for now." I call out with a wave as I enter back into my body on earth. He was right, it was simple to find my way back, like waking up from a dream.

***

"I am sorry, Prince Legolas." I hear someone say as I come to. I lay silent, listening to whoever is speaking, the voice sounding as though it is just outside of the room I lie in. "She fought the poison for a very long time, and I tried to remove all of the poison from her, but it had spread to her heart and clung to it. Her spirit has left us." an elf, who I now knew was a healer, said.

"But I am not dead. Not anymore." I think to myself.

I look down at myself to see that someone had replaced my armor with a deep blue dress; my burial dress, I realize.

I hear the sound footsteps walking away, and then the elf healer comes back into the room. She walks right past without looking carefully at me, so she does not notice at first that my eyes are open, and my chest rises and falls slightly with each breath I take. Unsure of how to alert her to the fact that I am not dead without alarming her, I glance over to see what she is doing.

She holds a vial of some type of liquid in her hands; perfect. I force the liquid out of the bottle, making it spiral and turn in the air, and then pour itself right back in. The healer lets out a light gasp, slowly turning to face me.

"Thank you for attempting to heal me. It allowed me enough time to find my way back to my body again." I say graciously.

The elf healer, still looking a bit shocked, bows to me. "Of course, Princess Arra."

"How long was I half dead for?" I ask her, the words sounding strange on my tongue. How could I have been so near to death?

"Three days, your Grace." she responds with impeccable etiquette, bowing slightly to me again.

"There is no need to bow." I say, "I would like to go find Legolas now, if that is all right."

The she-elf nods. "To leave the healing wing, turn left as you leave the room."

"Thank you," I say, and leave down the hallway.

I receive many awed looks and double takes as I pass through the healing wing. Many elves stop to bow to me, but I pay them no attention. I must find Legolas; I need to see him again, tell him I am not dead.

It takes me a moment to realize I have no idea where Legolas could have gone, so I begin to walk aimlessly through the halls of King Thranduil's castle, hoping that somehow I will run into Legolas. Luck appears to be on my side though, because I find him sitting on a window ledge, staring off into the forest of Mirkwood dejectedly. He does not seem to notice me as I walk up behind him.

"I kept my promise." I whisper, standing no more than a foot behind where he sits. I place a hand lightly on his shoulder.

I can see him tense up and then slowly turn around to look at me. He wears a guarded expression that shatters to pieces the second he sees me.

"You were dead." is all he manages to get out, standing up and pulling me into a tight embrace.

"But I am back now." my voice is muffled against his shoulder, but he hears me all the same.

I see tears in his eyes as he pulls away. "Please don't cry Legolas. I'm alright, I promise." I wipe a stray tear that escapes down his cheek, leaving my hand cradling the side of his face.

"I thought I had lost you forever." he says, his voice full of anguish.

I brush some of his long blond hair away from his eyes. "But you haven't. I will not leave again, Legolas, unless you wish for me to." I say tenderly, looking into his eyes.

Legolas doesn't respond, but instead crashes his lips to mine, making me smile with a happiness I thought was gone from me forever. My hands immediately move to tangle in his long, silky hair, pulling him in closer to me. His mouth is soft against mine, and I realize how much I have craved this closeness. His scent intoxicates me, muddling any semblance of thoughts I had kept.

His hands run lightly down my arms to my hips, pushing me up to the wall and causing a small gasp to escape from my mouth. His full weight rests against me, pinning me to the wall, as he trails small kisses along my collarbone and neck, making my eyes flutter. Everywhere he touches me feels like tingling fire.

"Do not ever. Scare me. Like that again. Arra." he mumbles against my lips, the words broken each time he gives me a light kiss.

"I don't plan to."

***

"You never told me what you said to me before going off to battle. Well, rather I did not understand it. What does melinyel mean?"

His lips touch mine briefly again. "It means I love you, Arra."

"Oh," I respond, slightly embarrassed at having not figured that out, "I wish I could speak elvish."

"I will have to teach you then." Legolas whispers, his lips brushing up against my ear.

He had not left my side since I found him sitting on a window sill, and I did not plan on asking him to leave any time soon. Our hand remained firmly linked together as we sit together, both staring up at the stars that had appeared in the sky only moments ago.

It was then I realized that no matter what happened and no matter where I went, wherever Legolas was, is home.