A Silver Lining (Lord of the Rings) [Legolas]

IX. A History Repeated

            “Me?”

            “Yes. Whatever came frightened you. That is all I can remember.”

            “Your visions are not set in stone, are they?”

            She chuckled. “No, dear child, they are not. Choices can dictate whether or not what I see comes to fruition. For all you and I know, it may not even happen. Maybe things have changed since then. I would not worry. If something does happen, we have security on the borders. Do not tell anyone that I told you about this.”

            “Y-you have my word.” I swallowed.

            “If you will excuse me, I must prepare for the ceremony.”

            I gave her a parting bow before she lithely disappeared to wherever she intended to go. My heart raced within my ribs. There is nothing to worry about, like she said. Things could have changed since then. What she saw might not even happen. Focus on the good things. The wedding is today. It is going to be a happy occasion, nothing will ruin it. Focus on that; do not let fear get in the way of the ceremony today.

            Even with the internal talk, I could still not rest easy. I knew there was only one Elf I could seek out who could instantly make me feel better. I wished I was a skilled tracker, that way I would not have to search the entirety of Lórien for him.

            I found my grey steed before I found the Elf. Luckily for me, I killed two birds with one stone and found them both. He was tending to his mare, crooning to her in Elvish. I could not help but grin at the sight. My grey noticed me, walking to me without me calling for him.

            “Good day to you too, boy,” I purred. “Ready for a stroll?”

            “Do you mind two more joining you?” Legolas called.

            “Not at all. Are you going to try bareback today?” Legolas looked a bit startled by my question. “Do not tell me you are afraid of riding bareback.”

            “I am not,” he said proudly. To emphasize his point, he swung onto his mare’s back. His mare never flinched. “Mount, and let’s go.”

            I did not jump onto my grey as gracefully as Legolas had with his mare, but I still managed to get on him. I grabbed fistfuls of mane in my hands. We matched our horse’s gaits together, going at a leisurely walk. I was sure neither of us wanted to go any faster; we both probably had a fear of falling off.

            “Today is the day, is it not?” I asked Legolas teasingly. He looked at me oddly. “Your wedding?”

            “That is today?”

            “The groom must not stress over the wedding like the bride does,” I noted. “You better hope you do not forget your anniversary date, I doubt Nikita will forgive you if you do.”

            “Sorry, I have had my mind on other things.”

            “Like what?”

            “Your captors.”

            I focused on my grey’s mane as though it was the most fascinating thing right now. “What about them?”

            “Surely whoever is still after you have probably found the dead scout by now, or what is left of him.”

            “Legolas, it has been months since we encountered the scout. Why are you still lingering on him and the Wild Men in general? You should not focus on me; you should be focusing on your future with Nikita.”