"The moon is hanging low tonight,
Inspiring mischief in my breast.
I seem to hear a firm request
Projected in her yellow light.
A saner, wiser man than I
Might see the view and wax serene,
But my proclivities are mean;
I'll have all night to ask her why."
- 'Low Moon' by Saeturnus
◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥
Huffing, puffing and sweating like mad. Ever since they had abandoned the Lake Anduin with fleeting steps, they had not stopped for one single rest. [Y/n] could have sworn she was beginning to lose her vision from exhaustion, but maybe she was being too dramatic and what she really needed was to exercise regularly rather than sit and read all day. Seeing Legolas fly like he held no wait in his feet made her green with jealousy — if the Mirkwood elf could still be light on his feet without having broken a sweat yet, then she should also. Yes, he is a captain and a warrior, but she doesn't look upon him as anything more than a naturally lithe Ellon, who just happened to be blessed with great athleticism (a very poor judgement to make.)
"Water... water!" She wheezed, stopping for a moment to double over and catch her raspy breath, the air somehow hurting her lungs in each breath she took, like it was laced in smoke. Her beating heart began to scare her, she's never felt it drum so hard against her ribs before and even make its way to her ears. Is it possible to die from running too much? She wondered, heaving another deep inhale while clenching her chest tightly.
"Come on, [Y/n]! And you, Gimli!" Legolas calls from the top of the hill, then continues his pursuit effortlessly. Seeing as there was no time for her to take a water break, she quickly tried to swig a gulp of water just for a bit of replenishment, but he calls to her again, making her lose her balance and accidentally spill it onto her neck. "We have no time to lose!"
She groans before forcing herself to sprint after them, noticing even Gimli was doing better than her. Curse these legs! They were not made for running! She whines inwardly, and attempted to open her water pouch while running but, nearly trips over multiple jagged rocks before her. Stumbling all the way up the hill, she finally made it to the others position and took a quick breather, but immediately they were already shrinking in her vision as they dashed away again. She whined and willed her legs to continue sprinting after them.
Catching up with trio was no easy task, but she had managed to take a messy sip of water (most of it went on her chest) and finally arrive to open plains beside them, which reached far beyond the eye could see. The ground was softer and wetter, meaning the Orc tracks were far easier to see... still, she felt these tracks were old and that they were already more than a mile away from them.
Aragorn looks at something on the ground, piquing her interest because they finally halted their step. She took this opportunity to down the entire contents of her water pouch, and stuff some Lembas into her gob, hoping to gain some energy from it. Already, her mind felt clearer and her body ached less than before. She sighs, standing beside Gimli.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall..." Aragorn peers at a familiar green brooch, and hope swells in [Y/n]'s heart.
"They may yet be alive," Legolas contends, and [Y/n] felt relief at those words.
"Less than a day ahead of us. Come," Aragorn picks up his pace again.
Resuming their sprint, [Y/n] had an upper hand now that she had a full stomach and a rejuvenated throat, now able to keep up with Legolas... unfortunately for Gimli, he stumbled on behind them.
"Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!" He shouts, but the dwarf glares in response, wiping sweat off his nose.
"I am wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances," he pants, darting to them.
Legolas shared a brief look with [Y/n], frowning slightly before continuing to run.
Finally, they reached a hill that [Y/n] somewhat recognised. These lands belonged to Rohan, and she hoped that this place would give more forgiving terrain to run on, rather than the rocky and unstable hills of where they started. Legolas looks to her again and taps the side of his mouth with his finger, which confused her. She narrows her eyes but, widens them when she realised that he must have been pointing out some food residue on her face. She furiously wiped at them in embarrassment, wishing he hadn't seen that. Darn elf! He's smirking! She glowers, and follows him to Aragorn.
"Rohan. Home of the Horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us," Aragorn comments, and [Y/n] listens to him carefully. He's right. It is strange work. Rohan is a well guarded place — why would Orc's come here in risk of being attacked by the men of Rohan? She's read their great stories, how they had won wars on horseback, and ploughed through Orcs like they were nothing but ants in the past. Coming here would be a death sentence for enemies.
Legolas goes ahead to look over the horizon, observing something in the distance. She squints her eyes to see what he was looking at, and sure enough, there was a cloud of dust stirring in the air far out ahead of them... it was making its way to a distant building, that she did not recognise.
"Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?"
"The Uruks turn northeast." He takes a step further, his face contorting into terror. "They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!" He cries, and this strikes [Y/n] with equal horror.
"Saruman..." Aragorn snarls, clenching his fists till his knuckles turned white.
"They're doomed!" [Y/n] gasps, covering her hanging mouth.
"Not yet! We still have time! Come! We must catch them before it's too late!" Aragorn flees, and everyone follows, a newfound sense of panic taking over them all.
Isengard used to be a beautiful tower surrounded by wood and greens, but the fact [Y/n] couldn't even recognise it anymore even from a far distance showed the length of Saruman's evil influence. The land she witnessed had gone rotten with dead grass and stumps of once great trees.
Their pursuit didn't end, even when dusk had settled in and the hot sun had diminished, now replaced with a merciless cold that clouded their breaths and clung to their sweat like frost.
"Keep breathing. That's the key. Breathe," Gimli wheezes to himself and [Y/n] couldn't agree more.
"They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them," Legolas whispers.
"Well, of course! We are- ARGH!" she begins, but starts coughing violently. She couldn't even find the strength to continue her sentence after that, as the coughing was enough to leave her wheezing and gasping for air. Legolas chuckles audibly, and if she had time, she would have flogged him with a pebble.
The night had slowly turned into dawn, painting the skies a fiery orange and for some reason, this disturbed Legolas visibly, who paused to look upon it with a glare of dread. [Y/n] stopped with him, watching him peer at the horizon solemnly. He turns to her briefly, but looks to the ground quickly after with his eyes shut.
"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night," he sighs, then continues his trek at a high speed, leaving [Y/n] in shock.
"Is this true?!" She gasps, running after him. He doesn't respond, too grim to utter another word. Tears brim at her eyes and she finds herself quickening her pace, her heart pounding in pain for her hobbit friends.
"Please be safe, my dear hobbit friends. Please endure for me..." she weeps, no longer caring that her lungs burnt with every breath and her feet pounded harshly against the floor till they went numb.
Day had finally settled in, the sun high above them shining rays of heat that [Y/n] had come to hate so much. She was sure that her hair was hotter than fire at this point, and that if she touched it, she would burn herself.
Aragorn halts suddenly, almost tripping [Y/n]. She darts her head around thinking he was seeing something she hadn't, but there is nothing in sight... there was only a sound.
The sound of hooves.
They quickly hide at Aragorn's command, behind some nearby rock formation, looking cautiously for the culprits. Over the hill came a mighty crowd of riders, the Riders of Rohan galloping straight to them. They had undoubtedly seen them, and Aragorn knew it. He stepped out of the hiding calmly, facing the soldiers passing him.
"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" He spoke, but the riders did not respond. [Y/n] grew anxious at their silence, and soon she was proven valid for her worry as the riders circled them skilfully, tightening the circle till they were all reduced to standing close to each other. [Y/n]'s body had gotten the rut of it, and was somehow pushed by a horse straight into Legolas's chest. She grunted, but silenced immediately when a sharp spear pointed at her face.
Grand horses of pure muscular strength of a length she had never seen before towered over all of them, and it reduced [Y/n] to a trembling mess, hoping these riders would see that they are no threat. Subconsciously, she clung to Legolas with a trembling hand, hoping to get an ounce of safety in this tense situation.
"What business does an Elf, a Woman, a Man and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" A man rides forward and looks down on them from his steed, his voice full of venom. He eyed [Y/n] and Gimli in particular, showing disgust at the dwarf, and confusion at [Y/n].
"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine!" Gimli spoke defiantly, and it made [Y/n] jump. Her twitch caused a spear to jab at her, and she instinctively yelps out of fear, thinking she had been stabbed.
Legolas's arm coiled around her and snaked her behind him so that he now stood protectively before her, sandwiched between his arm and his back. She quivered, not caring if this was the closest they had ever been. She could practically hear his heartbeat... and it drummed heavily.
The man handed his spear to another person, and got off his horse to approach the little dwarf. Gimli stood his ground and peered up at him arrogantly, not afraid to act against him.
"I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," the man spoke maliciously, smirking down at him mockingly.
In a flash, Legolas had drawn his bow and nocked an arrow right between the man's eyes, scrunching his face into one of pure rage.
"You would die before your stroke fell," He hissed, his words dripped with a promise that he really wasn't bluffing. He truly would kill a man for this dwarf. [Y/n]'s eyes shined with admiration at the elf, who had once shown a clear distaste to Gimli, but was now putting his life on the line in his stead.
The moment only tensed further as the rider blinked in surprise. Aragorn had stepped in seeing as this was only making things worse, lowering Legolas's bow slowly and carefully, keeping his eye on the Rohan captain who now looked more outraged than before.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin." He points his open hand to Gimli, and then to Legolas. "Legolas of the Woodland Realm and [Y/n], Student of Gandalf. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king," He politely tells, and this softens the gaze of the Rohirrim warrior. [Y/n] lets out a breath she didn't know she held, feeling the thick tension had now ceased.
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." He says ominously, removing his helmet to reveal a relatively good looking man with blonde hair and a neat beard, gazing at Aragorn with a look of melancholy. "Not even his own kin,"
[Y/n] frowns, continuing to listen to the man. The riders had fortunately withdrawn their spears, and let them a little room for themselves. She steps forward to hear him better, and he catches her eye again, his eyebrows twitching together ever so slightly.
"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan... and for that, we are banished." He lowers his tone and steps closer to Aragorn, peering into him with slight accusation. "The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere, his spies slip past our nets," he explains, and [Y/n] grows sympathy for him in hearing he had been banished by his own king. She would never have thought that the King of Rohan — a man known to be just and fair, to have been brainwashed by the evil forces.
"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive," Aragorn diffuses the accusations, and this calms the man greatly. Still, he kept a hard face of someone who had clearly dealt with the worst of men.
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night," he declares, and to this Gimli jumps before him, urgently telling him;
"But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two Hobbits with them?" His eyes were desperate for answers, but the captain only shook his head, horrifying [Y/n].
"Are you sure?" She chimes, tears brewing at her eyes.
"They would be small. Only children to your eyes," Aragorn adds, but to no avail.
"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," he shook his head again, and [Y/n] let out a devastating gasp. Dumbfounded, Gimli turns away in shock.
"Dead...?" He breathes, his voice weak.
"I am sorry," is all the man says. Legolas puts a comforting hand on the shoulder of Gimli, while looking [Y/n] in the eyes to mirror her grief. She shook her head at him, as if to communicate wordlessly to him that she just couldn't believe it. He somehow understood.
"Hasufel! Arod!" The man suddenly whistles and summons two beautiful horses, lovingly stroking their manes before looking to them.
"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He says as he puts on his helmet, returning to his horse. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands..." Is his last words before he climbed his horse and ordered his crowd to leave north, regarding them with one more look of sympathy as he rode away.
At Aragorn's command, they rode to the smouldering pile that brewed in the distance. Her eyes had been set upon it since the Riders of Rohan had left their presence, and that pit in your chest one feels when the dread of death loomed in the air hadn't left her. She was sat behind Legolas, who rode the horse skilfully — Gimli decided to ride with Aragorn.
It's hard to focus on staying upright on a horse when you have to hold onto a man you would rather avoid so tightly. [Y/n]'s only ever done this with Gandalf when he taught her how to ride a horse (and still she's no good), so the fact she's gripping Legolas's shirt tightly around her fingers till her knuckles turned white only showed how nervous she was to ride with what she otherwise considered a stranger.
She tried her best to refrain from touching his body, but the rocky hills of Rohan were practically throwing her against him, and perhaps he's doing it on purpose but, the horse sometimes jolts a certain way that throws her head first onto his back. I'm sure I've gotten a bruise by now, on my cheek or somewhere... she ponders, rubbing her cheek against his back. He was warm, and that warmth felt forbidden.
He didn't seem to care that she was riding with him and [Y/n] wished he could at least show any sort reaction at this point, because if she's the only one being flustered about this then that makes her a wuss, doesn't it?
It stayed like that for quite a while (or at least in her perspective), but they soon arrived to the edge of a thick forest, coming to what was left of a battlefield. Legolas stopped the horse steadily and slid off without incident, then promptly looked to [Y/n] as if he expected her to take his hand, obviously not trusting her to get off safely.
"No, thank you. I'm perfectly fine on my own," She grumbles, admittedly ashamed that he thinks she's so helpless. I can get off my own bloody horse no doubt. She scowls.
"AH!"
She fell off.
Lucky for her (or not), he had caught her before her poor bottom could hit the ground. Without thinking, she rudely slapped him off herself, lurching her head forward to hide her heated face once she was on her feet, pretending to examine the ground in hopes he would leave her be.
"I can see that. Very well executed, Lady [Y/n]," he says, and if she hadn't been so red in the face, she would have jabbed at him with an insult. Now's not the time! She thought, looking upon the field with a pale face as she searched for any sign of them... even if they were all potentially searching for a corpse. Fitting around with someone at times like this is so unlike me, but I cannot help it. Legolas brings out a side to me I never knew. She sighs.
Glancing at him, she observed how he followed Gimli around like a duckling while Gimli didn't even seem to notice or care at this point. She couldn't blame him, she's come to learn he's quite an impatient dwarf meaning he fails to care for the needs of others if they were minuscule. He halts all of a sudden and it piqued [Y/n]'s interest enough for her to approach him, realising what he had picked up.
"It's one of their wee belts..." he begins to sob, and she let out a horrid shriek that strained her throat like she was being strangled.
"No! No!!" She cried, slapping her hands over her face, while shaking vigorously in sorrow. The belt looked like it had been pulled off forcefully, given how damaged the holster was, and [Y/n] studied it with horror. She imagined what their last moments were like, and that image only hurt her more.
"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath." Legolas's voice coos, and for some reason it stabbed at her like a pick. She forced herself to stop crying and looked to him, still hyperventilating like a parent who had just lost their child.
"What does that mean? Tell me!" She almost screeches, but her now gruff voice cracked too often for it to have a coherent tone. Legolas, surprised by her outburst, blinked at her in confusion.
"May they find peace in death?" He responds, tilting his head at her like a perplexed dog. She turned away, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"There is no peace here. These orcs shall pay for what they have done!" She clenched her jaw and tightened her fist, her gaze hardening at the pile of burning corpses.
"Haven't they already?" Legolas asks, and it infuriates her further.
"No! They deserved torture! Till their blood run cold!" She screams, letting out another sob. Gimli shook his head, and looked to her.
"We failed them." He solemnly says, and she goes to hug him, hoping to find comfort in him at least.
Aragorn kicks something far, and it loudly tumbled down the hill, letting out a harrowing roar that reduced him to his knees. He sat silent after that...
"Oh, Merry, o' Pippin! My dear friends..." she whispered, feeling a hand on her shoulder give her a reassuring squeeze. It was Legolas, he stared at her with sorrow glistening in his eyes.
Her tears fell till none were left, and all she could do was whimper. Getting up, she thanked Gimli quietly before turning to Legolas who still looked over her with pity.
"Forgive my reaction. It's... it's just too much." she felt tears brewing again. Legolas shook his head and pat her shoulder, giving her a look of understanding. "I hope they find peace in death, too," she says, smiling sadly at him and squeezing his hand appreciatively.
"A Hobbit lay here. And the other..." Aragorn distracts them, and shimmer of hope sparked in [Y/n]'s heart when she observed him study the grounds with great interest. He got up, and followed some marking she couldn't see even with her elf eyes, and mumbled things to himself. "They crawled," he says.
"Their hands were bound," he continues, finding a frayed rope that traveled some distances toward the thick forest.
"Their bonds were cut," he throws it back down, and proceeds to tread further.
"Does this mean-?" [Y/n] lights up, her entire face now bright with faith in her friend. Aragorn points to the dirt, that looked normal to her.
"They ran over here." He observed, and [Y/n] quickly joins his side. "They were followed..."
Legolas and Gimli follow too, and watch him lead them to the edge of the thick forest that towered above them.
"Their tracks lead away from the battle... into Fangorn forest," he finally finished, and [Y/n] could have rejoiced if it weren't for what Gimli said next.
"Fangorn?! What madness drove them in there?" He bellows, and [Y/n]'s heart sank instantly. She gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
"Madness? Or desperation?" Aragorn asks, and enters the forest fearlessly. [Y/n] dashed to go after him but, Legolas had grabbed her and essentially yanked her back to her spot.
"It would be better if you stayed here, [Y/n]." He practically demands, and [Y/n] scrunches her face at him in protest, trying to snap her arm away from him but he remained firm.
"Why?"
"It's too dangerous," he shook his head, but she wouldn't hear it, even if she thought the same. It calmed her to think that Legolas cared for her even now, but honouring his wish was less urgent than the life of her Hobbit friends. Her gaze softened and slowly, his did, too. They didn't look away from each other but instead stood in silence, studying each others eyes as a strange emotion took over them.
"I have to. My friends are there," she finally whispered solemnly, watching Gimli trot after Aragorn with his axe at the ready. Legolas's grip tightened around her arm, and it was beginning to hurt her, but he seemed to be subconsciously doing it.
"You don't even have a sword," he points out, pointing his head to her belt which was noticeably missing a hilt, making [Y/n]'s ears burn red in embarrassment — not wanting to admit that she had actually forgotten it back at the river... she didn't think anyone would notice.
"Well... I don't need it!" She faces him, taking his hand and prying it off her arm gently. Luckily, he let go but, remained a stern glare. "If I ever get hurt, then that will be my own burden to bear," she finishes, jogging away quickly before he could protest her once more.
He remained there for a second in thought, clenching his hand into a fist to stave away the warmth of her fingers tingling on his flesh. He follows soon after, seeing as there was no way he could convince her anyway.
[Y/n] comes to a see Gimli spitting something out furiously, his face contorting into one of pure disgust.
"Orc blood." He grunts, looking at the noticeable black stained forest bed, which looked like it had been disturbed by something large, given how a dent over a foot long laid across it.
"These are strange tracks..." Aragorn scours the floor, and they all follow him closely as he makes his observations. [Y/n] could see what he meant, there were more of those dents (which one could say resembled a shallow crater) sprawled all across the forest bed.
"The air is so close in here," Gimli fearfully whispers, looking around as if there was danger all around him.
[Y/n] shivered, a cold breeze hitting her right in the face. She pulled her cloak closer to her middle in attempts of regaining warmth, but something else was causing her to tremble in these woods. Legolas came up from behind her, searching the forest like he was feeling it in his mind, furrowing his eyebrows at some point and narrowing his eyes.
"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory...and anger," he comments, looking to her briefly. She quickly cast her eyes away and awkwardly stepped away from him to stand closer to Gimli. Gimli jumped at her presence, but was relieved to see it was just her. He clenched his axe high near his face and gasped at every creak or rustle around them. His nervousness was starting to rub off on her, and because of this her shivering got more intense by the second.
"The trees are speaking to each other." Legolas says ominously, the creaking and groaning growing in an unnatural rate. She cower her posture in fear that something wicked was hiding in the shadows, and clung to herself like a child in the midst of a nightmare.
"Stay close to me, Lady [Y/n]," Legolas appears as if from nowhere, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to him. She yelped, and almost whacked him under the impression he was an enemy, but managed to collect herself and realise it was just Legolas, who held an arm over her in protection. Her face tensed as she watched him move with her, unsure why he shielded her so much in these situation. It's because I'm a woman. He hasn't done this to anyone else thus far, and I'm beginning to tire of this extra attention... it makes me feel so weak. She pondered, frowning when he would glance at her every minute to check her condition.
"Gimli!" Aragorn barked, bringing her attention to the raging dwarf, that swung his axe at whatever shadow he could see. Legolas's grip tightened, and she grew increasingly aware at how close his arm was to her bosom in that moment. Sure, he would had grazed them earlier before when they were confronted by the Riders of Rohan, but this isn't something you can get used to so easily. Still, she felt comforted in his hold, the warmth she had begun to favour so much was radiating from him and it calmed her ceaseless shivers till she was still.
"Lower your axe," Aragorn gestured to him gently, and Gimli promptly takes a deep breath, recollecting himself long enough to lower his axe completely. Legolas smiled at the dwarf and spoke softly.
"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak," he explained reverently, but Gimli merely rolled his eyes with a grunt.
"Talking trees... What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings..." he grumbled in disbelief, and [Y/n] fought back a smile in order to ask Legolas something.
"The trees talk? And you can hear them?" She asked quietly, following after Aragorn who continued his search. Legolas's eyebrows rose in surprise at her question, and she couldn't figure out why. "Well? Go on, tell me!" She urged, but he shook his head.
"Not right now... we have to focus," he points ahead, and for once [Y/n] didn't question his judgement. She couldn't afford to be distracted in this scary forest, even her loud steps were scaring her into thinking that something was listening in and stalking their every sound.
They didn't stop following Aragorn, even when night had settled in and only moonlight crept through the leaves above. [Y/n] stayed with Legolas, hoping he wouldn't judge her for being so anxious. A few minutes passed, and his body suddenly tensed, causing [Y/n] to look to him in fear he sensed something dangerous was nearby.
"Aragorn, nad nâ ennas!" Legolas shouts, intently searching the forest by leaving [Y/n]'s side and drawing his bow. [Y/n] hid under her cloak immediately and hunched herself near a tree, hoping to hide from whatever was out there. Aragorn flew to Legolas's side and searched with him.
"Man cenich?" Aragorn looks to Legolas frantically, but the elf seemed to be focusing on something beyond their understanding. A moment later, and he gasps quietly, his eyes widening just a bit before he said something that weighed dread on them all.
"The White Wizard approaches." He looks up, far ahead of them to something none of them could see. [Y/n] gasped as Aragorn unsheathed his sword and huddled into a circle with Gimli and Legolas.
"Do not let him speak! He will put a spell on us!" He urged, and [Y/n] began to shiver again, holding her hands over mouth desperately so she doesn't scream.
"We must be quick..." Aragorn's eyes scour the area and all is silent.
With a yell, the three swing around to attack a bright light that enveloped them all, from the Wizard himself, now entering their presence with blinding white light that lit the entire forest. [Y/n] let out a shriek and covered herself, hoping her Elven cloak will hide her well. Gimli throws his axe...it is shattered.
Legolas launches an arrow... it is deflected.
Aragorn's sword becomes red hot in his grasp... and it clatters to the forest floor.
A cruel wind blows [Y/n]'s cloak away from her feet and high into the air, forcing her to face the White Wizard. An invisible force had grabbed her and brought her forth to the light, but Legolas quickly grabbed a hold on her and pulled her behind him, holding her tightly against himself away from the White Wizard that stood tall before them.
She shields her eyes from the blinding light, and shivers in his hold, clenching his tunic tightly against her fearing she will be swept away again.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits." The grand wizard spoke, his voice booming in their ears.
"Where are they?!" Aragorn belts, facing the White Wizard bravely.
"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" He spoke again, and something erupted in [Y/n] in that moment — there was something odd about his presence, it felt alien and far more powerful than any other Wizard she's ever met, but at the same time it had a familiarity to it that she was certain didn't belong to Saruman.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demands, and [Y/n] opens her eyes to see, her eyes burning just from the sight. "It cannot be..." Aragorn whispered, and in desperation, [Y/n] pushed Legolas away to see who it was, but he refused to let her go.
"Gandalf?" [Y/n] whimpered, tears falling unbeknownst to her, and her legs failing underneath her threatening to make her fall to her knees.
There he was. Smiling gently to her, his eyes shining with life and reminding her of the moment she had last looked upon them in Moria. He is alive. Gandalf is alive and shining before her. She wailed and rushed to him, pushing past Legolas to reach her arms desperately for him to touch, so that she is reassured that this isn't just a dream, or even just an apparition that stood before her. Someone from behind her had hoisted her up from the waist, and helped her climb onto the flat platform that Gandalf stood upon. She didn't even care to see who had helped her, and ran frantically to Gandalf's arms, engulfing him in a hug she had been dreaming of giving for so long.
"Oh, Gandalf! It's really you!" She cried, sobbing into his chest breathlessly.
"Calm now, [Y/n]. I am here and will remain." He chuckled softly, patting her head and gently pushing her away so he could look upon her. "I see you've changed much since I've been gone," he strokes her hair, and she continues to cry before him, unable to form her feelings into words at how relieved and happy she was to see him again.
"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman," Legolas knelt before him. [Y/n] pulled away, now smiling brightly beside him. Beside him... I never thought this would happen again. She tried to hold back her tears and compose herself, but the waterworks just wouldn't stop.
"I am Saruman. Or rather, Saruman as he should have been," he proclaims, and [Y/n] could practically jump up and down from how euphoric she felt in that moment — it was making her a little dizzy to be so happy. It's like a dark part of her mind had finally been lit up.
"You fell," Aragorn recalls, and Gandalf nods to this.
"Through Fire and Water..." he solemnly says, closing his eyes to remember something. He went into a trance, and his eyes looked like they were miles away from where he stood. [Y/n] shook him gently, but he didn't respond.
"Gandalf." Aragorn's voice seemed to snap him out of his daze, and he blinked a few times before letting his face relax into normalcy again.
"Gandalf? Yes." He smiles softly, his eyes twinkling with memory. "That's what they used to call me," he sighs, and Aragorn nods.
"Gandalf the Grey. That was my name," he looks around, now to Gimli, who whispers his name. [Y/n] sees Legolas's lips twitch into a grin.
"I am Gandalf the White." He declares, and [Y/n] smiles too, exhilarated to have her friend and guardian back. "And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."
[Y/n] couldn't leave his side as he lead them through the forest, even if it was inconvenient for her to try and keep up with his long pace. He wore his Elven cloak over his pristine white clothes, and [Y/n] couldn't stop gazing at him in wonder. He would sometimes smile at her in return, but he was headstrong on their task before them and couldn't pay too much attention to her. [Y/n], however, had long forgotten about the quest — she was completely occupied with Gandalf now. Her heart swelled now that her best friend and what she could even consider as her father, stood before her as healthy as before. She can't wait to hear how he survived the Balrog, but she grew nervous at the subject of her magic potentially coming up.
"One stage of the journey is over, another begins. We must travel to Edoras with all speed," he states, stepping over a rock. [Y/n] skips over it, and almost falls.
"Edoras? That is no short distance!" Gimli exclaims, and [Y/n]'s stomach drops. More running... great.
"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king," Aragorn spoke, and [Y/n] nods remembering what the Rohan Rider told them. Gandalf stopped abruptly, causing [Y/n] to bump hardly onto his back.
"Oof!" She grunted, bouncing back and almost landing on her butt. Luckily, Gimli had been behind her and pushed her back up.
"Yes, and it will not be easily cured." He gravely admits, looking to [Y/n] in particular. She gulped, feeling like he was interrogating her with his eyes when they flickered towards her hands. She hid them quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice her bruises.
"Then we have run all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank tree-infested—" Gimli complains rather brashly, loud for everyone to hear, but he gets interrupted by the shuffling leaves and the groans of the roots around them. He whitened and shifted his eyes fearfully, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I mean, charming...quite charming forest..." He smiles nervously, and the groaning ceases. Gandalf turns to Gimli.
"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years — the coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains," Gandalf speaks like he recited an omen, and it confused the entire squad. [Y/n] cocked her head and looked to Legolas, who wore the same perplexed expression. She fought back a laugh, thinking he looked like a confused lamb.
"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." Aragorn commented, and Gandalf leaned towards him intrigued. "You still speak in riddles..."
They all erupted in jolly chuckles at Aragon's jeer and the moment was so pure, [Y/n] wished it would never end. Sure, they were urgently headed to their next destination, but the joy of having a friend come back from supposed death was unlike anything else. When the laughter died down, Gandalf spoke again.
"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong," he sighs proudly, but Gimli didn't seem happy with what he said.
"Strong?!" He barked, but quickly shrunk and chuckled nervously. "Oh, that's good..." his voice faded as sweat began to form on his nose, once again looking around at the dark trees surrounding them. [Y/n] chuckled, shaking her head at his fear for the nature as if she wasn't the one that was practically hiding in a corner with a cloak over her head before. Gandalf and her shared a look that spoke without words, and she chuckled with him quietly.
"So, stop your fretting, Master Dwarf," he turns, continuing his leave. Gimli muttered something to himself that [Y/n] didn't catch, but it didn't matter.
"Gandalf? Will there be time for us to have a talk later?" [Y/n] whispered, trodding beside him swiftly. Gandalf didn't react at first, but a second later he pat her shoulder without looking at her and smiled gently.
"There will always be time, little one," is all he responded with. [Y/n] sighed, sharing a stare with Legolas, who had caught up beside her. She suddenly remembered how well he attempted to protect her before, back with the Riders, and when they thought that Gandalf was Saruman. She blushed, looking down to the floor in hopes that he wouldn't notice. I should actually thank him later... even if I despise the thought of being treated unequally, I believe he deserves my gratitude... she thought, holding her arms against her chest.
They arrived to the edge of Fangorn forest, where the sun shined through the leaves and illuminated their senses. [Y/n] got dazed by the sudden light, unsure how it was already midday when she was sure it was midnight in the forest. Perhaps that's how things seemed in the darkness of that forest, but it was not so clear. Regardless, she was glad to be out of there. She watched Gandalf step ahead of them all, raising his head to the sky and letting out a sharp whistle that surrounded the entire border, piercing the air cleanly. She watched in admiration, wishing she could whistle like that.
As the echo died out, a distant neigh caught [Y/n]'s ears. She perked up, looking around to see where it had come from. A graceful lithe horse with fur of pure white galloped towards them, and [Y/n] thought it was just a vision at first, but when it neared, she could feel it's power surge through its veins as it's muscular limbs galloped upon the ground in mighty thumps. She let out a breath, mesmerised by its beauty.
"That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell," Legolas spoke in awe, staring at the horse with the same mesmerised expression as her.
"Shadowfax." Gandalf says, as the horse galloped across the plain and stopped in front of him, letting out a huff. "He is the lord of all horses... and has been my friend through many dangers," he explained, stroking its platinum mane.
"Incredible creature," [Y/n] commented, reaching toward it to touch the hair, feeling how soft it was in her hand while a smile graced her lips.
"Incredibly convenient!" Gimli added, placing his hands on his hips with contentment. "We no longer need to sprint our way across Middle Earth like before!" He sighs happily, and [Y/n] nodded her head in agreement enthusiastically.
"Can I ride my own?" She asked Gandalf, but he furrowed his brows at her. Her smile died down immediately. He knows how mediocre her horse riding is and evidently doesn't trust her on such a mighty stallion.
"You are not trained enough to handle such a powerful horse! You will ride with a partner," he declares and [Y/n] groaned in annoyance, looking to Legolas instinctively, knowing she was going to ride with him. He glanced back, somehow looking smug. Oh, you cursed blonde!!! I'm definitely not thanking him anytime soon! Not if he will give me that smug look any time the subject of my vulnerability comes up. She glowered, waiting for Gandalf to call for more horses while glaring daggers at Legolas the entire time. He didn't notice her icy stare and instead focused on how Gandalf spoke to Shadowfax, speaking an ancient language that few knew of.
When other horses came, Legolas had chosen the prettiest one in her eyes — perhaps he saw the way she gleamed at the fluffy beige mare, but he seemed drawn to it immediately like her. He climbed without the help of reigns or a saddle, then beckoned her to come forth so he can help her up. She reluctantly stepped to him, looking over to Gimli who had already climbed with Aragorn.
She lifted her right foot, high enough for it to reach the top of the horses bottom, but Legolas tutted at her. Her head snapped to him at the gesture. How dare he tut at me like I am a child! She almost growled until he patted the front of where he sat.
"Sit here, you will be more secure," he explained when he saw how her face contorted into confusion.
"But..." she began, but her voice died down when Gandalf's stern gaze met her. Groaning, she lifted her foot again and took his hand, pulling him so she can hoist herself up. She managed to slide onto the horse without a problem, but now she had to endure the fact that he will practically be embracing her for god knows how long.
"If you touch me anywhere, I'll push you off the horse!" [Y/n] whisper shouted to him, practically hissing at him like a cornered cat. He chuckled deeply, his chest vibrating against her back. She stiffened upon the sensation, and tried to hide her now tomato face.
"You say this, but your ears glow as red as your face right now," he whispers into her, casually reaching around her waist to grab onto the horses mane. [Y/n] was practically breathless from embarrassment.
They soon rode out in speeds [Y/n] has never fathomed, she felt like they were going to tumble and die at any given moment even if she was in the arms of a very experienced horse master. She squeezed her eyes shut before reaching back and grabbing a tight hold onto his thighs, hoping she won't rock back and forth even more that way. Her butt was practically bouncing off of his crotch every time the horse took a step. Please, let this be over already! My poor drumming heart cannot handle this! She screamed internally, trying her best to ignore how his body rocked against hers and how his breath drummed against her ears.
Riding didn't stop till dusk, where Gandalf halted in a plain so he can order for camp. When the horse finally came to a stop, [Y/n] desperately stumbled to get on the ground, but Legolas had effectively stopped her and instead grabbed her by the waist, lifting her like she weighed nothing and put her down himself. She ran off, her face in her hands and her hair pointing in all directions from the harsh wind that had knocked her bun into a distorted mess. You could probably even see steam rising from her head.
"We rest here tonight. It is too risky to continue when Saruman's Orc's run wild at night," Gandalf explained, and [Y/n] wobbled over towards him, hoping to seek comfort in him even if it's his fault that she had to ride with Legolas.
Like he had just won a bet, Legolas would look at her with the same smug expression as he did before, and it ate away at her from the inside. She wanted so badly to throw a rock at him, but she would get bashed by Gandalf if she did. She devised a plan while the men set up a fire, thinking she could just put dirt in his eyes or at least kick him in the shins out of Gandalf's sight.
They all gathered around the fire now that the cold night began to settle, the horses went off somewhere nearby to replenish their energy with grass, and she watched the pretty beige one again, thinking she could give it a nice apple later if she found one. She had left her food bag back at the river, and missed it dearly now that her stomach growled violently. Aragorn lit a pipe, laying against a rock with a look of deep thought. Gimli was already snoring away beside her, so seeing as she was hungry and couldn't sleep, she poked at the fire while imagining herself having a feast like they did in Lothlorièn. She didn't notice Gandalf stood far to the edge of a hill, overlooking the plains of Rohan. Legolas was nowhere to be seen, either. He's probably prancing in the woods singing about Mirkwood folklore or some bollock... she thought, poking her stick deeper into the fire.
"What is on your mind tonight, witch?" Legolas appeared beside her, and she almost screamed but she luckily caught her voice and merely jumped. She glared at him openly with wide eyes, her grip tightening around her stick which had now caught on fire.
"Would you mind?" She hissed, and he didn't seem fazed by her at all.
"Do not shun me, not after everything I've done for you. You bruised my back because of how much your sharp chin hit me on horseback," he snickered, and to this [Y/n] folded her arms in protest, holding her nose high like she'd seen some nobles do.
"Well, I..." her speech faded when Aragorn stood, clearing his throat. Aragorn glanced at Legolas with a strange expression, before walking off to some direction. She watched their interaction and glared at Legolas suspiciously. "What was that about?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing at all. Aragorn simply favours a silent night over an evening of bickering," he clarified, but she suspected it was a half-truth. She decided to ignore it and instead focus on something else he said.
"Bickering?"
"Well, you are not exactly the type to have a civilised conversation with. Every time I speak with you, it devolves into an argument," he rose an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed by that fact. She sighed, knowing it was true. He's been nothing but kind to her these days, so why does she keep a front even now? She furrowed her eyebrows at the realisation, but something inside her urged her to defend her moody attitude even if it was abundantly unjust.
"It's not my fault you are pestering me constantly," she jabbed, and he scoffed.
"Why are you so difficult?" He shot back, and it made [Y/n] fume with anger. Raising her flaming stick high up in the air, she aimed to strike at him to teach him a lesson.
However, he had caught her hand and wrung it out of her hand, forcing her to release it over the fire. After the stick was cast to the fire and out of her reach, he looked to her bewildered.
"You see? You cannot even take criticism!" He exclaimed, and [Y/n] huffed back sassily.
"Maybe don't insult me, and I'll be more civilised," she put emphasis on the word 'civilised', not shying away from his glare even if he was only a few inches away. They sat in silence, glaring at each other with drumming hearts, until finally Legolas let out a sigh of defeat and drew away from her.
"Ha! Take that, blondie!" She punched him hard in the arm, and he didn't react to it, but merely gazed at the fire with a stoic expression. Much to her horror however, her stomach growled loudly against the silence and it caught Legolas's attention swiftly.
"Is this why you are fitful? You hunger so much that your mind has gone numb with frustration?" He jeered and [Y/n] groaned, squishing her stomach down in hopes of shrinking it.
"We have had nothing but, wild berries and Lembas. I am tired of eating so little," she grumbled truthfully, and Legolas nodded in understanding, unfazed by her erratic behaviour before.
"Would you like some bread I had stored? I aimed to give it to Gimli, but seeing as you need it more than him, I'm willing to hand it to you," he offered, and [Y/n]'s ears perked up in interest.
"Yes, please!" She begged, and he smirked in reaction.
"Only if you promise to be civil with me from now on," he teases and [Y/n] gasped at the audacity.
"How cruel! You would withhold food from me so you can essentially blackmail me?" She dramatically held her hand over her heart, hoping he would drop his condition, but he shook his head stubbornly.
"Very well, I guess you won't be having it," he shrugged nonchalantly, but [Y/n]'s stomach was desperately rumbling in protest and she couldn't bear the pain anymore.
"Fine! Fine. I'll take your offer," she said, shuffling to him. He eyed her with amusement.
"You will be civil with me, then?"
"Yes! You have my word!" She pleaded, and he chuckled a little too loudly. Reaching behind him, he pulled out his bag and searched inside, revealing a wrapped leaf, handing it to her with a victorious smile. She took it gingerly, not making eye contact with him.
"What do we say?" He pushed on, and she growled lowly.
"Thanks..." she mumbled awkwardly, unwrapping it and taking a hefty bite. She sighed happily, glad she wasn't going to starve tonight. He watched her as she ate away till she got through half of the loaf, and by then, [Y/n] began to feel full. She noticed him staring and began to feel guilt for being so selfish... he was probably starving too, she had noted that he too hasn't eaten in days, and was probably lying when he said he was keeping it for Gimli. She had an inkling that he really meant that was hoping to enjoy it himself, and only said that to ease her into taking it.
"Here. I'm full. You should eat the rest... thank you, again." She bowed her head as she outstretched it towards him, once again not meeting his eyes. He took it from her gently, smiling softly at the sentiment.
"Very well," he replied, and ate a piece himself. They sat in silence, and she oddly felt like a little mouse at that moment, warming up to the fire and nibbling at the crumbs on her lips.
"You aren't as disagreeable as you make yourself to be," he commented, after storing away the bread into his bag. She widened her eyes, unsure what he meant.
"Why do you think that?" She asked, her voice meek and soft. He looked to the night sky, sighing and leaning back. His hair hung behind him and she felt the urge to run it between her fingers.
"Because, I could just tell," he responded but, it still perplexed her. He closed his eyes as a light breeze hit them, a breeze that wasn't cold but, was rather pleasant against the skin. Her eyes shone with the mystery emotion that only Legolas could coax out of her.
"Even despite my horrid behaviour toward you?" She watched him, her voice barely above a whisper. He opened his eyes and watched the stars above them, letting them shine into his eyes and reflect into [Y/n]'s. She couldn't bring herself to move in that moment, not to blink or budge a muscle, she was simply too enthralled by this man's beauty, she was willing to defy her pride and admire it.
"I have seen your other faces... so to speak," he tried explaining, but it was too vague for her to understand. He sighed, unsure how to continue. Glancing towards her, he grimaced when he was met with her puzzled expression.
"These instincts are not easy to put into words..." he shifted awkwardly, finding a comfortable position to lay down. [Y/n] peered at him unconvinced.
"Are you sure? You always seem to know what to say in any given situation," she pointed, poking him in the rib. Legolas only shrugged, furrowing his brows at the sky.
"Some things cannot be comprehensible, even to the most sapient observers," he breathed, sending shivers down her spine. His gaze looked lost in the radiant night, like he had travelled far into his mind and watched truths unfold before him. [Y/n] gripped her bare upper arms, feeling them prick again with chills which were beginning to scare her. To lighten the strange aura they had created, she chuckled softly and laid down as well. Silence took over again, but this time it was comfortable. There was nothing needed to be said, so nothing was.
"Legolas?" She squeaked, and he hummed in response, indicating he was listening. She hesitated, thinking it was a bad idea to go through with what she was going to say, her mouth clamping shut like something in her had sealed it. Fighting her inner self, she opened her mouth to say it.
"Thank you." She whispered, snapping her head away immediately so she wouldn't have to feel flustered with facing him. His eyes popped open searching for her face, astonished at what she just said. She hid her face behind her shoulder, and wouldn't meet his eyes. Frozen, it took a second for her words to echo and eventually sink into his comprehension. Slowly, a smile graced his lips.
She had given thanks to him before, but this one had seemed more profound than any other. Even [Y/n] couldn't believe she had said that to him, the son of Thranduil — the man who wants her locked away forever. Her heart pounded against her chest uncontrollably, and she cowered away against her knees, holding herself tight. Gandalf always told her that she should be polite to him, even if he was hostile towards her before, but she never fathomed that this dynamic would flip. He was now the peaceful one, and she had turned hostile. Shaming herself, she brought her eyes to look at him, but he was already asleep. Had she been thinking for that long? Maybe. She sighed, looking to the stars like he did.
They glowed a little brighter tonight.
◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢
>:3
Hope you enjoyed reading that little tidbit. I've been rlly happy while writing these chapters these days, but I have so many details I need to remember so if something ever breaks continuity, lmk!
It's so hard to keep note every single little thing while writing because damn, I sometimes get carried away. I guess I need to plan things a little better.
Oh well, please comment and vote!
Thank you for reading!