LOTR || ⤜𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙩 → [Legolas x OC]

⤜ 10 → creatures of Lorién

Lothlórien. That's where we were headed.

If I was being taken to any mere place by three men, I would have bolted in the opposite direction.

A long time ago.

But what made me stay was the hope that Aragorn had suggested - that perhaps this Lady of Lothlórien may know of a way to get me home. An inkling of hope.

"But do not trust to hope," he had warned me. "For it has once forsaken these lands."

I didn't dare ask what he meant.

Around midday, we stopped for a short break, feeding the horses and filling our canteens from a nearby stream that flowed with cool fresh water down from the mountains. Then the sun began its descent in the sky and we set off again.

I was shifting in my seat, the wings successfully making all sitting positions ten times more uncomfortable.

Gimli and Aragorn settled into an easy conversation once more, discussing things that seemed foreign to my ears.

"The mercenary advised not to go beyond the Ered Luin." Aragorn was saying, guiding his horse around a small dip in the ground.

"Aye, well I suppose this mercenary is in a position to judge the dangers, isn't she laddie, when she hasn't even stepped foot in those mountains herself?!" Gimli's tone was nothing less than sarcastic.

"Word travels fast," replied Aragorn, quickly batting down what could have well been the start of an argument with the dwarf. "Three sighting of great winged beasts in the air, spotted over the nearest village last month."

Drifting away from the discussion, I settled my eyes on the horizon.

And that was when I spotted a faint stretch of trees, far in the distance - the reflection of the sun's rays making them appear almost golden. "Is that Lothlórien?" I asked quietly. The conversation between them stopped, and Aragorn now followed my finger pointing to the line of trees on the horizon. He squinted.

"Yes," he said after a long moment, straightening his back. "That is Lothlórien. Though I am rather impressed your eyes could pick out the details from afar. We have yet a large stretch of land to cover before we reach the woods by nightfall."

Nodding, I lowered my head. I could feel his gaze lingering on me for a second longer, before he turned to face the front again. It was true, my eyesight had always been considerably better than everybody's I met - something my Father never failed to comment on... incessantly. I cringed. He said it was a gift, though I always brushed it off as nothing special. Rather something abnormal and strange. And now, under the narrowed gaze of Aragorn, I felt totally and utterly exposed - as if I had spilled a secret I wasn't supposed to.

A small breath of relief escaped me as soon they continued their previous debate over mercenaries and mountains. I lifted my head again, startled to meet Legolas's eyes just as he turned away. I caught the subtle, scrutinizing glance regardless.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*

We neared the woods by nightfall, just as Aragorn had said. leaving the horses to roam freely in a nearby area, Gimli claimed they preferred not to tie them, not after having his fingers nearly bit off by Arod once. Despite that, they never roamed too far. Ever the loyal steeds.

The last light of the sun dipped into the horizon, and a hush descended upon us as soon as we stepped foot in the woods. The atmosphere felt different here, within the trees, as if it was humming with energy. Magic, I quickly realised.