Lady of the Elves

Chapter 6

Legolas's POV

Verya withdrew from my embrace, miniscule tears shiny in her eyes as she let out a choked laugh. "Oh Verya, you do not know how much I missed you," I said as a large smile formed across my cheeks.

"Legolas, I am sorry I never came back, it was just too dangerous for anyone to know I was still alive. The orcs still search for me, in the will of Saruman. He needs me for something in his evil plans," she said a smile matching mine grew on her lips. Her words confused me.

We walked side by side down a short passage until we came upon a bench just long enough for a single person to sit and rest. "Please sit Verya, we have much to speak about," I said, meaning to stand as we talked

"No, my prince, I cannot allow that," she answered stubbornly as she sat against the wall facing opposite the bench displaying she would not be moved. I laughed gently, remembering that something like this had happened when we were many years younger and sat across from her leaving the bench open.

"Your words confused me, please tell me what happened?" I began.

She answered with the plight on the edge of the frozen falls as she attempted to protect Thorin. She told of her single year of captivity, how Saruman spoke to her everyday and then suddenly stopped, the fight between the orcs, and her escape. Her meeting with Aragorn and the stab from the wraith. She smiled softly, "In all the years that I was believed dead I visited Mirkwood once, with an assassin hostage that your father wished to interrogate, I didn't see you that day, but I nearly went looking." She dropped her head in her own shock of her words and fished from the inside pocket of her cloak a bone needle with dark thread already attached to it. "Do you remember Gollum?" she asked as she began stitching the tear of the cloak shut.

"Of course. Why do you bring him up?" I asked my heart suddenly dropping in thought of what may have happened.

"I met him in my travels. He seemed to know me. Recently I found that he had been tortured by orcs and gave them valuable information. I am afraid he told them of me. I am so easily known with my hair color," she laughed softly "For a time I had to run mud through it when I worked as an assassin for Gondor." She paused, "Since Tauriel died I haven't known of any other with hair like mine." She raised her eyes slightly from her work and tiny diamonds of tear twinkled at the edges as she asked, "I have lost all my family now, do you know hard hard it is to lose a mother, a father, all your sisters, and a beloved brother? Do you know hard it is to loose any you love?"

"I lost you," I answered.

She lowered her eyes in shame. Immediately I regretted what I said, she obviously still felt pains for not returning to those she knew. She snapped the thread with her teeth and drew her cloak over her shoulders as she stood. "I must ask you to call me Aelia, for I do not wish to use my true name in the journey. Aelia means sun, it was given to me by an orc captain years before the battle of the five armies, it strikes fear for what I am known for: an assassin, a ranger, a shield maiden, a wanderer. He gave it to me for my hair and my blades, the sun who strikes with fire."

She then left me. I remained for a moment still sitting against the wall. I stood as the steps of a man echoed through the halls and looked to the sound as Boromir walked into the hall. I bowed my head in acknowledgement hoping he would pass and leave me to my thoughts. With my beastly luck he stopped and spoke, "So it seems I'm not the only one she has a short temper with. Though you seemed to know her now, but not at the meeting, no one did."

"How much did you hear?" I asked, somewhat offended that he had listened in.

"I just heard her tell you to call her Aelia, after the sun, and that's it. It's a bit of a relief to know her name, she refused to tell me," he answered laughing softly, "Also I must ask you one thing."

"Speak," I returned a bit sharper then I meant.

He seemed not to notice, "Is it true what I have heard? She was stabbed by a Nazgûl and traveled for nearly a week without showing any sign of failing?"

"It is true."

"Aye, she is stronger than she looks, and more fearsome besides," he nodded slightly in approval, "I am sure we will become friends." My eyes followed him as he walked down the same hall Verya went through. This man was odd, first he saw her as a woman, then a threat, then a friend. Then again the mind is a fickle thing.

I returned to my room and stepped out onto the small balcony that looked out onto the woods. From it I could see many elves milling about on their daily business. A sudden flash leapt out at me from the forest and drew my eyes to it. I saw Aelia standing before a dummy, hacking at it with her duel swords. She drew back and pulled from her boot a small stash of throwing knives and threw them at the dummy. Each time she threw it hit its mark, either between the painted eyes or straight through the heart. If it had been living it would have been dead ten fold times over.

As she stood still her breath came in ragged gulps she suddenly stiffened and spun round. She turned facing Boromir who bowed before her and she did the same. The spoke as Aelia gathered her knives from the dummy. I turned back, deciding I did not want to see Aelia a moment more, she obviously was not happy with me.

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Yay!! New chapter!! Sorry it has taken so long, and sorry it's so short... Please forgive, but I like it like this. I'd like to see at least three comments before the next update. and as Tigger always says TTFN!! Ta ta for Now!!