Sequel: A Burden ›
A Mistake
Thoughts of Courting
With Legolas rowing behind her, Raina had too much time to think. She wished that there was something she could do to keep herself occupied, but there was nothing but food and camping supplies in the boat, and she was not strong enough to paddle instead of Legolas for any length of time. So, instead, she lay down inside the boat and tried to get some rest.
She head hit the wooden boat with a thunk, but she didn’t take notice, and let her eyes flutter shut. She focused her thoughts on things that really didn’t matter, like how bad her hair must look. She had brushed it in Lothlórien, but even as her hair gradually became less curls and more waves, it knotted in hours. She thought abut how nice it was to be in new clothes, and how warm these were compared to the ones she started out with. Her new leather cloak was a nice blanket as she rested, and she promised that when she returned to the Realm of the Lady of the Wood, she would find the lad that gave it to her. She frowned thinking. It mightn’t have been a lad, she thought with a shrug. He could have been a thousand years old, and she wouldn’t have been able to tell. Legolas barely looked twenty five, but he was several thousand years old, from what Raina knew. Drawn by a sudden curiosity, she asked him.
“Legolas?” she whispered, knowing that when the two of the spoke, they would have to do no more than breathe the words to each other.
“Ae?” he whispered back. (Yes?)
“Man laurë et le?” Raina asked curiously, not opening her eyes.
Sitting behind her, Legolas began to laugh. The soft vibrations moved through the boat and to Raina, comforting her in some odd way. She giggled a little, for the first time in too long.
“Atta nert-neldér idhrin,” he said once he had stopped laughing. Raina’s eyebrows shot up.
She then laughed. “Goodness, you’re old,” she stated, breaking the Elvish and the whispers.
Legolas chuckled. “Maybe one day you’ll live to be two thousand nine hundred and thirty one, as well.”
Raina scoffed. “Right. Up until now, I’ve been growing at the rate of a Man. I can only assume that I’ll keep doing so until I die at a reasonable age.”
Legolas shook his head. Although Raina still did not open her eyes, she could hear his long hair swish back a forth twice.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Ever since you put that Elvenstar pendant on-”
“Lóestel,” Raina interrupted, instinctively wrapping one of her hands around the metal wings and entangled vines. “It’s called Lóestel.”
She could practically see Legolas smiling from where she was. “Lóestel. Anyways, don’t be surprised when you’re stuck with just me and Gimli, looking as if you were still twenty-one.”
After that, Raina was silent. Was she really immortal? Of course not, she would have felt different, in someway. Legolas must be mistaken. She must not have enough Elf blood in her to be immortal. Not as if she wanted to be. Unless she married an Elf, of course. Think about that brought back thoughts about Legolas…
She sighed loudly, and turned her head to the side, as if trying to look away from those kinds of thoughts. Instead, she focused on the slaps of the water on the wooden boat. Soon enough, she fell asleep…
She head hit the wooden boat with a thunk, but she didn’t take notice, and let her eyes flutter shut. She focused her thoughts on things that really didn’t matter, like how bad her hair must look. She had brushed it in Lothlórien, but even as her hair gradually became less curls and more waves, it knotted in hours. She thought abut how nice it was to be in new clothes, and how warm these were compared to the ones she started out with. Her new leather cloak was a nice blanket as she rested, and she promised that when she returned to the Realm of the Lady of the Wood, she would find the lad that gave it to her. She frowned thinking. It mightn’t have been a lad, she thought with a shrug. He could have been a thousand years old, and she wouldn’t have been able to tell. Legolas barely looked twenty five, but he was several thousand years old, from what Raina knew. Drawn by a sudden curiosity, she asked him.
“Legolas?” she whispered, knowing that when the two of the spoke, they would have to do no more than breathe the words to each other.
“Ae?” he whispered back. (Yes?)
“Man laurë et le?” Raina asked curiously, not opening her eyes.
Sitting behind her, Legolas began to laugh. The soft vibrations moved through the boat and to Raina, comforting her in some odd way. She giggled a little, for the first time in too long.
“Atta nert-neldér idhrin,” he said once he had stopped laughing. Raina’s eyebrows shot up.
She then laughed. “Goodness, you’re old,” she stated, breaking the Elvish and the whispers.
Legolas chuckled. “Maybe one day you’ll live to be two thousand nine hundred and thirty one, as well.”
Raina scoffed. “Right. Up until now, I’ve been growing at the rate of a Man. I can only assume that I’ll keep doing so until I die at a reasonable age.”
Legolas shook his head. Although Raina still did not open her eyes, she could hear his long hair swish back a forth twice.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Ever since you put that Elvenstar pendant on-”
“Lóestel,” Raina interrupted, instinctively wrapping one of her hands around the metal wings and entangled vines. “It’s called Lóestel.”
She could practically see Legolas smiling from where she was. “Lóestel. Anyways, don’t be surprised when you’re stuck with just me and Gimli, looking as if you were still twenty-one.”
After that, Raina was silent. Was she really immortal? Of course not, she would have felt different, in someway. Legolas must be mistaken. She must not have enough Elf blood in her to be immortal. Not as if she wanted to be. Unless she married an Elf, of course. Think about that brought back thoughts about Legolas…
She sighed loudly, and turned her head to the side, as if trying to look away from those kinds of thoughts. Instead, she focused on the slaps of the water on the wooden boat. Soon enough, she fell asleep…