Legolas looked over, when he heard footsteps approaching, and he
saw Aragorn. The Ranger had an odd look on his face, as if he wished
that he were somewhere else.
"What troubles you, Aragorn?" Legolas asked, softly, so as not
to wake anyone in the sleeping camp nearby.
His friend shook his head at the question, and didn't speak for
a long moment. Legolas knew that Aragorn would say what he had come
over to say, when he was ready.
"Kristiel told me what happened last night," Aragorn finally
said.
"Did she?" Legolas asked.
"It was my fault," Aragorn said. "Although Kristiel would say
otherwise."
"I do not understand," Legolas said, with a frown.
"I forgot that when you awake Kristiel, she tends to be quite...
defensive," Aragorn explained. "If I had remembered, I would have
warned you."
Legolas nodded, before what Aragorn had said registered in his
mind. He eyed his friend sharply.
"What?" Aragorn asked.
"How do you know how Kristiel wakes up?" Legolas asked, his
voice low.
Aragorn's eyes widened slightly at the question.
"I know how she wakes up," he said. "Because she has stayed at
Rivendell before. What happened last night has happened before."
Aragorn looked at Legolas closely.
"How else did you think I knew?" he asked.
Legolas looked away, his gaze landing everywhere but on
Aragorn. He did not know what was wrong with him. How could he have
asked what he had? Why had he asked what he had? Aragorn was his
friend. His trusted friend. Yet, Legolas had just accused him of
being more than friends with Kristiel, when he knew that Aragorn was
faithful to his beloved, Arwen.
"Legolas?" Aragorn asked softly.
The elf looked at the Ranger. To his surprise, Aragorn did not
look mad. In fact, he had a look of understanding on his face.
Legolas was confused.
"Why are you not upset?" he asked.
"Because I understand," Aragorn replied.
"You understand?" Legolas asked, still confused.
"Yes," Aragorn said, nodding.
The Ranger turned to head back to the camp, but stopped and
looked back at Legolas.
"You hurt her," Aragorn said. "You will answer to me."
Then, he turned and made his way back to the camp. Legolas
stared after his friend. Aragorn's words ran through his mind. 'You
hurt her, you will answer to me'. Surely, Aragorn was not implying
that Legolas had feelings for Kristiel? He barely knew her.
Okay, yes, he admitted that he found the half-elf attractive.
She was quite beautiful, in fact. But, he could say the same about
Arwen. And, he did not have feelings for her, other than those of
friendship. His feelings for Kristiel were nothing but those of
being comrades-in-arms. Maybe even friends, one day. How could he
have feelings, the ones that Aragorn had implied, for Kristiel, when
he already had those feelings for another?