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Part 3

Sudden Goodbyes

That night was the best night of my life. I really don’t want to give the details, seeing that that’s Legolas’ business and mine.

When I was a little kid, for as long as I remember I wanted to be adopted. Granted, I lived with a dozen kids my own age and I had a great time with them, but the thing that hurt the most, was that they left and I didn’t. I can remember kneeling by a window almost every night, praying to the moon that one day I’d be wanted and loved.

When I turned sixteen, I gave up on praying. I was almost old enough to live on my own if I so chose, which I did. Only once did I have a chance of being adopted, and that one time fell through when the so-to-be father was diagnosed with a heart condition, and they didn’t have enough money to support a seven-year-old kid and pay doctor bills.

However, I spent a little time crying to myself, just a while ago. The moon outside was visible to me through the lattice window in the guest room that Elrond gave me. Legolas’ arm was around me, and I was holding his hand. I knew he was asleep, but ever so softly did I talk to the moon for the first time in four years.

It’s kind of cheesy, what I said that is. “Thank you,” I started. “I’m so sorry for getting mad and upset all of those years when I was left at the orphanage while everyone else was leaving to live a new life. Now I understand why a family didn’t ever love me. If that happened, I never would’ve found Legolas. And I know this isn’t a dream now. Thank you for sending me to him. Thank you for giving me the chance to feel what real love is like.”

I must have fallen asleep soon after, because I don’t remember saying anything else.

òòò

By now I was used to the sound of birds chirping outside my window. The morning sun was high in the air, and the ground was drying from the previous night’s rain. I rolled over, a smile on my face while my eyes were still closed. But that smile faded and my eyes opened when I felt that I was alone.

Legolas’ belongings were gone, and there was no sign of him anywhere. I quickly got up, dressed and found my way downstairs to where I saw him, Elrond, and dozens of other Elves. I waited patiently, seeing that they were in some sort of meeting.

I heard Elrond say something, although I could barely make out what it was. “This is a great burden, I know. But they must be stopped once and for all.”

“We will succeed, Lord Elrond. They will not come close to harming us or others any further,” said an Elf I never saw before, but he resembled Legolas in a way—(the blonde hair thing again).

“Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu vilya,” Elrond said to them, I have no idea what that mean. I’m assuming it was some sort of Elvish language. They broke apart and went their separate ways.

I caught Legolas going out into the gardens, so I went after him. I think Elrond saw me and suspected I overheard them talking again. I really didn’t care though.

“Legolas,” I called after him.

He turned around and gave me a warm smile. I hugged and kissed him and we walked on. “What was that meeting all about?”

Legolas gave a deep sigh. I felt him take hold of my hand as we went on. “I must leave for a few days.”

“Leave? Where are we going this time?” I said eagerly. I really didn’t care where it was as long as I was with him.

“Not we. Or not in the sense you think,” he told me. “You must stay here where you’ll be safe. I am going with the other Elves to the outer regions of Rivendell. An army of orcs have been sighted, and they mean to hunt my kind down. We must go and stop them.”

I stopped, stood, and stared. “You mean you’re going into battle with them? Like with weapons that can kill?”

“Yes, unfortunately.” I don’t ever recall being so scared in my entire life. The thought that I might lose him now was unbearable. He smiled and started to embrace me. “Do not worry. I promise to come back.”

“Alive and in one piece?” I said seriously.

“Of course, what else? I’ve been in many battles before. I can take care of myself.” He kissed my forehead. “When I return, you may choose to stay here or go back to Mirkwood.”

“I’ll go wherever you go, and you know that,” I told him as I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. “What did Elrond tell you in that language?”

“It’s Elvish for ‘May the Valar protect you on your path under the sky’,” he said gently.

It wasn’t even an hour later when the Elves mounted their horses and left to stop the orcs. I couldn’t bring myself to wave, for I felt that I’d be saying goodbye forever.

“He’ll be alright,” Elrond came up and told me. “Prince Legolas is a powerful warrior. He will return to you.”

“I hope so,” was all that I could say.

Now mind you that I wasn’t there during this battle. But I feel that you’d be missing out on an important part of the story. This is where someone else tells the story.

The Rivendell Elves, including Legolas, rode hard to the east of the Elven refuge. They all knew what they would find in time, and they were all ready.

“Up ahead!” The leader of the Elf army called behind him. He raised his bow high into the air and led the charge.

Legolas much rather preferred to fight on his own two feet. He turned his horse around to run into the other direction. Then he quickly jumped off and headed towards the battle that was to take place.

It was in a slightly wooded area. The weather was not playing its role, for it started to rain, even though it wasn’t threatening before. Many were thankful that it wasn’t a heavy downpour.

Legolas basically stood in one spot shooting arrows at any orc he could. However, he paused for a moment when he caught sight of something that was more than an orc. It was called a Uruk-hai. These monsters were not a common sight. They were like orcs, only larger and much stronger. Legolas made a note to watch out for them, but for the time being he was only surrounded by the normal orcs.

The battle was on going, and it seemed like it was never going to end. The orcs outnumbered the Elves, but luckily, only a few of the Elves were being hit and wounded.

An armored orc was slowly making its way towards Legolas, which the prince was aware of. The orc held up his sword foolishly to make a comedown slash at the Elven prince, but before he could strike, Legolas had fired double arrows into the monster’s chest.

However, behind him, another orc was creeping up for a sneak attack. As Legolas fired his arrows at the beast before him, the monster behind was just about to attack. The Elf’s sensitive ears picked up the movement from behind and quickly reached over his back, pulled out his Elf-knives, and dug them deep into the shoulders of his attacker.

At that moment, the prince heard a sharp yell of pain from one of his own. He quickly turned around and dodged to the scene, his feet barely touching down on the hard ground beneath him.

“Thank you Legolas,” the Elf said when the monster had been shot with an arrow.

The rescue celebration was very short lived when a group of orcs came up to them. Eventually, the two were separated and fighting on their own.

Legolas continued to slash orcs with his knives, trying to spear his remaining arrows for long shots. One of the evil creatures had a lucky shot and was able to cut the prince’s right arm. Although the pain was immense, he did his best to ignore it and continue to fight.

He had just finished off the last one in the large group when his eyes caught the attention of an Elf that had been wounded and was about to be finished off by a Uruk-hai that was standing over him.

Legolas immediately took his long bow and an arrow, aiming it in the direction it would need to travel to save his fellow Elf. He pulled the arrow back to his right ear trying to keep his wounded arm from shaking in pain, while his left arm holding the brown bow steady.

Just as he let the arrow fly, he felt a surge of powerful agony pierce his chest, directly under his right shoulder. His longbow fell from his hands and he stumbled backwards as he brought his left hand up to where it hurt. He looked down to see a black arrow dug deeply into his flesh.

Legolas screamed out, never having felt something like this. He felt his right arm start to go numb, although the pain didn’t leave in the least. His legs wobbled under him, and he backed up into a boulder.

“Legolas!” One of the head Elves of the army yelled out across the way.

Legolas barely heard his own name being called. His knees gave and he slid to the cold and muddy ground. The rain falling on his freshly cut skin stung like a thousand bees.

“Prince Legolas!” cried the same Elf as he fell to his knees next to the wounded warrior. “Take it easy, I’ll get you out of here.”

Legolas tried to nod in agreement, but instead he looked at his hand that had been holding onto the arrow. It was covered in his own red blood.

The Elf, whose name was Rumedais, carried Legolas out into a clearing and behind a large tree. Most of the horses were grazing in this area as well, which one would prove very useful in the next few minutes.

Another Elf joined Rumedais next to the prince’s side. “Is he alright?” He asked.

Rumedais held the arrow and bit his lip as he prepared to pull it out. He did so quickly, and could practically feel the pain himself as Legolas jumped and screamed at the top of his lungs. He noticed a greenish liquid drip from the head. “Poison. This had been dipped in a poison.” He looked at Legolas’ scrunched face. “We must get him back to Rivendell,” he told the other. “Julieo, bringing him back. You must ride hard and not look behind. He doesn’t have much time…”

“I shall do so, sir,” Julieo said as he pulled a horse towards them. As he sat in the saddle, Rumedais lifted Legolas up as Julieo pulled gently and held him in his arms so he wouldn’t fall off.

As Rumedais ripped a piece of cloth for the other Elf to hold against the wound to keep it from bleeding as much, two more wounded Elves were being dragged out. They too would have to be brought back home.

“You haven’t a moment to lose! Go now!” He slapped the horse’s flanks and they were off. “Valar be with them,” he said as he turned to assist the others.

Julieo was finding it difficult to ride the charging horse and keep his hold on Legolas without moving him around too much. He knew if that did happen, the wounded Elf would feel more misery than he was already experiencing.

òòò

Back in Rivendell, I was waiting for what seemed like a lifetime for any word on what was happening. One Elf had been brought back already, having suffered a blow to his leg with a sword. Luckily, he was all right, and was recovering.

For two more long hours I sat at the top of the stairs on a stone bench under a terrace that kept me from being soaked by the falling rain. Elrond had come out periodically to see if I was okay, which I assured him I was. He tried over and over again to keep my faith in Legolas and he’d be safe.

Elrond had just come outside to join me once again when we heard the clanking of hooves on the stone ground. An Elf riding a gray horse came to a sudden halt, a blonde-haired warrior in his own grasp.

“Lord Elrond!” he called up to us. It was then I realized who the wounded warrior was.

“Legolas!” I yelled as I skipped two steps at a time to get down to where they were. I saw the anguish on his face as the Elf held onto him.

“What happened!?” Elrond demanded, as he arrived at my side no more than a moment later.

“A poisoned arrow, sir. Shot by a Uruk-hai we think,” the youthful Elf replied as other Elves came up next to us and helped take Legolas off the horse.

“Bring him to the nearest bed, immediately!” Elrond commanded as he and I followed the three carrying Legolas. As we entered the building, I turned quickly to see two more horses arrive with two more victims.

I watched in horror as they practically tore Legolas’ tunic and shirt off him. I heard his quiver land hard on the floor, rolling a bit and the remaining arrows spilling out. There were four Elves, including Elrond, who worked on him. I could see his legs moving around, as the fabric of his clothes must have rubbed his wounds.

They all ran around quickly in all directions, bringing Elrond the things he called for, which I heard some—both hot and cold water, cloths, and some kind of herbs. I was almost amazed that one of them had to actually hold Legolas down, seeing that he was moving around too much. But it was only his left side that did so, for a reason I was still unsure of.

His arm had been bandaged, that I did see. It wasn’t for another twenty minutes or so until Elrond backed away. By now, Legolas had calmed down completely and had fallen into a deep sleep. The thing was, I had no idea that it could be his last.

The other Elves had left, and Elrond was rinsing his bloodied hands in one of the basins that were brought out. He dried them on a spare piece of cloth while looking at Legolas. “We can only wait,” he told me as I made my way over slowly.

“What happened exactly?” I asked looking at Legolas’ bandaged chest, which was starting to show traces of red.

Elrond brought over a chair for me to sit in. “He was hit by an arrow that was previously dipped in poison. The gash was deep, and unfortunately the poison is quick to travel.”

I felt my heart skipped a beat. “Is he…is he going to die?” I knew that Elves are immortal, but I also remembered that they still could be slain by others.

“I did my best to provide a sort of antibiotic, if you will. It’s the most powerful one that I know of. And unfortunately, only time will tell if it works.”

The time he spoke of was stretching out into hours, and then not only into the night, but the next morning as well. Not once did I leave his bedside or let go of his left hand. I almost wanted to cry every time I heard him moan and turn his head over with his teeth clenched down.

As Elrond expected, Legolas broke out in a high fever. “A good sign that he is fighting, Fae,” he said to me when it was obvious that sweat was trickling down Legolas’ face. I offered to make myself useful while sitting there, so I would make sure a cold compress was on his forehead at all times.

As the clock ticked into the second night, I noticed that Legolas was becoming very pale. It scared me to see this, and I think it was scaring Elrond too. He had sent a messenger to Mirkwood to tell King Thranduil of his son’s condition. An evil thought passed quickly through my mind when I heard of this. What would Grennecial do if Legolas didn’t go back for her? I mentally slapped myself for even thinking such a thing. I restated that question and asked myself out loud, “What would I do if he left me?”

A bit of good news did reach my ears that night, however. Elrond came to tell me himself that the battle against the orcs was finished, and the orcs had retreated to the south. At least, Legolas’ wound wasn’t in vain.

I’m not sure what time it was when I woke up. It was still very dark out, so it must have been the middle of the night. A few candles burned dimly around me, and the entire house was quiet. Except for the sound that woke me.

Legolas was moving about in his sleep and a small moan was escaping his open mouth. His palm was sweaty, and I saw that his face was as well. I quickly reached over and took the wet cloth and gently dabbed his face. It was a few minutes before he settled down. Once again, though, I noticed that only his left side was moving. I knew this was bad because that meant that the poison must still be in his body.

Once I knew he was asleep again, I stood up and stretched. I went to the window balcony doors and opened them. High in the sky was a crescent moon. I knew that I would be pushing my luck if I prayed to it again. I didn’t want anyone to think that I was confident it would come true seeing that my prayers were answered once already.

“God,” I started and already I could feel myself start to choke out the words. “Please help him. He’s fought so hard now. Please help him win the battle…I can’t lose him now…”

I returned to my chair, closing the doors but not shutting them completely. I took hold of his hand again as I felt a tear escape my eye. I kissed his fingers and put them against my own cheek. “Legolas please don’t give up. I know you can win. Don’t leave me…”

For some odd reason, I had this terrible feeling that this was going to be the last time I saw him breathing. I tried so hard to push those thoughts away, but how could one do so after all this time has gone by and no progress had been made?

Still holding his hand, and a few more tears threatening to flow down my own face, I leaned over and kissed his practically color-faded lips. I felt terrible when he wasn’t kissing me back. I felt two tears—one from each eye, fall from my face. I knew one fell on his own face, but I didn’t look for it to wipe away.

Slowly sitting back into my chair, I lay my head next to his side and held his hand in mine. I wasn’t exactly crying myself to sleep, but my eyes were still moist when I felt myself relax and become unaware of what was happening.

My mind started to shift out of the dream I was in, which was too bad because I dreamt that I was running in an open field, Legolas coming after me playfully. I started to feel my body tense at the position I was in, which I knew had to be the same it was the night before. My back felt a tight feeling, having been bent over the bed and letting my head rest on the mattress.

But there was something else that I felt, and it wasn’t the uncomforting feeling of my own body. I felt something heavier on my head, and it was moving slowly. My eyes opened, and I saw the lumps of the blankets where Legolas’ feet lay under them. I squeezed my hand, which I was reluctant to feel was still holding his. What almost astonished me was that the hand squeezed back.

I quickly raised my head, the stroking feeling falling down at once. My heart leapt when I saw a pair of green eyes staring back at me set in a no-longer pale face.

“Legolas…” I whispered to myself. He lay on his side facing me, his left hand holding mine still, and his right arm stretched across so his hand could stroke my own hair while I slept. His right arm…he was cured.

“You must have been tired,” he commented. “You’ve slept half the morning away.”

I couldn’t speak any words. I shared his smile and leaned over for a kiss. His own arms wrapped around me and brought me down to lie on his chest.

I looked over to where bandages were stained brown with dried blood. My hand cautiously settled down on top of it, and I was happy to see that he didn’t gasp in pain when the contact was made. “You’re alright now,” I said, tears of joy seeping into my eyes.

“And I think I know why,” a voice said from an open door behind me.

Both of us looked over to see Elrond walking over towards us with hands behind his back. I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment; I don’t like it when people see me pouring my heart out and stuff.

Legolas pushed himself up in the bed so his back rested against the headboard, although his hand never released my own. “You’re medicines did all of the work, Elrond. That is why they call you the Healer.”

“That’s where you are wrong, Legolas,” Elrond said standing at the end of the bed directly facing Legolas and myself. “You see, my medicines helped conceal the poison from spreading through your whole body, your own will to live helped you from dying, but I believe it was Lady Fae that saved you in the end.”

“Me?” I asked. “What did I do besides sit here and watch him suffer in his sleep?”

“Think back to last night, Fae,” Elrond said. “I was walking past, going to check on Legolas’ present condition when I saw you walking back to the bed with tears in your eyes. I heard what you said, and I saw you kiss him.” I could tell my face went redder than a tomato, if that where possible.

“Your tears of love must have fallen on him. That magic was what saved him. Your own love for him was the true healing method.”

I was flabbergasted. “I…because I was crying like a child last night, I saved his life? Come on…” I said.

“In this world, Fae, anything is possible. In Rivendell, there is invisible magic that can only be felt, not touched.” Elrond smiled. “I think Legolas will be back to his normal self later today.” And with that he left, his robe flowing behind him.

I looked at Legolas, who couldn’t believe it. “I am an Elf, and not even I thought such a thing were possible. The only thing that I could think of besides the pain of that arrow, was abandoning you here in this world you are so unfamiliar with.”

“I love you. I really love you,” I told him. I didn’t care what else he was saying; I just had to tell him right then and there how much I truly felt for him. He was the first person ever to make me feel like I belonged, and the first person that I truly loved.

òòò

Elrond was right. Legolas was back to his normal self by that afternoon. We had a great time too. He showed me all around Rivendell, and even took me to a field to show me how to shoot an arrow. The thing he loved to do most, (archery that is), was almost his own downfall.

The sun was almost ready to set, but that wasn’t going to stop my determination to shoot down a lousy apple. Legolas had placed a row of them on a stonewall as targets.

“Now, which hand is the one you write with?” He asked me. I told him my right hand was. “Good, then I can show you exactly, because I also use my right hand.” He picked up his beautiful brown bow with gold leaves at each end and in the middle. “You hold the bow with your left hand in the middle, like this.” He showed me, keeping the wood facing the ground and the wire facing his head.

“Now, with your right hand, you place an arrow on top of the bow, the odd colored feather facing up. And if you look, there’s a little slit in the arrow at the end where the wire fits. That’ll help it stay balanced when you pull back.” He demonstrated what he just told me.

I listened carefully to his voice. It was really exciting to learn how to do this. “Now once done, straighten the bow out so the tips point to the ground and the sky. Keep your left arm steady, and pull the arrow back. The farther back you pull, the farther it will travel. When aiming, better to keep both eyes focused on the target.” He turned to the apples and quickly fired, slicing the apple apart and the pieces falling to the ground.

“Try it.”

I took his own bow and did as he showed me. Honestly, how hard could it be to shoot an arrow? How wrong I was, though. Loading it up was no problem. What was hard was keeping my left arm from shaking and pulling that stupid arrow back. My fingers let go way to early and the arrow went straight forward, and straight into the ground. As it left my fingers, the back end of it hit my arm, causing me to yell.

Legolas laughed, and I gave him a harsh look. “Don’t worry. That wasn’t bad for a first try. Do it again.”

I did, but the same thing happened. “I’m not going to have an arm left by the time we’re done!”

He laughed again and started to undo his wrist guards. “Put these on. They’ll protect you.” He put them on for me, actually. I’m really lazy, I know. “Now, focus your mind on the target. Put all your effort into pulling the arrow back.”

I looked at that apple. It’s a miracle it didn’t blow apart from my stare. I put another arrow on the bow, keeping my eyes focused. I pulled back until my hand reached my ear and then I let go. The arrow sailed across the grass towards the wall, but hit the stone instead of the fruit.

“This is hopeless,” I said dropping the bow.

Legolas bent down and picked the weapon up. “It takes time, trust me.”

“But look at you! You’re an expert!”

“I’m also four-hundred times your age, remember. I’ve had years of practice. I’m just lucky that it came a little more naturally for me.”

“Yeah, rub it in,” I told him. I smirked as he showed off, holding the bow sideways and shooting two arrows, knocking off two apples directly. He was good.

As he started to go after another arrow and aim for another apple, I went behind and stealthily let my hands skim around his waist and my arms holding him. Needless to say my actions made him miss his target.

“Even the great Legolas misses,” I said seductively.

“I never miss,” he said turning to me and taking me in his arms while still holding the bow, (which whacked me in the head). He apologized of course, but soon after gave me a passionate kiss. Not that I argued with him or anything.

I was really in the mood to run now. The sun was setting, and the moon rising, but I felt as light as a feather. My hand replaced my mouth on his lips. “You want me,” I told him quietly. “Come get me.”

I caught the eagerness in his eyes before I turned and ran away. I looked over my shoulder to see him drop his bow and follow after me. I laughed as I ran in circles, watching him try to follow my pattern of movements.

“Give up, you’ll never win!” He called to me.

“Try if you dare!” I called back over my shoulder. I laughed as I saw his smile. He probably would’ve caught me a lot sooner if I hadn’t kept moving around left and right. Legolas, after all, was a very fast runner and his feet were almost wings carrying him across the ground.

I started running up a steep hill, but I wasn’t able to do much turning—not if I wanted to make it to the top that is.

“You’ve lost,” he said coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He started to pick me up, but my feet were still trying to run. Accidentally, my legs intertwined with his and he stumbled to the side. We started to roll down the hill, his arms still holding me to his own body. I didn’t realize that the fall was as big as it was. As we were going farther down, I saw the ground break off a bit, but it was only a foot or so high. I knew we rolled off it, and although Legolas was beneath me when we did, I don’t remember hitting the ground.

òòò

My head pounded. I must have hit it. Actually, my whole body ached, but not with any kind of sharp pain, luckily. I heard a man’s voice saying my name over and over again. It took me a few moments to open my eyes. I started to see two people coming into view—one with blonde hair and the other with gray.

Finally my eyes focused and I was shocked to see whom I saw. The blonde man had short hair, and was wearing a long white coat with something embroidered over top pocket. The other person I recognized as the orphanage coordinator.

“How are you feeling Fae?” The blonde man asked. I saw one of those things around his necks that you use to listen to a heartbeat. I think they’re called stethoscopes or something.

“Legolas?” I asked weakly.

“Legolas?” Mr. Larson, the coordinator, repeated.

“Probably a dream she was having. I’ll go get her some Advil.” The blonde man, who I finally figured out to be a doctor, left the room into a busy hallway.

I looked around and found myself in a bed with bars on the sides. I was still in my clothes, but my shoes weren’t on my feet. I noticed my purse sitting on a tray table next to the bed. “Where am I?” I asked no one.

“Academy Memorial Hospital,” Mr. Larson told me. “You were in a car accident, Fae.”

“Car accident?” I asked confused.

“Don’t you remember the other man not stopping at the intersection and hitting you? You were unconscious when the police and ambulance arrived. They said you didn’t suffer any major injuries. Just a cut on your arm from the windshield glass and a bruise on your other arm.”

I really wasn’t listening to him. Was it all a dream? Legolas, prince of the Elves, Mirkwood, Rivendell, and orcs, where they nothing but a dream? It had to be. I looked at my clothes. They were fairly wet—probably from the rain when they took me out on the stretcher, but they were my jeans and sweatshirt. The same outfit I wore when I left my house. I wasn’t wearing that long dress Elrond had given me. It was just a dream…

Mr. Larson drove me home. He said my car was going to need a whole new passenger side. Wonderful, I kept thinking. But that wasn’t the chief thought in my mind. As we drove into the driveway of my apartment building, I could only think of Legolas. Damn, why did he have to be a dream!?

I took my purse and Mr. Larson brought me up to my door. “You’ll be alright?” He asked me.

“Yeah,” I told him. As I fumbled around in my purse for my keys, I felt something hard against my hand. I pulled it out to see my camera. I looked at the coordinator walking away. “Mr. Larson?” I asked. He turned around as I approached him. “Could you drop this off at CVS or somewhere?”

“Of course, Fae,” he said taking the camera.

Once in my apartment, I went straight to my room to change. While I did so, I felt my arms aching. While searching through my drawers for something to wear, my attention was directed to my left arm. There was a strange black and blue mark. “Huh,” I said. I figured it was from the accident.

I decided that I should probably take a shower before changing. Then I’ll find something to eat and watch some movie on TV.

While I was washing my body, I brought the sponge over my right arm and noticed something. It was the remains of a cut. But it was scabbed over, not fresh from the accident that only happened that morning.

That cut bothered me for the longest time after my shower. Then I remembered in my supposed dream that I had cut my arm after being attacked by orcs. Legolas had put some sort of cream over it, and then wrapped that spot in a cloth. But it was just a dream…perhaps I just dreamt of that after I did it. Whatever, right?

Later that night, I was sitting and watching TV when I heard the doorbell ring. I moaned as I pushed myself off the couch and made my way down the hall. I didn’t care if anyone saw me in my pajamas.

I looked through the eyehole and saw Mr. Larson standing and waiting. I opened the door and tried to give him a smile. He was, after all, interrupting my movie.

“I picked these up for you. Don’t worry about paying me back this time.” He handed me the bulky yellow envelope.

“Thanks,” I said. He didn’t say much more and left.

As I shut the door and locked it, I started to take the pictures out of the envelope, (you’ve got to love one-hour photos). I remembered the first pictures. They were of me and one of the kids I knew from the orphanage. We had gone shopping that day. She was basically my best friend.

However, as I slowly made my way back to the couch and sat down, I had to take a double look at the pictures. “The dream…” I said to myself. The first picture was of this beautiful place with waterfalls, greenery, and awesome looking houses. Next I saw a picture of two saddled horses, one white and one brown.

When I moved the horse picture behind the rest, I dropped them. In my lap lay a picture of a tall blonde man of about twenty-four years of age, with pointy ears, green eyes, and wearing a green tunic under a brown cloak. Behind him were ends of arrows that were being held in a quiver on is back.

“Legolas…” I said over and over. “It wasn’t a dream?” No, how could it have been? How can a dream produce pictures? I dreamt of that Elf, but there’s no way I could have living proof of a dream.

“He was really real…I really met that Elven prince…I really did fall in love with him…”

I continued to go through the rest of the pictures. There was one of Legolas on his white horse, and then another of him holding his bow and an arrow placed on top. But those were the only three. I later realized that I never finished the role of film, which was a waste of money.

However, now I knew that Legolas was real. Everything that happened wasn’t a dream at all. I went to sleep that night, with the picture of Legolas and his bow balanced next to my alarm clock. I went to sleep, now knowing that if you wish upon a star, the wish may come true.

The End d

bStarted Dec. 31, 2002. Completed Jan. 3^rd, 2003a

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