She
dances naked in my soul and sleep won’t come
And
it’s no use to pray these prayers to Notre Dame
Tell,
who’d be the first to raise a hand and throw a stone
I’d
hang him high and laugh to see him die alone
Oh
Lucifer, please let me go beyond God’s law
And
run my fingers through her hair
Esmeralda
- Notre Dame de Paris
That night, Jason took it upon himself to
check on each member of the company before claiming his own rest. The four hobbits had all agreed to share one
room, since the king-sized bed offered more than enough room for a quartet of
halflings. Gandalf and Aragorn were
still awake and in the midst of a rather intense chess game. Gimli, who Maximus had developed a sudden
fascination for, was dead asleep. The
tiny min pin had curled up on Gimli’s beard, unaffected by the dwarf’s
resounding snores. Boromir waited down
the hall for him, but Jay resisted the urge to go straight to him, even under
the temptation of one night not spent lying on the ground. Legolas was still awake after all, and Jason
knocked on the door lightly.
“Come.” Legolas replied in his usual manner, a
tone befitting his position as an Elvish princeling.
“Hey… just me. Wanted to make sure you were settled in all right.” Jason finished his sentence before realizing
that the room was empty. “Legolas? Where are you?”
“Out here.” He called from the balcony, where
the gentle breezes rocked the glass doors back and forth.
Jason went out to meet him. “A bit chilly out here.” He commented,
noting the elf’s ever-watchful stance.
“Legolas, rest. Nothing will
happen to us here… there’s no need for you to stand guard over the backyard.”
“I know… I am merely pausing… to reflect.” The
elf shrugged gracefully.
“Reflect?
On what? If you don’t mind me
asking, that is.”
A brief silence. “Everything. I left
Mirkwood expecting to attend a council, cast a vote, and return home. Now suddenly I am a part of a quest… to save
our world as we know it.”
“You seemed to be taking everything in stride
before… hell, you’re more of a warrior than I can ever hope to be. I’ve seen you all fight and you’re all
amazing… you and your bow especially.
You’ll make it, I know.” Jason tried to sound upbeat.
“I do not know… Ringwraiths and orcs are only
the beginning… we were not even yet close to Mordor. If not for Gandalf’s quick thinking… we might all have been
drowned by the squid outside of Moria.
And if we fail… Middle Earth will fall into Dark Years again… and this
time it may not be able to struggle out.” He sighed.
“Look… it may not seem like it… but I know how
it feels. Less than a year ago… my city
was attacked… passenger planes were flown into the two towers that were the
very symbol of the city. Those towers
fell… thousands of my people died… and I was there.” Jason paused, unsure if he
could continue. “Katie and I both were…
she was visiting New York for a week… we were supposed to go to the towers for
lunch. The planes hit in the morning…
we were covered head to foot in dust… we had no idea what was happening. Now all I can think about is… why us? Why were we spared when so many others were
not? People far more noble then I am
died that day… policemen, firefighters… why was one actor spared?”
Legolas kept his gaze fixed on the winking
streetlights. “And what possessed me to
offer my bow in Frodo’s service? It was
as if my will had a mind of its own… me, representing the Elves on this
impossible quest? One false step and I
could very well doom everyone… there are older, wiser elves who would have
taken this honor… why did I?”
“Because, just like Frodo was fated to be the
Ring-Bearer… you were fated to accompany him… just as I was, for some as yet
unknown reason, fated to live through September 11th.” Jason clapped
him on the back. “Personally, I can’t
think of any better elf for the job.”
Legolas finally gave a slight smile. “Jaycen… I am the only elf you’ve
ever met.”
“I never said I wasn’t biased.” Jason
shrugged. “Anything else bothering you,
since I seem to be a plethora of philosophic advice tonight?”
The smile remained. “Your cousin… she seems a bit…”
“Jumpy?”
“I was going to say self-conscious, but jumpy
will serve. Is she always in such a
state?”
With another sigh, Jason sat on the balcony
ledge. “No… when we were children, she
was exactly like me… kinda goofy, creative, saw everything with a little
imagination. But, you see… she and I
are a bit hop-out-of-kin… he rest of the family… they’re practical and cozy
and, well… boring. I went way out on a
limb when I left law school to become an actor… big disappointment and all
that. Katie would love to be a writer,
I know… but she’s afraid our family will not be able to take the idea of two
complete disgraces.”
“Family should be built on love… not
expectations.” Legolas said softly.
“I know that and you know that… but just try
telling Katie that.” Jason sighed. “I
dunno, though… she was jumpier than normal tonight… like she’s under some sort
of pressure.”
He noted the elf’s concentration on the floor
and grinned. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?” Legolas finally looked up.
“Katie… you like her.”
“She is your cousin and you are my friend… of
course I shall endeavor to like her.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Even if she weren’t related to me… you’d
like her.” Jason smiled.
“What are you getting at, Jaycen?” Legolas
frowned.
A more smug smile. “Not that I blame you… Katrina’s a pretty girl… and fiery as all
get-out. And she’s got the form of an
elf… all she’s missing is the pointy ears.”
“There is no such thing as an elf with red
hair… only halflings and dwarves have hair that shade.” Legolas commented
dryly.
“Ah… so now she’s an unusual beauty as well…
always seemed a little all-American to me… but then again, you aren’t an
American, so she would seem exotic to you.” Jason mused aloud.
“You are putting words into my mouth, Jaycen,
and I will ask you to stop. Now is not
the time for clumsy matchmaking. I like
Katrina no more than I would like any other gracious hostess and kin of
yours. Am I clear on this?” Legolas
glared at him.
“Whatever you say, master-elf.” Jason shrugged
nonchalantly as she slid from the railing and headed back through the
room. “I’ll call you for breakfast… but
you’ll most likely already be up anyway.
Night!”
“May the stars shine kindly upon your rest,
Jaycen… good night.” He replied, his voice once more soft.
Jaycen was entirely too close to the truth and
Legolas did not like it one bit. The
conversation he had had with her that afternoon was a prime example. While the actual words had been chaste, as
they should have been between two newly introduced friends… Legolas knew the
heat that spread through him was not a result of the New Jersey summer. It was simply not seemly for a full-grown
elf to be experiencing the same attitude regarding a pretty female that he had
over two thousand years ago. She was a
pretty girl, nothing more… he had taken many lovers over the years, both male
and female, elf and human… but rarely had he allowed his heart to come into
play. He was not cold-hearted by any
means… but he made no promises that he may have to break… he had never bound
himself to anyone for the simple reason that he had not found any elf he truly
wanted to spend all of immortality with.
Being bound to a human was absolutely out of the question… in fact, he
could not understand how Arwen could give up her immortal life for Aragorn,
even though he knew full-well the human king’s nobility and courage.
Even if he did feel a stirring in his heart
for Jaycen’s cousin… she was a mortal woman.
He would not give in to that trap.