Persuasion

"Afraid? What would I be afraid of?"

"Of your feelings."

"Rosriel, really. Why would I be afraid of my feelings?"

"Because of what they might mean to you. Sometimes people are afraid of their feelings because they do not want their lives to change. Sometimes they are afraid of their feelings because they fear that admitting them or acknowledging them might make them more vulnerable, more easily hurt." I turned away, giving her time to think. I focused my attention on the girl we had found. She appeared to be awake now, if you could call it that. Her eyes were still closed, but she gave the faintest flutter of her eyelids when I lifted my canteen to her mouth. Feeling her forehead, I noticed that it was rather warm. My brow furrowed, something needed to be done for her.

I glanced up at Ella's face, but it was hidden in the darkness. While I waited for Ella to speak, I searched the pouch I wore at my waist for an herb that would lessen the girl's fever. By the flickering firelight, I did find something and crushed it into the water. Then I moved the girl's head into my lap and tried to get her to drink as much of the liquid as she could.

We sat in silence. When the girl coughed, I moved the water skin down from her lips. I began combing her hair with my fingers, noting that her face was tense. Having my hair brushed always had helped me to relax, I hoped it would help her as well. I looked up as Ella spoke.

"Or," she said softly, "one may be afraid of one's feelings, for fear of giving another pain."

I looked at her keenly. "Ella, I do not believe that you feel nothing for Legolas."

She turned towards me. "Why do you say that?"

I smiled softly, glancing down at the girl and was pleased to see that she had indeed relaxed. "Well, we have grown rather close since we first met and we are sisters, which most likely helped me to read your face more easily. Legolas is a very dear friend to you, you said yourself that when in Rivendell others teased you for your curled hair, he alone defended you. That in itself would endear him to you." I thought, then went on. "The way you act around him, you always have a smile ready for him..." I laughed, "Well, almost always. You tend to ask his opinion first, before asking anyone elses. I have seen how you look so happy and blush when he gives you a compliment or says a kind word to you. And do you not remember how upset you were that first day he joined us when I ran up to him and gave him a huge hug?"

Ella giggled. "Oh my, yes! I was so silly! I recall that at the time, I could not even tell why I was so upset with you..." Her voice trailed off and she sat silently.

I waited patiently while she thought.

~ Rosriel