The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

The story leaks for the first time

Legolas POV

The nice little boy appeared at my side again, with a bowl of soup in his hands. 

"You might want to eat, sir. It's a very delicious soup, makes your stomach warm", he said.

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry", I answered, but as I noticed his face fall, I took the soup out of his hands and started eating slowly. It wasn't that bad.

"May I ask you a question?", he asked. 

"Sure." I chewed on a piece of carrot I had found on the bottom of the bowl.

"Why did you bath with your clothes on?"

I almost choked on my soup, because I hadn't even considered, that my actions had been so incomprehensible for a little boy like him. Or for anyone else, on that note.

"I didn't bath, I was washing myself", I stated.

"But why in the river? It's very cold." He was confused and scratched his head, which was full of small and innocent thoughts. Not like mine...

"Cold kills the dirt, and the colder the better." That was what I had figured, and now I realised it made no sense at all. 

"Oh", he just said. He didn't believe it either.

"But I don't think it worked", I continued, now talking more to myself than him.

"What do you mean?", he inquiried, his eyes big and blue.

"I still feel dirty." Dirty and disgusting and terrible. As I had since that accident tonight...

"Oh, you aren't. You're perfectly clean now", he told me and smiled. He seemed very proud of that at least this bit of my story he knew was wrong.

"I don't mean my body. It's my mind that's dirty."

"How can your mind be dirty? Do you have a wound?", he asked, confused.

"Yes." He stared at me in alarm. "I mean: No, I don't. But my heart is wounded, and it's almost the same. You're a smart boy, aren't you?"

He nodded. 

"Then sit down, I'm going to tell you why I showered in the river."

He was really a nice boy, and I figured he deserved to know. At least he wasn't one to judge me by my actions, which surely everyone else I knew would. He'd just listen and try to understand, with no hidden intentions or crushed expectations.

Mattei POV

I still thought the elf was a bit crazy, but after what he had told me, I thought I understood him better. Basically, he was in love with someone, he hadn't told me who, and during the night someone else had kissed him and now he felt dirty, because he didn't want to kiss anyone else. Hopefully I wouldn't fall in love, ever, because it seemed like a lot of trouble.

With quick steps I approached master Aragorn, who sat alone in the dining hall and stared into the fire. 

"Sir, may I talk to you?", I asked him.

"Oh, it's you", he said and turned around. "Have you found out something?"

I nodded.

"Sit down, please, I don't want to let you stand on that cold floor."

He pointed to a small chair near the fire and I sat down on it. Never had a noble man told me to sit down before and I felt very honored.

"Please, tell me. What did you learn?"

"Master Legolas told me he had to shower in the river because he was dirty. No, not dirty exactly, his mind was dirty, was how he put it. I don't know how he wanted to wash inside his head, but I don't know any other elves, maybe they're different than us men", I started.

"Indeed, very different", the gentleman mumbled and looked at me expectantly, so I went on.

"There was apparently an incident last night that made him feel bad."

Now I heard Aragorn draw in his breath. He looked shocked, but not surprised. More like he had had his suspicions, and now they became reality.

"What happened? Tell me!", he begged.

"Well, it has to do with that he is in love with someone, he wouldn't tell me who, and during the night someone else, whom he didn't love, kissed him. He didn't tell me  the name of this person either, but it is therefore he feels bad about himself and he doesn't want to tell anyone about it. I'm sure he wouldn't want me to tell you either, but as you asked I didn't want to let you down, sir."

I really hoped Master Legolas wouldn't be mad at me. He had been so kind to me these last hours and made me feel useful, that I didn't want to betray him. In the meanwhile, master Aragorn rubbed his forehead with his hands and looked very exhausted. 

"Thank you, Mattei. You've been a great help. now go back to Legolas and take care of him. Don't tell him we spoke!", he said to me with a resigned voice. I quickly jumped up and bowed, then ran away to the caves again. Serving two high men could be really tiring.