Some Fall By Virtue

Chapter Eleven: rollin' in the deep

"Uh..." She stared at him, glancing between him and the blade – his weapon – which he had just given to her. "I... cannot accept this," she said, holding her hand out, blade and all. Not least because the blade stung her somewhat. She carried Melkor's taint, a stain on her very soul itself. It was no surprise any elven craft would reject her so. But saying that fact aloud would be tantamount to admitting to the fact that she was a dragon. She smiled sombrely at the thought. A creature of death and destruction who only brought ruin to those around her.

"Then consider it a loan," he spoke, that sunny smile still fixed in place on his lips. "Until we reach Rivendell."

She opened her mouth, ready to argue at him – demand that he take the blade back – but the fight drained out from her as swiftly as it had arrived. "Alright," she mumbled, feeling so terribly spent, and she was fairly sure she was only on her feet out of pure spite. Added to her unnatural strength which could only belong to a wolf in sheep's clothing. "But just until we reach Rivendell," she snapped, glaring at the one who had imposed such a blade upon her.

"Not a second longer," he agreed, humming to himself then.

Seeing a chance to escape, she glanced around, stiffened at the sudden realisation that they were quite a ways away from the main group behind them. And there was no way for her to easily re-join them as such without making her avoidance of Glorfindel blatantly obvious... he had already asked her once why she despised him so, and she had answered in anger. She didn't want another situation like that to arise, so staying where she was it was. "We should probably slow down," she remarked, glancing between her soulmate and the group behind them. Then she would be able to slip away so very easily.

"They have been keeping up with us," Glorfindel informed her, and Sakura blinked at the news. "Though they appear to be giving us some space to talk." A wry smile curved at his lips. "Indeed, this is likely the most they have ever seen me talk to one of the edain."

"I take it you do not venture out much, then," she said, all too aware of how the elves tended to keep to themselves in their realms barring war or another terrible crisis. Particularly those her kin had inflicted upon them. But those belonged in tales of years long passed. "Though I feel as though I have taken up too much of your time as of late..."

"That is nothing to concern yourself with," he said. "One might even presume we were bound to do as we have done ever since you emptied the contents of your stomach upon my boots."

Sakura blinked, blood rushing to her cheeks at the memory. "Not one of my finest moments," she grumbled, folding her arms as she fell back in step with him.

"I would have to agree with you there," Glorfindel said, eyes alight with mirth. Something completely different to how he no doubt felt at the time. "Though I dare say you have since redeemed yourself and your image after your heroic feats."

A snort escaped her before she could stop it. "I am no hero," she declared. The thought was laughable. How could a dragon be a hero? That was an impossibility unto itself. "In fact, I am probably the furthest thing from it..."

Grey eyes bore into her skull, and Sakura dared not to meet that gaze. She hated it. She hated herself. It really was asking too much of the world to allow her to be loved for once. It shouldn't have bothered her – she should have been resigned to that unloved fate... "The furthest thing from a hero would be a villain," he remarked. "I highly doubt you would be classed as one of those."

"You would be surprised," Sakura murmured, closing her eyes briefly, gathering her courage so she could meet that gaze which felt as though it ripped through her. "You do not know my past, Glorfindel, though neither do I know yours."