Isinare stood in the shadows as she watched with her piercing, crystal blue eyes as the dwarves approached the house on which Gandalf had placed the mark. As usual, her clothes were dark to help her hide. She kept a hood over her head and a mask over the lower half of her face. Gandalf had recruited her to come on a quest to return the dwarves to the Lonely Mountain.

He had done her a kindness once, expecting nothing in return. This was a way for her to repay her debt. The wizard instructed her to keep her identity hidden as these dwarves in particular had an extreme dislike of the elves. It wasn't a hardship, she would have kept it hidden anyway. Not that there was much to tell. Isinare remembered her name and that she was elf. That was all. The last sixty years, she had spent roaming Middle Earth, trying to remember who she was. Everything before then was a void. Her true name was a secret known only to herself.

Making her way to the hobbit hole, she knocked on the door lightly. "No more dwarves," a hobbit with curly hair said as he answered it. His eyes widened as he took her in. "You are not a dwarf."

"Indeed, I am not, master hobbit. I am here at the request of the wizard."

"You and everyone else," he muttered but stepped aside to let her in.

She nodded her thanks and ducked inside. The dwarves were loud and rowdy and she found herself a quiet space at the edge of the room. Gandalf's eyes found her, but everyone else seemed to be oblivious to her presence. Another knock sounded at the door. When the dwarf responsible walked in, the room went silent.

Thorin Oakenshield. The name came to her before anyone said it. She knew this dwarf, but how? That knowledge still evaded her. She tore her gaze from the new arrival to find Gandalf watching her intently. What was he up to this time?

Isinare listened as they discussed their quest. She listened as Gandalf told the king that herself and the hobbit would accompany them. The dwarf was not happy about that at all. His eyes narrowed at her in suspicion. "You say the hobbit is a burglar, but who is she that her presence would assist us in our task?"

"I am Shade," she answered. Once again, the room went silent as all eyes locked on her.

"But…you're a woman," the one named Kili pointed out.

"Astute observation, dwarf," she said, smiling beneath her mask.

"She goes," Thorin decreed. Apparently, her reputation preceded her.

Every day in the company's presence, Isinare remembered a little more of her past. Just snippets really but she felt that the whole of her memory was hovering just out of her reach. Then came the day that the dwarves were sharing stories about the dragon and what their home used to be like before they lost it. Memories flooded her and took her breath. She clenched her teeth to keep from gasping out loud.

Increasing her speed, she moved up beside the dwarven king. "I need to talk to the wizard. I'll be back," she told him. She wasn't asking permission, but he needed to send someone else to watch the rear.

Thorin studied her a moment before nodding once. "Dwalin, take up the rear."

Isinare veered off from the rest of the group and in the direction she'd last seen Gandalf. He rarely traveled with the company, instead moving ahead or to the side to look for danger or better pathways. At least she assumed that was what he was doing, she'd never bothered to ask.

It didn't take her long to track him. He was quite a distance ahead of the company, sitting on a boulder near the river, smoking his pipe. "How long have you known?"

"Known what?" he asked after a pause, his eyes twinkling.

She dropped her mask and threw back her hood.

His smile widened and he bowed his head. "Queen Isinare."

"How long?" she bit out with narrowed eyes.

He pursed his lips around the pipe. "I suspected. I didn't know. They are two very different things."

When she just continued to stare at him instead of saying anything, he sighed. "Since the last time we met. Some of your mannerisms reminded me of the queen."

"Why didn't you say anything? To me or Thranduil?"

His eyes turned sad. "Your loss devastated the kingdom. Thranduil was heartbroken as was Legolas. You were his mother despite not giving birth to him. I had to be certain. Imagine, if I was wrong. If it was a deception of some sort. The damage would have been infinitely worse."

She replaced her mask and her hood. "Send word to no one. We travel through Mirkwood anyway. It is better if I deliver the news in person."

The closer the Company got toward Mirkwood, the more anxious Isinare became though she did her best to hide it from the rest. She blamed the distraction of her mind for not noticing the spiders closing in sooner. The Company fought, killing the beasts, or dodging out of the way when necessary. She fought with her twin daggers, hesitating only briefly when the elves appeared.

"Lower your weapons," a voice demanded as the last of the beasts was slain. Isinare slid her daggers into the sheath on her back and turned to see Legolas, bow in hand. Her chest grew tight and she clenched her teeth to keep tears from welling up.

She kept her eyes trained on him as he approached, looking her over. "Who are you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"They call me Shade," she answered, emotion making her voice deeper than normal. He reached a hand toward the hilt of her dagger and she grabbed his wrist to halt his movement. "I thought last time you pricked your finger would have taught you not to touch my daggers, little leaf."

His eyes darted up to meet hers and his brow furrowed as he tilted his head. "It can't be." His voice was little more than a whisper.

She ran her thumb over the skin of his wrist. "Ionneg." Hot tears ran down her face before she could even think about stopping them.

His eyes grew wide. "We must get you to ada immediately." He grasped his hand tightly in hers and moved through the clearing. "Tauriel, bring them. I will move ahead with this one."

If there was a response neither of them heard it. They ran through the forest, him never releasing her hand. Once they were well out of sight of the others, they stopped and Legolas turned her to face him. She revealed herself and his eyes ran over face. Suddenly, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "I've missed you so much, nana. We thought you were dead. Where have you been?"

She hugged him back just as tightly. "Legolas, my heart, I was injured helping the dwarves and lost all memories of my life before. I only recalled you both a short time ago. Please forgive me."

He leaned back, grasping her shoulders in his hands. "There is nothing to forgive. You are home now. That is what matters. Come." He grasped her hand again and lead her toward the palace and his father.

As they approached the gate, she put her hood and mask back on, not wanting word to somehow reach Thranduil before her. Her step-son pulled her through the gates, through the halls of the palace and into the throne room. Thranduil sat on his throne, looking exactly as he had last time she'd seen him. Her hands began to tremble as her chest grew tight. She realized now she'd missed him even though she hadn't remembered him. He was part of her. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Who is this Legolas brings before me?" her husband asked, his voice colder than she remembered.

Legolas squeezed her hand before releasing it and stepping back. With trembling fingers, she lowered the mask and pushed the hood from her head. Her watery gaze met that of the king as he stood abruptly from his throne. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guards in the room. He moved down the steps, until he stood directly in front of her. His hand grasped her chin and tilted her head back. "Iston i nîf gîn"

She rested one of her hands on his. "My love."

"My stars," he breathed, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "You have returned to me."

She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and pulled him to her to press her lips to his. "I am home, my king."

He pulled her tightly against his chest and pressed kisses to the top of her head. And she was simply content to be held in his warmth, feeling whole for the first time in sixty years.

"A company of dwarves has been brought to the palace, my lord," a voice said from the doorway. "They claim to be led by Thorin Oakenshield."

Isinare cringed as Thranduil went still in her grip. She tilted her head back to look at her husband. "About that…"

Elvish translations

Ionneg - my son

ada - father

nana- mother

Iston i nîf gîn - I know your face