Written by DarthFissure95, Edited by Fictitious Fan
The asterisk (*) symbol used ONCE means the start of a new scene, while the asterisk (*) symbol used TWICE signals the END of a scene.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I really hope you enjoy this series of stories. For a while I never thought I would write any fanfiction that takes place on Middle-Earth, but since I loved the Legolas-Tauriel dynamic so much, I decided to give it a shot. I should mention that this is NOT a romance series between Legolas and Tauriel. This series is about Tauriel's growth into the kind of Elf we see in Desolation of Smaug, and I made up some new characters to add tension. Legolas is a mentor to Tauriel in this series, and their relationship slowly grows into genuine friendship. Additionally, most of the grammar edits were done by Fictitious Fan and to her I give my thanks.
*Tauriel, daughter of Adarlae and Itaril, was a young elf that was accepted and raised in the kingdom of the Woodland Realm. After her parents were attacked and killed by an orc pack, Tauriel fled to Greenwood the Great, a large stretch of woods that was home to a gathering of Elves ruled by Thranduil. There, she was found and brought to the kingdom by an elf named Alagos.
Tauriel hated the dark, but she loved the stars more than anything else. Many felt the stars were beautiful, but to Tauriel, they were the most beautiful thing. She thought of them as a beauty that evoked memory. They told stories of the ancient history of Middle-Earth stretching as far back as the First Age, when the races of the world were still evolving.
Tauriel knew she felt at home with the Woodland Elves when she learned that they loved the starlight most of all. All light was sacred to the Eldar, but starlight was the most precious and pure to the Woodland Elves.
When she was accepted into the family of the elves by Thranduil, he introduced to her his only son, Legolas Greenleaf, a young elf with long hair and he carried a bow and quiver of arrows with him wherever he went. They were his primary weapons, they were what he used the most.
"Tauriel," Thranduil spoke in the Sindarin tongue. Tauriel straightened in attention.
"Yes, my lord?" She asked.
"I would like you to meet my son Legolas Greenleaf, prince of the Woodland Realm," Thranduil said, gesturing to the young elf. Legolas bowed to Tauriel respectfully.
"I am at your service, Tauriel," he said.
"To you I give my thanks," Tauriel replied.
"Legolas, it will be your job to train her and teach her our ways. You are more than welcome here, Tauriel, but I expect you to learn how to go about things as commanded by me," Thranduil said.
"I assure you my lord, I will not disappoint you," Tauriel promised. She liked Thranduil. He seemed to be a kind spirit, but she knew that he was also someone that wasn't to be messed with. Many stories of Thranduil's past floated around the kingdom, so many different ones that it was almost impossible to know which ones were real and which ones weren't.
One of the strangest tales about Thranduil was that he had once faced what were only referred to as "the great serpents of the north", and while doing so, had gotten his face almost completely melted off. It took special Elf medicine and healing to cover the wreckage and keep him alive. If this was true, Tauriel hoped that Thranduil's face would never unravel to reveal the damage.
When Tauriel had come to the Woodland Realm, she knew nothing about archery. Legolas was exactly the person to teach her the ways of the archer. Four days after her arrival, she and Legolas spent several hours outside in the forest with their bows and arrows, shooting at a tree. Tauriel slung another arrow and attempted to hit the tree right in its center, instead it just barely grazed the side of the tree and hit the ground with a small clatter.
"You need to focus more," Legolas commented. He quickly drew an arrow out of his quiver and shot it before Tauriel could even blink. The arrow struck the center of the tree, lodging it several inches in. "When you drew that arrow, what were you thinking about?" Legolas asked. Tauriel's face reddened in embarrassment while her eyes drifted to the ground.
"I was thinking about the Feast of Starlight, how I look forward to the day when I can experience it," she admitted.
"Your mind wanders, and that is a weakness," Legolas warned.
"Forgive me. I have failed you," Tauriel said.
"Any thought of failure brings about failure," Legolas replied. Tauriel reached for another arrow and realized then that her quiver was empty.
"That's your next lesson. Every shot has to count, or running out of arrows because of bad shots can be your undoing," Legolas said. He motioned for Tauriel to go pick up the arrow she had shot.
"What if I don't find it?" She asked.
"You always find what is yours, as long as you search for it," Legolas said. Tauriel walked off to retrieve her arrows. She searched the ground until she found them scattered amongst some flora.
"If ever there is a time you are down to one arrow, it is your responsibility to keep it close to you," Legolas said behind her. Tauriel then heard a stick snap. She quickly looked up, her arrow drawn in her bow. She thought she could see the shadow of a short being passing in between trees. The shadow was carrying a staff in his hand.
"Who is that?" She asked. Legolas smiled, not even looking where she was watching.
"None of us know the name, but he is a wizard that dwells here in the forest. He does not trespass through our lands or bother us, so we don't bother him," he explained. Tauriel lowered her bow and relaxed.
"You are impulsive and quick to take action. You are just like me," Legolas commented. Tauriel decided to take that as a compliment. If she was just like Legolas, then that had to be a good thing. She hoped so anyway.**
Four Weeks Later...
*Legolas leaned against the wall in one of the hallways of his father's kingdom. He examined a sword of Sindarin Elven make, turning it over in his hands and feeling along the blade. He found swords to be fascinating and a great weapon in battle, but it wasn't exactly a weapon he was interested in wielding. The bow and arrow was his weapon, and he wanted so much for Tauriel to learn how to perfect the skill.
"You can't make her be just like you," his father had told him that morning.
"I understand, my lord," Legolas replied.
"She will learn in time, but you must be patient. An impatient trainer makes a foolish student," Thranduil advised.
"She isn't even ready to face so much as a warg. She comes from a family that fought very few battles."
"Perhaps, but that is why I gave her you to be trained. You were the same way when you were young. You are even still impulsive and you act without thinking," Thranduil said.
"I know my place father, and I don't deny it. Patience is not a strength of mine."
"No, you're right. It isn't," Thranduil agreed.
Legolas put the sword in his sheath and sighed. Just then, another Elf approached him. His name was Alagos, one of the tallest Elves in the kingdom. While many of the other Elves had smoother, gentler, and softer faces, Alagos's face was like Thranduil. He his green eyes looked like they were trying to pierce through skin, and his expression was always hard and calculating. Nevertheless, he and Legolas were best friends. They both greeted each other and embraced.
"I heard you've been having trouble with your student," Alagos said playfully, with the vaguest hint of a smile.
"She struggles with learning. Concentration is not a strength of hers," Legolas explained.
"You cannot be too hard on her. She is young and inexperienced. Show me to her," Alagos ordered.
"She walks in the Greenwood outside. I do not know exactly where she is," Legolas admitted.
"Then we will find her," Alagos said. Legolas followed Alagos outside, and the two of them walked through the woods. It was a beautiful stretch of woods, the trees were vibrant with color, flaming scarlet and the golden color of the sun mixed together. Leaves fell and blew gently through the soft wind. Legolas took frequent walks through the forest, but more and more he was beginning to do it less often. His father rarely allowed any of his people to venture too far out unless it was for personal reasons or there was a danger that was related to them.
Legolas and Alagos finally found Tauriel sitting on a large boulder looking up at the sky.
"It is still broad daylight. I wonder if the stars will be out tonight," she said.
"Tauriel," Legolas spoke up, "the one who found you, Alagos, would like to speak with you."
Tauriel got up from the boulder and bowed.
"Greetings my lord," she said.
"Tauriel, I want to show you something," Alagos requested. Tauriel eyed Legolas for his approval. Legolas nodded and motioned to Tauriel to follow him. Legolas walked a short distance behind them until they finally stopped in a clearing.
"Legolas tells me that you have an ill aim with a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow is one of the weapons that the Wood Elves treasure the most. To learn how to use it with success, concentration is your ally," Alagos said. Legolas felt a little bit irritated that Alagos was only repeating what he himself had taught Tauriel time and time again.
"She knows this, but her mind wanders. She can never stay focused," Legolas spoke up. Tauriel's expression melted to shame and humiliation. It almost hurt Legolas to see her like that, but he was only telling the truth.
"You're hard on her. You are impatient, and that kind of attitude will push her away from you," Alagos said. He stood next to Tauriel and took hold of the bow that was already in her hand.
"Raise this with me. It must be straight, your body to the side. Do not concentrate your vision not on your arrow, but at that tree," Alagos instructed. Tauriel nodded, a slight tremble ran through her hands as she straightened her arrow in her bow and aimed straight at the tree in front of her.
"Do not tremble," Alagos warned. Tauriel took a deep breath and stilled her hands. The bow creaked in her grip.
"What are you thinking about, Lady Tauriel?" Alagos asked.
"The tree in front of me," Tauriel replied. Alagos nodded.
"Then release the arrow. Let go."
Tauriel stopped herself from shutting her eyes and let go. The arrow stabbed through air and the tip sank into the bark of the tree right in its center. Legolas stared on in awe at the successful attempt.
"Thank you Tauriel, you did well. Please leave me and Legolas and he will join you shortly," Alagos said. Tauriel bowed and left the clearing.
"How does she listen to you but not to me?" Legolas asked.
"You're hard on her, and that causes her to grow nervous and unsure of herself," Alagos replied.
"Then you should teach her," Legolas suggested.
"The king gave her to you, not me," Alagos said. He then began his walk back to the kingdom without another word.**
*Tauriel was startled awake that night by another nightmare. In the dream she could see her mother and father die again, and she felt the unbearable sensation of fear when she escaped from the orcs and retreated into the Greenwood. She could see Alagos' face when he found her cowering under the shade of a tree. The dream ended differently than how the event really happened however. Instead of Alagos taking Tauriel back with him to the kingdom, the orc pack follows Tauriel into the Greenwood and attacks her and Alagos and the two are cut down.
"What is it Lady Tauriel?" A soft voice asked from her door. Tauriel sat up in her bed and saw Meleth standing at the door. Meleth was a fairer elf than she was, and shorter even though she was about a hundred years older than Tauriel. Her hair was smooth black in the night and a fiery yellow in the day. Her ocean blue eyes glistened in the moonlight.
"You were screaming. Was it a bad dream?" She asked. Tauriel nodded and laid her head back down on the pillow. Her forehead was drenched in sweat and her heartbeat was still going at an alarming rate.
"Why are you still awake?" Tauriel asked.
"I couldn't sleep. I'm afraid that my mind will be taken into a dark abyss again," Meleth admitted.
"You and me both. I fear what I will see the next time I close my eyes."
"Would you like to speak about it?" Meleth asked.
"It's the same nightmare over and over again. I see my family slain by orcs and I run to the Greenwood. Alagos finds me, but before he can take me, we are both ambushed and killed by orcs. Alagos is always the first to die," Tauriel explained.
"Do you believe it is perhaps a warning?" Meleth asked.
"I do not know. I try not to think about it."
"Perhaps you should tell the king," Meleth suggested.
"I only talk to him when it is absolutely necessary."
"Do you fear him?" Meleth asked.
"It is not exactly that I fear him. I am just unsure of him."
"I trust him with my life," Meleth assured her. Tauriel sat back up and allowed a small smile.
"Then I will learn to trust him too, after all he did take me in and allow me to stay here."
"You're unsure of the king because you're not one of us. You will become one of us someday. I promise."
Though Tauriel deeply appreciated her friend's encouragement, she felt that hundreds of years will go by and she will still never officially be one of the Woodland Elves.**
*Tauriel had never been to Esgaroth before until now. The only real civilization there was a small Lake-Town that was very close to the Lonely Mountain. The Lonely Mountain was inhabited by a race of dwarves ruled by Thrain I. Tauriel heard that the dwarves there possessed great riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Gold was never a temptation of Tauriel's. She was grateful enough just to have a roof over her head after the deaths of her parents.
Tauriel sat on the back of a small ship with Legolas standing in front keeping a watchful eye over the water ahead of them. Finally, through the fog, the Lake-Town revealed itself. It was indeed small, but it was filled with folk going every which way carrying on with their business. After weeks now of not stepping out of the forest, it felt refreshing to Tauriel to be able to see the world outside once more.
"We are here to trade these barrels for some wine," Legolas explained.
"I understand," Tauriel replied, biting into a piece of lembas bread. The bread satisfied the stomach, but after a while of having it, the bread seemed tasteless and tedious. She was already beginning to yearn the rich food back home. Their ship finally reached the front gate of the town, which was closed. A watcher stepped out from a small hut to the left.
"Who goes there?" He demanded. He was a short man wearing a thick fur coat despite the humidity.
"Elves from the Woodland Realm. You're new for this post," Legolas said.
"I am. Are you here for the trade?" The man asked. Legolas nodded.
"You can forget it. There is no wine here to give you," Legolas and Tauriel both frowned. No wine in this entire town to give? The Master should have more than plenty of it.
"My father informed me that there would be wine waiting for us right here at this post," Legolas said.
"The Master doesn't want you to take it, so you can take these barrels back," the man ordered. Tauriel immediately took up her bow and slung an arrow in it, aiming it straight at the man's forehead.
"Don't toy with us. You're lying," she hissed. She didn't understand where this attitude came from, she was just barbaric and quick to action. The man stood his ground, not even budging.
"The Master will not be happy to hear that Elves of the Woodland Realm are threatening violence with the watcher of the town."
"Please excuse her, she doesn't know any better," Legolas said, with a sharp look in Tauriel's direction. Tauriel's face burned, but she kept her position the same. Legolas looked the man up and down as if studying him, then before Tauriel could blink, a dagger suddenly appeared in Legolas's hand. He leaped around the man and got the dagger to his neck.
"Remove your coat," Legolas ordered under his breath. Tauriel kept her arrow pointed at the man's head. He had a dagger at his neck and an arrow pointed at him, any false move the watcher may make would be suicide.
"Okay, okay," the man stuttered. He carefully moved his hands to his coat and began to slowly take it off over his shoulders. He let it drop behind him. When the coat hit the dock, Tauriel heard something like glass clatter inside it.
"Tauriel, pick up the coat and take out what's inside," Legolas ordered. Tauriel nodded and she lifted the coat, revealing several bottles of wine. One had a crack along its side from hitting the dock, causing wine to drip from the bottle and pepper across the coat.
"He was hiding it," Tauriel realized aloud. As soon as Legolas took the dagger away from the man's neck, the man shoved him into a stack of crates and ran. The watcher leaped up a pile of two boxes along the hut and climbed onto the roof. Tauriel bolted after him.
"Tauriel, wait! It's not our business," Legolas called after her. But Tauriel kept running. She couldn't let him get away with this. This was their business. The watcher didn't even have the exact quantity of wine promised inside his coat. He was hiding the rest in other places. Tauriel followed him, leaping up onto the roof of the hut and frantically searching for him. She saw him leap down another roof after having jumped from house to house. He fell onto a drifting boat and looked up at her. Tauriel ran across the roof and leaped after him. The boat hardly moved when her feet hit it. The man drew a dagger from his sleeve and lashed out at her. Tauriel removed her own long dagger just in time to block the blow. The man spun, swinging the dagger towards Tauriel's neck, but she managed to jerk her head back. She felt a small, sharp wind as the tip of the dagger missed her by several inches.
Her attacker leaped and kicked Tauriel in the stomach. The boat rocked and she fell backwards, slamming against the edge of the boat. She groaned from the pain and struggled to get back up. She looked up and saw the man holding his dagger with both hands, with its tip pointed down at her.
"You elf dogs take our goods and give us almost nothing in return," he sneered. Before he could stab Tauriel, she spoke a sentence in Silvan Elvish. The man stopped and frowned, then Tauriel thrust her hands out, and a whirlwind sprang from her palms and smashed against the man, throwing him against the wall of a house. He fell and rolled, groaning as he went. Tauriel staggered to her feet and looked at her hands. She had used a dose of a powerful magic. What confused her was that she had never been taught how to wield this magic in her entire life. She looked up at Legolas, who had watched the whole thing from the roof of a nearby house. A crowd had gathered, looking on at the aftermath of the fight.
The Master of the Lake-Town was among them. He approached the watcher and hoisted him to his feet.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Master demanded.
"The watcher is responsible for stealing wine and hiding it from us so that we won't receive it," Tauriel explained.
"Prove it. Where is the watcher hiding the wine?"
Tauriel led the Master back to the watcher's hut and found more of the wine with the Master's signature on the bottles inside a large box with blankets stacked on top of it. Once the watcher was arrested and the wine retrieved, Legolas and Tauriel set off back to the Woodland Realm.
"You disobeyed my orders," Legolas said while on the boat. Tauriel shifted her legs uncomfortably and looked down at her lap where her bow rested. Neither of them said another word on the way back home.**
*The Feast of Starlight was held that night. A celebration where all of the Woodland Elves came together and had a great feast that lasted most of the night. Galion, Thranduil's butler, saw to the serving of the wine. He was obsessed with wine, and as described by Alagos, he always passed out from drunkenness before the night was even halfway over. Tauriel also came to know Elros, who was the dungeon guard in the Woodland Realm.
There were Elves that played lyres and harps, and there was dancing. They sang songs that dated as far back as the First Age. Thranduil raised a glass of wine.
"Together, we feast and celebrate for the light that the stars provide at night. May those lights never go out," Thranduil declared. The rest of the Elves raised their glasses and cheered. Tauriel raised her glass but she didn't cheer along with them. She didn't even take a sip when everyone else did. Legolas was sitting next to her silent. He didn't take any sips either.
"What's wrong, Tauriel?" Legolas asked.
"I'm sorry about today. I disobeyed you and went after the man. Forgive me for my wrongdoing," Tauriel pleaded. From one corner of Legolas's lips came a small smile.
"Your actions today mirrored mine when I was younger. I forgive you, however, such actions deserve a report from me to the king," Legolas said. Tauriel felt her heart beat quickly grow faster and a cold sweat broke across her face.
"Have you given the report yet?" She asked.
"No," Legolas replied.
"Do you ever intend to?"
"No."
Tauriel choked back a gasp and her shoulders relaxed. Legolas was going to spare her from humiliation and possibly even banishment. Banishment was one of her greatest fears now. She couldn't lose another home.
Legolas smiled down at her and raised his glass to her. Tauriel raised her own glass to him, and the two glasses clacked together. Legolas and Tauriel both tipped their heads back and allowed the wine to flow down their throats. It tasted like fresh grapes on Tauriel's tongue and cooled the burning sensation she had from her anxiety. Though her nightmares still whispered in her mind, she looked up at the stars shining down on the feast, and for the first time since she got to the Woodlands, she felt truly accepted and happy.**
End of Story 1