Disclaimer: Sadly, the characters of Lord of The Rings (from now on referred to as LoTR) are not copyright to me... in fact I have nothing to do with them (I'm workin' on it though! I'd really like to own Legolas.... *goes off in to La la land*) Anyhow.... Right, the characters of LoTR are ã to J.R.R Tolkin (man was he a kick ass writer or WHAT!) who is now sadly deceased, so I suppose, the characters are now ã to the nice people who made the book into a film! I LOVE YOU FOR CASTING ORLI BLOOM!!!! Anyhow, on with the story. (Just so ya know, anything, like authors notes shall be placed in little starts eg. *authors note:.......* geddit?)

Beloved

Chapter One

The Return of Talian

Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood, sighed to himself, completely bored of staying on watch, but needing to so his friends, Aragorn the ranger and his new found dwarf friend, Gimili were not attacked by Orcs or worse during their hours of slumber. He poked the fire with his elevn sword, watching the fire sparks.

"The fire is dying." A low voice said behind him. Legolas let out another long sigh.

"Aye." He said. "Go back to sleep Aragorn, I'm fine."

"You do not sound it to me my friend. I have been noticing something about you, Legolas. You do not seem yourself, lately you've become..." Aragorn paused sitting next to the blonde elf.

"Become what?" Legolas inquired, interested to find out what others thought of him.

"Well... become low-spirited. Melancholy, even. Anything you wish to share?" The ranger asked. Legolas gripped his cape latch and shut his eyes tight, turning his head away from Aragorn so the ranger did not see his tears.

"I do not wish to speak of it." He said.

"Are you sure, it is sometimes best to-"

"Inquire no further!" The elf demanded.

"As you wish my friend." Aragorn said, and then became silent and stared at the dying fire.

"The fire is dying." Legolas pointed out after a time. Aragorn chuckled and looked over to the elf.

"Aye." He said. "I tell you what. Go and collect some fire wood, I shall stay on watch until you return."

"Agreed." Legolas stood, pushed his sword back into it's scabbard and put his composite long bow in the quiver with his arrows.

"Call if you require assistance." Aragorn called to Legolas' departing back.

"I will." Legolas waved his hand dismissively and strode off down the woodland forest to the near-by river.

Down by the river, Legolas was staring over the calm water at the shimmering silver reflection of the moon. Staring at the water in a rapt and contemplative frame of mind, with one of his hands clutching his cape latch, the other clutching his sword handle, he didn't hear the light foot-steps approaching.

"Where are you..." He said in to the darkness.

"Whom is it you seek?" A curious voice asked behind him. Legolas breathed in sharply and tighten his grip on his sword handle as he turned to face his interrogator.

"I would not reach for you sword if I was you." The voice taunted. "I would have run you through the throat before you would have even drawn it from your scabbard." The voice giggled, and Legolas noticed the glisten of a steel elven sword dangerously near his throat.

"Run me through. It will remove me for my misery." He uttered.

"What ails you?" The voice asked.

"Missing some one." Legolas replied.

"Ah." The person whom the voice belonged to shifted. "Who are you?"
"Legolas Greenleaf, Heir to the Throne of Mirkwood."

"So you are an elf!" Legolas heard the sword being slid back in it's scabbard. "As am I. We have no reason to fear one another."

"May I know YOUR name?" Legolas asked.

"Talian. Daughter to Elrond. Lord of Rivendell."

"Talian.... my Talian?" Legolas whispered, momentarily stunned.

"Pardon?" Talian shifted again.

"I can't see you very well in this light. Come up to my camp, I would like to see you better." Legolas said taking a few steps past her.

"Why not wait for morning?" Talian asked.

"I do not have that much time." Legolas told her. "Follow me, it is not far. and bring fire wood." He strode off.

"Moody elf." Talian muttered under her breath following him.

Back at the camp, Aragorn was tracing something in the ground with his sword, while Gimili snored loudly near by. Upon hearing a dry twig crack, he lept up, with his sword at the ready, just in case.

"The camp is just here!" Aragorn heard Legolas' voice calling to someone, and placed his sword down by his side. he let out a relieved sigh and greeted his elven friend.

"Legolas, you strange one. I sent you for fire wood, not to Rivendell, what took you?" He asked, greeting his friend in a firm hand shake. *Authors note; Only thing I could come with of how friends greet each other! So sue me! My dad and his mates do it!!!*

"I am very sorry for worrying you. I got a little.... side tracked." Legolas said, dropping the collection of dry logs and sticks in his arms and placing a few on the fire.

"Side tracked?" Aragorn repeated.

"Yes." Legolas answered looking behind him. "Talian, over here!" He beckoned to the approaching figure, piled down with three heavy logs. Aragorn ran over to help her.

"Legolas! I am surprised at you. Why did you not help this elf-maiden?" Aragorn asked, taking the logs of a very grateful Talian.

"She convinced me she could carry the logs her self. I did offer my services." Legolas replied, as Talian sat down next to him, kicking him in the lower back a few times.

"A likely story." Gimili grunted walking up. Catching sight of Gimili, Talian lept to her feet, and pulled out her bow and loaded in one graceful movement. She directed the arrow at Gimili and was about to launch when Legolas stopped her.

"No, no. Talian, please, allow me to introduce my travelling companions. Aragorn, the ranger, and Gimili, a very stout fellow indeed. He means us no harm." He smiled teasingly.

"Dwarves, I heard, were not to be trusted. My father shall be hearing of elves travelling with dwarves." Talian growled, replacing her bow and arrow and settling her self on the floor, next to Legolas.

Gimili said down as well and poked the fire with a stray stick. Talian watched him with interest. She'd never seen a dwarf so close and not trying to kill her before.

"A fine fire, if ever there was one." He declared, tossing the stick into the embers.

"Thank you." Talian and Legolas said at the same time, nodding to Gimili. The three men looked at Talian who bit her bottom lip embarrassedly and blushed, although they couldn't see it.

"What are you doing all the way out here, Tali?" Aragorn asked, calling her by her nick-name.

"Trying to get home, on fathers order." Talian huffed, blowing a bit of stray hair out of her face.

"Ah. I see." Aragorn said thoughtfully.

"You may go back to bed if you wish Aragorn. As may you Gimili. Talian and I shall stay on watch until the morning."" Legolas declared.

"As is your will." Aragorn nodded and got up, followed closely by the dwarf. The two walked over to the thicket they'd found to sleep in for the night, but watched the elf couple through the dense brush.

Poking the fire repeatedly with his sword, Legolas watched the flames dancing in Talian's eyes. Could it really be her? He thought to himself, almost in his own dream world. Instantly coming out of his trace, he noticed Talian was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. He looked away quickly and poked the fire, hoping she didn't see him blushing.

"You don't talk a lot, do you?" She asked, smiling.

"I don't like conversation. I usually let my arrows do the talking." Legolas said coldly. She rolled her eyes and looked back the fire.

"Each to his own..." She muttered. There was silence again. Legolas looked over the thicket, where loud snoring was coming from.

"Gimili." He sighed.

"Awfully loud for such a small man." Talian smiled. Legolas snorted trying to hide his laughter, making her smile widen. "So you do have a sense of humour!"

"You do contain a certain amount of wit in you, do you not." Legolas smiled. Talian was back to watching the fire, and Legolas back to watching her. Her eyes were so intent on the fire, she almost sounded trance like when she spoke.

"Do you see me now?" She asked.

"Yes. Better than down by the water. I now see you are an elf, by your ears." Legolas looked her facial features, past the shadows on her delicate skin. "And your hair is.... brown with tints of red, like your fathers and sister's. And I see your eyes are...." he paused trying to look past the flames in her eyes.

"Blue." They said at the same time. Legolas could tell, but she was blushing.

"Why did Aragorn call you Tali?" He asked.

"My nickname. Only Arwen and Aragorn called me that. Apart from one other person. My best friend, from long ago. He was the first to call me Tali." Talian smiled slightly to herself.

"Tali... my own Tali." Legolas muttered.

"What did you say?" Talian asked, staring at him surprised.

"Nothing." Came Legolas' reply.

"You called me... 'my own Tali.' Only he ever called me that." Her eyes widened. "Are you... Shiver?" *Author's note; my dogs name... the only one I could think of!!! I'm sorry!!! *weeps**

"Aye." Legolas smiled at her.

"Legolas! You are him! I've been looking for you for so long!" Talian cried throwing her arms around him. "I've missed you so much, Legolas!"

Legolas faltered, not knowing what to do while being embraced this way, but slowly and unsurely, he put his arms around her and hugged her back. he breathed in deeply, the intoxicating sweet aroma of her soft, silky hair enveloped him and he sighed contently, resting his cheek on her head.

She ran her long fingers through his hair, her head resting on his shoulder, feeling wonderfully protected, being held by him at this moment in time. Butterflies were fluttering violently in her stomach mow and her heart was beating against her rib cage like it would break out. Legolas shifted slightly, causing Talian to move too.

"Legolas?" She murmured.

"Yes?" He replied looking down at her.

"What do you feel? Right now? Right this second?"

"How much I want to stay like this with you." Legolas told her truthfully. "Why do you asked?"

"I was just wondering." Talian answered smiling to herself, moving the hand that had been entwined in his hair up his chest to his face. He rested one of his own hands on top of hers and directed her hand to his mouth, so he was able to kiss her slender fingers.

"Talian?" Legolas said this time. Talian sat up and faced him.

"Yes?"
"Have you really been searching for me?"

"Well, yes." She said, a tender smiled spreading over the lips of her partly open mouth. He traced her lips with a finger before leaning towards her and kissing her. Deeply. Passionately. Wantingly. Talian murmured something inaudible through their kiss. Legolas wanted to take this kiss further, but he couldn't, now so close to morning. He pulled away from her gently.

"We can't. Not here. Orcs." He whispered, his lips still on hers, but not in a kiss. "We should be in a village by tonight."

"yes..." Talian said kissing him, and pulling away moments later, and faced away from each other as they heard Gimili grunting out of sleep, and Aragorn beginning to stir in to consciousness.