Hello everyone! First of all I want to apologise for not updating my last story in ages I am completely stuck! If anyone has any suggestions on how to continue, they are more than welcome. Anyway I decided to take a break from writing about NCIS so this story, in case you haven't realised already is about the Hobbit. It's about Legolas and Tauriel, although in the next hobbit film I want to become a couple, this story is more about their friendship more than anything though I guess if you want you could interpret as romance. As always, please tell me what you think and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything; all credit goes to the incredible J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson
She sprinted through the forest faster than she ever thought her feet could carry her, sharp claws reaching out to scratch at the exposed skin on her arms. She'd tripped a couple of times and now the forest was gaining on her, chasing her until she was surrounded. Tauriel stopped, drawing in large gulps of air to feed her burning lungs. She glanced around, her keen elven eyes taking in her surroundings, looking for any sign of weakness from her competitor, something she could use to her advantage, something familiar.
Every muscle in her body was tense, her competitor the same. The woodland around her was silent but the forest seemed to be breathing, her father says it has a pulse, and to really know the forest is to be in sync with its beat. Tauriel steadied herself, trying to feel the rhythm of the trees but they were reluctant to show her. These trees were unfamiliar to her; they did not know her so were unwilling to trust. They would not let her win. Tauriel closed her eyes, her laboured breathing returning to normal as she relaxed. Then something behind her snapped and her eyes flew open. The trees were closer now, the air darker and Tauriel felt panic rise in her throat. She began to run again heading in no direction but the way which the forest carried her. Her competitor had won, she was lost.
Legolas walked slowly though Greenwood, taking in every detail as he went, every leaf, every footstep, his senses detecting that those of mere mortals would not. He blended in to the trees like he belonged there and that he did. The forest hummed around him, it knew him and had accepted him; he had grown up beneath these leaves and spent nearly one and a half millennia there. Legolas knew the great forest lands so well he could pass through the northern woods blindfolded and still come out unscathed, he could detect even the slightest of changes in the forest and today there was only one.
He sensed her presence before he saw her, a young elf, still not quite mature but near enough. She was lost, that much was obvious, she was stumbling around clumsily and though the forest here was kinder than that further south, she did not understand its pulse, its life, she looked out of place. Legolas walked towards her, his footsteps inaudible on the autumn leaves, she did not notice him at first, and then stared in shock when she did.
Tauriel gazed wide-eyed at the elf before her; he was not like any other she had seen. All the elves she knew had light brown to fiery auburn hair like her own and eyes green like the leaves on the trees or chocolaty brown; but this elf was blonde, the sun reflecting of his hair making it appear to flash gold and silver in the late afternoon light, and his eyes were a brilliant blue colour that seemed to Tauriel both young and old at the same time. He was flawless. Tauriel stared at him for a few more minutes unable to make her tongue form any words, the silence lingered between them for a few more seconds before it was broken by the sound of his voice. "I know it's not any of my business, but you appear to be lost." He said, his voice was deep and it seemed to comfort her somehow, she let her shoulders relax from the stiff position they had been in, though she was still on her guard.
"No it's not any of your business." She snapped, a little too harshly, her mother would have told her off for that, so she quickly amended herself, "but the forest doesn't seem to like me, I can't win." She frowned.
Legolas laughed, intrigued by the sylvan elf who did not know the ways of the wood, "you do not compete with the forest," he smirked, "you become one with it, you accept its ways and find its rhythm, then it may like you better."
"But that won't stop me from getting …"
"Lost?" He smirked, a knowing smile on his face.
She crossed her arms across her chest, starting to get annoyed by this cocky elf, she knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help herself from challenging him, "and you've never been lost in your life?"
"Not that I can remember, how far are you from home anyway?" he asked, tilting his head to one side questioningly.
"Err, I don't know." Tauriel murmured, the reality of her situation finally sinking in, she had been out here for 4 hours now and had no idea where she was.
"Ok, then where do you live?" Legolas asked.
"The southern village" Tauriel responded and the elf before her frowned, it was clearly not a good sign.
"That's nearly 4 hours away and its growing dark" he said, concern in his velvety voice, "Perhaps it would be best you return with me to the halls, you can stay the night where it is safe," Tauriel nodded in solemn agreement, her mother would be worried sick but she had no other choice, besides she had never seen the halls of the King before and curiosity almost always got the better of her.
The elf set off walking away through the trees then stopped and turned to her just as she was about to follow. "I almost, forgot, what is your name?"
"Tauriel" she responded and Legolas had to hide a snigger, the name meant daughter of the forest but he had never met a wood elf, less adapted to the forest than her.
His name was Legolas, but that was all she knew. She had followed him from a distance for what she guessed was nearly an hour and by now twilight had descended on the forest. The halls were well hidden; in fact she guessed you would never have been able to find them at all if it were not for the elven road lying east to west across the forest. At first she only heard the sound of some great falls from far away and then quite suddenly the forest broke away and they joined the road itself, ahead of them the entrance lay, huge and majestic in the eeriness of the night. The doors were deep-set in a cliff face and were a beautiful blue, the colour of the water that flew rapidly below the bridge that crossed over to the doors. Enormous pillars, as tall as giants and twisted like the trunks of some great trees lined the entrance. There were six elves stood guard by the doors, the armour that covered their bodies was almost black and Tauriel was instantly fascinated, they stood tall and regal not moving an inch until Legolas came into view, then they bowed low and two went to open the doors revealing the depths of the halls within. Tauriel felt extremely small as she passed their tall figures and hurried to catch up with Legolas, they did not pay any heed to her and she wondered who her companion was to have earned such respect.
As they passed through the great arch ways that lead to the halls Tauriel stopped in her tracks. If she had thought the entrance to the home of her King was incredible then the great caves themselves had no words to describe them. They were enormous for one thing so large that she could not see the roof, only a pale glow came from the ceiling. Many paths lead across the inside like streams through rolling plains and the many arch ways and pillars supporting the roof were intricately decorated and beautiful. The halls seemed to reflect the air of the forest outside though there were no trees; it was all she would have imagined the home of the woodland King to be. Tauriel's stupender must have been clear on her features as Legolas turned to her laughing, "I'm guessing you have never been here before then" he said smiling at her.
"Err, no" she said shaking herself from her amazement, "where are we going anyway?" she asked, curious as to where he might be leading her.
"To see my father, he will arrange where you shall stay and who will take you home tomorrow." He said continuing to walk through the realm's capital with ease with Tauriel trailing behind him awkwardly.
She had half expected to see many more blonde haired, blue-eyed elves in the halls but Legolas seemed to be the only one, the others all appeared to be your typical sylvan elves though none had as fiery hair as Tauriel did, even here she stood out like a sore thumb, disgruntled she absent mindly began playing with her flaming locks as they continued their path through the realm.
"We are here" Legolas said simply as they stood outside his father's chamber, Tauriel shuffled on the spot. She was slightly nervous though she didn't know why; it wasn't like she was meeting the King.
Legolas knocked on the door and from inside a voice called for them to enter. He opened the door and stepped in Tauriel following close to his heels. "Father" Legolas nodded in respect as the King turned to face him and his companion. Thranduil did not speak, only cocked his head to one side curiously at the young elf beside his son. She was clearly not from here and he did not recognise her, she, on the other hand, was staring at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed, Legolas obviously hadn't told her she was meeting the King. "This is Tauriel" Legolas commented stepping forwards away from the girl who looked up startled, shaking herself before turning her astonished stare on to him, "I found her wondering, lost in the forest".
"I was not…" Tauriel blurted before biting her tongue. How could she have been so stupid as not to realise? He was the prince, heir to the throne of the woodland realm and she was now in the presence of the King. She had heard before that the wood elves were ruled over by Sindarin elves that of course looked different, so why had it not occurred to her when she saw Legolas. He held himself different and royalty just seemed to glow from him, the King was the same, tall and proud, a sight to behold, his hair a brilliant silver colour and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right into her soul, they were clearly special, their right to rule obvious in their difference to the sylvan elves who, with their brown hair and green eyes looked more at home within the forest but were clearly not royalty. Legolas and Thranduil, Tauriel then decided, were the stars that watched over the great forest of sylvan elves in all its glory.
"I'm sorry my lord." Tauriel said bowing her head in embarrassment though the King did not seem to notice. He simply watched her for a few moments deciding what to make of the sylvan elf ling before him.
"Where are you from child?" He said and his voice, like Legolas' was deep and powerful but soft and comforting at the same time, Tauriel did not doubt for a minute that he could have got anyone to do anything he wanted even he wasn't King.
"The southern village, my lord" She responded looking up for the first time and meeting his piercing gaze.
"Ah" he breathed "and what, Tauriel, brings you so far from home?" he said turning away from her and towards the table that lay behind him.
"I was… lost"
"Your parents will be worried, will they not?"
"Yes, they will" she replied and the King looked over his shoulder at the elf, she was acting all shy and dismissive but he sensed there was something more to her, she would perhaps make a good fighter someday he thought.
"Then you must return to them, but not tonight, tonight you shall rest in our halls." He said then turned to speak to his son, "Legolas find her a spare room, tell maids to bring her food and night-clothes then find somebody to take her home tomorrow at dawn, her parents will be very concerned I assume."
"Yes, my lord" Legolas bowed and began to walk away. Thranduil felt something stir inside him, he knew that he did not have the best father-son relationship with Legolas but he did not like it when he acted as if Thranduil was only his King and not his father at all. Legolas stopped at the door and turned back around to face him, "I will take her in the morning, if you would like." He said, not looking at Tauriel.
Thranduil sighed; he should have seen that coming, "If that is what you wish." Legolas nodded and turned again to leave, gesturing at Tauriel to follow him who bowed low at the King before hurrying to catch up.
I hope you like the first chapter, I am going to hopefully update and put the next chapter up tomorrow, it's only two in total. Please tell me if you think I should continue (but to be honest I'm probably going to update anyway because I've already finished the next chapter and I spent a long time on it, when I probably should have been working, oh well!)