Author's Note: This is the first part of three books. Kind of like the LOTR trilogy. The first part is the history between Legolas and Riniel. The second part of the trilogy is the two's relationship throughout the journey of the fellowship. Then the third part will be their life after the war of the ring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Middle Earth, or the Lord of the Rings and all its characters and places. I do own the character, Riniel, and maybe others. I will let you know of that later.

Riniel entered the strange forest of Mirkwood. The woodland elves lived here. She had heard many stories of the elves, her own kind, of these woods. She always said she would venture into this magnificent forest one day of her long life and meet her own kin who lived among the big oak trees.

She went on a small, barely visible, dirt path she found at the entrance. She had been going on this path for hours. She was about to give up and turn around when she heard something in the distance.

She turned her head to where she heard the distinct sound. To her it sounded like twigs snapping. She crouched and listened more to what made this noise. She heard nothing so she got up and kept on walking forwards on the dirt path.

She went for a few minutes walking when she heard another sound. She turned around immediately to see the back of an elf go hide behind some brush.

She started to venture over to where she heard the sound. Then she remembered that this might not be her kin and someone dangerous so she took out her bow and arrow.

She started to advance to where she heard the sound. She went to the brush where she last saw the elf and when she appeared there was no one there. She finally gave up on the mysterious forest of Mirkwood.

It was getting late and especially dark with the big trees blocking out the son. So Riniel decided to make a fire where should could catch a rabbit to cook for her meal. She had lembas bread along with her; it was a survival food that all elves carried on long journeys. But she wanted to save that for a life or death situation.

The legend of the elvish bread, lembas, was that you could take one small bite and it would fill the stomach of yourself.

So she eventually caught a rabbit and was cooking it by the small fire she built in the middle of three big trees surrounding her in a triangle.

To pass the time away, she started to sing. Whenever Riniel felt sad or alone she would always sing to make herself either happy or to make her feel like she wasn't the only one here on Middle Earth.

So she started to sing an old song from her homeland of Kirvena.

"Le Abdollen...Tun A Win De Toul...Yad Am Trulia..."

Then she heard a sudden noise behind her. She started to turn, but she felt a hand on her left shoulder.

Riniel just sat there, as still as the stone walls of Minas Tirith. She was caught by someone unknown, this had never happened to her before. Riniel was an excellent hunter and fighter, for a women, even of the elven kind.

"You should not be in the forest of Mirkwood alone at night, stranger, especially if you do not know the land." The unknown voice said.

Riniel then turned her head around slowly to see an elvish man of Mirkwood looking at her back.

This man had long, blond hair. It was pulled back with a brad through it. He had a fair face...fairer than any face of any many or elf she had ever seen. He also had a certain grace and strength she could just tell by looking at him.

He was clad in green, like the leaves of the trees of Mirkwood. He looked like an elven fighter of this strange place. But then she noticed the small crown upon his head. It was two bands of silver going along the golden blonde of his hair.

Riniel slowly got up and bowed down. "Your highness, I am from the Elven land of Kirvena. I wish to stay at this fabulous forest of Mirkwood as it has always been a dream of mine as a child."

This man just looked at her and studied her for minutes. Then he said, "You would not be the daughter of King Eruantien, would you?"

"Why yes. How did you know?" Riniel asked him.

"A messenger of the land of Kirvena arrived and brought news of the King. He said that you would be here in the woods and I was sent to look for you."

"I can't believe my father doesn't trust me. After hundreds of years you'd think he could give me enough trust to do this." They both laughed at this.

"Would you like to eat here at this lovely meal you cooked, or would you like to come to the palace of Mirkwood and enjoy a fine feast we have set up for you."

"I think a fine meal would be excellent right now. Please show me the way to your palace, Prince of Mirkwood." Riniel said.

"Please, call me Legolas." The Prince said.

Riniel then smiled and followed Legolas back to the palace of Mirkwood.

When they entered she found four great tables set in the main hall. Abound on them were plenty of food to serve at least a hundred. There were servants adding final touches as lighting candles and filling the cups with the finest wine of Mirkwood.

A big smile came across Riniel's face for she had been on her journey for at least a month and hadn't had a proper meal in all that time.

Legolas then motioned for her to take a seat and sat next to her. Then everyone else also seated and the King of Mirkwood, King Thranduil, entered.

He then motioned for everyone to enjoy their meal and seated and everyone helped themselves to as much food and wine as they could have.

Legolas got his wine cup and motioned it towards Riniel's cup and he said, "A toast...for finishing your great journey and the beginning of our journey. For I shall show you the woods of Mirkwood for as long as you wish."

They both toasted to this and finished eating the food provided to them.

Then when everyone in the hall was done eating the servants cleared the tables and Legolas showed her to her room.

"You can sleep here for as long as you stay here in Mirkwood." He said. "If you need anything just let one of our servants, or myself, know and we'll help you."

"Thank you," Riniel said bowing.

"Please," Legolas said, "No bowing."

Riniel just smiled then walked into her room.

The room was magnificent. The whole palace was underground, but there was a small window that brought in sunlight and the smell of trees.

There was a bed and dresser where she placed her things. There was also a bookshelf of books that she was not familiar with. They were all books about the forest of Mirkwood.

Riniel got the sudden feeling that this room was planned to be hers since there was everything she liked and nothing she disliked and history of the place she came to learn more about.

She then went over to the bed and pulled the magnificent covers back and laid down in the comfortable bed.

She then dozed off and dreams of her homeland and her family that she left behind. But she also dreamed about someone she had never dreamed about before, Legolas.

Riniel felt a connection, a calmness when she was around Legolas. She felt this odd feeling that was good, not bad, but yet it scared her.

Riniel told herself she'd find out what this meant tomorrow when Legolas would show her the ways of the Mirkwood people and the forest of Mirkwood.

She couldn't wait to venture into a new world.

She woke up the next morning and dressed herself into new clothes.

Then she walked outside the door to see breakfast available in the hall with Legolas and King Thranduil.

They all ate breakfast and talked about events happening in Middle Earth that they all heard different things about.

Then Legolas got up and grabbed Riniel's hand and walked out of the palace in a hurry.

"Where are we going?" Riniel asked laughing for Legolas was acting very weird, she could tell.

"You want to see Mirkwood, right?" Legolas asked her.

"Well, yes, but it's going to be here. Why the rush?" She asked back.

"I want to show you the most beautiful place in the whole forest of Mirkwood. And we need to get there fast!" He said. And still grabbing her hand, led her past many trees and bushes, until they got to a thick part of the forest with many trees and brush.

"Behind here is the place I wish to show you." He said then put his hands over her eyes so she couldn't see it until she got past the brush.

He led her past the brush, then when they were on the other side of the thick brush he removed her hands from her eyes. She opened her eyes then and saw the most beautiful site she had seen in her many years of life!

End Notes: I hope you like it. This is my third story and first Lord of the Rings FanFic. I wrote it while listening to Evanescence, so tell me if I spelled anything wrong. LEB! Please review so I know how you like this story. Thanks!