The horses cantered into the trees as both he and his father looked warily about, seeking out the owner of that frightened scream, seeking out the spiders that must have lurked nearby. Another vicious cry from a spider was heard and they wheeled their horses towards the sound and reached the lip of a deep grove which plunged down where two elflings were attempting to fend off and avoid the fangs of two large spiders. One of the two fell, leaving just the little she elfling to fend for herself. She had a tiny sword but it was no match for the large spider bearing down upon her. It reared up to strike and Legolas let his arrow fly and it imbedded itself into the fell creatures exposed, soft under-body and with a shriek it fell down towards the small elfling and Legolas watched in horror as she managed to drop and roll, barely missing its fangs before its weight crushed down on her and he heard a muffled cry. He leapt from his horse and raced towards the large body of the spider he had felled and ignoring the great repulsion he felt, grasped onto its hairy body and began to haul it away, heart in his throat for what state he would find the little elfling in.

Miraculously she was in one piece. Crouched in a shaking ball of disarrayed hair, frightened, blue eyes gazing wildly up at him. "It is alright little one, you are safe now." He said gently, treating her as he would any young creature of the woods for surely this far from the city walls, this was a young Silvan elfling who lived among the trees. She did not speak but continued to gaze at him and he was not exactly sure what to do. There were no young elflings in the palace. He held out a hand to her and she scampered back from him. He was unsure if she was going to flee or not.

"This young one has been bitten." Thranduil murmured from nearby and as if to prove his words, the young male elfling whimpered in agony. Upon hearing the noise the youngster before him shot her head up to the sound and quick as a hare, leapt up and dashed towards the sound of the other. It was then Legolas realised she carried a tiny elvish wrought sword which she was now pointing angrily at his father.

"Do not harm him." Her little voice came out threateningly and Thranduil tried not to laugh at the absurdness of it as this elfling, barely looking to be over a decade old poked him with the tip of her sword.

"I am here to help him little one." He replied softly as he held his hands up to her in surrender. Such a brave little soul she is. He thought to himself as he watched her consider him calculatingly. Her gaze slipped to the other elfling and then back again to meet his eyes squarely and he was surprised by how they seemed to hold his gaze. From which dwelling had this fierce little creature sprung from? He wondered.

"Can you save him?" She asked and despite her bravado and the way she stood straight and proudly, her voice wavered with fear and uncertainty and her bottom lip trembled.

"Yes, but we must take him to the very best healers in my kingdom and we must hurry." Thranduil said seriously to her and she nodded resolutely although her lip still trembled. Quickly she knelt down beside the other elfling and whispered in his ear and Thranduil listened to her words.

"They're going to fix you Tithinthor, do I stay or flee?"

"Stay sister." The male elfling gasped and she stood again. They must be twin siblings Thranduil realised as he scooped the injured elfling up in his arms. He noticed now slight resemblances to each other they had now. He whistled up to the horses and they came galloping down towards them and suddenly the she elfling scampered towards them while placing her sword back in its scabbard on her waist as Legolas's mare stopped before her and dipped her head down to the youngster who rested a hand upon the bark of a tree. As Thranduil with Legolas following reached her it seemed as if she was talking to either his son's horse or the tree her hand lay against, he was not sure. Maybe she spoke to both. She was an intriguing creature.

Legolas watched her curiously with his mare and then suddenly she spun and before he could take another breath, in a flurry of wild hair and a white petals of dress material, the little elfling had leapt up and reflexively he had grabbed her from falling and she was now settled in his arms, a tiny hand resting over his heart and gazing into his eyes.

"Telperion." She whispered to him and he looked at her slightly baffled.

"What did you say?" He asked her.

"Your name silly." She replied as if he were an idiot and he chuckled softly as he placed her carefully on the mares dark grey back, surprised to see she did not cling to Lanthir's mane for balance although he was maybe a little older than this elfling when he had been taught to ride. He swung up behind her and gathered him in his arms.

"I can ride." She said and he chuckled again at the imperious tone of her sweet little voice.

"Yes but we will be going very swiftly." He explained and she sighed in exasperation.

"I will feel better knowing you are safe." He added and after a moment she nodded.

"Fine." Thranduil looked across from him from where he now sat astride his stallion, a grin on his face as he listened to the little elfling boss around the Prince of the Woodland Realm. Content they were both ready to travel, he urged his stallion into a gallop, the now unconscious elfling securely in his arms, Legolas following behind.

…

Legolas could not understand it, he felt very protective of this little elf as he held her safely to him. He wondered again at what she had called him. He supposed he best learn her name, they had learnt her brothers.

"What is your name little one." He asked and she looked up at him with bright eyes.

"Tithinriel." She answered and you are Telperion." She said matter-of-factly as they galloped under the trees. "Lanthir has a stone stuck in her right hind hoof; will you remove it once we stop?" She asked suddenly and he knew his draw dropped a little. Did she figure that out from simply riding astride my mare? He concentrated on Lanthir's stride; he could feel no misbalance or hesitation in her step.

"How do you know?" He asked and felt her small frame shrug against him.

"She told me. You will fix it when we stop won't you?" Tithinriel asked him worriedly, looking up at him with large blue eyes and he quickly nodded.

"Ofcourse I would not want her to become hurt, she is my friend." He answered and she beamed up at him.

"I am glad. I was right, you are good." She said decidedly and he smiled at that. Were all Silvan elflings like this one? So bold and fearless? He decided he too was the same not many years ago and really nothing had changed. But this youngster seemed at ease in his presence. He doubted if he were in her situation if he would feel so safe with an unknown elf."

"Why do you think that?" He asked her.

"I just know." She replied simply and beamed up at him again.

"Why did you call me Telperion?" He said the name which was straight out of a history book of Valinor.

"Because that is what the trees call you." She explained. "Silvertree." They did call him Silvertree sometimes although he had no idea why, whenever he had asked they would reply it was because that is what he is. He loved the trees of the woods dearly but sometimes their words were confusing. Much like the little elf in front of him.

"I can call you that too yes?" She asked with a slight frown and he nodded.

"Of course you can." It would be nice to be addressed by something other than Lord or Prince Legolas by someone other than his father.

"We need to go faster." Thranduil called across to him and he immediately looked to the little unconscious elfling in his arms and a look of worry passed between them. He was a small elfling and those spiders had a lot of venom. His father than glanced at the she elfling he carried and she must have picked up on their worry for she tensed against Legolas and Thranduil tried giving her a reassuring smile.

"We are not far now little one." He said to her and she nodded slowly and placed a hand on Lanthir's neck. Suddenly the mare sped up, as did his father's stallion and they raced at breakneck speed through the woods as trees flashed past. Legolas had never experienced his mare running so swiftly in all the years he had had her. Neither it seemed had his father for he looked surprised by the speed of his own steed and then his face set in grim determination. Thranduil had a strong feeling the young she elfling had something to do with their now quickening arrival to the city gates. She'd possibly just saved her brother. He also now realised exactly who lay unconscious in his arms.