A/N – Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I hope everyone is enjoying this short fic as much as I enjoy writing it. In this chapter it might look like Legolas and Merilin are acting like spoiled brats, but I'm just trying to convey their stubbornness to admit they love each other. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3 – Get A Room!
(Merilin's POV)

I stared at the back of Legolas's head as we rode along the path I assumed led to Lake-Town. His little nose trick infuriated me. He had the nerve to tease me after what happened during the night. I was of a mind to think he remembered every moment of the blank evening and pretended to not recall it so as to avoid any commitments. Well, he had nothing to worry about because I had no intention of committing myself to him…even if he begged me on his hands and knees and offered me flowers and honey…and purchased a new gown for me every week for the rest of my life…and gave me my own breeding stallion to raise fast horses…and braided my hair every morning after my bath…and rubbed my toes every night before I retired…and gave me tiny butterfly kisses along the side of my neck…or further down to my…

"What're you smiling about?" Arwen's voice interrupted my interlude.

Upon realizing that indeed I was smiling, I quickly wiped it from my mouth. "I was not smiling."

"You were," Arwen said with a giggle. "What thoughts warranted such a smile?"

I could not tell her what I truly had been thinking. "I was…I was thinking about how hungry I am."

"We can eat in Lake-Town. I know of a small inn that serves a delicious stew."

"You have been to Lake-Town before?"

"Only once, when last I traveled to Mirkwood with my Ada."

I did recall the trip Arwen had made with Lord Elrond. They had invited me, but I chose to visit Lady Galadriel in Lothlorien instead. Mainly because I wanted to avoid seeing Legolas with his entourage of elleth. The louse thrilled in seeing me seethe with jealousy. Well, not anymore. I would never give him a second look if he had an elleth hanging from his arm. Never!

I nudged Alagos into a canter. "Come, Arwen, let us quicken the pace or we will never get there." I raised my nose up defiantly as I moved past Legolas and Aragorn, charging between their horses.

"Nay, Merilin, wait!" yelled Legolas.

I ignored him and continued forward, sending Alagos into a gallop. The way ahead was an evident path and it could only lead directly to Lake-Town. What reason was there to proceed at such a slow pace? After a quick glance over my shoulder I realized no one was catching up to me.

I faced forward again with a smile. Suddenly a large black shape jumped out of the trees ahead. Alagos came to an abrupt stop and had I not been holding on, I would have flown over his head. Then he reared and I slid off his back to land on my behind. Before I had the chance to stand up, my horse quickly stepped aside and dashed back in the direction we had come.

I stared ahead at the black shape, realizing it was a giant spider. Perhaps not quite full grown, but large enough to scare the color out of my hair. An involuntary screech came out of my throat as the creature advanced upon me.

(Legolas's POV)

Upon hearing Merilin's cry, I charged up the path and quickly dismounted without waiting for Arod to slow his steps. Up ahead was Merilin, sitting on the ground and a juvenile spider stalking toward her. Suddenly she jumped up on her feet and ran toward me. But she didn't stop there. She climbed on my back and tried to drag her legs up on my shoulders. If that wasn't enough, she wrapped her arms around my head from behind and I could no longer see anything.

"Merilin…" I fought with her arms, but her legs got in the way. So now I had an arm and a shapely leg wrapped around my neck. Even with that distraction, I managed to notch an arrow and stretch my bow.

The spider screeched as my arrow slammed into its head. It flew backward and rolled several times before lying dead in a heap at the foot of a tree.

Now that the danger was averted, I stared down at the bare calf around my neck, wanting so badly to sink my teeth into the soft flesh.

"I see Merilin has resorted to riding Elves instead of horses now?"

Hearing Aragorn's voice forced me to turn around, with Merilin still clinging to me from behind with all four of her limbs. Aragorn and Arwen were sitting on their horses, grinning and watching us. With an angry scowl, I detached Merilin's limbs and let her fall behind me. I would be lying if I didn't say I felt a sense of great satisfaction hearing the grunt that followed her contact with the ground. But then I grew a conscience and turned around to help her.

She glared up at me with venom and refused my offered and. Then after getting up on her feet, she kicked me in the shin.

"Why'd you kick me?"

"You dropped me on purpose."

"I beg to differ. I didn't drop you, you fell." She made to kick me again and this time I was quick enough to avoid her foot. I pointed a finger at her, trying my best to display authority. "Don't do that again, Merilin or I'll have you thrown in the gallows for kicking the King's son."

"Oh, please. The King's son. You don't scare me, Legolas. In fact…"

As Merilin went on with her verbal abuse, I glanced around for her horse, but I was sure he was more than halfway back to Mirkwood by now. Arod trotted over when I gestured to him.

Merilin blathered on with sarcasm. "…with your warrior braids like that's going to really put the fear of the Valar in my heart. Not to mention the other day when you…"

I picked her up and she gasped. Then she gasped again when I set her on Arod's back and vaulted up behind her.

She fought to dismount my horse. "I would rather walk than ride with you."

"Sit still or I will push you off."

She spun to look at me, defiance written all over her lovely face. "You wouldn't dare!"

I put on a serious look. "Do not tempt me, elleth. I am in a daring mood today and am capable of practically anything." When she turned to face forward again, I exchanged a glance with Aragorn. He pretended to show a lack of interest in what was happening. Well, at least she wasn't fighting me any longer.

(Merilin's POV)

I decided to give in for the time being. Alagos and I would need to have a little elleth to horse talk when I returned. How could he leave me in the hands of this conceited ellon?

As we rode on, Legolas rambled about dangers that still lurked in the forest. "Although the adult spiders have all been exterminated, there are still some of their young hiding in trees."

"I was not frightened at all," I stated, even though I knew I could never convince him, not after the way I tried to climb on top of him. I wanted to kick myself for acting in that manner. It had only been a tiny spider. While he snickered behind me, I couldn't think of a single thing to say to save my dignity.

"I do not fault you for being frightened, Merilin. That spider would have stung you and that would have ruined the rest of my day."

"Ruined the rest of your day? What about me? I could have died. Not that you would care in the least."

"I saved you! How can you say I don't care?"

I turned to look at him again. "So you do care?"

There was a gleam in his eye. "I care that you would have ruined my day."

I faced forward again and angrily crossed my arms. It wasn't the fact that I was being forced to ride with him on his horse, I was more disturbed by my reaction to his closeness. It overwhelmed me…his scent, his heat…the manner in which his breath tickled the side of my neck. We could not reach Lake-Town soon enough for me.

With his hands reached around me from behind to hold his horse's reins, his right wrist suddenly came to rest on my thigh. "Don't touch me!"

"Tis not my fault your leg is in the way. Trust me when I say I would not touch you if my life depended on it."

"And why not? You had no problem touching me last night. Am I not good enough for you now?"

"Merilin, I honestly don't have the energy to discuss this all over again."

"Then don't touch me again."

"I'm not touching you! If I was to touch you, then I'd do it like this." And he grabbed my right breast.

I screeched and slapped at his hand. "Stop it!"

Aragorn was chuckling behind us. "Perhaps when we reach Lake-Town, the two of you would care to get a room."

"You stay out of this," I briefly shot back over my shoulder.

Legolas leaned toward my ear. "I might consider Aragorn's suggestion if you beg me."

"Not on your best day."

"Ha, I know you desire me. I can sense it."

"What you sense is my growing dislike of this conversation."

"If you say so."

How dare he insist that I desired him? Even if it were true…which it was…he had no right to point it out to me. I knew my own feelings.

And so we rode on in glorious silence.

Loved it? Hated it? Let me know, please. Thanks.