~Writing in Italics is elvish~

Chapter 3, An Awkward day for Ailrien

Ailrien was exhausted. Well, as exhausted as she could get being an elf. She had spent all day going on a wild goose chase, trying to hunt down the siders that were invading Mirkwood. She marched along the narrow bridge leading to the kingdom. Surrounding her, walked the rest of her scouting group and they all looked as frustrated and infuriated as her. If Ailrien hadn't known any better, she would have thought the wretched spiders came back to life seconds after being killed, considering how many there where. As they entered through the doors, the leader, Tilthendir, left the group to discuss the vile inhabitants of Mirkwood with the head guard. Ailrien was let off duty and, as quickly as she could, she sprinted after Tilthendir.

"What are you doing Ailrien?" Tilthendir asked as she went back to a walk beside him. Ailrien did not like Tilthendir, not in the slightest. He was, in Ailrien's opinion, greedy, self-centred, not to mention he thought of her as a disparate elf.

"I'm going to go see my sister, goodness me Tilthendir, have some common sense," Ailrien said, looking straight ahead down the corridor. Tilthendir wanted to argue but they had arrived to the training grounds and without even attempting to be polite, Tilthendir pushed her aside and stepped through the door, entering the vacant training grounds. The only people to be seen where Tauriel and a younger elf, whom Ailrien did not know the name but recognised him as being one of Tauriel's students. The two waited patiently for Tauriel and the other elf to finish their discussion and after a short while, the young elf nodded curtly to Tauriel, bid her fare well and left. Tauriel started towards the two gracefully and Ailrien threw herself towards her sister, giving her a strong hug and Tauriel laughed a soft, airy laugh.

"Ailrien, it's been a while since I have had time to see you," Tauriel laughed as she gently pushed away from her sister. Tilthendir shifted around awkwardly and Tauriel looked at him acknowledging him courteously.

"What news do you bare, Tilthendir?" Tauriel asked seriously.

"The spiders are growing in number," Tilthendir informed stupidly and Tauriel sighed.

"I already know that," Tauriel said and Ailrien cleared her throat gaining the attention of both the elves. Tilthendir sneered at her, hating the fact that she, according to him, rudely interrupted.

"The spiders seem to be in greater number in the south, I believe that their source is most likely south of Mirkwood," Ailrien started and Tauriel seemed considerably more interested in the information that her sister was giving her than what she got from Tilthendir and urged her to continue. "I believe that if we are to get rid of them we should-"

"Kill the source of them," Tauriel finished for her and she turned back to face Tilthendir, "You may take your leave now, Tilthendir, I'm sure there is more mindless work for you to do, rather than provide me with useless information." Ailrien sniggered and tried to hide her face behind a long section of hair that cascaded from her head and Tilthendir flushed a furious shade of red. He glared at the two and with a quick sort of head spasm, which Ailrien took as a pathetic attempt to give a polite nod, he took of through the door and down the now empty corridor. The two sisters turned to each other and laughed.

"That was brilliant!" Ailrien said through tears of laughter.

"Why thankyou, I must say I have never been too fond of that elf"

"Who is?" Ailrien said in an undertone. After the two siblings had their laugh, Tauriel and Ailrien discuss the vile creatures that infest Mirkwood. They talk over all the matters that could be the reason for the sudden appearance of the spiders. Whilst Ailrien was telling her sister that the spiders where cursed, older elflings started pouring into the room, ready to learn and train to join King Thranduil's Army when they get of age.

"Well, you seem to be busy, and I really should go out to practice my archery" Ailrien said and Tauriel smiled and bided her sister farewell before she strolled away towards the archery constituency.

When she reaches archway that leads outside to a large archery course she sees her best friend, Lilieth, standing under a tree, fixing the fletching on one of her arrows. Ailrien runs gracefully towards her and Lilieth looks up and waves. Lilieth was beautiful, even for elf standards. She had long, wavy hair that was a light wheat colour. With fine pointed features and deep green eyes that sparkled like emeralds in the light, she made most other elleths look common. Not ugly by any means, but not many elves could really be compared to Lilieth. She shot Ailrien a genuine smile and Ailrien came to a halt in front of her, brown hair flying around her.

"I thought you would be here" Ailrien beamed as she started checking the tightness of her bow string.

"Where else would I be?" Lilieth laughed finishing of her fletch work. The two women, being satisfied with their weapons, started towards the other side of the archery field that was currently unoccupied. Once they reached the far end, they took up their stance and practiced shooting. After about half an hour, it started to become competitive between the two friends.

"I bet I have a better aim than you," Ailrien smirked and Lilieth laughed.

"Is that a challenge?" Lilieth asks and her friend gives her a knowing grin.

"You know me to well," Ailrien said in mocked emotion, "We get one arrow, whoever gets closest to the target, wins," She finished.

"What shall our target be?" Lilieth asked and Ailrien unsheathed her dagger and walked towards two trees that stood a little while away. In the bark of the trees she carved out a little circle, no larger than the nail of her thumb. Once she had done the same to both trees, she jogged back to where her friend stood and sheathed her dagger again.

"You see the two marks I made on those trees over there?" She asked, pointing to the trees that stood about 60m away and Lilieth nodded, "whoever can get closest to the target, will win," Lilieth nodded and both of them took their stance. Ailrien focused on her target and slowed her breathing to a soft, steady pace. Everything was silent, the whole world seemed to stop as both the girls let their arrows fly at the same time. The twang of the stings seemed to be emphasised and everything seemed to go in slow motion. Then, in almost no time at all, the arrows embedded themselves into the tree. They lowered their bows and looked at the arrows, silently comparing them. None of them had hit their target but both were ridiculously close. After a few seconds Lilieth let out a cheer of delight, she had won by about two cm. before she had time to bathe in her glory, two arrows went flying between the two girls, who both let out surprised gasps and looked at the two identical arrows that now had been implanted right onto both of the targets. The snapped their heads to where the arrows had come from and came face to face with Legolas, the prince of Mirkwood.

"I don't mean to be intrusive, but I think I won," he said smirking, making both of the girls blush slightly. They both curtsied dipping their heads, as if to hide their faces. "Who shot the arrow to the left?" he asked, looking as Ailrien's loosing arrow. Said elf shifted uncomfortably and Legolas smiled at her.

"Do not be ashamed, if you want I can help you?" He smiled kindly and she nodded gratefully. "How rude of me, I have not yet asked your names!" He exclaimed.

"I am Ailrien, your highness," she said dipping her head in respect and Legolas held up his hand and said,

"Please, call me Legolas," He said and Ailrien smiled at him. She's quite beautiful he thought to himself but quickly mentally slapped himself. "And you are?"

"My name is Lilieth, I probably should go, I don't want to be intrusive when you are helping my friend, fare well Prince Legolas, Ailrien," she gives her friend a knowing look and skips of with a smile on her face. Legolas looks at Ailrien and asks her to take up her stance with her bow, without an arrow. She does as she is told and she can almost feel Legolas' eyes studying her. After a while she feels his chest against her back and his hands over her own, now Ailrien could not help but blush furiously.

"You have a nice stance," he says in her ear and Ailrien felt a shiver go down her spine, "Just raise your arm a bit more and don't focus so much on the target alone, I can see your eyes wavering only to the object. Try to also focus on where you draw the arrow to, raise your hand slightly, use your cheek as your anchor," Ailrien was doing everything she was told to do at the best of her ability but found it hard to focus with her back against the prince's chest. When Legolas thought her stance was perfect, Ailrien felt the heat of his body leave and she let out a sigh of disappointment and she could have sworn Legolas let out a small chuckle. Wait, why did I sigh? Pull yourself together! And did he just laugh?! Or was it a cough? Concentrate woman! Ailrien was mentally screaming to herself. Soon, Legolas was standing in front of Ailrien with her quiver. He handed it to her and she thanked him, hoping she was not as red as she thought she was.

"Now, doing what I said before, I think that you should try and fire again," he said and gave her a warm, encouraging smile. Ailrien grabbed an arrow and notched it into position. She raised her bow and, doing what she was instructed to do before, she took aim at the tree. She held her breath and let go, firing her arrow directly towards her target. The tip of the arrow lodged itself just a few millimetres away from Legolas' and she lowered her bow, looking very pleased with herself.

"Well done! A great improvement," Legolas said wrapping one arm around Ailrien's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. Ailrien gaped slightly at Legolas' friendly affection, but again, was as red as a tomato. Why am I so relaxed around this elleth? I'm supposed to be a prince! Why is this one girl any different from others, Legolas thought to himself. Ailrien's thoughts where on quite a different track compared to his though. Oh gosh, Prince Legolas has his arm wrapped around me! I think I might actually faint, I must be dreaming! Oh my, I'm actually going to faint, just keep breathing, that's the key, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, nope not worki- her thoughts where cut of as she, quite ungracefully, fainted in the prince's arms.

She was only out for about a minute and soon she fluttered her eyelid open to come face to face with the prince who was leaning over her. Immediately she wished she had not opened her eyes and she yet again, felt the heat rise in her cheeks. The prince, much to her embarrassment, had a vivacious smirk and was trying to hold in his laughter.

"Did my presence over whelm you, Ailrien?" he asked and Ailrien turned her head to the side, allowing part of her hair to cover her face and Legolas let out a hearty laugh. He gracefully got to his feet and held out his hand to Ailrien, who was still lying on the ground. She accepted the offer and was pulled to her feet so effortlessly, it was as if she weighed nothing. Not being physically prepared to be practically lifted off the ground she was pulled of balance and fell towards the prince's chest. To stop her from losing her balance more, he warped his arm around her and steadied her on her feet. Oh my gosh! This has to be the most obdurate day of my life! Ailrien thought to herself as she desperately tried to hide her face. When she did so, she felt his finger under her chin and he lifted her head so she was looking straight at him.

"Why hide such a beautiful face behind a curtain of locks?" He asked in a quiet voice, "Such beauty shouldn't need to hide like a flower in amongst the snow."

"I'm just one petal amongst many, nothing special. I wouldn't say hidden, I am just a scout," She said and her spine shivered at his gentle touch. She was shocked when he started laughing and when he replied,

"You are too modest! Please, do come have dinner tonight, my father loves meeting my friends,"

"Oh I don't think that is necess-"

"But it is, you are my friend and I would be very glad if you were to accept," he said and she was not able to keep a smile of her face. She agreed and he organised to meet her at the archery grounds for him to escort her before the moon rises in the sky. They bid farewell and Ailrien walked away with a spring in her step.

She sprinted all the way to where Lilieth lives and knocked on her door. Lilieth opened immediately and pounced on her.

"I was waiting for you to come! Tell me everything, I want to hear it all!"

So Ailrien spent the remaining time telling Lilieth all about how intimate the prince was being, how she fainted and how she was invited to dinner with him. At this point Lilieth squeaked in delight and the girls where giggling like young elflings.

"We must get you ready! Oh what are you to wear? And what about your hair? It has pine needles all through it," Lilieth said leaping to her feet and grabbed a brush out of a draw. She threw it to Ailrien who caught it and continued shrilly "Brush your hair on the way to your place, we need to get you ready!"

They sprinted through the halls of the kingdom and soon arrived outside a dark green door. Lilieth pushed the door open and hastily dragged Ailrien in after her. Ailrien sat on a chair in front of a water basin and continued to drag the bristly brush through her hair. Lilieth went to a cupboard and started scanning through all her friend's clothes. Lilieth knew what she was looking for. She wanted something nice but not to formal. Then she saw something that caught her eye. It was an emerald green dress with marron thread that had been carefully woven into a beautiful leafy pattern along the hem of the hems and around the waist. The sleeves where simple and only reached two inches above the elbow and where narrow at the top, wide at the bottom. It was perfect.

"This is the dress, now for your hair," She said smiling. Ailrien nodded in agreement and started to braid her hair into a thin circlet braid that went right around her head, ending at the back. Lilieth was chattering away but her mind drifted to more morbid thoughts. What if the king doesn't like her? Or what if she made a fool of herself and spilled wine or even worse fainted? She mentally shook herself out of her trail of melancholic thoughts. No. No more fainting for today, once is enough she thought blocking out her likely outcomes.

Once she was completely ready she stood up and looked over at Lilieth who looked as if she was about to tear up.

"My dear Ailrien, so grown up and soon to be courted by the prince," She said half mocking half serious.

"Shut up, he is not courting me, we only met today! We are friends, nothing more,"

"Not just yet anyways," Lilieth said winking and Ailrien pushed her friend playfully. "You should get going, if you don't want to be late," She said and bid her goodbye and good luck before leaving her alone in her room. Ailrien sighed and left her room, walking down the empty corridors.

Once she reached the archery grounds she saw that it was, much like the halls of Mirkwood, vacant. She walked out to middle of the course and stood there waiting patiently for the prince.

"How odd my life has become in a matter of a day," she started to herself, sitting down on the ground, stretching her legs out and continued, "a lowly elf like me waiting for the most handsome prince there ever was to come and escort me to dinner,"

"I wouldn't call you a lowly elf, but I can agree that I am the most handsome," a familiar voice came from behind her and she leapt to her feet. There was an awkward silence and Ailrien looked to the ground, shuffling her feet. Legolas cleared his throat and held out his arm,

"Shall we?" She accepted and they both, arm in arm, started up towards the royal diner. As they were walking, Ailrien started to feel very nervous. She was convinced that she would do something to displease the king or the prince. Legolas clearly noticed that she was uncomfortable and stopped.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She replied, trying to sound more convincing than she felt.

"That would be a nice answer but I don't think that is a very truthful one," he said, giving her a piercing look. She let out a sigh and looked away.

"I am nervous," she said quietly.

"You have no need to b-"

"Yes I do!" She said raising her voice, "I am dining with some of the most powerful, noble elves of all time! I have reason to be nervous, you highness. I am uneasy, because I fear that I am to make either a fool of myself or to make myself into a disgrace! I have spent all day since the invite worrying about everything that could and possibly will go-" Ailrien was silenced by her frantic rant when Legolas placed two fingers on her lips, silencing her.

"Stop your mouth yabbering on about irrelevant things, none of that will happen, you could never look like a fool even if you tried," he said encouragingly.

"Not even if I faint?" she asked, a grin tugging at her lips and Legolas laughed a hearty laugh.

"Not even if you faint," he held out his arm again and she accepted and they started down the halls once more, "Also, please do not refer to me as your highness, I am your friend, not your ruler." And with that, they arrived outside the dining hall. They both entered and Ailrien gasped at the beauty of the room. The celling was tall and the room itself was long and wide. In the middle of the room there was an elegant, oval table with grand dishes baring foods of great riches. The goblets that stood on the table where delicately designed and Ailrien could smell the pleasant smell of the finest wine that was being poured into glasses. Around the table sat six elves, one of which she recognised as the great elven king himself. She was too busy taking in all the detail of the place that she almost forgot she was holding onto Legolas' arm.

"Do you wish to eat tonight, or would you prefer standing around watching?" Legolas asked amused and she snapped out of her trance and nodded. They walked towards the table and he pulled up a chair for Ailrien was sat down, felling slightly tense. Legolas sat across from her, next to Thranduil. Thranduil had always slightly intimidated her. He was a great ruler, but she had always felt apprehensive of him and his unyielding looks. Thranduil caught her staring at him and his gaze held hers, daring her to keep looking until she finally, looked away.

"Let me introduce you to everyone! Ailrien, meet my dear friends, Mitrith, Lenthindir, Alloleth, Marius and Gollendir," as he said all his friends names, he pointed to each elf and she found that she was perched between Marius and Gollendir. "Father, this is Ailrien, she is Tauriel's sister,"

"It is always a pleasure to meet my son's new friends," he said nodding his head curtly.

"Thankyou, your highness, but the pleasure is all mine," Ailrien said, trying to be as formal and polite as possible. This earned a laugh from the king which greatly surprised her. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Legolas, wondering if she had done something wrong.

"Please, lady Ailrien, there is no need for such formalities," He said, taking a swig of wine. Marius grabbed the wine jug and offered to pour her a glass, which she gratefully accepted.

After a while of drinking, eating and talking, Ailrien felt much more comfortable around these noble elves. She also found that Thranduil had trouble holding his wine. Ailrien was surprised that the king had not spilt on himself when he broke out multiple times in roars of laughter. Once they had finished their dinner, the conversation turned to Ailrien.

"Ailrien, how is it that you met my dear friend?" Lenthindir asked, as he swung his feet onto the table.

"At the archery field, he was helping me practice," She said, looking knowingly at Legolas, remembering the awkward moments that had happened.

"And now you must be the greatest archer of all the land!" Gollendir roared next to her, raising his goblet high above his head, "To Ailrien, the greatest-"

"And Prettiest!" broke of Marius on the other side of her who clapped her on the back raising his own goblet and Gollendir continued, in his same loud voice,

"Archer in all of Mirkwood!" Ailrien laughed and the elves around her started cheering, even Thranduil joined in, clanking his wine glass with the rest of the elves. They all took a long mouth full of wine, but Ailrien kept chugging down the sweet wine until her goblet held not a single drop left in it. The elves cheered again and now it was Thranduil who downed his glass. She looked at the king in surprise and he lowered his goblet, cocked an eyebrow and slammed the goblet upside down on the table. The elves then realise what was going on. Thranduil had just challenged her to a drinking duel.

The elves cleared the table and they swapped seats so Ailrien and Thranduil were directly across from each other. They got their goblets and filled them up again, this time with a stronger wine. Everything was silent and almost at the exact same time they started gulping down goblet after goblet after goblet. After every mouth full Ailrien took, she started to feel dizzier and after the sixth goblet she slammed it down onto the table with still a couple mouthful in the bottom. Thranduil, realising his feat, leapt to his feet and stood on the table, causing everyone to cheer. Thranduil grabbed her hand and pulled her up on the table as well, holding her hand high in the air, almost lifting her of her feet and said,

"I declare, Ailrien, daughter of Awilran, the best female drinker in Middle Earth that I have ever met!" When the king let go of her hand, Legolas helped the drunk elf maiden of the table.

Soon, the elves had changed the subject and where now discussing what animal they would be, if not elf. Thranduil said he would be a deer, Legolas a horse, Mitrith would be an eagle, Lenthindir and Marius decided on wolf, Gollendir a mouse. At this everyone laughed and he calmly stated that mice live peaceful lives and are not bothered by what happens around them. Most of them continued to laugh about the absurd idea but Ailrien, although she did not say it, thought that she would much rather be a mouse rather than a wolf or a deer. As they continued to talk, Ailrien's eyes began to droop and soon she was unable to keep them open and drifted off to sleep at the royal dinner table.

When she awoke, she saw that she was in her room. Ailrien sat bolt upright, wondering how she had gotten there, but then she saw a note next to her pillow.

My dear friend Ailrien,

Thankyou so much for coming last night, it really did mean a lot. I had a great time and my father thinks you are lovely. We were all however, very shocked to see you have fallen asleep, we thought you were sick. I started to panic, but father told me that elves do fall asleep if under the influence of wine (he says that some of the servants have been seen sleeping in the wine cellar). Not to worry though, as you can tell I did not want to leave you there, nor did I want to wake you so I carried you back to your room after asking your friend, Lilieth I think her name is, who was wondering around alone. I do hope you enjoyed your time as much as I did,

Legolas

Ailrien chuckled at the idea of Legolas panicking over her, and, deciding that sleep was not so bad, lay her head back down on her pillow and rested.

Hi guys! I hope you like Ailrien's chapter :D I beg that someone will review! (literally, I'm on my hands and knees here!) any ways, if there are any mistakes then please let me know :),

Ranger's Secret