Hi to everyone in the world!

As always, I want to thanks to all the readers of this story. I really appreciate you guys because you're the reason that I keep going even when I don't have too much time.

In the last chapter, it was known why Lady Galadriel likes and even admires dragons. By the way, is a story that nobody knows but Lenore.

Also, it was known a couple of things about Legolas and that Lenore was very interested even if she refuses to know the real reason behind her upsetting because of the elf's behavior.

Now... during most of all the previous chapters in different moments Aragorn and Gandalf had said that the reason of the hater behavior of Legolas toward the black dragon has a sad story behind.

Well… it'll be in this chapter that it'll be known the reason of why Legolas hates so much dragons, especially black ones.

Also, it'll be the very first chapter when the attitude of both will start to change, though the elf's attitude towards the black dragon will change a little later.

The starting changing of Legolas's attitude toward the black dragon will be in Lothlórien but it'll be little by little until they become very good friends, not to mention that Legolas will befriend with other dragons, especially a light dragon.

But well, that's in future chapters… right now, it'll be known the tragic story that is the reason behind of Legolas's hatred toward dragons.

I give special thanks to Celridel for her help.

Again, thank you so much to all who read this story and your reviews are welcome… and as always, here we go again:

Chapter 10: A tragic story

Legolas walked through the trees of Lorien. His heart was not on the golden leaves or silver stems, nor on the glances of the elleths.

He ignored them completely , something much more important than impressing the girls on his mind.

Lenore.

Lenore, that strange woman from another realm. She was so different.

Legolas had to admit that there were a few things he liked about. Her hair was black as the blackest night, her emerald eyes reminded him of his native Greenwood, her way of telling stories. She was patient, intelligent and brave.

And yet, all the qualities were shadowed by the fact she shared a heart with dragon, but not any dragon. It was a black dragon.

If she had not, Legolas would have befriended her instantly. He had made friends with all the Company, save Gimli, and of course the woman.

Yet he had begun to admire Gimli, because of his respect to the Lady of Light. Indeed the Dwarf seemed to look upon her as a goddess, and who could not? She was the wisest and perhaps the fairest being on Middle-Earth.

Legolas smiled wryly. Aragorn would not agree with such a statement, and he found that he did not either. Maybe Lenore was fairer? Maybe.

But she seemed like ice, cold and lovely. What he heard hurt him more than he would ever admit, even to himself. She had the Dwarf as a friend, and she had called him a hater.

He had made the oath to the Valar to change, to befriend Lenore, even if it meant befriending her dragon.

He knew it wouldn't be easy.
The Dragon was cold and sharp with him, and Lenore was the same.

How to begin? He had begun. He had risked his honor, but honor wasn't enough. He had to apologize.

Would they listen though? Would they forgive him?

The only way was to tell them the truth. The complete truth.

The Elf was in a living hell, and it was time to end this. And end it he would.

He knew through Aragorn that the Lady Galadriel had summoned Lenore? But would she still be with Galadriel? Maybe she had already returned to the camp. Maybe she had taken a walk. This was one of the most beautiful places in Middle Earth

He was looking ahead, wondering where to find her, when he saw a figure slip from between two trees twenty feet away from him. It was a woman, with long black hair. Legolas recognized her. No one had such dark hair, not even Lady Arwen.

He began to follow her. She seemed to simply be wandering around, enjoying the beauty of the night. He had closed the distance between them, and was walking quite close to her, carefully remaining silent.

Lenore stopped suddenly, and said without looking around.

"Did you know that following people, like what you're doing, is called stalking? And it's annoying?"

She turned on Legolas.

"Are you stalking me, Legolas? Because if you are then besides a hater, you're a stalker too, and that's not good."

Legolas felt the points of his ears blush. Suddenly she stopped making to Legolas stop so short that he didn't even have time to hide from her sight.

"I apologize. It was my intention to disturb you, my lady."

Lenore rolled her eyes. "Listen, this is the last time. Stop calling me my Lady, because I'm not. Alright, Prince Legolas?"

Legolas glanced at her. "How do you know I am a Prince?" he snapped.

"A little bird told me so."

The Elf scowled.

"So stop calling me my lady, Your Highness." she added.

"I shall if you stop saying I am a Prince." he replied.

"Very good. Deal?" asked Lenore, holding out her hand.

Legolas glanced at her hand, unsure of what to do.

"So…..?" she asked impatiently. "I won't stand here forever?"

Legolas swallowed, and lightly grasped her hand . "I apologize. I am not used to this."

Lenore smiled in acknowledgment, but her smile was cold.

"Well I have to go! Have a good night, Elf. Oh, and quit stalking me."

She turned around and began walking off.

Legolas stepped to her side. "My-Lenore, may I walk with you?"

Lenore raised her eyebrow. "I guess. After all, we're in Elf Land. I don't know what would happen to me if I said no to one of their kind."

Legolas winced, and Lenore glanced at him, seeing a pained expression flit across his face. Maybe she had been too harsh. After all, she didn't want to turn into him.

"My kindred shall not harm you if you deny something to them or myself. If you wish me to leave, I shall."

Lenore sighed resignedly. "No, it's fine. You can come."

They have been walking for about half an hour, both in silence.

Legolas, who had been always a determined elf, suddenly was afraid to say anything.

"The stars are shinning beautifully." he dared to venture.

Lenore looked up. The leaves were silver instead of gold, but that was all.

"I don't see anything."

Legolas swallowed. "I forgot that here in the forest of Lothlorien you can see nothing of the sky. I have never seen a place as beautiful as here."

"I suppose." she replied shortly.

"In your realm, is there a place like this?"

"No." she answered, staring ahead.

Lenore glared at the tree trunks. She tried to be polite to all, but the Elf was a different matter.

He was hater, taking revenge on them for the sake of the past.

He had talked on behalf of them, so much Haldir considered them an Elf-friend, but he couldn't be polite to them in person.

He was quite presumptuous now, probably because he was an handsome prince.

She was sure he would be a great friend, brave, sweet, tender, so on and so forth.

She didn't want his heart, but a real friend. Though maybe, in the deepest corner of her heart, being Legolas's love interest wasn't such a bad idea.
But her head was different than her pride.

She had no intention of being friendly until he apologized. So making up her mind, she wheeled around, and said.

"You know? I'm going back to camp? So have a nice night and enjoy your walk."

Legolas panicked and dashed after her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Wait, wait! Lenore! Wait! I am sorry!"

Lenore scowled at him. "Alright, alright. You're forgiven. Next time try to be more talkative."

Legolas frowned slightly. She was one to talk about being talkative. But that was small. "You're not understanding me, Lenore."

"I understand you are not letting me go." she said.

"I apologize for that as well, but-"

"Stop apologizing for everything! Next time I'll find you a priest you can confess your sins too, okay?"

"I don't know what a priest is, but I have to confess something."

Lenore stared at him. "Then go ahead."

Legolas looked around. Several elves were staring at him. "Can we go someplace….else?"

"Is this confession so private?" mocked Lenore.

Legolas nodded. "Yes. And very long too."

The tone of his voice made Lenore change her attitude. "Very well. Where do you want to go."

"Follow me." he said quietly, taking her hand.

They had arrived at the foot of a great mallorn tree, far away from any prying Elvish eyes.

Legolas had started to climb up, when he saw Lenore looking at him, her arms crossed.

"You're not coming?" he asked worriedly.

"No thanks. I like talking on the ground."

"If you wish too, we'll talk on the ground, but first can I show you something?"

Lenore looked skeptical.

"Please?" he asked, his eyes begging.

She sighed. "Ok."

She put a hand on the tree hesitantly.
"What is it?" asked Legolas. "Are you afraid of heights?"

Lenore looked offended. "Don't be silly! I've been higher than you've ever been on my dragon!"

"Then what is it?" asked Legolas.

"I don't know how to climb a tree." she said, flushing a little.

"Let me help you." he said politely.

Lenore looked a little surprised, and gave him her hand. When they finally reached the top branches, Legolas pointed to the horizon.

Lenore gave a little gasp. The great forest of Lorien extended, a wave of golden leaves that rippled in the warm breeze.

Over it was a mountain range, it's peaks white.

But the sky was the fairest. The great golden globe of the sun was setting into the sea. Above it rose and gold, violet and blue shaded the skies in brilliant hues.

The rest of the sky was a great canopy of velvet blue, silver stars piercing it.

Lenore stood still, fascinated.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said the Elf after a while.

"Yeah, very beautiful. In my place, you can't see such a beautiful sunset?"

"Why so?"

Lenore smiled wryly. "My people have polluted everything, I'm afraid. In big cities, there are so many lights you can't even see the stars."

"Too many lights?" asked Legolas.

"Yes, too many lights. I mean, our big cities have over 1 million inhabitants."

The elf looked at her in disbelief. "Then, your realm must be very different from here"

"You have no idea. Fortunately my dragon is with me."

For Legolas, that explanation meant two things.

One, she was again building her ice wall because she knew that he didn't like dragons.

Two, he had to tell her his reason behind his hatred toward dragons if he really wanted to fix the situation and apologize.

Legolas took a deep breath. "Talking about dragons, I want to talk about this with you."

Lenore looked at her. "If you going to act like you usually do, no thanks."

"No, I'm not. I need to tell you something, so you can understand."

"Understand? I think I do."

"You think you do." said Legolas softly. "But please listen to me."

Lenore took a breath. She was going to give him a chance.

There was silence for a while. Lenore sat among the leaves. She was curious what Legolas was going to say.

Finally he started softly. "

That wasn't a good signal but he was determined to end this situation that was now a living hell.

Once they were sat, Legolas breathed deeply a couple of times.

It wouldn't be easy at all, that story was very painful and he had never told anything to anyone. His heart was feeling heavy moreover because the person who he would confess and tell this story was the very same woman that shared the heart with a black dragon.

Lenore was looking again the landscape that was already dark because the night had almost fallen

Finally, Legolas gathered all his bravery and started softly.

"What I tell you is a secret. I have never told anyone this, not Gandalf, not Aragorn. It happened over half a century ago. Maybe a little more…."

"As you know, I was born in Mirkwood. I'm the only son of the King Thranduil.

After my mother died, my father changed and he became cold and hard. He and I never had a good relationship.

We are also very different, and the different drove a wedge in the already widening gap.

My father can be very… strict and he takes noble blood very seriously.

Please do not think that I do not love my Ada. I do truly, but I find it hard to see if he loves me.

I had a friend, a friend since my childhood. Her name was Tauriel, and she was wonderful with a bow-with all weapons, in fact. I have never met anyone so good.

We were very good friends and with time I developed some… feelings for her."

Lenore felt a strange pang in her chest. What was that? Pain? Deception? Jealousy?

"For a minute I thought it was love, but it was not, I fear. It was a deep affection and admiration, the kind a friend feels. n that moment I thought that it was love but I realized later that it wasn't, it was more like a very deep affection for her.

I admired her for different reasons, for example, her impressive skills with weapons, her good heart, and her beauty."

Again Lenore felt that strange pang.

"Yet I know it wasn't love because I could never felt her 'Fëa.'"

"Fëa?" repeated Lenore in confusion.

"Soul, her soul. When elves fall in love, they not only turn in one in the flesh but also in the Fëa, in the soul. They feel then if their beloved is in danger and even they can "see" the soul sometimes, when it shines through their eyes."

"So… if you, for example, see a Fëa of an elleth it means that you're in love with her?"

"Indeed."

"And it never happened with your friend… Tauriel?"

"No, never. It was affection and admiration, it was…"

Legolas stopped for a moment, trying to find the right word.

"It was a crush." said Lenore.

Legolas looked at her. "A crush?" he asked

"A crush is a feeling that you have, usually, for a close friend but can happen sometimes that for someone who you've never talked before. When you have a crush on someone, you admire, your heartbeat is different when you see that person. It can be mistaken for love. But a crush passes, while love endures."

"It seems that you know a lot about it." said Legolas with a smile.

Lenore looked at him, offended.
"Don't you think that! I've only had a crush a few times!"

"I never thought that." he said surprised "It was just a compliment"

Lenore scowled at him. There was a moment of silence.

"Then, considering what have you said about this thing… the "crush", then I can tell you that I had a… "crush" for Tauriel."

Lenore smiled to herself. It sounded so cute when he used it, like a child who had just learned a new word.

"And Tauriel… did she felt the same?" she asked.

"No." Legolas replied abruptly. "We had a deep friendship, but she fell in love with a-a dwarf."

"A dwarf?! I thought that elves and dwarves can't get along at all!"

"That is usually true, but it wasn't the case in this instant. Maybe the Valar decided it was best for both of them. But it didn't last long."

Lenore looked surprised. "What happened?"

"After we helped to a group of dwarves and we had many adventures which would take too long for telling you, there was a great battle known as "The Battle of the Five Armies".

In that battle, Tauriel was nearly killed, but Kili jumped between her and the attacker and received the mortal blow. He died in Tauriel's arms."

Lenore gasped softly. That sounded like a romantic novel and yet, if this had been true, it definitely wasn't nice but tragic.

"I was angry with my father because he had left the battle, leaving to the dwarves to their fate. He had denied help to Tauriel and even had broken her bow.

She had begun to the despise him for the way he acted towards those of common blood, and he despised her falling in love with a dwarf. I think, at the end, he admitted he admired both her and Kili.

Because of my anger, I decided to leave. It was the time that I lived my own life and staying in Mirkwood I would never be able too.

Fortunately, for once my father understood and advised me to go looking for a young ranger named Strider.

That is how I met Aragorn, and I swiftly became his friend.

Tauriel was devastated though, but she did not fade, for which is was glad…..or angry."

"Why?" asked Lenore.

"Because the death she had." was his short answer.

Lenore was as sure as her own life that a dragon was involved in Tauriel's death, yet she had to know exactly what had happened.

"And then… what happened?" she softly asked

"I did not see Tauriel for a long time. One night I did. Aragorn, Mithrandir, and I were traveling. We were close to our destination, but we decided to spend a night in a small village

She arrived in the same place. It appeared that she was the guardian of the roads, helping people in their travels. Dragons had been turning against us, and the paths were dangerous again.

But now they were vicious, attacking on the behalf of the Dark Lord."

"That's why we have to destroy that dam ring." said Lenore

"That is right."

"Then, the dragons attacked?" asked Lenore eagerly.

"Yes, Earth Dragons ridden by Orcs.

I was delighted to see Tauriel once more. I introduced her to Aragorn for Mithrandir knew her already.

She had changed. She was no longer that vibrant, merry Elf I knew. She was quiet, That night was blessed. Tauriel began to laugh again, and I laughed with her.

But it wasn't blessed, it was cursed. We were talking inside the inn when I saw Tauriel stiffen, grabbing her knives, and then I felt it. Something was coming, something evil.

We ran out, all four of us. Orcs were swarming down, companies of them attacking the village.

We were spared from burning to death. A blast of fire came from above, and the straw roof of the inn caught on fire instantly.

We looked to the sky, but could see nothing. Mithrandir knew what it was.

'It is a black dragon.' he whispered.

'We cannot live the people to their fate.' cried Aragorn.

People running in chaos, trying to find a place to hide, but those the Orcs didn't kill, the dragon burned alive.

"The four of us looked to the sky but we couldn't see anything, not even me or Tauriel but Mithrandir knew what was.

We unsheathed our arms and started to try to fight off the Orcs. We were aiming to escape to the woods with the few of the people we had saved, mostly women and children.

It roared and turned, searching for survivors. We thought none were living .The streets were crowded with bodies. But we were wrong. Two children, twins I believe, had survived amidst the rubble of a house.

Tauriel saw this, and did her best to distract him, shooting arrows that bounced off his skin while the children escaped.

The dragon turned on her, attacking her with fire. She ducked.

I shouted for her to leave, but she did not listen. She never would. Orcs surrounded her. We tried, Aragorn and I, we truly id, but it was useless.

Tauriel ducked to avoid a blast of fire, and a Orc stabbed her in the side. She fell. I tried to get to her.

The dragon pounced on her, but she had a knife in her boot, and she slashed at its throat. This angered the beast. It was brutal. It shook her in its jaws, and then tore her apart. She was still alive. She was still screaming. And I couldn't help."

Lenore shivered. She knew how savage dragons could be. It was rare that they were.

She turned to see to Legolas.

The elf was looking to the horizon with a blank expression. He seemed to be a statue, and his blue eyes seemed to be filled with tears, though he did not blink.

Now Lenore could understand Legolas's hatred toward dragons, especially toward black dragons.

"Aragorn and Mithrandir dragged me away, and we led the survivors off.

I could never avenge Tauriel, but late I found that an Elvish city, a black dragon been slain. It had scars on its neck. Since then, no one has ever seen a black dragon."

Legolas turned to her slowly and looked her for a moment.

"That's why I hate dragons, most of all black dragons. Every time I saw your dragon, I saw Tauriel being torn apart. And when I knew you were going with us, you would be part of the Fellowship, it hurt….a lot."

He paused, trying to choose his words.

"I know neither your dragon nor you are guilty of the past. I know you knew nothing about this. It wasn't your fault.

I want to apologize. I am sorry for hurting you."

He stopped. She was the first one to see his pain. And strangely, it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off his heart, and he could breathe freely.

Lenore looked into his blue eyes, and then looked away. She felt a lump in her throat, and she could see the pain. And it touched her. He had just opened up his heart to her, something he had ever done to anyone else.

She looked back at him. "Fresh start?" she asked with a smile, holding out her hand.

Legolas smiled back at her, and shook her hand. "Fresh start."