THE FORGOTTEN

While in Lothlorien

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Authors note: Ok, I think this chapter will be longer! Just so you know, this chapter has several, what you might call, sub-chapters. They will be in bold. Read and review please! Mega thanks to all who have reviewed, especially they that have faithfully reviewed! You all are great!

It was February third. It had been thirteen days since Lothril had woken up as she was meant to be. All thirteen days Legolas and Lothril had been inseparable!

"So Pip, who do you figure will say I love you first? Legolas or Lothril?" Merry asked as he watched them walk off one morning.

"What makes you think they are in love?" Frodo asked.

"Oh come Frodo, it's obvious they are in love! They spend all their time together, and the way they look at each other, it is quite obvious!" Merry answered. Turning to Pippin he said, "Well?"

"Lothril for certain! I don't think she would be one to wait around for ever," Pippin replied. Aragorn over heard them and came and sat down by them.

The two hobbits gulped. They figured they were going to get in trouble about saying such a thing. "No, Legolas will. I am almost certain," Aragorn said.

"Do you want to make this interesting?" Merry said glancing at Pippin and Aragorn. He got a funny smile on his face.

"Sure," Pippin said. "I'll bet two pipefulls of Old Toby."

"I'll bet three!" Aragorn said.

Gimli and Boromir sat back and watched this conversation. "So Boromir, what do you think of those two elves?" Gimli asked as he leaned back and folded his arms on his chest.

"I think they are in love. It is humorous to watch! I would say Legolas will say something first," Boromir replied with a grin. Both sat back and laughed a little.

"What do you think Mister Baggins?" Gimli asked.

"About what? Them in love, or who will admit they love the other first?" Frodo asked.

"Both!" Gimli answered.

"I suppose I think it is funny how neither one will admit it, and I think that Legolas will admit it first," Frodo said.

"Well I think it's sweet that them two are in love! It'd be a shame to see such a nice elf as Legolas live forever with out ever getting married or nothin'. And I think that Lothril is a wonderful lady if ever I met one! I think they look nice together!" Sam commented. His comment held a tone of disapproval. He added, "I don't see what difference it makes which one will admit they're in love first! I don't think it matters!"

The other six took his point to heart for nearly five minutes, and then they all went back to their guessing.

Lothril however, was somewhat aware that he was indeed in love with her. She never thought that Legolas would love her. Not to say that she didn't love him, not to say she didn't want him to love her, only she never thought anyone would ever fall in love with her. She had been getting a strange feeling from Legolas. She wondered if that meant he loved her. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. A large smile graced her face.

Legolas was not willing to say anything until he thought the feelings would be reciprocated. Patiently he waited...

"Lothril, I think you should learn how to play an instrument," Legolas suggested.

"Why in Middle-earth do you suddenly think I should learn an instrument?" she asked with a funny grin.

"Because almost all elves know how to play an instrument, and it would be a shame for you not to. I have heard you sing; you have a gift, and it shouldn't be wasted."

"That is what my mother said when she made me learn to play the piano."

"The what?"

"The piano," she repeated, and then proceeded to explain what one looked like. In the end she ended up drawing a picture in the dirt with a stick of an upright piano. Lucky for her she had some drawing talent. "It is beautiful sounding, but if you or someone were to teach me the harp or some stringed instrument, I would be extremely grateful!"

"Then I shall teach you to play the lap harp." He grinned. "Come, I am sure the Lady would let us borrow one."

So she did. He spent nearly four days teaching her how to play, and the fingering, and all of that. At the end of the fourth day an elven maid came up to them.

She bowed in the elven style and said, "Prince Legolas, the Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with the Lady Lothril."

Lothril excused herself from Legolas' company, and followed the servant maiden. Lothril reached the top of the talan and met Galadriel there. She stayed with the great lady for nearly two weeks and while she was there, the lady continued teaching her how to play the lap harp. While there Galadriel taught her how to weave material. Lothril was the one that made Aragorn's, Frodo's and Legolas' cloaks. Lothril also donated hair for Legolas' bow string. At the end of that time she returned to the Fellowship.

– While Lothril Was Gone –

While Lothril was gone and Legolas was coming back, the Fellowship held a quick council.

"All right men, we must keep track of Legolas and Lothril, but subtly! Nothing obvious or too pointed! Understood?" Aragorn said.

Everyone nodded.

"Shhhh! Legolas is coming back! ALONE!" Merry whispered. Everyone assumed a casual position with some success. Pippin looked a little too casual and innocent; his fatal flaw came when he began whistling. Merry did all he could to keep himself from banging his head on a tree. Everyone knows that whistling is the most conspicuous inconspicuous thing to do!

Legolas walked up, gave Pippin a funny look and said, "Gimli, would you like to wander around with me?"

"Where's Lothril?" Gimli asked.

"She was called away by the Lady," he answered.

"Well then laddie, I would be glad to join you!" Gimli said with a grin.

As he and Legolas walked away, Gimli turned his head and winked at the others. Aragorn slammed his head into his hand, and then shook his head.

"This will be disastrous! That dwarf is as subtle as the Lonely Mountain!" Aragorn quietly exclaimed.

Boromir sat back and quietly chuckled at the thought of Gimli being strangled by Legolas for asking a personal question.

Sam was still annoyed at his friends for being so cruel and ridiculous about it all.

Meantime, Legolas and Gimli were talking. "So Master Elf, what do you think of Lady Lothril?" Gimli asked stroking his beard.

"Why do you ask?" Legolas gave a quizzical look. He did not wish for the Fellowship to find out before she did.

"Well, I think she is a very nice elf maid, and I was wondering if you felt the same," Gimli tried to answer nonchalantly.

"Oh... well, I think she is very nice as well," he mechanically replied.

"Very nice. Do you think she is a pretty maid?" The dwarf was painfully obvious, so much so that any elf within earshot began chuckling.

Legolas however was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice.

"Yes I suppose so," he thoughtlessly replied.

"So you only suppose she is pretty?" the dwarf asked.

Legolas was brought out of his reveries. "No, I think she is very pretty, elven fair."

"Pretty, elven fair, but not lovely?"

"Lovely! Master Gimli, what do you keep hinting at?" If the dwarf would have been paying more attention he may have noticed the slight tremor in his voice. Hardly perceptible... What did that dwarf know?

"Oh, nothing," Gimli innocently replied. "So, is she lovely?"

"Gimli, if you mean lovely as in she has a lovely personality, then yes. If you mean lovely to look at, I already said, she is elven fair," he tried to make it sound that he was uninterested in her. It kind of worked...

"Do you like her?" the dwarf asked with a glimmer in his eye.

"Master Dwarf, if you are trying to trick me into a confession of some secret love, then I am sorry. There is no secret romance between Lothril and myself, there never has been!" Legolas informed in a matter of fact way. All the while secretly praying that there would be someday.

The dwarf apparently didn't buy that answer because he said, "Do you like her?" again.

"Yes Gimli, I do! I think she is nice and elven fair. She is like a sister to me, nothing more!" the elf replied. Well, the last part about her being like a sister may have been a slight lie...

"All right laddie! Don't get your bow string in a tangle! I'm just asking a few questions, that's all," the dwarf replied as if he was consoling an upset dwarf child.

Legolas rolled his eyes. How obvious this dwarf was!

– When Lothril Returned –

"Welcome back Lady Lothril!" Pippin exclaimed when he saw her come walking up.

"Greetings all!" she replied.

"What did the Lady want with you?" Pippin asked.

She chuckled at the hobbit's inquisitiveness. "None of your business Pippin. If you were supposed to know, you would have gone with me."

That night she slept with the Fellowship. Some time before the dawn, Lothril was suddenly awakened by extreme pressure on her stomach. She opened her eyes and saw a sleep walking Pippin on top of her. With one quick a motion she knocked his legs out from under him and caught him. She laid him back down on his bed. Now that she was wide awake, she decided to take a walk. Everything was silent and beautiful. Perfect time for a thoughtful walk. She was not a yard away from the pavilion when SNAP! She stepped on a twig.

Legolas, who had been sound asleep, was suddenly wide awake. He saw a shadow outside and instantly called out "Daro!"

Lothril froze in her place. She knew Legolas would come to investigate. And he did. He came out and saw her standing there.

"What are you doing up? It is still some time before dawn," he asked.

"Pippin was sleep walking and stepped on me. I put him back to bed and found myself no longer tired, so I decided to take a walk," she answered.

"May I join you?" he asked.

"If you wish," she replied. A strange smile crossed her lips. She had that strange feeling from him again. She felt it all the time from him now. This time she knew what it meant. She remembered what she had realized about herself while speaking with the Lady Galadriel, for the first time she was willing to admit it to herself...

Suddenly, Legolas got a different feeling from Lothril that he had never gotten before. It was the same one he was giving her. He smiled. His heart beat just a little bit faster.

He made his first move. "Lothril, would you come with me somewhere?" Legolas asked.

"Yes Legolas, I would," she softly replied.

He began leading her somewhere, she really didn't care where, and talking with her. Happily smiling and laughing were they all the way to wherever it was. Slowly, happily, carelessly they walked on. All the while Legolas was asking questions casually to make sure her feelings were what he thought they were.

At sometime, near the late afternoon, they reached the hill of Cerin Amroth.

– – –

Authors note: What did you think of this chapter? What do you think will happen? I am curious to know your thoughts! REVIEW PLEASE!

TRANSLATION: Daro- halt