Fili could have cut the tension in the air with one of his knives. Besides the clomping of boots on the ground and the cracking of twigs, the forest was oddly silent. The aurora of spiders had vanished with the appearance of the elves, who still had their bows drawn and eyes locked on the looming darkness before and behind them.

The elves surrounded the dwarves, and based on Fili's rough estimate (considering he couldn't see all the dwarves, let alone all of the elves), there was at least a three to one elf to dwarf ratio. It didn't help that the entire company was famished, tired, and still woozy from whatever had been in the spiders' webs.

However, for once there was no need to fight. Once the elves had seen Tauriel's face (and a somewhat lengthy conversation had occurred between Tauriel and the blond elf in a mix of both Westron and Elvish), all weapons had been lowered.

Of course his uncle could still manage to not be happy about that.

Thorin stood up rod straight, his cold eyes set forward. His lips were in a hard frown that emphasized the growing number of wrinkles on his face. He was one of the only dwarves who still had his weapon out, his sword held firmly in his hand. Though he had yet to mutter something rude under his breath in Khuzdul, it wasn't hard for Fili to guess what his uncle was thinking.

All things considered, Fili was sure that things could have gone much worse.

Kili walked at his brother's side. As always, he managed to keep a smile on his face, and Fili couldn't help but return it. However, his eyes shifted, and Fili quickly followed his gaze.

Tauriel had taken her hood down, letting her long red hair fly free. All but glued to her side was the blond elf from earlier. Though they had stopped their constant chatter, they seemed happy to see each other. Their mutual silence said more than words ever could.

Kili's eyes flickered over the two, an almost saddened look in his eyes. Then, for a moment, Tauriel's face turned. For a moment, she seemed to shine bright, a little piece of happiness in the accursed forest.

Fili smiled. He didn't need all the answers, at least not now. Tauriel's smile, so genuine, made himself relax.

"Do not worry about the male elf," Fili said in Khuzdul. He gave Kili's shoulder a squeeze. "Everything is fine."

It took him a moment, but Kili smiled once more.

Thorin, who stood a few steps ahead of them, merely grunted.

Fili rolled his eyes. "Well, everything is fine for us."

Kili squeezed Fili's shoulder back.

Mirkwood had changed in the years since Tauriel had left it. Though many had started to retreat into the central base her king held, by now the last of the wayward houses had been abandoned. What was left were broken and forgotten shacks, ravaged by the cruel passing of time or the fierce attacks of spiders. Most were mere shells of what they had once been, mere pieces of scattered wood covered in thick spider web.

Her grip on her bow tightened.

"Those are ancient nests," Legolas said. "The spiders who lived there now lie long dead."

She turned back to him, letting her tight grip on her weapon loosen. "That is the least that those vermin deserve."

The forest seemed even darker now than before. Even now, with her friends and allies all around her and the spiders far behind them, Tauriel could feel the shadows thickening around her. The trees seemed to have thicker stumps, with scratched wood. The grass was hardly any better, a rough kind that seemed more grey than green. Besides the spiders and a few squirrels, she had seen no living creature. Where elk and birds and foxes had once ran freely were thick shadows and a cold breeze. Tauriel doubted most living creatures would want to live there.

Tauriel looked back to Legolas. She could still see the questions in his eyes, the words that he could hardly hold back. She had only just barely been able to silence him and convince him to not imprison the dwarves, and she had just barely escaped an invasive questioning in the process. Questions would have to be answered, there was no way to deny that, but Tauriel hoped that she could at least wait until they were out of the forest. Hopefully, Thranduil's halls would be as bright as ever. Good light and warm food, not to mention being in a fortress surrounded by iron gates and heavily weaponed guards, seemed like a far preferable place to answering questions than out in the dark and dreary forest.

It was no wonder that they no longer called the place Greenwood.

Though there was little conversation, Tauriel felt many eyes on her. The gazes of the elves seemed much harder than the dwarves. None of the elven soldiers seemed angry at her presence, but their eyes ran over her none the less. Did they think her to be just another of the forest's visual tricks?

Save for the abandoned shacks and buildings, the forest was roughly the same everywhere she looked. Shadows and trees were everywhere, surrounding the large group. If she looked long enough she might have caught differences in bark types, but she hardly had the patience for it. Not when her stomach rumbled and the halls of her childhood were so close (and yet still so very, very far away). Happy or not, and surrounded by her kin, her body needed food and rest.

When they entered Mirkwood, Legolas grinned at every guard and all but dragged to the group to Thranduil. The dwarves, on their part, thankfully didn't moan or use a few choice words. Rather, their spirits brightened at the promise of food and places to rest. The warm, lit kingdom was certainly much more preferable than the dark, damp forest.

Tauriel's hunger had lightened, if only because it was hard to think solely about food in her former home. It had greatly changed in some aspects while other parts remained the same. There were even more soldiers than before, with what looked to be heavier armor and sharper blades. The central base was larger and more expansive. Elves surrounded them on all sides, from soldiers to merchants to ordinary citizens. Though she felt again many eyes on her, they did not linger on her for very long.

"You came back at the right time," Legolas said. "The Feast of Starlight is in a few weeks, and already preparations are being made. Truly we have a reason to celebrate this year!"

Tauriel smiled. The Feast of Starlight was a holiday of good cheer and even better food. There was more to it than just the stars (as wonderful as they were). It was a holiday that the Mirkwood elves had celebrated for ages, even before the great forest kingdom was founded and long before even King Thranduil had been born. It brought generations together, and during the feast time no longer stood still. The world moved faster and each of its wonders left a lasting memory. Each feast was different from the previous, and each one seemed far better than the last.

Thranduil's royal chamber had certainly changed. It was heavily guarded and darker, with fewer torches hanging on the wall. Another elf stood at his side, a dark haired elf woman who seemed to be serving as her mother's replacement for the captain of the guard (if the weapons she held and the decorative necklace she wore served as any proof). Elk antlers hung on the walls, arranged from the smallest near the bottom and the larger near the top. Still, he sat as he always did, cool and composed. Autumn had come, and on his head sat a crown of browning leaves.

His eyes widened for a moment when he saw the group. His eyes shifted from Legolas to Tauriel to the group of dwarves. For a moment, he looked ready to say something, but remained quiet.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. His voice was still as heavy as she remembered it, easily filling the room.

"I see," he said, standing from his wooden throne, "that something great has happened." Despite his words (spoken in a monotone style), his face was blank and unreadable, lacking the greatness he spoke of. It was only when he stepped closer to Tauriel and took a long look at her face that he finally relaxed. His shoulders shifted and a smile crossed his face.

Then, just as suddenly, the smile vanished.

For the first time, Tauriel saw her king weep. Her king, who had lived through many wars, had seen his own father die, and had watched his kingdom be invaded by dark forces, was crying. Wordlessly, he reached forward and grabbed her, sobbing into her shoulder. Tauriel tensed, standing still as a statue. Every movement Thranduil made, from the feeling of his face moving across her shoulder, to the tightening of his arms on her waist (as if he wanted to grab her and never let her go), reverberated through her skin.

"Why did your father cry when he saw me?" All of Tauriel's hunger and desire to sleep had vanished. It was replaced by a thick dread that hung heavy in her twisting stomach and over her heart. Her arms wrapped around her waist.

"Why would he not?" Legolas asked. "Not even many of our kind are able to withstand the wrath and torture of the Orcs. He was truly happy to see you, Tauriel." Legolas's smile faltered. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "My father was crying for the years lost, the time where he grieved for someone who was still alive."

There was nothing quite like a warm bath. Part of Tauriel just wanted to stay in the warm water forever. Her troubles went away with the steam. Some of Thranduil's servants had taken Tauriel's clothes to be washed, and soon replacements would be brought in. Until then, Tauriel would enjoy her privacy.

There was soap and a wash cloth set out, but Tauriel had yet to use it. As of then, she wanted to simply enjoy the feeling of warm water against her skin. This was one of the few private baths in the kingdom. Legolas had all but insisted she use it rather than going to one of the bath houses with the dwarves.

A sudden knock on the door jolted her forward. Water splashed slightly on the floor, and her eyes turned to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Elondar," came the reply.

"Hmmm?"

As if taking that as an invitation to come in, an elf entered the room. Tauriel quickly scooted underwater, and was thankful that her hair floated out and above her.

The woman (though, judging by the way she looked, girl seemed more appropriate) at the door had light brown hair and matching colored eyes. In her hands was a folded dress, as bright green as summer leaves.

"Oh, I apologize," the woman said, her eyes turning to the folded bundle in her hands. "I did not mean to intrude."

"Do not worry," Tauriel replied. Her own eyes looked down to her locks of hair flowing in the water.

"I should have expected you to be in here." She straightened her back and looked forward, her eyes on the wall above Tauriel's head. "I was instructed to bring this to you."

"Thank you." Tauriel said. "Please just place it down for me and I will get it." She hadn't seen the girl earlier, so she must have been one of the newer, younger servants. At most, she looked to be three hundred years old.

"But what if it gets dirty?" The girl bit her lip, her eyes flashing with worry.

"Do not worry," Tauriel said. "Please, just go." Her words came out slightly harsh a at the end.

The girl quickly nodded and placed her clothes down. Then, she quickly left the small room.

Tauriel sighed and sunk beneath the water. It was always strange, seeing the world through water. Even if there wasn't much to see in the room, the walls and towel hangers blurred above her, a mix of wavering colors.

For a moment, Tauriel thought over her words. She certainly could have acted a little calmer. The girl had certainly been as afraid of her as she was.

Don't worry about it, Tauriel thought, sitting up. She pulled her head from the water, and froze a moment as cold hair hit her skin. Bits of water fell from her hair and face and ran down her skin, as if the water was running back home to the water in the metal tub.

But worry she did. It was hard not to, when her dress was laid out and it fully hit her where she was. Questions were coming. She had seen them in Legolas and Thranduil's eyes, and felt them in every stare the Mirkwood soldiers gave to her.

She was an anomaly, a former citizen turned stranger. And somehow, she had to answer their every question.

Without thinking, Tauriel stood up. If this was to be done, then she must hurry.

There was no point in stopping the inevitable.

The room had no mirror in it, so Tauriel had to hope that her hair, dried only by a towel, looked nice. It wasn't until then that she truly noticed how long it had gotten. A few more months and it surely would have been dragging on the floor. Her hands reached out to grab it and braid it, but she stopped herself. She had nothing to hold the braids back, and she was never the best solo braider. Judging by the style of the dress on the floor, Thranduil expected her to look nice.

With a sigh, she picked it up and put it on. After a moment though, she relaxed. The skirt went down past her knees, and the fabric was soft and silky to the touch. White undergarments had come with it, which were just as soft. There were, however, no shoes of any kind.

When Tauriel left, she saw the girl from earlier standing by the door. She raised an eyebrow.

"I was asked to escort you to the dining hall." She gave a small bow.

For a moment, Tauriel was unsure of how to reply. She did not act like a rowdy dwarf, but she did not have the stiff formality that many Orcs who had been around her did.

"I apologize," Tauriel finally said.

The girl blinked.

"I should not have snapped at you." Tauriel straightened. "Thank you."

Elondar smiled. "Of course, mistress."

Tauriel's eyes widened. It had to have been Legolas or Thranduil who had instructed her. "Please," she said, "Tauriel will do."

She nodded.

The two moved forward, Elondar only a few steps faster than Tauriel.

"Do I look alright?" Tauriel asked as the two neared the dining hall. It seemed like ages since she had cared so much about her appearance, and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush.

"You look very nice," Elondar replied. She had a serious voice when she wasn't nervous, the kind that didn't sound as if it were trying to hide anything from her.

Slowly, the twisting hallways packed with soldiers grew more and more familiar. Soon enough, it almost seemed as if Tauriel had taken a step into the past.

Once they reached the familiar heavy wooden doors,the ones that Tauriel had followed her parents through before for countless meals, Elondar stopped.

"Everyone is waiting for you," she said. She gave another quick bow and stepped away.

"Wait," Tauriel said.

The younger elf froze. "Yes, miss-" She paused. "Yes, Tauriel?"

"Aren't you going to be eating with us?"

"I, well," she replied. Her eyes darted around. "If you would like it, my lady."

Tauriel had to force back a laugh. Oh, that had to have been Thranduil. Not even Legolas would instruct her to say that.

"Come in," she said, wrapping her hand around the polished silver handle. "And please do stop with the formalities."

Elondar nodded.

The dining hall itself seemed larger than she remembered, though perhaps that was because thirteen dwarves and a hobbit were also sitting at it. Most of the dwarves looked to be wearing Elvish clothing, most of which fell past their feet. Legolas and Thranduil sat near the end of the table as they had before, with the dark haired woman from earlier also sitting beside them. Before everything changed, Tauriel had usually spent her evening meal with her parents, king, and prince, and maybe a visiting guest from another elven kingdom if one ever stopped by. Now, nearly every seat at the table seemed packed.

As if by luck, two seats were still left. After taking a deep breath, Tauriel stepped forward and took her seat.