I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews but more are always welcome! As you can guess, I do not own any of Tolkien's ideas, just my own!

Chapter 11: Laketown

I soon noticed that the orc trail was heading toward Laketown, a man-village out on the water. This small, poor town was built by the people of Dale, after their town was destroyed by Smaug many years ago. It was ironic that we should end up here now. I thought of the men, women and children who resided here, struggling to get by on the little money they could make in this sad place. They were honest people who did not deserve to be harmed by the filth that was now infiltrating their home. Resolutely, we continued on, now with a little more pace.

In between scouting for orcs, I mostly watched Legolas. I loved to watch him work. He was an amazing tracker and fighter, everything I knew, I'd learned from him, and in turn he had been taught by my father. He was now tracking with such intensity that I thought he'd forgotten I was here.

It was then that I caught him staring over at me, with a smile on his face.

"What?" I laughed lightly

"I'm just glad you're here with me, that's all." He replied

I beamed up at him. Could he truly mean it? His affection for my company gave me further hope for a future together.

Tauriel came over to us then, and spoke directly to Legolas. I tried to ignore it, I really did.

"I'm going to look ahead." She said with a broad smile.

Legolas smiled and nodded in response. He watched her as she left. His eyes never left her. In the time Legolas and I had drifted apart, she had filled the space I'd left behind. It was a depressing thought, as was the memory of Thranduil's conversation with Tauriel. Legolas was falling for her…

I was looking down at my feet, trying had to hold back the tears that were stinging my eyes. Why did he have to care for Tauriel? Could he not see that I'd always been right here, waiting for him?

"What are you thinking about?" He asked me with curiosity, now Tauriel had left us alone.

"Just something your father said…" I mumbled

"Oh?"

I decided that now was the time to be brave. I stopped walking and looked Legolas dead in the eye. I needed to know the truth

"Are you in love with Tauriel?" I asked bluntly

Legolas looked at me with surprise. He was quiet for a very long time, searching my eyes for something, an answer perhaps. He sighed heavily and reached out to me. I reluctantly stepped into his arms and he held me tightly against his chest. He rested his cheek against the top of my head. His steady breathing was tickling my hair.

"I do not know." He whispered "War rages in my heart."

It was not the answer I'd hoped for, but not the one I'd expected either. I wanted him to tell me it was me whom he loved. I wanted him to hold me tighter and kiss me over and over. Sadly, he didn't. Then again, he did not say that he was in love with Tauriel either. Surely if he was truly in love with her, he'd know for sure. His indecisiveness was out of character. It did little to make me feel better.

I pulled myself slowly away from him and looked down at the floor.

"Then let me know when the war is over." I whispered half sad, half angry.

I mooched away, frustration rolling off me in waves. I went in the same direction as Tauriel, further into Laketown, Legolas following behind in thoughtful silence. I did not look at him. I did not talk to him. I tried desperately not to even think of him. I was worried that doing so would break my heart, and I knew the dangers of a broken heart for an Elleth. I did not wish to die, as my mother had.

We were well into Laketown now. It was dark, very dark, but my eleven eyes could easily make out the silhouettes of the ugly orcs up on the roof tops. I also spotted one of the dwarves hurrying along a narrow pathway, carrying a bunch of Kingsfoil. It must been for Kili, he must be very sick by now. I frowned. Kili was sweet and kind, he did not deserve to die.

No more than a minute later the orcs came across the rest of the dwarves. A young girl's screams pierced the air again and again. My deeply buried maternal instinct kicked in and I sprinted towards the sound, passing Tauriel on the way. I could sense she and Legolas following closely behind, as I burst into a small wooden hut.

Orcs had broken into the rundown house. Kili was on the kitchen table in clear agony. The other dwarves were trying valiantly to protect him with the few feeble weapons they had.

A boy, not quiet old enough to be considered a man, was fighting bravely to protect his sisters, one older and one younger. They were cowering beneath the large oak table that Kili was laid upon.

I again, unexpectedly felt the need to protect the young ones. I laid into the orcs who came pouring into the little home. My large war-bow was of no use in such a small space, so I sliced and cut into the orcs with my precise daggers.

Legolas and Tauriel had joined me and were fighting orcs too, we had soon emptied the room of orcs. I knew others would be scattering through the town by now.

I bent down to the small girls, still hidden in fear beneath the table. I smiled as reassuringly as possible, knowing elves could often appear intimidating to humans.

"Come, they have gone. You're perfectly safe now." I said softly and helped them up. They smiled shyly at me.

The brave young man was staring up at Legolas, who was much taller than him, in awe.

"You killed them all! That was… something else!" He was rabbling on. Legolas seemed a little uncomfortable. Neither of us had spent much time around human children. They were … different to elven children, but sweet all the same.

"More will come." Legolas told the boy before turning to me and Tauriel. "Eryn, Tauriel, Come."

I moved to Legolas' side immediately but Tauriel wasn't listening. She was beside Kili as he screamed in pain. His face was damp with beads of sweat and his eyes where rolled back into his head. He did not have long.

"TAURIEL! COME!" Legolas barked. He was not happy that she had ignored his command.

But again, she paid little attention. She was walking on thin ice. Tauriel was just a Silvan elf, to ignore her Lord's command…

Tauriel was applying the Kingsfoil to Kili's wounds.

"I'm going to save him." She said quietly.

"Fine!" Legolas hissed and pulled at my arm, wanting to leave the place. I hesitated and he looked at me in annoyance. He did not like to feel powerless.

"You go" I whispered. "I won't be long."

Legolas nodded curtly and made his way out of the house.

"You cannot save him Tauriel. The poison has already touched his mind. The darkness must be drawn from him first, if he is to be saved." I said sadly

Tauriel was crying softly "But I do not have the power to do that!"

"Only an elf of royal blood can heal the mind… it is a rare skill…" Muttered the dwarf named Balin

"You are well informed master Dwarf." I nodded

"I am not of Royal blood!" Tauriel shreaked

"But I am." I said softly

Everyone in the house looked at me with confusion. I knew what they thought. How could you be royalty? You are not in line to the Woodland realm throne.

But I wasn't thinking of the woodland realm.

"My mother was Lord Elrond of Rivendell's sister. He is my uncle. I am a member of the royalty of Rivendell." I announce, revealing a little known secret.

"Royal blood…" Tauriel murmured.

I nodded as I walked over to Kili. I stood behind his head and looked down at him. I was nervous; I had only read of the ability to heal the mind from darkness. I was unsure of how to begin but let my instincts take over. I placed my hands and his temples and closed my eyes in concentration.

Suddenly ice shot through my veins and I growled in pain. The pain began at my fingertips, were I was touching Kili, and travelled upwards. When the ice-like pain hit my eyes I screamed out in pain and jumped back from the table, breaking my connection to Kili.

Kili was conscious again. It had worked!

"The herbs will work now. You can save him, if you are swift. The poison could still kill him." I said, holding my head in my hands to ease the pain.

"Your eyes!" She gasped. Everyone was staring at me.

I looked into the small mirror that hung above the kitchen sink. My eyes flew wide in astonishment. The whites of my eyes were blood red and the light-silvery inner-ring of colour was black as night. It looked as though my pupils had enveloped most of my eyes. Only a small sliver of sapphire blue was visible now. Blood trickled from the corners of my eyes. I looked frighteningly wild and beautiful.

I quickly dabbed at the blood with a damp cloth and blinked away the redness in my eyes. The large pupils appeared as though they were there for good though.

"I'm fine. Kili will be too." I told Tauriel

"Thank you." She whispered, taking my hand "You saved him, and my heart."

So it was true. Tauriel was in love with the black haired archer. In recent times I had thought badly of Tauriel, out of jealousy and envy, but I was happy to see she had found where her heart truly belonged. And no, not just because it meant she didn't love Legolas, but because I wished her well. I smiled at her softly and gave her hand a squeeze.

"I must go. Legolas…" I began

She nodded and I began to turn towards the door.

"Legolas loves you Eryngwen. He may not admit it yet, not even to himself. But he loves you more than you'll ever realise." Tauriel called to my retreating back.

I glanced over my shoulder and held her gaze. I smiled one last time before slipping away into the night.