Legolas bit the inside of his cheek in order to stay silent while Nimiel stuck the needle through his skin once more. "We are almost done," she assured him when she noticed the little wince he could not suppress. Legolas forced his mind to recite an ancient poem to distract himself from the pain in his shoulder blade.

"You were fortunate," Nimiel stated, "it is nothing dramatic, only quite painful, I am afraid."

"You don't say," he grumbled behind gritted teeth. He was not sure if it was really the stitches or rather his disappointment in himself that hurt the most. Receiving a blow to the back was not exactly an sign of vigilance.

But again, there had been so many Orcs at the river bend that none of the Woodland soldiers had cared about anything else than mere survival. They had set out to recapture their escaped prisoner, but in the end, after more than a week of persecution, they had been forced to retreat due to the sheer mass of enemies.

Once again Legolas reasoned that he should not have led his unit so close to Dol Guldur, however shameful it was to let a prisoner slip right through his fingers. He had probably been a little too eager to prove that the Woodland Guard would not be fooled by a few intruding Orcs. Now he was paying the painful price, as well as most of his soldiers.

He did not even want to imagine the look on Tauriel's face if she knew that her Guard had been unable to keep one single prisoner. She had been gone for three months, yet it felt more like three years. Legolas could not deny how bewildered and angry he had been when his father had returned from Lothlórien without her. She would certainly enjoy Imladris and Legolas granted her the opportunity to see a little more of the world, but at the same time he missed her terribly and asked the Valar to keep her safe every single day.

A little tug and the stinging pain that followed told Legolas that Nimiel had just finished stitching his wound and cut the thread. She allowed him to get up, but with all the thoughts circulating in his head it took him a moment to do so. Nimiel threw him an appraising glance and remarked, "You did very well out there. No one can blame you for the outcome." While Nimiel walked to the shelf by the door and produced a piece of clean linen from one of the countless boxes in it, Legolas managed a polite smile and mumbled his thanks.

The healer came back to him and placed the linen on his wound after soaking it in an undefinable yellow substance and fixed everything with a bandage. When she was almost done, there was a knock at the door. Nimiel called the visitor in and Legolas felt her hands freeze in the middle of their movement when the king stepped inside. He glanced back and forth between his father and the healer, almost able to touch the tension that suddenly spread in the small treatment room.

Nimiel attached the end of the bandage a little more hastily than she normally would, gave Legolas a reassuring nod and without a word or even a look at the king she rushed out of the room. Legolas stared at the closed door for a moment before he called himself to order, straightened up and readjusted his tunic.

"How are you feeling, ion nín?" Thranduil inquired.

"I'm fine," Legolas gave back quickly, very aware that he was exaggerating. "It's hardly more than a scratch."

The king let out a sigh of relief. "Adar, I am sorry we did not recapture Gollum," he started, but Thranduil interrupted him.

"What is done is done. You and your soldiers could have done nothing more. Approaching Dol Guldur any closer is out of the question, even with more soldiers. That creature is not worth such risk."

"But Mithrandir trusted us to…"

"Then we will express our regret for disappointing him," the king silenced his son's doubts firmly. Legolas swallowed his next remark and started to get used to the idea of having failed not only his father but also the Istari, Lord Elrond and everyone else involved.

"Should we inform the White Council?" he asked hesitantly after a while.

The king nodded slowly, already deep in thought. "We must," he confirmed. "This Orc attack was no coincidence. Gollum knew they were coming, or else he would not have refused to climb down that tree. I cannot see how it was possible, but we have to consider a plan behind the whole affair."

He took a few slow steps towards the door, then he turned around and stated, "I will send a messenger to Imladris. If anyone can make sense of this, it is most likely Elrond. Besides, he can inform us about any new developments the Istari may have discovered."

Legolas rose – making an admirable effort not to let his face reflect his pain – and requested, "Let me go to Imladris. I let him escape, I should deliver the message." He knew how far-fetched his explanation sounded, but he could not think of anything better at the moment and he absolutely wanted to take the task upon himself.

Thranduil assessed him thoroughly, giving the impression that he had already foreseen Legolas' suggestion. "I would not have you undertake such a risky journey," he objected, "especially not while you are injured."

As if to prove him wrong, Legolas took some quick steps towards his father, biting back the pain that sliced through his shoulder, and replied, "This will heal soon enough. Consider, what if there is indeed important news about Mordor? Would you not prefer to have someone present who can speak for the Woodland Realm, rather than a mere messenger?"

"There are many besides you who are capable of that," Thranduil pointed out dryly, but Legolas was determined to persuade him.

"Please, Adar, let me be the one. I cannot bear to stay idly in these halls while the world is facing such evil." He was surprised how calm and firm his voice sounded and even more astonished about the king's reaction. Thranduil let out a deep breath and a small smile of resignation quirked his lips.

"Very well," he conceded in a tone full of exhaustion, "but you will wait a few more days until your shoulder has improved. Inform Lord Elrond, gather whatever news you may receive and come straight back."

Legolas could not quite hide his satisfaction. "I will. Anything else?" He gave his father a suggestive glance, knowing that all the king needed to make another inevitable decision was one last little push.

Finally Thranduil gave in by muttering, "And tell him I need my captain back."

Legolas nodded, managed the most professional expression he had at his disposal and affirmed, "Yes, my lord. I shall see it done."

-x-x-x-x-

It was a sunny morning and a mild autumn breeze was blowing through the delicate colonnades and pavilions along Tauriel's way. Imladris was still a place full of wonder to her – however, at the moment she did not pay much attention to the beauty around her.

She was late and if there was one thing Lord Glorfindel despised, it was waiting. More precisely, he would not wait for her at all. He would go through the officers' morning briefing regardless of who was or was not present, leaving Tauriel, who had no fixed duties in Imladris, to a day of enforced idleness.

The unpleasant prospect made her quicken her pace. Where, for the love of Elbereth, had she ended up? The Last Homely House they called it, but to Tauriel it rather resembled a labyrinth. She could find her way through the thickest forest in the blackest of nights, yet the countless corridors, halls and gardens of Imladris were still a closed book to her.

Finally she came around a corner that looked familiar. And indeed, there she could see the eight officers, sitting around the stone table on the small patio surrounded by white marble pillars where the morning meetings took place. She needed a moment to realise that everyone looked far too relaxed and another few seconds to understand the reason.

"Don't worry, he isn't here yet!" a soldier named Barandir, who had become her indispensable guide around Imladris, voiced Tauriel's own thought. She exhaled in relief, making a few of the officers chuckle.

"What's the matter with him?" she asked while sitting down next to Barandir.

He displayed a clueless expression and shrugged. "I have no idea. I think I have never seen him late in my entire two thousand years of duty."

"None of us have," his comrade Megoron agreed. "I bet we're in for some… extraordinary news." He frowned, taking a bite of the pear he was holding.

"What took you so long? Did you get lost again?" Barandir asked Tauriel with a grin.

She arched an eyebrow at him and answered, "Obviously – don't look at me like that! Yes, I know, you explained this so-called shortcut to me, but you said I had to follow the colonnade and turn right at the fountain. Do you have any idea how many blasted fountains there are in this place?"

The officers sitting near her tried their best not to laugh. "We should plant a few trees as landmarks for our friend from the forest," Megoron suggested, earning himself a half-serious scowl from Tauriel. She was just about to defend the geographical peculiarities of her homeland when Barandir signalled her to be quiet and Megoron to put away his pear.

Approaching footsteps and two familiar voices could be distinguished around the next corner. "Do you have enough capable riders to eliminate this threat?" they heard Lord Erestor ask with clear concern, followed by Lord Glorfindel's firmer but no less worried answer.

"We cannot eliminate it. I have told you before and I am telling you again: Not by the hand of a man will he fall! All we can do at present is try to keep the roads safe, yet I fear we do not even have sufficient riders for that task, especially with Elladan and Elrohir gone."

Tauriel exchanged a glance with Barandir and Megoron, but there was no time for questions because the next instant the two lords already entered the patio, their faces matching the concern in their voices. "What a lazy bunch you are! Up you get, there is work to be done!" was the greeting offered to the soldiers by Lord Glorfindel. The officers obliged him, some more eagerly than others.

He planted himself in front of them and made an effort to manage a friendly look at everyone, but his worried face did not add to its credibility. "I have to bear you some alarming news," he started, supported by a slow nod from Lord Erestor. "We have reason to believe that at least three of the Nine are roaming the lands around the valley. Our scouts reported the sighting of Black Riders west of the Bruinen."

"What are the Nine?" Tauriel whispered in Barandir's ear, but he did not get the chance to reply. His shocked expression at least told her that the situation was serious.

Glorfindel continued, "Given that we are expecting the arrival of some visitors whose safety is most crucial, Lord Elrond and I deem it wise to patrol all roads, paths and fords. All of you will take your most capable riders and ensure that no harm befalls those who are wandering towards Imladris."

He started assigning them their respective directions, ignoring Tauriel in the process, which did not surprise her in the slightest. She knew he did not trust her skills and she could not even blame him because he had never seen her do anything else than watching the other officers at work.

At some point he paused, assessing the group sceptically. "These are not enough, I need at least one more," he pointed out to Erestor.

Tauriel, after exchanging another look with Barandir and reading a hint of encouragement on his face, plucked up all her courage and interjected, "I am still available."

Glorfindel's eyes turned towards her and rested on her for a moment before he addressed his companion, "Erestor, tell me again what I am supposed to do with this girl." At first Tauriel thought she had heard him wrong. She had seen a lot of Glorfindel's proverbial peculiarities and got used to not being taken seriously by him, but this was more than she could bear. Were the Eldar of Imladris not said to be cultured and polite?

At least Erestor showed some awkwardness when he replied discreetly but with a hint of annoyance, "We talked about this, remember? Captain Tauriel is Elrond's guest and as such she will stay as long as he sees fit in order to get to know our defence system and share her own experience with our soldiers." He recited his little line in a studied manner and Tauriel suspected that it was by far not the first time he had done so.

"He does have strange guests these days, I grant you," Glorfindel grumbled. "I do not mind the messenger from our kin in Mithlond, but yesterday a horde of Dwarves from Erebor arrived – as if that Gondorian was not enough already."

Erestor seemed relieved that his friend's displeasure had turned away from Tauriel and towards the general circumstances. "It is true, many are coming to seek our council. Times are perilous indeed," he replied evasively.

Glorfindel nodded, then he gave Tauriel another thorough stare. After half an eternity he took a deep breath and addressed her, "Well then, Captain Tauriel, I trust you can sit on a horse and hold a blade?"

"Two, if I must," she gave back dryly.

"Have you ever faced a Nazgûl?" he probed on.

For all Tauriel knew, he was making a general remark about her lacking experience. "No, my lord," she gave back, convinced that he could not actually be suggesting that there were Ringwraiths out and about.

"Then this will be your first time. You will lead a group of riders to the northern crossroads. Do not despair, they know the terrain."

Before Tauriel could ask if he was serious about the Nazgûl – in fact a look into the other officers' faces rendered her question mute – Glorfindel ordered them, "Start gathering your soldiers right away and pack sufficient provisions because you will not return until you receive further notice. You are dismissed."

For a few seconds Tauriel stayed immobile, staring at the commander in disbelief, but at some point she felt Baradir's grip around her arm and let herself be dragged off with her comrades.

-x-x-x-x-

When Tauriel and her four companions rode across the bridge, through the gate and into the small round courtyard of Imladris at sunset, they could look back on thirteen days spent in the wilderness, patrolling the paths near the crossroads north of Lord Elrond's house. Tauriel felt physically exhausted and mentally drained and she knew that the same was true for the four soldiers.

They had received the order to retreat in the early morning hours. A messenger had informed them of the expected guests' more or less safe arrival and told them that there was no more immediate danger because the Black Riders had been temporarily defeated by the river itself.

The Captain of the Woodland Guard had learned several lessons during that mission. One: the soldiers of Imladris excelled at open field fighting. Two: she herself hated open field fighting and missed the good old thick coppice and twisted trees of Greenwood. Three: Nazgûl were not vulnerable to arrows, however accurately shot, but at least they got annoyed and fled when a whole rain of arrows came down on their horses without which they were helpless. And four, which was probably the lesson that would stick the longest: Tauriel never wanted to face creatures of such pure evil ever again and she felt the overwhelming urge to protect those she held dear from any encounter even remotely alike to the one she had gone through.

Even after five days had passed, Tauriel still felt the strange cold in her heart and the mindless fear that had befallen her in the presence of the two Black Riders her unit had faced. Given the overall situation, she knew she would probably have to get used to the feeling. All she could think of to preserve her sanity at the moment was to force her mind away from the memories.

The unit dismounted their horses and two stablemen came out to take care of the no less confused animals. Tauriel thanked the four soldiers for their effort and dismissed them, then she made her way to the main building, where she hoped to find Lord Glorfindel in order to give her report.

She was walking along one of the countless colonnades and her mind had once again returned to the terrifying encounter, so she did not notice anything odd about the fact that suddenly a Woodland soldier crossed her way and greeted her.

"Good evening, Rineth," she gave back absent-mindedly and walked on three or four steps before it eventually dawned on her. She stopped short, turned around and glanced at the astonished elleth. "Rineth? What are you doing here?"

"I arrived three days ago with the prince's escort," the soldier answered, assessing Tauriel critically and undoubtedly wondering what Imladris had done to her captain.

"The prince is here?" Tauriel repeated rather sheepishly. "Why?"

Rineth hesitated a moment, unsure whether it was her place to reveal the information. At last she muttered, "I believe he would rather tell you himself. You can find him in Lord Elrond's library, I assume, if you would like to speak to him…"

Tauriel had already taken the first steps in the indicated direction. "Thank you," she managed to say hastily and received the soldier's salute with a nod, before she threw over all plans to find Lord Glorfindel and decided to solve the mystery of Legolas' unexpected visit.

As Rineth had advised her, Tauriel directed her steps to the library. When she entered, all muddy and dishevelled as she was, she earned herself a glare from Lindir, Lord Elrond's ever watchful steward, who was lighting a few candles, but she already knew him well enough to parry his disapproval with a polite smile.

The library consisted of various small rooms full of delicately carved shelves, comfortable chairs and a few small tables. There were chandeliers everywhere – quite the fire hazard, Tauriel thought – which bathed the whole place in warm, welcoming light, mingled with the last sunrays that entered through the large windows.

Tauriel passed two rooms until she finally found what she was looking for. Legolas was sitting at one of the tables with his back turned to her and he seemed absorbed in his lecture. With a nod she acknowledged the presence of another ellon searching a large shelf, while she walked quietly towards Legolas. Without a word she sat down on the second chair at the opposite side of his table and simply looked at him for a few seconds, until he finally lifted his gaze off the large, leather-bound volume in front of him.

He blinked, then his eyes widened. "Tauriel!" he exclaimed a little too loudly, making the ellon at the shelf give a start. "Thank the Valar!" He hesitated a moment, obviously fighting the urge to get up and embrace her because such a gesture of intimacy would have been inappropriate in a public place. Instead he reached for her hands across the table.

"I heard you were out hunting Black Riders," he whispered hectically and repeated, "thank Eru and all the Valar that you're safe!"

Tauriel felt a wide smile spread over her face. Seeing him, hearing his voice and feeling the reassuring touch of his hands lifted most of the uneasy feelings off her for the moment. "Why are you here?" she wanted to know, ignoring the discreet glance of the other ellon.

Legolas' expression darkened for an instant. "I have come to bear some rather… worrisome news to Lord Elrond." He looked around, caught the glance of the ellon and decided, "Let's find somewhere else to talk." He rose, picked up his book, which Tauriel could identify as a collection of tales about the war against Sauron, and slid it into an empty spot on the closest shelf. Then they both made their way towards the exit.

When they had left the library and entered a corridor that seemed empty, Legolas could finally make up for the earlier lost opportunity and pulled Tauriel into his arms. "I wanted to strangle my father when I heard he had sent you here," he mumbled into her ear. "By the way, you're obviously coming back with me."

Tauriel chuckled and replied, "I wouldn't stand for anything else. But it's not so bad here. Imladris is truly fascinating and most of the soldiers are nice to me. I've learned a lot in this short time. If only I hadn't missed our home so much – and you." She emphasised her words with a kiss that contained everything she had been forced to keep to herself during the last months.

She almost forgot to inquire after the business that had brought him to Imladris. "So, tell me your bad news," she requested.

Legolas frowned and avoided her eyes when he replied slowly, "Well, it's about the prisoner, Gollum. He… escaped."

"What?" Tauriel could not stop herself from exclaiming. "Please don't tell me it happened during one of his tree climbing sessions!"

"It did," Legolas affirmed guiltily, "but there is more: We were attacked by an Orc pack and it looks like they had planned to abduct him. We chased them for several days, but when we came close to Dol Guldur we had to retreat because suddenly the forest was swarming with Orcs. So, yes, Gollum is gone."

Tauriel let out a long, deep breath before she stated slowly with as much composure as she could, "I'm away for less than four months and you people manage to undermine my entire security system."

"Oh, come on!" Legolas protested. "No one could have foreseen that attack, not even you!"

As much as she wanted to argue with that, she had to submit to his point. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just that I have been worrying the whole time that something might happen back home while I could not do anything to help."

Legolas took her hand and answered, "You made yourself useful here instead. I think we must stop thinking of our own homeland's fate as separate from the rest of the world in these uncertain times. Did you hear that Lord Glorfindel brought some halflings from the West here yesterday? One of them was gravely wounded by the Black Riders. The Adan who delivered Gollum to us was with them – who, by the way, turns out to be a little more than just a fatherless Dúnadan, but I'll tell you about that later. Apparently the Hobbits were the Nazgûl's target because of something they were carrying. What is more, there are also some Dwarves from Erebor and a Man from Gondor in Imladris who wish to seek Lord Elrond's advice in matters that all seem to be connected to the same threat in some way. Mithrandir is here as well. Lord Elrond did not tell me much, but he said that he would hold a council meeting as soon as the halfling is well enough to attend."

Tauriel had listened to him with growing concern. Her mind was too exhausted to make sense of it all, but she was absolutely sure that nothing good would be revealed at that meeting.

-x-x-x-x-

The Hall of Fire was as crowded as Tauriel had never seen it before. She and Legolas had left the noisy feast purposely to find some peace and quiet, but their plan did not pay off very well. As always, there was a fire burning in the centre of the large room. People were gathered in chairs, on benches or simply standing around while listening to a poetry recital.

Tauriel pulled Legolas with her to a place where they could see the poet and whispered in his ear, "See? I told you, it's him."

She pointed at the white-haired Hobbit with the shaky but still energetic voice. The piece of paper in his hands looked much too big for his tiny figure and his hairy feet were dangling halfway between the seat of his chair and the marble floor, but he seemed in his element and every inch of him reflected his pride in his work. Next to him they could see another halfling, younger and looking very pale. He had only awoken that same morning and Tauriel could not help being impressed by his quick recovery after such a substantial injury.

Legolas threw a sceptical glance at the halflings. "Are you sure?" he asked. "He looks very different. But, well, I suppose that's natural."

Tauriel just opened her mouth to tell him about an earlier conversation she had had with Master Bilbo, when she was interrupted by an all too familiar voice calling her name. "Yes, my lord?" she managed to answer without letting her reluctance shine through.

Glorfindel came towards them, exchanged a polite greeting with Legolas and addressed Tauriel, "I must say I am relieved to see you here tonight. How are you feeling?"

Tauriel stared at him in astonishment. He had never given an Orc's toenail about her well-being before and she had never wished for his personal concern. "I am well, thank you," she gave back hesitantly, scanning his face for an explanation to his unusual behaviour.

He simplified her endeavour by pointing out, "It has been a while since you faced the two Black Riders and we have spoken since then, but it was only today that I learned from one of the soldiers of your unit how close you really came to them. He told me in much more detail than you how your unit fought them off. If I can trust his words – and I have for a thousand years – you understated your own achievement a great deal in your report to me."

Tauriel did not know where to look or what to say. Now that he had mentioned it, she realised that she might have been a bit vague about the exact happenings at the crossroads, but for what it was worth, modesty had not been among the reasons. She had simply been tired and distracted and not in the mood to talk to him longer than necessary.

She glanced at Legolas, who was obviously torn between approval and amusement. At last she replied to Glorfindel, "My lord, I am honoured by your praise." She hoped that this would make him drop the subject, but she was mistaken.

"I imagine their presence was not easy for you to bear, being so young and never having been exposed to such influences before," he went on. "Besides, I have found the Silvans to be somewhat less resistant to the forces of evil than other Eldar." There it was at last, the usual not so well hidden affront to her heritage. Only this time it did not seem to be intended. Maybe he simply could not help it.

"So, if you need some time off duty to recover, I fully understand," he finally spilt out the point of the whole conversation. "Although I would be pleased to see you after tomorrow's council meeting and hear how your Woodland soldiers deal with the infestation of Greenwood."

Tauriel almost choked on her own breath. Someone seemed to have undergone a thorough change of mind. 'Thank Eru for that blabbermouth of a soldier,' she stated to herself and to him she added as professionally as she could, "It would be my pleasure."

After that Lord Glorfindel reminded Legolas to be punctual for the council meeting the next morning and vanished in the crowd, leaving the captain to her astonishment.

Legolas gave her a grin. "May I assume that this was not how he used to treat you during the last weeks?"

"You bet," Tauriel grumbled and rolled her eyes. "He isn't a bad person, only far too convinced of his own superiority. He isn't even wrong, after the whole Balrog story and all the other things he achieved. I mean, elflings learn about his deeds at school." She paused, only to add under her breath, "Still, sometimes all I want is to poison his wine with a laxative."

Legolas chuckled and affirmed, "Trust me, everyone feels that way. I have even heard Lord Elrond talk less than kindly about him. Glorfindel simply doesn't give his respect away for free, people have to earn it. And I think you just did." Legolas smiled at Tauriel, causing her to grin back at him against her will.

They could have gone on evaluating Lord Glorfindel's doubtful virtues, but they were interrupted again, this time by someone Tauriel had heard a lot about and caught occasional glimpses of, but who had never spoken to her before.

"Look who we have here, my favourite Woodland prince and his fearless captain," Lady Arwen addressed both of them. She had left her father's side after Bilbo's poem had ended and was now assessing Legolas and Tauriel quizzically.

"My lady," Tauriel greeted her with a bow of her head. Legolas mirrored her gesture, only with a smirk.

"With 'fearless captain' I shall agree, but to what do I owe the unprecedented honour of being your favourite all of a sudden?" he gave back, while Tauriel started feeling a little out of place.

Arwen rolled her eyes as gracefully as that gesture could possibly be executed and turned to Tauriel. "You see, the prince and I have our little quarrels, as I am sure he has told you." With that came a glare of pretended annoyance in Legolas' direction. "But I hope it will not compromise your opinion of me. I have wanted to get to know you for long, Captain Tauriel, and I ask your forgiveness for being such a negligent host until now."

Tauriel gulped and felt her cheeks flush. "I assure you, there is nothing to forgive," she stammered and wanted to choke Legolas for chuckling at her embarrassment.

"It is fascinating to meet a female warrior," Arwen went on. "In Imladris, as well as everywhere else I have been, this would be a most extraordinary notion."

"Worst possible subject," Tauriel heard Legolas mutter and gently nudged him in the ribs to silence him, but unfortunately Arwen had heard him.

"Oh, I see," the lady corrected herself, "It must be tiresome to hear people mention your gender more often than your achievements. In fact, I was merely going to express my sincerest admiration for a society where that sort of thing is possible." She smiled kindly, which made Tauriel relax a bit.

"In the Woodland Realm we cannot allow ourselves to turn down a capable warrior just because she happens to be an elleth," she pointed out, feeling more confident while talking about this familiar topic. "Besides, I have always believed that a lady should be able to defend herself if necessary. Usually an enemy does not stop and ask about your skills with blade and bow before attacking you."

Arwen let out a short laugh. "Indeed you are right. I admit that I myself have been very negligent in that particular field. Perhaps I should ask my brothers to assist me in correcting this deficiency, although my father would most likely be less than thrilled."

She cast a short look at Lord Elrond and his entourage. "But I will not keep you from the festivities any longer," she added. "I hope we will find another opportunity to converse before you return to your home, Captain Tauriel." With that she took her leave, but not without whispering to Legolas in passing by, "Congratulations on your excellent taste, but I fear your father will kill you."

Tauriel was shocked for a moment, but she managed to maintain her neutral expression. Obviously Arwen had not even intended to let her little remark go unheard by Tauriel, judging by the conspiratorial grin she threw at her.

Legolas simply retaliated, "Look who's talking! Where is he, anyway?" Tauriel did not quite understand what he was referring to, but apparently Arwen did. She only shook her head, mumbled something about her brothers and some important news they had brought from the North and set off in direction of her father.

When she was out of earshot, Tauriel whispered to Legolas, "What was that about? You did not tell her about us, did you? And who were you talking about when…"

He interrupted her by waving his hand. "No, in fact I didn't tell her, she's just a good judge of character. What did you expect of Lady Galadriel's granddaughter? As for the other thing…" He came closer to her and continued very quietly, "You remember the Adan who brought Gollum to us, don't you?"

Tauriel nodded, waiting for further elaboration, but Legolas did not say anything more. After a few seconds the implication dawned on her and she gave him a wide-eyed look of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Legolas nodded. "Don't even ask me… She's determined to give up the Gift of the Valar and pledge herself to him. I guess if I told my father about her choice, he would suddenly see you in a much more favourable light."

"Probably," Tauriel agreed quietly, letting her eyes follow Lady Arwen through the crowd. Truth be told, it made her sad to imagine this wise, kind elleth renouncing eternal life and dwelling among the Edain, only to watch her beloved die after a painfully short time and be left to grief and fading. She asked the Valar to bless Lady Arwen's path, wherever it might lead.

"I shouldn't have told you that," Legolas interrupted her thoughts. "I didn't intend to mar your mood when there is already more than enough to worry about. What do you say, shall we leave all these people to their celebration and take a walk? Maybe we'll find another fountain."

Tauriel managed to smile at him. "That would be lovely. Well, except the part with the fountain. I've already counted fourteen."

-x-x-x-x-

"You did what?" Tauriel heard herself exclaim. She had to grab hold of the pillar next to her in order to stay upright. As a matter of fact Legolas had to be joking, although it was certainly not very funny to tell her that he wanted to join the halfling on his quest to destroy the ring.

Almost two months had passed since the council meeting where the identity of that tiny yet so dangerous item had been clarified and the two young Hobbits had offered to undertake the suicidal journey. In fact, Tauriel did not even know why she was still in Imladris, but Legolas kept telling her that they would delay their return to Greenwood until the definite modalities of the quest would be decided. The captain's patience was growing thin. Winter was approaching with quick steps and travelling through ice and snow was not the most agreeable idea she could think of. But again, she resolved that Legolas certainly had his reasons.

Now he was standing beside her on the small balcony belonging to his chamber, eyed her worriedly and preferred not to repeat his statement. Tauriel took a deep breath. "You're joking, right? Please tell me this is just a very cruel way of scaring me." Her voice was trembling and she cursed herself for getting so worked up about this silly notion, but something in Legolas' expression told her that he might be serious after all.

He stepped closer to her and touched her hand lightly. The little gesture was enough for Tauriel to understand. She bit her lip, unable to find words to express what she was feeling. Legolas remained silent, giving her time to collect herself. At last she managed to look at him, feeling a sting right through her heart.

He tightened his grip around her hand and confirmed, "It is decided. Lord Elrond asked for nine companions to oppose the nine Black Riders. I volunteered as a representative of the Eldar. Aragorn and Boromir are coming too, as well as Gimli the Dwarf, all four of the halflings and fortunately Mithrandir. We will leave a week from today."

Tauriel gulped and tried to wrap her mind around what she had just heard. "You're going to Mordor," she finally whispered. "Haven't you spent the last weeks reading all those books about the last war against Sauron? Why would you… What if… What if you don't return?" By speaking the words, Tauriel fully realised their meaning. She felt her stomach cramp and her heart started pounding.

"I thought you of all people would understand," Legolas tried carefully. "I can't sit around and do nothing while the fate of all the Free Peoples of Arda is being decided. You once asked me a question on the rocks above the river bend in Greenwood: You asked me if we were not part of this world. It took me a while to find my answer, but now I finally have. Meleth nín, please look at me – this is the only honourable thing for me to do and I know you would do the same in my place."

Tauriel could not work up the strength to reply, so all she did was pull him close and hold him as tight as possible, as if that could prevent all the evil in the world from harming him. After a while she whispered, "Of course I understand. Even though your father is going to murder me when I bring him the news. But don't you dare get yourself killed or I will follow you to the Halls of Mandos and… Oh, never mind, just try to come back."

"I will do my best," he affirmed, stroking the back of her head. His lips found hers and she felt his arms around her, barely leaving her enough room to breathe, but she did not mind. All she hoped was for this moment never to end.