I do not own the works of Tolkien. Enjoy.

Whatever shall we do now?" Legolas asked as he absentmindedly laced his fingers together and stretched out his arms over his head as he stood by the hearth. He turned to Ara to find her gazing thoughtfully at him as she chewed on her lip. He gazed back at her questioningly.

"Well I could sort out your shoulders." Her suggestion was hesitant. He dropped his arms down in surprise to his sides for it was the last thing he expected her to say.

"Oh. Yes, that would be appreciated if you could." He said, still very much surprised by her offer. He never expected her to actually go through with it. "Should I uh sit or lie?" He asked uncertainly.

"Just sit where you are." She replied and he grasped at the hem of his tunic automatically and then stopped, recalling what she had said on the training grounds when he had first encountered her. He supposed he could leave it on again. Suddenly the Dwarf's words rumbled in his mind. Was it good advice, should he just take his tunic off? He was fit and healthy, his body muscular but lithe and he thought his mark accentuated that. He grasped his hem a little tighter as he procrastinated the best move. But no matter how strong he was himself he just didn't have the same mass as some other ellon did, ellon's like Elladan. He was built like a Silvan not a Noldor. He realised with a start Ara had been watching his internal debate from the beginning.

"It's okay, you can leave it on." She said softly and he let go of the hem and sank to the rug before the hearth, sitting cross legged. He was both glad she did not expect him to remove it and yet disappointed for it seemed the elleth healers of both the Woodland and Imladris made an unnecessary point of his tunic removal just to see what lay beneath and yet Ara must have no interest for her to suggest he keep it on. It was confusing. She sank down to sit quietly behind him and he felt his hair being moved and then tentative hands rested upon his right shoulder and then carefully began kneading into the muscles. It felt pleasant, not painful but a little nervy from where his muscles had tightened. Her left hand wandered to his left shoulder and it was not long before he was relaxing into her expert hands as little by little Ara loosened up his muscles.

"For someone who moves so fluently your so tense." She murmured more to herself.

"Having a certain Elf for a father and a King does have that affect." He muttered and she made a sympathetic sounding sigh of sorts as she left the tops of his shoulders and worked down to his shoulder blades and he felt as if he would melt from her touch. "You are really, really good at this." He sighed and she gave a light laugh.

"I should hope so, I trained hard enough to know how to do this."

"How did they train such things in your world?" He asked curiously.

"I went to a collage which is a place specifically for learning a certain profession and there I trained with others under experts in the subject for three years with electives to further my skills." Ara explained as she worked her hands back up and to the spine of his neck and he closed his eyes blissfully.

"Well those years have certainly paid off." He murmured, this time forcefully holding back a contented sigh.

"This is just a trivial part of it really." She brushed off his comment. Trivial! This was anything but trivial to him, it was delightful and it was Ara doing it! He was glad now he had kept his tunic on; unsure how he would have handled her hands on his bare skin; especially now it did not involve dreaded sutures. "Fixing things is what I most enjoy." She added as she worked her way back down the sides of his spine.

"Such as what you did with my shoulder?"

"Yeah things like that and..." Her words trailed off as she paused in her gentle prodding and kneading and instead carefully pressed slightly firmer against the left side over the muscles and flesh which covered the back of his ribs. "Does that hurt?"

"It feels a little uncomfortable." He answered warily and her hand moved to his side and she pressed carefully again.

"And that?"

"A little perhaps?" He replied in confusion for it caused the middle of his chest to ever so slightly burn although it was an old injury where the impact had been to his side.

"Where?" She kept up a nudging pressure to his side and he pointed in bewilderment to the hard middle of his chest. "I thought as much. Have you had an injury to your ribs recently?" She asked in slight concern as her other hand came to rest on the identical place on the side of his right ribs.

"Near to half a year ago I was injured there." He murmured quietly.

"How did it happen?" He mentally cringed at her question. He didn't want to answer it.

"Does it matter?" He muttered.

"Yeah it does, your rib is slightly out. It must have taken a fair injury. Were you stabbed or shot?"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"Then what happened, I need to know so I don't damage anything fixing it."

"Then just leave it." He urged her and a frustrated hiss sounded quietly from her.

"Legolas what happened?" She asked again.

"I made a mistake and paid the price." He said evasively. To his dismay the elleth dropped her hands away and shifted to face him, her gaze a mixture of annoyance and concern.

"That answer will not help me or you." She stated flatly.

"I tripped over a tree root and fell." He offered lamely and her green eyes darkened.

"Don't bother lying, unless you fell from an exceedingly great height tripping over a tree root could never cause such damage and you aren't clumsy." He gazed back at her in surprise. "Legolas I really don't give a damn if you think it's going to taint your pride or something, I already know from personal experience you can be beaten by an elleth in swordplay." She said wryly and he knew she was trying to get him to admit the truth but he couldn't. "Just tell me the truth." He gazed at her undecided. There was genuine concern in her deep green eyes and it pulled at him for it meant she cared.

"It occurred after Gollum's escape which was entirely my fault so it was deserved." He said quietly and she frowned slightly.

"What do you mean deserved? Did Gollum hurt you?"

"No, only my father was injured by his escape; something which greatly angered him." He explained but her frown only deepened.

"He hurt you didn't he?" He recoiled in shock by her blunt words. Did she know? Slowly he nodded.

"It was my fault he was injured, that Gollum escaped." He offered quietly as the guilt and pain from that eve came back to him.

"What and so he just decided to take that anger out on you?" She asked flatly. He shrugged. "What did he do?" She asked softer and he caught the concern in her eyes again.

"If you really must know he threw me into a stone garden bench. It is not a big deal; it is not like anything is broken." He finally admitted in thorough annoyance. It was humiliating enough it had occurred before ten other guards.

"By luck nothing was broken." She replied smartly. "To knock one of your ribs out of place, he clearly didn't hold back." She added dryly and it bothered him now the strange healing knowledge she knew that she could know that. She gazed at his chest and he suddenly felt vulnerable she knew exactly the damage he'd sustained that eve and that it still did bother him every now and then. No one made him feel so! Especially an elleth!

"Well I'm fine." He said haughtily and made to get up only to have two hands lightly grasp his shoulders, holding him there.

"No you're not. Your rib is out."

"I really don't care."

"I do." His heart skipped a beat and he gazed back at her but what he saw instantly angered him and he pushed her forcefully away.

"Do not pity me!" He snapped as he leapt to his feet as she fleetly leapt to hers with wary eyes.

"Why the hell shouldn't I? This isn't a once off occurrence is it." She snapped back and he glared at her feeling trapped by the knowledge she possibly possessed.

"What do you know then, you who knows of the past, what do you know of mine?" He growled out darkly.

"Absolutely nothing." She said quietly which surprised him. She backed away from him and deftly turned to make for the door. He knew it was locked so didn't bother stopping her. He watched as she swept a frustrated hand through her hair and then seemed to try the lock before turning back to him. "But for all I do know now, when it comes down to it, you seem to act just like him." Her voice held sad disappointment and then she disappeared through the door closing it quietly behind her. He rushed towards it and grasped the handle but it was locked. Feeling crushed and shaken by her final words, he sank down onto the floor against it and buried his head in his hands. No matter what he did, he could not shake the shadow which was his father's blood running through his veins and for that Ara would likely never care for him as he did her.

...

She turned away from the door and leant against it, rubbing her collarbone where Legolas had pushed her forcefully away from him. She was peeved with him but more than that she was angry for allowing herself to get a little closer to him. Deep down he was still the same nasty Elf. The Elf she'd read about. he Elf who was said to resemble his father in appearance and action. If his father is this careless to hurt his own son in a rage of anger... A shiver worked its way down her spine.

"Ara?" She looked up and then down to see Frodo hesitantly watching her from the top of the stair.

"Hey, it's good to see you." She sighed as a relieved smile tugged at her lips to see her friend.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" He frowned as he noted how she rubbed her collarbone.

"It's nothing." She shrugged.

"Where is Legolas?" He asked instead.

"In a mood." She bit out and he gave her a sympathetic nod.

"Well perhaps you would like to join me, Pippin is being tiresome so I too have escaped and found a hide out of sorts." He gave her an encouraging smile and she nodded.

"Yeah I'd love to. I need some air, well, different air." He nodded in understanding and beckoned for her to follow him. She did and he led her to the other end of the corridor and through a closed door and up a wooden ladder. She emerged in an attic of sorts and Frodo indicated to a soft chair and she gratefully sank into it as he climbed up into another.

"Legolas did that didn't he?" Frodo commented surprising her and she nodded.

"He really ought to learn some manners or control his temper or something." He muttered. "I hope you clocked him one for it like you did on the training grounds." She gave a light laugh at his unexpected words and shook her head.

"No, not this time. This time was a little different and I just hope my words get through to him."

"Why did he hurt you?"

"Defense, he didn't mean to. I know that. He's injured." She sighed.

"How?" Frodo asked in shock.

"His father hurt him for losing Gollum." She said quietly and Frodo's eyes widened before becoming thoughtful.

"Bilbo said he was a very callous Elf, heartless almost. He said it was a frightening surprise after dealing with the kind hospitality of Lord Elrond and his people." Frodo murmured.

"It seems that attitude includes his own blood." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I thought maybe he wasn't as bad as I had read, that maybe he wouldn't be just like Thranduil." He gazed at her with a frown.

"He does have a temper; even Aragorn admits that." Frodo said slowly. "But there is kindness in him too. I think he has a good heart; it is perhaps confused." He added. She looked at him quizzically. "He looks out for you. He would not do that if he truly was heartless."

"Perhaps." she murmured before gazing out the small window. It was cooler up in the attic but not entirely uncomfortable. She noticed Frodo suddenly frown and adjust the gold chain at his neck with a sigh.

"It bothers you?" He looked up with startled blue eyes.

"Yes a little." He admitted. She gave him a sympathetic look for there was nothing she could do for him regarding the ring. "Sorry I do not mean to be so wary." He hastily said. "Boromir has been asking me those very same words more often for my liking." She frowned at that. She knew the cheery Gondor man would become a threat but surely not this early. It unsettled her.

"I'll keep an eye on him and ask Aragorn to also." He nodded in relief. "It is unfortunately your burden to bear. We cannot hold it for you. We can only support you." She added and he gave her a smile.

"I am grateful for it. I would have no idea how to make it to Mordor otherwise." She chuckled at that.

"So what is dear Pippin doing to be so tedious?" She asked, changing to hopefully a lighter subject.

"He will not be quiet. Singing and talking nonsense to alleviate his boredom." Ara grinned at him.

"Perhaps we should lock he and Legolas in a chamber together." Frodo grinned at the suggestion.

"I quite like that idea." They both chuckled deviously. She loved chatting with Frodo; their conversations were always dynamic. There was a quiet silence which settled around them and they both turned to the small window.

"The rains stopped." She murmured.

"About time. Gandalf has been getting antsy to leave again."

"Really? This was his idea."

"Aragorn badgered him to stop here." This was news to Ara.

"He acted like it was his idea!"

"He has a habit of doing that from time to time." Frodo gave her a shrug and a smile. "You get used to it. It was my idea to have a firework of Smaug for Bilbo's one-hundred-and-eleventh birthday party but Gandalf told Bilbo it was his idea."

"The blighter." Ara laughed with an amused shake of her head.

"Have you had enough different air yet?" He asked cautiously and she shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Depends if someone's calmed down. I, I don't know." She said in exasperation as the Wood-Elf once again plagued her mind. "He looks like Thranduil when he's really angry."

"He does a little." Frodo agreed. "But he isn't Thranduil." He added softly.

"I know." She sighed.

"I should head back too, if Aragorn or Gandalf discover I am missing they will worry." Reluctantly they both stood and made their way from the attic.

"Frodo?" He paused on the top step and turned back to her. "Thanks, it is nice to have a friend to confide in." He graced her with a bright smile.

"I think the same, thank you Ara." He replied quietly before making his way down the stair and out of sight. She remained in the hall procrastinating if she should return to her and Legolas's chambers. There really was no other option and so she made her way back to the door and unlocked it with her hair pin. She found Legolas sitting dejectedly on the windowsill, arms wrapped around his bent knees to fit within its frame. His stormy eyes met hers, filled with turbulent emotions she could not decipher but she saw the deep regret in their depths. I'll just get this over with. She decided as she quietly walked towards him and wordlessly took his hand. He gazed at her confused but she only pulled lightly at him to follow and leaving the window he did. She sat him down on the corner edge of the bed and stood slightly behind him and placed her hands once again upon his ribs, finding the one on the left which did not sit right. She followed it around to his chest, ignoring his shocked, sharp intake of breath at her intrusion. She was working. Gently she felt where it connected to his sternum and grit her teeth in anger. To cause this kind of damage to another Elf, especially one so strongly muscled by simply being thrown meant Thranduil had thrown him extremely hard for his lean muscles surrounding and supporting his ribs would have otherwise kept it in place. She bit her lip trying to decide what to do with him and moved her hands back to his sides.

"Breathe in deep but stay relaxed." She instructed and felt as his ribs expanded outward. "Breathe out slowly." She said as she carefully manipulated the rib back to its rightful place. He tensed suddenly. "Stay relaxed." She murmured and felt him comply. She felt it, comparing it to his right side, once again following its breadth to his sternum again and smiled to herself. "It's back where it is meant to be." She dropped her hands away from him and moved away. "It will feel funny for a couple hours before it settles, it is just your muscles aggravated." She turned back to him when he did not answer. He was gazing at her in confusion.

"Why did you fix it?" He finally asked. "I hardly deserved it." She shrugged.

"It was annoying me knowing it was out." She offered before turning away to find her sketchbook. It was only half the truth. She knew that undoubtedly every time it did bother him it reminded him of how it happened and given his reaction to her finding out; it was an unpleasant memory. He didn't need to know her true reason.

"Thank you." He murmured and she nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I know." She found her sketchbook and graphite on the floor and stood and turned, flinching to find the other Elf standing before her. He gingerly reached out and touched her collarbone, tracing it lightly. She realised it must be bruised and internally groaned. "I didn't mean to hurt you." His eyes were still tumultuous like a grey sea and once again it surprised her their depth.

"It is alright, I know." She said again as his hand came to rest against her cheek. Various emotions raced through her, too swiftly for her to make any sense of.

"It is not all right." He whispered. "Nothing about me is right." He dropped his hand away from her and turned, retreating back to the window. She stared after him unsure how to answer that. Angry Legolas she could deal with but angsty Legolas appeared to be an entirely different ball game. A game she wasn't sure she wanted to play.

"Then make it right." She murmured as she turned from him and settled against a wall not facing him to sketch quietly.

...

He gazed out the window towards the west, watching as the sun began to set; the sky lit in a symphony of colours. It was beautiful against the still dark skies from the ended rainstorm. As he watched the changing colours he mulled over the last words Ara had spoken to him. "Then make it right." But how? He'd tried to be better and he'd failed again. All he did was end up hurting her. Yet this time she forgave him. This time it was different. He knew it was because of what she knew. Life was just harder, tougher, more regimental in the Woods. It had to be for survival. He'd been brought up to be a survivor, to understand the implications of ruling over a large kingdom which was ever threatened by danger. He'd deserved the anger his father, seriously injured, had directed at him. The creature's escape had been his fault. He'd been taught to guard his emotions and keep them reined in, had it drilled into him continuously and he had not done so and nearly potentially cost his father his life, not to mention the lives of ten other guards. The guilt had plagued him and his father was not forthcoming with forgiveness. When the letter requesting his presence at Elrond's council came, his father had all but packed his bags and saddled his horse for him. Sending him off to give the Imladris Lord and worse, Gandalf the disheartening news. It was only by Elrond's calming words the eve he had arrived in the valley of falls, that he had finally felt a little more at ease over what had transpired. The nagging injury had been an uncomfortable reminder. Ara had surprised him in fixing it. Her touch the biggest surprise. It had been nice although he thought his heart would stop initially. He supposed he could count any close proximity like that out after hurting her again. Suddenly there was a neat knocking on the door and he jolted from his thoughts. Ara had leapt up to answer it and he hastily intercepted her.

"Let me, we don't know who it is." He murmured and she nodded and handed him the key and returned to the hearth. He unlocked and cautiously opened the door to find the same maid who had served them their earlier meal.

"Greetings my Lord; I wonder if you and the young Lady would like fresh, hot baths for the evening?"

"Yes that would be wonderful thank you." He replied and stepped aside to allow the maid in; glad Ara wore a dress and not her racing top tunic or whatever she called it. He returned to the window as Ara greeted the maid and then returned to her sketching; this time occupying the lounge. The maid began emptying water and from the sound; it was being emptied out of the small window in that part of the chamber. He'd very rarely dealt with the infrastructure of the race of men. Imladris was more modernised he decided. His father's halls however were simply ingenious and he was certain nothing in Arda compared to their thought out infrastructure. The maid worked swiftly and was soon bringing in steaming buckets of clean water with the aid of a second maid. He looked across to Ara who looked discontented, her sketch strokes conveying her mood by their viciousness. He would wait for the maids to finish and then ask her wellbeing. He hoped dearly she was not in pain. They both murmured their gratitude to the maids as they left and then cautiously Legolas approached Ara under the pretence of standing by the hearth. Ara didn't look up and so he watched her hoping she would. Eventually she did and he caught her gaze.

"Are you well?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She answered warily.

"Well you did not seem very content a moment ago." He explained quietly.

"I'm unused to maids and servants doing everything." She murmured.

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

"We didn't exactly have need of them at home, you know, from the future."

"Truly, then who cooked for you and washed your garments and such?" She laughed quietly.

"We cooked for ourselves and there were machines to wash and dry our clothing. We did have a house cleaner though. If we didn't feel like cooking, we dined out or had take out." She replied casually as she lazily sketched at the parchment book before her.

"That made entirely no sense." He declared and she laughed quietly. It was a welcome sound.

"A housecleaner is like a maid. They are paid to clean your house. There is a machine which works on its own to rotate in water and soap to wash materials and then a second machine called a tumble dryer heats up warm like a fire and tumbles the wet clothes in a barrel to dry them. Dining out is no different to dining downstairs in the tavern. Certain places are nicer than others just like I suspect there are taverns here worse than this one. This one Aragorn said is very good. Take out is going to a stall or shop to purchase food to either eat in public, say at a garden or down by the beach or to take home to eat." He nodded as he processed her interesting explanations.

"So you cook your own meals." He asked again and she nodded.

"Cooking can be fun you know." He nodded but highly doubted it.

"Maybe for elleths." She looked up at him sceptically.

"Some of the best cooks in the modern world are males and they love what they do."

"Really?" He asked in disbelief.

"Really." She gave him a small smile. The chamber was beginning to darken and he glanced towards the window to find the sun nearly down.

"Do you want to bathe now or after the evening meal? The water is very hot and I think will be too hot to be of any use yet."

"After." She closed her sketchbook. "I guess we should wander down to eat." She reached over to her boots and pulled them on and he caught a glimpse of her bare, toned, lower legs and swallowing quickly, turned away to find his own footwear. When he turned back she was standing waiting for him. He took the key and pocketed it as he made his way to the door and opened it for her. "Thanks." She glanced back at him with an impish smirk. "Worked out how I get out yet?"

"No." He admitted and her eyes danced deviously.

"Too bad."

"I'll figure it out." He muttered as he followed her down the first flight, still stunned she was being civil towards him when he barely deserved it. Upon the lower level he felt a hand tentatively take his and he laced his fingers through hers as his heart skipped at the gesture. A gesture he knew was only for their ruse but it felt so right to him. Like the eve before the tavern was bustling with activity as they entered. A quick sweep told him the four Hobbits were present and also Boromir who sat alone. There was an empty table near the Gondor man he decided they should take. He led Ara to the counter and convinced the same barmaid from the eve before they required only vegetables and bread; no roasted mutton which made Legolas's stomach turn at the thought. He then ordered wine for them both and led the elleth, who was acting impeccably compliant, to sit at the table near Boromir's. The man was studiously eating so for their part they ignored him and engaged in trivial talk.

"I wonder if there will be more rain to come on our journey?" Ara mused as food was placed before them.

"I hope not." He replied as a slight unease came over him and he lifted his gaze towards the feeling. It was that same man. He sat a little way from them but it was too close for comfort. He seemed to be focusing om his meal and drink but every so often his eyes flickered their way.

"I thought it was Elves sitting beside me!" Boromir suddenly exclaimed jubilantly. Legolas turned to him in surprise but the man was grinning. "How do you do?"

"We are well thank you." Legolas gave him a gracious smile back. "Your accent is different; you are a passer by?" He added.

"Indeed I am." Boromir replied. "I hail from Minas Tirith. It is where I am returning. What of you? It is not often to see Elves in these open lands."

"We hail from the valley of Rivendell and journey to the woods of Lothlórien." He explained and Boromir grinned.

"Very good!" He said as he placed his tankard of ale down firmly upon the wooden table. "Would you perhaps like an extra travelling companion for a little way?" He offered kindly. "I hear there are raiders rife in these farming areas and orc parties travel through also."

"I will have to think about that." Legolas said undecidedly although politely and Boromir tipped his head in understanding.

"But of course. You do that. I only thought of safety in numbers. My name is Ithildir, a soldier of Gondor." He added and Legolas gave him a smile.

"I am Braiglas and my mate is Aras." Boromir's face split into a grin as he gave an enthusiastic nod.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'll let you both enjoy your food and think over my offer." He added kindly.

"I will, thank you Ithildir." The man went back to drinking his ale as he and Ara finished off their meal. As every other time, there was more than enough attention their way and he noticed; also towards the Hobbits but they seemed unhindered. Frodo suddenly glanced their way and there was a friendly smile and a question in his deep blue eyes. He was confused and then noticed Ara gazed briefly back at him and gave a near unreadable nod before turning back to him. He wondered what that was about. "Is that a cryptic message I should also know of?"

"No." She murmured as she took a sip from her wine. "It is between myself and he." He frowned at that but chose not to push for answers and finished off his meal and then turned to Boromir.

"Ithildir?" Boromir turned to him. "I think we will take you up on that offer, I am grateful you asked." He declared and the man grinned.

"Excellent I am glad for the company!" He said enthusiastically. "How does meeting at the town gates at three hours past dawn sound?" He enquired and Legolas nodded.

"It sounds very achievable." He smirked. "Any time will suit us." He added and Boromir grinned.

"Then three hours past it is!" He declared and Ara smiled in thorough amusement as she finished her wine.

"I think we shall head back to our lodgings now we have eaten but tomorrow you can be sure to see us at the gates." Legolas promised and the man nodded.

"But of course, wouldn't want to keep you both any longer from a quiet rest place." He said with a smirk. "Good eve to you both." He tipped his head politely as Legolas rose and responded likewise as too did Ara before he led her back out of the tavern and away from more sets of watching eyes than he liked.

A/N: A lot of you have probably read this and thought; Wow what a nasty Thranduil portrayal! I have written the character of Thranduil a couple times but admittedly never as such a vicious Elf towards even his own kin and blood. I am having a play basically and for this story he needs to be the ultimate Lord of the Asses. The rib fixing Ara performs is an actual technique which very little people around the world know how to perform. It was developed in Canada. I actually know someone who can do this technique here in Aus. It is specialized manipulation of the thoracic rings. Very cool! Even cooler when it is your own ribs being put back into place! Anyway there is your medical fun fact for the day.

If you have any questions or comments, please drop a review. Cheers.