Legolas blushed when Terrico joined him in the tub. Elves normally did share bathes, and the local bathhouse could become quite crowded. Legolas didn't know why he reacted the way he did. Terrico was perfectly at ease. Noting that Legolas seemed to be nervous, she splashed him, soon joined by Sealeaf. "Hey! Stop that!" He put his hands up to try to block the spray of water, but Sealeaf moved to the side and kept splashing with its wings. Terrico stopped and started laughing. Legolas was now thoroughly soaked and glared at her like a wet cat. "You'll get it for that!" He splashed her back, and soon a three-way splash-war had begun. Eventually, Sealeaf grew tired and climbed out. He noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He looked back and saw that the elves were still splashing and laughing. He decided to go exploring on his own. Legolas watched him leave, but figured that there wasn't much in Frodo's house that could hurt the dragon. He laughed and continued to splash Terrico. The war continued until both elves were exhausted. Terrico sighed and said "No more." She leaned against the edge and looked over at Legolas. "That was fun." Legolas was panting, and took a moment to catch his breath. "Yeah. That was fun." He closed his eyes and laid his head back. Terrico gave him a good look over, and decided she liked what she saw. "Have you given any thought at all to settling down?" She asked, weighing her chances with the Prince. "Some, I don't know if I will ever find someone. I know that my father won't stop until he finds a maiden who can keep me inside the city for more that a few days. I know he's got bands out looking for me, but I don't want to be found. I don't know where I can go where I can explore without having to hide and sleep in trees. If I'm to meet my future wife, how can I when all I see are anchors when I want a ship?" Legolas sighed and looked at Terrico, realizing that she was the one he was looking for. "You like to travel, don't you, Terrico?" Terrico knew at once what he meant. "Yes," she said, making sure her tone told him she felt the same way, "I plan to do a lot of traveling. After I visit with the Piquenia Dragons a couple more times, I'm heading back to the Mines of Moria to study the dragons there. They're quite elusive, and will be a challenge. Then I think I will head home to Greenhorn to see if I can get the rank of Ebony Sorceress. It's rather hard to do. I'll have to prove that I can handle powerful spells, and that I can control at least one powerful magical creature. I'm studying dragons, but I think I'll tame a balrog." Legolas shuddered when he heard the name, remembering when they'd faced one. He'd fled in fear. He thought that Terrico must be extremely brave, since not even he could stand still when he heard a balrog coming. "If I ever saw a balrog again, I would probably run in fear, even though I don't like to. I don't know why, but not even an ocean of orcs can scare me, but the tiniest balrog sends me flying into the woods. I guess that is how most elves are." He sank into the water, obviously depressed at the thought of not being as brave as he thought in the face of a balrog. Terrico swam over and put her arm over him. "The first time I saw a dragon, I ran like death itself had appeared in front of me. It took me years to overcome my fear and approach a dragon. Maybe next time you can master your fear. Even if you can't, I won't think any less of you." Legolas still looked gloomy, so Terrico began to soothe his hair. "You've already done more than I can ever do, Legolas. You faced hundred of orcs as well as a host of ghosts, and even a nazgûl. I could never do that. We all have our shortcomings." Legolas turned to her. "You don't think less of me because I can't face a balrog?" His eyes began to search hers. "I would never think any less of you, Legolas." The elves probably would have had a very nice, romantic moment there, but they were interrupted by an angry Frodo. "Legolas! Your dragon just ate all of my lunch, plus Gimli's, plus what I made for you two! To top it off, he ate all of my cakes!" Legolas and Terrico threw on towels (at Frodo's insistence) and ran as fast as they could bent over into the kitchen. They found Sealeaf under a bowl, twice as large as before, chirping loudly for Legolas. Legolas picked him up, and told him "you should have come to me if you were hungry. Now I'll have to go and get more food for our host and friends. Come on now, quiet down. I'm sure that Frodo only yelled because he was mad that you didn't come to me." Sealeaf stopped chirping and fell asleep in Legolas's arms. He was the size of a cat now, and was almost too big to sit on Legolas's shoulders. He looked back at Terrico, who had already pulled out her bag of seasoning spices. "How about I make lunch?" Frodo went and got their clothes, and Legolas went out with a bit of gold to get more food. He set Sealeaf down on an old cloak sitting in a pile in the corner. It was a bed for the cat that Frodo had gotten from Aragorn not long ago. Legolas hadn't seen the cat yet, but he knew that it was around. Frodo had told him before that the cat tended to stay outside hunting mice and always came in at dusk for a drink and to sit by Frodo near the fire. Sealeaf slept easily in Frodo's house, it always felt safe. Terrico gave Legolas a list of supplies she needed for lunch and dinner. Frodo had left rather angrily to see Sam. Terrico looked at the sleeping Sealeaf and wondered how soon he would reach his full size. She'd seen Gladias Dragons full size as young as three months, but he was already the size of a month-old Dragon. She thought that it was probably the combination of plenty of food and a place to swim. Gladias Dragons nested in forests near springs, but most stayed little for years because of food limits. Terrico just smiled to herself as she pictured Legolas on Sealeaf, shooting orcs down with deadly aim with his bow.
Legolas found the market easily, but found his height to be a problem. He found himself kneeling many times and often tripping on things designed for people half his height. Eventually he got everything they needed. He noticed a very pretty rose growing at the edge of the forest. The market was on the edge of town, and the woods stopped about twenty yards from the last stand. Legolas went over to the rose. He was surprised to find that it was a viney rose, and that it was spread out over the entire forest floor. There was only one bloom, but it was set over a place where some of the vines had rooted. Legolas could tell that this was an 'offspring' of the rose, a place that could be cut away without hurting the rest of the rose. Legolas carefully cut the connecting vines and used his dagger to lift up a square of soil from around it. He set it into a patch of cloth he had bought to repair a tear in his shirt (from Sealeaf's claws) and then returned to Bag End, not noticing the Goblin Scout watching from the treetop above him.