* Five *

Ryanna had found no peace in her sleep. All night she had been haunted by strange and horrifying dreams of a battle. She had woke up and dozed back to sleep countless times. But every time she entered the realm of dreams, she saw death and destruction. Even now, after the sun had rose she could still taste the blood in her tongue, hear the screams of agony, smell the putrefied air. Men with the face of demons…

She walked slowly through the cloisters, her eyes taking in her surrounding, her mind trying to block every image of terror. Although winter had set upon Imladris, it still was more beautiful then she had imagined and far more exquisite then other realms she had visit. Excluding of course, the Undying Lands. She wished she had known Imladris when it was at its prime. It should have been a sight to be seen…

"Good morning, your Highness." Legolas greeted, coming up behind Ryanna. The princess grinned slightly, but when she faced him she was serious.

"Good morning." She replied coldly.

"Did you sleep well?" He inquired politely. The years hadn't changed a thing about her old friend. He still was beautiful, soft like the morning light, but his eyes carried a passion and intensity not accomplished by many. For a moment Ryanna thought about forgetting her plan of making him pay and talk to him as they used to do many years ago, but she immediately dismissed the idea. She found out that she was still very angry with him and above all, hurt.

"Very well, thank you." She lied and resumed her walking, wanting to put as much space between them as possible. Of course that Legolas didn't understand the hint, or if he did he choose to ignore her intentions.

"I owe you an apology." He said, walking beside her. Ryanna sighed slightly, irked with his callousness.

"You owe me nothing, Prince Legolas." She spat revealing her annoyance.

"Yes I do." Legolas stated grabbing her forearm and turning her to him. "I'm sorry if I didn't return to Aman, An…your Highness." She almost smiled at his mistake, but kept her cool façade. "I shouldn't have left you wonder for so long if I was alive or dead. But when I arrived to Middle-Earth I…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Ryanna bit back, releasing her arm from under Legolas' grip. "I was a little girl when you left and the truth is I don't remember much of our time together." She lied again, smiling coldly. Deep down inside she wished she had forgotten those happy days, but the memories seemed to be forever printed in her mind. Legolas looked taken aback and searching for something to say, but his pained expression mirrored his thoughts.

"Right." His eyes fell to the ground and Ryanna wanted to slap herself hard for being the one to have caused that hurtful expression. "I deserve that." He kept his eyes on the marbled floor of the cloisters. "Nevertheless, I was hoping that you could forgive me one day." He added composed.

"If that's what is troubling you, then I forgive you. There. You can go now." Ryanna dismissed him with a flick of her hand, knowing that those words would only make him furious. At least he wouldn't look hurt, she thought seeing that she had hit a nerve.

"You really have changed your Highness, although I doubt I will like the new you." Legolas said sharply. Two could play that absurd game.

"Yes, you will not like the new me for I'm no longer the naïve, sweet girl that used to play around with your bow, forging countless adventures. I grew up since then." Ryanna hissed her eyes cold as ice.

"Funny princess, I thought you didn't remember those days." He retorted with a sharp grin, Ryanna felt her blood start to boil. He had caught her and he had caught her well.

"I still have your bow Greenleaf." She stated sardonically, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Greenleaf?" He repeated raising both eyebrows in mocking surprise. Ryanna went on, ignoring his remark. Legolas crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her with amused eyes.

"It's hard to forget how the Galadhrim bow came to my possession." Ryanna explained ironically. Legolas had forgot how fast Ryanna's tongue could be. She was after all the daughter of two amazing Elves.

"Yes, the bow. I have to congratulate you for you have become a very skilful archer. I could even say that you are almost as good as…" He seemed to search a name in his mind. His lips turned to a charming smile. "Me!" He added still smiling. Ryanna snickered sarcastically.

"You were a smug Elf one thousand and half years ago and you still haven't change." Ryanna bit back a little amused. "Persistence, in this case, could be seen as a fault." Legolas looked at her with fake surprise.

"Really? Smug you say?" The prince was enjoying immensely that little exchange of wits. "But then again, I'm still a finer archer then you princess, so I'll keep my smugness for a little while longer." They looked at each other on the verge of laughter, but neither gave in.

"Was that a challenge?" Ryanna wondered with a raised eyebrow, trying to hide her obvious delight.

"Did it sound like a challenge to you?" Legolas eyes were glistening, but his face revealed nothing.

"Do you know what is the first rule of a dispute?" The princess inquired. Legolas blinked, lost for a moment. Then shook his head no. "Never underestimate your opponent." She finished.

"Ah! True, but I was never one to play by the rules." Legolas offered with a small smile and bowing his head. "Does that mean you accept my challenge?"

"You want me to participate in an absurd, childish contest, just to see who's better with the bow? Is that what you are challenging me to do?" Legolas took a moment to answer. Ryanna's words had made it sound so ridiculous that even he thought it to be absurd.

"If you put it that way, then yes that's exactly what I'm daring you to do." He said, pleased with himself.

"Then I accept."

"They seem to dislike each other. I don't see how this is going to help us, Gandalf." Lord Elrond said, watching Legolas and the princess quarrel. He was obviously frustrated. He and Gandalf had talked into the night until the sun finally rose. They had come to the conclusion that they had no clue to what Elbereth had planned when she sent the two Elves.

But the Valar never planned in vain.

"You should know by now that appearances could be deceiving. Ryanna is still young. She needs to learn how to forgive and forget." Gandalf gushed with amusement.

"But why did Elbereth send her and that Lord Menel? What difference could they possibly make in the grand scale of things?"

"Elrond, the years seemed to have made your mind crumble." Gandalf admonished him. "Where is the wise and prudent Elf that fought the forces of Evil thousands of years ago? Is he completely gone?"

"Forgive me Gandalf. I just can't seem to focus anymore." Elrond admitted, letting his body fall numbly over the bench.

"It's alright old friend. We all are worried about the fate of Middle-Earth. But remember that even the most insignificant being could change the course of the future. Frodo did it once and it could very well happen again. Who knows, maybe Elbereth knows what she's doing sending us Ryanna.*" Elrond looked at Gandalf letting his words sink in.

"Maybe Gandalf…" He said, looking at the couple in the cloisters below his balcony. The fate of Middle-Earth in the hands of a young Elf and her mentor, now that was an encouraging thought…

Notes:

*Quenya name: Rya (her)-Anna (gift).