They were to stay only a week in the King's Halls.  The few days after the feast were days of contemplation for Legolas.  Nori noticed that he was often quiet and thoughtful, but waited for him to broach the subject of his thoughts, for which Legolas was grateful.  He did not feel ready to confess that his thoughts were bent constantly on Nori herself.

The night of the feat was uppermost in his mind.  The way she had looked, the feel of her waist under his hand as they danced, the very fact that she was so unconscious of the qualities that were apparent to everyone else – he couldn't stop thinking of these things.  What he found most unbelievable was that he had started to take them for granted, and had blinded himself to his true feelings.

For days he watched her and thought about her, and things became clear.  At first he had believed that what he felt the night of the feast had been feelings completely new, but this was not true.  He was not falling in love with her; he was simply coming to terms with the fact that he had already fallen.



Two nights before they were to leave Mirkwood, Legolas and Elunell walked along the bank of the Forest River together.  Nori had gone to bed two hours earlier, and was unaware that the minds of both brother and sister were turned toward her.

"I am very glad you brought Nori to Mirkwood with you, brother," said Elunell suddenly.  "If she had instead returned to Dol Amroth, I might never have met her, for who knows if she would have had another opportunity of coming to Ithilien?  Now that I am returning there with you, I think I shall invite her to visit me as often as she would wish." 

She paused, then added, "But perhaps my invitation will not be needed."

Catching the peculiar tone of his sister's voice, Legolas stopped walking and turned toward her.

"What exactly do you mean?," he asked seriously.

Elunell sighed.

"First, a question.  Since the night of the feast – nay! Since seeing Nori at the feast, you have had something on your mind.  I saw how much you were struck by her that night.  Is that what you have been thinking of?"

Legolas looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, of that and...well, of all the time I have known her, really."

He gazed at his sister steadily. "I'm in love with her, Elunell.  I think I have been for some time, I just didn't realize it."

Elunell smiled.

"I suspected this was so.  I'm so happy for you, though I know this means you must choose to live a mortal life, and will not sail with me into the West.  But now my invitation will not be needed, for she will live in Ithilien with you, and I may see her as often as I like."

"That will not be for some time yet.  I still have not decided when or how to tell Nori of my feelings, and who knows what she will say when I do?"



Between the places where it branched into the Enchanted River, and ended in the Long Lake, the Forest River split for a short time and flowed on either side of a small mountain.  The larger, northern part flowed through one of the few rocky areas in Mirkwood, but the southern stream ran through dense forest.  Quiet and secluded, the bank of this stream had always been a favorite with Legolas, and therefore was a place Nori was determined to see.  Finally, on their last full day in Mirkwood, she and Legolas went together to see it.

The day was warm and humid, and they rode slowly, and for long periods without speaking.  Despite the silence, Nori could tell that Legolas had worked through whatever had been troubling him, and she was glad.  She was now sure her last day in Mirkwood would be a good one.

They crossed to the southern bank, and as they rode up the stream, Nori called out the names of trees and birds that she recognized.  There were several of both that were unique to the northern forests, but Nori had quickly learned about them during her stay with the Elves.  She wanted to be able to describe everything in detail when she returned home.

They reached a heavily shaded area, where a think grove of tress grew close to the water.  They sat for a while, watching the few thin bars of sunlight able to penetrate the canopy as they made patterns on the forest floor.  The heat and hypnotic quality of the light soon began to make Nori drowsy.  She stood and stretched, then walked to the high bank above the water.

"Are there fish in the river?," she asked, looking back at Legolas.

"Yes, many kinds," he said, standing and walking to her side.

Nori moved to the edge of the bank and leaned out over the water, which was so clear she could see straight to the bottom.  Small, bright fish darted here and there in search of food, the sunlight bouncing off their scales in rainbows of color.

"Hello down there," Nori said under her breath.

Legolas grinned.

"Do you always talk to fish, Nori, or has the heat of the day gone to your head?"

"You should be careful when standing so close to the water's edge," Nori countered.  "Tease me too much, and I may decide to push you in, Elf Prince or no."

Legolas cocked an eyebrow and smiled wryly.

"If I go in, you go in with me," he said, his smile widening to a wicked grin.

Nori straightened and looked in him in the eye, her arms crossed and lips slightly pursed.  After a moment she rolled her eyes, shrugged, and turned back toward where they had been sitting.  Legolas grinned again, though a little surprised she had given in so quickly, and took a step to follow her.

One step was all he had time for, as Nori suddenly whirled and pushed him backwards into the water.  He came up to find her standing and looking down at him, shaking her head as she laughed silently.

"You should learn not to challenge me so openly, Legolas, for I – hey!"

In the blink of an eye, Legolas had pulled himself from the water and launched himself at Nori.  She now found herself lying on her back, her arms pinned gently but firmly to her sides, as he crouched over her.

"You should learn to boast at a distance, especially when dealing with the reflexes of an Elf.  But it is too late for that now!"

Nori's face remained impassive, but inside she was boiling.  'If you keep forgetting he's an Elf, of course he's going to best you!,' she admonished herself.  Knowing full well what came next, she braced herself for the cold water of the river.

As Legolas looked down at her, suddenly the playfulness left his face.  His gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth, and his own eyes widened a little.  Moving his hands from her wrists to her shoulders, he slowly leaned down and brushed her lips with his.

He felt her tense, and as he pulled away, saw the surprise in her face.  But she had not recoiled from the touch.  Taking this as a good sign, he moved to kiss her again.

This time Nori saw what he was going to do.  Without a thought, she parted her lips slightly and met his kiss with her own.  Soft at first, it soon grew more insistent, and she felt a jolt of warmth shoot through her as he ran the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip.

Finally, the kiss broke and they sat up, gazing at each other silently.  Legolas reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of Nori's hair behind her ear.  When his fingers grazed her cheek she shivered, then blushed, making him smile.

Before either could speak, thunder rumbled in the distance.  A strong breeze began to blow from the northeast, and they both could smell the rain not far behind.

"A storm, and moving fast," Legolas mumbled, slightly annoyed.  "We will need to leave now if we are to have any hope of reaching the Halls before the rain does."

They quickly mounted their horses and rode off.  Both were thinking of what had happened by the river, and when the storm broke over their heads, only the horses seemed to take notice.