Thalestel and Nori returned only a few minutes later.  Imagine Nori's surprise when she found Legolas waiting for her.  She was too happy at first to speak, but she smiled for the first time in months.  This was enough to give Calenmir and Thalestel a good idea of what had been troubling her.  After exchanging a glance with her husband, Thalestel suggested Nori show Legolas the garden, and the two friends walked out.

They sat on a bench under a willow tree, fingers entwined and resting on the seat between them.  For a few moments they watch the sunset, but Legolas' eyes were drawn repeatedly to Nori.  He was truly shocked by the change in her appearance.  When she had come into the house she had walked tall, with back straight and head up, but slowly, as if it were an effort.  He might have attributed this to too long a walk, but for the dark circles under her eyes.  Her face was pale and pinched, and she was much too thin.  Legolas felt anger flare in his heart.

'This has been going on for a long while,' he thought.  'Has no one noticed, or said anything?  I would not have thought Calenmir capable of such blindness.'

Suddenly, Nori turned to him and smiled, and his anger was abated a little.  When she smiled, she looked nearly like her old self.

"I am so glad you are here, Legolas.  I've thought about you everyday since leaving Ithilien.  I have missed you so much!"

"And I you," Legolas said, stroking her cheek gently.

"If I had known you were here, I would have hurried Thalestel.  Had you been waiting for us long?"

"I'm sure it seemed longer than it really was.  I was anxious to see you, and Calenmir and Lord Celedir, though good company, could not substitute."

"Celedir!  Was he here?"

"Yes.  I believe he was waiting for you as well, but a prior engagement called him away."

Nori could not quite suppress a look of relief at this news.

"He seems a good friend to Calenmir, and it's apparent he cares for you a great deal."

Their eyes locked, and Legolas squeezed her hand gently.  Nori gave a small smile of relief, then frowned suddenly, and looked away.

"Yes, he does, though I'm sure I don't know why."

"Don't you?," Legolas asked, with a warm smile.

Nori shook her head, as if in annoyance.

"How could he?  He doesn't know me, the real me, for I haven't been myself for a long time."

With a harsh sigh, she stood and began to pace.

"Somehow he has deceived himself.  I think he must be the only one, for I am fully aware that I have changed, and I have seen the way Thalestel and my cousins sometimes look at me.  They have tried to ask me about it, but I really didn't know how to answer them."

She stopped and looked at him.  If Legolas had not been in so much pain at her words, he might have smiled at her stern countenance.

"Did Calenmir ask you to talk to me about it?"

"Yes," said Legolas standing and cupping her face in his hands.  "But after seeing you, I would have done so, even if he hadn't requested it."

To his surprise, she smiled, and they looked at each other for a moment in silence.  Then, remembering what Celedir had said of returning, Legolas glanced quickly at the house.

"Nori, is there a place where we could talk in private?  I can see that you are tired, so I would not want to go far."

"Yes, there's a place on the seawall where I go to be alone.  It isn't far, and a short ride will not be too tiring."

Nori went into the house to tell Thalestel she was leaving.  When she came out, she found Legolas seated on her horse.  Mounting behind him and slipping her arms around his waist, she pointed out the way, and they set off.