Thanks for all the reviews! Answers to the questions are on the 'reviews' page.

I am v. v. busy tonight and I don't have time to proof-read; but if you point things out to me I will correct them a.s.a.p.

Please R&R and don't forget to enjoy it!

***

'Aragorn!' She cried in wonder. 'Le teli!' You have come!

He embraced her strongly, kissing the top of her head with fierce, protective love. 'You silly, silly girl-child!' He berated her finally, letting her step back but still holding her, and shaking her furiously. 'Why in the name of the Valar did you directly disobey not only myself but your own parents and the Elves?!'

A stubborn look came over her, and she set her jaw determinedly, but did not reply.

He shook her again, squeezing her arms so tight to her that she found it hard to breath. 'Mithmír, my friend-daughter, why did you put yourself into such danger? Why could you not stay in the North, by Imladris, living up to your name as Rochiwen, horse-maid? Why come to war and feel sorrow?'

'Why did you, Aragorn!' She shouted back fiercely. 'Why did you?'

He finally sighed, and let her go, before embracing her. 'Why did I, indeed, why did I. We're very alike, you and I, after all. Your father is here,' he said finally with a wry grin. 'You'll have to go through all this again with him, you know.'

'Daddy? Daddy's here?' Mithmír shouted in joy. 'Where? Why?'

'Where? He's somewhere on the Pelennor, that is all I know. And why? All the Dúnedain are here, to fight for their ancestral home,' replied Aragorn.

'Yes!' Mithmír pounced on his words. 'All of the Dúnedain old enough to bear weapons are here - and that includes myself!'

Aragorn laughed deeply. 'Well said, little elfling!' Elfling was his pet name for her. 'I see your warrior spirit is unquenchable, and that's not a bad thing…' he chuckled a little, 'but maybe being a little less stubborn would do you good!' Suddenly he looked seriously at her. 'How were the hobbits when you left them?'

'You know of them?' She said warily, and let go of his hand. 'How do you know I went with them?'

An Elf stepped up beside Aragorn. He took her hand and kissed it gently. 'Lady Mithmír, I told him.'

She gasped and blushed furiously. She wasn't used to being treated as such a high lady. 'Oh,' she said rather lamely. 'Oh.'

'Forgive me,' the Elf said. 'I thought he had a right to know…'

Mithmír suddenly realised who this elf was, underneath all the armour. 'Legolas!' She said, a little louder and a lot more joyfully than she'd meant to. She gained her composure quickly, but noticed that he smiled at her reaction to seeing him. 'Of course you're forgiven.'

Aragorn chuckled knowingly. So the feelings that Legolas had let slip when he told Aragorn of Mithmír tracking the hobbits were mutual! To think, Mithmír falling for an Elf-prince… Thranduil's son, no less. He sighed. Hard times were ahead for the pair, if they ever admitted their feelings. There were only three ways they could ever marry, to the best of his knowledge (and because of Arwen he was an expert on the subject): if Mithmír turned out to be immortal, which was, in theory, possible, but the chances were incomprehensibly slim; if Legolas gave up his immortality; or if Mithmír was offered immortality as Elrond Half-Elven had been for his valour in battle.

Aragorn bowed. 'I must go to battle, Legolas, Mithmír. I shall meet you later, if the Valar will it!' And with that he was away, the Sword That Was Broken shining in his hand with the light of a pale dawn.

'I ask you again to forgive me,' Legolas said finally. Mithmír couldn't tear her gaze away from his enrapturing blue eyes. She nodded dumbly. 'I knew you were following us, but when we reached Nen Hithoel and I didn't see you again… I assumed you must have gone with the hobbits or…' He stopped emphatically.

'I don't mind,' she said in reply, 'I would only have minded if I had been stopped from coming here.'

Legolas looked troubled for a second, and he nipped his lower lip as if nervous. 'Thiale bain sui elenath an enni.' You appear as beautiful as the stars to me.

Mithmír's heart missed a beat. Maybe some part of her had dreamed of this… but larger portion of her min was suspicious, and feared that it was being lied to. 'Hennaid an lín pethenath, Legolas, dan egleria alinnas caro enni díhenale pân.' Thanks for your compliments, Legolas, but praise will not make me forgive you wholly.

'Im althel ha sui man pedle…' I did not mean it like that… He said, and genuine concern came into his eyes.

'Im iast le maer maeth.' I wish you good fighting, she said firmly, and then strode off, her mind in a turmoil. She had never been this confused before. She liked Legolas, yes, he was easy to be around - or so she judged from the little time she had spent with him - but her feelings for him were all mixed up. She wondered vaguely if she was attracted to him while she set to work on a band of uruk-hai. She had always thought that if you liked someone it would be clear-cut, set in stone: you liked them wholly, and they returned the affections. Now a little of her naïve-ness was dispelled. She realised it was not that simple.

'He's an Elf,' she reminded herself as she finished off a fallen orc with a downwards stab. 'Immortal. He'll go beyond the Sea, leave you here. You should find yourself' she panted a little as she dodged a flying blade 'a nice, mortal Man, and put this Elf out of your head…' It sounded so easy when she said it. But she couldn't stop thinking about his pretty face, his beautiful eyes… And Aragorn's slightly smug grin when he left them. What did he know about Legolas - or herself - that she didn't?

***

Finally some half-decent Legolas in this story. Phew! If only Mithmír could admit her feelings…

Just in case anyone doesn't know; Elrond is called the Half-Elven because he is - dun dun dun! - a half-elf. He was so brave in war against Morgoth (first Dark Lord) that the Valar told he and his brother that they could chose to be Elves or men. Elrond's brother remained mortal, but he became immortal.