A/N:: Yes, I was aware of my misspelling of the word 'katanas' ever since I posted the first chapter, but I was too lazy to fix it. I was wondering when someone would point it out. Actually, I'm a little surprised how I've managed to avoid raging purists for this long… but…*shrugs shoulders*… Jerika isn't complaining.

Thank you for all the fanTAXmix reviews. Yes, I meant to write fanTAXmix because they were all so great. Your reviews inspire me to write and post sooner so keep 'em coming! This fic is now being co-written so the style may change slightly... but this is a project I can't do alone. So read on and enjoy!

The usual disclaimers apply, meaning that I don't own anything except for Laera and everything else I made up.

***

The stars shone brightly over the Plaines. Two little mice scampered over the grass, trying to get a closer look at the two strange beings sitting a little bit away. They had never seen Elves before and were wondering what in Middle-Earth they were doing there.

Laera gazed up at the sky, reflecting on how beautiful the stars looked. Of course, the stars looked just as they would look shining over Rivendell, but tonight, things seemed so different. Legolas was a few feet away… feeding the horse. Laera assumed he had chosen to skip supper for he never mentioned it and it was already getting late. She decided it best not to say anything, lest it grate on his nerves.

The two had not said much since the afternoon. Legolas would come to her every now and then to tend to her wound, which was healing nicely. He had rubbed on a salve to quicken the healing, but it did nothing to help with the pain. She slipped a hand over her back and gently massaged her aching shoulder, whimpering softly. She had never been this injured before and it was an experience Laera felt she could do without.

Legolas turned from the horse and watched the Elven princess silently. What was he going to do with her? A whole day had not even passed and she had already managed to get herself hurt. He strode over to where she was and sat down beside her.

"You have done a very foolish thing, Laera," he said softly.

"Yes, I am aware of that, Legolas. If you are still thinking about sending me back, you might as well think otherwise. I already told you that my returning to Rivendell is not an option."

"But certainly there are other ways of letting me know that you care for me," said Legolas with a sly smile.

"I did not come here just to be with you!" she cried, her cheeks burning. "Do you have any idea of what life is like for me?"

"Let us see… what is life like for you in Rivendell? To live in an extensive palace, surrounded by beauty and love from your family, to be waited on hand and foot, to never have a care in the world… What a hard life you do lead, Laera."

Laera could feel her temper rising with every word he said. "Well, if you put it that way, then yes, I did have quite a nice life. But even things that are beautiful can get tiring to look at day by day. I did not want to spend my days floating about Rivendell dreaming about what was out there. I did not only want to taste life, Legolas, but devour it. I want to know what it feels like to look death in the face, to swim in a distant shore, to meet creatures other than Elves and Humans. Middle-Earth is just bursting with things that are calling my name!" she finished triumphantly.

Legolas listened to her little speech, something akin to awe finding it's way into his thoughts. Oh, how he knew what it was like to want more in life than safety and security. Was he actually finding something in common with this Elf who had been nothing but stiff and cold to him ever since their childhood? "Sounds like the whinings of a very spoiled and pampered princess," he said instead. He instantly regretted saying those words.

Laera's eyes narrowed and she turned away, burying her face in the cloth she used as a blanket. "I never expected you to understand," was her muffled reply. Legolas stared unseeingly at the stars. Why did everything he said and did always have to anger her? Why did he find it so hard to say something kind? It did not matter anyway; he thought sadly, she hated him.

***

Laera awoke that morning feeling like she had been run over by something extremely heavy. Her muscles ached and her joints were stiff. Is this what being a heroine was about? Groaning, she struggled to get up. She yelped as her shoulder sent her painful messages to lie still. Oh yes, her shoulder, she remembered. Last night the pain had reduced to a dull aching throb. But this morning, the pain had returned, in all its searing glory.

The smell of something cooking reached her nostrils and she twisted her head around to find out its source. To her left Legolas squatted by a fire, munching on some food he had cooked. He did not even wake me! She also saw, from her position on the floor, that most of the food was gone. "Is that good?" she asked, gathering all her strength to raise herself into a sitting position.

"Mmm, yes, it is," he replied. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, I would," she said, eyes narrowed. "So where we off to today?"

"We are going nowhere," he said softly. He rose from his squatted position and strode to where his bow and arrow lay. He brought both back to where she sat and after notching his arrow, he pointed it right at her.

"Legolas?" she said, her voice uncertain. "What do you mean we aren't going anywhere? And why are you aiming that weapon at me?" Had Legolas gone mad? She looked around helplessly. There was no escape.

"You might as well learn how to use this properly," he said, lowering the arrow. He chuckled at the evident relief that dawned on her features. "What did you think I was going to do?"

"You are very funny, did you know that?"

After a few exercises to help get her muscles and joints to return to their original fluidity, Legolas set out to teach Laera the ways of the bow and arrow. They made a makeshift target out an old stump with a cloth draped over it. He watched amusedly as Laera, her cheeks burning, struggled to notch the arrow.

"It is done like this..." Legolas found himself repeating the phrase several times. It nearly fifteen minutes to get it right. "Congratulations," he said. "You are dead."

She glared at him. "Well, then, tell me how to aim this properly."

The next few minutes consisted of Laera shooting the arrow and missing the target completely. "How many times must I say, Laera, that you must bend your arms like so. You aim, then release." Laera watched as his arrow sailed through the air and hit the target with a loud thwack.

"That is what I did!" she exclaimed. "I see now what my problem is... it must be my bow. Come, now, let me use yours."

"No, Laera, this bow is not for amateurs."

"Amateurs?" she said tossing her head. "I only struggle with this because my bow is not of the finest craftsmanship. I am quite sure that I would improve if you just let me try with your bow." She quickly plucked the bow from Legolas' fingers and studied it. It was certainly a very fine bow. The string, she saw, was even made of Elven hair.

"I would not do use that bow without a little more practice. Especially without the use of-"

"Do you mind, prince Legolas? I'm trying to shoot here. I would like a little silence."

"But, my lady, I-"

"Hush!" Legolas, seeing as how his warnings would be in vain, 'hushed'. Laera notched her arrow and slowly pulled back the string. She was shocked, and also a little concerned, to see that the string was much more taut than hers. It took most of her strength to pull it back. She took a deep breath and carefully aimed. The string was cutting into her fingers and caused her arm to tremble badly. She released and shrieked as the string scraped harshly against her forearm.

She watched in dismay as the arrow landed halfway to the target, her face aflame. She had not been this embarrassed since the day she put on her dress inside out and walked about the whole day without realizing it. Of course, she had been only a child, but it was still quite mortifying. She turned to Legolas who was looking at the arrow solemnly. Inside, he was screaming with laughter.

"I warned you..." was all he said.

"Was that amusing to you?" she cried, nursing her burning arm.

"You commanded silence, Laera," he explained innocently. "You were right, your bow would never shoot an arrow as far as mine would. But my bow is to be used by experienced archers. I also tried to tell you that you should have probably put an arm guard on. Like mine." Laera looked down at the armbands on both of Legolas' forearms. So that is what they were used for. She always had thought that they were for mere presentation. Oh why hadn't the elven fellow told her about these things?

Laera continued to practice and she found to her satisfaction that she was getting quite good at it. If it were because of Legolas' tips, she would rather die than admit it. After hitting the target, she smiled smugly.

"I told you I would get better."

"We must move on," he said suddenly.

"Why? You know perfectly well I need more practice."

"It is nearing."

"What is?"

"Come, we must leave the Plaines." Laera did not question further. Fear gripped her heart at the look of Legolas' eyes. They gathered their supplies, mounted the horse and made way for the mountains in the distance.

***

A low growl resonated throughout the stillness of Elhite Vale. A beast twice as large as a man and four times as gruesome as an orc sniffed the necklace, which lay on the forest floor. She had been here... Behind the trees, the Nimhorns coward, too frightened to protect their territory. The beast threw back its head and howled, causing the remaining curious Nimhorns to flee in terror. The Elf was close...

***