Chapter 1 - An early morning meeting

Yay!!!! Another chapter!

About 2500 years later

Eledhel jumped down from the patrol flet in the Mallorn tree. She was finally finished her shift. She could go to bed now but she wanted a walk to calm herself, so she took a path around the outskirts of the borders. She had been on night patrol for three weeks non-stop. No sleep and only male elves for company. How boring. She hoped to go see her friends in the city but Galadriel insists that she have lessons on protection spells. Ah well, there was always the next day.

She spinned around and knocked the Elf that was sneaking up behind her to the ground and brought her foot down on the wrist of the hand that held the Elven blade.

"Its too late to be doing thing like this." She muttered to herself as she pushed the elf against the nearest tree and growled, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm a messenger from Mirkwood. I need to speak to the Lord and Lady."

"Hmm, and I suppose that you had to attack me on the way there?"

The messenger chuckled when Eledhel felt the cold steel on her neck, "I would let go of my officer if I were you."

~Why do these things happen on my watch? ~ She thought. She let go of the messenger and turned around to see six arrows pointed directly at her glinting in the early rays of sunlight. "Keep them away from me if you please. You are in the realm of the Galadhrim not Mirkwood. In Lothlórien visitors are welcome, but only to a certain extent."

"And who are we to take orders from a female elf?" Said the one on the far right.

"And a soldier at that!" said the one beside him.

"Wood Captain." She corrected him.

Eledhel turned and started walk away when one of the Elves carrying a knife grabbed her shoulder and whirled her round. "You will take us to the City now."

Eledhel took a step back, crouched and knocked his feet from under him with her leg. She got up quickly and stood over him and placed her foot on his neck and said, "I only take orders from the Lord and Lady of these woods and no-one else. Especially those who believe they are better than others. Find you own way to the City." She turned to walk away again from the visitors, turned again and grabbed the arrow that was heading towards her from the air, snapped it and threw it on the ground and ran, leaving the company standing staring after her.

She cursed her addled mind as she slowed her pace. She should have heard them. She hoped nothing would happen because of this.

***

Eledhel changed out of her nightdress into a dark green dress that her mother had always said accented her eyes. She undid the long, thick plait that ran down her back and brushed the soft dark brown hair that fell in sheets down to her waist.

She glanced out the window and muttered, "Oh no! I should know not to sleep in like this. I'll be in so much trouble if I'm late." She had came in early morning, undressed, collapsed on her bed and fell straight away into a deep sleep. Now she would pay the price for a good night of sleep.

Eledhel rushed out of her room in the large tree in the middle of Lórien and down the small corridor heading to the stairs that lead onto the main hall. She turned the corner and crashed into the Elf going in the opposite direction.

Eledhel felt herself fall. A strong pair of arms quickly wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back to her feet.

She stared at the floor for a second, then murmured a quick apology and risked a glance at the Elf. She saw a smooth face with high cheekbones and bright blue eyes, the colour of the Anduin, staring right into hers.

Oh no, she thought. It's the elf from the wood the one with the knife. Strange. He looked a lot different, especially with a smile on his face. "Thank you very much." She glanced at his arms around her waist and said, "can you take your arms away please I need to leave."

He smiled. "Certainly." He withdrew his arms, took her hand and kissed it. "Will you at least tell me your name?"

At least he is being courteous, she thought. "Eledhel Níniel and you might be?"

"Legolas son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood. I thought you might be the Lady Evenstar for I was told that she sometimes dwelt in Lórien."

"Well then Prince it was nice meeting you." She paused and continued in a quiet voice. "You should learn that the Lady Arwen is rarely in Lórien lately because of recent events in the Misty Mountains. When she is here the very trees celebrate and the people are happy. Lately is has been very quiet and dull in contrast." She paused again and suddenly thought what am I doing! Why am I talking to him? "I would talk more but I must go and see Lady Galadriel."

"The Lord and Lady are a bit preoccupied for they are trying to decide who to send to Mirkwood with my company." Legolas smiled. "It is nice to get away once in a while."

"I may as well go for she indicated that she wished to see me earlier." Eledhel paused and said. "Thank you again." Then she finally walked past him towards the hall with a smile on her face. Some people just have that effect on you.

***

Once she was out of sight Eledhel ran into the kitchens and almost ran into an Elf going in the opposite direction again, but stopped just in time. Muttering a hurried apology to him she walked around him and then over to a bench where the fresh rolls were sitting, buttered and ready to be put in baskets to be brought up for lunch up in the halls.

She grabbed one of these, ripped a bit off and stuffed it into her mouth. She wouldn't have her mother fussing over her not eating properly. She was about to put another piece of roll in her mouth when Haldir shouted her name and signalled to her from his place beside the hearth where he was talking to his wife who was now several months pregnant.

She walked slowly over to him to give him time to finish his conversation and her time to finish her roll. A lot of people didn't know Haldir. He was quite closed. She thought herself lucky to be considered one of his close friends. Haldir was an amazing fighter, like most of his male relatives. Most of the women in his family were healers, including his wife, who smiled at her as she walked over to the hearth.

Her smile disappeared as Haldir informed her of the new recruits in her patrol. She hated training new warriors. Haldir must have noticed her expression because he said, "once the new recruits have been trained I have been informed that you will be allowed to train some woman who wish to learn to fight."

"I am!" Eledhel had wanted to train women and girls for a while now, she had women who had approached her wishing to learn. But her father had finally allowed her to teach them! She suddenly realised something and frowned. "Who is going to look after my patrol if I'm teaching?"

"I've already thought of that. Beleg will take over control of your men now that your teaching." He waited for her reaction.

Beleg was an amazing fighter and well trained, but he was just a bit strange. Well the men respected him but they couldn't see his problems. He would do. "Yes that's fine."

"Good." He paused. "You are also requested in the council room with The Lord and Lady straight away."

"Okay thanks." She rushed out of the Kitchens and towards the council room without another incident.

***

"I was pondering upon which Elves would be accompanying us back to Mirkwood. I got off the chair on which I was sitting on and then sat back down and, for the third time that day cursed the female Elf that we met in the woods this morning. I knew I needed to walk about or my muscles would seize up. I wouldn't want to be riding back to Mirkwood. I quickly rose and started walking around the room trying to ignore the pain in my legs.

"Soon I was able to walk properly but still with a little pain. I walked out of my room and walked along the corridor. When I was about to turn the corner a figure heading in the opposite direction crashed into me. There was a flurry of brown hair and I caught the female Elf as she fell.

"The first thing that came into my mind was that the Elf was in a hurry and was in quite a bit of distress about being stopped because her stomach muscles tensed as I brought her to her feet. Very strong stomach muscles as well, I wonder why that is. She had deep green eyes, which is very strange.

"She wanted to be let go so I obliged and asked her for her name. She told me she was called Eledhel Níniel and requested the same of me and after a few words she left to speak with the Lady." Legolas was retelling the encounter with the Elf Maiden this morning to the rest of the soldiers from Mirkwood at the welcoming feast that night. Once he finished they started making comments.

"Whoever she is she sounds very.nice."

"Your lucky to find a woman around here. They seem to keep them under lock and key."

"She had brown hair? You usually find that in Rivendell not here."

"She was going to see the Lady? Hardly anyone sees her apart from at feasts like this."

"I think I saw someone who looked like that, I was walking from the Kitchens this morning and a brown haired woman ran into me, apologized and soon after went to talk to a soldier, a wood captain, I think."

"That sounds like her." Legolas admitted.

"No, that's not all. I. . . overheard their conversation. She is a wood captain and she is being allowed to train females." This brought a gasp from all the Mirkwood soldiers present. "I also believe that she was the one we ran into this morning."

"Is that her?"

Their attention was diverted by a crowed of woman entering into the hall. In the middle of them was the only one with brown hair, who seemed to be having a heated discussion with another woman who looked heavily pregnant.

The group slowly separated as the women began to sit down beside friends and family at the many tables in the hall. Eledhel was the only person headed for the top table so Legolas had a clear view of her as she walked. She was wearing a bright gold dress and her hair was braided in places with gold thread.

She sat down on the side of Galadriel and Celeborn. Galadriel immediately turned and started talking to her.

"I notice you have not taken your eyes off the Lady Eledhel." Said a voice across from Legolas.

Legolas moved his head to look at the owned of the voice and saw a young Elf. "And what of it?"

"I warn you there is more to her than you can see." He said with a smile. "A lot more. I'm Beleg, another wood captain."

"Why is she sitting with the Lord and Lady?" he asked narrowing his eyes.

"I thought you would have known. She was adopted as their daughter." He said the smile still on his face.

"Daughter?"

"Yes, but I warn you. She has never let anyone close since. . ." He stopped.

"Since what?" He questioned.

The Elf glanced around. "I really shouldn't be telling this to you but.she was supposed to be getting married to a soldier. She loved him with all her heart but he cheated on her. It almost tore her apart. The Elf left to Rivendell to escape the Lord Celeborn." He paused for a moment and took a sip of wine, a smile on his face.

"Eledhel may not be the Lord and Lady's flesh and blood but they love her Just as much as their own daughter. According to some of the servants the Lord Celeborn was quite unhappy when his daughter left. But his manner completely changed when Eledhel was abandoned at the edge of Lórien. He treats her with the same manner as his own daughter."

***

Oh, yeah, disclaimer see prologue.

I haven't updated my other fic, I know. But this one has been sitting on my hard disc for months now. So I thought I should put it up for the hell of it.

Yes it is a Legomance. So sue me. I couldn't help it.