Legolas returned to his dwelling with a heavy heart.  Nothing ever seemed to go his way.  Now that he finally had the chance of happiness, he was forced to risk losing it all again.  He pulled open his door and moved silently through the dark entryway to the door of his sleeping chamber.

What he saw when he pushed in the door stole his very breath.  Nimoë was asleep with her face bathed in moonlight, which shone in through an open window, giving her an unearthly glow.  Her pale hair was spread across the pillows like a blanket of silk and her lips were slightly parted, an achingly beautiful invitation.

Reluctant to rouse her from such peaceful slumbers, Legolas carefully settled himself on the side of the bed.  For long minutes he simply watched her, drinking in the sight of his beloved, feeling the slight shift of the bed as she breathed deeply, aching to kiss her awake, to feel the tremble of her body as she responded to his caresses.

But it was not the time for such things.  When the urgency of his errand overwhelmed him, he ceased his reverent vigil.  Bending down, he placed a soft kiss upon her parted lips, breathing in the warm scent of her.

Nimoë stirred, twisting in a languid stretch, but did not waken, so Legolas deepened the kiss, running his hand through the silken length of her hair.  Her grey eyes flashed open, and she smiled.  He pulled back immediately, but she reached out her hand to stay his escape, wrapping her arms about him.

He allowed her to capture him with her innocent kisses, and he dropped down to lie next to her, enfolding her in his arms, stroking his hands up and down the length of her back.  He felt her press herself closer against his firm body, and a small moan of longing rose from her throat.

That noise brought him back to reality and he gently pulled himself away, placing a soft finger on her seeking lips.  "Nimoë, we must stop.  This is not right."

"Not right?  I have never felt something more perfect in my life."  She reached out and stroked the sensitive tip of his ear, and he groaned.

With urgent fingers he pulled her hand away.  "Do not torment me so, Nimoë.  If you continue to touch me, I do not know if I will be able to hold myself in check."  Much as he hated to admit it, what he said was true.  After so many centuries of waiting for his love, his body was as taut as a bowstring, aching to be released.

Firmly, he pulled himself away, sitting with his back against the wall.  Nimoë looked up at him in disappointment and there was a clear look of confusion on her face.  "I do not understand, Legolas.  What could be wrong with kissing you?"

He shook his head in confoundment.  "You truly are an innocent.  Trust me when I tell you that some day soon, I will explain more fully.  For now I need you to listen to me carefully.  Do you remember the day when you summoned the Eagle?"

She nodded.  "Of course.  How could I forget the day you risked your life for me?  It was the day I first knew that I loved you."

Must she be so tempting?  How could he resist her when her every word stirred longing within him.  Sternly, he pulled his thoughts away from the sweet knowledge of her confession.  "Do you remember how you did it?"

A strange shadow passed over her features.  "I sang.  Legolas, I was so afraid.  A strange compulsion came over me and I knew what I needed to do.  I have never felt anything like it.  My voice was not my own, and I felt power running through my body like a rushing river.  I could hardly control it…" She shuddered, and a look of such confusion swept over her that Legolas pulled her up to sit beside him, wrapped safe in his arms.

"Nimoë, love, I have things that I need you to know.  I do not want you to be afraid.  Know now that I will always keep you safe, or I will die trying."

She nodded, burrowing her head into his shoulder.  "I know," she said simply.

With one last squeeze, he began, "The power that you used is called the Elfsong.  You have always had the ability within you.  Remember you told me once that when you wanted something badly enough, your song seemed to bring it to pass?  You were right.  The Elfsong is a powerful tool.  I have not encouraged you in its use, as there is none who can train you, but now I fear that I must ask you to use it."

"But, Legolas, I do not know how!  What do you want me to do with it?"

So Legolas related to her the tale told by Caldarion, watching as she shrank further and further inside herself.  By the time his tale was done, Nimoë had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms about them, as if she were trying to fold herself into invisibility.  Her grey eyes were as wide as a doe's and she stared up at him over her crossed arms.

For many moments she did not respond, only stared.  Then, in a tiny voice, so small he could hardly hear her, she whispered, "Me?"

"I am so sorry, Nimoë.  I would not ask this of you if there was any other way.  You know that, don't you?"

She nodded slowly.  "I know it."  Then she looked up into his clear blue gaze beseechingly.  "Why Legolas?  I never wanted this kind of responsibility.  I only want to live my life in peace.  I want to laugh!  I want to smile!"  She swallowed on a convulsive sob.  "Most of all, I want to share the rest of my days with you."

Unable to restrain himself, Legolas pulled her around in front of him.  "No matter what happens, you will spend the rest of your days with me.  I will never let you go.  Never."  His voice was fierce, and his fingers dug painfully into her upper arms.  In an urgent whisper, he swore it again, "Never!"

Then he brought his lips down hard upon hers, and she was drowning.  Drowning in the depth of emotion that swept through her like a tidal wave, sweeping away reason, blocking out all fear.  She clung to him as if he were the only branch in the floodwaters of her need.

In the warmth and passion of his embrace, she was able to forget the doom which had fallen over her, and she surrendered to him wholly.  Her fingers twined themselves tightly into his long hair, pulling him ever closer, wanting the taste of him on her lips.  His breath caught in his throat, and she felt her heart race, realizing the strength of emotion that she caused in her Prince.

His hands reached out to trace her cheeks and he was startled to find tears there.  He pulled back, allowing the silver wetness to roll down onto his fingertip.  "Nimoë," he whispered, "Are you alright?  Have I frightened you?"

She shook her head in denial, unable to stop the tears of love that seeped from her eyes.  "Nothing you could do would frighten me, Legolas.  It is just that this seems so very right…  Like I should remember it.  As if I have been here before…"

Time stopped moving for Legolas.  Could she be remembering?  He leaned in and kissed away the tears that marred her perfect features.  His lips were achingly soft, and Nimoë shuddered.

"Please, Legolas.  Please kiss me again."

Only too happy to oblige, he took her mouth with fervent lips.  Nimoë's body seemed to be tingling, every nerve sensitized, and she trembled against him.  Sensations that she had never felt before, but were oddly familiar, radiated through her, and when his hands moved down, stroking her side down to her waist, she moaned.

Unable to hold himself back, Legolas raised himself onto his knees, bending his head to trace kisses over the skin of her neck.  Stop this!  Stop this now, or there will be no stopping…  "I love you, my heart," he whispered into her silken warmth.

Abruptly, she went stiff, her hands frozen in his hair, and she stopped breathing.  Worried, he sat up and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Nimoë?"

For long moments she lay there unmoving, staring up at him as if seeing him for the first time.  When she began to breathe again, it came out in a strained whisper, "Legolas???!"

"I am here, love.  What is wrong?"

A radiant smile split her face, like sunshine cresting the hills at dawn, and she screamed out his name, "Legolas!!"  With that she launched up from the bed, wrapping her arms about him, holding him so tightly that he thought he would suffocate.  He was aware that huge gasping sobs were sweeping over her, and he clung to her, trying to soothe her.

"Nimoë, I am here!  I am here!  Everything is alright!"  He did not understand her sudden hysterical tears, and he was frightened.

She pulled back and he saw that, although she was crying as hard as if she had lost a loved one, her face was suffused with light.  "Everything is more than alright."  She took his dear face between her hands and gazed up at him in awe.  "I remember!"

With soft fingers she traced the curve of his cheek, the strong line of his jaw, and the full swell of his lips.  "You waited for me…  All these years, you waited!"  Then she cocked her head to the side.  "You have grown!"

Legolas felt a delighted laugh burble up from inside him.  She was back!  "No, Nimoë, I have not grown.  You are a few inches shorter this time around.  I blame myself for that.  If I had done a better job of protecting the Colony, you would not have suffered malnutrition."

"Hush, love.  I blame you for nothing.  Morgoth is the one to blame.  Morgoth, the Lord of Sauron."  Her eyes opened wider then, looking back into the new memories that were suddenly a part of her.  "I remember everything.  You were right.  Men were once my allies and my friends."

Her face grew steely, and she said, "It pains me to see such a noble race brought to such depths.  If my song will save them and us from destruction, I will risk anything.  I will go to the very chasm of the Void, and I will brave the Balrog.  Anything, as long as you are with me."

The transformation in her was startling.  From a frightened girl, just barely into maturity, to a woman, strong in her convictions, unafraid in the face of danger.  His Nimoë, and yet subtly changed.  The hardships of her new life could not help but leave their mark upon her, but he would do all that he could to keep them from her mind.

"If you are amenable to this, we will leave in two sunrises.  Caldarion will travel with us, as a guide, and we will bring two others with us.  Any more and we risk being too visible."  He paused, staring raptly down into her eyes.  "By the Valar, I love you!"

"I love you, too, Legolas.  Forever."

Then there was no need for words.  They fell into each other's arms, lying back in the soft warmth of his bed.  With soft kisses they soothed each other, reassuring themselves that they were real.  In the wee hours of the morning they finally rested, entwined together.  Their eyes they left open, for even in sleep they could not bear to lose sight of their beloved.