Athelian sat up. She had been having a dream about the Prince of Mirkwood,
but it was fuzzy. She looked out her window and saw the moon, shining down
on her Talen, as her mother liked to call their humble abode. She glanced
over at her mother, who was sleeping peacefully. Athelian closed her eyes
again. She could never learn to sleep with her eyes open. It just creeped
her out, so she always slept with her eyes closed. She heard a rustling in
the bushes and looked outside. She got up and looked outside and saw Amrod.
"Come down, I want to show you something." Athelian laughed. "Why? Do you
know what time it is?" She pointed at the moon. "Just come down." He
disappeared. She got on a cloak and ran down the stairs. Amrod met her at
the bottom. "C'mon" She followed him through the woods. Suddenly he
stopped, put his finger to his lips and motioned for her to come look. She
tiptoed over to where he was looking. She saw an animal, a white one. She
couldn't tell what it was exactly, but it was beautiful. She gasped. The
creature looked up. It looked at her hollowly and than leapt off into the
woods. She grinned at Amrod, who smiled right back. She headed back towards
the city. As she walked back towards her talen, she heard something over by
the Silverlode. She quickly ran over there. She hid behind a tree and put
her hand on her knife. She saw someone in the river and she saw long,
blonde hair. She laughed silently as she figured out who it was in the
water. Legolas she thought. She tiptoed over to where his clothes were
hanging and she sat down. He got out and walked over to where she was,
unaware of her small form, hidden by the tree. She checked him out as he
got dressed. Nice body she thought approvingly. Her eyes had a mind of
their own as they traveled downward. "Nice night for a swim." She said
aloud. He whipped around, his knife in his hand. She giggled. "Athelian?"
he asked. "The one and only." She said, smiling. She stood up and walked
over to him. "You know you were really vulnerable to a practical joke.
You're lucky Orophin and RĂºmil won't be back till next week. You would've
been gone." She laughed to herself, remembering all the practical jokes
they'd played on everybody. She couldn't wait till they came back next
week. By than, Legolas already had his clothes on. He stepped closer to her
and whispered, "I think it's also a good night for a little dip." A
confused look crossed her face and suddenly, he picked her up, slung her
over his shoulder, and dumped her in the Silverlode. She gasped. The water
was freezing and she was only in a thin nightgown. As he walked away, she
grabbed his ankle and dragged him into the water with her. She laughed as
he fell into the pool. He came up to her and ducked her head under. When
she came back up, he was looking at her, differently though. He came closer
to her and closer till his face was right near hers. She closed her eyes,
anticipating what was going to come, but just as suddenly, he picked her up
out of the water and threw her over his shoulder for the second time. Just
as she had on Haldir, she cursed in Elvish and pounded on his back. He
laughed and carried her back to her talen. "My lady", he said, setting her
down in front of the stairs. And than he left. Just like that. She stood
there for a moment, than went up the stairs and went back to bed.
Athelian was up early, watching the sunrise. She sat in her tree, the same one where she had shown Legolas the stars, and just enjoyed the beauty of the sunrise. She heard a rustle and looked at the base of the tree. She saw Legolas climbing up. She slid down, almost hitting him. He jumped out of the way, just as she reached the bottom. He looked like he was ready to leave. "Your mother requested that I find you for breakfast." She looked at him quizzically. "Why?" "For my farewell breakfast. I'm leaving in 3 hours to go back to Mirkwood." "Oh. Ok. I just have to change." "I'll accompany you." He held out his arm and she took it. They slowly walked back to her Talen. "I'll just be a few minutes. You can come up if you want." He followed her up the long stairs. "Sit here." She led him to a chair and he sat down. She ran into the other room and changed into a blue dress. She shook her hair out of the ponytail and let it loose over her back. She put on her silver medallion and got Legolas. "Alright, I'm ready to go." He looked her up and down and said "You look lovely, Lady Athelian." She smiled and started for the door. He grabbed her wrist. She turned around. "C'mon we have to go." "I know nothing about you. All I know is your name." "Your leaving soon Legolas, we can't talk about this now. We don't have the time" "We have plenty of time." He sat down in the same chair. She looked at him and sighed. "We can't. I'm sorry." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the seat. "C'mon, let's go. We're already late. People are gonna think- "She stopped short. Haldir was standing at the door, with his arms folded. "Aaye Legolas" he said, looking at Legolas. He looked smugly at Athelian and said "What have you two been doing up here?" he asked, "Together? Alone?" He added as an afterthought. Legolas looked at him and than at Athelian quizzically. Athelian glared at Haldir and stormed out of the talen. Legolas got up. "What does that mean? Why is she so angry?" Haldir shook his head. "She'll tell you soon enough, if she chooses to." He walked out, leaving Legolas confused.
Legolas walked out of Athelian's talen. He wondered what had made Athelian so angry and why Haldir had looked so smug when he had found them up there, alone and together. It was nothing like that, they were just friends. Or was something going on that he didn't know about. He headed into the Great Hall and talked to the people around him. Finally, breakfast was served. He sat down at his usual place and enjoyed his last meal in Lorien. He packed up his stuff and walked out of the woods with his horse. He had already said good bye to everyone, except Athelian and Haldir. He sat on his horse and waited. He didn't know why. He heard gallops behind him and saw Aragorn riding his horse towards him. "Aragorn!" he called. He waved. They greeted each other. Aragorn looked at him. "What are you waiting for?" Legolas looked back into the woods. "Just waiting to say good-bye to someone." Aragorn looked at him and got back on his horse. Athelian sat in her talen, staring out the window. "Athelian?" Haldir called. She went to the door and found him sitting in a chair. She cast him an angry glance. "How could you?" she demanded angrily. "Legolas didn't have to know. I suppose you told him everything when I left." He looked at her coolly. "I told him that you would tell him when the time was right, if you chose to tell him." "So you let him know that something of that sort happened?" "Well you're the one who stormed out when I said something." "You're the one who accused us of doing something. You didn't have to say anything. He was the one who wouldn't move and he wanted to know more about me." Haldir raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Could he be the one?" "Which one?" "In Galadriel's prophecy." "No, it can't. I'm not, it can't be." "You're the only one who has made a connection with the prince. It's got to be you." She shook her head. "Even if it is, it will never happen. I won't let it happen." She stood up and walked out of the talen. Haldir shook his head sadly. "If only you knew Athelian."
Athelian walked through the forest. She wanted to know if Legolas was still here. She reached the edge and found Legolas and, to her surprise, Aragorn, sitting on their horses. "Aragorn!" she cried. He got off his horse and they embraced. "Its been a while." He said. "Yes. How is Arwen? I must visit Rivendell someday and see her." "She is good. Is he back yet?" She knew which he, he was speaking of. "He will be back next week. He's been roaming the lands around here with his brother." "Alright." Athelian walked up to Legolas. "Legolas, it has been great knowing you here. Aa menle nauva calen ar' ta hwesta e' ale' quenle." " Lissenen ar' maska' lalaith tenna' lye omentuva" Aragorn watched them and said something to his horse. The horse made ready to leave. "Come Legolas, we must go now. We will never reach Mirkwood in time." Legolas made his horse ready. Aragorn rode off. Legolas rode off a minute later, and whispered "We will meet again, maiden." Athelian watched the two figures ride out into the distance and walked back into the forest.
Athelian was up early, watching the sunrise. She sat in her tree, the same one where she had shown Legolas the stars, and just enjoyed the beauty of the sunrise. She heard a rustle and looked at the base of the tree. She saw Legolas climbing up. She slid down, almost hitting him. He jumped out of the way, just as she reached the bottom. He looked like he was ready to leave. "Your mother requested that I find you for breakfast." She looked at him quizzically. "Why?" "For my farewell breakfast. I'm leaving in 3 hours to go back to Mirkwood." "Oh. Ok. I just have to change." "I'll accompany you." He held out his arm and she took it. They slowly walked back to her Talen. "I'll just be a few minutes. You can come up if you want." He followed her up the long stairs. "Sit here." She led him to a chair and he sat down. She ran into the other room and changed into a blue dress. She shook her hair out of the ponytail and let it loose over her back. She put on her silver medallion and got Legolas. "Alright, I'm ready to go." He looked her up and down and said "You look lovely, Lady Athelian." She smiled and started for the door. He grabbed her wrist. She turned around. "C'mon we have to go." "I know nothing about you. All I know is your name." "Your leaving soon Legolas, we can't talk about this now. We don't have the time" "We have plenty of time." He sat down in the same chair. She looked at him and sighed. "We can't. I'm sorry." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the seat. "C'mon, let's go. We're already late. People are gonna think- "She stopped short. Haldir was standing at the door, with his arms folded. "Aaye Legolas" he said, looking at Legolas. He looked smugly at Athelian and said "What have you two been doing up here?" he asked, "Together? Alone?" He added as an afterthought. Legolas looked at him and than at Athelian quizzically. Athelian glared at Haldir and stormed out of the talen. Legolas got up. "What does that mean? Why is she so angry?" Haldir shook his head. "She'll tell you soon enough, if she chooses to." He walked out, leaving Legolas confused.
Legolas walked out of Athelian's talen. He wondered what had made Athelian so angry and why Haldir had looked so smug when he had found them up there, alone and together. It was nothing like that, they were just friends. Or was something going on that he didn't know about. He headed into the Great Hall and talked to the people around him. Finally, breakfast was served. He sat down at his usual place and enjoyed his last meal in Lorien. He packed up his stuff and walked out of the woods with his horse. He had already said good bye to everyone, except Athelian and Haldir. He sat on his horse and waited. He didn't know why. He heard gallops behind him and saw Aragorn riding his horse towards him. "Aragorn!" he called. He waved. They greeted each other. Aragorn looked at him. "What are you waiting for?" Legolas looked back into the woods. "Just waiting to say good-bye to someone." Aragorn looked at him and got back on his horse. Athelian sat in her talen, staring out the window. "Athelian?" Haldir called. She went to the door and found him sitting in a chair. She cast him an angry glance. "How could you?" she demanded angrily. "Legolas didn't have to know. I suppose you told him everything when I left." He looked at her coolly. "I told him that you would tell him when the time was right, if you chose to tell him." "So you let him know that something of that sort happened?" "Well you're the one who stormed out when I said something." "You're the one who accused us of doing something. You didn't have to say anything. He was the one who wouldn't move and he wanted to know more about me." Haldir raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Could he be the one?" "Which one?" "In Galadriel's prophecy." "No, it can't. I'm not, it can't be." "You're the only one who has made a connection with the prince. It's got to be you." She shook her head. "Even if it is, it will never happen. I won't let it happen." She stood up and walked out of the talen. Haldir shook his head sadly. "If only you knew Athelian."
Athelian walked through the forest. She wanted to know if Legolas was still here. She reached the edge and found Legolas and, to her surprise, Aragorn, sitting on their horses. "Aragorn!" she cried. He got off his horse and they embraced. "Its been a while." He said. "Yes. How is Arwen? I must visit Rivendell someday and see her." "She is good. Is he back yet?" She knew which he, he was speaking of. "He will be back next week. He's been roaming the lands around here with his brother." "Alright." Athelian walked up to Legolas. "Legolas, it has been great knowing you here. Aa menle nauva calen ar' ta hwesta e' ale' quenle." " Lissenen ar' maska' lalaith tenna' lye omentuva" Aragorn watched them and said something to his horse. The horse made ready to leave. "Come Legolas, we must go now. We will never reach Mirkwood in time." Legolas made his horse ready. Aragorn rode off. Legolas rode off a minute later, and whispered "We will meet again, maiden." Athelian watched the two figures ride out into the distance and walked back into the forest.
