Just a quick author's note before I begin...

Saber Apricot, you mentioned that Legolas and Gimli get together after the war of the Ring. I know this as well, but I'm not completely sure where I shall put Gimli as of yet. Considering the way the plot is going, it'll be interesting to add him. However, if I do not, please don't complain-it's artistic license, after all.

uMatchmakingu

Shining bright over the whole of Mirkwood was the sun, happy to be safe in the heavens instead of down on the archery field at the moment.

Tawny had asked her new friend, Ameth, to help her learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. Upon discovering that Tawny had never before used a bow and arrow, Ameth dragged the willing human down to the practice fields. It was a day of rest for most, so there were none about to laugh at Tawny's mistakes.

The girl lined up the bow, and Ameth helped her move her fingers into the right position. She let go, and closed her eyes, hoping the arrow would reach the target.

Of course it didn't, and instead veered to the right, into the waiting hands of none other than Prince Legolas.

"Oh, blasted!" Tawny growled quietly to herself, and then stalked over to retrieve the arrow. As her fingers closed around it though, so did his.

"Just a moment, mellon." Legolas grinned to her, and she blushed.

"Yeah, sorry about that... and that would be my arrow." She let go and extended her hand to him. "Please?"

Legolas took advantage of the situation and took her hand in his, smiling slyly. "I did not know you were one to move so quickly, mellon."

Tawny yanked her hand away from him, now bright red. Once again her emotions were written all over her face, and Ameth calmly walked over, plucked the arrow from the Prince's hands, and handed it to Tawny. This caused even greater confusion on the girl's part, and she became flustered, unsure of whether to smile gratefully at Ameth, or glare daggers (or would he prefer arrows?) at Legolas. She decided on the latter.

"Not... funny..." she tried her hardest to look angry at him, but succeeded for only a moment before he began to laugh. Ameth laughed as well, which just caused Tawny to become even more confused. A thought finally formed in her mind, and she handed the arrow back to Legolas, and then walked calmly away, leaving Ameth and the prince to stare after her in wonder. ******

After a few minutes of laughing at what had just occurred, Ameth turned to Legolas.

"You are interested in her." It was not a question.

Legolas answer was direct. "Yes, I am." He did not look ashamed or surprised by her question. His training in the elven ways had paid off.

"I know." Ameth changed her tack, and looked after her friend wonderingly. "She doesn't, though." With a breakthrough look she smiled hopefully at him. "You must tell her."

"Not right now." Legolas sighed and looked away. "She... she is trying to set me up with someone else. I can feel it."

"Me." Ameth laughed as Legolas nodded at her statement. "How do you suppose we should fix that?"

"I've an idea." Legolas smiled at the she-elf and then leaned close to her. "Make it seem as though I'm interested in pursuing you. She seems to know you quite well, and she is my friend. I am certain she would not object to helping me 'win' you over."

Ameth pulled away wonderingly. "And in spending time with you, she would see your intentions for what they really are, correct?"

"Precisely." With that Legolas handed her the arrow. "I shall ask her to help me. And you will turn away from my advances. I know it will be terribly difficult..." Legolas smirked to her, and she shook her head softly, a smile forming on her lips, "but the point is to have me spending as much time with Lady Tawny as possible."

"And this plan of yours', you feel it will work?"

"Why shouldn't it?"

"What if she doesn't care for you?"

"Then I have another lovely maiden right here..." he smiled to her.

"I shall pray to the Valar your plan does not fail then." She returned straight-faced. Legolas laughed loudly, and walked away.

"Farewell, Lady Ameth. Wish me luck." The Prince of Mirkwood walked across the green turf to a gray entrance, nodding at her one last time before he disappeared inside its bluish tunnel.
"I should hope, for your sake, Prince, that your plan does not fail." Ameth sighed, caught up in the romanticism of the whole ordeal.

******

The elf found Tawny sitting in her favorite gardens, staring wondrously at one flower. It was young and the leaves were still tiny and green in their unraveling stages. She stared at it in wonder, reaching out to touch it for a moment.

"Careful." Legolas quipped behind her, causing Tawny to jump and them whirl around as though she had been bitten.

"Of what?"

"Well, while it's good to allow the new plant to be exposed to the sun, to the elements, having people other than it's caretakers affect how it is to grow is not always wise..." He smiled knowingly, "and besides, Andhoth would kill you if he saw that you were touching his beloved plants."

"Oh." Tawny sighed, and sat back on the bench, stone like everything else about here.

"Might I ask why you stormed off?" Legolas sauntered over, standing in front of her. He was so tall she had to strain her neck to see him.

"I dislike archery very much." She replied softly, and then turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I apologize." Legolas placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly to her.

"It is certainly not your fault. Unless you invented archery."

"I doubt it. Though to be completely honest it is one of my greatest loves."

"Oh gosh, and I insulted you! I'm sorry!" Tawny shook her head at her stupidity. It figured that her friend would like it and she would not. She was always butting heads with someone.

"Quite alright." The prince smiled down at her, and offered her his hand. "Perhaps if you had a better teacher?"

"Like you?" She asked, laughing. "Not one to be humble, are we, my prince?"

"Perhaps you mistake my confidence in my abilities as hubris... which I assure you it is not." Legolas smiled, his hand still stretched to her.

"Perhaps I did, Legolas." Tawny still ignored his hand, and turned away, blushing like mad.

The elven prince finally gave up and let his arm drop, and gave her a gaze she could feel even with her back turned to him. "To be completely honest, I came out here to ask you a favor."

At the word she turned to him, astonished. "A favor? Hmm, whatever could I do to help someone like yourself?"

"You could at least listen to me without becoming sarcastic." He spoke evenly, and he saw her blush once more, embarrassed by his truthful words. Oh well, they had to be spoken. The old must teach the young, after all, and if it had to come about through cutting words, then so be it.

"Yes, my lord." She spoke softly, and tilted her face to him, waiting to hear what he was going to ask of her.

"There is a young elf... Ameth." A smile curled on her lips at those words.

"Not bad, not bad." she interjected. "But please, continue."

"Well, this young elf..." Legolas made a show of seeming nervous, "she is incredibly alluring, and I was wondering if perhaps..." he cleared his throat so convincingly he almost began to think for a moment that he actually had feelings for Ameth, "perhaps you could help me to woo her over." There, it was said. "Tell me what you believe it is she-elves (and women) like in a mate. Give me lessons, in short."

Tawny gave him a sideways glance, and then nodded slowly. "I could do that, I suppose." Part of her was very disappointed in the fact that he was attracted to Ameth, but another tiny bit of her rejoiced in it. Everything was working according to her... plan? Well, it wasn't exactly a plan, but still, this was wonderful!

"Perfect." Legolas gave her a heart-melting smile, to which she curtsied gracefully (or as best she could, being a human.) The Mirkwood prince took her chin in his hand. "I will see you tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow?" She asked, confused.

"Why yes. At sunrise in the breakfasting hall."

"Why so early?"

"There is much I have to learn about women." Legolas spoke to her, letting go of her chin. 'And much to learn about you.' His mind countered as he turned from her. "Good-day, milady."

"Good-day to you, my lord." She spoke to his back as he sauntered away.

******

When night finally fell upon Mirkwood, it found Tawny in her room, lounging on an only slightly comfy chair.

"Wow... how on earth am I going to give him lessons?" Tawny spoke out loud to herself. "I barely know enough about myself, let alone she-elves. Perhaps they are different than women."

A peaceful thought entered her mind. "Then again, I can only tell him what I know. Hopefully that will be enough."

******

Sunrise came far too early for Tawny. She stumbled down the hall, pondering just turning around and going back to her warm and comfortable bed for the rest of the day. But... she had made a promise to Legolas, and intended to keep it.

A voice to her left made her come out of her sleepy haze.

"Well then, it is good to see I am not the only mortal here." At that she whirled to face the man whom she had heard, and widened her eyes in shock at who she saw.

It wasn't that she recognized him, but that he was indeed human. Instantly a bond was formed between them both, and he smiled at her. "I am Hamasen." He bowed to her slightly, and she nodded in return. "And you?"

"I am shocked." He chuckled slightly at her response.

"But your name, fair maiden?"

"Tawny Wethyn." She replied, he smiling once again.

"Well met, milady." Once again he bowed, and she curtsied to him. "May I ask what business you have in Mirkwood?" He asked her, and she smiled to him finally.

"To be honest, I have no clue."

"You don't know?" he asked, confused.

"I simply arrived here one day." She spoke, sighing. "I... I'm from another world." At this she received a worried look. Oh dear. Wrong thing to say, Tawny. Not even Legolas had heard you say this...

"My lady, perhaps you should go back to your room, and lie down for awhile." Hamasen spoke soothingly to her, and she almost consented.

"I'd rather not." She spoke, and nodded to him once more, beginning to walk away. "It was nice to meet you." She threw over her shoulder before rushing to the hall.

Tawny entered, and saw an open table, so she sat down, taking a bit of fruit off of one of the trays. She chewed slowly, waiting for Legolas to arrive.

Unfortunately for Tawny, Legolas was interrupted by Hamasen, who was worried about the young woman he had just met. Legolas sat through a summing up of the short conversation the man had had with her, as well as a theory on why Tawny might think she was "from another world."

Hamasen thought she was insane.

Legolas took what Hamasen said into account, but offered him an excuse for what Tawny had said to the man: her words were misconstrued. She lived in another part of middle earth, which could be considered another world when one thought of how the elves lived. Hamasen accepted the prince's answer, though Legolas himself did not believe what he had said at all. He resolved to ask her about it once he got into the hall.

Tawny looked up just as Legolas entered the breakfasting hall, and smiled to him. "You're late." She spoke teasingly as he pulled out a chair.

"I noticed." He countered. Taking a roll from the platter before him, he directed the conversation the way he wanted it to go. "Tawny, I just got through speaking with Hamasen." As she shifted in her seat, he knew what she too was thinking. "He said you told him you came from 'another world.'"

"Yes... I did." She replied.

"What did you mean?"

"It is a long story." Tawny gave him a pleading look.

"I have cleared my schedule today just to learn from you." He chuckled.

Just wonderful. "Well then, I'll tell you."

"You would do well to."

"I do come from another world." Tawny began. "And while I'm not quite sure where this one is, I know that they are different. My world is harsh, it is rushed, it is not here. The sky is constantly tinged with brownish smoke from pollution. It is rarely ever quiet. Here... everything is different. Life is cherished, it goes by slowly, and priorities are straight." The girl sighed. "It is different, I assure you."

"It seems it, mellon." Thranduil's son gave her a calculating glance.

"Do you believe me?"

"I do, to a certain extent, Tawny." Legolas smiled to her. "However, I have one question: how did you get here?"

"That's what I would like to know." Tawny shifted in her seat, and leaned forward. "The last I remember, I was walking into a café right as a gust of wind came over me. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was here."

"This is a lot to hear, mellon." He sighed as she nodded. "I am not sure I can believe it all."

"I do not care if you do not believe. It is the truth." Tawny lifted her chin defiantly for a moment, and then looked away.

"If it is the truth I have no choice but to believe." The elf next to her said calmly, and she smiled and turned back to him.

"Good."

"Though I would like you to rest a bit more, mellonim."

"Blasted!" she stood up, pushing her chair out as she did so. "You don't believe me!"

"I am taking what you have said with a grain of salt, friend. And the part of me that is weary of your story is also worried about your health." Legolas stood, and took her elbow. "Come, I will show you to your room."

"I have no choice, do I?"

"No, you do not." He chuckled as he led her from the room. "And while you are resting, you and I may still talk."

"Couldn't we just go outside?" She begged him.

"No, mellon. For your sake, you need rest."

"I am perfectly fine!" she argued, pulling her elbow away. "My mental facilities are intact, and I know what I am telling you is true.

"It may be the truth, but I worry nonetheless."

"That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." Tawny looked up at him, nearly furious.

"Well, I..." Legolas faltered for a moment. "You're right, it makes no sense."

"Aha!" Tawny jumped in front of him. "You admit it! I am fine, I am healthy, and your fears are totally unfounded."

Legolas nodded, and Tawny smiled brightly. "Well then you should stop worrying," She spoke, "and come with me to the gardens. It's really nice out today, you know." She coaxed, and he nodded once more.

"Alright, mellon."

"Legolas, may I ask something of you?"

"Anything, mellon."

"Would you please not ask about my life before? If I wish to speak of it I'll bring it up.... alright?"

"That is fine with me, mellon." Legolas smiled to her as they walked down the grayish steps towards the garden. "Now, to the gardens."

If all went according to plan, he would have Tawny soon falling for him.

There was only one problem with that plan, though: a mortal named Hamasen was becoming rather interested in the strange young lady he had met that morning. The king at his own table had seen the looks Hamasen had given Tawny, which neither Legolas nor the girl had seen. Thraduil, for all of his good intentions, was already wondering if he could possibly spark something more between the two mortals. Because his son seemed to be resisting the elven king's efforts at marriage he thought of the union that might come to the elven realm of Mirkwood and Rohan, where Hamasen was from, if he were to somehow convince the newest member of the realm to consider the man as a potential marriage partner.