Disclaimer: Go and see chapter One

Chapter Three
An Explanation

Tir was curious, as she let go of Legolas, why no one was objecting to her being in the Fellowship. After all, she was a woman, and in her world, the men would be against it, even if a man with such authority put her there. She looked up at the Elven face. "why, Legolas?" she asked quietly, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. "I shall not tell you, melamin." he said, with a smile in his voice. "I am not the right person to tell you." and he walked off to join Aragorn and Gimli, who were heading to the Great Hall for a drink.

Tir sighed. She decided that she would hang out with the Hobbits, for she had found, since Bree, that they were great companions and friends to have. She walked over to where the Hobbits were silently talking amongst themselves.

Frodo was sitting down, having just awaken today, he was still weak from his ordeal. The others were standing, and they were fiercely laughing about something. As she got closer, she noticed that Frodo was smiling widely, but was not laughing along, and he was clutching the ring in one hand, and covering his wound in the other. His faced was pained, but she said nothing of it.

"Tir!" yelled Pippin, flying into her with a hug. Tir gave him a big hug back, and Merry and Sam came running towards her as well. "Hey! No fair!" shouted Merry as they too joined the hug. Frodo stood up slowly, his face turning slightly green with pain in the process.

"I am glad that you are well now, Frodo." she said happily. Frodo smiled back. "I am too." replied the hobbit. "Thank you very much for staying by my side when Sam or Elrond could not "

"I would give up my life to save a friend, Frodo, especially ones as dear as you hobbits." Sam beamed, apparently proud with him self. Tir didn't think it was possible, but Frodo smiled an even bigger smile. Merry puffed out his chest with pride, but Pippin said "What about Legolas? Ow!" he yelped, as Merry nudged him with his elbow. "What ya' do that for? We saw her with Lego- Oh." he said when Merry gave him that look. He smiled sheepishly at Tir. "Um......." "It is all right, Pippin!" Tir said, laughing. "Legolas is a very good friend as well. I am glad I got to meet him for the first tim-" She stopped, for she felt as if that wasn't right.

Pippin started to say something, but Frodo stopped him. "She doesn't know, Pip." he said quietly. "What don't I know? Tell me, please?" she begged, but Frodo just shook his head. "We had promised Elrond, Gandalf, and Legolas that we would not tell you anything." Tir looked down, a little disappointed.

Pippin noticed this, and said "I know! Tir, you could come to dinner with us! It is to be a feast in the Fellowships honor. You want to?" All of the hobbits were nodding so eagerly at her, that Tir could not resist. "Of course!" she said laughing. "All right!" said Pippin happily. "We shall meet you at your door." said Frodo, after shooting Pippin a look of thanks.

Tir nodded and walked off down the hall towards her room. Just then, Legolas jumped down silently in front of her. "Oh, hello Legolas!" she said, not at all surprised. She saw that Legolas had some form of clothing in his arms. Legolas followed her gaze and smiled sheepishly. "I brought this for you, melamin." he said slowly, handing the clothing to her.

Tir took it, and unfolded it. It was a simple green gown. "Green to match the colour of your eyes." said Legolas fondly. "And here is a cloak to go with it." the cloak was green as well, but see-through, like a clear stream. "Thank you so much, Legolas!!" cried Tir, jumping up to reach his height, and throwing his arms around his shoulders in a big hug. She looked up into his bright blue eyes. They were so full of mirth and joy as he looked down at her. She wasn't really that short, compared to Legolas, she thought. "I'll go try it on!" she said, running towards her door. "But I don't want you to see me until the feast. All right?" Legolas nodded, trying to keep back a laugh. 'She's just as I remember her.' he thought as he walked off

Tir was staring at the dress that lay on her bed. She had never been one for dresses. 'And probably never will be.' she thought. 'But this outfit seems familiar. Maybe I've seen something like this in J.C. Penny's or Kohl's or something." she sighed. She'd have to hurry up if she wanted to be ready when the Hobbits got here. She took of her tunic and leggings. She kept on her boots that she had, for she didn't have any slippers, and she wouldn't of felt comfortable with out them anyway.

She slipped on the dress, and fastened the tie in the back. She walked over to the mirror, and gazed at her self. "Whoa!" she breathed, amazed at herself. "I look like a true elf, save the shoes."

She was just finishing with fastening the cloak when she heard a knock at the door. She hastily walked over to the door and opened it, looking down. She saw the hobbits, all dressed up nicely as well. Pippin was fidgeting with his stiff vest, apparently not liking it at all.

Tir laughed. "Have you come to take me to the feast?" she asked. "Yes we have, Tir." said Frodo happily. He stuck out an arm for Tir to grasp. "Hey!" shouted Pippin, forgetting all about his stiff vest and rushing out to give Tir his hand as well. She laughed joyfully, and took both of the Hobbits hands. Sam walked next to Frodo, happily talking about Bag End, and Merry, rolling his eyes at Pippin, went and took his place next to his friend.

They all were laughing and talking happily as they made their way to the hall. When they got there, Merry and Sam walked ahead, opening the doors so that they could walk in, and then followed them in. "Looks as if you got your self some fans, melamin." said a light voice.

Tir turned around quickly, finding Legolas all dressed in a light blue, which matched his eyes. "You look beautiful." he said to her, placing a strand of long golden hair behind her ear. "I agree" said a slightly harsh voice. Tir turned around yet again, and saw that it was Aragorn. "And I see your friends all walked you down here." said Aragorn, smiling at the hobbits. "We shall leave you here, Tir." said Frodo, and the hobbits walked off towards Bilbo and Gandalf. Tir turned to face Legolas and Aragorn.

"Okay," she said, sounding a little annoyed. "Speak. Now. I want to know everything." Aragorn sighed. "You tell her, old friend." he said to Legolas. "Lord Elrond has said it was okay, if she asked." Legolas stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. Aragorn took Tir's hand, and kissed it gently. "I shall see you later, my Lady." and walked of to talk to Elrond and Boromir, who were already in a deep discussion about something.

"Follow me, melamin." said Legolas, kindly taking her hand and leading her outside. Tir didn't hesitate to let him lead her out of the hall. She followed him to a stream, where they sat down.

"Talk." she said flatly. "Spit it out. I'm tired of every one treating as if they don't know whether to be happy to see me or to say sorry. Out with it!" she shouted. "Calm down, melamin. I shall tell you." "And tell me why you keep saying 'melamin'. It sounds familiar, but I just can't place it." she said, more calm now." Legolas smiled. "I will, when I get to that part. Now, Lord Elrond said that you might not take this so well, but I believe otherwise." he said, not smiling anymore. Tir started to worry. She didn't think she wanted to know anymore. Her face must have been an open book, for Legolas said "You need to know, melamin, so just listen."

"You, Tirinin Elen, are an Elf. Like me. Like Elrond. An Elf. You were born here in Middle-earth, in Mirkwood, as a matter of fact. Your father was Granthil, and your mother's name was Alora. She was an elf from Lothlorien. And your father was an elf from Mirkwood. He was a man of great importance, a lord, in Mirkwood. Your mother became a lady, of course, and so were you. I was about 500 when you were born, and we became great friends. I taught you almost everything you know, and my father, Thranduil, and Elrond too, helped. Then, when you were about 2, 000 years old, exactly 275 years ago, A heard of Orcs, about 100 of them, attacked you and your parents as they were traveling here to Rivendell. They told you to go sit on a branch in a tree, which, might I add, you hated, and not to move until the Orcs were gone, and then they fought."

"But the Orcs were to many for only two elves to fight. They were soon worn out, and still had many Orcs to kill. They just couldn't stay alert. Your father got shot in the back, but kept on fighting, and got shot three more times before he fell. Your mother, though great at fighting, couldn't battle twenty Orcs in the condition she was in. She had rushed over to the Orcs by your dying father, but she too was killed. The Orcs left, for they couldn't see you. You had rushed down, and ran to your parents. They told you to go, to take all that she could, and the horses, and to go to Mirkwood, for it was closer. They had told you that we would watch over you. They died with you sitting with them, so their death was not too sad for them. You got up, packed the three horses, and rode them to Mirkwood, crying."

"I was out around the borders of Mirkwood, scouting, for I had heard there were Orcs near by. I heard hoof steps, and so I rushed towards them, knowing they were not Orcs. I found you, riding fast, and crying. You had your parents horses behind you, and I knew that the rumors of Orcs were true. You stopped when you saw me, and just sat and cried. I pulled you down off the horse, and carried you to my father, where the healers tried to take care of you. You were, though, not injured on the outside, but the inside. The healers gave you elixirs to help the pain go away, but you still mourned."

"When Gandalf came to visit a hundred years later, you were pale and weak, and still mourning. You had tried to get over it, trying to be happy again, but everything reminded you of them. Gandalf said that it would be best if you went somewhere far from here, but somewhere where you could still remember."

"He told my father that he was sending you to some mortals, who you would know as your Aunt and Uncle. Then he told us that they lived in a millennia different from ours, about 6000 years ahead. He said there were books about this land, but they were just a mere fantasy to the people in that millennia. You would go to school there, as if one of them, and Gandalf, would put a spell on you, so you would only think of your self a mortal, and only remember your past as a faded picture. You would think of it as some distant dream."

"He took you, crying and protesting, to a set of mortals. I came along, to say good bye. He told them the story, for they knew about Middle-earth, being big fans of the book. They lived in New Zealand, which was where something called a "movie" of the book was to be filmed there in the future. Then Gandalf performed the spell that made you look like a mortal 6 year old. You said good bye to us, hugging me for a long time. Then Gandalf blocked your memory, and we left. It's been 175 years since we have last seen you, though it has only seemed like 7 for you, melamin." Legolas took a deep breath, staring at the ground, waiting for her reaction.

Tir sat there, dumbfounded. "Amin..." Legolas looked up from the ground. "Legolas!" she said happily, jumping up from the ground. "I remember! Amin... ?" Legolas laughed. "I remember, melamin!" she said, jumping for joy. "We used to call each other 'melamin' for fun, because I had told you I loved you, like an older brother, for I never, ever hade one." Legolas sighed. "Yes. Now do you see why no one hesitated to let you on to the Fellowship? You are famous among us elves."

Tir sighed. Then she thought about her parents, killed by Orcs. She started to cry, wanting them to be with her now. "Aiya, melamin." Legolas sighed. He pulled her hand towards her, and she crawled into his lap to cry some more.