Disclaimer: I love LotR as much as is humanly possible, but that doesn't mean I own them, so I don't.
Chapter 4

Legolas was just about to cross into the realm of Lord Elrond when he spotted his close friend. He had been keeping a close watch out, for there were rumors that a band of orcs was prowling nearby and he did not want to be caught unawares by himself. At the first sign of movement he fit an arrow to the string of his bow, but was relieved that what he had seen was not an orc. It was Elladan.

"Elladan, mellon nin! I'm so relieved to see you! For some reason, I was starting to sense the presence of orcs."

"You arrived late for that battle, mellon nin. We have just killed the whole lot of them."

Legolas then noticed for the first time the blood-stained cloth around his friend's arm. "Are you okay?" he asked with sudden concern.

"This?" replied Elladan, gesturing to the bandage with a shrug. "A mere scratch. It'll be healed and back to normal within a week."

"Good. Well in that case, you could have saved my a few!"

"How were we to know that you were nearby?" he replied in mock-innocence.

At first, they both managed straight faces, but then the grins started to peek through, and finally they both burst out laughing in the same breath.

"It's good to see you!" exclaimed Legolas when he had regained control.

"And you. But seriously now," and his voice dropped to a low murmur, "I need to talk to you about Arwen."

"Arwen? What about her?" he asked, his voice full of concern, though he didn't bother to lower it. "Is she okay?"

"Keep it down! I'll be in trouble with her is she hears about this! There isn't exactly anything wrong with her, but she has been acting strangely since she came back from our mother's people."

This time Legolas lowered his voice too. "Really? How so?" he asked, puzzled.

"Listen, it's hard to talk here. Why don't we let my companions finish cleaning up that mess back there, and we can go talk in that clearing you came through?"

"Sounds good, but it seems like you have alternative motives. For instance, does the little elfie not wanna clean up his messie?" he teased with a mischievous grin. For his moment of fun, he had to dodge a blow to the shoulder.

"And if I do? What's the young one going to do about it? Come on, this is really important."

So Legolas quit his teasing and they both walked out into the clearing. "So how is it that Arwen is acting strange?"

"It's hard to explain," Elladan paused as he considered what he was going to have to tell his friend. "Elrohir was going to try to talk to her before you got here, but he didn't get a chance before I had to come with the hunting party."

"Yet you must have had your suspicions..." Legolas prompted, wondering what could be so terribly wrong.

"We did. That's what's so hard to tell you. We suspect...now don't kill the messenger..."

"I won't!!! Just spit it out!!!"

"We suspect that she's in love with someone else!" he said quickly, throwing up his hands as if to ward off a blow.

Legolas couldn't have been more shocked if someone had told him he was going to be fed to a Balrog. Finally he managed a harsh, hollow laugh. "Very funny, mellon nin."

"I'm dead serious."

"Really?" he said in a strangely high-pitched voice. "Well then, maybe that's not it. Maybe one of her close friends decided to go to Valinor recently or something like that. Yes, that must be it."

Elladan knew his friend was in a state of denial, and that wasn't healthy. "Legolas..."

"The two of you are just over-reacting. It just can't be that. Can it? Can it, Elladan?" He appealed wildly to his friend for some kind of reassurance.

"I don't know, mellon nin. I just don't know. When was the last time you saw her?"

"About two months ago, just before she went to Lothlorien."

"It is as I suspected. Whatever it is that affected her happened in the Golden Wood. But what could it have been?"

"I have no idea. But I pray to the Valor that I am still the one she loves. It may seem selfish, but I just love her so much!"

"I know, Legolas. I know how deeply in love with her you are. And, for your sake, I hope that I am wrong," he paused to give his friend some time to compose himself, as tears had started streaming down the other elf's face. "What are you going to do?" he asked finally, not knowing that, at the same moment, his twin was saying those exact words to their younger sister.

"I think it's pretty obvious what I should do. I should confront her on the subject upon our arrival to Rivendell. Whether I do this or not is an entirely different matter. I don't know if I could bring myself to do it. I think I'd rather live under the illusion that she still loves me that have to be without her." Tears started to appear once again.

"I think you'll decide to confront her after you see how she's acting."

"Maybe. We'll know tomorrow. Let's go see if they're finished back there, then we can start towards your home so we get there early tomorrow."

"Great idea. Let's go," and with that they headed back to the group. Legolas's light-hearted appearance betrayed nothing of the weight he felt he was carrying.

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The next morning, as the party rode into Imladris, Legolas did notice that something was odd about his love. The smile that was there to greet him seemed only half-hearted, as if she had something, or someone, else on her mind.

The other thing he noticed was when they kissed. He leaped from his horse and ran to her, ran to her as if his life depended on it. Upon reaching her, he pulled her to him and kissed her as lovingly and passionately as any elf ever could. But somehow, it wasn't right. It was as if she could care less if he even kissed her at all. At first he thought that perhaps her ada was there, but a quick glance showed him that Elrond was no where to be seen. This reaction scared him so badly that he immediately pulled her closer to him, even though they were no longer kissing.

"Amin mella le," he whispered fervently into her ear.

All she said in reply was, "I know." No returning confession of love, just a simple acknowledgement of what he had said.

After that, she quickly pulled away from him, said that she would see him later, and hurried off to her bed chamber, pausing only at a group of people where she spoke to someone Legolas could not see before hurrying on her way.

He turned to Elladan, who had been watching the scene. "I see now. I must talk to her," though he did not get a chance until the afternoon.