Arín stood talking with Rian and Laylin. They hadn't spoken to each other
for months. Rian had been in Mirkwood visiting her parents and Laylin was
in Lórien with her sister and mother.
"How did the tournament turn out? I would have come earlier to see you, but I was tied up helping Mother and Father," Rian said.
"I would have come earlier too, but Mother wouldn't let me," added Laylin.
"That is quite alright. To tell you the truth, it has been postponed until further notice," Arín replied.
"Why?" the two of them asked together.
"Well, it is quite a long story, and not a tale for tonight. Perhaps I will tell you in the morning."
"All right."
"That is good enough for me. Arín, is that your sister?" Laylin asked suddenly.
"Yes, and who is that with her?" asked Rian.
"It can't be her, she is supposed to be inside with..." but Arín's voice quavered and stopped at the sight she saw when she turned. Arwen was there, yes, and with her was Legolas.
"With who, Arín?" asked Laylin. Rian was silent.
"Legolas," Arín half whispered. She ran forward and threw her arms around his neck. He took his good arm and wrapped it tightly around her.
Meanwhile, Laylin moved closer to Rian and asked: "Who is Legolas?"
"Legolas," she answered slowly, "is King Thranduil of Mirkwood's son. I saw him a couple times while visiting my parents." Laylin was silent.
"Rian," she said, "I think Arín is in love."
~*~
Legolas kissed the top of Arín's head. "I am so glad you are all right, Arín, I was so worried," he whispered. Arín lifted her face and stared into his eyes. "Don't cry, Arín. I am fine." He took the sleeve of his tunic and whipped the tears from her eyes.
"It's just so wonderful to see you up and about. Sitting there by your side all those long days was torture."
"And it feels so wonderful to be up and about. Laying in a bed for a week is worse than sitting by one."
They stood there for a minute. Legolas began to bring his face closer to Arín's. Their lips were about to meet when there was a horse whinny. Arín pulled away and turned. One white stallion and one chestnut mare galloped through the gate. Arín and Legolas walked to where Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Rian, and Laylin were standing. The horses stopped in front of them and their riders dismounted. One of the riders was a tall, blond female Elf. The other turned to them.
"I must speak to Master Elrond. Do any of you know where to find him?" he asked. Arín stepped forward.
"I know where to find Lord Elrond, but first I must ask two questions: who are you and what do you want with him?"
"I am Thranduil, King of Mirkwood and I must ask you a question: who are you?"
"I am Arín, daughter of Elrond and Mistress of this city. And I must ask what business have you with my father?"
"The business I have with your father does not concern you, but if you want to know, it has to do with my son. And seeing as this young lady here won't tell me where to find Lord Elrond, can any of you?" They were all silent. During this conversation, the other Elf kept tapping the king's shoulder. He turned to her. She began to speak, but Thranduil cut her off.
"Not now, Elwen," he whispered. Elwen sighed. Thranduil began to look from face to face. Legolas, who was at the end of the line, took a deep breath. Arín heard him and slipped her hand into his. Thranduil's eyes stopped on Arín for a second, then moved to Legolas.
"Legolas?" "Hello, Father." He turned to Elwen. "Elwen." She rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"You have had us worried sick."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"What's going on here?" came a voice from behind. It was Elrond. They all turned and faced him.
"Hello, Thranduil."
"Elrond." The two of them stood there, staring at each other until Thranduil spoke. "I need to speak with you. Now."
"Alright. Follow me." The two of them left and Legolas turned to the others.
"Elwen, this is Aragorn, Elladan, Arwen, Elrohir..." he stopped at Rian and Laylin.
"I am Rian and this is Laylin. We are friends or Arín's," Rian said.
"And who is Arín?" asked Elwen.
"I am," Arín said, stepping forward.
"Oh, you," said Elwen.
"Anyway," Legolas interrupted, "everyone, this is my sister, Elwen."
They all nodded and said hello. Elwen began to study each of them. Laylin, Arwen and Rian seemed to be normal looking and clean. She then looked at Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir. They were soaking wet, covered with blood and their hair stuck to their faces. Elrohir's left arm was in a sling, like Legolas' right. Arín looked just like Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir: soaking wet, covered with blood, and her hair stuck to her face. Rian suddenly yawned.
"Well, I am tired. Good night everyone," she said. Laylin, Elladan, Elrohir, Aragorn and Arwen bid their good nights also and went their separate ways. Elwen took her and Thranduil's horses to the stables, which left Arín and Legolas alone.
~*~
Elrond and Thranduil sat at the table in the dining hall.
"Elrond, I want to know everything that happened that night."
"I have told you, Thranduil, but I cannot tell you everything. I was not there the whole time."
"Well, then, who can?"
"Your son, or my daughter, Arín."
"Ah," said Thranduil. "Now, about your daughter..."
"What about my daughter?" Elrond interrupted quickly.
"Well," Thranduil paused. "Your daughter, Arín, right?" Elrond nodded. "She is going to get herself onto trouble someday."
"How?" asked Elrond.
"She asks to many questions."
"She has always been like that, curious."
"Even about her father's business?"
"Yes, even about my business."
"Alright, then. I am going to find my son." Thranduil got up and left the hall. Elrond sat there with his head in his hands.
"Be careful, Arín, be careful," he whispered.
~*~
Legolas and Arín stood by the gate talking. Arín yawned.
"I am tired," she said.
"It has been a long night for you. Go to bed. I will walk you to your room." She nodded and the two of them walked to the house hand in hand. Arín laid her head on Legolas' shoulder. When they arrived, Arín turned to him.
"Good night, Legolas. I will see you at breakfast tomorrow, I hope."
"Don't worry, I will be there. Good night." Legolas took Arín in his arms and kissed her passionately. It was the best feeling in the world to the both of them.
"Legolas, there is something I must tell you."
"What, Arín?"
"I love you."
"I know and I love you, too. You are worth more than anything to me." They kissed again.
"Arín, there is something I want to give you." He fumbled about his neck until he grabbed a thin leather strap. He slipped it over his head and put it into her hand. On the strap was a large emerald in the shape of a leaf, veined with gold. Arín gasped.
"You cannot give me this."
"Yes, I can. And I will," he told her. Then he closed her hand and they kissed a third time.
"Good night," she whispered.
"Good night, Arín. I will see you in the morning. I love you."
"I love you, too." They kissed one last time and Legolas walked away.
"How did the tournament turn out? I would have come earlier to see you, but I was tied up helping Mother and Father," Rian said.
"I would have come earlier too, but Mother wouldn't let me," added Laylin.
"That is quite alright. To tell you the truth, it has been postponed until further notice," Arín replied.
"Why?" the two of them asked together.
"Well, it is quite a long story, and not a tale for tonight. Perhaps I will tell you in the morning."
"All right."
"That is good enough for me. Arín, is that your sister?" Laylin asked suddenly.
"Yes, and who is that with her?" asked Rian.
"It can't be her, she is supposed to be inside with..." but Arín's voice quavered and stopped at the sight she saw when she turned. Arwen was there, yes, and with her was Legolas.
"With who, Arín?" asked Laylin. Rian was silent.
"Legolas," Arín half whispered. She ran forward and threw her arms around his neck. He took his good arm and wrapped it tightly around her.
Meanwhile, Laylin moved closer to Rian and asked: "Who is Legolas?"
"Legolas," she answered slowly, "is King Thranduil of Mirkwood's son. I saw him a couple times while visiting my parents." Laylin was silent.
"Rian," she said, "I think Arín is in love."
~*~
Legolas kissed the top of Arín's head. "I am so glad you are all right, Arín, I was so worried," he whispered. Arín lifted her face and stared into his eyes. "Don't cry, Arín. I am fine." He took the sleeve of his tunic and whipped the tears from her eyes.
"It's just so wonderful to see you up and about. Sitting there by your side all those long days was torture."
"And it feels so wonderful to be up and about. Laying in a bed for a week is worse than sitting by one."
They stood there for a minute. Legolas began to bring his face closer to Arín's. Their lips were about to meet when there was a horse whinny. Arín pulled away and turned. One white stallion and one chestnut mare galloped through the gate. Arín and Legolas walked to where Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Rian, and Laylin were standing. The horses stopped in front of them and their riders dismounted. One of the riders was a tall, blond female Elf. The other turned to them.
"I must speak to Master Elrond. Do any of you know where to find him?" he asked. Arín stepped forward.
"I know where to find Lord Elrond, but first I must ask two questions: who are you and what do you want with him?"
"I am Thranduil, King of Mirkwood and I must ask you a question: who are you?"
"I am Arín, daughter of Elrond and Mistress of this city. And I must ask what business have you with my father?"
"The business I have with your father does not concern you, but if you want to know, it has to do with my son. And seeing as this young lady here won't tell me where to find Lord Elrond, can any of you?" They were all silent. During this conversation, the other Elf kept tapping the king's shoulder. He turned to her. She began to speak, but Thranduil cut her off.
"Not now, Elwen," he whispered. Elwen sighed. Thranduil began to look from face to face. Legolas, who was at the end of the line, took a deep breath. Arín heard him and slipped her hand into his. Thranduil's eyes stopped on Arín for a second, then moved to Legolas.
"Legolas?" "Hello, Father." He turned to Elwen. "Elwen." She rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"You have had us worried sick."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"What's going on here?" came a voice from behind. It was Elrond. They all turned and faced him.
"Hello, Thranduil."
"Elrond." The two of them stood there, staring at each other until Thranduil spoke. "I need to speak with you. Now."
"Alright. Follow me." The two of them left and Legolas turned to the others.
"Elwen, this is Aragorn, Elladan, Arwen, Elrohir..." he stopped at Rian and Laylin.
"I am Rian and this is Laylin. We are friends or Arín's," Rian said.
"And who is Arín?" asked Elwen.
"I am," Arín said, stepping forward.
"Oh, you," said Elwen.
"Anyway," Legolas interrupted, "everyone, this is my sister, Elwen."
They all nodded and said hello. Elwen began to study each of them. Laylin, Arwen and Rian seemed to be normal looking and clean. She then looked at Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir. They were soaking wet, covered with blood and their hair stuck to their faces. Elrohir's left arm was in a sling, like Legolas' right. Arín looked just like Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir: soaking wet, covered with blood, and her hair stuck to her face. Rian suddenly yawned.
"Well, I am tired. Good night everyone," she said. Laylin, Elladan, Elrohir, Aragorn and Arwen bid their good nights also and went their separate ways. Elwen took her and Thranduil's horses to the stables, which left Arín and Legolas alone.
~*~
Elrond and Thranduil sat at the table in the dining hall.
"Elrond, I want to know everything that happened that night."
"I have told you, Thranduil, but I cannot tell you everything. I was not there the whole time."
"Well, then, who can?"
"Your son, or my daughter, Arín."
"Ah," said Thranduil. "Now, about your daughter..."
"What about my daughter?" Elrond interrupted quickly.
"Well," Thranduil paused. "Your daughter, Arín, right?" Elrond nodded. "She is going to get herself onto trouble someday."
"How?" asked Elrond.
"She asks to many questions."
"She has always been like that, curious."
"Even about her father's business?"
"Yes, even about my business."
"Alright, then. I am going to find my son." Thranduil got up and left the hall. Elrond sat there with his head in his hands.
"Be careful, Arín, be careful," he whispered.
~*~
Legolas and Arín stood by the gate talking. Arín yawned.
"I am tired," she said.
"It has been a long night for you. Go to bed. I will walk you to your room." She nodded and the two of them walked to the house hand in hand. Arín laid her head on Legolas' shoulder. When they arrived, Arín turned to him.
"Good night, Legolas. I will see you at breakfast tomorrow, I hope."
"Don't worry, I will be there. Good night." Legolas took Arín in his arms and kissed her passionately. It was the best feeling in the world to the both of them.
"Legolas, there is something I must tell you."
"What, Arín?"
"I love you."
"I know and I love you, too. You are worth more than anything to me." They kissed again.
"Arín, there is something I want to give you." He fumbled about his neck until he grabbed a thin leather strap. He slipped it over his head and put it into her hand. On the strap was a large emerald in the shape of a leaf, veined with gold. Arín gasped.
"You cannot give me this."
"Yes, I can. And I will," he told her. Then he closed her hand and they kissed a third time.
"Good night," she whispered.
"Good night, Arín. I will see you in the morning. I love you."
"I love you, too." They kissed one last time and Legolas walked away.