ElvenStar5: I've seen other's call him Leaf, too. It's a nice little link through fandom. Anyone else would probably have no clue who we were talking about if they just saw Leaf. I've used it as a nickname for him in other fics, and no doubt will continue it. Alyeni is Tyran because she has been like a male for more than two thousand years, compared to less than a decade as a female. She's more comfortable as a male, and is currently liking her wounds after leaving Mirkwood & Leaf.

LadyJadePerendhil: Legolas and Aragorn didn't know each other as of last chapter. They do for this one. Not way before the council, no. This is in Estel's wandering years, on one of his visits to his childhood home. Arwen well come in pretty soon—I already have plans, but it's always nice to know I'm not coming out of the blue… though sometimes I would rather surprise you. ; )  What does WYSIWYG mean? I mostly get online to do research for one class or another. Sadly, I've never even been to a chat room. Elrond has kind of taken Tyran/Alyeni under his wing. He's given her a place in Imladris (literally—a room), and a workshop, along with business.

Sarah: Well, things don't always work out the way she wants…

Lady Deidea: Um… 'sothing different fron very good'? I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Thanks for reading/reviewing… I think it's safe to say glad you enjoyed… ? (Not trying to be snide, or anything. I just couldn't come up with anything that could be. Something different from very good? Soothing, different from good? Now I'm curious. What did you mean? I promise I'll reply if you explain. ^o^ )

Farflung: I agree with your daughter, but felt Alyeni would hold on there just as long as she possibly could stand it, hoping things would get better. He was one of her best friends for years, which counts for a lot. I did do the beginning a bit consciously, but hurried to make it clear it wasn't a mistaken upload. I think Legolas was a bit too annoyed (to put it mildly) to fade… and as long as he believes her safe… would he fade? Knowing who and where she is? I don't know… Part of what she does is no doubt inappropriate, but I don't know that he really sees that. She is what he wants, and he's blinded to the rest… which is good, from her view, if she had ever noticed that he was trying to help her feel like she fit in (other than when he was being so damned possessive and jealous). The line about the wood-elves gave me an idea for a new story… I'm not sure if I should thank you or not. I agree about the dogs. I don't think she would ever forget about him, even if she chooses to move on without him. You knew about Estel so quickly! LOL! As for human impatience… well, we wouldn't have it any other way, would we?

IvannethFuin: What does that mean? As for them loving each other, that's about the only solid thing at the moment. It's unquestionable. As for what happens… give them (and me) time.

Animir: I don't know the Tolkien basis either, but I totally agree about how weird that sounds.

Laughard72: Glad you liked it. She/he makes friends easily. ; )

Kelsey: That's a good idea, but not what I had in mind. The blade was specifically chosen to be without the ornamentation that would make it stand out as not of human craft, though the quality would do that to anyone with eyes. So while an elf may know it as elven, the maker wouldn't be known by it. She does miss him, but thinks her running away was for  the best. Does Tolkien ever say he doesn't get married? I haven't read anywhere where it says he does, mind you, but he doesn't write much about females, period.

Unnamed: Yup, you got it precisely… um, yes and no. No, this won't be a so-called ninth walker story (yeah, heave a sigh of relief—seriously, I wouldn't do that to you guys! Or to me, for that matter. It would get awfully hot around here from all those flames. Not that that would be terrible. Spring's gone on strike again. Sigh.). Yes, the quest to destroy the ring will act as an enzyme… okay, too many bio classes. Lets try again with chemistry (ugh!)… a catalyst.

MyOnlyCat: … . … well… he has to come back sometime…

Kat: A year or two has passed, and yes, we're getting to that time.

Storybook elf: A tad controlling? Slightly stressed? ; )  Actually, school is usually the reason I don't update on schedule. Like this week, for example. I have an exam and reading to do which I couldn't over the weekend since I covered at work for people out of town. I'm just glad I had this chapter mostly finished ahead of time.

Name1: okay, okay, okay, okay! LOL. Seriously, I try to update one chapter per week… though sometimes my classes run away with me and it gets put off for a week.

All of that done, I thought I'd throw in the last few lines from the previous chapter to help out with the kind of continued thought in this one, so you don't have to flip back:

~*~*~*~

"Do you want me to take a message to the prince for you?"

I stared at him for a long moment, a thousand answers battling for the first instant, before I began wording my response as I should. "I want you to forget you know anything of me once you leave Imladris," I replied.

"But—" Estel frowned.

"But we used to fight all the time?" I finished for him. "Leave it be. We shall meet in the undying lands. That will be soon enough."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Unfortunately, that was not to be. I was working on a new blade for Glorfindel when I felt someone come up behind me. Glancing up I saw Elrohir and Elladan standing in the doorway with amusement in their eyes, until that moment unmarked by me because of my distraction… but it didn't explain who was behind me. Slowly I set my things aside, my mask dropping to the table as I tried to tell who it was without turning. Estel had returned to Imladris a few days past from another of his travels, but I knew it wasn't him. Though more elf-like than many humans I had come to know from my time in Imladris, he still could never sneak up on one, even when that elf was concentrating.

Hands covered my eyes, making me frown harder. Besides the twins, I knew no elf here well enough for such familiarity—

The thought broke apart as the person's thumbs brushed over my ears. I shuddered and jerked slightly forward, my eyes freed from his touch. Once I was able to control my response enough to see, I found Elladan and Elrohir staring at us both in utter shock, small amounts of horror in their eyes.

"Damn you, Leaf," I muttered, slamming my fists against the table. "What are you doing here?"

"I carried a message here at Father's bidding," he answered softly, slowly moving so I could see him from the corner of my eye whether I intended to or not. "Alye, why… Why didn't you ever let us know you were in Imladris? We assumed—" He broke off as I turned to glare at him. He swallowed, his eyes falling for a moment. "I assumed," he amended. "I assumed when you said you wished to travel West you meant to the Undying Lands, not Imladris."

"At the time, I was thinking along those lines. But the idea of seeing my father made me reconsider when I found I was welcome here."

"And back to work, I see," he replied with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. Though sometimes defensive, this time the move appeared to be an attempt to ward off some inner chill.

"It is nice to have something to do."

"And again you've found nobles as friends," he added, bitterness apparent in his eyes as he looked at the twins. They in turn looked at us as if we had lost our minds.

"It is also nice to have people to talk to," I agreed, backing from my table to glare at him with my arms crossed tightly over my chest. "Have you given your message to Lord Elrond?"

"Not yet," he murmured, shaking his head slightly. "I started to, but he wished me be present at a council he intends to hold in a few days. Estel mentioned there was a smith from Mirkwood here that I might know. Imagine my surprise," he added dryly, "when it was you." He reached out and lightly ran the backs of his fingers down my cheek. He swallowed, his eyes falling for an instant before he lifted them again. "I missed you, Alye," he breathed. "Why did you run away? I thought you weren't going to, thought you were going to give us a chance. Instead I find that in any semi-form you take you have the ability to wound me."

"And you think having you treat me as some toy, to be carried off if anyone should so much as notice it lying on the ground whether or not you were planning to ever touch it again was an enjoyable pastime? To have nothing to do but wait for a free moment with you? To spend my time wandering the halls, unable to talk to the males I would feel comfortable talking with because somehow you would always show up to guide me away? To enter the library, find a book to read only to have Lanein appear and take it away, reminding me that true 'ladies' have no need for the knowledge of books, merely needing to know how to ensnare a lord? To be left—by you and Lanein—with no one to talk to but those damned ladies whose main objective in their pathetic lives has been to capture your attention for more than a single night? At least here I am free to be myself, unchanged by others."

Elladan and Elrohir both shifted uncomfortably and looked at each other, but Leaf cupped my face in his palms, making them effectively disappear from the room though I knew they were still there, staring at us in mounting confusion. "Alye," Leaf murmured, a frown drawing his brows together. "Alye, I wasn't trying to change you," he protested.

"Weren't you?" I asked, feeling myself beginning to get lost in him again. Thankfully that had happened so often I was usually able to retain enough of myself to speak… and argue. "Then why force me to wear dresses when you know I'm more comfortable in leggings and a tunic? Why insist I let Lanein badger me with what a lady should or shouldn't do? Why keep me from doing what I know and enjoy doing?"

With a groan he dropped his head so our foreheads were touching. "You were right, I was wrong to do so," he murmured so softly, his hands moving to my waist to pull me closer. "But you didn't have to run away."

"If I hadn't, would you have ever listened to my complaints?"

He nuzzled my cheek with a sigh. "Perhaps not," he whispered, brushing light kisses along my jaw. "But how many more times will you take me to the edge of losing hope?"

"How often will you forget I am not some she-elf interested in your title? That is the least of your attraction, I assure you."

He smiled faintly, lifting his head so he could kiss me lightly. "I know," he murmured, before moving so our temples were together again. "But it is nice to hear."

I snorted and slowly reached out, setting my hands around his back, feeling those wonderful lines again, sighing softly as he reached under my shirt, his fingers tugging at the vest I wore. "Leaf," I protested as the ties began coming loose.

"You've denied me holding you for nearly three years, Alye. Protest all you like, I intend to hold you for a while, just for a while." His voice turned from that of a prince to a whispered plea.

I closed my eyes and stepped slightly back when the last fastenings came undone, letting the heavy vest fall to the floor at our feet. I was pulled into a tight embrace, one hand pressing at the small of my back, the other curving up my back slowly, pressing us together. At a certain point his hand deviated, moving around to the front, brushing along my side, shooting sparks through my belly even as he shifted so I slipped slightly into the cradle of his thighs. His hand lifted again, rubbing my neck for a while before lacing tightly in my hair, tipping my head back for his kiss.

As I let my eyes fall shut I felt his tunic beneath my hands before all knowing thoughts vanished in the pleasure of being held, being kissed by this elf again. He didn't seek, didn't ask. He demanded. And all I could do was shift to allow him. As the kiss wore on I got a bit of an idea, implementing it before considering it for long. I lifted my hand from curling over his shoulder and brushed at his hair, before tweaking the tip of his ear.

His arms tightened, his teeth closing on my lower lip for an instant before he broke the kiss entirely. "You do enjoy torturing me, don't you, my lady?"

"We seem to be adept at hurting each other," I murmured softly, recalling all the fights, all the 'discussions' we had had while trying to adjust to each other. "Though we never try to do so."

He pulled back slightly, his hold gentling as he brushed a knuckle lightly over my now swollen lips. "I suppose I know why I acted like an elfling around you. Looking back… we were both confused about what had happened, tried to continue before we were sure where we were starting from. Perhaps we did need this time… But it doesn't make it any easier."

"No," I agreed on a sigh, resting my head against his shoulder. I listened to his heart for a while, and slowly became aware of the world around us again. I could feel two stares from the door, and knew things would change here as they had in Mirkwood when it was known that I was in truth a she-elf. "Damn."

"What?" Leaf asked, amusement tangling in the tone, knowing the remark had nothing to do with him this time… Well, not in a me being angry with him sort of way.

"Oh, it's just—"

"Legolas? Hey, Leg—"

I quirked a brow and looked up at Leaf, a silent 'see?' shining for him to see. He chuckled softly and kissed me lightly. "Hello Estel," he murmured, lifting his gaze after a long moment to the human who had interrupted our reunion. Sort of.

Estel looked at us in completely unhidden shock. His jaw was hanging open, his eyes slightly glazed as he stared. "Uh… Um… Hi."

His expression was mirrored in the twins' eyes still, and suddenly it was all so funny! I laughed and stepped back from Leaf, absently running a hand through my hair, pulling the cord loose before I bent for my vest. I shook my head at them, still chuckling. Leaf was watching me with that old look of amused affection, waiting for me to calm down. "You really should see your faces," I informed those standing yet just inside the door.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, then at me with a frown. "Tyran?" they both asked at once.

I smiled faintly as Leaf's crooked grin made its appearance. I shook my head slightly. "Long story… But my name by birth is Alyeni."

They stared at me for a long moment. Estel was, oddly enough, the first to recover his tongue. "Alyeni is a feminine name."

"Really?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

Leaf laughed lightly and caught me as I moved to walk past him. He pulled me back against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me in such a way it was obvious I fit my birth name. "I'm sure you can imagine my shock," he murmured, dropping a kiss behind my ear, "when I found out after two thousand years of calling her my friend that one of my best guy friends was actually a she-elf."

"So… why?" Estel asked.

I wasn't aware of my reaction to that question until Leaf's arms tightened, bringing my eyes up from the ground. He answered for me after kissing my cheek. "Alyeni's mother and older brother were killed by orcs when she was… eight?" When I nodded slightly he continued. "Her father wanted a son… and forced her to become one, sending her into the woods with the other boys, insisting she hide anything that in anyway could show her to be female. Taradriel knew the entire tale, and forced her to be dressed as herself for a feast—my birthday celebration, in fact—when her father was away. I…" he stopped and cleared his throat, his ears reddening when I looked up at him. "I found her, and made her life a lot more difficult. Eventually she appeared before Father, getting herself declared free of her father's rule. He was sent west, and she was known as a she again… though after two thousand years she is understandably a bit more comfortable seeming male than attempting to be one of the brainless and helpless ladies of the Mirkwood court."

The twins looked at each other, then back at us, a smile brightening their eyes with amusement as they put the final pieces of the story together for themselves. Estel looked between us again, frowning. "But he… she said you two fought. A lot."

"We did," he answered softly. "Because we were not yet certain how to deal with everything."

"No doubt there will still be trouble," I grumbled, with a frown.

"Then you will come home?" he asked, looking at me with eager eyes.

At my hesitation, his eyes fell, a muscle going tight in his jaw. "We need to talk," I answered softly.

"Talk. All we ever seem to do. And here I thought having a friend at my side would make things so much easier." Leaf slowly released me with a sigh.

"As long as you remember I am a friend and not a mere possession—"

"Alye, later," he hissed, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well, that lasted all of ten minutes," I muttered back, yanking my cloak from the hook on the wall. "I think we broke a record Leaf—even for us." I pulled my cloak about me and stormed out. Leaf, of course, was detained from following me by Estel, who had arrived to indicate he was requested by someone or other.