Okay, another chapter. I promise I am getting around to a confrontation of sorts, but Alyeni is very set in what she will not do, and that's approaching him herself. She's very uncertain, and the only way to change that and make things happen faster would be to rewrite the entire story and change her character, which I'm obviously not about to do.

So, anyway, here it is.

Amberle Elessedil: Eomer is going to remain a friend to Alyeni... does that answer it? Legolas has had his shock--she just doesn't know it. Yet. As for Joy wanting to get back to your sister... as I don't have a name for his lady that's I'm happy with, either of you want to suggest one?

Chapter 36

"Oooh… Trees. Scary."

"Fine for you to laugh—you're a wood elf! But the blasted things move! I swear sometimes that they can talk!"

I laughed again. "Of course they can. Few do, anymore, but trees needn't be so still and stationary as you seem to believe."

Another of the men spoke…I didn't know his name, either. "Then it is possible they are evil?"

I frowned, and then shrugged. "Possible, sure. Filled with ill-care for those who come with axes? Beyond a doubt. Mirkwood earned its name… but it is not evil… not truly."

The men looked at me—clearly not sure if they should believe me or not. Finally the one to ask about evil sighed. "I still feel they mean me harm when I enter."

"Ad well they might—especially if they think you mean them harm."

"I only wanted out of the rain… after a short time in there, I decided I preferred being wet!"

I was still laughing and teasing him about his fear of Fangorn when we entered the hall.

"Eomer!" A blond woman I hadn't seen before raced forward. She resembled him—so I assumed it was the sister he'd been boasting about having.

He was laughing, swinging her around before setting her back on her feet. "Good evening, dear sister. How do you fare?"

"Well indeed," she smiled at him. He fondly touched her cheek before she glanced around the group, greeting them with smiles and questions about their families, before she looked at me. "An elf?" was startled from her before she composed herself.

"Alyeni!" Estel called. His eyes were twinkling. "Nice to see you back so soon. Did you forget something?"

I sighed. "Estel, I am really not interested in speaking of this."

"Alyeni… You?" Eomer looked at me in shock.

"What? You thought I was male?" I asked lifting a brow at him. "Estel, where is—"

"Legolas has been wandering the area since you and Joy left. He should be back soon, since Gimli refuses to miss an evening meal."

Brow lifted, I gazed at him for a moment. "That's nice. But I was going to ask where Arwen is."

He frowned and opened his mouth to speak when she came in. "Is something the matter, Alyeni?" she asked quietly, looking behind me with a frown. "Where is Joy?"

"On his way home to his lady," I shrugged.

She gazed at me hard for a long moment. "Why have you returned?"

"Because I know he sees my departure as running away," I sighed.

After a long moment she nodded once, and motioned to a servant. "See that Alyeni's quarters are prepared for her. Estel saw to the others?" she asked of me. At my nod, she frowned at my clothing. "Really, my friend… are you Alyeni or Tyran?"

I hadn't even opened my mouth when another voice asked, "Wind?" I turned, apprehensive about what kind of welcome I would receive this time. "Why are you here?"

"I thought Thranduil might like knowing his son wasn't traveling alone."

"You left," he stated darkly.

"Yes." I stared into his angry eyes and lifted my chin. "And you didn't stop me."

There was no response on his part… at least that I saw. Arwen took my arm gently and drew me away. I gazed blindly out the window until I felt air on my shoulder.

"It looks good."

"Nearly back to normal."

"Nearly… but you are not healing as quickly as you should."

I didn't comment—she knew why I wasn't.

"Alye, this is hurting you both—"

"Do you really think it's possible for me to be unaware of that?" I asked, turning to face her.

She handed me a wet cloth, and I took it absently, cleaning up as she spoke. "You are aware of it… but you don't show it much."

"And he does?"

"He has been quiet, withdrawn… but beyond that, no. It is not in his nature to do so."

"Nor is it in mine. He because he must not as a prince… I because that's how my father trained me to be. 'Boys do not cry, do not show it if they're hurt'." I snorted. "If his words weren't enough, I was called a baby the day I met them… because I had been crying. They didn't say anything else after they found out why I was crying…" I sighed as she brushed my hair. "It is not in me to display it as you ask."

"Then how is he to know you are hurt by it?"

"Would your brothers know? Your father?"

"What? But… I suppose… Yes, if things were different, they would know."

"How?"

"By my…" She inclined her head. "Well put." She sighed. "Ah, well… something will happen. Until then…" she clapped her hands cheerfully and swept one hand towards the door. "Dinner."

I moved towards the door, stopping when my senses focused enough in the present to discover what she had given me to dress in. "Arwen!"

"No time, we must go!" She chirped, her gown flooding out behind her.

I followed grudgingly, at first, but I had grown used enough to dresses to deal with them. Estel lifted a brow—a stunned 'wow'. I rolled my eyes, making him chuckle lightly before he turned... letting the rest of the hall see me. My eyes went first—naturally, though it annoyed me—to Leaf, catching a small, wistful smile… no doubt thinking of something miles away from us. Gimli's mouth was open, along with several of the humans around us. Finally—not that it took long—I was tired of being stared at. "Yes?" I asked the room at large.

Eomer, I think, figured it out first. He stepped forward and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. "Forgive me, my lady… but I have already admitted my fascination." He added that cheeky smile I'd already gotten to know, making me laugh.

"So you have, my lord," I teased him in turn. "How disposed are you to continuing?" I needed something to do while Leaf put off going home.

Eomer grinned. "I would love to continued," he assured me. He glanced around the table, pausing for an instant before turning back to me. "Tomorrow morning, perhaps? I have already assured Eowyn of my undivided attention for the afternoon."

"Very well. I shall, no doubt, be ready before you."

He laughed, seeing me seated before settling down beside me. "Indeed."

With the cold blue gaze directly across from me—as it had been before when he showed up for meals—I found Eomer to be the same delightful company I had thought during our all too short travel time together. Not that that could have been a biased opinion… Actually, comparing the options for conversation near me… Gimli, Leaf, Eomer, or one of two humans I had already found to be quite full of their own importance, Eomer was by far the winner.

"Alyeni?" the man in question asked quietly.

"Sorry, I was miles away," I excused.

He tilted his head. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Anything. Everything. What do elven children do?" He tilted his head… making me think of when Leaf was about his age… Valar, were we ever really that young? It was hard to believe.

I began talking slowly to keep from being prompted again as I pondered the disappearance of centuries. "It is different, from Mirkwood to Imladris. I expect there are differences in the Golden Wood, as well. But in Mirkwood, the children spend their days as befits their birth—and I don't mean rank. Females join their female kin in the flets or villages, learn the art of cooking… and such. There is no pressure, no sense that the girl has to be there, learning or working… or so I'm told. When my mother died, my father decided I would go to the woods with the boys." I smiled faintly. "Our days were spent in trees, in races, in games or the river. Leaf talked the stable master into letting us take some horses out, from time to time. We hunted, explored…" I opened my eyes to catch a smile mirroring my own on two faces, with several more watching me intently. I shrugged. "We played, learned, grew… and left."

"Left?" Eomer asked softly.

"Yes," I agreed quietly, feeling quite sad just thinking about that goodbye. Twig had been the first one to reach his millennia. "When 1000 years have come and gone… you are an adult. You leave the forest, and enter the society as one of its members—responsible, capable… " I sighed. Twig had been the oldest, but only by a few seasons. Rather than feel something was missing all the time, we had chosen to all leave that day, remaining close to our homes until our own millennia. I still thought it was a wise decision…Goat always did have his odd moments, even if he was usually pretty quiet.

"Up to the leaving part," Eomer murmured, "It sounds wonderful. How did you get along together afterwards?"

"We didn't," Leaf answered before I could.

"What?" Eowyn asked from a bit farther down the table.

"We never met again… at least as a group. Alye and I have only recently come across one—Joy."

"And we quite literally ran into him," I added dryly.

"Danced," Leaf corrected, his eyes twinkling for a moment before dimming.

The spirit of memory caught me, and I too began thinking about what had happened not long after that. "Yes," I agreed softly. Leaf and I both began "If you all would excuse me—" We then paused. Leaf inclined his head to me. I returned the gesture and finished the sentence with "I would like to watch the stars." … Which, judging Leaf's frown, was what he was going to say. I was out of caring for his reply, though, and made good my escape, heading out to the large walkway that stretched out over much of the city.

"I would like to ask you something. If the answer pains you too much, please do not feel you have to reply." When I nodded, Eomer went on even a I braced myself for questions about why my father sent me with the males, or what exactly was going on between me and Leaf. "How could your mother have died? Elves are immortal."

I nearly laughed at the simplicity of the questions. No, Mother's death was no longer too painful to speak of. "We are immortal, but we can die. Battle wounds, poison, or losing will results in death for us."

"Losing will?"

I nodded. "Unlike humans, if we have nothing left to live for, no reason to continue… we do not. We simply fade away."

"What causes…. That?"

"Broken hearts, or so many years that they are simply tiresome. It is not common, but every elf likely knows one who either has faded or came close to doing so."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Several wives died when their husbands fell at the Battle of Five Armies some sixty years ago."

"But some come back from the verge of death?"

"Oh, yes.. If they are given a new reason to live or reinforced proof of an old one."

"Do you know any such elves?"

"Yes. As do you."

His eyes widened with disbelief. "Arwen?"

"Not that I know of," I answered, a bit dryly. As he had said—we were masters of keeping secrets. With a sigh, I shook my head. "I nearly faded. Leaf brought me back." On days like this evening… I really wondered why he didn't just let me die then.

Eomer looked at me steadily for a long moment. "There is much I don't know, isn't there?" He nodded after I did. "How did she die?"

I blinked at the shift in subject, and smiled wryly. "She and my brother were killed by orcs."

"How old were you?"

"Just young enough by humans standards that I wouldn't have been given arms at Helm's Deep."

His eyes grew grave. "Sad times we have seen. Very young, then, by elven standards."

"Yes."

"Do you remember her?"

I smiled faintly. "One of the double-edged swords about being an elf is our memories. They are always there—crisp and clear as they day it happened."

"That could be a blessing and a curse, I suppose."

"Yes," I agreed softly. "I can see the reflection of my own smile in her eyes as she laughed at my brother's antics. I can smell the food she had prepared for us. I hear Lyran teasing me, feel the weight of his arm around me as he joyously explains all he will do when he entered the wood. I can also see the shock being replaced by horror in her eyes. Can smell the putrid breath of the orcs that taunted us. Can feel the weight of my own limbs rendering me immobile when Mother yelled for us to run." The rest of the memories came, but I lost my voice.

Warmth—like a fire—was around me, seeping into my back. He rested his hands on my arms, the only part of him actually touching me. "For years I have been curious about the elves. On occasion, I have dreamed of other blood. Now I see the wisdom behind my humanity. I could not have endured that."

"Your parents died."

"Yes, but not in front of my eyes. My memories of them have faded so much I think of them merely with vague longing for something that might have been."

I smiled faintly. "It is more our own views on our own situations. I would say I prefer to have the good memories as clear as can be, even at the cost of the bad ones."

"But don't you ever get nightmares?"

"What?"

He gave me a dry look out of the corner of his eyes that said 'apparently not.' "Bad dreams. Twisted and bizarre things, grotesque events that scare you as you sleep."

I shook my head. "Elven dreams are memories. I have had times where those memories come into my dreams as if to torment me, replaying that which pains me throughout my rest."

"That might be worse," he murmured by my ear. "To recall it perfectly, endlessly."

"Better that than to be hurt and haunted by that which has never and likely would never happen."

"Mmm." He laughed softly. "Well, my lady, I think I shall forever be content to be a mere mortal. Not for anything would I endure immortality such as yours."

"We are quite different, aren't we?" I mused. "And I would not like to be mortal—all of my years spent before I fully opened my eyes."

He smiled, a faintly mocking though caring smile. "You, my lady, do not know or see everything around you."

"I am well aware of that. I was speaking in somewhat broader terms. You cannot hear trees speaking together, can not speak with them. You use metal to tame your horses—we use words and spirit—which you die too young to fully understand."

He stepped slightly away, and looked, for a long moment, about to speak. Then he glanced at the sky and shook his head. "I shall meet you here in the morning. This mere mortal could use some sleep." He started to leave, before a thought apparently stopped him. He turned back and spoke once his yawn had ended. "Do dress properly."

I rolled my eyes back to the stars, laughing softly when he was gone.