A/n: Sorry this took so long to put up! But here it is, and I'll do my best to get the other chapter up soon. Enjoy!


Chapter 4

"She didn't remember me at all." Legolas said depressedly.

He and Alatatriel were sitting on a cushy mound of grass under the Great Willow, about an hour or so after the Welcoming Ceremony for the Journiers had completely finished.

"Cheer up, Legolas." Alatatriel smiled warmly. "I'm sure she's just worn out from the Journey. There's lots of people she probably didn't remember! I mean, three years is a long time to go without seeing a familiar face."

"She had Arwen." Legolas protested. "That's a familiar face."

"Yes, but that's also her best friend." Alatatriel reasoned.

"I suppose." Legolas clenched and unclenched his jaw slightly. He sighed heavily and stared up into the greenery of the Great Willow. "Its just..." he turned his flawless face back to Alatatriel. "I've thought of her nearly every day for those three years, trying to preserve every detail of her in my memory. And she hasn't given a single thought to me. She didn't know my name."

"You don't know that. You don't know if she's thought about you at all."

"Oh? Don't I? If you ever thought about someone from you're past - say, three years ago - surely you would remember their name?"

Alatatriel dodged his question. "Look, all I'm saying is that you can't be sure that she never thought about you."

"I can make a confident assumption." Legolas cut in.

Alatatriel ignored his comment and continued. "Maybe your name simply slipped to the back of her mind at the moment she was called upon to remember it! Did you ever think of it that way?"

They were quiet for a moment.

"Three years is a long time." Legolas finally said. "I was gone nearly a year and a half while she was gone, and the only reason I sit before you now is because of Ayah."

"What do you mean?" Alatatriel asked. "She wasn't with you."

"Not physically."

"Huh?"

"I live because of her."

"Didn't your friends protect you?"

"They did. I didn't mean that. I mean - what are the only things that cause an Elf to die?"

Alatatriel was really unsure of where Legolas was going with this, but she answered anyway. "Slain, heartbreak - "

"Exactly. Heartbreak. You may think that thinking about Ayah would bring me heartache. But not thinking of her brought it to me. During the night, or on long weary walks, I would think of her. When I thought there was no hope, or I would never see Rivendell or Mirkwood again, I would run every detail of her through my mind. When I thought I could not go on, I thought of her. I thought, 'I have to live - for her.' I love her, Alatatriel!"

"I know, I know. But does she?"

Legolas' face clouded. "I should've realized she would never love me back. I'm as good as dead."

Alatatriel's throat clogged with emotion. "Don't say, that! Legolas, please!"

Legolas looked away. His heart ached horribly. If Ayah did not love him, he felt no reason to go on. She was his reason for living.

"Just give it another chance..." Alatatriel pleaded, tears in her eyes. Legolas was like her brother. She loved him in that way. It pained her deeply to see him so hurt.

Legolas sighed. He thought of Ayah's smile... her brilliant laugh...

He just hoped against hope there still was a chance.


All night, Ayah's sub-conscious tormented her with unsettling dreams. The first part of the dreams always started out in childhood memories...

"This was really fun, Legolas." little Ayah said. "The best part was swimming in the Lake."

"My favourite part is right now." said little Legolas. "Laying on our backa, counting the stars..."

Then the stars contorted into Legolas. "Why did you forget me? I have thought of you every day..."

"I'm sorry..." Ayah tried to apologize, but her throat was closed up. She could make no sounds...she couldn't breathe... 'Help! Legolas help! I can't breathe!'

He slowly turned away. "Goodbye..."

She could feel her lungs exploding inside her...she was dying...dying...

Ayah sat up with a start and wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. Why was she dreaming these awful dreams?

After another terrifying dream, Ayah refused to go back to sleep. She couldn't handle another night like this one. In the morning, she had to find Legolas and apologize.


As soon as dawn came, Ayah stood and got dressed. As she did, more memories slid through her mind.

"Horse back riding was nice, Legolas. Thank you for inviting me."

"Your welcome."

... "Legolas, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Do you want one?"

"...someday."

Ayah pulled herself back to the present. Why was she constantly thinking about him? How could she forget him? He was a rather handsome young kid. Why did she always brush him off?

He was now extremely handsome. He was flawless, with his silky fair hair, and masculine physique. And those eyes... those were the type of eyes to get lost in...

How could she forget him, indeed.

Part of Tarén's conversation with her yesterday came back to her.

"Very attractive."

"Seems to be the case with the ladies."

What if he had an Elven woman already?

"What are you thinking!?" Ayah scolded herself out loud. "Already? And why do you even care if he did!?" she snapped. "He was - still is - a friend. Just a friend."

Shortly after Ayah had dressed and was presentable, she left the house and went about inquiring to Legolas' whereabouts. After all, she still needed to apologize. She soon learned that he was at the Lake, but may have left.

Ayah smiled lightly as another memory touched her mind.

"Wow! The Lake just always looks so pretty. It looks like a basket of diamonds!"

Legolas laughed. "Yes, it does! I like how green and fresh everything is."

"Me too."

Ayah crossed the bridge to the Lake, and saw a few Elven people here and there. She was unsure of how to find Legolas, when she spotted a figure high up on the Ridge, overlooking the Lake.

'That must be him.' she thought, for no particular reason, because it really could be any Elven man in Rivendell who fancied to be sitting on the Ridge at that moment.

Ayah found a little worn path that led up to the top of the Ridge. She began travelling on it, careful to hold the bottom of her dress up high enough so as not to snag it on sharp rocks.

When she reached the top of the Ridge, she was overwhelmed for a moment. She'd forgotten how overwhelmingly beautiful the view from the Ridge was. The view was breathtaking. The Lake sparkled perfectly blue, set nicely in the midst of perfectly green grass and hills. A light mist moved behind the Lake, barely masking all the multi-coloured homes placed throughout the hills. The sun beamed down on the beautiful scene, only making it look even prettier.

Ayah half-sighed and then turned her attention to the Elven man on top of the Ridge that she had come to see. It was indeed Legolas, and seemed to have not seen her yet. Ayah's heart beat faster as she stared at his back. Why did he make her feel this way?!

"Legolas?" she said quietly, and ventured towards him. At the sound of her voice, Legolas whipped around, and there was no mistaking the happiness on his face at the sight of her.

"Ayah!" he smiled, and Ayah felt her knees quiver and her stomach flip-flop. She determinedly ignored it.

"I wasn't expecting to see you up here." he said. "Alatatriel is the only one who ever comes up here with me."

At this, Ayah felt a flash of jealousy rush through her and she was startled. Why was she jealous? Legolas was just her friend. And he was probably just a friend to Alatatriel too.

'And so what if he isn't?'' Ayah though. 'Why do you care!?'

Legolas' face clouded as he obviously thought of the ceremony yesterday. He turned his face towards the Lake and Ayah felt very uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry! I really am! Its just been a long time and I kind of forgot my past and there were lots of people I forgot and I didn't mean to forget your name - I really didn't!" Ayah blurted and talked very fast.

Legolas faced her as soon as she started speaking, and looked like he forgave her, that he doubted she forgot lots of other names, but that he believed her when she said she really didn't mean it. He smiled that smile again, and once again, Ayah's knees buckled slightly. She inconspicuously leaned against a tree to stop their quivering, and luckily, Legolas didn't seem to notice.

"It's alright." he said quietly, and Ayah really felt that it was - now, that she had apologized. There was another uncomfortable silence, and then Legolas settled down on the grass near the edge of the Ridge.

Not much for heights, but not really wanting to stay leaning against the tree about 8 feet away from Legolas, she went and sat down a foot or so beside him.

"So what happened while I was gone?" Ayah asked, and plucked up a little purple flower from the ground.

"I'm not the one to ask." Legolas chuckled.

"Why not?" Ayah pulled one of the petals off. 'He loves me...'

"Because I was gone for almost as long as you were gone." Legolas replied. "I only got back a few months or so ago."

"Really?" Ayah pulled another petal off. 'He loves me not...' "Tell me about it."

Legolas slightly shook his head. "I wouldn't want to bore you - "he stopped before he said, 'with such trivials as the world coming to and end because of a ring.' After all, Ayah'd done nothing wrong.

Ayah let a few more petals fall. 'He loves me... he loves me not... he loves me... he loves me not...' She stared at the flower. The last petal... 'He loves me.'

"No really. I'd like to hear it." Ayah said and tossed the petalless flower away, trying to disregard her findings about the petal pulling.

Legolas took a deep breath and glanced sideways at Ayah. She asked for it...

After that, Legolas tried to some how summarize his experiences with the Fellowship of the Ring, starting with the Secret Council in Rivendell, to Gandalf's assumed death, to Boramir's death and the breaking of the Fellowship, to finding Gandalf the White and the fall of Isenguard, to Aragorn, Gimli, and himself recruiting the Dead to help in the fight against Sauron's army, to the Final Battle, the destruction of the Ring, and the final reuniting of the Fellowship in Rivendell, finishing with Aragorn's coronation and the RingBearers setting sail for the Undying Lands.

Ayah listened intently the entire time, mostly not moving, but gasping, laughing, and choking with emotion when a part in Legolas' tale caused her to do so.

When he finally finished, and Ayah was wiping her eyes, she was very quiet. She just didn't know what to say.

Legolas let her be quiet, because truth be told, he really didn't know what to say either.

So for a good many hours, Ayah and Legolas sat comfortably up on the Ridge in comfortable silence, each thinking different thoughts, but often thinking of each other.


A/n: Thank you to my ever loyal reviewer, CountryChick928, and thank you to all the others too. It really makes me feel great to get reviews! :)