Romy – Okay, now I'm second guessing myself. Did I make another reference to body hair beside the "happy trail" in chapter 8? Please let me know. Thanks.

Legolaslover – Hm, what can we make Legolas do to Hurrnäd? Hehe, you'll have to wait and see…

Maren L P – Thanks, here you go!

The nutter – Thanks. Love your pen name.

Spotnmushlover246 – Thanks so much. Here's more.

Orlywood – (blushing) Thanks for the nice compliments. Don't be sad. I'll update as fast as I can.

A/N – For all you Haldir fans, he appears alive and well in this chapter, mainly because this takes place before the Fellowship where he's killed at Helm's Deep. You'll also notice that in FOTR, when they arrived in Lothlorien, it appeared as if it was Aragorn's first visit there. I've altered that so this will be his first visit and in FOTR it'll be his second visit, so please don't flame me.

Chapter 13 – Lothlorien Surprise

Seven days later as they all walked through the dense woods of Lothlorien, walking among the tall mallorn trees, Aleera felt something familiar about them. This was the first time she had been anywhere that had felt familiar. The trees spoke to her, telling her that they missed her presence. Tears welled in her eyes. Could it be that her home was indeed among these trees? Why would the trees speak to her in this manner?

Legolas was fascinated by the size of the trees in these woods. He knew they were extremely old. Strangely though, they were cautious when they spoke to him. They merely recognized him as an elf and asked many questions. He replied to them mentally and some actually found it amusing that he planned to climb the tallest of them. Aleera squeezed his hand tightly and he immediately sensed her uneasiness. "What is it, Aleera? You seem troubled."

"The trees speak to me," she whispered to him.

"Aye, they speak to me as well. What do they say to you?"

"They welcome me home," she said with tear-filled eyes. "I know these woods, Legolas. For instance, I know that beyond that grove to the left is a large gnarled mallorn where the elflings play many games. And further on is a merchant who makes the best Lembas."

"Memories are coming back to you. You are from Lothlorien then."

"Aye, I believe so."

In the lead was Glorfindel who called for everyone to halt. "Come forth, green elves of Lothlorien."

The trees ahead parted and three golden-haired elves stepped out, bows in hands, but not armed with arrows. One of them stepped ahead of the other two.

"Suilad, Glorfindel o Imladris," said the elf. (welcome, Glorfindel of Imladris)

"Le hannon, Haldir o Lorien," replied Glorfindel with a nod. (I thank you, Haldir of Lorien)

Haldir, the march warden of Lothlorien, regarded the company of elves with interest. He had anticipated the arrival of the granddaughter of the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien, but not accompanied by such a large party of elves. And definitely not led by the elusive Glorfindel. There was also a dark-haired man with them, whom Haldir ignored for the moment as his eyes landed on the fair-haired elf standing near Glorfindel.

Glorfindel followed Haldir's eyes and turned to Legolas. "This is Legolas of the woodland realm."

Haldir frowned slightly at the sight of a wood elf. "Mirkwood, once known as Greenwood the Great, ruled by Thranduil, son of Orophor."

Legolas eyed the other elf before him. He had never been to Lothlorien or had any dealings with these elves. He had only known of the Lady of the Wood from what he heard back home. He knew nothing else. "Orophor was slain in the Second Age during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men."

Haldir was aware of the slaying of the Sindarin elf through stories told among those in Lothlorien that had lived in the Second Age. For this elf to be in the company of Glorfindel, there was a reason for his being here now. "You are welcome here, elf of Mirkwood."

"Hannon le," said Legolas with a nod of his head. (thank you)

Glorfindel next introduced Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir and Aragorn to Haldir. Haldir turned to one of the elves behind him and they were escorted away from the others. Then Glorfindel nodded to Legolas who brought Aleera before Haldir.

Legolas explained Aleera's plight to Haldir. "Aragorn and I found Aleera in Kozar, a land north of Forodwaith. She had no memory of who she was or how she came to be there. It was apparent that she was there against her will and thus we made off with her under cover of night. We seek an audience with the Lady of the Wood who might be able to help her regain her memory. I also have reason to believe that Lothlorien is her home."

Haldir waited until Legolas was finished, but his eyes were on Aleera the entire time. He knew her indeed. Yet she looked upon him as if she had never seen him before. She also held Legolas's hand tightly and this made his brows draw together. Her frown revealed that she battled her thoughts. Haldir decided he would not mention that he knew Aleera. He would wait to see what transpired. "What reason do you have?"

"The mellyrn speak to her as if they know her and have welcomed her home."

Aleera had been unable to take her eyes off Haldir. He was familiar to her, like everything around her, yet she did not know how she knew him.

"When the Lord and Lady received word of your visit, news traveled through the trees. You have an audience with the Lady in the morning. In the meantime there are those that have come to greet you," Haldir said to Aleera.

"Why do they wish to greet me?" asked Aleera, slightly defensive.

"I can say no more. Tolo." (come)

Aleera glanced at Legolas. He gave her a reassuring smile and tightened his grip on her hand, drawing her as close to him as possible without eliciting suspicion of their relationship. As they followed Haldir and the other elf, whom she felt as if she knew as well, the more reluctant she suddenly felt about continuing. Something did not sit well with her.

While Aragorn had accompanied Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir to greet their grandparents, it was decided earlier among them that the others would stay behind to set up camp just inside the Deep Fosse surrounding Caras Galadon.

Up ahead stood another group of elves. The moment Aleera's eyes fell upon the ellon in front, she immediately knew it was her father. She did not know how she knew it, but the feeling was strong within her. She froze in place and Legolas paused beside her. (male elf)

"Adar?" she asked softly. (father)

Galadron's eyes brimmed with tears. "Aleera…"

Aleera released Legolas's hand and rushed over to embrace her father. He held her tightly and caressed the back of her head. She could feel his tears on her shoulder.

"Thank Elbereth, my child. We all thought you dead." Galadron released her and looked her over, wiping at the tears in his eyes. Then he turned to someone beside him.

The elf maid next to him was her mother. Again, she knew not how she knew it, but it was true. "Naneth…" Aleera embraced her and they both sobbed together. Finally, her mother released her and they wiped at their tears. (mother)

Before she had the opportunity to turn to Legolas, a dark-haired elf stepped up. "Aleera."

Aleera stared at him cautiously at first and then her apprehension turned more into curiosity. Something about him was familiar…a familiar feeling. Then his name suddenly came to her...a whisper in her mind. "Seledred?"

"Aye, meleth. It is I." (love)

Without even thinking, Aleera rushed over to embrace him. Betrothed…She was betrothed to this elf. She had been deeply in love with him…had in fact bonded at some point with him…but the bond no longer existed. It had been severed for some reason. She was surprised when he kissed her face in a familiar fashion. Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel Legolas's distress, his anger, his surprise. When she glanced up at Legolas, his brows were knotted together and he held his bow so tightly that his knuckles were white.

Legolas watched the elf Aleera had called Seledred. He embraced her as if she belonged to him. And he could feel that she knew him well. He was suddenly feeling violently ill. Could she have loved him? Did she love him still?

"Come," said Galadron at last. "Let us rejoice with food and drink." He put a hand on Legolas's shoulder. "Join us, my friend. I owe you all that I have for bringing my daughter back to us."

Legolas turned to him, quite reluctant to join, but he could feel Aleera pleading mentally with him and he finally allowed her father to lead him onward. It did not escape his notice that Haldir followed behind them.

The large grouping of talans in the tree were familiar. Aleera had lived there all of her life, of which she discovered from her mother to be one thousand and fourteen years. They sat around the table, joined also by her older brother Celegmin and younger sister Brithla. She now knew why Haldir had looked familiar to her. She had known Haldir for over five hundred years for he was a close friend of Celegmin.

Legolas opted to remain standing in a corner, his arms folded over his chest, his expression dark and brooding. He was happy for Aleera that she found she had a family. But he could not help the resentful feelings growing within him over Seledred. He watched how the other elf held her hand so possessively. The two had in fact been betrothed as he soon learned in the conversation that went on at the table. He could feel the conflicting feelings in Aleera. He knew she loved him, yet she did not want to release the feelings she had for Seledred. A sharp knife in his heart would be less painful than knowing she loved this other elf.

Everyone knew that Aleera had lost her memory, and since she could not remember, her father recounted the day that she had disappeared. All that had been found was part of a tunic she had worn, along with an abundance of Orc tracks. She had been gone for nearly three months and all hope had been lost that she would be alive if found. When asked by Seledred whether she had been tortured or violated by the orcs, she shook her head in ignorance, not remembering the ordeal at all. Even though she knew for a fact that she had not been violated, for Legolas would have discovered it, she did not tell Seledred and left it that she did not remember. There was no sense in letting anyone know that she and Legolas had had sexual relations. But she could tell from the expression on Seledred's face that her lack of knowledge did not sit well with him. Her betrothed. She could not believe that she had someone waiting for her here. Someone that she was supposed to have wedded. Deep in the recesses of her mind she knew that she was deeply in love with Seledred. In love but never intimate with. Not the way she had been intimate with Legolas.

Seledred stood up then. "You should rest now, Aleera. I will speak with you in the morning."

Legolas saw the Lothlorien elf give him a look of disdain. It was clear to him that Seledred resented his presence in the home of Aleera's family.

Aleera stood up and followed Seledred to the doorway. "It is good to see you again, Seledred."

"Aye, it is good to have you back, meleth nin." He reached up to caress her cheek with a frown and then he turned and walked out of the talan. (my love)

Legolas ground his teeth together at the affectionate touch and the fact that he called her his love. He was unable to remove the look of anger from his face. But it served him right to think that Aleera would have been unattached. He had followed his inexperienced heart and the wayward urges of his lust, while pouring out his emotions to her in his weakest moments. He felt like a complete fool.

Sensing Legolas's uneasy emotions, Aleera turned to him. Before she had a chance to say anything, her mother approached Legolas. "You need not return to your company on this night. We have a spare talan for you. I am certain it is not what you are used to, but it is comfortable just the same."

"Le hannon," said Legolas gently to Aleera's mother, Nórui. (I thank you)

Celegmin volunteered to show Legolas the talan. Legolas turned to Aleera one final time before following Celegmin.

During the night, Aleera tossed in the bed she had slept in all of her life. It seemed cold and empty to her. And the constricting pain in her chest made it difficult to sleep. Finally she got up and quietly padded through the corridor connecting the many talans that made up her home. She soon found the one Legolas was in. The pain in her chest quickly faded the closer she got to him.

Legolas was standing with his back to the doorway, looking out the window at the many lights in the trees representing other talans. He did not turn to acknowledge her presence. "I know why you come, Aleera. You come to tell me that you no longer wish to continue our bond. I do not know if I am capable of…"

"Legolas, nay," Aleera interrupted him before he could continue. She felt a sense of deep sorrow in him and it made her shiver. "I am not here to tell you that."

Legolas turned to her. "Asking me to stop loving you is like asking the rain not to fall. I cannot stop what lingers in my heart." Tears brimmed his eyes. "And it slowly tears me apart when I think about leaving you here and going on without you."

Aleera quickly moved to him and could not stop herself from embracing him tightly. "Tell me what to do, Legolas and I will gladly do it."

Legolas knew he should not involve himself in her feelings for Seledred, but he could not help but spill the words that troubled him so. "I sense he is repulsed over the idea that you might have been violated by orcs. Were I in his place, I would seek to renew the bond with you and never let you out of my sight. I find him lacking in sincerity, Aleera."

"I may have been in love with Seledred at one time, but I no longer have those feelings for him. I am in love with you," she assured him. "I am bonded to you."

"With every breath in me does my heart ache. I fear that when Lady Galadriel restores your memories, you will feel differently. You will feel the love you once had for him and I will be but a distant thought."

"Nay, you are my life. I swear to you, I no longer love him." She pulled back and wiped at the tears that drifted down his cheeks, pained to see him in such despair. "What must I do to prove my love for you? I will forego Lady Galadriel's intervention."

"Aleera, you must recover your memories."

"I care not about my memories."

He shook his head. "Nay, you will see Lady Galadriel as planned."

"Then I will tell Seledred in the morning that I am bonded to you."

"He may not understand and be very angry with you."

"He will have to understand. I knew not that I was betrothed before now. I knew not that I would fall in love and bond with you."

Legolas caressed her face. "I will be nearby when you speak to him. If he does not understand, then I shall make him see things my way."

"How are you to do that?"

"With the business end of my knife, I will make him understand."

Aleera kissed him on the lips with a smile. "I believe you would do it."

"Aye, I would for you."

She hugged him again, relishing in his scent and in his heat.

Legolas released her. "Go now before someone finds you here with me."

"Nay, I cannot sleep without you by my side."

"Aleera, saes bedi. I do not wish to disrespect your father in his own home." But he pulled her to him for another kiss before releasing her. (please go)

Aleera walked out of his talan and was about to head toward hers at the other end of the tree. The talan next to Legolas's belonged to her sister, Brithla. Rather than suffering the pain of being separated by such distance, she stepped into Brithla's talan and casually laid in bed beside her. No one would question her on the need to be close to her sister. And no one needed to know that she did it to be closer to Legolas and not feel the pain of separation so harshly.

Legolas paced the talan briefly, waiting for the pain to seize his chest at Aleera's departure. But the pain felt weaker. She was either not far or the pain of separation was finally beginning to fade. He sat down on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes in relief. She still professed her love to him. He knew she spoke the truth. He had felt it in her heart. And he was elated.

A/N – Keep the reviews coming…It makes me work harder.