Arwen was surprised as Aragorn came into their bedroom and began pacing like a caged animal. He hadn't even looked at her, and she followed him with her eyes until politely interrupting him.

"Aragorn?"

The king of men jumped. Arwen couldn't help but chuckle at her husband. When he was thinking about something there was very little that could break his concentration.

"Sorry. I was…" His gray eyes trailed to their window, looking beyond his wife's face.

"Distracted, love?"

He laughed softly then came over to sit next to Arwen. She waited patiently for him to explain himself, pulling his hand into hers. He seemed to relax as he always did when he felt her comforting presence.

"It's Legolas."

This perked the queen's interest and she leaned toward Aragorn, hoping to get more information from him.

"He's here. Living in the woods outside of the castle."

Now it was Arwen's turn to gaze out the window. She could see just the beginnings of the woods that grew at the bottom of the hills.

"Why? I thought he went with Thranduil," she stood from the bed and leaned out the window, using her elven sight to scan the forests below. Nothing seemed out of place and she cast a glance at her husband, her eyes playful.

"Don't give me that look; I'm telling the truth. I talked with him. He seems to have decided he'd rather stay here. But he didn't seem very keen on speaking to me."

At this Arwen turned another glare to her king. It didn't seem like Legolas to be angry with Aragorn. The two had been friends as far back as she could remember. Even when Aragorn was young and would tag along behind the twins, his excitement at one of Legolas' visits was on a level all its own.

"Perhaps you should try and contact him again?"

Out of habit, Aragorn rested his chin in one hand, lost again to his deep thoughts. The queen of Minas Tirith just sighed melodramatically before sitting behind her husband and resting her head on his shoulder. If he needed to talk, she would be there.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

As the first rays of the sun swept along the mountain Legolas climbed slowly from his cave. The fell best still slept outside the entrance, blissfully unaware of its new master's comings and goings.

Legolas decided to leave the beast where it was and headed to the nearby stream to wash his face. After traveling with the fellowship he had adjusted to rarely being able to bathe. But that didn't mean he enjoyed it. The stream was cool, running down from the mountaintops. Dipping his fingertips into the water he noticed that it seemed even colder this morning.

'Winter is coming soon,' He reminded himself.

Taking a minute to scrub at his fingernails he noticed that they were darker than they normally were. Dirt and mud had caked onto them and gotten under the tips. Most likely from spending so much time in the cave. He tried to scrub away the dirt but it seemed to have stained his nails that color.

Sighing, he gave up on his fingernails and splashed the chilled water on his face, scrubbing along his skin up to his hairline.

'It might be worth it to sneak into the city one of these days. Just long enough to get clean.'

Hearing the familiar clopping of hoof beats Legolas quickly dried his face. It was most likely just the fell beast, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Before he was able to take a step back towards the cave and his steed, a horse burst through the edge of the forest at a full gallop.

Only be the grace of his elven blood was he able to dodge the horse and the grasping hand of its rider. Rolling out of the way Legolas sprang to his feet and ran full speed into the cover of the trees, and back to the fell beast.

"Almost got you that time!"

He recognized Aragorn's voice immediately but only increased his pace. Thankful that the stream was so close to his new hideout Legolas flung himself up onto the fell beast and was off in an instant.

'Good thing this beast was smart enough to wake up'

Brego was catching up to them and Legolas spurred the horse on even more. They darted across the sloping mountainside, the elf and fell beast trapped against the steep slope while Aragorn and Brego blocked the path back into the woods.

"Legolas, wait!"

"Wait? You almost ran me over!" Turning his head, Legolas' hair blew into his face from the wind whipping past him. Even through the blond braids he could clearly see Aragorn, dressed in his ranger garb, pushing Brego to his limits behind them. They were catching up, having the flatter ground.

"Faster," Legolas tried urging the beast. His black flank was already covered in sweat and he strained against the hands fisted in his mane. From now on he was going to put a sadly on the creature as soon as he woke up. Even if the beast was still asleep.

Looking ahead for a way to lose their pursuers, Legolas only found more trials. A few hundred feet ahead the cliff on his left made a sharp turn, forming a wall in front of him. If Aragorn continued on his right they would be forced into a corner made of cliff sides far too steep to escape up.

"Well beast, if you've got any good ideas, now would be the time."

As if the horse truly understood what his rider had muttered, the creature underneath him suddenly bowed its head low and its strides seemed to lengthen. Legolas nearly fell off before grabbing tightly to the mane as his seat moved out from under him. For a second he thought the horse must have tripped on the loose rocks and that he would soon be flung off of it. Then he fell and hit rippling muscle, wider than the horse's flanks.

The mane in his hand was now a sharp spike with scaled skin trailing from it to the creature's back. The long serpentine neck extended ahead of him as the fell beast charged forward on its small arms. They had slowed down and Legolas new that Aragorn was no more than two lengths behind them.

With a leap and a shriek the beast spread its wings and flapped hard, sending Legolas painfully rocking back from his mount. He clung desperately to the beast's spike and hoped he wasn't causing it pain.

The cliff wall was about to pass under the beast's enormous wings when Legolas was abruptly sitting in midair. His grip on the creature's spike had not been strong enough, and he fell to the ground, landing painfully on his shoulder. He would have caught himself had his arms not been bound at his sides.

"I'm sorry Legolas. But I know how stubborn you are."

Brego stopped inches from where the elf lay, kicking up a small cloud of dust into his face. The king of men dismounted, keeping a careful hold on the rope with which he had just lassoed the elven prince.

"You're mad," Legolas hissed out as he sat up, a sharp pain racing from his elbow to his shoulder. Aragorn's face was hurt, but Legolas ignored it. Instead he looked up to see the fell beast circling high overhead. No doubt the beast would try and keep an eye on him. And considering its history with Aragorn, that could turn out quite unfortunately.

"Go away, beast. I'll be fine."

The fell beast didn't need to be told twice and shifted its wings to catch a warm thermal of air and disappeared up and above the mountain. Legolas knew it would come back.

"Beast? Is that what you've named it?"

While he spoke Aragorn quickly cut the rope surrounding Legolas. A poor lapse of judgment on the part of the king. Another moment and a strong arm had knocked his legs out from under him.

"It doesn't need a name."

Now sitting firmly on his backside next to his best friend, Aragorn looked like his old self. Sweaty, dusty, and his hair in impossible knots.

"You really should learn to hear people out, my friend. I only meant to talk to you," Aragorn gently clasped Legolas' shoulder.

In his mind, the elf was overly aware of this fact. But he didn't betray it in any way with his face nor his body. Why was it affecting him so much? All his thoughts were on Aragorn. On his hands. His lips. It was like he had lost control of his mind and it was running wild without him.

"Legolas? Are you alright?"

Realizing that he was still sitting on the ground, the elf shot up and Aragorn's hand left his shoulder. For a second he missed the contact before ignoring that particular response. He brushed himself off and straightened his clothes.

"Why did you need so badly to speak to me?"

Aragorn raised an eyebrow at him, and smirked. In his head Legolas cursed him in a few languages. Outwardly he just kept a level stare at the king.

"You're hiding in the woods outside my city with a fell beast. I don't think I need much more of a reason to want to speak to you. I'm worried about you."

His heart clenched at that confession. Not that it was a true confession. But it was the best he was going to get out of the man in front of him.

"I understand that you want to be left alone. Otherwise you would have imposed yourself on me earlier, right?"

Again Legolas' head jumped to the wrong implications and he was thankful for his own ability to hide his emotions. Instead he just smiled, the first one he'd shown to anyone other than his horse in a long time.

"Be careful what you say my friend. I may decide to impose on you anyway. But for now I'm enjoying myself just fine out here in the peace and quiet," he paused then, seeing that Aragorn still looked unsettled. "And should I need anything, I'll make sure to come and find you."

Aragorn nodded, pleased at anything he could get from his stubborn friend. Feeling like he had done good for the day he whistled Brego over from where the horse was grazing. He hopped up and tugged on the reigns so that he was facing Legolas.

"Hopefully I won't have to run you down next time, huh?"

With a gentle kick of his boots Aragorn and Brego took off towards the walls of Minas Tirith. A suspiciously happy and lightheaded elf walked back towards his cave. The walk seemed to go so much faster while he daydreamed. As soon as he found himself in front of his new home he also took the time to acknowledge the dragon creature guarding it.

"I see your wing is healed."

The creature cocked its head at him and glared through its small eye. Legolas took a moment to look at the fell beast's true form before breezing by it. With a heavy thump, both he and the creature sat down on the threshold of the cave, where the sunlight was broken by the trees growing up on the mountainside above them.

"So, do you think you need a name?"

Again the reptile gave him a hard stare, before laying its head down on the dirt and seeming to fall asleep.

"Well fine, if that's how you feel about it. Beast?"

The creature swished its tail, the size of a small tree, around its body till it curved around the elf in an almost protective manner.

"Glad you like it."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

…I know I say this every time, but I am sorry for the terrible delay. My two jobs and attempt at a social life are killing my writing time. and the other three fics that need to be updated too aren't helping….don't worry though readers! I shall finish all four of the stories I have going right now…it just may take a while.

Speaking of readers…

Thank you to those of you who have left reviews. I don't like people who lurk around fics (and show up as hits ) but don't let me know if they actually like the story or not. Rock on reviewers! I love you guys!