- - - Legolas - - -

What I felt could not be explained. I understood, like the others, that Grace would ride with Elladan. Aragorn had considered seating her with Éomer but after a look from both her and I, had decided not to. Elves, he felt, she would be comfortable with, if he actions with me were any indication. I also was eased when I found she would ride with Elladan. Then I saw his hands in her hair and did not know what to think. It is true that the elves of Mirkwood tend to only braid the hair of select few and I knew it was so with the Rivendell elves also. Then why had he touched her hair?

Why had he asked her name? Could he read me, did he know I did not wish to tell him? I watched as he braided her hair. The only one to have done it before was me. It was a simple thing, just to keep her hair from her eyes. Then why was I so disturbed by it?

I watched Elladan let his feelings show in his eyes and on his face so I would read them. I relaxed slightly when I found there were no feelings or dishonest intentions harboured within him. We rested and then went on to Helm's Deep. I rarely spoke, trying to keep jealousy that I had rarely, but never this strong, felt under the surface. At one point Aragorn came to me, put his hand on my shoulder for a moment and left, nothing said. Estel understood me far better than anyone ever could, even myself.

"Where is Aragorn?" Merry asked me, breaking me out of thought.

Both Grace and Gimli were with us and the young girl stood with a hand on the dwarf's shoulder. I blinked, trying to clear my head. Gimli, though a dwarf, was my friend. Why was I wishing I was the one she was touching instead of him? She was driving me mad without even knowing it. I would die because a young human decided to touch a dwarf instead of me.

I told Merry that Estel had gone to the high chamber of Helm's Deep. He had not slept nor rested with us. Halbarad had gone with him and I could see something dark about him. Worry settled on me. The conversation progressed onto the Dúnedain, kinsmen of Aragorn. I heard little of it, for my gaze had settled on Grace. She had been studying me seriously. Almost unconsciously, she reached up and played with the small braid in her hair. A burst of jealousy, stronger than I have ever felt, hit me and I clenched my hands for a moment.

Pride can stand a thousand trials
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you my soul cried
Heaving heart is full of pain

She had caught my eye and just stared at me for a moment. There was something different about her as she grinned at me. One of her cheeky grins, one that showed how alive she was and had been, even underneath all the sorrow that had brought her into our lives.

My heart shuddered then. Not because of the smile, because of her eyes. What did they hold? I could not read it and it frustrated me more than anything. Usually Grace's emotions were one of the easiest to read out of the whole Fellowship, and it confused me that she had suddenly learned to hide them.

Then she left to walk by herself. Her mannerism told me that she wanted to be alone. I watched her leave the front gate and walk out to where the Uruk-hai had been only days before. She laid on the grass and looked at the sky. That was all I saw of her before we started to walk and she was blocked from my view by the walls.

- - - Grace - - -

I just layed there. I don't even know how long I was there. I saw people going to eat a meal; it must have been midday. Before I knew it, horses were coming from the fortress, all bearing a rider. The king and his men. Merry was riding with them but I couldn't see Legolas, Gimli or Aragorn anywhere. I waved slightly at Merry and he gave me a small, sad smile before I turned back to Helm's Deep and entered it again.

I entered the main hall where people were eating. They seemed in the middle of a conversation.

"A struggle somewhat grimmer for my part than the battle of the Horburg," answered Aragorn (to what question, I don't know). "I have looked in the Stone of Orthanc, my friends." ¹

"You have looked in that accursed stone of wizardry!" exclaimed Gimli with fear and astonishment on his face. "Did you said aught to - him? Even Gandalf feared that encounter." ¹

To say Aragorn spoke sharply would be wrong. He was stern when he told Gimli that he forgot whom he was speaking to. He said he had the right to look into the stone, and the strength. I was slightly confused by this time. Who had he spoken to? Finally it dawned on me. Aragorn had spoken to Sauron. I didn't understand too much about him. They had tried to fill me in on this Ever-watchful-eye thing that Sauron was, but I only retained some of it.

There was a lot more talk about many different things. Mostly the Paths of the Dead. I remembered what Elladan had said about it and shuddered. Finally they deemed it time to go. Halbarad blew a horn after we had mounted horses, and we rode off quickly. This time I rode behind Aragorn and clung tightly to him. He was changed slightly. Sterner, more tired than I had ever seen him. I squeezed him gently, trying to tell him without words that I was there to support him.

We travelled for the rest of the day. Our sleep that night was short and uneasy. At dawn we started to travel again and we came to Edoras. We stopped only for a portion of an hour to rest the horses and eat a small meal. Quickly, we left again and finally stopped at a place called Dunharrow as the sun started to sink behind the horizon.

Éowyn met us and only seconds after I had dismounted Aragorn's horse, she had wrapped me in a hug. I could see the awe in her eyes for Elladan and Elrohir (yes, I did finally get the pronunciation of his name right!) and Halbarad and his company. Then her eyes rested on Aragorn and I watched them soften until she was almost staring in pure adoration.

When she suggested she would get some food and beds ready for us, Aragorn cut her off. He said that we would be leaving as soon as it was light. That left us like ten minutes to sleep. Okay, over exaggeration, but it didn't leave us a lot of time to sleep.

I tried to sleep, I really did. But I couldn't. I got up and paced for a short time before sitting in the grass and looking at the stars.

But watching stars without you my soul cried
Heaving heart is full of pain

I didn't hear Legolas until he was right beside me. My heart almost burst when I looked up at him. I saw his beauty and wondered again how anything, even something that was half as magnificent as he was, could ever love me. He obviously wasn't wondering the same thing, for he reached out a hand and pulled me to my feet.

Oh, oh, the aching
'Cause, I'm kissing you, oh
I'm kissing you, oh
Touch me deep, pure, and true gift to me forever

And that's when I knew. I had suspected it for a while already. When his hand touched mine I just stopped questioning it. It wasn't if. It just was. I turned to him then, I could see a small amount of confusion in his eyes when he looked at me. He was going to wonder if I was out of my mind.

'Cause, I'm kissing you
Oh, I'm kissing you, oh

I don't even remember moving. All I remember is that one moment I had been looking at him, and the next... Well, the next I had kissed him. And it wasn't like before. Not like the times he had kissed me or I had kissed him out of fear. This was me, all of me, put into one kiss, and giving myself to him.

It was when I felt one of his hands caressing my cheek and the other on my back that I knew for sure that this wasn't a dream. For the last couple of days I had dreamt it. Now I was living it.

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
'Cause, I'm kissing you
I'm kissing you, oh

(A/N: Well, there ya have it. I'm home sick so I typed this up. Okay, so I'm not really sick. Just a little bit. I've been like,' Yeah, I'll go to bed in five minutes,' for like the last hour. I knew you would all wants this as soon as possible so I didn't. You guys Review and I write, that's how it goes! The writing in bold italics are lyrics from the song Kissing You by Des'ree. It was on the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack and I love it! I hope you guys liked the chapter, I was looking forward to it for a long time! You should go Review it just to tell me how amazing I am. Just kidding! Until next time mes amis!)

¹ Return of the King, page 763