- - - Grace - - -

So much for leaving quickly! Gimli and Legolas went off to visit Merry and Pippin, the latter of which who was in the Houses of Healing for minor wounds. Aragorn went with Gandalf to speak with Éomer and other such important people. I wandered the streets of Gondor, looking for something to occupy my time. Legolas had offered to come with me, or bring me with them to see the hobbits but I refused, feeling like spending some time on my own.

Civilians moved easily around the city, some carrying loads, others just making their way somewhere. I got many weird looks as I walked. I guess it's uncommon for women to be seen walking around in pants with knives on their hips. Believe me, I would have rather been wearing those fancy dresses anyway.

I wandered aimlessly for close to an hour. I saw Legolas at the end of the street, his keen eyes having seen me long ago. I walked slowly, savouring every moment that we weren't in war. I heard a little girl laugh beside me and watched a young man lift her up and kiss her cheek. A young woman that must have been his wife came up beside him, looking like she was going to cry, she was so happy. I watched the man lean in a kiss his wife gently and I heard him mutter, "I love you."

Something struck me then. We were going into war! Had I once told Legolas I loved him? I was suddenly overcome with the urge to tell him little things like that before one of us was suddenly taken away. When I looked up at him again, he was much closer. I could tell he had seen my change in mood because he looked concerned. Giving no thought to the odd looks he was getting, he focussed on my face.

I took a deep breath, and took several steps in Legolas' direction. I moved quickly, slipping through the mass of people. When I came to my elf, I threw myself onto him. Feeling his arms come up around my back, I smiled and closed my eyes.

"What -" he started.

I put a finger up to his mouth. His eyes studied me, getting more distressed by the moment. "Oh, God, Legolas. I love you!" There was a brief moment where I saw him smile before his mouth was over mine and he was kissing me.

For a long moment I forgot we were standing in the middle of a crowded street. When I opened my eyes, people were milling around us and we were getting a variation of glances from them. A group of older women smiled while the little girl I had seen before was clapping.

"Le melon¹ Grace," Legolas whispered in my ear, bending down to do so. "I love you also."

- - - Aragorn - - -

After wasting much time - though it was a necessary waste - with speaking about the battle we were going into, we were finally able to make our way to one of the doors in the wall of Gondor. Men on horses were already waiting on Pelennor Fields. Gandalf, Éomer, and I had quickly tallied how many men - Rohhirim, Gondorians, and otherwise - we would be able to take with us to wage war on Mordor. After our count, we realized we would be accompanied by seven thousand men, if luck was with us. Already this was not looking good.

There were several horses waiting for us once we arrived there. I took Pippin, who Gandalf and I had decided would leave Merry and come with us, and set him on a horse and hopped up behind him. Legolas and Gimli managed to mount without too much difficulty. I looked down from my seat on my horse to find Grace. She was standing beside Elladan's horse, holding the reins of a fine looking mare. I could tell she was apprehensive about mounting by the way she was eying it.

"Estel, does the young one need help?" Elladan called to me in elvish.

With a small laugh I said, "She is frightened of riding."

Dismounting quickly, the elf took a few steps until he was behind Grace. He pushed the reins into her hands firmly, looked at her quickly to make sure she was not uncomfortable with his touch, and lifted her easily onto the horse. Her eyes got huge and she let out a little scream.

Elrohir, from the other side of Elladan, laughed lightly. "Why are you so alarmed by the horses, my lady?"

Grace looked in his direction. "I like them,' she told him. "I just prefer to be on the ground."

"Ah, she's a dwarf at heart!" Gimli said from his post behind Legolas.

There was a bit of laughter from us at that comment. At the front of our legion, I could make out Gandalf talking and raising his staff high in the air. There was a sound of trumpets and the horses and men began to move forward, towards Mordor.

We did not travel far our first day. When we halted, we could still see the top of the White City in the distance. I hoped we would make better time in the future days.

- - - Elrohir - - -

We rode onward for many days. Talk between us grew less frequent and quieter. The men, though I knew they could not see them, could feel the remaining Ringwraiths flying high above us. Legolas, Elladan, and I soon resolved that we would not look upwards, for the sight of those hideous creatures was enough to chill the heart of anyone, elf and man alike.

On the fifth day, when the sun was setting, it was decided that we would stop one last time before arriving in Mordor. We settled the horses in close proximity to each other and started to set up camp. Estel had a very small fire blazing within the minimum amount of time and the remainder of the Fellowship set themselves around it.

Elladan sat down to answer all of Aragorn's subtly placed questions about our sister. I gave the dwarf a wide berth and sat myself on the other side of the Ranger. Across the fire sat Legolas, with Grace's head in his lap. They both stared into the fire as his fingers ran themselves through her hair and over braids I could see were of Mirkwood style.

The girl suddenly sat up, startling most of us. "I'm going for a walk," she said nonchalantly, standing to leave. Within seconds, Legolas was on his feet and they were both out of sight.

I turned back to continue my conversation and was met with the stare of the dwarf. I looked at him warily, trying not to notice the dirt covering most of his body. After a long silence, a loud laugh came from Gimli and he reached out a hand to shake mine.

- - - Legolas - - -

"Legolas, please," Grace pleaded with me, her lips still touching mine, "I need to breathe!" She laughed quietly and I felt her body reverberate against mine. I placed soft kisses along her jaw line as she walked slowly backwards, trying to stay in the shadows so we would not be walked in upon.

She was about to walk into someone so I grabbed her arms quickly to stop her walking. Looking over the top of her head, I spotted Éomer. Grace must have felt me stiffen, for the laughter was gone suddenly and she turned to face the new arrival. I moved my arms until they securely held her around her waist and I felt her lean some of her weight onto me, while reaching up to grab one of my hands.

A hated glance was cast my way from the son of Éomund. I stared back into his eyes and did not like what I saw. The bitterness I saw in his eyes lead me to believe he was a threat to Grace. When looking deeper, I realized, with horror, that had this man no respect for Aragorn or anxiety concerning me, he would not have waited to swoop down on the young human I held in my arms.

"Hi Éomer," Grace ventured timidly. "What are you doing out here so late?"

A smirk came across the handsome face of the man in front of us. "I could ask you the same thing. Or are you busy with your elf to have the time to answer?" Grace opened her mouth to speak as I threw dangerous glances in the direction of Éomer. "And as for you, elf - you should have stayed with your own kind. Leave this world with the rest of them; it can only be for the better." He spit the words at us like there was a bitter taste in his mouth.

Before either of us had the chance to do anything, he was gone, slipping through the shadows like some sort of serpent. Grace let out a long breath and shuddered. I walked around the front of her and put a hand on the side of her face, tilting her head upwards. Her eyes closed when I came in close proximity to her and I studied her as she took calming breaths.

"You're not really going to leave, are you Legolas?" she asked, quietly and suddenly, without opening her eyes.

I took a step backwards, shocked that she would think such a thing of me. Her eyes slid open and stared at me from the darkness. The expression on her face was one of innocence and worry. We stared at each other, each trying to understand what the other was thinking, for a very long time.

"I don't want you to leave me." The words rushed quickly from her mouth and within seconds she had thrown her arms around my neck and was holding me so tightly I feared she would never let go.

Not that I would disagree with that decision, if it was what she so chose.

"I would not leave you for the world, mela," I whispered to her.

She nestled her face into my neck and I could feel her lips touching my skin softly in a way that drove me crazy.

"You should not be doing that," I chided her gently, sliding my hands under the back of her shirt. When my fingers touched her skin, I heard her take in a sharp breath.

After a moment's hesitation she said, "You shouldn't do that either."

I moved my hands a bit higher, feeling her back arch. "And why not?" I asked her, moving so her face was tilted upwards and my lips were touching her forehead.

Rising up onto the balls of her feet, she kissed me slowly. "Because I don't want you to stop," she replied in a whisper, once she had buried her face in my shoulder.

I was about to kiss her again when Aragorn came into view. He saw us and put his hand up to shield his eyes. "Sorry! Sorry," he said. "Just passing through." He kept walking until I knew he was out of Grace's view.

Then she burst out laughing, releasing me from her grip. "Legolas, we are insane! We're almost in Mordor and we're fawning over each other. I really don't think we've had enough time together if we can romanticize this!" She gestured around to the barren land we were in. I smiled, seeing the humour in the situation.

Aragorn came back our direction, shielding his eyes again. Grace threw a small pebble at him and it bounced off his head, letting him know he could uncover his eyes. We all walked back to where our fire was together.

I sat, and again Grace put her head in my lap. She was asleep within minutes and I studied her as the dying fire cast shadows across her cheekbones.

Praise the Valar for love.

(A/N: I hope this chapter was long enough for you guys. I tried hard. Now Review it and I'll try harder.)

¹ Elvish. I think (hope) it's right. Translation: I love you