Well, here's the chapter of the day. I thank everyone for their kind reviews, I love constructive criticsm. So, let me try to clear thngs up for those who had a few questions/comments. The whole waterfall thing, it is a river, just at the bottom of the falls the water collects into a small pool (the lake) before flowing off. I should have described that better in the story, sorry. Also, for anyone confused, Eriathwen is not prisoner anymore. Legoas asked her to stay for a little longer. Basically, I couldn't have her be kept there forever, but I needed more time and reason for their friendship to blossom, I mean, this is a romance, isn't it? Hmmm...is it? Sure, why the heck not, so she can't leave quite yet, well actually...ahh, I can't say yet, just read! As for the wording in some of the earlier chapters, sorry! I wrote this a few years ago when I was just starting out, plus I am learning more every day. Thanks for pointing it out, and I'll make sure not to ever do that on a school paper: ) Also, the line about not wanting to get married, that comes from...me, because for the last five years or so, that has been basically my tagline- I never want to get married. Sorry for thise who don't like it, its just part of me put in the story. (I secretly do want to get married, just don't tell my dad: ) lol) Thanks for putting up with me all this time, you guys are great for even reading what I have to write and I really apreciate it! Oh, and I don't own anything! You can't prove anything! By the way, my awesome friends came to see me at school today, yea!

As Things Blossom

She reached her room and plopped down on the bed. She stared at the mirror in the vanity again and noticed that her face seemed somewhat brighter, if not tanner than before. She stood and walked to the mirror where she brushed the knots from swimming out of her hair. Her hair slowly began to gleam as the tangles disappeared and she found it odd that she was taking time to better her image, especially before she went to sleep.

Before going to bed however, she decided to look at the stars again. They were still there; each and every one of the thousand stars that were splattered across the sky as they had every other time she looked at them. She never tired of looking at them, they were just to pretty. On her left one star was twinkling brightly; Eärendil. It was so beautiful to gaze at, one of her favorites, and it instantly caught her attention.

I wish I were that pretty. No one wants to gaze at me, they just run, or lock me in a room. She smiled a little at her thoughts. But I'm not prisoner anymore; I am just staying a bit longer, that's all. I could leave whenever I want truly. The star twinkled; it seemed to be winking at her, almost saying 'really? I am only lying to myself; I don't know what is going on. What am I really doing here? Why didn't I leave when I had the chance?

"Hello Eriathwen." She looked below her balcony to see the king and his son strolling in the courtyard below. Legolas waved and then, turning back to his father, pointed to the sky at a star. Eriathwen did her best to follow the direction of his finger and she was almost certain that he was pointing to Eärendil. She wouldn't be too surprised if that was his favorite star; most elves admired that one above all others. Once again she got lost in the stars for a few seconds.

Glimpsing back down she remembered that she had not waved back. She raised her hand to return the wave but frowned when she saw that they were gone. Well they must think I am completely rude and unschooled. Oh wait…they already do. She let out a long unnecessary sigh of boredom and collapsed on the bed, flopping expertly on her back as she let out another, louder sigh. After staring at the ceiling for a few seconds, she turned her head to look out the window. How inattentive she felt.

It was then that she noticed the tree outside of her window was full of flower buds that were just beginning to open; soon they would be in full blossom. She had graciously been given a room with an excellent view of not only the sky and the courtyard, but nature itself in form of the very thing she loved most; trees. She closed her eyes, remembering how the trees in Lothlorien looked in full bloom, with leaves of gold and endless trunks of shimmering silver bark. She sighed again, this time out of contentment. She could see them perfectly; she could even remember the branch that she had spent countless nights on for years. It was peaceful remembering times past and with these thought dancing merrily in her head, she fell asleep at last.

When next she woke the sound of a bird singing promptly in the feathered morning choir could be heard drifting harmoniously through the widows that she had left, as always, wide open. She yawned and stretched her arms, if she wasn't careful she might get used to being lazy, and she didn't want to happen, not when she would be leaving in but a few more days.

Sitting up she found the tray on her table as constantly was at meal times. She was wondering if she would ever eat at a table with other people, but thinking better of it, she decided that since she had never done that before, it would be too awkward and that this way was much better. She looked at her breakfast, something seemed to be missing. On the tray there was a white tunic. That was odd. She picked up the shirt and as she did something rolled out and hit the floor, narrowly missing her toe as she quickly withdrew her foot from the object's landing pad.

She smirked; they truly would never let her live this down she thought as she bent down and picked up the piece of fruit that had been concealed. Also on the tray was a single white flower with a note, 'look at your tree.' There was no name, but she suspected Legolas had something to do with it; other wise there would have been no fruit wrapped in the tunic, which was a man's now that she thought about it. She opened the door to her balcony and stepped out with the flower and note in one hand and the fruit in the other.

Outside the tree had not only begun to bud, but half of the flowers had somehow magically opened overnight. The flower in her hand decidedly was from the tree or one similar to that of the one outside her room. She smiled and brought the flower to her face, getting a strong whiff of it as she out her nose directly into it. It smelled sweet, way too sweet.

Legolas! Yuck. She dropped the flower and wiped her nose, drawing her hand away to find it covered in honey. She suddenly heard someone below laughing in hysterics. "Legolas! Ahh!" Legolas was leaning against the tree supporting himself as he laughed desperately at the situation that he had plotted out. Not only was it executed perfectly, but her reaction was perfect too.

"Are you coming down, or do you need to wash your face first?"

"Very funny, I apologize if my humor doesn't stick to your jokes."

"Will you stick to the ground? Come on, jump!"

"Are you daft?"

"Oh, I'll catch you."

"Right…..well then here I come." She backed up and ran to the edge, leaping lightly over it and as Legolas's eyes grew wide, anticipating how to catch her, she grabbed a branch, swung around it and landed calmly with ease on one knee in front of him. "You missed." And she stood and brushed by him as one who was mad.

She did not just…"Oh really?" he grabbed her shirt and pulled her back roughly, causing her to fall backwards until he caught her and picked her up. "Now I caught you."

"That you did." She stared up at the tree that he had 'caught' her from.

"Legolas?" She asked, breaking the sudden silence.

"Yes, sweet nose?" Somehow this was still amusing, much to Eriathwen's distaste

"You can put me down now." He had been holding her cradled in his arms for some time.

"Oh, right." He put her down, somewhat clumsily and strummed his fingers stupidly on the side of his thighs.

"Legolas?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Thinking? I was thinking of your face."

"My face…WHAT!"

"I was thinking about what it would look like after I beat you to the stables." He was hoping to catch her off guard and leave her there processing his words as he bolted.

"I think not!" as fast as her reply, she was already running. Clearly, he was not going to pull one over on her, not again that is.

"Wait a minute! Not fair!" he ran to catch up with her, pulling even with her easily, though she wasn't going to take that. She reached over and slapped him in the arm. It's great to be a kid. Kind of. "Tag!" and with a new spurt of energy, she left him behind, chasing after her as she reached the stable, halting like a cat, gracefully opened the door and slipped inside.

"Eriathwen…Ahh!" He must have been having an off day; it was the only excuse he could think of as he did a very un-Legolas like thing. Crack!

"Oh!" Eriathwen's head suddenly appeared from behind the door and she looked down to find Legolas sitting on his butt, rubbing his shoulder were he had collided shoulder first with the door in attempts to slow down. "You do realize that this is going to bruise! You could have left the door open for me, you do know this.

"Yes, I could have, but I didn't. You look so funny sitting there. Its great to be the one left standing for once, it's a great view, really." An angry glare was her reply. "Right. Well, I bet the horses are getting impatient; they haven't been out in, almost ten hours so they must be eager to go."

"How do you know?" She gave him a hand up, mostly because she was already hovering above him, trying not to laugh, still.

"I don't know, call it a hunch."

Today, it was a whole new experience. They rode through a part of the woods that was sectioned off for the growing of different fruits and it was unlike anything Eriathwen had ever seen before. The flower blossoms on these trees had long since fallen and everywhere things were growing that she had never seen before. Legolas tied off his horse carefully and began surveying the trees and bushes. One of the bushes was covered in small purple-blue berries, clearly not fully ripe, that she could clearly tell were very important to him.

"When these are ripe, another day or so I would say, they are plump and blue, and very sweet. Especially in bread."

"Ahh, the special bread, am I not correct?"

"Yes, quite correct. Here, this one is about ripe, try it."

She reached out and plucked it, squeezing it a bit too hard, and it burst all over her fingers. "Well, I will just have to, lick it off…it is quite exceptional, uh, granted that it was smeared all over my hand ere I could actually taste it." She almost laughed when she was struck dumb suddenly by a tree, one she had never seen of its kind before growing in the distance not fifty feet away. "What is that?"

"Remember the fruit that you, fruit-knapped? That is what it grows on."

Still entranced, she approached it and ran her hand along its twisted bark that seemed to glow. It was a tall tree with strong branches that extended up towards the sky for some feet. Littered throughout the tree were the delectable treats she had easily come to love, buried beneath long thin pointed leaves of deep green that painted the tree beautifully.

"Wow. What, I never found out I mean, what are they called? The fruit, that is."

"I am not sure of their actual name, but I call them misfits."

"Misfits? But why?"

"Look around?" Do you see everything, the grass, the other trees, the bushes, the flowers, even the sky; nothing is like these. They are unique in their structure, their size, their color, and most of all; their taste. They are the oddest of all things growing in Mirkwood, at least things that are pleasurable, yet, they are among the most beautiful, not to mention delicious. Even better, they grow almost all year around. Very adaptable they are to weather, yet they only seem to want to grow around here." then, as though that was enough said, he jumped nimbly into the tree, picked one, and threw it down to her, before proceeding to climb the tree. "My sister, she loved to sit in this tree. This branch was her favorite."

"What branch? Legolas, there is no branch there."

"I know. It broke during a storm the day after she died. It was almost as though it felt rejected that she wouldn't be coming to sit in the tree any more. It's funny; even the trees were weeping in their own way for my sister. She really did love this tree. The tree was a misfit, yet she fit perfectly. She was always so happy and full of joy; it was like they were in bloom together." He looked down at Eriathwen standing on the ground mesmerized by his words. "Are you okay?"

"That was beautiful. And I think it fits perfectly. The tree, the orchard, everything here; it's perfect, well, almost." Everything but me, I am the misfit here; I don't belong. This is his home, not mine, I should leave. Everything here has such a history…not me.

Legolas began climbing down the tree and walked towards his horse. Always after thinking of his sister he felt it was time to leave; this time was no exception. Eriathwen watched him climb aboard somberly. I cause him only pain. I should leave. Forget the stupid bread, it was foolish to stay, I cause only problems here. I will leave tonight.

"Is something wrong?" she was so absorbed in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear him. "Eriathwen, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing." Nothing you could ever possibly understand. Nothing I would think about explaining; who wants to listen to my problems anyways? It's my life, I'll deal alone; just like always. She sat in silence upon Darwin as they went back. Outwardly, she had a little smile on her face, inwardly; she was planning just how to leave when no one would be there tosee.