For Disclaimer please view Chapter 1.

Author's Note: Sorry for the shock of the last chapter, you can always email me if you're confused. :o) Though I will try to make it easier to understand in the next chapter. Sorry for the shortness, it's exam week here and I'm exhausted. Thank you all for your lovely reviews and I hope you keep reading and enjoying! - Kersi.

Chapter 16: Not even in our Dreams

Aragorn almost choked when he heard what Legolas had said, and Legolas looked upset at having answered the question so simply. Aragorn looked over to Aurel, she was fragile enough with the battle and the death of Haldir, and eventually she would question Legolas, asking him who the Elleth she was tending to was, she would react badly.

Trying to shake the surprise away, Aragorn shook his head, worried terribly for Aurel, "Betrothed? I heard no such announcement from Mirkwood."

"No announcement has been made." said Legolas still looking Aurel's way and frowning.

"And you did not bother to mention this to anyone." The hint of anger could be distinguished in Aragorn's voice.

"I did not see the need to." said Legolas coolly.

He glared at Legolas's for a moment before leaving his side in a bout of anger and walking over to Aurel, tearing her away from her Lothluin. "Leave her to the other healers now Aurel, you have the done what you can."

Aurel shook her head in disagreement, pulled herself away, and continued to tend to Lothluin. She found Aragorn's behaviour peculiar, after having spent so much time to get her there in the first place. Aragorn looked at her one more time before, giving one more glare to Legolas and walking out of the houses in frustration. She looked over to Legolas, who continued to look at her with a frown on his face. –Do not worry, she will recover.- She sent the thought with a reassuring feeling, thinking that that was the reason for Legolas's frown, but what she felt from him in return was still worry and sadness.


-Who is she?- Aurel asked Legolas, she asked this question the next day, after having spent all night with Lothluin making sure she was well enough. Aurel took a personal interest in Lothluin because Legolas knew her. They both had sat in chairs nearby Lothluin and Aurel in her weariness began to get curious.

"Her name is Lothluin." replied Legolas, he too was tired and it was beginning to show.

Aurel, in her ignorance, did not ask further about her identity –That is fitting…She is no warrior though, what is she doing at Helm's Deep?-

"How do you know she is not a warrior?"

Aurel shrugged her shoulders, -She is too small-

"You are small as well."

-Yes, but she is smaller than I, she looks starved almost, weak, what could possibly do that?-

"Fading." said Legolas averting his eyes from Aurel's.

-Fading? - Is that what she had looked like to her father? -She is fading? I did not know it looked like that… that is sickly, worse than battle wounds. - Aurel looked at Lothluin. –Why does she fade?- Aurel at that moment looked like a child to Legolas, as if her mind were accepting the harm and pain she had caused around her during her fading.

Legolas gave a quick smirk, forgetting his situation, "Why do you think that I should tell you, that is a very personal question."

-But you will tell me. - thought Aurel, knowing he would.

Legolas nodded and his smirk went away, his eyes darkened. "Unrequited love."

Aurel still did not understand, -Why come here? Untrained and weak?-

"We shall find out when she wakes." Said Legolas looking at Lothluin's pale face from where he sat.

"What is going on here?" asked Aragorn who seemed to have walked in from nowhere. Aurel tilted her head upward from where she sat to look at him and wondered why he held such a scornful tone. "I will not let you continue this Legolas." He continued and pointed at him. "I hold my sister's heart closer than you do."

Aurel was confused.

"This is not the time Aragorn; there is much you do not know." Legolas stood to face him.

-What are you two speaking about?-

"You will tell her who this Elf is to you." Responded Aragorn, who pointed at Lothluin, his chest was heaving, he was angry.

"Aragorn, stop." commanded Legolas. "This is not wise."

Aragorn ignored him and turned to face Aurel; he walked up to her closely and opened his mouth to say something but Legolas's tone of voice rose greatly. "Dina Aragorn! I know you are weary and that is why I will excuse you, but this is not of your concern, and what may appear to be truth to you is tainted with your own jealousy."

Aragorn turned to look at Legolas. "Jealousy?" he spoke slowly, he was hurt and surprised.

Legolas looked away, not wanting to face the hurt he has just caused Aragorn. Without another word Aragorn walked away, leaving the houses of healing in silence from the exchange of words.

-Why did you speak to Estel that way? What is happening between the both of you? I do not understand, you have always had a strong friendship- Aurel was still sitting in the chair, too exhausted to have risen when Aragorn had entered or when he had exchanged words with Legolas. She was distraught, she did not like to think that something was happening between theElf and Man, the two she looked to for strength. But Legolas did not respond to her questions and it only made her more curious as to who Lothluin was. –Who is Lothluin to you?-

He ignored all her questions and only looked at her and said, "I haven't the time to explain myself to you now. You need rest and so do I."

-Why will you not answer my questions?-

"If I asked you to wait for my response, would you? When there are not more pressing matters I will explain everything to you, but not now, it is not important now. What is important is that we receive rest…is she well enough to be left alone?" asked Legolas, he looked at Aurel for a long time trying to read her eyes and when he found compassion in them he breathed a sigh of relief, better that she did not know about his betrothal, not yet.

Aurel stood nodding her head, -She should be fine on her own, but I cannot rest, there are many more that need tending to…the injured is many.-

"Let others tend to them." Said Legolas and he entwined his hand with hears, pulling her away from Lothluin's side. She let him pull her away, that was what she most needed, though she would never admit to it.

-Estel and you are acting so strangely.-

"We have all just experienced a terrible tragedy; battle is never easy, even if we have come out the victors at the moment." There was a pause, but they continued to walk away from the houses. Aurel looked around her and remembered sadly about Haldir.

-Haldir is fallen.-

"I know. I am sorry."

Aurel lowered her gaze to the ground, -This was not our battle, and we should not have been here. My father puts too much faith in men.-

"The battles would have been in our homes soon enough, better prepared than ignorant."

-Yes, but Man would not have come to our aid, had it been the other way around.-

"You do not know that. One must always have hope."

Aurel shuddered at his words, which so closely resembled what her father had said to her years ago. -Why? - It was a question meant for her own self, but she was not careful and Legolas had heard it.

"How else would you continue being? It is the hope that the sun will rise tomorrow, the hope that you will be there to witness it, the hope that evil will be defeated by good that leads us forward Aurel. We do not tarry backwards, not even in our dreams."