There had been only one time when Legolas had ever been that cold towards her. Back then, though, Tauriel had known the reason; after all, his father had betrayed the secret that the young prince had grown fond of her... and there had been someone else Tauriel had liked. Right now, she could not understand why he would be so brusque towards her.

Trying not to think too much of it, she leant back against the wall of the cavern and closed her eyes. Her body was still terribly sore after the battle, no matter how much she tried to pretend she was alright. Nevertheless, she could not bear the thought of Legolas getting to know that she was hurt. He would never let her follow him, and either would she be forced to turn back, or he would make her stay in Rivendell.

Slowly, she unfastened the ties of her blouse. Even for an experienced warrior encounter with the chief orc was nothing easy. She, however, had hoped that he would pull her into the same darkness she had sent him to. To her despair, not only had she not died but also, as she had learnt later on, it had been Legolas who had killed Bolg, not her.

In fact, she had also heard that it had been but a miracle that she was still alive; and yet, somehow she could not feel any happiness because of it.

Only the sole thought that Legolas needed her kept her alive, and it was the only reason why she was still able to breathe in and breathe out. On the other hand, though, she could not help but feel that it was a kind of betrayal. Her constant company could make him think she would ever let him be anything but a friend; and yet, she could not force herself to leave. Thus her behaviour seemed to be nothing but selfish.

Then how, in the earth, could she even wonder why he had been cold towards her?

A small grimace appeared on her face when she glanced at the bruises and cuts on her body. Some of the wounds had begun to bleed during their journey, so it was the best moment to stop it so Legolas would not discover this secret of hers. Even when he was back, she would not let him tend to her wounds, otherwise he would realise how bad was the state she was in.

Having finished, Tauriel quickly fastened up her clothing and stood up. Legolas had been gone for way too long and it was enough to make her worry. However, she could not hear any sounds of a battle, and she was not sure whether it was a good or bad omen.

Not thinking much, she grabbed her bow and rushed outside to look for her friend.

The darkness inside the forest was now even thicker than before; apparently the sun had already set and the night had come, waking strange creatures dwelling in the woods. Legolas was nowhere to be seen. Tauriel took a deep breath and looked around, listening carefully, hoping to sense any motion. However, she heard nothing.

Since elves weigh almost nothing, it was hard to find any trace of Legolas, so she needed to take that risk and simply make a choice.

There was no point in calling his name; after all, her voice could alarm the monsters living in the wilderness and it would put both her and the young prince in danger. Her hands were surprisingly calm and stable as she reached for the arrow. It was better to be ready for any attack. Elves were quick but sometimes they turned out to be too slow for the danger coming out of nowhere.

Something moved behind her. Without thinking much, she turned back, ready to shoot, but that was when she noticed she was aiming right at Legolas' face. He seemed to be surprised, but smiled.

"I would have never thought that you would be the one to shoot me, Tauriel," he said, putting his hand on her bow, coaxing her to lower it.

Tauriel breathed out and closed her eyes.

"I thought the spiders had found you," she explained. "You were gone for so long... what kept you there?"

Legolas frowned and turned back, glancing at the path that had led him there.

"I needed to make sure we are safe here," he explained.

"We can never be safe in a place like this," noticed Tauriel. Now, seeing that Legolas was safe and sound, her good mood returned.

"No, you're right," answered Legolas. "But I was sure I could see the webs on our way here... and I needed to check it. And, unfortunately, I was not wrong. No matter how much I hate it, they are there... webs and spiders... and there were also some signs that even orcs had had enough courage to plunge so deep into the forest..."

Tauriel bit her bottom lip, then hid the arrow into the quiver. She was ready to fight the spiders, but the news about orcs being there made her feel strangely uneasy. Never had she liked orcs, but now, after one of them had killed Kili, she felt she needed to take her revenge. Until now, never had she felt such bad emotions.

"You are trembling... come, let's go back to the cavern. I found athelas, so I will be able to tend to your wounds."

Without any response, Tauriel followed Legolas. Her mind, though, was still busy, and at some point she glanced back over her shoulder, imagining that the chief orc was following them. As if he had not died on the Ravenhill...

"Tauriel?"

Legolas' voice came as if from afar, and she had to force herself to turn towards him once again. Until now, she had not noticed that her hands were clenched on the bow, so hard that her knuckles whitened.

"I'm fine. Let's go," she replied, but Legolas could say that she did not sound like herself.

Not daring ask what she had seen in the forest, he only glanced in that direction, just to check if there was anything they should be afraid of, then put his hand on the small of her back and led her forwards.

Once they were safe in the small cavern, they sat down and Legolas began preparing athelas. Tauriel was strangely stiff, staring at some indeterminate spot in front of her. After a longer while, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I miss the times when you would tell me all of your worries, mellon nin," spoke Legolas, his voice gentle and quiet.

"Yet those times are long gone." Tauriel's voice, though as low as his, sounded anxious. "Times have changed, Legolas, and so have we. There are things... things we should not be talking about to each other."

"Back then, in the forest... you've seen something, haven't you? Something... or someone?"

"Let's not talk about it," she shifted a bit, turning her face away from him and wrapping her arms around herself. It was obvious that it was one of the secrets she wanted to keep to herself. Nevertheless, at the same time she wished she had someone she could share it with. Legolas, though, could not be this person.

"I am worried about you. You have been my friend since I remember. On the Ravenhill you have changed... Things you've seen and experienced..."

"I wish I hadn't had the chance to experience them." Her voice became sharp once again, and tears glistened in her eyes, though she did not let Legolas notice them. On the other hand, he could easily hear them in the sound of her voice. "The events of the battle have changed all of us. You aren't unchanged, either, Legolas. But we still need time –"

"Time will not make it any easier, Tauriel!" Legolas stood up. "You may believe it or not, but keeping this pain all to yourself will poison you."

"I have been poisoned enough. This one drop will change nothing."

Legolas let out a sigh, approaching Tauriel. Slowly he sat down and touched her hand.

"Then I will suck this poison out of your wounds. It can kill both of us, but I will not lose you, Tauriel."