~Misconceptions~

Legolas hated to admit it, he was feeling anxious. Aerlaer still had not made an appearance in the King's Hall. Had he upset her? Had he pushed her too far, by sleeping as he had beside her, well no, holding her? He frowned. No, she had thanked me. Yet, perhaps when she healed me, she did see my thoughts? Had he scared her away? Was she avoiding him?

"Legolas, yeh meant to eat that." Pulled from his worrying, Legolas glanced down to see the hunk of bread he had picked up earlier to eat, now lay in shreds upon the plate before him. "Lost yeh appetite, laddy?" Gimli pressed with a raised, bushy brow his way. Legolas shrugged.

"I find myself in need of air, too much stone." He made his quick albeit weak excuse and stood, abandoning his barely touched plate of food and strode from the hall.

Her door was closed and he made to knock, only to hesitate. Perhaps she was bathing? He certainly did not wish to disturb her if she were bathing, especially after the time in Fangorn! Pushing such thoughts away, he forced himself to knock on her door. There was no answer. He turned around and leant against the wall, wondering if she were in there ignoring him, or elsewhere.

He really needed to clear his head. Entering his own chambers, he quickly slung on his quiver and strung his bow, shouldering it. Exiting back into the corridor, he once again knocked on Aerlaer's door, in case she had not heard him the first time. Again, there was no answer. He let out a long sigh.

"Are you in need of assistance, my Lord?" Legolas glanced down the corridor to see a young maid approaching.

"Ah, yes in fact." He decided. "Would you know the whereabouts of Aerlaer?" The maid came to halt and curtsied before him.

"I am sorry my Lord, I do not but she is not in her chambers. Perhaps I can help you instead?" The maid offered and Legolas frowned. He didn't need a maids help, he needed to find Aerlaer.

"Thank you, but all the same, I am in search of her." He made to incline his head politely and leave but she spoke again.

"Forgive my naivety, but I did not think Elves who were not in union, shared their beds. If you wish, your items can be moved to the Lady Aerlaer's chamber." Legolas stared, mouth dropping, speechless at the maid's insinuations.

"I… no, that is. You are mistaken entirely." He struggled to explain. "Aerlaer was unwell last evening. She needed watching over." There, that should right this maid's wild assumptions.

"Oh…" She was momentarily silent, in thought. "My apologies, my Lord, I merely assumed she was perhaps your lover-"

"No, no, absolutely not." He cut over her, feeling bewildered at such a notion. "She is merely my companion." The maid nodded, taking a curious step forward, towards him, and then another.

"I understand, but surely you are in need of companionship of the other kind? After all, you have fought so bravely for the people of Rohan, and travelled so far."

"Pardon?" He simply could not believe this maid would possibly be suggesting, no, absolutely not.

"I would be honored to assist you in any way I can." This time she brazenly placed a hand on his chest, stroking it, and he understood her message loud and clear.

"No, I must decline, if you will excuse me." He quickly sidestepped away and feeling altogether put out, strode from the corridor, wondering at what had possessed the maid to act in such a way towards him.

He truly did wish to be outside in the fresh air now, and rounding a corner in a hurry, nearly collided into Éomer.

"Greetings Legolas, off to join Aerlaer?" He grinned cheerily.

"I… is she upon the training grounds?"

"Indeed, making quite a spectacle with those arrows of hers." He chuckled. "Have fun, Legolas." The man continued on his way, and Legolas made a beeline for the training grounds.

It took moments to sight her lone figure, gracefully drawing back and releasing an arrow to home in on her chosen target. There was nothing of the fear of the eve before, only deadly precision. Legolas grinned suddenly, a plan to perhaps help her overcome her fears, springing into his mind. Forgetting his earlier worries, he stalked towards her, quietly taking an arrow from his quiver.

…

Aerlaer had very quickly grown bored with shooting stationary targets and moved on to one suspended from a framework by two ropes which she had set to swinging from side to side.

From fifty feet, she shot a pattern of arrows into the moving target, starting with one at the bottom. She shot two more above the first one but slightly further apart and they hit the moving target in her desired spot with two simultaneous thwacks.

Grinning, she continued shooting two arrows at a time, gradually increasing the distance apart, by the span of her steady fingers, but keeping each above the last two she had shot. Just before she reached the top she brought the two arrows she shot in closer, creating two perfect curves in which she brought to a point and then finally finished with one more arrow.

She lowered her bow, satisfied with her accomplishment to the moving target to hear the taught sound of a bow string being drawn from close behind her. An arrow whistled past her ear and landed true in the middle of her arrow heart. She felt the air shift behind her and the presence of another behind her; the slight scent of woodlands giving the elf's identity away.

"Legolas." She breathed his name as she felt her pulse begin to speed up. She was not entirely ready to ace him, and all the confusion he brought.

"It is said the symbol of the heart resembles two real hearts resting beside each other." He said softly and she held in a shiver as his breath tickled her ear.

"That is true." She murmured, holding very still, afraid to move, unsure where he was going with this conversation.

"You are exceptionally skilled with a bow, but I think there is something we could work on. Do you trust me?" He whispered.

"Completely." She replied without hesitation and he chuckled deeply.

Slowly he brought his arms up and covered her eyes with his hands, blocking out the light. She let out a gasp of apprehension.

"Do not worry, you are the one in control." He murmured to her. "Listen carefully to the swing of the target. It can just be heard in the still air. I want you to shoot it."

Aerlaer realised now what he was doing, and her heart filled with warmth at the thoughtful gesture. She let herself relax and let all her focus turn to the direction of the swinging target. She listened acutely and sure enough, could detect the quiet sound of the rope creaking as the target swung from one side of the frame to the other.

Pulling an arrow from her quiver, relying on years of training to instinctively knock the arrow correctly, she drew the string back, close to her cheek. Her hand rested slightly too against Legolas's, where he covered her eyes, and she quickly forced that thought away, re-concentrating.

Her ears told her the target became silent as it swung into the middle of its range at its lowest point, and that is where she aimed and when the target became its quietest. She released her bowstring and was rewarded with a thwack as it hit the target. She grinned.

"Very good." Legolas said and Aerlaer could hear a hint of awe in his voice. How well had she done? "Now go again." she took another arrow and carefully listening again, realised she could just hear the sound of her last arrows fletch as it was swayed in the air. Alone, it sounded different to the close together fletches of her arrow heart.

Falling onto her hearing and instincts, she released her next arrow and heard the sound of splintering wood and then Legolas whistling under his breath. "You would drive a very hard competition." He said and let his hands fall away from her eyes and rested them lightly on her bare shoulders, still standing behind her.

"Oh." Aerlaer said as she realised she had somehow managed to get her first arrow in the center of the target, right next to Legolas's and then her second arrow had split her first right down the center.

"Yes, oh." Chuckled Legolas and she craned her neck around to grin up into his brightly smiling face as he looked down with sparkling brown eyes. There really is only a hand different between us in height. Suddenly those four inches seemed very proximate. Her breath caught as his eyes gazed down into hers, as intensely as they had when she had awoken. Say something. She silently thought and then his expression turned to one of curiosity.

"You smell like honey." He stated and she gave a short, light laugh.

"I was in the kitchens with Rodwen." She replied. "Suffice to say I should not be allowed in a kitchen where there are sweet substances." She unconsciously licked her bottom lip, still tasting the hint of the sweet, gold liquid. She was surprised to see the other Elf's eyes darken as they flittered briefly to her lips, reminding her of the eve they had faced each other in knife play. Suddenly he let go of her and took a step back.

"I'll reset the target, see if I can do as well as you." He said quickly and jogged effortlessly towards the now barely moving target leaving her standing there, bow still in hand, heart pounding.

…

Elrohir sat silently upon a wall, hidden by the shade of a taller building observing the rather interesting scene in play on the target range below him. "Kiss her you idiot Sinda." He muttered under his breath as he watched his friend and his cousin together.

Legolas suddenly strode away towards the target Aerlaer had been shooting, leaving Aerlaer looking slightly stunned as she watched him. "Wuss, why are you running away from her?" Elrohir chuckled as he took a bite out of an apple, crunching it dexterously. Legolas removed the three center arrows, leaving Aerlaer's heart symbol on the target and set it swinging before jogging back to her.

The wood-Elf stopped before her grinning and talking as if the earlier moment had not occurred and then turned with bow in hand as Aerlaer stepped behind him and reached up to cover his eyes.

Elrohir watched with baited breath as Legolas raised his bow, fitting an arrow to it and aimed towards the target. The arrow flew to land neatly in the center as Aerlaer's had done and Elrohir let out a low whistle of appreciation under his breath.

He was undoubtedly witnessing two of the best archers in Middle Earth. It was a rare Elf who could hit a moving target with their eyes covered. He knew he would struggle to even hit the target. Like Elrond, his strength was in swords-work. Also, he had not been subject to intense training as Aerlaer had been thrown into by Falas, and from what he had heard from Legolas, he knew Thranduil had challenged his son in every way to produce perhaps the most lethal Elf of the Third Age.

He watched as Legolas shot two more arrows into the center of the target and then as Aerlaer removed her hands from his face and he heard the tenor of Legolas's laugh as he saw the target. Elrohir smirked. The two Elves below him might be the epitome of perfection in weaponry but his sight and hearing were exceptional even for an Elf and it made mischievous spying very easy from a distance. He could easily see the cheerful expressions of both Elves below and hear their every word.

"Well it appears we are evenly matched." He heard Legolas say.

"You are lucky I have not my sword on me or I would challenge you to a duel." Aerlaer said airily with a smirk and Elrohir sniggered. I bet a sword fight between them would end in them both tangled on the ground like the knives.

"Very lucky." Legolas chuckled and Elrohir was sure he saw relief on the blonde Elf's face. As if he didn't enjoy that knife fight. He watched as Legolas ran over to the target and removed the arrows he had shot, again leaving Aerlaer's heart untouched.

"I could teach you a little bit of healing?" He heard Aerlaer say almost hesitantly. Since when is Legolas interested in healing? Not once had he asked Elladen or I, or even Ada to learn how to heal.

"Healing? Oh yes we could do that." Legolas answered almost haltingly. As he walked back towards her "What do we need?" Elrohir heard him ask.

"Throw me one of your knives please." Aerlaer instructed and the blonde Elf automatically whipped his hand behind him and pulled out one of his fighting knives and with a smooth flick, sent it flying towards Aerlaer. Elrohir bit back a cry out as Aerlaer raised her left arm and the blade cut into the inside of her forearm.

"Aerlaer!" Legolas cried out horrified and bounded the remaining few meters to her. "Oh Manwë!" He gasped. "Aerlaer I am so sorry!" Elrohir held back a laugh at Legolas practically losing his acorns over the cut as Aerlaer calmly smirked at him.

"Now you have something to heal." She shrugged and Elrohir bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the facial expressions which crossed Legolas's features.

"You did that on purpose?" He said in shock and Aerlaer nodded, an amused look upon her face.

"Yes, now are you going to come here and heal it or shall I just bleed out?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow and Elrohir could see the wood-Elf's face pale significantly.

"Breathe, relax. I'm not dying." Aerlaer laughed, reassuring him. Elrohir had to hand it to her, she'd effectively thrown Legolas in the deep end with this wound. He would have to heal veins, muscle and tendons as well as skin and he warranted Aerlaer would make sure he learnt how to heal without leaving a scar. It was a lot of work for someone who had never healed before. Aerlaer clearly has a high level of faith and trust in him to allow herself an injury like that.

"Okay I'm relaxed." Legolas said. "Aerlaer are you in pain?" He asked worriedly and she chuckled.

"Nothing I cannot handle myself in a calm state of mind." Legolas nodded.

"Ok place your right hand over the cut." Aerlaer instructed and Elrohir watched as hesitantly, Legolas placed his hand over the slowly bleeding wound and Aerlaer placed her hand over his. "Close your eyes." She said softly and then she began to speak so softly that even Elrohir could not hear her.

…

"Let your mind concentrate on the blood which is flowing beneath your hand. How does it feel to you?" Legolas cleared his mind, focusing solely on the blood ebbing slowly beneath his palm. It felt thickly wet and warm and he was sure he was missing a vital step, or perhaps he just could not heal, and then he felt it.

"Is that your life-force?" He whispered to her, what he now sensed, akin to the life-force of a tree, but certainly different, more active. The feeling was magical, it was life itself.

"Yes." She murmured in reply. "Our blood passes through our hearts and it is there, our lifeforce dwells in its full force. Our blood carries but a quarter of it around our bodies. Depending on the strength of the life-force in the one who needs to be healed, you can either use only your lifeforce to heal them or use theirs too if it is another Elf. Although, it is easier to use your own.

Now you understand what life-force feels like, concentrate on letting some of yours flow to your hand." Legolas concentrated carefully on sending the feeling running through his veins to his hand. His hand slowly began to feel tingly.

"You've done it." Aerlaer whispered and he opened an eye and peeked down at his hand. A silvery glow shone faintly between his palm and her arm.

"Now it is pooled in your hand, you can concentrate on my arm again. You now need to find the damage to my vein. The beauty of life-force is it will always welcome another's life-force and mine will willingly guide yours to where the damage is." Legolas let himself think of the damaged vein and sure enough he could suddenly picture it clearly in his mind. This is incredible.

"Now you must will the vein to repair itself." He could see where the vein had been severed through and in his mind, he imagined both sides reattaching to each other and the fibers of the vein walls knitting together.

"You've done it." Aerlaer's quiet voice sounded pleased. "Now look for the damaged ligaments and will them to heal too." He sought out the sinewy tissue and again imagined them repairing themselves and then he moved on to the damage to her muscles remembering what Aerlaer had explained to him about how muscles grow and repair. He studiously worked from the deepest damage, slowly causing the fibrous tissue to re-join smoothly until he had reached the outer layer of the muscle.

"You're doing perfectly." Aerlaer encouraged and he began to work on healing the skin.

"How do I make sure I do not leave a scar?" He asked, realizing he'd hate to be responsible for marring her perfect, creamy skin.

"When you heal the skin tissue, concentrate on ensuring the skin joins up accordingly to the other side." He started from one end, carefully connecting each of the layers of skin, making sure they joined up flawlessly in his mind.

"Open your eyes." Aerlaer said softly and he opened them warily, worried there would be a scar or possibly worse. He was pleasantly surprised as Aerlaer gently lifted his hand from her arm that apart from her blood, which had been spilt, there was no evidence she had been wounded at all.

"I healed you." He stated aloud, more to convince himself that what he was seeing was real.

"You healed me." Aerlaer laughed lightly. "I knew you could." She smiled brightly.

"And you didn't help me?" Legolas asked still having trouble comprehending he had healed her himself.

"No, it was all you." She gave him another warm smile and he felt a smile spread across his own face.

"We better wash this blood off, follow me." He realised she was still holding his hand and he let her lead him to a wash trough outside the hut-like building which housed training equipment.

"I should break one of my cousin's arms next so you can practice healing a broken bone. Perhaps, Elrohir's?" Aerlaer said clearly and Legolas looked at her strangely.

"He has been observing my teaching from up on the wall." Aerlaer whispered with a soft laugh. "He thinks his hearing is second to none but I can hear the crunch of an apple from a mile off."

"Ah then he is likely up to no good."

"But of course."

"We should play a trick on him." Legolas whispered and was delighted to see Aerlaer's eyes light up.

"He is stuffing his face with apples; it would be such a pity if he should lose one as he went to take a bite out of it." Aerlaer snickered quietly, looking at him imploringly and he gave her a brief smirk of understanding.

"Shall we continue our archery practice?" Legolas said in a normal voice.

"Yes, I think we should." Aerlaer replied. "We'll shoot from sixty meters away this time." Legolas nodded as together they walked to the seventy feet this time.

"Right of us, in the shaded part on the wall." Aerlaer murmured as she sighted the dark-haired Elf in her peripheral vision. "thirty feet away." Legolas nodded and facing the targets knocked an arrow to his bow and drew the string back to his cheek. He could just see Elrohir in the corner of his eye, holding an apple up, inspecting it.

"Now." Aerlaer whispered and turning, he quickly sighted the apple and released the arrow.

"Ai!" Elrohir squeaked as the apple flew out of his hand, an arrow through it. The Elf jumped in fright and nearly toppled off the wall. Legolas roared with laughter at the sight of his mischievous friend, beside him Aerlaer was shaking in uncontrollable mirth.

"Ah! I am terribly sorry Elrohir, I seemed to have missed my practice target!" Legolas called to the dark-haired Elf who glared at them indignantly.

"This is war, you Sinda scum!" Elrohir cried out and Legolas laughed harder. "Aerlaer blood is thicker than water, join me or prepare to be glancing warily over your shoulder wherever you go!" Elrohir called down to them, fighting to keep a smirk from forming on his own face.

"I don't know cousin, one cannot choose their relatives in blood but they can choose their allies over a chalice of clear wine and that is akin to water I think." Aerlaer called to him, laughing. "I think I'll side with the Sinda scum."

"So be it! You've been warned! Prepare for the unexpected!" Elrohir taunted down to them and then vanished from the wall.

"We have undoubtedly just started something." Legolas chuckled as he turned to Aerlaer.

"When he declares war, he means it." She laughed. "Unfortunately, he might spend an hour planning his revenge, or he might spend years and he'll get Elladen in on it too."

"Years?" Legolas asked, intrigued.

"Years." Aerlaer laughed again. "Aerthor tricked him brilliantly once and Elrohir spent half a decade plotting the perfect revenge and executing it all so my brother would be unsuspecting. We were always pranking one another in some way."

"What did he do?"

"He got Aerthor extremely drunk and when he had fallen asleep he carefully tied his hair in knots to a bushy tree he had fallen asleep against. All Imladris heard his cries of indignity as Arwen dotingly untangled it for him. Effectively he was very late for a council meeting which he turned up too with his hair in disarray with twigs and leaves in it and Elladen started a rumor, he'd spent the evening with some Elleth being very un-Elf like." Aerlaer grinned as Legolas chortled.

"Your poor brother! It really does sound like our upbringings were quite different in a sense." He mused and Aerlaer quirked her head to the side considering him.

"Would you tell me how yours was?"

"Lady Aerlaer!" Legolas turned as Aerlaer did to see Éowyn running towards them.

"What is it?" Aerlaer asked worriedly.

"It is Farrah, she is in labor but something is wrong which our healers cannot help her with." Éowyn replied fearfully.

"Where is she?" Aerlaer asked as she unslung her quiver and bow and Legolas took them from her.

"Come this way." Éowyn spun on her heal and raced off.

"We'll have to continue our conversation another time." Aerlaer said apologetically to Legolas as she bounded after the other lady.

…

Legolas strode back towards the King's halls, a quiver slung on each shoulder humming to himself, thinking about lifeforces when the air beside him shifted and Elrohir landed gracefully beside him, falling into step.

"Aiding her in archery? Really Legolas? How very uninspiring of you." Elrohir drawled out beside him and he gave the Noldor Elf a cool glare before facing ahead again.

"My dear idiot Legolas, next time kiss her." Elrohir snickered and Legolas turned his head indignantly to Elrohir but the other Elf had vanished.

"It was only archery practice." He muttered darkly, and he was sure he heard the receding sound of Elf laughter.

Greatly annoyed to find that Elrohir had been watching him and Aerlaer the entire time, he stalked up the stairs to the hall. A flicker caught his eye on the horizon and he stopped and looked properly. It was a flame. No, not just a flame, a beacon. He raced into the hall startling Aragorn, Éomer, Gamling and the King.

"The Beacons are lit!" he cried out to them and Aragorn raced past him and out the entrance to see for himself, followed by the others.

"Gondor calls for aid!" Aragorn said as the King came to stand beside him.

"And Rohan will answer." Théoden stated after a moment of surveying the far of flame. He turned to Éomer. "Assemble the army at Dunharrow, as many men as can be found. You have two days. Éomer nodded and Théoden placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders. "On the third, we ride for Gondor. And war." He released Éomer and the man raced off and then he turned to Gamling.

"My Lord?"

"Make haste across the Riddermark. Summon every able-bodied man to Dunharrow." Théoden instructed and bowing, Gamling departed hastily. The King turned now to he and Aragorn.

"We must leave immediately it is a day and a half, to two-day ride to Dunharrow." He explained and Legolas nodded beside Aragorn as they followed the King back into his hall. I will let you both prepare to leave and find your companions." The King dismissed them and he and Aragorn went in search of the others.

They found Merry and Gimli reclined on the stair heading up towards their guest chambers just as a bell began to toll form the square.

"What is happening?" Merry asked uncertainly, looking from Legolas and then to Aragorn.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith are lit, Gondor calls for aid. We are to make haste to leave immediately." Aragorn answered and raced up the stair, Legolas following him. Merry and Gimli trailed behind.

"Where is Aerlaer, and the twins?" Aragorn asked.

"Aerlaer is tending to healing matters in the city and Elrohir I have seen but not Elladen." Legolas replied.

"Pack and then find them." Aragorn instructed. "I must go to Halbarad." The four companions dashed into their respective chambers to quickly pack.

...

"The bell is tolling; the King is calling his soldiers to rank." Éowyn said worriedly as she and Aerlaer strode briskly towards the King's hall. Elladen and Elrohir appeared beside them.

"We're going to war." Elladen said as the twins walked with them up the stairs. "Gondor calls for aid." Aerlaer saw a brief flash of apprehension cross Éowyn's face.

"When are we leaving?" Aerlaer asked cautiously as she glanced to see the beacons were indeed lit, glowing faintly in the late morning light.

"Right now. Hurry and pack and meet us in the square, we go now to help the Rangers." The twins dashed away as Aerlaer and Éowyn leapt up the stairs.

"I will be riding with you a little way." Éowyn said and Aerlaer heard the higher note in her voice. She is scared and rightly so, we have no idea what we are riding to.

"I'll see you in the square then, thank you for your help with Farah." Aerlaer gave the young woman a smile and was rewarded with a bright grin.

"It was an honor to be a part of bringing life into the world and such a beautiful little soul he is." Éowyn said happily and Aerlaer nodded as they walked through the hall.

"Always remember even when it feels as if death is everywhere, there is always life." She said.

"And even in the evilest situations, love can prevail." Éowyn added mysteriously as they both went their separate ways.

Aerlaer reached her chamber to find her quiver, bow and sword resting on the end of her bed with a note and a cloth bag with something in it and another note on top of it and a large slice of the honey bread. She unfolded the parchment on the cloth bag.

Dear Aerlaer,

I wish you all the graces of the Valar.

Two dresses are enclosed; Nellwyn has instructed you

are not to look upon them until you have killed all the Orcs.

Be safe, my friend, and as for our earlier discussion,

I believe everything will work out.

Rodwen.

Aerlaer smiled as she folded the letter again and then picked up the other note, opening it to reveal an elegant scrawl.

It seems we now make haste to Gondor,

I have sharpened your sword and knives, and checked and waxed your bowstring.

Meet me in the square.

Yours

L

P.S. I stole some of your honey bread.

She chuckled as she looked toward the slice of bread and saw that it had a rather large chunk bitten out of it. The cheek of him. She grinned as she sought out the soft traveling duffle and tore open the wardrobe to gather essential garments for the journey and the possibility they would be staying in Minas Tirith.

She added the two notes to her bag and then packed the small pouch which contained her tiara and the Seastone. She quickly threw her hair into a loose side braid, leaving more loose strands framing her face than usual in her haste and, adjusting her sword belt so it wrapped securely around her quiver, shrugged all the weapons over her shoulder and picking up what Legolas had left of the bread, her cloak and bedroll, dashed out of the chamber and towards the square.

The King and a large group of his soldiers along with Éowyn and Legolas and Gimli were present in the square. Aerlaer jogged over to where the Elf and Dwarf stood beside a ready saddled Arod and she secured her belongings to the back of his saddle where Legolas had already secured his own.

"Enjoy my honey bread?" She asked Legolas, raising a brow at him enquiringly.

"Yes, it was very good." He replied with a mischievous grin.

Aragorn rode up towards them with Merry who was astride a plucky looking brown pony with white markings. Elrohir and Elladen, clad in silver mail under pale grey cloaks, rode on either side of him followed by Taurorn, Halbarad and the rest of the Rangers, clad in their mysterious cloaks of grey.

"We make haste to Dunharrow. "The King addressed them all. "Although we must ride swiftly, we will rest this evening so we have strength for when we reach Gondor. The hour is high, we ride!"

The riders leapt up into their saddles and Aerlaer shifted to horse, as the large group of riders made their way along the city road and to the gates. There, the horses streaming out over the plains, tails flying like banners as their riders set them into a gallop away southeast of Edoras, in line of the great mountain range.