To all my readers, I am very sorry that it has taken me so long to post this new chapter, and I am glad for your patience. Life got pretty crazy for awhile, but I am back! Please note that I have recently revised chapters 1-6 to account for a few new story lines, and to fix the pace at which my story was progressing. In order to get the full experience of this story, please make sure to read the revised versions of the first 6 chapters of this story. Happy reading!

Chapter 7

The fog was beginning to lift as they neared the camp. Those sitting inside were already packed, and the horses stood near the entrance ready to go. Thalion stepped forward to greet Legolas as the two slowed to a stop near the entrance of the cave.

"It looks like the two of you have seen some action," he noted looking at Aranel's dusty form. She blushed and looked down at her feet, not wanting to explain in front of everyone how she had been distracted and fallen.

Luckily, Legolas saved her, "We ran into a scout and he put up a bit of a fight. Aranel was able to distract him so I could shoot him." She grind at his lie, but continued looking down. The others seemed to buy it though as Thalion came up and clapped Legolas on the back and moved to get on his horse with the others. Glancing up, Aranel nodded in thanks to Legolas for covering for her. He simply nodded back and went to fetch his things from the cave.

They were both quiet as the packed their bags, and Legolas rolled up the bedding. Aranel couldn't help but think back to how they had almost kissed after she had fallen. "Maybe he wasn't trying to kiss me at all! Maybe I just imagined it. Why would he try and kiss me anyway? It would make no sense. We would never be able to be together anyway… Would we?" She stood and turned from him then.

"I will meet you outside." Without looking back, she walked forward and out of the cave. Her horse was tethered up to a nearby tree, and as she walked over, it lifted its head. She reached up and ran her hand down its long black mane. This horse had been her friend for many years. She was tall and a chestnut brown color with a beautiful black mane and tail. She was gentle but brave, and had ridden into many battles with Aranel. Now, she whinnied at her. Turning to make sure no one was looking, Aranel took an apple from her pack and gave it to the horse. She then untied her and mounted.

Legolas was on his horse, at the front of the group. His white stallion was a perfect compliment to him, tall and strong. The group continued on then, up the rocky path and toward the looming peaks of the mountains.

The terrain was not easy to ride on, and for many portions they had to walk along side their horses. As the days went by, the few tress that dotted the side of the mountains were beginning to show signs of fall. Their leaves were turning bright orange and red, and in the mornings they were covered in dew. Steadily on they climbed, until they reached the mountain pass.

They had stopped for a quick break at the entrance to one of the mountain passes, and Aranel took the time to gaze back over the way they had come. Standing on an outcropping of rock, she could see the plains rippling out over the land below, and far off in the distance a haze that was the edge of the forest. There had been no sign of orcs since the morning they left the cave, and it made her anxious. On her way to Greenwood their party had come across packs of orcs almost daily and they had been traveling the main road between the two realms. This path they were taking now was far to the north, in lands that we known to be crawling with orcs. And yet, they had not seen one in days. Something wasn't right, and she could feel it.

The company was beginning to gather at the entrance of the pass, and Aranel looked over to see Legolas talking with several of his soldiers. He happened to look up and see her staring at him, and smiled over at her. She just looked away, unable to meet his eyes. They had hardly spoken in the days since they left the cave, and she knew he was confused as to why. She just simply couldn't let him be a distraction to her. It would put not only her life at risk if she made another mistake, but more importantly his life as well.

She hopped down from the rock she had been standing on, and mounted her horse. Coming to ride next to a few of her fellow soldiers from Rivendell, they rode on into the pass.

Jagged rock rose up on either side around them and a sharp wind whipped through the pass, stinging their eyes. The path ahead was narrow, and was only big enough for two horses to pass through at a time. "It will be a death trap for all of us if we are attacked in here," Aranel thought as she looked back to see the entrance of the pass slowly growing smaller and smaller behind them, until finally it disappeared.

Looking ahead, she hoped they would make it through the long miles ahead. Under any other circumstance they wouldn't have gone this way, but there was a cave very close to the exit of the pass. Inside that cave was where the creature Gollum had last been seen.

They rode on in silence until nightfall. Everyone went to bed quickly, and little commotion was made. Four elves sat out at a time that night, to keep watch, two on either side of the camp. The others slept huddled up against the stone walls, as the wind howled in the darkness of the pass.

In the early hours before dawn, Legolas woke his company. It was early and they were all tired, but with an early start they could be out of the pass by nightfall that evening.

When they finally reached the end of the pass it was only early evening. They had made good time that day, and everyone was glad to be free of the confines of the pass. They found the entrance to the cave just beyond the pass, and made camp in front of it. They had all evening to relax and rest, and Legolas decided that they were in need of a good meal. He finished setting up his bedding by where Aranel had dropped her pack, he was insistent she slept on it instead of him, and then went to find Thalion. He found him starting a fire and chatting with Aranel. As he approached, she grew quiet and started to move away.

"Aranel, please stay for a moment," he called to her. Turning to Thalion, he spoke again, "We are all in need of a good meal tonight wouldn't you say?"

"Absoultely my Lord!" He turned his head to the side with a mocked thinking expression on his face, "If only there were a small forest nearby where we could hunt." He looked to Legolas grinning then, and picked up his bow off the ground.

Legolas broke out in a wide grin as well, and turned to Aranel, "Please keep watch over the camp for me. We will be back in an hour or so." He then followed after Thalion, and they jogged off down the path.

Aranel had watched them leave, and then busied herself with helping to set up the camp. All too soon the beds were rolled out, the fire was going, and she had nothing left to do but sit and wait. The others were all sitting around the fire laughing and talking, and after a while of staring off down the path she walked over and joined them.

Time seemed to fly by, and when she looked up at the sky again hours later the sun was beginning to set. Legolas and Thalion still hadn't returned. She excused herself from the group and went over to the side of the path they had left down earlier. It was empty. Walking back to where she had left her weapons she picked up her sword, quiver, and bow. Taking a last glance at the rest of the group by the fire, she turned and started off down the path to look for them in the setting sun.

As she walked the unease she had felt the day before grew inside her. "Why haven't we seen another living soul in days? Is this some kind of trap? Did Legolas and Thalion walk into it?" The last thought made her stop cold. They could have been attacked out here. They could be dead! Her heart started beating faster as her mind filled with images of Legolas lying somewhere dead. His beautiful blonde hair falling around him, as blood pooled underneath him from wounds made by orcs.

Pushing these thoughts from her mind, she ran. She ran with only the single thought of finding him.

When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she realized she had no idea where she was. She had found the forest they had gone to hunt in, but had lost the path in the process. Tall tress loomed up around her, as the sun sank lower in the sky and the darkness crept in.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, and placed her hand on a nearby tree. Concentrating, she opened her mind to let the forest talk to her. And talk it did. She moved forward, opening her eyes, and let the whispers of the woods guide her. In no time at all she could begin to see the tress clearing slightly ahead, and the path beyond. She also began to hear voices. Coming closer, she saw Legolas and Thalion coming up the path. Thalion had four rabbits and a few grouse thrown over his back, and they were talking and laughing together.

Aranel felt a little embarrassed that she had ran off after them expecting the worse, and here they were, two friends having a relaxing evening hunting. Safe and sound. As they approached where she was standing behind a large pine tree she debated stepping out and joining them. Just as she was about to, she caught what they were saying.

"Don't tell me you don't have feelings for her!" Thalion boasted, grinning at Legolas.

"Well, even if I did I don't see why it matters," he shook his head, and Thalion stopped walking.

"Of course it matters. You deserve happiness just as much as the rest of us Legolas, maybe more. I have seen you time and time again sacrifice your happiness for that of your people's, your soldier's. It is time you experience it in return."

They were silent for a moment before Legolas spoke, "But should it be at the price of our success?" He looked up at Thalion, his face hard. "This quest is of great importance to all of Middle-Earth. How can my own happiness be of more importance that the freedom and lives of those across this world?" Thalion had no answer to this so Legolas continued. "No. I will not let Aranel be a distraction that keeps me from doing my duty. In the first days of this trip I allowed it, and it almost got the both of us killed. This is not a risk I can afford to take."

Thalion nodded, but kept his head down. "Come, we must be getting back. It is late, and I'm sure everyone is hungry."

The two continued on down the road, oblivious to Aranel watching in the shadows. Once they were well out of sight, she came out and leaned against the front of the tree. "There is my answer right there. I am a distraction to him. A risk." She slowly slid down to sit in the grass, and didn't move for a long time. Inside, she only felt numb. Her heart was broken, and she didn't even understand why. She had had the same thoughts about him. The last few days had all been spent with few words between them, so that he wouldn't be a distraction for her. Yet, hearing him speak what she had been thinking left her feeling empty. Legolas would never have loved her. He never would have married her. Se was not adequate Princess material and she knew it. So why did this hurt so much?

The moon rose into the sky, a pale crescent shape against the darkness. Still she sat there, thinking, but feeling nothing. When she finally pulled herself out of her thoughts, it was well after midnight. She stood slowly, and walked back to camp. Everyone was asleep when she returned, and the fire was almost completely out. She made her way over to where she had left her things, and saw the empty sleeping mat lying there for her. Tears coming to her eyes, she looked over to where Legolas lay a few yards away, and reached down to pick up the mat. Looking at it, she felt anger rise inside her, and she threw it on the other side of her pack. Taking off her weapons, she carefully laid them down in the dirt, and then laid down beside them on the hard ground. Pulling her pack closer to use as a pillow, she stared off into the night, tears quietly sliding down her cheeks.