May It Be

by ElvenScribes

Of the wife of Thranduil precious little was known. Nothing, it seemed, remained of her within the mighty halls of the Woodland Realm, not even memory. All vestiges of her existence had been wiped clean, she lived on only in the mind of Thranduil himself, and by all accounts it was her death that had driven him at least partly mad. This is a tale of family, of friendship, and love.

2. Chapter 2

The elf-maid's green cloak was tattered, stained, and dirty. Yet to Tauriel it was her dearest possession. This cloak had accompanied her since she had first encountered the dwarves, first met Kili... and she wore it now in silent memorium to him. The brave soul who had been smaller than her in stature but had stood so tall in spirit and heart. She had loved him, well and truly loved him, no matter how impossible that may have seemed, and it was that love and his subsequent death that had shaped her every move since that first day of meeting.

Now at last she returned to the Woodland Realm, though whether she would be welcomed there was another question entirely. Despite the fact that in the end Thranduil had, at least, understood and empathized with her pain, the mighty Elvenking had ultimately let her banishment stand. As a result Tauriel had been wandering Middle-Earth for the past eighty years, and her involvement in the War of the Ring, while legendary, had also been relatively unheard of among the Elvish population. They would be told of it ere long she supposed, for assuming that Thranduil granted her access she would be compelled to tell him of her adventures whether she preferred anonymity or not. Yet at present she was far more enticed by a more pleasant event that would be borne in the near future.

It had been eighty years since her banishment from the Woodland Realm, and also eighty years since she had seen her childhood friend Legolas. Much had she heard of him, one member of the Fellowship of the Ring which had ultimately led to victory over Sauron, and she greatly longed to see him again and hear of his adventures.

They had a long history it was true. There had been a time when Legolas had vied for her affections, and there had been a time when she had felt that she might be able to return them one day. Then she had met Kili and everything had changed. What Legolas felt for her now she did not know, but she hoped that at least a modicum of friendship would remain between them...and she looked forward to encountering him once again.

She sat in the crook of one of the tallest trees in Eryn Lasgalen, knowing full well that the blonde elf would pass through here on his way to the Elvenking's Halls. Sure enough she caught sight of a flash of blonde among the green of the underbrush, and with a grin she sprang nimbly down before him, pulling her bow taut as she did so and aiming it at him, certain that his would be facing her just as surely.

"It has been far too long my friend. Mae g'ovannen!" She added as an afterthought, beaming with delight, "you are well met!" It was infinitely delightful to see him once more, unharmed and wiser than before, an elf anyone would be proud to know, let alone call a friend.