The breathless silence of the Greenwood was broken suddenly by the metallic clink that accompanied the kissing of the arrowheads, and with that single ringing sound it seemed that the forest woke once again. A bird trilled past the two elves, singing a little diddy as it flew, and a soft wind suddenly sighed through the branches of the trees, caressing Tauriel's face and making her smile, it was good to be home.

It was odd, the way a single relatively insignificant event could loom so large in a single moment, with every exquisite detail etched into vivid memory. For Tauriel this was one such moment, standing with her feet placed lightly on the hardened ground, facing her old friend once again. The earth was cool to the touch but, beneath the shelter of the trees, the frost which still held sway over the open meadows had retreated, leaving it cool but not icy. The colours of the forest bloomed in her vision, the rich greens and heavy browns melding together while the earthy scent of a healthy woodland tickled her nostrils.

For many years past Tauriel had seen little of the sun and forests. Her journey had taken her into the earthen homes in which Kili would have existed, the great kingdoms beneath the mountains being her abode for many years. The love she had shared with Kili, foreign as it was to the rest of the dwarves, had earned her their trust in spite of it's oddity, and in having the trust of the dwarves of Erebor she had found many doors open to her beyond that one dwarvish kingdom.

All of this and more she knew she would have to share with Legolas, and on some level she feared doing so. He had stood by her throughout their dealings with the dwarves, even though it had undoubtedly pained him deeply to see her falling for a dwarf over him, and yet ultimately she had let him down and turned away from whatever feelings he held for her. A rift like that could be difficult to mend, and while he seemed pleased to see her now, she wondered how he would feel after further time spent in her presence. Tauriel supposed that, as with most things, she would simply have to hope for the best.

His reply to her words caused the elf-maid to smile and duck her head, relieved and pleased that he seemed to be as happy to see her as she was to see him.

"Truthfully I had feared you might not be so pleased to see me." She admitted softly, lowering her bow in her stead and slipping it onto her back, placing the arrow into its quiver. Much had passed in the time since they had last seen each other, and while both remained the same in body and memory...they were very different in spirit now. She paused for a few brief moments to study him before smiling. "Lle maa quel."*

Tauriel meant it too, given that he had been on, perhaps, the most dangerous quest of them all. Legolas seemed to stand taller now, more sure of himself in a different way than he had been when they had parted. It was more than mere confidence that he possessed, it was a sort of certainty, as though he knew his place in the world and was secure in it. Oddly he reminded her of some sort of forest cat; powerful, certain, and beautiful.

The elf-maid grinned at him, the suddenly youthful expression on her face lighting her eyes and standing in stark contrast to the worn material of her clothes. "What has happened to my childhood friend!" She exclaimed with an easy laugh, stepping closer to Legolas and surveying him once more with an amused glance. "You have the look of a true prince to you now." Tauriel voiced ruefully, aware of the ringing truth in those words and feeling suddenly distant from him again.

The two of them may have been childhood friends, and had now gone through events that would have made them equals on the battlefield, but in peace time the difference in their class was once more apparent, and there was nothing Tauriel could do to stop it from influencing things. Thranduil had made his position clear enough on the matter, and Tauriel would not come between them, not again.

"Hîr vuin."** She murmured dryly, sweeping into an elegant and respectful curtsy, knowing that it would likely drive him somewhat mad to have her treating him like royalty. Still, it was something he had best become accustomed to quickly, after all she could never be anything more to him than a loyal subject. A brief quiver of surprise struck her with that thought, had she hoped for more? It was a startling thought, and her mind flew back to memories of Kili. A part of Tauriel had always felt that one day Legolas' and her might be together, but in meeting Kili she had found that Legolas' feelings for her began to seem to be more a sort of infatuation than a true love, and she had doubted the feelings would linger.

Standing now before the elf whom had been her friend for so very long, Tauriel wondered if she had been wrong to believe that. Yet if, and it was in her mind a very large if, Legolas still harboured some sort of feelings for her, the grim reality was that they could still never come to fruition. Whether Tauriel's heart changed in the nature of it's affection for him or not, King Thranduil would never permit his beloved son to marry below his station, he had made that abundantly clear.

Not wishing to dwell on the subject further, Tauriel took a step away from Legolas and inclined her head deeper into the forest in the direction of the Elvenkings Halls. "Shall we go to see your father? I may not be welcome, I do not know whether your father's heart has changed in regards to my banishment." Tauriel spoke softly, pulling her eyes away from those of Legolas to look towards her childhood home. She dearly longed to return, yet knew that it was not as simple as that. "Perhaps it would be better if I stayed here..." she mused thoughtfully, curious to see where Legolas would stand on this issue.

*You look well

**My lord