Dedication: This one is for glassary, one of my most faithful reviewers. *hugs*


CHAPTER THIRTEEN


It was like being in Mirkwood again, Legolas thought, as he pulled the bow from his back and started aiming. Beside him, he heard the twang of the bow as Tauriel released her arrow. He had missed this: the way they would train side by side. He had missed the way she would ask for clarifications, before executing each stroke. They were in their own little world, whenever they trained together. And it was immensely satisfying to see her improving by the day. She still had a long way to go before she would be ready to fight properly, but she was getting there. He had to fight the urge to smile as she picked up another quiver from the ground beneath her. She certainly was determined to get there. The day after she told him his story, she had gone to speak with Lord Elrond. Their training had resumed almost immediately.

"Still no news from Lorien?" Tauriel chanced, as she watched him loose another arrow.

"No," he answered. Five more days had passed since Aegnir had awoken, and Legolas was getting worried. He knew it took longer to journey to Lorien from Mirkwood than to Rivendell, but the days were passing swiftly, and with each week that passed, he lost more hope to find the missing elves. That was, of course, their main reason in journeying.

"Do you think something has gone wrong?" she asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "There has been a delay, I am sure, but I do not think any harm has come to them. If there had, we would have heard about it by now," bad news traveled quicker than good, and it had been too silent for either. Not that he wanted to leave yet, if he was to be honest.

"Aegnir is getting worried," she had shot her arrows, and was waiting for him to finish his.

"What has he told you?" he asked not without curiosity. He had spoken little with Aegnir ever since the day he had visited him in his room. Aegnir had, instead, been spending many of his walking days with Tauriel. And if Legolas cared to admit it, he would have said that the prospect of them together made him a bit uncomfortable.

She thought, momentarily distracted from watching him. "He told me that you need to leave soon, and look for the missing elves before they were gone."

He did not answer her, and chose to pull out another arrow instead.

"But he also said he was nervous of what you would find," she added.

He stilled, the arrow held in his hand. He lowered his arms and looked towards Tauriel, who was also looking expectantly at him. "What did he mean?" he asked.

She shook her head, but for a moment he saw her frown.

He sighed, but did not take heed of her unexpected discomfort. "Shall we?" he gestured at the target.

She nodded and followed as he led the way. Since they were the only ones there, they did not have to wait for others to finish before retrieving their arrows. That saved them time. Legolas cast a glance towards the sky. The sun was reaching its peak, but the cool wind contested the supposedly prickling heat.

It was when they were pulling the arrows out of the target that Tauriel paused. She looked at the fletch jutting out, as if considering, and then spoke up. "Aegnir told me about the arrow," she said.

Her voice was no more than a whisper, but they were only a few inches apart. If he leaned in just a little bit closer, their arms would be touching. He heard every word. "How did he know?" he asked.

"Lord Elrond told him," she answered as she looked back at the target. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, and he heard the hint of betrayal in her voice. "I saw it once, that night, at the campsite by the mountains. You showed it to me, but you didn't tell me. Why? Don't you trust me?"

Legolas did not speak. He remembered how he had asked her the very same words just a few days ago, and now here he was, earning the very same words. But more than anything, the hurt look in her eyes bothered him the most. "Of course I trust you," was all he managed to say.

She raised a brow then sighed as she went back to the arrows. "Alright then," she said, but she did not bother to hide the anger in her eyes. Her lips were pursed as she pulled each arrow out vehemently, and did not look at him again.

"Tauriel," he started but she did not respond.

When all the arrows were gathered—forcefully, he might add—she turned around quickly, her hair whipping behind her. "Tauriel," he said again, firmly. This time he caught her by the wrist before she could walk away.

"Yes?" she answered, not bothering to pull her hand away. In fact, she faced him with an almost emotionless facade, but her eyes were not shining at him anymore. It made him uncomfortable.

"I did not tell you about the arrow because I saw that you were already disturbed by the events that had transpired. You told me about your worries regarding Aegnir. You did not see, but I did—you were tired. Sleepless, even. Telling you would have troubled you all the more. I did not want to do that," he told her.

He thought that would nullify her, and for a moment, he knew it did. Her face registered concern and understanding, but almost as quickly, she brought her gaze back to meet his. He knew he should have been bothered by her glare, but the color of her eyes never stood out to him as they did then. They were—beautiful, there was no other word for it. They reminded him of the trees in Greenwood, before the darkness overtook them. However, those green eyes flashed at him, and her next words were not kind. "So you did not think me strong enough to handle it?"

Legolas almost groaned out loud. If there was one thing he had learned about Tauriel—it was that she did not appreciate being thought of as weak. Well, that and the fact that she was short-tempered, as he now knew. He was not about to tell her that of course. Instead, he moved his hold from her wrist to her hand. "I was worried about you," he told her.

Her eyes softened then, but she sighed as she pulled her hand away. "Thank you Mellonin, but I can handle myself." She turned and walked away, her long red hair swayed behind her.

He took a breath before following after her.

It seemed their training was at end.


He stared at the arrow in his hand, it looked perfectly inconspicuous if not for the broken end. It was already damaged when he had pulled it out of Aegnir's flesh. He supposed the rushed journey was to be blamed. But even the damage was not enough to hide the intricate green and gold carvings that embedded the thin wood.

It was of elvish design.

At first, he thought the orcs had stolen it. They stole daggers and tools often from elves they attacked in the roads, but arrows... they did not steal arrows. He remembered many a time the near shots: the arrows that would have taken him had he not avoided them. They were all black and darkened iron. It was the first time he had ever seen an orc wield an elvish arrow.

He had discussed it with Elrond the day after they arrived. With Aegnir's condition he did not have a chance to speak with him. But when they did, the Lord of Rivendell looked deeply concerned.

"It is newly crafted," he noted the glint of the arrowhead.

Legolas had nodded.

They discussed many possibilities, but in the end, none had dissolved their fears. "Do not speak of this to anyone," Elrond had told him.

And he had not. Although many a time, he had wished to tell Tauriel. Little did he know that somebody else would, in time.

Legolas replaced the arrow on the table. With hands behind his back, he paced to the window. He had not seen her since their archery training. More than a day had passed, a fact that frustrated him. He was used to her presence. He was used to listening to her stories, to just being beside her, to—Legolas swallowed deeply. He missed her, he realized. They had only been apart for a few days, yet he missed her.

And now, he was thinking about her again. She was like a plague, a sickness that did nothing but multiply inside his head. He could not stop thinking about her. She was on his mind as soon as he woke up, and she was also on it in the dark of the night. Even in his dreams, he would see the red flash of her hair. It was infuriating, to say the least. He was troubled by her constant apparition, but at the same time, he wished it would never end.

He sighed as he walked towards the door. Maybe the night air would help clear his mind.

The halls were empty when he walked out. There was no other sound but the deep thump of his boots against the cold floor. He followed his feet until the walls and paintings that passed him looked nothing but a blur of white and colored boxes. He walked, past corridors and halls, so kept up with nothing but moving forward that he started when he almost bumped into a figure clad in white.

"Arwen," he breathed in surprise when the figure turned to meet him.

"Ah, Legolas!" she cried out, smiling. She was wearing a white dress that flowed almost to the ground. It emphasized the color of her hair and eyes, so that in the dim light they looked almost black. Her dress rippled at the slightest movement—he followed the creases and only then did he realize that she was not alone.

He was clutching her skirt tightly, much like the way he had been holding on to her when he saw him by the dining hall a few days before. He was still clad in a brown garb, but this time it had silver etchings at the sleeves and hem.

"Estel?" he called out his name softly, recognizing the young child.

He did not react at Legolas' greeting. Instead, he continued to stare at him, his eyes wide and unblinking.

"He prefers it if you call him by his given name," she smiled at the young boy. "Aragorn, say hello to Legolas," she said softly. Legolas noted the fondness in her eyes.

Again, Aragorn merely looked at him before opening his mouth to talk. He said only a word, but he said it with a surety that made Legolas wonder. "Hi."

Legolas smiled back and he finally broke his gaze from him to inspect the room he had wandered into. It was a carpeted room, and small cushioned chairs lined every corner of it. In one area was a wooden box filled with toys. Legolas saw a makeshift sword on the ground beside the box.

"Go on," Arwen said softly to Aragorn, preening his hand from her skirt. Aragorn hesitated momentarily before running back to the box, picking up the wooden sword.

For a few minutes, Legolas and Arwen stood and watched him swing the weapon. Then, when it seemed like Aragorn would not be distracted again, Arwen called out Legolas' name softly and led them to the nearest group of chairs. "Do you come here every night?" Legolas asked when they had sat down.

"Yes," Arwen smiled. "He is shy yet. He prefers to come here when there is no one else, although really, there are but a few elves his age. And soon, he will be too big to play with them," she noted, still watching the young child.

"Was Tauriel reserved as well? When she was first brought here?" he asked her.

Arwen looked surprised only for a moment. "Well, it was a matter of time before she told you. I was expecting her to, sooner or later."

He crooked a brow at her, but she did not elaborate.

"She was. Mainly, I think, because the others did not take well to her. It was the reason I was always compelled to stay by her side. I did not like seeing her alone, and I would have appreciated nobody but her to spend my time with. I have grown very fond of her—most of the time I forget who she really is," she smiled sadly.

"I only hope it is as easy for her," he added.

"What happened between the two of you?" she asked suddenly as she tore her gaze from Aragorn. He had long dropped the sword, he was now sitting on the carpeted floor, caressing the box of toys.

He cast her a questioning look, though he knew what she was asking. Again, his insides seemed to twist guiltily.

"Tauriel," she sighed. "She is... well, her temper has been high ever since both of you returned from training, a few days ago. She smiles, and she answers my inquiries well enough, but she constantly glares at others. And she does not come out of her room often now."

Inspite of himself, Legolas smiled. "Has she done this before?"

Arwen hesitated before answering. "Once... or twice," she shook her head, and like him, smiled. "But she is young. And it is who she is, though she is still trying to better herself. But she was never like this. Never like this," she repeated as if to emphasize the point.

"It sounds then as if there is nothing I can do to quell her anger," he said, again the guilt arising from his chest.

"No," Arwen said, and her eyes narrowed at him. "You are the only one who can talk to her. And you should."

To talk with her was all he had wanted to do. "If only that, I would. But she's angry, Arwen. At me." he frowned. "It would do her best if she did not see me yet."

"It has been more than a day. And you miss her," she looked at him meaningfully, and he frowned at the smile playing at her lips.

"Of course I do. She is my friend," he said.

"If that is what you say," she smiled. "Besides, she misses you, too. And it is only a matter of time before word comes from Lothlorien. Do you really want to spend the rest of your days here without her company?"

Aragorn approached them then, and gestured Arwen to bend down. When she did, he whispered to her ears. Arwen muttered something to him before turning back to Legolas. "He is thirsty," she informed him as she stood. "We will have to leave you, mellon. Will you come with us?"

"Not now," he inclined his head in thanks. "I think the silence can do me good."

"Talk to her," she said as final parting, before walking on ahead.

"Good bye, Legolas," Aragorn said to him quietly before running after Arwen.

Legolas watched him scamper after her and he stood staring after them long past their dwindling footsteps. He knew, then, who Estel was. He had met Arathorn's father many years ago. He leaned back into his chair, breathing in the deep of the night. It seemed Arwen had developed a particular fondness for the young child. No matter, the child needed it. Arwen, nor any of the elves he had inquired to ever mentioned the child's parents. Words were not needed to describe who he now was—an orphan. And at such a young age.

The thought of the young child being parentless again brought Legolas' mind drifting to Tauriel. Malendis was too kind, to raise her as her own child. Most elvish families grew very loyal to their kin, and he wondered how she was able to instil the same values to an elf child not her own.

It was then that he heard the very faint noise. It was so dim that at first he thought he had only imagined it. But then he heard it again, and he knew for certain what it was. Standing, he headed to the single window at the opposite wall. Only then did he realize that the room he stood in was at the eastern most part of the house. And though it was far, he could see the very small outline of the standing target.

And then he saw her. She stood like a statue, pulling on the bow's string. She barely moved when he heard another of the sound. He knew that she had released the string though it had been too far to see the arrow.

Without hesitating, he climbed the window and exited the small room. He was happy it was wide enough to allow his passage. He walked hurriedly towards her.

She did not acknowledge his presence, even when he was only a few paces away.

"Will you still not speak with me?" he asked, standing beside her. He looked towards the target.

Instead of replying, she released another arrow.

He sighed, before pulling the bow from his back. "Let's play a game," he told her. "The best shot determines who is victorious. If I win, you'll forgive me for keeping secrets. And if you win..." he bent down to pick an arrow from the quiver on the ground.

At first, he thought she would not answer. But after releasing another arrow, she spoke, her voice steely. "You teach me how to yield a sword."

He frowned. This was not the first time she had requested it. She had asked him already twice before. But he had stalwartly refused. Sword combat would only prove a distraction for her, and he wanted her to master her archery first. Besides, she would not need it yet. He would not allow her to come that close to danger.

He narrowed his eyes at her, and finally, she stared back. There was no emotion on her face, and he knew then that there was no other way to abate her anger. "If you win," he told her. He watched as she frowned at his words. He almost apologized for questioning her skills, but she had already picked another arrow and let it fly.

Almost. She was so near that she groaned out in frustration. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his outburst that she had missed. He followed soon after. He raised the bow high before pulling on the string, he paused for a moment, eyes adjusting to the moonlight, before he released his fingers. Even before it had hit the target, he knew he had already won.

He smiled dryly as he turned to look at her. "So am I forgiven?" he asked.

She stared at their arrows before answering. "It looks like I have no choice."

He sighed when he realized she still would not look at him. And again, he was reminded of her look when she had questioned him. An uncomfortable silence overtook them, and he turned to walk back to the house. His palm grazed the dagger tucked at his back when he positioned the bow back. He stopped in his tracks then, realizing who the winner really was. "We shall start tomorrow after breakfast. Bring your weapon," he instructed, looking back one last time.

She looked surprised when she whipped her head to him. Then, finally, she smiled.

And just like that, he knew everything was okay again.

END OF CHAPTER

Thank you to my beta Mitsukai!

A/N: I am so happy I got to finish this chapter in a week. Just a heads up, I ask you guys to be patient for the next chapter. I'll try to do it in seven days (as I have this), but I have such a busy schedule ahead of me I don't see how that's possible (school just started. sigh). Don't worry though, for sure, I'll be updating as soon as I finish my stuff, and it won't be later than two weeks from now.

Please tell me what you think! I need it now more than ever, especially with the hectic days ahead.

Thank you to all the reviewers so far. You guys keep making my days. Virtual chocolate and hugs to all of you.

Vee