Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to two reviewers (because I think there's enough fluff here for two. lol) who have been here for a while and have always given some time to write reviews! 7malligk and Sol3Bug, thank you both very much, and I hope to see you further on!

NOTE: This chapter occurs six years after Aegnir's departure.


Eight: Danna


"It's twenty feet to the crashing water below."

She was standing on the balustrades of the bridge outside the main gate, accompanying the prince as they waited for their guests from Imladris, or more precisely, the Lady Kylis and her entourage. It was the second time she was to visit their Kingdom in Tauriel's service as the Captain of the Guard, but she did not look forward to this visit any more than the first. The only consolation she had was that Legolas seemed to look just as anxious as she felt, even if he knew more about Kylis' visits than Tauriel did.

The cool wind blew her clothes, taunting her to face the river Legolas had just warned her of, but she grounded her feet on an especially thick baluster, balancing herself. She gave him an exasperated look. "You've watched me attack nests of spiders, packs of orcs—yet now that I decide to walk on the balustrades...now you are afraid?"

He raised a brow, as if it was a completely natural thing to accuse of him of. "Yes." She shook her head at him. "Your bow and your daggers cannot save you from a simple slip of your foot, or a particularly strong gust of wind."

"I am pleased that you think I am light enough for the wind to carry, but..." she crossed her arms defiantly. "I will not fall."

"All the same," he walked closer towards her. "Here," he said, raising his hand to her.

"What?" Tauriel asked, watching his hand, confused.

He smiled at her. "Take my hand."

"I don't need it," Tauriel answered indignantly, but she could feel her face growing warmer.

He watched her tiredly. "Take my hand, or listen to me speaking of how dangerous it is to be standing on the bridge's balustrade. I will not stop until you come down. It's your choice," he shrugged.

"All right then," she answered, placing her hand on his outstretched one. As soon as their hands touched, Legolas' fingers tightened around hers. She had held his hand before, but it was always because of him pulling her urgently somewhere, or him inspecting hers for wounds or bruises, and never simply because...he wanted to. Never like this. His hand was bigger and rougher than hers, hardened by the centuries of bow and knife and sword handling, hard as the way he ruled beside his father. But it held hers gently, just like the way his smiles and stories and songs would return when it was just them both.

She tore her eyes from their intertwined hands and noticed that he was watching her closely. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and he smiled warmly at her. She turned away, unable to meet his gaze for long. She wondered if his heart was beating just as quickly as hers, wondered if his hand felt the warmth that she did. But this was not a new sensation to her. She could not remember precisely when it began, only that it has been years. The quickening of her pulse, the funny feeling in her stomache, the aching in her chest—she thought it would all fade, but in the years of her stay, the feelings had done nothing but grow. "Come now, mellon, you were about to sing me a song of my home, before my balance worried you," she said, ignoring the unusual sensations in her hands and face, and most heavily, in her heart. She ignored them all, as she had done so many times before.

"Ah, yes," he said, finally tearing his gaze from her.

A Elbereth Gilthoniel

silivren penna míriel

o menel aglar elenath!

Tauriel smiled at the familiar melody, and walked to the other end of the bridge, humming along with him. He followed her, singing, her hand still clutched in his.

Na-chaered palan-díriel

o galadhremmin ennorath,

Fanuilos, le linnathon

nef aear, sí nef aearon!

He did not continue, but she was content. She loved listening to him sing. His voice and its melodies were always so beautiful that she could have listened to him for hours.

"Will I ever hear you sing for me as well?" he asked her, but he was still smiling.

She gave him a light laugh. "Your voice is far fairer than my own," she pointed out. "But someday, perhaps. Someday."

A horn sounded, signalling the arrival of their guests. Tauriel jumped from the balustrade, and Legolas released her hand. They stood side by side, watching the path that led from the forest. Tauriel could see the Prince had become stiff and impassive beside her, the laugh that was just on his face all but a ghost. It was the face he showed for almost everyone in his everyday. She missed seeing the carefree prince that he once was, but knew in her heart it would be almost impossible for the old Legolas to return.

The company emerged from the forest and Legolas and Tauriel bowed in welcome. "Lady Kylis, I trust your travels have been uneventful?" Legolas asked curtly, as he walked forward, guiding Kylis from her steed.

"Oh yes," Kylis smiled warmly at him. "Oh, but there was a disturbance in Imladris before we departed."

"Indeed?" Legolas asked curiosly.

She nodded. "A pack of dwarves came stumbling to the village. It was quite surprising," she narrated as they stepped towards the bridge where Tauriel waited. Upon reaching her, Kylis looked up, meeting Tauriel's eyes.

"Hiril nin," Tauriel greeted her.

"Hest," Kylis replied. "Two years, correct?"

"Yes," she replied, wondering what Kylis would tell her now. On their first visit, two years ago, Kylis surprised her by giving her a short hug, giving her sentiments about the death of Tauriel's mother.

Kylis did not fail to surprise her now, as well. "Lady Arwen gives her warm regards. She left for Lothlorien just a year ago. She said she missed you," Kylis smiled at her warmly, but Tauriel saw the emptiness in her brown eyes.

"Thank you, my lady," Tauriel said, her heart aching for her cousin. It had been too long since she saw Arwen.

"Of course. We shall see you in the halls, I trust?" Kylis said.

"Yes," Tauriel gestured to the gate.

Kylis grinned as they walked past, touching Legolas' arms as she went to a lengthy narration of their travels.

Tauriel was left standing by the gate, her heart beating heavily. After their separation at Rivendell, she had resolved to forget, for was that not what she had done for so many years in the timeless land of Lothlorien? But forgetting was always difficult when the cause of her unwanted memories returned to face her.

Before Kylis' first visit, Tauriel's last memory of her had been the night at the herbarium. Tauriel sighed, as the pack passed, closing the gate behind them. Echoes of Kylis' accusations returned to her thoughts—accusations that had pushed her to make the decision to leave Legolas for Lothlorien.

But more than the accusations, she remembered clearly what Kylis had told her about her betrothal. More than anything, it was what had haunted Tauriel for the past week, ever since she knew Kylis would be returning. She knew she could have asked Legolas to tell her if it was true and remove all doubts from her mind, but that was where another problem arose. Tauriel could not. And if she would be honest, it was because she felt scared.

Tauriel took a deep breath before following the company through the gates of their Kingdom. Kylis was to stay for two weeks, and Tauriel only hoped that she would simply ignore Tauriel, her like she had done in her first visit.


"The spiders seemed rather excited, don't you think?" Meginor asked her as they walked to the cellar.

"Oh yes," Tauriel agreed. "But they were nothing like the goblins two days past."

Meginor chuckled. "Indeed. The goblins even managed to injure your hand, Captain."

"It was my own carelessness," Tauriel said, touching the long, thin scar on her palm. She remembered how her hands had slipped and sliced itself on an incoming sword.

"The spiders must have smelled prey nearby, or they wouldn't have been as wound up as they had," he told her, opening the door to the cellar.

"Prey or none, they will not be eating anything else but our swords. Call the guard to the courtyard. We will be leaving in an hour," she said over the noise that echoed from the dining halls above them. Preparations were being done for the Mereth Nuin Giliath.

"So soon? But the feast calls to me!" Meginor looked shocked, then grinned as he made his way to the barrels of wine stacked in the corner of the room. He closed his eyes as he inhaled. "Ah, what a beauty this is."

"You will have time to drink that when we return tonight," Tauriel looked at him reproachfully.

"You wound me," Meginor gave her a pained look, but stepped from the barrels. "Have you seen Glines and Irima?" he asked her.

She shook her head. The two she-elves had also left to scout earlier in the day. But they had separated ways in the forest, her two friends moving to the Eastern borders while she and Meginor went to the West. "It seems they have not returned yet."

"Maybe they found something more interesting than the spiders," he shrugged. "See you in an hour, then," he said to her, before walking out the door.

Tauriel walked curiously to the barrels when Meginor had gone. She did not understand his preference for the hard liquor. She had tasted it once upon his insistence, but she had dismissed it as nothing but a bitter and burning liquid. She could not see why so many of her friends became so fond of it.

Legolas also shared her distaste, but for reasons far from hers. He had told them how he did not appreciate the way alcohol transformed individuals, even some of his brightest friends, into blundering witless empty shells. He also did not think there was anything to be found in the false happiness it gave its drinkers—not that he needs the happiness it provides, she thought bitterly.

She no longer doubted Kylis' intentions of travelling to the Kingdom. Like her first visit, almost everywhere Legolas went, Kylis would follow. Tauriel saw the way her hands would linger over his shoulder, or the way she would incessantly question him about the most mundane things. It seemed Kylis' claim of betrothal more than a decade ago was more than a ploy to threaten Tauriel away from the prince.

Not that it did not work.

She had seen less and less of her friend since Kylis' arrival. Not just because he was too busy entertaining the she-elf to accompany Tauriel, but also because Tauriel had been doing her best to avoid him. She did not want to give Kylis a reason to think her accusations had been true.

Tauriel herself had to admit that her feelings of warmth and anxiousness around Legolas were unusual—but she also reminded herself that they were nothing more than feelings of admiration for the prince. And of course, although Legolas treated her more kindly that he did the rest, it was only because of the fact that he looked at her as his pupil, his friend, or a little sister, perhaps.

But even then, she had missed him greatly. Although she had the company of Meginor and Glines and their other friends, Legolas companionship had always been different. More... special, in a way.

"Why are you hiding here in the cellars, when everyone is feasting upstairs?"

She started and whirled in place at the sudden inquiry behind her. But her erratic heartbeat normalized almost immediately when she saw who it was: the very same person she had just been thinking of.

"Surely, they haven't started yet? And besides, I do not think I am needed upstairs," she smiled at Legolas, her chest warming at his presence. "And is it not you who is needed in the halls? Surely the presence of the prince will be searched for. Especially by our visitors," she added, looking down.

He frowned at her, but stepped forwards as he assessed the barrels she had been scrutinizing.

"You're starting to sound like my father," he said, then he looked at her with searching eyes. "I met Meginor on my way here. He told me you will be leading a hunt for spiders in an hour."

"Yes," she nodded, watching as he paced through the barrels. "It is a great pack we will be searching for. We scouted for them with Meginor just earlier today."

"I heard. And it is why I will be going with you," he said, not looking at her.

She wondered whether he really had the time to join them. He had not joined in any of their hunts since their visitors arrived. It was why she had chosen to call Meginor when she left to scout. "Do you really have time to be joining us?"

"Surely I cannot be as resigned to the halls of the Kingdom as you frame me to be. I was not able to join you and Meginor this morning, will you deprive me of this chance as well?" he asked.

"Can I really deprive my prince of anything he may want?" she smirked.

The look he next gave her wiped the smile from her face. He was giving her a smile, but she could see a knowing sadness in his bright eyes. "Yes you can, Tauriel."

She reached out to him, but withdrew her hand as she frowned, confused. "What—?"

"It's nothing," he turned away from her, but not before seeing the wound on her outstretched palm.

She regretted her forgetfulness immediately. Before she could move, he had pulled her wrist, and his eyes narrowed at the wound.

"What is this?"

"Nothing. I was merely careless—," she pulled but her grip on her was firm.

"Why did you not tell me?" It was not the first time Legolas had reprimanded her for sustaining an injury. It seemed almost as if he suspected that she wanted to be wounded. "Have you visited the House of Healing?"

"Yes," she sighed, berating herself for making him worry.

"Where did you get it?" he inquired further.

"The goblin pack, two days ago," she said simply. His frown deepened and she knew he was close to fussing over her again. "It is almost healed," she said quickly.

"If it was poisoned—,"

"But it was not," she placed her free hand lightly on his, and his grip loosened. "I am not the elleth you first met, mellon. I can take care of myself now." Finally, she lifted her gaze from her wound and met his eyes. He was closer that she had expected. She could clearly see the light reflecting in his blue eyes that were piercing through her.

He smiled softly then, and the rigid prince that he was to the world again disappeared before her eyes. His other hand rose slowly to her face. She felt herself tense and her body become warmer—whether because of her own accord, or because of the heat that he radiated to her, she did not know. His fingers weaved lightly through her cheeks, and he spoke in a whisper. "I know. But that does not mean I have to stop caring for you."

Tauriel was sure he could hear the heavy beating of her heart. And as much as she wished to look away, his eyes had captured her in a tight grip. She groped her mind for words to break the heavy air around them, but before either of them could speak, they door to the cellar creaked open.

Tauriel stepped away just in time to see Kylis standing by the door. The she-elf's gaze darted from Legolas to her, and she walked briskly down the steps towards them, her brown eyes boring on Tauriel.

"Lady Kylis," Legolas greeted her, stepping forward. Tauriel noted how the formality so quickly returned to his stature.

Immediately, a smile graced Kylis' face as she turned her attention to the prince. "Prince Legolas," she gave a curtsy. "I have heard you will be leaving for the forest soon and wished to bade you goodbye," she said.

"Yes, my lady," Legolas answered her promptly. "I will be leaving with the Guard, and its Captain," he gestured to where Tauriel stood.

"Yes," her cruel gaze flew to Tauriel again. "Then I am sure you will be safe, for you will be in the presence of such, ah, strapping company."

Legolas nodded.

"I saw your companions gathering by the courtyard. I think they await your presence," she said.

"Then we should leave soon. Thank you for your well wishes," Legolas bowed. "Hest, let us go," he said to Tauriel, walking towards the door.

She followed after him, hoping that Kylis would not break her streak of silence. But Legolas had only walked through the door when Kylis spoke her name. Tauriel stopped, but it was well after Legolas' footsteps faded that Kylis spoke next to her. "What were you doing here, alone with him?"

"We were speaking," Tauriel answered offhandedly, meeting Kylis' hateful brown eyes. "As the Captain of the Mirkwood Guard I often have to confer with the prince."

"Yes, of couse," Kylis forced a smile. "But I do hope that your memory is not as muddled as the past you hide. Nothing has changed, Captain Tauriel, even after nineteen years. I do not care what renown you have made for yourself by fighting in battles and killing orcs. Legolas is not one of the trophies for you to attain. He and I are—,"

"You are to be married, yes," Tauriel returned her gaze coldly. "I have not forgotten. And if that is all you wished to remind me of, then your visit here to the cellars have been nothing but pointless. Now, I have to leave for the courtyard, my lady, as they are waiting for me—," she stepped forward purposefully, but Kylis' hand clutched her arm. Her nails dug into Tauriel's skin, and she was forced to stop.

"No, that is not all," Kylis hissed at her. "I think it is strange that you continue your consorting despite knowing that he is to be my husband. I have not missed the way he looks at you."

Tauriel frowned at her, pulling her arm from Kylis' grip. "I know not what you speak of. Your jealousy blinds you. I have told you once, and I will tell you again, I am only a friend to Legolas Thranduilion." But even as she said the words, her cheeks tingled with the memory of his touch—but no, her furious heart whispered, he was her friend, it was natural for him to care for her.

"Be that as it may but you forget: there are two sides two a coin, Tauriel," Kylis took a step towards her. "Is he only a friend to you?" she asked.

Tauriel knew what to answer, for it was a simple two letter word she had spoken so many times in the past, but she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out.

Kylis' eyes narrowed all the more. "If you truly are a local of Thranduil's Halls now, then you will respect the King's wishes for Legolas. And you will bury whatever emotions you have grown for the prince. There is no fruit to a hope like yours, you should know that by now."

Before Kylis could speak any further, Tauriel walked towards the door, not looking back.

Her heart refused to slow, and she struggled to calm her thoughts. Why had she been unable to answer? She had always known that she responded to Legolas differently that she did to all her friends, but like his care for her, was that not only expected after everything they had gone through? That was what she had held on to, that it was all understandable, all natural.

As she rushed to the courtyard, memories rushed through her mind. When she had made the decision to go to Lothlorien instead of Mirkwood, she had thought that she was protecting herself from the harm of meddling in affars that were not her own. She had promised to extinguish any emotions that had gone unchecked, because she knew her place. Only once before, had she suspected herself of caring too much for the prince—and it was exactly that which spurred her decision to leave him. But in the years she had stayed in Mirkwood... how could she have been so careless?

She thought back to the moments they would climb the highest of trees, to get closer to the stars; when they would train endlessly, until both of them where bruised and exhausted; when they would exchange stories until the dark of the night, until even the stars seemed to be sleeping.

Unchecked and un-warned, she had allowed her heart to fall from a height no one could save her from.

"Tauriel, are you alright?" Meginor's voice was worried.

Tauriel had arrived at the courtyard. The dozen elves who were to accompany them were looking at her curiously. Legolas had already neared her, and he stretched out his hand in worry. Tauriel withdrew from his touch and he stopped, but looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Yes. Forgive me for the delay," she told them, then walked past Legolas. "We should go," she instructed.

Nodding, the elves followed her.

She did not have a chance to speak to Legolas as they rushed to ambush the spiders. But it was him who called for their attention, when they neared the spiders' location. "I will lead the attack," he was saying.

"Very well, ernil nin," Meginor smiled. "It seems a shame to deny you that opportunity, seeing as you have been busy with, well, marital work," he grinned.

A few other elves smiled knowingly. Legolas, however, frowned at his friend. He was about to reprimand him when voices drifted from the direction of the spiders. Deep, powerful, and disgruntled voices.

Tauriel frowned at the sounds. "Dwarves?" They rarely stepped foot in the forest, and only in their short visits to Bree had she encountered them, but their cries were unmistakable.

Their shouts echoed in the forest, mixed with the unmistakeable clicking of the spiders' pincers. Without a word, Legolas jumped ahead, and the rest followed behind him. Pausing, Tauriel wondered at their presence, and when she finally went after them, the elves arrows had already paused in quiet.

END OF CHAPTER


IMPORTANT: I just realized that the next chapter will only work IF you've watched The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. I'm assuming since you're reading this, that you all have (cause I think it would be a bit unusual if you haven't since you are rooting for TaurielxLeggy), tell me so through a review or send me a PM. Just let me knooow. Okay? Okay.

A/N: So what to expect in the next chapter? The main bulk of the next chapter will be two scenes of Desolation. They won't necessarily happen in order meaning I WILL be skipping some scenes, thus you have had to watch the movie for it to make sense. Also, Kili lovers will be really happy with the next chapter, including those who love seeing movie lines in stories (trust me, there's a lot of THOSE coming).

And a big thank you again to everyone who have left me their reviews, and welcome to all the new readers! I hope y'all like the fluff because I almost killed myself writing those, and, expect lots more to come in the future.


REPLIES:

Guest Reviewer (Jan 18th): Thanks for your review! I looove questions from readers and I love talking to you guys! Okay, so I think the first hint to your question would be way back at Chapter 2, when he tells Legolas that he wants to find Love (a bit cheesy, but I think it works when I think of how Thranduil emphasized the love of Legolas' mother for him—something that PJ also noted in BOTFA). Another reason would I think be entirely cultural and political, and has never been implied nor mentioned in this story: that Legolas is already really old (more than 2000 years) but has not yet married, something that I think would be highly discouraged from a prince. Next, why Kylis? The obvious reason would be that she has higher standing due to her familial ties, and because nobody but Tauriel really knows the rotten ways she lives by. And for your last comment, I think it's going to be nicely tackled in the next chapter. :)

Ney: Yeah, I kind of had to reflect on that before writing it down as well. But in the end I decided that although it may seem odd, I think it's entirely possible to happen. I think elves migrate from one dwelling to another, and this just won't matter in Tauriel's position, because I believe Thranduil would appoint the Guard entirely upon merit, and not because he/she has a great family or has been born in Mirkwood. And for your second question, well Legolas knew the King wanted him to marry (refer to Chapter 2), but he never really knew it was Kylis til possibly after he got back from Rivendell and Kylis first visited. So no, he didn't know he was already betrothed when he met Tauriel. Thank you for your questions and reviews! Ta!


TRANSLATIONS:

Song:

O Elbereth Starkindler
(white) glittering slants down
sparkling like jewels
from [the] firmament [the] glory [of] the star-host!
To-remote distance far-having gazed
from [the] tree-tangled middle-lands,
Fanuilos, to thee I will chant
on this side of ocean, here on this side of the Great Oceana!

Hiril nin = my lady

Hest = Captain

Danna= Fall


Love, love, love

Vee