Guess who's back?! So sorry I've been gone so long guys but I'm back again and thank you to everyone who commented demanding another chapter - it motivates me to write quicker! But yea, normally chapters will be up faster than this so sorry this one took a little longer.
Tauriel brushed tears from her eyes as she hurried away from the fire. She had known deep down that eventually someone would tell that story, but that hadn't meant she was prepared for it. Sitting there, sitting right next to him as Gimli told the story that had torn apart their lives was too much. She weaved in between the trees, hurrying just to get away from the clearing.
Galadriel watched as the young elf walked quickly through the trees moving away from the rest of their group. Galadriel frowned, she had seen the Prince's love for her, after Thranduil's visit to Lothlorien she had been curious about the Prince. Thranduil had hinted at some trouble with his son and she had looked into his life. She felt sorry for the two elves, their situation reminded her slightly of her granddaughter and the ranger that was currently in Lothlorien, and she had a feeling the two elves' love was just as pure and strong. And it sadenned her to see the two elves now resisting their love.
"Tauriel," a voice called her from somewhere between the trees and she turned, not knowing who it was. She was slightly surprised to see Lady Galadriel standing there. She bowed her head in respect before approaching her.
"Lady Galadriel," she said.
"You are upset, Tauriel," Galadriel said softly, and Tauriel looked away, not sure of what to say. "Come with me." Galadriel said, and turned, leading the way to somehwere she didn't show many people. Tauriel followed behind her, with no ideas about where they were going. Galadriel led the way down a path to the left. It took them back the way she came, and went right past the clearing the others sat in. Tauriel looked straight ahead, and hoped nobody turned their head to see her. They continued walking until they walked in between two trees, drooping over to almost form a complete arch. They had entered a beautiful clearing, and normally Tauriel's eyes would be flying around the clearing towards trees and the green grass and the animals, but here, Tauriel's eyes were immeadiatly attracted to the large stone basin Galadriel had walked over to. It was carved beautifully and had vines crawling up it. Tauriel walked over curiously, she could feel something special about this place, and she wasn't sure what to expect.
Galadriel gestured to the basin and as Tauriel stepped forward, she saw it was filled with water. Stepping even closer, she saw there were images in the water. She bent lower, and gasped as she watched the scenes playing out before her eyes.
Two young elves ran through the trees, their hair flowing behind them, one red and one blonde. They were laughing, as they chased each other around up into the branches of the forest, jumping from tree to tree with ease. The water seemed to ripple and the scene melted into another. The two of them, dueling with swords and then them dueling with daggers, and then them side by side shooting arrow after arrow at a target, each one hitting the center of the target.
The scenes kept changing, through her life. She watched herself growing up, she watched him grow up with her, right beside her. She watched when he started training to become a Prince and she supported him, she watched as she worked her way through the ranks in the army and he supported her all the way. She watched them fighting together, against spiders and orcs. Then she watched as the mirror started to show all the little moments that were already embedded in her memory. The little touches as their relationship grew deeper, the stares, the time he kissed her on the cheek, the few times they danced together at Mereth en Gilith every year.
And then, all of a sudden, came the one scene that hadn't left her mind since it had happened. Thranduil stood proudly, coldly shooting down all her hopes. "Do not give him hope where there is none" She watched her own face fall as he spoke, she didn't realise how obvious she let her emotions be in that instance. Then came a scene she was at first confused to see, it was the time in the dungeon when she talked to Kili, she wondered why the basin was showing her this and then she realised why, because she caught sight of him, standing behind and above them, watching her. She winced, he had been there? She had never known he was there. A mixture of feelings came over her, but mostly guilt. Guilt that she had let Thranduil control her. Guilt that she had thrown away their friendship just because she was scared of that stupid King.
The scenes continued, from him chasing her down, after she left to hunt the orcs. She saw them attacking the orcs at Laketown, him leaving out the door and her staying. Then, she saw the messenger arriving on the horse, and Legolas refusing to leave her, saying he wouldn't go back. Then, him striking his father's sword down, practically offering his life for hers to his father. She watched the fighting at Ravenhill, watched herself fighting Bolg, watched him fighting Bolg.
And then came the sadness, it showed her sitting in her room, refusing to cry but feeling miserable. Miserable because he wasn't by her side. To her surprise it showed him once too, with Aragorn, and he sat looking at the stars in the sky, with what she could easily tell was a sad expression. Was he thinking of her? Somehow she knew this was so. The memories continued flashing by, coming right up to when they arrived in Lothlorien.
And here she expected it to stop, but it appeared the waters had not done yet. She was back in her room, in the Greenwood, but something was wrong. She could almost feel her pain now, and the version of her in the water was certainly in pain, tears spilled over her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her chest. Tauriel knew elves felt physical pain from heartbreak and she knew this was the pain she was feeling in this vision.
She pulled her head back, and tore her eyes away, not wishing to see any more. She looked up at Galadriel who was opposite her, on the other side of the basin. "What I saw..." she said, trailing off at the end of the sentence, unsure of what exactly she wanted to ask.
"The mirror is capable of showing many things." Galadriel said. "Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass."
"Is it certain?" Tauriel asked, dread pooling in her stomach.
"Far from it." Galadriel replied. "For the future consists of many paths, depending on a great many different things."
Tauriel felt relief sweep through her. Then dread enter her again when she realised this is the future Thranduil would wish upon her, by banning her from Legolas' arms. She almost burst into tears at the thought, but she was stronger than that. She stood tall. "Many thanks, my Lady for showing this to me." she said, aching to be gone, she turned and began to walk away.
"I did not show this to you without reason Tauriel of the Greenwood." Galadriel said. "The last scene, that is to be your fate if you continue to block the young prince out. Open your heart Tauriel, admit love in."
Tauriel turned at the Lady's direct words, they shocked her. "As you said, My Lady, sometimes things in life depend on a great many different things."
"But love should not." Galadriel simply replied, before bowing her head, signalling for Tauriel to go. Go she did, bowing her head before doing so and then returning to the clearing.
When she did, she saw that everyone had settled down for the night, and looking around she realised it was later than she had realised. Legolas too was asleep, resting peacefully for now, but a frown was on his face and she wondered at the nature of his dreams tonight. She settled down in her own spot and gave in to sleep, she did not want to stay awake and let her thoughts wander.
This night it was she who woke first, this she knew because when she awoke he was not shaking her, and instead it was he who was trembling in his sleep. His body shook, and she rose and ran to him, kneeling down beside him. Gently she lay her hand on his shoulder, and shook him. His eyes flew open and she was confronted by his piercing blue gaze. No words were said, she just moved her hand from his shoulder down to his hand and stood, knowing he would follow.
They had taken many walks in Lothlorien, but this night was different. She was deep in thought over what the mirror had shown her, for it had scared her. She did not want to become the person in that vision, but she did not know how to stop it from being so. She looked at the elf beside her, walking peacefully by her side.
"What do you dream of?" Legolas asked suddenly as they wove in and out of the trees.
"60 years ago," she said, knowing he would understand which day she meant. She didn't want to tell him the exact details of her dream. She also knew he would assume her dreams were about Kili, not him. She looked at him, and suddenly she was intensely curious. "What haunts your dreams?" she asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"I do not think you would want to know," he told her, turning his head to face her as he said it.
"Perhaps telling me would ease your mind?" she suggested, as she really wanted to know what it was that troubled him. Legolas sighed, and stopped walking so that they stood, almost toe to toe. "I too dream of the same day as you." he whispered. "I see myself stuck and unable to help you as you are killed." he told her, and she almost gasped aloud as the similarity of their dreams was revealed. "I watch you die every night in my head Tauriel, and I cannot bear it." he said, stepping closer to her. "And then I watch myself, I see myself try to carry on. And I cannot do it. I cannot go on without you in this world Tauriel. And that is when I wake, just before I crumple from heartbreak every night."
Tauriel looked down, not able to stand his gaze any more. For it seemed that while she had only considered that future today, that future had been haunting him for much longer. Again, her mind urged her to tell him, to reveal to him that it was him that she dreamt of. And this time, she could not hold back. "Legolas it is not Kili I dream of." she blurted out, looking back up into his eyes. "I dream of you, only in my dreams, it is I who is watching as you die." His eyes seemed to search hers for a second, as if he was looking for reassurance. "And it is torture, every night." she told him, although she knew he already knew it.
"Your dreams are of me and my dreams are of you?" Legolas asked, some humour in his voice.
Tauriel smiled slightly, "It seems we cannot escape each other even in our sleep." she joked.
They two elves stood, staring at each other, neither wanting to move and disturb the moment and neither wanting to say anything.
"We should head back," she said, and she reached down and took his hand, she led the way back to the clearing and back to her place of rest. She never let go of his hand as she lay down and, sensing he was hesitant to lie beside her, she tugged his hand, as if to say it is alright. Legolas lay beside her, and she turned, so they were just inches away from each other. "Tauriel," Legolas whispered. "I can't promise you I will never die, especially on this quest, but I have no wish to die and I am not easy to kill." She closed her eyes, listening to his words. "Especially when the one I love still roams this world." Legolas whispered, even softer than before, so soft that she only just heard what he said. Her eyes flew open and she looked into his blue ones, full of emotion. She didn't know what to say, or do. She knew she couldn't just leap into a romance with him, they were on a dangerous quest. But it was taking all her self restraint not to lean forward and press her lips against his. They were so close.
"If our many duels have taught you anything Legolas," she instead said. "It should be that I too am not that easy to kill." she whispered. She closed her eyes, again having shut him out, and, not letting her thoughts dwell on this she gave in to sleep for the second time that night.
Again, sleep came easily to her, and for Legolas it was the same. The two elves slept soundly for the rest of the night and well in to the morning. In fact, they rose last and one by one, as the rest of the fellowship awoke, they saw the two elves sleeping next to each other, still with a tiny gap in between them, and not one of them was shocked, a little surprised to see it, but nowhere near shocked.
Comment/Review/Leave a suggestion - I read every comment and of course - LOVE reading them! Next chapter we're leaving Lothlorien :D
PS - I know in this chapter Tauriel thinks maybe she can refrain from romance this entire journey but (hee hee) I can tell you she totally won't be able to ;) Just give it some time...