Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews, they are much appreciated! In response to the elves don't sleep thing, they can if they want to, but it's not very similar to human sleep.

"and he could sleep, if sleep it could be called by Men, resting his mind in the strange paths of Elvish dreams, even as he walked open-eyed seeing the light of this world."

"Legolas already lay motionless, his fair hands folded upon his breast, his eyes un-closed, blending living night and deep dream, as is the way with Elves."

So they can sleep, I just made her eyes closed. But thank you really, you got me to research some more, because I totally forgot about this stuff, I need to re-read and re-watch stuff. And you are right about the trotting, I used to ride horses (and really want to again) and completely forgot about that so I changed it! There are probably some grammatical errors in here, but I'll read through it later and fix them as I see them!

Chapter Five

The second the wind brushed my skin I ran. Not like before, however. I was so blissfully happy to be outside in the sunlight that I ran around like the child I was to all the elves around me. As I ran, I even found myself laughing, giggling really, but it still felt nice. When my family died, it felt as though I'd never be happy again. I felt weaker because of it, like I was dying with them. It was then that I realized I must have been getting there, to dying of grief. Living with humans always made me forget myself. I got a book once, when I was a little younger than I was now, it was a story of a beautiful Elfin maiden who died of sorrow when her husband died in battle. I had asked my father if that could really happen, startled immensely by the story and he admitted it was true for elves. That we could die of grief. I banished this train of thought as I found myself slowing. I ran to the start of the town. Or, the first semi-hidden ladder to get to the town immersed in the trees. I started to feel the adrenaline of my adventure rush as I hurried to climb the first of many ladders.

I reached the first walkway in less than thirty seconds. I knew that I was being slightly reckless, but having just been rid of bandage confines, I didn't much care. And besides, I rationalized, I felt more graceful, more in control than ever before.

The houses were much larger than I'd thought before. I paused before one and moved on to another, all the doors were carved much like the ones outside the throne room, only every one had different pictures. I didn't linger too long though, I didn't want to alarm anyone by sitting outside their home. Every so often there were more ladders going up even farther into the trees, but I didn't go up today. After a while, there was a break in the foliage and the walkway looked out on the land around Mirkwood. It was breath taking. There was a garden, the one that the Prince and I had talked in. And then I saw the practice field. I really adored weaponry. I found the nearest ladder down at once and hurried in the direction of the field. I could almost see the targets for archery when I heard a familiar voice.

"She doesn't seem to," I heard Prince Legolas say.

"You must tell her, Legolas, it isn't right to keep this from her," another voice replied.

"I know that, Isal. I went up to her room earlier but she was too excited to go outside according to Volinde. I'm not going to seek her out on the grounds though, they're too expansive. She could be anywhere. I will tell her tonight, after supper."

I moved on then, as quietly as I could towards the sheds that housed the practice weapons on the far side of the archery field. No one was shooting at the moment, they had all gone inside for lunch, so it didn't take me long. Inside the first shed was all bows and arrows, so I looked inside the second and found what I was looking for- the swords. They were all dulled so that elves might use them to spar with one another if they wanted, however it still hurt a lot when you weren't quite quick enough. I saw a few pairs of twin blades as well and yearned to learn them. I have always loved the sword but there was something so graceful about how someone moved when they wielded twin blades, it was rather beautiful. I thought of grabbing a pair and trying to teach myself, but I'd never had the patience, so I took the nearest sword and headed away from the practice field.

I found a nice spot a ways away from the palace and practiced for hours. It always helped me clear my mind- helped me think straight. I couldn't imagine what Legolas had been talking about. I mean, I knew he must have been talking about me... but I had no idea of anything more specific than that. I guess I would find out at dinner, or after, rather. I tried to forget what I'd overheard then, just concentrate on my sword. An hour or two later I decided to head back inside. The sun was starting to set and I was in dire need of clean clothing. Volinde was already in my room with a beautiful gown waiting. It was a simple, deep green dress that had an odd shimmer in the fabric whenever the light hit it. The bodice hugged me with fabric so soft and the neckline plunged ever so slightly into a V shape. There was a V shaped belt to mimic the neckline, embroidered with silver and the rest of the dress flowed from my hips. I had to admit I was a little intimidated now, what was this dinner going to be like?

Volinde led me downstairs but took me through a different hallway I hadn't been through before. We went through doors a little less grand than those of the throne room and still with the beautiful carvings in them. The dining hall was just as magnificent as the rest of Mirkwood, however. The ceiling was incredibly high with five enormous crystal chandeliers spreading over it like a spider's web (only less dangerous than that of the Mirkwood spiders). The table was set simply but still somehow, extravagantly, like someone who has a lot of money but knows how to show it subtly. It didn't help my nerves. There was some bread on the table already and I wasn't sure if I should sit or not yet. Volinde had to go home and could no longer help me tonight. I was starting to pace when a hand laid on my shoulder. I turned quickly to see none other than the Prince. I smiled immediately, I couldn't help it.

"Come. We can sit, my parents will be joining us eventually. A few of my friends will be with us, though, and they'll be here any minute." He smiled gently. It seemed like he was hardly ever without a smile. We took our seats next to each other and about a dozen people came in talking a little loudly. Legolas blushed slightly, like he was embarrassed by their boisterousness. I met his eyes and we both laughed, a little nervously but mostly just at the situation. We all joined in the conversation and about halfway through the main course the King and Queen did join us, but the atmosphere didn't change one bit. It was very comfortable, fun even. I loved hearing stories about long ago. It was sort of like being surrounded by living history books, and I loved books. Dinner went by very quickly, and throughout it I completely forgot about the conversation I'd heard earlier. Until dinner was over, that is. Dessert was moved out onto a terrace and everyone started to drift off in twos and threes to talk. When Legolas and I were the only ones left I remembered.

"Would you join me for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure, um, yes I mean," I responded, suddenly nervous again. We started to walk away from the palace, on one of the many paths that led through and around Mirkwood. The sky was very clear that night, the moon almost full, maybe one or two days away. We ended up near the clearing where I had been practicing hours earlier. The place was oddly calming to me now. He started to slow and I felt we were at the end of our walk for now. He walked a few feet away from me staring at the sky. If I hadn't been so nervous, I would have fully appreciated how beautiful he looked in the moonlight, instead I only noticed it briefly before he began to speak.

"Alasse," my name drifted off like a quiet wind sighs. He turned around to look at me then, his eyes brimming with some emotion I couldn't place because I didn't know the story he was about to tell, only that it was about me. "Twenty one years ago a caravan of our kin from Rivendell were making the long journey here to visit. On the way they were attacked by those horrid spiders. It was remarkable that they had been taken by surprise at all, but they were. It was a large group of fifty or so, during the chaos one child was lost. They slew the first of the spiders but feared more would come, and so they fled. The spiders must have been intent on the larger group to not have noticed the small easy prey, but they did not notice and the child escaped. Running as far and fast as she could like her father told her. She did not stop until she collapsed. It must have only been hours later that the humans found her. They sent word by messengers to Rivendell, Mirkwood, and Lothlorien, fearing the worst for the babe's family. A search took place and the only remnants of the caravan left were a few belongings. When the humans learned of this they vowed to take the child in as their own, and they did. Until weeks ago, that is."

Whatever I had been expecting it certainly was not this. The air around me started to get heavier, harder to breathe, as memories broke through a long fortified wall in my mind. "The girl was me," I gasped.