Hi! This is late, but I took part in Eldhoron's drabble challenge, and I kind of neglected my stories to meet the deadline. Sorry. The story is called "The Valar" if anyone is interested in reading it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.


8. Mereth Nuin Gilliath

The colors of the fire blended in with the silver light of the stars and the bright glow of the moon, giving a fey look at the forest. The music was enchanting, flowing flawlessly between them as the elves danced around in the clearing. The various small fires lit around them formed a large circle, inside which the feast was taking place. Glasses of the finest wine from the King's cellar were passed around and food and drink was given to those sitting on the grass.

Everything was perfect. Or at least it should be. Legolas sighed.

"Are you alright?" Tauriel sitting next to him asked, her features frowning in concern. The blond forced a smile.

"Yes," he said, "it is just that this is the first feast for the stars my mother is not participating in."

Tauriel's face softened in sympathy and understanding. "Iston." She said softly. "But you will not achieve anything if you sit here in subtle melancholy for the rest of the night. Your mother would have wanted you to have fun, would she not?" The redhead did not wait for an answer. "Come." She said with a bright smile, standing up and taking his hand into hers. "Let's dance!" She didn't wait for a response, dragging Legolas towards the dance floor.

Despite himself, a genuine smile broke across his face and he danced with Tauriel for the next couple of songs, until they both collapsed at an empty space, laughing and out of breath.

"That was fun." Tauriel breathed, the smile on her face reaching her ears despite her heavy breathing.

"It could have been worse." Legolas smiled teasingly, and Tauriel lightly punched his shoulder. Legolas started to laugh, but the movement was cut short as Ruthien slammed into him from behind.

"Has any of you seen Rowan?" She asked. Her caramel hair were tied back in a braid that Legolas was sure hadn't been there before. "I can't find him anywhere. I had left him with Findôl and Saeldur, but he must have abandoned them at some point."

Legolas shook his head as Tauriel scanned the crowd with her eyes.

"No. I cannot see him." She told Ruthien with an apologetic smile. The brunette waved her off.

"Nevermind. In the worst case he gets drunk, which I doubt will happen if Findôl or Saeldur are anywhere near fifty feet." She sat down next to them, throwing an arm over Legolas' shoulder as she leaned in to talk to Tauriel. "Your brother is an amazing dancer by the way."

Legolas concluded that his friend had to be at least a little drunk. Tauriel just laughed at the comment.

"It is very fortunate that even though he is impossibly moody, he can dance very well." She smiled, her green eyes twinkling as she spotted him in the dance floor.

"And handsome." Ruthien added. Definitely drunk, Legolas thought. Tauriel laughed.

"Handsome?" A voice from next to them asked. "Who's handsome?" Rowan narrowed his eyes at his twin sister.

"Vero." Legolas laughed, barely concealing his laughter at the look Rowan sent at the ellon in the dance floor.

"Hey now, do not go all over protective like he is." Tauriel scolded.

"I am not overprotective." Rowan replied. "I am merely concerned about my little sister."

"I am not that much younger than you!" Ruthien objected.

"Yet younger nonetheless!" Rowan pressed.

"For thirty seconds!" Ruthien argued.

Legolas watched the twins bicker with a smile on his face. Sometimes like these they reminded him of Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond.

"Enjoying your last carefree night?" Vero asked, appearing out of nowhere and making Ruthien jump. Tauriel pointed a finger at him accusingly.

"Do not." She warned. "Do not start terrorising us with how difficult our lives will be from now on. I've already heard enough of it."

"Very well." Vero nodded. "I am merely trying to prepare you-"

"Much appreciated." Rowan cut him off suddenly. "But you see, the thing is, we do not care."

Vero's expression soured, and he pursued his lips together in a thin, tight line. His brown eyes had darkened with annoyance. "As you wish." He said tightly, throwing them a disapproving look before walking away. Tauriel sighed, as Rowan glared at her brother's retreating back.

"Sometimes he can be a real-"

"ROWAN!" Someone yelled, and they all turned to see Saeldur running up to them. "Why did you do that?" He complained as he reached them, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know that I don't dance."

"No." Rowan disagreed. "I know that you don't want to dance."

"Rowan." Ruthien warned. "What did he do this time, Saeldur?" She asked the brown-haired ellon kindly. Even intoxicated, Ruthien was that one person that would listen to absolutely anything you had to say.

"I introduced him to a young maiden and then suggested they danced." Rowan replied before Saeldur could. By the look in his eyes, it was evident that Rowan's trick had worked.

Legolas laughed along with the others. "How did you manage that?" He asked. Saeldur, unlike Rowan, was not known to be the heart of the celebration.

"Well it was easy." Rowan shrugged. "Something along the lines of "Have you met Saeldur? He is a very skilled dancer." It clearly worked, you should be thanking me! You would have never found a dance partner had it not been for me."

"Perhaps I did not wish to dance at all." Saeldur said, throwing his friend a dark look.

Ruthien sighed audibly. "Why are you so boring?" She asked. It was the effect of the alcohol, she would regret saying this later. If she remembered it. Legolas was fairly sure she would not remember much. "Look, Findôl is still dancing!"

Sure enough, Findôl was still on the dance floor, dancing with a blond elleth. "That has to be, what? His sixteenth dance?" Tauriel asked.

"I honestly do not know." Legolas replied, looking at his friend who was moving around with such energy as if this was his first dance this evening. "I tired out after seven, I cannot say how he manages it."

"He likes dancing." Saeldur said. "Dancing and healing. But that is him. Not all of us." The last words were directed towards Rowan, and were accompanied by a scowl.

"True." Ruthien stated. "I would much rather fight than fix up elves, and we all know how much you like needles, Saeldur."

Not having a good enough retort, Saeldur settled for simply glaring at her. His hatred and fear towards needles was well known among the company, and it was a favorite topic for teasing their most serious friend.

"I don't think I would be able to heal someone." Legolas said.

"Definitely not." Tauriel agreed with a small laugh. "You would give up the moment the blood did not stop when you commanded it to."

"I would not!" Legolas said, pretending offence, but the effect was ruined because he was trying not to laugh with the others. "I am a very patient person!"

"As if." Saeldur scoffed, while Rowan pretended to be choking on his wine from laughter.

"You are a formidable archer and warrior, but patience is not one of your virtues." Tauriel said, laying a hand on his shouldrer as if comforting him. "Hey, easy with the wine there!" She said as Rowan dawned down an entire bottle in just a few sips. "Saeldur!" She scolded in incredulity when the ellon in question did not do anything to stop his friend. Usually, Saeldur would have been the first one to object.

"Let him get drunk." Saeldur said. "When he wakes up tomorrow with an awful headache, and he cannot even attend his patrol he will realize his mistake."

Tauriel however did not let that happen, as she snatched the bottle from his hands and strictly said, "No more wine for you." Rowan pouted, but soon enough he forgot about it.

"I am not babysitting him." Tauriel stated, and grabbing one of Legolas' hands she dragged him once more into the dance floor. Behind them, Saeldur was pushing Rowan off him as the ellon decided to give him a hug, and Ruthien comfortably nestled against his side and fell asleep. Legolas received a glare, to which he sent back a helpless shrug in response. He could not help, not right now.

"Are you excited about tomorrow?" Tauriel asked him as they twirled around with the music.

"You mean about the day we will finally join the army and actually do something to help our home?" Legolas raised his eyebrows, although the movement wasn't nearly as intimindating as his father's, mainly because Legolas was being friendly whereas his father liked to scare everyone he met. "Of course and I am excited."

"Do you think we will really be able to help?" Tauriel asked, stealing a glance at the elves around them, most likely unconsiously searching for her brother.

"I do not know what Vero told you about the patrols, but I do believe we will be able to help."

Tauriel sighed. "He doesn't want me to go. He doesn't want anything to happen to me like- like my parents."

Legolas squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "I cannot promise that nothing will happen." He said. "But I can promise that we will all be there, destined to the same fate and willing to not let anything happen. Besides," he felt the tug on his mouth as the corners of his lips lifted upwards, "Findôl will yell at any healer that so much as stiches us wrong."

Tauriel laughed. "That is reassuring enough." She admitted with a smile of her own. Behind them, Findôl was doubled over in two, laughing at the sight of Saeldur with the twins sleeping spread over him.

"Perhaps we should help him." Legolas suggested.

"We should." Tauriel agreed. "I am not certain he will not try and murder Rowan in his sleep."


Sindarin Translations

Mereth Nuin Gilliath= The Feast of Starlight (yes, I borrowed this from the Hobbit movies.)

ellon= male elf

elleth= female elf

Iston= I know


Weeeell? What do you think? How many of you got the How I Met Your Mother reference?