October 15, 2946 T.A.
Today I left for Gondor. My time in Dale with Legolas is up; he has business to attend to in Mirkwood. During today's ride, I kept thinking about the trip. I'm glad I came, Kili. After we visited you, I fear I wasn't the most cheerful company, but at the same time, I experienced a closeness with Legolas that I hadn't before. The rest of the time we spent together was very open. We talked about you, sometimes.
"How can you bear it?" he asked me once, during the evening meal.
"I-I don't know," I said quietly. "I simply… I just… I go on."
"No," he said firmly, "how can you go on like this without fading?"
I looked at him, astonished. I shook my head and repeated, "I don't know."
"Up until now…" he began. "Up until we visited his tomb, I believed that you were simply infatuated with him. I believed that you weren't fading… because you didn't truly love him."
Tears sprung to my eyes. "Th-that's not-"
He hushed me. "I know," he said gently. "I see now. I can see the love and pain you bear for him. What I don't know is how you can withstand the grief. Most elves in your situation would have faded or sailed by now."
"Your father remains," I said quietly.
"He has a duty to his people, a purpose, a reason to stay in Middle Earth," Legolas explained.
"Are you saying I have no purpose?" I cried.
"Tauriel, no! What I am saying is that I think you have found one."
And we talked of many things after that: my work in the Houses of Healing, my future, my plans… I don't like to think too much about the future, though. It's such a long stretch of years without you, even with a purpose.
Wish you were here,
Tauriel.