Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and caring remarks. I try my best to keep it as authentic as possible within my story as well as adding a little flair of my own writing. I hope that you all enjoy this latest installment. It involves mostly a flashback but sheds some light. Again, I would really appreciate any reviews…any questions, comments, concerns, et cetera. I would like to know if I am going in the right direction.

Thank you so much for your interest in my story and I hope that I have done some justice to bring to life the character of Tauriel. Thank you all.

Warmly,

~Anariel RR

500 Years Ago…Spring

Before I came to the prominence of Captain of the Guard, I was a lowly member in the Guard and before even that, I was but a healer. I had worked for a time in the House of the Healing within Taur-e-Ndaedelos. It was the exact place where I had met Ninimmien and where our friendship had blossomed. Over the years, I scarcely had seen Prince Legolas and he made no attempts to converse with me. When we were somewhat forced by circumstance to converse with one another, it was cordial, to the point, and rather quick. It was the rudimentary "Le suilon"…which is the manner of greeting for our people…or we would politely ask "Manen ceril?" as we were taught to recite from our childhood. It was a litany of politeness and courtliness. All of Elvenkind of Mirkwood are taught some semblance of order and etiquette – not to the extent as our brethren in Lothlórien. We tree-folk, as we at times refer to ourselves, are of a wilder sort and we are not so as refined. All that I had seen of Prince Legolas was his distant form when he wandered in from a hunt or during celebrations of honor. It was rare to come across him. Of course there were many Elven maidens who craved his company, who desired so to be in his good graces. However, the Prince never exhibited any amorous attentions towards any person for as long as I had observed and known him. It was a strange happenstance because Prince Legolas was over a thousand, we knew. None could say that they were aware of his age. Some have chanced the guess of well-nigh two thousand years old to somewhere upwards of three thousand or something thereafter. Nonetheless, most Elves by the time that they had lived to be a thousand would turn towards forging some sort of amorous bond with another Elf. It is not a strange thing for the desire of proliferation, the necessity to breed an heir so that one is but a chain in a long line. And if the child is male, all the more the better…for they are greatly desired. It is the male child that leads our people, not the female children.

While I had barely any contact with our prince, I had established a very quiet friendship with Laerorn, who had begun to fall beneath the love-spell of Ninimmien. Whilst she and I set to work healing our Elven brothers and sisters throughout the day, he would linger in the doorway. We Elves have a different way of expressing love than our Second-Born counterparts or the Dwarves. Our love is psychological, deep. As the immortal beings that we are, when we fall in love – we fall hard, emotions run deep with us. It was through Ninimmien that I was invited to attend a minor hunt within the woods followed by an impromptu picnic. This was to be a small affair peopled primarily by Ninimmien, Laerorn, Prince Legolas, Lord Berendîr, Brethil, and two of the Prince's bodyguards (Halchon the Strong and Tadion the Clumsy). It was quite awkward when I had first witnessed the prince but at a picnic, it was increasingly so. He was someone so greatly, so highly esteemed around us that I scarcely thought myself worthy to be in his presence. Unlike his Sindarin-purist father, Prince Legolas allowed himself to be adopted by the Silvan people – he accepted them as his own and we welcomed him. There were whispers of his own mother having been a Silvan Elf, but if such was the case, one could barely tell. He looked every bit the Sindarin. No one in Taur-e-Ndaedelos would even speak of the mysterious circumstances surrounding Legolas's mother, therefore I uttered not so much as a word.

We had all set up a circle of torches and spread a blanket following a most victorious orc hunt. It had been my first orc hunt and I had hung back because my fighting skills were mediocre at best. I had always had a penchant for firing a bow and arrow, something that I excelled at even as a child, but I did very little to enhance the outing. Ninimmien knew nothing of fighting herself and hung back with me as our six stalwart and battle-savvy companions set to work annihilating orcs. They engaged in a dance of sorts, a battle dance in which they shined like stars. The foremost amongst the fighters unsurprisingly was our beloved Prince as he twirled in movement, possessing the grace of a lion on the offensive. His movements were precise and forthright. Ninimmien could scarcely keep her wits about herself, whispering quite irksomely within my ear, "See as ernil Legolas spins like thus. Oh how gallant he is. Ever so gallant." I nodded my agreement, simply folding my arms as we witnessed this battle of wills, this battle of survival. Watching those men, I did not sit there as most Elven maids would have done and fawned over the perfection of their masculine prowess. Instead, I realized that I wanted to do just that. I felt such a desire to fight, to move my body in such a way – to be able to survive without the help of a stronger male by my side constantly. It was quite rare for a woman to become a warrior amongst our people. It wasn't unheard of and it wasn't discouraged either…but neither was it encouraged. It was simply an avenue that was open to a female should she wish to attempt such a thing but there were expectations that the females would live a quieter life within the King's Court. Watching Prince Legolas, I kept my remarks to myself and simply gripped the bow within my hands. I was armed with a bow whereas Ninimmien brandished a smallish one-handed sword. It was by means she was to protect us should we be swarmed by orcs. There was very little chance of the orcs overpowering us, but we had to be ready. There were only a handful of them but we had to be prepared for any event. Although this was only sport for us Elvenfolk, we had to be wise.

"Quick…Tauriel…quick. That orc is ready to attack Legolas. Hurry." Ninimmien whispered in my ear, clutching at my arm and digging her nails into it. I stared at her then allowed my jade green gaze to wander over to Legolas, who was in the midst of battle and yet his back was unprotected. An orc with a club lifted high above his head was charging at our Prince and I had to do something. Since I possessed the bow and arrow, it was up to me to make a move. The other males were busy repelling the orc attack. I did not think twice as I fit the arrow to the bow and aimed it directly at the orc, closing one eye to steady my sights upon the orc. When I had the orc completely in sight, as my father had instructed me, I let loose the arrow and witnessed as it whistled through the air, striking the orc clean through the crown of his head. Ninimmien burst into applause as if this was some monumental victory. I gasped for a moment, astonished that I still had such skill from a century ago. It appeared that all of those hours of practice with my father had succeeded to some extent. When all of the orcs had been successfully set down and we were all gathered on the picnic blanket surrounded by the ten torches, Prince Legolas looked directly at me. It is as if he was witnessing me for the first time, a pleasantly warm smile lingering upon his lips as he spoke the words, "Iston i nîf gîn. You are Tauriel, the young girl we saved from the forest those many years ago. I give you my thanks, saving my life today. Guren glassui." He positively beamed as he placed his hand upon his chest then just as quickly as the moment had happened, it was over. My heart was warmed by this and that was when my friendship with Prince Legolas began to take root. Conversation quickly turned to who had killed the most orcs during that day. Brethil asserted that he had slain 24, Berendîr felled 36, Halchon took 33 orc lives, Laerorn swore to the amount of 52, Tadion embarrassingly admitted to only 10, and Legolas quietly stated 53.

Laerorn added in a rather cheeky manner, "And Tauriel…1." He offered me a brief wink much to the chagrin of Ninimmien who gave me a sharp jab in the side. Had I not been maintaining my countenance of calm, I would have chided her or inquired as to her purpose of such an action. She giggled at me then let it go. The rest of the afternoon was spent in a cheery manner in such a way with good friends, great Dorwinion wine (that at times caused me to lose my wits), and plenteous delicious dishes.

When we had returned to the King's Hall, Prince Legolas motioned to me in a casual manner, "Tauriel…Aphado nin." I looked at him quizzically, my face growing increasingly pale as I studied him, "Have I done anything wrong, ernil vuin? Have I done anything to offend?" He waved his hand dismissively, his smile gentle and his tone deep but calm, "No, mellon. I assure you that you've done no wrong. Tolo." He made his way towards the King's Throne Room and I began to feel great trepidation for rarely was I ever in the King's presence. I wasn't worthy enough to polish his boots let alone converse with him. Only the mightiest and the most important of the King's subjects were granted admittance into the Throne Room. Now that Prince Legolas had spoken with me, I froze because I didn't quite know what to do. When he had seen that I wasn't moving, he laughed and uttered kindly, "Tolo…An ngell nîn." Comforted by his smile and his laugh, I nodded then followed in behind him, walking fast enough to keep up with his strident pace. When we had reached the King's Throne Room, Legolas instructed me to wait at the apex of the staircase, a little way from the King's guards then strode over to his sitting father. I remember that it was high Ethuil at that time, therefore our King wore in his crown the loveliest pink blossoms, the petals tinged with the tiniest delicate strip of red at the points. The pink and red contrasted with his silvery eyes, his silvery mane, and his marble-white flesh. Noticing all of the splendor in which the King was arrayed, I suddenly felt quite self-conscious of my simple frock that I wore. It was a soft green silk dress with lacing up the front, something that minor Wood-Elves wore during celebratory events. There was a great deal of silver and gold embroidery work, my own work. The dresses I wore were of my own creation, comfortable, durable, and quite presentable but nothing to the King's ensembles of velvets, satins, damasks, and watery silks. I looked a peasant to his regality.

Legolas afforded his father great respect, slightly bowing his head, "Aran vuin, ada. I am come to convey to you a most chivalrous deed this day. A deed by which my very own life was saved in the midst of an orc attack." King Thranduil, who grasped his oaken staff greedily, eyed me for a moment, his piercing gray gaze searching my entire person for any sign or hint of a dubious nature. When he had judged that I was no threat and that I most likely had very little intention of vying for his son's hand, the smallest hints of a smile formed on his lips, "Young maiden, tolo." That was all her could mutter as he lifted a single forefinger and crooked it, gesturing for me to step closer. My head was already bowed as deeply as I could lower it and glancing up for a moment, I took a step closer.

"And what is your name, pray?" King Thranduil queried, his silvery gaze as penetrating as that of his son. Just being in his presence filled me with awe and I was largely frightened by this. What did Prince Legolas hope to do by such a thing? What was there to gain?

"Tauriel Dûthalioniel, hîr vuin." I kept my head bowed, determined to show this King that I knew my place. He disliked upstarts who desired to propel themselves into the highest rungs of society, especially if they were Silvan Elves.

"Please…arise." King Thranduil smiled and gestured as I lifted my head. I was sure to keep my eyes low nonetheless.

"You have done your king and your realm a great service, Tauriel. You have saved the life of your prince. For services rendered, tell me what it is that you desire and I will see to it that you receive it." His voice boomed through the well-nigh empty Throne Room as it echoed throughout the rest of the caves. His fingers were encircled around his staff as he held it tightly, his face intense.

"An ngell nîn, aran vuin. I ask for nothing." I replied quite humbly, unsure of what to even ask for. The fact that he had allowed me to remain within his realm, eking out a quiet life was joy enough. I couldn't think of asking for anything.

"Tauriel…" Prince Legolas spoke my name, his voice soft and smooth as the petals of a spring blossom. "Av-'osto." His urging gave me the courage.

"I am a generous lord and I like all of my subjects to overflow with gratitude. For those who prove their loyalty by saving the life of my very own son, I desire to repay then richly. What is it that you desire?" He boomed a second time, determined to have the question answered.

"To fight, aran vuin. I am but a healer now…but I desire to drive orc filth from our lands." I spoke softly, my voice could have been that of a mouse.

"Is that your desire then?" He queried with both eyebrows elevated. I could tell that he was deeply perplexed by the expression that he wore upon his face, because most Elven maidens asked his permission to marry a sweetheart or for some precious bauble. Rare was it for an Elven maiden to even think of fighting.

"No, aran vuin." I replied robotically, pondering as to what he would promulgate towards me.

"Forthwith, you are no longer a healing maiden of the House of Healing…but a member of the Guardians of the Forest. If it is fighting that you desire then fight you will amongst the best that our realm has to offer." King Thranduil arose from his throne and spoke the following words. "Do you offer your total loyalty to me as your sovereign and king?"

"No." I returned right away, completely excited by the sudden turn of events. "I do."

"Do you promise to abide by my rules and my laws at all times? To set my rulings above your own desires and thoughts?" He continued, sounding quite official and authoritative.

"No, I do." I repeated.

"Do you promise to offer your life in return for the protection of our realm, for the protecting of your king, your prince, and for the betterment of Taur-e-Ndaedelos?" He spoke the last words in a slow manner for they bore such gravity to them. This wasn't some joke, some easy promise to make. This was my life we were speaking about. It was my existence.

"No…" I uttered the single word then nodded slowly.

"That settles it then…you are now a member of the Guard." He replied calmly as he made his way across the Throne Room. "I am quite sure that Prince Legolas will see to your training."

"Le fael, aran vuin." I bowed low as I spoke the words but he had already turned around and wandered away from the room. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I wanted to scream, to dance around like a madwoman, and to rejoice but I remained calm, cool.

The last thing I remembered of that time was Prince Legolas beaming at me as he uttered, "Congratulations, Tauriel. You came to such a membership through your own courage. The Guard will be glad to have you."

….

Present Time – Autumn

Dearest Book,

I cannot write long for I am with Ninimmien constantly. She questions what this book is every time that I touch it. Oh how bothersome she is! Why did I think of inviting her along? Why did I not keep my plan to myself? There is a chance that we may have been discovered but I will write more about that later. Until then, we are adventuring off to the west towards Emyn-nu-Fuin. Our plan is to set upon the goblins that make their homes there in hope that we can glean information from them. When I mention "gleaning information", I do not state that it would be a pleasant process or a peaceful one. I hope that the stars are with me, lighting my path for I have been on the run for two days.

All I can think about is the words that our beloved King uttered to me when I was inducted as an initiate into the Guardians of the Forest, "Do you promise to abide by my rules and my laws at all times? To set my rulings above your own desires and thoughts?" These very words haunt me now as I think of my betrayal. Yet my conscious wins out in the end. I will not forgive myself if I cannot recover Galhanar. I hope and I pray that we can save him. Ninimmien, cheery as she always is, jokes, "If we cannot save or find Galhanar, we can always go with plan two." When I inquired as to that, she continued, "We will set upon Dwarves instead, steal their quarry and offer King Thranduil a gem the size of a dragon. Then not only will he forgive us…but he will be eternally grateful." Oh foolish foolish Ninimmien.

It is my turn to search for firewood now, thus I must stop writing. I shall write next time and recount every tiniest detail of our escape.

Tauriel

Sindarin Translations:

Ada – Father

An ngell nîn – Please / Literally: For my joy.

Aphado nin – Come with me

Aran Vuin – My King / Beloved King

Av-'osto – Don't be afraid.

Dorwinion Wine – Strong Wine with the ability to make Elves drowsy

Dûthalioniel – Daughter of Dûthalion

Emyn-nu-Fuin – Mountains of Mirkwood

Ernil – Prince / Ernil Vuin – My Prince/Beloved Prince

Ethuil – Springtime

Guren glassui – Thank you from my heart [Informal]

Hîr vuin – My Lord/Beloved Lord

Iston i nîf gîn – I know your face

Le Faul – Thank you / Literally: You are generous.

Le Suilon – I greet you [Formal greeting]

Manen ceril? – How are you? / How do you fare? [Formal]

No – Yes

Taur-e-Ndaedelos – Greenwood the Great

Tolo – Come