Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for your outstanding and beautiful reviews. Honestly, the reviews alone are so wonderful and so inspiring for a fledgling writer such as myself. For many of you who have decided to read my story, thank you so much. I love to write this stuff and hope that you all enjoy. Although I can't even hold a candle to the magnanimity of J.R.R. Tolkien's elaborate writings, I hope that I at least do the characters some justice. This chapter is a bit of a shift on Tauriel's perspective. You will begin to notice that not only she is changing but her outlook may be doing so as well.

Thank you all so much!

Warmest regards,

~Anariel RR

P.S. – She isn't the only one who is changing. =)

…

Dearest Book,

The stars shine particularly bright in the heavens this night, surrounding the radiant orb within the sky. The beauty of it all arrests me and yet all I can think of is wanting to adventure beyond the Forest. For many years, Taur-e-Ndaedelos has been home to me but my heart yearns for journeying into different climes, different places. The varying different shades of green – emerald, chartreuse, verdigris, sage, malachite, jade, viridian, pine, fir, and beryl. If ever I did leave Taur-e-Ndaedelos, I would lament the loss of these great trees twisted with age, ancient and ominous. To many, it is not even close to being a lovely but a mere echo of what it once was. Now it is polluted with Orc-kind, Spiders, Goblins, and i ngollor. Life here is not what it once was but we Elven folk are reduced to simpler times of having to battle our enemies and the loss of great knowledge. It feels as if we are losing the light, that things are growing darker all around us.

We still reside in I Coll in the very heart of southern Taur-e-Ndaedelos, and as of yet, we are weary to move on. With the latest tidbit of information given to us by Ferlain, the rider who found us here, we are loath to leave as of yet. Galhanar is still rather unwell and speaks very little. The outlook is bleak for us. Just yesterday I found Ninimmien in tears because she knows that we are within a fortnight of Mereth-en-Giliath and yet this situation is nowhere towards being resolved. With King Thranduil's army pursuing us, we had decided to remain here until Prince Legolas can formulate some sort of plan. Every day (three days in succession), Legolas, Laerorn, Brethil, and I meet in a private room to converse about a course of action. I am by all means now a fugitive and should I meet with Thranduil's army, I shall be taken into custody. The only course of action is for Legolas to return with me to the King's Hall and to speak with his father. Unless he does so, the men have every intention to harm me. I have done wrong after all. Everyone seems to have different opinions. Belegorn, who doesn't like me one bit, suggested that I ought to pay for my crimes by being stripped of my position. No doubt he believes that he should be the one to replace me. Once he had made that suggestion, Legolas, who seemed like he was under a lot of pressure, finally had snapped.

"Farn! Dîn! If you speak naught but those poisonous words. Be gone from this council! Ego!" He spoke the words in the most authoritative tone that I have heard from him in a while. I blanched at his words, my eyes widening slightly. Belegorn, wearing one of his venomous scowls, stood up, bowed his head dutifully then exited the room rather hastily. I exchanged expressions with Laerorn, who seemed astonished as well by the slight outburst of our friend. I wanted to speak to Legolas and to tell him that he needed to calm down, to treat Belegorn better than that. However, to reproach him in public like that was not a well advised idea. Therefore, I remained silent.

When the meeting was over, I was about to quit the room. All of a sudden, I felt a hand lingering lightly over my arm. I glanced up in surprise but somehow I had known it wash him. For a moment our eyes met and I could have sworn that a brief jolt of electricity had passed between us. His piercing gaze met my own shocked gaze.

"Dortho, Tauriel. I wish to speak with you now." He had suddenly realized that his hand was upon my arm and smiled a small smile for a moment. It was not his usual smile of quiet embarrassment but something bolder, more daring. I jerked my hand away, my cheeks flushing a deeper red.

"Of course…what do you wish to speak of?" I tilted my head a little as I witnessed the last of the inhabitants filter out of the room, closing the door behind them. He wore a brown leather tunic with the slightest hints of forest green, dark brown trousers, and matching boots. This was the casual clothing that he wore during informal hunts that we had, not the overly ornate and princely armor that graced his frame during the more formal functions. The room that we were in was a room of paneled white oak, the pale color of the wood brightening the room considerably. At the very center of the room was a circular table at which everyone was previously seated. The only source of light was a great window that awarded the watcher with a generous view of the landscape – a succession of elm trees and birch trees for as far as the eye could see. The foliage of the Iavas was now beginning to increasingly change color, seeming as if they were raining past the window. As a child, I had often wondered why it wasn't referred to as "leafing." It rained and even though one could see that the leaves made their descent, it was all so very blurred by the cascade of rain as it travelled down the length of the window. Legolas was facing that very window, his head bowed thoughtfully as his eyes scanned the view. As beautiful as the trees and the leaves were, we couldn't escape the fact that Southern Mirkwood was poisoned.

"The trees are sick here. Death lingers not far off from the living." He muttered thoughtfully, causing me to wonder if he was sampling musing poetically. However, he soon continued with his reverie, "I hunger for home, Tauriel. I hunger to see the Northern Forests so thick with life, so vibrant. Even in the days of Iavas, the North is something to be envied by the South. We have had ourselves an adventure here. We battled against Orcs, we strayed far to the forbidden South, and we even saved Galhanar. Do you not think it time to return to the King's Hall?" He turned for a moment as he spoke the last sentence, his face grave and serious, his eyes falling upon me as always they do. I glanced off towards the white oaken panels and offered the smallest smile that I could.

"Ernil vuin, mayhap then it is time that we return." I spoke the words robotically, almost utterly devoid of emotion but deep down, I shivered. Could he save me from the rage of the King? He must have glimpsed my face for he drew closer to me and rested both hands upon my arms that rested at my sides. He shook his head for a moment, "Legolas…always you call me by my title. We are friends…why is it that you continue in such a way?" He smiled hopefully, full of warmth as he spoke the words, "Le beriathon. Always. I will allow no harm to come to you. Darathon hain. I promise to you when I speak those words that no harm will come to you." His gaze lingered upon my own a little too longer than I was comfortable with and his hands rested purposefully upon my arms. I stared at him in utter astonishment. Now I am not entirely sure if my mouth was hanging open as if I was so indolent child, but I must have exhibited shock.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. I drew back a little from him, hesitant at first but I did nonetheless. There was something about him that caused me to want to stand in such a way but I daren't think about it. When I glanced at his face, I saw a mild disappointment.

"Minno." He said and all of a sudden, Úrnith entered. She is possibly the only other female outside of myself that is a part of the Guardians of the Forest. She quickly bowed her head then spoke the words hastily, "Ernil nín! Belegorn onur!" Astonishment had registered quickly upon Legolas's face and he shifted his gaze from myself to Úrnith.

"Ir?" He inquired quickly, his face growing rather serious.

"Si, ernil." She blurted hastily, her tone urgent.

"Thank you, Úrnith. You may go." He nodded at her. She bowed before quitting the room altogether. Again, the two of us were left so utterly alone. In the far corner of the room was the great fireplace with its medium-sized blaze and the crackling of the logs. The flames leapt in a mesmerizing manner, swaying about as if they were in the midst of some sort of dance. For a while, all I could do was stare at the fireplace, unsure exactly how to respond. If Belegorn had truly run away then it means that he was going straight to the King's Hall. One solace was the fact that he didn't have an Elk to ride and he wasn't very far ahead of us. How far could a single Wood-Elf get without an Elk and by himself? Since we were in Southern Mirkwood, that means that he could just as easily come across a pack of Goblins or Orcs. He had better hope that he meets the former instead of the latter. Traveling alone by oneself in the woods in a foolish business.

"There is no other choice." Legolas declared as his face went through a flurry emotions and he very much resembled his father in the action. He sometimes had a difficult way of expressing emotions. We were all so well-accustomed to the tranquil smile that graced his fair face.

"I'm sorry. Man?" I tilted my head a little as I regarded him, my reverie having concluded almost instantaneously.

"Tauriel…there is no other choice but to return to the King's Hall. Who knows how far that Belegorn has strayed? He may yet arrive there within three days and we must hasten to reach there as soon as possible." He said in a thoughtful manner, his facial expression rather pensive. "We will leave the rest of the Guard here with Laerorn. You and I will leave together." I seemed almost daunted by the idea of leaving Galhanar behind. He is unwell and cannot be moved until Ninimmien finishes her magic treatments. The Orcs had polluted his blood and poisoned his mind. It appears that those filthy creatures were determined to ruin him completely. The entire thought frightens me. However, we are to leave this night straightaway and I do not exactly relish the idea of being alone with Legolas.

How do I write these words? He is the only one who I have met so far who causes my heart to beat so rapidly and who makes me so very short of breath. There are times when I fear his gaze upon my face, upon me. Yet other times when I linger to have him gaze upon me in such a way. Tonight when he touched me, it felt very much electric. As if I was a tree that was struck by lightning. How can it be that such a man inspires admiration in myself? I have adored him ever as friend but can it be true that something could have blossomed? Could it be that our friendship is that rose tree that blossoms in the very heart of May? Oh I know not to speak these words to anyone. Ninimmien teases me so but I cannot allow another to know my true feelings. I feel these feelings for the Prince but I dare not entertain such thoughts. Such thoughts can lead to grave disappointment. I am so confused as of yet. So utterly confused in so many ways. We leave tomorrow.

Tauriel

Sindarin Translation:

Belegorn onur. – Belegorn ran away.

Darathon hain – I will stop them.

Dîn – Silence

Dortho – Stay/Remain

Ego – Leave/Go away!

Ernil nín – My Prince

Ernil vuin – Beloved Prince

Farn – Enough

Iavas – Autumn

I Coll – The Hollow

I ngollor – The Magician/Sorcerer

Ir? – When?

Le beriathon – I will protect you.

Man? – What?

Mereth-en-Giliath – The Feast of Starlight

Minno – Enter

Si – Now

Taur-e-Ndaedelos – Greenwood the Great