Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for your patience. I had switched jobs and have been very busy with that. Anyhow, prepare yourselves as this is a long chapter. It is setting up for the next chapter in which we will explore more from the storyline of "The Desolation of Smaug." I would like to make a disclaimer that some conversation in here is not my property but that of Peter Jackson, the producers, and the writers of "The Desolation of Smaug." Secondly, I would like to give a big thanks to Galadhorn at Elendilion for providing fantastic Elvish translations. Part of my battle here was finding the correct translations of Elvish in order to better represent the characters. I feel that the Sindarin adds so much to the story and it makes the Elvish culture appear more authentic. Again, thank you all for your wonderful comments. You all really are the reason why I've gotten together another chapter. Thanks a lot for all your encouragement. It makes a world of difference!

Anariel RR

300 Years Ago – Laer

It was high Laer and the trees of Taur-e-Ndaedelos were pregnant with emerald green leaves. Despite the heat that pervaded well-nigh every aspect of the wild and twisted woods, the shades of the lofty beech trees provided great shade to cloak ourselves in. Those of us in the Guard were practicing our archery stances and I was learning between an archer's offensive stance as well as an archer's defensive stance. In a tree branch lower to the ground, I could hear a lark serenading us with its soft trill as well as the nearby squirrels who chattered away noisily. All was peaceful during this summer day and there was no occasion of Orcs to pursue or Goblins to hunt down. It was a relatively peaceful time in Mirkwood for as long as I could remember.

All of a sudden, the usually cocky Laerorn came out of nowhere and clumsily knocked me to the forest floor. I glowered at him and, while he usually would have smiled, he was dead serious this time. There was a watchful urgency in his manner and my eyes went wide at his serious manner. When was Laerorn ever serious?

"Asca!" He whispered, pulling me into the dense shrubbery of a fir tree with him. I looked at him stupidly, "Man?" That was when he placed a finger in front of his own lips and uttered softly, "No dhínen." Throwing an Elven cloak over ourselves, we were better obscured from view and that was when I saw them. What do I mean by them? The sight that met my eyes was astonishing.

"Ai!" I started to scream but Laerorn got to me just in time to clamp his hand down over my mouth. What we saw was a group of three or four tiny men with rounded ears, a great mass of matted hair, such strange meaty bodies, and a great deal of armor. From above their beards were their knobby noses and eyes as black as beetles. What in the name of the Stars were those creatures? When they had wandered a little further northward, Laerorn removed his hand from my mouth and gave me a look.

"Has anyone told you that you aren't any good at this hiding business?" He shook his head and exhibited a small comical smile then glanced once more in the direction where the little men vanished.

"What were those creatures? Were they little Humans?" I inquired with a rather befuddled expression on my face, most likely seeming about as intelligent as a Human after too much spirits. At this, Laerorn threw his head back and laughed heartily, "Negyth… those 'little men' as you called them… are Dwarven folk. If it is well with you… It is well with me to say nothing of it to Ernil Legolas. He likes them not and would have us hunt them down."

"I agree…" I responded mechanically then allowed a small smile. "However… they were most uvanui."

Dearest Book, Third Eve of Mereth-en-Giliath

Very early this morning, I was roused by a knock at my door. Awoken thus from my slumber, I shuffled lazily towards the door. Unsurprisingly, it was Legolas. However, when I glimpsed his face hardened with determination and his body which was clad with his ceremonial chest plate, I knew immediately that a row had occurred.

"Tolo, Tauriel. Metho i vagol dhîn. Din farotham!" He declared as if a man on a mission. His hand was perched upon his sword, his brow furrowed.

"Does something ail you, ernil nín?" I leaned against the doorframe, gazing at him in an inquisitive manner. Not only did I probably look lazy but I was still a little groggy.

"No* Tauriel." He nodded his head slowly, seemingly withdrawn. "The King is furious."

"Man?" I cried, looking at him with a quirked eyebrow. "Man os?" Moving back from the doorframe and retreating into my room, I invited him to take a seat near the fire. It took a moment but he soon settled down in that very spot. Perching myself on the very edge of my bed, I regarded him closely.

"Lord Helegon informed my father that you have ended your engagement with Galhanar. The King declares that he is angry that you have disobeyed his orders yet again." He uttered in his calm manner yet beneath the veneer, I could sense the storm that raged inside. I gave a start, my own eyes wide. How could I bear for the King to be furious with me yet again? Surely he would exile me this time?

"And Galhanar?" I queried, scarcely able to breathe. "What says he?"

"It appears that Galhanar is your hero this time. He stated before my father that it is he who ended the engagement, not you." Legolas then spoke the words that caused my mouth to hang open in astonishment. Now, not only had I slighted a great man – perhaps my greatest marriage proposal ever, but I caused him to lie on my account. Why would he bring a king's wrath upon himself? Is it that he truly loved me?

"Edlenn" Legolas breathed, his face seemingly lacking in emotion. "… Galhanar is exiled from Taur-e-Ndaedelos." Once the words left Legolas's mouth, I became numb for a moment and could not hear much else. It seemed not only did I spurn a good man, but that I had singlehandedly led him to his ruin. I stupidly gawped at Legolas but as he kept talking, I could barely hear anything that he had said thereafter.

"Ernil nín…" I spoke softly, feeling my heart inside of me sorrowing over the fate of Galhanar. "May I speak with Galhanar before he departs? I may be late to the hunt." As a friend and as my sovereign lord, he nodded his head in acquiescence, ever a good man. He understood it all without my saying a single word of explanation. Legolas comprehends me so utterly in ways that no one ever has and no one ever will. His last gesture before leaving my chamber, he elevated my right hand and brought it to his lips, planting a gentle kiss upon the palm. With that, he was gone with lightning-fast rapidity.

Hastily, I quitted my chamber and began a search for Galhanar. Many an Elf had I met within the halls as I searched in vain but was crestfallen when I learned the truth.

"Did not you hear, hiril nín? Hîr Galhanar had only a short while to fetch his items before he was escorted out of the King's Hall." One Elf said in passing, his brow furrowed as he shook his head. "Sad business. Sad business, indeed. They say that he is to be exiled for 500 years." I thanked him afterwards for his candor but it did little to alleviate the sorrow that I felt. Why should Galhanar be exiled for me? Why would he do something so selfless like that? Moreover, why would the King be so hard on the son of his good friend, Hîr Helegon? Mulling it about in my mind, it then dawned on me. King Thrandruil wanted me out of the way – to impede the love that I shared with Legolas in every way possible. It all made so much sense now. It was so clear. Moreover, it explained why Thranduil came down on Galhanar without mercy. Everything was so transparent then. With those thoughts filling my mind, I returned to my chamber and fetched my bow to ready for the hunt. How often do we have to hunt down the spiders? It seems that no matter how hard we fight, they come back like a nasty after taste in one's mouth or the nightmare that lingers in one's thoughts.

Crossing the bridge from the King's Hall, I took immediately to the trees which were anywhere from a burnished bronze to a deep majestic purple – the perfect autumn foliage. Beneath the trees, I could see the leaves that had pooled upon the ground to create a collage of vibrant colors, dead and ready to wither away with the frosts of Rhîw. In uppermost branches of a beech tree, I could see a squirrel that chattered away noisily in his own beastly tongue, none too happy with the kingfisher who seemed unlikely to move from its spot. I shook my head and giggled a little at the comical scene, happy for the distraction. Upon moving from tree branch to tree branch, I came upon a sight. It was a group of 15 or so Dwarves bumbling noisily about and I was surprised that every Elf in Taur-e-Ndaedelos did not hear them. At the front of the company was a downy-bearded Dwarf with black hair and a rather sullen-looking face. For a moment, I debated whether to do something to try to stop the Negyth from wandering about in our woods, but decided against it. If Legolas and the rest of the Guard discovered them, I knew things would become difficult.

With that resolution, I grabbed hold of another branch and propelled myself upwards to a lofty pine tree, delighting in the cover of the soft pine needles. The aroma comforted me as it often times reminds me of my father. In that moment, I sunk back against the mighty trunk of the tree and collapsed into a heap, deeply saddened by all that Galhanar suffered at the King's hands. The same questions filled my mind: Why? Why did he do that? Why would he stand up for me after I spurned him? Why would he be so foolish? He could have married a proper high-born Sindarin lady in my place and he could have been immensely happy. Yet, the moment in which he could have taken revenge, he gave himself up as the sacrificial beast. I could scarcely understand it all. Pulling my knees to my chest, I wept in solitude, grateful for the privacy that the pine tree had afforded. Poor Galhanar. For some time, my morning passed in such a way. However, when the time of silence had passed, I rose to my feet and readied my Cuvallorn in preparation for the impending hunt.

"Let us go, Cuvallorn and Egros. Strike true, my friends in battle." I whispered as I felt the naturalness of the wood gripped so tightly in my hands. It felt silly to do so but utilizing weapons so often in battle, one relies upon them as one does a most devoted friend. There is meaning between the wielder and the wielded. I had left Hathelas, my sword back in my chamber in favor of Dol-Grithor, my late father's mighty cleaving sword that once separated Goblin heads from bodies. As always, Telveg, my dagger was tucked away in its sheath upon my belt and it was then, when I had assessed all of my weapons, that I was ready for battle.

It took quite a while to catch up with Legolas and the rest of the Guard. It seemed that the closer I drew to them, I happened upon many a spider which was felled with the throwing of Telveg in the direction of its head or many a well positioned arrow. By the time that I finally spotted the characteristic silvery blonde of Legolas's hair, I had thus slain 47 spiders. At that moment, as I was about to make my descent to the lower level of the wood, I was accosted by not one spiders but two. The situation was remedied by slashing at one arachnid's limbs with Telveg before inserting the blade into its brain. It was a dance that I danced many a time. Like many an Elven maiden dancing upon the Feasts of Ethuil, I had every single step memorized except the only difference was the danger in which I placed myself again and again. The other spider was felled with a hasty arrow through its upper torso as well as an extra one through the crown of its head. I breathed a sigh of relief. At that very moment, I peeked through the foliage and glimpsed the Negyth I saw earlier. The downy-bearded black-haired Dwarf, which looked to be the leader, sneered at Legolas as he surrounded them with members of the Guard. Taking that to be my cue for entrance into the situation, I finally made my descent.

"Kili!" I heard one of the Dwarves screech but it was of no consequence to me. As far as I was concerned, the Negyth were surrounded by the Guard with arrows at the ready to be let loose at any moment. Much to my annoyance, there were even more spiders about on the forest floor.

Of all of the Dwarves, there was one rather beardless who was about to be feasted upon by one of the surviving spiders. Taking hasty action, I performed a flip onto the back of one spider and utilized it as a mount whilst I let loose an arrow, killing the spider to my left. Afterwards, I then rolled quickly upon the ground to assume an offensive stance, ready to attack at any moment. Not surprisingly there were more spiders to kill as two stood before me. Both quickly were felled as I slashed one spider in the head before loosing an arrow into the other's brain.

"Throw me a dagger! Quick!" The beardless Dwarf well-nigh shouted in haste, noticing the spider encroaching upon his territory. There was something about this Dwarf's voice that sounded gravelly and it brought to mind thoughts of dark, twisted caverns with the golden glow of fire.

"If you think I am giving you a weapon, Dwarf, you're mistaken." I replied in a rather gruff manner, all authority and assuredness. My voice was soft, watery silk to his earthy baritone. In that moment, I felled the spider that was tormenting him, remedied by a hasty insertion of Telveg into its skull to immobilize it.

In that moment, I regarded the dark-eyed Dwarf with his mop of dark messy hair that spilled down his shoulders. Despite being a Dwarf, there was something about him that I could not quite my finger on. I immediately noticed that he was tall…taller than any Dwarf I've ever seen. There was a pleasant nature to him that I found interesting. Glancing hastily to Legolas, I noticed that he was busy interrogating a redheaded Dwarf who shrieked, "B'ey! Give that back! It's private!" The indignant Dwarf fought the urge to reach for what looked to be a silver locket of some sort, most likely holding sketches, perhaps the likeness of a family member.

"Who is this? Your brother?" Legolas queried in an indifferent tone, a departure from his usual warmth I witnessed on many an occasion. So much had I wanted to chide him but it was not my place and there were appearances that we needed to keep with the Negyth. They ought to learn not to wander into Taur-e-Ndaedelos, our realm without the express permission of Aran Thranduil.

"My wife." The Dwarf riposted in an insulted manner, huffing out his chest. I sighed as I witnessed the scene, trying to avoid regarding the beardless Dwarf.

"And what is this horrid creature? A Goblin mutant?" My dear friend and lover responded rather coldly, motioning to the other likeness. I could not see exactly what the likeness was of.

"That's my wee lad, Gimli." The Dwarf was incensed now and seemed as if he wanted to teach the Prince a lesson or two. I noticed Legolas elevate an eyebrow in revulsion, not showing his dislike of the Nogoth or his fellow Negyth. Noticing the awkwardness of the current situation, I decided to cut in with my usual report. Moving over towards Legolas, I saw the momentary flicker of warmth as his sky-like gaze met my emerald-like eyes.

"Gyrth in yngyl bain?" He inquired a matter-of-factly, possessing all of the majesty that a prince ought to in a given moment.

"Ennorner gwanod in yngyl nan yryn." I inclined my head to the side in a deferential manner, offering him my report before my eyes flashed with concern. "Engain nar." In that moment, Legolas's inquisitive manner gave way to an expression of concern that mirrored my own. With that, I backed up to allow him to interrogate the rest of the other Dwarves and he moved over towards the black-bearded one with the sullen face.

"Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh." Legolas declared as his silvery-blue eyes fell upon a resplendent blade that had been collected from the sullen-faced one. Holding it in his hands, he inspected it, "Where did you get this?"

"It was given to me." The sullen-faced one cried, not enjoying the moment as Legolas handled his blade. I found my heart going out to the Negyth who could have been harmless for all we know. Yes, we must be brave and tough. Especially considering the poison that spreads from the south, with whispers about some Sorcerer who ruins the woods. However, does that mean there must be an absence of compassion? In the next moment, Legolas accused the Nogoth of being a thief and liar.

"Enwenno hain!" Legolas ordered in his voice deep and rich as Dorwinion wine. I can tell by the expression upon his face that he had heard enough from the sullen-faced Dwarf. Up until that point, we took all of the weapons from the Dwarves as well as any possessions that they had on them. Finding themselves lacking in weapons, they were forced to march with us all through Mirkwood, over the bridge, into the entrance of the King's Hall, and into the great city that we all call home. My first thought was: What could those creatures be thinking? However, I confess that I found myself thinking upon the beardless Dwarf, the one who well-nigh was eaten by a spider. Why do I find myself thinking of him? He is nothing to me.

Tauriel

Sindarin:

Ai – Eek!

Aran – King

Asca – Quick

Cuvallorn – Crescent of Mallorn

Din farotham – We hunt.

Dol-Grithor – Head Reaper

Ennorner gwanod in yngyl nan yryn. – This is an ancient Elvish blade. Forged by my kin. [Take notice of the use of Gondolin in the Elvish wording, once a great Elvish city of the time.]

Edlenn – Exiled

Egros – Piercing Rain/Thorn Rain

Engain nar. – They are growing bolder.

Ennorner gwanod in yngyl nan yryn. – Yes, but more will come.

Enwenno hain. – Take them.

Ernil – Prince

Ethuil – Spring

Gyrth in yngyl bain? – Are the spiders dead?

Hîr – Lord

Hiril – Lady

Hathelas – Leaf Blade

Laer – Summer

Man – What?

Mereth-en-Giliath – Feast of Starlight

Metho i vagol dhîn – Ready your sword.

Negyth – Dwarves

Nín – My

No* – Yes

No dhínen – Be silent!

Nogoth – Dwarf

Taur-e-Ndaedelos – Greenwood the Great or Mirkwood.

Telveg – Silver Thorn

Tolo – Come

Uvanui – Horrid/Ugly