Thunk. One of my arrows lodged itself between the eyes of a giant, black hairy spider, killing it instantly. I smiled to myself, spun around, and quickly loosened another arrow. This one hit a spider in one of its large, bulging, red eyes. The spider screamed in agony, and fell to the forest floor wounded. On impulse, I reached my hand to my back and grabbed one of my shiny, new daggers. I quickly killed the spider and searched around. The spiders were gone. I sighed and slipped my dagger back into its sheath. As I stood there in the middle of the forest, I heard the snap of a twig behind me. I stood still and suddenly pulled out my bow, set an arrow on it, ready to strike. I turned around, and set the arrow loose. But I heard the twang of another bow and watched in disbelief as my arrow fell to the ground, splintered.

I glanced up in disbelief, and laughed. There stood my friend Tauriel, holding her bow. She looked surprised.
“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “I thought you were an orc!”
“And I thought you were a spider!” I laughed as I stood up. We both laughed.
“Hey, I’m not that hairy!” Tauriel joked as we headed back home.
“Sure,” I replied. “Hey!” I had just remembered something. “How many spiders did you kill?”
“Twenty-four. How bad did I beat you?” Tauriel asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.
“By zero,” I smiled. “I also killed twenty-four.”

“That’s good, but bad.” Tauriel stared at me, a serious look on her face.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“This means that the spiders are populating even more!” Tauriel explained.
“Oh.” I was relieved. I thought Tauriel was mad that we tied… for the fiftieth time! I glanced at Tauriel. Her beautiful red hair flowed down her back and loose strands blew around in the breeze. I have to admit, I do have a crush on her. I felt bad for her. Just a few months ago, she had lost her boyfriend, a dwarf named Kili, to an orc named Bolg. (Luckily, I killed Bolg!)

“Are you ok? Did I hit you?” Tauriel asked suddenly. I stared at her.
“Are you kidding me? That was such a good shot that if I didn’t have my arrow loose, I’d be dead,” I praised.
“Your arrow saved you?” Tauriel asked in disbelief.
“Yeah!” I exclaimed. “It turned my arrow to splinters!” I showed her the remains of my arrow.
“Oops!” Tauriel laughed. “Here.” She handed me one of her own arrows. I pushed her hand back.
“It’s ok. I can get another one,” I insisted. She reluctantly stuck the arrow back into her quiver.

As we neared the gates of our kingdom, I noticed there was another elf beside one of the guards standing there. When we approached the gates, I noticed that it was Galion.
“My lord Legolas,” Galion acknowledged. “Your father wishes to see you.” I shot a sideways glance at Tauriel. She smiled.
“Go on. He is your father, your king,” she urged. I nodded, and as I sprinted away, I could hear her yelling, “Don’t forget! We killed forty-eight spiders!” I ran to the throne room and skidded to a stop at the door. I quickly dusted myself off and entered the ornately decorated throne room.

I stared up at my father who was lounging around in his large wooden throne. His crown was lopsided. “Uh, ada, your crown…” I snickered. My father, King Thranduil, quickly stood up and straightened out his crown as his silver cape fell off of his shoulders, falling to the floor with a poof. “Here. Let me help you.” I hurried up to his throne and swiped his cape of the ground, dusted it off, and gingerly set it on my father’s shoulders, carefully tying it in the front so it wouldn’t fall off again. I stood back and made sure it was straight. I stared up at my father.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked as my father and I walked down the stairs descending from his rather large throne.
“Yes.” My father eyed me hesitantly. “I was going to ask if you would want to head to Rivendell for me,” he explained.
I stared at him. He never let us go out often! “Why?” I asked suddenly.
“Two reasons. One, I have a package that I need retrieved. Two, I thought you’d want to go,” Thranduil answered carefully.
I stared at my father in disbelief. Was this my father speaking? Normally, he never lets us go out of the boundaries of Mirkwood! He caught my stare and sighed.
“I thought you’d want to go,” he challenged.
“What is the package?” I asked quickly.
“I don’t know. But, Lord Elrond did say that it might not be there yet, so you may have to travel farther,” my father explained. “The package is a gift from his family.” I nodded.
“I’ll go,” I decided.

“Hey. By the way, how many spiders did you and Tauriel kill this time?” my father asked with a smile playing on his lips.
“Forty-eight. Twenty-four each.” I smiled. I retold my tale of the splintered arrow.
“Tauriel is a great fighter,” Thranduil agreed. I stared at him. Just a few months ago, he had wanted to kill her because she loved Kili the dwarf! I just shook my head. Today was a crazy day.
“Uh, I’ll go and uh, pack my things,” I mumbled.

“No need. I got everything ready, it’s all in a bag on your bed.” My father turned to me. I nodded and scampered to my room. My father had gotten everything ready like he said. But he forgot food. I picked up the bag and threw it over my shoulders. Wrong bag. I took everything out and stuffed it in a larger bag that I could throw over one shoulder so my weapons could be accessible. Then I wandered over to the kitchens. I hurriedly stuffed a few packages of lembas in my bag, but I wasn’t fast enough.

“Hungry?” Galion was standing at the door, an open bottle of wine in his hands. He gestured toward the large amount of Lembas I had in my bag. I grimaced.
“Going on a journey,” I muttered. I stared at the wine in Galion’s hand. “Taste testing?” I asked, a smile flickering on my face.
“Huh?” Galion waved the bottle in the air. “This? Oh, yeah. It tastes excellent.” He nodded and took another swig. I laughed. A few months ago, Galion was doing the same thing, and he fell asleep. It just happened that a hobbit named Bilbo had an invisibility ring, and Galion dropped his guard. We had dwarves, thirteen of them, in our dungeons. The dwarves escaped because Bilbo had helped them escape by stealing the keys, which Galion was supposed to be watching.

I slipped away before Galion could ask any other questions. I entered the throne room to say good-bye to my father. I halted. Standing in the middle of the room stood Tauriel! Tauriel caught my eye and slowly drifted over to me. As she stood there, I saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes. A pang tore at my heart. I was one of her friends, and I was leaving her. I felt ashamed to be leaving, but I didn’t want to disappoint my father. Tauriel gazed up at me and, after a slight hesitation, gave me a quick hug.
“Be safe,” I heard her mutter. I was so surprised I didn’t move. Suddenly, Tauriel stared at me.
“Here, this is for you.” She thrust an awkwardly wrapped package toward me. I peered at her as I slowly unraveled the cloth. I glanced down. It was a new sword!

I smiled at Tauriel and she turned away. I just shook my head and slid the blade into my leather sheath. My father came in through the door at that moment, and hustled over to me. I noticed he carried two bottles of wine. He handed them to me.
“They’re for Elrond and his family,” Thranduil explained. I was surprised to see his eyes were glazed over, as if he was sad to see me go. I nodded and stuck them in my almost full bag and gave my father a quick hug. I waved good-bye to Tauriel, who smiled and waved back, and crossed the room to the door. I waved good-bye one last time, and left Mirkwood. Little did I know, this journey was going to change my life.

About twelve long days later, I entered the beautiful elven valley of Rivendell, the realm of Imladris. I stood in the entrance, enchanted. I had never been to Rivendell, but I had heard stories and songs of it. It was more beautiful than I imagined! It was totally different than the dark and evil forests of Mirkwood. Here, it was bright and cheery. I could hear the sounds of waterfalls in the distance. I breathed in the clean air.
“Ah! Legolas Greenleaf!” I heard a voice call. “Mae g’ovannen!”

I turned around and smiled warmly. Lord Elrond, king of Rivendell was descending a flight of stairs, and stopped a few feet in front of me.
“Hantanyel,” I spoke the proper thanks in the tongue of Sindarin. I bowed respectively. As I rose, I slipped my hand into my bag and felt my fingers wrap around the bottles’ necks as I tugged them out of my bag and held them out to Elrond.
“A gift from my father,” I explained quickly.

“Legolas, these are my twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir,” Lord Elrond declared. It was at that moment I noticed two male elves standing behind Elrond. They looked so alike, their dark brown hair hanging down their broad shoulders. One of them wore a pale pink stone embedded on a necklace. The jewel glittered in the sunlight. The one wearing the beautiful jewel smiled and shook my hand.
“Hello. I’m Elladan. This…” he pointed at the other twin. “…Is my baby brother, Elrohir.” Elrohir gave Elladan a large shove tipping him off balance.
“I’m not that much younger,” Elrohir snapped irritably.

That was when I noticed Elrond had walked away. I explained to the twins my errand.
“Oh. It hasn’t come in from Bree yet,” Elrohir apologized. “Don’t worry. Our older sister is heading off tomorrow morning to retrieve it.” Elladan stared at me curiously.
“You know, you could go with her if you want,” he commented. “I don’t think she’ll mind.”
He lowered his voice. “Just be careful,” he whispered, a smile playing on his lips.
“Don’t worry. He’s just joking. He and Calathiel fight a lot,” Elrohir laughed.
“Do not,” Elladan scowled. He stood up straight. “Come on. We need to tell her it’s time to eat.”

“SHE’S IN THE GARDEN!” Elrohir called over his shoulder as he walked away. As Elladan and I walked, we talked a little about ourselves.
“Where did you get that jewel?” I asked, pointing to the pale stone on Elladan’s chest. He glanced down and hurriedly stuffed it into his shirt.
“Calathiel,” I heard him mumble. He held out his hand to stop me and put a finger to his lips. I stopped and stared ahead.

There was a group of five girls sitting in a circle. I could see Calathiel, though her back was turned. As we watched, the youngest, a girl named Ellawyn gingerly set a crown of daisies on Calathiel’s head.
“Thank you! It’s beautiful!” Calathiel praised. Elladan cleared his throat. Calathiel spun around, utterly surprised. “Elladan!” she exploded. “Really?” She stood up and walked forward menacingly toward him. When I stared at him, I was really surprised! He had a slight flicker of fear in his bright eyes. I just watched as Calathiel punched him in the arm and stomped off.
“It’s time to eat!” Elladan called. His voice went soft like he cared for her.
She glared at him and turned around. As we walked, Elladan leaned in toward me and whispered, “Even though we do bicker a lot, I really do love, care, and respect my older sister.” He rubbed his hurt arm and grimaced. “Well, I USUALLY respect her.” He laughed ruefully. “I can’t be mad at her for long.” He turned around and smiled at her. She smiled back. After a slight hesitation, Elladan stopped and waited for Calathiel to catch up.

“Calathiel, this is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood,” Elladan explained. “He’ll be accompanying you to Bree.” I glanced over to her. She smiled widely and nodded her agreement. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was! Her long brown hair rippled down her slender shoulders. She wore a white dress with long, flowing sleeves. I quickly turned away, to kind to stare. Suddenly, Calathiel gave a cry, and with that, was gone.

I stared at Elladan, not knowing what in the world had happened. Elladan smiled. “She noticed my little sister, Arwen.” He explained, pointing toward the elf that now stood at Calathiel’s side. “She just got back from visiting our grandmother Galadriel in Lothlorien.” I stopped.
“Are you talking about Galadriel, lady of Light, keeper of Nenya?” I asked in disbelief.
“I sure am!” Elladan flashed a toothy smile. “She is the mother of my mother, Celebrian.” I nodded and we started walking again.

Soon we were seated in a large hall at a long table. From where we sat, Elladan, Elrohir, and I could clearly see Calathiel and Arwen near the other end of the table in deep conversation. Suddenly, a tinkling of bells could be heard, and the cooks poured out of the doorway, carrying platters of food, which they set on the table. It all looked so delicious, my mouth started watering! About halfway through the meal, Elladan rose from his seat and scampered out the door.
“Where did he go?” I asked Elrohir.
“You’ll see.” He smiled, his eyes flickering mischievously.

A few minutes later, Elladan returned, carrying a large bucket of ice-cold water. He slowly crept over to Calathiel, and ever so carefully, poured it all over her! Calathiel’s screams could be heard all around the room. Elrond stared at Calathiel and nodded at her. At that, Calathiel jumped up, grabbed Elladan’s arm, and dragged him out of the room, her face full of anger.

Elrohir was laughing like crazy.
“Oh, she’s in for it now!” he laughed, gasping for breath. Elladan soon stumbled in, dripping wet himself. “What happened this time?” Elrohir snickered.
“THIS time she pushed me into the fountain,” Elladan replied as he wolfed down food.
“He does it a lot to her,” Elrohir explained. “So she waits to see if ada will let her punish him. He always lets her, but she still checks.” I laughed. I had so much to learn about Rivendell and Elladan and Elrohir. Calathiel didn’t return for the rest of dinner.

I appreciated the appetizing food, and I fell asleep with a full stomach. The next morning, I woke to the birds whistling. I suddenly wondered where I was. Then, I remembered I was in Rivendell. I sat up in my bed and examined the room. Light was filtering through the windows, making the room bright and cheery, unlike the darker rooms of Mirkwood. The walls were a golden-brown, but a little lighter. I glanced at the ceiling. The stunning brown wooden rafters wove all around holding up the ceiling. I took note that my sheets were white and a golden blanket topped it off. The pillows were large and puffy.

It was at that moment I noticed that someone had been in here while I was asleep and washed my clothes. There was also a bowl of hot oats next to me on a tray. I glanced at it ruefully, and noticed the same person also packed my bag, and they filled it with a few packages of something I couldn’t place. I slowly brought the bowl of golden mud-like substance to my lips and took a small sip. Nothing that looked anything like this had ever tasted as good as this bowl of oats. I promptly finished it off and set it back on the tray. Suddenly, I remembered that I was heading to Bree today. I jumped up and threw on my clothes. After a brief thought, I decided that whoever was in here to bring breakfast was probably coming back, so I left it where it was. I ran out of the room with my bag bouncing on my hip.

I found Elladan speaking fluid elvish with Calathiel, who looked annoyed.
“I’LL BE FINE!” I heard Calathiel yell before she stormed off.
“What was that for?” I asked Elladan.
“I’m kind of pressuring her. I keep forgetting how easily she blows up,” he answered.
“Why does she get mad?” I wondered aloud. Elladan stared at me, and his face was that of a sad puppy.
“She still misses our mother, Lady Celebrian,” he explained, and he stared in the direction Calathiel stormed off. “She’s working so hard, you know, making sure guests feel welcome as my mother once did.” I stared at Elladan. It all made sense. Calathiel had made sure everything was ready, and she was the one who brought the tray to me! I told Elladan my theory.
“You’re right. The oats don’t look that good, but it’s one of my favorite breakfasts!” he laughed. He stopped. “She works really hard, it’s kind of sad to watch her. She makes sure every guest feels at home.”
“Well, she does a good job.” I smiled. Elladan laughed.
“Yes, that’s true!” he chuckled.

“What’s this?” I handed Elladan one of the small packages of food. He stared at it in wonder.
“Silver stag meat! It works like Lembas, but it’s really hard to come by,” Elladan explained.
I nodded and stuffed it back in my bag. “You’d better be ready.” Elladan pointed his finger a little ways away, and there stood Calathiel, talking with a three-year-old boy.
“CALATHIEL!” Elladan yelled. She turned and walked up.
“Yeah?” she asked. I finally got a good look at her. Today, she wore a pair of grey leggings, a light lavender colored long sleeved shirt, topped with a brown elbow length one. She wore brown leather boots and arm guards embroidered with gold. She had a bow and her quiver hung on her back firmly. She carried a small handbag that was slung over her shoulder. She held two knives in her hands, and a sword hung at her side. She stuck the knives in two sheaths side of her quiver.

“Aren’t you going to go now?” Elladan asked quickly. Calathiel stared at me. I glanced away. Calathiel nodded and we started walking away. When we reached the gate, there was a mob of people standing there to see us off. Calathiel ran to Arwen and squeezed her tight.
“See you in a few weeks,” she murmured softly. She turned to Elladan and they hugged. Elladan embraced her back, and to me it seemed as if he didn’t want her to go. Calathiel quickly said good-bye to her father and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Elrond looked sad too. Suddenly, the little girl, Ellawyn, handed her a large bunch of silver flowers. “Thank you!” she cried and gave the four year old a hug. Everyone beheld the flowers in wonder. I didn’t understand. They were just flowers. Or I thought. Then we set off.

A few days later, we were making camp and I decided to pick up firewood. As I was walking, I noticed three tall, towering figures. “TROLLS!” I thought to myself. Three of them. I knew I couldn’t kill three mountain trolls on my own! I retreated back to camp and stumbled into the clearing we were using as a campsite.
“That’s not a lot of wood,” Calathiel exclaimed at the small armload I carried. I set the wood down next to the fire pit.
“I know. I have a reason too,” I replied. “There are trolls. That way.” I brandished my hand in the direction the trolls were. Suddenly, I heard a peculiar sound.

Calathiel was laughing!
“What’s so funny?” I asked her.
“Come on. I’ll show you,” Calathiel flew into another fit of giggles. When we reached the “trolls” I then noticed that they were stone! Calathiel quickly explained the story of Bilbo, the Dwarves, and the Trolls.
“Oh!” I laughed. I finished picking up firewood and when I returned, Calathiel already had started a fire and was cooking four rabbits. She stuck the skins into her pouch.

After a few days, we ate all sorts of food including deer, rabbit, fish, and berries. I also found Calathiel to be a great fighter. I decided to tell her about Tauriel during supper that night.
“I have a friend who lives in Mirkwood…” I began. Calathiel gave me her full attention, staring at me with her soft brown eyes. I stopped. What was I thinking? I shook my head. “Anyways, her name is Tauriel,” I went on. Suddenly, I noticed Calathiel sit up straighter.
“Tauriel?” she asked.
“Yes.” I replied. “She…”
“Does she have red hair, a bow, and really good with daggers?” Calathiel interrupted. I nearly choked on my squirrel meat.

“YES!” I cried.
“Oh, we’ve known each other for a long time,” she replied smiling. “It’s sad that she lost her boyfriend. Well, at least she has you!”
“Yeah,” I muttered.

Calathiel surprised me over the next few days. She turned out to be so much fun! She knew tons of riddles, so we would play games of riddles when we were bored. She was also really funny, even in ways I didn’t even know of. I have to admit, when we first set off, I had my doubts about her. I also found her an excellent singer. She sang many songs of distant lands and I sang along to the ones I knew. I had already known it, but Calathiel was a MAGNIFICENT cook! Each mouth-watering meal was as superb as it smelled. But the one-day that was the most action packed was one I’ll never forget.

One night, she was picking up firewood. We were out of the forest by now, so we were using bushes. Suddenly, in a flurry of leaves, Calathiel came crashing into the campsite. She dropped the HUGE pile of firewood she carried and with a quick, “HEAT SOME WATER AND MAKE A FIRE!” she dove back into the underbrush. I sat there a moment. Suddenly I started the fire and put a pot of water to boil it as Calathiel ordered. As I did, I thought of the tossed feelings I had for her. She was beautiful, that’s for sure.

Suddenly, Calathiel returned carrying… a black bear cub! Momma bear was walking right behind, looking extremely worried. It was then I noticed Calathiel’s face matched that of the bear. Scared and worried. She gently set the bear cub down on a blanket I had set out. Calathiel then grabbed the burning pot of water and carefully poured some into a bowl. Then thrust her long, slender fingers into her leather bag and pulled out a few of the silver flowers.
“Silver star flowers!” I heard her murmur. She tore the petals of a single flower off and dropped them in the water. Within three minutes, the water was a silvery hue. Calathiel fished the petals out and handed the wooden bowl to me.

As I grabbed it, I felt my fingers make contact with hers. I took a deep breath. As she removed her hands, I exhaled slowly.
“Help the cub drink it,” she ordered. I moved closer to the cub. That’s when I noticed the deep wounds on it. I did as I was told and was surprised at how easily the cub drank. I watched as Calathiel mixed a small amount of water, petals of a flower, some Athelas, and a little bit of powder she fished out of her bag and mixed in into an ointment, soon a silvery mud-like substance. She thrust the ointment toward me and reached into her bag.
“Rub it on his wounds!” she ordered, her voice strained. The cub started crying, so Calathiel gave it a piece of meat.
Suddenly, Momma bear was there, watching my every move. I was nervous. I knew she could tear me to pieces if she wanted. Luckily she never did. Calathiel threw her a large slab of meat.
“We need to wrap it!” I pointed out to Calathiel. Suddenly she was at my side tying strips of cloth I noticed were from one of her shirts onto the cute cub. I could see her eyes soften.
“He’ll be ok,” she blew a sigh of relief. She then set the cub with its mother, and I watched as they snuggled and fell asleep. I felt a small, light touch on my shoulders. I turned around surprised.

Calathiel had her hand on my shoulder.
“You should get some sleep,” she advised softly. I stood up and turned to make my bed when I noticed Calathiel did it for me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled sleepily as I slid between the snug covers. As sleep overtook me, I thought about the things I learned about Calathiel. I now knew she was a healer and had a way with animals. I smiled as I fell asleep.

Every once in a while I’d wake to find her tending the fire, watching the cub, or sitting, staring at the stars. “Elladan is right,” I thought. “She does work hard!”

The next morning I awoke and rose from my bed. The fire was still flickering, but Calathiel was sleeping… snuggling with the bears! I smiled at the scene softly. Just like her to go sleep with bears! After a quick thought, I decided to let her sleep. I stuffed my bag full of stuff and went to fill Calathiel’s. When I opened her bag I noticed there was no room! “I’ll have to wake her,” I thought to myself. I slowly walked to her side and shook her awake.
“Huh?” she asked groggily.
“Come on sleepyhead. We have to keep going,” I laughed. Her hair was a big, brown mess. As she brushed her hair, Calathiel stared in the direction we were headed.

“We’ll be in Bree by nightfall!” she cried cheerfully. After a while she stood and started filling her bag. I gaped at her in disbelief. I asked her how everything fit.
“It’s an ever-fillable bag from Gandalf,” she explained. “It lets you put anything in it!”

Calathiel waved good-bye to the bear and her cub. I glanced back and noticed the cub, which was sitting on his momma’s back, was waving to us. I smiled joyfully. That night we entered at a wooden gate. Calathiel knocked and a man poked his head out the door.
“Lady Calathiel!” he smiled. “Welcome back!” Calathiel nodded and brought me to an inn called The Prancing Pony. It was dark and smelled heavily of ale.
“Why is everyone staring at us?” I asked.
“They don’t get many elves around here.” Calathiel smiled at me, and glanced to an isolated corner where a man clothed in black sat, smoking a pipe.

With a cry, Calathiel raced over to the table and sat down I heard the man’s voice clearly.
“Is that you, Calathiel?” he asked. His voice was that of a King.
“It’s me, Elessar,” Calathiel smiled.
“We have much to discuss,” he answered, eyeing me with eyes I noticed were clear and piercing. We followed him to a small bedroom and he closed the door.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Calathiel.” The strange man threw back his black hood to reveal shoulder length dark hair and a slight beard.

“I am Elessar.” The man smiled widely. “But you can call me Aragorn. My name around here is Strider.” My father had told me to meet Strider! I fulfilled that quest.
“I’m Legolas,” I introduced myself. There was a knock at the door, and a small Hobbit walked in, carrying a tray that seemed bigger than he was!
“Thank you!” Calathiel thanked the Hobbit. “Here.” She threw him a small pouch of gold. The Hobbit stared at her with wide eyes.
“Thank you mam!” he cried before scuttling off and out the door. Strider decided to come back with us, and handed Calathiel two small cloth bags. She threw one to me and nodded. This is what I was sent to get. Gems, white gems. My father’s favorite.

We ate our supper and Calathiel slipped out the door and fell asleep in the room next to Aragorn and I’s.
“She’ll sleep well tonight.” I laughed.
“Why’s that?” Aragorn asked, a smile playing on his lips. I briefly told Aragorn the tale of last night’s chaos before drifting off into a deep slumber.

The next morning, I awoke as Aragorn walked in balancing a tray of food in his right hand and holding a pitcher of water in the other. I rushed to help him. As I got dressed, Aragorn descended the stairs to pay for the night. When I was dressed, he walked in, a bewildered look on his face.
“It’s already paid for!” he cried. He stood up. “Go wake Calathiel.” I walked down the hall and entered the room to the right. Calathiel was sleeping peacefully. I shook her awake, and we made our way back down. Strider was waiting for us.
“Everything’s packed.” He pointed at the bags on the table. I threw mine on my shoulders and we set off.

One day, Aragorn lost his footing and tripped on a large hole, spraining his left ankle. He fell to the ground, grimacing in pain. Calathiel ran over to him and sat down. She quickly pulled out a silver flower and some Athelas. She grabbed a bowl and stuck the foliage in side. Then she poured some of her water in the bowl and softened the plants. She then added pine needles and the powder she used the other day. In the end, it made a shiny, green ointment. Calathiel gingerly took off his left boot and smothered the ointment all over his foot. She then took a shirt of hers and tore it apart, making a bandage for Aragorn’s leg. I noticed he wasn’t hurting anymore.

For the next many days, we joked and laugh, sang and ate, and had tons of fun. We noticed Momma bear and her cub following once in a while.
“We’re almost there! We’ll be there by nightfall!” Calathiel cried as she ran under the afternoon sun. I laughed as the bear cub rushed out of the underbrush and started wrestling with her. Aragorn and I sat down, waiting for her to go. I had been thinking about my tossed feelings for Calathiel, and I needed to talk to someone. I turned to Aragorn.

“Aragorn…” I began. Aragorn turned and stared at me. “I… I think I’m in love!” Aragorn’s eyes understood. Took a deep breath. “With Calathiel,” I finished in a huge breath. Aragorn smiled.
“Well, that’s ok,” he admitted. “You two are perfect for each other!” I didn’t know what to say except, “Yeah.”

As we entered Rivendell, the birds were singing and the waterfalls were splashing. I heard a shout, and Arwen came shooting out and threw herself into Aragorn’s arms. I was surprised. These two seemed to be… lovebirds! As Aragorn and Arwen conversed, I stood there wondering what I do now. My job was over. I retrieved the package for my father. Suddenly, there was a light tap on my shoulder. I glanced back and noticed Calathiel, again, her hand on my shoulder.
“Follow me,” she beckoned.

I followed inquisitively. She guided me to a pool alighted with light. She sat down and dipped her feet in the cool, clear water. I sat down next to her.
“That was one of the most fun few weeks of my life!” Calathiel admitted. She sighed. I stared at her. Her eyes glittered in the moonlight.
“It’s now or never!” I thought as I stared into the pool. Suddenly, I lunged and made a wild grab for her hand. I made it. Calathiel stared at me, surprised. Suddenly, I felt her slowly pulling her hand out of my grasp.

I felt sad. She didn’t feel the same as I thought she did. Suddenly, she was prying my fingers apart, and I felt our fingers interlock. Now it was my turn to be surprised. Then with a jerk of my arm, we both flew, splashing, spluttering, into the beautiful pool. We submerged at the same time, and she stared at me with those big, beautiful brown eyes of hers. I was so happy that I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. She laughed merrily. Her laughter was like the sound of tinkling bells. As we stood up on shore, we heard music playing from the fireplace room. Calathiel grabbed my hand and put one on her shoulder, the other on her waist. She did the same with her hands. Then, she taught me how to dance. It was one of the most enjoyable times of my life.

TWO MONTHS LATER

The birds were singing a beautiful harmony. My heart was beating wildly. It was almost time for the wedding. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I expected to see Calathiel, but instead, there stood my friends: Galion, Bard, his children (Sigrid, Tilda, and Bain), Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, my father, and… Tauriel.
“Good luck today!” she smiled. I gave her a hug.
“Yes, best of luck,” Bard agreed wholeheartedly, shaking my hand. The horns started braying. It was time. I slowly walked to the front of the isle. It was outdoors, in a large garden. As if on cue, the bridesmaids and groomsmen started sashay to the front also. Then, a loud blast of the horn could be heard for miles around. I turned around ad gasped. The two flower girls (Tilda and Ellawyn), were drifting up the isle, throwing silver colored flower petals, followed by Bain, who looked really annoyed to have to be the ring bearer. But what took my breath away was Calathiel.

Her long, flowing silver dress made it seem as if she were floating toward me. Her hair was curled and put up into a curled bun. She wore a veil of silver lace and she was smiling from head to toe. She walked up to the front and we stared at each other. Then I noticed her bouquet was of Silver Star flowers! She stood there, her eyes gleaming, her face plastered with a smile. Gandalf the Grey stood up front to ask us our wedding vows.

“Do you, Legolas Greenleaf, take Calathiel to be your true fully wedded wife?” He asked. I took a deep breath.
“I do,” I replied, exhaling, relieved.
“Do you, Calathiel, take Legolas to be your true fully wedded husband?” Gandalf asked again.
“I do!” Calathiel replied, smiling at me.
“Good. Legolas.” Gandalf’s eyes bore through me. “You may kiss the bride.” That kiss was the best thing I had ever done in my life.

The reception was a blast, with all sorts of food and things. My favorite part was the dancing. As we were about to leave the reception, Elladan stopped me.
“Take care of my sister now, you hear?” he ordered, a glint in his eyes. I smiled.
“I will,” I promised. We hopped into the silver carriage pulled by two white horses when Calathiel remembered something. She leaned back and threw her Silver Star flower bouquet behind her. Every lady reached for it, but before anyone could get it, it burst into thousands of flowers, a trick of Gandalf’s. And we lived happily ever after.

THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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