Oriear of Mirkwood was born in the depths of the Woodland Realm. She had never known her mother or father. All she knew was that she was an elf and she would never die. The only people she knew were the gnomes, fairies and sprites that lived near the bubbling spring where she was born. The sun had always glimmered through the trees and shone on the lightly flowing water. At night, the fairies and gnomes danced and sang under the moon.
Oriear always danced and sang happily with the glowing fairies, the pudgy gnomes and shy sprites. She spent many, many years with them growing up. The fairies taught her to read, write and speak. The gnomes made her weapons of strong gold and taught her to fight and hunt. The sprites played with her golden hair day in and day out. The fairies made her long beautiful dresses that sparkled in the moonlight. And Oriear grew up. Once she asked a fairy, “How old am I?” on the day they were celebrating the day of Oriear’s birth. The fairy had told her two thousand four hundred and thirteen. Oriear couldn’t believe how long she had lived there.

One night she sat by the edge of the brook watching the moonlight bounce and curve on the surface of the water. Her blue-green eyes never left the rippling water. The fairies had long gone to sleep and were all nearby in the bushes, their lights gently shining. Oriear sat there when she heard a twig snap behind her. She stood and turned. She could hear light footsteps coming toward her through the thick trees.

She unsheathed her long golden sword the gnomes had given her, for she knew this was no animal. A man stepped out of the trees. Clad in green, he had long blonde hair and pointed ears, striking blue eyes and a grip on a longbow. She lowered her sword and put it back in its sheath.

“Who are you?” she asked gently.

The man hesitated, shifting to one foot, his eyes never leaving hers. “I am Legolas, Prince of the Woodland Realm. Who are you?” His voice was gentle and soft. He stepped closer.

“My name is Oriear,” she replied. She did not fear him, for he was one of her own kind. He walked toward her.
“Now, what, may I ask, are you doing in the middle of the woods at this time of night?”

“This is my home,” she said. “I was born here and have lived here all my life with the fairies as the only parents I’ve ever known.” She sat back down and stared at the water again. He sat down next to her and she looked over at him, her head resting on her knees. He stared right back, his eyes half closed, taking in her figure. “So, what, may I ask are you doing out here at night, Your Highness?”

“I was out hunting, and please, call me Legolas,” he replied. “How long have you been here?”

“The fairies say 2413 years. I’ve spent a long time here and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but it’s getting a little dull,” she said.

“Dull? How can living in the woods with fairies and gnomes for 2000 years be dull?” he asked, his eyes shining, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Well,” she replied, “They do the same ritual every night, singing and dancing and I want to see what’s out there.” She waved her hand toward the sky and beyond.

“Come with me,” Legolas said. “I live in this huge tree city where life is pretty exciting. Will you, please? I’ve never met someone like you before who isn’t fawning over me. I want to get to know you.”

Oriear thought. “Well,” she said, “All right. I’d like to see this city of yours. For I’ve never seen an elf kingdom before. You are the first of my kind I have ever met and am ever so glad to have met you.” She stood and gave him a hand up. He stood a few inches taller than she. She looked up into his eyes. He moved closer to her and ran a hand down her face and neck. She blushed and broke her gaze from his.

“Well, I guess I’ll gather my things,” she said, moving away. She woke a fairy and told him that she was leaving. Oriear gathered her weapons and a small pack into which she put some clothes and some trinkets the fairies had given her. She turned and walked over to where Legolas stood. He offered her an arm and she took it. They walked toward the edge of the trees. Oriear turned and took one last look at the place she had known all her life as home. She glimpsed the moon’s reflection on the brook before it disappeared forever between the trees.

They walked for what seemed forever, never saying a word to each other. Oriear saw a clearing ahead.

“We’re almost there,” Legolas said quietly. “All right, here’s the plan.” He turned and faced her. “We go inside the largest tree, you follow me. Do not say a word. If my father finds out how late I was out, he’ll kill me. Hurry, before it gets too light out.” He took her hand and led her into the clearing.

The trees were enormous. They were probably almost a mile round. They stood taller than any tree Oriear had ever seen before. She craned her neck and looked up and up and up. Legolas began running, pulling her along. He opened a large door in the biggest tree. They sprinted up hundreds of stairs. Finally, they stopped climbing the stairs and came to a hallway. Legolas ran down it and opened a door. Warm light spilled out from it.

Oriear walked through the doorway; Legolas followed her and closed the door quietly. “Whew,” Legolas said. “Just in time. This is my chamber.” The room was gallant. It had a high ceiling, a very large bed and pillows strewn all around the place. There was a balcony at the far end. She walked toward it. She stepped out onto the balcony and her bare feet met soft, squishy moss. It was everywhere. It covered the whole space. She walked up to the railing and rested her hands on the hard wood surface.

The scenery was absolutely unbelievable. The sun was just coming up and its elegant rays shone atop the trees that seemed so small from so high above. Birds were just waking up and were each singing their own little song. The clouds glowed a brilliant pink and the sun peaked up underneath them, a bright red. The warm wind licked her face gently and played with her long golden hair that fell to her lower back.

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” asked the gentle voice that was now beside her.

“It’s beautiful,” was all she could say, not taking her eyes off it.

“Would you like to sit down and watch for a little while?” Legolas asked.

“Sure,” she said smiling, locking her
gaze with his. He pulled up two chairs and seated her. He was about to sit down himself when the door burst open. Legolas turned and a smile widened on is handsome face.

“Ah, my little brother!” he said, standing up. “Lamreng!” He embraced a young boy and tousled his shoulder-length blonde hair. “So how’s my favorite brother?”

“I’m your only brother! Anyways, look what I caught this morning!” Lamreng held up a very large fish. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It is! And speaking of beautiful, I would like you to meet my new friend Oriear,” Legolas said, gesturing towards her.

“Hello! I’m Lamreng! Nice to meet you! Like my fish?” the boy said grinning toothily, holding up the fish once more.

“It’s wonderful. You say, you caught that all by yourself?” Oriear asked, her eyes shining.

“Yup! Just wait until I show mum and Gimli!” he said running off and slamming the door.

Legolas chuckled. “Such a young thing. Lots of enthusiasm. Yet, I still love him!” He stared at Oriear longingly. She stared back, smiling. BANG!! Their gaze broke. Legolas’s smile was washed from his face and his eyes showed pure hatred. Then he put on a fake expression covering the loathing look. “Father,” he said, clenching his teeth. Oriear watched as the tall elegant man strode onto the mossy balcony. Frown lines covered his face and his eyebrows looked as if they were glued together.

“Son,” he replied. “What were you doing out so late? You arrived just before dawn with another person.”

Thranduil turned to one side and eyed Oriear on her chair. He looked back at Legolas. “Why is she here?”

“Father, I can explain…”

“No, son. I specifically said no outsiders. You know the rules,” he said sternly.

“Yes, sir. But can she please stay? Just for awhile?” Legolas lowered his voice so Oriear wouldn’t hear. “She was in the middle of the woods all alone with no one to associate with except the fairies that lived there. She’s never known anyone of her kind before.”

“All right, she can stay, but I will be keeping a sharp eye on her,” Thranduil said glaring in Oriear’s direction. He glided out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Legolas scowled at the door and plopped down onto the chair and put his face in his hands. Oriear was quickly there and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and beckoned her to sit on his knee. She sat and embraced him in a hug that he needed.

“Well,” Legolas said, playing with Oriear’s hair. “At least you can stay. Say, would you like to have a tour of this place? And then we could go do something fun!”

“Of course! I would love to see the rest of this place except…” Oriear yawned widely.

“I’m tired, too. Come on. We’ll go get some sleep and after that we’ll go down to the kitchens and we can sneak some food so we don’t have to eat with my family.” Oriear and Legolas stood. Legolas walked over to his bed and said, “You can sleep here.” She pulled herself under the covers and stared at the ceiling. Legolas walked over to a nearby couch and fell asleep instantly.

Oriear couldn’t sleep. She got up and walked out onto the moss-covered balcony. She saw a small pale flower that had poked itself out of the moss. She hadn’t noticed it before. She lay down on her stomach and stared at the tiny flower that hadn’t opened its petals yet. Oriear ran a finger down its stem and swore she could’ve heard tiny, bell-like laughter. She stroked it again and this time she believed herself. She stroked the flower until she finally fell asleep. The large tree moved a branch and shaded her body.

Oriear woke and it was very dark. She had slept the day away. Yet it wasn’t all that dark. There was pale light that looked like moonlight coming from the moss. She looked at the place the pale flower had been. There were thousands of tiny white flowers. They had clustered around Oriear as she slept. They tinkled in the dark. All their petals had opened and they had tiny little faces that smiled and turned to the flowers around them, talking to each other. Oriear smiled. She watched the flowers until it became lighter out. Their little petals closed around their tiny faces.
Suddenly all the flowers disappeared underneath the moss. She could hear light footsteps coming toward her. She turned her head and looked at Legolas, smiling down at her. He held out a hand and she took it. He pulled her up and led her out the door. They traveled down many flights of stairs until the wood of the tree was gone and they were underground. “All right, we’re almost there.” He soon opened a door on the left.

Wonderful and strange smells met their noses as they walked through the doorway. Legolas poked his head inside. “The coast is clear. Come on. Hurry before someone gets back.” He strode up to a table, releasing Oriear’s hand. He picked up a couple pieces of toasted bread and plopped some scrambled eggs onto the toast. Oriear quickly did the same. “All right. Have you got what you want?” Legolas asked.

“Yes,” Oriear replied. Legolas grinned at her.

“This way,” he said, grabbing her hand. He led her up a staircase that opened outside. They ran into the woods and sat next to a tree. They ate their sandwiches soundlessly. “Where would you like to go first? The pond, the stream, town, the practice courts?”

“How about the pond?” she said. They stood and Legolas led her through the trees. They heard heavy running footsteps approaching.

“C’mon you blasted squirrel!!!! Stop chasing me!! Aaarrgh!!” a gruff voice yelled. A short bearded man came into view, axe in hands, being chased by an oversized squirrel. The dwarf spotted Legolas and said, “Hey you pointy-eared-elvish-princeling! Get your butt over here and give me a hand here, will yeh?” Legolas bounded over to the dwarf, caught the squirming squirrel and flicked it on the head. The squirrel looked dazed. Legolas set it on a tree branch and it scampered off after it came to. “Thank you, my friend,” the dwarf said reaching up and slapping Legolas on the shoulder. “That bugger’s been chasin’ me all morning!”

“Well it’s very good to see you, Gimli!” Legolas said, laughing. Oriear stood feet away watching the old friends talk to each other. Legolas looked up and was almost startled to see she was still standing there. “Gimli, I would like you to meet a new friend of mine,” Legolas said, beckoning for Oriear to come nearer.

“What, another pointy-eared-elvish-princeling?” Gimli joked.

“No,” Legolas said, smiling. “This is Oriear.” He reached out and took Oriear’s hand. Gimili turned and his jaw dropped.

“Now, where did you find her?” he asked.

“In the middle of the woods, actually,” Legolas said, his eyes twinkling.

“It is such a pleasure to meet you Master Dwarf,” Oriear said, shaking his hand.

“Awww, just call me Gimli,” the dwarf said, blushing deeply. “Well, I’d better leave you to it. Looks like you’ve got things to do. And so do I. Going hunting with your little brother, as it were. See you soon!” Gimli pounded off.

“Nice little man,” Oriear said.

“Yes, met him when I was in the Fellowship a few years ago. Stuck to me like a dog,” Legolas said, chuckling. “We had the greatest fun back then. Competitions on who could kill the most orcs and things like that. Those were good times. Ah, here it is.”

They walked into a clearing with a beautiful pond sparkling in the sunlight. They walked up to the edge and looked into the clear water. The bottom was sandy and had no plants growing in the water. Flowers bloomed and draped over the edge. A willow stood next to the bank, its vines hanging over the edge. “It’s only about shoulder deep and perfect for swimming. We’ll do that sometime,” Legolas said, his eyes never leaving Oriear’s face.

“It’s beautiful. Where are we going now?” she asked.

“Would you like to see the town? It’s a cute little place with lots of shops. But one very important thing, if you see any girls in a large group, let me know. They’ll swarm over me if they see me,” Legolas said.

They walked into a little village with many people bustling about, sweeping porches, playing with marbles and running after cats and dogs. Children laughed and parents watched on smiling. Not all of them were elves, though. There were humans and an occasional hobbit or two. They walked further, hand-in-hand, and came to an even busier street where people rode by.

They strode up to small stands where some of the poor sold jewelry, fruits, fabrics, paintings, books armor, you name it. Oriear stopped at a small stand where an old woman was making a bracelet. Necklaces, wristlets and rings were lined neatly on the tabletop. There were blues and greens, purples and pinks, almost every color imaginable. Legolas picked up a green necklace and held it up to Oriear’s neck.

“Beautiful! It suits you,” he said. He turned to the old lady busy at work and said, “Excuse me? I would like to get this.” He held up the necklace.

“Oh, don’t do that for me!” Oriear exclaimed.

“No, it’s perfect. You have to have it,” Legolas said, grinning, turning back to the old woman.

“Oh, Your Highness!!” she exclaimed, curtseying deeply. “That’ll be forty.” The woman held out her hand. Legolas handed her some gold coins. He took the necklace and strung it around Oriear’s neck.

“Thank you,” said Oriear shyly. She looked around Legolas’s shoulder. A bustling group of girls were running towards them, screaming. “Legolas,” she said, wide-eyed. “There are those girls you don’t want to meet!” She pointed.

Legolas spun. The girls were upon him. “Legolas! Legolas! Ooooo, he’s so hot!!” they chanted, touching him and his hair, trapping him and Oriear in a tightly packed circle.

“Ladies!” Legolas said firmly. “Do not touch me! And please, be quiet!” The girls immediately stopped chattering and stepped back. “Thank you,” Legolas said, relieved. Oriear was shocked and luckily still clinging to his arm.

“Your Highness,” one snotty girl said. “She’s still clinging to you.”
Legolas laughed. “Sorry girls, but I’m afraid I’m taken.” The girls were no longer smiling. One girl in particular, looked very envious. She had dark hair and a dark complexion,
uncommon in elf kind. Her eyes glowed red as blood.

“Run!” Legolas whispered to Oriear. They dashed off, pushing people out of the way. The girls were in quick pursuit. Legolas turned a corner. “Come on, up this tree.” They scrambled up a nearby tree on the edge of town. The girls ran past, not noticing they had gone up the tree. “Whoa. I didn’t think we’d ever lose them.” He peeked down. “Okay, I think they’re gone.” They jumped back down.

“Would you like to go to the practice courts? I’d like to see your skill with that sword of yours,” Legolas said, glancing at the golden sword that hung at Oriear’s waist.

“Sure. I love sword fighting,” Oriear said smiling. Legolas led the way back towards the palace. They reached the enormous tree and walked around back. Legolas opened a gate, which led to an empty courtyard. They walked in and closed the gate behind them. They strode to the middle of the court and drew swords.

“Ready?” Legolas asked.

“Ready,” Oriear said, crossing blades with him. And they fought, high blocks, low slashes, but never hurting each other.

“You’ve got some talent! But how’s your foot work?” Legolas said. “First I step here,” he stepped. “Very good.” They fought on taking the pace faster and faster until their swords were gold and silver blurs.

“Ouch!” Oriear exclaimed, dropping her sword with a clang. “My wrist is cut!”
Legolas dropped his sword. “Let me see it.” She held out her hand, which was now covered in blood.

“It’s not bad,” she said, wincing.

“I’m so sorry. Truly. I didn’t mean to,” Legolas said, looking into her eyes.

“I know, it’s all right,” she said. She picked up her sword with her left, good hand and sheathed it. She cradled her hand.

“Come, we need to get that bandaged,” Legolas said sliding an arm around her shoulders. They walked to the gate and went back into the large tree. It was getting dark. They went up to Legolas’s chamber and closed the door. “Mmmm, something smells good.” Two trays of food were on a table waiting to be eaten.

Legolas walked over to his dresser and found some bandages. They sat down at the table side-by-side and he wrapped the bandage gently around her wrist and tied it.

“Thank you,” Oriear replied. “It feels a lot better.” They ate the smoked fish that waited for them. When they finished, they walked around the room, lighting candles as they went. The sun had just set and the air was getting cold, so Legolas closed the doors to his balcony. There was a fire burning in the large fireplace. Legolas began collecting blankets and pillows, making a bed on the floor next to the fireplace.

“There,” he said. “You’re going to have to sleep there. It’s too cold to sleep outside.” He went over to his wardrobe and pulled out some loose clothes. “Oh!” he said, surprised. “Some one must’ve put this in here for you!” He held up a long, silky white, sleeveless nightdress. He chucked the dress across the room to Oriear, who was sitting on the bed by the fire. She caught it.

“Okay, we’ll both change at the same time, and no peeking!” Oriear said. They turned and changed quickly into their nightshirts. Legolas went over to a shelf and pulled off a book. He went over to his bed and climbed under the sheets, opening it.

“Would you like to hear a story?” Legolas asked. He looked over at Oriear.

“Sure,” she said. She strode over to him and sat next to him on the bed.

“Chapter One. A Long-Expected Party.

“‘When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

” ‘Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, what ever the old folk might say, that hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also…” Legolas read on about Bilbo and his nephew Frodo and the big birthday celebration, with magnificent fireworks set off by a wizard named Gandalf.

Oriear listened and looked at the intricate illustrations. She removed her new necklace and studied it. All the beads were different shades of green with a larger flat bead in the shape of a leaf in the middle. There was a symbol that looked like a swirl with a sword intersecting the center. When Legolas came to the end of the chapter, Oriear asked, “What does this mean?” She handed him the necklace and pointed to the leaf.

He took the necklace and held the leaf close to his eyes. “The symbol? It means, whenever you’re in grave danger, it will keep you alive and bring help to you. I actually have the same bead.” He pulled a cord from beneath his shirt and showed the leaf with the symbol. “That’s interesting. We have the exact same necklace. I didn’t realize when I bought it.” He handed the necklace back and watched her put it back on.
He started reading again about Frodo and Bilbo’s old ring. Legolas felt her head rest against his shoulder and heard slow, gentle breathing. He closed the book and gently lifted Oriear’s light body. She did not wake. He laid her on her on her bed by the fire and tucked her in. She shifted, facing him, her arms above her head and tangled in her shiny hair. Her chest rose and fell slowly. He sat and stared at her sleeping form for a while. Then he reached out and ran a finger down the side of her face. He rose, looking back at the sleeping girl, and went to bed himself.

The sun rose and Legolas woke, thinking yesterday a dream. His heart pounded, it wasn’t. There was a sleeping form over by his fireplace. He rose, changed and opened the doors to the balcony. Birds sang and the sun touched the treetops with pink fingers. He turned and tiptoed toward Oriear. He knelt and ran his hand down her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered open. She smiled, stretched and sat up.

“Good morning,” Legolas said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, did you?” she asked.

“Wonderfully.”

“What are we going to do today?” Oriear inquired.

“I thought we’d go swimming in the pond,” said Legolas. “Here.” He held up a bathing suit that was green and had pink flowers on it. “Put this on under that. And don’t worry, I won’t look!” She took it in her hands and slipped it on. She hurriedly flung the nightdress over her head and they ran out of Legolas’s room barefoot. They walked out of the palace and into the waking woods.

The pond glistened in the early morning light and steamed in the cool air. They took off their clothes and waded in to the pond, matching green and pink suits. Oriear dove under without as much as a splash. Legolas followed her, watching her curve, kick and glide quickly through the warm water with amazing agility.

They got in and out of the water, making sand castles and flower bracelets when out in the sun. They chatted as the sun glided higher into the middle of the sky. Legolas climbed a nearby apple tree and picked a few ripe apples. They ate them when they got hungry. Little did they know, they were being closely watched and something unexpected would happen very soon.

They went into the water. They splashed each other laughing. Oriear went underwater and circled Legolas. He could not see her, for they had stirred up the sand on the bottom. Then before he could do anything, a pair of hands were around his ankles and he was yanked under. They both came up sputtering and laughing. Then Legolas went under and circled Oriear. She swam off before he could pull her beneath the surface. He chased her and caught her ankle. They bobbed up smiling, Legolas still clutching Oriear’s leg. He pulled her close. He put his hands on her waist and looked down into her eyes. She put her arms around his neck and they studied each other, their faces coming closer and closer. Then there was a whirring sound and Oriear’s face jerked back. She gasped as her eyes showed pain and silent tears ran down her face, barely noticeable since already wet. She leaned against his chest, clinging to his shoulders.
An arrow had lodged itself in her back. Her voice wavered as she tried to say something, but couldn’t. Legolas gently inched the arrow out. He cleaned the wound and laid his hands over it. The bleeding stopped and the wound sealed itself. He hugged Oriear close to his chest and scanned the woods.

“I didn’t know you could heal,” whispered Oriear after they broke apart, trying to take a peek at her back.

“I can, but only on small wounds. That’s why your wrist felt better yesterday when I bandaged it,” he said.

“Thank you,” Oriear replied. They walked up to shore. Legolas kept looking behind him, wary of the person that was hiding out there. They dressed and ran back up to the palace. The light was fading once more. They sprinted up to Legolas’s chamber and finally relaxed. Legolas was still clutching the arrow. A fire was burning in the fireplace and the candles were lit. Legolas opened the door and found a guard. He ordered him to go and find his mother.

“Why your mother?” asked Oriear as the guard sped off and the door shut.

“She’s an expert on weaponry. She may be able to identify this arrow and find the owner,” Legolas replied, his eyes showing concern. He sat on his bed fondling the arrow, studying it closely. Oriear sat by the fire watching him.

The door opened and a beautiful woman stepped into the room. She shut the door and scanned the room with sky blue eyes. Her skin looked almost porcelain, and brown wavy hair fell to her waist. Her intense eyes fell on Oriear and she smiled widely.

“So this is the girl everyone’s been talking about,” she said. Oriear bowed her head and looked back up again.

“Mother, this is Oriear,” Legolas said with a smile. He gazed at the girl now standing by the fireplace. She walked over to the queen and took her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Oriear said.

“And I you, darling,” the lady replied, smiling. “Legolas, why did you summon me, may I ask?”

“I need you to take a look at this,” he said holding up the arrow. “Obviously, someone is trying to kill her.” He nodded his head in Oriear’s direction. She was laying by the fireplace, deep into the Fellowship of the Ring book they started the night before. The queen took the arrow from his hand and studied it.

“It’s not a palace arrow,” she said. “The feathers are of a crow; the shaft is hand crafted. The head is of chipped stone and dirtied to spread infection. It was made in town, by a woman. Where was she hit?” Legolas showed his mother the place on Oriear’s back. “Good, you healed it. And a pretty good job at that.”

Legolas smiled. “Thank you, mother.” The two walked over to his bed, sat and talked about when the shooting of the arrow occurred and what they were doing. The conversation drifted to the subject of Oriear. Legolas told about where he’d found her and what they had done over the past couple of days. He glanced in Oriear’s direction; she was already fast asleep with the book laying open on her chest. The fire flickered and cast shadows across her face and hair. He relaxed. Then he realized his mother was looking at him. Abruptly, he looked back at his mother.

“Sounds like you two get along well?” she replied. “Your father gave me quite a bad description of her and…”

“You know how he is, mother. Always trying to get at people, especially me,” Legolas interrupted, hanging his head.

“I know honey,” she said, lifting his chin to look into his eyes. “But I can talk him into anything. So don’t you go worrying about.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“She is very pretty,” she said, looking at the sleeping girl. She stood. “I suggest you keep her inside the grounds and preferably indoors. We don’t want anything to happen to her, or you.” She left the room and shut the door quietly. Oriear stirred and moved her hands to entangle them in her hair. The book slid to a pillow nearby. He padded over, picked up the book and covered her with a blanket. He leaned over her and placed a gentle kiss on her slightly parted lips. He set the book on his bedside table. He turned and looked at the beautiful, sleeping face turned slightly toward him. He sighed. Falling onto the bed, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

They spent many, many days together, touring the castle and the grounds, meeting friends and family, going horse-back-riding with Gimli, who seemed to fall off his horse every time he tried to get back on. They swam, they fenced, they practiced archery and came to know each other more and more.

One day, quite a few months after Oriear arrived, Legolas proposed they go on a journey. He wanted Oriear to meet his friends in the Fellowship, the hobbits, wizard, man and their families. Legolas talked to his mother and she agreed to the plan. They got supplies together and horses ready.

When the day finally came, Oriear and Legolas set off early in the morning, Oriear on a horse called Hasufel and Legolas on a horse called Arod. They rode for hours, day and night, as they worked their way toward Gondor. They finally reached the outskirts of Gondor and made their way to Fellowship Cottage, where Aragorn and Arwen went when they wanted to get out of Minas Tirith and take a break from children and servants.

The horses clip-clopped toward the elegant house planted in the middle of a pine forest. Vines crept up the walls and smoke dwindled out of the chimney. The windows were open and the lace curtains fluttered gently in the slight breeze. A whiskered face appeared in the window. It smiled and disappeared. Legolas dismounted and opened the gate. Oriear rode in and dismounted as the gate closed behind them. They let their horses graze after they untacked them. They walked to the door hand-in-hand.

The door opened and the whiskered face was smiling once more. “Legolas! So wonderful to see you!” He threw his arms around his old friend.

“Aragorn! I’ve missed you!” Legolas exclaimed, laughing. They broke apart and smiled. Legolas pulled Oriear from out behind him and held her in front of him. “Aragorn, I’d like you to meet Oriear.”

“Hello, Oriear. I am King Aragorn of Gondor, at your service,” he said, still smiling, kissing her hand. “Arwen! Come down! Legolas and his ladyfriend are here! Please come in,” said Aragorn. The door clicked shut behind them.

The horses were restless and bunched close together, ears pricked at the nearby bushes. Twigs snapped and two blood-red eyes glowed in the dusk.

“So, what’s for supper?” Legolas asked after they had settled their things. Wonderful smells were working their way toward the hungry travelers.

“Well, we’ve got venison, potatoes, corn and a variety of other things that Arwen has been cooking all day,” said Aragorn. “She had a hard time keeping me away from the kitchen.” He chuckled as Arwen glided into the room carrying a tray in each hand.

“Are you hungry? Well I hope you are. I’ve slaved over this all day,” she said her eyed twinkling merrily. She set the trays on the table.

“Great!” Legolas and Oriear exclaimed simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed.

“Well, what have you been up to, Legolas?” Aragorn asked, stabbing a large piece of venison. The four chatted about things that had been going on and how Legolas came across Oriear. As the story started, Oriear looked around the room at the things hanging on the walls.

There were a variety of weapons and breakable things. Swords, daggers, cutlasses, bows and spears lined the walls. There was a large portrait on the far wall of nine people. Four of which were very short in height and Oriear guessed they must be Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam. Two men who were Aragorn and a man Oriear guessed must be Boromir, who died a ways back during the quest. A small, stout, bearded man as Oriear knew was the cheerful dwarf Gimli. Then a tall, blonde, handsome man whom Oriear knew very well and loved with all her heart. And a white-bearded wizard, with a staff, who was called Gandalf. They were all smiling merrily and Oriear knew they were the Fellowship of the Ring.

“Oriear?” a voice said, retrieving her from her trance. She turned her face and looked at Arwen. “Are you finished?”

“Oh… yes,” she replied smiling, setting down her fork. She yawned. Arwen gathered the plates and disappeared into the kitchen. Aragorn and Legolas rose. Legolas walked over to Oriear and offered her an arm. She took it.

“I think I’d like to go to bed,” she said, yawning again. Legolas escorted her to her chamber and watched her fall to sleep before going out to Aragorn again. He shut the door quietly and walked out to Aragorn’s sitting room where a fire was blazing. Aragorn was sitting in an armchair and pointed to the chair opposite his own for Legolas to sit. He sat.

“So,” said Aragorn. “What’s going on between you and her?” Legolas hesitated. Elves generally don’t like sharing their personal lives. “It’s okay, friend. I can tell you like her.”

“A lot,” said Legolas, casting his eyes downward, blushing deeply.

“It’s obvious,” said Aragorn, smiling. Legolas smiled at his hands.

“It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just that I’m worried for her,” said Legolas, meeting Aragorn’s steady gaze.

“And why is that?” asked Aragorn, interested.

“Well, I have the strange feeling we’re being followed,” said Legolas, his eyes glossy and reflecting the firelight.

“Followed? Do you know who it could be?” asked Aragorn.

“Well, I have a suspicion. Oriear got shot about five months ago. We have no idea who it is, but my mother identified the arrow as handcrafted and made by a woman. I think it’s the same person,” Legolas replied.

“There’s nothing I can do from here. You’re just going to have to be very careful,” said Aragorn. “You’d better get to bed if you’re off to Hobbiton in the morning.”

“Yes. We’re off to see the hobbits. Goodnight, Aragorn,” said Legolas.

“Goodnight, my friend,” said Aragorn. Legolas rose and walked down the hallway that led to his bedroom. He paused at the window and looked out into the black night. A horse suddenly whinnied, then was cut short. He saw a large, dark shape drop to the ground. Two red eyes glowed and blinked. It turned and Legolas could see nothing but the black of night.

Legolas’s eyes widened and his heart almost leapt out of his chest. He turned and stood against the wall. He breathed fast and furious. His heart still pounded with fear. He ran back to the sitting room where Aragorn was still sitting. “Aragorn! There’s something out there!” Legolas exclaimed. Legolas and Aragorn went outside and searched the yard, but found nothing. They rushed back inside.

“Go to bed, my friend,” said Aragorn. “There’s nothing to worry about.” Legolas did as he was told and went to his dark bedroom, falling into a restless sleep.

“Legolas, wake up,” a gruff voice said, shaking him awake.

“Huh, what’s wrong?” Legolas said, sitting up. Rain pattered against the window. He could tell it was morning.

“Come, there’s something you need to see,” said Aragorn.

“What is it?” asked Legolas as he followed Aragorn out of the room. They walked out of the house and Aragorn led the way to the back as they dodged puddles. They were soaked by the time they got to the backyard.

“That,” said Aragorn pointing to a large shape in a bloody puddle. “Apparently, someone killed Oriear’s horse Hasufel during the night. Your suspicions were correct, my friend. You are being followed. I don’t know how we could have missed him last night, he’s so big.”

Legolas leapt over to the dead horse and rested his hand on its neck. His throat had been slit.

“Is Arod alright?” asked Legolas, looking up at Aragorn.

“Yes, he’s fine. He was actually the one that led me to Hasufel. He was pawing at the door this morning. He’s very restless, but alright,” said Aragorn. Legolas turned back and looked at the dead horse. He shifted his eyes to the woods, searching for those red eyes. Nothing.

“Well, Oriear and I had better get going before it gets too late. First I’ll help you dig a place to put Hasufel,” replied Legolas.

The grave was finished, and Hasufel buried in the wet ground. Legolas and Oriear were both on Arod. They waved back to Arwen and Aragorn and thanked them for their hospitality. They rode carefully on the slippery ground.

They spoke little, still shocked about the night before. The rain still fell. They stopped to eat their lunch. Legolas went to find some water for Arod as Oriear sat under a tree waiting for him.

She heard twigs snap. She rose thinking it was Legolas. She turned and was surprised to see no one was there. “Hello?” she asked to the emptiness. She shook her head and scanned the trees. She felt a sudden sharpness on her back. She turned quickly, unsheathed her sword and met another. CLANG!

The other sword was nothing like Oriear had seen before. It was as black as night. Yet it was hard metal. The handler was a woman. She was the dark complexioned girl from the marketplace. Her eyes glowed a ferocious red. “So you’re the one who’s trying to kill me. Why?” asked Oriear, sliding her blade back and forth along the shadow girl’s blade, tempting her to swing.

“Legolas is mine!” the girl yelled. She swung her sword violently.

“What?” Oriear said confused. “You don’t even know him.”

“So what! Some day you’ll be dead and I’ll have him!” the shadow girl replied. They fought madly in the rain that fell in buckets. They slashed at each other, trying to cut flesh every chance they had. Soon the shadow girl had deep slashes along her arms and legs and a cut on her cheek. Oriear had a deep slash in her sword arm and was tiring very fast. The shadow girl had Oriear pinned up against a tree.

The girl took a wild swing and stabbed Oriear in the stomach. Oriear screamed, dropping her bloody sword. The girl laughed evilly and twisted the blade, causing the pain to increase. She finally withdrew the blade and threw Oriear against a nearby tree. She hit, hard, and dropped to the ground. She clutched her necklace as the girl came nearer and nearer. The blazing eyes met hers.

“Now, I finish you,” she growled. “Say good-bye!!” Oriear blinked and the girl had dropped her sword and was scrabbling at an arrow that had somehow found itself in one ear and out the other. The girl screamed the most grotesque scream ever heard.

“Good-bye,” said Oriear as the girl fell to the ground, dead. Oriear lay in her bloody puddle, staring at the gray sky. She quickly closed her eyes for the rain was pouring even harder. She moaned as the pain seared through her body. Then she felt a comforting hand in hers. She opened her eyes slightly and stared at the man she loved.

“Oriear,” he said. “Don’t let go.” He sobbed.

“I won’t,” she whispered. Legolas picked her up gently and they rode back furiously toward Fellowship Cottage.

“Run, Arod!! Run!” Legolas yelled in the downpour. The horse galloped through the rain with all its might. They finally reached the cottage. Legolas ran with Oriear in his arms, mumbling to her to stay awake. The door flew open and Aragorn looked on with sad eyes. They slammed the door forcefully and ran to the sitting room. Legolas set Oriear down on the couch near the fire. “Aragorn, can you help her?”

“Yes, I can. Arwen, fetch the Kingsfoil! Hurry!” he yelled at the woman standing nearby. She bustled off. “What happened?” Aragorn asked, turning to Legolas.

“She got in a fight with that person who was following us. The girl was about to finish her off, so I had to shoot her. I had no choice. What are you doing?” Legolas asked. Aragorn was ripping open Oriear’s tunic, to look at the wound with out the bloody shirt in the way. He tore off the bottom half and took the wet cloth that Arwen brought back and cleaned the gouge. Oriear moaned. Legolas stroked her forehead and spoke to her softly.

“Give me the Kingsfoil!” Arwen handed Aragorn the steaming cup of foul smelling tea. He took a new cloth, for his old one was already soaked in blood. He poured the steaming substance onto her wound. It sizzled and Oriear moaned again. Aragorn took a long bandage and wrapped it around her stomach tightly. The blood soaked through, so he wrapped another layer around her. “That’s all I can do. You’re going to need to get her home to your father.”

“He won’t do anything for her!!” Legolas said. “He despises her!”

“He is your only hope, Legolas! Now get going before it’s too late!” Aragorn said. Legolas picked her up and ran out the door into the pouring rain. He wrapped her in a saddle blanket and galloped out the gate. They ran on. Arod galloped without complaint through the wetness. They ran and ran. Legolas had tears streaming down his face. They entered Mirkwood forest and sped down the road. They ran into town and flew past the few people who were there.
Arod stopped abruptly at the gate, foam dripping from his mouth. Legolas jumped down and ran through the doors and up the stairs.

“Mother! Father!” he screamed as he sped past their room. They ran out and followed him into his chamber. Legolas set Oriear down on his bed and unwrapped her from the saddle blanket.

“What happened?” asked Thranduil as Legolas unwrapped the bandages. Legolas repeated the story.

“You have to help her! Please, father! I love her,” Legolas said, sobbing. “Please!”

“Of course I will,” the king said, rolling up his sleeves. Legolas stared at him, shocked.

“Thank you, father,” he said, still dumb-founded. Thranduil got to work and Oriear finally fell into a peaceful sleep.

Oriear woke to hands stroking her arm. She opened her eyes and looked at a smiling Legolas who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You’re finally awake,” he said gently.

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked.

“Three days. It’s rained the whole time, too,” he said. “Would you like to get up?”

“Yes, please,” she said. He pulled her out of bed and helped her to the balcony. The rain sprinkled their faces. Then it stopped and the clouds moved apart. The sun shone brightly and smiled at them, bathing them in its warm breath.

“I guess there’s magic today,” he said. “Oriear?”

“Yes?” she said turning and meeting his gaze.

“Would you take the grace of becoming my wife?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said happily. Legolas put his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. Bell-like laughter sang around them. The little white flowers had poked out of the moss. “There really is magic today!” she said. And they kissed once more.

They lived many happy years together and had a few children. Soon their son was the king of Mirkwood.

One day, they received news that King Aragorn had died. Legolas, Oriear and Gimli traveled west, to the Grey Havens. In the night, they took a boat and sailed toward the reflections of the moon.