Title: The Way of the Ring Author: Romenloth Rating: R Summary: Legolas meets his dream Elf weeks before he leaves for the Council of Elrond in Rivendell. Sorry, I'm not good at summaries, but please read! Chapter One Legolas walked silently through Mirkwood Forest on a grey summer day. The summer was ending now and a chill hung in the stifling muggy air of the forest. Legolas's head popped up at the sound of a crackling in the underbrush. Orcs had been spotted nearby and he was part of the scouting party to destroy the foul creatures. Legolas quickly fitted an arrow in his short bow and waited. An Elf stepped out from the underbrush and looked around. Legolas swiftly jumped from the tree he was hiding in. The other Elf turned and nodded his head in respect for the Woodland Prince. "I have found nothing, my lord. There are no signs indicating any Orcs have been near here." "Thank you, Calencam," Legolas said. He took another quick scan around the wooded area. "I, too, have found nothing." "What sort of sorcery is this?" Calencam frowned. "We know Orcs have passed near here, but there are no signs! Orcs always leave signs." Legolas nodded, straining his keen Elf ears. Ah! A noise! A- "Lord Legolas, a battle!" Calencam cried, breaking out into a sprint. Legolas followed close on his heels. The sound of battle grew louder as the two friends approached. Legolas drew an arrow from his quiver as Calencam pulled out his sharp Elvish blade. Legolas nodded at Calencam, and the Elves sprang out of the trees, yelling war cries. Surprised, the Orcs looked up giving the Elves a chance to slaughter more. Howls and shrieks of dying Orcs filled the air. Legolas shot arrow after arrow, always hitting its mark. Legolas fought as viciously as a warrior Elf could. Orc after Orc fell to his arrow, and when he ran out, they fell to his blade. An Orc snuck up on Legolas and whipped its knife at the Elf Prince. The knife lodged itself in Legolas's arm. "Aah!" he cried in more surprise and anger than pain. He whipped around and decapitated the Orc. "My Lord!" a beautiful Elf warrioress yelled as she stabbed another vile Orc. "Are you alright?" "Yes, I'm fine, Anna," Legolas called, speaking to her using her nickname. "It's not deep." Calencam came near Legolas and helped the Prince through the rest of the battle nonetheless. Afterwards, when the Orcs retreated, Calencam helped Legolas wrap the wound. "Go to your mother, my lord," ordered Calencam. "She will heal this quickly." "No, I am fine. It's just a little scratch." Calencam wisely pressed the wound, causing Legolas to gasp in pain. "All right! I'll go to my mother! Aah!" He gritted his teeth in pain. "Damn it, Calencam!" The other Elf smiled. "You'll thank me later. Go now. Your mother awaits." Queen Starlet was indeed waiting, but not for her son. She was waiting for the daughter of a friend's to come. The Elf Queen sighed and looked into the forest again. Finally she saw three Elvish ponies and riders emerge. One rider had raven black hair, which was very uncommon for an Elf. The Queen smiled as she watched the riders. They came to stop in front of her quickly because of the Elvish ponies' strides. "Good morning, Elenwen," Starlet said. "I hope your ride through Mirkwood was pleasant." The Elvish maiden smiled. "The ride was fine. There were no Orcs sighted. Your warriors do a very good job protecting the forest." Queen Starlet smiled. "My sons lead the warriors well. I am glad that you encountered no Orcs. My son, Legolas, left earlier this morning to scout the south because a group of Orcs was sighted. I was worried hey might attack." Elenwen dismounted and handed her reins to another mounted Elf. "But as you see, we are fine, and no wounds." Starlet hugged the young Elf maid. "It is so good to see you. You look just like your mother when she was your age." The Elf smiled. "That's what everyone says." "Come. Come inside and rest. You look tired. I will send other Elves to take care of the ponies." "With all due respect, Your Highness," the Elf who held Elenwen's reins said. "But we would rather take care of the ponies ourselves. Elenwen, you go inside with the Queen." Elenwen smiled her beautiful smile yet again. "Thank you, Brethil." The Elf nodded and turned his pony away, the other traveling companion following. Elenwen turned toward Starlet. "Shall we go?" The Queen led her through the castle into a beautifully furnished room. Light showed through the windows in spite of the thickly wooded forest. The sun's rays glistened on the glass bowls and lamps that decorated the room. The furniture was that of Mirkwood Elvish fashion: dark green pillows and deep brown and mahogany wood. Queen Starlet motioned for Elenwen to sit on one of the couches as she rang for a servant. An Elf came silently, bringing with him a tray with rosewater in a pitcher and two glasses. "Thank you Haldur. That will be all." The Elf bowed and turned and left. Starlet offered her visitor the rosewater to drink and soon they were settled in comfortably, talking of Elenwen's mother. "She was always doing what she wanted. That is why your father fell in love with her. He was- and still is- the only Elf who can tame her," Starlet said. Elenwen nodded. "Though I may look like her, I'm very different. My sister is just as wild as my mother, though. She's engaged to an archer and…" The doors to the parlor flew open and Prince Legolas walked through. He looked a wreck. His hair was mussed and dirt was smudged on his cheeks. The Prince's tunic was ripped by one of his arms, and dried blood was caked around it. A makeshift bandage was wrapped around the arm also. "By the gods!" the Queen exclaimed. "What happened to you Legolas?" "Hello, Mother," the young prince said dryly. "It's good to see you, too." The Queen narrowed her eyes. "Don't get smart with me, boy. Were you attacked? Where are the others?" Legolas sighed. "They're finishing off the rest of the Orcs. One of those foul creatures wounded me with its knife and Calencam made sure it would be quite painful so I would come to see you." "Well, I should hope so! I really cannot stand it when my sons try to get away with saying a knife wound is only a scratch," Starlet said to Elenwen. Legolas turned his attention to the pretty Elf maiden. His blue eyes traveled over her and seemed to bore right into her soul. She blushed under his stare. "How do you do?" he asked quietly, unnerved by her beauty. "I'm Legolas, if you didn't know already." "I am Elenwen. I'm visiting Mirkwood for a while," she murmured. Legolas stared, transfixed by the Elf maiden. Starlet took this as an opportunity to knock him down into a chair and unwrap the bandage around his arm. Legolas gripped the arms of the chair in pain, but he didn't cry out. An Elvish warrior would never cry out. Blood began to flow again as the bandage left the wound. "Oh dear," Starlet said. "I can't see a thing. Legolas, take off your shirt." "What?" "You heard me. Take off you shirt." Legolas obeyed, pulling off his tunic and the shirt he wore under it. He watched as Elenwen's eyes widened as she stared at his muscular chest and arms and abs. It wasn't as if Legolas was all brawn, though. But through training and exploring the woods and hunting for Orcs, Legolas had a very nice set of muscles. In Elenwen's opinion at least. "Do you need any help, Starlet?" Elenwen asked. Legolas looked up at her as she stood up. Blushing, she suddenly felt quite conscious of how her dress gently hugged the curves of her body and how the lovely dress suddenly seemed to low cut. It didn't help that Legolas's eyes seemed to be traveling up and down her body over and over again. "Stop staring at her as if you were a starving warg just got into a farmer's henhouse. Lady Elenwen is not something you can eat, Legolas." A warning was in his mother's voice. Now it was his turn to blush. Elenwen walked over to the mother and son. She took a clean cloth from Starlet (who happened to have a homemade first aid kit in the parlor because of the many injuries her sons received) and pressed it on Legolas's wound. He swallowed hard and watched the lovely maiden's hand. It was a soft white, lightly tanned from the sun. Elenwen looked down on the Prince and instantly regretted doing so. The young Elvish Prince was watching her again, and she did not like it one bit. Elenwen pressed the wound which marred the smooth skin of the Prince harder than necessary, making him wince. Legolas looked away, realizing Elenwen's discomfort. He wasn't usually like this. He just could not keep his eyes off this beautiful girl. Legolas had just never seen such a beautiful being in Middle Earth.