Title: The Way of the Ring Author: Romenloth Rating: R Summary: Legolas meets his dream Elf weeks before leaving for the Council of Elrond in Rivendell. Sorry, I'm not good at summaries, but please read! Chapter Two Elenwen stood on an open terrace in King Thranduil's castle staring at the stars. The stars were different here. An Elf could only see a few because of the giant trees blocking the sky. It made Elenwen miss her home by the Sea even more. She'd been in Mirkwood for almost a week now, and she'd only started feeling a sense of longing for her home, her mother and father, her brothers and friends… and especially the Sea, where one could see stars, as numerous as the waves rolling onto the sandy shore. But Elenwen's thoughts did not stay on her home for long, much to her dismay. She found herself again thinking of the King's youngest son, Legolas. Why did he haunt her so? Yes, he was handsome and obviously a great warrior, but he was the only Elf that could make her so uncomfortable under a stare. Those stares unnerved her. It seemed to Elenwen that the young Elf prince could look into her soul, and she didn't like that at all. She had caught Legolas staring at her from a distance or when they ate supper together with his parents and older brothers and younger sister. Elenwen sighed and stared up at the sky again. Legolas's breath caught in his throat. Why did she have to be so beautiful? Why did he want to put an arrow through any male Elf who looked at her? Legolas slowly walked toward the pretty maiden with the raven black hair, warm brown eyes, and who wore a beautiful white dress that softly clung to her body. Elenwen. Star maiden. Legolas knew that the name was perfect for her. In the dim light from the moon and stars reflecting on her dress, she looked ether worldly… even for an Elf. "Elenwen," Legolas murmured. She jumped and turned toward him. Her eyes widened slightly. Legolas licked his lips, and her eyes flicked toward them before looking back up into his face. He almost smiled. Elenwen was so small, especially for an Elf; she barely reached his shoulder. "Yes?" she whispered. She didn't like him being so close to her. It reminded her that he was attracted to her. Legolas found himself at a loss of words. "Do you like the stars?" he finally asked. He thought he couldn't sound more like an idiot if he tried. Elenwen nodded. "I love them. I miss seeing them at the Sea." "You live near the Sea?" Elenwen nodded. She saw the longing for the Sea in the Prince's eyes. "Yes," she said. "The stars are so beautiful there. You can see hundreds of thousands over the Sea." She smiled slightly in remembrance. "That's why your parents named you Elenwen," Legolas said thoughtfully. He turned to her. "Star maiden." Elenwen smiled a smile that took Legolas's breath away. "Yes, my parents had an intuition that I would love the stars." "I've always liked the stars," Legolas said after a while. "But you are right: it's very hard to see them here." A grin appeared on his handsome face. "But I can show you a place where the stars are as clear and as bright as over the Sea." Elenwen's dark eyes widened in hope of seeing her precious stars. "Where?" "Come. I'll show you." Elenwen's Elvish pony followed Legolas's through the darkened wood. Soft crackling noises sounded in the underbrush. Elenwen realized for the first time how dark Mirkwood was… How an evil presence seemed to linger there. Elenwen swallowed before asking, "What is that presence? It makes the forest feel…" "Dark, I know," murmured Legolas without turning around on his pony. He was a very good rider, Elenwen noticed. "The presence has been here for hundreds of years. It is the presence of Sauron… the Necromancer." Elenwen rode her pony closer to Legolas. She looked around again, her sharp Elvish eyes catching the gleams of watching ones. A shiver ran down her spine. Legolas noticed the movement from the slim Elf maiden and asked, "Are you cold?" "No," answered Elenwen. "I just find it… a little creepy to know that Sauron is so close to taking over." "Not this forest!" Legolas said. "As long as my brothers and I defend Mirkwood, the Elves here will be safe." He paused thoughtfully. "Though, it is safer in Lothlorien than here. Lady Galadriel's presence there keeps the wood safe." "Have you ever been to Lorien?" asked Elenwen. The Elf Prince shook his head. "No. But I've always wanted to." "I've never been there, either. This is the first time I ever left my town by the Sea." Elenwen sighed. "I'm starting to become homesick." "Why are you here?" "My mother wanted me to meet your mother, who is my god-mother. They were best friends when they were younger," explained Elenwen. Legolas nodded. "I've heard my mother tell many stories of your's." He smiled. "She was worse than my brothers, and at the moment, they are the most troublesome Elves in Mirkwood!" Elenwen laughed. "Yes, your older brothers do seem quite the pair! But I always forget who's who." "Nardil is the older twin. He is mostly the one behind all the pranks and tricks they pull. And then Kalheru is the younger twin. He's more reserved, but he can be quite dangerous on the battlefield and in pranks… Not that his ticks hurt anyone, but they're ingenious, really," Legolas explained. "So, Kalheru is the brains behind all the pranks and Nardil is the one who puts them in motion." Legolas nodded, smiling. "That's it!" He looked ahead. The forest was becoming thinner, and he could see more stars through the branched of the trees. He turned back to Elenwen. "We're almost there," he said. The two Elves rode in a companionable silence for the rest of the way. Legolas led Elenwen out of the forest to a large grassy field. The wind blew softly across their faces, slightly mussing their hair. "It's beautiful," breathed Elenwen. "I know," Legolas said, dismounting. He looked back up at the Elf maiden. "I come here a lot when I need to think." "You come here a lot." It wasn't a question. Elenwen felt herself blushing. She knew she sounded so stupid! Legolas had just said he came to this grassy field many times! Legolas nodded. "With the threat of Sauron growing closer, my father has many worries. Since there is to be a council in Rivendell, my father wants one of his sons to go." "Do you want to go?" Elenwen asked. "Yes," the Elf Prince answered simply. "My brothers and my sister are content to stay here in Mirkwood for the rest of there lives until they leave for the Undying Lands. I am not! I want to see the world… I want to meet other Elves, humans…. Maybe even a Dwarf!" He sighed. "I want my father to pick me to go to the council, but I doubt he will. I am his youngest son. He'll choose Nardil or Kalheru." "But the King knows you are a good fighter…" Elenwen said. She gracefully dismounted. "Good?" This was clearly where Legolas was most arrogant about his abilities. "My mother would not let me patrol the borders if I was only 'good'." Elenwen looked up at the handsome Prince. He was frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, Your Highness," she murmured. Legolas blushed at the coolness in her voice, and felt abashed. He did not understand what was wrong with him. He was never this arrogant of his fighting skills, so why did he want to be so "good" in Elenwen's eyes? "No, I am sorry," Legolas said. "I usually do not take offense to a comment like that." He paused. "Come, and look at the stars with me." Elenwen nodded and let go of her pony's reins. "Do not go far," she heard Legolas whisper to his pony. She whispered the same. She allowed Legolas to take her hand and lead her to a grassy hill. She liked the way his hand felt: hard and smooth like a warriors, yet soft like a scholar's. Elenwen supposed he was both. Legolas sat down and motioned for her to do the same. Elenwen sat, and craned her neck to see the stars above. "Lay down," laughed Legolas. He didn't want to see her milky white neck. It tempted him too much to lightly brush his lips against it. "It's much more comfortable here, and you can see the stars better, Star Maiden." The corners of Elenwen's mouth turned up in a small smile as she lay next to the Elf Prince. She sighed contently as she looked up at the stars she loved so dearly. Elenwen and Legolas lay in silence, watching the stars. Eventually, Elenwen felt herself drifting off to sleep… Legolas looked down at the sleeping Elf. She was so beautiful. He lightly brushed a finger across her cheek, doing so, pushing a wayward stand of her black-as-an-ebony-night hair off Elenwen's face. He felt the strangest urge to kiss her… A snapping twig immediately caught Legolas's attention. He frowned, looking towards the forest. As far as Legolas could tell, there was no one there. But then he heard the sound again, this time accompanied by a soft rustling sound. He froze, his breathing stopped, as a group of fifteen Orcs strolled out of the woods. They caught sight of the pair of Elves and smiled their gruesome smiles. Damn! Thought Legolas. He was going to have a hard time getting out of this mess.