Disclaimer: I own nothing but Rialel Rosewood. Eh... Kind of short. The night was calm and cool. Shining elegantly, the moon sat in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. From time to time, hazy clouds drifted along, dimming their glows. It was late. Aragorn stood watch, and the rest of the Fellowship slept. Their quest was a grueling one, and they relished every opportunity for slumber they received. The stress of their journey took its toll on them, as did the heartbreak from the loss of Gandalf. Dreams of the Shire haunted the hobbits. Of the pure, simple life they once lived. Legolas however, was engulfed in an entirely different dream than the others. Different from any of dream he'd ever had, in truth. Never had he experienced a dream as vivid as this. It was clear as crystal, and Mirkwood's prince felt as if he were truly there. With her... In his dream, he saw an elven maiden, more beautiful than any he had ever seen. Her hair was the color of the darkest midnight, and it tumbled gracefully down her back. She possessed pale skin, which contrasted pleasantly against her ebony locks. A wine colored silken gown clung to her body, which was perfect, as if sculpted by the finest artist. She was a hunter... An archer, as was he. Through the forests she went, tracking the thickest boar in the in the woods. And her arrows flew true as well, striking the boar on target. When she turned to him, and smiled, Legolas fell in to the sea of her beauty once again. It was then that he awoke. Startled, he swiftly sat up. For a few moments, he was lost in the uncertain world between dreams and reality. Suddenly, his dream returned to him. He collected every one of its shards, then went over it again in his mind. The mysterious beauty, her skill in the hunt... It had been the most magnificent dream... Hoping the dream would continue, Legolas attempted to return to his slumber, but sadly, he had no luck. Now, lying awake, he could think of nothing but her. ** Foolish prince!** He scolded himself. ** She does not exist!** As Legolas approached, Aragorn found him in somewhat of a daze. Upon inquiring if the prince was all right, the blonde elf smiled gratefully. " I am, thank you, Aragorn... I merely had somewhat of an odd dream." * * * The following night, Legolas dreamt once again of the maiden. However, on this occasion, the place they were in was clear to him. A rich, thriving forest of healthy trees and clear springs. Though he did not know it- Legolas had dreamt of an existing place- Lothlorien. SHE had been there, too and was just as beautiful as the first night. Her hunting remained elegant in its ferocity. Her gown had been shed, and in its place were garments of rich hides, which better suited her actions. And her arrows... This was the first time Legolas had noticed them. They were like any other arrows, except for the ends. Bright red feathers had been laced to them. The prince supposed this made the hunt slightly more pleasant. * On the third night, they made love. The two elves kissed and touched, caressed and embraced. It was so vivid, so heated, Legolas awoke from it panting, a bulge in his leggings. Sighing sadly, the elf gazed up at the stars. ** She is not real... Forget her, Legolas- You must!** * * * It was the next day that the Fellowship arrived in Lothlorien. Legolas wondered if he was still dreaming. It felt so unreal- Almost overpowering... They were presented to Galadriel. The maiden spoke to them, but Legolas could barely concentrate, for his poor mind was spinning. Afterwards, he wandered the forest. It made no sense. It was exactly the same place. So was he destined to one day arrive here? And what was more, did this mean that she was real as well? He felt his heart swell in his chest at this thought... " I know of your dreams, Legolas Greenleaf." The prince stopped as he heard the calm voice of Galadriel speak to him. Turning. He found the tall, beautiful elf standing there, watching him. In his chest, his heart began to now pound. " Come." She said simply, and started off. Legolas followed. The Lady of the Wood poured the water in to the looking pool, and spoke to him. " I also know of what you wonder... Yes. She is here in Lothlorien. Look." The prince gazed in to the water as images began to appear. Sure as Galadriel's words, there she was. Legolas watched her engaging in assorted activities. Gracefully hunting, swimming in the clear pools of Lothlorien, caring for an injured pony. This was the point that Legolas also saw the inside of her as well. Strong, yes, but loving. Galadriel spoke again. " Her name is Rialel Rosewood. The past three nights she has shared your dreams. You have dreamt of one another, and there is a reason for this. She is your soul mate." Slowly, Legolas drew in his breath. " She knows you are here. Go to her, Legolas. Your heart will lead you." He nodded. " The greatest of thanks, my lady." Under the night sky, following the directions his heart stated, Legolas searched for Rialel. A nervous pit formed in his stomach. His soul mate? Would she truly be as magnificent as in his dreams? THWAP! Suddenly, an arrow struck the tree directly in front of Legolas, missing him by a hair. ** Someone certainly possesses an odd way of greeting one... The feathers!** Red feathers stuck out from the end of the arrow. ** Rialel...** Hesitantly, Legolas looked towards the direction the arrow had flown from. Having done this, he slowly gasped. She'd hopped off the ledge she'd shot the arrow from, and now stood a few mere yards in front of him. Offering a small smile, she approached him. " Legolas." The prince's mind had faltered momentarily, but eventually, he remembered his manners. " Rialel." He kissed her hand. She placed a hand on his face. " Elen sila lumenn omentielvo." *1 He nodded. " Yes... They do, indeed." Unconsciously, he let his eyes travel over her body, dress in the garments he'd seen her hunting in. Before he could control himself, the words slipped out of his mouth. " You are simply stunning." Rialel graced him with a warm smile as she thanked him, a blush brushing over her countenance. They sat by the river and spoke. " You're... A prince?" Legolas nodded. " Yes. Of Mirkwood." " Then your journey has been long."*2 He sighed. " It is necessary." Rialel gently took her hand in his. " I know it is. I possess the knowledge of your quest, Legolas, yourself and the Fellowship. I know one of you has already been lost, Gandalf the Grey... And I also know that your valiance is unmatched." Her soft skin under his hand, he caressed her face. " I thank you." His touch had sent warmth through her body, and abruptly, Rialel looked away. She watched the water flow by them, whispering incoherent things as it passed. The princes studied her. ** Goodness, she's even more beautiful than in my dreams.** He wanted to take her in to his arms, and- It was at that moment that the sky opened up. Cold rain was thrust down upon Lothlorien. " Oh!" Rialel exclaimed.The maiden looked over at Legolas. " Perhaps we should find some place a bit more dry." * They found themselves in Rialel's quarters. The rain had been relentless, and what was more, it was frigid, soaking them both to the bone. Black hair plastered to her face, the maiden was so cold she shook. Legolas took notice of this. " You're trembling..." He whispered, placing his hands on her arms. But this only made it worse, his hands on her. " Yes, I know." She looked up in to his eyes. Legolas trailed a hand down her arm, then up again. " In my dream, we..." " I know!" She cried. " I dreamt it as well! And I FELT it!" Momentarily, Legolas closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself staring at Rialel's face, her creamy skin, her luscious lips. " As did I." He told her. Swiftly, he pulled her in to his arms, his lips hungrily kissing her neck. She whimpered in his arms, then cupped his face with her hands. Softly, she whispered his name, then leaned in to kiss him. They made love. It was just like in his dream- Their kisses, their touches. Deep in the night, their bodies still damp from the rain, and now from sweat, they tangled in the bed linens, and lost their innocence. Over and over they joined, until eventually, they came for the last time, and collapsed in an embrace, gasping for breath. * * * As their room became filled with mid-morning sunlight, the two elves awoke, still in their embrace. " Good morning, fair prince." She greeted him. He placed the gentlest of kisses on her lips. " Your words are returned, my dearest." Softly, the maiden sighed. " This seems so unreal. When the dreams began, the Lady spoke to me, and told me that you truly existed. However, I wanted to, but could not believe her. You seemed to be so perfect." Legolas nuzzled her cheek, lovingly. " As did you. And here you are, and you are just that." Rialel watched Legolas dress, for the Fellowship was to leave soon. She gazed at his body, and watched him cover it with garments. As he pulled on his boots, he felt her gaze on him. Looking up, he found that she was indeed looking at him. There was sorrow drifting through her chocolate eyes. Again, she averted her eyes from his. Legolas approached, and took a seat on the bed, beside her. She sat up, and he slid an arm around her. " Last night was untouchable... I know... However, I must go." Rialel looked in to his eyes, and wondered if he could truly read her mind, for it seemed as he had. " I cried when I woke up from the first dream, and you were not really there." She admitted to him. The prince placed a kiss on to her forehead. " I felt as if I wanted to as well..." Rialel fingered the linens on the bed. " As a young elf, I dreamt of a soul mate. Someone like you..." " Well, now you have me, Rialel." She swallowed back a sob. " But you are taken from me!" She winced, then told him. " Please forgive me, Legolas... My words are selfish... This quest is your destiny." She got up, and walked away from him, pulling a robe around her nude body. But the prince followed. Rialel gazed out the window at Lothlorien. From behind, Legolas slid his arms around her. " I do not want to be taken from you. But I must be..." She relaxed back in to his hold. " Return to me, Legolas... Please..." " I shall try my hardest... My Rialel. My soulmate." *~* Author's note: ... I thought that would be better. I guess I just wasn't in my LOTR mood. Anyway, what did you think? (1) The only elvish I know. Translates to ' The stars shine on the hour of our meeting.' (2) Actually, I looked at a map of Middle Earth, and Mirkwood isn't far from Lothlorien. However, Legolas had to go north to Rivendell, and then all the way south again to Lothlorien, so it was a long way.