Legolas and Tauriel: What I Did For Love

23: The Journey

[Legolas POV]

"Aranol, are we about ready to leave?" I asked one of the soldiers assigned under me.

"Just about!" he called back.

I glanced around hopefully. I needed to take my place at the head of the group but I hadn't seen Tauriel since leaving Lord Elrond's study the night before. I was doubtful that she'd come. Especially now that it was so late. But I had wanted to say goodbye.

Disappointed, I turned my horse's head towards the front and moved forward. It was a long, slow trek towards the mountains, thankfully, we had good weather that day. However, the normal single day trip to the foot of the pass was going to take two days, due to the civilians that were unused to hard travel.

At the end of the first day, we set up camp in a sheltered valley. I strode around camp, watching to make sure everyone was warm and dry and there were no problems. Not seeing any, I set up my own tent and arranged my bedroll inside. When I had finished, I walked to the kitchen tent.

It was a long low affair, filled with tables laden with food and surrounded by cooks. Outside, were lined up several fires, over which large cauldrons were hung. The group we were escorting numbered to about one hundred people. Over half were women and children.

To my surprise, bending over one of the cauldrons was a red haired elleth. She was wearing a brown, sleeveless leather tunic over a white shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows. She stirred the contents of the cauldron with a long stick.

"Tauriel?"

She looked up and smiled. "Hey."

"What are doing here? I thought you were staying in Rivendell!"

"Well, by the time I had made up my mind, you were already leaving, so I rode with the rear guard." She shrugged. "Besides, Taurwe and Melain are traveling with the caravan. I guess they decided to go for a belated honeymoon."

I grinned. "Am I ever glad to see you," I said, giving her a hug.

"Whoa!" Her stick dropped, splashing soup everywhere. "Now see what you've done!" she scolded. "Get! Before you ruin something!"

"Why are you cooking, anyway?" I asked. "You're supposed to be signed on as a guard."

"I am. But they're kinda shorthanded so I thought I'd help out."

I nodded. "Makes sense, I guess."

"Shoo. You can eat when it's done." She made shooing motions with her hands.

I laughed and strode away.

Two mornings later, we began the climb up the mountain pass. Normally, the climb over the pass took two days, but with such a large group, it would take three, maybe four. The pass conveniently widened ant regular intervals, providing ideal camping spots. Early in the morning on the second day, it began to rain heavily. The going was much slower and mud caked on the horses' hooves. Periodically, we had to climb down and scrape it off.

"I was hoping to make it over in three days," I grumbled to Tauriel. "In this weather, we'll be lucky to make it in four."

"Could be worse." She shrugged, sending a cascade of water droplets off of her cowl. She pulled the cloak closer around her. "At least there's no lightning. The last thing we need right now is a thunderstorm...." Her voice trailed off and she sat up straight in her saddle, peering ahead.

"What?" I asked, quietly, looking intently in front of us.

"Listen," she said.

In a moment, I heard the sound of galloping hooves. A rider tore around the bend in the path and I recognized him as one of the scouts we had sent ahead at intervals, the farthest being about a day's ride away.

"Captain!" he cried.

Even though I had no official rank in Rivendell, all the soldiers referred to me as 'Captain' and Tauriel as 'Lady Tauriel.'

"What is it," I asked, startled. Something was seriously wrong.

"Orcs!" he gasped.

A/N: Heeeyyyy! I posted waay sooner this time! Hurray for me! Sorry this is so short but I was gonna make it longer but then I really like the suspense created by the ending sooooo... heh. *evil writers laugh* :P