Legolas and Tauriel: What I Did For Love

29: Adapting

[Tauriel POV]

The days following that awful morning were a blur. Later, I could barely remember a thing. Taurwe told me I mostly stayed in my room but I puzzled him exceedingly when I continued to care for Legolas. But I couldn't do otherwise. I couldn't stay away, no matter how horribly it hurt. I tried not to mind that every time I thought about him, it was as if a knife had been plunged into my heart.

Thranduil was extremely supportive and felt terrible about the whole thing. He even cried, later when he had left the room. And of course, seeing his tears shattered the barrier I had put around my emotions and we ended up standing there bawling in the hallway on each other, me doing more than half of the crying.

Taurwe's sympathy was the hardest to bear, though he didn't cry himself. He had still been getting used to the idea that I was going to be married in the first place. But seeing his compassion and knowing that he hurt for me, added to my own sorrow. However, I knew that if he hadn't been upset, I would have felt infinitely worse. Learning that Melain was expecting their first child helped to balance out his grief, though.

Legolas still thought I was a nurse and we let him think so. It was easier that way than to tell him he had had a fiance, that he'd forgotten a huge portion of his life.

He acted pleasant towards me, especially as he got used to me being there, but I never realized how much love had affected his manner towards me until then.

Because of this, I sought out Thranduil one day and held out the necklace that had once belonged to his wife.

"Can you give this back to him? Slip it in his bags or something. It would seem odd to him that i have it."

His face clouded. "But, Tauriel. He meant for you to have it."

"But he doesn't now, does he?"

"He may yet recover."

"In which case, he can return it to me. But you know that Elrond is doubtful." By this time my composure was slipping. I shoved the delicate jewel and it's chain into his hand and hurried away before he could say a thing.

But my feelings aside, concern was growing for the situation in Mirkwood. Once it became evident that no messengers had made it over the mountain pass in some time, Elladan and Elrohir offered to try to win across the mountains and scout out the forest. They left three weeks after we had returned from our raid on the goblin tunnels.

It was nearly three months before they returned. By this time, Legolas had fully recovered in all but mind. He was up and about, practicing his drills, getting back into shape. I watched him, unseen, as he pushed himself to regain his former physique.

Once, in early April, when he was practicing his archery, I couldn't help myself and called out, "You're dropping your bow hand on the release."

[Legolas POV]

I whirled around, searching for where the voice had come from. Tauriel stepped from the trees. I wondered what she was doing here. A nurse didn't generally know anything about archery, at least, not in Rivendell. As always, her face seemed to veil some sort of deep sorrow. You could see it in her eyes, her smile (something that rarely showed itself), in every movement she made. She had never told me what it was and I never asked. I had known her only a short while and it didn't seem right to pry.

She strode towards me, now, dressed in an outfit I had never seen her in: a long tunic and loose leggings. It was an odd costume for a nurse to wear.