The Golden Ones

VI - A Tale from Six Centuries Prior Pt. 6

The majority of Legolas’s time with Tauriel for the next two years involved his father’s elk. Occasionally, when time permitted them, they would set out into the forest together. Legolas had grown to live for this time with her. It was clear that Tauriel had reached her full physical maturity. His first assumptions about her were correct. She had grown taller every day since he first met her. These two years brought to her a huge stunt of growth. Tauriel became tall and lean with muscle, and her face became angular. Never had he seen a more beautiful lady.

On one particular day, Legolas and Tauriel had been permitted the time to hunt together. They set out from the halls of their kingdom together. Legolas listened to Tauriel as she described to him the current text she was reading. When she spoke, she conveyed a deep passion. Legolas would even enjoy listening to her speak about the charm of orcs if she spoke about it in this precise way. Tauriel then paused. She had caught his glaze.

“Legolas,” she stated, “you are staring. Is everything alright?” Concern took the place of her interest. He chuckled quietly and shook his head.

“You imagined it. Perhaps all of this time with the elk has driven you mad. Elk-sickness has taken you, has it not?” Legolas jested. Tauriel sighed but could not hold back a laugh. 

“It is said that the elks lure in beautiful, vulnerable young maidens-“ began Legolas in a falsely serious voice.

“Beautiful, vulnerable, young maidens?” Tauriel questioned. 

“Why would elks want the likes of dwarves to care for them when there are those such as yourself?”

“Such as myself.” Tauriel repeated. She raised an eyebrow at Legolas.

“Oh, come now, you must be aware of your looks.” Legolas insisted. Tauriel’s cheeks reddened. Legolas retreated. “I am very sorry if I have in some way offended you.” He apologized, feeling slightly ashamed.

“No, it is nothing of that matter. My apologies.” Tauriel said quietly. Legolas was confused - why would Tauriel feel the need to apologize for embarrassment? Nevertheless, they continued their trek through the forest.

Legolas’s forest was especially beautiful on this evening. It was late twilight. The sun had set, and the moon was illuminating the trees. Blankets of white snow sat on the otherwise bare limbs, taking the place of the green leaves that dominated in the summer. Leaves still coated the ground beneath the fresh layer of the stuff. It was a particularly wet winter - Mirkwood had seen snow every fortnight for the past few moons. It was falling tonight , falling and sticking to everything it managed to touch. Legolas thought it looked exquisite laying atop Tauriel’s red tresses. 

If anything, it could be said that Tauriel looked very interesting. Legolas had a particular affinity for pretty things, but his love for things that evoked his attention exceeded it by far. In fact, Tauriel had demanded his curiosity because she was both of these things. Both of these things, and more. 

“Legolas.” Tauriel said sharply in a quiet voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her eyes were wide with fear. “Look,” she whispered, pointing towards a thicket. Legolas took one step, then another in the direction of the thicket. Before Tauriel could stop him from getting closer, Legolas found what caused her alarm. A spider of enormous size was weaving a web between dead trees and shrubs. It stopped, and turned to see Legolas. At the exact moment that it began barreling towards him, he unsheathed a knife. He barley had time to realize the severity of the situation. The spider was upon him.