Fading Light

Le Melin

Tauriel ran until she collapsed near the trunk of a large tree. Her heart was breaking and the pain was unbearable.

Why did he leave her? Why had she been foolish enough to believe that he could actually love her the way she loved him?

Legolas was a prince, a warrior, the son of a king, he would never love someone like her.

Tauriel stumbled forward, unaware that she had entered a small forest east of Dale. She moved from tree to tree, leaning against whatever tree she came by.

Tears continued to stream down her face as she finally stopped beside a wide, slow moving river that cut through the trees.

She fell onto her knees beisde it and cried into her hands. No one was there to comfort her, and she didn't expect anyone to.

She was alone, and she always would be. The only light that penetrated through the bare branches of the trees was the cold, silver glow of the moon.

Tauriel opened her eyes and gazed at the flowing water. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

What am I supposed to do now? He was my only reason for staying in Mirkwood, and he no longer cares about me.

She thought about that first night they had spent together, it had been almost exactly like this one, and the memory of it caused her heart to almost shatter into pieces.

You cannot dwell on those memories anymore. He is gone, he was never yours. And he never would be.

"Tauriel!"
She jumped at the sound of the voice.
It sounded just like Legolas....

"Tauriel!"
Legolas appeared on the other side of the river, he was riding a white horse and calling her name.

"Legolas?"
Tauriel stood to her feet and stared in disbelief as Legolas turned his gaze towards her.

His eyes were wide with amazement and relief when he saw her, spurring his horse onward he leapt off just before it came to a stop in front of the river.

"Legolas, what are you doing here? I thought-"
"I came for you Tauriel."
Legolas strode forward until he was just at the water's edge, it was too wide for him to leap across.

"You should not be here Legolas, your father, he said-"
"I do not care what my father says Tauriel."

Tauriel's eyes searched his. They were desperate, pleading for her to understand what he was trying to tell her.

"Legolas, your father told me to stay away from you. That is why I avoided you, why he banished me. He does not want me to be with you."

Legolas opened his mouth to speak but Tauriel wouldn't let him.

"Go home Legolas. Your people need you more than I do, and you cannot continue to disobey your father. He has kept you safe and all I have managed to do is get you hurt."

Tauriel turned from him and walked away, never looking back at him.

The thudding of hooves confirmed Tauriel's suspicion that he would leave. Until she realized that the sound was growing louder instead of fainter.

She turned around and gasped as Legolas drove his horse as hard as it could go towards the edge of the river, and then leap over and land on the other side.

Legolas flung himself out of the horse's saddle before it even landed on the grass and ran towards Tauriel.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, those beautiful emerald eyes that had left him breathless the first time he saw them.

"I will not leave you Tauriel, and I will not let you run away."
He released her shoulders and stood gasping for breath as he searched his heart for what he needed to say to her.

"Ever since Thalion died things have been different, I never truly stopped grieving for him, and my people have acted fearful around me, I became just cold, and distant as my father."

"Until I met you Tauriel, you became my light, the fire that kept me alive, you melted the ice that had frozen my heart."

Tauriel was speechless, her heart was racing faster than it ever had before.

"What I am trying to say is that I need you Tauriel. I cannot live without you by my side, if you left me I would die."

Legolas hesitated for a moment. He took her hands into his, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Tauriel, le melin."
Time froze, Tauriel's heart froze, the world seemed to fade, the only thing that remained was Legolas, his words echoing in her heart.

"I love you Tauriel, I have for years and I never had to courage to tell you until now. But I have to know, do you love me?"

Tauriel entwined her fingers into his, she looked into his sapphire eyes and said what she had  always wanted to say.

"Le melin Legolas."
The words had been spoken, the barrier that had seperated them for hundreds of years was broken.

Legolas pulled her closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her and she did the same, just as they did at the lake.

Only this time Legolas tilted his head down and she lifted hers. And there, under the stars, alone and out of the sight of anyone, they kissed one another.

In that moment their hearts bonded togther, she belonged to him and he belonged to her. They would never love another as long as they lived, and even if death were to seperate them their love would endure.

Nothing could come between them now, they were one.
Forever until the breaking of the world.

When they pulled away from each other neither could breathe. Both hearts were racing, with joy and fear of what was to become of their love.

Neither knew what the future would hold, and they were overwhelmed by how powerful their love for one another was.

But Tauriel was still nervous, Thranduil's words towards her were still at the back of her mind.

What would he do if he found out?

"Your father will never allow this Legolas."
Tauriel leaned her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beating and felt his strong arms around her.

She felt safe in his arms, he was her protector, he would keep her safe from any harm.

"What my father thinks does not matter. He cannot decide who we are to love or be with."
Legolas rested his chin on her head.

"But I was banished, I cannot go back to Mirkwood."
"Then we will not go back."
Legolas and Tauriel slightly pulled away from each other.

"We can go wherever we want, no one would be able to stop us."
"Where will we go?"
"I will go wherever you want to."

Tauriel looked into his eyes, they were filled with the desire to protect the one he loved, to keep her safe, and follow her wherever her heart desired.

"We could go east, and find a new home together."
Legolas smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek.
"If that is what you want Tauriel I will do it."

They walked side by side to Legolas' horse. She mounted behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Legolas turned his horse east and together they rode off. Leaving everything either had ever known behind them.