There is no way Legolas and Tauriel sat there outside Gundabad for several hours in total silence. This is something they could have talked about, especially since Legolas never once in the movie questioned Tauriel about Kili. He had to of known she went to Ravenhill to find him. Yet he still was both willing to follow her to the mountaintop and raise a weapon against his own father and king.

That is a true friend right there.

Enjoy.

The fortress was quiet, almost eerily so.

There had not been a single sign of life ever since Tauriel had seen the light from within. If there was something going to happen here, it would not be now.

It did not change the fact that they needed to wait until nightfall. The less light there was than the easier it would be to sneak inside and learn what was going on inside. It would not be an easy task, even with the dark of night. The elven prince and captain of the forest guard would have little trouble in doing so however.

Former. Tauriel was no longer captain of the guard. In truth she was not even allowed to enter her home of Mirkwood.

In Legolas' entire life, he never challenged the word of his father. He would always support every decision, every action, every decree with absolute blind loyalty and trust.

For the first time in centuries, Legolas was ready to defy an order given by his father.

The prince was no fool, he knew Thranduil was convinced he had deep affections for Tauriel. The very prospect was laughable. Of course he felt deeply for the younger elven maiden. He just did not have any romantic feelings for her. She was the younger sister Legolas never had, his comrade in arms. He would always be ready to raise both his bow and words in her defense.

The latter he already had to do on more than one occasion. Tauriel was only around her sixth century, compared to many elves around her she was quite young. The fact that she was appointed as captain of the forest guard was the crux of the matter. Many elves disapproved of such a captain being in charge of their defense. More than one voice had been raised to the prince about the fire haired maiden. Legolas would always be the first to her defense.

This was perhaps the reason for Thranduil's misplaced belief about the way he felt. Regardless, his father would never listen to any attempts to prove otherwise no matter how hard he could try. Thranduil's will was harder than the mithril smithed by the dwarves of Middle-Earth.

Tauriel had earned her place as captain through her own blood, sweat, and tears. She would slay any foe in defense of her home, was as vigilant as Thranduil himself at times.

Now she was banished from the home she spent so much effort to protect.

Never had Legolas felt so... he was not even sure himself what he felt about it. Anger? Disappointment? Sadness? Many emotions swirled within Legolas' heart. It was something he would have to put more thoughts to later.

Legolas had not had the chance to yet, but he was going to have a audience with his father about Tauriel's banishment. He was simply not going to stand for it. If there was even a chance that Thranduil would listen to his son, then the prince was going to try with every ounce of his own will.

The elven king was not the only one who held a strong forged will.

Looking up to the horizon, Legolas saw they still had another hour or two before the dark would be strong enough to assist their infiltration.

Oddly, Tauriel had been quiet the entire time since their arrival. Legolas had been too distracted by his vigil and own thoughts to notice it until now.

He turned his gaze on the elvish maiden at his side and open his mouth to speak but promptly closed it when his eyes fell upon her form.

Legolas was not the only one whom had been deep in thoughts.

Tauriel had the utmost respect and trust in her prince and friend. She was not even watching the fortress in the slightest. She sat with her back to the large structure and stared at something in her hand. Legolas could not see what because her hands covered it.

It was small, barely big enough to cover the palm of her hand if Legolas was not mistaken. The object must have been something she was carrying or possibly a rock she had picked up recently.

This struck Legolas as quite odd.

Tauriel had always been a person of sparse quality, she believed in her duty above all else. In her eyes there was no room for material possessions or objects of vain interest. Things like jewelry and mirrors, while precious to many other women, were useless weights to her. A sharp blade or a good quality cloak was of true value. Everything else was simply refuse to be tossed aside.

Why Tauriel was suddenly carrying something of the former nature was very perplexing to the prince.

Then there was the way she held the item. It was almost like she could not believe what was in her hands. Her face, always so readable to Legolas, was conflicted about something.

"What is that in your hand mellon?" Tauriel must have been deeper in her thoughts than Legolas thought. The words from the prince startled her so much she actually flinched.

"Nothing." Tauriel said quickly as she moved to hide the object she held. Her voice lacked her usual confidence, her cheeks even flushed slightly. It was partially embarrassment at being caught unawares, that much was easily seen. The other part Legolas knew was because she had to know he was not going to let go that quickly.

Tauriel would trust him, she would talk to him about what was plaguing her so. The maiden always came to him when she was in doubt. Legolas for his part would always give the best guidance he was able to.

If she was nervous about revealing whatever the stone was, it meant there was something serious troubling her thoughts.

When she moved to hide her item, Legolas was able to see what it was. A small black stone, etched with a writing he did not see enough of to be able to identify what language the letters were.

"Tauriel." Legolas said that one word, just as he had done back in Laketown. She would easily interpret his meaning without need for explanation. Such was the way of their bond.

With a lot of obvious hesitation, Tauriel moved the stone back into plain sight for him to see. Legolas took a long, hard look at it. As he had seen, it was small and round, small enough to easily fit on her palm. The surface appeared to be smooth to the touch, its color dark. The part Legolas did not understand was the writing carved upon the surface.

Dwarvish runes.

Why an elf like Tauriel would carry an item like this was confusing to the prince. Made even more so by the way she held it. She held it for him to see, but Legolas saw in her green eyes the fierce protectiveness of the stone.

Much woe would come to the one who tried to take it from her.

Instead of trying to figure out the puzzle on his own, Legolas chose to just track the river to its source. "What is it?" Legolas made no attempt to reach for or look closer to the object she held with such importance.

"A runestone." Tauriel responded mildly hesitantly. Legolas knew there was one particular question she was both expecting and dreading. The prince would indeed ask but not yet.

"Where did you get it?"

"It was given to me."

"By whom?"

"By Ki..." Tauriel paused suddenly. So there was two questions she had been waiting for. This was the first one. "By Kili."

Kili? Kili was a name Legolas did recognize at first. He thought about it for a moment before remembering. Back in Mirkwood, when Thorin's company of dwarves were caught by the elves, one of them had called out a name after hearing a yell from someone not among them.

Kili was the name of one of the dwarves they had taken prisoner. He was the black haired archer with almost no beard, and a slight increase in height compared to the others, all things a rarity among dwarves. It was he that was staring at Tauriel when they locked the prisoners away, and gave Legolas a much harder stare. The same dwarf that had enraptured Tauriel with a story of a firemoon he had seen.

He must have given her the runestone just before they parted on the shores of Laketown. Legolas' arrival had likely been right in the middle of the exchange between the two.

Though why she carried and held it such a way was still puzzling.

"What do the runes say?" Legolas, like most elves, did not know dwarvish. The smaller people were infamous for the secrecy of their language.

"I know not, but it is a token to remember something." Tauriel responded. It was the first thing she had said that was not cut short. Even these words were dripping with nervousness.

Legolas was putting the pieces together in his mind as she spoke. There was something on her mind that she was afraid to tell even him because she was terrified of his reaction toward whatever it was. It must be truly dire if she worried such.

"Remember what?"

"A promise to return." Tauriel had said the first two words like normal but whispered the second two, only Legolas' elven hearing had allowed him to catch them.

Legolas was about to ask what that meant but Tauriel continued before he could. "Kili's mother gave it to him, she thinks him reckless." Tauriel's voice began to regain a portion of its confidence as she spoke.

Legolas waited until she was quiet before asking his next question. "Why did he give such a treasure from his mother to you?"

Tauriel's reaction was the first answer to Legolas' question. She tensed, the flush from moments before returned a little stronger. She gripped the stone in her hand tightly.

This was the grand question she was fearing would come from his lips.

The tone of mild confidence disappeared just as soon as it arrived. "As a promise from him that we would meet again."

Meet again? A treasure from mother to son, from son to a woman. Protectiveness of said treasure. Disobeying a direct order from a king. Hesitation at a parting. Being deep in thoughts. All of these things added up to a single thing.

Despite his many centuries. Legolas was not experienced in such matters, but he knew a courting gift when he saw one.

If the way Tauriel acted was any indication, the feeling was more than a little mutual.

"You care deeply for this dwarf." Legolas' words were not a question.

Tauriel's only response was a nod of the head.

Her silent admission explained her hesitation when it came to seeking his council on the matter. This was a dwarf after all. Their two people were the bitterest of former friends. Many long histories and grudges were not forgotten in the slightest.

Legolas was not an elf to act without thought. He sent his mind working of all the things he knew of Tauriel and the dwarf Kili.

Tauriel was often an outcast among her own people. It was her behavior and appearance that was responsible, through no fault of her own. She was sometimes brash, acting without fully thinking something through even when she should, impulsive some would call it. Then there was her hair, the burning strands were a rarity among the elves of Mirkwood. It singled her out even more than being a sylvan captain of the guard. It was all a recipe for, as men would call it, a black sheep. A person never receiving the praise they deserved, never truly welcome.

Legolas knew some about the dwarf Kili as well. The dwarf favored a bow more than almost any other weapon. That alone would set him apart from his other kin. The height and lack of a real beard added up to another person unwelcome among his own.

The giving of that runestone was another major factor in the thoughts of Legolas. Were he given a gift from his deceased mother, he would treasure it until the day he passed. Kili had willingly, without being asked, given the stone to Tauriel. It showed just what the maiden meant to the young dwarf.

Another thought occurred to Legolas right then. If the two were to have such a union, there was a high chance neither would be welcome at all among their kin. Kili would be shunned in Erebor for consorting with an elf. Tauriel from Mirkwood for the same with a dwarf.

Were the two willing to risk such a terrible outcome?

"Tauriel." Legolas spoke softly. "This dwarf, how much does he mean to you?"

The maiden was quiet for a long moment before Tauriel let out a soft whisper. "I see in him a light that shines brighter and more beautiful than the stars."

That took Legolas a bit by surprise. He knew Tauriel's love for the lights in the night sky. While lacking in material possessions, she treasured their light above all else.

Legolas let a tiny smile grace his lips.

Almost all else apparently.

Looking at the stone Tauriel was clutching to her breast, Legolas did not need to speak to the dwarf to know his thoughts.

With that, he made his decision. He answered the question Tauriel so desperately wanted to ask but would never voice out loud from her lips.

"You have my blessing." Legolas spoke four simple words but upon hearing them Tauriel recoiled as if struck across the face.

"W...what?" Legolas could not remembered the last time he heard Tauriel stutter her words. Not since she grew up into the strong elven captain he knew now.

"You have my blessing." The prince repeated the words slower so that they would be heard more clearly.

Tauriel gaped at him like a fish held from water. "Why?"

Why indeed. Weeks ago he would have been thinking dwarfs as low creatures, beneath the notice of elfish folk. He would have treated all dwarves like he treated them in Mirkwood. Such as the one whose wife and son he insulted just for being dwarves. It was cold and unnecessarily cruel of Legolas to have said those words. Just as it was when he called Thorin Oakenshield a liar about where he received the blade of his people, he could have very possibly been telling the truth but Legolas was too blind to see it.

Blinded by the old hatreds he thought he shared with his father, Legolas had refused to see what was right before his very gaze. It was a grave mistake, one he hoped to one day correct.

So why did he accept Tauriel's feelings for the dwarf?

"I was there in the dungeon, when he spoke to you of the firemoon." Legolas began. Tauriel's alabaster skin reddened considerably in embarrassment but she said not a word. "I saw your reaction as he told you the story, you were so enthralled by the tale. Never had I see you so at ease."

"Kili is a dwarf. Don't you disapprove of that?" Tauriel was once more regaining her confidence, Legolas offering his blessing must have meant more than he thought.

"I do not admit to it often mellon, but I was mistaken about the dwarves." At Tauriel's shocked expression, he pressed on. "They are not the people I thought them to be. I saw it first in the dungeons of Mirkwood. Stubborn as the stone they hail from, but not without honor and pride."

It had been Laketown that solidified his newfound belief in the dwarves. After they tracked the orcs to the town, they arrived just in time at that house to save the dwarves and the children that lived there from a slaughter.

"I saw dwarves, with no weapons or armor, battle against orcs to protect three innocent children whom were not their kin or even their own kind. How many of our people would perform such an act?" Legolas' question was rhetorical, Tauriel would know that.

"I even saw the way you looked upon that dwarf as he lay dying from the poison. I knew you would not follow, you were needed elsewhere." Legolas leaned over and rested a single hand on Tauriel's shoulder as he spoke. "Whatever path you take, whatever choices you make, you shall have my support."

Tauriel was holding back tears as she listened to the words of the prince. She must not have trusted her own voice because instead of speaking, she gripped Legolas' hand in her own and squeezed softly to show her thanks.

"I do however have a single condition." Legolas looked away to turn his eyes back to the fortress.

"What is that mellon?" Tauriel still sounded nervous but nothing like she had been at the beginning.

"When this is all over, when the dust has settled, you introduce me to this dwarf. Properly" Legolas' lips held no smile. If there was a man who had charmed his dearest friend's heart, he needed to meet them. A better meeting was required than the one where he threw them all in the dungeons of Mirkwood.

The smile that lit up Tauriel's face shone brighter than any star the prince had ever seen in his many centuries.

I hope you liked it. I really hope I got Legolas down right, I picture him as the older brother Tauriel never got to actually have.

Moonshadow2012 said something on a review for my other story Love Lost that made me notice something I didn't before. Several of the one-shots I've written are almost like deleted scenes from the movie. I only wish they were that good.

Let me know what you think.