Hey guys! Bet you weren't expecting another chapter so soon! No? Okay. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Enjoy, comment, vote! -Joann

I felt the cool, soupy breeze against my cheeks as I slashed relentlessly at the straw dummies. Within moments, the poor straw invaders were reduced to a pile of straw fluff. Breathing heavily, I stepped on to another dummy, and just as I raised my daggers, preparing to strike, an arrow zipped past my head and struck the dummy in the forehead. I recognized the tiny gold emblem on the arrow at once. Legolas.

I waited for him to move, then swung my dagger around, throwing it a little high so that it skimmed his head, but didn't kill him.

"Here," he smiled, giving me my dagger back.

"Thanks," I said coolly, sliding it into my sheath. There was something...off about him, a touch of apprehension and nervousness.

He took my arm and led me toward a large tree. We climbed it effortlessly and sat side by side on a thick branch. From there, we could so the dappled golden shine of the sun against the trees, see the majestic palace facing the sun.

"I...I have something to tell you," he said after a moment.

"Okay?"

"My father, you know he's never approved of us," he began. A cold chill darted up my spine as a heavy stone of fear settled in my stomach.

"I know," I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"Well," he said slowly, "he said that we could be together. But...but we have to wait one year."

I let out a breath. "Well, I was expecting worse. But at least we can be friends," I smiled relievedly.

"I guess," he said. We sat in silence, watching a squirrel dart through the trees. "You know, Maethel's a true friend, sticking by you."

"I know. Hey, you know that tournament your father is hosting next week? She's going to be fighting in it, and so am I," I said.

"Is that so? Well, I remember I always beat you during our spars. This should be no different," he said airily.

"Hm? You must be getting forgetful, I don't think I ever remembered you beating me once," I shot back.

"Since your memory is so atrocious I think we need to have a rematch!" he punctuated the last word by swinging his long sword toward my face.

"Oh please, as if that would surprise me," I scoffed, blocking his sword with a dagger and leaping to my feet. "But I bet you'll be surprised by this!"

I threw my dagger to the side, and as his eyes trailed its descent to the forest floor, I darted forward, shoving him off the tree. He toppled over, but managed to grab the branch last minute. I pranced over and pushed my dagger to his throat. "How's that?" I crowed.

"Not bad," he smirked, still hanging on to the branch. "But not good enough."

He swung his legs on the other side of the branch, and used his foot to hook my legs off the branch.

I screeched in shock as I fell, but managed to kick Legolas off the branch as well. We landed in a dishevled heap on the ground. As we hit the soft, mossy ground, we began a fistfight, having lost our weapons in the fall. Trying to punch each other, fighting in a way that resembled dwarf bar brawls, this is what it was like before, before everything.