The door opened as soon as her hand struck the wood. My chest had tightened uncomfortably, and I sternly reminded myself that I was being ridiculous, it was just Legolas. Speaking of which, he had just opened the door. 

"Le sulion," Faewyn greeted sunnily. 

"Mae govannen," Legolas replied with a small smile. "What brings you to these parts?"

"Gianna....." Faewyn said pointedly, waiting for me to continue. 

Legolas motioned for us to come in, where we sat on a low bench near the window. The odd thing was, it was square, with a large hole in the middle where each of us had room to comfortably rest our legs. Plush gold cushions decorated it, and the typical intricacy of elven craft was evident by the wood.

"Well," I began, really quite doubtful of where I was going with this. "So....I fell out of a tree today."

Legolas inhaled sharply. "What?"

Faewyn looked at me apologetically. 

"Upon awaking into our realm, it seems she...fell into a tree."

"Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice tinged with the faint color of concern.

"Of course not," I rolled my eyes. "Faewyn took care of it." 

Legolas seemed to relax slightly, which was encouraging. Too much tension always got to me somehow.

"So still nothing?" Faewyn was asking him.

"No," he replied, with something of a half-grimace. 

My shoulders sagged a little bit. 

Well, you can always hope, I thought bitterly. Although the best of the elven scholars had searched countless records, there was never anything about dream travel or time travel or sleeping or other worlds, save for that over which reigns Ilúvatar.

"Is there anywhere else to look?" I asked. 

"There....may be...one," Legolas conceded, albeit quietly and hesitantly.

"Where?!" Faewyn said instantly, making as if to rise out of her seat and hunt it down. 

Legolas sighed. "It is not anywhere near here," he said pointedly. "It would be quite a long shot, anyways." 

"But any shot should be taken, lest it be missed unconditionally!" I protested. 

"It just lacks practicality," he answered, turning his clear blue gaze onto mine. 

"You would fade before we ever reached a quarter of the road." 

He was right, but I scowled at him anyway. Legolas responded to this by half-smiling mischievously.

"Nobody scowls at the prince, tithen-min," he teased. 

Little one. How dare he! 

"For your information, Mr. Prissy Prince, I turn seventeen tomorrow!" I shot back. "Which, as I am a normal person, usually signifies great maturity!" Faewyn looked from me to him, clearly amused.

"You know I jest," he protested. "I do not see you as a child."

"You don't?" I asked him, slightly amazed.  

"No," he replied, with a sad smile. "You are older every time I see you."

...well, how do I reply to that?

"Well, that's a plus, I suppose," I said, rolling my eyes. 

"And for your information, I am not prissy!" Legolas said, narrowing his eyes. Faewyn gave a short laugh. 

"Very well, you glevrae," she said, interrupting our tirade. 

"We're not- you're a babbling bird!" I scowled. Faewyn ignored me. 

"Where is this place you speak of?" she asked.

"It is simply the Ruins of Orodruin," he said doubtfully. 

"Why would there be anything there?" I inquired quizzically. "Other than dead things and fire and blackness and...well...ruins?" 

"There is a rumor that the Dark Lord had thousands of stolen prophecies, relics from the First and Second age, passed down from Morgoth himself," Legolas answered. "Although nothing may have survived the Fall, and that which did is likely useless, it would be worth a try." 

"Except we cannot." Faewyn finished. 

I was about to protest, but there was no conceivable way that would ever work.

"Why is it important to know why I'm here, anyway?" I sighed, verging on a complaint.

"Don't you wish to know?" Legolas looked at me in surprise.

"Of course I want to know, but as every time I'm here, there never seems to be any hope. It sounds like this is all a wild goose chase."

"Why would you chase a wild goose?" Faewyn asked curiously. "Just leave it alone." 

At this, I grinned.

"It's a saying we have back with...my people, I suppose. Like an impossible task." 

"How is that impossible?" Legolas inquired. "If you want to eat it, simply shoot it. If not, let it be."

"I agree," I said seriously, trying not to snort with laughter.

As Faewyn had suggested we all do something not as depressing as speaking of ruins and impossible tasks, the three of us now found ourselves on the palace's grand archery range. I should probably clarify that it wasn't really a range, just a clearing from which several huge oaks were the clear targets.

"You first," I said, poking Legolas aside.

"I would like to see for myself your skill with the bow," he protested, lightly pushing me in front.

"Û! Legolas!" I said, hiding my face with my hands. "Nae! lí curupeng naorchel (Alas! your bow-skill is superior!)"

Legolas laughed, but shot first, aiming for what he said was a small fly at the base of the left branch second lowest to the third highest. Whatever that was. At any rate, being Legolas, he pretty much hit it spot-on. Apparently, his shot was so spot on he also found a dead spot in the wood which caused the whole branch to fall, catapulting down until it hit the ground with a barely audible thud.

"I can't even do this," I sighed in defeat. "You are so intimidating, Legolas."

He turned away from the shot, examining his bow thoughtfully. I barely saw a small smirk under his lowered eyelashes. 

"Your turn," he said, with a raised eyebrow. 

Faewyn tried to give me an encouraging glance, but at the last second, she choked, and I realized she was trying not to laugh. 

Wow, so encouraging. Taking a deep breath, I set my bow and nocked an arrow, ruffling the feathers on the shaft. They were pale blue, because Faewyn and I had coloured them at some point with a various assortment of wild blueberries and woad. I pulled back, measuring my breaths, and aiming for my target: a small knothole I could barely make out. Yes, it wasn't as glamorous as Legolas', but hey. Even getting it into the tree would be an accomplishment. I released the arrow, and with a whoosh, it embedded itself cleanly just above the knothole. Literally on the edge. My cheeks flamed.

"Were you aiming for the hole?" Legolas inquired. 

"Obviously," I said irritably. "Sorry I'm not good enough for you." I made to turn away, but I felt a gentle hand on my arm.

"The hole is as minuscule as the distance is long." Legolas said, holding me in his gaze. "You did exceptionally well, even more so when we remember that you are not an edhel like us." 

I looked down.

"Sorry," I said. "Thank you." 

Faewyn reached over and squeezed my hand lightly, before shooting me a saucy grin and drawing her bow. I smiled at myself. Legolas thought I did exceptionally well! 

I grinned back at Faewyn as we continued to shoot arrows into the vanishing dusk until I, too, faded alongside.

Morning dropped on me like a large and heavy rock. Wait--but hold on, it may have been morning...except the clear and evident lack of my actual room. I looked around.

Confused, I blinked the sunlight out of my eyes, and what came into focus was my clearing. A familiar sense of nostalgia hit me, and I breathed in the forest air. I was just in Greenwood, though, right? I asked myself. Could I have gone to sleep twice? I sat up (because apparently I was sprawled in an ungainly manner on the mossy ground) and gasped.
Not five feet away was the same, snowy white stag with shining antlers I had seen only once before, the first time I ever... He stood up, and looked at me with large wise eyes.
"Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn." I said in a hushed tone. (A star shines on the hour of our meeting) "What brings you here, O Great One?" 

In awe, I listened as the stag's deep, melodious voice spoke in my head.

"Greetings, child of man. I have appeared to you now to guide you on a difficult path. Listen well.

'Among the stories ere of old
Dust among the crumbling scrolls
Tales of lore and ages gone
May chance to Lórien's cast undone.'" 

"Forgive me, O Great One," I said tentatively, still referring to him as such because he didn't seem to mind (as opposed to Staggy or something). "Is this a prophecy?" 

"No," he answered in his lyrical voice. "There is only one outcome, and if you choose not to seek this path, it shall not affect the balance of the world. These words can guide you to what you seek, young one. There is a reason and a way for you, you shall see."

I nodded mutely and bowed. He inclined his regal head and galloped away, not making a sound as he blended into the sunlight. I'm pretty sure I stood there like a marble statue, until something literally did slap me in the face.

I woke with a start to a large mouthful of papers. I actually felt bedsheets tangled around me, though, which should have been reassuring, except for the paper. 

"Unff," I groaned, scrabbling at the papers until I could see. "Who the heck just put--" 

I broke off suddenly, realizing my room was full of my family. The paper I had just inhaled was a monumental stack of cards. 

"Oh, dear," I sighed, as my family began to sing me "Happy Birthday."