When they reached the level of Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf, who were still talking, Legolas pulled Elenwë aside, where he had put his bag. Asking him to sit down, he walked towards his bag.

From one of the outer pockets he took out a small round box with a lid with silver leaf motifs.

Elenwë listened to the discussion and didn't see that Legolas was looking at it insistently.

Without warning, he grabbed her hand.

Elenwë was startled and turned sharply towards Legolas.

-Ouch... You could have warned me. You've burst a blister!

Legolas looked at her hand. Indeed, by grabbing it too suddenly he had burst a blister.

-Er... yes, sorry.

-That's all right.

Legolas blushed very slightly with shame. Then he gently applied cream to the palm of the young elf's hand.

Elenwë suddenly thought that he was very close, and he was slightly embarrassed that Legolas was holding his hand like that.

She tried to free herself but Legolas tightened the grip around her wrist and said:

-I'm not quite finished but almost.

Elenwë aquiesca, looking away.

Legolas, for his part, took advantage of this treatment to realise that she had beautiful soft hands.

"What am I thinking about here! It's not going well any more, old man!"

He replied as he felt Elenwë try to remove her hand. Like a reflex, he squeezed his wrist.

-I'm not quite finished yet, but almost," he repeated.

He finished in a few more seconds and finally looked up.

Then he noticed that Elenwë looked quite embarrassed and that a slight reddening appeared at the tips of her ears.

He found her really lovely with that embarrassed expression on her face.

Without letting go of Elenwë's hand, he grabbed a bandage from her bag. Then he wrapped it around the young elf's palm.

He got up, taking Elenwë with him.

She looked at him and whispered:

-Hannon him, Hir Legolas. (Thank you, Lord Legolas)

-A! There! Legolas. (Ah no! Legolas.)

Elenwë wanted to get out of the way again, but Legolas still held his hand.

She tried to find the situation laughable and said ironically:

-Would it be possible for you to give me back my hand?

-Yes, certainly, sorry. said a confused Legolas.

Elenwë looked him in the eye, smiled and thanked him again.

Legolas smiled at her too and they joined the others.

-Perhaps he too took you for Saruman, said Gimli. But you talk about him as if he were a friend. I thought Treebeard was dangerous.

-Dangerous! cried Gandalf. And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the Dark Lord. And Aragorn is dangerous, Elenwë is dangerous and Legolas is dangerous. You are surrounded by dangers, Gimli son of Gloin, for you are dangerous yourself, in your own way. The forest of Fangorn is certainly perilous, especially for those who are too quick to take up their axes, and Fangorn himself is perilous too, but he is no less wise and benevolent. But now his long and slow anger is overflowing, and the whole forest is filled with it. The coming of the Hobbits and the news they have brought has made him spill it: It will soon spread like a flood, but its flood is directed against Saruman and the axes of Isengard. One thing is about to happen, which has not happened since the Ancient Days: the Ents will awaken, and they will see their strength.

-What will they do? Asked Legolas, astonished.

-I don't know," said Gandalf. I don't think they know themselves. I wonder.

He fell back into silence, his head down, into his thoughts.

The others looked at him. A ray of sunshine fell from between the clouds and quickly fell on his hands, which were now resting on his knees with their palms up in the air: they seemed to be filled with light like a cup of water.

At last he looked up and looked straight at the sun.

-The morning is coming to an end, he said. We'll have to leave soon.

-Will we find our friends and see Treebeard? Aragorn asked.

-No," answered Gandalf. This is not the road you should take. I have spoken words of hope. But only hope. Hope is not victory. War is upon us and upon our friends, a war in which only the use of the Ring could give us the assurance of victory. It fills me with great sadness and fear: there will be much destruction, and all may be lost. I am Gandalf, Gandalf the White, but the Black is even more powerful.

He stood up and looked to the East, sheltering his eyes, as if he could see in the distance things that none of them could see. Then he nodded his head.

-No," he said in a soft voice, "it's gone beyond our reach.

At least we can rejoice in that. We can no longer be tempted to use the Ring. We must go down to face an almost desperate danger, but that mortal danger is removed.

He turned around.

-Come, Aragorn, son of Arathorn! he said. Do not regret the choice you made in the valley of Emyn Muil, and do not speak of futile pursuit. You chose in doubt the path that seemed right to you: the choice was right, and it has found its reward. For thus we met in time, we who otherwise might have met too late. But the search for your companions is over. The rest of your journey is marked by your word. You must go to Edoras and look for Theoden in his castle. For you are needed. There is war in Rohan and worse: things are going badly for Theoden.

-Shall we not see the happy young Hobbits again, then? Elenwë asked.

-I did not say that," replied Gandalf. Who knows? Be patient. Go where you must and hope! To Edoras! I am going there too.

They came out of the forest and Gandalf whistled a short, melodious tune.