"Goodbye!" I call to Gweyr as she glides to the door in a hurry.

She turns to look at me as she opens the door, her hair flying around her face in a blur of color, and she flashes me a quick smile. "Goodbye, Taenya. Have a great day and remember to keep the door locked. There are eggs in the kitchen if you decide to fry them for breakfast. I love you," she says, and then she leaves, locking the door behind her.

I let out a soft sigh as I ponder the endless possibilities of what I can do today. Gweyr leaves to travel to the shop early every morning before the sun comes up, and she works until mid afternoon. Falenas is currently staying in Rivendell for the week, which is something he enjoys doing every once in awhile, so I am alone with just my thoughts to keep me company.

I look around the empty house in thought before deciding to go back to bed and rest. My feet pad across the cool wooden floor as I walk down the hallway in my nightgown that does little to fight the early morning chill. I close the door to my room behind me, and I climb into my bed, wrapping my blankets around my body tightly. The faint sound of crickets outside of my window calms me, and I snuggle deeper into the cocoon of my sheets.

My mind wanders back to yesterday when I met 'Dan again. I smile sleepily as I remember his silver eyes looking into mine in a way no one ever has before. He is so different than all of the other people in my life. When he asks me questions about myself, he is truly curious. He honestly cares about my thoughts and my opinion on certain things, and he forever seems as if he is trying to read my mind, trying to see past what my expressions show him. It is pleasing to me to know that he cares to know so much about me. No one has ever shown me so much attention in my entire life as he has in the past few days.

And in return, I find myself opening up to him. I find myself wanting to know all about him, as well. From observation, I have learned that 'Dan is strong willed. From the strong tenor of his voice to the sparkle of mischief that lies deep within his silvery eyes, I know that he is carefree. He is also genuinely kind. He is always offering to walk me home, though I decline, and yesterday when I decided that I wanted to climb the giant Mallorn tree that sits in middle of the clearing, he was constantly giving me his hand to make sure that I did not fall as we climbed. Truly, I have climbed dozens of trees in my lifetime and was far from needing assistance, but I kept this my own little secret hidden behind a suppressed smile, for I was happy having him hold my hand in his warm and strong one. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but I see no problem in allowing him to take care of me seeing as to how happy it seems to make him.

'Dan is like the warm orange sun peeking up over the treetops after a long, cold night, and I have been searching for the perfect sunrise for quite sometime.

____

I yawn widely as I place another piece of wood in the stove, careful not to burn myself as the flames lick up the sides of the dry wood. I close the door to the stove, leaving it slightly open, and I grab two eggs from the basket on the counter. I crack them open on the side of the frying pan one by one, watching as the yoke seeps onto the hot surface and begins to sizzle and pop. As the eggs fry, my gaze travels out of the kitchen window that I have opened up. The sunlight pours into the lonely house, lighting the room and causing it to feel light and airy like a dream. I yawn again.

Once the eggs are done, I seal the door to the stove tightly in order to smother the flame. I take down a porcelain plate from one of the many cabinets in the kitchen, and I shovel the eggs onto it with my fork. I then walk to the dining room and pull out my chair. I place the plate onto the table and sit down, and then I begin to eat.

When I have finished and cleaned up, I make my way to my room in order to get dressed. I search through my wardrobe for a dress, wondering what color will suit me best. I want to look beautiful when I see 'Dan today, so I take longer than usual to find a dress. I finally find a long and flowing green dress that catches my eye, and I quickly shimmy out of my nightgown and into the dress. I hurry over to the vanity that sits in the corner of my room, and I sit in front of it, wondering how to fix the mess that is my hair. I sigh as I look in the mirror. My skin is pale, my eyes dark with fatigue. It is odd how I have not been able to sleep well after meeting 'Dan. It is almost as if my mind is revolting against me. All I ever think about is the tall and handsome, silver eyed ellon, and it is starting to affect me. Even Gweyr has noticed my lack of attention. I have zoned out several times whilst she was speaking with me, my mind far away in the forest, and she has questioned me with a look of suspicion each time it has happened. I am beginning to wonder if she somehow knows.

My fingers get to work on braiding my hair down over my right shoulder, and when I am finished I stand and leave my room. I walk down the hallway, practically skipping with excitement, and I blush in embarrassment when I cannot force away the silly smile that has grown on my lips. I unlock the front door and fling it open, racing down the steps in barely contained anticipation, but I walk right back up the steps with a slight laugh when I remember that I have forgotten to lock the door. Once the door is locked and I jiggle the doorknob to test it, I turn and run down the wooden steps of our porch, racing toward the forest with the skirts of my dress lifted up slightly by my shaking hands.

Today, the air is warm and refreshing like a fluffy blanket, and I breathe in deeply as I jog barefooted through the trees. The soil is slightly damp under my feet, yet the patches of grass are as dry as wheat. My heart pounds anxiously in my chest as if it feels the presence of 'Dan already, and, as I slow to a walk, my legs are shaking slightly. I bite my lip when I see him sitting beside the stream, the sun shining down on his ink black hair. I inhale and exhale slowly, trying to calm my irrational nerves. I let my hands fall from holding up my dress, and the material floats down to the ground like a feather on the breeze. I clasp my hands in front of my stomach as I approach him.

"Glass nín le gen achened (It is my joy to see you again)," I breathe, and he turns to look at me.

His lips lift slowly into a handsome smile, and I look away from his eyes as I walk closer to him, blushing a bit. "And it is mine to see you," he replies, his deep voice rippling through my chest like water after a stone has been skipped over its surface.

I sink down onto the grass beside him, still fighting that silly grin that will not go away. "How are things in Rivendell?" I ask him, "Falenas has left to stay there for the week. He enjoys doing that sometimes."

"Things are wonderful," he says as he looks at me, "Actually, my father has released me from my duties, so that I can spend more time in the forest."

I smile, his merriness contagious. "So I will be seeing you more often then?"

He nods. "If you wish it to be so," he says, his voice laced with a tinge of doubt.

I give him a look of disbelief. "Of course I wish it! You have been more kind to me in these last few days than anyone ever has been in my entire life," I admit sheepishly.

He just looks at me, his eyes searching mine in the way that makes me feel open and bare, and I quickly look away from him and begin rambling. "You have never spoken of your family before. Tell me of them. And what duties have you been released from?"

He clears his throat, and I glance over at him to see that he is now looking out at the trees in thought, his eyes squinted slightly. "Well, my family consists of my myself, my parents, my brother, and my sister. My father is very stern, and he usually disapproves of most of the things that I do. My mother is kind and caring, but she likes to stick her nose in places in which it does not belong," he says with a fond laugh, and, from the way his eyes light up when speaking of them, I can tell just how much he loves them.

"My brother, well, he is just like me," he says with a secretive, mischievous smile as if he is telling a great joke, "He is as stubborn as a mule, yet he has a big heart hidden inside all of his layers of faux indifference. My sister is beautiful and delicate, just like my mother, and she is genuinely caring. She finds the good in everyone, and I mean everyone. When she was an elfling, she found a stray dog wandering outside of our home. The old thing was absolutely hideous and mean as a snake! It growled at everyone that came near it, but for some reason it was smitten with her and she with it."

I laugh at his expression as he speaks of the dog, and he chuckles along with me. "I have observed that animals seem to be able to read a person's soul," I say lowly, "I think that they can judge a person's character better than anyone. The dog must have picked up on her nature and realized that she truly loved it."

'Dan nods. "You know what? I think you are correct," he says, his eyes crinkling in their corners as he smiles at me.

"Now, tell me of your duties," I prod gently, "What are you? A warrior? A healer?"

"I serve as both," he replies, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Really? My father was a healer," I say with interest, placing my hands on either side of my body and leaning back slightly as I look up at 'Dan.

"Yes, my father is also a healer. I learned everything that I know from him. I enjoy it, but I prefer training," he says.

"Sword or bow?" I question him.

He grins at me, showing off his perfectly white teeth. "Both."

"Both?" I ask with wide eyes, "Falenas has taught me how to shoot a bow, but never has he allowed me to wield a sword."

"You can shoot?" 'Dan asks with sudden boyish excitement.

I instantly blush as I think of all the times I have missed the target when I practice with Falenas. "Yes, but not well," I say with a bashful laugh.

He stands quickly and jogs off into the trees. I stand as well in bewilderment.

"W-Where are you going?" I call, laughing at him as I see that he is unstrapping something from his horse.

"We are going to shoot," he replies simply as I jog over to him.

"Who is this?" I ask, breathless from running, as I walk up to his horse. I scratch the beautiful black stallion's head, and he snorts happily.

"This is Sirdal," 'Dan responds with a smile, looking at me fondly, and I bite my lip and look away.

"He is beautiful," I say as I continue scratching his head. His black coat is soft and shining under the sunlight that filters through the trees, and his color reminds me of 'Dan's hair.

'Dan laughs at me suddenly, and I turn to see him shaking his head. "You are truly something. Do you know that?" His words make me blush, and I shake my head in confusion. "Sirdal only allows me to touch him."

I look at the horse in surprise, looking into his large and sweet black eyes. "Well," I say jokingly, "Maybe he likes me more than you."

'Dan chuckles deeply, reaching over and petting his horse's mane. His arm brushes mine, and I gasp inaudibly, freezing in my spot. "Maybe so. I would not blame him if he did like you better. You are quite enchanting."

I glance up at him, nervous at his close proximity and his words. My gaze trails his strong jawline and his handsome, masculine features. His gaze meets mine, and I am so close to him that I can see each individual eyelash that frames his radiant eyes. His thick, dark eyebrows are furrowed together slightly as he looks down at me, and I can tell that he is lost in thought. Part of me wonders if he feels the same way as I do as he stands so near, but the other part of me knows that someone as altogether beautiful as he could not possibly think the same way about me.

"Hin lín bain sui Ithilgalad buin Aear (Your eyes are as beautiful as moonlight on the Sea)," he says to me suddenly, his voice deep and alluring, husky.

I feel my cheeks begin to burn at his compliment, and I look away from him and back at Sirdal. "Le hannon (Thank you)," I reply, my voice almost a whisper.

I have never been so close to an ellon before, and I surely have never had one speak to me in such a way. I feel like running away and hiding in embarrassment, but at the same time I feel light as if I could walk upon the air in the way that one walks up a set of stairs. My heart feels weird in my chest, along with my head and my stomach, and the feeling 'Dan gives me is most difficult to explain. I never knew such extraordinary emotions could exist, but I am happy that I am beginning to learn of them.

"Come," he says softly, and I turn to see that he has already begun to walk back toward the clearing, a bow and quiver of arrows in his hand.

I lean in and plant a quick kiss upon Sirdal's soft head before I grip my dress in my hands, once again lifting the hem so that it does not drag the ground, and I half-walk/half-jog after 'Dan.

When he stops, he turns to me with another one of his signature brilliant smiles, and for a second I think I forget to breathe. I cannot help it, though. He looks utterly irresistible in his puffy white tunic, brown pants and belt, and leather boots. Today he looks very relaxed and carefree, and his hair falls past his shoulders, unbound, which only adds to his charm.

"Would you like to shoot first?" he offers kindly.

I feel my eyes widen in sudden anxiety. "Oh, no!" I exclaim with a laugh, "Honestly, 'Dan, I would rather not shoot at all."

He raises one of his dark eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"Because I truly am horrible," I admit quietly, "Even Falenas likes to tease me. Really, if there ever came a time for me to defend myself, I would surely die."

'Dan laughs boyishly at my statement, throwing his head back in mirth, and I admire the way he looks when he does so. His laugh is wonderful, and it instantly reminds me of all of my favorite things in life, such as the way the leaves turn bright shades of yellow, red, and orange in the fall and the way it feels so nice to lay in bed at night after a long day of hard work. His laugh echoes around the forest like an upbeat melody, and my head feels light with giddiness at the sound.

"It is alright to miss the target, Taenya. Just like with everything else in life, archery takes practice, and it is okay to mess up sometimes," 'Dan says as he approaches me, holding out the bow for me to take.

I stare at the weapon warily before looking up at 'Dan with the same expression. I really do not want to embarrass myself in front of him.

He chuckles once more. "Taenya, take the bow," he instructs gently, "I promise not to laugh if you miss."

I sigh and wrap my fingers around the expertly carved bow. He releases his grip on it, and I bring it up close to my face, inspecting the elegant carvings that decorate it. It is a deep mahogany color with elvish inscribed onto its sides. There are numerous pictures upon it ranging from a bird with its wings spread in flight to a leaf with its veins carved in it with great detail. I run my fingers over it, wondering how he could ever afford something like this. It must have cost a fortune! "Where did you get this?" I ask him in awe, "'Tis magnificent!"

"You are stalling," he answers amusedly, and I look up at him in surprise, "But to answer your question, my father gifted it to me many years ago when I was first learning to fight."

"And you have kept it in such great condition all this time," I note in wonder.

He smiles softly, crossing his arms over his chest. "It means a lot to me."

I shake my head, a smile spreading across my lips. "That is so sweet," I say, picturing a younger version of himself, barely older than an elfling, shooting the finely crafted arrow and beaming with pride when he hits the center of the target.

He shifts, looking slightly uncomfortable at my praise, and I try not to laugh. "Now you must shoot an arrow, Taenya. And please do it before the sun disappears behind the trees," he says teasingly, and I roll my eyes slightly.

He hands me an arrow, and I take it reluctantly. I then place the arrow upon the thick string, lifting and positioning the bow to shoot, and I pull back on the string as hard as I can until the feathers of the arrow are brushing the corner of my lips. I aim at the Mallorn tree, since it has the thickest trunk of all the trees surrounding us, and I inhale slowly. I then exhale and release the arrow at the same time, watching with anxiety as it flies through the air. Disappointment shoots through my chest like a blade as my arrow whizzes past the tree, missing it by a few inches, and I wince slightly as it sticks into the ground far behind the tree. I scrunch up my nose in embarrassment. In my head, I had hoped that I would at least be able to hit the tree. I had hoped I could impress him somehow, since my eloquence with speaking to him surely was not working. I have no eloquence in speaking with him at all.

I glance over at him, trying not to feel too badly about myself. "I told you I cannot shoot," I mutter.

He smirks amusedly at my statement, and he steps closer to me. "Nonsense," he replies, "You did well, and you would have hit the target if not for one mistake."

"Here, try another arrow," he says and hands me one.

I position the bow again, waiting for him to correct whatever mistake I made.

"You must keep your elbow facing behind you, like this," he says, and I try not to flinch when he touches me. The inner side of my elbow had been facing upwards toward the sky, but he rotates it to where the inner and outer sides are facing left and right. "It is a common mistake. Now try again."

He releases his hold on me, and my heart continues to race inside of my chest. I pull the arrow and string back to my lips again, and I focus on the tree, praying to Eru in hopes that He will help me hit the tree this time. I release the arrow, my heart stopping in my chest for a moment as my eyes stay trained on the arrow flying through the air. With a thud, my arrow sticks deeply into the tree's bark, and I turn to 'Dan with a wide grin.

His grin mirrors mine as he looks at me, and I force myself to hold his gaze instead of looking away shyly like I want to do so badly. "Excellent!" he exclaims, chuckling to himself, "I knew you would be able to do it."

"I will admit that you are a much better teacher than Falenas," I say breathlessly. I am so excited that I actually did not embarrass myself again that I feel as if I can barely speak.

"I thank you for your praise, but I really did not help you that much. You did it on your own," he replies.

I sigh slightly, brushing a strand of hair that has fallen out of my braid away from my face. I glance back at Sirdal to see him grazing contentedly. "You know," I say, turning back to look at 'Dan, "You and Sirdal make a great pair. I meant to tell you that earlier."

He tilts his head slightly to the side. "Why do you say that?" he questions with a lift of the corner of his lips.

I shrug. "I looked into his eyes, and I saw the same sparkle of kindness and genuine blitheness that I see in your eyes," I tell him, feeling a blush blossoming along my neck and cheeks at how silly I sound, "And your hair is the same ink black color as his coat."

'Dan's eyes crinkle as he laughs, and I reflexively laugh, too. "You have a rare way of seeing things, Taenya," he says, and I feel a strange fluttering sensation inside of my stomach at the way my name rolls off his tongue, "I quite like it."

I glance at the forest floor beneath me, liking his sentence more than I probably should. "Well, I should probably head home now," I say reluctantly, wishing that time would freeze and I could stay here with him forever, "Gweyr will be returning home soon, and she will worry if I am not there."

His smile falters, and he stares at me for a moment before speaking. "Tomorrow then?" he questions, as he always does.

I nod, smiling and already anticipating what tomorrow may bring. "Tomorrow," I reply with a satisfied nod.

His smile reappears, and he steps close to me in the same way he has done every day that I have met with him. He takes my hand in his, and I blush as he kisses my knuckles, not once, but twice. "Would you allow me to walk you home?" he offers, his eyes hopeful.

I shake my head. "Maybe I will let you one day," I tell him, and he squeezes my hand once before releasing it, our fingers brushing past one another for a small moment that seems like an eternity before my hand falls back to my side, "Goodbye, 'Dan. I look forward to seeing you again."

"Guren nallatha nalú achenin le, Taenya (My heart shall weep until I see thee again, Taenya)," he says, his eyes searching mine, and my heart soars in my chest as I look upon his radiant form.

"As will mine," I admit quietly before turning away from him and walking toward the trees with that same silly smile that refused to leave my lips our entire meeting.

My blush clings to my skin the entire walk home, and, that night when Gweyr arrives home, my mind is still reeling with his romantic words. I try my hardest to pay attention to Gweyr telling me all about her day with an obstinate lady who "looked as if she was smelling sour milk", but after having to call me back to attention several times, she finally gives up and excuses me from supper.

"Taenya," she calls before I can round the corner of the hallway.

"Yes?" I question, turning to look at her. Her hair is unbound and falling in soft waves around her shoulders, and her nightgown is slipping down her shoulder slightly as she sits with her arms folded on top of the table.

She has a queer look in her eyes as she stares at me, and at once I know that she is aware that I am keeping a secret from her. "Did something happen to you?" she asks softly as if she feels left out and sad that I am keeping something hidden from her, "You have been terribly distracted lately."

I attempt to hide my smile, knowing that I cannot bring myself to tell her of 'Dan and of all the happiness I feel when I am with him. I delight in our secret meetings, and I like that I am able to keep him to myself. I have always been open with my sister, telling her everything, but this is different somehow. For some reason, I feel that I need to keep 'Dan a secret from my sister and her husband. So, I shake my head, a smile forming on my lips against my will.

"No, nothing has happened."

___________

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed! I'll try to get the next chapter up quickly. :)

Love,

Josie <3