Two weeks out into the journey, and Ciendriel was craving a bath. She looked at her map, trying to predict when they would reach water, but she wasn’t exactly sure where they were.

Six nights had passed since she had kissed Legolas for the second time. He had not tried to kiss her or touch her again. He had not stopped being kind, or talking with her for half of the night, and she wondered if he was simply being respectful of her...fear. Of what she had said that night.

She was confused, and she knew it. So she put it out of her mind. She slowed down her horse and dropped back behind the cart so she could talk to Legolas.

“Do you know where we are, on this map?”

“Map, what map?” said Gimli, who was behind Legolas and could scarcely see anything.

“I didn’t realize you had a map.” Legolas peered at it. “This is quite adequate.” He took it from her and looked at it in detail as Gimli tried to peer out from behind him. “In fact, it is surprisingly detailed. There are locations here of which I was unaware.”

“It’s very old. My mother gave it to me,” Ciendriel said. “But can you tell me how far we are from the water?”

“Water? We have plenty of water. I filled up the skins myself,” said Gimli.

“Not for drinking -- for bathing,” she said, sounding more impatient than she meant to.

“Females. Why I haven’t bathed in nigh on a month now. It’s not healthy,” Gimli sneered.

“I could have guessed,” Ciendriel said.

“I should rather like a bath, myself,” Legolas said lightly. To Elves, bathing wasn’t a necessity so much as a pleasure. He handed her the map back. “I will see that we reach water by nightfall.”

Gimli made a disgruntled sound and began to give Legolas a lecture about caving in to the demands of females, so Ciendriel spurred her horse and rode out ahead.

The sun was setting when they reached the river as he had promised.

“We have to cross it in the morning, but tonight we will camp here,” Legolas said.

“How in the blazes are we going to get this cart across the river?” Gimli asked as he slid off of the horse. “My bones are aching. Dwarves were not made for horseback riding.”

“You could ride in the cart with us, Gimli,” said Angelica, jumping off of the back of it with Merry and Pippin not far behind, as usual.

“That’s awfully kind of you, Miss Headstrong, but I’m afraid that won’t suit either,” Gimli shoot his head. “Walking! That’s the way to travel.”

Ciendriel went to the edge of the river and ignored Gimli’s long discourse about the benefits of walking. She itched to ride faster than the pace they went at, but the cart wouldn’t support it. For a moment she allowed herself to dream of what it would be like to race across the land side by side with Legolas. Then she pushed the thought aside and instead savored the anticipation of bathing once the camp had set up.

“Do you know what lies beyond the river?” Frodo said, coming up beside her.

“A wood, by my map,” Ciendriel said.

“Rivendell... home to Lord Elrond,” Frodo said in a tone akin to longing.

“I thought Rivendell had emptied -- that all of the Elves had left for the Undying Lands,” Ciendriel said.

“Not all,” Frodo said. “Not all. I think we will find welcome in Rivendell.”

“And soft, comfortable beds,” said Sam with longing in his voice as he joined them. “Rivendell. I thought I would never see such places again, but here I am.”

This gave Ciendriel much to think on. She turned to help make up the camp for the night. Gimli had already made the fire, and he sat with Angelica, still yammering on to her about something or other. The female Hobbit seemed to like him, replying cordially to him and punctuating the conversation with laughter. She did have a beautiful laugh, Ciendriel thought. She wished she could speak more with Angelica, but in truth she had only gotten to know Legolas.

Frodo joined them at the fire, and Sam, Merry and Pippin began to prepare an evening meal. Ciendriel wrinkled her nose. All this Hobbit cooking was so heavy. She usually ate a small portion of it, since Sam always seemed eager to please her with it, but tonight she wanted something else. She dug around in her pack until she found it -- lembas bread! She pulled it out amd turned slowly away from the rest of the company...and found herself face to face with Legolas, who had a desperate look in his eye.

“Is that--”

“Yes. Shh.”

“Ciendriel...please...let me have a bite.”

She laughed. “All right...but you owe me.”

“More than you know.” Legolas eagerly took the bread and bit off a small corner. A look of ecstasy spread over his fair features and to see that again she would have given him the entire slice. In fact, she did give him the entire slice.

“Keep it. I have more. I baked it at Frodo’s house before we left.”

“You are the finest among Elvish cooks, truly. No one in Mirkwood can make lembas this good.”

“You flatter me. But tell me, Frodo says that across this river is Rivendell...”

“Yes. We will spend tomorrow night there. My father is a friend to Lord Elrond. We will be most welcomed. Rivendell is a place of great beauty. I cannot wait for you to see it,” he smiled, his eyes lighting up, and she could not help but smile back.

***

“I suppose we will be passing tomorrow night in Rivendell,” Gimli said with a sigh, stuffing a sausage violently into his mouth.

“And what is Rivendell?” asked Angelica. She chewed her own food much less roughly, but enjoyed it quite as much. Sam did an excellent fry-up.

“Rivendell’s great fun,” said Merry.

“Yes, it is, but don’t ever play pranks on Lord Elrond. He hates it,” Pippin added seriously.

“It is a place of Elves. Now, I like Legolas well enough -- he’s like my brother, but as ye know, lassie, Elves and Dwarves are not the closest of kin. I’m not comfortable in Rivendell.”

“Do you think you’ll be more comfortable in Mirkwood?” asked Frodo, his big blue eyes clear and sad. Angelica looked at him, fathomed his expression. The look made her want to go to him, and hold him in her arms, and kiss him.

And so she did. She got up from her seat and slipped into Frodo’s lap, kissing him on the mouth. To Angelica it seemed the most natural thing in the world, but it seemed to shock everyone else, for there was a sudden moment of silence, except from the two Elves, who seemed to be having a deep conversation about lambas bread.

“We need more firewood,” Angelica declared. “Frodo, come with me to find it.”

She got up from his lap and strutted away from the fire, wondering vaguely if he would follow. From behind her, she heard Sam speak.

“It’s dangerous for her to walk out there alone. Go with her, Frodo.”

“Can’t have the lassie in danger, Frodo,” Gimli agreed.

“We can go--”

“Hush Pippin. Let Frodo go with her.”

“But, Merry...”

Angelica moved out of the range of their words, and a moment later, Frodo fell in step with her. She led him down to the edge of the river, where tall reeds were growing, out of sight of the camp.

“Why did you kiss me?” Frodo asked her softly.

“Because you looked like you needed to be kissed,” Angelica said frankly. “And Gimli wasn’t going to do it.”

Frodo looked heartbroken. He looked down at the ground. “I suppose not.”

“Though I think you might have been able to get Sam to...”

“Sam? Sam is like my brother. He doesn’t think of me that way. I don’t think he thinks of anyone that way, except perhaps you...”

“Me?” Angelica was surprised.

“He’s fond of you.”

“I’m fond of him, too. But I’m also fond of you, Frodo. And I think you need to let go for just a little while. You’re weary... Let me ease your weariness. Kiss me, Frodo. Don’t you want to? Just a little bit?”

“More than just a little bit,” Frodo confessed. Slowly he slipped his arms around her and Angelica felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. Frodo pressed his mouth boyishly against hers. The pressure was sweet, and delicious. She opened her mouth and felt him respond in kind. Her tongue slipped between his soft lips and sought his, and soon twined with it, and then Frodo’s hands upon her body grew more urgent and more hungry. Together the two Hobbits fell down among the reeds...

***

“I’m having a bath,” Ciendriel announced, leaving the camp fire and heading for the river. Gimli and Sam had already dozed off, and Merry and Pippin were polishing off the rest of the dinner. “If I am to meet others of my own kind tomorrow, I wish to look presentable.”

Frodo and Angelica had not yet returned from “collecting firewood” but Legolas had patrolled the area and assured her they were safe enough, so she decided to make the most of this opportunity. She stripped off her tunic and leggings at the river’s edge and waded slowly into the depths. The water was delightfully cool. She dove beneath it, letting it envelop her, the floated on the surface.

She was wholly enjoying herself. She felt refreshed, cleansed. At home she swam in the river every day, and she rarely went so long without bathing. She splashed around, then came up for air only to see someone standing on the bank, watching her.

“Why do you not come in, Legolas Greenleaf?” she called.

He seemed to consider, then slowly pulled off his clothing. This time, he did not ask her to turn around. His figure was beautiful in the moonlight. She felt her breath catch in her throat as desire spiralled through her. Yes, she wanted to take him as her lover, and if she had to be brazen to do so, why not?

She had had only female lovers before now, and she wanted to see what it would be like to lie with a male. And not just any male, but this one, this beautiful Elf who sparked something inside her that she had never felt before.

Legolas dove into the water, and stayed under for so long that she feared for him, but then she felt a hand grab her ankle and yank her beneath. When they both came up gasping, she leapt upon him, shrieking, and ducked him back under. He pulled her down with him, and when they surfaced for the second time, she was within the circle of his arms.

Ciendriel felt safe.

“Being with you this way,” she said in Elvish, “It’s so...natural.”

“Yes,” he replied simply, and then as she inclined her mouth to his, he kissed her in return. Their mouths melded fully together, and heat pooled inside her. His hands splayed over her back, but she longed for them to caress her more sensitive peaks and valleys. She didn’t know how to tell him this. She didn’t understand what she was feeling, only that he felt it, too.

“Safe,” she said.

“Always with me,” he replied softly. “You are always safe with me.” He kissed her again, and it seemed forever.

“I desire you,” she said at last.

“Tomorrow night, in Rivendell,” he said with seeming calm. “If you will allow me, I will share your bed.”

Ciendriel was slightly disappointed, but she tried not to let it show. “Yes,” she said. “Tomorrow night.”

But she felt that the reeds could have served them for a bed as well.

“Tomorrow night we shall not have a watch to keep,” he reminded her gently, as if he were aware of her thoughts.

“Then let us keep our watch, for I am clean enough now,” she agreed. “Only kiss me once more before we must.”

Legolas grinned at her and complied.

Neither of them saw the tall figure who watched them from the other side of the river.