Elladan released a yelp of pain that resulted in applause from the audience. "Point," Dartha stepped back with a grin on her face. "You actually grazed me that time!" the elf held his shoulder in shock. The princess drew her sword blade to her face and saw a sliver of blood on the fine edge, "It's nothing but a scratch, stop weeping". In the snow, just off on the side watching the two spar, sat Legolas, Elrohir, and Tauriel. "Keep going, Elladan. You haven't lost yet!" Legolas shouted from where he was sitting. Elladan appeared annoyed by the bit of encouragement, "Your elleth cut me on the shoulder!" The prince of Mirkwood smiled widely, "Yes, I know. She's good!" Elladan stared back at him for a split second in disbelief before he tossed his sword down, "Then you spar with her, I'm finished". Legolas's face dropped as he refused, "You can not expect me to go up against her". The group of friends had been playing and competing since morning, enjoying what was left of the snow as the days started to grown into the beginning of spring. "Why not?" Elrohir questioned Legolas, "You are the only one who hasn't faced her yet". Legolas shrunk into himself before he attempted to form excuses, "But I---she would...we cant". Tauriel slapped him on the back in a teasing fashion before calling him out on his fear, "She will dominate you and you know it".
Legolas got up and took position before Dartha, much to everyone's amusement. He wasn't about to let everyone think that he was afraid of the princess. Dartha took her stance, smiling as if she had already won, "Same rules, first one to three touches win". Legolas went into stance with his own grin, "Let's make a wager". His grin grew to be mischievous as he stated, "If I win, you can never deny me a kiss---ever". The princess raised an eyebrow at him, "What will I receive when I win?" Their friends watched the exchange of words and fought back laughter. Legolas searched the sky for the answer, "The wisdom of a wizard, but only on the third Thursday of each month". Dartha smirked at him when he met her with a teasing expression. "Very tempting," she said, "But a ride on your father's elk will suffice". Legolas thought it over in his mind before agreeing, "My father's elk?---You understand that I now must win, I won't be going easy on you as I had planned to". The princess rolled her eyes just as their friends groaned tired of all the talk, "Alright, let's begin!"
Length stretched between them as Legolas waited for her advancement. Soon Dartha's blade was met by his with a cling. As he rubbed his sword against hers, he applied much of his weight on the blade and was about to overpower her with his stretch, but she removed herself from the stalemate before he could. In her retreat, Legolas stepped forward and forced her sword up again. They made contact with their blades seven or eight times before dancing around each other. Their faces were serious as they anticipated the next move of the other. Legolas took the initiative and feigned a lunge, which Dartha was convinced of and threw herself back. She quickly recovered in time to avoid a jab Legolas tried at her side by striking the attempt downward away from her body. The tip of his sword had made contact with the ground before he caused it to ascend against the edge of Dartha's blade. The metal on metal produced an unpleasant scraping noise, then a loud clink, as they pulled apart only to crash together again.
The prince tossed his sword at her feet and extended his hand forward, "Trade me your sword". Dartha only held unto hers tighter, "Why? What for?" Legolas pressed his lips together to hold himself from grinning as he shook his finger at her, "There it is! Your victories must be in your sword. Let's see if you are just as good with a weapon you are not familiar with---Trade me swords!" The princess gawked at his theory before she tossed her sword to his feet with a laugh. They picked up each other's sword and took their ready stances. Legolas's sword felt foreign in Dartha's hand. It was slightly heavier than her own, the particular metal she knew of but never used herself. Still it was nonetheless an Elvin sword that she would quickly learn to utilize. "This must be how you move so quickly," Legolas picked up on the lightness of her blade, "Your sword has a small difference in weight". The princess wasn't about to allow him to discredit her ability, "You forget that I am a smaller being than you". Legolas tilted his head at that reasoning, knowing that it was true.
Dartha took several steps back as Legolas cut through the air using her sword. She watched him as he advanced until she had to raise his sword in defense. The blades clang together and stayed together until the elves had rotated in position. Legolas was the first to pull away while Dartha remained. When Legolas pivoted to his left, she took to her own left in order to avoid him. The prince was quick to met her again. Dartha had to adjust to his change immediately by holding his sword horizontal before her body. She had a hand on both ends to withhold his weight as she was pushed unto her heals by his attack. Legolas continued to press her until she allowed herself to collapse on her back into the snow. Her sudden release backwards caused Legolas to stumble forward as she rolled away on the ground. Once she was back on her feet, she pointed the tip of his sword right at him and began talking steps towards him as he back peddled. When she was too close for comfort, Legolas met with her in the middle and they clang metal once more. Dartha collided with him a number of times at which he exposed more and more of himself from behind the sword he held. The princess threw herself forward at his open side for the a touch, but Legolas was barely able to avoid the contact with a slight step to the side. Before her body could pass his, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her into himself. Legolas met her lips with his which resulted in Dartha releasing the sword in her hand. Legolas was not all too prepared for the speed at which she would collide with him and they both toppled over unto the ground. With Dartha laying on top of him, he made his hands free and wrapped his arms around her body as they kissed in the snow.
They had forgotten about their friends until they were pelted with snowballs. "Stop with the public display you two," Elrohir said as Tauriel and Elladan continued to throw snow at the couple on the ground. Darth, feeling embarrassing, quickly removed her lips and rolled off Legolas. The prince sat up after her, and ignoring the snowballs directed at him, he leaned towards her and tried to meet her lips again---much to her refusal. "Let's call it a draw then?" he smiled as he helped the princess up. She took his hand as she gave a laugh, "A draw? I clearly would have won had I been using my sword and had you not pulled that stunt!" Tauriel, Elladan, and Elrohir were about to play the role of the jury and make their verdict when out from the surounding trees, feet away from them, an elf came stampeding through on a horse headed towards the house of Rivendell. His sudden appearance drew all their attention as they watched him ride away into the distance. The next thing Dartha started running after him, screaming his name but he was too far for her voice to reach. She then ran back to Legolas and their friends and provoked them to run after him with her, "I swear that was my brother Oneth".
When they reached the palace, the number of guards outside the throne room told them that the rider they had seen had safely arrived and was very much engaged in discussion with lord Elrond. "Who is it that has come to see my father?" Elladan stood before a guard that was positioned besides the door. The elf looked back at the prince that addressed him before turning to his fellow guard who would speak for him. "It is one of the princes of Harlond, my lord". At hearing that Elladan, Elrohir, Tauriel, Dartha, and Legolas all looked at one another. Dartha grabbed unto Legolas's arm in fear that her brother had arrived with a plan to break their engagement, but when Legolas looked down at her with assuring eyes, she knew that the end result would still be their marriage. Elrohir placed his hand on the door but was reprimanded by the same guard, "None is permitted inside unless lord Elrond summons". The princess turned to look at the guard, "What concerns Harlond and Rivendell concerns me as well, I must hear of what my brother has come here for". The guard looked down at Dartha dismissively as he held to his orders, "You can be filled in later".
After some minutes the door opened and a guard on the other side informed those on the outside that the princess had been called for. Eyes turned to Dartha before she was waved over by the guard keeping the door. She was then allowed through to enter the room. Oneth, who had only just learned from Elrond that Dartha was in Rivendell, embraced her when she came in. Though when Oneth saw sight of Legolas, who had pushed passed the guards in order to slip in after Dartha, he extracted his sword and stepped forward quickly in the prince of Mirkwood's direction. Dartha stood in her brother's way and angrily questioned him, "I am well and in love with him. Why do you wish to spill his blood?" Oneth held his sister at a distance when she said that she was in love. He looked at her with sympathy before frowning at Legolas, "We sought help from Mirkwood but his father turned me away". Legolas returned Oneth's look with a cautious stare as he placed his hand for his sword handle. Dartha drew herself close to her brother once more trying to hold from panicking, "What is happening in Harlond that help would be requested?"
"It appears that the harsh winter had pushed several populations of wargs to regions more valuable," Elrond spoke up, "Many have relocated to the surrounding area of Harlond and have decided to remain even as we near spring". Oneth looked down at his sister and continued the tale, "Periodically the wargs would attack our kingdom, and we have fought, elves and elleths alike. Even father has taken to sword. We have fallen a number of theirs, but so have they done to us. I thought Mirkwood would aid our effort since our kingdoms are marrying," he turned his face to Legolas before looking away in disgust, "But their house is not concerned about our own". Dartha looked broken at hearing the news and she turned to leave. Her action caused the same reaction from both Oneth and Legolas, "Be still!" they said simultaneously, "Where are you going?" The princess turned around to look at the elves that commanded she stop, "I will not remain here as my kingdom is being hunted on by wretched wargs!" Both elves took a step towards her, but Legolas spoke first, "It is growing to be evening, we can set out to return tomorrow morning". Elrond stood up from his chair, "The journey on foot would take a month but I sense an urgency that demands for you to leave this evening. I will provide to you a third of my soldiers and horses to arrive in a number of days". The door flew open and Elladan and Elrohir stood there, "We are going too", they said after they had been eavesdropping. Tauriel stepped forward between them and looked straight to Legolas, "If you will be riding through Mirkwood, count me in as well".