I didn't offer any help setting up the camp, and they didn't demand anything from me. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't just let me go. They obviously didn't want me here, so why did they insist on keeping me captive? Frustrated, I turned to my horse, and murmured, "We could be halfway to Gondor by now, couldn't we?" Nodding her head in what I assumed was agreement, she shook out her mane.

"I would beg to differ." Strider called over. "She's exhausted." Sending him a withering glare, I opened my mouth to retort, but he silenced me. "True, we don't believe your story is complete, but at the same time, your horse can not go on for at least a few hours. Allow her time to rest." I closed my mouth, but Strider went on, "Whatever you're running from can't be more important than tending to your horse's needs."

Cheeks burning in shame, I turned away. Men were insufferable. If that Strider fellow even looked at me sideways now, he was a dead man.

I wasn't sure how long I had ignored them, but when I looked back over at them, they were sitting around a fire. Spread around them were a series of blankets, and to my dismay, I noticed they had laid one out for me. As if I would sleep near a man.

The two were in deep conversation, but neither even glanced in my direction, something I was fine with. They didn't even appear to want my company. Clearly, I was a waste of their time. Still, Strider's indirect warning about my horse kept me here.

The thought of my horse sparked a memory. She wasn't tied up. Looking across the clearing, I noticed the other horses had been tied, but my faithful companion was free at my side. Standing silently, I willed my stiff muscles to move. Feeling for the rope attached to my horse, I led her to a tree, and tied her to a lower branch. I was still reluctant to join the males, but there was nothing better for me to do without appearing suspicious. Climbing a tree was out of the question, because it would only appear as if I was trying to escape. Moving closer to the fire, I edged myself onto a rock located a good distance away, feeling myself go rigid as a voice addressed me.

"Glad you could join us," Strider said, his tone warm.

Lifting my face a little, I glared at him. "Keep your words to yourself. I have no desire to speak to either of you."

Legolas stiffened. "If you knew who he was, then you'd mind your tongue."

"Legolas, don't," Strider warned, his words starting to sharpen.

"Forgive me, mellon," Legolas said, ducking his head.

Silence fell over us like a blanket, but it was a blanket I welcomed. The less talking, the better. Finally, Strider stood. "I think I'll get some sleep. Will you take the first watch?" Looking up, I was about to argue, but then stopped. He wasn't asking me.

Legolas nodded, before prodding the fire with Strider's unsheathed sword. Watching Strider, I noticed he took the blanket furthest away from me. Smart man.

My mind wandering, I looked out into the surrounding forest, trying to contain my gathering rage. The moment Legolas's back was turned, I was going to try to run for it. Curse my history, and curse my horse. I was going to run the entire way to Gondor, and never look back. If I happened to die along the way, then at least I'd be out of my misery.

I was so deeply immersed in my thoughts, I failed to hear Legolas clearing his throat as he tried to get my attention. "Daeris." I also failed to hear him approaching me. Fingers grazed my shoulder, snapping me from my plans. Without thinking twice, I swung my fist in his direction, aiming for any part of my 'attacker.' Catching my wrist with one hand, Legolas used the other one to grab my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes. Traces of anger shone in his eyes. "What was that for? I was going to invite you over to the fire with me." After noticing my withering glare, he expanded on his offer. "You've been shivering for a while now, and it appears you haven't noticed."

Jerking my head away, I spat, "I'd rather be cold than spend even a moment with you."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to spit in someone's face after they considerately ask about your well-being?" I froze. Slowly standing up from my spot on the rock, I couldn't force my mouth to form any words. Instead, all I could do was gape at the blonde elf, disbelief, fear, and anger swirling around inside me. Legolas started to approach me, a cold look on his face. "Well? Did your mother not teach you anything?"

I was falling apart. Everything I'd known as a child was a lie. My 'parents,' the truth, the lies. It all came crashing down around me, shaking the rickety foundation that my current world had founded itself on. My pulse elevating, I could only stare at Legolas as my head throbbed, and my body shook. Anger swirled in my stomach, rising up my throat, and out of my mouth. Before I realized it, I had shouted, "SHE'S DEAD!" Sitting back down on the rock, I tried to put as much distance between me and Legolas as possible.

Silence fell over the clearing as Strider sat up, reaching for his sword. "What-?" His voice faltered as Legolas raised a hand in his direction, signaling for him to stop talking.

Strider ignored his friend and made his way to my side. Crouching down, he tried to put a hand on my shoulder. Flinching, I batted his hand away, tears starting to fall down my face. Curling up, I drew my knees into my chest, and buried my head in my lap, sobbing loudly against my will and better judgment.

I thought I had gotten over it.

Both of the men were on my sides now, Strider trying to get me to look at him, and Legolas awkwardly rubbing my shoulders. They were both attempting to help, but in reality, all they were doing was making me anxious. Opening myself up, I knocked them both away, then moved to the other side of the clearing. When I saw them trying to follow me, I held out my hand, my palm held in front of me. "Please don't. You're making this worse."

Strider held his hands up in surrender. "We'll stay right here." Motioning to Legolas, they both crouched down, sitting on the other side of the clearing. Looking at me with concern, Strider went on:"Please tell us what ails you. You don't have to suffer alone."

"It's true that you haven't known us long," Legolas added, his features much softer now than they were before, "but I promise we won't hurt you."

Slowly, I took up a hesitant stance from across the clearing, and took a breath. Maybe talking about it would help me, even if it were to two complete strangers. "Well," I started, wringing my hands together, "my mother was never around much, because she died when she had me." I couldn't bear to look at their faces anymore, so I closed my eyes. "It wasn't that my birth was strenuous. She just simply gave up on life, and died shortly after I took my first breath." Tears started spilling down my face.

I could hear Strider's voice, low and gentle. "If you need to stop, we understand."

Shaking my head, I wiped my eyes. "No, I need to talk all at once." My breaths starting to come shakily, I managed to say, "My mother was taken advantage of by a human male. She was well respected when she lived in Rivendell, but afterwards, she started to slowly give up." My breaths coming faster and faster, I pushed onwards. "Then she had me, and she gave up completely. I never knew my birth mother."

Legolas's voice was soft when he spoke this time. "Where did you go then? Surely you weren't abandoned."

Opening my eyes, I blinked the tears out of my vision and shook my head. "I was raised by an older couple in Rivendell. They had always wanted a child of their own, so when I was abandoned, they immediately volunteered to raise me." Smiling to myself, I blinked fresh tears out of my eyes, remembering the times before living with them had fallen apart. "They were the best adoptive parents I could have wished for. The only problem was they had lied to me about who my parents were. They wanted me to be their own so badly, that they told me I was theirs biologically." Sniffing, I sat down in a more comfortable position. "I believed them, until Lord Elrond told me the truth." I broke off, my voice reduced to a low whimper.

Across the clearing, Legolas and Strider looked devastated. Both of their faces were full of sorrow, but when they tried to approach me, I scooted backwards, shaking my head. Strider, confusion registering on his face, asked, "Why can we not approach you?"

"I fear all men, for I don't want to share my mother's fate. Elves, on the other hand, lied to me, so I have no love for them." Exhaling sharply, I hugged my knees. "I've hated both races for so long."

Both men fell silent. Refusing to look at them, I could only stare at my knees. I knew they probably wouldn't reject me, for that didn't seem to be in their nature, but I didn't want their pity. Even after I had told them so, they seemed to be the type to show pity.

Silence hung over us like a blanket, warm and smothering, before Legolas cleared his throat, ripping the blanket around us off sharply with the cutting sound. My eyes flicking up for a moment, I saw Legolas staring off behind me wistfully. "My mother died when I was rather young. I think of her everyday in the few memories I have of her." His eyes met mine, and I could feel his sadness. The sadness so similar to my own. "My father was never quite the same. There were days where he'd take time out of his day to spend a moment or two with me, yet on others he refused to look at me. I didn't know what to make of it all."

Strider laid a hand on his friend's back, looking at the ground. "My father died when I was very young as well. For a great deal of time, I lived with my mother in Rivendell. As the years went by, she grew older. After she perished..." His voice faded, his eyes growing more wistful.

Part of me felt relived. There were finally people who could understand the pain of losing a biological parent. Half of the weight pressed firmly on my chest for years of my life had lifted.

The other half of me couldn't be swayed. They couldn't imagine the fear I felt day to day, seeing men, fearing their hunger. Men weren't to be trusted, not when they took my mother and made me into something hateful and shameful. Elves took advantage of how little one knew, feeding him or her lies until turning the tables and revealing the cold truth. But as I looked at the two of them, I couldn't peg my brands on them. Aragorn had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of me, yet he kept his distance. He respected my boundaries. Legolas didn't seem like the type to lie about his mother's fate, or his father's behaviors. There was no way he could fake the grief he so strongly showed.

Maybe, like the way I found people who shared my grief, I could find people like Aragorn and Legolas. Ones who wouldn't take me against my will. Ones who respected my boundaries. Ones who were upfront about the truth.

Rising to his knees, Strider put up his hands, his palms extended. His movements didn't really bother me anymore, so I let him draw nearer. He extended a hand to help me rise, then guided me to where the fire was. Handing me a spare blanket, he murmured, "You should rest. It's late, and you've been through a lot."

Nodding, I mumbled my thanks, before curling up on the ground, laying the blanket over me. Through my sleepy thoughts, I could hear Legolas murmuring something about taking the watch followed by the scuffing of the ground a couple feet away from me. Shifting my head, I opened my eyes to see Strider's chest rising and falling as he fell asleep close to me. Rolling back over, I smiled to myself as I drifted to sleep. I had never slept better.


The next morning, as sunlight lit up my surroundings, I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. When I saw the man and the elf sitting across the clearing, smiling at me, I froze, forgetting where I was. When Strider offered me some of their breakfast, I immediately relaxed, accepting the food.

"So, what do you plan to do this morning?" Strider asked, his hand raising some food to his mouth.

Chewing slowly, I paused. I wasn't sure. I'd started to come to terms with the past I had little control over, but could I really go back and face the elves of Rivendell again? Where could I go? Both men and elves would have me on edge for a while longer. Shrugging, I avoided looking at their eyes.

Legolas, who was dutifully packing up blankets, spoke up, "You don't need to choose anything right now if you aren't comfortable with the idea of it."

That was the truth. It would be uncomfortable for me to jump back into life in Rivendell after spending so long away from it. Maybe if I could find a nice, small town to live in for a while, I could work my way back to the home of my mother. Finishing the last of my breakfast, I stood, and walked over to my horse. Looking back at the two I'd come to accept, I smiled. "Thank you for everything."

"If you ever need anything, you can always come to us." Strider said, smiling faintly. Legolas nodded in agreement.

My smile growing, I mounted my horse, turning out of the clearing. Where I was going, I wasn't exactly sure. Spurring her on, we flew out of the clearing. Looking over my shoulder, I could see Legolas and Strider watching as I left.

I had nowhere to go, but that didn't matter. I could roam the lands for as long as I wanted, or I could go back to Rivendell and forgive my adoptive parents. If I lived in isolation for the rest of my life, at least the bonds that kept me tied to the past had been severed.

All in all, I would move on, beating my way against the wind, finally feeling free.