Arielle walked slowly towards her house. I wonder if Legs is in trouble she thought as Tuppy hovered beside her. That elf is always in trouble she wickedly thought as she ran the rest of the way home. She went through the front door of the modest house and searched for her father. Although her father Thorandil, was a wealthy noble, with enough money to live in a mansion, he decided that a two floor house with two bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen was adequate to raise his only child.

"Father!" shouted Arielle. "I am home!" she went up the stairs and looked into her father's room. Observing that nobody was there, she went downstairs and searched the kitchen and dining room. Arielle began to worry as she passed through the back door. The one thing that Thorandil did spend quite a sum of money for was the elegant garden in the back of the house. Arielle's mother had loved gardens and had convinced her husband to help her build one. With time and love, a beautiful garden was made. There were walls with ivy draped across. There were many different flowers in every corner of the garden. There was a path along the flowers that led up to a fountain with a figure of her mother, Liawen Tharayeile, smiling down at her as she held a lily, her favorite flower, close to her heart. Her father had the fountain made a few months after she had died.

Now Arielle found her father gazing at the figure. He was sitting on a stone bench, beautifully carved by her father himself. He had silent tears running down his face as he gazed at her slender figure, with her long hair flowing down her simple but elegant gown. Her slender hands gently held the lily as her oval face gently smiled.

Arielle is the exact image of her mother. She had inherited from her mother her beauty and grace but also her compassion, her love of nature, her loyalty and her courage. From her father, she had inherited his skill in hunting and fighting, his wit, his honesty and his fiery attitude when he is provoked. From both her parents, she grew up with strong values and her integrity continued to blossom.

Arielle slowly approached her father and sat down beside him. She gently embraced him as he turned towards her and smiled. "I miss her so much. I wish she was here now to see the young, intelligent woman that is now before me."

Arielle laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh father," she quietly said, "you know that mother is always with us. She never really died as long as we do not forget her." Arielle looked up at him and kissed him lovingly on the cheek. "I love you father so much. Please do not be sad that mother has gone. Be happy instead that she is content now that she is where she belongs. There is no reason to be sad because she will be waiting for us on the other side."

Thorandil hugged his daughter and wiped his tears. "You are very wise my daughter for someone so young. I am very proud of you. Thank you for comforting an old man."

Arielle smiled at him. "You are not that old father" she replied. "Also, I am only wise because my very wise father has raised this little girl well."

Thorandil chuckled. "Alright Arielle, you should go inside now and get something to eat before you inflate my ego further."

Arielle fondly kissed him on the cheek and hugged him once more. "On one condition." Thorandil raised his eyebrows. "As long as you focus on more optimistic things and that you stop introducing me to those silly men that insist that they are the one for me."

Thorandil chuckled again. "It is necessary that you find someone to be your lifelong partner so that you can finally settle down and behave like a true noble lady should."

Arielle rolled her eyes. "I am never going to let someone take away my freedom and make me a domestic slave for their convenience. I will never marry so that I can always train and take care of you and spend time with Legolas forever."

Thorandil shook his head worriedly at his daughter. "Arielle, you know that you cannot possibly remain like this. Legolas will eventually be king and he will have a queen and take care of a kingdom. You and the prince will not be able to find the time to spend together anymore when you will also marry and be settled nicely with a young elf who will take care of you and provide for you when I am no longer here."

Arielle's eyes began to water. "You must not say that father" she cried "I would not be able to handle it if you left me. I will have no one if you leave me." Arielle ran back to her father and cried in his lap.

"Oh Arielle, you have a lot of people who care for you. Legolas cares for you, the king loves you so much that you are practically his daughter; your fellow huntsmen respect you and are loyal to you. I would never intentionally leave you my daughter. It is just that I fear for your future. I fear that it is not secure enough and that the only way to make it secure is to have you married. Your mother, she could sometimes see into the future and make out images that may or may not happen. She." Thorandil paused. Arielle looked up and waited to hear more about her mother. "She saw you lying on the ground and you were wounded in many places. She feared for you and begged me to always keep you safe and protect you from harm."

Arielle laid her head back down on his lap as she thought about her mother. I wonder how mother can stand to have such horrible premonitions. Thorandil absently pushed her hair away from her face.

"You always knew that you are not fully elven and that your mother was never a full elf."

Arielle looked up expectantly. "What was mother? Was she part wizard and elven?"

Thorandil shook his head. "No, she was half elven but the other half of a breed she never voiced that was long extinguished. When your mother and I met a long time ago, she told me that she had come from across the sea. She said that she lived in a beautiful city within a forest like Mirkwood. She did not mention the name for she was in fear of an unknown darkness. She was a princess in that city. She said that one-day darkness befell and shadows came and obliterated the beautiful city and its people. Your mother had been your age when her parents had hurriedly put her on a boat, too small to carry all of them but big enough only for her. Her parents had given her a drink. She remembered that her parents waved goodbye to her and headed back to face the shadows. She cried until the drink took over her. She woke up a few hours later when the boat bumped against the shore near Mirkwood. She walked around and eventually I met her when I was on duty to help with the orc raids. She had told me then that no one must know of her identity or of anyone with her blood for she believes that the same dark force that had destroyed her world still knows that her race is still alive and the dark force is still seeking."

Arielle shivered. Now that she knew the other half of her heritage better, she was confused. "Am I going to have premonitions like mother did?" she looked up perplexed.

"I do not know if her blood is strong enough in you to give you premonitions." Thorandil sighed. "That is enough storytelling for one day. Now go inside and get something to eat and clean up also." He added after eyeing her torn gown, dirty face and tangled hair. "You are nearly 2800 years old Arielle. It is time that you start acting like your age and act like a lady for once."

Arielle pouted. "Why should I when you have taught me that inner beauty is what counts."

Thorandil looked at her exasperatedly. "At least make an effort to look presentable for the party tonight. You do not want to be denied access to the party tonight do you?"

Arielle gave in, her father knowing that her one weakness is a love for the music at parties. "Fine father, I will clean up and make us up something to eat." Thorandil smiled fondly as she walked inside the house. He stayed a moment to take one last look at the figure and then he placed his hand over his heart and followed his daughter inside.