Later when they were packing up to set off again, Anywien volunteered to go and retrieve Ohtar. After Aragorn told her which direction he had gone, she set off to find her older brother. She found him after maybe a minute or so of walking.

"Ir gu lle teli adan?" she asked softly. He looked at her. (When were you planning on coming back?)

"Al thinnas," he replied. (Never.)

Anywien smiled. "Lle boe an. Ammen lothron crumui estent." (You should. We are leaving shortly.)

Ohtar looked at her for a minute, studying her. Then finally, he voiced what was on his mind. "Car lle anira ada?" (Do you miss father?)

Anywien blinked. She knew what Ohtar had meant by that… did she miss the old father, the one that played with them, talked to them… told them stories, some fairy tales, some of his own war stories. She did miss him, but she had gotten oddly used to his absence in the past hundred years or so, which was something that Ohtar had never adapted to.

"Im car," she said, nodding slightly. "Ind men heltha haeron an dilia ha." They both knew well what she was talking about. Their father was the only one who could make the decision to put his family first in his life, no one else could do that for him. They could not force him to stay home, nor anything else that they wished he would do with them. (I do, but we are too powerless to stop it.)

"Im i hil ned Mirkwood, a im haeron," he muttered bitterly. He was holding back tears as he spoke. But he knew that he would not cry… he'd become strangely good at not crying when he didn't want to, which he was not sure if it was good or bad. For, the only reason he had perfected it was simply because he never felt like crying, but he always needed to when he got angry enough. "Ha manai edthir." (I am the heir of Mirkwood, yet I am powerless. 'Tis an odd feeling.)

"Im ista," Anywien replied. "Ind tol, meni dartha an ammen." (I know. But come, they're waiting for us.)

"Nin mistad," Ohtar said as he stood. "Men crumui." (My apologies. Let's go.)

"Ohtar?"

"Ir?" (What?)

"Ho carr meleth lle." (He does love you.)

~*~

They traveled for 2 more days stopping every 6 hours or so, for spans usually from 20-30 minutes, but sometimes as long as an hour or 2. Legolas didn't feel comfortable staying in one spot for long, and occasionally the children (and the Lady Arwen herself a few times) nodded off to sleep for a few minutes even while on their horses. Legolas often battled weariness himself, but he pressed on because he knew what had to be done. Then late that night, they entered Lórien. Legolas turned to tell everyone, and he realized that most of the children were half asleep. He smiled to himself and slowed his horse so that he was riding next to Aragorn.

"Do you remember this place?" he asked him.

"No, not hardly. I remember Boromir, and speaking with him the night we arrived here. But I do not remember the forest itself."

"Boromir. Had he spoken to you of something important?"

"Oh, yes. He was very troubled. Galadriel had told him something of the fall of Gondor… he said he had heard a voice inside of his head."

"I hold none but pity for him. He was brave and strong, and yet he died with the guilt that the Ring had forced onto him."

"He had his honor."

Legolas smiled faintly at Aragorn. "I pray he did." Then Legolas heard something… so soft, in fact, that Aragorn's human ears could not pick it up. From experience the elf knew that it was a footstep of someone nearby. "Shh," he said quietly, looking for the step's source.

Elviondel closed her eyes and silently scolded herself. She'd tripped and fallen, and she knew that the stranger elf must have heard her. Of course, tripping was a very rare occasion indeed for an elf, but she had had other things on her mind. The dangers from the Northwest, the creatures prowling around Middle-Earth that she had been sent to find out about. And her young baby sister, only 35 years old. She prayed that young Viennen was all right.

Elviondel slowly, cautiously made her way to the trail that Legolas and his company were on. She stepped onto it and walked about a yard or so behind them for only half a minute or so, when the youngest elven princess turned and gasped. Elviondel swiftly pulled out an arrow and fitted it to her bow, but it was then that Legolas turned his horse and rode in front of his daughter.

"Intruder," Elviondel said accusingly. Yet her voice slightly curved up higher at the end of her word, like she was half-asking it. As if she weren't sure if they were intruding or not.

"We mean no harm. We are searching for the Lady Galadriel. Can you take us to her?"

"You look familiar."

"I am Legolas of Mirkwood. I have been many places, including here several times, so it is possible we have met."

"You are searching for the Lady Galadriel?"

"Yes."

Elviondel looked down. "Then you have not heard," she said softly.

"Heard what?"

"She is gone."

"Gone?" Legolas demanded. "What do you mean by "gone?" Is she dead?"

"We do not know. She has disappeared, we do not know where to find her. She may be dead by now, but no one truly knows." Her sorrow turned into frustration and anger as she spoke next. "It was those strange creatures from the West, I know it. They are evil animals, created by some sort of higher, evil power that none can see. But I know they had something to do with it."

"Strange creatures… Ums?"

"Ah, so you have heard of them."

"I've seen them."

Elviondel's eyes widened. "You have been many places."

"They are from the West, you say?"

"Yes, the Northwest. It has been rumored here that they were made by some sort of evil power, such like Sauron the Deceiver created Orcs, these are a new creation by a new Enemy. It has also been said that they were created on the very edge of Middle-Earth, somewhere near the Ice Bay of Forochel, however these have never been proven or confirmed. But we speak of no such things here, not in this place. I may take you to the House of Celeborn if you so desire."

"We have not much time, or we may draw something here that is better left alone. We were passing through."

"To where?"

"Please, you must understand that something is pursuing us and that we wish to keep our plans secret."

"I would, but I am under strict orders to bring any strange company to the ruler here, Celeborn. If you knew Galadriel, then he may recognize you and you may leave without a questioning, but I must take you there just the same."

"I am the Lord of Mirkwood, therefore my word will do fine."

"Tell me what pursues you and I will trust you."

Legolas sighed. "An army of Ums and Trolls, but please tell no one."

Elviondel gasped again. "You have not only seen them, you are running from them! Why do you come here? You endanger our forest!"

"They are not nearly as cleaver as you may think, and we are merely passing through, they will take a shorter route, no doubt. And such dark creatures cannot enter here. They would be blinded by it's goodness."

"Since the Lady of the Wood disappeared, it's light has faded."

"But not diminished."

Elviondel smiled faintly. "I am on a quest to investigate these Ums. Take me with you, if only for a day, until we are out of the forest and I may go on by my own route?"

Legolas was surprised at her request. "Well, I…"

"I have a horse, and I will not eat anything other than what I have packed for myself. I can ride for however long you can straight, and I take very rare, short stops for only the most desperate occasions. You will hear no complaining, not from me, anyway."

"I suppose, if you desire. But realize that this deep evil you speak of that created these nightmares from the edge of Middle-Earth… we are running from that very thing. Realize that you are in grave danger while you are in our company." He did not want to add that they were attracted to Arwen somehow, in some way. He did not want to frighten her away, but merely warn her so that she knew that the road was risky.

"I have faced many dangers," Elviondel replied. "Maybe none as much as you, but I have had my share. It would take something more than an army to keep me away from fulfilling my orders from Lord Celeborn himself."

Legolas smiled. "I much enjoy your determination, lady…"

"Elviondel."