Legolas slowly packed for his journey. It had been a very long time since he'd last ventured out into the unknown and with Aranelphia, he knew not what to expect. He grabbed a knife from the chest at the foot of his bed, studying the blade as he climbed from the window of his chamber. A delicately carved dragon wound its way around the handle and instantly he remembered the cave.
The Fellowship had broken not more than five months ago and Legolas had parted with Gimli only four and a half months afterwards. While his relief at the end of the war and peril was great, he was also experiencing a fair amount of dread – for in no way did Legolas desire to return to Mirkwood and the life that had for so long stifled him.
He was not quite five days south of his kingdom and family when a voice in his heart turned him back to the south and to the White Mountains. For more than two weeks he wandered fighting confusion and weariness. It was not like an Elf to allow such impulses to get the better of them. Legolas realized as much but still we wandered. It was his weariness that brought him into the cave where his mystery was solved.
The rain that had begun to fall outside made Legolas thankful that he had managed to find his big, dark cave. He carefully studied all that he could see, searching for signs of prior habitation. Further and further he journeyed into the cave, drawn by the same unknown presence that had brought him into the White Mountains in the first place. When he came upon the cavern where the girl was chained, his heart nearly stopped.
Her arms were bound above her head with heavy iron chains. There were smudges of dirt on her cheeks and forehead and she looked as though she'd been savagely tortured. At first glance, she appeared to be an Elf, but her skin was too golden and her eyes were a shade of blue that would have been most unnatural to Elves.
"If you're going to be here for a bit, do you think you could help me down? I can't quite reach the ground and this position is proving to be most uncomfortable." She said suddenly, her voice lower that of a typical female Elf, but just as smooth.
Legolas stepped closer to her, studying the odd little pants she wore and the foreign ink markings on her wrists and hands. "Why are you here? Surely you've been put here for a reason."
The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "My people claim that I've committed treason against them and as punishment, they stuck me in here. Now please, the chains."
"What is your name and who are your people?" He asked, settling down on a large boulder opposite her.
"This is a conversation we can have when you free me. I am not dangerous, at least not to you."
For a moment he pondered the matter, wondering if she was really as harmless as she claimed to be. In the end, he decided to help her out and deftly freed her from the chains. "Now tell me, what is your name?"
She stepped away from the chains, looking at them as if she expected them to attack her. "My fairy name, I will never again utter as I wish not to associate myself with those savages any further. But I've been called Aranelphia by those who have known me."
"That sounds Elvish." He said, following her to the mouth of the cave where he'd lit his fire.
"It is," She sighed. "It was, in fact, Elves such as yourself who got me into this mess."
"What do you mean?"
Aranelphia lowered herself to the floor, unfastening the clasp on her heavy cloak. "A party of Elves was traveling along the borders of the land of the Fairies when they were attacked by orcs. From what I understood, it was a valiant battle, but the Elves were outnumbered and those who survived were terribly injured. A small party of Fairies came upon them and brought them to the palace for treatment. Once they were healed, the Queen ordered them to be imprisoned, for they had seen a great many of our secrets and were now a threat to our people. I found this to be a terrible decision, so I freed them and gave them supplies to aid them in their journey home. I was caught and ruled as a traitor and brought here to suffer until the end of eternity. Luckily for me, you came and saved me from that fate."
Legolas nodded thoughtfully, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. "I suppose I did, huh?"
"You have saved my life, Sir Elf," She paused and thought about that. "Well, I guess you didn't really save my life, but you saved me just the same and for your kind deed, I owe you a great service. I will gladly give you your heart's desire. What would you like more than anything in the entire world?"
Again he was silent, mulling over her words. "I don't know."
"You don't know? Why, that's absolutely mad." She seemed outraged, but quickly calmed. "You are a traveler, I can see as much. And there is nothing a traveler loves more than a good adventure. Would you like to go on an adventure with me?"
"Where could we possibly adventure to? There is very little left in Middle Earth that is a mystery to me." He laughed, her liveliness erasing his weariness.
She smiled broadly and extended her hand. "I bet you've never seen a dragon. One has not truly lived until he's seen a real live dragon up close. Come with me, I will show you life."
Legolas smiled and took her hand.