Chapter 2

Ethrin woke up early and nobody else was awake. She dressed quickly, and made sure her hood was low over her head and that it left a shadow that covered her face. She brought along her bow and arrows, and then stole outside. She stood in front of the stream, and looked into the clear water. She stayed there for what seemed like hours. Then she could sense the others waking up. She crept back into the caves, and went back into her room.

A knocking sounded at the door. Then Arlena walked in and said, "the king wants to see you now." Ethrin followed her through a number of passageways and finally came to a stop in front of a door. Arlena knocked on the door, and then opened it slowly. She ushered Ethrin inside, then closed the door. Ethrin didn't know what to expect.

The king was sitting on a chair and saw Ethrin enter. "Havadad sit down, Ethrin," the king said, pointing to a chair across from him. Ethrin sat down and looked out the window, watching the trees. She didn't understand at first how she knew what the king wanted, but then decided that it was probably her memory coming back. The king cleared his throat, and Ethrin turned and looked at him. Thranduil didn't look old, but was already approximately 6,000 years old. His eyes looked straight at Ehtrin's, and she suddenly had to turn away.

Thranduil started asking Ethrin questions, like where did she come from, how she came to be in Mirkwood Forest, and a lot of other questions. Ethrin gave the vaguest answers, saying that she was a wanderer and happened to come to Mirkwood without planning to do so. When she was asked why she always concealed herself, Ethrin refused to say anything besides that she just didn't want to be recognized by anyone. The king kept on questioning her with more detailed questions, but he could not get anything more from her.

Finally, Thranduil said, "There are only four here who know anything more about you than just the facts that you are a female and an elf. Nobody else besides Arlena, your two captors, and I. Everybody else wonders who you are, if you can be trusted, because you barely ever speak. I know that you probably have a reason for doing this, and I won't try to push you into answering, but I think that you will gain the respect from my people if you start talking more." Ethrin gave a slight nod to let the king know she heard, but still refused to look at him. She couldn't let him know yet that she didn't even have a clue who herself is, and that the only way that her mother even knew her name was because of a bracelet she was wearing. Now the bracelet was concealed under he sleeve, and the elf king had no idea that such a thing existed.

Thranduil watched the silent figure in front of him, and kept on wondering more and more about her. He didn't know if he could trust her, but somehow he felt that she wouldn't harm them unless she had to. He grunted at this, and finally dismissed her by saying, " Elrond, the king of Rivendell, has more knowledge of the world and its past, present, and future than I will ever have. Perhaps he would be able to help you more, and perhaps you would trust him more. I will send a few of my people to escort you, and you will leave in about two days." With that, Ethrin got up and left.

The stream seemed to run clearer and clearer as Ethrin sat there, pondering the words of Thranduil. He seemed kind to let her stay, and didn't force her to tell him things she had not told. Ethrin wondered whether she should really stay, or should she steal away in the night. She looked into the stream and saw herself with her hood low over her forehead and the cloak loose around her. The sword gleamed in the sunlight, and her bow and arrows were strapped to her back. "I look like a wraith in this. No wonder those elves thought I was some demon," she thought to herself.

"I think that if you really want to be so mysterious, you should take off that bracelet, Ethrin."

Ethrin turned around and saw Laphaela staring at her wrist. Ethrin clutched her bracelet and glared at her from under the hood. Laphaela grinned and sat down. Ethrin slipped her bracelet all the way up her arm, and tightened it there. Ignoring Laphaela, she started back into the water and watched as the water ran quickly over the rocks.

"Father says that you will be leaving us in two days." Ethrin sighed when she heard this. Did Thranduil tell his daughters and sons everything? Hearing the sight, Laphaela quickly explained, "I'll be going with you. So will Legolas, and two of my father's most trusted friends, the same ones that first saw you. Nobody else even knows you're leaving. If anyone asks, my father plans to just say that we are going on an errand, and you just happened to tag along." Ethrin didn't reply, but turned to look at the mountains.

"Laphaela!" Laphaela heard the call, turned around, and saw Legolas running towards her. "Do you want to come with me out to the field again. Then we can have that archery contest you wanted." Legolas grinned and Laphaela had to hold herself from standing up and stoning her brother.

Turning around, she asked Ethrin, "do you want to come with us? Your 'captors' said you were good with the sword. Let's see if you are as good with the bow." Ethrin didn't say anything, but just stood up and took her long bow from the strap on her back. She walked lightly after Legolas and Laphaela, following them to the stables.

Ethrin went in, and immediately her eyes set on a pure white stallion that was tied up near the door. She walked over and untied him. The stallion bolted out of the stables and ran into the woods. Legolas reacted instantly and ran out after it. Laphaela turned to Ethrin and shouted, "what are you doing? That is the king's best and favorite stallion, although nobody so far has the ability to ride him. He is so wild that he'll run away!" Ethrin just stepped outside and watched as Legolas chased after the horse. But the horse was too swift for him, and soon he had already started to wear Legolas out.

Ethrin turned and whispered, "tell me about the horse."

Laphaela was surprised, and replied, "he is the fiercest horse that has ever stepped foot onto Middle-Earth, even wilder than the legendary horse Shadowfax, who belongs to Gandalf. Nobody I know of has ever ridden this horse. It was given to Thranduil by Elrond, although Elrond didn't say why he gave up such a fine horse."

Ethrin continued watch as Legolas still ran after the horse, trying to herd it back into the stable. Suddenly, she gave a sharp whistle, and the stallion turned and ran full speed towards her. Legolas gasped, but the horse stopped right in front of Ethrin. It nuzzled her head, and then she mounted lightly on him. The horse just stood, calm and steady, waiting for instructions.

Laphaela gaped at the cloaked figure as Legolas came running towards them. Ethrin whispered, "are we going or not?" Laphaela and Legolas mounted their horses, startled at how the wild beast that was there seconds before was now replaced with a gentle and obedient animal. This creature, that nobody could ride, now let a complete stranger on his back. They were bewildered.

Nobody talked on the way to the field. But Laphaela and Legolas couldn't help wondering what Ethrin had done that could calm such a vicious horse. At first they started to look at her with newfound respect, but that respect soon grew to suspicion when they saw how well the horse cooperated with her. They didn't know if she was to be trusted, for she had done what used to be thought as the impossible. Where did she really come from? And who is, or should it be, who was she?