Celegorm had asked Tess what she meant, but she ignored him. Instead, she crawled into her bed and pretended to sleep, or she might have actually gone to sleep. He did not know.

He spent the rest of the evening thinking about everything he knew about her. Based on their conversations and the little bit she told him about herself, she didn't seem like a monster. After a long time of wondering, he crawled into his own cot and rested. Needing to be at his best for tomorrow, he entered into a deep and long sleep.

When he woke the next day, it was already past midday, and there was a small change of clothes for him near his door. That was when they usually brought him clothes, but it could have been later. He stepped around the alcove to use the bathroom and change. He washed his face and body as best as he could with the small pitcher and sink. The first thing he wanted when they got out was a warm bath and new clothes that didn't stink of wood elves.

Sitting near his cell's bars, he looked up to see Tess smiling and waving at him. "How are you?" he questioned.

"Oh, fine," Tess grinned. "Should be interesting today with the prince's party and all."

He smirked and chuckled softly to himself. The prince of this realm had everything and yet could not make a move on the one he loved. It was a shame he wouldn't remain here long to torment him more. Curious about the plan, he asked, "when?"

Tess picked up on his look as she replied, "after dinner."

"Good," he offered. They fell into a comfortable silence for a while. There was a thick tension in the air, and he tried to calm his nerves but failed. Tess spoke first as she said, "I am going crazy. Can we talk to pass the time? Would you tell me about Valinor?"

Celegorm arched his brow at her. It was not the question he was expecting she would ask. He figured, as others did, to tell her about his family. Mainly his father, the silmarils, or his brothers. Needing the distraction, he started, "it is the most beautiful place in all of Arda. It is hard to put into words, but being under the light of the trees and the Valar is a feeling I cannot explain. Valinor is richer, full of magic and music, but also peaceful."

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

"Yes and no. I miss the way things used to be. With my father, my mother, and my brothers. I miss growing up with happiness and laughter. Now, everything has changed, including Valinor. The trees are gone, my family has been destroyed, my father is destined for Mandos's halls forever, and my mother probably feels alone but maybe happier without us."

His confession was met with silence, but then Tess said, "do you really believe that? That your mother is happier without her children and husband. You don't think she misses you just as much as you miss her?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. That was the truth too. He didn't know how his mother would react, seeing her children again. Would she love them the same and swallow them up in crashing hugs? Or would she be disgusted by their actions and wish never to see them again. He did not know, and part of him did not want to find out. There was a good chance that he never would. He would not leave Middle Earth until he searched far and wide for his brothers.

When he looked up again, Tess just nodded in understanding to him. He didn't want to talk about himself anymore, so it was his turn to ask. "Where are you from?"

She sighed and sank against the wall of the cell. Staring off into space, she said, "a massive city. One that is only filled with humans. It is a busy place, and it has been nicknamed the city that never sleeps. My family owned a large estate just outside the city. Close enough to enjoy the fast life without the added stress."

Celegorm mused, "does this city have a name?"

"New York," Tess commented. "You wouldn't know it as it is not listed on any of your maps."

Intrigued, his mind spun with thoughts and ideas. "How do you find it then?"

Tess shrugged, "I have no idea. I don't even know how I ended up here. I wasn't living in New York at the time. I was across the ocean in a different place, another large city called London."

He was bewildered now. Tess must be from the east, as the only ocean he knew led to Valinor. "I do not understand."

She sighed again, but then just shrugged, "you won't understand. The elves certainly didn't, and it is hard to explain. We can talk about it another time, but I think I need a wizard to help me find my home."

"Because it is hidden?" he questioned.

"Sure," she replied but didn't add anything further. Celegorm knew that he wasn't going to get any more information from her at the moment. His new companion was strange and very much a mystery. Tess has perfected the art of keeping him interested but not letting him know too much. The trait of a master manipulator, as he well knew. He did not sense any great evil in her heart, so he did not think she was a servant of the enemy in disguise. He would continue to gain information until he knew everything about her and where she came from.

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about lighter topics. Time passed quickly, and then the elves brought them some food. The same elf from yesterday came and opened his cell door. He had a massive smirk on his face as he dropped the bowl of porridge. Right on top was a small pile of shit. Celegorm wrinkled his nose in disgust as the elf slammed the door and laughed darkly while he walked away. Once he was far enough, Celegorm picked up the whole bowl and tossed it into the cavern. He heard it tumble and smash against the cavern wall until it broke.

Tess laughed softly at him and then said, "I will save you some food."

He warmed up at that. Having some real food again kept him going the rest of the evening. A few hours after dinner, the party started, as he heard the soft music playing from above as it drifted down into the cavern. He stood and then leaned against the bars of his cell.

"The party has started."

Tess nodded and then stretched in her cell. He watched her closely as he wanted to see how she planned to escape. Tess whispered, "do you hear anyone close?"

Celegorm strained his ears to listen. He could hear the slight patter of feet a few floors above, but that was it. "No."

Tess nodded, reached into her hair, and grabbed two small things. When her hand came down, each held something small and black. He couldn't make out what they were, but he watched with interest. Tess played with the two things in her hands for a moment and then reached her arms through the bars. She worked the black things into the keyhole, and he saw the look of concentration on her face as she fiddled with the lock. She moved them a few different times until he heard the lock click. He sucked in a large breath, and then she pushed open her door.

Celegorm's hungry eyes followed her petite frame as she tiptoed across the bridge of the cavern and over to his cell. Tess was smirking with pride as she stood in front of him. He hissed low, "you had a fucking key this entire time?"

Tess chuckled, "no bobby pins."

She held up two strange pieces of black metal. They were bent, and one side had a weird jagged shape. He had no idea what he was seeing, as the pieces of metal were strange. Celegorm just huffed and then gave her a look. Tess got right to work as she did the same thing again with the two pieces. Less than a minute later, he heard the lock click and the door swing open. Celegorm stood in shock as she grinned up at him.

"Let's go," Tess said, "we don't have all night. You can thank me later."

Tess turned to the right and started walking quickly along the cavern. Celegorm followed right behind her until they reached a small door off the cavern's end. Tess pushed it open just a little, but there was no light in the crack. When she saw that, she pushed it all the way open, and he saw a small armory in the room. Tess made a beeline for an old bag in the corner, but he made his way to the bow section. He grabbed a longbow that was made for his height and plucked the strand between his fingers. It sang, yet it wasn't quite up to par with his old bows, but it was good enough. He slung the bow over his shoulder, grabbed a case of arrows, and took that too. Then moved to grab a few knives.

There was a small collection of hunting knives, and he took everything that he needed. Tess came over to him then with the bag slung over her shoulders. He grabbed a few small knives and handed them to her. Tess took them with a slight nod of appreciation, and then he waved for her to lead. She paused at the doorway and looked both ways before moving out of the room.

Celegorm thought they would be moving up, but to his horror, Tess turned to go further down into the dungeons. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

Tess glared at him and hissed back, "leading us out. I know what I am doing."

Celegorm matched her glare, but she just turned her head and crept further down the stairs. He huffed, but there was nothing to be done. He would either trust that she knew a way, or they would be caught. After a second, he decided to follow.

At the bottom of the stairs, the cavern opened into a small room with multiple stairwells. Two were going up while two more went down. Again, Tess moved down one of them, and he followed. At the bottom was a short hallway with doors. Tess huffed in annoyance and went back up the stairs. He whispered, "you do not know the way, do you?"

Tess didn't reply as she ran back up the stairs and went down the other staircase that led down. She sighed with relief as they both came to a wine cellar. It was empty except for barrels and bottles of wine. Tess quickly moved to a small table with leftover food piled up. She tore off her bag and opened it. Using the tablecloths, she wrapped up all the leftover food and stuffed it into her bag. Celegorm waited and listened at the bottom of the stairs for any elves. Once finished, she made her way over to a lever on the floor.

Tess shot him a smug look as she pulled the lever, and the floor opened up just a little. Tess waved him over, and he stood next to her at the end. She stepped on it with one foot, and the movement caused the floor to tip. He saw a large river underneath inside a cavern. Tess smiled at him, "there is a gate outside at the end, so we should just jump into the river but make our way over to the cavern. There might be a walkway or something we can use to get out."

Celegorm didn't need to be told twice as he stepped onto the platform. His weight caused the floor to move, and he ducked his head as he slid gracefully down into the dark cavern. The river was freezing when he went in, but then he saw a small walkway further down the cavern. He looked back up when Tess came splashing into the water. She held her bag above her head and then came up for air. He took her arm and pulled her along as he swam towards the walkway. It was a long way as they swam through the winding river. When they got to the walkway, he saw the river turn and create a small waterfall over the edge. He had to kick furiously to stop them from being dragged over the edge, but then his hands found the edge of the cavern. He hauled himself up with ease and then quickly turned to pull Tess up.

They both collapsed on the stone as they caught their breath. They were both soaked, but then Tess started to laugh maniacally. The light and happiness on her face made him smile as he said, "looks like you know the way out after all."

Tess smiled warmly at him, "I would have questioned it too. I don't really know the way anymore. I know there's a gate in the woods outside that probably has some guards, but I hope you might be able to lead us out."

"Yes," agreeing immediately. "Which direction are we headed?"

"I don't know. Rivendell is west, but I don't think we should go that way right now. Seeing as they are having a party over there. There might be some villages a short distance to the east. We could gather supplies and food for the long journey around Mirkwood. The elves will probably look in the villages first if they follow us."

He mused over her words and then spoke his thoughts out loud. "So if we go east from here, we should find a few villages for supplies. Once the elves realize we have gone, that would be the first place they will look. Yet, if we try to go west, we might be spotted by the elves who are partying in the woods. What is north of here, and what is south?"

Tess thought for a minute and then replied, "well, south is the way I want to go eventually. Mirkwood forest is massive, but we have to go around it to get to Rivendell. Plus, there is the Misty Mountain range, and the gap for those are south as well. I don't really know what is north. There is the lonely mountain, which could be inhabited by dwarves or a dragon. I don't think we should go that way at all."

"What do you mean by dwarves or a dragon?"

"Just as I said," Tess replied. "I don't know what is going on in the world. The lonely mountain is home to the dwarves, but there are stories that they lost their home to a dragon. I do not know for sure, which is why I don't want to go that way. We should go south."

Celegorm did not know anything about these lands, but he was more inclined to trust her now than before. "South it is then. What supplies do you need? I can hunt for us, so we will not need food on the journey."

Tess opened her mouth and then closed it. He smiled as he guessed that was why she wanted to go to the village. "Do you need anything to make the journey, or will what you have be enough."

Surprisingly, Tess looked down at her clothes and shoes. Then she opened her bag and rummaged around in it for a moment. Then she said, "actually, if you plan to catch food for us, we should be alright. I have a container for water and my old clothes. I don't have any thicker clothes, so hopefully, it doesn't get too cold at night. I should be fine as these elf clothes and shoes are very nice."

He nodded and then stood. He offered her his hand, and as he pulled her up, he winked and said, "I can keep you warm at night if needed."

Celegorm saw the smallest blush form on her face. He grinned, but then she just laughed softly and started walking. "I'm going to hold you to that, then."

Smirking, he walked alongside her down the path. They didn't speak much while walking, but a door opened along the cavern's wall. They stepped out into a warm, clear night, and he breathed in deeply at the fresh air. He was free, and now he could find his family. Looking around, he spotted a few guards along a small wall on the river. He pointed them out to Tess, but he knew she probably couldn't see. He led her in the other direction as he took her hand in his. He was on edge now as they walked through the dark forest. It still felt wrong and evil, but he could see that they were close to the edge.

Tess tried to be quiet as she walked, but she was a human, and her feet crunched across the forest floor. Celegorm pulled her further into the forest and away from the guards so that they couldn't hear. The more they walked, the more Tess seemed to stop and be confused. She tried pulling out of his grasp at one point, but he held on tightly.

"No," he whispered furiously. "It is the magic of this place. I can feel it, and it's evil. Focus on me and stay with me."

Thankfully, Tess seemed to come back to herself for a moment. He knew they could not walk all the way south in the forest, so he turned now towards the east. Or what he thought was the east, as he could not see the stars to guide their path. About half an hour later, he felt the pull of the magic receding, and he loosened his grip on Tess's arm. Another hour later, they finally broke out of the tree line onto open plains. He could see a large lake and a river flowing south from it very far in the distance. Tess cried out with joy at being out of the forest. Celegorm released her arm, and he noticed a few minor bruises where his hand was. He flinched, and Tess followed his line of sight.

To his surprise, she reached out and squeezed his arm. "I know you didn't mean to. The forest's magic was taking hold, and I was losing my mind. The bruises will fade, and I am glad to have you with me."

Celegorm gave her a curt nod and then moved further into the plains. He spotted a small rock formation a little ways away and led them over to it. Tess walked next to him, but she seemed to be so much happier now than before. He must not be the only one who was excited about not being a prisoner anymore. When they made it to the rock formation, he told her, "we will camp here for the night. I can see in the distance, and this will cover us from the forest."

Tess was happy about that and sat down eagerly in the dirt on the other side of the rocks. Celegorm sat next to her and stretched out his legs near hers. Tess pulled out the leftover food from her bag and handed him the whole thing. "You should eat as much as you need. I know they were not feeding you well or enough."

He nodded his thanks and opened the food. It smelled heavenly as he dug into the meat and cheese greedily. Without thinking, he inhaled the food until he heard a soft chuckle from Tess. Not caring in the slightest, he shrugged and ate most of the food until he was full. When he was almost finished, he glanced over at Tess to see her take out a square, flat piece of metal in her hands, about the size of a book. While he finished up the last bit of food, Tess said, "well, here goes nothing."

Tess held it in her hands for a moment until the piece of metal lit up white. His jaw fell open, and some food came tumbling out. Tess arched her brow at him, but he quickly closed his mouth and swallowed the remaining food. He leaned over her shoulder now and saw a strange outline in the middle of the white light. There was a black bar that was moving, and he tensed with anticipation as the bar made it to the end, and the metal piece changed into something else entirely. Tess laughed maniacally with glee and hugged the piece of metal to her chest.

Celegorm had no words to describe what he saw, but he could only guess what had just happened. Without a second thought, he blurted out the accusation, "you are a witch."