Leoglas stalked into his father's study and threw himself into a nearby chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared with annoyance into the air.
Déorwin, who sat in a chair next to the King, looked at Thranduil and shrugged his shoulders. "Are you alright, Legolas?" he asked.
At this the Prince of Mirkwood stood, grabbed a round paperweight from his father's desk, and chucked it out an open window. After pacing the room several times, he fell back into his chair and said, "I do not understand."
"Understand who, Legolas?" Thranduil asked.
Legolas stood and began pacing again. "Lady Cali. She is so … so, I do not think there is a word in our language to describe her. When we first found her, she was timid and terrified to think that our kind existed. Even more so to think she was one. Which I can almost understand because she claimed to have been raised by humans and had just been attacked by an orc. But then it doesn't make any sense for her to have been raised by humans since we can tell she is older than the twenty years she says to be. And how can she not know about our kind and orcs with the war with Sauron having just ended. Then yesterday she runs off while Déorwin and I were showing her the city. And now she had declined to have the morning meal with us and this time ran off into the forest where she again was attacked by orcs. If it had not been for Estel, she would have been killed or taken by that human. So if she wanted to find a way home so much, then she should have come to us for we would have gladly helped her. I mean, she seems so-"
"Legolas," interrupted Déorwin. "You are starting to babble. Get to your point. And stop pacing, you are making me dizzy."
Legolas sighed and sat in his chair again. He didn't say anything, only turning his head and staring out a window.
Thranduil looked at Déorwin silently. The dark haired Elf nodded and left the room leaving father and son alone. The King stood and pulled his chair over to Legolas so he was sitting in front of him. "My son," he said. Legolas looked at his father. "What troubles you so about Lady Calithradë? From what I have seen of her, she only wishes to go home to the people she knows."
Legolas ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I have no idea, ada. Ever since she arrived here, all I have wanted to do is keep her safe. Something inside of me keeps telling me that she is precious and must be kept safe. I do not understand. I have never felt this way about a female before, nor have I ever planned to! I am not sure whether I should love this feeling, or hate it." Legolas sighed again and buried his face in his hands.
Thranduil smiled knowingly and placed his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "Do not worry Legolas. This is a normal feeling for when someone is attracted to another."
At this Legolas's head snapped up. "I am NOT attracted to her!" Thranduil looked at his son disbelievingly. "Alright," Legolas admitted. "I admit Lady Cali is pleasant to look at, but I am not attracted to her in that way! So do not even think it!" He crossed his arms over his chest and once again stared out the window. Several moments of silence he spoke again. "How exactly are we going to keep her from running off once we begin out journey to Rivendell?"
"I'll talk to her. Why do you not go find Estel?" said Thranduil. He stood and left Legolas sitting in the chair. The King of Mirkwood walked down the hallways slowly, thinking of how he would talk to the she-Elf. Soon he found himself in front of her chamber doors. Two guards were standing in front of them, alert. They acknowledged their King and stepped to the side. As he was about to knock, a soft voice came from behind.
"If you are going to try and talk to her, I do not think you would be the best choice."
Thranduil turned to see his wife, Lisandrei standing behind him, a small smile on her pink lips. "And why do you say that, my love? Do you think you would fair better than I?"
"Of course," she said confidently. When her husband looked at her with a blank face, she cleared up her statement. "I am a female, and a mother. Because of this fact, Lady Calithradë will probably feel more comfortable talking with me than you. You are a male, and would have a hard time fully understanding what she is going through and feeling. You should know women are naturally easier to talk to."
"And how would you know this?"
Lisandrei shrugged. "Just ask our three sons. They came to me more often with their problems than they did with you." She then walked to the door and said over her shoulder, "Why don't you go get things ready for our journey? I'll take care of the girl." With that Lisandrei knocked on the door and entered the chamber.
----------------------------------------------------
The afternoon sun filtered through the window and found Cali spread across the bed, her headphones over her ears. She silently sang along as she wondered what in the seven hells she did to deserve this. Shortly after Legolas locked her in the room, a servant had been allowed in, bringing her a tray of food. Cali picked at the food but otherwise left it alone. Besides another servant appearing to take the old tray and leave a fresh one, no one had bothered her.
Cali sighed. "Maybe this place is real," she said aloud to herself. "The details are too, detailed to be from a dream and time is … well, time seems to be flowing at the pace it should be. Details, there are too may details." She threw her arm over her eyes and groaned. "Who am I kidding? This can't be real. There are no such things as Elves. They don't exist. Only in fairytales." She sat up and stared at the closed door. "The only other explanation then, is that this is a dream. Or a very bizarre nightmare." She fell back down on the bed and allowed her mind to wonder.
Ever since the encounter with Alden, Cali had been having little snippets of visions, similar to the first two she had, though not as intense. They almost seemed like memories. Most of them consisted of her and three male Elves. Haldir, Orophin, and Rúmil were their names, according to the visions. They seemed to have some kind of family relation to her. She remembered that in her first two visions, they were referred to as her brothers. At the thought of the second vision, Cali bolted up.
'Thranduil. The names Thranduil and Lisandrei were said. And Mirkwood. Mirkwood was mentioned as well. Those are the names of Legolas's parents, and when I first awoke here yesterday, they told me I was in Mirkwood. Right. So there has to be some connection between those visions and this "dream" I'm in. But I have never heard of someone having a dream within a dream. Is that even poss – argh!' Cali took off her headphones and rubbed her temples. "This is so confusing. I'm not sure what to believe anymore."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, causing Cali's head to snap up. She quickly looked around for a place to stuff her headphones, but before she could hide them under the pillow, Queen Lisandrei walked in. She smiled softly and raised a brow when she saw Cali's hand hovering in front of the pillow, headphones and CD player in her grasp. She refrained from saying anything. Cali smiled back weakly and placed the diskman before her on the bed. She sat up straight and watched Lisandrei pull a chair up next to the bed.
"Good afternoon, Lady Calithradë. How are you?" she asked as she bowed slightly.
"Uh, good afternoon your Highness. I'm fine, but please, there's no need to call me Lady; just call me Cali. Whenever someone calls me by my full name, I always think I'm in trouble again. Which in this case, I guess I kind of am." Cali said this last part quietly and hung her head a bit.
Lisandrei shook her head when she heard what Cali said. Better hearing was one the of perks of being an Elf. "Why, are you in trouble often back home?"
"Uh…."
"You are not in trouble, Cali," she said. "We are all just concerned for you. Though after your little stunt today I can understand why my son is so intent on keeping you in one place. Our forest is full of many dangers. Even our most experienced warriors do not venture out far alone." Cali hung her head even further. Lisandrei reached forward and tilted Cali's head so she could see her face. "But I do not think he should have locked you in here. Do not fret. We will help you find your way home. But you must promise me that you will never go off again on your own without an escort or without telling us."
Cali smiled at Legolas's mother and said, "I promise." She then saw her eyeing the diskman. She handed it to her. "It's called a cd player. It plays music," she said as she watched her examine the device.
"Music?" she asked disbelievingly. Cali took the headphones and gently placed them over Lisandrei's ears; she pressed play. She laughed silently as the Elf Queen jumped, eyes wide. After a few moments she pulled the headphones off and stared at the diskman. "What magic is this? I've never seen anything like this before. Nor have I ever seen this type of metal. What is it?"
'Hmmm. Twenty-first century meets third-world …… world,' Cali though with amusement. "Well, it's not magic. It runs on electricity. As for what it's made out of; it's something the people where I come from call plastic. I think that's what it's made out of anyway."
"Electricity? Plastic?"
'Crud. I don't think I should have told her that. Oh well. Might as well sustain and quench the fire than leaving it to grow.' Cali bit her bottom lip and furrowed her eyebrows together. She would have to tell her everything. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to let it leave this room?" 'I need to tell someone the truth. Someone has to know.'
"Yes, of course," said Lisandrei. She placed the CD player back on the bed.
"Yesterday, when I was explaining how I got here, I wasn't telling the whole truth."
"So you lied to us?"
"No, no! Well, yes, sort of. But most of what I said was true! Only, the real reason I was separated from my escort was because I didn't have one. And-" Cali paused and placed her head in her hands. "Oh man. I don't know where to begin."
"Why don't you start at the beginning. Say, when these humans found you," Lisandrei suggested.
She nodded. "Alright. Like I said yesterday, I have no idea who my real parents are. The couple that raised me found me on a bed of moss in the forest near Shirebury when I was an infant. The only thing I had with me was this pendant which I assume is from my real parents." Cali touched the white stone hanging around her neck. "I've always known my adoptive parents were a bit scared of me because of my ears. That, and I never acted like any of the other girls in the area. I was a loner and was constantly getting into fights with the local boys……" Cali proceeded to tell Lisandrei about her life, leaving nothing out. More than once she saw the Queen's face show confusion when Cali mentioned something from her world. She told her about the fair and the old man who bought her the weapons and gave her the black ring. Cali explained about the urging to go into the forest, the mist, thunder, and then her son and companion saving her from the orc. Cali then told Lisandrei what happened when she ran off that morning, and the visions she'd been having since then.
"I don't know what to think anymore," Cali said. "My mind and everything that's logical tells me that I'm dreaming. But something else whispers that this is real. And the visions now seem more like memories than anything else."
Throughout the entire time, Lisandrei was silent. She looked at the young she-Elf sitting on the bed. Her head was back in her hands; she seemed so confused, if not a bit frightened. She was in a place and world she did not know and maybe did not remember. Lisandrei stood and sat next to Cali. She placed her hand on Cali's back and rubbed it soothingly. "Do not fear Cali. Once we get to Rivendell, Elrond and Mithrandir will help us sort this out. Although I can not convince you that our world is real, I may have an answer regarding your true parentage." Cali lifted her head and looked at the Elf Queen. "May I see your pendant?" she asked.
Cali took it off her neck and handed it to her. "Do you know what that other language is on it? I only knew what my real name was because it is on the pendant in English. But I could never figure out the other one. I assume it says my name as well."
Lisandrei turned the stone over in her hands. "What is English?" she asked.
Cali raised an eyebrow. "Uh, it's the language we're speaking right now."
"Ah," she said. "Here we call this speech 'common'."
"Oh," said Cali. "So what can you tell me about the pendant?"
"This other language," said Lisandrei, "is the high Elven language. It says, 'Calithradë, daughter of Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel'."
"Are those the names of my parents?"
"Yes. Tell me Cali, have others talked to you as if they know you?" Cali nodded. The Elven Queen took a breath. "Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel have four children; three sons and a daughter who is their youngest. When each was born their father had a pendant made for them. Twenty years ago their youngest child suddenly disappeared. According to their eldest, Haldir, she just vanished. No one knows what happened."
"Haldir," Cali whispered. "What was their daughter's name?"
Lisandrei handed the pendant back to Cali, who slipped it back around her neck. "Her name was Calithradë."
Cali stared at her hands. "So you're saying I am their daughter. But if I am, then why don't I remember my life here?"
"I do not know, my child. I do not know."
Cali bit her lip and fingered her pendant as she thought. As she though two visions, or memories, flashed before her eyes.
~Flashback~
An Elven woman with light brown hair held her arms out to a young elfling. The child had light brown hair like the woman, only with some blonde streaks. As Elven man was kneeling behind the child, helping it to balance on its feet.
"Come Calithradë. Come to Naneth," the woman said.
The child took a step away from her father. He smiled with pride as his daughter slowly made her way to her mother. When Calithradë reached her mother's arms, she picked her up and hugged Calithradë in delight. Calithradë's father stood, walked over to his child and wife, and held them in his arms. After a few moments, the male Elf reached into a pouch at his side and brought out a white stone pendant on a thin silver chain. He slipped it over Calithradë's head and kissed her forehead lovingly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Absolutely not," said her brother. "Mother and Father would kill me."
"Please Haldir?" begged Calithradë. "I'm tired of sitting at home and doing nothing!"
"What do you mean you have nothing to do?" asked Orophin. "There are many other Elfings for you to play with. And what about Kyna? I thought you were friends with her."
"Well, yes but all she wants to do is sew and talk about what kind of Elf she wishes to marry. And besides, every time I try to talk to them, they act as though what I am saying will scar them for life."
Rúmil shook his head. "Cali, what did you tell them?"
"Um, last time I was telling them about the last band of Orcs and Uru-kai you guys ran into."
Haldir rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered. "The answer is still no, Cali."
Calithradë frowned. She grumbled under her breath then her eyes suddenly lit up. "How about this. If I promise not to prank you three or anyone else for a couple of weeks, would you give me just a few archery lessons?"
Her three brothers looked at each other. Haldir then looked down at his younger sister and said, "Alright Cali. But you as well have to cease wearing your tunics and leggings during the three weeks as well. Can you do that?"
The she–Elf bit her lip and after a moment nodded her head. "Yes."
The three Elves looked surprised but nodded. They picked up their bows and motioned for her to follow them. Rumil wrapped an arm around his sister. "Come little seler. You have much to learn."
~End Flashback~
Cali shook her head and released the hold he had on her pendant. She looked up when Lisandrei placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright Cali?" she asked.
"I think so," said Cali. "I just had a couple visions, or memories is what I guess I should call them now."
"What did you see?"
"I think I saw my parents. I was really young and they were teaching me how to walk. Then my father gave me my pendant. I also saw my … brothers. They were – heh heh – showing me how to shoot an arrow after I had promised not to prank them for a month." Cali ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "So much of this just doesn't make sense." She looked at Lisandrei. "Do you really think this Elrond and Mithrandir can help me?"
Lisandrei wrapped her arms around Cali in a mother-like embrace. "They may be the only ones who can. And with any luck, Lady Galadriel will be there as well to help."
Cali nodded. These next few weeks were going to be interesting.
------------------------------------------
A short time later Lisandrei wondered outside to the training fields to find her son sparring with Aragorn and Déorwin. It was Legolas against the other two and from the looks of it, it seemed as though neither side was winning. Lisandrei lightly cleared her throat to gain their attention. The three warriors ceased sparring; Déorwin and Aragorn bowed while Legolas smiled and went over to embrace his mother.
"What brings you out here, Naneth?" he asked.
Lisandrei smiled back at her son. "Exactly how long do plan on having Lady Cali locked in that room?"
Legolas looked at the balcony above them and said, "Most likely until we depart for Rivendell."
"Do you not think that is a bit excessive, Legolas?" his mother asked.
The Elven Prince shook his head. "If we allow her to roam around she will most likely try to run off again. And no, have someone at her side at all times will just make her more determined to leave."
Lisandrei shook her head in return. "Legolas, I talked with her. She has promised not to go anywhere without telling us or without an escort. Go talk to her and clear up whatever it is between you two."
"There is nothing between us," said Legolas his voice rising slightly. "And she was probably just saying that to deceive you. Cali will run the first chance she gets."
"LEGOLAS!" yelled Lisandrei startling the three warriors and causing Legolas's eyes to widen. "You will NOT speak of Lady Cali in such a way in my presence again! It is not her fault. She is terribly confused at this moment and doesn't know what to think about us, or anything surrounding her. Everything that was normal to her is in a place beyond our lands where she cannot get to. And now she has been told we believe her to be the lost daughter of Elric and Ambriel." Her voice softened as she finished speaking.
Leoglas bowed his head. "Forgive me mother. I will not speak of Lady Cali in such a way again." With that, Legolas turned and walked away.
Aragorn raised an eyebrow in the direction the Prince of Mirkwood left. "Has he always been this way regarding females?" he asked the other two Elves.
"No, never," replied Déorwin. "Legolas usually just ignores them and tries to avoid contact."
"My son has always been a gentlemen when dealing with the females of our people," said Lisandrei. "Granted he has never tried to form a relationship with one, he was always courteous."
"Well," Aragorn. "It seems as though one has finally caught Legolas's eye. He just does not want to admit it."
Déorwin smiled and nodded. "I understand what you mean. Yesterday eve as Legolas and I were sparring, he saw Lady Cali above in her chamber balcony." He pointed to the balcony over-looking the training fields. "Legolas saw her and was distracted long enough for me to knock him off his feet."
Aragorn balked at Déorwin's statement. "For as long as I have known him, nothing has ever been able to distract Legolas whether he was in a battle or a friendly spar. I know for a fact Legolas prides himself on his focus during a fight."
Lisandrei sighed and smiled lightly. "Do not let Shálen and Arlen discover this. They would tease Legolas and Lady Cali unmercifully if they were to hear something could affect their younger brother like that."
"And if they discover this, then they would undoubtedly tell my brother. Then we would have two sets of twins on our hands with the ability to blackmail," said Aragorn.
"I agree Estel. Well I must take my leave now. Good day." Déorwin and Aragorn bowed as the Elven Queen left the fields.
"Well, shall we go track down Legolas before he does something stupid around Lady Cali?" asked Déorwin.
"We shall," answered Aragorn.
---------------------------------------------------
Cali was lounging on the balcony railing reading when she heard the door to the chamber open. She looked over to see Legolas; his face was emotionless and his body stood rigid. Cali didn't say anything to him and went back to her book.
"I am here only to inform you that you are no longer confined to this room. You may wonder the grounds as you wish. Good day Milady." Legolas turned and left the room quickly, closing the door behind him roughly. As the door closed, Cali grabbed a piece of fruit from a bowl near her side and flung it across the room at the door. The fruit bounded off the bed and rolled to a stop a few inches from the door.
"Stupid fruit," she muttered. Cali sighed and slid off the railing. She walked up to the fruit and picking it up, rolled it around in her hands. She headed back to the balcony and looked over the grounds. Cali saw a group of Elves in the archery area and a few over near the stables. She looked down at the fruit in her hands and then back out at the grounds. What she saw caused a devious smile to form on her lips. There, not too far away, was Prince Legolas. He was sitting on a stone bench doing something; she could not tell. Cali fingered the fruit and contemplated on whether or not he was within throwing distance.
'NO, that wouldn't be right. Not to mention mean,' she told herself.
~But amusing,~ her mind said back.
'It would probably make him very mad and I would get into a lot of trouble.'
~So? It would serve him right for locking you in here.~
Cali shook her head and set the fruit back in its bowl. 'Doesn't matter. It still wouldn't be right.
~Spoiled sport.~ Cali sighed and climbed back onto the railing. She picked up her book and continued to read. She hadn't gone more than a few pages when she set the book down in annoyance. What was with the guilty feeling? She hadn't done anything wrong; she only tried to find a way home and resisted the urge to throw something at the Prince. Okay, she probably shouldn't have climbed down the balcony. But how else was she to avoid being seen?
She ribbed her eyes then looked across the room at the desk where her laptop sat. She should check to see if her message made it to Sida. Cali walked up to the desk and turned the portable computer on. When the starting programs were finished, she brought up her e-mail account. Sure enough, there was a message from Sida.
Cali,
Thank the goddess you're alright. We were worried you had been hurt, or worse. Don't worry about you not knowing where you are. We can get Cora's father to track the signal the satellite in your computer gives off. Anyway, Ryan wants to know if you know anything about a ring with a black stone. Ryan said he found it in a clearing near some hoof prints in the forest. Also, what's the deal with that old man who bought you those weapons? Who is he?
~Sida~
Oh right, the satellite. She'd forgotten the computer had one. No wonder she had Net access without being plugged in to a wall connection. That certainly cleared a few things up. Now the only question was how in the world the satellite was even working if she was supposedly in another world entirely. Cali then decided against thinking on it any further; she didn't want to confuse herself anymore than she already was.
Returning her focus to the computer screen, she typed out a reply to her friends and sent it. She shut the machine down and went over to the bed to grab her shoes. Maybe she would go visit Astalder and give him some much-needed attention.
----------------------------------------------
Alden stepped cautiously into the cavern. The side of his face throbbed and stung from where the she-Elf cut him.
"So did you find the One?" a voice asked.
"Yes my Lord."
An ancient looking man rose from a stone chair and walked to a basin atop a stone pedestal. He peered into it and said, "Then she was in the designated place?"
"No my Lord. She was not."
The old man stared at Alden and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "How could you have found her if she was not in the designated place? And what happened to your face?"
Alden looked down and breathed deeply. "I do not know how she did it. But the One somehow found a way to escape the world in which she was sent to. I found her in the forest of King Thranduil of the Northern Mirkwood Elves." He gestured to the gash on his face. "Apparently someone has taught her fighting skills for she fought back and managed to injure me. She ran but when I caught her the Gondorian King, Aragorn, arrived and defeated me. Forgive me for failing my lord. I shall not the next time."
The old man sighed and clenched his fists. "So she has found her way back and now has the protection of the Elves." He looked at Alden. "The eve of the Faradome is ever coming closer. Contact your brethren; do not use the orcs. They will raise too much suspicion. If you must kill every Elf in that forest to get to her, then so be it. But I want you to bring her here to me no matter what the cost. Nothing, will stop me from raising Melkor to his rightful place. Now go, and bring her to me."
"Yes my Lord," said Alden. He turned on his heel and walked out of the cavern to gather his men.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
Nextime: Cali journeys with Legolas and his family to Rivendell. What awaits them on the long road there?
