A/N: I apologize for grammatical errors, but English is not my native language, if you see errors, please tell me. And please don't hate, english is not my language!

The dawn of the next day came and Níniel, as much a child could, felt horrible, she had learned to not tell her father when she talked to Sauron, she had noticed that every time she mention him or discuss about him, her father becomes sad, she didn't want him to be like that, after the council she had spoken with Marion twice, but she haven't told no one, because on her way to go see Arwen , when Aragorn sent her away, she saw from far away Aragorn hugging her father, she knew it was her fault.

She felt horrible that night, when she was laying on the bed with legolas, when he asked her if she talked to Marion that day and she had to lie telling him that he had left her alone all day.

Sauron wasn't mean to her, only when he wanted something from her, he often ask her where she was, what was she doing and if she was on a safe place, Sauron had stopped asking her what was happening around her, what the grownups where planning, because she didn't understand and he was tired of asking.

He only wanted to know now if she was unharmed and her current location, he was planning to get her alive.

She didn't know it.

Only Gandalf and Elrond knew.

They didn't want to alarm the father telling this, elves were sensitive creature, they feared that if he knew all the terrible truth he will die in grief.

Both elder had decided that she must move and so had the ring, they had decided every detail of their mission, even when Frodo must leave the fellowship to end the mission alone.

But it had to be kept as a secret.

They had to leave Rivendell, None seemed eager to speak for fear hung over them like a dark, heavy cloak close to smothering them with its thick folds.

Frodo stood , in his belt hung the sword Sting; his uncle had given it to him the night earlier and now it served as a reminder of what was surely to lay ahead for the young hobbit.

Many elves had also gathered to see them off, including Arwen, and Elrond himself, he began a speech "the ring bearer is setting out on the quest of mountain Doom and you who travel with him no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will" he paused and looked sadly ant the child next to Legolas "farewell" he then said to everyone "Hold your purpse and may there the blessing of elven" he looked at the father and daughter pair "and man " he looked at Aragorn and Boromir "and free folk" he looked at Gimli "go with you " he raised his hand and gestured them farewell in elvish sign language and had the same reply by Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and Níniel

"The fellowship awaits the ring bearer" said than Gandalf

Frodo looked around nervously and turned to walk through the archers of the city walls "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left of right?" he whispered to the wizard

Gandalf placed a hand on the hobbit's shoulder "left"

Frodo leaded out followed by Gandalf, Gimli, Boromir, Pippin, Merry, Legolas holding Níniel, Sam and the pony Bill, and last was Aragorn who paused to exchange Arwen a long glance.

They crossed the bridge and wound slowly up the long steep paths that led out of the cloven vale of Rivendell; Then with one glance at the Last Homely House twinkling below them they strode away far into the night.

They were marching for hours, they haven't stopped for lunch because Aragorn told them that it was a long trip and they couldn't use all their food, the hobbits weren't happy about it, but legolas understood why they did it, but he couldn't leave his daughter without eating, he found a tree of fruits and called Níniel and the hobbit, suggesting them to eat it, but being short as they were Legolas had to stretch and climb the tree for the five of them.

Gimli was already making friends with the hobbits, telling them stories about his race and bragging that it was one of the best race in middle earth. the hobbits were happy that they making a new friend, they already knew Aragorn and Gandalf a bit, Merry and Pippin the only ones who walked to all to chat, they wanted to know about the members of the fellowship, they never asked them questions about the mission or anything so dramatic, they simply wanted to know them, They began asking every type of questions to Boromir, like where was he from, was Gondor a nice place, how old was he... they were asking to many questions that Boromir had to ask them to repeat, making Aragorn behind them smile.

When they finally reached legolas was then he was carrying the sleeping child in his arms, they wanted to talk to him before but he was always with his daughter and they didn't want to ruin the moment to talk of random stuff.

They took the opportunity to talk to him while the child slept.

"It is a great day isn't it?" started Pippin, Merry struck him on the side with his elbow for reprimand him for his manners, he knew that Legolas was a prince, Aragorn told the earlier and he didn't was to disrespect him.

Legolas chuckled at the attempt of the hobbit to start the conversation, Hobbits were some interesting race, no wonders why Gandalf was so fascinated about them "yes it is, master Peregrin"

Pippin fought really hard to not ask a question about why they were bringing a small child with them, he was so curious, no one talked about it and he never asked, but he knew it wasn't the time yet to ask, he didn't know anyone yet and he didn't want to start with the wrong foot. He glanced at Merry, he looked like he was scared or shy to talk to the elf, and it was because they learned of his royalty. "You have quite a child" he smiled, not knowing what else to say.

Legolas raised an eyebrow and looked at the short hobbit on his side "how many decades does she has?" he heard the extrovert hobbit ask

"She is only four" Legolas simply answered

"Pardon" Pippin said and louder hid had, Merry had done the same "I thought elves lived forever" he said, but then his eyes had widen realizing what he has said "I did not mean that way" he tried to correct himself "I mean-"

Legolas didn't had the heart for make him keep correcting himself and make him look like a fool, even if he was quite enjoying it, he decided to step in and help him out "elves do live for a long time" he began "but children grow in a human speed until they have the body of an adult" he said , than looked at the child, moving his head to have a better view on her face, than turned back to the hobbits "Then they are given 'immortality'" they weren't Immortal, but legolas had told them for make them understand better.

the hobbits looked him surprised, they had learned a new thing about elves, it was fascinating for them to learn so much of other races in Middle-Earth, earlier that day Gimli had told them a lot of facts about his race, even if they all looked similar, they were so different.

"So" started Pippin "how old are you?"

Merry hit his cousin harder "Pippin!" he whispered out loud "you cannot just ask him how old is he!" he said shocked and ashamed

"If I told you, you would not believe me" legolas smiled

"You look like a young elf" pippin said with a voice that his thinking had sense and he knew "you can have a couple of hundreds years" he said as for him was nothing, truthly it scared him thinking that he was that old

Legolas shocked his head telling him wrong, keeping his smile as he thought he will never guess his age, but one thing he was right, he was a young elf, in fact, he was the youngest elf of his race, well, after Níniel.

"I had heard that elves can live for thousands of years!" finally Merry speaked, somehow trying to have a fight with his cousin, making himself look smarted.

Pippin turned to the prince "you cannot be that old" he said looking at him, he that saw his smile and got surprised "right?"

The Company made camp that night in a small grove of trees surrounded by thick bushes, Gandalf made a fire, while Boromir and Gimli removed all the essentials for the night from Bill the pony, and helped the Hobbits with their sleeping area, while Sam prepared the food that he was going to cook for the fellowship.

Legolas sat the child on his sleeping area, and pat her head before turning back to Aragorn and prepared his knives and checked his arrows as Aragorn walked fast to tell Gandalf something.

Níniel looked up at him as he walked through, prying her eyes away from the cloth on the floor, the place where she was going to sleep that night. She frowned when she saw Legolas slipping out his bow, and abandoned her spot as she padded over to her father, standing beside him.

"Manke nae lle?" *Daddy, where are you going?* She asked him in her inquisitive voice.

He looked down "bad-heria tiria cen en amin" *I have to look around for see it we are alone* He told her trying to not scare her by telling her he needed to patrol the area to see if they were actually safe.

She frowned harder "av- mere bad-lle" *I do not want you to go*.

"Amin sinta" *I know* He told her, putting his hand on the top of her head and ruffling her dark hair. "heria bad amin" *But I have to.*

"toltha gar amin?" *Can I come?* She asked hopefully.

"Nay." He said, he hated say 'no' to her, he never told her to not do something or scolded her for any reasons, but there was some few times where he was forced to deny something to her.

"ava-amman?" *Why not?* She whined.

"tyar neth lle" *because you are too young."

"pul-gala amin!" *I can be a grown up!*

Legolas smiled at his little girl, ruffling her hair for a moment. She looked a lot like Cerylia while she stood there with a determined scowl on her face. "hiraetha" *Sorry* He told her "dartha-baur lle o mìthrandir" *But I need you to stay with Gandalf*

She was quiet for a moment, contemplating this. He could see the thought process on her face. "thel-pel rato lle?" *Will you be back soon?* She asked him, having accepted that he was, in fact, going to leave.

"pel rato amin" *I will back soon*

"Legolas" Aragorn called him, telling him that he was ready and he was only waiting him

"pel aes o lle" *I will return and have dinner with you* he told her

She nodded, not happy about the fact that Legolas was leaving her behind.

"taw iell-nîn" *That's my girl.* He smiled, running his hands over her hair again.

She hugged his legs, promising that she'd behave herself, and then ran back over her camping area.

Legolas gave a quick glance, to her, making sure she was fine before running with Aragorn in the woods.

She sat silently on her spot, she looked over the flames and saw the four hobbits around the pan adding every cooking herb they had, they looked rather happy to help Sam out, but he wasn't, he kept pushing his friends away from his dinner, but it was useless because as he pushed away one the other two were getting closer, so he had to turn and push another one away, but the hobbit that he earlier pushed was on his feet again and he was getting closer to the food.

Gandalf was sitting on a fallen trunk by the campfire, laughing under his pipe, Níniel didn't really understand why he was laughing and why the hobbits where acting like that, in her house the elves cooks where collaborative with each other and always in a good mood, maybe it was something that her race couldn't understand, next to the wizard there was Gimli, the child noticed that he was encouraging the hobbits to fight or simply telling them what to add, but she didn't liked the dwarf, he was loud and smelly, everything that he said or did she didn't liked because he sounded angry, she was used to the calm voice of her father.

Then there was Boromir, he was far away from the group, his eyes looked in the dark forest around him, watching every movement made by every small creature hidden behind the bushes, he was clearly keeping the area safe since no one did, Gandalf had assure him that there were safe and he didn't have to worry because Aragorn went to patrol and he took the elf, who had better sight and hearing than all of them, but he didn't trust the wizard, not after the fight they had the day before in the council, Níniel felt that no one really liked him, not even his father, Aragorn was the only one who really talked to him, and Gandalf speacked to him only when he had to.

She noticed that one of the hobbits took off his attention to the food and address it to her, giving a last check on the boiling pan and glare on the other hobbits, who were still adding spices in his dinner, he got up and walked to her, he grabbed a cloth from a sleeping area and placed it on her shoulders.

"Here little one" he bended and fixed the blanket, making it cover all her body "we do not want to get a cold, don't we?" he said as he made sure she was covered entirely.

Gandalf watched the scene in silence from his seat; he smiled and shocked his head, hobbits never stopped to surprise him. "she does not need to have more warmth" he told Sam out load making sure he could hear him, everyone in the camp looked at Gandalf and then at Sam and the child confused, no one understood why Gandalf said such a thing.

"Why does not need to be heated in this cold night?" Sam's mind was wondering why Gandalf mistreated this child, or if he treat her like that because she was an elf, or worse, was one of the reasons why they were taking this child along, his mind was trying to find a reasonable way for him to not care of a child in the night.

"The answer is simple my friend" he smiled under his pipe "she is an elf" he stated.

Everyone gave him a confused look, but he ignore them, "Tula sinome gwinig er" *come here little one* Gandalf's happy voice called her raising his arm and inviting her to sit on his side.

she bit one of her knuckles, unsure, she didn't understand what was happening, but she remembered that her father told her to stay with the wizard, she took a deep breath and got in all her courage, she slowly got up and then looked at the cloth that was around her, she looked at Sam and then at Gandalf, did she had to keep it or give it back to the hobbit? She decided to keep it, she didn't want him to feel bad that she returned it back, she than walked shyly slowly to the old Istari, she sat near him, where he told her, and wrapped his arm around her.

"Elves do not feel cold as we do" He finally explained ad he looked at the child face "they are more resistant to the elements than mortal races"

The hobbits looked him fascinated by what they just learned, they had learned a lot of men and dwarfs by Aragorn and Gimli but they still didn't know of elves.

"She cannot fell the heat of the fire?" asked Frodo, who was more interested on the elves than all the other hobbits, he had grew with the tales of Bilbo and meeting elves was his childhood dream, but now that he had been in Rivendell and spoked to them, he still haven't learned much of the.

"Yes, they can feel it" Gandalf explained "but they cannot feel it as much as us, they have different skin than us".

Time had passed as the dinner was cooking, they been all talking to each other, The hobbits at some point fought for who was going to cook and Sam sent them all to sit around the fire as he continued what he started and the hobbits ruined, Boromir decided that staying to observe the forest did not lead to anything, so he sat in the trunk opposite the Wizard and the child, but he was then kept company by Meriadoc and Peregrin, Frodo, who didn't trust Boromir at all, decided to stay away from him and sat near the solitary dwarf who was filing his axe, Gandalf instead spent his time telling Níniel everything he knew about men, the tale began when she asked him why they looked like elves but they had beards and short ears.

Níniel was the first one to hear the two figures approaching the campsite, she intensely looked over the dark trees, Gandalf saw her tense and she used her elvish sight to look in darkness.

Gandalf looked over the fire for look watch she saw but the light of the fire blinded him.

"Ada!" Níniel got up from her sit and ran towards her father as he stepped through the forest followed by Aragorn.

Legolas heard the happy squeals of his daughter, he reached down and opened his arms, ready to hug little bundle of energy.

Níniel without hasiting jumped into his arms and hugged him as she didn't saw him for centuries.

"ad amin weere, Lle saig?" *I am back as I promised, are you hungry?* Legolas said ruffling her hair softly, she giggled and nodded excitedly.

Sam looked away from the pan where he was cooking and watched as the last members of the fellowship came back from the patrol of the area "Master Legolas, Strider, you came just in time for dinner, it's ready"

The members who remain with Sam and were watching the father and daughter reunion looked back at Sam and smiled in excitement, they had all been starving, since Aragorn didn't let anyone eat lunch, knowing that the hobbits would finish all the food in the first meal.

they all sat around the fire eating happily the food, Níniel sat close to Legolas, she rested her head on his arms as she slowly chewed the food, she was too tired to eat, but she was too hungry to not to, Now, she was exhausted.

Legolas turned his attention to his daughter, who was fighting sleep."lle hoda, hên -nîn?" *are you tired my child?* he asked gently, she in response nodded softly closing her eyes, but she then open them, fighting to not to sleep, her father than took the plate away from her and wrapped his arm around her making he more comfortable, he watched her with loving eyes as she was falling asleep on him, he tightened his arms around her, who responded by getting more comfortable, and then he stood up with her in his arms. Aragorn looked up at him questioningly, and Legolas shrugged at him. "Bedtime" He said simply, before turning and taking her in their sleeping area.

He sat her on the cloth on the floor, watching as she crawled over onto the other side. She settled beneath the blanket. Pulled the blanket up over her, and watched as she buried her face in the pillow with a sigh.

"Queldu, ada" *Goodnight, Daddy* She told him through a sleepy yawn. "Amin mela lle" *Love you*

*du, Melamin" *Night, my love*

"How come there aren't any elven children?" Said Sam getting the attention of everyone once Legolas walked away with his daughter in the arms and making Strider raise an eyebrow "Are they rare?"

"Yes they are Gamgee" said Aragorn "there is one every 500 years or so" the hobbit gasped, it was a long time for them, for every other race, but the others stood still, they knew that elves lived for centuries.

"but why there are not more?" insisted Sam curious.

Everyone smiled amused and ashamed at the same time, they were going to have 'the talk', Aragorn than looked at Gandalf for help but the old men seemed more interested in is staff at that moment.

"They have a lot of time to have one" he simply explained.

Sam understood that it was enough questions, he was making everyone blush, he that turned his head back to the fire, Pippin, however, wasn't satisfied with the answer, he still had many questions to ask "but why Mister Legolas seems to be the only one with a child" he said having Sam silently cursed him, his cousin never knew when it was enough with anything "I mean an actual child, a small person" he added.

Aragorn knew why he was curious, he knew that back in the Shire they had lots of children laughing and running around.

Aragorn decided to explain batter to the hobbit; he knew it wasn't easy for him to understand a completely different race from him.

"It takes centuries for a couple to get married and then more centuries to have a child" he pressed on the word 'centuries" making him understand that elves are different from hobbits.

Peregrin narrowed his eyes "centuries? Why not before?"

Aragorn smiled kindly "there are elven who are given a child before reaching age, like Legolas, he is in fact the youngest elf who fathered a child" He chuckled as he heard gasps from the fellowship.

"Given a child?" Meriadoc finally asked confused.

"Pardon me" Aragorn told them "elven do not say 'have a child' but 'a child has given to us'" he explained.

"How old is Legolas?" Pippin requested, still thinking of the fact that Legolas was young.

"I do not remember the exact number, but it was less than 3000, which is the common age to start a family"

"So an Elf has to be 3,000 when it reaches his maturity?" Boromir asked.

"Yes" Aragorn nodded "he is younger than that"

The next morning Legolas had the last watch, he spent the night sitting near Níniel caressing her hair while he was in his elven sleep, he was like that until dawn, than he had to wake the companions and continue their journey.

The fellowship had finished to packing, legolas eyes fell to the still sleeping child, he didn't' had the heart to wake her up, he just carried her until she woke up than he let her walk on her own. when the sun was in the sky shining bright and the birds were already awake Legolas let Níniel run in the fields, allowing her to remove her shoes and fell the nature under her feet, even if they weren't at home he still wanted her to be in contact with the nature, if an elf stays too long they forget to be connected with it, making then incomplete and for those weak ones it can make them go crazy and die.

He never stopped watching her, having his protective eye on her the entire time he left her, she wasn't that far, even the human eyes can see her, but with difficulties, because she decided it was fun to run in the tall grass, which was higher than her.

The adults kept walking, with even them often checking on the child. Suddenly Legolas stopped his tracks, and kept his gaze toward the child, narrowing his eyes to study what she was doing, it was impossible because of the tall grass around her; he could only see her dark haired head from it.

Boromir bump into his back, he was about to say something angrily to the elf, but paused when he saw the look on the elf's face, and that his eyes were directly trained on his child. They all stopped, looking at the elf.

"Gandalf," Frodo suddenly called the wizard, getting worried of the elf.

The wizard and Aragorn stopped and turned, Legolas continued to stare at the head, waiting and watching.

"What is it?" Aragorn asked. The elf didn't respond at first than he bolted off faster than he could, he knew what was happening he was ready for what he was about to see.

"Níniel?" He asked, slightly stunned for a moment.

Her eyes were just fading from the black to her natural blue color, he knew she had been talking with HIM, and for all those times he saw her eyes become completely black, he was not used to, and he could never get used of it.

Legolas snapped back into life, instinct completely taking over as he went as close to Níniel

"ADA" She forced a smile, trying to make him think she was fine, as she held her tears.

He crouched down to her level and put his hands on her shoulders, noticing her teary eyes and giving the others no second glance, who had followed him when he stormed off from them.

"Mani ume ro quena?" *what did he told you?* He asked her.

"al-ro quena lle" *he was not talking to me* she said looking at her bare feet, not daring to look him into his eyes

Legolas's heart clanged, she was lying at him, she never lied to him before, the thought he could trust her, he haven't raised her like that.

"Mani ume ro quena?" *what did he told you?* he asked again hoping she would tell him the truth, but she didn't answer, she just stared at the ground, breathing hard.

Legolas dropped his head for a moment, taking similar deep breaths to hers. Then, he raised his head in the air; in afford to not let his tears roll down in front of her.

"nara- lle thand" *Were you telling the truth?* the new harshness in Legolas's voice from her own level made Nonie's eyes widened. Even the others companions were shocked at the anger and fear in his voice.

"Níniel, merna amin" *Níniel, look at me* he told her stern.

The child slowly looked at her father with watery eyes, full of guilt.

"nara- lle thand fael si?" *Were you telling the truth just now?*

"Nay, amin nara thand " *No. I was telling the truth*

"Nay" *No* he repeated " lle quena nay, nara- lle thand fael al" *you just said no, you weren't telling the truth*

"Nay, quena lle" *No, I tell you it.*

"Níniel, lle caeda-amin?" *Níniel, were you lying to me?* he asked one last time, with a tone of his voice that made everyone understand that she had one last chance to tell him the truth.

*ya* "yes" she finally admitted finally letting her tears fall, making the members of the fellowship, who didn't know elvish, confused.

Legolas dropped his head again, sighing in relief, one of his problems was gone, he had another one now, he caressed her cheek, drying her tear with his thumb, and then placing a kiss in her forehead rewarding her for telling the truth.

"gar-amin quena nauta caeda-amman?*can you please tell why you lied?* he asked trying to fight his own tears, his child was crying in front of him for a bigger deal than her, bigger than anyone could handle, she was forced to lie to her own father, the instinct of cry and scream his rage was aching him, but he needed to be strong for her.

"av-lle cendem amin" *I do not want you to be sad* she said remorseful as she looked back at the dirt.

He gently grabbed her chin and raised it, making her eyes meet his "lle ui-tan dem amin" *you will never make me sad*

Níniel bit her finger and then looked at Aragorn, who was a few steps with the fellowship behind Legolas, and then she looked back at her father "dem-lle quena Marion amin"*you are sad because Marion speaks to me*

She had seen him, she had seen him when he had a break down in Rivendell, he wasn't strong enough, she saw him weak and she tried to protect him.

"Oh Níniel" Legolas said breathlessly as he pulled her into his arms, hugging her furiously against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck in return.

She lifted her head from his shoulder; still in his embrace but able to look up at him. "quena ro Mithrandir glân mellon" *He said that he is friend with a white Gandalf*She said, speaking in her tiny innocent voice " barad o" *with a tower*

Legolas nodded. "Hannon-lle quena sen" *Thank you for telling me this* hiding again his new fear, the white wizard was the one who was going to help Níniel to be freed from Sauron, now he had joined the dark side, was he able to save his daughter

Níniel bit her lip, and frowned a little. "amin ui-tan caeda-ad Ada" *I will never lie again daddy.* She said her voice so quiet that he almost didn't hear it.

"Oh, Níniel" Legolas murmured again not removing her from his embrace.

"Amin autien rath" *I am sorry* she said quietly.

He didn't say anything, he just kept her close to him, he had the best daughter ever, a beautiful treasure, who was cursed to become home to the worst evil ever. Sauron.

NEXT CHAPTER: Pure hearted elf