Chapter 1

"Kalya!" I heard a familiar, harsh voice cry.

I sighed and turned around, leaving the sight of my reflection in the small body of water I had been looking in, "Yes, Lady Aellyana?" I said, slightly mocking her.

She looked at me in disgust, which was how she usually looked at me, "What are you doing wandering around? Are you supposed to be out and about?"

"Well, no not really, but I was just dying to get some fresh air. Besides, I hadn't been yelled at by you today until now. I had to fulfill my duties."

"You learn far too many things from those men," said Lady Aellyana, "I do not understand how you are even an elf."

"I have never even seen a man, how could I learn anything from them?" I countered.

"There is no other way that you could speak to me, your mother, like you do."

I scowled, "You will never be my mother." I hated it immensely when she called herself my mother. She was nothing like a mother to me.

"So you have told me," she said staring at me intently, "Now go back to your room."

I sighed and nodded, abiding to her order. She never let me out of my room. The only times I had been out were when I snuck out. It had been this way for a very long time. Arwen told me that I intimidated her. With my beauty. I didn't understand how I could do that, but my sister said that Lady Aellyana kept me away so no one would know how beautiful I was. She wanted to remain the most beautiful creature in all of Middle Earth.

Once I reached my room, I lied back on my bed and sighed. I wanted nothing more than to be free, but now the other elves in Rivendell were starting to pick up on my escaping habits and were telling Lady Aellyana whenever I left my room. I would have to be more careful as that was the small amount of freedom I got. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep my adventurous urges at bay for a brief amount of time.

I stayed there on my bed for a while, and was almost asleep when Arwen entered my room. I sat up instantly and smiled slightly at her. She returned my smile and walked further into my room.

"Hello, sister," I said, gesturing for her to sit next to me.

"Hello," she answered as she sat, "I heard Lady Aellyana caught you… again."

"That is true," I confirmed, "I just wish she would give me the freedom you have."

"Remember what I told you, Kalya."

"Yes, I know! But I don't understand."

"She's afraid you will overtake her," Arwen said for the millionth time.

"I know, you have told me," I said, "But I still don't understand."

"I honestly don't either," said Arwen, "But I do not dwell on it. And neither should you."

I sighed. Dwelling on it helped me in some way. Gave me something to do, made me feel that I was getting one step closer to my freedom.

"I'm thinking of running away," I said after a moment of silence, "Soon."

It was true. I had been thinking of escape plans for years now and I felt I was finally ready to carry them out. The plans had been modified several times to adapt to the changing, sharper guard of the others in Rivendell, and were not completely flawless, but they were close enough for me.

Arwen's eye widened, "Kalya, we've talked about this! Where would you go?"

"I told you, I don't know!" I replied, "Anywhere outside of Rivendell is good enough for me. Anywhere is freedom."

"Anywhere could also spell your death," my sister said, "I do not think this is wise, sister."

"I do not care what you think!" I cried, standing up, "I just want freedom!"

I felt her grab my hand from behind and I whipped around to face her, glaring. She sighed, "Kalya…"

"What?!" I cried.

"You are being irrational. Why do you not just stand up to Lady Aellyana?"

"She does not listen to me!" I whipped my hand out of hers, "She would yell at me for being out of my room. And do not say that she could come in here. She despises coming in here. I cannot remember the last time she came to visit me in my room."

My sister stood up, "Fine. Do as you wish. But do not come running to me when you are in peril." With that, she left my room. I hated ending our conversations on a bad note. It rarely happened, but when it did it left me in a bad mood all day. After standing in the middle of my room fuming for a moment, I sat back down on my bed and began to ponder my escape plan. The others in Rivendell were always on high alert when it came to me so I would have to be very sneaky.

As I thought, my eyes wandered to the chest where I kept my sword hidden. I had stolen the sword once before the others picked up on my habits and I could wander almost freely through Rivendell. That day I had decided to sneak to where there were elves training for battle. When I arrived I was not disappointed; the training was incredible. I decided I wanted to learn how to fight and listened intently to everything that was said. Before I was found by some guards I was able to steal a sword in its belt that had been dropped just in front of my hiding place and hide it under my skirt so no one could see it. It would definitely be a necessity if I were to run away.

I stood up and walked over to the chest. I opened it and was faced with the many mounds of fabric I had thrown in there to hide my sword, just in case. I pushed back the fabric and was met with the shining sheath of my sword. It had been ages since this sword had seen action, so it was completely flawless. I picked it up and unsheathed it slowly, letting the shining metal catch the light that flowed into my room. Throughout my many self-training sessions in here I had grown to love the twisting design on the metal of the blade. I could almost say I treated my sword as if it were my own child.

I pushed the blade back in its sheath and placed it on my bed. I sat down next to it and began to think again. What supplies would I need? When will I go? How will I pull this off?

The first question was easy to answer. I quickly decided that I would need a small amount of food, a disguise, a bow, and some arrows. I had learned to shoot when my mother was still alive and I had faith that I could still use a bow and arrow well. I would just have to find a way and time to steal all these things.

The second question was harder to answer, but I decided that I would make my first attempt sometime in the next seven days, which would hopefully give me time to figure out an answer to my last question.

How will I pull this off?

It was the hardest question out of them all and I still couldn't answer it, even after thinking long and hard about it. I was even pondering the question much later when a servant finally brought my food in for me and I thought through my meal all the way until it was time for bed. And I still did not have a solid plan. This was going to take much longer than I thought.

I went to bed that night still daydreaming about my escape. I was beyond the escape plans at that point and was on to dreaming about my freedom. I imagined huge villages, gorgeous woods, and I fell asleep with the images of freedom still floating about my mind.