Melviriel sat picking at the hem of her shirt, playing with a stitch that was not quite tight enough as she stood beside her father waiting for her father's chance to speak with the Lady Melian about allowing her to go back outside of the Girdle to hunt as she wished. Her mother of course had been dismayed by the fact that her best clothing was no longer the dress she had made for her years ago now, but this new hunting shirt.

"Melcirien, you come to my Court today to ask a favour?" The voice of Thingol was resounding and it made Melviriel glance up quickly at him he was looking right at her and she quickly glanced away.

"Aye my Lord, I've come to ask that my daughter be allowed to journey outside the Girdle again."

"It was your wife that requested she be kept inside the Girdle." Melian said softly.

"Yes, she was excited due to some of the rumours floating about the court. She over reacted, trying to protect our daughter." Melcirien spoke with Melviriel watched him closely not wanting to be here any longer as she caught sight of Saeros entering the room. She had to remind herself as she watched her father's back almost transfixed, that they were in a very public place and Saeros would not endanger his favour with King Thingol in order to mock her openly.

"Melviriel, what are your thoughts? You are the only one we have not heard from on this matter and it affects you the most." Melian motioned for her to come forwards her father turned and gently drew her beside him. She licked her lips and tried to catch sight of where Saeros was but could not find him immediately, and so her eyes went back to Melian and she stood silent for a moment while the Queen and King waited for her to speak.

"I would love to travel outside of the Girdle once more to hunt; it can be at times difficult inside the girdle." She said softly.

"And of the rumours?" Melian pried gently.

"They are likely over blown if not made up entirely. I only heard them from my mother and she is prone to making things involving me worse than they are to begin with." At this Melian nodded and gave a small smile.

"All right then, you may hunt as you did before." At this both Melviriel and her father bowed and headed for home to collect their bows and quivers and get themselves some meat for their table.

"So who is she?" Came the question as Afarfin mounted up to leave the watch tower of Minas Tirith to head to the forests near Doriath.

"What makes you think there is anything aside from orcs and bandits where I am going?" Afarfin asked he had been careful to keep from mentioning the woman he had met.

"You have been smiling Mordagnir. Even if it is only at the very corners of your normal scowl it is there." The guard said with a laugh. "That and you've been preoccupied when you are not on watch an then sometimes on watch too especially these last few days."

At that Afarfin raised an eyebrow and glared at the guard. "Who is to say I did not come across band of men and was trying to figure out how to deal with them?"

"The smile." The guard said with a shrug. "If you wish to keep her a secret it does not bother me but at least it would give use something more cheerful to talk about than the almost constant battles with the orcs from the North."

At that Afarfin clenched his jaw. "She is of Doriath she is fair skinned and dark haired, and if you speak too much of her, I think she has skill enough with her bow to take your throat out with it from afar."

"A female archer? Really? One of the Sindar kin to the Teleri?" The guard looked shocked that Afarfin would seek one that was so close to those that they had killed years ago in the havens.

"I do not think she is Sindar. She is a guest of the realm by her own words."

"So Nandor? Mordagnir, you should find a good Noldor woman and live happily." The guard caught a glare ad shook his head. "Or chase this wild dark elf."

With that Afarfin nodded and spurned his horse forward heading for Brethil. As it was his time guarding the Pass of Sirion would soon be over and he would be returning to Nargothrond, which would make traveling easier for there were fewer orcs along the path to Doriath from there.

The journey was swift, he did not bother to hunt orcs in fact he sped to avoid them completely so that he would not be late to meet with Melviriel. He hoped at least that he would meet her once more, for he had missed her greatly though she had hardly spoken to him. Perhaps it was the fact that he was ignored by her that made him more interested, she had not wanted to hear of his war tales, though in truth she had not wanted him to speak at all. When he arrived at Brethil the woods seemed darker than they had been his last visit. This worried him, had Brethil become more dangerous in the time that had passed? Had Melviriel ceased hunting in these woods because it was too dangerous? He dismounted his steed as he came upon the small clearing at the woods and waited there for several hours.

He was beginning to wonder as the sky drew dark, only to hear laughter coming towards him and he turned and waited only to find Melviriel and another elf carrying a few small hens each.

"Melviriel?" At this the laughter stopped and the two elves looked at him, both annoyed though one at him, and the other at Melviriel.