Aerlaer was counting down the days until she could return home. So far she had been in Imladris for little over a week and the days were dragging even though she was enjoying her time there. Her and Arwen had spoken more of her eve in the Woodland Realm and Aerlaer was trying to work out a way to sneak back into Thranduil's realm. She sat in a tree trying to remember the joyful songs from the masked dance, singing words here and there. Elladen found her and climbed up to sit beside her.

"Still counting down?" He teased and she nodded with a grin.

"I just haven't worked out how to get into Thranduil's realm without being caught."

"You're an elfhorse, you don't get caught!" Elladen nudged her playfully.

"True." She laughed.

"Except this mysterious Mirkwood elf, he's ensnared your heart!" He quipped and she giggled. "You are a worry little cousin, all this giggling and sighing, one would think you'd done something stupid like fallen in love." He teased her again and she purposely sighed causing him to laugh.

"Do you want to challenge Elrohir in shooting?" He asked deviously. "He's practicing now on the training grounds." Aerlaer smirked impishly.

"Of course! What shall I wager him?" She grinned and Elladen smirked.

"He has a rather nice royal blue cloak. I want it."

"I'll see it done." Aerlaer laughed conspiringly as they both hopped down from the tree and made their way towards Elrond's halls to fetch her quiver.

…

Elrond unrolled the parchment and silently read the short letter from Falas, his brow creasing as he reached the end. He looked up and gazed out towards the training grounds to where the young elves were now playing a fast paced game of arrow catch with a blunted arrow. How does Falas expect to hold a secret council without any of those trouble makers getting wind of it? He sighed and turned to the ellon who had delivered the letter to him.

"Can you please fetch Erestor and Glorfindel and have them meet me in my study as soon as possible?"

The ellon nodded and briskly walked away and Elrond continued to watch the elves in their game as he waited for the two elves.

…

Aerlaer looked up as Glorfindel gracefully entered the target range where they had been playing arrow catch. Aerlaer had not seen the courageous and admirable elf since they had arrived and cheerfully skipped over to him.

"Well met young Aerlaer." He said with a warm smile.

"Hello Glorfindel, do you have time to oversee my bow-skills?" She asked hopefully and he nodded.

"I am sure I can spare a moment." He replied and grinning, she beckoned him to follow her to a ninety meter target. She took her bow and taking a shooting stance, calmly took an arrow and fitted it to the waxed string and sighted her target with deep concentration. She was about to release the arrow when Glorfindel placed a hand on her arm.

"Wait young one." She looked up to him questioningly. "During a battle you will be relying more on your instincts, there will not be time to concentrate as you are now. An orc will not wait for you to decide when you are ready to shoot. Come with me, I think I have a way we can bring your instincts to the surface." Glorfindel led her by the arm to the other end of the shooting range to where a series of moving targets were set up in the trees on a series of rope pullies.

"Do you want me to shoot these?" She asked excitedly and he nodded.

"You won't have time to think before each target bears down on you. Stand here and let us see how you fare." Glorfindel flashed her a grin as he gestured to a place on the range for her to stand and Glorfindel stepped a few meters away. She had not even drawn an arrow when suddenly a target rushed towards her. Quickly she whipped an arrow over her head and fitted, drew and released it into the target only to duck down and spin as she drew another and released it into another target. Two targets suddenly came at her from both sides. She shot an arrow into the first before diving forward and turning again as she drew another arrow and shooting the other target. A fifth came swiftly before she could leap up and still crouched she angled her bow and shot up at the target just before it reached her. Springing to her feet she leapt sideways and shot another target as it dropped down from above and then spun and sent her seventh arrow swiftly into the last target.

"Very good!" Glorfindel said happily as Aerlaer turned to him. "Look at where each of your arrows has hit the targets." Aerlaer examined each target and her smile from the golden haired elf's compliment soon turned into a grin as she discovered she had hit the centre or close to of each target.

"I've never done that before." Aerlaer whispered in amazement as Glorfindel came to stand beside her.

"You see, it is your natural instinct which will always aid you when there is no time for anything else. I think you would enjoy the target course in Lothlórien. The Marchwarden designed it himself, it is very elaborate." He said thoughtfully to the proud looking young elleth.

"I wonder if I might see if Grandmother will allow me use of it next time I journey to her woods." Aerlaer mused. "Thank you Glorfindel. I always learn so much from you." She said gratefully up to the tall and ageless warrior and he grinned down at her.

"I am glad to hear it young one. I wonder if you and the others would care to join me this afternoon along the river. I can teach you young ones some tracking skills." Aerlaer nodded enthusiastically. She did not need to be asked twice and surely tracking skills would help her find the elf from the Greenwood.

"Excellent." Glorfindel replied. "I must go now, have the others and yourself meet me in the square two hours past noon and make sure to bring your weapons." The older elf said cheerily as he strode away. Aerlaer watched him go and then with a smirk, raced back over to her companions to tell them of Glorfindel's proposal.

…

"Are we all here?" Falas asked tiredly as he and Gwaloth entered Elrond's hall escorted by Erestor and each took a seat at the end of the table amongst the small group of elves. Gwaloth sat gracefully beside her own Nanath, Galadriel who sat beside her Adar, Celeborn. At the head of the table sat Elrond. Erestor swiftly left the hall, closing the two wooden doors behind him and then all eyes turned to King Falas.

"What is the meaning of this urgent council?" Celeborn asked worriedly and Falas took a deep breath and retold his meeting with King Thranduil and the Woodland King's terms. When he finished, the other elves remained silent as they thought over what they had just learnt. Elrond sighed.

"Well I now understand why Aerlaer has acted as if she has been blissfully up in the clouds or looking mournful for the past week." He said wearily, the news weighing heavily on him as he knew it would be on the others.

"Thranduil, ever the selfish ellon." Muttered Galadriel furiously, her deep blue eyes blazing and Celeborn placed a calming hand upon her arm.

"Is there no other way?" He asked Falas but the elfhorse shook his head.

"Thranduil said he would allow the two union if they wished it but his terms are Aerlaer must leave the herd and remain in the House of Oropher."

"The audacity of him! How dare he make such a request of Aerlaer, of you?" Galadriel stormed. "His grief has clouded all of his judgement."

"How could it not though Nanath?" Gwaloth said softly. "He loved Aruial more than anything and he loves Legolas just as much although it surely has not been easy for him these past years and raising him alone."

"He still is full of grief for Aruial, it is in his eyes. All he wants is to protect his son. I cannot argue him that." Falas said tiredly.

"You are going to hurt your own daughter deeply over this decision." Elrond said flatly. "She has been glowing Falas, glowing." He said pointedly to the elfhorse who sighed.

"What would you do if it were your own daughter?" He asked. "Would you send her to live trapped in Mirkwood? Barely an elf leaves or enters the Woodland Realm, Thranduil might not think that is a cage to his own son in all his grief but to my own daughter it will be. She will grow to despise her life there, whether she loves the young Thranduilion or not." Falas explained and Elrond nodded. He could not do such a thing to Arwen if he were positioned to.

"Well if she must be kept from him than how?" Galadriel questioned her daughter and Falas. She was far from impressed with Thranduil's way of thinking. "What sort of ellon is Legolas; will he not be searching for her too? If he is anything like his father, he will not so easily give up surely?"

"Thranduil said he has not ceased searching for her, he has let him believe she was a dark haired Mirkwood elf so he has not searched beyond his father's realm. He will place him in his guard with the intention of keeping him too busy to search for her." Falas ran his hands back through his hair. "As for Aerlaer, I wish to send her for a time to Lothlórien for as long as it takes for her to forget about him." His words hung in the air between the elves.

"We cannot keep her in Lórien against her will. Where is the difference in that and sending her to Mirkwood?" Celeborn asked, becoming frustrated with the difficulty of the situation.

"But she would not need to remain in Lórien forever. I've thought long and hard about this and Gwaloth and I have discussed it. In Lórien, Aerlaer could continue her weapons training under Haldir if you would allow it. She could continue her studies and also learn how to act more like an elleth, like the princess she is. We had already been considering having her stay for a time with you both once she had come of age for these reasons." Falas said to the Lord and Lady of Lórien. "She would have the entire Forest to run in safely also. That I am sure is more than she would be allowed in Mirkwood."

"She will fight you on this I am sure. She has been counting down the days until her journey's home, although I did not then know why, now I do. Clearly she had intended on tracking Legolas down." Elrond warned Falas and a small smile flickered over Galadriel's face as she imagined the determination in the heart of her young granddaughter.

"It could take a month; it could take five hundred years for her to forget him. She might not forget him at all." Elrond added, looking questioningly at Falas and he saw immense sadness cross the elfhorse's face and he sighed dejectedly.

"I know. And that is why I must convince her everything she knows of love is wrong." All three elves including his own lifemate looked at him in absolute horror and he just shook his head sadly.

"My hands are tied." He held them hopelessly before him. "If it were not for him, Aerthor would not be here. He saved my own son's life, how could I ever cause him to lose his own, we have our families. He only has Legolas. Aerlaer is strong, she will survive this." Falas said resolutely and after a moment he received four silent nods of acceptance. He felt his shoulders relax slightly, now his family finally understood why he had to honour Thranduil's request.

Galadriel stood up followed by Celeborn. "I presume you wish to send her immediately to Lórien?" he asked and Falas nodded. "We will make haste back to Caras Galadhon and have Haldir alert the guard, once Aerlaer arrives, she is not to leave the realm by anyone's leave but our own."

"No one must know who she is being kept from." Falas said quietly.

"We will not speak of Legolas again once we leave the privacy of this hall." Celeborn assured the other elf and Elrond murmured his agreement. Galadriel nodded but said nothing. Celeborn farewelled the three elves and then he and the Lady of the Golden Wood silently left the hall to return to Lórien.