"Some of the herd are missing." Fael said quietly as they peered through the trees to where a mix of elves and horses were dotted on the plain and Ceredir sighed.

"I was hoping we would catch a glimpse of the Princess too." He said wistfully and Legolas gave a light laugh. "Is she fair?" he asked as he carefully and slowly scanned through each member of the herd.

"A wild beauty she is and unforgettable with her glorious, hair. She runs usually with her brother and four other young ellon's but it seems they and King Falas and his Queen are missing from the herd. Not one guard who has patrolled this border will deny how dearly they have wished for Princess Aerlaer to grace them with her presence, myself included." Ceredir admitted with a chuckle. "There is something ethereal about that one."

"Mmm." Legolas replied, intent on finding the dark haired elleth. He knew despite the admiration the guards had for Aerlaer, her hair was not simply dark brown. "Which other young elleths are in the herd. I can see no dark haired ones here."

"That palomino over there, she is young as is the blonde elleth over there with the raven haired one but they would be between two hundred and six hundred. You said the elleth you sought was younger?"

"Yes, she is not here." He said sadly and turned his back on the herd of elfhorse's to return half-heartedly to his father's kingdom.

…

Aerlaer galloped silently alongside Elladen's chestnut mare with her father on her other side and Glorfindel leading the small group. She had a plan. There was a path through the mountains which would take her back down towards the herd and towards Mirkwood. If she feigned willingness, her father's guard might drop enough to enable her to escape; she would have to be very swift. They galloped and cantered a few more miles through the grassy and rocky terrain through the Misty Mountains, passing under rugged pines and around low growing bushes, the path taking them around any gullies so Aerlaer constantly felt the breeze through her mane. Slowly she noticed landmarks suggesting she neared the path back towards the Greenwood. Her plan formed in her mind she cantered a few feet past the rocky path which declined to her left and then halted and rearing, pirouetted swiftly on one back hoof and launched herself like an arrow released from its string, forward and hurtling down the mountain path. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest and then the sound of swift and heavier hoof beats giving chase. She stretched out her neck and body and her legs ran even faster, tree and rocks flashing past her. She ran a few miles recklessly down the path and the horse beside her stayed with her but did not gain. If anything the distance between them was growing. Yes I am going to make it. She thought and then realised her father would not tire as quickly as the horse perusing her. She listened to the horses hoof beats. It was not her father. Suddenly she crashed into sheer muscle and nearly fell, scrabbling her feet beneath her and looking wildly to what had stopped her flight down the mountain. Her father stood imposingly before her looking furious. Behind her she heard the following horse catch up, blowing heavily from the pace, Glorfindel astride and a few moments later, Elladen on his mare in similar shape to Glorfindel's horse.

"This is not the way to Lórien Aerlaer." Falas snapped at her and she reared up threateningly at him.

"Let me pass!" She hissed at him, heart pounding in her chest. Never had she defied her father like this, she couldn't control her emotions, she was scared and angry and hurting and he had foiled her escape.

"Cease this folly Aerlaer, you are going to Lórien, Silaear help me, I will drag you there with a common rope and halter." He growled threateningly between his teeth at her and she flinched back in horror.

"You would not." She argued and he motioned to Glorfindel.

"I will drag you by the spare rope Glorfindel carries." He said and Aerlaer realised he spoke true.

"You would tie me down? You would tie down my heart so it cannot go where it wishes?" She asked stricken by his harshness.

"Your heart knows not what it wishes." Falas snapped irately.

"It wishes to be with him!" Aerlaer cried desolately and Falas stepped towards her.

"You think that is love?" He asked quietly, menacingly and Aerlaer nodded.

"That is not love. He does not even know who you are and I warrant he is not even trying to look for you as you are him. Did you feel love the moment you laid your eyes on him?" Falas asked imperiously and Aerlaer begrudgingly shook her head. She had knocked into the Ellon and then felt embarrassed for not looking where she had been leaping.

"Then what you feel is not love. For real love is when one first lays eyes on the one that belongs to their heart and they know in that single moment." Falas replied in a non-rebuking tone which Aerlaer challenged.

"Well then how does one discover if they have the same interests as the one they love then?" She retorted. "Nanath loves to read and would happily do so all day and yet you loathe reading. You love to be able to fight yet she does not care for it. I am sure you did not work that out in a second of laying eyes on her." She finished defiantly and Falas's eyes flashed.

"There is no other way one falls in love." He roared at her and she took a step back, her eyes threatening to spill tears.

"Glorfindel, your spare rope." Falas said quieter, wearier than Aerlaer had ever heard him. Indeed she had never seen him this angry in her lifetime. She took a distrustful step away from Glorfindel as he quietly fashioned the rope into a halter, and then another step back, trembling.

"Please don't." She whispered fearfully still stepping away from the rope.

"Then shift and you will ride with Elladen and there will be no more talk of that Mirkwood elf." Falas said sternly and glared down harshly at Aerlaer, waiting for her decision. She looked longingly one more time towards the direction of the Greenwood and then turned back to see where Glorfindel still held the rope and dropping her head miserably, walked towards Elladen's mare and shifted to elf form. Silently he reached down towards her and she let him pull her up to sit before him, pulling her securely against his chest and wrapping a comforting arm around her dejected and still slightly shaking form.

Without a word Falas made his way back up the path followed by Elladen and Glorfindel with the rope draped over the front of his saddle, brought up the rear. Aerlaer felt betrayed and deeply confused by her father's words and above all her heart ached with a great sadness and as they finally reached the point where she had turned and fled down the hill and resumed their original route to Lórien, she let her tears fall silently, the only indication of her sorrow by her heart wrenching shakes as everything she thought she knew fell apart.