Aragorn: 17 years old

Aragorn was once again in the spare room as before, wiping the fresh tears from his red face. He had locked the door so that no Elf could disturb him. If they really wanted to get inside the room, Aragorn assumed they had a key. He lay under the beds blankets trying to calm himself down. Ever since Elrond had been kicked out of the Realm, Aragorn had been hyperventilating.

There was a knock on his door, but Aragorn said nothing. The knock was heard again and again. Then Aragorn could hear Legolas voice from the other side say,

"Can I come in?"

Aragorn stayed silent, not wanting to talk to the Elf prince, or anybody for that matter. Aragorn heard a key turn into the lock of his door and he turned away from the door and onto his side. He pulled the blankets over his body more and closed his eyes. Then he pretended to be asleep.

From behind, Aragorn could hear Legolas enter. He walked beside the bed and looked over the human. He reached out his hand slowly and brushed his fingers across Aragorn's red cheeks. They were hot and wet.

"I know you are awake," the prince said calmly, "Your cheeks are wet. Why do you cry?"

Aragorn opened his eyes, but did not sit up. He continued to lay in the comfortable bed, only turning to his back. He looked up to the Elf and said,

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You know, my mother died when I was very young. I know how you feel," Legolas said sadly.

Aragorn looked into the Elf's blue eyes and whispered,

"I'm sorry about you're lose," he paused thinking whether he should say the next sentence. He coughed loudly and then said, "My father and mother both died before I was but the age of five,"

Aragorn closed his eyes as a tear trickled down his cheek silently. Legolas looked quite pained by the response. He said,

"I am sorry. So that is why you live with Lord Elrond?"

Aragorn nodded not wanting to give anything else away to the stranger. He didn't know who was going to betray him at any moment in the Woodland Realm.

"I have come to help you," Legolas simply said.

Aragorn opened his eyes and looked to the Elf instantly full attention.

"What did Lord Elrond tell you before he left?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn stayed quiet with a stern expression to his face.

"Please, I really can help you," the prince continued.

"Why?" Aragorn asked and coughed again feeling a whole lot worse every minute that went by.

"I don't like humans and dwarves. They are a different race than I, and my father has always taught me to stay away... but for some reason I just have this feeling when I am around you that you are different," the Elf paused and looked to his hands, "I saw the way you and Elrond locked eyes and loved one another as you embraced. That is the relationship I had with my own mother and I wish my father could be the same. I want to help you get back to your family,"

"Are you serious?"

Legolas nodded and bowed his head a little with a smile.

"He said to meet him at the end of a river. He said I would know which one, but I don't," Aragorn confessed.

"The river, yes. There is only one river that flows just beneath a section of the Woodland Realm. I can help you escape, I want to," Legolas said firmly, "But there is one price to pay,"

"Which is?" Aragorn asked still wishy washy about the prince helping him.

"I can tell you where the river is and how to escape, but I cannot physically help you get out of the Realm,"

Aragorn scrunched up his face not seeing how he could figure it out without an Elf seeing him.

"That means you will have to find the river based on my instructions. If I get caught helping you, my father will do unthinkable things that I cannot risk,"

"I understand," Aragorn said, "Thank you, Legolas," and he smiled with a hopeful look on his face, "What is your last name?"

"Greenleaf,"

"Thank you kindly, Legolas Greenleaf," Aragorn added with another weak smile.

"Get some sleep and in the morning, I will tell you were to find the river," Legolas said, "Now, stay here for the night and I will get you food in the morning,"

Aragorn nodded. Legolas left and Aragorn got out of bed. He walked to the window and observed the position of the bright moon. It was going up slowly and Aragorn knew he had approximately three hours before the sun would rise and Legolas would be back.

That was surely the right amount of time for Aragorn to explore the Realm. Legolas couldn't except him to lay around and do nothing for the next couple hours.

Aragorn wasn't sure what to believe anymore and he knew he couldn't sit around and wait for the king to find out what was happening. For all he knew, Legolas as telling Thranduil what the plan was at the very moment.

Although he did feel very sick, he anyway went to his door and put an ear to it. He heard nothing which told him to open the door and explore. And that is exactly what he did.

A/N: What do you expect him to find or do? The next couple chapters connect a lot with The Hobbit :)