I am unable to even meet Legolas's eyes when we stop again to rest for the night. I have yet to be away from my kingdom for two days and have already begun to crack under pressure. Not only are Legolas and Father counting on me to be able fulfill this task, but the whole of Mirkwood as well. I don not know what I will do if I am unable to heal King Thranduil, if I let everyone down. I feel so alone in this quest.

I moodily unroll my bedroll, looking to the edge of the tundra that is now visible, though in the approaching darkness it is little more than a line on the horizon. We would be out of the tundra by tomorrow, and possibly out of the North altogether the day after that. The thought of finally leaving the North lightens my mood a bit, both exciting and scaring me.

"You knew what was pursuing us, did you not?" Legolas asks curiously, his tone not seeming mad.

I hang my head. "Yes." I might as well be honest with him before I get anyone else killed.

"How?" he asks softly, coming to sit in front of me. I have his full attention.

"I have been outside my kingdom before." I refuse to meet his eyes.

"Your father told me-" I cut him off.

"Yes I know of what he told you, and that is what he still believes to be the truth. You mustn't tell him, please." I plead with Legolas, my words coming out in a rush. I must seem like such a child to him.

"Arra, look at me." Legolas commands gently. I slowly lift my gaze from my brown boots crossed in my lap. "I do no think you are a child, and I swear to you I will tell nothing of this to your father, but you must swear to me that you will tell me the truth."

"Yes." I nod, not realizing my last thoughts has actually escaped my mouth.

"Now will you tell me what happened?"

"I had told my father that I was going down to the village; he did not even question it. I actually headed in the opposite direction with Khatar, careful to make sure that no one saw us leaving. We just kept going until the sun began to set, and that is when we saw the ice dragon for the first time. Its terrible beauty froze me to the spot; I was afraid to move. If the creature had turned its head but a little further it would have seen us and we would have been done for. We were blessed with luck in that it just flew off.

It was hard going back and pretending like nothing was different. Ice dragons are supposed to be extinct, but I had just seen one with my own eyes. I eventually began to think it was a dream, or perhaps just a hallucination from the cold. Now I know it was very real, and it makes me all the more grateful the dragon had not spotted Khatar and I on that day. You probably think me a coward for not telling Father only to save my own hide." I say shamefully.

Legolas remains silent, thinking. "I do not see you as a coward. Not many would have believed you."

I give him a small smile at this.

He nods back. "How many times have you been away from your kingdom?"

I open my mouth to respond, but shut it again. "Listen." I say softly, my voice filled with wonder.

Howls from a pack of arctic wolves drift to us. I can make out their silhouettes contrasted against the backdrop of the setting sun. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Legolas tense up and reach for his bow, but I pick it up and place it on the opposite side of me.

"They will not hurt us; they are friendly." I say reassuringly.

"I thought you said animals here only came above ground to hunt."

I smile a bit. "True, though just those that live here in the tundra. The wolves are not truly from the North; they come and go from the North as they please, though most just stay in the North where it is colder."

By looking at his expression, I can tell he is still not convinced.

"Relax. They're not going to hurt us." I say again. 

With that I stand up and howl to them.  My voice carries along the wind and reaches their ears, causing all of their glowing eyes to swivel to me.  They howl a greeting to me, and our voices combine in a beautiful melody, one that slowly lulls me into a sense of security.