The person turned and looked at Aranellevanima and I, then lowered their hood. Her hood, I should say, but I did not recognize her. She responded with, "My name is unimportant, for I must speak quickly. I have been sent by a Councillor, to inform you of a threat on the very nature of this world. There is a menace terrorizing a village west of here, and going by the name of- " Suddenly, a phantom arrow came flying out, and shot her in the chest. I say phantom because it pierced her chest, but it was not tangible to our hands. Relying purely on instinct and adrenaline, I grabbed our unknown visitor, and dragged her off into the trees nearby for cover, not stopping to think that the phantom arrows could most likely go through the trees without slowing down. As this unknown heroine bled out, she defiantly tried to convey her message, but I told her to just relax, and rest, as the pain would be over shortly. Without looking away from the brave heroines face, I signaled Aranellevanima, and she removed the girl's life force painlessly. This girl had shown such bravery, even as she was choking on her own blood, that I immediately became enraged, and stormed out of the woods with my sword drawn, determined to avenge her. However, after a hour of searching, I as unable to locate her killer, and despondently, I returned to Aranellevanima and Saironellotoron. I helped them prepare her body, and then when we got to the tombstone, Aranellevanima began to weep, and without questioning, we knew that she wept because we didn't know her name for the tombstone, so she would never be remembered. Saironellotoron walked over to her, put his arm around her shoulder, and whispered something to her. Then he walked over to me an whispered, "Put Leluithienevahuorë on the stone," meaning "The enchantress of courage," and walked away in silence.
                                                                                                                 . . .

After the disposal of the unknown girl's body, we eventually decided to go West, and investigate her last statements. Every once in a while, One of us would look back, and then turn back around without a word, but other than that, the trip to the Nearest Village was uneventful. When we arrived however, their was much commotion. Mainly because of the fact that the village was in flames, and a land bound dragon was eating the villagers, one at a time, and spraying a flaming too, with a effect similar to that of napalm, or Greek Fire.
"Do you think that was the menace Leluithienevahuorë spoke of?" Saironellotoron jested, in complete mock ignorance of the fact that the dragon had killed thirteen villagers since our arrival minutes before.
I glared at him, and shouted "Move!" Aranellevanima, Saironellotoron, and I all sprang into motion, with Aranellevanima on the left, Saironellotoron in the middle, and I was on the right. We split up as Saironellotoron began to distract the dragon, and Aranellevanima and I began to sneak around the houses, trying to reach the dragon. The main flaw of a dragon was it's hubris, so Saironellotoron began to compliment it. "My Lord, " he cried "I wish to worship your magnificence, but I am unclear of the name of the one I praise."
The dragon looked at him with pity, and disgust. "I should put you out of your misery, if you do not know the stories of the Great Sililosibafarshan," which Saironellotoron would later inform me was Draconic for Purple Flame.
"Oh Brave and Marvelous Sililosibafarshan, you majesty shapes the whims of the world, and you power is trembled at by the souls of many." Saironellotoron praised, while Aranellevanima and I completed our Journey to the back of the Dragon, and on her signal, we sprinted up the back of the dragon. The dragon began to thrash around, so I stabbed my sword into his back, and Aranellevanima and I began to hang on for dear life. She came up with a plan while I was trying not to have a concussion, and whispered "Throw off your outer cloak, and the hang on for three more seconds, and we'll see if we can trick him." Immediately I did so, which was more difficult than you could imagine, while hanging on to the back of a thrashing dragon. Our cloaks flew off the back of the dragon, and after turning to snap at them and watching them float into a flaming building, the dragon turned back to where Saironellotoron had been, and seeing that he was gone, went back to killing villagers. Aranellevanima gave the signal again, and I tore my sword out as we ran up the  back of the dragon until we reached the head, grateful to our ability to step imperceptibly due to our nature stealth as elves. I raised my sword, and on a count of three we brought the blade down, in a stabbing motion, with all of the force that we could conjure. It pierced the Dragon's scales, but bounced off of his thick skull, and ricocheted out of our hands, flying down and sticking blade first into the ground. The Dragon laughed, and flicked his head, sending us flying into the air, where Aranellevanima looked at me and said "Good bye."
It was more than I could bear. I screamed in rage, then said "lendeanasisairon" meaning "come to this wizard," to my sword and it disappeared and reappeared in my hand. I pushed Aranellevanima away from me, and turned into a diving position, but with my sword pointed downward. I heard Aranellevanima scream "No!" with a sense of such guilt and grief, that I almost considered returning, but before I could, the dragon swallowed me whole.

. . .

When I awakened, I felt agony all over my body, and pressure on my arms, and back, as I was dragged out of what appeared to be a cave, by Aranellevanima and Saironellotoron. I muttered, "envinyantasisairon," meaning "healed this wizard," and Aranellevanima and Saironellotoron dropped me in shock, as my skin began to shed, burned and bloody, revealing new heathy skin underneath. I choked up more blood and tissue, and finally coughed out, "What happened?"
Saironellotoron appeared to be too shocked to say anything, but Aranellevanima openly wept, tears of joy and anger. "I thought you were dead!" She shouted, taking Saironellotoron and I by surprise, then she stormed off.
Saironellotoron helped me up, as he had recovered from the shock of my survival. "You blew up the dragon" he said. "With you inside of it."
I looked back and saw the head, and that it wasn't attached to anything else. "How did you find me?" I asked, more curious than shocked.
"Aranellevanima was hysterical, and kept saying 'We have to find him! He must have survived!' She called out you name until her voice was sore, then sat down and wept. We have been here for nearly one week, and three days she just sat there, not weeping, or cursing, just meditating. On the third day she jumped up 'There's something alive in the dragon's mouth!' she exclaimed, running over to the head without warning, and suddenly I thought optimistically that the blast may have put you back in the head, and we tried to pry open its mouth, but it was too heavy. I used a spell to make it lighter, and then we opened it up, and got you out, and we know what happened from there." Saironellotoron said quickly. Moving along after Aranellevanima.

. . .

Aranellevanima did not talk to me again until we were sitting back at the camp, at around 4:13 WTT. Then she looked at me so intensely that I had to look away, and stood up from where she was at and sat down next to me. "I thought you were dead, but I couldn't sense your spirit." She explained, continuing to look at me with shocking intensity. "I thought I had lost my best friend, but I couldn't give up hope. I thought that you had sacrificed yourself for me, and I couldn't accept that, because that would mean it was my fault."
I finally looked back at her, and sighed, taking both of her hands in mine. "Aranellevanima," I started, unsure what to say. "If I die for those I love, it will have been a worthwhile death. To die for my best friend's, is a death that is more than I could ask for. If such a thing does happen, you shall never need to question yourself as the culprit, for it will be my decision, and mine alone. I do not wish to die, but I am fully willing to die for you, and Saironellotoron. I thank you for your devotion to me, but if I do die, I need you to promise that you will go on without me."
She recoiled her hands infuriated. "If you think that I would promise something like that, then you have no knowledge of me at all, Wizard of Knowledge. I would not know how to begin to continue if you died."
I looked at her, filled with sadness. "The same way you begin everyday, Aranellevanima. One step at a time."
She wiped her eyes furiously, and ran away, just as Saironellotoron came back wielding a dragon's tooth, from Sililosibafarshan's corpse. "Where is Aranellevanima going?" He asked, preparing to go after her, but my words stopped him
"Let her go, Saironellotoron. She wishes to be alone."

. . .

Aranellevanima came back three hours later, at around 7:20 WTT, and we went to bed, leaving her on watch. I awoke shortly after, and saw her sitting in a nearby tree, smoking from her pipe, deep in thought. I got up and walked to the bottom of the tree, and asked "May I come a board?"
Aranellevanima laughed, and said "By all means, Le Istya, please board the tree."
I grinned, and climbed the tree sitting on a branch near her's, and began to speak. "Are you going to be alright?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her humour.

"I will be fine." She responded with a yawn, and it was just then that I noticed how tired she looked.
"Come here," I requested, and she obliged, coming over to join me on the branch. I leaned up against the tree, and told her to rest her head against my chest and rest, which she proved my analysis of her tiredness by immediately obeying without arguing, and was soon asleep. I sat in the tree, listening to the sounds of the forest, and watching around for safety reasons. I closed my eyes and listened only, entering a trance state of rest, which I remained in for two hours or so, until I heard a strange noise, and opened my eyes to see an arrow pointed at my face. My immediate reaction was to check on Aranellevanima, but she was still asleep, as was Saironellotoron. I eased out from underneath her, telling her not to wake up, and that I would be back shortly. I signalled the silent creature to follow, and carefully jumped out of the tree, landing on my feet, and led it outside of the circle. From there it spoke.
"It has been foretold that you wish to seek Armornie. Do you concede to this fact?" It said quickly, in perfect common.
"I do"
"I have been sent to ask why. So why do you seek the Noble Darkness?" It asked.
"I need to collect some of her hair, to complete my quest." I told it honestly, foreseeing no reason to lie.
It looked at me and thought for a moment, before saying "You may call me Celebmornie" it said, meaning "Strong Darkness." It signalled me to follow, and we traveled through the woods until we reached the crossing of two trees, which were intertwined together at the top, making it look like a doorway. It wasn't until Celebmornie walked through it, and disappeared, that I realised that it actually was a doorway, and knowing my friend's safety relied on it, I followed Celebmornie through it.

. . .

I entered into a well lit cavern, so deep underground that there was a severe pressure change, that made walking difficult, but Celebmornie continued, so I was forced to as well. It led me down a Hallway, and into a larger cavern, filled with bluish grey pillars, and a throne at the end. Although I could not see them, I suspected that there were plenty of guards, because sitting in the Throne at the end of the hallway, was Armornie. She signalled Celebmornie, and whispered to him quietly. Then she looked up and me and ordered, "Come forth, Saironelloistya, and let us talk." I walked up to her and bowed, at which she smirked, and said, "There is no need for such formality, but it is good to know you have manners."
"I try, my lady, but unfortunately, my formality comes with a request." I said, trying not to make her angry.
She leaned forwards, and quietly jested, "I know, which is why I called you here. How else would I know of your quest?"
My face reddened, and slightly embarrassed, I replied hastily "My apologies, Queen Armornie, I did not think that through. "
"Please, let us not waste any more time on formality." She implored, "Please, inform me of your quest, your progress, and your request." I explained everything to her, from the morning before my trials, to the death of the dragon, but I left out the private conversations between the three of us. "What a marvelous tale!" She exclaimed, "I sense there is more, but you wish to keep it private? In addition, how do you respond to my final question? What is your request?"
"Anything I left out, Your Majesty, was out of courtesy for my friends, not with a intent to decieve. I respond that my final request, if it would not be too much trouble, would be a lock of your hair."

She looked shocked. "Is that all?" She immediately withdrew her dagger, and cut off one of her hair braids, watching it drop onto her lap. She signalled her guard, who walked over and threw it to me. I bowed, and said "Thank you your Highness, for assisting me in my case." Then I walked out, and climbed back into the tree, to rest with Aranellevanima, and waited for the sunrise.

. . .

When I explained the story to Saironellotoron, and Aranellevanima, Saironellotoron was infuriated, and Aranellevanima felt guilty, but I didn't understand their emotions. I explained that there was a threat to their well-being, so I did what I had to do to protect them, but they said their emotions remained. Saironellotoron was angry because he hadn't protected us when we needed it, and Aranellevanima felt guilty about sleeping on her watch. I told them not to worry about It, and we cleaned up our campsite, then exited the premises.