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Aniriel had listen to Calle's storry fascinated. She envied Calle for the freedom that she had always had. It had not been the same in her case, of course. And how could it have been? She was the only daughter of an important person in Dol Amroth. There were laws that had to be followed, barriers that could not be broken. And her parents were very strict, especially her mother. Not that they did not give her love or rob her of all freedom, no, of course not!. But she still yearned for a different life, a life in which she could go wherever she wanted and talk to whoever she desired.
Her thoughts where enterrupted when Calle asked her if her journey was due only to pleasure. Something in Calle's voice told Aniriel that she suspected that it was not so. Well, she should have forseen this would happen. She could not hide her secrets for ever, not in an inn full of people. She wondered if she should tell Calle everything, or if she should restrain herself, for the moment at least. In the end she decided to tell the truth, or, at any rate, part of it.
"Pleasure brought me here," she began, "although, not only pleasure. There were other things as well, grim things you could say. Or maybe grin is too strong a word for it. But anyway, something happened and I had to leave. No, wait!" she added wanting to prevent Calle from interupting. "Do not missunderstand me. I did not shame my family in any way, I was not even tempted to do it. But there were some things that went wrong for me. I thought then that I had to go, nay, I needed to go. I did not tell my parents this, though. All that I told them was that I had always wanted to travel, and that, now that the war was long over and the roads were safe, I should do it. I do not think they believed me, though." She added as an afterthought. "My mother made me promise that I would return."
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