Disclaimer: I don't own any of this – not even the quotes.
******
"Mad, bad and dangerous to know" – Lady Caroline Lamb on Lord Byron
*****
Their quiet voices were interrupted by a soft thump followed by a loud curse.
"Guess who's here?" Elladan leaned over and nudged his brother.
Elrohir laughed as his twin helped the hapless girl to her feet. "I thought it was awfully quiet in here," he commented.
"Was that always there?" she asked, nodding to a step in the marble floor as she rubbed her bruised foot.
"Yes, it has always been there," Elladan answered patiently.
The girl scowled.
"You haven't been walking long, have you?" Elrohir asked. The girl swatted at him playfully and made a face.
The three of them laughed and heads turned in their direction. Several elves and two of the Rangers grinned when they recognized the source of the laughter.
The twins' father glided into the room and the mood suddenly sobered. "Serious business, this," the girl thought to herself, glancing around the room. She was too short to see much but it appeared to be a gathering of Rangers, Elves and creatures like her self. The last time she had witnessed such a gathering was the end of the Second Age during the Alliance of Elves and Men and the thought gave her chills.
Rumors swirled that The Ring had been found and the Dark Lord was rising again. True enough, there had been some strange goings-on lately but she had not put much stock in the rumors. Then Elrond had summoned her to Rivendell and suddenly the rumors seemed not so far-fetched.
Every eye turned to the Ancient Elf as they waited for him to speak. He took a deep breath and began.
"Thank you for answering my summons. We have a grave business at hand. I am not at liberty to disclose all of the details to you at this time and I would ask your indulgence in this matter. Suffice it to say that our world as we know it hangs in the balance. The Black Riders have been seen again and the smoke rises from Orodruin."
Anxious glances and mumbled questions were exchanged all around. This was bad news indeed. She clutched Elrohir's arm in dismay and they looked at each other in consternation.
"What would you have of us?" one of the Rangers cried out.
All eyes turned back to Elrond who spoke in a clear yet low voice over the din. "Each of you will be asked to scour the land for signs or tidings of the Enemy or his agents, especially the Black Riders," he said. "You will go in groups or pairs to different areas to seek out their activities and gatherings and report back to me."
The twins traded anxious looks and elvin mutterings over her head. So, it was begun anew. The Dark Lord was gathering his strength and that could not bode well for them.
Her mind wandered as Elrond outlined his plan and divided them up. Many years ago she had heard a rumor that Isildur's were geld had ended up in the Great River. She had searched for it and when she failed to find it believed that it had washed into the sea. That thought had comforted her for years.
Elladan nudged her, snapping her back to the present. "Pay attention," he chided her.
"Sorry," she whispered back. Sometimes when her mind wandered it took a while before it returned.
Elrond finished with the formalities and the assembly began to disperse mumbling speculations.
Elrohir tugged on her hair to get her attention. "There is someone I want you to meet," he told her.
"Who?" she asked and followed the dark elf across the room to a group of Rangers.
"A friend of a friend," Elrohir smiled and ushered her into the group.
She looked up at the men and smiled. One of them bent down so that he was eye level with her.
"This must be Annowe," he said. "I've heard much about you."
"Lies!" she cried in mock horror. "All lies!"
The Ranger laughed, "it wasn't that bad. I am Aragorn."
She liked him immediately and extended her small hand to him in a gesture of friendship. He grasped her hand gently, belying his gruff outward appearance.
As the Ranger stood up, she looked past him to see Legolas standing off of his left shoulder. With a shout of delight, she launched herself at the grinning elf nearly knocking him to the ground. Elrohir and Aragorn laughed at the sight.
"They'll let anybody in here," she exclaimed and thumped him fondly on the back.
"Yes," he agreed and returned her hug. "They let you in, didn't they?" He had sorely missed her humor and felt that it would be greatly needed in the long days to come.
After introductions were made, the conversation turned to more serious matters at hand. Annowe listened anxiously as the twins discussed the situation with the Rangers.
Aragorn watched her for a moment and turned to Legolas. "What is she, exactly? She's not an elf or a dwarf but she's not human, either," he asked softly.
"She is a sea-daughter," Legolas answered him. "Goldberry's sister."
Aragorn looked at his friend with surprise, "A sea-daughter? You mean a nymph? I thought they were just legends."
"There are many who believe that elves are legends as well, my friend," Legolas reminded him.
"You are correct," Aragorn acknowledged. Still, it was odd that he had never met her or her sister before in all of his wanderings.
*****
Over the next two days there were many gatherings and meetings as each team prepared to leave on their missions. Elrond paired her with Legolas and told them to go south along the Great River and scout the area between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood as far south as they were able before early winter. The area was familiar to both of them and they could cover the area quickly and thoroughly.
"It could be worse, Legs," she told him gravely.
"That much is certain. I could have been stuck with Haldir," he answered quietly with a straight face.
She lowered her gaze and giggled as the elf in question had a piercing gray eye trained on her. She poked Legolas in the ribs in retaliation for making her giggle.
*****
They left early the next day, heading toward the High Pass over the Misty Mountains. The Rangers and the twins were leaving at the same time and she bid each of them safe return. As they parted at the gate, she cast one last look behind her and spotted a small dark haired child watching them sadly from a balcony. His startling blue eyes held her gaze for an instant and then she turned back to the road ahead of her.
*****
******
"Mad, bad and dangerous to know" – Lady Caroline Lamb on Lord Byron
*****
Their quiet voices were interrupted by a soft thump followed by a loud curse.
"Guess who's here?" Elladan leaned over and nudged his brother.
Elrohir laughed as his twin helped the hapless girl to her feet. "I thought it was awfully quiet in here," he commented.
"Was that always there?" she asked, nodding to a step in the marble floor as she rubbed her bruised foot.
"Yes, it has always been there," Elladan answered patiently.
The girl scowled.
"You haven't been walking long, have you?" Elrohir asked. The girl swatted at him playfully and made a face.
The three of them laughed and heads turned in their direction. Several elves and two of the Rangers grinned when they recognized the source of the laughter.
The twins' father glided into the room and the mood suddenly sobered. "Serious business, this," the girl thought to herself, glancing around the room. She was too short to see much but it appeared to be a gathering of Rangers, Elves and creatures like her self. The last time she had witnessed such a gathering was the end of the Second Age during the Alliance of Elves and Men and the thought gave her chills.
Rumors swirled that The Ring had been found and the Dark Lord was rising again. True enough, there had been some strange goings-on lately but she had not put much stock in the rumors. Then Elrond had summoned her to Rivendell and suddenly the rumors seemed not so far-fetched.
Every eye turned to the Ancient Elf as they waited for him to speak. He took a deep breath and began.
"Thank you for answering my summons. We have a grave business at hand. I am not at liberty to disclose all of the details to you at this time and I would ask your indulgence in this matter. Suffice it to say that our world as we know it hangs in the balance. The Black Riders have been seen again and the smoke rises from Orodruin."
Anxious glances and mumbled questions were exchanged all around. This was bad news indeed. She clutched Elrohir's arm in dismay and they looked at each other in consternation.
"What would you have of us?" one of the Rangers cried out.
All eyes turned back to Elrond who spoke in a clear yet low voice over the din. "Each of you will be asked to scour the land for signs or tidings of the Enemy or his agents, especially the Black Riders," he said. "You will go in groups or pairs to different areas to seek out their activities and gatherings and report back to me."
The twins traded anxious looks and elvin mutterings over her head. So, it was begun anew. The Dark Lord was gathering his strength and that could not bode well for them.
Her mind wandered as Elrond outlined his plan and divided them up. Many years ago she had heard a rumor that Isildur's were geld had ended up in the Great River. She had searched for it and when she failed to find it believed that it had washed into the sea. That thought had comforted her for years.
Elladan nudged her, snapping her back to the present. "Pay attention," he chided her.
"Sorry," she whispered back. Sometimes when her mind wandered it took a while before it returned.
Elrond finished with the formalities and the assembly began to disperse mumbling speculations.
Elrohir tugged on her hair to get her attention. "There is someone I want you to meet," he told her.
"Who?" she asked and followed the dark elf across the room to a group of Rangers.
"A friend of a friend," Elrohir smiled and ushered her into the group.
She looked up at the men and smiled. One of them bent down so that he was eye level with her.
"This must be Annowe," he said. "I've heard much about you."
"Lies!" she cried in mock horror. "All lies!"
The Ranger laughed, "it wasn't that bad. I am Aragorn."
She liked him immediately and extended her small hand to him in a gesture of friendship. He grasped her hand gently, belying his gruff outward appearance.
As the Ranger stood up, she looked past him to see Legolas standing off of his left shoulder. With a shout of delight, she launched herself at the grinning elf nearly knocking him to the ground. Elrohir and Aragorn laughed at the sight.
"They'll let anybody in here," she exclaimed and thumped him fondly on the back.
"Yes," he agreed and returned her hug. "They let you in, didn't they?" He had sorely missed her humor and felt that it would be greatly needed in the long days to come.
After introductions were made, the conversation turned to more serious matters at hand. Annowe listened anxiously as the twins discussed the situation with the Rangers.
Aragorn watched her for a moment and turned to Legolas. "What is she, exactly? She's not an elf or a dwarf but she's not human, either," he asked softly.
"She is a sea-daughter," Legolas answered him. "Goldberry's sister."
Aragorn looked at his friend with surprise, "A sea-daughter? You mean a nymph? I thought they were just legends."
"There are many who believe that elves are legends as well, my friend," Legolas reminded him.
"You are correct," Aragorn acknowledged. Still, it was odd that he had never met her or her sister before in all of his wanderings.
*****
Over the next two days there were many gatherings and meetings as each team prepared to leave on their missions. Elrond paired her with Legolas and told them to go south along the Great River and scout the area between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood as far south as they were able before early winter. The area was familiar to both of them and they could cover the area quickly and thoroughly.
"It could be worse, Legs," she told him gravely.
"That much is certain. I could have been stuck with Haldir," he answered quietly with a straight face.
She lowered her gaze and giggled as the elf in question had a piercing gray eye trained on her. She poked Legolas in the ribs in retaliation for making her giggle.
*****
They left early the next day, heading toward the High Pass over the Misty Mountains. The Rangers and the twins were leaving at the same time and she bid each of them safe return. As they parted at the gate, she cast one last look behind her and spotted a small dark haired child watching them sadly from a balcony. His startling blue eyes held her gaze for an instant and then she turned back to the road ahead of her.
*****