Please take note that I do not own any of the LOTR characters mentioned in this chapter, or any up coming chapters, they are the property of J.R.R Tolkien, so I can't be sued for using them. Also note that all words in Elvish will be italicized, thank you.

Chapter 1. The First Meeting

From her perch high in the mellyrn, Aníron watched the strange company step under the first eaves of Lothlórien as twilight fell. Her cloak was pulled high over her head, so that none would recognize her as a woman, for women were not permitted to take any part in the battles, save perhaps tending the wounded. But such work was not for her, though she was high among the Galadhrim; being the Lady Galadriel's head maiden and second in command if the White Lady was away, still she was not allowed to take part in the gathering war, or even to guard the borders of the Golden Wood.

Her spirit longed for adventure, and the life of sitting in the halls was not what she wished for, though it had much honor. So, she ran from the confining halls of Caras Galadhon to the northwestern border of Lórien, which faces the gate of Moria, telling no one and adopting the name Alorien, the name of her brother who was slain in an orc raid in far off Mirkwood.

Thus she watched the strangers approach with much interest, for they were a strange company. Two men; one of which she knew well for he was Aragorn, and had visited Lórien before, led the group, followed by four small men the size of children. They greatly puzzled her, for she had not seen their like before, so she continued on through the group. A dwarf walked next muttering something she could not hear even with her sharp Elven ears. Last of the company was an Elf clad in green and brown, she focused her attention on to him, for surely this was one of her kindred from the north in Mirkwood, and she felt she had seen him before.

Shaking this feeling aside, she sped off through the trees to find her captain, Haldir, to inform him of these strange intruders. When she reached the talan where he was housed, she checked to make sure her feminine features were securely hidden, and stepped inside.

'Haldir?' Aníron called as she entered the room. 'Yes, Alorien?' he replied using her false identity, 'What do you call me for?' 'A strange company has just entered the wood from the northwestern border and will soon reach the river Nimrodel. Should I continue to follow them?' she queried. 'Yes, and I will send a small company of our guard with you. I will soon come as well,' he answered. Aníron bowed, and left the room, determined to follow the strange company.

Several minutes later she and a small group of elves reached the river Nimrodel to await their captain before continuing. And then, the company arrived.

The strange elf she had seen earlier came first, running towards the stream, his blonde hair flowing out behind him as he ran. The small figures followed him along with the dwarf, who was following somewhat reluctantly. The men came last, the man she could not identify speaking softly to Aragorn about the dangers of Lothlórien.

'The smallest of the company are called Halflings, and they live in a land close to the Grey Havens,' an elf next to Aníron whispered in their own tongue. 'They must live in happiness indeed, so close to the havens,' she replied. 'The man with the horn at his side knows not what he is speaking of,' another elf whispered, 'to be speaking of fair Lórien in such a way.' 'Peace, we will do them no harm until they prove dangerous,' the voice of Haldir come suddenly into their midst. 'We must stay silent lest they hear us and we are discovered,' he cautioned and everyone fell silent in order to hear the strange company speak.

The voice of the elf clad in green and brown rose up to them, and they heard tales of Lothlórien as are told in the north and tales of the people of Lórien and their deeds. Then a tale well known to them sprang up and Legolas, for indeed that was who the elf clad in green and brown was, began to sing the song of the maiden Nimrodel and her disappearance from the world.

His voice moved Aníron, for it was sweet and melodic, yet sad in the telling of fair Nimrodel's tale. She could see his fair face clearly now, for she had moved away from the group and was now positioned in a different tree. His face was smooth without a blemish, and he looked both young and old, as was the way with elves. His golden hair framed his face and hung around his shoulders as he sang, but it was his eyes that held her most captivated. He had piercing blue eyes the color of a cloudless sky, and they showed great depth and pain, but also joy. She held him long in her gaze even after he had finished the song, and watched his every move.

Aníron then moved back to a separate talan from the other elves, whom had now begun to question the company and their motives in Lórien. she tired of the endless talk, but knew it was necessary in order to keep her people safe.

After the talk had died down and everyone had been moved into talans about a mile away, Aníron walked back to the river Nimrodel as she often did in the evening. She had changed into more comfortable clothing, wearing a white gown and her cloak on top of it. Checking that no one was nearby she let down her hood and shook her long star-bright hair down. Her hair fell in graceful waves to her waist and she ran her fingers through it to make it smooth after being tied in a braid on the back of her head. She did not notice the figure walking towards the stream until he had reached the point across the stream from her.

'Hello lady,' Legolas said softly, startling Aníron and causing her to look up at him in surprise. 'Who are you?' she asked, still in shock, recognizing the mysterious elf that had entered the woods that evening and had sung the ballad of Nimrodel just a few hours earlier. 'I am Legolas, son of Thranduil, king of the elves of Mirkwood. I know not who you are lady, but you must be the maiden Nimrodel, for you resemble her greatly,' he replied, sounding very much in awe of this lady who stood before him. 'Nay lord,' she replied, not surprised that she had been called Nimrodel, for many said that she walked in her likeness.

Legolas held Aníron in his sight long, examining this lady in surprise that she was not a character of song or legend, for she looked as if she had stepped out of a dream and into the world. As he saw her, she was clad in glistening white with a silver-gray cloak upon her shoulders. She was tall and slender, shapely as a lily. Her face was unblemished with high cheekbones and milk-white skin. Her hair was pale blonde and shone like starlight, but it was her eyes that amazed him. She had golden eyes with small specks of green woven through them. The color reminded him of the mellyrn leaf, which was green in the spring and summer, but in fall turned golden and did not fall until spring.

'Please lady,' he whispered, 'if you are not the lady Nimrodel, then could you please tell me your name?'

She softly replied, 'My name is Aníron.'