The Tenth Companion
By: Kristall
A/N: The only things that are mine are Elandili, Linolas, Cresanir, Liarwen and the plot. All other Elves, Men, Dwarves, Orcs, Balrogs, Hobbits, Wizards, Places, and any beasts not mentioned in this disclaimer are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien, and I have only borrowed them to write my story. Drimrill is named for Drimrill Dale near Moria, but he is also mine.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
She looked out her window again, and suppressed yet another shudder. No matter how many times she looked, Elandili could never get used to looking at Mordor, even though she had to. There was only one other than her who would even endure living there, and he was at a different post. He had, however, promised to take her place while she was at the council, promised to guard the part of Rivendell that was closest to Mordor while she was away, no matter how long it took. She glanced out again. Forget about the land actually being evil, she thought. The land even looks evil.
A sudden movement caught her eye. Could it be...no, it wasn't an army or the host of Mordor. Only a small group of warriors. With her Elf vision, she could even make out the colors of Gondor. The council was still some days away though. They, and she, had plenty of time to get to the council. All she had to do was to wait for her replacement (a handsome Elf named Drimrill), and she could leave. The men of Gondor still had several leagues to go. They would get to Rivendell in about five days, if they kept their current pace. Even so, they would still have a few days to spare. She turned and went to the chest. After the noon meal, she would leave. There was a knock. With one last look out the window, she went to answer the door. She opened it, and saw a black hand reaching for her. That was the last thing she remembered.
0o0o0
It was only four hours later when she woke, but it could have been days as far as she knew. No, there was someone talking. She kept limp, still seemingly unconscious. She hadn't spent several years in training for the position she held (an Elite Elf, which required one to be an expert at fighting and, if absolutely necessary, escaping) for nothing. A shadow bent over her. It seemed familiar.
"Elandili? Are you awake yet?" It was Drimrill. No wonder the shadow looked familiar. Her trainer, Marstin, was with him. They both looked very concerned.
"Elandili, I know you're awake. It's hard to fool your trainer if he's the one who taught you that trick. Now get up." Marstin sounded annoyed that she was trying to fool him, but proud that she had fooled Drimrill. She flashed her trainer a grin and sat up. Only her professional pride kept her from spewing on the floor as a wave of nausea accompanied the maneuver.
"Do you always go around scaring people, or were you just playing a joke on me for fun?", she asked.
Drimrill looked at her in surprise. "What, in the name of Elbereth, are you talking about? I found you on the ground three hours ago. I blew on my horn, and Marstin came about two and a half hours ago."
"The last thing that I remember was a hand reaching for me.", she replied. "The hand was covered in black. Then it went so blurry, I can't remember much after that, but there was a black thing coming. That was all."
"No matter. We've got to be at the Last Bridge. Elrond's orders.", said Marstin. "Let's get going."
Chapter 2: Attack
The sun was setting as they came to the bridge. Marstin was silent and uneasy. She could tell. He had been this way since she had described what had happened to her. She had to ask what was bothering her trainer. "What's wrong? Expecting a major attack on the bridge? Or did you lose your last game of chess against Mithrandir? I've told you not to play him, it's impossible to win against him, unless he lets you win, which is not often."
"Child, you should not speak of things you know nothing about. I did not tell you what I was worried about, because I did not wish to frighten you."
Elandili gave a sigh of disgust. "Since when have I been afraid of anything?"
Marstin laughed, remembering all the times she had done something that no other Elf would have done. She is even considered to be a fool, but she knows how to survive. I wonder how many times she did those things just for the looks on the faces of the other warriors when she got back?, he thought to himself. Out loud, he said: "That is true. Well we were told to do this because we are the only ones that can be spared from the inner defenses to help protect our beloved Rivendell from an attack by the land we do not name. There are Black Riders abroad, and it is said that they are coming this way. They had been asking for the Shire and a Baggins, wherever and whatever those are. Elrond doesn't want to take any chances."
Elandili looked across the bridge to the top of the hill that was beyond it. She still wasn't scared, or so she kept telling herself. The fact still remained, she had a sense of some coming doom. She finally admitted it to herself. Deep down, she was afraid for both of them. She just knew that something was going to happen. She just knew it. She wished that she could scream and run away. Instead, she kept silent, watching and waiting for the doom she knew was coming.
0o0o0
The sun was just rising when the doom fell upon them. There was a long, shrill cry that left their blood cold. Then four Black Riders came down the hill. There was no doubt, they were from Mordor. The two Elves quickly armed themselves and spun to attack. The Riders dismounted, and then came forward. The first clash of metal against metal sounded too harsh in Elandili's ears. She desperately fought to hold the bridge, Marstin at her side. They fought, but they could not hold their position. The enemy pushed them back onto the bridge. Many things were a blur to Elandili, but she remembered a few things clearly as she fought for the bridge. A sword came down on her shoulder, and somehow was reflected, so that it did not break the bone. Then she was knocked down and suffered another wound down her right breast, which joined with her first wound.
A cry burst from Marstin's lips. Casting a brief glance in his direction, she saw him as he fell, a knife buried in his heart. He hit the bridge, gave one twitch, and was still. He was dead. At this realization, Elandili spun around and leaped for the bridge's rail. The river was her only hope for survival. As she reached the top rail, she felt the sting of a sword across and down her back, also joining the first wound. Then she dove into the waters.
The waters were cold, but she had no choice in the matter. As she hit the water with her shoulder, there was a burst of agony from the wound. She endured it though. If she surfaced too soon, the Riders would still get her. So she swam underwater for a while, and when she finally felt safe, she surfaced. The river was carrying her faster than she had expected. She swam for the shore. Once she was there, she climbed out of the river, lay down on the rocky bank, and surrendered to the sobs that wracked her body, letting go of her grief for her trainer and friend.
