"My Lord and Ladies," a guard said, quickly walking towards where Relaen,
Legolas, and Liera were sword fighting. "I come bearing a message."
Relaen pulled away from the duel and walked towards the guard, laughing as Liera pinned Legolas to a tree. "What message do you bear my friend?" she asked the guard.
"An Elf is here to speak with you. He comes with a message but will only deliver it to one of you three." The guard explained.
Relaen looked over the guard. "What are you not telling me?" she asked suspiciously.
"It is a Dark Elf that comes. I do not trust him, my lady." The guard whispered.
Relaen sighed. "Remember what it is my mother said: 'Trust all until they prove untrustworthy.' " Relaen put a comforting hand on the guards shoulder. "I will speak with the Dark Elf. Did he reveal a name?"
The elf sighed. "If you insist, my lady. He claims his name is Ereht. He is being held in the main hall."
Relaen nodded and smiled. "If it will make you more comfortable, you may join me in the hall with this Ereht."
"No, my lady, thank you. I know you can defend yourself well." The guard smiled, nodding to Liera, who had just knocked Legolas to the ground. "You did after all teach her."
Relaen turned and laughed before she began walking to the palace. She entered the main hall as she juggled three of her daggers. She caught them and placed them in their designated sheaths and turned to face the Dark Elf. "Hello. You must be Ereht." She said, bowing her head slightly. "I am Relaen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"My greeting may not be as fair as yours, my lady. I am Ereht. I come with a message for you." Ereht replied, bowing his head slightly. He was about Legolas's height with long, black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, his bangs long enough to cover his dark brown eyes. He had a black, hooded cloak over his dark green traveling tunic.
Relaen sat and motioned for Ereht to sit in the seat across from her. "Please, have a seat. What message do you bear for me?"
Ereht ignored the seat. "I prefer to stand, for I cannot be here long. I come with a message from a kingdom just north of the land known as the Shire. He is in need of your assistance. Orcs are constantly attacking his country and his manpower grows weak. He has asked that you and your brother, Legolas, assist him."
Relaen leaned her head on her hand. "Can you not tell me what kingdom this is? Who is the king?"
"I am not at liberty to share that information. I am to guide you there." Ereht replied.
"Hmm.I will have to consider this. I do not know if I can trust such secrecy." Relaen said after thinking a moment. "I will bring this matter to my father and brother. You will have your answer in a matter of hours. Until then, rest here. My servants will treat you well. I will return." She said as she got up and left before another word could be said.
Relaen reached the courtyard where Legolas and Liera were walking, arm in arm. "We have things to discuss brother. Come, we must speak with father." Relaen said, pulling Legolas's free arm towards their father's room, leaving Liera confused in the garden.
Thranduil was sitting at his desk, reading over some papers when Relaen and Legolas entered the room. He smiled and looked at his two children. "What brings such a disturbance?" he asked with a smirk.
Legolas pulled his arm out of his sister's grip. "Yes, why did you drag me in here?"
"Why? Do you miss Liera already?" Relaen laughed. Her face then turned serious. "We have been requested to assist a kingdom north of the Shire. It is being attacked, but we are not to know the name of the country or king." She explained.
"If we do not have that information, then how are we to find them so that we can help them?" Legolas asked.
Relaen took a deep breath before continuing. "We are to be led.by a Dark Elf."
Legolas's pleasant face turned into a scowl. "A Dark Elf? Then we do not go. I will not follow a Dark Elf only to be stabbed in the back when night falls."
Thranduil sighed. "My son, an entire country can fall if you do not help. You must follow him to help."
Legolas glared. "Do you just wish to send us off to our deaths?" he nearly yelled.
Relaen met her brother's gaze. "If you will not help, then I will. I understand why you distrust, but that does not mean that I do. I am going to help that kingdom in any way possible."
Legolas eased his cold eyes. "Then I will go to protect you." He said after a few moments.
"Then I'm going too!" a voice said from the door. Everyone turned to find Liera standing in the doorway. "You are not leaving me here while you two have all the fun."
"It is to dangerous Liera." Legolas said as he shook his head.
"And your point is.?" she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You say that like I've never fought. I just beat the crap out of you out there."
Relaen put her hand over her mouth, to hide her laughter. Thranduil did the same. Legolas's cheeks grew red. "That's not the point."
"Good, cause that means there is no point so I'm coming." Liera said with a victorious grin.
Relaen couldn't hold her laughter anymore. She laughed as Legolas's cheeks grew hotter. After a few minutes, she was able to stop and began walking towards the door. "I'm glad it's settled. I will inform our guide that we will go. He wants us to go quickly, so while I speak with him, you two can pack." She said before leaving the room.
Liera grinned proudly at Legolas. "I win again." She said. Legolas rolled his eyes and left the room. Liera followed.
Relaen entered the main hall and found Ereht pacing the length of the great room. "I apologize for your wait. I have spoken with my brother and father. We will follow you and a friend of ours will be joining us. Liera, kin of Elrond. They are packing as we speak. We will leave at nightfall."
Ereht nodded. "Very well. The trail will be long and I am sure orcs will follow. Come prepared for the worst."
Relaen smiled. "Good. I've been waiting for a good fight for some time." She said. "I'll be back shortly." She said as she left to pack for herself.
Ereht sat in a chair. 'What am I doing here? Why was I sent to gather these fools?' he thought to himself. Lost in his thoughts, he did not sense another elf enter the room. It was Legolas.
"So you are the one to lead us." Legolas said coldly.
Ereht turned, slightly startled, but refused to let it show. He stood. "I am Ereht." He said simply. "And yes, I am the one who is to lead you." He replied, matching Legolas's icy tone.
Legolas stepped towards Ereht. He stopped only inches away from his face. "If you try anything then you will pay dearly for it. That is a promise, Dark Elf." He said in a threatening tone.
Ereht glared at Legolas. "If I wished to harm you, White Elf, then it would have been done long ago. Do not threaten me, for your words are hollow. I was told to lead you and so I shall."
"I'm glad that you two are getting along so well." Liera said as she rolled her eyes. "Each of you to your corners." She said, separating them with her arms.
Relaen came in the door and rolled her eyes. She walked up and put her arm on Liera's shoulder, leaning on her. "Did they start already?" she asked.
Liera stepped to the side so that Relaen was leaning on nothing. "Yeah. They were nose to nose when I came in."
Relaen sighed. "If we are going to travel together then we need to at least pretend to get along. Legolas, that was stated more towards you." She said, eyeing her brother.
Legolas sighed. "Fine. Neither of us kills the other. Deal. Can we go now?"
"If we are all ready, we should set out." Ereht said, taking his gaze from Legolas to Relaen. He could tell that Relaen was going to be the only one he could talk to.
Relaen pulled away from the duel and walked towards the guard, laughing as Liera pinned Legolas to a tree. "What message do you bear my friend?" she asked the guard.
"An Elf is here to speak with you. He comes with a message but will only deliver it to one of you three." The guard explained.
Relaen looked over the guard. "What are you not telling me?" she asked suspiciously.
"It is a Dark Elf that comes. I do not trust him, my lady." The guard whispered.
Relaen sighed. "Remember what it is my mother said: 'Trust all until they prove untrustworthy.' " Relaen put a comforting hand on the guards shoulder. "I will speak with the Dark Elf. Did he reveal a name?"
The elf sighed. "If you insist, my lady. He claims his name is Ereht. He is being held in the main hall."
Relaen nodded and smiled. "If it will make you more comfortable, you may join me in the hall with this Ereht."
"No, my lady, thank you. I know you can defend yourself well." The guard smiled, nodding to Liera, who had just knocked Legolas to the ground. "You did after all teach her."
Relaen turned and laughed before she began walking to the palace. She entered the main hall as she juggled three of her daggers. She caught them and placed them in their designated sheaths and turned to face the Dark Elf. "Hello. You must be Ereht." She said, bowing her head slightly. "I am Relaen. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"My greeting may not be as fair as yours, my lady. I am Ereht. I come with a message for you." Ereht replied, bowing his head slightly. He was about Legolas's height with long, black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, his bangs long enough to cover his dark brown eyes. He had a black, hooded cloak over his dark green traveling tunic.
Relaen sat and motioned for Ereht to sit in the seat across from her. "Please, have a seat. What message do you bear for me?"
Ereht ignored the seat. "I prefer to stand, for I cannot be here long. I come with a message from a kingdom just north of the land known as the Shire. He is in need of your assistance. Orcs are constantly attacking his country and his manpower grows weak. He has asked that you and your brother, Legolas, assist him."
Relaen leaned her head on her hand. "Can you not tell me what kingdom this is? Who is the king?"
"I am not at liberty to share that information. I am to guide you there." Ereht replied.
"Hmm.I will have to consider this. I do not know if I can trust such secrecy." Relaen said after thinking a moment. "I will bring this matter to my father and brother. You will have your answer in a matter of hours. Until then, rest here. My servants will treat you well. I will return." She said as she got up and left before another word could be said.
Relaen reached the courtyard where Legolas and Liera were walking, arm in arm. "We have things to discuss brother. Come, we must speak with father." Relaen said, pulling Legolas's free arm towards their father's room, leaving Liera confused in the garden.
Thranduil was sitting at his desk, reading over some papers when Relaen and Legolas entered the room. He smiled and looked at his two children. "What brings such a disturbance?" he asked with a smirk.
Legolas pulled his arm out of his sister's grip. "Yes, why did you drag me in here?"
"Why? Do you miss Liera already?" Relaen laughed. Her face then turned serious. "We have been requested to assist a kingdom north of the Shire. It is being attacked, but we are not to know the name of the country or king." She explained.
"If we do not have that information, then how are we to find them so that we can help them?" Legolas asked.
Relaen took a deep breath before continuing. "We are to be led.by a Dark Elf."
Legolas's pleasant face turned into a scowl. "A Dark Elf? Then we do not go. I will not follow a Dark Elf only to be stabbed in the back when night falls."
Thranduil sighed. "My son, an entire country can fall if you do not help. You must follow him to help."
Legolas glared. "Do you just wish to send us off to our deaths?" he nearly yelled.
Relaen met her brother's gaze. "If you will not help, then I will. I understand why you distrust, but that does not mean that I do. I am going to help that kingdom in any way possible."
Legolas eased his cold eyes. "Then I will go to protect you." He said after a few moments.
"Then I'm going too!" a voice said from the door. Everyone turned to find Liera standing in the doorway. "You are not leaving me here while you two have all the fun."
"It is to dangerous Liera." Legolas said as he shook his head.
"And your point is.?" she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You say that like I've never fought. I just beat the crap out of you out there."
Relaen put her hand over her mouth, to hide her laughter. Thranduil did the same. Legolas's cheeks grew red. "That's not the point."
"Good, cause that means there is no point so I'm coming." Liera said with a victorious grin.
Relaen couldn't hold her laughter anymore. She laughed as Legolas's cheeks grew hotter. After a few minutes, she was able to stop and began walking towards the door. "I'm glad it's settled. I will inform our guide that we will go. He wants us to go quickly, so while I speak with him, you two can pack." She said before leaving the room.
Liera grinned proudly at Legolas. "I win again." She said. Legolas rolled his eyes and left the room. Liera followed.
Relaen entered the main hall and found Ereht pacing the length of the great room. "I apologize for your wait. I have spoken with my brother and father. We will follow you and a friend of ours will be joining us. Liera, kin of Elrond. They are packing as we speak. We will leave at nightfall."
Ereht nodded. "Very well. The trail will be long and I am sure orcs will follow. Come prepared for the worst."
Relaen smiled. "Good. I've been waiting for a good fight for some time." She said. "I'll be back shortly." She said as she left to pack for herself.
Ereht sat in a chair. 'What am I doing here? Why was I sent to gather these fools?' he thought to himself. Lost in his thoughts, he did not sense another elf enter the room. It was Legolas.
"So you are the one to lead us." Legolas said coldly.
Ereht turned, slightly startled, but refused to let it show. He stood. "I am Ereht." He said simply. "And yes, I am the one who is to lead you." He replied, matching Legolas's icy tone.
Legolas stepped towards Ereht. He stopped only inches away from his face. "If you try anything then you will pay dearly for it. That is a promise, Dark Elf." He said in a threatening tone.
Ereht glared at Legolas. "If I wished to harm you, White Elf, then it would have been done long ago. Do not threaten me, for your words are hollow. I was told to lead you and so I shall."
"I'm glad that you two are getting along so well." Liera said as she rolled her eyes. "Each of you to your corners." She said, separating them with her arms.
Relaen came in the door and rolled her eyes. She walked up and put her arm on Liera's shoulder, leaning on her. "Did they start already?" she asked.
Liera stepped to the side so that Relaen was leaning on nothing. "Yeah. They were nose to nose when I came in."
Relaen sighed. "If we are going to travel together then we need to at least pretend to get along. Legolas, that was stated more towards you." She said, eyeing her brother.
Legolas sighed. "Fine. Neither of us kills the other. Deal. Can we go now?"
"If we are all ready, we should set out." Ereht said, taking his gaze from Legolas to Relaen. He could tell that Relaen was going to be the only one he could talk to.