There was a young girl long ago

Who lived a peaceful life untold

She understood that love

Was everything

She had no rings on her fingers

She had diamonds in her eyes

She had no money to be reckoned with

She had love within her life

And I heard her singing

Wouldn't you say?

Wouldn't you say?

Wouldn't you say?

That life is beautiful

She sang of things that pleased her soul

She questioned life and made it known

She stored her knowledge deep inside

Her mind

She had no mansion on a hillside

She had castles in the sky

She had no gold for inheritance

She had time on her side

And I heard her singing

Wouldn't you say?

Would you say?

Wouldn't you say?

That life is beautiful…

Chapter One

Leannan stepped through the gates of Rivendell and was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of peace. Oh how her heart had missed this beloved place! She felt the loud sound of the glorious waterfalls pounding through her ears and into her heart; filling her with beautiful memories, memories that brought warmth to her soul and a glint of happiness into her lovely gray eyes. Ah, the days when she would sit by the river and daydream of things to come. She would let her imagination run as wild as the river in front of her.

Leannan took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the sweet scent of the forest around her. Ah, the forest. She had explored them to her hearts content, pretending she was a graceful elf.

Why couldn't she have been an elf, she always wondered? Why did she have to be a clumsy human? She had imagined many times of what it would have been like to be an elf. Life would have been much easier and saved her a lot of heartache. But Leannan wasn't going to let her thoughts stray too far into the past, though the pain of her heart was not as far away as she wished. It felt as if only yesterday. But alas, it had only been two years! If only it had been longer, perhaps now the ache of her heart would be less painful.

Leannan strolled towards a large set of granite steps that wound up into the lovely elvish buildings that decorated the forests surrounding her; she remembered seeing her traveling companions come this way. She was anxious to hear of Frodo's fate. The journey to Rivendell after Frodo fled on Glorfindel's horse had been a hard one, for everyone's hearts were filled with worry and fear. Their close encounter with the Ring wraiths had left Leannan's heart pounding for quite some time afterwards. They were very fortunate that the Ring wraiths had not seen them hiding off the side of the road. Indeed, their evil hearts (if they had any) were set on the wounded little hobbit, Frodo.

Leannan slowly ascended the majestic steps with her hand tightly on the rail. She was almost to the top when she nearly ran into Aragorn, also known as Strider.

"Ah, Aragorn, what is the news, my friend?" Leannan pleaded. She felt assured when Aragorn's face showed no concern, but relief.

"Frodo has been healed by Elrond. He is safe and asleep at the moment. The other hobbits are with him now. And more good news I bring! Gandalf the Grey is here!"

"In Rivendell?" Leannan asked in amazement and her gentle face filled with relief, just as Aragorn's had.

"Yes." Aragorn replied.

Leannan sighed. As the worry lifted off her shoulders, she began to feel her fatigue. "Please show me where I am to stay." She said. " I am very weary."

" I understand." said Aragorn, and he immediately led her to a chamber.

Leannan's eyes swept the room and took in the familiar sight. " Oh my old chamber!" She exclaimed excitedly.

It would be a joy to sleep in her old bedchamber once again. It had been two long years since she had set foot in this room. And it was just as it had been! Her lovely dresses still hung in the wardrobe and her books and maps still piled on the ornate desk.

Leannan noticed Aragorn was watching her as she took in her surroundings. His expression reflected her relief. He was very happy to be back in Rivendell. Though he had been here before in the last couple years. Whenever she learned that he was going to travel back to Rivendell, she made sure she had an excuse not to come, knowing that it would bring her pain. And indeed, she felt the pain of the past, but still the peace of Rivendell filled her and she had some comfort.

"Thank you, dear friend."

She called him "friend" though he had always been more of a father to her, since he had raised her from the time she had been a young child. Leannan did not know anything of her real family. Aragorn had found her alone alongside a road when she had been close to nine, or so they suspected. She had traveled with Aragorn until she was about sixteen, and then he brought her to Rivendell to be schooled by the Elves. Aragorn would come now and then to visit her over the years and by the time she was around twenty-two Leannan begged him to take her with him on his travels once again. And so he did, and Leannan has been his traveling companion for the past two years. Many were quite amazed that Aragorn was raising a child. One would think that a child would slow him down tremendously, but Leannan was well behaved and learned survival quickly, even though she was young in age.

"Leannan?" Aragorn questioned.

"I am sorry, Aragorn, I am getting lost in my memories. Thank you for bringing me here. I shall see you in the morning."

The ranger bid her farewell and left silently.

After he was gone, Leannan slipped out of her filthy clothing and dressed in a lovely gown to sleep in. She felt very feminine, a feeling she hadn't felt for some time. As soon as she lay down on the soft bed, she was fast asleep, dreaming of elves and of running through the beautiful forest of Rivendell.

Leannan woke to the sound of glorious singing. Immediately her heart yearned to join them. For a couple moments, she lay in bed and listened contentedly. She remembered back to when she would sing with the elves. They had taught her many songs and she had even made up some of her own. Since she traveled much with Aragorn, she had learned many different songs from the many different places she had traveled. While she was on the road, Leannan carried her baroque little harp, which she sang to by the fire. The hobbits had definitely enjoyed that and Leannan was glad that the music had helped lighten their kind little hearts.

Leannan lifted herself out of bed and strolled to the balcony, admiring her environment once again. A breeze swept in and blew the skirts of her gown. She lifted her face to the heavens and felt the cool air upon her face. Leaves rattled and some blew into her hair, but Leannan did not bother removing them; she was too enchanted. She heard the laughter of tiny elf children as they played below the terrace. Their sweet giggles echoed up to Leannan's ears and she smiled.

Pulling herself away, Leannan moved about her room, running her fingers along her books on the desk and along the embellished stone walls. She moved over to her wardrobe and pulled out a dress. It would be lovely to wear a dress again; she was rather tired of her pants and tunic. The dress she chose was a soft grayish blue that looked lovely with her eyes. After she dressed, Leannan sat down in front of her mirror and brushed her hair. Usually she would braid it like she normally did, but today she left it down. Her golden brown tresses flowed down to her waist and it made her feel free and unfettered.

Leannan exited her chamber through a side door that had a long set of stone steps winding downwards. It made her feel like a royal queen descending a grand staircase and indeed she looked so with her hair blowing in the morning breeze and gown sweeping behind her as she took each step, her chin held high.

After she reached the bottom, Leannan strolled to the large House of Elrond in search of breakfast. She knew she had overslept and missed breakfast, but she hoped some of the servants would have mercy on her and give her a small something to tide her over till the next meal. Though Leannan wouldn't be surprised if she found the hobbits still enjoying their morning meal for they definitely loved to eat!

She stepped into the gigantic dining hall and was greeted by silence. The table was cleared and showed no sign of recent use.

She sighed, knowing she'd have to go hungry until the afternoon meal. Ah well, she'll just have to find something to do to keep her mind off her stomach.

She turned to leave, but stopped suddenly.

" Are you searching for something, Leannan?" A voice asked from across the dining hall.

Leannan turned around and found Glorfindel curiously looking at her.

" Yes, I'm afraid I've slept too late and missed the morning meal. I was hoping that I'd find someone still here, but I suppose I'll have to wait until this afternoon."

Glorfindel studied for her a moment with his clear blue eyes. " I may be able to find you something to eat. Would you care for that?" He asked.

Leannan restrained herself from sighing loudly with relief. She was very hungry. She had not eaten anything the night before. " I would love that. Thank you, Glorfindel."

He turned to leave and Leannan suspected that he wished for her to follow. She caught up with him on the other side of the hall, but he stopped her and said, " Do not follow me. Have a seat and I will find you food."

With that he left the hall and Leannan took a seat at the long banquet table. She felt very small in such a large room that was used for holding hundreds of elves and different creatures. She sat in silence, fiddling with a fork that had been left. She began to wonder where Glorfindel had gone. Perhaps she was too much of a burden and he decided to leave her here. No, that was not like Glorfindel. He was a very amiable elf. Glorfindel in a way reminded her of...

Leannan gasped and quickly stopped her trail of thoughts. She literally shook her head in frustration. This place was bringing back memories she wished to keep buried! They would bring on too much anguish.

Taking a deep breath, Leannan turned her thoughts once again upon her food that had not arrived. Where was Glorfindel?

Just as she was losing hope and considering leaving, a large host of servants marched in with their arms filled with platters of delicious smelling food.

Leannan breathed the scent and her mouth began to water. Oh they did not have to do this for her! One lone person!

"You did not have to do this for me!" She cried to them.

"Of course we must! You, pen tithen, have not been with us in many years! We wish to take good care of you." Glorfindel replied from behind her.

She craned her neck to look up at him and gratefully smiled. "Thank you very much."

He bowed. "My pleasure, pen tithen."

The elves had always called her "pen tithen" (Which means "Little One" when translated), since she had come to them as a young child and of course, she was merely a child in their eyes.

Glorfindel slipped away with the servants and Leannan ate in silence, though she did not mind. It gave her time to think.

She contemplated the events that had brought her to Rivendell. It was grave circumstances no doubt and poor Frodo having to bear them for so long. Thankfully now they were in Rivendell and Elrond and the council would decide the next course, removing the burden from Frodo. Leannan was still a bit confused herself for Aragorn had not told her all he knew, but she was assured that she would learn much at the council which was being held in a couple days, after Frodo recovered from his wound.

Leannan sighed.

Her heart went out to Frodo. He left his beloved home to carry The Ring all the way to Rivendell, constantly in danger of the Ring wraiths. And then Ring wraiths wounded him severely and he was nearly lost. He had carried such a heavy and dangerous burden and it did Leannan's heart good to know he was in Rivendell and would be soon be returning to his home with no more worries of the dreadful Ring.

And the other dear hobbits that followed Frodo so loyally! Such dear creatures, hobbits, Leannan thought to herself.

As if they could hear her thoughts, Sam, Pippin, and Merry suddenly bounced into the hall, shouting gleefully, "Leannan! There you are!"

"Good morning, hobbits." Leannan smiled warmly at them as they surrounded her at the table.

"We were worried about you. You were not at breakfast, but you have found something to eat! Good!" Merry said from Leannan's left side.

"We have been exploring Rivendell! What a lovely place!" Sam told her and then added, "And the elves, they are so majestic!"

"They are." Leannan replied.

There was silence for a moment before Leannan spoke again. "Have any of you seen Gandalf?"

"We saw him last night, but this morning we have not. He was not at breakfast." Pippin replied.

"I believe I will go seek him out." Leannan told them. She was in great need of Gandalf's wise counsel; her heart was becoming troubled.

Leannan strolled out of the dining hall, leaving the hobbits chattering cheerfully.

Leannan wandered the pathways without aim. She did not know where to find Gandalf. She should have asked the hobbits.

"Well now, I suppose I shall have to wait until another time because I have no idea where to look for him." She said to herself.

"Him? Who are you looking for, pen tithen?" The voice of Gandalf boomed from behind her.

"In fact, Gandalf, I was looking for you and now I shall not have to worry about finding you, for you have come and found me!" Leannan smiled at him.

Gandalf held out his arm and Leannan linked hers with his. They strolled slowly down the lovely pathways of Rivendell.

"Your heart is troubled, pen tithen?" Gandalf asked.

Leannan sighed. "I'm afraid it is. I awoke with such peace, but now my heart is heavy within me."

Gandalf was silent for a moment and then said, "It is the past that troubles your heart so." He stated.

"Yes!" Leannan cried quietly, her voice etched with the suffering of her heart.

"My dear young girl, I hate to bring grave words to such an innocent heart, but I am afraid that...." He paused and took a deep breath, "that the pain you feel now will only worsen, for the future holds many dark things."

Leannan sensed that he knew something she did not, but did not question because she knew he would not tell her. That was probably best, because her heart would not be able to take anymore.

"Ah Gandalf, I fear my heart shall not be able to take more. The heartache I feel now is almost more than I can bear. This place, Rivendell, fills me with memories I wish to keep hidden away, forever."

Gandalf stopped and looked at the young woman at his side. Her young and delicate face so filled with grief.

His face suddenly grew serious and his voice intense and powerful as he said,

"Do not dwell on this! There are much more significant things to focus on; we are in dangerous times. "He paused and his eyes glared, almost fiercely, at her. " You must live on!"

Leannan wisely contemplated his words. She pondered silently to herself. Gandalf was right, of course. The circumstances with the Ring needed her attention; she could not dwell on silly notions of her heart! She must be strong and keep composed. Like Gandalf said, they were in serious times and Leannan needed to keep her focus on whatever mission that was laid before her.

"Thank you Gandalf. You speak much wisdom to me and have cleared my conscious. I will not allow the past to ruin the present time or the future."

Gandalf did not say anymore to her, and they both walked back silently.

When they reached the spot where they had found each other, they both went their separate ways.

Leannan was not hungry for the middle-day meal and returned to her chamber to sit on her terrace and think.

Several days passed and Leannan spent most of them in splendor. She spent her days visiting with friends she had not seen in years and her evenings with music and dancing. It was a joyous time and Leannan was so happy to be once again in the place she had always thought of as home.

One morning, while Leannan was at her desk studying some maps, she looked up and found the most elegant elf standing in the doorway. Her face reflected a pure light and her beauty was beyond words.

"Leannan." The rich, melodious voice called from the doorway of the chamber.

"Lady Arwen." Leannan stood and walked over as Arwen took her hands in her own.

Arwen's divine and angelic face showed affection. She had loved the young girl, Leannan, dearly since the first time she had come to the elves.

"I have thought of you often."

"And I have of you. Tell me, how do you fare?" Leannan asked the elf.

"I have been faring well. Come with me and we shall talk. It has been too long since we have last seen each other. You must tell me of your travels with Aragorn."

Arwen led her from the chamber and outside where they sat on a bench beneath a trellis of flowers. It was a lovely spot and Leannan found herself fascinated with the way the petals fell into their hair like snow.

" Ah Arwen, it is wonderful to see you again." Leannan breathed after a moment of silence.

"I feel the same. I have missed your joyfulness and unique imagination."

Leannan grinned. "And I have missed seeing your kind face and hearing your silvery voice."

A thoughtful expression, almost serious, came upon her tender face and Leannan asked very softly, " Tell me, has he come to Rivendell since I left?"

" No, but Leannan do not allow yourself to think of this. Let us talk about other things."

" I am sorry, Arwen. It has been on my mind lately."

Arwen's face reflected her compassionate heart. " I am sure it has, but do not let it trouble you. It is in the past."

" Both you and Gandalf have spoken similar words to me. And if two wise friends speak the same thing, then I must heed it."

Arwen did not reply to that, but instead said, " Tell me of your travels."

Leannan's face lightened a bit. " My travels have been very eventful!"

" So it seems."

" It would take me a lifetime to tell you all about them, but I will tell you of the latest events because they are the most important."

Arwen nodded for her to continue and listened attentively, knowing it would help the young woman to talk.

" Well, Aragorn was very persistent on getting to Bree, so we traveled there and came to the Inn of the Prancing Pony. He did not tell me his reasons for coming there until we arrived. I knew about The Ring...." Leannan stopped as if she had spoken a cursed word and then took a breath and continued.

" But I did not know that our coming to Bree was linked with it; I found out soon enough after sitting at a table nearby and watching the hobbits entertain the folk at the Inn. For after Frodo sang a silly song and did a dance upon a table, he disappeared! He had fallen and somehow the ring came upon his finger. Aragorn was not happy about that. Later that evening, Aragorn spoke with Frodo and the landlord brought a letter from Gandalf. Aragorn had instructed me to be silent while he spoke with the hobbits and it was torture for me." She chuckled and continued on.

" Though I said a couple words when they inquired about who I was. They did not know to trust me, because I was not mentioned in the letter. After the hobbits were somewhat convinced that Aragorn was the one whom Gandalf had spoken of, Merry, came into the room and exclaimed that he had seen one of the Ringwraiths. False bodies were made in the hobbit's original beds and we waited in the parlor. Much later into the night we fled Bree and began our journey to Rivendell. We traveled for many days and then we reached Weathertop. Aragorn and I built a fire and we prepared a meal. Aragorn sang the tale of Tinuviel to the hobbits; I joined in once or twice."

Arwen's face became unreadable at the mention of Tinuviel. Leannan studied her for a moment, but was unable to interpret the expression on the noble face of the elf that sat next to her, listening attentively. After a moment of silence and of collecting her thoughts once again, Leannan continued telling her brief tale of the events, which had taken place before she came to Rivendell.

"After awhile, Sam reported that he felt evilness about. And then we realized that our enemy had caught up with us! They attacked us and Frodo, without thinking, put on the ring! The evil knife of one of the Ringwraiths stabbed him somehow; we all feared he was dead, but thankfully he still lived.

" Aragorn was puzzled by the Ringwraiths sudden disappearance, but we spent no time trying to put the puzzle together because Frodo was wounded badly and we needed to get him to Rivendell. For several days we traveled with Frodo, who was slowly slipping away from us. We finally reached the Last Bridge and later on we came upon Glorfindel, who was a great help to us. When the Ringwraiths drew near, he put Frodo on his grand horse and sent him off in the direction of Rivendell. The rest of us waited alongside the road until the Riders had passed and then we continued on. And here we are, my friend! We have made it to Rivendell and Frodo is recovering! What blessings we have been given, I am very grateful!"

Leannan stopped talking and took a couple deep breaths. She was greatly worn out and that was not even near the entire tale. She had given but a brief list of the happenings.

Arwen smiled at the young woman. " You have had many adventures."

Leannan nodded. " And I am afraid I have rambled on too much. You must be dreadfully tired of hearing me speak. And to think that was nothing at all! Much more has happened, but like I said, it would take me a lifetime to tell them to you."

" I am not tired. It was good for you to talk, Leannan, young one." Arwen patted Leannan's hand.

Leannan felt assured that she had not been a bother to Arwen. It had felt good for her to talk. She had no one to speak with anyway.

She sighed and felt an ache in her heart.

Arwen, sensing that Leannan needed sometime to be alone, stood and said, "Well, my friend, I shall leave you now. It has been a pleasure listening to you. I am here for you always, remember that."

And after the two had embraced, Leannan watched the graceful elf stroll away. She felt a tug at her heart, feeling almost like she was watching a wise friend walk out of her life.

Leannan sighed heavily and took herself on a long walk. Spending a great deal of time by the riverside, she watched its silvery waters and listened as it whispered sweet and bitter words to her. Reminding her of her past, of the blissful and sorrowful times she had spent near its shore. She closed her eyes captivated with the sound and swayed with the wind that swirled around her, it too whispering of the past. She felt as if she was caught in another world, one that was both joyful and mournful.

Unable to move herself away from the silent murmurs that plagued her heart, Leannan dropped to her knees and wept from the very depths of her soul.