"Kill or be killed." The words Líriel lives by. But her latest task has her wondering if some things are worth the sacrifice. Can she redeem herself before it's too late? And will she obtain forgiveness from those she grew to love?
Set in the timeline of the books. This story is somewhat AU in that elves can have casual sex. Eventual Haldir/OC, but be warned - it'll take a little while to get there. This is not really a tenth walker story, although it might seem that way in the beginning.
I am reposting this, because I realised shortly after posting the third chapter that it wasn't going to work and I'd have to rewrite it completely. I'm satisfied with it this time though!
Tolkien didn't give us words for female and male elves, and I find the terms ellon/elleth to be jarring in some contexts. So in this story I'll be occasionally using man/woman and boy/girl to refer to elves as well as Men. When I'm talking about humans specifically, the word Man will be capitalized. But for the most part, you already know what races the characters are. And I mean, they are all humanoids.
The room was dark save for the dwindling fire that still crackled in the grate. By the window stood an elf, looking out at the cold night sky. Behind him, in the center of the room, knelt another elf. Her hands were clasping a talisman she wore around her neck.
"Are your preparations complete?" he asked softly.
"Yes, my Lord," replied the girl, without looking up.
"I hope you are. This will not be like your previous assignments. The nobles of Rivendell will be much, much more cunning than your average tribe-chief. The slightest mistake, and... "
The girl glanced at him then.
"I understand. I will not fail."
Her voice was cold, but he appeared not to notice her tone. He continued as if she had not spoken at all.
"There is one more thing I feel I should mention. Being around others of our kind may... give rise to disloyal thoughts. It would not be strange for you to feel some curiosity. However, you must be aware at all times of the bond that is upon you. If you should find yourself feeling overly friendly towards those you meet, you need only look at the band around your neck. Hopefully that will remind you of your duties before it is too late."
He grinned idly. "I would hate to lose one that I have spent so much time on."
"I understand, my Lord. I have no intention of breaking my bond. I know what consequences await me if I do. Believe me, I will carry out this task to the best of my abilities." She seemed sincere then, even if her voice still betrayed her disdain.
"Good. Do not disappoint me."
It was a cool autumn day in the forests south of Rivendell. Líriel approached their borders with some caution. She had learned that the Lord of Rivendell usually at least granted strangers an audience, but many years had passed since her Master had formed these conclusions. Who knows what might have changed since then? "It would be ironic if, after all my years of training and preparation, I am killed before I even enter the city limits," she thought wryly.
Still, now she was here - there was nothing for it but to try and see. She glanced down at herself briefly and confirmed that her pack wouldn't hinder her from drawing her weapons, and then, sighing heavily, she walked into the forest.
She didn't have to go far before the inevitable confrontation. With no warning, a group of elves emerged from the trees and surrounded her. Her hands flew to the hilts of her swords before her brain had time to override that reflex. That will not do. These ones will not be persuaded by the threat of violence. I must convince them diplomatically.
She forced herself to raise her hands. Glancing around, she quickly made an accounting of her potential assailants. Five men, four of them currently pointing bows at her with arrows nocked. They were all wearing silver armour that was clearly of elven make. The fifth, presumably the leader, approached her with one hand resting on the sword at his waist.
"Hail traveller. I am Elrohir of Rivendell, and Captain of the Border Guard," he began, eyeing her warily.
"In these times, we must be wary of strangers who appear in our woods, even those of our own kin. Who are you and what brings you to cross our borders?"
Elrohir? As in the son of Elrond?
Líriel raised her hand to her chest in a gesture of respect.
"Hail Elrohir of Rivendell," she said in a clear voice, "I am Líriel and I hail from the Firien Wood. I am a messenger, come with tidings for the Lord of Rivendell regarding enemy movements in the South."
"I have never heard of any elven settlement in the Firien Wood," said Elrohir.
Líriel was prepared for this. "My home could hardly be called a settlement. There are only a few of us now. We live mostly in isolation, but the recent activity around Mordor has us under threat. That is why I am here - to share information and ask for advice."
Elrohir frowned. "And you made this long journey alone? That is a long and dangerous trek to make by yourself."
"We couldn't afford to send a larger group. The rest of my folk are needed to keep our home safe, and of all of us, I have the most experience of dealing with strangers. I am one of only two that speaks the Common language. It is a great cost to our settlement to spare even just myself, but we had no other choice. It is our hope that, in return for the information we provide, the Lords of Rivendell might be able to give us some counsel regarding the defence of our own home."
Was that too rehearsed?
Elrohir stared at her for a few moments, and then seemed to come to a decision. He turned to his guards, who were watching silently.
"I will escort the lady to Rivendell myself. The rest of you may return to your patrols."
The guards nodded and silently disappeared into the trees.
"Shall we?," said Elrohir, indicating that he and Líriel should head into the forest. She followed him without comment.
"Rivendell is not far from here - we should reach it by sundown if we keep a good pace."
Líriel did not respond. She was preoccupied with her surroundings. The forest seemed far more alive than any wood she had ever visited before. She reached out to touch the bark of a weathered oak tree, and was surprised to hear what sounded like a voice murmuring quietly. Jumping back, she turned to Elrohir.
"I'm sorry my Lord, did you say something?"
He glanced at her quizzically. "That was the tree you heard, not I."
"The tree?"
"Yes. Do the trees of Gondor not speak?"
Líriel wasn't sure how to reply. Trees talking was not something that been covered in her lessons with Sainor. I've been here hardly five minutes and already I'm out of my depth.
She forced a neutral expression to her face. "Perhaps many years ago, when the land was still light of heart and the forests were full of life, but I have never known the trees there to speak. Perhaps it was the darkness of Mordor that stilled their voices."
"Indeed, perhaps."
They continued in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. She glanced over at him at length, to find him staring curiously at the swords that hung at her waist.
"Has staring at my weapons given you any answers, my Lord?"
He grinned, as if he was unashamed to be caught staring, "No indeed. I must confess that they have left me even more perplexed. I have never met anyone like you. Not just those swords. Your appearance, your garb… all very mysterious. But I shall not tire you with endless questions. You must be weary from your journey here, and my father will doubtless wish to have an audience with you as soon as we arrive. I'm sure my curiosity will be settled then."
"Your father?"
"Yes, my father is Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell."
Líriel grinned inwardly. So I was correct. This opportunity is a gift.
"Ah, then I was correct in addressing you as a lord," she said, trying not to sound too interested.
"You will find that we are quite informal in Rivendell. I am known as Elrohir, and nothing more," he told her, matching her bland voice with a blandness in his own. "It seems as though you have not visited Rivendell before, or am I mistaken?"
"You guess correctly. I have spent most of my life thus far living in the forests of Gondor. Most of my contact with strangers has been with traders in the towns of Men. In fact, I have probably met more Edain than Eldar in my life. I'm looking forward to seeing how more of my kin live."
"I can understand that," he said, giving her a friendly smile. "If you like, I could tell you a little about the history of Rivendell as we walk."
Yes! "That would be very agreeable, my Lord," she said, suppressing her enthusiasm.
"Elrohir," he corrected firmly, before launching into a thorough history of his city.
Their trek through the woods passed in this way. Líriel focused intently, carefully sifting through the information and mentally filing away useful facts for later perusal. She also took the opportunity to observe the elf more closely. He was dark-haired, like her, but had a fair complexion that was a stark contrast to her own tanned, weathered skin. Of course he finds me strange.
At a suitable pause in the conversation, she took the opportunity to ask a question.
"Tell me, is Rivendell solely a home for the elven-kind? Do no other races live here?"
"That is correct, at least for most of our history. Recently my father took in a halfling as his guest, but other than this, Rivendell is home to only the Eldar. Why do you ask?"
"I am used to living close to Men, and I wondered if it was similar here."
He seemed to accept this, and shortly resumed his histories, but this time Líriel didn't pay as much attention. She was pondering the implications of his words. The man she sought was supposed to live in Rivendell. Sainor had never been wrong before. Was this guard lying to her? That would be make sense. For this man to be worth sending me all the way across half the continent, he would certainly have to be very valuable. Perhaps they're aware that he is a target and hide his presence from outsiders.
Eventually they rounded a bend, and suddenly there it was before them, nestled into a valley - "The Last Homely House East of the Sea," Elrohir remarked to Líriel.
She stood completely still, staring down at the valley below her. She was at a loss for words. Her first glimpse of an elven city and it was beautiful beyond compare.
"Yes, Rivendell does often have that effect on visitors," remarked Elrohir with amusement. "It is beautiful, is it not?"
She suddenly remembered his presence. "Y-yes." She cleared her throat. "Yes indeed. It is very beautiful."
It is unlike me to stumble over words. But arriving here - seeing the city - had brought home the magnitude of the task that was in front of her. This would be far more difficult than anything she had done before.
As they approached the courtyard that marked the entrance to the city proper, Líriel realised that there was already a small party of people waiting for them. They walked through the archway and she saw that there were three people waiting for them. One who was identical Elrohir - that must be his twin, Elladan. In the middle stood one who radiated age and wisdom, despite looking no older than a Man of sixty years. And that must be Lord Elrond. On Elrond's other side stood an elf-maiden who was the most beautiful woman Líriel had ever seen. Arwen Undómiel.
Elrohir immediately moved forwards to greet the group. "Ah, good day father," he said jovially. "I see that you have been forewarned of our arrival."
Elrond ignored him and turned to Líriel, who was waiting with trepidation. He raised his hand to his chest in a gesture of friendliness.
"It is rare indeed for us to receive strangers here in Rivendell. And at this particular time… that is very interesting to me. Tell me of yourself," he said in a friendly voice, although Líriel perceived that he was very likely more suspicious than he seemed. She immediately launched into a description of herself, naming all of the things she told Elrohir earlier. Elrond observed her with interest, but did not interrupt her. When she was finished, he nodded slowly, and appeared to be pondering something.
"I have not heard of elves living in the Firien Wood before, but it does not surprise me. When the people of Edhellond sailed West, some that wished to remain travelled east and settled here and there. It is not unheard of for small groups of elves to be living in isolation, even in these dangerous days."
Elrond smiled at Líriel with something that seemed like kindness. She was uncertain of what to say. He was a lot less grim and stern than Sainor had led her to believe. Elrond leaned forward suddenly and clapped her on the shoulder.
"Come, come! Any information you have to share with us will be welcome indeed. Oft does help come from unexpected quarters! But not tonight, for I perceive that you are weary from your travels, and need rest. You may stay in Rivendell for as long as you wish, and I will endeavour to advise you on your troubles - although I fear that I cannot bring you much comfort. But that can all wait until tomorrow, although I warn you - my councillors and I are likely to have many questions indeed. For now, I will have someone see you to a guest room."
"I am in your debt, my Lord," said Líriel, bowing deeply, "Truly, I did not expect such hospitality towards a stranger. These are, as you say, troubled times. I hope I can repay you tomorrow with what I know…", she trailed off and seemed to ponder something. "Before I go, I must ask. How did you know of our coming? We kept a good pace for the entire hike."
"Our forest has many creatures, and some of them are our friends," he said, with a smile, "but we can speak more of this in the morning. Good night, Lady Líriel."
At that moment, an elf appeared at her elbow to show her to her room, and raising her hand to her chest in a parting gesture, she allowed herself to be led away.
Thanks for reading! Please review if you have any thoughts. I'm also looking for a beta-reader, let me know if you'd be interested :)
