Chapter One:
Introduction of Lhydell
Disclaimer: I do not, unfortunately, own LOTR
Lhydell yawned and stretched her legs, the sun was just down in the west and the North Star shone brightly in the crisp winter sky, and she was soon to be relieved of her watch by her favourite cousin, Wherul.
'First of all,' Lhydell wondered to herself, 'why by the lost light should the Shire need such a steady watch in the first place. Bree does not have this rigid a guard, nor do any of the other lands we keep under our sight. Secondly, why has this already absurd guard been doubled?'
Of course, Lhydell knew as all the Dundain knew that the shadow in the east was again risen and that the Grey Istari had discovered the dark Morgoth servant creating evil in Dol Guldur, but she did not understand why Mirthandir was so concerned about the sleepy land of the Shire. How could the borders to the Hobbit's land be so in need of watching when the rest of the middle earth knew not of its existence?
These thoughts weighed heavily on Lhydell's mind and she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she did not notice Wherul until he touched her shoulder, making her jump.
Wherul, his dark green eyes sparkling with amusement, tried his hardest not to laugh as his younger cousin gasped for air.
"You jerk," Lhydell pushed him jokingly, "I nearly took your head off."
It wasn't until she said this that Wherul saw the twin blades shining brightly in her hands, he gulped, realizing how bad a scare he had given her and how badly his trick might have turned if she had been any less attentive.
"Twice," he commented as she sheathed her long knives and sat back down onto the fallen limb she had been seated on. "Sorry I am a touch late, there have been reports of strangers wandering up the road and towards the Shire. Adair says to come see her as soon as you get back, she seemed rather anxious to talk."
Lhydell cocked her head to the side, "What does she want to talk to me about?"
Wherul sighed and stretched out on the limb beside her, vainly pushing his long brown hair out of his eyes for a moment before it fell back again, "I don't know, mellon nin. She was getting a back of vitals together and two horses prepared, so I think you might be in for a journey. Perhaps you will be joining cousin Estel and the twins for an orc hunt in the hills; if you do, give my regards to Aragorn for me. I've not seen hide nor hair of him for going on five years."
"And neither have I, cousin. To think! Ha, after all, I am his favourite cousin, am I not?"
Both laughed and the tall ranger gave his cousin a friendly bump of his shoulder, "of course, Little, of course."
Lhydell snorted and bumped him back, she didn't like being reminded of her infamous nickname 'little', which was derived from her rather unique, 'ground hugging' stature.
This is what made Lhydell such an asset to watching the halfling lands, she was short enough to pass for a bit taller hobbit than usual, and could travel easier through places such as Bree and the Shire relatively unnoticed – She even had a halfling name, Rosie Greenhill!
Although this was a good thing for one thing, as they say, it was a bad thing for another, and her friends and kin teased her constantly.
The news of a possible chance to go with her friend Adair on a journey was a refreshing change from the monotonous task of guarding the Shire, one that – if it should be offered – would not be passed up.
With a last smile and pat on the back, Lhydell rose from her perch and disappeared into the underbrush, slowly and quietly making her way back to the villa where Adair waited.
Chapter Two:
Preparations.
Once Wherul had left to take over Lhydell's post, Adair had gone into overdrive finding maps, provisions, extra clothing, and other such stuff needed for the journey to Imladris.
Lhydell was hard to find cloths – not to mention a horse – for, being just less than five feet tall. Generally, on short notice, she wore children's cloths, but there were no children here at the Dundain villa, only those warriors and wanderers called 'rangers' by the Bree and Shire folk.
Once the four bags needed were packed full Adair let herself sit down for a moment and rest.
'By Eru,' she wondered tiredly, 'why are the little one and I summoned to Imladris?'
Not long before a messenger had ridden into the villa with the news that Lhydell Lornin's daughter and Adair of Ithilin were to ride as soon as possible to Imladris, where they would then learn what they are needed for.
Before Adair had time to question the young Elven rider, he had switched to a fresh horse and was off, riding hard for Rivendell, which had frustrated her to no end.
This had only been a last throwback in an already bad day; they had taken two vile looking southerner's who they had caught trying to sneak into the South Farthing, and another stranger had picked a fight with a long ranger on the road past Buckland.
All had said they were simply curious travellers who had never seen halflings before and had only wished to see one, and all were rather put out when their escorts walked them to the Prancing Pony in Bree where several Hobbits could be found drinking and smoking weed among the men and dwarves in the common room.
Besides that, Adair had received word that an old friend had left for the west, without bidding farewell to her.
No, this had not been a particularly fun day for the blond haired ranger, and Eru was she not in the mood for the riddles of Elves, especially those of Lord Elrond of Rivendell.
'Ah well,' she thought, reaching for the necklace around her neck, 'at least I will have some time to talk with Lhydell. She's a very sympathetic listener, unlike these jerks.'
As she turned that thought over in her mind Lhydell knocked and entered into her friend's rooms. The small ranger eyed the bags next to the door and the nearly asleep blond next to the fire and grinned, "So, where are we going now?"
Adair started and glanced over to her friend, "Imladris, mellon nin, we have riddles to solve and elves to frustrate."
"How about a kinsman to journey with," Lhydell smiled, meaning Estel.
"Strider? No, he's in the south, last I heard. Looking for someone for Mithrandir, I believe."
Lhydell looked downfallen, like a child who realises that they won't be getting a long expected present.
"Oh, well… so, to Imladris you say? When do we leave?"
Adair chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm, "tomorrow morn; and don't worry, I have secured you a mount that won't be too high to fall off of. You get Pathia, that lovely pony my brother Arden brought from Rohan last year."
Lhydell nodded with a terrific yawn, signalling to the older ranger that it was time for her to sleep. Adair yawned in agreement and dismissed her after affirming that she would be ready to ride first light tomorrow.
As the two female Dunadain warriors fell asleep Aragorn, in the lands near to Mordor, followed the trail of Gollum, and Curunin – Saruman – turned his thoughts towards the heavily guarded Shire that was quickly becoming more and more interesting in his eyes.