Disclaimer: If Lotr belonged to me, well suffice to say I would be rich and so not in college!! I own nothing but the plot and all the characters you dont recognize!
~~~A Grim Morn~~~
"A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be. Albert Einstein"
Tired and weary, she forced herself to go on. She could not afford to slow down. As she spurred her horse to go faster, she felt a cold fear clench her heart. And then she heard it. The harsh sound of the wind. She turned her head to see three horsemen chasing her. She could not stand and fight. She was already too weary. Around her the trees grew thinner and she reached the bank of a river. She paid no heed but urged her mare to cross the river. But it was too late, one of the horsemen had caught up to her. Ominous, he looked, in his black cloak which hid his face. "You can not hope to run forever." he spat " foolish wench. Do you think you could outrun me.?" She would not go down without a fight. "I won't run then but neither will I ever submit to you. You are foolish indeed if you think I will." "Then you shall die." He laughed, it was a cold sound devoid of warmth. But she did not flinch. She was descended from a long line of mystical warriors. Even if her strength was weakening she would never show it. She drew her sword, long and keen it was and it shone as though on fire. "Coward your master is, nothing more. Sending his slaves to do a bidding for he is afraid of a woman" she taunted. The horseman was the first to lose his calm. He pulled his horse into a run his sword aiming for her head. Dodging the blow, she conjured a fireball throwing it into his back. As his screams echoed down the valley she galloped across the river, just as the other horsemen arrived. She spurred her horse into the woods ahead. She knew she wouldn't make it. She had lost too much blood already and that display had drained her. She had neither the physical strength nor the mental one and slowly her hold on the reigns loosened as she fell from her horse unconscious.
Lord Eldrond was in the midst of a council. "The situation at Mirkwood goes out of hand! Flames and smoke have been seen coming from the tower of Dol Guldur. Thranduil's folk can not hold out forever, especially if the necromancer has returned" Erestor said. "Indeed. Erestor speaks the truth Elrond." said Glorfindel "We will be next if Mirkwood falls, and so will Lothlorien.." He was cut off by the the sons of Elrond who rushed into the room. "Ringwraiths. They are on the other side of the Bruinen. They appeared to have been chasing something." "Ringwraiths? By the Valar, that is ill news indeed! Make haste gwennyn. Find what they were after. The waters of the Bruinen will keep them from crossing. Glorfindel with go with you and so shall Tildur. Make haste" said Elrond. The twins nodded without a word and left. Glorfindel rose from his seat bowed briefly to Elrond and followed the twins. "You were right Erestor. I will speak to the Lady Galadriel and we shall discuss what is to be done" said Elrond heavily. Erestor made no reply. He knew what it meant. "Do not worry my liege. We must first find out whether the necromancer has returned or not. Otherwise the only trouble Mirkwood will have is from the brutish beasts the forest houses. And Thranduil is well capable of taking care of it. Know you not that his son is a great warrior?" said Erestor comfortingly. "Tis true what you speak, yet there is also the matter of the dragon. I fear to even send for Undomiel from Lorien till this is resolved. Mithrandir promised to take care of it but I have yet to see him. It has been nigh 4 months since he left." sighed Elrond. Erestor could not say anything. The same thought had passed through his mind. Where was Gandalf?
"They've vanished!" cried Elrohir in disbelief "How is that possible? They were here not moments ago." "Perhaps, this answers your question, sinerme fin" said Glorfindel gesturing to the burnt cloak which lay near the river. "Someone is here then. They must have crossed the river. We must find whoever it is. They might be wounded" said Elladan, ever the calmer of the two. All three spurred their horses and crossed the river. Once they had crossed to the other side, Glorfindel dismounted from the horse and walked a few paces ahead. "Just as I thought" he declared triumphantly "horse tracks. We follow them we find what we seek." "Then let us not tarry" said Elrohir impatiently "if he is wounded we must take him back to adar before he is beyond anyone's help." "Indeed" said Glorfindel while Elladan shook his head in exasperation. Elrohir's impatience was well known to everyone. As they followed the trail into the forests Elladan took this opportunity to needle Glorfindel about his meeting with his adar. "Well, what happened?" he demanded. Glorfindel had taught the two young elves all they knew about combat. He might have been a teacher but his pupils had grown up around Glorfindel and had trouble thinking of him as a teacher. They knew him only as a councillor to their father and as an older brother to them. "What happened where?" asked Glorfindel.
He wasn't about to give away information to Elladan who was known to be hot tempered. Especially not when it involved the fact that one of his closest friends since childhood, Legolas, the son of King Thranduil, the ruler of Mirkwood may be in danger. Elrond would skin him alive if Elladan and Elrohir took off to help Thranduil in Mirkwood. They had long held the belief that the Necromancer was responsible for what had happened to their mother. "Do not play guessing games with me Glorfindel! What were you, adar and Erestor discussing, closeted in the library?" asked Elladan irritably. "Nothing" Glorfindel answered. Seeing Elladan was about to say something, he quickly interrupted him before his temper rose "We were wondering where Gandalf had gone. He left here so long back, we were wondering whether we should look for him. That is all. Now come we must ride faster." "There is no need" came the voice of Elrohir "I have found who were searching for". Glorfindel reigned his horse to a stop and spotted what Elrohir was talking about. "Tis a woman!" he said astonished. "And that seems to be her mount" added Elrohir glancing at the horse which stood there. "She seems to be injured. We must get her to your father. Quickly now, Elladan, ride ahead to tell your father. Elrohir and I will bring the horse and her. Make haste!" Elladan nodded and dug his heels into the sides of his horse spurring it into a gallop. Meanwhile Elrohir picked up the woman gingerly. "She seems to be gravely wounded" he said looking at the blood which had dried on her forehead. He gave her to Glorfindel and as he took his hand away it was covered in blood. "Yes." said Glorfindel worriedly "bring her mount Elrohir. I will bear her. Swiftly now. Noro lim Asfaloth, noro lim" With that the two riders sped off toward Rivendell wondering who the mysterious stranger was.