Chapter 1

Where to begin? I've been asking myself that question for some time; I could start with where I grew up, or when my mother died, yet none of those fit. So I guess I will have to start in the middle and go from there, some stories are better that way anyway.

Tree, but not just any trees, I knew these woods. This was the forest around Rivendale, my home. But I had no time to loose; the birds said that Alice was at the courtyard of lord Elrond's house. I had to make sure my sister was alright. With fear griping my heart, I ran as fast as I could, all of my strength I put into my legs to carry me to the courtyard. My breath was ragged, my lungs burned, there was the sound of metal; I stopped dead in my tracks. I knew that sound. I hated that sound. That was the sound of slave of driver. A slave driver! The same as the ones I use to fight. The birds screamed so many things I couldn't make out what they were saying all I understood was that they were scared of the slavers. I decide it would be better not to stay long, with my breathe back to normal I ran; I crossed the small brook that was about five miles away from "the last homely house, this side of the Sea." Mother told me that many times as a child. Many fond memories came to mind with phrase, a slight smile came across my face.

The few miles are always the hardest. I still heard the sound of metal it was faint but still there I was, however, not expecting the sight I saw in the courtyard of lord Elrond's house. There was Gandalf standing next to Lord Elrond and thirteen dwarves and what appeared to be a Halfling. I'd never seen one before but according to Gandalf's stories he looked like one. But surprised me the most was that my brother, Thorin was standing there. My last understanding was that dwarves and elves had no dealings.

Now comes a very hard task indeed….. Do I make myself known to my brother or do I keep it a secret. I don't get a chance to make that decision. I see Alice standing close to Lord Elrond, talking quickly.

"Alice." I say in a middle tone.

"There you are! Where's Becky?!"

"I thought she was with you."

"No. We got separated!"

I stood there a moment, looking no where's in particular. In that moment I heard Lady Galadriel's voice in my head: "No more hiding. Become who you were born to be." I looked up at Lord Elrond, he spoke the same in elvish. I looked up and whistled; as I did so a simmer cascade across my body. A slight gasp left the dwarves; all but a two who remembered who I was. Master Balin and my brother; they knew who I was; they knew that the form that they now saw was mine. The gift of hiding I had used for many years to survive, showing my true form was now hard to do. The Halfling just looked at me with awe.

Birds from the trees flew up out of the trees; as they did they sang choirs. That choir told me where Becky was as well as Carlos. At the end they said something I did not like at all.

"Lord Elrond may I have the use of a horse?"

"Yes, of course. Take some of my men with you."

"Thank you."

I jumped up onto his black horse and turned and galloped down the road. Lord Elrond yelled back, he called out elvish names; the horse paused as I nudged the horse he took off he saw where I wanted to go. The tresses were a blur; I could hear Becky crying; I also heard the slave driver with his slaves, must have been five fighters; I didn't want to deal with that, not right now at least.

We got to where Becky was, and she fell into my arms sobbing. She signed furiously; "I was scared I got left behind. Where'd everyone go?"

I signed back: "No we didn't leave you we you we just got separated. I will always find you. We are going to find Carlos, and I will show you where we went."

"Ok."

She got on the horse with me I showed the horse where the birds showed me where Carlos was. He had found a hollowed out log to lay in. he was so bloody that even I wondered if he was still alive. I hope and prayed to both dwarven and elvish gods that he somehow pull through this. He was finally somewhere safe; where we could stay. We found him about eight and half miles away from Rivendall.

"Carlos! Carlos!"

"Tellanna?" he murmured.

"Carlos, you have to stay awake! I'm going to take you somewhere safe, ok? But you need to stay awake!"

"Ok."

The guards helped me get him on the horse, he was limp. His right leg had a gash about two inches wide and four inches deep that was as long as my hand. His left arm had a shot gun wound his left side had a knife wound, and those were just the few I saw. I knew there were many more. The horse knew that he was not well.

Once Carlos was on the horse, the horse sent me a thought of running but it was not him running, black manes, with metal spiked harness. The worse part was they were main road to Rivendall. I felt panic rising. In my mind I knew that I would have to fight the slavers fighters, yet my heart didn't want anything to do with slavers anymore. Yet I also knew who it was, I wanted to shatter his little world that he had made for himself; and kill him the way he usually executed his slaves that lost him money.

I got on the horse, and gave the horse an image of lord Elrond's house. The horse went at a good pace; I worried and kept Carlos awake. Becky was scared out of her mind. All I knew was we had to get home before the slavers got there; I also was trying to figure out what to do with Alice, my brother. Both would want answers and time was against me. My mind raced with millions of thoughts all at once; in that moment I'm not sure I knew what I was thinking. But for some reason I remembered something my mother had told me: "Family, Honor, and Freedom." It was something she lived by, this was the best answer I could give them both.