Chapter 1: Rivendell

I marveled at the beauty before me. Although I have been here before with my mother, this experience was so much more powerful after all of the heartache I have been through. I readjusted my cloak and urged my pony into the valley, as I let the calming peace of Rivendell wash over me. At the end of the path, I was met by a tall, dark-haired elf with a band of soldiers.

He spoke to me in the Elvish tongue, "Cousin, what are you doing here? Where is Aunt Elrona?"

I bowed my head and replied sadly, "I have come to seek Lord Elrond's aid. My mother is dead."

My cousin looked startled by my news, and his soldiers bowed their heads in respect. "I am sorry for your loss, Cousin dear. Please, come with

Please, come with me."

I had my pony follow my cousin, Elrohir, and his retinue. When we reached the front entrance to the palace, one of the soldiers helped me dismount and took my pony to the stables. Elrohir strode over to me, giving me a big hug. My head only came to the bottom of his chest, but it was a comforting hug. After a few moments, he let me go and offered his arm to me. He led me up the curved stairs and through the palace, finally stopping in front of two beautifully carved white oak doors. He knocked and went inside, having me stay behind, then returned a few seconds later to invite me inside.

The sunlight poured through the large windows and door of the balcony, lighting the room greatly. Lord Elrond stood on the balcony, turning at my entrance. I ran up to my uncle, burying my head in his chest to hide the tears that were finally escaping. At first, he was surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around me.

"Niece, it is a pleasure to see you again, but what is wrong, my child? Where is your mother?"

I tried to control my tears as I looked into my uncle's face. "She is dead, Uncle. I am all alone in this world now."

Elrond's eyes began to tear up, and he hugged me closer. "It is going to be alright, my child. You will always have a home here in Rivendell. We shall have a ceremony to celebrate your mother's life once you are settled in."

I nodded and he dried my eyes. "I am sorry I did not give you sooner warning, Uncle. After she died, I did not know what to do. I had to take care of her body, and then packed as I could no longer stay in that house without her."

"Nonsense, Sirana. You did the right thing. Come now, let us get you to a room so that you may rest; you have had a long and difficult journey."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Elrond nodded at me, and looked up at Elrohir. "Please find a room for your cousin and help her settle in."

"Yes, Father."

"Go with your cousin, and when you are rested and refreshed, come to dinner. Then we can talk more."

I nodded and dried the remaining tears off my cheek, going to Elrohir. The two of us walked in silence to a room not far from Elrond's. He opened the door to let me inside, and assured me that anything I needed would be provided: all I needed to do was ask. Then he left me to change.

The room was much like my uncle's: open and airy, with light pouring through from the balcony, and silky white curtains and bed hangings. I placed my large bag in the corner, where my other bags from my pony were laid. I filled the large pot over the fire with water from the spring that flowed by the balcony, allowing it to heat up. Then I carefully poured it into the tub in the bathing room off my bedroom. I disrobed and climbed carefully into the tub, allowing the hot water to wash the grime of my travel and sadness of my heartache from my body. Once I was certain I was clean, I wrapped the plush towel around me and went back to my room to search for a dress from my bag.

After dressing in my favorite cotton, green dress, I looked in the mirror. I was tall for a lady dwarf, because of the Elven blood on my mother's side, but without the beard of most lady dwarves (again because of my mother). I was not thin like most elves, but I was not as stocky as most dwarves either. I re-braided my long, brown hair to pull it back from my face and out of my green eyes. Satisfied that this was the best I could appear under the circumstances, I left my room and hoped to find the dining area from my memory of my last visit.

I found it without getting too lost, and found my uncle, cousins, and a grey-haired figure who had their back turned to me. At my approach, Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen looked up. The figure saw their reactions, and turned slowly to face me. It was none other than Gandalf the Grey, the great wizard.

"Gandalf, it has been a long time since I have seen you. How are you?"

"Quite tired from a long journey, but I am well. Better than I hear you are faring, my dear."

"Indeed," I looked down sadly.

"Come and join us, Niece."

I took my place besides Gandalf, and Elladan continued reporting to his father about the day's patrol. Gandalf leaned closer to me, and whispered softly in my ear, "I believe I have information about someone for you. Is there somewhere we might speak in private later?"

I looked at him confused, but nodded and whispered back, "Meet me by the moon well after the moon rises."

Gandalf nodded and the conversation between my cousin and uncle ended. The rest of the meal was spent in catching up with my cousins, uncle, and Gandalf. After dinner, with a glass of wine, finally came the sad part, when my uncle asked what had transpired from the last time he heard from his sister.

I took a deep breath and began my explanation: "After my mother last wrote to you, she grew ill. I tried everything based on the herbs we had and what she taught me of healing to make her better, but nothing I did worked. I was in the middle of writing to you for help and trying to prepare to bring her here when she stopped me. She told me it was her time to die, that she had been apart from my father long enough. She said she did not wish to leave me like this, but she could not hold off her choice between mortality and immortality much longer. She passed away that night, and she told me to come here so that I would not be alone."

Everyone at the table was solemnly quiet. Finally, Elrond looked up to the sky and closed his eyes. "You had great strength until the very end, Sister. May you find your husband and your peace," he raised his glass at the last word, opening his eyes to invite the others to join in his toast. "To Elrona!"

We finished the toast and drank our wine, and I asked to be excused. I walked around the small garden, stopping to look in the moon well and letting the tears fall freely into the water below. I heard someone clear his throat behind me, and turned to see Gandalf. I dried my eyes quickly and looked to him.

"Gandalf,"

"Sirana, thank you for meeting me here. What I wish to tell you, I do not know if you would want your uncle hearing. As I understand it, he never quite approved of your mother marrying a dwarf, did he?"

"No, but he always supported her after my father died in the battle at the Mines of Moria alongside King Thror."

"Of course. Well, if I am correct, you know of another dwarf. One whom you know as Thorn, correct?"

"How did you know? Only my mother and I know of him, and I'm the only one to have met him."

"Because my dear, I traveled with him to your house when he was supposed to be coming to get you and your mother to take you away with him. And when we arrived at your house, we found it empty and you were gone, with only a note left behind for him. Of course, once we were there, I knew who you truly were, and assumed you came here. He does not know that I am here, but if you would still like to go with him, I can take you to him."

"He came for me?" I started crying once again, feeling hope for my future life. I knew I could never be truly accepted in Rivendell, for I was not truly like the others. Many of my father's dwarven traits had been passed on to me, I could never completely fit in with elves.

"Yes, he loves you dearly. But, if you agree to go, there is something you must know. While he was traveling, he was forced to hide his identity. The man you will be going back to will still be the same man, but others know him by a very different name."

"What do you mean?"

"My dear, you have captured the heart of none other than the great Prince of Erebor, Thorin Oakenshield."