Always Alone.
Chapter 1
New Story, read enjoy and review.
There once was a young woman who never knew where to go for she never knew where she came from. She didn't belong anywhere. People never knew what she really was. She didn't look like an elf for sure. She looked like a woman but was too short to be considered of the race of men. And too tall to be considered a dwarf. She considered herself of medium size for she barely taller than a dwarf and considerably shorter than the average woman of Middle Earth. She has long dark hair that she always braided and green eyes like her mother. According to her mother she inherited her brown lock from her father. She once had a home but that was a long time ago for she no longer has one. Her real name was unknown but she was called Eilif. Eilif meant "always alone," she inherited this name from the rangers. Indeed Eilif was always alone and she never looked for the company of others. Not because she didn't like company but because she never felt like she belonged. She's always been out of place. Adding to this, she was a thief and no one really trusted her. She only stole what she needed and nothing too valuable. Eilif does have a name that the world has forgotten long ago. A name that she sometimes herself forgot, but if she thought hard enough, she could remember her name. But it was best forgotten, for now.
Her only belongings were her mother's necklace and a lullaby that once sang by a king. A song that she carries with her anywhere she went. She walked the lands aimlessly, never staying at one place for too long. She never once thought that one day, she'll have a goal, and she'll have a reason to walk the lands. She never thought for once that she will live an adventure of a lifetime. She never thought for once that she'll belong. It all started at Bree, in a little inn called the Prancing Pony. She was sitting at her table in a corner where she would be unseen by the others. It's not the first time that she was coming here. The old Butterbur knew her enough to let her have a bed for nothing. In fact, Butterbur was one of those rare people who seemed to consider her a friend. She has helped him in the past with customers who won't pay and who would fight in his inn. For her services, Butterbur gave her a room. So, this was their arrangements, she'll stop by and in exchange of a comfortable bed she'll help him with his customers. Tonight, things seemed calm, except maybe those four hobbits that looked nervous. She kept an eye on them all evening. She didn't see that somewhere in this room there was a man who kept an eye on her as well as on the hobbit. This man wasn't sure of her intention towards the hobbit and therefore decided to watch her for the hobbits' safety.
The evening went by and one of the hobbits joined a group of men and she stopped watching, judging them to be harmless. The man seeing that she stopped looking, stopped worrying about her. But sometimes things can get out of control. Especially when one of the hobbits vanished in thin air right before your eyes. She didn't know what kind of magic it was but it was powerful. The hobbit was invisible and judging by the stunned looks on the face of his companions, they were wondering how he did that. One of the hobbits looked in one of the corner of the room and sprang up to ask some question to Butterbur. Accompanied by his two friends, they rushed up the stairs to find their friend who has been taken by the man. She went to Butterbur and asked what the hobbit wanted to know. He answered that they wanted to know where the Ranger's, named Strider, room was. Butterbur also asked her to not get involved with this Strider. And she listened to him, she didn't get involved.
The old Butterbur gave her a room and left her a plate of food. She was deep in slumber when she heard the shrieks of some dark creatures of the night. She recognised them to be the Nazgul. Nine black riders who were once nine kings. They fell under the power of the rings. Everyone in Middle Earth heard of them, they had been awakened a few years ago and started to walk the lands again. Eilif sat up in her bed and couldn't go back to sleep. One question was running in her mind what where they doing in Bree, and as she realised, what were they doing at the Prancing Pony? She didn't leave her room until dawn. As she usually do, she left without a words of farewell to Butterbur. The latter knowing her habits prepared some foods for her trip, knowing well that she won't be able to find any on the road. Knowing also, that her destination was still unknown to her. She left wordlessly and went back to walk the lands, not knowing where she will go. She walked to the South.
For several days she walked and during the nights she could hear the shrieks of the Nazgul. They were far from her but they were getting closer by day. She wondered who they were following. As long as they're not following her, she'll be fine. She arrived at the hill of Weathertop. She was planning on spending the night there but the place was already taken as she saw a fire. She walked closer but remained hidden. She heard someone shouted at another one and the fire has been put out and the Nazgul shrieked in the dead silence of the night. Eilif was close enough to see the shape of the Black Riders who walked to the people that were sleeping there. She would have let them deal with the black riders but she caught a glimpse of the hobbits that she saw at the Prancing Pony six nights ago. She sprang into action and she ran to her rescue. Eilif doesn't usually help people unless she really has to. If those people appears defenceless to her eyes and those four hobbits appeared powerless and defenceless. It raised more questions, though. Why are the black riders after those hobbits? Why would anyone ever hurt a hobbit for the matter? She dropped her bags on the ground and fought side by side with the man she believed to be Strider. Strider was holding a torch and she has nothing more than her sword. She swung her sword through the air not really touching the wraith. She dodged their attack. Strider has set one of them on fire and he threw her his torch and she did the same. Most of them were chased away but a last one tempted his chance as he walked to the hobbits. Eilif threw the torch at him and he was also set on fire. And just like the others he ran away. One of the hobbits has been hurt. Strider and Eilif walked to them. Strider crouched down to the hobbits.
"He was stabbed by a morgul blade." Strider stated. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine." He said scooping the hobbit in his arm.
"Where are you taking him?" I questioned behind him. "Why are the Nazgul after him?"
"I'm taking him to the elves and as to why? It's better if you don't know." Strider said walking and carrying the hobbit while the three others followed them.
"Fine, don't say. But we're six days from Rivendell, he'll never make it." Eilif told him. Strider didn't answer and kept walking.
They were trotting through the woods. Strider and Frodo, as she came to know, in the front and she was at the rear making sure the hobbit won't fall behind. They stopped near three trolls who had been caught by the sunlight. Eilif has the feeling that she knew those trolls; it was the same as in her mother's story.
"Look, Frodo, it's Mister Bilbo's trolls." She heard Sam said to the wounded hobbit. Eilif's interest was picked by this name, because somehow she heard it somewhere. She was standing near Strider, watching around them. "He's going cold." Sam called to them.
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked. They didn't have time to introduce themselves. It's just that Eilif is really good at listening. She has heard them talked among themselves and she picked up their name pretty quickly.
"He's passing into the shadow world." Strider informed them. "He'll soon become wraith like them." They heard the wraith shrieked in the cold night.
"We have to do something." She urgently said to Strider.
"They're close." Merry said.
"Sam!" Strider said softly walking to the hobbit. "Do you know the Athelas plant?" Strider asked him.
"The Athelas?" Sam repeated.
"Kingsfoil." Strider clarified.
"Kingsfoil, aye, it's a weed." Sam replied.
"It may help to slow the poisoning." He explained to Sam. "Hurry!" They both went looking for the Athelas and Eilif remained behind with the hobbits. She crouched down next to Frodo and touched his forehead. Sam was right, he was getting cold and his eyes were hollow. She doubted that the hobbit could still see a thing. His friends were frantic and worried about him. Strider came back with a She-elf. She crouched down and examined Frodo's wound. She looked majestic. And Eilif wondered if all the Elves were like her.
"Who is she?" Merry asked.
"Good question." She replied. Strider crouched down next to her and chewed on the Athelas before applying on Frodo's shoulder.
"She's an elf." Sam answered to Merry.
"He's fading." The Elf Lady stated. "He's not going to last." She spoke to Strider. "We must get him to my father." Strider scooped up Frodo in his arms.
"Where are you taking him?" Merry asked them.
"I've been looking for you for two days." The beautiful lady continued. "There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know." They started to speak in Elvish. Eilif never spoke the Elvish language, so just like the hobbits she didn't understand and was confused. But there are some things that didn't escape her eyes. She saw in their hushed conversation and from their closeness that they both cared for each other deeply. "I do not fear them." The lady assured to Strider. He seemed reassured or resigned to let her ride. He helped her mounted her horse.
"Arwen…ride hard. Don't look back." He advised her. And Arwen, as we now know, ride off, leaving Strider, Eilif and the hobbits behind.
"What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there." Sam shouted at Strider.
The beauty of Rivendell has amazed Eilif as soon as she arrived there. They were welcomed by the elves and taken to Frodo's side. Eilif would lie if she said that she wasn't glad to see that the Halfling was safe. Sam remained by his side and Eilif was led to a room where she could rest and have a good bath. She wouldn't be able to tell when the last time she had a warm bath was. And the bed was nothing like the bed she had at the Prancing Pony. It was decent bed but here it was a comfortable bed. The Elves borrowed her; a dress that has been cut to fit her size. She wandered in the beautiful garden of Rivendell. Stunned by the beauty of the trees and the waterfalls. She thought for one second that she stay here a bit longer maybe until Frodo woke up. She caught a glimpse of Strider leaning in one of the balcony. She would have gone and talked to him but he was in deep conversation with a man all dressed in grey. But she wasn't alone.
"Meldamiriel, my dear friend!" A hobbit older than the one she travelled with exclaimed when he saw her. "Melda, it's me Bilbo Baggins."
"Nice to meet you, dear Master Baggins but I'm not Meldamiriel." She replied. "She was my mother. People know me as Eilif."
"I'm sorry, my dear but you look exactly like her." Bilbo apologised to her.
"Don't worry, there's no harm done." She smiled kindly.
"What has she become?" Bilbo asked sitting on bench near by. Eilif walked to the bench and sat next to him.
"She's no longer in this world." Eilif replied sadly. "She left this world thirty years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear it." Bilbo patted her knee. "I've heard from Merry and Pippin that you helped in saving my nephew's life. Did you know that your mother once saved mine?"
"I know. She told me about her journey to the lonely mountain." Eilif replied.
"Ah, the lonely mountain. I would have loved to go back and see it again." Bilbo exclaimed.
"Is it as beautiful as my mother said?" Eilif asked.
"Even more." Bilbo smiled.
Eilif and Bilbo talked about her mother and she felt closer to her mother. She hasn't felt close to her mother for thirty years. Eilif considered herself to be of a young age when she lost her mother for she's sure that if she were of the men race she would look older now. For Eilif lost her mother when she was thirty years old and today she is sixty years old. She doesn't look sixty, she seemed younger. The old hobbit made her laugh. Her laugh was a sound that she never heard for a long time and she was sure she forgot how to laugh. She left Bilbo with the two youngest hobbits and continued her walk through Rivendell. She started to hum her lullaby thoughtlessly. She stopped when she came face to face with Strider. He bowed his head to her.
"I'm glad to see you here, milady. I wanted to thank you for your help at Weathertop." He started to say.
"You don't have to. I was about to leave you to it." She replied truthfully.
"Why didn't you?" Strider questioned.
"The Hobbits." She answered. "They needed protection and I didn't know that you were there. So I helped them."
"Thank you, Eilif." Strider said again.
"You know my name?" She asked surprised.
"Rare are the people who has been named by the Rangers without being one." He explained. "Although, I think it's a very sad name."
"I don't mind since it fits me perfectly for I'm always alone."
