A/N: Book and movie based… erm mostly book; and for those of you who haven't read them, Lord Elrond chose those who accompanied Frodo to destroy The One Ring they didn't just get up and volunteer. Also, they didn't have to follow Frodo to the end; they only had to go as far as they wished, big surprise there, who'd want to go all the way into Mordor anyway? Well, that's about all! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Mileadoulowen. Only her character but not her name; the name Mileadoul came from the game Final Fantasy Tactics, all I did was add 'owen' to it to make it more Elvish and longer… and more Sue-ish. And I must say, I have succeeded!! HA HA! 

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The Tenth Walker – Gandalf's Musings

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I gladly engulfed the scrumptious platter of delightful Elven delicates before me while also engaging in a most interesting conversation with Lord Elrond. He entertained me with talk of his twins, Elladan and Elrohir's, past years of mischief and I, to him, with my previous experience with the Hobbits. By and by the direction of our conversation soon turned to his daughter, his other daughter, the one whom I have never met and whom he has never spoken of until now. Mileadoulowen, he tells me, is her name but she is also called Dawnstar for that is what she reminds everyone of. What in blazes is a Dawnstar? A dawning star, yes that I have heard of, but a Dawnstar? Highly unusual. Of course, my curiousity would not let this slip by so I inquired Lord Elrond about this 'Dawnstar'; yet, as I noted, he did not take much heed of my question and continued to take pride in speaking of his most favoured daughter.

It was no sooner than a few moments did I learn a great amount of this child. She was found, one day, floating on the waters of the Bruinen in a straw basket; her past is mysterious and unknown but they are certain that she is half-Elven, how this came to be I know not. I have also learned that she has traveled near and far, at one time she was an apprentice to Radagast the Brown and learned to speak with animals; why did that old fool not tell me that he was accepting apprentices? At other times she traveled with the Dúnedain and acquired knowledge of survival and swordsmanship. But soon our conversation was interrupted by an urgent call; its seems that Mileadoulowen has returned but not unscarred, she had been pursued by a band of orcs and was barely able to fight them all off; quite impressive I should say, one Elf fighting off a whole band of orcs… quite impressive.

We, Lord Elrond, Arwen, a few others and I, arrived in the healer's room and found her seated impatiently upon a chair. "They are not deep Lady Arëdiel, I shall be fine." She protested as the healer, Lady Arëdiel, shook her head and examined her wounds.

Mileadoulowen winced as Arëdiel applied the medication, "You are very brave Milady." She smiled, "There are not many whom can withstand the pain of this medicine."

"You are too kind." Mileadoulowen replied modestly, then realizing that we were present she exclaimed, "Father! Arwen! It is wonderful to see you all again." Her words rang in the air; soft, beautiful, peaceful just like her appearance.

Her attention then shifted to me; she had the most beautiful locks of golden that extended down to her waist; her eyes that were an odd shade of gray and blue revealed great wisdom in her; she looks so frail but deep inside she is a warrior. Dear Eru! She is indeed not what one would call, or say, normal. I detect some sort of magic.

"You must be Gandalf the Grey, I have heard much about you." She told me.

"And I of you." I replied with a flirtatious grin. Eugk! What is this child doing to me?! What sort of foul craft-?

"Mileadoulowen, it is a pleasure to have you back with us." Lord Elrond went and embraced his daughter lovingly.

The evening wore on, and soon I retired back to my chambers in attempt to decipher what sort of magic this child possessed that made everyone love her so. I had no success…

*

It was at last after a two months stay at Rivendell did Lord Elrond announce that there would be Nine Walkers to set against the Nine Riders. He chose Gimli of the Dwarves, Legolas of the Elves, Aragorn and Boromir for Men, and I will accompany Frodo as well as Samwise, Peregrin and Meriadoc. The Nine Walkers; The Fellowship of the Ring.

The days passed quickly and in the last days I enjoyed myself in spending my evenings in the Halls of Fire listening to Mileadoulowen sing. She sang with such grace that all paused and silenced themselves when her voice danced in our ears. But alas! I must leave the next day and shall never be able to hear her singing again, or so I thought.

*

The day had finally come, everyone was well equipped with what was needed and as I proceeded outside with Lord Elrond it was obvious that all were present and were merely waiting for me. Elrond called the company to him.

"This is my last word," he said in a low voice. "The Ring-Bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."

After a few words with Gimli he bid farewell to us and we departed. 

We crossed the bridge and as we slowly wound up the long steep paths that led out of the cloven vale of Rivendell, I heard a call come from behind us.

"Wait!" She called, "Wait! I wish to journey with you!"

It was Mileadoulowen.

She finally reached me and said, "I wish to journey with you."

I tried to tell her kindly that it was simply impossible; there could never be Ten Walkers against the Nine Riders. Impossible! "The road is too dangerous my child, it would be foolish of me to let you come." I told her trying to avoid my Ten to Nine ratio.

"I am not a child." She explained. "And my father said-"

"Your father? He would never be so foolish as to let you come along." I argued.

"Oh but I must." She said all too gracefully. "You see, I have learned that my real father, Gil-galad is alive and-"

Gil-galad?! He died in the Siege of Barad-dûr at the end of the War of the Last Alliance! With added mystification to my knowledge Gil-galad never married.

"-he has been taken prisoner by Sauron. I must journey to Mordor and rescue him!" she told us, sparkling tears in her eyes. "Now I know why I posses an Elven-Ring!"

I was dying to tell this child that this could not have been true. There are only three Elven-rings; Narya of fire, Nenya of water and Vilya of air; I have Narya, Galadriel has Nenya and Elrond possesses Vilya… unless there is a fourth ring- but that is highly impractical.

"A fourth Ring?" I asked monotonously.

"Yes." She sighed beautifully. "Galadya! The Ring of light! My father must have forged it just for me."

Galadya? Dear Eru! Please tell me that this child is wrong and that I have not gone mad. Please! Her explanation plays with reality. GALADYA?! Who would name a ring Galadya?! Lighty? Little light? This was without doubt not the work of Gil-galad. But before I could sort this all out she continued.

"I believe that I will be quite useful to you. I am fluent in many tongues: Elven, Westron, Dwarvish-"

Dwarvish was a sacred tongue used by the Dwarves, where in Middle-earth could she have possibly learnt it.

"- the language used by the Woses, or the Wild Men, Orkish, and Black Speech though I know not how I attained any knowledge of that tongue. I am also a great archer, better than any in the forest of Mirkwood as Legolas can tell you." She flashed a charming smile at Legolas who, in turn, looked as though he would faint at the very sight. "And I am a master with the sword, I have even beaten Estel from time to time."

Aragorn suddenly lowered his head.

I sighed and gave in, just as long as I do not have to hear another word of reason from her. "All right, you may come, as long as the rest of the Fellowship agrees." I looked back at my companions, they all nodded enthusiastically. "So be it. Let us go." I said wearily. Who knows? She may be of some use in our near future and she is quite easy on the eyes compared to the others… Yet now as I walk alongside her, I feel that her presence has started to wear out and she is beginning to annoy me whether or not the same applies to the others…

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A/N: Constructive criticism is welcome; very welcome. Also, if there really is such a thing as a Dawnstar, please tell me. And if Galadya isn't completely an out-of-this-world name for a Ring, please tell me that also, because I sort of wanted it to seem like an utterly crazy name to give a fourth Elven-ring. I am also sorry if Gandalf may seem a bit out of character, is he? If he is, is it obvious? *sigh* Of course he does! Ok… Flames are welcome, but only because I wrote this fic for fun.