Disclamor: See chapter 1. But I own nothing basicly.

"Jalila," my father's voice was stiff. "Jalila, why do I see you serving my council? Like a servant of a lord?"

I stood silent yet did not bring my eyes from his.

"Answer me!"

I felt my eyes widen for a slight moment then I let them clam again before I answered. "Papa, as a woman I can only hear the rumors of what is said in the council tent. I worry for the people just as you do. I serve so I can hear of what wise and not so wise decisions the council makes. I tell none of what I hear; I do not even let others know of where I am. I am just merely croieus of what is said. Is that a crime?"

After I fell silent I stood silent, looking at him ingest what I told him. It was not the first time he had caught me serving. Most times he punished me and yet never forbade me from doing so. But unlike the other times he was thinking on it for a long time.

"You serve the council to learn of what goes on behind our tent flaps," he paused then formed each word carefully. "Jalila, you can no longer do this. You are a young woman. You are my firstborn. I know that many of your peers have now begun to have children, and I feel that it is time that I too find you a husband." I held my breath, dread crept into my stomach. "I fear my lovely one; I may have to give you as a peace bride."

"To whom," my voice was on the edge of trembling. I held it in tight control.

He sighed, held his head in his hand. "I know not." He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. I have spoken to many about you but I can not find a man that I would give you too. Do not worry, I will find a man of strong heart and loving sprit. I will not send you away to be abused."

I smiled at him lightly then bowed. "I will go where ever you send me." My voice cracked on the last syllable. "I understand what I was born into and my importance in keeping the peace. I understand Papa." With the last word I turned and left his tent. My eyes burned with unshed tears, holding back I walked quickly to the stable tent and found my mare, Nina. She nickered at me, rubbing her nose on my side.

"Sorry lovely, no treats with me right now," I whispered as I saddled her. I placed her light hackamore and mounted, walking her from the tent and through our camp. Then as we rode into the small valley, I released her and allowed the wind to strip my pain away.

I heard nothing from my father for three days. Of the western men I heard much. 'They eat nothing but meat, no rice, no bread.' 'Each day they pull their hair from the sky!' 'One of them has a ring of pure light.' Of these rumors I could only snicker. They did nothing but talk to the council and sleep. I was beginning to think that they came here only to trade stories and nothing else when I was called to my father's tent.

I was given enough time to change into a new garment. The light green complemented my olive, brown skin and black hair; copper bells gave me a pleasant sound as I walked.

When I entered Father's tent his three trusted advisers sat at his sides. In front of him three of the Westerners sat, turned to look at me. I felt a blush over my cheeks as I bowed. "You summoned me Father?"

He singled me to sit on a small pillow to the left of the western men. "Jalila, this is Dilwyn," the man closest to me bowed his head, "Idwal," then man in the middle, "and Barra." The final man smiled. "These men have come to search for peace and trade with our people. They have given me an offer that I feel would be best for my people and you." He paused and smiled at me. "You are to go with them to the West and serve the Queen Arwen. At the time that King Elessar feels that you are ready to be wed he will find you a husband."

I smiled and bowed my head. The smile on my lips did not reach my eyes. Is he that angry with me? To send me away to a land far away, to people I do not now? I ignored what he and the men said as I attempted to gain control of myself again.

"My daughter you and Dilwyn's company shall be leaving in three days time."

I slowly made it back to my tent. My steps where even and steady, my hands relaxed, my face calm and emotionless. Tears stung my eyes but I did not allow them to slide down my cheeks until I was in my tent.

As I stepped within the small cool room a tear found its way down to my chin only to be fallowed but others. I did not throw myself onto my bed as a child would. I slowly made it to my trunk and began to remove my formal clothing. I did not want to ruin it do to my tears.

Jalila, I thought to myself harshly. You are going to the West! What adventures will you see there? You are going where no young woman has gone in many a year. Why do I cry? I sniffed and wiped away tears. I cry because Papa is sending me away! I am too much trouble, I cause too much talk, and he can not find me a husband. That thought stopped my pulling on another shirt. Could he really not find me a husband? I did not think of myself lacking in womanly skills, or looked like a donkey. But could he truly not find a man willing to take a high spirited woman.

All women know that men wanted meek and shy brides. Quiet yes, respectful yes, but meek or shy? I can hardly call myself meek or shy. For my whole childhood, I was ruff and tumble with my two younger brothers, Anubi and Farai. It only at my tenth Great Rain had I begun to learn to be a daughter of a Lord. I no longer played in the mud when it rained or fell off of rocks into springs. Often I watched children play and wished that I could join them.

The only two activities that allowed me to be anything less then womanly was my riding and archery. All women learn to ride and shoot arrows. We know all to well that just because we are females does not mean that we can not die as a man can.

I picked up my long bow and stepped out of my tent, dry eyed and in a calm stupor. In my wake I could feel the gossip burn into my back. Already people knew I was to be leaving in three days time. And with a group of men no less! Oddly I did not feel that it would be an undesirable arrangement. Women tend to 'travel in packs' as my good friend Raja often said. She and I were often our own 'pack' and didn't seek others often.

I reached Raja's tent that she still shared with her mother and called her, "Raja! Would you care to shoot some targets with me?"

A slight ruffle of tent told me there was a person and Raja's head popped out of the flap. "Jalila! Thank the Valar you've come to take me away! Mama is about to start to teach me the 'art' of cooking a pig. Let me tell her that I am required to accompany you to the arrow range." Her head disappeared again and I could hear a muffled conversation within. Then after a few moments Rajiya emerged from the tent.

"Welcome Jalila, how fares the day?" she asked in the traditional greeting.

"The day fares bright and true," I answered aromatically. "I hear you are cooking a pig today. What is the occasion?"

She smiled, "Lina has become a woman."

"That is wonderful! When do you wish Raja return?"

"Before sun set," she looked at me and I could see sadness in her eyes briefly. "You are welcome to join us."

"Thank you Rajiya, I shall," said with a small bow as her daughter stepped out of the tent. Raja stood next to her mother and gave her a peck on the cheek. Mother next to daughter gave the image of older and younger sisters. Both of their long black hair was planted in a tight braid that hung past the waist. Small pointed chins lead to thin lips and a strong but not unfeminine nose. Both sets of eyes were quick to smile and held deep brown eyes. Though both were not the classic beauty, they both held a beauty that is more then skin deep.

"May the Sun shine upon you," Raja said hoisting her quiver higher on her shoulder.

"Each day shall dawn bright," her mother responded. "Don't you two do anything that would cause more talk then what is going around."

"Mother there is always going around. We can't predict what your friends will gossip about," Raja whispered as we walked away. "So it has already begun to go around. You are leaving with the men from the west."

My step stuttered and I looked sadly at her, "Yes, I fear that I am."

"Well then they will just have to send me too then. I am your Sister of the Heart. I do not think we can be separated without angering the gods," her whisper was fast and slowly becoming a casual talking voice.

"I do not believe that your mother would care to let go of her eldest daughter," I whispered low to remind her that we were not yet alone.

She looked at me with a crooked eye then decided it was best to keep her thoughts to herself until we reached a more privet location. Slowly the tents dissolved into rocky brown cliffs of wind hollowed ravine. These gorges had been used by my people for many Great Rains and where in almost all of our legends and tails. This is where the Valar sculpted man out of the earth and woman out of wind. It is where the first man met an elf and learned how to speak; this is where our lives begin and where our ashes are returned in death. I now not how large and long the gorges run but they run far and with many twists, turns and dead ends.

After many minuets of silence we reached our favored dead end to speak. The sun was high but still shadows lounged on the soft sandy earth. At the end farthest from the entrance a small spring sputtered out a cool stream of water. Raja and I took seats facing each other on the edge of the small pond that formed.

"Jalila are you not excited? You are going to a land of green and beauty that only legends speak of!" Raja chattered, barely able to contain her excitement. "I wonder if all the men there carry hair upon their faces, or let it grow as a woman would. Did you see how the horses recover? They have not quite the spirit of our mounts but they are very sweet and willing to be petted and cuddled. I wonder if they as intelligent as our breed?"

She continued on of chatter that she had been hearing around camp. How the men had never seen desert like this or how they only ate uncooked meat like savages. "Let us hope that rumor is not true. How will we eat at their tables?"

"How do you know they will send you Raja?" my sorrow panting a sad song. "Papa is very angry at me and wishes me to be sent away."

"You know that is not true," her hand lightly patted my hand. "You are the jewel of you Papa's eye. You can do no wrong that would warrant such a punishment."

I was silent in thought for a moment then I let out a long fear and sorrow filled sigh. "Yet my friend, he is still sending me away. Why is he doing so? I want to live the rest of my life as a woman of the brown hills and entrancing ravines. I do not want to leave." I felt a small tear slide down my cheek, and then followed by another, then its hot sibling. I could not stop them and hid my face in the palms of my hands. Raja taking pity on me placed my head on her shoulder and let me cry myself out.

After the tears slowed from a great downpour, to a tricking spring she lifted my eye to hers. "I will not leave you. Even if it means following at a great distance 'til we reach our destination. Even if our fathers do not wish us to be together, I will follow you my heart sib," she stated sternly then cocked a small grin. "Plus how could I let you have a great adventure all alone."

A small smile slowly crept across my face. "You are right, as usual. But I still do not want to go. And it doesn't do a thing to cool Papa's anger."

"Talk to him Jalila. He loves you as the moon loves the stars. He must have his reasons."

I sighed and stood. "I agree. And I shall," I said as I brushed the sandy earth from my split clothing. "We really should go back. You need to help your mother with Lina's Woman Day dinner, and I need to help Yukiko cook the evening meal."

She threw me a look that could have turned the greatest of warriors away. "Valar knows I have no skills with cooking. And so should you!"

"But you can still try! How will you win a husband with cooking that could turn the Gods away?"

"Don't talk to me about marriage. I am far too young for that type of thing. Could you imagine me a mother?" She said widening her eyes and looking dreadful. "I can barely stand my own sibs. How do you think I would far with children?"

"Like every other girl child we grew up with how said that she would never marry and have children," I laughed. "With a great stride to becoming the best woman man has ever seen."

She gave me another bone chilling look. With her nose in the air she picked up her bow and began walking back home. I scooped up my bow and ran after her. With the sound of my padded foot falls she also began running. By the time we reached the end of the Gorges of Life we were both out of breath and not caring of how we looked to the rest of our village.

I walked her back to her family tent, then started back to my own. All around me men and women were beginning to prepare for the night. Small children played in the tent rows, their voices carrying a song of laughter and sorrow. Many lost loved ones in the Not-Orcs raids and yet their happiness today was true and pure. Women weaved around the children shaking out food cloths, grinding gain, going to collect water. Then men watched children and played dice games.

This was the life that I faced if I was to stay. A life I would be happy to except.

Sorry that these chapters are so short. Also I will be writing this as we go along so have faith! It will get written. Inbetween class, midterms, a horse, and many many other unprodicted factors.