A/N: Everybody seems to like how this started! Yay! Well, in a way, this is where the story actually starts. To give you all a general idea of time, this is when all the parties from around Middle Earth arrive for the Council of Elrond. That's all for now!

Disclaimer: Caen is mine... MINE!


Chapter 3 : A New Assignment

"Caen! Caen! Caen!"

"No... go away Arwen... it's too early..."

"It's nearly high noon! And anyway you have to get up and see who's just arrived."

Caen opened her eyes and shot a glare in Arwen's direction. Arwen, her foster sister, sat on the edge of the bed, her raven hair flowing flawlessly down to her waist and her dark eyes shined in the sunlight coming in through the window.

"Who's arrived?" Caen asked, rubbing her eyes and coaxing herself to get out of bed. She snatched her hairbrush off the dresser and started detangling her auburn hair. While Arwen spoke, Caen yawned and shook her head, trying to rid herself of sleep's clutches.

Arwen evaded the question, but Caen knew she was just biding time. "How late were you up?"

"The sun was almost up by the time I fell asleep," Caen replied with another yawn.

"What on earth were you doing up that late?" Arwen exclaimed.

"Reading," Caen lied smoothly. "Who's arrived?" she asked again. She was just too tired to care. If Arwen felt it was important enough to wake Caen up and tell her, she might as well just spit it out.

Caen selected a rose-colored gown to wear, but Arwen snatched it away from her and pressed her green gown into her hands. "It matches your eyes," she explained. Caen rolled her eyes and put the dress on. "The party from Mirkwood has arrived!" Arwen finally exclaimed.

"So?" Caen braided her hair lazily.

"SO!" Arwen exclaimed indignantly.

"Why would I care about some prat king and his equally arrogant child?"

"Legolas is a little arrogant... but he's also handsome," Arwen couldn't have been more obvious. Caen caught on right away.

"No. Not that again. Arwen, you're not setting me up with Legolas," Caen said firmly.

"Oh but Caen! You just need to meet him once and you'll fall in love with him!" Arwen assured. "Wait... where are you going?" she asked.

"Not to the courtyard to greet the guests, I can guarantee you that. You know as well as I do that I'll be forced to see them later. Why does it matter that I greet them?" Caen said with a lazy smile.

"It's courtesy!" Arwen called, heading in the opposite direction of Caen to the courtyard.

Caen walked through the halls as if she owned the place. Which was kind of true. Her head was held high and her gaze, as she made her way through the halls, was unreadable. She walked to the stables and saddled her horse.

She picked the least-traveled path, and trotted out of the Dell. Everybody knew and gossiped about her routine trips in and out of the valley. Speculations were made as to where she went so often, but nothing was ever found.

Nothing would ever be found, Caen knew. She was just that careful.

As Caen got farther and farther away from her home, her attitude became progressively haughtier and ruder.

"Halt, Elf!"

"Let me pass, scum," she spat at the disgusting orc standing guard.

"Caen," it hissed. He gave a bow, which was anything but courteous. She rewarded his insolence with a strong knee in the gut.

While the orc howled in pain, she walked through the camp. Catcalls and jeers followed her as she walked. She ignored them.

At the edge of the camp, there was a single dark tent and Caen walked straight through the flap without announcing herself. "Morthen," she grumbled.

"You're late, Caen." Caen's father was dark haired and formidable. The only resemblance between father and daughter was their eyes: the same intense green.

"Your latest set of orders kept me up all night, Morthen," she said his name with no air of respect.

"It serves you right. Your duties are not being fulfilled, you filthy wench." Though his voice was stern and his words cruel, they had no effect on Caen whatsoever. "WHERE DOES YOUR DUTY LIE?" he suddenly bellowed.

"With Lord Morthen and Lord Sauron," Caen answered firmly.

"You better believe it, woman," Morthen sat on his considerably large throne-like chair. "I did not give you up to the enemy in Mirkwood for you to become soft," he said in what could have easily been interpreted as a hiss. He stood up and walked around her. "WHAT IS YOUR DUTY?" he bellowed again, this time right in her ear.

"I am a spy," Caen said in the same firm voice.

"Good." Morthen returned to his chair and sipped his black wine, orc-made.

"What is it you want of me now, Lord Morthen?" Caen said. She felt like a stone paperweight. Tossed aside and ignored until needed. She had proved her loyalty to her father a hundred times over. She had seduced and bedded elves to get information, she had eavesdropped, killed, lied, cheated, and did whatever she could to appease her father, who never rewarded her with even a 'thank you'. And she found that she no longer cared what her father thought.

Just last night she had spent hours and hours sitting on an uncomfortable tree branch listening to Aragorn and Gandalf give reports to Elrond.

"I have another assignment for you," Morthen said quietly.


A/N: I don't know if you guys can tell, but I'm trying to keep these chapters shorter than they were in, say, Not Knowing, so there will be more updates faster this way. That's an advantage for you guys! ;)

Thank you to sakura-angel113, Arroz, Lady Anck-su-namun, BellaRu, and IwishSan for the nice reviews! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Glorfindel cookies for all of you! -throws them out to everyone-

And, lucky everyone, I am in search of a beta for this story! Send me a message, email (thehobbitivy at hotmail . com ) or instant message (AIM -tinuviel2013, MSN - thehobbitivy at hotmail. com) to offer. I can't guarantee that the first person to "apply" will get the job. (about the email 'at' thing... ffnet doesn't like the 'at' symbol... just insert the symbol there.)

-Ivy