The Tenth Companion

By: Kristall

A/N: Don't own, never will. Hope everyone enjoys!

Chapter 7: Orders

Elandili headed towards the gardens. She wished that she could have met Frodo, but as she had told the other Hobbits, she was about to become very busy. She had no time for anything else at this moment. The Men from Gondor, led by Boromir, would arrive in time for the feast. She had to do her work without anyone seeing her doing it, and the more arrivals there were, the more difficult it would be to do so. But first, she had to find out what she had to do. She quickened her pace as she spotted Elrond through the trees.

Elrond turned as she came close. His face was stern, and it seemed that nothing would move him at that point. "Good, you're here. Come with me, this is too important to risk anyone hearing." He led her to his room and gestured for her to sit down. She didn't see his silent command, as she was looking around at the setting.

"You didn't tell me that I would be getting my instructions here." Elandili looked sharply at Elrond. "Anything I should know, as in terms of what you're going do to me?" She knew that she had hit a mark. Elrond was trying very hard not to burst out laughing. The laughter won the struggle.

"Elandili, you should know that I wouldn't do anything of the kind to you. You are my best servant for one thing, and for another, you are the daughter of my son. I would never betray my own granddaughter."

Elandili grinned at him. "I was only teasing. So what's this job you want me to do without any suspicion or prying eyes?"

Elrond became serious again. "As you know, your lessons with Mithrandir left you with many abilities, and also a few tricks. You are also the only Elf who can disguise their ears and so pass as one of the race of Men instead of an Elf. Your assignment is to go to Gondor right after the company leaves. There you will be in charge of reporting what the people feel about the Dark Lord. There will be messengers who can take your reports every month to an Elf, who will send them to me. You understand that you must be silent about this, as you must also spy on the Dark Lord's army, and tell us what his strengths and weaknesses are. This, along with reporting the same for the army of Gondor, will be your job. Will you do what I've asked?"

Elandili gave the traditional response, going down on one knee, bowing her head as she did so, her right arm placed so that the fist touched her left shoulder, and pledging her life, loyalty, and bow to the service of Elrond. Still kneeling, she promised to obey what he commanded. She lifted her head, and he told her that she could go. Long after she left, Elrond stared at the door. It's good that she is dedicated to my service, he mused. However, her affection for Legolas will sooner or later create problems, especially when her work starts to conflict with her love for him. He sighed under his breath, and then started to get ready for the feast.

0o0o0

Elandili hurried away. She was furious with Elrond. Because of his instructions, she wouldn't be able to travel with the company as she had been planning. She got to her room and changed for the feast. The Hobbits would never recognize her, even if they saw her. The finishing touches were a bit difficult, but she managed quite well. She used the enchantments she had learned from Mithrandir to turn her hair blond and to make herself a bit taller, she wore high heeled slippers under her dress, which completely hid her scar and was long enough to hide her shoes. She checked her reflection, and then went to find Legolas. When she got to the feast, she was right. The Hobbits never recognized the tall, blond Elf that accompanied Legolas to the feast.

Chapter 8: Revelations

Elandili was pleased with herself, which surprised her a little, considering what Elrond had told her yesterday. She was walking in the gardens, figuring out a few details in her plan to travel with the company when she heard Elrond talking. She realized that this was the council. Why, Elrond hadn't even invited her to come! She was about to storm into the meeting, when common sense reasserted itself. Barging in would gain her nothing. However, if she could just find a spot where she could overhear everything, without even seeming a bit suspicious…ah. If she climbed one of the trees in the grove over there, she could hear everything that was said. Also, unless someone was standing right under her and looked straight up, no one would see her. The thick leaves would ensure that.

Moments later, she had silently climbed the tree. She stayed absolutely still, almost not even breathing, for a few more moments. There were no indications as to the possibility that she had been heard, which wouldn't have happened. But someone had seen her, even though he kept quiet. Elrond decided that as they would probably end up discussing some very classified information, he would make sure he caught her as she came back down. She would require careful watching, until the quest was completely over.

0o0o0

After the council…

Elandili looked around. There was no one in sight. They had all gone in for lunch. She could easily slip into the kitchen. Grab some food, and then…

"So, was the council informative for you, or did you just hope to catch what the travel plans would be?" Elrond was looking at her with a look that startled her. It was a look that had made several of Elrond's enemies back down with just a glance from him. For it to be directed at an Elf, he or she was in serious trouble. Elandili just bowed her head. There was no explanation she could give him, but then again, he had excluded her from the council. She felt her face hardening, and without warning, she flung up her head as spat out an answer.

"I would get more information if you told me why you didn't invite me to come." Elandili's voice became extremely sarcastic at this point. "And I imagine that the answer to that is that it is a matter for men. There is no place for a woman in it." Her fury astounded Elrond. This was the first time she had ever exploded in his presence, and the first time that anyone's anger had surpassed his own. He looked at her, his expression now one of complete surprise. Elandili, however, wasn't finished. "Oh, so we're surprised now? Yes, no one is supposed to get even madder than the great Elrond, king of all the Elves. Well I had a right to be at that council! I also have the right to do what I want when I want! And I also have the right to stay by the side of my love!" Elandili let the last sentence slip in her anger, and now she came to an abrupt halt as she realized what she had said. Giving Elrond a look that was filled with the horror that she felt she spun around and fled for the sanctuary of her room.

Elrond had no intention of allowing her out of his sight though. However, Legolas was coming out of the great hall just as she ran past the entrance. He looked and saw Elrond signal for him to catch her, and took off. He caught her in a firm grip just before she could turn around the corner at the end of the corridor. He tried to lead her to Elrond, but Elandili fought him. She managed to get free and ducked around the corner. Then she broke out into a full run. Her room was halfway down the corridor, and as Elandili entered, she quickly locked the door behind her. She lay there, in the middle of the floor, breathing heavily. She was thinking of what she wanted to do, and what Elrond wanted her to do. She was trying to reach a compromise when there was a quiet knock. She didn't want any company, but she went and unlocked the door anyway.

It was Legolas who was standing outside. He murmured to her in Elvish: "If you want to talk about something, I'm here to talk about it. Elrond's pretty worried about you. He wanted me to make sure that you were all right."

"If you go back to him, tell him that I will not do what he asked me to do in Gondor. He'll understand what I'm talking about." Elandili also spoke in Elvish. It seemed reassuring to do so.

Legolas looked sharply at her, surprised. "You must be upset. This is the first time I've ever heard of you refusing to do anything. Even more so as the job was assigned by Elrond. What happened?"

Elandili was torn. She wanted to tell him, but she had sworn that no one would find out what exactly Elrond had wanted her to do. She decided to tell him what she could, and still not reveal what the job was. "Elrond wanted me to leave on a mission when the company left. I was to go south, and make top secret reports that would help an Elf army. But the conditions were that I go in disguise and that no one would ever realize what I was doing. Also, no one from Rivendell was to see me. That meant that I couldn't travel with you and the company as I had wanted. I can't do it. Not without you. And then, I just boiled over. If Elrond suspected how I felt before, he knows for sure about us, or at least me."

"So, that's why you ran. You didn't want anyone to know that you did have feelings, and when you slipped up, you wanted to run away from your mistake, right?"

"What do you mean 'I didn't want anyone to know I have feelings'? Of course I have feelings. I just didn't want to let them get in the way of my work. I succeeded, until now."

Legolas looked at her, and then pulled her towards him. "Well, it doesn't matter. What's done is done. There is no going back. Come on, let's go to my room. It's a bit more comfy, and we can talk some more."