Aubrey sat on the edge of the bed staring at her moms pack. She had never gone through her moms pack, it had been two months since her death at Amon Hen. She had spent the time, surprisingly, mostly with Frodo and Sam. They were quiet and made her laugh. They didn't address awkward topics and insist she needed to talk about everything. They just let her be her they right way. She had discovered that Middle Earth did have a game like checkers that she was becoming rather good at but was yet unable o defeat Sam. He was amazing and could keep the game going just playing in circles around her. She loved it. Elrond came to look in on her and she would see Gandalf all he time.
After her mother…..leaving she spent most of her time in bed. Arwen would come in and sing while Strider held her while she cried. Aubrey had come to love both of them dearly but after some time she had stopped caring. She could hear the fear and concern in their voices and it made her angry. Only her mom was allowed to be like that, they would never take that place in her heart. They would never heal hat whole and she didn't want it to heal. That was a special place for her mom only. She had started sleeping more and not eating at all and drinking nothing. Elrond had tried to force her out of bed but she had just grown angry and refused to even look at him.
That was when Gandalf came in, he told her that she was fading and that if she didn't get out of bed she would die. He said it bluntly and matter of factually. Of course being Aubrey she glared at him and rolled over. Gandalf had then proceeded to pull her covers off and pick her up, he was strong for and old man. He had carried her down to the stable while she was only wearing her night cloths and sat her on the back of Cleo who was waiting patiently.
Every morning after that day he came into her room to fetch her. If she wasn't out of bed and already dressed he would repeat that exercise. They rode from dawn to nearly mid day every day. Gandalf didn't talk of family and death and loss of loved ones. He would tell her stories of the trees and flowers around them and the history middle earth one story at a time. Soon Aubrey began to look forward to the rides. After the would get back Gandalf refused to let her return to her room. But one day Aubrey confessed she didn't know what else to do that this place was strange to her.
Being Gandalf he dragged her into Frodo's room, where the hobbit had just recently woken and was very slowly recovering. He sat her down on the foot of his bed and set a game board between them. He looked at Frodo and said, "Keep the child out of trouble," and just left. Frodo had laughed at that and she had glared. Later Sam came in and joined them and then Merry and Pippin would show up with food and drinks and help by tying to make Sam lose. It was hilarious, Merry would throw something, Sam would look, Pippin would move a piece and when Sam looked back his face would turn red with frustration and puzzlement. He could sometimes figure out which of the thirty pieces was moved but not always. It was a long game.
After they hobbits made sure Aubrey ate and laughed a little Strider would come to get her. He would take her out to shoot and sword fight. It was hard but she loved it. He would draw funny pictures on parchment and hang them on trees and tell her to shoot the 'bunny' or 'baby chicky'. She at first thought this was horrible but then discovered that if her arrow hit it Strider would be forced to do an imitation of whatever picture she hit at dinner, while sitting next to Elrond.
She had finally hit the baby chick and all through dinner that night Strider had to sit in his chair straight 'pecking' food from his plate and flapping his arms. Aubrey would laugh and Elrond and most of the hall would stare not understanding.
Aubrey's hair now hung in a beautiful braid down her back thanks to Arwen. The elf had given her a syrum to help with hair growth and massaged it into her roots for her every night. And they would just talk and spend time together. At the end of the second month Aubrey felt ashamed of felling happy and content.
She sat on the ground in front of her mothers statue hugging her old and worn pink penguin. She came here almost every night, it's where she felt warmest inside. The cold from the wraiths had stayed with her, Elrond said it would be several months before the coldness would ebb away. She sat crosslegged on the ground just telling her about her day.
She told her about the dinner incident with Strider the night before, or Aragorn as she knew him but felt more comfortable calling him strider. She told her about her game with Sam and how she had come so close to beating him today and how Frodo had ruined it by trying to help her an within two moves they had lost the match against Sam. Again. Merry and Pippin had found fresh berries, in the middle of winter, and they were all afraid to ask where they got them and just enjoyed the fresh berries and cream with biscuits.
Aubrey paused hearing a rustling behind her and turned her head, her elf like ears exposed. It was Gandalf. The old man came over and sat down next to her and winked at the girl.
"Good evening Eve, I'm glad to see you're keeping better company. Though you've always chosen to ignore this daft old mans words. "Your daughter here, is so much like you in so many ways that make me want to believe that she is you. But I know she isn't, she is her own person. She sings like you though and talks like you and even laughs like you. In these times it is a blessing to have a child here in Rivendell, it chases away our darker thoughts. For that I thank you. You would approve of her friends, they are quite fond of her, as am I. Though she does seem to have you knack for getting in trouble. She has Aragorn clucking and squeaking and all sorts of things at dinner that Elrond frowns at. But what I came to tell you is that the council members will be arriving tomorrow. You know of this, you confided it in me. You also expressed a wish to be at the council but I came to ask for your blessing. I would like to take your daughter instead, you are quite occupied at the moment and she may enjoy it. And I came to ask your forgiveness for what will happen after, she is your daughter after all. Good night sweet child, I will leave you to the stars." Gandalf stood slowly and reached a hand down to pull Aubrey up.
"Get a good nights rest, tomorrow will be a long day. Though I will tell you that this does not cancel our ride tomorrow so don't think about sleeping in." Aubrey smirked the jerked away with a loud laughing squeak as Gandalf tickled her side. "Off to bed with you now."
She woke up just before dawn and quickly bathed, braided her long hair and dressed in her ridding britches and tunic. She was wrapping her belt around her waist when Gandalf knocked on her door then opened it. As usual they went down to the stables and brushed the horses and gave them morning treats before saddling them. Or just putting bridles on them, Aubrey was learning to ride bare back and was getting gradually better.
They rode out and Gandalf began telling her a story she had already heart, the adventure of Bilbo, the dwarves and her mother. Aubrey sat in silence soaking up every word of the story, it was her favorite. She smiled and laughed a little at the invasion of Bilbo's home. They had just gotten over the Misty Mountains and to Mirkwood when they had reached the stables. Gandalf smiled and dismounted handing Scout to her. He would just stop he story and Aubrey was to Aubriesh to beg him to keep going. She silently took the horses inside and hummed as she brushed them down and braided their manes with some cream ribbons she had gotten from Arwen. She had finished Cleo's mane and was part way through Scouts when she heard loud laughter and shouting in the courtyard of the main house of Elrond. She was lying on Scouts back working on the ribbons in the braid and pushed up and then off. Pattering over to the door she peeked out and saw a company of men standing about talking and laughing while they dismounted.
She hadn't heard he stable master behind her when he pushed open the doors and she nearly fell out. The elf laughed and smiled at her, "Come help this old elf with these horses. The horse of men need an elflings voice and touch to be more comfortable."
Aubrey nodded and followed him out. The men were tall, taller than her but not taller than Strider. But they were almost a broad. Strider stood almost a foot taller than her and made her feel short. Back home she had been the tallest in her class, taller than any of the boys and always had been. But here she felt short.
Aubrey helped stable master Fiorin round up the horses and lead them towards the stable. After finishing taking care of them and making sure they were fed it was well past noon. Smilling she skipped up he stairs into the nearest wing and nearly ran down the hall to Frodo's room. She pushed the door open without knocking and found it empty. Frowning she walked in and went over to the window to peek out. She scanned the area but couldn't see them. Shrugging off a slight feeling of irritation she jogged out of the room and down the hall in the direction of the dinning hall.
She pushed the door open to the main hall and skipped lightly down the stairs and across to the dinning hall, whose doors were always open. Inside she could hear loud voices and laughter and he hobbits. Smiling she paused only a moment to observe that several more tables had been added to the already large room. Winding her way over to the hobbits table she slid in next to Sam and took a roll from his plate.
"Did you see the visitors? Men!" she giggled, "I've never seen men so tall, except for Strider. They make even me feel like a dwarf." Pippin laughed and reached over to take the roll off Sams plate that Sam had gotten to replace his stolen one.
"I got to help with their horses. Poor creatures were so tired, and they carried armor too. Stable master had their things sent up to the west wing."
They all jumped nearly out of their chairs when Striders deep voice laughed from behind them, "You are all like curious crows searching for trouble. Aubrey, do not lead them astray."
They all stared up at him sheepishly. After he had walked away she turned back to the hobbits, "Lets go watch the others arrive. Gandalf said that there would be many visitors, come on." She finished the roll and grabbed an apple and hurried towards the door with the hobbits behind her. She felt eyes on her back, frowning she turned to see the new arrivals peeking at them over their shoulders.
They raced down the steps and out to the courtyard. Laughing Aubrey held the lead at a light jog.
"That's no fair your legs are longer Bree!" Shouted Pippin from right behind her. Laughing she leapted up and over one of the hedges. "Bree! You're cheating!"
Quickly scaling a small tree whose branches hung over the hobbits she blew a raspberry at them the laughing back flipped off the branch. "I will help you up, lets hide in that tree over there."
She pushed Sam and Merry up first, they were the strongest and heavies and they helped pull Pippin and Frodo up and Aubrey went up last. Aubrey guided them higher up and then out onto stronger branches to get a better look. They had just gotten up there when a party of dwarves was being led through the gates by the guards who had brought the men in. She smiled and exchanged excited looks with the hobbits.
The dwarves were taller than the hobbits and looked like boulders of hair and muscle.
"Look at that axe! It must way a ton," Aubrey whispered crawling further forward to get a better look. They watched the dwarves be led up to the main hall when another party came in, this one of horse back. They were elves, their hair was gold, gray and brown in hues. Hey hobbits began to chatter in excitement at seeing more elves. Firori shot Aubrey a look from below as he came out to receive the horses. He bowed to the elf in front, a tall elf with golden hair and looked to be made of stone but moved with the graces elves natuarally have.
"It's Strider," Frodo whispered curiously. Aubrey looked around for him and saw him hurrying down the steps smilling widely. She had never seen him smile like that before. She couldn't hear what they were saying but the other elves were already almost in the main hall while they Strider and the new elf stood there talking.
Then Strider turned and waved at her, as he did so the elfs piercing eyes met hers and the elf jumped visibly. He said something rapidly in elvish that she couldn't hear clearly and even if she could it was too fast for her to understand. Aubrey sat up and slid off the branch.
"Come here, I would like you to meet a friend. This is an old friend of mine and he knew your mother well. I would like to introduce Legolas of Mirkwood." The elf stared at her curiously, "Legolas I would like to introduce you to Aubrey, Evelyn's daughter. She just turned sixteen." Legolas looked up sharply at Strider. Aubrey watched as the elfs facial expressions went from curiosity to joy to pain to anger. The elf lashed out faster than she had seen anything move, Aubrey squeaked and jumped away as Strider flew back and hit the ground hard. The elf glared down and him and then quickly strode away up into the halls.
Alright the polls are still open and you must be signed in to vote. We need a tie breaking vote, who should be Aubrey's father, Aragorn or Legolas. Right now the votes are 50/50 so we need a tie breaker. Who should be her father?