A/N: Hello and thank you to those that clicked the follow button or left a review. Sorry for not getting the chapter ready quicker! Please let me know what you think. I know we're not quite up to the time of the quest but it is coming very soon. I hope you enjoy! I listen to Brunuhville's music while I'm writing; check him out!
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ColdOnePaul: Thanks. I think some of your questions will be answered in this chapter.
Riss94: Glad you enjoyed it!
thewolf74: Thank you!
Petal: I'm glad you liked that; it took some thought to get it to come out right. :) Hope you enjoy this one!
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It's all Tolkien's. Except the OCs. They're my creation and I'm lucky that I can imagine them in Tolkien's masterpiece.
Two years later …
"We couldn't have come this far North during a warmer time of year?"
Ella grinned at Galen, wrapping her cloak tighter around her body. Araden rolled his eyes before responding.
"Traenor wanted us to investigate the reports of orcs being spotted in the area before we make the trip to Rivendell. He got word from Elrond himself about the threat."
"It could be worse. We could be camping in the snow," she offered with amusement.
"Galen likes to complain about everything," one of the other Rangers, Halgrine, said cheerily. The man in question just scowled and scooted closer to the fire. Elrohir, one of Elrond's sons, joined them at that moment and Galen glared at him.
"Don't worry, mellon. This cold snap will lift soon," the elf told him with a grin.
"Yeah but while we freeze you two just saunter around as if its spring time."
"One of the perks of being us," Elladan replied, coming to his brother's side.
She laughed with a shake of her head. The antics of the twins along with the teasing that went on among the Rangers were very familiar to her now. In the beginning it had surprised her – she'd never been a part of any type of close knit group – but as time passed she grew accustomed to it … along with many other things. After that eye opening dream with her mother her attitude had changed and even she could see she was much more open about learning what the Rangers were trying to teach her. Once that happened things began coming to her much easier and much, much quicker. Occasionally Ella was amazed at how something that she'd never thought of doing in her past life had become like second nature to her within a matter of days. She had learned to move without making a sound, to seemingly appear and disappear at will. Her skill with a bow, already something she was quite good at, progressed to a point where shooting at targets while on horseback in the forest was effortless. The sword that had frustrated her so deeply now felt like it was almost a part of her hand. Even Araden showed surprise at how far she had come in the past two years.
Almost as if I'm remembering something long forgotten.
That thought brought her to her feet and she walked away from the group around the fire. Stopping a few yards from them she wrapped her arms around her middle, staring up at the full moon shining brightly. It was unsettling, the thought that somehow she had been given these particular skills, for the sole purpose of saving three people that, up until two years ago, she had believed to exist only in the realm of fantasy. Was this the gift her mother had spoken of in the dreams? It seemed possible but there was so much that could go wrong. Nothing was sure in battle, that had been drilled into her by Traenor and Araden, so if being good with a bow and sword were the gift then it seemed rather … unpredictable. A gust of wind could alter the flight of an arrow, swords could break. Still, even if these weren't part of the "gift" that had been spoken of, they were nonetheless quite useful … and every time she was able to get a hit on anyone during sparring sessions she couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself.
Those were not the only changes she had noticed in herself. Though she hadn't been completely out of shape before arriving in Middle Earth she nonetheless had carried and birthed a child and her body reflected that. Now, however, she could tell (and feel) that her muscles had tightened up, hardened, and given her more of a figure than she'd ever possessed even before having David. Her overall health was so much better, too, as her eating habits had undergone a drastic change as well. In the beginning she had really missed pizza and tacos and McDonalds' chicken nuggets but now she had grown accustomed to what was available and found that the pay off for not having all those things (her improved health and fitness) was more than acceptable.
"What's on your mind?" Araden asked, coming to her side.
"Nothing much. Just thinking about something my mother said in those dreams."
"Which was?"
"That the Valar had given me a gift that would help in my task. I've just been trying to puzzle out what that is."
He crossed his arms on his chest as he considered her profile. "Were you given any clues?"
"No. I was only told I wouldn't discover that until after I'd joined the dwarves on their quest."
A smirk crossed his lips. "Then why are you worrying over it now?"
"Because I can," she huffed. "I don't like being kept in the dark about things. I like to know all the facts, see all the bits and pieces, before I make decisions."
"I'm afraid the Valar don't work like that."
"So I'm learning. Not knowing just makes me feel …" She searched for an appropriate word to describe how she was feeling.
"Helpless. Out of control." She nodded and he put an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry. If what your mother told you is true and you have been blessed by the Valar then try not to think on it as nothing will happen until they decide it is time."
"I've never been the most patient person."
He didn't respond except for a quiet chuckle.
Ella glanced back up at the moon. The air was so clear, so clean here. She took in a deep breath, the cold stinging her lungs a bit, and closed her eyes, listening carefully. It was one of the things the twins had taught her, how to relax her mind and become very aware of everything around her. The crackling of the fire, the quiet laughter of the Rangers, the crisp smell of the trees … she found it all very comforting. In fact, over the past few months she had come to realize she was comfortable here, happy. She missed David dreadfully but she knew he was in safe hands. One of Elrond's sons usually had updates to pass along any time they showed up and they would take any messages back she wished to send so Ella didn't feel completely cut off from her son. Still, she couldn't wait to get to Rivendell after this scouting mission and see –
She stiffened and turned abruptly, peering into the trees. Araden had done the same.
"Did you hear that?" she asked. He nodded. The others around the fire had come to their feet and were peering into the darkness under the trees.
"I think it came from the village," Galen said.
Elladen nodded. "Let's go."
It took the ten of them only a matter of minutes to cover the mile or so between their camp and the small village. As they neared it the sounds of screaming and fires crackling became unmistakable. They reached the edge of the trees, cautiously stepping from its protective cover and found chaos before them. In a heart beat the two elves and the Rangers charged into the fray. For a moment she couldn't move. Everything she'd learned over the past two and a half years seemed to fly right out of her head. The yells, the guttural cries of the orcs, the sound of metal cutting and stabbing through flesh and bone froze her in place. This was the type of things only seen in movies … only it was very, very real and happening right in front of her eyes. Ella wasn't sure how long she stood there but it was the sight of a young girl being dragged out of one the ramshackle huts that spurred her into action.
In a heartbeat she'd nocked and released an arrow, striking the creature in the side of the neck. Before it hit the ground she had sprinted to the child's side, her sword unsheathed in case the orc wasn't dead yet. Thankfully it was as she didn't relish the idea of having to behead it in front of someone so young.
"Are you alright?" she asked, squatting down. The little girl looked at her fearfully and Ella lowered the black mask covering the bottom half of her face. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm here to help. Are you hurt?"
"No but that thing hurt my mama and I don't know where my da is."
"I will find him for you but I need you to do something for me." The girl nodded. "Good. What is your name?"
"Talia."
"That's a very pretty name. Now, Talia, can you run into the forest and hide in the trees? Don't go so far that you can't see your village but far enough that none of these bad guys will see you. Once it's safe here I will come and get you. Can you do that?"
She nodded again and Ella pointed in the direction she should go, watching until she disappeared into the trees. Knowing the girl was safe she pulled the mask back over her face and strode further into the village. The Rangers and a few of the villagers were heavily engaged in fighting the surprisingly few remaining orcs. As she sunk her blade into the first one to cross her path the feeling of satisfaction took her by surprise. She had expected to feel disgust or remorse for killing a living thing but she could feel the smirk on her lips as she ducked a swing from another orc and slashed her blade across its belly. That sound of death, the gurgle of blood in their throats, meant there was one less piece of filth to terrorize the people of Middle Earth … and she was glad to be part of removing it.
It did not take them long to finish off the rest of the attacking orcs though Ella wasn't able to come through it completely unscathed. As she spun to fight off one of the beasts that tried attacking from behind it was able to reach out (with sword or claws she wasn't sure) and strike her on the head, leaving a cut a few inches long just below her hairline. She didn't fully register what had happened until everything fell silent around her and, feeling something on her forehead, she reached up then stared in shock at the blood on her fingers. A few deep breaths kept her from panicking though her hand still shook slightly.
"Ella, you're bleeding." Araden came to her side, pushing her hair out of her face to better seen the injury.
"I don't think it's much," she said with a shrug. "That last one got me right before I got my blade into its gut."
"We'll have Elladan look at it. Even if it doesn't require stitches it will need to be cleaned thoroughly so infection doesn't set in."
"Ryder!" Galen called, using the name Araden was called when amongst strangers. A man with an anxious look on his face was by his side. "This man cannot find his daughter. When the orcs attacked he went to defend the village leaving his wife and child in their home. His wife's body is still there but there is no sign of - "
"Is her name Talia?" she interrupted.
"Aye, it is."
"Have no fear. Your daughter is safe. I told her to run and hide in the woods until I came back to get her. Give me a few moments."
She jogged back to the edge of the village, giving the body of the dead orc a kick just for good measure, then trotted into the trees, calling the girl's name.
"Are they all gone?" a small voice said from above her. Craning her neck she spotted Talia peering down from a limb quite a ways off the ground.
"They are. It is safe to come down now. Your father is looking for you." She scrambled down very easily, hardly making a sound, and took Ella's hand. The motion made her think of David – Talia looked to be about his age – and she was suddenly overcome with the desire to hold her son in her arms. She shook it off after a moment and led the girl back to where her father was waiting with Galen and Araden.
The man scooped her into his arms, his relief clear. "Thank you, milady. She is my whole world."
"No thanks are needed. I have a small son of my own and know what I would feel were he to be in such danger."
"Nevertheless, I will always be grateful for your assistance."
Talia leaned back in her father's arms. "She came out of nowhere, da! That thing had me by the arm, dragged me away from mama, and then all of a sudden an arrow went clean through its neck and it hit the ground!"
He met her gaze. "I am glad your strike was true. I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't arrived."
"I'm glad we were close by," Galen said.
They remained in the village for the next few hours, helping the survivors put out the fires, tend to the injured, and prepare those that had been killed for burial. Ella's heart went out to Talia and her father when she saw them kneeling by a figure covered in a cream colored cloth. It was a grim reminder of how violent and uncertain the world she was now in could be. Once they felt the villagers had everything in hand they said their goodbyes and made their way back through the forest to their small camp. Though there was conversation between some of the Rangers she remained silent, what she'd just experienced commanding all her thoughts. She had expected some shock to set in once the rush of adrenaline had faded – she had just used arrow and blade to kill living creatures – but it never came. The orcs were evil, as was the one that controlled them, and she was glad they had wiped out this bunch. It was the villagers that occupied her mind: their sadness over the loss of loved ones but also their resignation over the entire episode.
"You're brooding."
"I do not brood." Araden just raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about the people in the village, how even though they were upset over the death of family and friends they still seemed to look at it … almost as no surprise, with resignation."
"And so they did. Orc raids are not uncommon in this part of the world. It has lain lawless since the fall of Arnor generations ago and the people that live here know the risks." He gestured at the others around them. "That is why we are here."
"Why don't they leave? Resettle somewhere further south where it's safer?"
"Some do but for others they can't imagine living anywhere but where their families have always lived."
"Are there enough Rangers to protect them all?"
"Sadly, no. Our numbers have diminished so much from the time when our ancestors occupied Annuminas and Fornost. We do what we can to keep as many as possible safe but to most of the people in Middle Earth the Dunedain are merely a myth."
A couple weeks later saw them riding through the gates of Rivendell. Ella could not contain her excitement; it had been over two years since she'd laid eyes on her son. Elrond was there to greet them and she tried to remain calm, to not show her impatience, but it was clear the elf lord saw right through her.
"You have done well since you left us, Rhaella, and while there are things I would like to talk to you about I know there is someone you are anxious to see."
"Mama! Mama!"
Heedless of anyone around her she bolted up the stairs and falling to her knees wrapped her arms tightly around David. She was almost brought to tears when she felt his arms go around her waist and the weight of his head on her chest. For several moments she was unable to speak. She had missed him so much and felt like she would never be able to let him go again. It was her son finally wiggling out of her grasp that brought her back to her senses.
"I missed you, Mama! Have you been having fun? I've had fun here."
She had to chuckle at how quickly he overcame any emotion he'd felt at their reunion. It was so like him. "You could say I've had some fun though I've been learning a lot, too."
He nodded. "Me, too. Lord Elrond makes me study all kinds of things. Some of it is pretty boring but some of it I don't mind reading. I can shoot my bow really, really good now, too!"
"I hope he has behaved while I've been gone?" she asked the elf lord as he came to their side.
"He had been a pleasure to teach and while he certainly is rambunctious he never misbehaved." Helping her to her feet he motioned to one of the elves standing off to the side. "I'm sure you'd like to clean up and get something to eat. Lindir will show you to the room you stayed in when you were last with us. Once you're rested please join me in my study."
"Come on, mama!" David was pulling at her hand. She thanked Elrond then let her son pull her towards one of the buildings, Lindir leading the way. "The elves are much better archery teachers than you, mama!"
She could hear laughter from not only the elves but from the Rangers as well.
mellon - friend
