Here's Chapter 7!

Glorfindel makes a special appearance towards the end.

I do not own anything other than Kayden, Peyton, and Robin.

Chapter 7: Elven Ways

They soon stopped at a clearing to rest and see if they could treat Frodo. Three stone humanoid shapes loomed above them. The figures were rough with wear, but they were too lifelike to be statues. One of them had a bird's nest behind its ear. Sam was the first to realize what, or rather who, the stones figures were and attempted to cheer Frodo up with the knowledge.

"Look, Frodo. It's Mr. Bilbo's trolls."

Sam looked at Frodo, concern etched on his face. Robin smiled as she remembered the story of the trolls, but the smile soon faded as Frodo gasped for breath. His eyes clouded over. Sam started feeling Frodo's forehead. Robin followed suit, and gasped at contact.

"He's going cold!" she exclaimed.

Strider and Kayden, their torches held aloft, stood a little ways from the hobbits, grouped around Frodo. Peyton was standing near them, in quiet thought, and rushed over at Robin's remark. "Is he going to die?" she asked, worry and sadness filling her as she spoke.

Strider and Kayden turned to face them. "He is passing into the shadow world. He'll soon become a wraith like them," he replied grimly.

Another shrill shriek pierced the night air. "They're close," Merry remarked anxiously.

Strider whipped around. "Sam, do you know of the athelas plant?" he asked hurriedly.

Sam rushed over to him. "Athelas?" he inquired, a confused look passing over his face.

"Kingsfoil," Strider mended, trying to find a name the hobbit would be familiar with.

"Kingfoil, aye, it's a weed!" Sam exclaimed.

Strider turned to Kayden. "Do you remember athelas?" Kayden nodded, recalling the small shrub with white flowers he had shown her on the road to Bree. "It may help to slow the poison," Strider continued. "Hurry!"

The three of them rushed into the woods, each carrying a flaming torch.

~o*o*o*o~

"What's this, a Ranger, caught off his guard?"

The feminine voice carried through the forest. Kayden looked towards Sam, who was nearby. "Head back to camp," she ordered, even though they had no luck in finding athelas.

When, they returned to camp, Strider had not yet come back, and Kayden began to get worried. Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats rang out, followed by a bright white light. "Frodo," the feminine voice murmured.

The voice suddenly gained a musical sound that was not there before. "I am Arwen. I have come to help you. Come back to the light."

The owner of the voice stepped out of the blinding light. Arwen was a beautiful woman, with long dark hair flowing down to her waist and pointed ears. She knelt down next to Frodo. Beside her crouched Strider, with a bundle of athelas leaves that he promptly began to chew. "Who is she?" Merry whispered. That's funny, Kayden thought. Didn't she just say what her name was?

"She's an elf," Peyton stated. Kayden looked at her friends in confusion. Am I the only one that heard Arwen speak? she wondered.

"He's fading," Arwen murmured, pulling up Frodo's shirt to reveal his wound. Strider put the chewed athelas into the wound, causing Frodo to gasp even louder. "He's not going to last," Arwen continued. "We must get him to my father."

Strider gently carried Frodo and placed him on Arwen's horse. "I've been looking for you for two days," Arwen informed them. "There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know."

Strider spoke to Arwen, his voice acquiring the same musical quality Arwen's had gained before. "Stay with the Hobbits, Peyton, and Kayden. I will send horses back for you."

"I am the faster rider. I will take him," Arwen retorted, using music-speech, as Kayden had decided to call it.

"The road is too dangerous," Strider music-spoke, worry in his tone.

"What are they saying?" Peyton queried.

Kayden whipped around. "You mean, you can't understand them?" Peyton and the hobbits shook their heads. Well, that's odd, Kayden thought, turning her attention back to Strider and Arwen.

"Frodo is dying. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him," Arwen music-spoke to Strider. "I do not fear them," she added in normal speech, courage filling her voice.

Strider took Arwen's hand and finally gave in. "As you wish."

Arwen mounted her horse behind Frodo. Strider looked up at her. "Ride hard, and don't look back."

"Ride fast, Asfaloth, ride fast!" Arwen commanded her horse and galloped off into the distance.

"What're you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!" Sam shouted after her, worried about Frodo.

"Sam, calm down! She is taking him somewhere safe faster than we could," Kayden reprimanded, looking at Strider for confirmation.

"That was Arwen. She is taking Frodo to Rivendell to be healed," he stated. "Come. We must hurry if we want to reach Rivendell soon." The seven of them began running again, following the light hoofprints Asfaloth left in the forest ground.

~o*o*o*o~

"Strider, we should stop. The hobbits look like they're about to collapse," Kayden suggested. They had been running nonstop since Arwen had left, and now it was nearly sunrise.

Strider slowed and nodded in agreement. The seven of them made camp, and Sam, Merry, Pippin, Robin, and Peyton fell asleep without a word. Kayden and Strider remained awake, and sat surveying the surrounding trees. Presently, Kayden asked a question that had been on her mind for quite some time.

"Aragorn?" she asked, watching Strider turn in surprise at the use of his true name, then merely shrug and wait for Kayden to continue. "When you and Arwen were talking, I was the only one that could understand you two. Why was that?"

"It is because you are an elf. We spoke Sindarin, the Grey Tongue of the elves. It is only natural that you would understand," he replied.

"But I have never heard of it before," Kayden remarked. "Do you think I could speak it?"

Aragorn chuckled. "It is quite strange, meeting an elf who has never heard the Grey Tongue before."

"Yes, but you said yourself that I was a strange elleth."

Aragorn smiled. "It is possible that you can speak Sindarin, since you are of elvish birth."

Kayden closed her eyes. She focused on the music she had heard when Aragorn and Arwen had spoken. "Am I speaking Elvish?" she asked.

Aragorn's eyes widened in surprise, and then he broke into a grin. "Yes," he replied in Sindarin.

Kayden smiled back, and for the rest of the time while the hobbits and Peyton were sleeping, Aragorn helped Kayden practice speaking Sindarin. Finally, most the hobbits stirred from their sleep. "I didn't know you could speak Elvish," Sam remarked, quite surprised.

Kayden flashed him a big smile. "Well, Samwise, I am an elf," she replied, pushing back her hair to reveal her pointed ears, much to the gasps of Sam, Merry and Pippin. Peyton and Robin, who were still asleep, just rolled over.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Pippin queried, curiosity in his voice.

Kayden laughed. "You never asked."

The three hobbits chuckled, and even Strider broke into a smile at Kayden's childlike response. After rousing Robin and Peyton, who were still very sleepy, they set off towards Rivendell again, much to Peyton's dismay. She never really liked running.

~o*o*o*o~

TWANG!

Peyton smiled as her arrow flew from her string and pierced the bulls-eye. She had taken up archery at summer camp last year, and she was eager to do it again.

"That was an excellent shot," Glorfindel commented. He had been helping Peyton and Kayden train once they had reached Imladris, and he was pleasantly surprised at how well the girls handled weaponry. Kayden was an excellent swordsman, and Peyton had a good deal of skill with a bow.

Peyton smiled at Glorfindel's remark and turned around to look at the other end of the training ground, where Kayden was practicing her swordplay. Four years ago, Kayden had begun taking swordsmanship lessons. Peyton had tried it, but she didn't like it much. Robin never like weaponry and was currently with the hobbits doing who-knows-what.

"Kayden, are you prepared to begin sparring?" Glorfindel asked, crossing the training grounds. Kayden eagerly nodded and jumped into a fighting stance. A smile flickered across Glorfindel's face as he unsheathed his sword and lunged at the young elleth, and thus the match began.

Peyton watched excitedly, cheering Kayden on. The young elleth was quite skilled with her blade, but Glorfindel was much older and experienced, though being an elf, he still was as nimble as ever. Despite this, the match was rather long, and it was quite a few moments before Glorfindel pressed his sword against Kayden's neck. "Do you yield?" he asked, glowing with triumph.

Kayden smiled and lowered her sword. "Even though I don't like it, yes," she answered, a slight bit of disappointment in her voice.

"Do not worry, young one," a voice reassured her. "Many of your foes will not be as skilled as he." Kayden turned around to see Arwen gazing at her, a smile on her face.

"How is Frodo doing?" Peyton asked.

"He is well," Arwen replied. "My father has removed the blade point that was embedded in his shoulder, and he should awake soon."

Glorfindel eyed Kayden's sword with interest. "May I see your weapon?" he inquired. Kayden nodded and handed the elder elf her short sword. Glorfindel's eyes roved over it, twirling it a couple of times in hands. "This is a good blade," he remarked. "Does it have a name?"

"A name?" Kayden asked, confused.

"It is common to name swords," Arwen informed her.

"Well, what are you going to name it?" Peyton wondered.

"I don't know," Kayden replied.

After a few moments of silent thought, Arwen suggested, "Veryan. Translated in Westron, it means brave."

"Veryan." Kayden lifted the blade to the sun, considering the name. "I like it," she finally declared. "Veryan, my brave sword."

"Come Peyton, let us continue with your archery practice," Glorfindel stated, turning around and walking towards the targets. Peyton flashed her friend a smile before beginning to follow him.

Suddenly, a young elf ran onto the ground. "The hobbit has awoken," he announced. Grinning, Peyton and Kayden rushed to Frodo's quarters, eager to see him again.

I hope you enjoyed it!

I think I explained why Kayden was the only one who woke up with a sword. She was the only one who had a good deal of lessons.

Pleasee review!