Chapter Ten:

The sound of the door to Lord Elrond's study was deafening in the silent room. Laurel blushed as she entered the study, seeing all nine members of the fellowship and Lord Elrond staring at her. Punctuality was definitely not a gift the Valar chose to bestow upon her. She ducked her head and went to stand next to where the hobbits were grouped together on the left side of the room. Aragorn stood next to Legolas on the far right side and Gandalf and Gimli stood between the hobbits and Boromir.

"I am sure you are all curious as to why you are here," Lord Elrond started. There were a few odd looks from the group as they waited for Elrond to explain why they were called into another meeting only hours after the one at midday. "Nine of you pledged your allegiance to this fellowship, to protect the ring and the ring-bearer." They all silently cast a glance over to the dark-haired hobbit in question. "However," he drew their attention back to him, "another has agreed to join you all on this quest at the behest of both Gandalf and myself." The group stood in silence after the announcement, waiting for the revelation of the identity of their new traveling companion.

"Lady Laurel will take her place as the tenth member of the fellowship of the ring," Gandalf finished. All heads whipped around to her, staring incredulously.

"A woman?" Boromir scoffed. "You cannot expect us to bring this young maiden with us! She will only slow us down or get herself hurt."

"Aye," the dwarf, Gimli, grumbled. "We haven't the numbers to spare a babysitter to watch the lass." Laurel frowned at that. She didn't need a babysitter, and she most certainly would not slow them down.

"My lord, why is it that you have suggested she join the fellowship?" Aragorn asked politely, although shooting a skeptical gaze at the woman.

"Lord Elrond and I have given much thought to this exact query," Gandalf interjected, walking around from behind the four hobbits to stand beside the elf lord. "Lady Laurel is an excellent tracker and knows safe routes to the place we are headed. Her knowledge is invaluable, and it took much convincing for her to agree to our request." He sent her a smile and a wink, letting her know that this was the cover story she would need to use if they asked why she knew things that a normal human woman would not normally know.

"We already have an excellent tracker in Aragorn," Legolas protested. "We cannot afford to be distracted when trouble comes our way and she needs protecting. We already have four dependent hobbits under our charge." That was it, Laurel huffed. She walked forward to stand on the other side of Lord Elrond and faced the eight other members.

"I don't want to go on this journey anymore than you do," she nearly growled. "Lord Elrond and Gandalf have enough faith in my skills that they personally sought me out and convinced me to help you all. If they had not been so convincing, I would not have risked my own life on this ill-fated mission, but here I am. I have chosen to go and that is final." Her words were precise and her voice strong and unwavering, a stark contrast to the shy woman that had arrived on their doorstep only a few weeks ago. No one spoke for a minute or two, the eight of them facing Lord Elrond, Gandalf and Laurel. They presented a strong united front and it was hard for any more opposition to rear its head.

"So be it," Boromir ground out and quickly exited the room. Laurel locked eyes with Legolas. He wore a calm and collected mask, but it was clear that he was very much against her joining the fellowship.

"She will need to learn to protect herself, just as the hobbits must," Aragorn declared. "We have already begun their training, so Lady Laurel can join us for another round of training after supper." Lord Elrond glanced down at Laurel before nodding his agreement to his adopted son.

"That is a logical suggestion Estel, Laurel does this suit you?" She looked up at the elf lord and slowly nodded. She wasn't sure how to go about this, but she could ask Glorfindel later and he would know what to do.

"Of course," she acquiesced.

"Well, now that that is settled," Gandalf rumbled, "I believe it is time for us to renew our strength with a well-deserved meal." The hobbits' eyes lit up and they let out excited whispers, jumping around at the mention of food. Gandalf gestured behind them, back toward the door, and they all began filing out into the hallway. The hobbits were the first ones out the door and running toward the dining hall, drawing a laugh from Laurel. When she made made her way out of the study, instead of turning left like the others, she turned right so that she could return to her room.

"Oi, lassie!" a voice called from behind her. She pivoted around to see Gimli had been the one to address her. "Aren't ya gonna dine with your new comrades?" She nervously glanced at Legolas, silently hoping he would tell them she usually dined alone. She didn't want to seem rude and ruin their opinion of her already!

"Master Gimli, Lady Laurel has an aversion for large gatherings. She prefers to dine alone in her room." With that, Legolas turned on his heel and headed toward the dining hall. Gimli gave her a strange look. "You're gonna need to get over that, lassie!" he gave a gruff chuckle, walking up to her. Before she could react, he had grabbed her wrist and was tugging her down the corridor. "I want to get to know ya before I have to start protecting ya. And there won't be a lick of privacy on the road, so the sooner ya get used to us, the better!" Laurel tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but resistance was futile. She took in a shaky breath as she walked along side Gimli to the dining hall.

When they entered she scanned the room for an empty seat, hopefully away from the fellowship. Over the heads of the hobbits she saw Glorfindel sitting next to Aragorn and quickly yanked her hand away from Gimli to claim the open seat next to the blond elf. She walked over to where he was sitting and pulled the chair out. Glorfindel looked up at her as she sat, a small look of surprise permeating his features before he returned to his normal stoic expression. Settling in her seat, she noticed Sam was seated across from her, Boromir to her left, and Legolas across and to the right. He also seemed slightly surprised to see her there.

"Be still my heart!" a voice chuckled from behind her. "Laurel has graced us with her presence the eave, this truly is a special occasion!"

"Hello, Elladan," she smirked, not needing to turn her head to know it was him. He took a seat to the right of Aragorn, two seats to the right of her.

"We hardly see you anymore," he pouted, angling his head toward her from down the table. "Maybe if you weren't spending all your time sneaking off into the forest with Glorfindel, we might get to spend more time teaching you about elven culture," he snickered. Aragorn stiffly jabbed his elbow into his side, effectively silencing the boisterous twin. Laurel's face turned bright red. She didn't know how to defend herself without revealing what they had been doing for the past couple weeks.

"Elladan, you would do well to refrain from inserting yourself into the business of others," Glorfindel reprimanded. "Another word from you and you will be patrolling the borders for the next hundred years, do I make myself clear?" he snapped.

"Of course, my apologies," Elladan ducked his head and sunk back in his seat. Laurel shifted uncomfortably as she noticed the many eyes on her. Finally, it was Boromir who broke the silence.

"Lady Laurel," he took a swig of wine from his goblet. "Where do you hail from?" Laurel looked at the man to her left, wracking her head for the name of the place Lord Elrond said she was supposed to be from.

"Oh, umm," she stammered.

"You are from Bree, are you not?" Legolas spoke up. She angled her head to the right to see him eyeing her.

"Yes, that's right," she confirmed, turning back toward Boromir.

"And they let the women there traipse around Middle Earth in men's clothing?" he gestured to her blue tunic and gray breeches she had chosen to wear that day.

"Not usually," she admitted.

"And what of your family?" he asked around a mouthful of bread. Laurel felt a twinge of something when he said the word family. For over a thousand years it had just been her and Saruman. Her parents have given her up due to her oddness, and she had never truly had a family. She stared down at the ceramic plate in front of her, thoughts swirling around in her head and she studied the small fissures in the dinnerware. Someone cleared their throat and Laurel glanced back up to see that all eyes were on her. She felt her face get hot and her hands started to tremble. Glorfindel noticed her strange behavior and quickly pushed his chair away from the table. He grabbed Laurel's hand and pulled her from her seat, guiding her from the room.

"Please excuse us," he said as they rushed from the hall, all eyes on their retreating backs.

"Did I offend her?" Boromir asked. He had been raised as a gentleman and did not make a habit of insulting or offending women. Legolas didn't like how that had ended either. For the past two weeks he had done his best to avoid her, not wanting to get between her and Glorfindel. However, he hadn't liked her reaction when Boromir asked her about her family. Perhaps that was why she left Bree? She never spoke to anyone of her past, but he knew that Lord Elrond knew much more about her than anyone else. Maybe he would know why she had reacted the way she did.

"She is very reserved when it comes to personal details," Elladan spoke as he set down his goblet. "Elrohir and I had taken to teaching her elvish customs and Sindarin, but when we ask her how things compare to human customs, or we asked her about her home or family, she clams up and stops talking altogether. It's best to not mention or inquire about her past, we have learned."

"What do you know of this woman then?" Boromir asked. Elladan finished his goblet of wine and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"She is a very fast learner," he smiled, remembering how fast she picked up the elven language. "She is from Bree, she loves to walk in the gardens, she never dines with us, perhaps for reasons similar to what has happened tonight." He glanced around to see who could hear them before adding, "and every morning she meets with Glorfindel in a meadow passed the tree line. I've never followed them out there, but when she returns, she is usually covered in bruises and scratches and looks rather weary." He smirked at their surprised faces.

"I do not believe it is honorable to gossip about our friends," Aragorn sighed. He knew there was some sort of relationship between the woman and the elven warrior, but he sincerely doubted it was a romantic one. Glorfindel was not an easy elf to get to know and he never expressed interest in any elleth, or human for that matter. All the blond elf cared for was battle and protecting those closest to him.

"I can't say I blame him," Gimli spoke up from beside the hobbits. "The lass is quite easy on the eyes." Legolas leveled a glare at the dwarf. He quickly excused himself from the table, not caring for the conversation any longer. Aragorn gave him a worried look as he stood to leave, but Legolas waved off his concern. He made his way up to where his room was, thinking about the day's events. He was upset that she was going to be coming with them. If she got hurt, he would never forgive himself. She also did not seem like the type of woman that would bring any skill to the table that he or Aragorn did not already possess.

As he entered his room, he laid down on the bed, closing his eyes with a sigh. He ears pricked up when he heard what sounded like soft sobs. He sat up, ear angled toward the wall. It was coming from Laurel's room.

"I didn't know what to say!" came her muffled cry. "I've never had a family, so I don't even know how to pretend that I had one." Legolas frowned at her words. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought of her not having a family.

"I have to pretend I'm from Bree, but I don't know anything about Bree! And I guess human women only wear those stupid dresses, so I can't even do that right!" she exclaimed, a sob escaping from her throat.

"Shh, tithes lissuin," a voice soothed. He gritted his teeth when he figured it must be Glorfindel's. "You know I would never reveal your past, but maybe there are a few details you might feel comfortable sharing, to make things easier."

"No," she sniffed. "As soon as they realize who I am, that I've lied to them, they won't trust me. They would leave me alone out there and I'm tired of feeling alone." Another round of sobs wracked her body. Legolas didn't know what to make of their conversation. He felt a stabbing pain in his heart for her, he never wanted to see her cry. But what secrets was she keeping from them? And were they so bad that she thinks it will alter their perspective of her drastically if she were to reveal them to the fellowship?

"Come now, stop the tears," Glorfindel murmured to her. "You still have to train with them once they have finished supper, you mustn't let them see weakness in you. Men, especially human men, will exploit that and use it against you. Do you understand?" Did Glorfindel worry about the intentions of the men in their group? Legolas wrinkled his nose at the thought of anyone trying to force their attentions on her. He would not allow it. She would be protected, he was sure of that.

"I expect to still see you in the mornings, even though you will be training with the fellowship now." He heard Laurel groan.

"Please, can I not have one day off? I'm so sore and tired!" she whined.

"You've never complained about this before, why did you not tell me?"

"I didn't want to disappoint you," she sighed. "I thought with time it would get easier, but it's just not something I'm used to."

"I understand, tithes lissuin," Glorfindel spoke, his tone a bit softer this time. "If training this evening proves to sap your energy, then we will not meet in the morn."

"Thank you," Laurel breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not that you're a bad teacher, it's just that I don't know how much more my body can take." Legolas felt sick. He pulled a pillow over his head to try to block out the rest of the conversation. He was enraged to know that their clandestine meetings left her with scratches and hurt her. That she had to plead with him so that she might have a morning to recover. He had always respected Glorfindel, but this was never something Legolas thought he would stoop to. Maybe Laurel's inductance into the fellowship was not such a bad thing. Perhaps what she really needed was distance from the elven warrior, he thought.

The sound of a door closing caught his attention. Glorfindel must have left because he could faintly hear Laurel padding around in her room. He felt terrible now for alienating her. He had avoided her for most of the time she was here, and that had driven her further into the arms of Glorfindel. Legolas sighed, he felt like a fool. He was always so sure of himself, but he felt his control waning as his thoughts wrapped tighter around Laurel each day. At nights she would visit him, a vision in a green dress, the color of the woodland realm, hair flowing down to her hips in sensuous waves. She would smile at him and crook her finger. Like a love-struck fool he would run to her side, cupping the sides of her heart-shaped face in his hands. He would crash his lips onto hers as she gripped his shoulders. Then he would wake, feeling unsatisfied and his heart racing.

He had never felt this way about a woman before, not even Tauriel. But he knew his father would never approve of a human. She would die of old age before long and he would be left to mourn her loss. But there was just something about her that drew him to her, something that made his heart skip a beat when they locked eyes. And he had been unkind to her, he sighed. He hated to think that part of her trepidation regarding telling the fellowship about her past could be due to the way he had been acting. He stood up from his bed, determined to make things right. He would escort her to the training grounds and teach her the basics of archery before the others made their way from the dining hall.

He strode out of his room and rapped on her door, listening for he reply.

"Come in," her soft voice called. He turned the nob and slowly walked in, seeing her standing by the window, looking out over the gardens. His breath caught as he committed her silhouette to his memory. The sky would not set for another two hours or so, but it had tinges of orange that framed her figure, the light glinting off of her long brown locks. She turned to face him and the spell was immediately broken.

"Legolas?" she asked, her brows knitting together in confusion. Legolas schooled his features and straightened his back, fully stepping into the room.

"I was hoping to escort you to the training grounds," he announced. "Archery is a skill that requires time and patience. It would be better to begin now and move on to something else when the rest of the fellowship finishes their supper."

"Oh," she sighed, turning away from the window and trudging over to the corner of the room where she had kicked off her boots. Legolas could see the redness around her eyes from crying, and when she looked up at him after pulling on her boots, her eyes weren't the normal emerald green he was used to seeing. Right now they were a dark olive color. He had started to pick up on the strange colors of her eyes, but he only truly noted it when she was very happy or very angry, and unfortunately he'd seen more of the latter emotion recently.

"I'm ready," she said, no emotion on her face or light in her eyes. Legolas did not like this at all. He gave her a soft smile, hoping to rouse a similar reaction from her, but to no avail. She walked passed him and into the hallway, forcing him to turn quickly on his heels and catch up with her. They walked in silence down to the training fields and he lead them to the archery range where targets had been set up at different distances.

"Let's begin with this one," he gestured to the target that was about twenty feet away. He picked up a bow that he thought would be suitable for her size. He pulled back on the bowstring, testing it, before he handed it to her and gave her a quick run down of how she ought to hold it.

"Now remember, your stance is very important..." he droned on. Laurel had tuned him out a long time ago. She felt like she had no motivation to do anything right now. She had the energy, that wasn't the problem, but as she looked up at Legolas, seeing that he was still lecturing her on the correct stance, she felt her mind drift to other things. Maybe she shouldn't have come to Imladris at all. Maybe she should have stayed in that tower and she would never have to feel like she is right now. Maybe she could find a small human village, where a normal human man would find an interest in her and they could settle down and start a family. Normal things. But then, she probably wouldn't age and they would begin to take notice. They would toss her out once her deception was revealed and she would find herself alone again. Maybe that was her destiny. To be alone. To watch over the plants and animals of the forest for the rest of her days.

A solitary tear slipped down her cheek, causing Legolas to cease his instruction. She turned her face to look out toward the targets and away from him, but his hand reached out and tilted her chin gently toward him.

"What is wrong? Do you not wish to train this evening?" he asked with concern. Laurel turned her head out of his grasp, putting her back to him and setting the bow down. She wrapped her arms around herself as she looked up at the sun. It was getting closer to the horizon, but not fast enough. She just wanted to go lay on her bed and cry. Cry about the injustice of her situation. Cry about the bleak outlook she had of her future.

"Laurel, please, look at me," Legolas stepped around her so that he stood in front of her now. She moved to turn away from him again, but he caught her arm and quickly pulled her into his chest. She let out a choked sob as she felt Legolas wrap his arms around her. "Shh," he cooed. "I am sorry, Laurel. I should not have avoided you for the past two weeks." Laurel buried her head in his tunic and his arms tightened slightly around her.

"It's alright," she sniffed.

"You know you can tell me if something is ever bothering you," he said, brushing her hair away from her face. Laurel stepped out of his hold, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Okay," she said. "I'm sorry you had to see that, can we get back to archery training?" Legolas was wary of her sudden change in demeanor.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded, picking the bow up off the ground and taking a few deep breaths.

"Yes, I just want to think about something else for a while." That was something Legolas could understand. He gave a soft smile and dove back into his explanation of bow handling and the correct stance. Laurel felt the corner of her mouth tick up in a partial smile, happy at least that Legolas was talking to her again.