Note: I thought I had better write this chapter quickly as: 1 I am on a roll and, 2 a lot of people have been waiting for it especially after Athrana/Athriel's cowardice in the last chapter. Enjoy

PT

Athrana (Wandering Shadow)

Chapter 21- Home

TA3019, February

Athrana landed lightly onto what had once been her balcony. It was late now and the entire house was asleep. She could do this, she could come home. But first she wanted to see it. She wanted to see the room that had once been hers. Maybe it was a delaying tactic, but she had to do it. Alright, she couldn't deny it, it was a delaying tactic. She would come home and reveal herself to everyone, but not yet. At least she would have to wait till tomorrow. In the morning Elladan and Elrohir would escort Arwen on her journey to the Grey Havens. She would tell them everything. But that wouldn't be for a few days. In the meantime she could get used to the idea of being back.

She tried the door, locked. She smiled. One thing at least hadn't changed in all these years, Erestor. Erestor had always been checking to see if the door was locked. She always forgot to do it, so he would lock it for her. She knelt down and began to pick the lock. It wouldn't take long; it was a trick she had learned a long time ago.

TA 173

Three figures moved quietly down the corridor. It was late at night and although they were supposed to be in bed three elves, not far from their majority tiptoed towards the wine cellar. When they arrived Athriel tried the door. "It's locked" the twins looked at each other and smirked. "What the magnificent Athriel, can't get through the door." Elladan asked as Elrohir searched his pockets. Finally he pulled out a thin piece of metal and began work on the lock. Within minutes the door swung open.

As the door swung open Athrana took a deep breath. Everything was the same. Everything exactly the same as she had left it. Not a thing had been moved.

Erestor sat up in bed. He had heard something, movement from next door. But that was impossible, those were Athriel's rooms. A hand reached out and pushed him back down onto the bed. "It's alright Meleth, I'll go see what it is, and you stay here" Erestor nodded vaguely as Glorfindel stood and put on a night robe. He couldn't have imagined it if his mate had woken as well. Someone or something was moving around in his sister's room.

Glorfindel crept slowly through to the other room and approached the connecting door. He tried not to think of the possibilities. Was it possible, could it be her? His hand went to the doorknob. Locked. Of course it was locked, they always locked it. As if they could keep their memories safely behind the wooden door. His hand found the key without thinking and he pushed open the door. As he stepped through the doorframe his ears caught a familiar noise. He moved slowly towards the bedroom and peered around the frame.

There she was, sitting on the bed crying. "Athriel?" She looked up, but she didn't run as he expected her to. "It's exactly the same" She said. She looked so scared, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Without realising what he was doing Glorfindel moved forward and took her hand. "Come with me" he said pulling her to stand and pulling her through to the living room, where she stopped. "Wait" She looked up at the space above the fire place. "Where's the portrait that was here?" Everything else was the same. It seemed odd that that picture was missing.

TA181

Erestor pulled her along as she kept her eyes shut tight. Today was her birthday and he had a surprise for her. "Erestor, just tell me what it is, please" She could tell he wasn't taking her very far, from her bedroom to the living room but she had no patience today. "I have to start getting ready soon." He laughed as he stopped and turned her to face the right way. "You can look now." He said. Athriel opened her eyes and gasped. Sitting there on her long chair was not one, but two portraits and a beautiful black dress. "Oh Erestor they're beautiful." One portrait showed herself and Erestor standing side by side, the other was just of her standing in full armour with a helmet under her arm.

"It's on the long Gallery Athriel. It's the only one we had of you on your own."

TA2933

Erestor was just standing there looking at the picture and he had been there for a long time. "You need to take it down Erestor; they need one for the long gallery." It was an old Imladris tradition. Whenever someone left them, either in death or to sail, their portrait was hung in the long gallery so that anyone could pay their respects. Now they had to hang a portrait of Athriel. It was strange that the only portrait they had of her on her own, fit her personality so completely.

Erestor didn't move. He just stood there staring. If they took down this portrait it would be real. If they hung her likeness in the long gallery, she really wasn't coming back. Finally Glorfindel moved forward and took the picture himself. He broke the one rule Erestor had made about Athriel's room. He moved something. Now it was not exactly as she had left it.

"Athriel?" The voice that came from the doorway was quiet and disbelieving. Athrana turned to see Erestor. He looked pale and old, but there was hope in his eyes. "Am I dreaming?" he asked. Glorfindel moved forwards slowly shaking his head. "No Res, you're not dreaming." The advisor moved forward with his arm out stretched as if he was going to touch her face, but just as he reached his sister he collapsed onto the floor in a faint."Damn!" Glorfindel exclaimed rushing forward to pick him up and carry him back to their room.

A few hours later Erestor woke up. He was lying in his bed and he could feel Glorfindel stroking his hair. "Fin?" The hand stopped moving. "Yes?" Erestor closed his eyes. "I had the most wonderful dream" He didn't want to be awake. He wanted to be asleep again. "You did?" Glorfindel's voice asked. "I dreamt that Athriel was home with us again." It wasn't the first time he had had such dreams, but this time it had been so vivid, so real. "Erestor look at me" He opened his eyes slowly and looked up. "It wasn't a dream Erestor."

There was silence as Erestor's brain caught up with his ears. "She's..." Glorfindel took a breath. "She's asleep in her room." Erestor moved to stand but the warrior stopped him. "Please, just wait a moment Meleth." Glorfindel looked worried, but Erestor couldn't see why. "What is it?" What could be wrong? She was home. "There's something you have to know, about what happened to her."

Athriel woke up and looked at the ceiling. For a moment she didn't remember anything that had happened to her. For a moment she was just Athriel waking up in her bed. She sat up, and seeing the dressing table she moved to sit in front of the mirror. As she sat she took the brush and moved it up to her head. She looked into the mirror and screamed as everything came flooding back. She threw the brush as hard as she could shattering the mirror into thousands of pieces, each reflecting her horribly scarred face.

Erestor and Glorfindel rushed from their room when they heard the scream, followed by the terrifying smash of glass. When they reached Athriel she was sitting on the floor rocking back and forth repeatedly. Without thinking Erestor rushed to kneel in front of her. "Athriel? Athriel what's wrong?" Her head was tucked tightly behind her knees so he couldn't see her face. "I'm not Athriel. Athriel is dead" She said, although her words were muffled. Erestor pulled her face up, so that he could look her in the eye. "No, she's not. She's right here where she belongs" She shook his hand away. "Erestor, no I'm a monster" He laughed. 2No you're not, you're my sister"

TA 135

Athriel ran through the trees as quickly as she could laughing loudly. She ran and ran as the twins chased her through the gardens. Suddenly she tripped falling to the ground in a heap. ""Athriel?"" the twins stopped seeing her crying on the ground. Suddenly there was a flurry of robes and Erestor knelt next to his sister. "It's alright Athriel, I'm here, I'm here. Everything's alright." He pulled her into a hug and rocked her slowly as she cried.

Glorfindel watched with a small smile on his face as Erestor rocked her slowly, as if she was an elfling again. "It's alright Athriel, I'm here, I'm here. Everything's alright." She was really home.