"Elaeanyl, go rest. Go see the sun, visit with the twins, I expect you'll like them, I'll be fine. I'll see you at dinner." Glorfindel promised, before looking over at Vyahel with hope filled eyes, she nodded her approval. He smiled widely.
"I will hold you to that, muindor." She said, before giving him a careful hug and leaving the healing wards. She headed back to her own rooms and drew a bath and set out a change of clothing.
Late Autumn, Arda. 3016 T.A.
The trees started to drop their leaves and the winds had turned brisk and cold the next day. Heavy grey clouds had started to blanket the forest and the probability of rain was increasing as the day passed. Despite the weather, the city was buzzing with the news of the arrival of the envoy from Imladris. The stalls in the markets were more full than usual in hopes of selling their goods to the foreign envoy and Nell smiled at the excited merchants and children who were trying to get a glance of the ellyn from Imladris.
She didn't have any coins, so she walked through the stalls quickly and made her way down a narrow, stone stairway that lead to the training grounds. Soon, the cries of children and the hushed mutterings of gossiping merchants faded into the background and was replaced by deep laughter and the clash of metal upon metal.
Nell was greeted by a few warriors as she walked through the grounds and recognised some of them as elves she had sparred with earlier in the week. She didn't bother to stop and chat, though. She was in a hurry to get her training over with so she could return to the palace and speak with the elves of Imladris.
"My Lady!" Someone called after her as she walked behind a row of archers. She stopped and turned toward the voice.
"Lord Erestor," She greeted.
"How are you today? We didn't see you last night," Erestor asked her in concern.
"I'm well. I retired early last night. It has been a very busy week," Nell explained. Truthfully, she was exhausted. She hadn't fully recovered from her journey and the stress of the past few days had taken its toll.
"How are you, my Lord?" She could see Erestor frown as she said the honorific.
"I am well, and please, just call me Erestor."
"As long as you call me Nell? I don't know what my parents were thinking naming me Elaeanyl," Nell smiled.
"As you wish, Nell. Are you here to train?" Erestor gestured to the training fields around them.
"I was hoping on making my way through the obstacles that have been set up in the trees south of the fields before returning to the palace. I have missed much and hoped to be included in the talks between your envoy and the king."
"You wanted to come to the discussions?"
"I did. I often helped my brother in matters like this before," Nell replied.
"Nell, a lot has changed," Erestor warned her.
"I know that, but I'm not going to join the rest of the ellith and forget my past," Nell told the lord coldly.
"Never, my lady!" Erestor assured her. "We have many ellith in our armies. I'm certain Lord Elrond would offer you your old post, if you would wish for it."
Nell blushed. She had misunderstood the kind elf.
"I'm sorry, Erestor. I misunderstood you."
"You are forgiven, Nell. I was saying that much has changed. It is true that more ellith choose to sail and that most of our warriors are male, but we remain open and welcoming to female warriors. I cannot say what Thranduil's policies are, but I have seen a handful of ellith patrolling the borders during past journeys here."
Nell sighed in relief. The fear of being relegated to staying in the protective palaces and homes of the elven realms had lingered over her since she arrived and noticed the lack of ellith in the ranks of Thranduil's forces. She had trained to be a healer, but she had trained for much longer to be a warrior. Her place was in the battles and skirmishes, not in the kitchens or sitting rooms.
"Yes, well…" Erestor rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and Nell thought she could see a slight flush to his cheeks. "Do you mind if I join you today? The twins have abandoned me."
"I would like that, Erestor," Nell placated the elf. "I would be glad for the company. Do you mind if we keep our training short today?"
"I do not. I was hoping to get back to the city and visit the market before joining the rest of the company for our first meeting to discuss our trade routes."
"Good, let's make our way through the course and then you can decide if we have enough time to practice on the range before we head back to the city?"
"Yes," Erestor agreed awkwardly and held out and arm, "After you."
Nell rather enjoyed the obstacle course in the trees. She hadn't seen anything like it before, but she supposed that the wood elves would have to practice fighting in the trees more than on an open field. The course involved a lot of climbing and balancing in the branches of the trees, something she didn't do much of in her previous life, and she wasn't nearly as graceful as the other warriors.
She had been surprised to see Erestor surpass her as she climbed and ran gracefully through the trees. He had obviously trained much since she had last seen him in battle. He was a competent warrior and very good with throwing daggers, but he hadn't possessed the grace that he was showing now. She wondered if his improvement was caused by choosing to train more often or if it was caused by necessity. She hoped that things in Imladris weren't so dire that the scholars were being asked to join the warriors on patrols.
As if Erestor could feel her watching him, he turned around and sent her an encouraging smile.
"The end of the course is just ahead," he called out to her. "I shall wait for you there."
Nell blushed and waved a hand at the scholar as if to say, 'go on, I'll see you there'. She instantly wished that she hadn't been so obvious as she watched him manoeuvre through the course.
Nell shook her head and turned back to the tree she was currently climbing and focused on grabbing each branch and propelling herself further into the canopy. She looked around for the purple flags the marked out the course and saw one hanging in the tree to her left. Nell balanced on the thick branch of the tree and leapt for a thick rope hanging from the flagged tree. The rope was rough and she could feel the uncalloused skin of her fingers and palms protesting as she hung on and started to pull herself up to the upper branches again.
When she reached the branches, she could see the end to the day's course ahead and deftly made her way through the last trees and down the ground. Erestor was stretching against an oak tree and smiled at her in greeting as she made to join him.
"How are you so good at this?" Nell asked, slightly out of breath. Erestor chuckled good naturedly and shrugged his shoulders.
"I visited Lothlorien for a few decades. I learnt a lot about the trees when I was there," Erestor explained.
"That explains it," Nell huffed out, still slightly out of breath from her exertion.
"Are you alright, Nell?" Erestor looked at her sceptically and he took a step forward to examine her.
"I am fine. I'm just out of practice. I'll be fine by the time we reach the training fields again," Nell assured him.
"If you are certain," He said to her and she could almost feel him taking stock of her reddened cheeks and wild hair. Nell nodded and turned away from him.
"I'm certain. Let's go back to the city?"
"Please. The course took us longer than I expected it to," Erestor said honestly.
"I think it was longer today than it was earlier this week. They must have changed the course again."
The city was even more busy than it was before Nell had made her way down to the training fields. Merchants, children, workers, and families were packed into the markets and streets. Nell and Erestor had to walk closely next to each other so they wouldn't be separated by the crowds.
"Do you know why it is so busy today?" Nell asked loudly over the noise of the crowds.
"There must have been a delivery from the settlements to the north today," Erestor said and pointed out a group of busy stalls that were being run by a mixture of men and elves. The men, with their large beards and warm dress, were selling everything from leather to barrels of what looked like ale. The elves were different from the rest of the elves she had seen in the city. They looked more rustic and worn than the city elves.
"Where are those elves from?" Nell asked and nodded her head in the direction of the elves with the stalls near the men.
"I'm unsure. There are settlements in the north. Perhaps they are from one of them? Some of the Avari and Silvan villages have been relatively protected from the orcs, spiders, and bandits by the forest and rivers. Their people haven't had a cause to fall back to the cities."
"Will they need to move to the cities?" Nell asked in concern for the elves.
"Not yet, but they might. The forest is getting darker and the orcs and spiders are getting braver as Thranduil's warriors struggle to keep evil at bay," Erestor told her seriously.
"Is there anything they can do?" She asked the scholar. He shook his head sadly.
"No. The king's forces have been dwindling as warriors perish or sail to the Undying Lands and the forces of orcs and spiders from the south are threatening the borders. He cannot spare many patrols to roam the northern settlements. Come," Erestor promted her and turned on his heel. He was a few meters ahead of her before she tore her eyes away from the northern elves and found him in the crowd.
Nell frowned, but followed Erestor through the crowds of people again. He was slightly taller than she was and was able to cut through the full streets easier than she could, so she didn't mind trailing closely behind him until the street widened and the crowds thinned.
"Would you like some coins to shop?" Erestor asked her as he pulled a drawstring bag from somewhere inside his burgundy cloak.
"No, I cannot," Nell protested.
"Please? It is the least I can do for asking you to accompany today," Erestor said as he handed her a stack of silver disks that were etched with a design she couldn't quite make out.
"Thank you, Erestor. You really didn't have to," Nell told the elf who just smiled at her.
"I shall meet you at the steps north of here in half an hour. I have to find some items for Felenar," He told her and quickly made his way through the bramble of busy adults and playing elflings. He didn't give Nell time to ask with Felenar was, so she just sighed and craned her neck to see the rest of the stalls in the marketplace.
She didn't really need anything since Thranduil had been more than generous with her, but she knew it would be rude to return the coins to Erestor without buying anything. She walked around the outer stalls and saw that most of them contained foods and household products that she didn't need, and as she made her way back to the center of the market she saw more stalls selling fabrics and metalwork.
She saw a dark haired elleth standing behind a stall filled with beautiful beads and jewellery. Nell, while not one for fashion, was drawn to the table by the simple, understated beauty of items.
The elleth saw Nell approaching and offered her a welcoming smile, "Mae govannen, my lady."
"Mae govannen," Nell replied and looked down on the stall again. She saw most of the beads were wooden and beautifully decorated with carvings and resins, but there were also delicate metal beads and other items, such as rings, brooches, and pins.
"How may I help you?" The merchant asked her.
"Oh, I'm just looking," Nell told the elleth, "These are beautiful."
"Hannon Le," the merchant said and Nell could see a blush forming on the elf's pale cheeks.
"What are they used for?" Nell pointed to the beads. She couldn't see any chains or bands that would point to bracelets or necklaces.
"My lady?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not from here. I've never seen beads like these before," Nell explained to the elf who smiled understandingly.
"We use them in our hair, my lady," the elf explained. "For special occasions."
"Oh, they're beautiful," Nell said and picked up a group of wooden beads.
"I dare say these would suit you well," The elleth offered and handed her beads that were sage green. "They'd match your eyes and with your hair…"
"How much?" Nell asked after silently agreeing that the beads did indeed match her eyes.
"One coin for 10. Two coins for 25."
Nell handed her two coins and the elleth carefully counted and wrapped the beads in a piece of worn fabric before tying the package off with twine and handing it to Nell with a smile.
"Hannon Le," Nell said and tucked the package into a pocket.
She turned from the stall and pushed her way through the crowds again. She didn't find anything at the other stalls, so on her way back to the stairs she bought a fresh baked muffin that was dripping with fresh honey.
She nearly finished the sweet treat by the time she had made it back to the steps and saw that Erestor was waiting for her. His arms were full of wrapped packages and he grinned in relief when he saw her approaching.
"Nell, I hope you found everything you were looking for?" He asked her in greeting.
"I did. Thank you for the coins. I didn't use all of it," Nell said and pulled the coins out of a pocket and offered them on an outstretched palm.
Erestor looked down at her palm and frowned at the blister that had formed at the base of her middle two fingers. He made to chastise her, but he closed his mouth quickly at the glare she sent him.
"Keep them. Use it later if you wish," Erestor gave her a quick reply and shifted the packages again.
"Let me carry some of that," Nell offered and pulled some of the packages off the top of the pile in Erestor's arms before he could protest. With arms full, they made their way back up the halls of the palace.
Elaeanyl had bathed quickly in her rooms, ate a solitary meal in the dining halls, and went to visit her brother before she had to meet Erestor after his trade meeting. She had no interest in arguing over trade ratios and intervals with the advisors and lead merchants, so she informed Erestor she would meet him after the meeting instead.
Glorfindel was sitting tiredly on the bed, surrounded by a group of ellyn who were talking quietly. She could pick out the familiar faces of Elrohir and Elladan, but she didn't recognize the faces of the others. The man that accompanied the envoy was present as well. She remembered Thranduil speaking of Elrond's human ward previously, so perhaps this was Estel.
As she approached the group, Glorfindel smiled brightly, awe still in his eyes. He still looked ill to her, skin tinged with grey, cheeks slightly more flushed than normal, and small purple smudges under his eyes showed how much his body had went through in the past days.
"Mae Govannen, Elaeanyl," He greeted her. "Come and meet my companions."
"Mae Govannen, Glorfindel. I have already met Elladan and Elrohir. It seems we have many stories to exchange," She smiled wickedly. The group laughed, and Glorfindel groaned, smiling still.
"I don't suppose there is any way to persuade both parties to keep their respective stories to themselves?" He hoped.
"Not a chance," One of the twins proclaimed, his eyes shining.
Glorfindel shook his head, "Yes, yes… well, I hope you remember Lord Erestor, advisor to Elrond?" He asked. Nell noted that Erestor must have finished his trade meetings earlier than she had expected since he had beat her to the healing halls.
"Of course I remember Lord Erestor. If anything, we spent the majority of the war making sure you and Elrond ate, slept, and generally stayed in one piece. It was a troublesome job we bonded over," Elaeanyl said, smiling at Erestor who was smiling at the memories her words had dredged up in his mind.
"We met again this morning on the training fields," Erestor informed her brother.
Glorfindel cocked his head and looked between his sister and the scholar. "Did you? How did that go?"
"It was fine," Nell cut in before Erestor could inform her brother of her hands or general unfitness.
"You are lying, sister." Glorfindel said sternly, "However, we will discuss that later. This is Norel, and this is Caprael, close friends and warriors of Imladris. Two other soldiers have accompanied us here, but they are out training with the wood elves at the moment." He said pointing out two ellyn, standing next to the twins. They both had pale hair and were strongly built, even for elves, they looked intimidating, but their eyes were kind and friendly.
"Hello," She nodded at them, they smiled back. They must have been the quieter members of the envoy. It certainly seemed that the twins were loud enough for the entire group.
"The last of our company, and the most peculiar, is Estel." Glorfindel teased, nodding his head in the direction of the lone man in the room. He was tall and strong, yet his dishevelled dark hair and beard gave him a rough and worn look. His bulky shoulders and muscled legs were certain indicators that he was a mortal. Elves were more lithe and streamlined then the race of men could ever be. Estel's eyes were a hard steel grey, yet she could see warmth and confidence in them. They seemed to shine with wisdom that one of his age cannot possess. He reminded her of her mortal uncle and father. She supposed that they could have been distant relatives of the man. She quickly cleared her mind from the bizarre thought.
"He is the adoptive son of Elrond and a member of the Dunedain, the Rangers of the North," Glorfindel explained.
Estel glared at her brother, "I would not say that I am the peculiar one of the company, Lord Glorfindel." At first Elaeanyl thought he was angered by this and she glared at her brother for upsetting the man, but the more she studied the man, she saw the lightness in his eyes.
"Well, Estel, it is a pleasure to meet one so confident to stand up to my brother's teasing. We have much to teach the others," She said, smiling. Estel laughed, a deep and jovial sound, it was.
"Mae Govannen, Lady Elaeanyl," The man said, raising a hand to his chest and then extending it out to her in an elven greeting.
"Please, you all must call me Nell, for you shall soon realize that I am no Lady. I have the heart, and past, of a soldier," She said.
"Elaeanyl, they will soon realize that you are incapable of behaving like a Lady, let alone a grown elf," Her brother jested.
"Yes, I suppose they will. Have you any idea when we will be returning to Imladris?" She changed the topic before her brother could remind her of any of her more embarrassing moments.
"We have urgent matters to discuss with Thranduil about the safety of our realms and Glorfindel will not be fully healed until the end of the week. We are speaking on behalf of Lord Elrond, so we will not start these discussions until he is well enough to attend them. I'd say we have at least a week or two to spend here in Mirkwood before returning." Erestor said.
"I will send word to Thranduil that we may start our main discussions tomorrow right after the breakfast hour. I will feel well enough by then," Glorfindel said. She sighed, he wasn't going to give himself a break to rest and heal before jumping back into work.
"Glorfindel, are you sure that isn't too soon for you?" She asked.
"Elaeanyl, I'm not going to be swinging a sword around the halls, I will be sitting and talking with the King. I'll be fine," Glorfindel promised. "This isn't the first time I've been struck by a poisoned arrow."
"Fine… but I want to be there." She said.
Glorfindel sighed, he didn't want his little sister getting involved in this war.
"No. You aren't getting involved in this war. Not after how last time ended." Glorfindel said, paling slightly at memories that reeled across his mind. "I… We can't go through that again"
Elaeanyl couldn't help but notice her brother's slip up.
"I'm not going to be kept in the dark! I'm old enough to make my own choices, and my choice is to make a difference in this war. The Valar sent me back to make a difference in the upcoming battles, not to hide away in the halls of Lords and Kings until it ends!" She argued.
"Besides, Erestor already said I could come," Nell added.
Glorfindel sent a glare to at the scholar and sighed loudly.
"Elaeanyl," Glorfindel looked her in the eyes, "If I let you come to the councils, you must promise not to be rash and to listen, you do not yet know the extent or circumstances of the situations of which we are speaking on." He said, knowing that he couldn't fight the will of the Valar. They would intervene if he kept her away from the fighting. It was their will to have her fight with her people.
She smiled reassuringly at the elder elf and rested her hand on top of his, giving it a squeeze, "Thank you for understanding, brother."
He grunted and nodded his head, "I know all too well about the will of the Valar."
"Yes, I heard about it from Thranduil. I'm sorry." She said vaguely. Erestor was the only other person to understand her vague phrase. Glorfindel frowned and she could see anger and betrayal flash across his face for a split second before he hid it.
"Not here," Glorfindel warned her quietly and gestured to the other visitors with his eyes. She understood, this was a private matter.
A healer had entered the halls and walked toward the group, "Healer Vyahel has requested some time alone with Lord Glorfindel to take a final check of his wound and change his bandages, he will be free to return to his rooms tonight, provided he rests."
Nell could almost see Glorfindel breathe in relief at the interruption. Nell resolved to get her brother alone so they could discuss everything that happened while she was dead. It wasn't healthy to ignore problems such as these.
The group quickly said their goodbyes and promised to visit him later before wishing Nell a good afternoon. Elaeanyl said her goodbyes and made to leave the room, but remembered she was in his usual rooms, "Glorfindel, Thranduil had put me in your usual rooms, would you like them back? I'm sure I can talk to one of the servants and be relocated."
"No, you should stay there. I will be perfectly comfortable in a different set of rooms. It'd be appreciated if you would talk to someone and make sure a room is ready though. Also I know I have a few spare tunics in your room, if you would bring me one I would appreciate it." He asked, gesturing at the thin fabric of the tunic the healing wards provided for patients.
She smiled gently at the older elf, "I will bring one back for you. Where is your pack, surely there are better ones in there?"
"I have no idea where that went, the moment we arrived Thranduil made me come here. I didn't even have time to bring Asfaloth to the stables. My pack might be with Asfaloth or with the rest of the group"
"I'll ask about your pack, and I'm guessing your horse, when I inquire about finding you new rooms for the night."
"Thank you, Elaeanyl." He said sincerely, before he signalled for her to leave, Vyahel coming down the row of beds.
"It is the least I can do, brother. I will meet you in the Antechamber with a tunic before supper." She promised before leaving her brother to the strict care of Vyahel.
Her walk through the palace was quick and she soon reached her rooms. A fire was lit in the hearth and the room was warm and welcoming. She walked to the armoire and pulled out the most comfortable looking tunic she found. It was a little larger than the others in size and soft with wear.
She also pulled out a pair of clean leggings and thick socks for her brother to wear. The palace was cool and damp from the autumn rain and unless his new room had a fire lit soon, he would probably feel the cold in his weakened state. He didn't have a cloak in the armoire, so she folded her own in her arms. It would be short and small on his taller and broader frame, but it would provide enough warmth until his pack is found or new clothes could be made.
She left her rooms and searched for a servant to help her find what Glorfindel needed. She wandered through the halls near her rooms and saw a familiar elleth walking.
"Garniel," She greeted the other elf. The elleth stopped what she was doing and turned to Elaeanyl.
"Lady Elaeanyl, how may I help you?" She asked.
"My brother has arrived and needs a room for the duration of his visit. He insists that I stay in my current rooms, are there any rooms open near mine?"
"Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you that King Thranduil had another suite prepared for Lord Glorfindel. It is down the hall from your own, his door is located directly left of the portrait of King Oropher. If he is going to be arriving soon I can make sure his valet prepares a fire and draws a warm bath for him."
"Thank you, he is just getting released as we speak. If you would find someone to do that, he would appreciate it. Also, if someone could bring his pack to those rooms, he would appreciate it" She said, thanking Garniel once more.
"I will call his normal valet, Rirostor, to see to his rooms and find his pack."
"He has a valet here?"
"Of course, many of the Lords, Ladies, and councillors that visit us here have a valet or maid assigned to them for the duration of their stay. Some elves who visit often enough, like your brother, Lord Erestor, and some councillors from Lothlorien, that they have one particular valet or maid that they are given each time. It gives our guests a sense of familiarity when they arrive in their quarters."
"I suppose that makes sense," Elaeanyl said, shrugging.
"Well, I should find Rirostor. He undoubtedly knows Lord Glorfindel is in the palace, but I shall make sure he prepares the rooms," Garniel said.
"Yes, I will see you later. Thank you for helping me," Elaeanyl said, as she retreated down the halls toward the healing wards.
The antechamber was warmed with a fire was crackling in the hearth. It smelled like cedar and fresh rain. She saw long blonde hair flowing over the back of one of the couches. Two dark columns of hair lay on either side of the golden mane. Elaeanyl heard muffled speech, followed by laughing.
She made her way over to the couch and set the bundle of clothing in her brother's lap, "Hello, Glorfindel... Elladan, Elrohir." She greeted the ellyn. She still wasn't certain she could distinguish between the two brothers in the gently lit room, but they smiled back at her regardless.
"Hello, thank you for bringing me a change of clothes. I was dreading wearing the robes the healing ward forces its captives to wear."
"We don't blame you, they are frightfully uncomfortable and they never fit right." One of the twins said, casting a glance at his brother who smirked.
"Yes, well I have Garniel searching for Rirostor. He will set up your rooms for us." She said, hauling her brother up from the couch by his one hand.
"Ah, I always look forward to seeing Rirostor on my visits here. We have grown to be friends over the past few decades. The twins have looked after Asfaloth for me. Have you found my pack?" Her brother asked, unfolding the clothes she brought for him. He quirked an eyebrow at the cloak, but he accepted the bundle anyways.
"Garniel is sending someone to look for it." Elaeanyl said, turning her back so her brother could change in privacy.
Once he was dressed, they slowly walked to the door and out into the palace halls. One twin followed on the other side of Glorfindel and the other lead the group through the weaving halls, opening doors and greeting other elves as they passed.
"Your new rooms are just down the hall from mine." She said, walking close to her brother. He was still weak from his wound and the blood loss and fever were still affecting his body's ability to heal quicker. She walked slowly, staying close to him and walking at his pace, ready to catch him if he were to fall or right him if he was going to sway, just as one of Elrond's sons did on his other side.
"Ah, so they've put me in Haldir's regular rooms. He won't mind, he hasn't visited in over sixty years," Her brother said.
"I suppose so. Garniel said it's directly to the left of Oropher's portrait."
"Aye, that's the one… That hall is comprised mostly of rooms set aside for visiting military leaders. We're only a five minute walk from the main stables and the dormitories of the warriors who are on duty or who are visiting the city."
"I see."
"Yes, King Thranduil wished to house me in his private halls, like he does for all the visiting Lords and Ladies. It didn't fit me, so I requested to stay in these halls. I suppose the rest of the party are staying in the King's halls?" He asked, looking at the twins.
"Aye, we are sharing Adar's suite at the moment. They've added two beds for us to Adar's sitting room and the library. Adar always insisted we stay close when we are here because he thinks we get into too much trouble if he isn't watching us closely," One of the twins said, smiling.
"And he is right. You too cannot keep out of trouble, wherever you are. We've started to think you search trouble out. You two, your brother, and Prince Legolas have seen more trouble in the past five years than the rest of our entire patrol squadrons have in the past century." Glorfindel joked.
"Yes, well Estel's job is to search out trouble… the patrols just monitor for trouble and stop it if they find it within the borders of Rivendell, not search it out." One of the twins, probably Elladan based on the inflection of his voice, explained.
They walked the halls in relative silence until they reached the hall where her room resided. The portrait of the old king was large and hanging on the wall outside a plain dark oak door. One of the dark-haired elves open the door and led the group into the spacious rooms.
A large carved bed was tucked by the windows, the hearth was like her own, large and warm, yet this room was decorated with columns carved like living trees and the decor reminded her of Lothlorien. Lots of light greens and blues with golden hues that reminded her of the mallorn trees.
An elf was stoking the fire. He was tall and lanky, almost lacking the grace of many elves and his hair was red, an unusual colour that stood out from the sea of blonde and dark heads. He had it tied back plainly by a chord of leather, but Nell could tell that the texture wasn't the same as any elf she had seen before. Could he be peredhil?
"Ah, Mae Govannen, Glorfindel, Lords, Lady," he greeted them with a slight bow.
"Mae Govannen, Rirostor." Her brother said, clasping the other elf's outstretched wrist in a proper greeting.
"I have the fire burning steadily, I'll put a pot on for your bath soon. Why don't you go ahead and sit down while I do that? Do you require anything else?" Rirostor asked.
"No, thank you, Rirostor." Glorfindel said, sinking into the plush chair by the fire.
"Elaeanyl," He said addressing his sister who was standing awkwardly with the twins on the other side of the hearth. "Why don't you accompany Elladan and Elrohir to find Erestor again. He should start explaining our presence here soon. I trust you all can do that without me. I will join you tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am feeling much better already. After I bathe and eat something, I don't think I will be a good host. I think I'll just read something and retire to bed. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, I promise." He said. He did look tired. His eyes weren't bright like they usually were and there were dark circles forming underneath them, his movements were slow and less fluid than she remembered, and he was slightly hunched over in his chair. He looked like her could fall asleep at any moment.
"Alright, Rirostor, make sure he doesn't fall asleep in the bath, please." She asked of the elf who was carrying a large pot of water over to the fire.
"Yes, Lady… I'm sorry I didn't quite catch your name." Rirostor apologized.
"It's Elaeanyl, no Lady, is needed."
"Elaeanyl as in... your sister?" He asked Glorfindel. He was clearly confused.
'So, the rumors haven't reached everyone yet,' Nell thought.
"Yes," Glorfindel said, "She is my sister." He confirmed. "I'll explain everything while we wait for the water to warm."
Nell left her brother and Rirostor to talk and followed the twins back through the halls of the palace. The sky was dark now and the halls were lit solely by the moonlight, stars, and the occasional line of candles along the wall.
She found her way into a room with a long ash table that was surrounded by high backed chairs. Thranduil was sitting at the head in an elaborate chair that was carved to look like vines and limbs sprouting from the ground. Several of his advisors were sitting in the chairs running along the length of the table. Erestor was sitting close to the King with a few empty chairs to his left. They were all talking calmly, yet the look on everyone's faces were serious.
"Welcome Lord Elladan, Lord Elrohir, and Lady Elaeanyl." Thranduil said formally. "Please take a seat, we were just discussing the movements of the orc forces."
She bowed at the king and saw the twins do the same from the second set of doors they entered from and she sat in the offered chair. Erestor smiled at them and handed them a piece of parchment that outlined the orc movements and growth over the past decade.
The orc's growth was alarming, someone had to be breeding orcs and their army was now a formidable, organized force that would be capable for forcing the elves and humans of the forest to commit to a campaign of battles if they attacked as one. They were spreading further and further away from their strongholds in the south and east. There were reports from Rohan and Gondor about the increasing frequency of attacks and raids on their outlying cities, ports, and towns.
Almost alarmingly, she noticed was the increasing groups of men who were siding with the forces of Mordor. Estel reported increased activity of orcs in the north where he patrolled with the Dunedain and Rangers of the North. He had suspicions that there were bandits and spies roaming the North who had been creating partnerships with the men from the far south.
At the middle of the report was a written account of various sightings of the nine, who were roaming along the borders of Rivendell as well as along the East-West road. Elaeanyl shivered and let out an audible sigh, the awakening of the nine was not a good sign, in fact, it was a very, very bad sign. They were searching for the ring of power… War was nearer than she thought.
"As we all see, the reports are not encouraging. With the appearance of the nine, we need to do something before affairs get worse," Thranduil said. "Our patrols and forces within the forest are constantly fighting orcs and spiders, yet we cannot hold back a larger, organized attack."
"It is the same with Imladris, while our Northern borders and the valley are relatively safe, our southern edges are busy and the men living in the towns we protect are starting to move north, it is just too dangerous," Erestor said.
"What of Lothlorien?" Elaeanyl asked.
"Their borders are dangerous, yet, Galadriel's foresight and her powers protect their lands well. It is only the travelling to and from the realm that is perilous. Haldir keeps his elves in the trees looking for travellers or intruders." Elrohir said.
"Mithrandir has tasked me with finding and detaining a creature who is believed to be dwelling deep within Emyn Muil. He believes the creature may have information that would be very harmful if it were to make its way into the ears of Mordor," Estel cut into the conversation.
The man stayed calm as the elves' heads turned to look at him.
"What is this information?" Thranduil asked the man.
"I cannot say, Hir Nin," Estel told the elvenking bravely. Thranduil leaned forward and examined the ranger.
"You cannot say or you will not say?" The king asked coldly.
"I cannot say. Mithrandir has not told me what this information is, but I believe I have never seen the wizard be more concerned about a matter before," Estel said honestly.
"And you are how old, Dunedain? How can you know if this is nothing more than a mere whim from the grey wizard?" A pinch-faced advisor to the King's far left sneered.
"His age is of no consequence. Estel does not bring this up lightly and our father has spoken with Mithrandir on this matter and he also believes it imperative to find the creature," one of the twins warned the advisor in a cold, steady voice.
"You saw fit to tell Lord Elrond of this, but you do not trust us?" Another advisor called out in indignation.
"Lord Elrond does not know of the specifics of the creature or his secrets. He knows no more than you or I do," Erestor cut into the conversation to placate both the king's advisors and the twins. "Mithrandir has hinted that this information could provide a means to an end of the darkness."
"And what do you want from us?" Thranduil drawled at the elves of Imladris.
"We only require one dungeon cell, Hir Nin," Estel told the king. "I will be the only one to hunt the creature and return him here. We know not to ask you to sacrifice any warriors you cannot offer."
"And what would happen if the dark forces that hunt the creature find him in my dungeons?" Thranduil asked.
"I don't believe they shall. I will be one man wandering through the south. There would be no reason to believe that I would have any relationship with the elves of the wood."
"And if they see you taking this creature along my borders?" The king asked
"I plan on taking the creature along the western side of the Anduin until we are north of the old Ford. If they believe I am taking the creature to an elven realm, they will believe I take him to Lorien or Imladris."
"And why don't you take him to Galadriel or Elrond?"
"Lorien doesn't have dungeons and we believe that the creature would be too close to Dol Guldur there," Estel explained. "As for taking the creature to Lord Elrond, it would be too difficult and dangerous to take the creature through the mountains. If it is anytime but high summer, we would have to fight with the snow and avalanches and there have been increasing raids and attacks from the orcs and goblins who have taken homes off the path in the caves."
"And for how long will we have to shelter this creature?"
"I do not know," Estel said honestly.
"I will consider this request. I believe we will require a more private meeting," the king told the ranger and held up a hand to silence his advisors who looked ready to mutiny.
"Thank you, King Thranduil," Estel said looking relieved.
"Now, what of the west bank?" The king changed topics once again and the group turned back to the reports from the patrols from both kingdoms.
"Well, that didn't go as smoothly as I would have anticipated, yet they only remember and fear the death that occurred during our last wars." Thranduil explained.
"I understand, King Thranduil, it is getting late. How about we meet again in the morning to further discuss our strategies and supply needs," One of the twins said. "Glorfindel would want to be part of those conversations."
"Yes, I will have my late morning cleared. We shall meet in the terrace rooms then. That should give Glorfindel enough time to sleep off the rest of the poison and have a proper clean. I'm afraid he was still a dreadful mess when I talked with him this morning. He will never get all that spider nest out of his hair." Thranduil said, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
The group from Imladris laughed at this particular misfortune and said their goodbyes to one another.
"Elaeanyl, please stay. I have your bow. It was finished late this afternoon. Rynor and Halion were both unavailable to return it to your rooms so the bow maker gave it to me," Thranduil said, pulling out large fabric covered package and offering it to her.
Elaeanyl took the bundle in her arms, it was light, yet firm and she could make out the elegant curved wood from underneath the fabric. She untied the twine holding cloth wrapping closed and lifted the cloth off the wooden arch. It was perfect. The shape was elegant, yet deadly, it was light, but rested firmly, comfortably in her hands. She ran her hands over the fine engravings that went along the length of the bow and smiled as she saw the delicate golden flowers. The quiver was just like she remembered her old one being in size and shape, fitted to hold extra arrows and her blades, but this one also had the small golden flowers running along its length just like the bow.
"I hope you are alright with the etchings, I had them added to the set. I remembered your old one had similar markings before it was broken." Thranduil said.
"Thank you. It's exquisite." Elaeanyl said, running her hands down the bow, "I'll make a few bowstrings tomorrow and take it out to the training fields. I haven't been able to shoot a proper elven bow in many, many years."
"I'm glad you like it," Thranduil said smiling, his eyes showing friendliness, but also tiredness.
"I'll let you go. You look exhausted, get some rest," She told him.
"I'll be fine," He said, "Would you like someone to walk you back to your rooms? I have to finish looking over some reports, but I can get one of the servants to escort you back."
"No, I'll be fine, it isn't that far of a walk and I want to check on my brother anyway." She said.
"Yes, well, if you need anything, be sure to ask for it."
"I will, good night, Thranduil."
"Good night, Elaeanyl. I will see you in the morning." Thranduil said, turning his attention to the parchments lining the table in front of him.
Elaeanyl stood outside her brother's door. It was late now, and she hadn't seen many elves in the palace as she walked through the halls. She slowly turned the knob on the door and opened it a crack. She could see the fire roaring in the hearth and the piles of blankets on the bed, a single pale foot sneaking out the side. She smiled and let the door fall closed silently.