Evelyn quickly fell back into her old routine of avoiding Glorfindel. She and Nightshade spent their days outdoors and only returned at night to feed him, refill his water jug, and then sleep. He tried many times to talk to her, but she merely ignored him. She couldn't talk to him because he reminded her too much of who she used to be... ever since he brought up that night of Gondolin she couldn't get that out of her head.

It wasn't even the fire or the flames that got to her. No... she was used to facing those horrors. It was the memory of a time when she cared, the memory of how much she wept for a creature that she never met back in the days where killing another living being would be abhorrent to her. She had been stupid, rushing to save someone she didn't even know with no regard for herself. She was stupid again when she got dumped in Mirkwood and she once more tried to rush forward and save lives. That time though, she learned the consequences. She couldn't go back to being that person, that child who wants to save and help everyone.

If she learned one thing from her time in Mirkwood... it was that some creatures didn't want to be saved.

"It's not my world," she explained to Nightshade as they lounged in the crux of a tree. "Why should I care about its fate?"

"Because you do."

"No, no I don't," she insisted, though she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than her companion. "This is your world... do you care?"

Nightshade released what would only be described as a huff.

"My mother and siblings were slaughtered by the pup-slayers. I have neither home nor pack save you. I will journey with you no matter your choice."

"And if Middle Earth burns?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I- I don't know..."

Something at the boarder...

The whispering voices of the trees alerted Evelyn that something strange was encroaching. Instantly both she and Nightshade were alert. One hand flew instinctively towards her hips where she found her blades firmly strapped in place. She looked at Nightshade who nodded once and the pair took off, following the directions of the trees they guided her path.

When they reached the edge of her land, she saw it.

Sitting patiently on a branch of a tree just outside the boarders was a black bird, a crebain, with a note tied to its leg. Looking around warily, Evelyn saw no sign of any other and thus, she carefully stepped outside the protective boarders of her home. The bird was obliging enough and allowed for her to untie the note before it flew off. She quickly stepped back onto her land and moved back into the protective embrace of the trees.

She held the little scroll up to the light and saw Raven printed across it in flowing script. The wax seal bore some sort of mark, but in the light of the fading sun it was difficult to read. Thus, she found herself indicating to Nightshade that they would return to the cabin. She would read the message then.

"If we have been betrayed, then this puts much of our work into danger," Elrond spoke solemnly.

Mithrandir had only been in Imladris for a few hours, and in that time he managed to give Elrond a substantial headache. The wizard was sitting in a chair near the hearth in Elrond's office, his feet propped up on a stool and smoking the infernal pipeweed that Estel had taken up smoking sometime during his travels. Elrond knew that his tense advisor was reigning in all his composure to not snatch the pipe right out of the wizard's mouth.

"How certain are you that-" Erestor began, but was cut off by Mithrandir yanking the pipe from his mouth and leaning forward to yell.

"Saruman bid me to join his side, stole my staff, and locked me at the top of his tower when I refused! He has turned to Sauron and is arrogant enough to believe that he can cross the Deceiver himself." When he finished, he took a deep breath before biting down on his pipe, once more leaning towards the comfort of the fire. He stared into its flames for a while. "Though we cannot ignore him for long, there are other concerns at hand. Frodo Baggins is on his way here as we speak. He bears the One and, though its burden is great, carries it with a pure heart."

"There is, perhaps, another problem in out plan-" Elrond began, but was cut off by Mithrandir.

"Yes, I noticed the absence of Lord Glorfindel. Tell me then, Lord Elrond, why is he missing when Imladris may be most in need?"

"I believe it is a long story," Erestor said.

"Then by all means..."

And so, with a heavy heart Elrond recounted the tale of Glorfindel's disappearance, his mysterious savior, her shocking return, her wolf's death, and her flight from their boarders only to be soon followed by Glorfindel. When saying it out loud, Elrond was forced to admit how ridiculous and fantastical it was, for an Edain girl bearing wings and powers beyond any the elves had seen. Mithrandir listened closely though, interrupting only a few times to ask for clarification or details on specific parts of the tale. When Elrond finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, falling into something akin to a meditation for several long minutes. Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Tell me," he paused. "When she knocked everyone back, you mentioned a light. Describe it."

"It was," Elrond chose his words carefully. "Like starlight, like the glowing of Elentari herself, or the precious light of the Silmaril."

"Hmmm," Mithrandir returned to his pipe, making no further comments on the matter.

"I take it you know something of the girl?" Erestor asked.

"Know? Why most certainly not Master Erestor," he had that edge old twinkle in his eye again, his previously somber disposition quickly masked. "I cannot claim knowledge of this girl who I have yet to meet."

"But you know something," Elrond raised an eyebrow at the wizard though he wasn't quite sure why he bothered. He had known Mithrandir since he first arrived on the shores of Middle Earth and in all that time, the Istari could never be persuaded to give up information until he was ready.

"Oh well I most certainly know something. I know many somethings. But, if I were to go about telling you all that I know then this meeting would go on for far longer than you'd care."

"Enough," Elrond held out his hand with a resigned sigh. "Let us move on from this matter. We still have much to discuss."

"Yes, the fate of the One."

"Indeed."

"It cannot remain in Imladris once it arrives," Erestor said, tucking his hands into his sleeve as he did so.

"No, it cannot. But it's fate is not to be determined by the Eldar alone," Mithrandir was serious as he spoke. "The decision made on the One will effect all creatures of Middle Earth."

"Indeed, for I have called a council. Messengers are on their way to call representatives of race to Imladris. They should arrive by the end of October."

"And Saruman?"

"I never sent a message to him... I had an ill feeling about doing so."

"It is well that you heed your gifts, Lord Elrond," Mithrandir seemed to have lost focus in the conversation, his eyes drifting towards the fire as one hand absentmindedly stroked his beard.

Over the past few weeks Glorfindel found himself utterly miserable. He really thought that he was making progress... she was talking to him and opening up little by little. It was all going perfectly until he opened his big mouth just one too many times. In fairness to himself, that blow up was probably inevitable. The girl was weary and afraid. For a while, Glorfindel was convinced that she hated elves, then that she was afraid of them, and finally he thought he saw the truth.

She's afraid to care.

Or at least that was his running theory. She had obviously been young when she saved him in Gondolin, and if their conversations were anything to go by then she was still young when she first arrived in Mirkwood. Glorfindel was achingly curious as to what she did or said there to cause Thranduil to react so brashly as to lock her up. Knowing the son of Oropher, it really wouldn't have taken much for him to decide that a stranger deserved to be imprisoned, but to go so far with interrogation seemed a bit preposterous even for him.

Just the thought of his Elenya locked up in Thranduil's dungeon was enough to make Glorfindel's blood boil. But, at the same time he couldn't really bring himself to hate Thranduil too much as Elenya was a bit ominously vague as to what she did to him. Glorfindel had a feeling that the elf got just about what he deserved.

His musings were interrupted by Elenya returning surprisingly early. She set about stoking the fire whilst Nightshade settled near the door. Interestingly enough, Elenya stood there beside the fire for a long moment, looking at a small roll of paper in her hands. Glorfindel could just barely make out the white wax seal on it- Saruman's handprint.

"You've received a letter... from Saruman the White?" Glorfindel asked, incredibly curious as to how the member of the White Council could possibly know where to find them.

"Don't sound too excited," she replied dryly, fiddling with the paper between her fingers. She had a pensive look in her eyes. "He hasn't been on your side for a while."

"He- what?"

"Saruman has always been obsessed with the rings and with the concept of power. He's teamed up with Sauron and hopes to cross Sauron at some point and claim the Ring for his own," she had that hollow tone to her voice, the one she always used when she was saying something that she was trying to disassociate with. Glorfindel had learned it well. "Remember there Uruk-hai, those loathsome creatures that Sauron created... Saruman improved them. He bred them with men to create his fighting Uruk-hai. They're bigger, stronger, and most dangerous... they're smarter."

When she said that, Glorfindel instantly knew what she spoke of. During his searches for Elenya, Glorfindel encountered a good number of Mordor's spawn. He fought his way through several roving bands of orcs... but when he encountered said fighting Uruk-hai, the fight had been brutal. There were only four of the creatures and it was in the middle of broad daylight when they ambushed him. Glorfindel had never seen orcs or Uruks capable of such a planned attack, but they nearly took Glorfindel by surprise. Knowing that they were created by an unnatural breeding of men and orcs made Glorfindel sick.

"How do you know these things?" He asked, remembering all the other little hints, warnings, and insults that she had thrown. She knew far more than should be possible.

"I know a lot of things... more than you can probably imagine."

As he opened his mouth to speak, Elenya broke the seal. Her eyes scanned the page and she maintained a perfectly neutral and blank expression. But, something must have been wrong as Nightshade was immediately on her feet and pressing her body up against Elenya's side, the wolf nuzzled the girl until she threaded one hand through the wolf's coarse fur. Elenya, face still blank, dropped to a crouch. She kept one hadn't firmly grasping the letter and the other was gripping the wolf's fur so tightly that Glorfindel saw her knuckles turning white.

"What- what does the letter say?" He asked hesitantly.

"Saruman has a new offer, a trade," Nightshade whined lightly and prodded the girl with her nose, but Elenya continued to read, her eyes were glued to the little parchment and Glorfindel saw a lone tear trickle down to her chin. "He wants to... he wants to give me a way to go home."

"Home?"

"I'm not from Middle Earth..." she furiously wiped the tear from her cheek, but Glorfindel could already see more falling from her glowing eyes. "The world I'm from is cruel, but not like this. He's offering me a way home, to the family- the life I thought I lost for forever."

"And what does he wish for in return?" Glorfindel couldn't help the edge creeping into his voice. Saruman was clever and ambitious, Gorfindel had known him since he was called Curumo and served Aule in Valinor. He had the ability to be more persuasive and deceitful than any being who Glorfindel had ever known.

"He is running a new experiment, to make his fighting Uruk-hai even stronger. He wishes to breed them, instead of with men... with elves," her gaze shifted from the paper to stare into the fire.

"Elenya-" Glorfindel felt his heart rate increasing.

She... she can't... she wouldn't, his mind tried to scream.

The metal collar around his throat and the stone walls surrounding him suddenly felt very constricting. He could feel their weight baring down on him, holding him in place. For the first time since he re-found Elenya, he wondered if allowing her to capture him was the right decision.

She was still gazing into the fire as her tone became even more eerily empty.

"And he wants to breed these beasts with the Balrog Slayer."

Glorfindel felt his blood run cold.