Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.

Author's Note: Shout out to Five Finger Death Punch because I totally borrowed some of their song lyrics in this chapter.

Chapter 44: Enough

Gandalf's words still rung loudly in Anita's ears as she had watched the old wizard ride south from Lothlorien with great speed. It amazed the girl how quickly the man had returned to fighting form after coming back from the dead. But within the span of a week, Gandalf was back to his old self- better in fact, since he now donned the white robes of the highest order of wizardry. The significance of the new white robes wasn't lost on Ani, she understood that it was a direct challenge to the power of Sauron's greatest and deadliest ally; Saruman. It was to warn the lands that surrounded Orthanc of the white wizard's treachery that Gandalf now rode off to do. With every new dawn it seemed that the list of enemies grew a little bit longer, and hope for the future grew a little bit dimmer.

With Mithrandir's departure to finish the task he was brought back to life to complete, Anita was left to sit in the dense forest of Lorien and wait for news on either front; either the Fellowship or Gandalf. However when news did finally reach her within the Golden Wood, it wasn't from either party she had expected. Swiftly, the dark haired elleth wove along the forest paths that were second nature to her nearly as her own home was. Curiosity had overcome her when the page had summoned her from her quarters saying that there was a messenger here to see her. Was it a letter from Legolas? Had he reached a safe haven to stop and rest? Or perhaps the Ring was already destroyed and everybody could go home. The closer she got to Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn's house the faster she moved until she was practically sprinting up the stairs to the platform. It wasn't until she was almost to the top that the answer to her curiosity hit her; it wouldn't be a letter from either Gandalf or Legolas, so much as it was probably a response to her own letter home. Ani let out a curse under her breath. Slowly and quietly the elleth took a tentative step back down, hoping that her presence had gone unnoticed and she could retreat without having been seen. No such luck.

"I know you are there Anita."

The girl had to suppress a groan as she reluctantly finished climbing the stairwell to face the elf addressing her. Plastering a feigned smile of innocence on her face she met his gaze. "Hey there Glo." Her mentor stared back at her with a harsh look etched onto his pale features his arms crossed against his chest. Clearly the man was in no joking mood. The forced smile disappeared from Anita's face. "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

"More than you can possibly fathom."

His voice was stern and unwavering, causing Ani to drop her gaze out of respect for him, staring instead at her toes. "Actually I can fathom quite a bit."

"Fathom more." A heavy silence filled the space between them as Anita continued to mutely stare at her feet, hoping that submission would spare her the worst of Glo's wrath. After a full minute of feeling his heated glare searing the skin off her face, her trainer spoke again. "What could you have possibly been thinking? Do you have any idea what you put your family through? Your father was worried sick, Leila could barely sleep or eat she was so grieved by your poor decision to leave without any explanation. You could have been killed crossing the mountain, or worse those barbaric goblins would have taken you captive and you would have begged for death as a mercy compared to the tortures you would have survived. Or are you so foolish you think yourself invincible?"

Ani's eyes remained firmly fixated on the ground as her mentor and friend thundered at her. She knew in her heart she deserved every second of lecturing that she was going to get, probably deserved more, but that didn't make the criticism any easier to swallow. She let Glorfindel finish ranting at her before she meekly spoke up, ignoring his accusations and questions in lieu of her own inquiry. "Are you mad at me?"

It took the wind right out of Glo's sails to have her ask that, looking so much like a child being berated for breaking the rules. Uncrossing his arms with a sigh, the older elf took a handful of steps forward and wrapped his arms around the smaller elleth in a protective hug. "I am relieved to see that you are safe."

"I wasn't trying to worry or upset anyone, I just…I had to do this Glo. I don't know how else to explain it to you but I had to do this."

The tall elf pulled back and placed a benevolent kiss on her forehead. "Silly, impulsive, little girl...so much like your mother. You will make my hair gray as surely as the sun sets in the west. Now, go and gather your things while I discuss important matters with Lady Galadriel."

The young elleth made a big show of spinning to run back down the stairs, giving every appearance that she intended to comply with Glo's request. But if Anita had learned anything living in Rivendell, it was that when she was dismissed from a conversation it meant that critical information was about to be exchanged- and if Glorfindel knew anything about what was happening in the world then Ani wanted to know about it too. Personally she was getting a little tired of people thinking it was acceptable to hide information from her. As the stairs curved around the thick trunk of the large Mallorn tree hiding her from her mentors line of sight, Anita came to a halt. Pressing her body against the rough surface of the bark, the girl cocked one pointed ear in the direction of the upper platform where Glorfindel's voice was distinguishable with a little effort.

"My Lady Galadriel, I bring grave news from Rivendell. My lord Elrond has had a vision." Ani didn't need to see Glo's face to know the dark and serious expression he would be wearing on his fair features.

"Yes, Elrond had warned me that his visions were dark of late, far more ominous than usual. Tell me quickly what he has seen."

Glorfindel's voice dropped in volume, forcing Ani to strain to hear her mentor convey the message sent from her grandfather. " A great army, too many to count, that flows as a great black river from the gates of Isengard. A force of great destruction and bloodlust, hell bent on the annihilation of the people of Rohan. Elrond predicts they will reach the fortress of Helm's Deep in the span of a week."

"That will surely spell the massacre of the people of Rohan." Anita's stomach plummeted to her feet as Galadriel spoke, and it its place new rooted fear began to grow and bloom. The Lady of the Wood said something too quietly in Sindarin for Ani to hear, but a moment later a page girl gracefully hastened past her hiding spot on the staircase. "It would seem our newest enemy has been very busy hiding in his tower. As Sauron's strength continues to grow, Saruman has become drunk with power, and it would appear they have chosen to test their combined strengths against the Men of the West. What does Elrond have to say of this threat?"

"My lord seemed more concerned with the threats out of Mordor, feeling that once the head of power is cut off the puppet hand will cease its fighting. However, he does remember a time when Men and Elves stood together side by side to defeat a common enemy."

Anita was so focused on the conversation happening above her that she wasn't aware of Haldir's presence until he stood right in front of her, offering her no time to make herself look less conspicuous. It was obvious that she was eavesdropping, there was no story she could spin that would make it seem otherwise. She gave a Marchwarden a big sheepish grin, hoping that the pleading look in her eyes would convince him not to give her up. The blonde elf simply shook his head when he saw her, and continued his way up the stairs to answer his mistress's summons.

"My lady."

"Haldir, ever have you been my most loyal and fervent soldier. I have a great task to appoint to you if you will see it done."

"Whatever you wish."

"The Men of Rohan are in dire need of our assistance as the flood gates of Isengard are now open and the threat is openly upon us all. Gather together a band of guards, no more than a battalion, that can be marched south to aid Rohan at Helm's Deep. Take no more than two days to complete this task, I fear that if there is further delay our help may come too late."

The girl's breath caught in her throat. This was it. This was her chance to offer some help in combating the rising evils in the world around her. If there was a moment to rise up and fight, Anita knew none better than in defending a whole country against slaughter. When Haldir came into view as he descended the stairs, there was no hesitation in Anita's voice when she stepped forward. "Haldir, I volunteer to go to Rohan to fight."

"No she does not." Glorfindel's voice answered for the Marchwarden as the far older elf came around the stairs.

"Yes I do."

"No you do not. I am taking you back to Rivendell where you will remain safely." Glorfindel exchanged a look with Haldir, and with a poorly concealed smirk the captain of Lorien's guards dismissed himself and continued alone down the steps.

Watching him go, Anita gave a growl of frustration. "I can't do that Glo."

"Yes you can, and yes you will. This is not your fight to get involved in."

"Of course it's my fight," The elleth's voice rose a decibel in exasperation. "It's everyone's fight! Do you really think that Saruman will be satisfied to destroy Rohan? He will raze the cities of Men to the ground and then he will come for us, he will march his black army right to the front gates of Rivendell, to Lorien, to Mirkwood. And we will be doomed to fight all the forces of evil alone because we condemned the world of Men to fight and die alone without our aid. I can't hide behind some wall while all around me people are being killed and I am able to do something about it."

Glorfindel moved toward her so they occupied the same step on the stairs, the fair elf towering over the girl ,his voice quiet in an attempt to calm her hysterics. "They are not my concern, Anita, you are." With that statement, her mentor followed the Marchwarden's suit and continued to walk down the steps, signaling that his part in this discussion was at a close.

"Why? Is it because they're human?" Ani wasn't ready to give up. In her heart she felt compelled, called even, to go and fight. Her accusation brought Glorfindel up short, and he halted a few steps down from where she stood. "Newsflash; I'm human too. Glo , no matter what has changed about me over the last few years there IS still a part of me that's human. Would you condemn me to death the same as the people who you have turned your back on in Rohan?"

Glorfindel spun around to face her accusation head on, a fierce look in his blue eyes. "You are Elf-kind." He hissed with irritation as her back-talk. "You belong with your people- with your family- in Rivendell." They stared at each other for a long moment, the older elf daring his student to challenge him again. Again, out of respect, Anita dropped her gaze from Glo's, and again the elf turned away.

"Why did you teach me to fight?" Her was quiet, barely louder than a whispering wind through the leaves.

"I bed your pardon?" Glorfindel hadn't taken a single step before she had addressed him again, forcing him to turn and stare up at her once more.

"You taught me to wield a sword, taught me how to use weapons in battle, taught me how to be a guard of Rivendell. Why?" Raising her gaze to meet his again, Glorfindel was struck by the burning conviction he saw there in her brown irises.

"To protect yourself…"

"And?" She prompted, seeking a specific response. He knew what answer it was she was trying to draw out of him, and it all fairness the girl was mounting an extraordinary and compelling argument in her favor. All the more reason that Glorfindel was reluctant to reply.

"…And to defend your home."

"Exactly. Glo you taught me how to protect people. More than how to use a sword, more than how to track, how to throw knives, more than all those lessons combined you taught me one important thing; to protect the people that need protecting. And I can't do that hiding behind the high walls of our home. You do what you will, follow your own convictions, but I am going to Rohan." Glorfindel could tell clearly by the girl's stubborn stance and the hardness in her voice that it would take a miracle to change Ani's mind.

"What about Legolas?" It was the only trump card that Glo had to throw, and throw it he did. If Anita was enough with love with the Prince to follow him across Middle Earth, perhaps he could manipulate his student's emotions to make her stay safely behind to await his return. "He will return from the Quest to expect you waiting for him." Just the name was enough to extract an emotional response from Ani. Her face immediately grew sad, and she turned a dark intense look in an easterly direction; as though she could see through the trees and beyond the miles that separated them to the very place where her lover was standing. A strained moment of silence stretched between them as Glorfindel waited for Anita's response, not a rustle of wind nor the song of a nearby bird to break up the quietness.

"Legolas is doing his part to keep this world safe from evil. It's time I do my part as well." Even as she spoke any trace of sadness or despondency washed away to reveal a look of unsuppressed indomitability. It was at that moment that Glorfindel understood that if he meant to take her back to Rivendell ,he would have to carry her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes the entire way. Nothing short of restraints was going to prevent this girl from following through on what her heart told her was right.

Glo heaved a great sigh of resignation and gave a quick shake of his head. "How did you get to be so wise?"

A tiny smirk graced the elleth's features when she understood that she had won. "I had a really good teacher." Moving from the spot she had glued herself to while arguing with her mentor, Anita and Glorfindel began walking down the stairs together side by side.

"You know your father is going to kill me for letting you do this."

"Not as long as we both come back alive." Ani jumped from the stairs, skipping clear over the last three steps to land on the soft grass and moss covered earth below.

"Yes actually, that would be the hard part," Glo mumbled, too low for Ani to hear him. "I am going to secure you a decent sword and see if Haldir needs any help gathering provisions for our departure. You have two days until we leave, I suggest that you gather together whatever you brought with you. Before we leave you should write a letter to your family letting them know the decision that you have made. This time at least they deserve an explanation for your absence."

With a nod Ani ran off back in the direction of her room, having to restrain from doing a cartwheel as she wove through the trees. She probably should not have felt such jubilation at going off to war, but leaving meant no more days of sitting around feeling useless, wishing she could be of some help to someone. Now she didn't have to wait around anxiously for news, she would be out there with the rest fighting to keep her home safe. Upon returning to her room, Anita cast off her gown and redressed herself in her own riding clothes which had been cleaned of all dirt, grime, and blood that had been the trophies from her little fiasco of coming to Lothlorien. After dressing in more appropriate travel attire, Ani grabbed her belt which sheathed her dagger and throwing knives. Pulling out each blade individually, she checked the edges for faults or defects, and then checked the sharpness of each blade exactly the way Glorfindel had showed her in their training. She screwed her face up in an unhappy expression when she came across the empty spot on her belt where her missing knife should have been, carelessly left behind in the eye socket of a goblin on Caradhras. It was a good thing that Glorfindel had gone to seek out a sword for her to use, since Anita had left her own short sword back in Rivendell. At the time it had seemed like a good idea to take her smaller weapons, fearing that trying to sneak herself out of Rivendell armed to the teeth would have been a chore, but in hindsight she came to the conclusion that the first mistake in the long line of many she had made on her adventure was to leave the sword behind.

Having located and repacked all of her personal belongings, Ani sat down at the small table in her room to write a letter home. While she may have had two days' time to complete the tasks Glo had given her, the girl knew herself well enough to know that she would procrastinate if she didn't complete them all now. However with a blank piece of paper in front of her and an inked quill in hand, Anita suffered from the same problem she always did. She didn't have the first clue what to say. Hey I've decided to go fight in the war, see you soon? As hard as it was to think about, Ani knew that what she should be writing down in the letter was everything she would want to have said to her family if –Valar forbid- she never returned to say them in person. Finally she put quill to paper having finally found the words she wanted to say, granted that they were song lyrics, but it was the best that she could do on short notice. Somehow it was everything and nothing that Ani wanted to say to her family.

Dear mother, I love you, I'm sorry I wasn't good enough. Dear father, forgive me, cuz in your eyes I just never added up. In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me all alone. Dear sister, please don't blame me, I only do what I think is truly right. This is my home now, and I have to defend it.

Anita

Daughter of Elladan

Born of the House of Elrond

Child of the Eldar

Enough- Disturbed