A/N: hey, I'm back!! I'm really really sorry it took so long to update, but I've had a rough week (work and stuff, y'know?). Plus, it was carnaval this weekend. For those among you who don't know this, it's kinda like Halloween. Everybody dresses crazy and acts crazy (well, that's coz they're a little drunk, and so was I). They celebrate it in Rio de Janeiro too. Hope you now know what I'm talking about.

Oh yeah, before I forget, I wanted to thank you for your nice reviews and the help with the "than/then" problem. Think I know how it works now!

Disclaimer: *sniff…sniff* they still didn't give me a character, so I guess they're still not mine!!

Now, lets get on with chapter 3 (still not good at making up titles ;-))

Nairu felt very relieved when she set foot on the other side of the river. She had really feared that the river, in response to the evil spell she was carrying with her, would drown her.

But now that she had reached the other shore safely, she instantly knew that there were now other things to worry about.

The first thing she noticed, now being in the land of Rivendell, was how peaceful it was. She considered herself very lucky, for she knew almost for sure that something terrible would happen when someone with an evil heart or evil intentions were to cross the borders of this land.

' Don't get your hopes too high, for you still haven't reached The House of Elrond', she thought to herself. ' As you've already noticed, this is a land of peace, it is dwelled with the power of good. And you, though you have a good heart, you bear something evil with you.

She shortly shook her head, as to get rid of the voice in her head, and started walking in what she hoped was the right direction to the House of Elrond.

And as she walked deeper into the land of Rivendell, she found that each step she took was taking more and more strength and pain.

'It is as I expected' she thought, 'Rivendell is protecting itself from intruder, people who bare something evil with them, as I do.'

And at the same time, it seemed to her like the spell, the evilness that had buried itself in a part of her very soul, was trying to get her away from all the good that seemed to radiate from the trees, the plants, the grass and the ground she was walking on.

She started to walk faster. She did not want to loose her courage and do what Saruman wanted her to do, namely to let the dark magic take her over. Neither did she want to collapse with pain and exhaustion, which grew at every step she took.

"Excuse me, my lady. You have entered Rivendell, and therefor I must ask you for your name and your business, my lady", one of the Elves spoke in Common Language (A/N: is that correct? I'm not sure about the English words as I've read the Dutch version of LOTR).

Startled, and silently cursing herself for not paying attention to her surroundings, she looked up to see two Elves standing in front of her, blocking her way. She noticed that they both carried a bow and a quiver filled with Elvish arrows.

Since her last encounter with Saruman, Nairu had grown suspiscious against everyone she did not know who carried some sort of weapon. Therefore, she was determined to only reviel her identity to the one that Gandalf has spoken of, Lord Elrond.

Instead of stating her name and business, she answered in Elvisch: "I shall only tell my name and business to Lord Elrond himself only. For I have travelled far and I have endured much. I only wish to speak with Lord Elrond, I mean you no harm".

Saying so, she looked at her left wrist. The mark of Saruman's spell had faded. It had only Elvish markings saying:

Mornie utúlië

Darkness has come

The Elf who had spoken to her, followed her gaze and read the markings on her wrist. He softly began to speak with his companion, pointing out his discovery.

"We will take you to Lord Elrond, but I must warn you not to try and attack us, for that would surely be your death", the second Elf said.

"Very well, you may lead the way", Nairu said, glad that for once fortune has turned its tide.

After several hours of walking, they suddenly arrived at what seemed to be a city, but a city Nairu had never encountered before.

It was surrounded by waterfalls, some big, some a little smaller, but nevertheless beautiful. Nairu gazed at the strange but beautiful houses and the many countless bows they passed, as the two Elves led her to the chambers of Elrond.

They stopped at two big, heavy wooden doors. They were carved with all kinds of markings which were unlike anything Nairu had ever seen before.

One of the Elves knocked at the door and, after speaking with the person inside of the room, he motioned for Nairu to enter, and the both Elves left.

Taking a breath, Nairu entered the room, ready to face what whatever it was that was bound to happen.

A/N: I know its short, but its very, very late and me is very, very tired (its 2:34 in the morning). I really need to go to sleep, but I wanted to update first. Oh, and more reviews DOES let the author write a lot faster, as everybody says, so you know what to do, right??