BANNED FROM THE HOUSE OF ELROND
She walked under the tree. She loved trees. She loved to climb the trees. Though she had all her gear on so she couldn't today. She pulled the hood of her black cloak up over her head as it started to rain. She took her long bow and took the string off of it. The rain would ruin the string. She stuffed it into a pocket of her black coat. As for her spear she figured as long as she dried it off once she finally got inside it would be ok.
She didn't know why she was there. She was asked to be there not more then an hour or so ago by a letter delivered to her. It was unsigned. That's the reason she had all her gear and weapons with her. She was always prepared. No one who knew or knew of her would do anything as long as she had her weapons. And anyone who could get a letter to her would know the same. Most Elves had even feared her. She was an Elf or she thought of her self as one. She was only half and half but it worked for her. She was counted among the Elves.
She pulled out her pipe and some hobbit weed and started to smoke.
"Don't you ever take that thing out of your mouth" A voice said. The voice came from the tree she looked up and took the pipe out of her mouth.
"Blood and ashes you bloody son of a goat." She said as the fellow jumped from the tree. He laughed. He wasn't a very tall man but yet he wasn't a fully grown man either. He was big though. He was as wide as two men. Mostly muscle. His long brown hair down past his shoulders. Sword at his hip.
"You really should take care of your flaming mouth AJ." He said as he landed in front of her. AJ. What a name. That wasn't her real name. Just a nickname she had picked up. She was in Gondor and sitting in a common room. There were no women in there but the servants. None but her. She was dressed as a man (like usual) and said nothing. The Men started calling her AJ. It was short for Adan Jul. Elvish for Draught of Mortality. It seemed fitting so she kept it. Not only Men called her AJ but some Elves as well.
"I should skin you alive. That's what I should do you flaming wool-head." AJ told the fellow.
"Oh you know you love me AJ. I love you." He said in a joking manner.
"Why did you ask me here Tolman?"
"Why? Cause Lord Elrond thinks I did something I didn't. I need you to talk to him for me. You're of his race. Bloody ashes you are of his family. He will listen to you. He won't listen to me."
"He hates me as much as he hates you Tolman."
Both AJ and Tolman had played many of jokes on Elrond. Nether knew why they chose Elrond. He wasn't an easy target or a good one, but they got there kicks from it. She didn't know what Tolman did this time and didn't care. She didn't want to know what he did, but knew if she wasn't careful she would know by the time Tolman left her eyesight. "This is not the time it is pouring rain…." She started.
"I know," He cut her off. "But if we go anywhere else around here someone will see me…"
"And you care today because??"
"I've really done it this time AJ. I mean I have really bloody done it. I've been banned from Rivendell. Not just kicked out but banned. No one's ever been banned from Imladris AJ. Not even you and you have done some pretty bad things." She wasn't going to ask what he did. No she wasn't going to get involved. But what Tolman said was true. No one had ever been kicked out of Rivendell. It was a refugee city made in the second age for Elves escaping from Sauron ran by the Lord Elrond himself. Dammit he did it again. I want to know what he did this time. "I'm not getting involved." She didn't know if she was saying it to herself or to Tolman.
"Please AJ. With all your weapons you should be able to change the Lord Elrond's mind." She really only had nine weapons. Five of which where daggers. It looked like more though because of the way she wore them. She carried her long bow and spear and buckler on her back. Her quiver she wore on her right waist with her belt knife close by. Her sword, Losahyanda, she wore to her left.
Losahyanda was something else. It wasn't a regular sword. It was made by the Elves and the Dwarves. The blade, white as snow itself, was made of mithril, by the Elves as a respond to a request. The hilt, blacker then black, was made of bone (as strong as mithril) and made by the Dwarves as a gift along with a scabbard of the same color. It was made for her great grandfather Aramir and passed down through the eldest son. When her brother died she took the blade from her brother's hands and killed every last orc and kept the sword as a reminder to herself. Her hand went to the hilt.
"I am going now Tolman. My spear is going to rust." She started walking away but Tolman tackled her and she fell to the ground. "You wool-headed idiot. You could have hurt yourself." She said as she pushed him off her and got up and tried to wipe mud off of her black coat and paints.
"I did." He said as he grabed his hand. She saw the crimson liquid flowing from his hand. She knelt down next to him and took some herbs and bandages from her pack. She didn't know the herbs by name, but she could tell you what each one could do. She took a green leaf out and chewed it up then stuffed it into the cut on Tolman's hand. It was a disgusting taste but she was used to it. She had done this to many times to remember. Then she wrapped the wound in the bandages.
"Well AJ your spear is still sharp." Tolman joked as she finished wrapping the wound.
"Tolman shut up. Go back to Rohan if you got kicked out." Rohan a country that was at least a month to the south of them if not more. It was a land of Men. Not men she was used to but Men that had always lived on Middle-Earth. Men that only lived to be a hundred. If that. She was used to the Númenóreans. A race of Men given special gifts from the Valar. There own Island (now sunken beneath the sea) and extra long life. Not as long as an Elf or a Dwarf (well some lived longer then Dwarves) but longer then the Men of Middle-earth. Her father was Númenorean. The Men of Rohan had hardly ever seen Elves let alone know of Rivendell. How Tolman ever knew was beyond her and he never told. She never asked. She remembered how she found Rivendell. She was taken there. Ordered by Lord Elrond himself. She had only just entered her tweens and her brother was younger. Stop thinking of him. You have to you wool-head.
"I don't want to go home. I want to live with you Elves for as long as I can." He finally got up of the muddy ground and wiped off his coat and pants as best he could holding his bandaged hand. "I didn't do it this time. I swear AJ. It was Elladan."
"Some how it's always one of them." She replied to him. Elladan and Elrohir, The sons of Elrond. His eldest children. Ninety-five years younger then her. She remembered when they where born. She remembered when there younger sister was born. Arwen, Elrond's pride and joy. She went off and married the King of Gondor. A common human, doomed to die. So maybe he wasn't all too common, he was Númenorean, but he took Arwen away. The only friend she ever really had. Stop thinking of the past.
"But he really did do it AJ. I swear. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Whatever you say, but I am not getting into the middle of this. I'm already into it more then I want to be. Just go back to Rohan. Tell King Éomer what happened. Maybe in a few years you can be in his army. When you are old enough. You'll be a great soldier. Or even go to Gondor and join King Elessar's and Ar…Queen Arwen's army." She still had problems calling Arwen Queen Arwen. "They will take you in. Tell them I sent you and you will live like you did here.
"I have no horse and I will not walk to Gondor or Rohan on my own AJ, but if you came with me…" She hadn't been to Rohan since before King Théoden was killed. It had been even longer since she had been to Gondor. Since way before King Elessar was even born, she was sure. That was over ninety years ago. She wanted to. She wanted to fight in the War of the Ring, but Elrond would not let her fight. She ran away from Elrond's watch and made it to Lothlórien before being stopped by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. She had her reasons to fight. Her favorite cousin, Legolas, was fighting and Arwen's true love, Aragorn, was fighting and hell even Halflings where fighting. She wanted to protect them all. Fight in the greatest battle ever. She needed to protect them. She didn't get a chance to protect her parents. She didn't protect her brother. All the Orcs where hers to kill. Stop thinking of the past.
"I can't, my obligations are here. There to Elrond and Thranduil. To Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."
"What better way to serve Lord Elrond, Lord Celeborn and The Lady Galadriel then to help protect Queen Arwen in Gondor. And in later years her children. You yourself said she is your best friend."
"Was my best friend. I haven't seen nor talked to her since the wedding escort left Lórien." AJ had lost many friends. Many family members. She outlived almost everyone she ever loved or cared for. She would outlive Arwen now and her children more then likely. When she was younger she had plans of leaving Middle-earth with Arwen and Elrond and Legolas and now it was all crushed. She would never leave Middle-earth until she died. She couldn't. She had to die. She had to see her family and friends again. The only way to do that was to die and an Elf can only die if slain or if they die from a grief greater then grief. A broken heart. Her heart broke when her brother died all those years ago. "I can't go. Blood and bloody flaming ashes I wish I could, but I can't. Until my oaths and obligations are fulfilled here on Middle-earth and that will only happen when I am cold and dead."
"You are depressing me AJ. Now I ask you either talk to Lord Elrond or come with me to Gondor."
"So the Rohirrim wants to go to Gondor. Very well it is a good army." She had however fought in both Rohan's and Gondor's armies. Many armies that didn't even exist anymore. She fought because of the Orcs. She needed to fight them. Needed to kill them all. At least kill as many as she could before she herself was killed. Tolman suddenly gasped and jumped back. She looked down and two of her daggers were in her hands. She didn't even know she unsheathed them till Tolman gasped. She kept her daggers hidden in her clothes.
"Sorry AJ I…I didn't mean to make you mad."
"It wasn't you Tolman. I was just thinking and I got carried away." She slipped the daggers back into their sheathes as fast as they appeared it was almost like magic. "I am sure Elrond will let you back into Imladris in a year of two after he has calmed down. He will certainly let you in to get your things."
"No he won't. He threw my things out with me. He wanted me gone as fast as he could get me out of there."
Elrond kicked her out a few times. He never banned her but at one point she was kicked out once a week, every week. The longest she was kicked out for was two months when she tied Elrond to a chair for three days straight. She gave a snicker just thinking about it.
"I don't think it is funny AJ. He is really put out about this."
"Sorry I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at something I had done to Elrond once. He'll get over whatever it is you have done in due time. Till then go to Gondor or Rohan and join one of the armies. Or go to Mirkwood and stay with my cousins. They will let you live like royalty if you tell them I sent you. I'll be there in a day or two."
"You bloody amaze me AJ. How can you flaming sit there and not ask how I was actually banned from Rivendell when no one has ever been banned from there?"
"I told you I didn't want to get involved and I meant it Tolman. I wouldn't even get involved if you were Arwen. I'm sorry but I'm not."
"Is the bloody water getting into your flaming head? Or are you purposely being this way? Any one else would die to know."
"You know I will only die in the line of duty. You know that more then anyone Tolman." The line of duty. Her father died in the line of duty and so had her brother. No one knew how her mother had died. Her body was found full of Orc arrows and sword cuts. They found her at least five days after she had died if not more. It was probably longer. Stop thinking of the past.
"You and your flaming bloody pride. Elves. You are all bloody fools."
"Men have stupid pride too." Stupid pride. Her brother had that. He died protecting her because he wouldn't let her fight for herself. Stupid bloody pride. She killed all the Orcs that where left after her brother had died in her arms. All the bloody Orcs that where left in that cave. Fifty of them. She killed them all. He was only sixty-five. In his prime. A tear rolled down her cheek. Stop thinking of the past.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry. I would never mean to make an Elf cry. I will leave in the morning for Gondor. If you come I will be glad. If not the better luck to you my friend."
"Don't call me your friend. I have no friends I refuse to have friends. Not that I don't want them but I can't afford anymore heartbreaks Tolman." She remembered her last true friend besides Arwen. A young Elf. No more then maybe a thousand years old. Still a mere child to the Elves. They where out hunting and a pack of Wargs attacked. She killed most of then and even he killed quite a few but it was too late. The last Warg got him before she could kill it. She had failed again. Stop thinking of the past.
"It's going to be a very lonely world for you AJ if you don't open up. You need flaming friends. No matter how many of them die. You are an Elf you are garneted to see the Elves when you die and maybe even your father and brother. The Valar gives that to you. When Men die, we die. There are no reincarnations, no after life, no waiting for Eru's plan after the end of the world. Just death."
"You are right Tolman. There isn't for you or your People, but my people have a rare gift that I don't want anymore. If I could give it to you I would." She wanted it once. A long time ago. In her tweens she chose to live the immortal life. Her brother didn't. She never totally understood why. Not really. They got to chose because they where half elf. The same choice only Elrond and his brother Elros got. She wanted to live forever with her brother, with her People. She never knew it would be like this. Her brother's choice was a mortal life just seconds after she had chosen the immortal. She tried to talk him out of it. He was given five years to change his mind. She tried for five years to change his mind. Even if he had he still may have not made it to his sixty-sixth birthday. He was only sixty-five. Stop thinking of the past. It's over. You can't change it. "What did you do to Elrond anyway?" Dammit he did it. He bloody flaming did it a-bloody-gain.
"I told you Elladan did it."
"Ok what did Elladan do?"
"He shot Elrond in the leg with an arrow and ran before Elrond even seen him."
"Then why does Elrond think you did it?"
"Cause I was holding a bow in my hands. Elladan and I where having an archery contest. He missed after I bumped into him on…" He coughed "accident."
"You bloody idiot. You bumped into him just so you could win and he hits Elrond. It is your bloody fault then. Bloody and Bloody ashes when will you learn?"
"So I got him shot. I didn't shoot him though. Elladan should of at least gotten in trouble for shooting his own father. If Elrond wanted to ban me from Rivendell for getting him shot. That wouldn't bather me but I didn't shoot him."
"Why should Elladan get in trouble it was an accident on his part?"
"What for? For running. Leaving me there to take all the blame."
"He shouldn't have you to take all the blame I give you that. But you shouldn't have bumped into him either."
"You're as bad as bloody Lord Elrond. It's not like I meant to get him bloody shot. They way you people nancy around I am surprised you don't get flaming shot more often. No one even bloody knows your there till your right bloody on top of them. And you, you're flaming worse. You're practically invisible and silent. You might as well not even be there." It was true. She could see people a mile away in the dark, and hear them too. Plus she could completely avoid being seen if she didn't want to be. Another reason for the black. They were skills of a Ranger. It took her years to master them, but she could do and only two where better. King Elessar and her brother. Who knows her father might have been too. She did not know. If only she was old enough when those Orcs attacked. Stop bloody thinking of the bloody flaming past, you flaming son of a bloody goat. You can't bloody change it. What is, is and what will be will be.
"It's not our fault"
"Then it's not my fault he got shot. Talk to him please."
"Very well Tolman I will talk to Elrond. Can I get out of the rain now?"
Tolman said nothing he just kissed her on her cheek and then climbed back into the tree. "You never had to stay my friend." She couldn't see his face through the leaves but she knew he was smiling.
AJ said nothing. She just smiled and walked off towards the House of Elrond.
