"Your sister?" Legolas asked, shock audible in his voice. "I did not even know that you had any kin."
Aragorn walked over to Isabelle, unbound her wrists and turned back around to speak to the elf. Isabelle stayed sitting against the tree, massaging the painful marks in her skin where the rope had dug in.
After a brief exchange with Legolas, Aragorn frowned at Isabelle. Come, sister, I am waiting for an explanation. What are you doing here?"
Isabelle smiled sheepishly at him. "I followed you from Rivendell. I wanted to come with you, but Lord Elrond said that I couldn't, but I decided to follow you anyway."
"Isabelle!" Aragorn exclaimed. "What were you thinking of? There are many reasons Elrond refused to allow you to accompany us! And how could you so blatantly go against his wishes?"
Isabelle looked defiant. "I wanted to have something interesting happen! And Arwen said…"
Aragorn closed his eyes. "I might have known," he said resignedly, almost to himself.
Legolas, who until this point had been silent, broke into the conversation. "Aragorn, we will have to discuss this on the way back to the others. It is getting late."
Aragorn nodded wearily. "Yes. Legolas will you guide my sister to the others? I wish to be alone."
"As you wish," Legolas replied. "Will you be long?"
"No," Aragorn told him, and with a last frown at Isabelle walked off into the forest.
Legolas walked over to the tree and extended a hand to Isabelle. She grasped his fingers and he swung her to her feet.
"Will you accept my apologies, my lady?" he asked, gazing intently at her face.
Isabelle smiled up at him. "Of course," she replied. "I would have done the same. I do not believe that I know your name?"
"I am Legolas," he told her. "I dwell in Mirkwood. Are you so hidden away in Rivendell that no one knows of your presence?"
Isabelle laughed. "Not at all! I am not known as Isabelle, except to my brother. When I first came to Rivendell, Lord Elrond gave me the name Serenia."
"I have heard tales of the Lady Serenia, and how she surpasses even Lady Arwen in beauty."
Isabelle laughed again. "Then the story-teller must have been blind. I am far from beautiful!"
Shortly they reached the campsite. As the two entered the sphere of light cast by the fires strong flames Pippin looked up.
"I say!" he exclaimed. "We have a guest!" At the hobbits words, the rest of the company lifted their gaze from their plates and stared at Isabelle.
"Serenia!" Gandalf cried, as he stood up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"It is a long story, Gandalf, and one which I have already told. Please, forgive me if I leave the retelling of it to Aragorn."
"Of course child," Gandalf said. "Come, sit by the fire and let me introduce you to the others."
Aragorn walked over to Isabelle, unbound her wrists and turned back around to speak to the elf. Isabelle stayed sitting against the tree, massaging the painful marks in her skin where the rope had dug in.
After a brief exchange with Legolas, Aragorn frowned at Isabelle. Come, sister, I am waiting for an explanation. What are you doing here?"
Isabelle smiled sheepishly at him. "I followed you from Rivendell. I wanted to come with you, but Lord Elrond said that I couldn't, but I decided to follow you anyway."
"Isabelle!" Aragorn exclaimed. "What were you thinking of? There are many reasons Elrond refused to allow you to accompany us! And how could you so blatantly go against his wishes?"
Isabelle looked defiant. "I wanted to have something interesting happen! And Arwen said…"
Aragorn closed his eyes. "I might have known," he said resignedly, almost to himself.
Legolas, who until this point had been silent, broke into the conversation. "Aragorn, we will have to discuss this on the way back to the others. It is getting late."
Aragorn nodded wearily. "Yes. Legolas will you guide my sister to the others? I wish to be alone."
"As you wish," Legolas replied. "Will you be long?"
"No," Aragorn told him, and with a last frown at Isabelle walked off into the forest.
Legolas walked over to the tree and extended a hand to Isabelle. She grasped his fingers and he swung her to her feet.
"Will you accept my apologies, my lady?" he asked, gazing intently at her face.
Isabelle smiled up at him. "Of course," she replied. "I would have done the same. I do not believe that I know your name?"
"I am Legolas," he told her. "I dwell in Mirkwood. Are you so hidden away in Rivendell that no one knows of your presence?"
Isabelle laughed. "Not at all! I am not known as Isabelle, except to my brother. When I first came to Rivendell, Lord Elrond gave me the name Serenia."
"I have heard tales of the Lady Serenia, and how she surpasses even Lady Arwen in beauty."
Isabelle laughed again. "Then the story-teller must have been blind. I am far from beautiful!"
Shortly they reached the campsite. As the two entered the sphere of light cast by the fires strong flames Pippin looked up.
"I say!" he exclaimed. "We have a guest!" At the hobbits words, the rest of the company lifted their gaze from their plates and stared at Isabelle.
"Serenia!" Gandalf cried, as he stood up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"It is a long story, Gandalf, and one which I have already told. Please, forgive me if I leave the retelling of it to Aragorn."
"Of course child," Gandalf said. "Come, sit by the fire and let me introduce you to the others."