Our story begins 5 years before Fellowship of the Rings, on the outskirts of Mordor. Strider and the Rangers are attacking an encampment of Mordor Orcs. The Rangers are winning.
"I think they're retreating, Strider!" One of the Rangers yelled as their arrows struck the frontlines. "They're falling back!"
"Keep firing!" Strider yelled to his men. "Don't let them-hello, what's this?" He lowered his bow.
"What is it?" One of the men asked as he went over to where Strider was crouched behind a rock. "I don't-wait, yes, I do. Who's that?"
For what the two men saw was a woman firing a bow from the Orc side. Strider yelled to the men to kill all the Orcs except that woman. When the battle was over, he walked over to where the woman was crouched, rooting through the packs of the dead orcs. She smiled and pulled out a long sheath, of obvious Elvish make. She smiled and then pulled out a smaller bundle of leaf-wrapped bread-lembas. She then shouldered her bow and arrows, strapped her sword around her waist, and hoisted her pack, ready to leave. She began to trot away over the dead orcs when Strider called out to her.
"Wait!" The woman turned, and Strider saw fear in her eyes. She turned and ran, surprisingly fast for a woman, and Strider ran after her. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk to you! Wait!"
After about two minutes of running across the open plains, Strider finally caught up to her. He grabbed her arms and turned her around, noting that her clothes were that of a Mordor prisoner. When he looked into her face, her drew back, shocked, because she looked almost EXACTLY like him. What he was about to say was lost in his head. Finally, he was able to say, "I am Strider, chief of the Rangers. Who are you?"
The woman shook her head, unable to reply. She pulled her sword out of its sheath, and Strider's hand went to his. She saw where his hand was going, and shook her head. She lay the blade on the ground, and Strider saw that there was Elvish writing on the blade. He bent down to read it.
"This blade, Andiria, belongs to Arielle of Gondor, half-daughter of Denethor." He looked up at her. "Arielle?" He asked her. "Is that your name?" She tilted her head, to show confusion. Strider then realized that she did not know the language.
He took Arielle back to the Rangers, and there she spent two months of hard living and fighting as a Ranger. She learned the common tounge, and, surprisingly, already knew Elvish. Arielle told Strider that she had been born in Gondor, raised in Minas Tirith. She knew that her father had been killed and her mother had left the city, leaving her in the care of Denethor, steward of Gondor. She had been raised as his own daughter, and she had loved her half-brothers, Boromir and Faramir, as much as if they were her own blood. She knew she had a real brother somewhere, but did not know who he was or where she could find him. Strider liked her a lot, and confided in her many things, such as who he was and what his real name was. He also told her a lot about him and Arwen.
Two and a half months after she was rescued, a grey rider approached their camp. Strider-hereafter called Aragorn-recognized the rider immediately (Gandalf, duh). He introduced Arielle to Gandalf, and Gandalf told them that both of them-yes, both of them-were needed in Rivendell at once.
Arielle had never met Elves before, and was thrilled about going to Rivendell-it was somewhat of a legend in Gondor. When the party of three arrived in Rivendell, Arielle met Arwen and Elrond, and the first thing Elrond said to her after the greeting was, "We've been expecting you, Arielle of Gondor. I need to tell you something."
"I think they're retreating, Strider!" One of the Rangers yelled as their arrows struck the frontlines. "They're falling back!"
"Keep firing!" Strider yelled to his men. "Don't let them-hello, what's this?" He lowered his bow.
"What is it?" One of the men asked as he went over to where Strider was crouched behind a rock. "I don't-wait, yes, I do. Who's that?"
For what the two men saw was a woman firing a bow from the Orc side. Strider yelled to the men to kill all the Orcs except that woman. When the battle was over, he walked over to where the woman was crouched, rooting through the packs of the dead orcs. She smiled and pulled out a long sheath, of obvious Elvish make. She smiled and then pulled out a smaller bundle of leaf-wrapped bread-lembas. She then shouldered her bow and arrows, strapped her sword around her waist, and hoisted her pack, ready to leave. She began to trot away over the dead orcs when Strider called out to her.
"Wait!" The woman turned, and Strider saw fear in her eyes. She turned and ran, surprisingly fast for a woman, and Strider ran after her. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk to you! Wait!"
After about two minutes of running across the open plains, Strider finally caught up to her. He grabbed her arms and turned her around, noting that her clothes were that of a Mordor prisoner. When he looked into her face, her drew back, shocked, because she looked almost EXACTLY like him. What he was about to say was lost in his head. Finally, he was able to say, "I am Strider, chief of the Rangers. Who are you?"
The woman shook her head, unable to reply. She pulled her sword out of its sheath, and Strider's hand went to his. She saw where his hand was going, and shook her head. She lay the blade on the ground, and Strider saw that there was Elvish writing on the blade. He bent down to read it.
"This blade, Andiria, belongs to Arielle of Gondor, half-daughter of Denethor." He looked up at her. "Arielle?" He asked her. "Is that your name?" She tilted her head, to show confusion. Strider then realized that she did not know the language.
He took Arielle back to the Rangers, and there she spent two months of hard living and fighting as a Ranger. She learned the common tounge, and, surprisingly, already knew Elvish. Arielle told Strider that she had been born in Gondor, raised in Minas Tirith. She knew that her father had been killed and her mother had left the city, leaving her in the care of Denethor, steward of Gondor. She had been raised as his own daughter, and she had loved her half-brothers, Boromir and Faramir, as much as if they were her own blood. She knew she had a real brother somewhere, but did not know who he was or where she could find him. Strider liked her a lot, and confided in her many things, such as who he was and what his real name was. He also told her a lot about him and Arwen.
Two and a half months after she was rescued, a grey rider approached their camp. Strider-hereafter called Aragorn-recognized the rider immediately (Gandalf, duh). He introduced Arielle to Gandalf, and Gandalf told them that both of them-yes, both of them-were needed in Rivendell at once.
Arielle had never met Elves before, and was thrilled about going to Rivendell-it was somewhat of a legend in Gondor. When the party of three arrived in Rivendell, Arielle met Arwen and Elrond, and the first thing Elrond said to her after the greeting was, "We've been expecting you, Arielle of Gondor. I need to tell you something."