*_*

"We got here as quick as we could." Aragorn said to Elrond, after bowing to greet him. "Your message had said it was urgent."

"And for that I am grateful." Elrond said, nodding to Aragorn. The two of them were in Elrond's study. After Elrond had had his talk with Lady Kimberly, he went to his office to find that the party had arrived already. "Sit down, Estel." Elrond motioned toward a chair, then sat down in one himself. "I've called you here for a very important purpose." Aragorn nodded, watching Elrond's eyes intently. "Many years ago, a prophecy was told to me." Elrond launched into the poem, and the description of how it had happened. He concluded with, "And that brings us to now. Exactly three years after the ring was destroyed…just as it was prophesized."

Aragorn cocked his head to the side, looking at Elrond. "And you believe that myself, Gimli, Legolas and…one of your adopted daughters are all involved in it?"

Elrond nodded. "Yes, I believe that is correct."

"But you have no idea where 'The wisened Ranger, now but a King' …assumingly that's me. You have no idea where I'm supposed to lead them…all you know is it's to a spring." Aragorn said slowly.

Elrond nodded again. "That is all that I have been told."

Aragorn scratched his head thoughtfully. "Huh." He leaned back in his chair, letting it all absorb in. "Have you talked with Legolas or Gimli yet? They should know what we're going to face."

Elrond smiled, relieved. He had been a bit leery about convincing Aragorn to join the group. If he had convinced his adopted son to join, the others would be easy. "I have yet to talk to them. I have only spoken with Lady Kimberly and Lady Anne about this matter…and now you."

"When are we to leave?" Aragorn asked, saddened a bit to be leaving his wife behind for a bit. But he felt that familiar excitement growing inside him at an adventure coming up.

"Two weeks." Elrond said. "We can discuss it more over dinner." He stood up, and Aragorn followed suit. "There you can meet Anne and Kimberly." He started to walk toward the door, then stopped and looked back toward Aragorn. Aragorn looked at him, waiting for him to say what was on his mind. "Estel…promise me something."

Aragorn nodded. "Anything."

"Lady Kimberly is…very dear to me. If she is indeed the one written into the prophecy, please watch over her for me." Elrond said slowly. "I've tried to protect her all of these years, never letting her further then the forest surrounding Rivendell. She is as dear to me as all of my children. I…I could not bear it if she did not return to me."

Aragorn looked Elrond in the eye, not missing the sadness in the ancient elf's eyes. "I will not let her out of my site. I will protect her with my life." He solemnly swore, as was the custom of all protectors. He balled up his right hand, and placed it over his heart, and looked Elrond in the eye. "If by my life or death I can protect her, I will."

*_*

Dinner was just about ready to go underway. Kim quickly dressed in a sky blue dress, that had three-quarter length sleeves, and that just reached her ankles. It wasn't flashy, but then again she never went for the flashy dresses. She was content to just fit into a crowd, not stand out. After giving her short hair one more quick brush, she practically flew out of the room, knowing that she was late. Elrond wouldn't be very happy with her…especially with special guests there that evening.

She dashed through the maze of halls, finally coming toward the dining hall. The door was open, and the sounds of a loud crowd, and merry music could be heard from the room. Quietly slipping through the doors, she blended into the crowd. She looked toward the head table, and saw that with the special guests, all of the seats were filled. That was fine by her, she never liked sitting up there anyway…it always made her feel like everyone was staring at her. She glanced around the large room, and saw her friend Alicia sitting at a small round table near the wall. She quickly cut her way through the crowd to her. She was almost there when she collided with another person, spilling half of his drink on the right sleeve of her dress.

"I am terribly sorry!" The man said, attempting to wipe off the ale from her soaking sleeve. "I didn't even see you there."

Kim shrugged, and glanced up at the man. He was really handsome, and only a few inches taller then herself. She couldn't help but smile. She wasn't in the least worried about her dress, and wasn't going to bother with changing. She wanted to talk to Alicia right away. "It's no problem, really." She assured him quickly, embarrassed to be under such close scrutiny of the handsome man. He attempted one last time to wring out her dress sleeve.

"Can I get you anything?" The man asked, glancing around, motioning toward someone that he would be there in a second.

"Really, I'm fine." Kim said hurriedly. The crowd was starting to part a bit, and she didn't want Elrond to see her deliberately not sit at the head table. She nodded and smiled at the man one last time, then melted into the crowd. The man turned and watched her sit with a very pretty elf by the wall. He shrugged and made his way over to Arwen at the head table.

*_*

"Kimberly! There you are!" The elf Alicia cried out when the young woman arrived next to her. "Elrond was asking me where you were."

Kim plopped down next to her friend, her eyes scanning the crowd for the man she had bumped into. Not seeing him, she turned to her friend. "I got caught up in the book again."

Alicia shook her head at her friend. "I swear…you live more in a book then you do in your real life!"

"Oh!" Kim said eyes widening toward her friend. "Guess what?!" Alicia shrugged in response, thanking one of the waiters for the food set before the two of them. "Elrond is sending me on a journey! I'm finally going to be able to leave Rivendell for awhile!" The elf squealed in delight. Kimberly and Alicia had been friends since the very first day Kim had arrived in Rivendell. Elrond had wanted someone to show the young woman around the city. Alicia had been intrigued, not having seen many humans before, and jumped at the chance. Physically they looked the same age, but Alicia was a couple hundred years older.

"That is wonderful news!" Alicia shrieked happily. "You've been wanting to explore for years!"

"I know, isn't it great?!" Kim said happily. Then she groaned. "The only bad news is Anne is coming. She'll probably spoil everything."

Alicia nodded her agreement, looking over the crowd her eyes scanning the head table and noticing the man that had bumped into Kim on her way over. "So…what do you think of him?"

Kim licked the chicken juice off her fingers. "What? Him-who?"

Alicia nodded toward the head table where the man sat. "Aragorn." She pointed toward him.

Kim followed her point, and when she recognized the handsome man, she immediately started to choke on her food. A helpful elf on her left patted her on the back, and Alicia handed her a glass of juice. When her coughing fit finally turned into an occasional cough, and she could breath again. Kim looked from Alicia to the man. "That's Aragorn?!"

Alicia nodded. "Yeah…why?"

Kim shrugged. "Elrond said that he wanted me to stick close to him. Though…I'm not sure why. I just bumped into him a couple of minutes ago…and I just had the strangest feeling when I looked at him."

Alicia laughed, and shrugged. "Sorry, friend. You're too late. See that lady next to him. That's his wife."

"Arwen?" Kim laughed. "Oh I knew that! It wasn't a 'love' kind of feeling…it was something else."

Not picking up on her friend's strange mood, Alicia's eyes wondered to the blonde elf that was sitting on the end of the table near Elladan. "I think I'm having a 'love' kind of feeling right now."

*_*

Aragorn wound his way through the crowd with a new cup of ale, and quietly sat down next to his wife at the head table. He couldn't get the woman out of his mind. It was almost as if they shared some sort of bond…even though he had never met her before. His eyes scanned the room again, and he found her sitting near the wall, laughing with a friend.

Arwen glanced over at her husband, and then followed his gaze. She smiled when she saw whom he was staring at. "So…" Arwen asked, gaining his attention. "What did you think of her?"

Aragorn looked back at his wife. "I'm sorry?"

Arwen put her hand lightly on his cheek, and turned his face until he was looking toward where Kimberly sat. "Lady Kimberly, of course. She is such a dear. Her and I were very good friends while we both lived in Rivendell. Father adopted her when she was but fifteen."

Aragorn glanced from his wife, to the woman, then back to his wife again, confusion evident on his face. "That's Kimberly?"

"Yes…why?" Arwen asked.

"I swore an oath before dinner to your father. I swore to protect her on our journey." Aragorn said, lost in his own thoughts.

"You must meet her." Arwen said softly. "Lady Kimberly is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet."

Elrond had been eavesdropping on their conversation, while he silently ate his meal. He was wondering where Kim was at, and when he heard Aragorn and Arwen talking about her, he couldn't help but intervene. "Kimberly is here? Where?" His eyes scanned the crowd, yet he couldn't make out her form because a group of elves were standing in the way.

"Near the wall over there." Arwen pointed. "Sitting with Alicia."

The elves moved away, as if on cue and Elrond saw his adopted daughter. He smiled warmly at her. "I wondered why she did not come to the head table. She knows her place is here."

Elrohir made to stand up. "Shall I escort her here?"

Elrond glanced at her again, laughing and enjoying herself with her friend. He knew that she wouldn't have many more times like these in the future. He decided to let her enjoy it while she could. He waved Elrohir back down, and shook his head. "Leave her. There will be time enough later for introductions."

*_*

"Well looky here." A voice sneered coming up to Alicia and Kim's table. "If it isn't the elf and the wanna-be."

"Correction." Kim said, looking levelly at Anne. "I never said I wanted to be an elf."

Anne rolled her eyes, and sat down across from the two friends. She started to help herself to their plates without asking. "So Elrond told me that we're going on a journey or something." She started talking with her mouth full. "Too bad you're going along. I wouldn't mind if just the elf and the king went. You could stay with the dwarf…since you're both the same stature."

Kim rolled her eyes at Anne. "I believe I'm taller, and older then you are Anne."

"I wasn't referring to height, fool." Anne sneered. "You're both below me, that's all I know."

"Have you ever met the dwarf lord before?" Alicia asked, breaking in. "How do you know he's below you?"

"Puh-lease!" Anne rolled her eyes. "He's a dwarf, that's how I know. Besides, I thought that elves and dwarves hated each other anyway. Why are you defending him?"

"He's my new best friend, if it makes you angry." Alicia laughed.

Anne decided to turn her attention back to Kim again. "Why are you even bothering to come? Everyone knows that prophecies are only written about gorgeous people." She paused. "And dwarves. But if you've looked in the mirror lately, you'll notice that you are neither. I on the other hand…am." She grinned proudly. It was true, however deceitful and horrible Anne was…she was a lot prettier then Kim was. Her long hair was an auburn color, streaked with highlights of blonde. Her eyes were the deepest brown. Kim wasn't ugly, just average looking…Anne was just a step under the elves without trying.

"You on the other hand are what?" Alicia asked. "A dwarf?" She laughed.

"No." Anne said disgustedly looking at her. "I'm gorgeous." She replied vainly. "I wouldn't be surprised if I already possessed the mark." She sniffed indignantly.

Alicia and Kim rolled their eyes at each other. Kim was fed up with this conversation, and had lost her appetite. She knew that she was going to get into trouble from Elrond…but some things were just worth it. She picked up her glass of water, and made as if to take a drink, then Alicia lightly bumped into her, on 'accident'. Kim immediately threw the contents of the glass forward, directly soaking Anne's hair and dress. She sat there for a second, looking like a water-soaked rat. Alicia and Kim couldn't hold in their giggles any longer, and burst out laughing hard. Anne glared at Kim, and slowly stood up, shaking out her arms. "Time to go." Alicia whispered in Kim's ear, and Kim nodded in agreement. The elf and the woman bolted from their chairs, and sprinted out of the room. Anne stood there for a second, and then screamed a war cry causing the whole room to go silent. She slowly stalked toward the door, planning on seeking her revenge.

A/N: Well…that's all for now. What do you think?? I'm so happy I got two reviews!!! That just made my whole day! Totally sweet!!! I'm trying to set up the atmosphere of the story, how each person reacts to each other. I was trying to make Anne a person you love to hate…if ya know what I mean. All of you Legolas and Gimli fans, you should be appeased in the next chapter where they will have a bigger part. Aragorn is like my favorite character…so I tend to get a bit carried away with him. Anyway…if you like what you see…please review. It'll let me know if I should keep writing or not. =)