Chapter 5: A Strange Happening

Soon the sun began to creep over the horizon and the camp became alive. All sat around and ate a quick meal before proceeding on their way. The horses, with the rest of the night, sped on towards Isenguard. It was mid-afternoon when they reached it. As they got through the mist and saw it, they became amazed. It was in pieces. The walls were crumbled and set in heaps to the side. Not to mention it was flooded-the group had noticed that barely any water had been flowing through the ford of Isen.

Now as they approached, two small mounds moved. A small creature began to talk to the King. He looked but half the size of a real man-maybe four feet tall. As the halfling finished his welcoming the King, his company, and Gandalf moved to meet a creature called Treebeard. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli stayed behind with the halflings. Arway began to follow the King slowly.

"Arway wait and stay with us. Find out what we were hunting before we met you!" Gimli cried out.

And she turned her horse and stayed with the five friends.

"These are," Aragorn started.

"Hobbits," she finished. "Called so by themselves, they prefer it rather than halflings. Do not look so shocked; I too have done travel in my life seeking all the realms of Middle-earth. Hobbits by far are one of the most interesting.along with Dwarves."

Gimli thanked her.

"Here we have Meriadoc Brandybuck or Merry, and his cousin Peregrin Took other wise known as Pippin." Aragorn introduced the two Hobbits.

"And who might you be?" Merry inquired.

"That is a long tale, but my name is Arway."

"A she-Elf and a warrior no doubt. Sam will be sorry he missed this when he hears about it!" Pippin exclaimed.

The group then became sullen and looks of sorrow came to all the faces. Arway standing next to Merry, placed a hand lightly on top of his head as if to comfort.

"What about food for some weary travelers?" Gimli questioned.

"The guard house has much food. Enough even to feed two young Hobbits for many meals." Pippin exclaimed.

"I will not eat the good of Orcs!" Gimli exclaimed.

"There's no need Gimli, like you Saruman did not trust Orcs for such an important task. He did not trust them much, I think. Men were his guards always on the look out, except when we came. The guardhouse if full of Man- food." Merry told all.

The Hobbits led the way to the guard tower through the ruins. As the two scurried about warming different things up, the four sat around the table. The Man, Dwarf, and male-Elf talked to the Hobbits as they shuffled about. Arway sat deep in her thoughts. Her eyes were open but searching through invisible information before her. She did not blink or notice anything going on in front of her eyes. Every once in a while one of the group would stop talking and watch her. But no one would ask what she was doing or point it out to the others, there was something that kept them from breaking her trance. There was such an earnest look on her face that made them want to watch her as she was. It was both intriguing and forbidding at the same time. It seemed like what she was doing caused her pain.

As both Merry and Pippin were up in the storeroom gathering food, Merry brought up Arway in their light conversation.

"There is something different about her," Pippin agreed. "She reminds me of both Elrond and Galadriel at the same moment."

"When you brought up Sam she touched my head as to comfort me. As if she knew what he was doing. And as her hand was on my head my mind felt at peace. Yet, I have a feeling that she was looking in my mind or she did something with it."

"I don't know Merry, it sounds kinda odd. But I do not know for sure after meeting Galadriel and seeing what she can do. But, I think only Galadriel can." Pippin said doubtfully.

Merry quickly agreed with his cousin, but there was still that feeling that she had done something.

"Going to eat again I see." Aragorn said bemused as the Hobbits sat down at the table with their friends.

"Don't want to be rude to our guests do we Merry?" Pippin asked.

The group began to eat, and as they did this, all realized that Arway was still in the trance. Legolas, being nearest, leaned over and touched her arm. She immediately was pulled from the trance and once she was a look full of sorrow came upon her face. All who saw it wished she was still in the trance, if it meant that they would have to see this beautiful face filled with grief if she was not.

Arway bent her head and began to eat. What she had found out disturbed her to the bone. She thought perhaps she had been wrong. That in her age, she was too old to think clearly, but she was young still in Elven years. Hope suddenly diminished to a small seed when she found her musings to be truth.