Chapter 15: Preparation
That night Aubrey stayed in her room during dinner and was writing some plans on some paper. Her hair was in a simple, white barrette snap, pulling her hair into a kind of ponytail. She sighed heavily and dropped the ink quill on the table she was working on. After her meeting with Arwen and the other council members they had all retired to bed leaving Aubrey to her extra thoughts and plans. Arwen had told her that her husband could not send his troops to help for some of his men were sure to go against the elves and return with a rebel army.
Aubrey smoothed out her nightdress and watched as the silk like material shown in the little light that she had on. She smoothed back her hair with both of her hands and looked own at the amulet, "I don't know how you did this, dad. But I'm trying . . . really hard."
She got up from the table and blew out the small candle that lit the table. She sat on one side of her giant bed staring at the work clothes that were set out for tomorrow hanging on the edge of her wardrobe. She gave a frustrated look at the clothes and wondered how many days and nights until the orcs were to reach Rivendell. How many days does she have until her and her people have to fight to live?
Aubrey heard her door to her bedroom open, but didn't bother to look up, "Are you doing alright? Everyone was kind of worried when you didn't show up for dinner. Although Thomas was kind of happy that there was more for him." She heard Drogo ask as he shut the door behind him.
She smiled at him and watched him as he walked over to her and sat down next to her, "I guess I'm just trying too hard. I . . . whenever I come up with something that might work, It goes down in smoke."
"It's going to be alright. You're going to win this," he hugs her, "People believe in you. A lot of people believe in you."
"You're not helping, Drogo," Aubrey said with a flat tone of voice.
"Sorry," he gave her a cheesy smile and got her into bed, "Come on you need your sleep, if I know you, you will be working non stop tomorrow."
As he was tucking her in, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her bed with her. He laid beside her and held her in his arms for comfort. Aubrey buried her head into Drogo's chest, "I don't want to lose you too."
He looked down at her head, but she didn't look up at him, "What makes you think that you will?"
"Nothing makes me think that but my fears. I have lost my whole family because of this jewel; I don't want to lose you and the others. That is why I wanted you all to go back to the Shire. It is unknown what will happen," she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, "I don't know how my life got so complicated. I just wish that I could chuck this jewel into a fire pit and destroy it so no one can use it again."
"But that-"
"Wouldn't be good. I know that if I were to do that it could mean the end of Middle Earth," Aubrey took another deep breath, "I just want this to be over so I can go back to the Shire with you and the others. That is all I want to do."
He kissed the top of her head and started to hum one of his father's songs that he learned as a young child. Aubrey held on to him through the night, not wanting to let go of him, hoping beyond hope that her greatest nightmare will not become true. The sight of Drogo and the others on the ground dead that she saw only a few nights ago was too much for her to see or feel for real. More than anything all she wanted was to go home.
***
Aubrey woke up with her head resting peacefully on top of Drogo's rising and falling chest from beneath his shirt. He had one of his arms draped over her waist and the other one acting like a small pillow for her head, which she never made use of. She watched his serene expression with the light impression of the morning sun dancing across his face. She took her free hand and started to push the strands of hair away from his face.
He starts to shift underneath her head and places the hand that was to be used as a pillow against her back. She scoots closer to him and hugs him tighter. Her thoughts and worries seemed to be so far away when lying by him. The kingdom could wait, frozen in time as she laid with his arms held tight around her. The appending war could stop just for the moment and they could enjoy it for all eternity.
She felt Drogo shift yet again from beneath her head and she knew that he was waking up. She watched as his eyes slowly opened and looked down at her. They didn't say anything to one another, but they already knew what each other was saying by the glint in their eyes. Aubrey tilted her head forward and gave Drogo a light kiss on the top of the nose. She smiled and rolled off to the side of the bed and sat on the edge letting her feet dangle as she tried to get the only sleep out of her eyes.
Drogo scoots over behind her and hugs her from behind and kisses her cheek, "I think I should be getting back to my room," touching his chin on the top of her shoulder. She stroked the side of his face with one of her hands.
"Yeah, I guess so," Aubrey didn't drop her hand that was cupping the side of his face, "Drogo, do you wonder why it is taking so long for Gandalf to get here?"
"It has popped into my head a couple of times, yes," he said hopping beside her and watched as the sun started to reach the bottom of his pants.
"He said he needed to set some counter curses set, but you would think that he would be back by now," Aubrey turned to him with a worried glance.
"Well, Gandalf can take care of himself," Drogo got off the bed and looked at Aubrey, "You have other things to attend to." He motioned his head toward the work clothes hanging on her wardrobe.
"Yes, I know. I should focus more on things happening here and now," she looked at his hair a little more closely and tried to stifle a laugh. He looked at her questioningly and she got up, "Like your bed head hair. It could use a brushing."
"Ah, I'll just get that calmed down when I get to my room," he gave her a light kiss and walked toward the door, "It'll be much better when you see me outside working."
"Alright," Aubrey blew him a kiss as he walked out the door, careful to close it gently so not to disturb others who might still be sleeping.
As he turned around from closing the door he almost ran into Lord Carond who loomed over him by only a foot. Carond looked at him then back at Aubrey's bedroom door, with one of his eyebrows up perhaps looking for an explanation.
"The princess needed some time to talk with a friend?" he asked Drogo.
Drogo focused his eyes into Carond's and only nodded in response. Carond shook his head slightly, "Since last night?"
Drogo was a little surprised that he knew about how long he had seen Aubrey, but didn't want to show it to him. Drogo just kept his eyes focused into Carond's and didn't flinch.
"You would think that she would confide in the queen on these matters more then in a hobbit from the Shire. Even if the hobbit is the son of Frodo Baggins."
"Some things you have to keep to yourself and other things you have to confide in a friend to keep a secret," Drogo said simply and turned to walk toward his room. Carond grabbed his arm harshly and turned him to face him, "Hey!"
"What did the princess say?"
Drogo stopped dead, "I cannot tell you."
"You will-"
"Carond?"
They both turned to see Arwen with the other hobbits trailing behind her staring at the two. Carond immediately released his grip of Drogo and stared at the group. Arwen stared back at him giving him time for an explanation.
"I found that young Mr. Baggins had kept the princess company all of last night and I was trying to-"
"Ask why?" Arwen asked harshly, "The things said between friends are only to be between friends, Carond."
"But what if it was about the jewel?"
"Then it is Aubrey's decision on who she should confide in, isn't it?"
Carond bowed his head, "I made a mistake."
"Now that that is settled, I suggest that you go to the dinning hall where breakfast should be starting shortly."
Carond bowed to Arwen and turned on his heel and left the hall. Thomas stepped up to Drogo with Faramir not far behind, "What was that about?"
Drogo rubbed his arm where Carond had grabbed it, "I don't know what his problem is."
"No, not that," Thomas said and punched Drogo playfully in the side of his other arm, "What about what he said about you 'keeping Aubrey company'?"
Drogo rolled his eyes. Faramir looked down the hall, "Didn't Lady Arwen say something about breakfast?"
"Breakfast!" without another word Thomas was down the hall and sitting at one of the place settings at the huge table. The others soon followed hoping that the food would not be served until they got there.
Drogo looked back at Arwen, "All we talked about-"
She held up her hand, "That was between you and Aubrey. I knew your father well and I know that you would do nothing dishonest to Aubrey. Your father would teach you better."
He smiled, bowed and followed his friends down the hall and toward the table; trying to smooth his hair out the whole way. Arwen watched as he marched down the hall and disappear into the hall leading to the dinning table. She took a breath and knocked on Aubrey's bedroom door.
"Come in," she opened the door to find Aubrey in her work clothes ready to start her work.
"Arwen, I wasn't expecting you," she looked back at Arwen through her mirror and searched through the little boxes piled on the table before her, "Adrielle never told me where she kept the bands to keep your hair back with. Where is Adrielle anyway, she is usually in here by now?" She wanted to know where her young elf friend was, but was kind of happy that she wasn't in earlier or she might have jumped to conclusions.
"Aubrey, Adrielle is missing," Arwen simply stated.
Aubrey looked up from the countless boxes, turned around and looked at Arwen, "What do you mean missing?"
"She wasn't in her room this morning and no one knows where she is," Arwen went up to Aubrey and put a hand on her shoulder, "Aubrey?"
Aubrey didn't say anything. Not because she didn't want to, but because she was shocked. Her mind was full of questions of 'when?' and 'Where?' and possibly of 'Who?' but she couldn't convey her questions through normal speech.
Could she have changed her mind and gone off to the Undying Lands? she asked in Elvish the only words she could think of at the time.
"The first wagon has not set off yet, and no one that is planning to leave has seen her either," Aubrey was getting worried and Arwen knew, "Don't worry Aubrey. We will find her."
Aubrey just nodded her head in response and watched the shadows of her light drapes flow with the light wind coming through the windows. Arwen leaned across the vanity table and pulled out a type of hair band and placed it in Aubrey's hand.
"Young Mr. Baggins and the others are at the dinning table ready for breakfast when you are ready," she said standing straight.
"Arwen?"
"Yes Aubrey?"
"Is there a chance that she might have been taken?"
Arwen took a moment and then bowed her head slightly. Aubrey only nodded her head and put her hair in a high pony tail and followed Arwen out to the dinning table.
During breakfast Aubrey tried not to focus so much on Adrielle's disappearance and more on the work that had to be done by the end of the day. Drogo cheered her up a few times and as always the eating habits of a certain Took always brought a smile to her face . . . along with some rolling eyes from the others. Although through out the breakfast feast Aubrey could sense eyes watching her from down the table. She did not trust Carond and wondered if Arwen actually did as well. If someone indeed did take Adrielle, Aubrey was sure it couldn't be anyone but Lord Carond.
Afterward all six hobbits traveled down into the outer rim of Rivendell to see what needed to be done and helped with. All three boys set off down the road to help with the new wall to help keep out some orc arrows from reaching the inner part of the city. Drogo and Faramir both kissed their girl's cheeks and Thomas shook his cousin's hand just to make sure that she didn't feel left out and they traveled down the road.
The girls went to help the women and the younger children pick food for the days to come where there might not be much to share. After the picking was done, they traveled down to help make some more arrows if they could, many didn't think that they could really help any.
Soon, Kat and Kate were sent to watch over the smaller children or to sew as Aubrey stayed to look over what they had made thus far. Soon some of the men came into the building and began to pick a bow for a hunt for some meat. Aubrey followed them, with them arguing the whole way. Aubrey heard none of it as she followed them to the best hunting grounds. There was no way she was going to sit back and inspect while she could be helping in gathering meat for food.
On the way to the best hunt lands the group spotted one of the wagons on their way to the ship that would lead the riders to the Undying Lands. Aubrey stood for a moment to watch the younger elves leave with their parents. They were looking out for their family and Aubrey understood that.
After the hunt Aubrey shot less then what the others did, but got a good amount of meat for her first day of hunting. On the way back into Rivendell Aubrey saw the other wagon leave with the last of the couple of dozen set off for the Undying Lands. Studying the wagon, she was hoping to find Adrielle's face among one of them to at least know that she was safe and well. But neither of the two wagons held her friend, and she had to keep her search on going.
Before she turned away from the path below her she saw a figure a top a horse riding it hard toward the center building of Rivendell. She recognized the figure almost immediately, gave her small game to the elf standing next to her who hadn't caught that much and started running back toward them. As soon as she was in earshot she started to yell out his name, "Gandalf!"
The old wizard turned toward the young hobbitlass and gave her a weak smile. She slowed down upon reaching him, "Gandalf, what happened to you? What took you so long?"
"I will tell you and Arwen all when we get inside," he looked around her and noticed the blood on her clothes and gave her a questioning glance.
"I was hunting for some food," she explained.
"Ah, I see. Where is Drogo and the others, I expect that they are still here."
"Of course they are. The boys I suspect are still building the wall and looks like they will just be about done and the twins are looking after some of the small children or sewing I'm not totally sure which," Aubrey looked over Gandalf and noticed that he had quite a lot of missing or torn pieces on his cloak. It was her turn to have a questioning glance.
He seemed not to have noticed it and watched as the boys and the twins walk back from their jobs, "Looks like they are done."
"Well, Gandalf . . . haven't seen you about for a while," Thomas said throwing his arms in front of his chest.
"I guess that it was time that I came back," he said, not making any clear sense to Thomas and turned to lead the way into the building.
Drogo and Aubrey stayed behind everyone else.
"I told you he would be back," Drogo said holding on to Aubrey's hand.
"He came back, yes, but . . . Drogo, he looks as if he was in a fight or something. Pieces of his cloak are missing and he seems to be so tired."
"Come on, he will tell us at supper, but you have to be cleaned up as do most of us."
***
Later after the sun set at supper Gandalf sat between Arwen and Aubrey as he explained how he was in such bad appearance and how he came to be so tired, "I was ambushed, and it is as simple as that. The 'safe path' that was given to me was not safe at all. A band of orcs knew exactly where to strike where I would be unaware of their presence."
"But I myself planned out that route to make sure that the orcs would not know of your presence in the wood. But they must have gone a different route, over crossing with yours. I'm glad you are safe Gandalf," Carond tried to explain. Aubrey caught a hint of disappointment in his voice more then a person that was relieved to see Gandalf still alive.
"Well, we should take much more care on how we choose our paths, don't we, Carond?" Gandalf looked into Carond's eyes and started to say something else, but was interrupted by a younger elf rushing in through the doorway that Aubrey recognized as Philon.
"Lady Arwen, Lady Aubrey! Orcs are at the front of Rivendell! They are starting to advance," Arwen and Aubrey both stood up at the same time.
"Aubrey?" Arwen looked down at her.
"We need to get the children and the weaker elves that cannot fight into this building quickly. They are the ones who won't be able to defend themselves as well."
"You heard her," Arwen said to Philon that ran back out the door keeping his arrows and bow tight to his side.
Drogo stepped beside Aubrey, clutching Sting in the one hand and Aubrey's hand with the other.
Gandalf stood as one of the tallest of all of them at the table, "Here they come."