Disclaimer: I have no intention of stealing the ideas of J.R.R. Tolkien.
This is just my way of honoring him (and satisfying my own disappointment
at finding so few women in the story).
The Ten Companions: an Alternate Story of the Fellowship of the Rings
And so the Nine set out from Rivendell, or Imladris as it was called of old, and began the journey south. As they made their way towards the mountains and the Pass of Caradhras, the hobbits grew bored and weary of the seemingly endless landscape. Two days into their journey, however, they were passing through a large stand of trees when Legolas raised his hand, signaling for the Company to halt. "We are being followed," he said, listening with sharp ears to the road behind them. The Fellowship scattered and hid in the trees by the road side. Several minutes passed, and then there came into view a tall slim figure walking towards them from the way they had come.
Neither the hobbits, men, wizard or dwarf could make out the face of this creature, but Legolas at once gave a cry that sounded like "Annalindë!" He slipped down from the tree he had been hiding in and began to run towards the figure. It did not pause in its progress, but instead quickened its steps. They came to a halt within a foot of each other and began to converse in rapid Sindarin. The rest of the company scrambled back onto the road and advanced behind Legolas, curious to know the identity of their pursuer. As they drew near to the two, they could see that the intruder was not only an elf, but an elf-maiden! They stared in astonishment and confusion, and then Legolas turned with an exasperated sigh to his friends.
"This is Annalindë, daughter of Erestor, who is the chief of the House of Elrond. She —" He cut himself off to look at her in disapproval. Apparently, he could not bring himself to say why she was there.
Annalindë met the eyes of each member of the Fellowship, and smiled. "I have come to supply you with the tenth member of your group."
"Who?" blurted Pippin naïvely. Gandalf rounded on him, and the rest stayed silent as Annalindë gazed with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes at the befuddled hobbit. Then it dawned on him. "Oh!" said Pip rather obviously. "But I thought it was bad luck to have a woman along. That's why Aragorn didn't bring Arwen." Now Aragorn rounded on him, and the other hobbits shushed him for his indiscretion. Merry clamped a hand over Pippin's mouth and the two began to fight good-naturedly.
"I do not approve of this," spat Legolas angrily. "You do not belong here, cousin."
Boromir muttered something under his breath, and Annalindë answered him skillfully. "Yes, there are Nine Companions to match the Nine Ringwraiths, but then there is I, for luck."
"But you will not be safe with us, my lady," interjected the wise Aragorn.
"Safety! Now why would I want that?" she said, laughing. Then her smile faded, and her eyes grew dark. "It was either this or fade away like the rest of my people. I had little choice."
Meanwhile, Gandalf was becoming impatient. "Come with or go back, either way we must move on. The Enemy does not linger in his plans, whatever they may be at the present moment. We must make for Caradhras." As one, the companions fell into step behind him, followed at the rear by Annalindë, her sword Thalion swinging merrily at her side.
The Ten Companions: an Alternate Story of the Fellowship of the Rings
And so the Nine set out from Rivendell, or Imladris as it was called of old, and began the journey south. As they made their way towards the mountains and the Pass of Caradhras, the hobbits grew bored and weary of the seemingly endless landscape. Two days into their journey, however, they were passing through a large stand of trees when Legolas raised his hand, signaling for the Company to halt. "We are being followed," he said, listening with sharp ears to the road behind them. The Fellowship scattered and hid in the trees by the road side. Several minutes passed, and then there came into view a tall slim figure walking towards them from the way they had come.
Neither the hobbits, men, wizard or dwarf could make out the face of this creature, but Legolas at once gave a cry that sounded like "Annalindë!" He slipped down from the tree he had been hiding in and began to run towards the figure. It did not pause in its progress, but instead quickened its steps. They came to a halt within a foot of each other and began to converse in rapid Sindarin. The rest of the company scrambled back onto the road and advanced behind Legolas, curious to know the identity of their pursuer. As they drew near to the two, they could see that the intruder was not only an elf, but an elf-maiden! They stared in astonishment and confusion, and then Legolas turned with an exasperated sigh to his friends.
"This is Annalindë, daughter of Erestor, who is the chief of the House of Elrond. She —" He cut himself off to look at her in disapproval. Apparently, he could not bring himself to say why she was there.
Annalindë met the eyes of each member of the Fellowship, and smiled. "I have come to supply you with the tenth member of your group."
"Who?" blurted Pippin naïvely. Gandalf rounded on him, and the rest stayed silent as Annalindë gazed with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes at the befuddled hobbit. Then it dawned on him. "Oh!" said Pip rather obviously. "But I thought it was bad luck to have a woman along. That's why Aragorn didn't bring Arwen." Now Aragorn rounded on him, and the other hobbits shushed him for his indiscretion. Merry clamped a hand over Pippin's mouth and the two began to fight good-naturedly.
"I do not approve of this," spat Legolas angrily. "You do not belong here, cousin."
Boromir muttered something under his breath, and Annalindë answered him skillfully. "Yes, there are Nine Companions to match the Nine Ringwraiths, but then there is I, for luck."
"But you will not be safe with us, my lady," interjected the wise Aragorn.
"Safety! Now why would I want that?" she said, laughing. Then her smile faded, and her eyes grew dark. "It was either this or fade away like the rest of my people. I had little choice."
Meanwhile, Gandalf was becoming impatient. "Come with or go back, either way we must move on. The Enemy does not linger in his plans, whatever they may be at the present moment. We must make for Caradhras." As one, the companions fell into step behind him, followed at the rear by Annalindë, her sword Thalion swinging merrily at her side.