-THE GAMES OF THE GODS-
-Disclaimer:-
CS: Anybody who thinks I own anything relating to Tolkiens works will be *starts singing* leeeeeeeaving on a jet plaaaaaaaaaane,*stops singing* because I own absolutely nothing.
Rachel: That was bad. Very bad.
CS: So bad it was wonderful?
Rachel: No, just really bad.
CS: Drat.
-16: Going-
I settled into a routine quickly over the next few months in Bree, and while it wasn't exactly the normal routine for the people of Bree, I came to be accepted despite of it. The reason my routine wasn't all that normal was because after only a few nights of trying to keep normal human hours, I found myself almost bursting with too much sleep, and a longing to see the stars.
So I decided that, instead of going to bed once the common room of the Inn was open, I'd go out to Old Tod's place and take Liltalen for a ride. That usually lasted several hours, most of which I spent staring up at the stars - which I had become strangely obsessed with, silly Elf instincts - and then returned to the Inn in what was basically the dead of night. I went to bed, then, and slept until dawn or mid-morning, depending on how tired I was, and then I either helped out in the Inn, or went around town with Jeanai until evening. When evening came around, I'd return to the Inn, where I waited on tables all night. To accompany my strange habits, Bartholomew started letting me be the one to lock up the Inn at night. I was surprised that he trusted me so easily, but then I figured either I was a very trustable person, or the damn Mary-Sue Factor was at work again. I could help neither, so I let it be.
True to what I'd expected, I did get used to the constant come ons from the men in the common room as I worked - it was harder to get used to having no weekend than to get used to the come ons, actually. And after it became apparent that I wasn't going to take any of the men up on their offers, they stopped coming so frequently. The Prancing Pony did, however, get the reputation of having the most beautiful server - and lady - in all of Bree. At least, that's what everybody else said. I brushed it off, but inwardly groaned, knowing that it was my Elfish-ness showing through. No one seemed to even have suspicions about my actual race, though.
At least, I didn't think they did. I found out differently after a chain of events caused by four Rangers that suddenly appeared at the Inn four years after my arrival in Bree, wanting rooms for the night, and good meals. Not wanting to turn away business, though rather disapproving of the Rangers, Bartholomew found them rooms, and they then went and sat on Marli's half of the Inn. Marli, it turned out, had heard some rather terrifying - and most likely completely untrue - stories about Rangers, and refused to go near them.
So it was up to me to serve the Rangers, and when I was getting their orders, I was surprised to hear that one of them was an Elf. The Rangers noticed when I startled upon hearing the Elf's voice, and after asking me what I started for and getting the true answer, they quietly asked me not to say anything about their companion's race. I nodded, grinned briefly at the Elf, whoever he was, and went off to get their orders.
The rest of the evening the Rangers and Elf sat at their table, talking, with their hoods up to conceal their faces, but it wasn't until the common room had emptied that they seemed to relax at all. Two of the Rangers let their hoods fall back, at least, and none of them seemed as tense as before. They still looked as if they were expecting an Orc attack at any moment, though.
Bartholomew, having had a busy evening, was quite tired when the last customer except for the Rangers had gone to bed, and was grumbling about having to stay up until the Rangers went to bed. The Rangers showed no signs of retiring, so I, being the smart person that I am, volunteered to stay up and lock up once the Rangers had gone to bed. Bartholomew agreed easily, and went to bed. When he was gone, I watched the Rangers and Elf as they talked in low tones, until finally my curiosity got the best of me and I - yet again - unknowingly made another one of those life-changing descisions and strolled over to them. All four looked up as I approached, but I ignored the three Rangers glances in favour of the Elf.
"If I may be so bold, m'lord, which of the fair Elven kingdoms do you hail from?" I asked. All four at the table looked at me in surprise, and only then did I notice that I'd inadvertently spoken in Elvish. I mentally cursed the Mary-Sue Factor around the world and back again.
"Imladris." The Elf replied finally. "Why do you ask?"
"I was curious, to be honest." I said with a small smile, glad when I realized I was speaking in Common once again. Hmm, maybe I should curse out the Mary-Sue Factor more often. "It has been awhile since I saw an Elf of any kingdom."
"I take it you are not native to Bree?" one of the unhooded Rangers asked. I looked at him, surprised.
"No, I'm not. How did you know?" I asked.
"Besides your accent being one I've never heard, no Elf has shown their face in Bree for many a year." the Ranger replied.
"Ah, I did not know." I said with a smile, and then turned a curious gaze to the Elf. "If that is the case, though, may I inquire as to why you are in Rivendell now?"
"We got tired of sleeping on the ground." the Elf replied with a chuckle, and suddenly I realized that his voice was familiar...as was his laugh.
"And our horses ran away on us." the other un-hooded Ranger put in dryly. "We were hoping to find more mounts here in Bree, though I doubt we'll have much luck - we never do." At that point, I grinned.
"Ah, there I do think you'll be wrong." I said. "If you go to Old Tod's ranch on the edge of town, he has some fine horses that he'll sell for normal price to Rangers."
"Really?" the hooded Ranger asked, finally showing an interest in the conversation. I nodded.
"Bred from my own stallion, I might add." I replied.
"Well, we shall have to go have a look." the hooded Ranger said. "Thank you, Miss."
"Not a problem." I said with a smile, and then, taking the hint that the conversation was over, I left the common room for the kitchen. I couldn't resist, however, stopping at the door to listen and see if I could hear anything interesting. While I did want to get away from Rivendell and the Elves, I had an urge to see if I could find out if Kari and Elrohir had at least become engaged since I'd left. A stupid urge that could lead to complications, I knew, but I couldn't help it.
The Rangers and Elf, once I left the room, immediately started talking furiously in low voices. If it hadn't been for my Elvish hearing, I wouldn't have been able to hear them at all. They started with wondering over finding a serving maid at an Inn that could speak Sindarin, and then started contemplating my telling them of Old Tod's horses. The Rangers seemed strangely leery of actually going and seeing the horses, let alone buying any, expecting the horses to be underfed and skinny - I was highly insulted - but the Elf said they'd go see the horses, and that settled it.
After that, the four decided to go up to their rooms, and I was moving away from the door when I heard two voices on the landing - the hooded Ranger and the Elf had apparently stopped at the base of the stairs to talk.
"That girl, did you notice? She made no noise when she walked." the Ranger said, and I winced, mentally making a note to walk more loudly whenever Rangers came to the Inn.
"She made noise, Aranarth, but only enough for an Elf to hear." the Elf replied, his smile clear in his voice. I frowned thoughtfully as I heard the name - it sounded familiar.
"Still, I have met no human not Dúnedain that can walk that quietly." Aranarth said. "Where do you think she came from?"
"I do not know. I shall have to ask the Innkeeper tomorrow. But for now, I suggest we carry on this conversation elsewhere. Though I doubt she can hear us, she has been eavesdropping from the kitchen since she left." the humour in the Elf's voice was evident, and I had the sudden urge to smack him.
"Indeed?" Aranarth asked in surprise, and then paused for a moment. "I shall have to go by your word, Lord Elladan. As I said, I cannot hear her." Aranarth would have been able to hear me after he finished speaking, though, gasping and stumbling back from the door, if it wasn't for the fact that both the Elf and Ranger were now heading up the stairs. My head swam as I stumbled to the small room back by the Marsanon family's quarters that I'd been given to use once it became apparent I was staying. Elladan! No wonder his voice had sounded so familiar...it was a miracle I hadn't recognized it, in fact.
I had mechanically gotten ready for bed, almost in shock, before I realized suddenly what a stupid mistake my little talk with the Rangers and Elladan had become. Elladan would recognize Liltalen the next day when they went to the pasture. Swearing to myself, I changed out of my nightgown and into my borrowed/stolen trousers and tunic from Elladan that I had come to use for my night time rides. I headed to the kitchen, where I grabbed some food that I knew I was bound to need before coming back to the Inn, then quickly locked up the Inn, having realized that I forgot to do it, and headed out to Tod's. Tod was awake, surprisingly, out in the stables, which had had to be expanded over the last few years due to the new foals - most of which were courtesy of Liltalen, I'm proud to say. One of the mares was now apparently giving birth to a new foal, and Tod was watching to make sure everything went alright.
"Evenin, Rachel!" Tod said cheerily as I came into the stables. I smiled in response.
"Evening, Tod. Which mare is it?" I asked.
"Lily." Tod replied, and that was all the explanation I needed. Lily was a young, light grey mare, a new purchase that had only been with Tod's herd for a year. This was also her first pregnancy, and Tod suspected that she might be carrying twins.
"Everything going smoothly?" I asked, peering into the stall. Tod nodded.
"So far." he said. There was a pause, and then Tod glanced at me. "Liltalen's out in the pasture, if yer lookin for him."
"I am, and I know." I said, and then bit my lip as I considered what to say. This was going to turn out to be much more complicated than I thought - even if I did get Liltalen away from the pastures, and keep him away until Elladan and the Rangers left, Elladan was bound to notice that the horses unusual intelligence, and suspect that they had an Elvish horse in their background. That would lead to questions, and Tod would unknowingly spill all in his pride.
"Something the matter, lass?" Tod asked curiously, turning to me.
"No...yes." I replied with a sigh. "Some Rangers arrived at the Inn tonight."
"And they weren't all you remembered them to be?" Tod asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh no, they were, it's just..." I paused, frantically scrambling for a story that I could use to explain why I didn't want Tod to tell the Rangers anything about Liltalen. With a sigh, I went for the first thing that popped into my head, and hope various people wouldn't compare notes and realize that there were many holes in my story. "It's like this. The four Rangers are in need of horses, and I told them to come here tomorrow. I found out after I told them that one of the Rangers was actually an Elf from Rivendell. And, well...an Elf didn't actually give Liltalen to me, I found him wandering in the wilderness. I'm afraid they might think I stole him, though." I bit my lip again as I continued. "Tod, would you do me a big favour and not mention anything about Liltalen if you possibly can? Call him Star Dancer if you have to, and just claim to have no knowledge of his lineage or where he came from. Please?" I turned to Tod with a pleading look, and after a moment, he nodded.
"Aye, I'll do that, lass. But it will all be for nothin if Liltalen's in the pasture when they come." he said.
"He won't be. I'm going to take him out riding, and I won't be back until noon tomorrow." I replied briskly.
"All night?" Tod asked in surprise. "Why?"
"Because I have no idea when they're going to get up, and I'm feeling restless tonight." I replied.
"But you need to get some sleep!" Tod protested.
"I can go one night without sleep, Tod. I've done it before." I replied softly, and then said an earnest "Thank you." before heading out into the pasture and finding Liltalen. Mounting up on him, I pointed him towards the fence, and kicked him into a gallop. Liltalen, long used to this by now, jumped smoothly over the fence, then followed my direction and cantered off into the forest.
I rode until dawn, mostly in ever-widening circle around Bree, and then stopped to eat the little food I'd snagged from the kitchen for breakfast. After that, I walked for a shot while, Liltalen following beside me, and eventually mounted up again and rode around some more before heading back to Tod's. Truth be told, it was a nice ride, if a little long for my tastes. Tod was waiting out front of his house when I arrived back at his ranch, and waved cheerily to me as I approached.
"Well lass, your Rangers and Elf came." he said. "They clean bought me out of all of Liltalen's three year-olds, and mentioned coming back for the two year-olds. Seemed quite happy with them. They asked questions, o'course, but I told 'em nothing, like you asked."
"Thank you." I said with a grateful smile. "Did they go back to the Inn afterwards?" Tod shook his head.
"No, they headed out immediately afterwards. Though the smooth-voiced one didn't seem to want to." he said.
"The Elf." I said with a smile. "He probably wanted to stick around and corner me about Liltalen."
"Probably." Tod said with a chuckle. "The other three got him to go, though."
"Good." I said with a smile. "Now I'd best put Liltalen in the pasture and head back to the Inn - Bartholomew will be wondering where I got to."
"Nah, Jeanai already showed up lookin for ya, and I told her where you were." Tod said cheerfully.
"Did you tell her anything else?" I asked worriedly.
"Not a word, lass." Tod said solemnly. "She looks up to you like an older sister, and I'll leave it up to you to tell her somethin like that." With a nod and another thanks, I bid good day to Tod, then returned Liltalen to the pasture before heading off to the Inn. Bartholomew and Halena gave me strange looks when I entered, but as I didn't seem to be tired, they didn't scold me - they had no idea I'd been out all night, anyways. They probably just assumed I'd gone for an early morning ride instead of my usual late night ride because of the Rangers. Jeanai, however, looked at me intensely, and I worried that she might have figured something out.
I pushed it out of my mind, however, as the afternoon wore on and I was put to work. In fact, as the week wore on, the incident with the Rangers fell out of my mind, and I stopped worrying about it all together. Which was, of course, a big mistake that I only realized I'd made when, two weeks later, Marli came scurrying in from the common room just as I was about to head out and grabbed my arms.
"Rach, you remember those Rangers that stopped here awhile back? One of them's come back and is askin for you!" she said almost frantically. I paled.
"Which one?" I asked. Marli gave an exasperated sigh.
"I don't know! The one that talks smoothly!" she said. I paled even more.
"Shit." I said without thinking, and instantly I had the attention of everyone in the kitchen. I had never sworn out loud before, so they knew something was up. I pondered my options quickly, and in that instant, realized all the other mistakes I'd made that would probably lead to the inevitable conclusion of Elladan finding out who I was. I had kept my name. I had kept Liltalen's name. I had not established a clear story of where I came from. I sighed, knowing that I needed to leave.
"Marli, go tell him I'll be out shortly." I said. She nodded, and left. Jeanai approached me, frowning.
"Why not go out now?" she asked.
"Because I'm not going to be going out." I replied briskly. Leaving a surprised Jeanai behind me, I went over to Halena and curtseyed respectfully to her.
"You have been very kind to me, Mistress Marsanon, but I am afraid now I must leave." I said.
"Leave? Surely whatever that man's looking for you isn't that bad!" Halena said in surprise.
"He's not a man, and yes it is." I replied crisply, turning to head for my room.
"What?" Halena asked sharply, and grabbed my arm before I could go farther. "What are you talking about, girl?" I eyed her, considering how much to tell her, and then decided to go for the full-blown truth, in the hopes that it would scare her into letting me do as I wished.
"That 'Ranger' out there is one of the sons of the Elf-Lord of Rivendell, and he is looking for me because I have the horse of his brother's fiancé's best friend." I replied, and then added, "Who committed suicide." The entire kitchen stared at me in shock. In the silence, I pried Halena's fingers off my arm, and headed for my room. As I reached my door, I heard a set of footsteps pounding towards me, and I turned to see Jeanai come to a stop beside me.
"I'm going, don't try and stop me." I said, turning back to my room and entering.
"I'm not going to, and neither is mother or father." Jeanai replied as I started packing rapidly. "Mother's getting some food ready for you, in fact." I looked at her in mild surprise. "Whatever may have happened in the past, you've been a great help here, and we'll help you all we can." Jeanai explained.
"Thank you." I said with a smile. "I would like to explain, however, that I met the lady who owned Liltalen before me right before she committed suicide. She gave Liltalen to me, which is why I have him and know his Elvish name. I doubt that the Elf Lord in the common room would believe me, though." That last part wasn't a lie, at least. Elladan wouldn't believe that story for an instant, though for different reasons. Nobody needed to know that, however. Jeanai just nodded, and then bit her lip as she apparently tried to decide whether or not to say something. "If you have anything to say, you'd better say it now, because you won't be getting another chance. I'm not coming back." I said by way of encouragement. Jeanai nodded, but hesitated for a few more seconds. It was only when she saw I was done packing that she finally spoke.
"Are you an Elf?" she blurted out. I looked at her in surprise.
"What makes you ask that?" I asked.
"Well you're so pretty. And when I tended to your room the first night you were here, I saw you sleeping with your eyes open...I'd heard Elves do that." Jeanai said, suddenly very shy. "And...you always keep the tips of your ears covered..." I paused, and then smiled. Reaching up, I brushed my headscarf away from my ear tips so she could see their points.
"Yes, I am." I said, and Jeanai's eyes went wide. "But now I really need to go." I added, and pulled my headscarf back over my ear tips. Jeanai nodded dumbly, moving out of the way as I went for the door. I stopped by the kitchen on my way out, and Halena thrust a package of food into my hands.
"Good bye lass, travel safe." she said. I nodded, then left through the back entrance and took off at a run, already feeling the press of time. Elladan was sure to be questioning as to my whereabouts again soon, if he wasn't already.
I made record time on my run to Old Tod's, and after checking the stables and seeing that he wasn't up, I pounded heavily on his door. After an unbearably long time, during which I was constantly glancing down the road to look for Elladan, Old Tod finally opened his door, looking disheveled and tired.
"Rachel?" he asked blearily.
"I'm leaving, and taking Liltalen." I said. "What foals you have now are all you're going to get from his bloodline. Keep them well, and remember what I said about offering them to Rangers. And pass that on to whoever takes over your ranch and your horses afterwards." Tod blinked, and then nodded. "Goodbye." I said, and Tod mumbled a reply before I dashed off to the pasture. I made what I refer to now as a spectacular flying leap over the fence, whistling to Liltalen as I did so, and then another flying leap up onto Liltalen's back when he came trotting up. He snorted at me questioningly, and I patted his neck reassuringly.
"I'll explain later, boy." I said. "For now, let's go!" I kneed Liltalen into a gallop, and he took off, sensing my urgency. We went over the fence so fast, I barely felt the jump, and as we passed Old Tod where he still stood in his doorway, I caught a glimpse of his face, gaping in absolute shock. I grinned. Old Tod was getting a first-hand view of how fast Elvish horses could go when they REALLY wanted to, and I was sure it was something he wouldn't soon forget.
I galloped non-stop till I was out of sight of Bree, and then I only paused long enough to consider where to go. I decided that as far away from Rivendell as possible was a good idea. And since Rohan hadn't been established yet, that meant...Gondor. I was already heading south, anyways.
With my course decided, I kicked Liltalen into a canter and headed off into the night, keeping and ear and an eye out for anybody following behind me.
----To be continued...with Gandalf!----
(Not to mention over 600 years.)
-Things to know:-
Aranarth: first Chieftain of the Dúnedain, eldest son of the last king of the North-kingdom.
Interesting side note: EVERY Chieftain that followed after him except for one (named Argonui) had a name that started with 'Ara'. So every Chieftain had a name that started with 'Ar'. Arrr. Buncha pirates. :D
-Authors Note:-
OK, I have a question - was the city of Minas Tirith even around in the 2100's of the Second Age? Or was it just a watch tower/fortress, with Osgiliath being the main city of Gondor? I know the seat of power for Gondor was originally in Osgiliath, and only switched to Minas Tirith when Osgiliath was destroyed, but was Minas Tirith around in the 370-some years before that? I've tried to figure it out, using both the books and the Encyclopedia of Arda, but can't get it straightened out in my head.
Now that that's done, thanks to all my reviewers! Especially since, thanks to all of you, this has become my third straight chaptered story to break 100 reviews! Whoo! *throws a party* You all rock! I'd give you some Elves or something, but I did that last chapter...oh, wait, that was limited to Lothlorien Elves...*evil grin* random Mirkwood Elves for everyone!
~Crimson Starlight
-Disclaimer:-
CS: Anybody who thinks I own anything relating to Tolkiens works will be *starts singing* leeeeeeeaving on a jet plaaaaaaaaaane,*stops singing* because I own absolutely nothing.
Rachel: That was bad. Very bad.
CS: So bad it was wonderful?
Rachel: No, just really bad.
CS: Drat.
-16: Going-
I settled into a routine quickly over the next few months in Bree, and while it wasn't exactly the normal routine for the people of Bree, I came to be accepted despite of it. The reason my routine wasn't all that normal was because after only a few nights of trying to keep normal human hours, I found myself almost bursting with too much sleep, and a longing to see the stars.
So I decided that, instead of going to bed once the common room of the Inn was open, I'd go out to Old Tod's place and take Liltalen for a ride. That usually lasted several hours, most of which I spent staring up at the stars - which I had become strangely obsessed with, silly Elf instincts - and then returned to the Inn in what was basically the dead of night. I went to bed, then, and slept until dawn or mid-morning, depending on how tired I was, and then I either helped out in the Inn, or went around town with Jeanai until evening. When evening came around, I'd return to the Inn, where I waited on tables all night. To accompany my strange habits, Bartholomew started letting me be the one to lock up the Inn at night. I was surprised that he trusted me so easily, but then I figured either I was a very trustable person, or the damn Mary-Sue Factor was at work again. I could help neither, so I let it be.
True to what I'd expected, I did get used to the constant come ons from the men in the common room as I worked - it was harder to get used to having no weekend than to get used to the come ons, actually. And after it became apparent that I wasn't going to take any of the men up on their offers, they stopped coming so frequently. The Prancing Pony did, however, get the reputation of having the most beautiful server - and lady - in all of Bree. At least, that's what everybody else said. I brushed it off, but inwardly groaned, knowing that it was my Elfish-ness showing through. No one seemed to even have suspicions about my actual race, though.
At least, I didn't think they did. I found out differently after a chain of events caused by four Rangers that suddenly appeared at the Inn four years after my arrival in Bree, wanting rooms for the night, and good meals. Not wanting to turn away business, though rather disapproving of the Rangers, Bartholomew found them rooms, and they then went and sat on Marli's half of the Inn. Marli, it turned out, had heard some rather terrifying - and most likely completely untrue - stories about Rangers, and refused to go near them.
So it was up to me to serve the Rangers, and when I was getting their orders, I was surprised to hear that one of them was an Elf. The Rangers noticed when I startled upon hearing the Elf's voice, and after asking me what I started for and getting the true answer, they quietly asked me not to say anything about their companion's race. I nodded, grinned briefly at the Elf, whoever he was, and went off to get their orders.
The rest of the evening the Rangers and Elf sat at their table, talking, with their hoods up to conceal their faces, but it wasn't until the common room had emptied that they seemed to relax at all. Two of the Rangers let their hoods fall back, at least, and none of them seemed as tense as before. They still looked as if they were expecting an Orc attack at any moment, though.
Bartholomew, having had a busy evening, was quite tired when the last customer except for the Rangers had gone to bed, and was grumbling about having to stay up until the Rangers went to bed. The Rangers showed no signs of retiring, so I, being the smart person that I am, volunteered to stay up and lock up once the Rangers had gone to bed. Bartholomew agreed easily, and went to bed. When he was gone, I watched the Rangers and Elf as they talked in low tones, until finally my curiosity got the best of me and I - yet again - unknowingly made another one of those life-changing descisions and strolled over to them. All four looked up as I approached, but I ignored the three Rangers glances in favour of the Elf.
"If I may be so bold, m'lord, which of the fair Elven kingdoms do you hail from?" I asked. All four at the table looked at me in surprise, and only then did I notice that I'd inadvertently spoken in Elvish. I mentally cursed the Mary-Sue Factor around the world and back again.
"Imladris." The Elf replied finally. "Why do you ask?"
"I was curious, to be honest." I said with a small smile, glad when I realized I was speaking in Common once again. Hmm, maybe I should curse out the Mary-Sue Factor more often. "It has been awhile since I saw an Elf of any kingdom."
"I take it you are not native to Bree?" one of the unhooded Rangers asked. I looked at him, surprised.
"No, I'm not. How did you know?" I asked.
"Besides your accent being one I've never heard, no Elf has shown their face in Bree for many a year." the Ranger replied.
"Ah, I did not know." I said with a smile, and then turned a curious gaze to the Elf. "If that is the case, though, may I inquire as to why you are in Rivendell now?"
"We got tired of sleeping on the ground." the Elf replied with a chuckle, and suddenly I realized that his voice was familiar...as was his laugh.
"And our horses ran away on us." the other un-hooded Ranger put in dryly. "We were hoping to find more mounts here in Bree, though I doubt we'll have much luck - we never do." At that point, I grinned.
"Ah, there I do think you'll be wrong." I said. "If you go to Old Tod's ranch on the edge of town, he has some fine horses that he'll sell for normal price to Rangers."
"Really?" the hooded Ranger asked, finally showing an interest in the conversation. I nodded.
"Bred from my own stallion, I might add." I replied.
"Well, we shall have to go have a look." the hooded Ranger said. "Thank you, Miss."
"Not a problem." I said with a smile, and then, taking the hint that the conversation was over, I left the common room for the kitchen. I couldn't resist, however, stopping at the door to listen and see if I could hear anything interesting. While I did want to get away from Rivendell and the Elves, I had an urge to see if I could find out if Kari and Elrohir had at least become engaged since I'd left. A stupid urge that could lead to complications, I knew, but I couldn't help it.
The Rangers and Elf, once I left the room, immediately started talking furiously in low voices. If it hadn't been for my Elvish hearing, I wouldn't have been able to hear them at all. They started with wondering over finding a serving maid at an Inn that could speak Sindarin, and then started contemplating my telling them of Old Tod's horses. The Rangers seemed strangely leery of actually going and seeing the horses, let alone buying any, expecting the horses to be underfed and skinny - I was highly insulted - but the Elf said they'd go see the horses, and that settled it.
After that, the four decided to go up to their rooms, and I was moving away from the door when I heard two voices on the landing - the hooded Ranger and the Elf had apparently stopped at the base of the stairs to talk.
"That girl, did you notice? She made no noise when she walked." the Ranger said, and I winced, mentally making a note to walk more loudly whenever Rangers came to the Inn.
"She made noise, Aranarth, but only enough for an Elf to hear." the Elf replied, his smile clear in his voice. I frowned thoughtfully as I heard the name - it sounded familiar.
"Still, I have met no human not Dúnedain that can walk that quietly." Aranarth said. "Where do you think she came from?"
"I do not know. I shall have to ask the Innkeeper tomorrow. But for now, I suggest we carry on this conversation elsewhere. Though I doubt she can hear us, she has been eavesdropping from the kitchen since she left." the humour in the Elf's voice was evident, and I had the sudden urge to smack him.
"Indeed?" Aranarth asked in surprise, and then paused for a moment. "I shall have to go by your word, Lord Elladan. As I said, I cannot hear her." Aranarth would have been able to hear me after he finished speaking, though, gasping and stumbling back from the door, if it wasn't for the fact that both the Elf and Ranger were now heading up the stairs. My head swam as I stumbled to the small room back by the Marsanon family's quarters that I'd been given to use once it became apparent I was staying. Elladan! No wonder his voice had sounded so familiar...it was a miracle I hadn't recognized it, in fact.
I had mechanically gotten ready for bed, almost in shock, before I realized suddenly what a stupid mistake my little talk with the Rangers and Elladan had become. Elladan would recognize Liltalen the next day when they went to the pasture. Swearing to myself, I changed out of my nightgown and into my borrowed/stolen trousers and tunic from Elladan that I had come to use for my night time rides. I headed to the kitchen, where I grabbed some food that I knew I was bound to need before coming back to the Inn, then quickly locked up the Inn, having realized that I forgot to do it, and headed out to Tod's. Tod was awake, surprisingly, out in the stables, which had had to be expanded over the last few years due to the new foals - most of which were courtesy of Liltalen, I'm proud to say. One of the mares was now apparently giving birth to a new foal, and Tod was watching to make sure everything went alright.
"Evenin, Rachel!" Tod said cheerily as I came into the stables. I smiled in response.
"Evening, Tod. Which mare is it?" I asked.
"Lily." Tod replied, and that was all the explanation I needed. Lily was a young, light grey mare, a new purchase that had only been with Tod's herd for a year. This was also her first pregnancy, and Tod suspected that she might be carrying twins.
"Everything going smoothly?" I asked, peering into the stall. Tod nodded.
"So far." he said. There was a pause, and then Tod glanced at me. "Liltalen's out in the pasture, if yer lookin for him."
"I am, and I know." I said, and then bit my lip as I considered what to say. This was going to turn out to be much more complicated than I thought - even if I did get Liltalen away from the pastures, and keep him away until Elladan and the Rangers left, Elladan was bound to notice that the horses unusual intelligence, and suspect that they had an Elvish horse in their background. That would lead to questions, and Tod would unknowingly spill all in his pride.
"Something the matter, lass?" Tod asked curiously, turning to me.
"No...yes." I replied with a sigh. "Some Rangers arrived at the Inn tonight."
"And they weren't all you remembered them to be?" Tod asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh no, they were, it's just..." I paused, frantically scrambling for a story that I could use to explain why I didn't want Tod to tell the Rangers anything about Liltalen. With a sigh, I went for the first thing that popped into my head, and hope various people wouldn't compare notes and realize that there were many holes in my story. "It's like this. The four Rangers are in need of horses, and I told them to come here tomorrow. I found out after I told them that one of the Rangers was actually an Elf from Rivendell. And, well...an Elf didn't actually give Liltalen to me, I found him wandering in the wilderness. I'm afraid they might think I stole him, though." I bit my lip again as I continued. "Tod, would you do me a big favour and not mention anything about Liltalen if you possibly can? Call him Star Dancer if you have to, and just claim to have no knowledge of his lineage or where he came from. Please?" I turned to Tod with a pleading look, and after a moment, he nodded.
"Aye, I'll do that, lass. But it will all be for nothin if Liltalen's in the pasture when they come." he said.
"He won't be. I'm going to take him out riding, and I won't be back until noon tomorrow." I replied briskly.
"All night?" Tod asked in surprise. "Why?"
"Because I have no idea when they're going to get up, and I'm feeling restless tonight." I replied.
"But you need to get some sleep!" Tod protested.
"I can go one night without sleep, Tod. I've done it before." I replied softly, and then said an earnest "Thank you." before heading out into the pasture and finding Liltalen. Mounting up on him, I pointed him towards the fence, and kicked him into a gallop. Liltalen, long used to this by now, jumped smoothly over the fence, then followed my direction and cantered off into the forest.
I rode until dawn, mostly in ever-widening circle around Bree, and then stopped to eat the little food I'd snagged from the kitchen for breakfast. After that, I walked for a shot while, Liltalen following beside me, and eventually mounted up again and rode around some more before heading back to Tod's. Truth be told, it was a nice ride, if a little long for my tastes. Tod was waiting out front of his house when I arrived back at his ranch, and waved cheerily to me as I approached.
"Well lass, your Rangers and Elf came." he said. "They clean bought me out of all of Liltalen's three year-olds, and mentioned coming back for the two year-olds. Seemed quite happy with them. They asked questions, o'course, but I told 'em nothing, like you asked."
"Thank you." I said with a grateful smile. "Did they go back to the Inn afterwards?" Tod shook his head.
"No, they headed out immediately afterwards. Though the smooth-voiced one didn't seem to want to." he said.
"The Elf." I said with a smile. "He probably wanted to stick around and corner me about Liltalen."
"Probably." Tod said with a chuckle. "The other three got him to go, though."
"Good." I said with a smile. "Now I'd best put Liltalen in the pasture and head back to the Inn - Bartholomew will be wondering where I got to."
"Nah, Jeanai already showed up lookin for ya, and I told her where you were." Tod said cheerfully.
"Did you tell her anything else?" I asked worriedly.
"Not a word, lass." Tod said solemnly. "She looks up to you like an older sister, and I'll leave it up to you to tell her somethin like that." With a nod and another thanks, I bid good day to Tod, then returned Liltalen to the pasture before heading off to the Inn. Bartholomew and Halena gave me strange looks when I entered, but as I didn't seem to be tired, they didn't scold me - they had no idea I'd been out all night, anyways. They probably just assumed I'd gone for an early morning ride instead of my usual late night ride because of the Rangers. Jeanai, however, looked at me intensely, and I worried that she might have figured something out.
I pushed it out of my mind, however, as the afternoon wore on and I was put to work. In fact, as the week wore on, the incident with the Rangers fell out of my mind, and I stopped worrying about it all together. Which was, of course, a big mistake that I only realized I'd made when, two weeks later, Marli came scurrying in from the common room just as I was about to head out and grabbed my arms.
"Rach, you remember those Rangers that stopped here awhile back? One of them's come back and is askin for you!" she said almost frantically. I paled.
"Which one?" I asked. Marli gave an exasperated sigh.
"I don't know! The one that talks smoothly!" she said. I paled even more.
"Shit." I said without thinking, and instantly I had the attention of everyone in the kitchen. I had never sworn out loud before, so they knew something was up. I pondered my options quickly, and in that instant, realized all the other mistakes I'd made that would probably lead to the inevitable conclusion of Elladan finding out who I was. I had kept my name. I had kept Liltalen's name. I had not established a clear story of where I came from. I sighed, knowing that I needed to leave.
"Marli, go tell him I'll be out shortly." I said. She nodded, and left. Jeanai approached me, frowning.
"Why not go out now?" she asked.
"Because I'm not going to be going out." I replied briskly. Leaving a surprised Jeanai behind me, I went over to Halena and curtseyed respectfully to her.
"You have been very kind to me, Mistress Marsanon, but I am afraid now I must leave." I said.
"Leave? Surely whatever that man's looking for you isn't that bad!" Halena said in surprise.
"He's not a man, and yes it is." I replied crisply, turning to head for my room.
"What?" Halena asked sharply, and grabbed my arm before I could go farther. "What are you talking about, girl?" I eyed her, considering how much to tell her, and then decided to go for the full-blown truth, in the hopes that it would scare her into letting me do as I wished.
"That 'Ranger' out there is one of the sons of the Elf-Lord of Rivendell, and he is looking for me because I have the horse of his brother's fiancé's best friend." I replied, and then added, "Who committed suicide." The entire kitchen stared at me in shock. In the silence, I pried Halena's fingers off my arm, and headed for my room. As I reached my door, I heard a set of footsteps pounding towards me, and I turned to see Jeanai come to a stop beside me.
"I'm going, don't try and stop me." I said, turning back to my room and entering.
"I'm not going to, and neither is mother or father." Jeanai replied as I started packing rapidly. "Mother's getting some food ready for you, in fact." I looked at her in mild surprise. "Whatever may have happened in the past, you've been a great help here, and we'll help you all we can." Jeanai explained.
"Thank you." I said with a smile. "I would like to explain, however, that I met the lady who owned Liltalen before me right before she committed suicide. She gave Liltalen to me, which is why I have him and know his Elvish name. I doubt that the Elf Lord in the common room would believe me, though." That last part wasn't a lie, at least. Elladan wouldn't believe that story for an instant, though for different reasons. Nobody needed to know that, however. Jeanai just nodded, and then bit her lip as she apparently tried to decide whether or not to say something. "If you have anything to say, you'd better say it now, because you won't be getting another chance. I'm not coming back." I said by way of encouragement. Jeanai nodded, but hesitated for a few more seconds. It was only when she saw I was done packing that she finally spoke.
"Are you an Elf?" she blurted out. I looked at her in surprise.
"What makes you ask that?" I asked.
"Well you're so pretty. And when I tended to your room the first night you were here, I saw you sleeping with your eyes open...I'd heard Elves do that." Jeanai said, suddenly very shy. "And...you always keep the tips of your ears covered..." I paused, and then smiled. Reaching up, I brushed my headscarf away from my ear tips so she could see their points.
"Yes, I am." I said, and Jeanai's eyes went wide. "But now I really need to go." I added, and pulled my headscarf back over my ear tips. Jeanai nodded dumbly, moving out of the way as I went for the door. I stopped by the kitchen on my way out, and Halena thrust a package of food into my hands.
"Good bye lass, travel safe." she said. I nodded, then left through the back entrance and took off at a run, already feeling the press of time. Elladan was sure to be questioning as to my whereabouts again soon, if he wasn't already.
I made record time on my run to Old Tod's, and after checking the stables and seeing that he wasn't up, I pounded heavily on his door. After an unbearably long time, during which I was constantly glancing down the road to look for Elladan, Old Tod finally opened his door, looking disheveled and tired.
"Rachel?" he asked blearily.
"I'm leaving, and taking Liltalen." I said. "What foals you have now are all you're going to get from his bloodline. Keep them well, and remember what I said about offering them to Rangers. And pass that on to whoever takes over your ranch and your horses afterwards." Tod blinked, and then nodded. "Goodbye." I said, and Tod mumbled a reply before I dashed off to the pasture. I made what I refer to now as a spectacular flying leap over the fence, whistling to Liltalen as I did so, and then another flying leap up onto Liltalen's back when he came trotting up. He snorted at me questioningly, and I patted his neck reassuringly.
"I'll explain later, boy." I said. "For now, let's go!" I kneed Liltalen into a gallop, and he took off, sensing my urgency. We went over the fence so fast, I barely felt the jump, and as we passed Old Tod where he still stood in his doorway, I caught a glimpse of his face, gaping in absolute shock. I grinned. Old Tod was getting a first-hand view of how fast Elvish horses could go when they REALLY wanted to, and I was sure it was something he wouldn't soon forget.
I galloped non-stop till I was out of sight of Bree, and then I only paused long enough to consider where to go. I decided that as far away from Rivendell as possible was a good idea. And since Rohan hadn't been established yet, that meant...Gondor. I was already heading south, anyways.
With my course decided, I kicked Liltalen into a canter and headed off into the night, keeping and ear and an eye out for anybody following behind me.
----To be continued...with Gandalf!----
(Not to mention over 600 years.)
-Things to know:-
Aranarth: first Chieftain of the Dúnedain, eldest son of the last king of the North-kingdom.
Interesting side note: EVERY Chieftain that followed after him except for one (named Argonui) had a name that started with 'Ara'. So every Chieftain had a name that started with 'Ar'. Arrr. Buncha pirates. :D
-Authors Note:-
OK, I have a question - was the city of Minas Tirith even around in the 2100's of the Second Age? Or was it just a watch tower/fortress, with Osgiliath being the main city of Gondor? I know the seat of power for Gondor was originally in Osgiliath, and only switched to Minas Tirith when Osgiliath was destroyed, but was Minas Tirith around in the 370-some years before that? I've tried to figure it out, using both the books and the Encyclopedia of Arda, but can't get it straightened out in my head.
Now that that's done, thanks to all my reviewers! Especially since, thanks to all of you, this has become my third straight chaptered story to break 100 reviews! Whoo! *throws a party* You all rock! I'd give you some Elves or something, but I did that last chapter...oh, wait, that was limited to Lothlorien Elves...*evil grin* random Mirkwood Elves for everyone!
~Crimson Starlight