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Chapter 15

Return to Imladris

When King Thranduil and his escort arrived in Imladris at dawn, they were met by Lord Elrond and his twin sons. The group stood for a few moments on the steps above the courtyard observing courtesies as the house staff hastily assembled to see to the needs of the newly arrived King of the Mirkwood realm. They were suddenly interrupted as one of the Imladris border guards galloped into the courtyard.

"Welcome, King Thranduil of Mirkwood. Please pardon this interruption but I have urgent news for Lord Elrond."

The King inclined his head at the greeting.

"Lord Elrond. The Lady has just passed over the border and although she has not asked us to announce her, I felt you should be informed."

Lord Elrond's face showed his concern. "Why, what has happened?"

"My Lord, the horse she rides is covered with dried lather and blood and the Lady, herself, is unsteady in the saddle." The guard inclined his head indicating he was finished with his report.

Elrond dismissed the border guard then glanced anxiously at the gate of the courtyard, not knowing what he was going to see.

Soon, hoof beats could be heard, followed shortly thereafter by the appearance of the horse. He was indeed more gray than black as his normally glossy coat was crusted with old lather and dust from his journey and marked here and there with blood earned in battle. When the black stallion saw the strange elves standing in front of him, he began to prance and sidle toward them, eyes blazing. Elias attempted to rear, and when his rider brought him back to earth and tried to calm him, all those present could see her grimace in pain.

He was not to be pacified though, for he had sensed the pain of his rider and seeing the strangers before him, he had immediately changed from companion and ally into her protector and he was not about to allow any stranger to harm her further. Again, he tried to rear, this time rising to his full height, striking out with his forefeet as he did so. As his front hooves again hit the ground, Anayah was jarred from the impact and cried out from the pain.

It was the Mirkwood King who finally took matters into his own hands as he quickly assessed the situation and rightly came to the conclusion that the stallion was only trying to protect his injured rider. Stepping directly in front of the horse, he spread his arms wide and spoke soothingly to the angry animal.

"Daro! Daro mellon-nín! Lasto beth lammen! Daro!" (Stop! Stop my friend! Listen to the words of my voice. Stop!)

Sensing no threat from the tall elf in front of him, the horse finally began to calm down. Seeing this, the King put one hand on the headstall of the animal's hackamore and with the other hand, stroked the horse behind the ears, a place most horses liked to be rubbed or scratched. As he calmed the big stallion and continued to speak gentle, elvish words in his ear, he motioned to the twins and Elrond to see to the rider.

"We only want to help your friend so please calm yourself. After we help her, we will see that you are bathed and tended as you deserve. So calm yourself, my friend."

The King was rewarded for his kind words when the stallion butted him in the chest with his head, seemingly satisfied that neither this elf nor the other strange beings in front of him meant his Lady any harm.

As Lord Elrond and his sons approached both horse and rider, they caught the scent of something both familiar and distasteful. The three looked at each other, then Elrond spoke to King Thranduil who still stood at the head of the horse, keeping him calm.

"Do you smell that? What is it?"

The twins could only shrug their shoulders.

"It is what you smell in the air during a rainstorm when lightning has struck close by."

It had taken Thranduil a few moments to place the odor but recognize it he finally did, for lightning was something every elf who lived in a woodland kingdom knew and understood.

While their father and the King were talking about lightning and its elements, Elladan reached up and took hold of Anayah's arm, preparing to help her dismount. When he touched her, though his hand was gentle, she gasped from the pain, jerking her arm away from him and almost losing consciousness in the process. For some time she sat with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths in an attempt to get her pain under control and after accomplishing this, tried to dismount on her own. It was then that Elladan noticed the hand he had laid on his sister's arm was covered with blood.

"Ada. Look." He showed his hand to his father.

Elrond pushed the left side of her robe back and saw the blood soaked bandage on her arm.

"Sweet Eru!"

As he started to pick her up, Anayah raised her hand.

"Please do not touch me for you are clean and I still carry the stench of battle on my clothing. I must first tend to the needs of my horse for he has also taken hurt. When I have seen to his needs, I will then bathe myself in the sweet waters of the Bruinen and hope that afterward I will be fit to enter your home."

When Anayah attempted to walk around Elrond and the twins, Thranduil stepped in front of her, blocking her path and not being able to stop herself, she walked right into the King then took a step backward as she tried to regain her balance. She stood for a moment, head tilted slightly to one side in surprise, and gazed with glazed eyes at the elf in front of her. Then, with no warning to any of the elves standing near her, Anayah passed out and fell most ungracefully to the ground.

TBC