Chapter 4:

Hours later, the elf wept over the body of the Rider as he breathed his last and lay still. He had failed to regain consciousness even with her healing, so she knew nothing to tell the King and she wept even more. She was so distraught that she failed to notice a shadow fall across her as she wept and implored the Valar to return the man's life. It was only when she felt a hand against her shoulder that she turned and saw the King through her tears. Weeping afresh, she launched herself into his arms and cried against his shoulder as he held her. As she finally stopped crying, she lurched away from him and tried her best to wipe away the red streaks from her face when she had cried. Catching her hand, Eorl walked the elf outside into the early morning sunlight and they sat on the wall near where she had sighted the Rider.

Bowing, Eorl took her hand and kissed it, saying, "My Lady, you have been a pillar in the time of distress. Do not allow yourself to waste away over a life that could not be saved. You did all you could to save that man and his death has obviously been very hard on you."

As the elleth looked down and nodded, Eorl went on. "My Lady, may I know your name? For surely a man such as your Uncle could not allow his niece to wander the wilds without a name or an identity."

As the elleth looked down at her feet, she smiled faintly and then spoke. "My name is Elentari, sire. Elentari Pered-Elven of Imladris."

Taking her hand again, Eorl was about to kiss it when a shout came from the Palace and then wailing at the discovery of the Rider's body. Excusing himself, Thengel left to comfort his Household as the girl walked to her chamber. There, she wrote a quick note to the King and dressed in her travelling clothes once more. Stealthily taking her weapons, she crept past the Door Guard to the stables where she had kept her stallion and saddled him. Whispering to him in Sindarin, she jumped on his back and they rode past the village of Edoras as all was silent. Reaching the gate, she turned in the saddle and looked one last time at the place that had been her home for these few weeks. Then, she charged her horse through the unmanned gate and off into the distance as the villagers aroused and began their daily routine.

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As she reached the same glen she had fought the Orcs in, she dismounted and stood near a bubbling brook. She had not dared to stay after lying to the King about her identity. The name she had given him was not her own name, but that of her mother. For Elentari of the House of Eärendil had died while the elleth was very young, her heart broken after the premature death of her husband. Her father had been of the race of Galadhrim and had been captured by orcs when he had ridden out with Glorfindel one day. He had left Elentari at home, eight months pregnant when he had been captured. Elentari went into labour when the news came and gave birth to her only child, whom she had named Morié Losille.

But something was not right after the birth. Soon after Morié's first birthday, they found Elentari dead in her chamber. The grief stricken Elrond journeyed to his parent's palace to take his niece to Imladris and raised her as his own daughter. It was there that the girl had grown and become the elleth standing sadly by the stream, dressed as a Ranger.

Wiping away tears that threatened to pool over again, Morié jumped on her horse and continued her ride...