Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkien or LOTR or Middle Earth... blah blah.....
At this there was silence all around the hall. Everyone's eyes were turned on the girls. Allasse started visibly shaking and sobbing. Aranelwen froze in shock.
At length Eowyn spoke. 'But but my daughter, Allasse, this this this cant be true.' she turned appealing eyes on the king, but he nodded and looked at Aranelwen. She lifted her eyes to stare into his.
'What are we going to do?' Eowyn asked, her voice quaking, as Faramir put his arm around her.
'I think the girls had better go into hiding, or leave the city, the country.'
Another silence fell. Samwise stood up.
'If you beg my pardon mr strider, sorry, your majesty sir, but they would be safe in the shire, they would?' Aragorn turned to look into his innocent brown eyes.
'Yes your majesty they would,' Peregrin put in, 'I would travel with them if you want'.
Suddenly Aragorn looked relieved. 'Your right Sam, the shire would be safe, but we should actually hear from the girls.'
All eyes turned to Aranelwen. 'I… I… I… I…I don't know. This is all a big shock. Why us, why do they want us?'
'They want to hit your father where it hurts Aranelwen,' Arwen explained quietly, 'and as for Allasse, they think she should belong to Rohan anyway, she is the kings cousin after all.'
'But but I don't belong to anyone. I belong here. It's not my fault I'm related to him. Why is he so bad anyway, when Eomer was so good?' Allasse spoke for the first time, and her voice was shaking. But the answer came to her from inside her head, something Sam had told her when she was young, about the history of the One Ring, 'the hearts of men are easily corrupted' she whispered, 'Hamadred has been corrupted by his power.' Eowyn nodded at her sadly.
'Aranelwen and Allasse must leave for the shire at once,' Aragorn instructed, 'I am appointing Peregrin son of Paladin and Legolas son of Tharanduil to accompany them, any others who wish to, may.' There was a short silence.
'I shall accompany them, I should very much like to see the Shire, where my companions of old have often talked about,' said Gimli, and Elanor also agreed to go, because she wished to return home. Sam and Rosie were staying on, as they had arranged to stay in Gondor for a year.
'So be it,' said Aragorn, 'six companions, each free race represented.'
'Great' exclaimed Peregrin 'where are we going?' he added for a laugh. Most were puzzled by this, except Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Samwise and Merry, his old companions, who laughed, remembering the joke. 'This time we are going the other way,' he sighed.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Not even this could cheer Allasse up. She was depressed at the thought of leaving her childhood home, her family, her whole life, but she knew she had to. Aranelwen was just as unhappy, although her father had told her all about the beautiful places in the world when she was a child, she did want to see Rivendell, her mothers home. What it would be like now she did not know, the last elves had left, there were very few left in Middle-Earth nowadays, just a few woodland elves from Mirkwood, Legolas's kin.
They were due to leave that afternoon; neither of them had ever dreamed it would be so soon. They were hoping to get away in secret; only those at the council must know they were going. Preparations were under way, each of them should be suitably armed, Elanor had a short sword, Allasse a sword, her mother had trained her years ago, as she had been a shield maiden, and Aranelwen had her mothers distinct sword, and a beautiful bow and quiver. Legolas of course had his Lorien bow, and Gimli his axe. Peregrin, or Pippin as the travellers came to know him by, had a short sword, or rather a dagger.
Legolas, Gimli and Pippin had cloaks from Lorien, given to them many years before by the Lady of the Wood, and Elanor also had her fathers. Arwen had woven similar cloaks for Aranelwen and Allasse, light but warm, and of some deep colour none could tell.
They were ready to leave. They each carried packs, but they also had a pony of burden for the majority of their baggage. All of them stood waiting for Aranelwen, who was saying farewell to her parents inside. Allasse had tears running down her cheeks, and she wanted to scream, but she couldn't, not now, she had to leave it was for her own good as much as anyone else's. She would be safe with Legolas as their guide. Aranelwen hurried down the steps, she seemed to be hiding something down the front of her cloak as she walked. Behind her came Arwen and Aragorn, looking very majestic.
'Farewell, I shall ride out to the Shire myself, once all here is safe,' Aragorn said.
'Namarie, mellyn,' cried Arwen, 'Farewell, Friends, Namarie Aranelwen.'
As they all turned away and set off down out through the secret back entrance of the city, Allasse turned back once more and saw the four of them in a line, the King and Queen, and her own parents, all looking proud and very sad. Wiping the tears off her face she followed the others through the gate.
Towards nightfall they neared the city of Osgiliath. They had arranged to spend the night here, and then would travel out into the wild.
The next morning they all woke up, to find that Pippin had vanished. About an hour later he apperared, looking breathless. 'ive sorted us out some boats, so we can travel up stream,' he exclaimed. This was good news to all of them, as they had been debating which way they should go.
Pippin led them out to the river, where two small boats were moored. They stowed their packs aboard and set off upstream. Aranelwen, Allasse and Elanor shared one boat, while Legolas, Gimli and Pippin shared the other. Elanor felt uneasy as the only boat she had ever been on before was the buckleberry ferry, this was the first time she had ever paddled up a river. The land around them was fair and wooded, green Ithilien.