The next morning dawned bright and clear, making every guest and inhabitant of Imladris, or Rivendell, feel like there was no evil in the world. Well, almost every guest. Kendra had awoken, headache gone but worry gnawing at her gut. How was her family? What would they do when she didn't come home? Was she dead?
This last though made Kendra pinch herself. The pain convinced her that she wasn't dead. She threw the covers off and put her legs over the side of the bed. Her boots had been removed and placed near the nightstand. She leaned over to pull them on when she noticed that her other wounds had been treated. She had had numerous cuts and bruises all down her arms and most of the bruises, which were fairly new, were almost gone.
'That's weird,' she thought.
She leaned over to the nightstand and picked up the mirror that was there. The bruises that were on her chest were all gone and even the older bruises on her shoulders were gone. There was no pain, no nothing.
"We put a cream on your bruises while you were unconscious. The bruises looked nasty," Elrond said from the doorway.
Kendra put down the mirror, "You didn't have to do that."
"Why did you have those bruises? Did your husband do that to you?"
"I don't have a husband. And my father didn't do it either. No one in my family would ever beat us to leave bruises," Kendra sighed. "I got those bruises from my job."
"What job involves you getting bruised up like you were?"
"We don't really have a formal name. We are referred to as the 'Hunters.'"
"Hunters?"
"It is our job to make sure that certain creatures that were created during the war don't destroy what is left of humanity. Many a creature would prefer to drain the blood from our body and then pick the meat off our bones. I have seen it done, and it isn't pretty."
"Why did you take a job like that?"
"It was either that job, or I would be a soldier. I have health problems that keep me from doing the training needed to be a soldier but that wouldn't discourage them. As a hunter, I can set my own pace. After several weeks of training on my own, I was physically fit."
Elrond didn't say anything. All this information about her was unimaginable. A woman as a soldier? Most men would never allow a woman in a battle. Looking at her, he could see what she was saying. Her bare arms were well toned and her thinness was the result of physical labors, nothing else.
"You probably don't believe me," she said after a few minutes of silence.
"No, I do believe you. I have never seen anyone who dresses like you so that helps back up your story. I also do not see any signs of madness."
"There are those who would disagree with you on the madness part. Many would say that I am quite mad."
Elrond laughed gently, watching her. She barely showed any emotions on her face, but he could tell she was suppressing her energy. He watched her as she put on her boots and then stood up. She reached up and pulled her hair back from her face, giving her a hard look.
"Would you care to join us in the hall for breakfast?" he asked.
"I wouldn't mind," she said reaching over to grab her coat.
Together, the two made their way down to the dining hall. Once there, he escorted her to the head table. She sat down in between Boromir of Gondor and Gimli, son of Gloin. Breakfast was quiet and soon, everyone left the table. Kendra was one of the few people left, besides an old man dressed in a gray robe. She watched as the man pulled out a pipe from his robe. He lit it and she watched him smoke for a couple of minutes.
"Is that all you are going to do?" he asked suddenly.
Kendra, startled, looked into his eyes. She thought she was going to see anger but all she saw was laughter. He put the pipe down onto the table and watched her.
"You are the girl that Boromir brought into the city. It is good to see that you are doing well."
"Thank you. And you are?" she asked, trailing off.
"I am called Gandalf. Since we are making introductions..."
"Kendra Elvira Connor. Call me Kec."
"Kec? An unusual name?"
"I am an unusual person. But I guess it all depends on a person's point of view."
Gandalf laughed a hearty laugh, which drew the attention of several people.
"There you are Gandalf. We were looking for you. The council is about to begin," a man said, striding forward.
"Thank you, Aragorn. Kec, will you be joining us?"
"What is this council about?" Kendra asked, standing up.
"The future of Middle Earth."
This last though made Kendra pinch herself. The pain convinced her that she wasn't dead. She threw the covers off and put her legs over the side of the bed. Her boots had been removed and placed near the nightstand. She leaned over to pull them on when she noticed that her other wounds had been treated. She had had numerous cuts and bruises all down her arms and most of the bruises, which were fairly new, were almost gone.
'That's weird,' she thought.
She leaned over to the nightstand and picked up the mirror that was there. The bruises that were on her chest were all gone and even the older bruises on her shoulders were gone. There was no pain, no nothing.
"We put a cream on your bruises while you were unconscious. The bruises looked nasty," Elrond said from the doorway.
Kendra put down the mirror, "You didn't have to do that."
"Why did you have those bruises? Did your husband do that to you?"
"I don't have a husband. And my father didn't do it either. No one in my family would ever beat us to leave bruises," Kendra sighed. "I got those bruises from my job."
"What job involves you getting bruised up like you were?"
"We don't really have a formal name. We are referred to as the 'Hunters.'"
"Hunters?"
"It is our job to make sure that certain creatures that were created during the war don't destroy what is left of humanity. Many a creature would prefer to drain the blood from our body and then pick the meat off our bones. I have seen it done, and it isn't pretty."
"Why did you take a job like that?"
"It was either that job, or I would be a soldier. I have health problems that keep me from doing the training needed to be a soldier but that wouldn't discourage them. As a hunter, I can set my own pace. After several weeks of training on my own, I was physically fit."
Elrond didn't say anything. All this information about her was unimaginable. A woman as a soldier? Most men would never allow a woman in a battle. Looking at her, he could see what she was saying. Her bare arms were well toned and her thinness was the result of physical labors, nothing else.
"You probably don't believe me," she said after a few minutes of silence.
"No, I do believe you. I have never seen anyone who dresses like you so that helps back up your story. I also do not see any signs of madness."
"There are those who would disagree with you on the madness part. Many would say that I am quite mad."
Elrond laughed gently, watching her. She barely showed any emotions on her face, but he could tell she was suppressing her energy. He watched her as she put on her boots and then stood up. She reached up and pulled her hair back from her face, giving her a hard look.
"Would you care to join us in the hall for breakfast?" he asked.
"I wouldn't mind," she said reaching over to grab her coat.
Together, the two made their way down to the dining hall. Once there, he escorted her to the head table. She sat down in between Boromir of Gondor and Gimli, son of Gloin. Breakfast was quiet and soon, everyone left the table. Kendra was one of the few people left, besides an old man dressed in a gray robe. She watched as the man pulled out a pipe from his robe. He lit it and she watched him smoke for a couple of minutes.
"Is that all you are going to do?" he asked suddenly.
Kendra, startled, looked into his eyes. She thought she was going to see anger but all she saw was laughter. He put the pipe down onto the table and watched her.
"You are the girl that Boromir brought into the city. It is good to see that you are doing well."
"Thank you. And you are?" she asked, trailing off.
"I am called Gandalf. Since we are making introductions..."
"Kendra Elvira Connor. Call me Kec."
"Kec? An unusual name?"
"I am an unusual person. But I guess it all depends on a person's point of view."
Gandalf laughed a hearty laugh, which drew the attention of several people.
"There you are Gandalf. We were looking for you. The council is about to begin," a man said, striding forward.
"Thank you, Aragorn. Kec, will you be joining us?"
"What is this council about?" Kendra asked, standing up.
"The future of Middle Earth."