Itarilde woke to the rough shaking of her younger brother.
"Itari? Itari, wake up." Eldarion whispered, using his sister's nickname.
"What?" Itarilde groaned. "Eldarion, I'm trying to sleep."
"Look, there's this council being held here, and there's something evil going on in Aldoryth, and Elemariel's offered to go scout the place, and Legolas has offered to go with her, and I really want to go in her place and..."
Itarilde interrupted him before he could finish. "Eldarion, your sister has trained to be treated as a warrior all her life. You haven't. Your time isn't now. You're only eleven."
"At Helm's Deep boys as young as seven were asked to fight. I'm four years older then they are."
"Eldarion, the people of Rohan at Helm's Deep were desperate. They needed soldiers. The Uruk-Hai outnumbered them ten thousand strong to three hundred. Don't you understand this?"
"I understand it. I just feel like I'm ready."
"I know you do. But your time will come, and when it does, you will be ready. But now is not your time. You know this."
"You sound more and more like Elemariel every day." Eldarion laughed as Itarilde swung her pillow at his face. She rolled her eyes.
"Go to bed, Eldarion. You shouldn't be up at this hour."
"I know, I know. I've already gotten that from Legolas and Elemariel, why not from you too?" He jumped off her bed and walked down the hallway to his room.
Elemariel had finally convinced her mother to let her go to Aldoryth with Legolas. Finally. She had packed her small parcel and was ready to leave. She reached the door and hugged Itarilde and Eldarion, who tried purposefully to break her in two. She couldn't help smiling at his persistence. She and Legolas said goodbye to Aragorn and Arwen, and then left Gondor by horse. They reached Aldoryth within a quiet and uneventful two days time.
Elemariel and Legolas searched the outskirts for signs of orcs first, hoping to find something to prove that they were on the right track. Then Legolas noticed a piece of fabric caught on a tree about five feet off. He walked over to it, and pulled it loose. It was quite obviously a piece of an orkish warrior's uniform. And there was no mold or rot on it whatsoever. It had been lost here three days ago at the most.
"El, come look at this." Legolas called to his companion.
"What is it?" Elemariel asked as she made her way toward him.
"It's a piece of an orkish banner. No rot or decay. They weren't here more then a little while ago." Legolas told her.
"You're right. Come to think of it you always are." Elemariel laughed.
"We've got them. Let's go."