Nota Bene: Everyone, go back and re-read the "new" Chapter 4. I realized that I had totally skipped a chapter, so if you read Chapter 4 before December 29, then please re-read it. Thanks, and sorry about the inconvenice...

The Shores of Aman

Chapter Six - Proving My Worth

The elf glanced at me, then quickly unfolded the sheet and read it. His eyes narrowed slightly as he finished and looked at me a second time.

I stood trying not to fidget or show weakness, this was not the time for that. So I lifted up my chin and looked him straight in the eye, not quite so easy as it sounds since he was nearly half a head taller than me. I once again cursed the fact that I had been destined to be so short.

"My lady," he began, and at once I heard in his tone a measure of forced etiquette and also a healthy dose of frostiness. "You must understand that we do not generally allow, er, ladies to join as scouts."

"You mean that you do not accept females in general, sir," I said quietly.

He frowned. "Well, not quite so, since you are the first to apply."

"Then why not, my lord?" I asked. "I have as much skill in scouting and weaponry as any other male in these woods. Why can I not defend my homeland?"

"It is not the custom, my lady."

"I am no lady, sir," I said. "I do not weave, or embroider, or take on the other frivolities that females might generally busy themselves with. I have learned the arts of war as a soldier, and I can prove myself to it." I hastily added, "Sir."

He frowned again, deeper. "I am sorry, but there just is no way. It is not proper. The Marchwarden would not approve-"

"What would I not approve?"

I turned back to the staircase by which the rather stubborn elf was standing. It was not one of the grand staircases in Caras Galadhon, but it was no ramshackle ladder either. It was a proper set of stairs winding about the girth of the mallorn. And striding down it was the Marchwarden of Lothlorien himself.

"Lasindo, I though I told you to keep it quiet. I have an enormous stack of paperwork today."

The elf, Lasindo bowed to Marchwarden Haldir. "I apologize, sir, but the lady here has a request, and I felt it my place to inform her that it is not how things work around here in the Guard-"

"I will decide whether it 'works around here' or not," Haldir said, calmly but firmly. "Now, what is it..." He turned to me and seemed to recognize who I was for the first time. He smiled slightly. "Lícuma, why have you come?"

I started to reply, but Lasindo cut in. "My lord, really, there is no need for you to busy yourself with this. I have it under control-"

I nearly shoved him out of the way. "Sir, I wish to join the Guard of Lothlorien. I have skills as a scout or runner, and can also wield a longbow and dagger." I said it all in one breath, then held it to see his reaction. I prayed silently to all the Valar, Maiar, and other powers that I could remember for him to approve.

"Please..." I thought.

There was silence for long moments. I prayed silently. Lasindo held his tongue with masked scorn, and Haldir looked at me while contemplating.

At last, he said, "Well..."

Lasindo and I snapped to attention immediately.

He cleared his throat. "It has never ocurred before-"

My hopes sank. Lasindo looked righteously satisfied.

"-but I believe it can be done."

My heart leapt, and Lasindo's jaw dropped.

"Sir!" he said in shock. "It-this..."

Haldir held up his hand to silence him. "Let me finish, Lasindo. I see no reason why Lícuma should not be allowed to join the Guard, after all, she is a resident in our woods. It is written in our Code that we will accept any elf capable with weapons."

Lasindo shut his mouth, looking quite defeated. I, on the other hand, was delighted.

"However." Haldir looked grave for a moment, and I wondered what else could be wrong. "I may be the Marchwarden of the Guard, but I am only the Warden of the Northern Marches of Lothlorien. It has been long years since we accepted any into our ranks, and I will need to contact the Wardens of the East, West, and Southern Divisions first."

"Oh no," I groaned inwardly.

"I will talk to them later tonight," Haldir said. He looked to me. "I suggest you return to your home for now. I will send someone to inform you of the decision later today or tomorrow."

I nodded, then bowed to him and turned to walk away. Even as I left, I heard voices from behind me.

"But my lord," Lasindo argued. This was one silver-haired elf who never backed down. "The Wardens shall be busy, they cannot afford to give up their time on such a matter."

"That is why I am sending you to inform them, Lasindo. I will need someone who is good at persuading people. Now, off you go Lasindo. And I shall expect the other Wardens in my office before sunset."

I could not help but smile to myself as I imagined the look on Lasindo's face. The poor elf.

I went back to the talan where I stayed, waiting the day away. The sun rode slowly down into the west, and finally disappeared behind the mountains. A deep, still twilight set over Lothlorien.

"What was I thinking? They will never approve." I paced back and forth in the small talan that was mine, winding and unwinding an old coil of string I had found. The talan was above Mori's, and used to be where she stored her old possessions. She had cleared it out for me, but odd trinkets still turned up from time to time.

Mori herself had come in sat in the only chair in the talan, a plain wooden one, as she watched me pace. Her expression was caught between amusement and sympathy.

"Do not fret, I am sure Haldir can persude them somehow."

"His word against three Wardens'?" I was doubtful on that.

"He can be very persuasive."

I stared at her for a moment.

"I am his sister," Mori said with a smile. "I should know."

I began pacing again, fiddling with the bit of string. There was silence in the talan.

Mori watched me quietly. "Lícuma, how long have you been in Lothlorien now?"

"Eh?" The question had been quite unexpected. "Oh, a year or two by the count of Men. Why?"

"Do you feel at home here?"

"Yes, I do. This is the only home I can remember, obviously." I shrugged. "Why, Mori?"

She looked off into the sea of leaves about the talan, her eyes misty and far away. "I have been looking over you for this time, and I had thought that perhaps you do not need my help anymore."

"Nonsense, Mori," I said. "I would never cast you away like that. You are as a mother to me."

"No, no," she said, "it is not that I meant. I was saying that now, you are accustomed to these woods, they are your home. You do not depend on me so much anymore, you can live on your own."

"What? Mori, what are you saying?"

"I am old, Lícuma, much older than I may seem. I am the elder of Haldir, his older sister, this you know, but I am older than him by far. In these woods now, to my knowledge, only three elves exceed me in years: the Lord and Lady, and Cuedhel, who is the Warden of the Eastern Marches."

I was startled slightly, I had never expected her to be so numbered in years and still residing here in Arda. Mori still looked young as any just out of their elfling years. There was nothing about her that betrayed such age.

Mori continued. "I am beginning to feel the wear of time on me, Lícuma, I am no longer as young or hale as I was. Arda is quickly diminishing in my mind, and I desire more than ever to take the white ship into the West."

I gasped slightly, I had not seem that coming.

"That is why I asked if you were ready to be on your own," she said, her eyes kind. "I know it is hard to tell with the Elven kind, but you are still very young, and I would feel guilty leaving you here. You are like the younger sister I never had."

"Oh, Mori." I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. Of course, I knew I could stay on by myself perfectly, I just did not know if I had the strength to say good-bye yet.

The silence was interrupted by a call from below.

"Lady Moreleni?" An elf stood at the foot of the stairs to the talan, his face hidden by a hood.

Mori got up and went down from my talan to hers, descending halfway down the stairs. I followed her.

The elf bowed slightly to her. "I have come at the bidding of Marchwarden Haldir, with a message for someone named Lícuma, who he said is residing with you."

"That would be me," I said.

His face was hidden in darkness, and even if it had not I doubted that I would have been able to read any emotions there.

"The Marchwarden bids you to come to his office in the Northern Guard Talan. He tells you to be prepared."

That was all. He tipped his head to us again and left.

I breathed deeply, wondering what he had meant by 'be prepared'. Mori looked at me, and she must have seen some of the anxiety written in my eyes for she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I am sure it will go well," she said. "Why don't you get ready to go."

I nodded. What would I need? I took my weapons and cloak, of course. I also brought an extra bowstring and changed from my normal clothing - which happened to be a green robe that day - to stuff more appropriate for scouting: a comfortable shirt, light vest, leggings, and soft shoes which were easy to run in. I also braided my long hair, so it would not get in the way of anything.

All the way to the Northern Guard Talan, I thought and re-thought of everything that I might need. I went alone, not wanting Mori to trouble herself again. I walked quickly and quietly, and worried the entire way.

When finally I reached that same set of stairs I had been at earlier in the day, I found Lasindo at the base again. This time, he nodded to me politely and motioned for me to go up to the talan.

I did, feeling my heartbeat pound in my ears, and aware of Lasindo following behind. The first level was a small landing, with a plain table against the mallorn on which rested a few sheets of paper. The next level was much more vast, a large area with proper walls on all sides, the wood carved to resemble many pillars of living trees. The ceiling was of wood, and was carved of a pattern of leaves. There were many chairs, a raised platform and several desks and tables at one end. There were also a small shelf of books and scrolls. I stopped here, but Lasindo coughed behind me, and I continued up again.

The next talan had walls and a roof also, but was much plainer. There were large shelves of books, several chests and a large writing table piled with stacks of paper. Behind the table was Haldir, and before it were seated three elves in a half circle.

"Lícuma," Haldir greeted me. "Welcome."

The other elves remained silent, their eyes on me. I felt extremely awkward, wondering whether I ought to bow or salute, or introduce myself. I recognized one of them as Cuedhel, the silver-haired elf I had met at the Lawn several times with Haldir.

"As you know," Haldir continued, "we have discussed about your wish to join the Lothlorien Guard. And..." He glanced at the others, who sat with impassive faces, apparently unwilling to speak for him. He cleared his throat. "Well, there is some controversy."

I swallowed nervously, wondering what he meant.

"We, the Wardens, are divided on the matter. Two of us approve, while two oppose. Actually, one of the two who oppose is only skeptical, while the other-"

"Haldir, must you go into the details?" a golden haired Warden said rather curtly. His face was well formed, but his expression was one of barely controlled displeasure.

Haldir cleared his throat again. "Apologies, Ertyaro. So, the long or short end of it is, Lícuma, you are not yet accepted into the Guard."

"You talk long, but say little today, Haldir," Ertyaro said.

"Come, come, gentlement," Cuedhel cut in. "We are getting nowhere. Lícuma, we feel that it would not be right for you to join the Guard at this moment, not because you are female, but because we worry how the other soldiers shall react to having you in their midst."

"If you are to become one of them, you must have their respect first." I looked to the speaker, and saw it was the remaining Warden, the one who had kept silent until now. He was dark of hair and grey of eye, and pale as any young lady mindful of her complexion. But his presence spoke of power and authority, and could not be mistaken for anything but a Warden of the Guard.

"Will you now finally tell us of the plan you hinted at, Arquen?" Cuedhel asked.

Warden Arquen nodded slightly. "A demonstration is the best way to prove anything. I would ask Lícuma to show us her skill with her weapons, and also her skill in scouting."

Haldir looked thoughtful. "A plan, a very good plan."

Ertyaro broke in. "Such a test would take time, time we cannot afford to lose. We could take the time this night, but it is already too dark to do much."

"Then all the better," Arquen said softly. He turned to me, and his grey eyes were keen. "Lícuma, this is your choice. You may take up our offer, and show us your skill tonight. Or, you may wait for another time when all of us are free - whenever that time may be."

I gulped. Shooting in the dark was never something I enjoyed, though I knew I could put up an arrow as well in the dark as I could in the light. And as for scouting, light or dark, it meant little to me.

"Tonight then, sirs," I heard myself replying. "Right now."

Arquen nodded in approval, Haldir gave me a small smile. Cuedhel remained impassive, and Ertyaro tried to do the same. Ertyaro, Arquen and Cuedhel left first, and Haldir came up behind, motioning for me to follow quickly. We left the talan, and walked a ways through the woods. I glanced behind once, and saw Lasindo following us.

I was not familiar with the area, but soon we arrived at a large swarth of open grass. I knew it to be the archery range where the Guard practiced their archery skills. I also knew how far the targets were, and they were pretty far. And it did not help that the night was cloudy, and there was hardly any light to go by.

Haldir looked at each of the Wardens in turn. "One task each then, gentlemen," he said.

"What?" I thought to myself. "I thought I was just going to shoot a few arrows. What tasks?"

Haldir turned to me. "First the basics. There is a target out there, a good fifty paces away. I want you to fire three times - first from a normal standing position, then from a crouching position, and lastly from a perch in a tree." He motioned to the mallorns behind us. "Are you clear?"

I nodded. I strung my longbow and chose three arrows from my quiver, the straightest and with the best fletching. The Wardens went to stand at one side. Lasindo stood by them.

I nocked the first one, standing straight and drew the arrow back to my ear. Squinting down the shaft, I really could not clearly see the target, only a bulk in the darkness ahead. Praying for the best, I steadied my hand and released. The arrow whistled through the air, and joyfully I heard it hit the target with a solid thud. I crouched for the next shot, slanting the bow more than before to keep it from grazing the ground. Again, I fired the arrow and heard it hit the target.

Now the last, and trickier, shot. Nimbly, I climbed up into the mallorn closest to the range and round a solid limb a ways up the trunk. Now it was doubly hard to see, not only being far away from the target in the darkness, but also with the added foilage before me. I balanced as far out on the limb a I could before carefully nocking my last arrow.

"Manwe help me," I murmured. I let go of the arrow, hearing it tear past the leaves, go singing through the air and at last, strike the distant target.

I quickly leapt down from my perch. The Wardens stood where they had been. Haldir was smiling, but not quite openly. Arquen and Cuedhel appeared satisfied, and only Ertyaro still remained coldly impassive.

"Lasindo has gone to bring the target for our inspection," Haldir told me. Even as he spoke, the elf in question came jogging back toward us, carrying the target. I marvelled at his strength, for he showed no signs of strain despite the heavy burden.

But more, I marvelled at my luck. All three arrows were clustered near, if not dead center of the target.

The Wardens seemed to approve, for they all nodded as they saw the target - even Ertyaro, however grudgingly. He cleared his throat imperiously.

"Next then," he said. "On my way here, I dropped a small medallion, knowing of the tasks. It is your job to find it, and bring it back to me. It is about half the size of my palm, copper and strung on a black ribbon." He nodded to me, clearly saying 'get going'.

Arquen and Cuedhel glanced at him sideways, and Haldir frowned. "That is a bit extreme, Ertyaro," I heard someone say as I walked back into the woods.

I silently agreed. Such a small trinket, and I hardly knew the way which we had come! So instead of searching for the medallion, first I looked for the signs that showed our passing. Soon enough, I found the way we had come, and after that it was simply a matter of retracing our steps and keeping an eye peeled for any sign of the trinket. I found it half covered by a leaf, and picking it up quickly went back toward the archery range.

I presented it to Warden Ertyaro, and after examining it he nodded curtly. I felt my breath leave my lungs in a sigh of relief. But I quickly sobered again, remembering that still I had two tasks left.

Cuedhel stepped up. "Now, let us see how fast you are. Once around the archery range, Lícuma."

"Is that really fair, Cuedhel?" Haldir cut in. "You are the fastest runner in Lothlorien."

He smiled slightly in return. "We shall see." He nodded to me. I deposited my longbow, quiver, dagger and cloak by a mallorn and went to stand by him.

"On three then," Haldir said. "One...two...three."

I propelled myself forward in a leap to start off, Cuedhel right there with me. I ran with good speed, careful to save my strength for the remainder of the race. As we rounded the first corner, he was leading by half a pace. At the second, he was ahead by two and showing no signs of slacking. I clenched my teeth and put on more speed, closing the gap between us. I was only lagging by a pace as we rounded the last corner, and the final stretch was before me. I ran as hard as I could, lengthening each stride and putting forth more energy. I was a pace behind...now we were neck to neck...and suddenly I found myself back where we had started, and stopped just before I collided with someone.

I was breathing hard, and realizing this quickly drew several deep breaths to calm myself. I saw Cuedhel approach me.

"You are a fast runner," he said. "I do not think that there is anyone in Lothlorien who can outrun you, good maiden. I myself have never run such a close race before."

Ertyaro was not looking my way. Arquen was smiling, as was Haldir.

Cuedhel turned to the dark haired Warden. "The final task, then?"

Arquen nodded and stepped toward me. "Bring your dagger." I obeyed and soon had my side arm in my hands, wondering what I was in for.

He faced me. "Get ready. Your final task shall be to duel me in close range combat." I nearly gagged, and I heard a slight murmuring from the others.

Arquen continued, ignoring everyone. "As an archer, your main weapon is your bow of course, but in a true battle situation it will only be useful for part of the time. When the enemy gets close, your arrows will be useless, and you must resort to your secondary weapon. Now, show me that you can wield a blade."

With that, he drew his longsword. The blade leapt from its sheath with an audible ring of metal that filled the air. I gulped and brought my dagger up to a defensive position. I watched Arquen for any sign of his first move, and when I found none, I decided to take the initiative. I darted forward, slashing at his torso with my dagger. He blocked easily, and in a moment I found the tip of his sword at my throat.

His grey eyes bore into me. "When fighting an enemy with a longer reach than yours, always let him attack first." His voice was soft. "Then you can avoid his blow, get close and strike him down." He lowered his sword. "Try again."

I backed up a step, and prepared myself again. This time, I waited for him to make the first move. Sure enough, Arquen suddenly lunged forward, his sword coming at my heart. I sprang to one side to dodge, my dagger up and ready. But he caught himself halfway through his move, perfectly in balance and spun toward me. His sword edge gleamed fainly as he sliced toward me again. I quickly drew up my dagger to parry, and manged to deflect the blow. But he came at me again, always finding the most vulnerable areas, spots where my defenses were weak. Each time, I just barely managed to parry, but eachexchanged drained my strength, and my arm was growing numb from the shock of each clash.

Arquen showed no signs of tiring. He slashed at her again, and as I brought up my dagger to parry, the force of his blow knocked the blade from my hands. I was knocked back by the sheer power behind his strike and fell to the ground. I started to get up, but froze as he brought his sword to rest on my shoulder, the edge pressed against my bare neck.

No one moved, it was completely silent for several moments. Then Arquen withdrew his sword. I touched my neck, and found a thin cut there from which a drop of blood oozed.

Haldir saw this, and turned to Arquen. Arquen held up a hand to silence the Marchwarden, knowing what he would say. "Experience comes in various forms, and experiencing the truths of the matter is not a bad thing, Haldir."

Haldir processed this thought, then drew a breath and did not speak as he had planned. Arquen turned back to me. His grey eyes were unreadable.

"You show potential, though are still far from proficient with a blade. I do not doubt your skill in archery, only that more often than not an archer must find himself in situations where he must use his secondary weapon. It is imperative you learn the skills of a blade quickly. Until then..."

I felt my heart sinking, I had not passed. I lowered my head. Arquen sheathed his sword.

"Until then, you may receive training from another, preferably one who has mastered the use of a dagger. If need be, I will instruct you myself."

I looked up at him in surprise. He was smiling.

"You have the heart of a warrior, it is only fitting." He glanced at Haldir. "It is with gladness that I welcome you to the Lothlorien Guard, Lícuma."

Arquen reached out a hand to help me up, and I stood up with joy rising in my heart. I looked to Haldir, and he nodded with a smile. Cuedhel was still impassive, though the shadow of a smile lingered in his eyes. Ertyaro was not smiling, but nor was he frowning. He simply looked...defeated.

Haldir stepped before me. "Repeat the oath after me, Lícuma. I hereby swear my allegiance with my kingdom, Lothlorien, and with the Guard. I will follow orders and respect the Guard Code of Conduct. I will defend my kingdom to whatever end and stand by the Lord and Lady. I will forever stay truthful to my homeland and stand by it."

I repeated faithfully after him, overflowing with happiness and a sense of self-worth.

"Having taken the oath, you are now a soldier of the Lothlorien Guard."

I had made it, I was in the Guard. Haldir smiled at me, and I grinned back.

A gruff cough shattered the happy silence. We all turned to Ertyaro. "Well, 'tis getting late and I must be going. Gentlemen, Lícuma." He nodded briefly to us, then turned heal and disappeared into the dark woods.

Cuedhel and Arquen followed suit, but with more politeness and less of the frosty edge. Lasindo had left without anyone noticing.

Haldir stood by me, and we simply stayed there, enjoying the night for some time. Then he took my hand.

"Let us go back, Mori will be getting worried."

Quite awkward eh? The chapter started out nicely, then quickly went downhill. Bleh, must be because my mum kept interrupting me while I was writing. If anyone really hated this chapter, I'm very sorry. ::sigh:: Hopefully the next chapter will be better.

Oh, and also, I really need a beta, anyone interested?

I think I'll actually start answering reviews, seems quite unfair people type up such nice reviews and I just dismiss them with a general 'thank you'...

Otto's Goat - Ah! Someone who appreciates the same humor as I! I was hoping someone would catch that, though I doubted they would find it funny. :) Hm, that idea with Haldir sounds pretty good, I was thinking of something along those lines. But I'm afraid it's going to come rather late in the story, as right now I'm trying to explain who Lícuma and everyone else are. But, thank you very much for the lovely review!

Pilly - Merry Christmas to you too! Thanks for the review, though I do wish you wouldn't type in shorthand... But maybe you were rushed, so I won't complain. ;)