Chapter 3
Elainor awoke to find herself in a small room. The lights consisted of a few candles. They emitted an eerie glow in the room, and she thought she saw movement in the shadows. Wait, she was in a room, how did that happen? –I must remember never, ever to use that fainting spell on myself again. I remember being carried in here, then my bandages. - Elainor looked up. Guards in the shadows, four of them. She could see the shuffling of two pairs of feet outside the room, 2 more guards. Two on the balcony. –By the valar why are they so paranoid?-
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"Ada! Open the door. I have to speak to you!" Elrohir banged on the door. "Ada!" He turned around exasperated, and started to rub his forehead. He looked up to see his sister standing before him. As she spoke he eased a little, her voice was very soothing, "What ails you brother? You have spent far too much time guarding the borders of Imladris, you need to take a rest." "Arwen, Diolle. Please I need to speak to ada, now. Where is he?" Arwen gave her brother a mischievous smile, "go to him through the tunnel, silly boy." And she turned on her heels, leaving Elrohir smiling. The tunnel? He remembered when he and Aragorn were younger they used to climb the tree he was standing under, then they would drop down between the wall and garden, and push open a secret door that Eldarion had discovered. From there they would run up the tunnel and emerge behind Elrond's desk, and startle him every time!!!
Elrohir emerged from behind the hidden door and looked at his fathers back. Elrond was bent over his desk, and apparently reading aloud from an old book, "it was then that Islidur took up his father's sword and cut the ring from Sauron's hand...... yes, yes, I remember, now, Gollum got hold of the ring, and then Bilbo, ah yes, my friend Bilbo..."
Elrohir smiled, his father had been working on his book, "Middle Earth, through the Dark Ages to the Present" for a few years. "Ada, May we speak?" Elrond looked up. He slowly looked up and turned around in his swivel chair to face his son. "Ion-nen!" and he burst into a fit of laughter. "I can't believe you remember that passage!!" another burst of laughter, "oh, Ion-nen, you still can fit through?" then more laughter. Finally Elrohir broke into a smile, "Ada, I have pressing matters to speak to you about." Elrond stood up, "As do I", "By all means Ada, go first." Elrond stood to his full height and pick up the feather he had been writing with.
"Ion-nen, have all the guests entered the front gates?"
"yes Ada, that is-"
"And have they been shown to their rooms?"
"Ada, yes, but I have to-"
"Good, where is your brother?"
"I don't know, Ada list—"
"Find him, the council will begin in a few hours, I do not want him to be late!"
"Ada, please-"
"and you! Look at you, blood stained and dirty? How do you expect to look honorable like this?"
"Ada.."
"Have the dwarves been led safely to their rooms?"
"yes I sent the guards, but we have-"
"Good, and when the council is due to begin we should sent guards to escort them. We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark times. Yes well, have you seen Arwen? I need to have a word with h---"
"ADA!!! LISTEN TO ME!!"
"What ails you son? You look perturbed."
"Ada, this morning after Prince Legolas and his escort entered the gates, a single rider followed. She looked very beaten and even her horse looked horrible. Upon questioning her we were told hat she was part of the Mirkwood travelers and that she was separated from them and beaten by orcs. She fainted before we could question her any further and I found this on her horse" Elrohir raised a medium sized travel bag that bore a white hand on it.
"Ada, this is the white hand of Saruman. Ada she is dressed as no Mirkwood Elf." At this Elrond sat down again and put his head in his hands. Then he stood up and started pacing around the book infested room, stepping on papers, and scrolls he was usually careful not to disturb. "Where is this- this rider now?" "I put her in the healer's wing, and positioned a few guards around the room. Eight to be exact."
"Ion nen, Tell me where is Gandalf? Has he entered the gates of Imladris?"
"Yes he..." Elrohir's voice trailed off as the front door to the study tremored. "Elrond Perdhul!!! Open this door now!" Elrond smiled as he walked briskly to the door, as he reached the door he turned to his son and winked. "Welcome Gandalf!!" he said as he swung open the door. Gandalf hobbled in and came to Elrohir, "Elrohir, how fare you?" He nodded, and Elrond and Elrohir told him about the origins of the bag. Finally as the tale ended Gandalf stood up, "The ring has entered Rivendell Elrond." Elrond remained in his seat, head down and nodded. "Elrond, I think it would be better if we brought Prince Legolas, and this Rider here and questioned them both. If Mirkwood is in league with the white hand then we must set our course away from our elf-friends." With that Elrohir set out to find Legolas and the mysterious rider.
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Back in her room Elainor sat on the bed watching the shadows. –how am I going to get out of this one? Surely I will be discovered if I don't get out.- The door opened. In stepped the young General. He pulled her up. "Get up, we go to meet your prince milady. He has asked to see you." "My p-prince? The p-prince of m-m-m" "Mirkwood, yes" he completed her sentence and didn't give her time to run away as he bound her hands quickly and pull her over his shoulder to ensure she wouldn't escape.
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Legolas stood in the balcony of his room and stared intently at the waterfalls. He smiled. –This is almost as beautiful as Mirkwood. Imladris is a paradise.- He stared at the two adjacent waterfalls and the rainbows coming out of them. He looked at the lush forest beneath the water. Most beautiful of all—his thought were cut off by soft foot steps on the hall, he walked towards the door, and opened it. He came face to face with Elrond who was in the motion of knocking. He stopped himself just as his knuckles brazed the Young Prince's forehead. "Mae Govanna, Legolas." The prince smiled and bowed to Elrond. "Heruamin (my lord) Elrond, how fare you and the beautiful Umdomiel?" "Good, good, son, come with me." The prince was ushered to Elrond's study.
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The door opened and Elrond, Elrohir, Elainor, Gandalf, and Legolas stood in the center of the room staring at each other. Elainor shifted under the gaze of the prince. Elrond smiled, just as they all suspected. He broke the silence, "Will you not bow before your Prince, Arwen amin (my fair lady)?" Elainor shifted again under the gaze of the Prince. "Im Legolas Thranduilion, How fare you Arwen amin?" Elainor step forward and bowed to the Prince, the air in the room was dangerously electric. Elrond broke the silence again. "This Lady, says she accompanied you from Mirkwood and got lost. Tell me Legolas, how many travelers accompanied you on your trip son?"
Legolas looked at the girl intently. Elainor stared at Elrond hard. "I am Elainor, daughter of Saruman, I have come to seek solace in Rivendell, where my mother's distant cousins live, I could not find my way to Lothlorien." And with that Elainor sank to the floor. Legolas gasped, and Elrohir unsheathed his sword and placed it to the back of her neck. Gandalf sat down and stared at the girl. "You are the daughter of Saruman? Saruman is a Maiar, they do no have children, please think of another lie child, or Elrohir will make a big mess on this beautiful floor. –What?I tell the truth and they don't believe me??- "I am Elainor, and I can prove to you that I am Saruman's daughter" She lifted he bound hands to Legolas, "cut my binds" Legolas looked from Elainor to Gandalf to Elrohir back to Gandalf. He reached under his belt and took out his knife and knelt before the strange girl. He cut the binds and she put her hands on his knees to support her to a standing position. Elainor looked up as her back straightened and felt the hard nudge of metal on skin. –Where we anywhere but here I would I felled him in moments.- Legolas sat down between Gandalf and Elrond as Elainor turned to face them. "My lords" Elainor started then lifted her hands up and showed her palms to thee three men sitting before her. Gandalf sighed, "Yes, that is Saruman's mark, but it does not prove that you are his daughter." Elrond stood up and turned to Gandalf, "If she is who she claims she is, then she should be taken to the council as a prisoner, and made to travel with the ring bearer, if any harm befalls our ring bearer, who ever he maybe, then we shall kill her as well." "No!" Gandalf thundered and walked out of the room.
"Ada, what should I do with the prisoner?"
Elrond looked at his son, his brow furrowed in thought. "Bind her hands and put her under watch again."
A/N: that chapter was longer... I have no idea where I am going with this, any suggestions?