Sorry about any confusion last chapter, I was trying to be a bit ambiguous, but it sounds like I did that a little too well.

A notice to all readers: I may have some problems updating in any decent fashion for a while. My computer (which I write on, since I have access to it 24/7) started making really odd squealing/screeching sounds on Friday. Saturday, after letting it cool off and be completely inactive overnight, I tried to back up all of my stories onto disks, so I would have them if my computer completely went dead. After the third disk, it started making crinkling noises, and the data on all of the disks was corrupted. Needless to say, this has been an annoying weekend for me, and we've got something of a problem. My time on school computers is limited, which means I have less time to type up chapters. So, I can give you two options: slower updates, at the same standard of grammer/spelling that I try to maintain, or I can continue one chapter at least every ten days (I hope--keep in mind what time of the school year this is) with less grammer/spelling double-checked (actually, it's more like quadruple checked. Those silly little errors annoy me, especially in my own work). Let me know what you guys want, and I'll try to manage it.

Cold-Blade: (New name, huh?) Yeah, I worried about how to do that, trying to get it to seem real without being too gruesome.

Sarah: What is who going to find out?

MyOnlyCat: I totally agree, and I always feel so bad for Elrond... but I still don't wuite know what was going through Arwen's head. Oh, look, a mortal, I'll fall in love, abandon my family, live amongst humans and one day die of dispare, sounds like fun? I know, I know, true love and all that...

Farflung: Actually, the way my school is set up, finals week isn't for another two weeks. Things are hectic though, with reports, projects, presentations, studies, etc. everywhere.

Nikki1: Okay, I'm back... and that's saying along, considering what happened to my computer. Sigh.

Iluvien/Lindaleriel: What do you think?

Kelsey: I agree that Alyeni meeting some of the warriors could be quite interesting, but as this story has come this far in her point of view, it's going to stay that way. I deliberately wrote so it would be ambiguous for a little while, but then she refers to him as the King, and I figured that would straighten things out. Sorry if it didn't.

Daphne: Welcome to my world (now if that doesn't sound pompous... sigh). Anyway, I know what you mean about studying. I have to ban myself from the computer when I have work to do or I end up either reading or writing until way too late at night to get on with studying.



Chapter 30

It was with a relieved sigh that I reached the broken gates of the white city. I shifted uncomfortably on the horse Thranduil had insisted I ride, my shoulder aching because I wouldn't moan and groan and carry on. I simply grit my teeth harder and sat a bit straighter, noticing all the stares I was getting as I passed through the city.

According to what I had been told, Estel's palace was… Right there. Good. I dismounted and approached, not surprised when I was stopped. "Name?"

I quirked a brow and considered throwing back my hood. "Alyeni."

"Reason for coming?"

"To see my friends," I answered softly.

"And they would be?"

"Arwen, Aragorn, Legolas, Mithrandir, Elladan, Elrohir, and perhaps even Lord Elrond himself. If you don't mind, I'd like to enter."

He looked at me, tilting his head. "Why do you wear a hood?" he asked suspiciously.

I sighed. "Because humans find elves unusual. I was stared at enough on my way through the city. May I go inside?"

He blinked at me, and with some awe coming into his eyes—which almost made mine roll—let me in. Thankfully the fool of a human didn't think to announce me, so I got to catch them by surprise. Well, Arwen and Estel, anyway. "Hey, hey hey! None of that in public!" I insisted, laughing as they jumped apart.

"Alyeni!" Arwen exclaimed, getting to her feet. "You came."

"And I'm too late, aren't I?" I asked wryly, looking at the crown on her head with an arched brow.

"Things are well in Mirkwood?"

I hesitated. "As well as they can be, I suppose," I answered after a moment. "And here?"

"Quite well," she agreed, smiling a little feminine smile. "It is nearly time for the feast… you will join us?"

"I don't see as I have a choice," I murmured dryly. "But my horse—"

"Is already being taken care of," Estel assured me, having just dismissed a servant.

"Thank you." I bowed my head slightly to him, knowing my shoulder was bad enough yet I had not been able to care for the horse as I should have on the journey. Thankfully he was an understanding and fairly patient creature… so far. "Where are your brothers?"

"I'm afraid you missed them, along with Elrond. They headed back a few days past. Tell me," he murmured, leaning forward, "what delayed you? Arwen was most worried when I spoke of your absence."

I smiled faintly, wondering at how poorly news spread, but before I could answer servants appeared with serving platters and guests began arriving. I was seated near Arwen, and rolled my eyes at Mithrandir, who simply smiled gently, knowing I still viewed him as trouble… in an affectionate way, of course. After all, he had helped warn us of the impending attack during the battle of the five armies, though I'd been forced—by Father—to remain in my master's shop creating weapons for the others. Besides, who didn't love those fireworks? Of course, the noise could have used some work…

"Alyeni?"

I lifted my eyes to see Leaf, saw in his eyes that which I had seen in Estel's—a certain amount of aging, of past pain which yet clung to the soul. The trials of their quest, I guessed. I smiled at him. "Leaf," I murmured, getting carefully to my feet to approach him so I wouldn't betray any sign of my injury. Pride—a stupid male habit I couldn't get over when it came to admitting how much it hurt, once I realized I would live. "I heard you were well."

"And I heard you were to have been here for the wedding," he answered, his voice colder than it had ever really been towards me.

"I'm afraid I was unavoidably detained," I answered cautiously. My left hand lifted to rub at my neck, and I winced as I recalled what was no longer there.

Of course, he noticed it's absence, his eyes narrowing, anger wiping away the pain I'd seen for an instant. "I see," he stated icily, tilting his head to be sure he wasn't missing it.

He wasn't. "No, you don't," I countered with a soft sigh. "But I am tired, Leaf. So you may think whatever you will of me… I have not the strength to argue with you." With that I sat down again, and found myself picking at my food and paying no attention to anyone or anything, since I'd been seated across from Leaf, and he was looking at me with those eyes, looking so hurt and betrayed… though he hid that, of course, in anger every human there could see plainly.

With a shake of my head I got to my feet as the dishes were cleared away. "Forgive me," I murmured, bowing my head to my host and hostess, "but the journey has been harder on me than I expected."

Arwen frowned but rose. "Are you well?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her eyes swept over me, seeing after a moment what Leaf had—or hadn't, I suppose. "Alyeni, what happened? Why do you not wear—" she broke off, clamping her mouth shut, understanding that it was no doubt a touchy subject.

I could feel Leaf glaring at me, but I was so tired I didn't care. My shoulder was aching again, and the room was beginning to fade. "I lost it," I managed, reaching out, leaning heavily on the table while trying to keep from obviously doing so as I also tried to keep from passing out. Again. I'd done it too often while I recovered just enough that Thranduil had agreed—hesitantly—to let me come. Yes, I'd lost Leaf's ring, and so—obviously—his trust. "Please, …excuse me…" I breathed, shaking my vision back into shape, pushing away from the thankfully solid table.

"Alyeni!" Aragorn, son of Arathorn, ordered. And I do mean ordered. "What happened? Why did you return to Mirkwood?"

"What?" Leaf breathed. I barely heard him.

"I had to go," I murmured softly, focusing on Estel alone. "How could I not?"

Suddenly the doors were thrown open, a cloaked figure striding in with angry steps. The guards moved to intercept him, but those of us at the head of the table knew, beyond any doubt, that the being was an elf. Putting his hand on his sword, Estel moved Arwen slightly back behind him and ordered the guards to stand down, not that it seemed the elf would have minded blowing through them.

"Alyeni, you stupid elf!" he hissed, crossing the room in a few quick seconds. He threw back his hood, showing me the angriest Joy I had ever seen. I would never have thought he could get that angry, much less would show it if he was. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

I groaned softly, "Joy, go away," I sighed. "I really don't need this now."

"No," he agreed savagely. "What you need to be doing now—which you obviously are not—is nothing more than lying in the healing chambers with the rest of the wounded!" He latched his hands around my arms, barely controlling his strength just enough I wouldn't bruise. "You don't need to be riding around half the known world, not stopping long enough to so much as rest—much less continue healing—just so you could try to keep a promise you warned might well be broken if things didn't go well… and I would say that things did not go well!"

"So you came riding after me merely to yell at me?" I snapped in disbelief.

His face tightened, and he shook me as words apparently failed him.

I held on as long as I could, but before long a sharp cry was torn from my throat as the pain passed the realm of acceptable and ignorable.

Joy's eyes widened as he released me, stepping back as if struck. "Alyeni, I'm so sorry… I forgot—"

"You forgot?!? You came all the way from Mirkwood to remind me I was injured only to forget I was injured? Are all the elves I know from Mirkwood complete idiots?"

"Says you of all people," Joy grumbled, crossing his arms. His eyes softened, his face worried as he studied my shoulder. "How is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's fine," I muttered.

"Alyeni," he sighed. "Will you never admit when you're hurt?"

"Fine!" I snapped. "If you want to know how it feels, you try having an orc sink his blade—far from a fine one, of course—into your shoulder, and then ride halfway around the known world only to be shaken for your efforts. If you will excuse me," I growled, stepping back. "I need to rest!"

"Alyeni!" Leaf bellowed as I got halfway out of the room.

I hung my head, let out an irritated breath, and turned to face him, forcing my chin up to glare properly. "What, Leaf?"

"What happened?"

"I did you a disservice. When your home was under attack I left Imladris to be of any help I could. While fighting, I lost the heirloom you'd entrusted to my care, while being drawn nearly out of this world. If that will be all, your highness," I finished, feeling angrier than I had in all the years I'd seen, "I would like to take some rest, as Joy and your father are—I've found—quite right. It is too soon after such an injury for me to be so active."

"Oh," Joy murmured, drawing my attention away from Leaf's strangely blank face. "That reminds me. The king wanted me to give you this when I caught up with you. It took them a while to find it, since you'd been over so much of the battle field for so long." He passed me the ring and the bloodied, torn remnants of the necklace it had been on.

I looked down at it, recalling the pain I'd been in when I lost it, the pain I had felt when I'd noticed it was gone… My fingers closed tightly around it, before I threw it across the hall. Not a bad throw, for my left hand. Leaf, of course, caught it with one. "There," I muttered. "You have it back. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Finally I was allowed to leave the room without being paused, a servant girl skittering around as she led me to a room. I eased myself down after removing the more confining—and painful—tunic, my eyes drifting shut to allow rest to be truer, and so more healing.