Hello! Sorry that this came a little later than I expected. Nothing much to say, so here's chapter 4. I have to warn you that I was very hyper when I wrote this.

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR, blah, blah, blah, Tolkien does, blah, blah, blah.

Chapter 4

night time

During that day Aster had helped Gwennêl find clothes and a real bed. Eowyn had also helped. Aster fell into uneasy sleep.

Aster was dreaming. She saw her karate dojo, remembering how she had first learned how to do round-off back tucks, front flips, arials (sp?), and front and back handsprings. Tricks were a must if you competed as a black belt. You only had a chance of winning if you could at least do a back handspring. For Aster it had been very hard to learn, because she had never been very good at those kind of things. She remembered how she had done sword-fighting there, and later had competed in that. She missed her friends from Karate, especially the boy she secretly had a crush on. She knew that the fact that she might never see them again and the fact that she was an elf hadn't sunk in yet, and that when it did, she be both sad and very happy.

Suddenly her dream changed, and she was in Edoras. She was sitting on her bed, facing the door, when she heard a sound that she dreaded behind her. She turned slowly, fear taking hold of her and saw...CHICKENS! (AN: I told you I was hyper!) Aster's secret fear had always been chickens. When she was five she had been at a farm and a chicken had suddenly attacked her, so she had been afraid of them ever since. Then the chickens in Aster's dream began to charge.

Aster woke, a soft scream tearing from her lips. She sat bolt upright, cold sweat pouring down her face, and looked frantically around the room. Seeing that it was chicken free, she laid back down, her breath returning to normal. No one had ever found out about her fear, and no one would ever.

That morning when Gwennêl came to Aster's room to see her, Gwennêl found her in tears. The fact that Aster might never see her family and friends again, had finally sunk in.

"What is wrong, Laiorë?" Gwennêl asked, anxiously.

Aster thought quickly, she couldn't tell Gwennêl the truth. What could she say? "I don't really know. I guess that I probably had a really sad dream, though I can't remember it."

Gwennêl gave Aster an understanding look. Gwennêl looked very different. She was no longer a maids helper, but an elf. She was clean and wore a nice dress, and she seemed to hold herself differently.

"Did you need something, Gwennêl?"

"No, I just wanted to say Good Morning. Bye!"

"Bye."

As soon as Gwennêl was gone, Aster laid back on her bed. She was so embarrassed having been found like that by Gwennêl. It couldn't be helped, though.

Aster sighed and got up, crossed the room and got a dress out of the dresser. She struggled into the dress, and left the room, exploring the many passages. As she turned a corner she came face to face with Theodred.

"Hello, milord... your majesty?" she asked, trying to figure out what to call the young prince.

"Theodred."

"Right..." Aster murmured, trying to come up with something to say.

"How are you, lady?" Theodred asked politely.

"Fine, I suppose. Um... how are you?"

"Good. Are you enjoying your time here?"

"Well, I've been inside the entire time, so not especially."

"I'm not trying to get your hopes up, but I did tell my father earlier that I did not think an elf would be a servant of Sauron. You may be released soon."

"Really? Thanks... I mean, thank you."

"Well, I must go. Something about princely duties."

Aster laughed and Theodred left. Wow! He stood up for me. I don't even now him.

Aster spent the rest of the day teaching Gwennêl how to speak elvish and talking to Eowyn.

She met Eomer later and he told her that she was to come before Theoden at dusk. She didn't have a great sense of time, though, so she arrived twenty minutes early. She decided that it would be best to stay in the main hall, so she spent her time looking at the tapestries bearing ancient kings symbols.

She stopped before the tapestry with Eorl the Young's tapestry when a voice behind her said, "Amazing, isn't it. You can trace Rohan's history back to it's begin through tapestries in one hall." Aster turned to find Theoden standing behind her, gazing up at the tapestry. She curtsied, very awkwardly and said, "Your majesty." Theoden waved her formality aside, still studying the tapestry.

When he finally looked at her he said, "Eowyn says that she has spent much time with you."

Aster didn't know how to respond to this. "She says that you seem trustable and my son, Theodred, agrees," he continued. "So, I will allow you to go on to Lothlorien. You are also free to travel in Rohan, when you must."

"Thank you, my lord," Aster said. She had not expected for it to take so little time for him to decide whether she was trustworthy or not.

"Also, if it is possible, I would appreciate if you left today."

"I could. Would it be fine if I borrowed a horse until I reach the edge of the forest and then if I sent it back?"

"Yes. You may go."

Aster turned and walked out of the hall, trying hard not to skip, she was so happy. When she was entered the passages, Eowyn met her.

"My brother told me you were meeting the king..." Eowyn began.

"I'm free to go!" exclaimed Aster. "I leave for Lothlorien tonight."

Eowyn's face fell. "You still wish to go there?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, they say a sorceress lives in those woods. It is perilous to enter."

Aster stifled a laugh. She remember reading these sort of 'speaches' in the Lord of the Rings. She knew that the wood was not perilous. "I'll chance it," was all she could say.

Aster went off in search of Gwennêl. Aster found Gwennêl in her small room, playing with a homemade doll. Aster stood and watched her for a while, then knocked lightly on the door. Gwennêl jumped and looked over at Aster.

"I'm free to go, Gwennêl," Aster informed her. Gwennêl's face lit up. "We're leaving for Lothlorien tonight."

Gwennêl got to her feet and began jumping up and down saying in a sing song voice, "I'm going to see more elves, I'm going to see more elves." She then came over and gave Aster a big hug, "Thank you, Laiorë!"

Several hours later Aster was standing in the stable beside Bredon. She was back in the traditional clothing of a wood elf. On her back was bag with food that Eowyn had insisted on giving her. She and Gwennêl would be riding bareback, as most elves did. Aster was very apprehensive about doing so. She had only ridden a horse twice before, and that was with a saddle and at a walk.

Gwennêl soon came with a small pack on her back containing most of her belongings. She had dressed in pants and a shirt for the ride. She ran over to Aster.

"You ready?" Aster asked.

"Yes." Aster lifted Gwennêl onto Bredon's back and then mounted behind her apprehensively. Aster rode Bredon out of the stable and through Edoras. When she was out of the city she turned north east and galloped away.

She came on the Entwash first, which was easy for Bredon to cross. Once across, Aster stopped Bredon and dismounted, and helped Gwennêl do the same.

"We'll take a break so the horse can rest," Aster said, opening her bag. She handed Gwennêl a loaf of bread to eat. After a half an hour break they rode on.

Every once in a while they would halt to give the horse a break. After dawn the next day they reached the Anduin. There Aster turned northwest. In the early afternoon they reached the edge of the forest of Lothlorien.

By this time Aster knew that she preferred riding with a saddle. Her legs were rubbed raw, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming in pain. She dismounted quickly, glad to get off and helped Gwennêl down. Aster sent Bredon back to Edoras and turned toward the forest.

Aster and Gwennêl walked along the edge of the forest and soon found the path that ran through. They began to walk down it and found themselves surrounded by elves, all aiming at Aster and Gwennêl.

One elf, obviously the leader, stepped forward and looked at Aster. "Laiorë from Mirkwood, you are expected."

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur- Thanks for the review!

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