A Note: I do not own anything to do with Lord of the Rings---
they belong to those running the Tolkien estate, and anything to
do with New Line Cinema and anyone else affiliated with the
movie trilogy. Tari and Colin are my own creations, you want to
use them, just let me know, I'm pretty flexible. I am not making
any money from this (as is well shown by my bank account at the
moment, unfortunately), I'm just an obsessed fan who decided to
try my hand at it, after reading the works of many others. Hope
you like it, and review it for me please! I'm a university
student at the moment, so updating will be kinda sporadic for a
bit, so bear with me, ok??

I'd like to thank my two reviewers, myheartxyourknife and sinny3—glad you liked it! Thanks for the advice, hope this one looks better!! Sorry for reposting Chapter 2, I'm still getting used to ff.net since I am new to posting...hope it works this time 'round!!

Chapter 3

Getting over her initial shock, Tari headed over to the stairs at the other end of the garden as silently as possible. Everything was silent, excepting the birds chirping sweetly from their perches on the bushes and in the trees behind her. She tiptoed up the stairs as silently as she could, glad that she had worn her quieter heeled shoes rather than the ones that made loud clicks on the ground wherever she walked. Reaching the top, she noticed that there was only a lone figure standing with his back facing her. Judging the length of his dark hair, he was not an elf, but a man. *Oh my goodness* Tari thought to herself excitedly, *I think it's Aragorn!!!* She had loved his character in the books and movies the most, and kinda had a crush on his character too, if that was possible.

"Um...excuse me..." Tari began softly, not wanting to surprise him. She supposed he had heard her coming behind him, since she knew his ranger skills were impeccable. He turned slowly at the sound of her voice and, once seeing her standing there in her jeans and oversized sweatshirt, gasped in surprise.

"Who are you?" the man asked suspiciously. "How did you get into Rivendell unannounced?" Tari stepped back slightly, taken aback by his frown and intimidating facial expression. This was most definitely Aragorn, and he looked just like Viggo Mortensen, the actor that played him in the movies. *At least I'll recognize everyone* she thought to herself.

"Uh..." Tari began nervously, shifting from one foot to the other, "My name is Tari Alarisel. I...um...I actually don't know how I got here, because one moment, I was stepping out from the forest path nearby where I live, and I ended up in that garden just down the steps from this spot..." She trailed off there, not knowing what else to say.

"So...are you some sort of spy for the Dark Lord?" he asked her, taking a step closer to her, making Tari's eyes widen in alarm.

"What?!!?!" she squeaked out in a voice much higher than her normal pitch, "How could you think I would have anything to do with the Dark Lord or Mordor or anything evil? Do I look like a spy sent from Mordor to you???" she demanded indignantly. The idea of him thinking she would be from that evil land!!

"Well, if you were, it wouldn't make sense for you to be able to be here in Imladris..." Aragorn conceded. He sighed softly, backing off from the intimidation tactics. "I am sorry, my lady, I did not mean to insult you in such a way. We are very wary of strangers in these ever-darkening days, I'm afraid. I am Strider, by the way. Please, Lady Tari, allow me to escort you inside to see the Lord Elrond. I'm sure he will have much to ask of you." Tari nodded her head silently, slipping her arm into the arm offered to her. *Somehow, I think Elrond will have a lot to say...*