The Unexpected

The seasons passed pleasantly at Rivendell and soon the much-anticipated summer began. Gilraen was now fourteen and she was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She started to notice that she was getting more attention from male elves and she was secretly pleased with how nice it felt.

In the evenings, Fireal would brush her hair and they would discuss stories or songs of love. Gilraen had noticed lately that Fireal seemed distracted and she observed her blushing in the company of an elf of the household guard.

"Fireal? Have you ever been in love?" Gilraen asked her one evening.

Fireal smiled and said, "Yes, I believe so."

"Can it possibly be Himstel?" Gilraen teased.

Fireal smiled and laughed.

Gilraen was happy for her maid. She hoped for herself that with the coming of her father, Legolas would be spending more time around her. Perhaps he would notice that she wasn't such a child anymore.

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The royal couple was not expected for at least another month and Gilraen passed the time as she usually did with Teslan and Mendir.

One afternoon, they decided to have a race down one of the northern paths. Gilraen had been able to quickly get her horse out of the stables before her cousins did and took off at a gallop. She heard Teslan called out, "No fair, Gilraen. We were not ready!" She laughed and kept going, knowing this was her one chance to beat Mendir at racing.

It was a warm day and Gilraen enjoyed the feel of the air rushing by her as she kept on going farther down the path. She was expecting Mendir to catch up with her at any moment with Teslan not far behind. She spurred her horse on to a quicker pace, looking over her shoulder. They were not yet in sight behind her.

Suddenly, not fifty feet away, a group of scruffy men stood in the pathway. Gilraen had her horse slow down and finally stop before she ran into any of them. Never had she seen such wild looking men before. They had dark, long hair and beards and their garments seemed roughly put together and undecorated. They did not seem very friendly to her eyes and she turned her horse to face in the direction back to Rivendell.

She then noticed that the same type of men she had just faced blocked her way. Gilraen felt a panic beginning in her breast as she was deciding if she should try to ride through them.

It was then that a different sort of man stepped into the pathway. He was not rough looking like the others but dressed like a young nobleman. She was perplexed as to what he was doing with such men.

"I suggest you get off your horse," he said to her, as one of the men grabbed the reigns of the horse.

"Why? What do you want?" she asked in her growing fright. She looked up the path that led to Rivendell and could see Mendir and Teslan riding down. She tried to concentrate on them.

Go back. Get help.

"Just do as I ask, and we'll try not to hurt you too bad," he laughed.

Gilraen looked at him in disbelief. No one had ever spoken such words to her. What kind of man would hurt an unarmed girl? She wondered who he could be to say such evil words and travel with such wild men. It seemed to be some sort of hunting party as they had some slain deer in a pile nearby.

Gilraen was frozen with fear and astonishment. Then she felt a wild man pull on her leg and tug her off her horse into his coarse arms. She heard them all laughing as she was dragged to the leader of this rabble. She was placed roughly on the ground at his feet.

The young nobleman bent down to her and grabbed her chin, forcing her face right and left.

"Ah, very pretty. A flower ripe for the plucking. Who are you beautiful blossom?" he asked in a condescending voice.

Gilraen was shaking with fear. She hoped that Mendir and Teslan had heard her mental plea and were getting help quickly.

"I am no one," she answered. She had heard tales of king's daughters being held for ransom and she did not wish to be taken hostage.

"I thought as much, riding unchaperoned as you are. Though your clothing is of fine weave. Perhaps one of my men would like to give his wife such a fine dress." The rough men laughed and Gilraen cringed.

Suddenly he pounced on top of her and Gilraen was knocked backwards onto the ground. He struggled to hold her flailing arms and legs down with his body as he started kissing her neck. Gilraen screamed and tried to scratch. The others stood around laughing, a wicked gleam in their eyes.

Then one of them said, "Elves." The nobleman hopped off Gilraen and looked up the mountain side path. A group of about thirty armed elves were riding quickly down the path.

"Let's go," he ordered. With a last look at Gilraen he said, "Sorry, my little flower, but it seems you will not become a woman today."

Gilraen waited until they had all mounted their horses and ridden off before she stood up and walked, stumbling with shock, to a nearby boulder. She sat and crossed her arms, shaking with tears. Never had anyone treated her so roughly before.

The troop of elven warriors soon reached her, Celeborn and her uncles were with them. Elrohir and Elladan slowed down and looked at Gilraen. Celeborn leapt off his horse and came directly to her, wrapping her in his arms while she wept on his shoulder.

Elrohir and Elladan looked furious.

"Gilraen? Did they... harm you?" Elrohir asked.

Celeborn already knew that the men did not complete what they intended to do. He answered for her. "Not in the way that you think. We were in time."

"They will pay dearly for touching you!" Elladan grounded out this vow and signaled the riders to follow. They stormed off in pursuit.

Celeborn held her and sent waves of reassuring energy into her to calm her. "You are all right, dear one, you are safe now," he crooned to her. "Let us go home and I will tell you stories of long ago." He picked her up and carried her to his horse, placing her in front and mounting behind her. Then he said some words to her mare and the intelligent animal followed them obediently back up the path to Rivendell.

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Celeborn had sat by Gilraen's bedside that night until she had fallen asleep. He heard the sound of the returning riders and quietly left her room. He met Elladan and Elrohir walking across the courtyard.

"Did you find them?" Celeborn asked. They had been gone for hours and he had been waiting a long while for news.

Elladan and Elrohir looked disappointed. Nemel was now approaching as well, wondering at the outcome of the chase.

Elrohir shook his head. "We managed to kill five of them, but the others, including the leader, evaded us. Once they crossed the river, they separated their numbers. They were good at giving us false signs. We ended up following the wrong trail. Then it grew too dark."

"How fares Gilraen?" asked Elladan.

"We have given her a draught for sleeping. She was very frightened by the event."

"I will speak to the children about keeping within safe boundaries. It troubles me that such men were so close to Rivendell. I believe they come from far north, from the ice lands," said Elrohir.

"To what purpose would the nobleman be leading such men?" wondered Elladan.

"It is strange indeed and worth questioning," Celeborn answered. "It is none too soon that the King comes north. There seems to be trouble afoot. Tell me, was this man Dunedain?"

"We could not tell, but he seemed clever enough," Elrohir stated grumpily. He was upset that they had not been able to bring justice to that wicked man.

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Five weeks later, the royal procession was spotted coming through a well-watched valley. Gilraen had recovered from her ordeal, although she was now more cautious about leaving Rivendell and stayed within the haven. Her cousins understood her fears and did not press her to go out into the forests. Now she rushed through the household to find Fireal and get ready to finally see her parents again after over three years.

Teslan soon came into her room and said, "Gilraen, we can see them from the tower. Come on. It is a lovely sight. So many are coming." Teslan grabbed her hand and pulled her cousin out into the sun and up to the top of the look out tower.

Gilraen felt so excited and happy, she was bursting with joy. Tears fell down her cheeks as she spotted her mother and father from afar. As they drew closer, she could begin to make out other familiar faces as well.

"Oh! Look Teslan, there is my brother, Eldarion," she pointed excitedly. "Next to him rides Elboron, son of the Steward of Gondor. There by my mother is my sister, Celebrian. Sitting with my father is Galadriel, my youngest sister." Gilraen was so amazed at how much older her siblings were. Galadriel was no longer a baby, but four years old. Celebrian was almost the age Gilraen had been when Gilraen left on her journey.

There were kings men in arms riding with them holding banners and colorful flags. Gilraen knew that they had put on their best for their arrival in Rivendell.

Then Gilraen froze as she noticed another rider pull up next to her brother. Teslan looked over at Gilraen and could not read her odd expression.

"What is it?" Teslan asked.

"It is Prince Elfwine. This is most unexpected!" Gilraen spoke in a semi shock.

Gilraen grabbed her cousin's hand. "Teslan you must help me. I must get dressed."

Teslan looked at her strangely. "But you have already dressed."

Gilraen gave a nervous glance at the procession again. "Help me dress again!"

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