Jnían solemnly was led away by the guards of Minas Tirith.
"You can release me," Jnían commanded. "I don't need an escort. I know where I live, and I can take care of myself. I advise you to be careful." Jnían trotted toward the outside of the guards. They blocked all gaps and trapped her inside.
"Very well," Jnían said lightly, retreating to the center of the circle once again. Once twilight came, they stopped for camp. When the guards were asleep, Jnían snuck over to Amáteria and started to leave.
"That would not be wise, milady. Apparently you will be missed at home as well as Andúin," a voice called from the shadows. Jnían, disappointed that she couldn't escape now, settled for a quick getaway once they reached Lothlórien. Two days passed, and they finally reached their destination. They came to the forest of Lórien and they stopped.
"You shall continue on from here," Captain Thalion said. "We shall return to Minas Tirith were we belong."
Jnían entered the forest, and soon she met her mother. "Where have you been?" Akanara shouted.
"I was in my time of mourning," Jnían replied.
"A day or two is appropriate, Jnían, but three weeks? You disappoint me, daughter," her mother continued.
Jnían looked at her mother, exasperated. She was at a loss for words. How could her mother even begin to understand her? She turned and stalked from the room. "You had better not be sneaking off again," her mother yelled after her.
She went up to her room. She had to get back to Minas Tirith. She decided to wait until nightfall to plan her escape. This episode has been a major hindrance to their task, and she and Andúin had to get back on track quickly. She moved over to a candle and set the scroll and diamond on the desk. They scroll was tightly closed with a seal, and she decided not to open it until she was with Andúin again.
She unwrapped the half-covered diamond. It sparkled in the candlelight. It was bigger than her fist, and sent light all around the room. She quickly rewrapped it. She walked over to her window, peering out at her people. They were all so calm, unknowing of the evil coming. It felt good to be in this false peace, compared to her last three weeks.
Night soon fell, and she picked up the scroll and diamond, putting them under her arm. She climbed silently down the steps to where Amáteria awaited her. She placed the objects in a small saddlebag along with her sword safely in its scabbard securely on her horse.
She mounted her horse and trotted away as quietly as possible. She luckily was able to escape without everyone noticing.
Once they were out of the forest, she nudged Amáteria into a swift run. She galloped across Rohan through the whole night until sunrise before she even braked. Amáteria walked a short distance from where Jnían sat on the ground and began to graze.
Jnían pulled out an apple, and looking at it thought of Andúin a few nights ago. She wondered what her fate had been with her father, and whether she would be able to escape. She sighed, and then bit into the apple.
Suddenly, she heard a twig snap behind her. She jumped up. She spun around and climbed up to the top of the bank she was on. She lay down on her stomach and carefully peered over the edge.
Down below her, she saw a figure in mostly black armor. They had a white tree on their vest, and a black helmet covering their hair and face. Jnían recognized them as a soldier for Gondor, and lay closer to the ground. It was odd for one to be this deep in Rohan, and she thought it might be one of her escorts. If he saw and recognized her, she would be straight back in Lothlórien.
She pulled her hood over her face. She then back up slowly, but she had her eyes focused on the soldier instead of behind her. She tripped over a rock and fell backwards down the bank. She landed hard, knocking the breath from her. Before she could stand back up, a sword was lying across her throat.
"Rise," a deep voice commanded. It sounded rough and raspy. She slowly pushed herself up. The soldier stood before her, sword unsheathed. But suddenly Jnían drew her sword, catching the soldier off guard. But they were still able to block her sword as Jnían meant to bring it down upon them. The soldier reached out and grabbed Jnían by the waist.
"Remove your hood!" the soldier commanded her, but Jnían jumped backwards in their grip, slamming her foot down on the soldier's boot with all her strength.
The soldier yelled in pain, but suddenly his deep voice was much higher and lighter. Jnían froze, shocked. She soldier released her, and Jnían jumped back, pulling off her hood.
"Jnían!" the soldier said, her voice back to normal. "I didn't realize it was you."
"Take off that helmet, Andúin," Jnían said, and Andúin did as she asked. Her hair fell loosely onto her shoulders. "You really scared me," Jnían said. "But I was just coming to get you. I found it odd to see a soldier of Gondor just wandering around Rohan."
Andúin laughed. "I had to wear this to sneak out. No one recognized me, so no one thought anything of it. I thought I was never going to get away though."
"Your father is not going to be happy when he sees you have left."
"Like your mother is going to be any better?" They laughed, happy to be together again.
"You did a really good job of disguising your voice," Jnían said. "Between that and your armor, this might prove useful."
"You think?' Andúin said. "That would be great. You wouldn't believe all it took to get away."
"Tell me," Jnían said. So Andúin began to recount the last few days.
Andúin had walked out onto the courtyard. She walked over to the White Tree, placing her hand upon it. She ran her hand down the smooth bark. A blossom fell from the tree, landing at her feet. She looked down at the piece of the staff in her hand. The gold caught the sunlight, reflecting it. She needed to get back to Jnían soon.
She walked toward the gates leading to the rest of the city. Guards stood blocking the door. "Sorry, milady," one said to her. "But your father said not to let you past.
She turned and walked back up to the castle, frustrated. If her father had guards there, he probably had them everywhere to keep her in the city. She walked up the high staircase to the watchtower to ponder what to do.
Looking down over the city, she watched several soldiers enter and leave the gates. Suddenly, and idea came to her. She ran back down the stairs and back onto the courtyard.
She looked at the guards and noticed they were deep in conversation. She walked to the edge of the cliff and carefully lowered herself over the edge.
She edged herself along the sheer rock wall to past the gate. She then puller herself back up, safely on solid ground again. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and she gave one last look over the cliff before running away.
She ran through the city towards the guards' towers near the bottom. She peered at them from behind another building. There were soldiers everywhere. She ran behind buildings over to the door. She the quickly snuck in to the building and ran to uniform storage.
She threw open the door to the room and saw row after row of armor and helmets. She looked through them as fast as she could, looking for a small one. Just as she was putting the vest of one over the chain mail she had pulled on, she heard footsteps outside the door. She grabbed the nearest helmet, rolled her hair up on her head, and pulled the helmet on. It was much too big, coming down almost over her eyes, but abruptly the door burst open and she had no time to exchange it.
A man came in, giving her a sideways glance. He grabbed a helmet and muttered something to her about wasting time. Just when she thought he was leaving, he stopped and held the door for her, beckoning her out. She quickly kicked her discarded dress under the uniforms, grabbed Andúril, and went out the door.
"Thank you," she muttered, disguising her voice. It sounded raspy, but the man didn't seem to notice much. She walked back outside, and much to her relief the man left her.
Suddenly, an awful thought hit her, Alata was still up at the castle, and she couldn't get to him. She would have to ride one of the army's horses. She walked over to the stables.
Walking inside, she could smell hay, leather, and saddle soap. She loved the smell. She heard several horses neighing. She carefully inspected every horse until she found the perfect one. He was a tall blue roan, and looked to be fast and strong. He went by the name of Ithil.
She saddled him up, also in typical armor, and rode him out of the stables and out the city gates, no questions asked.
"So anyway," Andúin continued, "I stopped to make camp and didn't tie him up. I never tied Alata up, he always just stayed. And when I found you, I was searching for him.
"I'll help you find him," Jnían said.
The two girls searched for the horse. "Hush...I hear something," Jnían said.
"Me too," Andúin replied.
"I think it's…" Jnían pushed through some bushes. "Yes, look." Before them was Ithil chewing on a patch of soft green grass.
"There you are," Andúin said. As Andúin approached him from behind, she startled him and he began to buck. Finally Jnían and Andúin settled him.
"Jnían! What are you doing?" a voice shouted. "What are you up to?"
"Mother, this is my friend Andúin."
"Nice to meet you, Andúin," she replied, then shifted her attention. "Jnían, we had this discussion yesterday. You can't leave. We are expected in Rivendell in one week."
"Mother, I am not going. If Teleríus asks to wed me one more time…"
"Jnían," Andúin whispered. "We should get going."
Jnían nodded. "Goodbye, mother." Jnían turned and the girls rode away. Akanara began to chase them. Once she realized they were too fast, she stopped and headed back home.