...
~ Sidetracks ~
"A maiden, and two Men," Frodo said, explaining the composition of his Company to the Captain of the Southern Dunedain, before listing Boromir and Aragorn.
Later at Henneth Annun, Frodo told more about the rest of the company as much as he could, trying his best to avoid mentioning the Ring or more of his parting moments with Boromir.
"The lady was the youngest of all of us, and said little. But something about her seemed very old in a way," said Frodo as he recounted many of the adventures of the journey. "Back in Imladris the Wise judged that she might have a role to play, and indeed she did in the mines. An enchanted rod of silver she carried became the balrog's bane, weakening it enough to allow Gandalf to best the battle. Elraen was her name, the lost daughter of one Lieutenant Tuor, Prince of Southern Gondor, raised in Rohan by the last ambassador."
"The maiden Elraen is also an heir of Elendil," he continued, after telling more of Aragorn, "long lost and last known descendant of the Royal House of the Southern Kingdom. She is descended from Anarion the younger, though in a less direct line than Aragorn is from Isildur the elder. I heard her mention to Boromir once that her foster father was also descended from the Steward Mardil. She also carried an heirloom sword, old and elf-wrought but of less ancientry than the sword of Elendil. Valandril she called it. She seemed a mix of many things: a bit high Dunedan, a bit elf, a bit wizard, a bit young maid child of Middle Men as you call them. The elf with us, Legolas, once said that he sensed something very curious about her, as if she carried with her the spirit of the world itself; the joy and grief of the wind and the rocks and the rain. But she was a stalwart companion through march and battle, even thwarting the Orc-chief's attack on Boromir."
The men in the room shifted a bit, with no small amount of bewilderment on their faces at the thought of a small girl aiding the mighty Boromir in battle. Faramir's face softened. His curiosity piqued at such a description, and he knew of the short sword from his studies as a child. It had been long thought to have perished with King Earnur when he was captured by the Witch King. "I hope then that the remaining of your company are still alive and that I may meet them soon," he said.