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~ The Citadel ~

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Gandalf introduced Elraen after Pippin as among those who'd been with Boromir in his final moments. Elraen stood listening to the questioning of the young hobbit, having carefully wrapped her Elf cloak over her armor and weaponry.

Elraen looked up when the steward held up the broken horn, and the grief and horror of recent memories fell over her face, which did not go unnoticed.

"No help came. Only more Orcs. Save the young lady here," Pippin gestured toward her. "But Boromir was already gravely wounded by then, and she could but try to protect him from dishonor where he fell. But, she was subdued and captured also."

Then the hobbit offered his sword, and Gandalf pressed the Steward for more urgency. Elraen thought it curious that he mentioned the Seeing Stones, which may have slipped her notice had not one just recently caused such a stir among the remaining of the Company, though she did not think more of it at the time.

Denethor turned his attention to her as they waited for the refreshments to be brought. "And you?" he asked, though his tone had now softened somewhat, "You are the lost heir of the family that once governed Pelargir, I am told - of your father, though I admit I know little beyond his name, for he was tasked to the missions of the far south. Yet you have other forebears of other lands, no? Nor have you ever dwelt within sight of the cities of the kings. How is it that you survived a poisoned dart? And what hope did you have in coming here? Whom do you serve? "

Designed to provoke telling responses no doubt, as he had done with Pippin. But Elraen held her face still, her burden of grief too heavy to bear much anger.

"My mother is indeed mixed with the Middle Men of South Gondor, it is true. But her family was also descended from the Governors of Umbar while the kingdom still held it. As I understand it much of this ancestry is recorded in the ancient scrolls.

As for the dart, it was not poisoned, Sir," she continued, "it was laden with a sleeping spell of Saruman's. Our captors were under orders to kill any men, but deliver us alive, the halflings and me," she answered. "But I came to help in this war as I can, for I serve only," she said, with a brief pause, "the Lords of the West."

He glanced thoughtfully at the wizard then back at her. "Ah," he said, "one of the Faithful. I envy your devotion. Would that some of our ancestors had as much." He watched her face carefully, seeing it rather more melancholy than offended, and she held his gaze calmly, thinking back on some very old memories. The Steward was silent a long moment, as if pondering what to make of her, for from behind her innocent young face and soft spoken words an air of the majesty of the lords of the Downfallen West, or so he guessed it to be, seemed to fill the room, yet it seemed without the great pride often characteristic of his people. There was something else, that he could not place, histories in her mind which he could not read, other than that she had once witnessed and endured great tragedies. But there was an almost elvish air about her that expressed both a lightness and a heaviness, youth and age, merriment and gravity at the same time, as if she quite literally came into being bearing the weight of the world, its making and its fates, in her hands. She was shorter than those among high Gondor tended to be, as though she had not yet achieved her full height, however in her eyes could readily be seen the bright spark of the Numenoreans. Deep within his heart stirred these misgivings, and the faintest hint of confusion passed over his face. He let out a sigh.

Elraen then remembered the pendant, and reached into her pocket, relieved he did not ask further about why she was captured and grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. "Lord Steward, ere we were parted, Boromir your son handed me this," she said, pulling the medallion out and presenting it to him. "I think he meant for me to return it to his family."

The stern Steward could not suppress his surprise, and a wave of softness passed over him. He looked back and forth between her and the pendant. Even Gandalf was surprised, for it was the first he'd heard of it.

"Keep that for now, child," he struggled to say after gazing at it for a long moment, "you may present it to my younger son in his grief." Then at last they turned to the refreshments and he gave his first order to Pippin for more storytelling.

He spared her further questioning, for she was descended from the great kings, albeit in bent lines from ancestors who had passed on their opportunity to seize the throne. But, last of the Royal House of the South nonetheless. The heights of her ancestry showed, in her regal air and grim expression. He would get far more out of the halfling, he judged, and they settled in at the table for refreshments and Pippin's tales.

At last he released the three to go and rest, with a parting announcement to his men that she was descended from the last line of princes of the ruling house, and like the wizard also had free roam of the city with all available amenities at her disposal, and he granted Mithrandir leave to give her the lesser passwords.

*.*.*

She took a room neighboring that for Pippin and Gandalf in the provided house. "Take a few hours for such rest and refreshment as you can find," said the wizard, "but I may have need of you soon."

She obliged and turned in to sleep, of which she indeed still felt some need. Meanwhile Pippin left the house shortly, and took Beregond to meet both of the wondrous and splendid horses, of Rohan and of Lindon.

Elraen retired to her room for a while and laid down for an overdue rest in a real bed, but slept only a few hours when the air of fear fell upon the city from some distant height. Her eyes shot open and she sprung out of bed, but then it passed. She let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed, but she could find no further sleep. She left, and wandered down toward the lower levels, where she managed to find an inn that offered refreshments as could be spared for those left in the city and the princes and other fighters among the guests coming up from the south. There she was waited upon with much excitement and interest, and peppered with at least as many questions as Pippin got, about whether Rohan would come, tidings of the North and whether there remained any kin there, and anything else she was willing to tell them. For word had already spread far that she was the lost heir of the last line of the Royal House that had governed Pelargir for many generations, that she had a mysterious connection to the wizard, and that their lost lord, the proud and mighty Boromir, had given her a token of his mother's house. Thus, for as many answers as discretion allowed her to give, was her hobbit-like appetite appeased with as much food and drink as she could stand.

Meanwhile at the noon meal Pippin in his turn was obliged to quell hopes of little halfling warriors coming to help Gondor, along with clearing up as best he could all manner of stories and rumors swirling about the lost princess of Pelargir, her plans, and her connection to Boromir and to Mithrandir. 'Wherefore has she come, at such a time of Darkness?' said some. 'Better to have stayed in the north,' said others, 'Is there aught she could do to restore any hope for our kingdom?' asked some.

'I don't know about that,' Pippin replied humbly, but could not elaborate on to whom that role truly belonged. 'She says only that comes to see the land of her father and mother, and to help as she can,' he said, making sure to mention all the help she gave as a companion in the fellowship. 'But she may offer some kind of help yet: she seems to be under some kind of service of tutelage to the wizard.'

Elraen headed back to the room as the sun set, and after stopping to supply their horses with a few apples stopped at the ramparts of the fifth wall, to gaze at the red haze in the east and the troops coming up the road. She went into her room, and started up a fire to heat up a large pot of water for washing up, and for a stew of what leftover vegetables the inn would spare her. The sky darkened as the sun set, and she shuttered the windows. Once she was cleaned and supped she passed quickly into a dreamless sleep.

She was splashing some water on her face early the next morning, well before dawn by the hour, when there was a knock on the door.

"Please, if you will, go down to Osgiliath and search for news of Faramir," said Gandalf when she answered. "If you find him, please tell him my counsel to return to the city as soon as he may. The skies in the East are churning in an angry hurry; I think a very great assault will likely be unleashed sooner than later.

A shadow hovers over the Steward. Something with him will yet come to ill, and soon - I cannot say what, precisely, but I foresee that much at least. His remaining heir has much power and skill to lead with hope and healing. He will be more needed here. " Gandalf stepped away but then turned and added, "If he cannot be persuaded to return, then remain with him and have a mind for his safety."

Elraen hurriedly broke her fast with the leftovers of last night's dinner - a small bowl of cold vegetable stew and a few slices of stale bread. Then she dressed and headed off to the stables.

The gates were open, having just let out companies heading out to reinforce Osgiliath, but were just about to shut to, and she left with some protest from the guards. "I should not let you pass, Lady," said one, "it is no time to be about on the fields."

Elraen grew impatient. "I have given the password to pass through the gate," she replied. "Does it not work for either direction?"

"Indeed it does," he said. "But the gates are now shut to traffic, and none without specific orders from the Lord will be allowed to reenter."

"Then let them shut against me, for my errand is from Mithrandir, and it is pressing. The fate of your High Captain may depend on it. Let us hope I may return in time to be let through again, but if I must I shall find my own refuge."

They looked at her in wonder, but cracked the great gate just enough to let her pass. The mention of Mithrandir, and the hint of her mission's purpose, assuaged their concerns somewhat, if not their confusion.

Off she rode alone toward the river. And shortly after even more rumors grew about the Princess who dared to head off toward the danger at the river alone: the likeness of Emeldir the Manhearted of old returned, said some; others wondered whether she was in possession of some magical powers, in light of the hobbit's description of her connection to the wizard - a strange thing for a young maiden, yet hopeful.

As she rode along, Elraen thought of the wizard's words about the brewing battle, and wondered if he had seen the same battle scene in the Lady's mirror that she had.

She reached Osgiliath in the early afternoon, but could find no news of Faramir. "Mithrandir has returned," Elraen said to the curious guards after introducing herself. "He asked me to come to search for news of the Captain."

The guards looked at her, wondering at such a young girl so strangely riding about alone, or why she was on such an errand for a Wizard and not the Steward. Just then soldiers came riding out of the north and she got her answer. Faramir had sent them hither and headed for the city. "And back we go, Sunstreak!" she said, and turned about, speeding toward the city.

*.*.*

Back in Helm's Deep, Aragorn told his comrades of his test with the Seeing Stone. "I am the rightful master of the stone," he said, continuing on regarding his right and strength. "The strength was enough - barely. None other, I think, could claim to have both, save perhaps the Mistress Elraen. But she, whether out of wisdom or foresight or caution I do not know, feared even to touch it. Nay, the weight of such a burden is mine alone to bear."