Rian didn't know why she was waiting outside the Healing Ward. Of course, Gandalf and Lord Elrond had told her to, but she had decided before that she wasn't going to listen to them. There was something about what happened at the Southern Border, and something about finding Arien lying motionless on the forest floor, that made her stay.
The pair who rode in from Lothlorien, Hanna and Taelen, also intrigued her. Taelen had been ushered into the Healing Ward after Lord Elrond caught sight of his arm. The winged demon - Thuringwethil was what Gandalf called it - had scratched him from his elbow to his wrist. Taelen said he was an experienced healer, but nothing he did could close his wound. Rian, who had seen her fair share of grotesque injuries, but this one left her with bile in the throat. The edges of the cut were black and flaking, and the inside looked cauterized.
"Do you think the other girl has woken up yet?" Hanna, whose white-blonde hair was streaked with dirt and debris, asked from across the room.
Rian shrugged, folding her arms and leaning back in the chair she had pulled to the open window. Hanna had been pacing since Taelen left, wringing her hands like a mother worried about a sick child.
"I wish they would come out and talk to us," Hanna said, "They have been in there for at least an hour."
"You should get some rest," Rian told her, "It could be a lot longer."
Hanna looked at her with watery eyes, "A lot longer?"
"Look," Rian refrained from rolling her eyes, "Lord Elrond is the best healer in Middle Earth, I am sure your friend will be alright. But you will not be unless you get some sleep. How long has it been since you got a decent night's rest?"
"I, well, probably a few weeks. We did not dare stop because of the -"
"You rode from Lothlorien without sleep?" Rian stood, crossing to Hanna and gently guiding her out the door. The Dunedain could travel without much rest, and Elves could as well, but Rian had never met another person who could go weeks without it. But, Rian knew now why she had never met another person like her.
"We needed to get to Rivendell, Radagast said the time had come." Hanna's words grew heavier with each step they took, her eyes drooping.
Rian guided Hanna to her own room, which was thankfully close, as the latter was nearly asleep in Rian's arms. Rian helped her into the bed, dirty clothes and all, and left to find an Elf who could ensure Hanna woke up to a hot bath, fresh clothes, and plenty of food. It made Rian think of the several times she would do this for drunk patrons in The Prancing Pony. Butterbur told her it wasn't necessary, but she knew many of those men had families they were riding to the next morning, and damned if she wasn't going to help others get home.
After ensuring Hanna would be taken care of, Rian made her way back to the entrance to the Healing Ward. A few elves were walking in and out of the large door, leaving it open wide enough for Rian to see Gandalf standing with Taelen. She walked over, catching the end of what Gandalf was saying,
"You should carry that vial with you till we know Thuringwethil cannot return. Others may not hold out as long as you."
She saw a small glass bottle in Taelen's hand filled with a green liquid. A new bandage was wrapped around his forearm, but he no longer held it to his side.
"Ah, Rian," Gandalf noticed her watching them through the open door, "Is Hanna with you?"
"No, I took her to get some rest." Rian folded her arms. She wasn't going to let Gandalf get Hanna back up before she had had some sleep.
"Good," Gandalf's response surprised her. He turned to Taelen and said, "You should also get some rest. It has been a hard journey for both of you. We can discuss your news when you have slept."
He tasked another passing Elf with guiding Taelen to a room he could stay in, then turning to Rian and saying,
"I expect you have made the connection to who they are by now?"
"Do not assume I have," she looked past him, "Why should I be expected to understand who they are when I barely know who I am?"
"Rian, do not be so dramatic, I told you why I had to -"
"Do not accuse me of being dramatic. I have every right to be upset." She kept her voice level. She wanted to tell him she knew who Hanna and Taelen were, how she'd known after the evening in the Fire Hall who Arien was, and how she feared the reason they all gathered in Rivendell now. But she could not get the words past her hot anger.
"Yes," Gandalf stopped trying to get her to make eye contact and slumped his shoulders a bit, "you do have every right to be upset."
He looked like he was trying to gather himself again, but as he opened his mouth, Elrond came out of a nearby room and beckoned Gandalf to join him. Rian followed, and neither Elrond or Gandalf stopped her.
The room they entered was dimly lit, with heavy curtains drawn over the windows and incense burning in a corner. Arien lay on a bed in the center of the room, looking the same as she had when Rian found her - pale and motionless.
"I can wake her now, but I wanted you to be here," Elrond said to Gandalf, who nodded and sat in a chair at the side of the bed. Elrond placed a hand on Arien's forehead and whispered words in Elvish Rian did not understand, but moments later, Arien opened her eyes and began gasping for air.
"Melkor-" she cried the name out between gulps of air.
"Be careful," Elrond put a hand on her shoulder, "tell us what happened."
"I saw Thuringwethil bring Melkor from the void with a stone that looked like a Silmaril," Arien rushed through her words faster than Rian could listen to them, "He was allowed out of the Void, and a city burned, then I saw myself, and there was a strange light coming out of my body, it all scared me, Ada, I felt endlessly cold, I-."
She started crying and fell forward into Elrond's arms. Elrond held her, looking at Gandalf, who nodded and stood, ushering Rian out of the room.
"Let us give her some space," he said gently, but his face had an intense focus Rian had only seen a few times before, "I feared your encounter with Thuringwethil would put events into motion you were not ready for."
Rian thought of Arien shooting lightning from her hands - she couldn't agree with Gandalf more.
"Why do I not have powers like Arien?" the words tumbled out despite her internal protest. Her hands immediately felt clammy, and she wanted to run away.
"You - you do, Rian," Gandalf shook his head, "But I have not trained you to use them as Lord Elrond has trained Arien."
"Hanna threw giant rocks she conjured out of the Earth at the demon as well -"
"And as Radagast has trained Hanna, as well as I'm sure Lady Galadriel has taught Taelen. But you were different. I had to be careful."
"Careful? Why?" Rian's voice grew harsher.
"Because I feared your power, it was greater than I could control. I wanted to wait until you were older, until you could understand more, and control it yourself. But the time never came, and years slipped by due to my negligence."
Rian didn't know how to respond. She did not want to stand beside him. She did not want to listen to him anymore.
"I stand no chance of helping in a fight against Thuringwethil, let alone Melkor. You have crippled me and crippled the others. If I go with them, I am a burden - a weak link." she ground her teeth together and glared at Gandalf.
"You are not a burden on them, no more so than you were on the Dunedain and myself! But I know you, Rian, and you can learn to use your powers quickly. " Gandalf started walking out of the hall, putting a hand on Rian's arm in an attempt to bring her with him.
"Let go of me," she pulled away, and Gandalf took a step back, "You do not know me - you know Rian the Ranger. But you do not know - you were never around long enough to -"
"I know you better than you give me credit." Gandalf stood up a little straighter and an edge to his voice.
Several Elves in the connecting Hallway were watching them now. Rian wished they would look away.
"I can help you now, though," Gandalf said, the edge in his voice gone, "I can help you learn how to control your power."
"I do not want your help."
Rian turned and ran away, ignoring Gandalf as he called after her. She knew it was childish, but she did not know what else to do, and soon found herself crashing through the door to her room.
"Aaah!" Hanna and Rian yelled at the same time, each startled by the other.
"I am so sorry," Rian said, taking a deep breath, "I forgot you were in here."
"I did not realize this was your room," Hanna said on top of Rian's words, "Are you okay?"
"Hmm?" Rian did not understand until she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "Damnit," she exclaimed, "I have not cried in over ten years, and in two days in Rivendell, I have cried more than my entire lifetime."
"Elven magic?" Hanna shrugged. The smile she gave Rian was awkward, but not unappreciated.
"Did you get any rest?" Rian asked, sighing, and sitting on the bed beside Hanna.
"Yes, briefly," Hanna said, stifling a yawn, "I am concerned about Taelen."
"He is alright. I saw him leave the Healing Ward. Arien is awake as well. I think she had some sort of vision caused by Thuringwethil."
"A vision?"
Rian was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. She went and opened it, surprised to see Lord Elrond, Arien, and Taelen on the other side.
"Come in," she said after a moment of hesitation. They moved past her, and she closed the door. Arien and Taelen sat on the bed next to Hanna. Rian stood to the side, crossing her arms as she watched Lord Elrond sit in the only other chair in the room.
"Arien has had a vision," Elrond said, Rian and Hanna exchanging a look, "She has seen Melkor's return and given us insight into his plan. In her vision, Thuringwethil held a Silmaril, and using its power, she broke the seal on the Void, allowing Melkor to slip back into the physical world.
I am not sure how she came by a Silmaril; they have been lost for two ages. But somehow, she has found them."
"She already has them?" Rian asked.
"We are not sure, but we sent scouts to follow her retreat from the Southern Border, and perhaps they can discover this."
"Do they know to look for them?"
"They will bring back any information they can glean. It is hard to hide a Silmaril." Elrond raised his eyebrow at Rian, "My recommendation for you four is to wait here till the scouts return."
"How long will they be gone?" Taelen asked, surprising Rian, who was about to ask the same question.
"I am hoping they will be back within a week or two, but I am not sure."
"A week or two?" Hanna's eyes widened, "That is too long! We don't know what kind of destruction she can bring in that time!"
"She has not harmed anyone besides you four, as far as we know," Elrond replied, "She has a specific mission, I am not worried about her attacking anyone besides you."
"I vote we leave now," Rian pursed her lips, "We can scout for information ourselves."
"You are not ready to leave," Elrond shook his head, "It would not be wise."
"I am not ready to leave," Arien spoke for the first time, her voice quiet. Rian noticed for the first time that Arien's face was still ashen, and she kept tugging on a loose thread on the bed linens.
"You should all rest," Elrond said, speaking to all of them but looking at Arien.
Rian didn't have the energy to argue anymore, especially when Arien looked ready to burst into tears, and she wanted them all out of her room anyway. They left her, Elrond asking as he closed the door if she would like some food sent to her room, which she declined. She had too much to think about.