A/N: Hi guys! I'm thrilled to already have comments and likes on this sequel. I'm not entirely sure how frequent the updates will be, due to work, but I'll try my best to have a chapter up twice a week if I can but at the very least, once a week. This chapter will switch between Riley's travels and Maggie in Rivendell. The last fic was more focused on the action, whereas this one focuses more on their different relationships and Maggie's pregnancy. I hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER TWO

"At the end of the day, it isn't where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I'm going and never have been before."

Somewhere South of the Shire, Late March

If Riley Spencer ever got back to his own world, he swore that he would never, ever go camping again. He now understood why Maggie disliked hiking so much. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate nature, he did. Middle-Earth was stunningly beautiful and he had never ceased to be amazed by the vast variety in the landscape. In the past few months, he had passed through fields, forests, mountains and river valleys. Each view different from the others in its own unique way and he never got bored of it. Riley was just beginning to miss the comforts of home and understood now how Bilbo felt about Bag End.

Speaking of Bilbo, to Riley's immense surprise, after he departed from Erebor with Kili and the others, they stopped in the Shire. It turned out that the Shire was on the way to Arnon, which none of the others had told him. So when he suddenly found himself in a town surrounded by curly-haired hobbits, Riley knew that Bard, Kili, Tauriel and Legolas had planned this behind his back. They spent a week in the Shire, much to the begrudgement of the other hobbits who would not stop whispering about these strange Big Folk who were staying in Bag End. That week however, had been one of the best weeks of Riley's life. Not only did he get to see the actual Shire, which was even more beautiful than he could have imagined, he also got to spend some decent quality time with Bilbo. At first, Riley was worried that Bilbo would be self-conscious and concerned about the other hobbits' reaction, but Bilbo didn't care. He welcomed Riley and his companions into his home with open and just as he told them in Erebor, tea was served precisely at four.

That week in the Shire felt like a dream, from which Riley never wanted to wake up. He absolutely loved seeing Bilbo in his natural habitat, as it were, and seeing the Shire was a childhood dream come true. Apart from Rivendell, it was his other favourite place in Middle-Earth and he could see why Bilbo and the other hobbits loved it so much. It was picturesque, peaceful and homely. Hobbits lead a quiet life away from the bustle of the rest of Middle-Earth and seemed to not have a care in the world. It was nothing short of perfect and Riley wished he could stay longer. Even though Tauriel, Legolas, Kili and Bard were there as well, there had been plenty of time for Bilbo and Riley to enjoy their privacy, which they certainly did. They also shared many conversations about different topics, things that had occurred on the quest and in Erebor, about Maggie and the baby as well as the future.

The future, Riley thought, was something that normally frightened him. Throughout the duration of the quest with the dwarves, all he wanted was to go back home to his own world. He wanted to complete his PhD in Science Communication, which had been put on hold for long enough He wanted to start his career and actually enjoy life. Now however, Riley was pretty sure that enjoying life meant remaining in Middle-Earth, find a way to help his sister find happiness again and help raise his nephew and stay with Bilbo. Logistically, there were things they needed to figure out and not everything was set in stone, but Riley had been overjoyed when Bilbo admitted that he too would like the same thing. A part of Riley worried that his relationship with Bilbo would cause more problems in the established timeline of Middle-Earth. Especially as Bilbo still had a part to play when it came to Frodo, who wasn't yet in the picture.

Months had passed since they departed Hobbiton and Riley missed Bilbo so much his heart physically ached. He understood now how Maggie must have felt with Thorin and it made him understand her heartache even more. At the thought of his sister, Riley sighed and wondered how she was doing. In the first month or so, the eagles from Rivendell found their location with relative ease and so Riley was able to communicate with Maggie for a while. He knew she'd been struggling a lot in those first two months and adjusting to life in Rivendell had been difficult for her. As time passed and they ventured into more difficult terrain, the letter became fewer and Riley had to trust that Fili, Elrond and the others were looking after Maggie and the baby.

Truth be told, Riley was becoming more frustrated with each passing day. He'd anticipated that finding the remaining Dunedain rangers would be difficult, but so far there hadn't been a single trace of them. Once they passed the Shire and into the lost and ancient kingdoms of Eriador and Arnor, signs of civilisation became scarce. They came across ancient ruins of cities long since devoured and forgotten by time. Everything was different about the north and Riley sometimes felt unsettled by it. He knew the others did too, because as they walked during the days, conversation grew sparser. A few nights ago, they had all reached a conclusion that if no signs of the rangers were found by the end of the week, they would conclude their search and return to the Shire and then back to Rivendell and Erebor. Riley hoped this journey would give him the answers he sought and the truth about his father and their family. He knew there was more to the story than what the Valar had revealed thus far. More than anything though, by finding the rangers, Riley thought perhaps it could bring him and Maggie closer to their father.

That night, as Riley lay awake, he listened carefully to the sounds of the forest. He had become accustomed to the different noises and in their travels, Bard had taught him simple ways of reading the terrain and how to tell different animal tracks apart, as well as how fresh they were. When it came to hearing, it was clear Bard and Riley were nowhere near in the same league as Tauriel, Legolas and Kids with their heightened senses. Both elves could hear the direction a flock of birds flew in, from miles away. Kili excelled in night vision and nothing, rather annoyingly so, escaped him. Which is why Riley wasn't surprised when Kili figured out he was awake, despite the fact that he'd hardly been moving.

"Are you afraid of sleeping?" Kili asked "Is it the nightmares?"

"No," Riley replied "They haven't been very prominent for a while, thank God."

The nightmares were an after-effect of the battle and Riley found out that in Middle-Earth, it was known as Battle Terror. Back home, a doctor would probably diagnose it as PTSD. For the first few weeks, the dreams had been extremely vivid and intense. During his stay in Bag End, he often jolted awake in the middle of the night, sweat dripping from his face and a worried Bilbo next to him. The contents of the dreams varied but usually, they were frequented by the ringwraiths. Sometimes, when he closed his eyes, Riley could still hear their unnatural hissing voices and the promises of killing him and doing worse things to his sister. None of it had come to pass, of course, but the threats still rang clear in Riley's mind. Eventually, the dreams faded away but just like everyone else, Riley was more alert to his surroundings than before. \

He knew little of his mother's extended family, but the one thing he did know was that his great-grandfather had been a soldier in the second world war. When he returned home after the war and settled back into family life, he was a different man entirely. At night, Riley's grandmother remembered clearly how he woke himself up screaming from nightmares and no matter how much his family tried calming him down, nothing worked. Eventually, it all became too much for him and back then, there was no such thing as therapy, so one day, Riley's grandmother walked in on her father hanging from a ceiling fan in his bedroom. The family never quite recovered from that tragedy and even in modern day, Riley and Maggie's mum didn't have a great relationship with her family because of those events.

Riley certainly wanted to stay alive, but he now knew something about how his great-grandfather must have felt after the war. While he was certainly healing and getting better, Riley knew deep down that he would never truly be his old-self again, for better or for worse.

"You worry about Maggie?" Kili asked but it was really more of a statement. The brown-haired dwarf sat cross-legged on a rock, fidgeting with the runestone in his hand. Tauriel was sleeping close by and Bard's snoring had become a hypnotizing companion of the night. Legolas was nowhere to be seen, but Riley figured he was scouting the area, which was pastime the prince had taken up most nights.

"I'm trying not to." Riley replied as he sat up, reaching for a log he put on the fire. "I know she's in a safe place but I can't help but worry about her and the baby. I'm not sure what I would do with myself if anything happened while we're away."

"I'm convinced Maggie is fine and that Dwalin, Oin and Fili are looking after her. Elrond will certainly make sure she is treated like a princess and she will be comfortable."

"Sometimes I just wonder...I mean, if I have PTS...Battle Terror, what if she does as well?"

"If she does," Kili said "There is nothing you can do about it. You have to trust that my brother and the others will keep her safe."

"You sound like him, you know."

Kili didn't have to ask who Riley meant and he smiled at the compliment. Tauriel moved in her sleep and Kili gently covered with a blanket which had fallen off her. Over the past few months, it was impossible for anyone to miss that what Kili and Tauriel had, was indeed very real. Riley thought at first that having both Legolas and Tauriel along on the journey might make everything awkward but it seemed like Legolas had accepted that Tauriel's heart belonged to Kili and once that matter was settled, he simply moved on. After the tension died out and to Riley's surprise, Kili and Legolas actually got on pretty well.

"What will you do when we return, Kee?" Riley asked "With Tauriel, I mean?"

"Court her properly." Kili replied "We haven't talked about it in much detail, but I'd like to court her. Show her that my intentions and feelings are true. What about you? Will you live in the Shire?"

Riley shook his head and chuckled. "No, I'd love to but it's not a wise idea given the close-minded mentality of Shirefolk." he said "Bilbo said he was going to Rivendell and when we also return, we'll take residence there for a while until Maggie's son is born and we figure things-"

Riley stopped talking mid-sentence, as something else caught his attention. The sound was vague and first but it was definitely there. Movement in the bushes. Tauriel and Bard both heard it as well, because within seconds the two were awake. Tauriel grabbed her bow and Bard's hand rested on his sword. The four of them exchanged glances and as their drew their weapons, Riley felt, sharp and cold metal against his skin.

"Leave him be!" came Legolas voice from betw een the trees. The Prince of Mirkwood held his bow and aimed it at Riley's mysterious assailant, but they were outnumbered. At the very least, there were four of them surrounding the camp, but as Riley saw Tauriel's eyes wandering the treelines, he wouldn't be surprised at all if it turned out there were more. If Riley wasn't worried about his chance of living, he might even be a little excited.

They had found the rangers.

"Who are you?" asked the man holding Riley. His voice was hoarse, and seemed to belong to an older man. "State your purpose in our territory and be quick."

"Relax, mate, we're not bad guys." Riley replied. "Although, I don't know about you guys, but I'd be more inclined to speak if I didn't have a bloody sword pressed against my neck in the dark of the night."

There was a moment's silence until finally the ranger removed his sword.

"Thank you." Riley rubbed his neck and exhaled a relieved sigh as he turned around to their guests. As Riley studied the man in front of him, there was no doubt he was definitely a ranger. He was an older man, middle-aged man, but by Dunedain standards that problem meant his was perhaps a century old. The ranger was what Riley would call ruggedly handsome, with tousled raven hair. From his shoulder hung a brown hooded cloak and under it, he wore a tabard and leather tunic which were tied together with a belt and strap. He also wore arm braces over his gloves and a mask covered half his face. The ranger's eyes met Riley's and he tried to not show fear.

"My name is Riley Spencer." Riley introduced "These are my friends, Kili son Dis, daughter of Thrain. Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood and son of King Thranduil. Bard, Lord of Dale and Lady Tauriel."

"We have given you our names." Bard said "What is yours?"

With a quick gesture, the other rangers lowered their bows and Riley saw a number of others emerging from the trees. There were far more of them than he had first guessed and even Legolas seemed a bit nervous, but he too lowered his bow. The ranger in front of Riley removed his mask, showing his bearded face and green eyes.

"I am Halbarad, Chieftain of the Dunedain." Halbarad said "I have heard of the Mirkwood realm and the City of Dale. Your name however, young one, is strange and your speech has an unfamiliar sound to it. From where do you hail? What is your purpose in our realm?"

"Well, to be honest with you mate, that's kind of a long story." Riley replied "But in short we've been looking for you and good timing. We thought we'd never find you."

Halbarad raised an eyebrow and Riley knew he had peeked the Chieftain's interest. "Why were you searching for us?"

Riley inhaled a deep breath and felt himself getting nervous. Under his own cloak, his hand rested on the Sceptre of Annúminas, and when he finally exhaled the breath, he also revealed the sceptre and presented it to Halbarad.

"Because," Riley said "My father was Amandil, Lord of Andúnië and his eldest son was Elendil, the last Lord of Andúnië and the founder of this once great kingdom. You see, Halbarard, my sister and I have been on quite the journey."

Imladris, Late March

For the next few nights, Maggie often woke up to Estel crawling into her bed. The assassination attempt seemed to have frightened him more than anyone else in the Hidden Valley and Maggie felt guilty. Eventually though, Estel's nightmares ceased and his bedtime routines went back to normal, but to Maggie's surprise, his attachment to her grew stronger. Telling him the story of the Pevensie children's adventures in Narnia had been both a curse and a blessing. Estel loved it so much that these days, he didn't even want to hear about Glorfindel's defeat of the Balrog, so instead Maggie had make sure that whoever was responsible for Estel's bedtime knew the next part of the story. One of the recent and unexpected joys of Maggie's life, had been retelling the story to Glorfindel during one of their evening strolls. When they got to the part about Mr and Mrs Beaver inviting the children in for tea, the elf had had chuckled and asked why on earth there would be talking beavers and how humans could even fit in their house. Maggie had simply replied by reminding him that Middle-Earth had giant, flying and talking eagles. Not to mention wizards who consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms and smoked pipeweed. Glorfindel didn't have any further complaints to add after that.

Even though Maggie enjoyed having her bed to herself again, as well as her blankets, she had enjoyed Estel's company as it gave her a taste of what motherhood might be like for herself. Now that she sometimes felt her baby kick, even though it was infrequent, a strange sort of excitement had begun to take shape inside her. The realisation that she and Thorin had created an actual living and breathing human being had sunk in. She was still terrified about the whole affair but a small part of her was beginning to think, maybe she could do it after all.

That night, Maggie awoke from her sleep but not because of Estel as she first thought. Instead, a scream coming from down the corridor reached her ears and she knew the voice belonged to Fili. Maggie quickly got out of bed and rushed down the corridor to Fili's room. Battle Terror, she knew, was something the crown prince also struggled with but he didn't make it as obvious as she had. This was the first time Maggie heard him screaming like this and it unsettled her. As she gently pushed the door opened, she saw Fili violently twisting and turning in his bed, as if he was fighting an invisible opponent.

Carefully, Maggie approached the blonde-haired dwarf. She put her hand on his shoulder and nudged him.

"Fee, it's alright." Maggie whispered "You're only dreaming."

Suddenly, Maggie felt a tight grasp on her wrist and Fili's eyes snapped open. He jolted upright and instinctively reached for the dagger on his bedside but dropped it instantly when he realised it was just Maggie.

"Mahal, Maggie, what are you doing?!" Fili snapped "You know I keep a dagger at my bedside!"

Surprised by the intense reaction from Fili, Maggie struggled to find her words and realised her hands were shaking. Fili had always been a dwarf with a calm demeanor and this sudden change scared her a bit. A few moments of silence followed and Fili ran his hands through his sweaty hair and breathed out a relieved sigh. Maggie's heartbeat slowed down and Fili moved aside so she could sit down.

"I am sorry." Fili apologised and exhaled a relaxed breath "I've been a bit jumpy since the assassin. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay, Fee." Maggie said "We're all a little on edge. I didn't realise you were having nightmares, why didn't you tell me?"

"You have other things on your mind. I can manage my own troubles."

"But you shouldn't have to."

Outside, Maggie heard the distance chirping of a bird and she realised it was much later (or earlier) than she had originally thought. She wondered what Fili was dreaming about and if perhaps it was similar to her own nightmares about Thorin. They had all watched him die and fili had nearly died himself, if Riley hadn't saved him. When it came to discussing his feelings, Fili wasn't as good at is as his brother. It was one of the personality traits he shared with Thorin and they were both a bit reserved, but unlike his uncle, Fili wasn't as slow to trust and Maggie remembered those early days and how curious the two brothers had been about her and Riley. If only they'd known back then how much things would change.

"You should go back to sleep." Fili said after a while "It's not yet dawn and you shouldn't be out of bed unaccompanied."

"Ugh," Maggie groaned "It's been days since the assassins appeared and I doubt they'd be so stupid to try again so soon. At least not now with Erestor in Gondor trying to find out more information. There really is no need for all this fuss, I don't know why you all insist on it."

"Well, in case it had escaped your attention," Fili teased "You're very pregnant with a royal baby. We want to keep you safe because we love you and because we know you are scared, even though you won't admit. Although, Mahal knows why, nobody judges you. It's only natural to be frightened, I would be too."

Maggie sighed as she twiddled her thumbs and considered Fili's words. The young dwarf rested his head on her shoulder and hugged her.

"You're not alone Maggie." Fili assured her "You never were and you never will be."

Maggie never did fall back asleep and instead, she stayed up talking with Fili through the early hours of morning, until her stomach began to make rumbling noises. Something about that day felt different and Maggie couldn't quite explain why. Perhaps it was the crispness in the air, hinting at an early arrival of spring or perhaps it was that she was beginning to feel more settled in Rivendell. The word 'home' had rooted itself in the back of Maggie's mind and the more she considered it, the more she could see herself living in Rivendell indefinitely. If circumstances had been different, and if she wasn't pregnant, perhaps a part of her would want to push to find a way back to her world. Maggie did still miss her friends and her mum and sometimes, the surreality of the situation crept back to her. She was actually in the Middle-Earth, living in the Rivendell, having daily conversations with elves and dwarves. It wasn't some sort of shared psychosis with her brother, for which she was glad, and her life continued as if it was the only life she had known.

Later that day, after lunchtime, Maggie watched as Elladan lay on the floor in stitches, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Elrohir was less impressed and poor Estel didn't know at all what to do; he only knew that Elrohir was unspeakably angry with him for reasons that were to him unclear. Maggie wished she could explain the matter to Estel, but truthfully she had to use all her inner-strength to compose herself and not also burst out laughing.

"Elladan will you stop laughing!" Elrohir hissed at his twin "It is not funny!"

Maggie knew why Elrohir was upset and it didn't surprise her to see Elladan react by laughing. If Riley was there, he would have reacted in much the same way. The older twin finally did get off the floor and still find it hard to suppress the chuckles because the scene that had played out mere minutes earlier was just too funny. Elrohir had been talking to one of the younger (younger by Elvish standards obviously) elf-maidens, Talathel, that lived in Rivendell. Even if Elrohir wasn't aware of it, it was a known fact through the whole of the Hidden Valley that he fancied Talathel and Elladan was quite sure that Talathel shared mutual feelings for Elrohir. Estel had been playing nearby and had come to join them, which had already been annoying Elrohir a bit because he'd been trying to pluck up the courage to be alone with Talathel for some time now. All of a sudden Estel had blurted out to Talathel that Elrohir really liked her and thought she was very pretty. It was of course all true but it made it all very awkward so Talathel had quickly excused herself and Elrohir was, understandably, embarrassed. Maggie knew Estel had only acted with the purest of intents, but it had unfortunately backfired.

"I'm sorry Muindor, but I beg to differ." Elladan said "It is indeed hilariosu and anyway what are you so angry about? Estel was right." Elladan said

"So what if he was right?!" Elrohir snapped. Estel had never seen his brother this angry before and Maggie could tell that it scared him a little. He hadn't meant any harm and had only wanted to help him. "Elrohir, calm down, you're scaring Estel." By now, young Estel was hiding behind Maggie.

"Calm down?! Estel had no right to say things that are none of his business! 'Dan, you of all people know how long I've been trying to tell Talathel how I feel about her."

"I'm sorry 'Ro." Estel whispered and tugged at Maggie's dress. Maggie herself, was beginning to feel annoyed at Elrohir's extreme reaction. He was her friend, but Estel was only a child and did not understand why his actions were deemed wrong.

"Yes well, it's a bit late for sorry Estel." Elrohir replied

"Elrohir!" Maggie snapped at her friend but Elrohir wouldn't listen and Estel, who was now really frightened and upset ran away back up towards the House of Elrond.

"Brother, you truly are an idiot!" Elladan told his brother as he and Maggie headed out to look for Estel.

After a bit of searching, Maggie found Estel sometime later, hiding out in the stables with the horses. It was one of Estel's favourite places, Maggie knew, and he often wandered there when he was exploring on his own. Next to cookies, animals was Estel's second great love and Maggie was amazed at how good he was at handling them, even at his young age. His favourite horse was a beautiful mare called Astal, which Maggie learned was Elvish for 'valour'. She was Estel's horse and it made the name even more suitable.

"Does Elrohir hate me?" Estel asked quietly, as he gently brushed Astal's coat.

Maggie muttered a curse under her breath and made a note to whack Elrohir over his head next time she saw him. This whole thing had been blown way out of proportion and as much as Elrohir was Maggie's friend, she thought he had acted rather foolishly. Yes, she had been the one to convince Elrohir to tell Talathel the truth and perhaps Elrohir felt he'd been robbed of the chance to do it his way. Even so, Maggie was certain his chances with Talathel were not ruined and if anything, Estel had actually done him a favour by being so forthright. Maggie opened her mouth to speak, but it was Lord Elrond who replied.

"Your brother does not hate you, ion-nin." Elrond spoke calmly as he knelt down so that he was the same height as Estel. "He was merely surprised, because he has been in love with Talathel for quite some time and did not think you were aware of his feelings."

"But it was so obvious, ada." Estel said

"Yes, so say we all." Elrond chuckled, "I know your heart was in the right place, but sometimes, we must be patient and allow others to do things in their own time.

"I guess so," Estel sighed. "I just want 'Ro to be happy."

By now, Maggie had lost count at how many times Estel made her heart melt. His heart was so pure and full of good intent, which made her feel humbled. Especially as she that the man he would eventually turn into, would come to change the fate of Middle-Earth in more ways than even Lord Elrond could imagine. Being able to witness his journey as a child and the fact that he had formed a bond with Maggie, was something she considered a privilege.

"A very noble quest indeed." Elrond said

Behind them, someone cleared their throat and Maggie assumed it was Elrohir.

"Maggie, Adar." Elrohir said "Would you mind leaving me with Estel for a moment, please? I'd like to speak with him."

Elrond nodded and shot his son a glance that warned him to be mindful with his words. He then offered his arm to Maggie and they left the stables, slowly making their way to the house.

"Híril Margaret." Lord Elrond said in Elvish. "Ci mael?"

Maggie had taken Elrond up on his offer to replace Erestor as her Elvish-tutor and for the past few days, they had met in his study after supper. Elvish, Maggie had come to realise, was a much more complex language than she had first thought. It was absolutely beautiful, but she also knew that no matter how much basic conversation she learned, she would never be able to speak it as fluently as Elrond or the other elves. Still, if she was to stay in Rivendell, she wanted to learn and if anything she certainly had time. Elrond, surprising absolutely everyone, was a good and patient teacher. Maggie sometimes wondered why he'd decided to take Erestor's place because the elf-lord had so many other responsibilities to see to, but she didn't complain. Elrond's company was one she always enjoyed.

"Hir-Elrond." Maggie replied "Ni mael, a gin?"

"You are learning quickly." Elrond replied "Although your pronunciation on the vowels should be a bit softer."

"Noted." Maggie said "I thought we were dropping the formalities?"

"Formalities are a sign of respect and endearment, but if you'd rather not. I shall indeed, drop them."

They continued walking in silence as they eventually reached the gardens. It was a quiet day in Rivendell, despite the nice weather. Maggie had barely seen Dwalin and Oin all day, although Dwalin did say he wanted to speak with her at some point later. The seriousness in his voice worried Maggie slightly and she almost wondered if she was in trouble, although she couldn't think of a reason why. Other than the cookie thievery, which knowing Dwalin could well be what he wanted to talk about.

"You're great with children." Maggie said after a while "Estel really loves you."

"I have had some years of practice with my own." Elrond replied

They sat down on one of the benches and looked out over the valley. It was a tranquil moment and that strange feeling from earlier made itself known again.

"Were they difficult?" Maggie asked "Elladan and Elrohir, I mean."

"Impossible at times." Elrond replied "They still are, as you've no doubt noticed."

It was true. Elladan and Elrohir were more mischievous than Fili and Kili. The four of them together meant the end was near. Being a younger sibling and a sister, meant Maggie had endured her fair amount of teasing throughout the years and she considered herself hardened by that experience.

"Estel loves you as well." Elrond said "Very dearly. He has grown quite attached to you."

"You think so?" Maggie asked and noticed the excitement in her own voice. "He was scared at first, when we came back from Erebor. I was worried it would stay that way."

"Children are forgiving creatures." Elrond told her as he crossed hislegs. Maggie sometimes forgot how elegant he was. "He still sometimes sleeps in your bed, does he not?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Maggie chuckled "I guess I'm encouraging bad habits."

"On the contrary, I think you are forming a bond. Perhaps Estel even senses your kinship, without truly understanding what it means yet."

Maggie hadn't thought about it like that, but it made sense. Even without his Numenorean heritage, Estel was an incredibly intuitive child and easily picked up on the emotions of others and was able to piece things together easily.

"By the way," Maggie said "When are you and Fili picking up the sparring match? I'd like to know who will win. Dwalin and I have a wager."

"Hmph," Elrond scoffed teasingly "You already picked your favourite, did you not?"

"My Lord Elrond," Maggies teased dramatically "Are you jealous?"

Elrond raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were dropping the formalities?"

"Well, as you say, formalities are a sign of respect and endearment." Maggie told him. "I have to go and find Dwalin and figure out what I'm in trouble for this time."

Maggie got up again and left Elrond as she walked back to the house, in search of Dwalin. For the third time that day, that strange and unexplainable feeling lingered in the air but it would be yet another while until Maggie would come to understand its meaning and purpose.

To be continued….

Okay so, nothing super interesting happened in this chapter, I'm trying to build the general feeling of this sequel before we jump into all the action. Sorry about that, but Riley and the others have met the rangers. How will they react to Riley's strange tales? What does Dwalin want to speak with Maggie about? Let me know what you think!