Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, happy Saturnalia, happy Yuletide, hope your Krampusnacht was exciting, and I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve/New Years day!
I'm sure I forgot some holidays, but those are the ones that I'm immediately aware of, so happy holidays for all the rest!

Forgive my language, but this chapter was a bitch to write.
I re-wrote it at least three times because when I read through it to edit, it was convoluted and confusing.
That being said, if there is anything that is difficult to understand, feel free to send me a message or review and I will do my best to clarify it for you.

As ever, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. I can't improve if I don't realize there's a mistake.
For those of you who reviewed, thank you so much.
You have no idea how much it means to me that you are enjoying this story that much, and that you take the time to tell me.
That is a gift in itself, and it is fabulously motivating for me.

I actually do have a lot of trouble sleeping, as I am portraying Alyssa in the story. (At least she has a good reason)
Focus and motivation can be difficult for me to maintain, but it is amazing how much your feedback, of any kind, helps me to keep at it.
So, thank you.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. More to come soon.

Over the course of that night, we came to a few agreements.

One of them, one that we had many disagreements on, was that I wanted to be a part of the Fellowship, in order to ensure that a few key moments happened as they should.
I wanted to go, but I also didn't want to just put my foot down and say 'I'm going', because that certainly wouldn't help the questionable looks they were giving me when they thought I wasn't looking.

Besides, if they decided I shouldn't go with the Fellowship, I would just leave before them, or after them.
I would do whatever I had to in order to make sure that the important things happened.

And sure, being with them would certainly make the trip easier, but I could make it work.
I was a lot more prepared than I had been for my trip through Fangorn, to Rivendell.

I expected that they would disagree on the grounds that I was female, and would not be able to keep up with the rest of the Fellowship.
I thought that they would bring up that I was still recovering from my first journey, or that I was scarred, physically and very likely mentally.

I assumed that they would say that I would be a dead weight because I couldn't defend myself to the same standard that the others could.
I was shocked, then, to find out that they didn't immediately disagree with me going with the Fellowship.

Gandalf expressed that he thought it best to see how my continued recovery and combat training progressed, but that at this point, I was probably more prepared for the trip than the Hobbits were.
That was definitely something I intended to change.

Elrond made a vague comment about wanting to make sure that I was fully recovered, so to give it a bit of time.

Glorfindel stated that he wanted to keep working with me, but that he thought I showed great promise.

All the while, Gandalf watched me, as did Elrond and Glorfindel.
There was something in the way they looked at me..I couldn't put my finger on it.
I couldn't tell if it was wariness, concern, or suspicion…

Once they had decided to, as I pessimistically thought, keep me under observation for a while longer, I didn't push the subject.

It wouldn't do to make them realize how important I thought it was for me to be there.
If they realized, and then decided I shouldn't go, they might put a guard on me to keep me from sneaking out after the Fellowship.

I tried not to cringe at the vaguely honeyed and slimey voice that sounded through my head with these thoughts.

How mistrustful I was of these people, who had to this point showed nothing but kindness, compassion, and acceptance to me.
They were good people.
They were.

Were they..?
I just assumed they were the same people in the movies and books…
What if they weren't?

I shook my head slightly, pressing my fingers to my forehead and temple for a moment.

When I looked up, it was to see visible concern in all three of their faces.
I forced a smile, playing it off as a thinking pose, and nudged us smoothly into another one of the changes I had been thinking of, trying to put the edge of suspicion out of my mind.

The next major agreement we came to, was that Boromir shouldn't be left to lose his horse and wander.

I vaguely recalled that Boromir went through the gap of Rohan, and then wandered around looking for clues and asking people how to find Rivendell for ages.

It seemed logical that he would probably stop in at Edoras before he went through the Gap of Rohan, to make sure he was stocked up on supplies.
Or at least, I hoped it was logical.

So, in the hopes of keeping that from happening, Gandalf and Aragorn would travel to Edoras to wait for him, and then travel back with him.
Along with that, Glorfindel would ride with them, carrying a letter written by Elrond to be delivered to Denethor, in an effort to keep him from going mad.

We decided it would be best to avoid the pass of Rohan, since it would take them too close to Saruman, so they would all use the high pass in their journey.
None of them were particularly happy with that decision, but they did agree that it would be better to go out of the way than to risk a potential run in with Saruman.

From the High pass, they would travel down along the Anduin, with a stop in at Lothlorien for a night to rest and resupply.
During that time, Gandalf and Glorfindel would have a meeting with Galadriel and Celeborn to tell them everything that had been discussed with Elrond.

They would then continue on the rest of the way down to Edoras.

Upon arrival at Edoras, Glorfindel would wait just long enough for Aragorn or Gandalf to procure him some more supplies, per my request, before continuing on to Minas Tirith on his own.

Glorfindel assured me that all three of them were perfectly capable of surviving off the land, but I stressed that I would feel better about them taking the trip if they picked up provisions a few times along the way.
Eventually he acquiesced.

Gandalf and Aragorn would wait at Edoras for two weeks, and during this time Gandalf would seek and attempt to tame Shadowfax.

In the event that Boromir never showed up, Gandalf would make his way to Minas Tirith to either collect him, or be reassured that Boromir had already left.
He would then return to Rivendell, again, by way of the high pass.

While Gandalf was checking Minas Tirith, Aragorn would head back to Rivendell by way of the Gap of Rohan, in case Boromir had passed without stopping at Edoras, with the hope of being able to track him and help him find Rivendell.

If Boromir did show up as we hoped, then Gandalf, Aragorn, and Boromir would return to Rivendell by way of the high pass, with Gandalf mediating any potential disagreements or disruptions that occurred between Aragorn and Boromir.

I didn't voice these thoughts, but I hoped that by attempting to help Aragorn and Boromir become friends earlier in the story, I might be able to steer Boromir away from falling so heavily to the lure of the ring.
Maybe if he felt he had more allies in the world, he wouldn't feel like the ring was the only option for success.

Once Glorfindel had delivered the letter, he would leave, hopefully on good terms with Denethor.
Whenever either group accomplished their goal, they would travel back the way they came.

I figured that Elrond was a well enough known figure that, by sending an actual elf with the letter, hopefully it would be taken seriously and not just discarded.

Elrond wrote the letter, of course, because although I was getting better at reading and writing the Common tongue, I still hadn't quite mastered the odd differences that the letters had from English.
That, and his handwriting was just gorgeous.
People thought elves were just so extraordinary, but I bet if I had a couple thousand years, I'd have beautiful handwriting too.

The letter opened with an explanation that Saruman was corrupt and not to be trusted.
It went on to say that both Saruman and Sauron also possessed Palantirs, and that they were capable of negatively manipulating what Denethor saw in the Palantir, showing him only the worst and darkest of what he sought.

The largest of the armies, making them appear unbeatable.
The burning villages, to dishearten him.
The failed battles, filled with death.

It explained that they wanted to crush his spirit and cause him to give up, but that hope was not lost, and he should keep fighting to the very last.
After that, it warned that the continued use of the Palantir would take a toll on his body and mind, and that he should avoid using it if he was able.

The letter also advised Denethor to bolster the defenses as much as he could at Osgiliath and Minas Tirith.
At my request, Elrond added a few suggestions of the different types of defences Denethor might use, such as Catapults, Trebuchets, and Ballistas on the walls of Minas Tirith, and a defensive mote around the outer walls, with a narrow entry ramp to make battering rams more difficult to get to the gates.

I even suggested they could build another defensive wall, fitted with siege towers, in another ring around the city.

In order to seem less demanding, Elrond added that these were only suggestions that his 'power of foresight' showed him could be useful, and he trusted Denethor to know how to protect his own city.

Following that, Elrond implored Denethor not to hesitate in calling for aid from his neighbors in Rohan, should the need arise.
He stated that, while Rohan did have their own struggles to deal with from Saruman, they were still his allies and would help if they were able to.

To finish the letter, Elrond wrote that while measures were being taken on the part of the elves across Middle Earth in an effort to aide in the defeat of Sauron and the protection of all in Middle Earth, Denethor and his armies were truly needed in this time of crisis, being the main bastion of hope for the people of Middle Earth.

I wasn't sure how Denethor would receive the letter.
He might be as crazy as the movie portrayed, in which case he would very likely refuse to listen to reason, and send Glorfindel away.

I hoped that he would lean more towards the man I remembered from the book.
Strong willed, prideful, noble, and intent on the protection of his people.

If he were that man, perhaps he would listen to the advice of Elrond.
Or maybe he'd take it as a challenge and use the palantir more, going crazy faster, making bad decisions, and destroying the entire universe?

All three of them looked at me strangely, and with no small amount of concern when I bonked my head against the desk and whispered "stop it" to myself.

"Are you..alright..?"
Glorfindel's voice was a bit apprehensive, matching the looks I was receiving from all three of them.

I straightened quickly, clearing my throat a little, my voice faltering ever so slightly, "Yes, of course. I'm fine. Just had..an itch..on my face.."

That was reassuring.
Not.

They continued gazing at me strangely for a moment before Elrond spoke up.
"Now that decisions have been made and the letter is written, perhaps it is time for you to retire? We will discuss the plans with Aragorn, and have supplies drawn up for the journey. They will leave on the morrow, unless you have any objections…?"

I couldn't help but look at him a bit warily.
It almost sounded like he was asking permission, and that just wasn't right, on so many levels.
Super old, wise elf lord going 'by your leave' to a fragile, impulsive human?
Nuh uh. Not okay.

Still, he had asked, so I nodded quickly, not really knowing what else to do, and firmly resolved to bonk my head again once I was in the privacy of my room.
"I don't see any reason they can't leave tomorrow."

Gandalf stood, stretching slightly.
"I'm going to go speak to Frodo and inform him a bit of what's going on. You intend to teach him to defend himself while he's here, yes?"

Both Elrond and I nodded, but I was the one to speak up.
"All of them need to learn."

Gandalf nodded, approval clear in his expression.
"Quite right, it wouldn't do to neglect the rest of them. I will let them all know that, and I'm sure you can find them whenever you intend to start training."

As Gandalf left, Glorfindel also stood, addressing Elrond softly.
"I shall go inform Aragorn and begin preparations for the journey."

Elrond nodded, responding in the same volume, "Have him come here. We need to discuss a few things before he leaves."

Glorfindel gave a slight bow of his head, in agreement, and then turned to follow after Gandalf.

Clearly the meeting was finished for the night, the suggestion to retire obviously being a gently worded dismissal.
I rose, moving towards the door before pausing for a moment.
What if Aragorn didn't want to go..? It was a long journey just to save one man from getting lost…

Elrond's voice broke me from my thoughts.
"Is something troubling you?"

Slowly, I turned back to look at him. I couldn't help but hesitate.
What if, in asking the question, he just ended up ordering Aragorn to go against his will, causing Aragorn to dislike me later?

My voice was hesitant when I spoke.
"Will Aragorn be okay with this..?"

Elrond nodded, "We will explain things to him, of course. About what the journey entails, what it's purpose is, and who you are. Is there anything you would like us not to mention?"

I drew in a breath, about to say 'not that I can think of', but paused, mouth slightly open.
My eyes dropped to stare thoughtfully at the edge of the table for a moment, before returning to look him in the eye.
I couldn't bring myself to speak louder than a tentative whisper, but he seemed to have no difficulty hearing me.
Damn elven hearing. I'd have to remember that later.

"Could...Could you just tell him that..I'm not from here, and I have..knowledge? Would that be alright? If, for now, we didn't really tell people more than that..?"

The last thing I wanted was more looks of pity and coddling.
I got enough from the elves here.

Elrond watched me, eyes searching for something.
He did not seem altogether satisfied when he stopped his search, but he still nodded.
"I will allow you this time, as him having that knowledge is not imperative for his upcoming journey. However, If he is to be one of the fellowship, as you say he is, he should know more of your situation. If you mean to travel with the fellowship, as you seem to desire, you must trust him, and the rest of the fellowship. They must trust you as well, at least to some extent."

I must have looked distressed in some way, because his face softened a bit, and his voice was gentler when he spoke.
"You have already stated that some things are not safe to tell, and although I may not be happy about it, I don't disagree that it is very likely for the best. You do not have to reveal all of your secrets, all of your past, or all of your knowledge. Nevertheless, you cannot expect them to allow a stranger, supposedly from a completely different world, to travel with them without knowing a bit more about her."

"I know..I meant..well...I meant what happened after I arrived in Middle Earth..but before I arrived in Rivendell.."
I trailed off, hoping he understood what I meant. They didn't need to know about Fangorn, what happened on the travel to Rivendell, or the state I was in on my arrival.

They might see it as a potential weakness, and I couldn't have any of them speaking out against my going on the journey.

His gaze grew a touch sad, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Ah..What occured on your travels is not something you must reveal. That is personal, and you need not share it with anyone you do not wish to."

I couldn't stifle a mildly relieved sigh, though it was quickly cut off by his continued speech.

"However, I do think it would be wise for you to speak to someone about that. You have nothing to be ashamed of, or embarrassed by, and no one will view you differently because of the things you went through. You were very sensible and brave in how you handled your journey here. Few others would have done so well in your position. I am always here if you want to talk, and I'm sure there are many others that would be happy to listen as well."

I forced a smile.
"There's really no reason to talk about it, though, and I just don't think it's important enough to tell people. There are a lot more important things to talk about, and right now we need to prioritize the stuff that matters."

There was something in his eyes..I couldn't tell if it was disappointment or frustration.
Either way, it wasn't there for long before it had smoothed away into the same gentle smile he normally offered me.
"If that is how you feel then I shall respect your wish. Just know that there are people who will listen. Now, why don't you retire for the night? You look tired, and I would like to speak to Aragorn alone before he begins preparations."

That was definitely a dismissal.
I dipped a slight curtsy, mumbled a quick, "Of course. Goodnight." and turned, making my way to my room quickly.