Chapter Seven:

Lord Elrond paced in his study. A young hobbit and his companions had graced his door step late last night. His daughter, Arwen, had rode furiously through the front gates, a limp and wounded Frodo Baggins in her arms. Estel, his adopted son, was not far behind with three more hobbits with him. When asked what brought them here, he became troubled to learn that black riders had been chasing them. He had never seen these creatures for himself, but Estel's description of them set him on edge.

He spent most of the midnight hours with Arwen, doing their best to heal the wounded hobbit, Frodo. His dark brown, curly locks were matted to his forehead with sweat, his tunic soaked in the black, poisoned blood, a morgul blade being the culprit. He was not entirely sure if he would survive the night, but it would seem the little halfling was full of surprises. As it happened, Frodo was recovering from the night's events in the company of the other hobbits. After things had calmed down, Gandalf the Gray, his old friend, had passed through their gates this morning. It would seem he had been imprisoned for a short time by the white wizard, Saruman. He was saddened to realize that they had lost an ally in Saruman. He had been a voice of reason and had lended them aid when necessary in the past. However, after learning of Laurel's prior relationship with the wizard, and now his betrayal of Gandalf, they could rely on him no longer.

Elrond steepled his hands in though once more as he turned about-face and retraced the path he had been pacing along the floor. He had sent the last of his messengers an hour ago. Once Gandalf had revealed why they were being hunted, he thought it necessary to inform those whose lives would now be affected. He was not certain yet who would answer his call, but the furthest message had gone to the kingdom of Gondor, and it would be a few weeks before an emissary arrived or a letter of refusal be delivered. A soft knock sounded at the door, stirring him from his pondering.

"Pardon me, old friend, but I was hoping I might have a word," the gravelly voice of the gray wizard came through the opening in the doorway. Lord Elrond gave a curt nod and bid the wizard enter. Gandalf produced his long pipe from his robes, lighting the end as he glanced out the window into the gardens. It was clear neither knew how to begin, but time was of the essence now and they needed a course of action planned-Quickly. Elrond let out a sigh, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to face Gandalf.

"These are trying times, Mithrandir," he began. "While I am glad to see Estel once again, I wish it had been under less severe circumstances." Gandalf nodded his agreement, blowing a gentle ring of smoke. The wizard paused for a moment, spying young Frodo and his companion Samwise talking on one of the balconies below them, and taking another long and pensive drag from his pipe.

"I am afraid that a great many things are about to change."

Laurel yawned and stretched her arms over her head. She smiled lazily, feeling the morning sun on her face, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She had a renewed vigor and a more positive outlook on her life today. Lord Elrond knew her secret now, but she trusted him not to mention it to anyone without consulting her first. Lord Elrond's two sons and his daughter were all very nice and hospitable, as well as their friend, Legolas. She didn't quite know what to think about that blond-haired elf from the Greenwood. He was very handsome, she couldn't deny that, even with her lack of interaction with the opposite sex, but he showed a sort of strange interest in her. She knew that she wasn't as beautiful as Arwen, and probably all the other elleths, so it made no sense to her as to why he made an effort to escort her places and things of that nature. She shrugged her shoulders, it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Soon he would return home and she would not see him again, which reminded her, she needed to figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her life. She couldn't possibly live here in Imladris forever.

She traipsed across the large room, twirling in circle with her arms out. She loved mornings. The birds chirping, the bright, eastern sun shining down on her, a light breeze... ahhhh there was no better time of the day. She cupped her hands together to splash some water on her face from the basin in her bathroom. She wiped the excess drops on a soft hand towel beside the unused chamberpot and slipped out of her pajamas. She pulled on the gray breeches and light-blue tunic and paused for a moment, contemplating her wardrobe. She had been a lot more active lately than she ever had before, and so she had no need for any female-specific clothing items. At times, her breasts would feel sore if she ran or jumped or did anything besides walk. She needed to find out what other women here did to prevent such things.

She opened her door, starting off down the hallway, her ultimate goal finding the gardens from the large halls, she couldn't always rappel down the wall outside her window. Someone might see, and that would lead to more problems than she was prepared to deal with. She turned a corner, almost body -lamming someone in the process. Startled, she took a step back and looked up to see who she had run into.

"Lady Laurel," an indifferent voice clipped. She saw that the elf before her was the same elf that had been so rude to her at the dinner she had attended upon her arrival. He was dressed in a light-tan tunic with silver designs embroidered on it, his golden-blond hair falling to the middle of his back with a few braids keeping the stray strands away from his face. He had sharp, striking features and a look in his ice-blue eyes that made her feel insignificant.

"oh, um, good morning...?" she trailed off, not knowing his name.

"Glorfindel," he supplied, his lips pressed together in a hard line. "It is fortunate that we crossed paths when we did, I was on my way to fetch you from your chamber."

Laurel scrunched her nose and gave a confused look. "Why?" Glorfindel leveled an impatient look at the small woman in front of him.

"Lord Elrond has tasked me with your training, and I feel I must also apologize for my behavior at dinner the other night. I was not aware of your predicament and it was discourteous of me to impugn your honor by questioning your actions, and so I ask your forgiveness." Laurel stared blankly at the elf for a moment or two, collecting her thoughts.

"I, uh, I forgive you, although I don't hold it against you," she blushed slightly, glancing at the ground and then back up to face him. "And what's this about training? I don't need to train for anything."

"Lord Elrond has asked me to assess your skills and to train you in areas of inadequacy. The world has suddenly become more dangerous and your fate is uncertain, meaning that you could be put into a position where you would need to protect either yourself or others. That is why I am here." His deadpanned tone made it clear that there would be no more questioning.

"Okay,' she complied with a small sigh. "Where do we start?"

"With shoes," came his clipped response, causing Laurel to glance down at her bare feet. He strode around her and began striding down the hallway in the opposite direction she had been going. Turning on her heel, she quickly caught back up to him.

"Where are we going?"

"We are going to find a servant to fetch you some suitable boots," he replied, still looking straight ahead. They turned another corner and found a maid walking their way from the other end of the corridor. Glorfindel politely requested she find Laurel a pair of boots in her size. The maid nodded her head and quickly strode away to fetch her shoes. Laurel, however, walked up to her before she got very far, getting her attention.

"Excuse me," her cheeks blushed furiously, "but I was wondering if there are any clothing items that can keep things in place? You know, for women." She gestured to her chest area, seeing the maid realize what she was talking about.

"Of course, my lady, I will have something brought to your room." Laurel thanked her with a smile. They waited approximately five minutes before she returned with a pair of elleths' boots in hand. Laurel slipped them on, not caring for the tightness in the heel or around her toes, but she told herself that this would be the new norm and she would have to suffer through it. She turned her feet this way and that, feeling out the boots before noticing the Glorfindel had already started walking away. She quickly jogged back up to him .

"What now?" she asked, falling into step beside him.

"We are going to Lord Elrond's study." Laurel nodded, looking forward as they walked at a brisk pace. He was a hard person to keep up with. After a minute or two, they came upon the large wooden doors leading to the study. Glorfindel gave a few firm knocks, announcing their presence and Lord Elrond's voice bade them enter. As they walked into the room, Laurel spotted a tall figure in long, gray robes, a large wooden staff in hand. The man turned toward them and Laurel's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Gandalf! You are okay!" she said in surprise and relief. He had escaped from Isenguard somehow! The wizard gave her a small smile.

"And who might you be?" his deep voice grumbled, a twinkle in his light gray eyes. Oh no, she thought. She forgot that Gandalf had never met her before. Her smile dropped instantly and she moved to take a step back.

"Please, my dear," Lord Elrond came up to her, "I feel it would be most helpful if we were to inform Mithrandir of your identity." She looked up at the dark-haired elf nervously, then up to Glorfindel, realizing that he was still here.

"Glorfindel, too?" she sighed. Lord Elrond gave her comforting look, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I believe it would be best if they both knew. Glorfindel is my most trusted advisor, there is not a more trustworthy elf that you could put your faith in," he said confidently. Laurel highly doubted that. Glorfindel seemed strict and condescending, not really the type of person she would consider spilling her secrets to.

"If you think this is a good idea, then okay," she said, nodding to Lord Elrond. He ushered her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, turning to face Gandalf and Glorfindel. He explained to them Laurel's situation and her talents, he explained Saruman's involvement and her desire for their discretion.

"My dear," Gandalf started, taking a long drag of his pipe, "might I ask how you managed to travel such a distance by yourself unharmed?" Of all the things that had just been revealed to them, she was not expecting that question to arise first.

"Oh," she rubbed her arm and glanced up at the wizard. "Well, I just asked a few birds to fly ahead of me and warn me if anyone was coming. If they chirped in a particular way, I would hide behind a tree or a grassy slope to avoid danger," she explained. Gandalf smiled at her and nodded in understanding.

"If you wish for your talents to remain a secret," Glorfindel began from behind her, "then we will need to find a place for you to train and practice away from prying eyes." Laurel nodded absently in understanding and agreement. She was more concerned with what they thought of her now. Do they accept her now as Elrond did? Seeming to read her mind, Lord Elrond spoke up.

"Laurel, Glorfindel, Mirthrandir and I accept you for who you are, and you need not worry about their intentions now that they are privy to your past." Laurel glanced around at them, seeing Glorfindel bow his head to her in agreement. Gandalf gave her a knowing smile and his blue eyes twinkled slightly as he brought his pipe to his lips again. She felt a little more at ease now. She hadn't anticipated so many people knowing her secret, but she supposed these people were trustworthy, and everything would be okay.

"But, is training really necessary?" she asked, she was already very skilled in archery and dagger-throwing. She didn't feel the need to practice anymore.

"Unfortunately, yes." Lord Elrond gave a stern look. "Mithrandir has arrived on the wings of bad news, I'm afraid. Black riders are searching for something, and Saruman has been breeding an army of orc-like soldiers. There are many dangers crawling down from the mountains and from the cracks in the earth. There is no better time than now to perfect your skills and prepare for the unexpected." He stalked back over to his desk, gathering some papers and organizing them. It was clear their meeting was coming to a close.

"Alright," she huffed, standing to leave.

"I hope to see you again soon, Lady Laurel and discuss a great many things, if you would be willing to indulge an old man his curiosity." Gandalf raised an eyebrow at her. Laurel gave him a soft smile nodding to him.

"Of course, Gandalf. And I'm glad to see you well after your ordeal with Saruman. I saw what had happened from the blue butterflies you sent out after your capture."

The wizard looked surprised for a moment, then gave her a thankful smile, lightly bowing his head to her in thanks. "And I am also gladdened to see you free from his hold as well, my dear." Glorfindel gestured toward the door, catching her attention. Laurel said goodbye to Gandalf and Lord Elrond, walking out of the study and following Glorfindel again as he strode down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" she asked up to him.

"Somewhere more private than the training grounds," he explained, eyes ahead. Laurel tagged along after him as they weaved their way out onto the training grounds and then beyond, into the forest. They ducked under a few branches and crossed over a small stream before they came upon a small glen.

"This will suffice," he announced. Laurel looked around, seeing how much room they had to work with.

"Interesting..." Glorfindel murmured. She turned around to see what he was talking about, when she noticed that a few animals had started to gather around them. She could see the faint shadows of deer along the treeline and felt a small, yellow bird perch on her shoulder. Laurel laughed and held out her hand for the bird to hop onto.

"Can you and your friends keep watch for anyone approaching this glen, please?" she asked politely. The bird trilled happily and puffed out its feathers. Laurel smiled and stroked its soft feathers before letting it fly off into the trees. She turned her attention back to Glorfindel when she heard him clear his throat.

"That is truly a magnificent gift, my lady," he admitted. "Yavanna has blessed you with something very special." Laurel watched the corner of his mouth twitch upward in the faintest semblance of a smile. Her own mouth widened in a smile at his praise. It was nice to hear those words from someone who she had originally thought despised her.

"Thank you," she said, redness tinting her cheeks. She watched the blond elf march back the way they had come, signaling for her to stay put.

"Now that we have found a training location, I need to fetch some supplies. Stay here, I will only be a few minutes." Laurel nodded and moved to sit down in the grass. A lady bug buzzed around her head and landed on her nose, drawing a giggle from her. She glanced down as a soft little rabbit rubbed its head against her arm. She smiled and scooped up the fur ball, placing it in her lap and stroking its soft fur. She was lost in thought, playing with the animals that had gathered around her, and didn't notice Glorfindel's return.

"Amazing," he breathed. Laurel's head snapped up, a large grin on her face and her arms full of rabbits and squirrels.

"They just seem to find me anytime I'm outside," she chuckled, letting the animals down and standing up, brushing the dirt off her pants. "Go on now, I have some training to do apparently!" she laughed and watched them scatter back into the tree line. Glorfindel walked across the glen, about one hundred yards, and placed a medium-sized hay target on a tree trunk. He made his way back to her and handed her a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Alright, let's see where you stand in regards to archery." He lead her across the glen to stand twenty yards from the target. "Show me your stance." Laurel sighed internally. She had excellent form and excellent aim, for a human that is. Regardless, she took the quiver, slinging it over her shoulder, and took the bow from his outstretched hand. She turned her body to the side, head toward the target. She brought the bow up, pulling back on the bowstring and notching an arrow. Glorfindel walked in a slow circle around her, nodding his head.

"This elbow is too high," he noted, tugging her right elbow down a fraction of an inch. Laurel huffed indignantly, her form was fine, he was just being rude, she thought. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She slowly opened her eyes, focused on the target and loosed the arrow, feeling the fletching brush her cheek as it sailed through the air. It sunk into the center of the target with an audible thwack. She looked over to Glorfindel who seemed almost disbelieving that the arrow had made a bullseye.

"Let's try further back," he announced, ushering backwards thirty yards so that she was a total of fifty yards away from the target. Laurel repeated her process and listened in triumph as the arrow made another soft thud in the center of the target, nearly on top of her previous arrow. The blond elf rubbed a hand over his chin in thought.

"Move back fifty yards," he instructed. Now one hundred yards away, Laurel could hit the target, probably the bullseye, but not with the greatest accuracy anymore since her eyesight was the limiting factor now. She took a deep breath and released the arrow. She couldn't hear the sound it made this time, but instead they both walked over to the target to inspect her work. The arrow had landed half an inch from her previous two. Laurel gave Glorfindel a satisfied smirk.

"How was that?" she asked with a knowing smile. The elf looked down at her with pursed lips.

"Satisfactory." He turned and pulled the arrows off of the target, returning them to the quiver and taking the bow and quiver back from her. He set the quiver and bow on the ground, and now picked up two small daggers. "These are next," he said dryly, handing her the twin blades. Laurel smiled and trotted back to the twenty yard mark, repeating what she had done with the arrow. The only difference now was that she didn't have the strength to launch the blades from over fifty yards.

"Lets emphasize speed and accuracy at shorter distances with the daggers." Laurel nodded and watched as Glorfindel hung five more small targets on trees around them. He assigned each one a number and then handed her a piece of cloth. "Put this on," he instructed. Laurel hesitated a moment before slowly bring the cloth to her eyes. She felt his fingers brush hers as he took the ends of the blindfold and tied a small bow at the back so that it would release quickly.

"Spin."

"What?" she asked, confused. He placed the two daggers back in her hands and stepped away from her. "Spin in a circle until I tell you to stop. When I do, I will call out two numbers at random and I want you to strike those targets with as much speed and accuracy as you are able.

"Alright," she said, starting to spin in place. Glorfindel let her spin for a while, probably enjoying watching her spin around like a fool.

"Stop!" he called, and Laurel screeched to a halt, ripping her blindfold loose. "Two and five!" She oriented her self and quickly slung both blades toward their respective targets, each one landing dead center with a satisfying thud.

"Excellent," Glorfindel said from beside her. Laurel smiled up at him, pleased with herself. They continued on like that for another hour or two. She practiced rapid-fire archery, blade throwing and hand-to-hand combat, which wasn't her strongest skill since she had only ever practiced against Saruman.

"I think we are done for today," Glorfindel announced. He started to gather up their supplies and targets. "Meet me here tomorrow at sun-up. We will work more on your close combat skills and also begin training with a sword."

"A sword? Why?" she asked suddenly. She had never even held a sword before. Saruman had never allowed it.

"So that you can protect yourself," he stated, walking back over to her. "How will you defend yourself when an orc swings his crude, heavy blade down on you?"

"Um," she stammered, no good answer coming to her mind.

"Orcs are filthy creatures," he spat. "They will do terrible things to you if you are captured by them and they will not think twice before slaughtering a young woman. You need to protect yourself with more than arrows and daggers." Laurel cast her eyes down to her feet, toeing her boot into the soft soil.

"You did well today." Laurel's head shot up at that. "I had expected much less from you, and I must admit that your skill level is better than I could have hoped to start with. All it needs is a little refining and we will add the sword." Feeling a little better now, Laurel smiled. They walked back toward the main gardens and over the training grounds. She saw Lord Elrond's two sons, Legolas, and another man sparring on the training fields. The new man looked human like her, but much older, maybe around forty and with shoulder-length ragged brown hair. She didn't linger on the sight as they walked up the steps and into a large corridor. Glorfindel gave her directions back to her room and she strode off in search of a well-deserved nap.