A/N: Hey guys so I've done it again and whilst searching for inspiration for one of my stories this popped into my head and I had to get it written down so let me know what you think so far :)
Italics = Elvish
The village was quiet. A smouldering ruin from which smoke trailed like thick black fingers reaching towards the sky. The small band of rangers cursed as they rode closer, the pack of orcs they tracked long gone and they had been too late to save the small village from their wrath.
"Search the houses for survivors," the man at the head of the riders orders as he dismounts and they all follow suit, picking their way through the destruction some searching houses others setting about building a pyre to burn the dead.
"Strider, in here," a voice calls from a nearby house and the man turns moving swiftly towards the small house.
Stepping into the gloom of the small cottage it takes a moment for his eyes to focus in the darkness and locate his fellow ranger and a moment longer to understand why he had been called. Crouched and cowering in the corner was a tiny child, hidden against the wall behind some furniture. He grimaces slightly as he steps over the mutilated bodies of what he assumes are the child's parents before crouching before the trembling figure.
"Hello," he says softly, trying to keep his face clear as she turns wide and terrified eyes onto him. Her face is pale but for the deep purple bruising that marred one side of it, her eye swollen and dried blood on her lip and forehead.
"Hello," she whispers, her voice wavering and barely audible.
"What happened here little one?" he asks gently now, making sure that his body was shielding her from the bodies behind him.
"The orcs came, my ma told me to hide so I did but when I came out they had… ma and pa are dead aren't they?" she asks and he sighs a little, pity for the child washing over him as he nods in answer.
"You hid?" he asks instead and she nods, confusion fills him at this as he continues to take in her injuries as she shifts her weight slightly he notices a slight rip in her dress and through it heavy bruising visible at the top of her arm and from the slight intake of breath behind him his fellow ranger has also noted these things. "If you hid from the orc's how did you come to be so injured?" he asks now and she flinches a little as if reliving the moment.
"I was being disobedient and pa was… he was angry with me," she whispers and it is all the ranger can do to control the anger that seems to flare in him like hot lava.
"What is your name?" he asks after a moment when he has control over his anger.
"Meduineth," she whispers and both rangers start a little at this, rarely did you find a human child with an elvish name so far from any elvish settlement.
"That is a very pretty name, I am Strider," he says choosing to save any further questions for later and she smiles, blushing a little at his compliment. Nobody other than her mother had ever complimented her on anything before. "Now Meduineth we must leave this place so I need you to listen to me very carefully, can you do that?"
"Yes," she replies gazing at him through wide green eyes as she awaits his instructions.
"I am going to lift you to me, I want you to close your eyes and rest your face against my shoulder do you understand?" he asks and again she nods as he offers her a smile which she returns tentatively. "Come then, remember do not open your eyes until I tell you to," he murmurs as he pulls her into his arms and lifts her easily, noting with a grimace that she is much lighter than she should be, she was no bigger than a five year old child and yet something told him she was older than that. Filing this information away with all of his other questions about this mysterious child he places a hand gently on the back of her head as he cradles her to him just to make sure she does not open her eyes and see the death that surrounded them.
Carefully, he picks his way out of the cottage and towards the horses, all the while whispering comforting words to her in both Westron and Sindarin.
"What is our next move?" a young ranger asks as they gather back together by their horses a few moments later.
"We head towards the outpost near Bree," Strider replies in a tone that brokers no argument and the others nod before they all mount.
"May I open my eyes now Mr Strider?" the child asks once they had begun riding, her settled comfortably and safely in front of him.
"Yes Miss Meduineth, you may open your eyes now," he replies feeling a smile tugging at his lips and he only feels it grow as they ride and an endless stream of questions seem to pour from her curious little mind.
"What about Mirkwood, why is it called Mirkwood?" she asks as he finishes telling her about Rivendell and how he had spent some time being raised there, throughout which she had been utterly mesmerised.
"You do ask a lot of questions my little friend," he laughs, regretting it instantly as she tenses all over and flinches visibly, seeming to shrink in on herself.
"I'm sorry," she whimpers, her entire body trembling as she waits for a blow but it doesn't come,
"Hush little one, I will not hurt you, I like your questions," he whispers and after many more minutes she seems to eventually calm a little and settle back against him although it takes much longer before she begins to quietly ask questions again.
It is many weeks later when the other rangers finally broach the subject that has been worrying them for some time.
"Strider we must ask what you intend to do with the child," Hallebrad says quietly as he watches her sleeping peacefully in the young rangers arms.
"I… I hadn't really considered it," he answers honestly, and it was the truth. They had passed through many settlements where he could have left the child but he found himself unable to. He felt inexplicably drawn to the mysterious little girl, his little mystery he thinks with a smile.
"You cannot keep her Strider, it is too dangerous," Hallebrad insists and he sighs heavily, shifting her in his lap and gently moving the hair out of her face to watch her sleeping.
"I know," he whispers, "I shall take her to Rivendell, Lord Elrond will take her in I'm sure," he says eventually although his heart clenches slightly at the thought of leaving her.
"Why not Bree, she is a human child after all?" the very suggestion fills the ranger with dread and he unconsciously tightens his grip on her so much that she stirs a little in her sleep.
"I do not trust her around men my friend, you see how she was hurt by her own father, I will not leave her somewhere that could happen again," he growls and the other ranger merely sighs.
"It is beautiful," she murmurs in wonder as they reach the gates of Rivendell some two months later and he tightens his grip on her a tiny amount relishing her joy at seeing his home.
"I know," he replies and they lapse into a comfortable silence as they ride slowly towards where his foster father Lord Elrond would be waiting for them.
"Estel," the beautiful young woman cries as she rushes towards where they have just dismounted and the little girl immediately hides herself behind him gripping the back of his cloak.
"Arwen, it is good to see you my sister," he replies as he embraces her laughing at her joy.
"And who is this you have with you?" she asks as the child peers nervously around Strider's side.
"This is Meduineth, come little one, say hello to my sister, she will not hurt you," he says pulling her gently forward her hand grasped tightly in his.
"Meduineth, that is a very pretty name, come let us go get you cleaned up so you can meet my father," she says kindly and after a moments hesitation she pulls back towards the ranger unwilling to let him go.
"Go little one, I must speak to my father, Arwen will look after you and I shall come and find you as soon as I can, you're safe here," he whispers pressing a kiss to her head and placing her hand in Arwen's, woman exchanging a glance with him that promises a further conversation later.
The study is as light and warm and welcoming as ever as the ranger steps through the door seeing the elf before him break into a broad smile as he moves to embrace him tightly.
"Estel, my son it has been too long," he says and the ranger smiles and returns the embrace whole heartedly.
"I am sorry my Lord, I had meant to return before," he says regretfully,
"I see you have also brought a visitor with you this time," the elf says now and the young ranger sighs heavily as he sits in a chair his foster father taking a seat opposite him as he waits patiently for his son to explain. He had seen parts of it already, the ranger knew that, knew of Lord Elrond's foresight but he also knew he would have to fill in the gaps.
"We found her some months ago, her village had been destroyed by a pack of orc's we were tracking, she was the only survivor. Her father had… she had been badly beaten,"
"Why bring her here?" Lord Elrond asks softly and the younger man sighs again trying to gather his feelings and thoughts.
"I do not trust anyone else with her. I… need to know that she is safe until I return," he responds finally.
"You seem to have formed quite a bond with the child," the elf says after a moments pause and the other man smiles slightly although there is confusion there too.
"I do not understand it fully myself, I feel drawn to protect her and keep her safe from harm,"
"Very well I shall adopt her as I did you and raise her as my own," Lord Elrond says with a smile although there was a sense of foreboding that he felt too. He would have to consult with the lady of the wood over this child, there was a shadow in her future, an uncertainty that was, he felt, connected to his foster son.
A week later Meduineth is sitting on the large swing in the gardens as Strider pushes her gently, she seems happy here and he felt that she would be protected here but his heart still constricted painfully at the thought of leaving her.
"Meduineth, I… I have something I must tell you," he says eventually with a sigh and she turns immediately, sensing the seriousness of the man's tone.
"What is it Strider?" she asks and just the look on her little face is almost enough to stop him saying what he needed to.
"I must leave tomorrow little one, I must go back to join the other rangers," before he has even finished she has screamed and launched herself into his arms, tears soaking the shoulder of his tunic.
"No, please Strider, please don't leave me," she sobs and his heart breaks as he holds her trembling little body to his trying to comfort her.
"Hush little one, you are safe here," he whispers,
"But I want to be with you, why can't I come with you?" she pleads, hiccoughing through her tears.
"It is not safe Meduineth,"
"But you could train me, I could learn how to use a sword and a bow like you," she cries and to his astonishment he can feel tears stinging his own eyes as he takes in her distress.
"Lord Elrond will make sure you are trained here and I shall return as often as I can so you can show me how you have improved," he says attempting to bargain with her but she simply cries harder his resolve cracking with every sob that wracks through her little body.
They sit for many hours that afternoon in the garden and for some reason he tells her everything, his past, his heritage, his destiny and she listens avidly as she always does to everything he says and she makes him promise to come home as often as possible. When he leaves she tries to be strong and he wipes her tears away gently with his thumbs and kisses her forehead, promising to be home in less than six months to see her again.