A/N: This chapter takes place in the year 3008 of the Third Age. It is a year after Gilraen has died and Arnen is now seventeen. Gandalf has returned to Imladris for another visit. Elladan and Elrohir have also come for a while. Coincidence or planned…hmmm.
Well, here it is.
Eavesdropping
Arnen fought with herself while she looked at the dress laid out for her. It was beautiful. She loved it, in fact; that was the problem. She was not the most graceful maiden when donning a dress. Her feet would trip on the skirts or the hem would somehow become torn and dirty.
'The longer I sit here, the less I will want to wear it,' she thought.
Slowly she took off her robe and slipped into the velvet dress. It was deep amber with gold trim on the hem and neckline. Graciously the maidservants chose one without bell sleeves. Those always seemed to get in her way. A simple gold chain hung around her waist and cloth slippers encased her feet. Arnen contemplated her appearance in a long mirror. Her skin appeared to glow due to the hue of the gown. Shaking her head in amazement she mumbled, "The way elves have an artistic eye never ceases to astound me."
She pulled her shoulder length hair into a tight bun. Anor spilled a few of her golden rays in through Arnen's western window. The sudden gleam reminded Arnen that she had a dinner to attend. Rushing from the room, she clumsily ran to Lord Elrond's private dining hall. As soon as she stepped into the room she knew she was late. They all stopped eating and stood, for everyone present was male, when she approached the table. Arnen bowed her head to hide the flaming upon her cheeks and hurried to her seat between Estel and Glorfindel.
Muffled chuckles sounded to her left. Quickly she sent a death glare to Elladan and Elrohir. This only encouraged the twins' laughter. Grumbling viciously she sifted through her mind to think of a way to get them to howl in pain instead. A smirk spread upon her face as she thought of the perfect spell. Someone cleared their throat which made Arnen shake from her scheming reverie. Her eyes met Lord Elrond's. With a bit of amusement he shook his head indicating he knew where her mind was going, and that she was not to do anything to draw attention to herself.
'Damn it,' she whispered in her mind.
The meal was finished and all moved to the Hall of Fire to speak of pressing matters. Upon entering Arnen tripped and would have fallen if it was not for Aragorn. Righting herself, she turned to kick the stool that had obstructed her path. To her surprise – and amused delight – the "stool" let out a stream of quiet curses as it picked itself up.
"Why, dear Bilbo, you must remember to speak when others enter the room," Arnen joked. "Some might mistake you for a tree stump you are so still and small, if it was not for the fact we are inside."
Bright eyes looked up at the lady before them from behind shaggy grey bangs. "Tree stump indeed," he huffed merrily. "Ya' ain't much bigger than I am, young sprout."
Their barbs would have continued if Elrond had not come towards them. Bilbo Baggins did not have to be told his time had come to depart. Bowing out graciously, he gave Arnen a wink.
"Good evening, fair maiden, tell ya' trip again."
'Indeed,' she thought dryly. The "fair maiden" turned to join the man, wizard, and elves by the fire when she noticed that Lord Elrond still stood beside her. Shadows flicked across his face as the fire danced in the hearth, so she could not clearly see what his eyes would explain. Without saying a word he gesture gracefully at the door and inclined his head to her. Realization dawned on Arnen: he wanted her to leave as well. Feeling rather foolish, and indignant, she bowed. When Elrond closed the door lightly behind her, she found Bilbo outside of the door. He was laughing at her…but what else was new?
"Halfling," she flung at him.
"Do not be upset with me, Lady. I am not the one who kicked you out."
Arnen glared down at the snub of a being, "I was not kicked out. He just…kindly showed me to the door."
"Right," Bilbo laughed as he went to his room.
Arnen sulked by the door a bit longer. Just as the young woman was about to walk away, she became suddenly curious as to the reason why Elrond made her leave. Sitting on the floor to get a little comfortable she pressed her ear to the door. At first she could not hear anything but murmurs, then her ears adjusted and she could hear the council being held.
"I fear that Sauron's forces are growing stronger, as is he. Soon the Dark Lord will put forth a greater search for the One Ring," Gandalf's voice was the first to break through.
Arnen froze. She should not have been listening to this but could not pull herself away.
"But during the Council, Mithrandir, did Curunir not say that the Ring has passed down the Anduin to the Sea? How then, do you suppose, the Enemy will retrieve It if we cannot?"
Searching her mind, Arnen recognized the name Curunir as one the elves had given to the White Wizard men called Saruman.What council Elrond spoke of she did not know. Turning her thoughts toward the council at hand, she continued to listen.
"I am not sure if that was entirely true, Elrond. I hate to doubt my friend, but I have a growing suspicion that the Ring is closer than that…Much closer, in fact."
"You are not saying that it is in the…" Lord Elrond was cut off.
"I am just making an educated guess. That is why I have come here and have gone to many other places, to gather all the information and clues I can. What I truly need, and still have not found, is the creature Gollum." Gandalf's voice became sad for a moment, "I pray that my searching will not prove me right, for the sake of my dear hobbits."
Arnen nearly gasped, but covered her mouth quickly.
'What does he mean, "for the sake of the hobbits"? It isn't in the Shire, is it?'
Her thoughts began to tumble over each other. She entirely missed what Glorfindel, Erestor, and Lord Elrond said in their turn but began to focus again just as Elladan spoke.
"Elrohir and I return to the Wild soon. If in any way we can help, Mithrandir, we are more than willing."
"I am also willing to give you my assistance again as well," Aragorn interjected.
'Oh you are, are you? And what I about me, damn it?' she thought angrily. Arnen could not believe he was going to leave again to go gallivanting across Middle Earth to only Eru knows what end.
Gandalf spoke again, "Thank you. Elladan and Elrohir I will need you to alert the Dúnedain that the watch is to be strengthened around the Shire. Aragorn I need you to assist me in another matter…again. We must leave as quickly as we can."
It took Arnen a few moments before she realized that the meeting was over. She jumped to her feet, but immediately regretted doing so when an uncomfortable prickly feeling spread through her legs. Wincing, the young woman ran to the southern end of the corridor and hid behind the corner. When she was certain that the male voices were finally faded enough for her to move she crept back down the hall. Just as she passed the Hall of Fire a voice called out, "And where do you think you are going, Hén?"
Arnen froze, knowing she was caught. Entering the hall she sat down on a stool beside Elrond. Aragorn, Gandalf and he were the only ones left in the room. The youth mentally chided her self for not realizing that she had not heard steps going down the corridor.
'They were all elves. And obviously I would have heard Aragorn and maybe even Gandalf as they walked.'
She sat there waiting for…well she did not know what she waited for but knew something was coming.
"I believe you want to say something," Elrond said.
Now that was not what she had expected. Did he want an apology? Looking at his eyes, she knew that was not it.
'Do I really want to say something?' Sure enough, Arnen answered her own question.
"I am going to leave with them." She said those words with such determination Aragorn did not doubt he heard her correctly.
"You are what?" It was more of an exclamation than a question. Aragorn's face showed his disapproval, and dismissal, of what she had said.
"I-am-leaving-with-you," she repeated calmly.
Before Aragorn could say…or cry out…anything else, Elrond stopped him with a raised hand. The exasperated brother silenced himself and watched his sister. Did she truly believe he was going to allow her to go? The girl was still just that, a girl. She had never been outside of Imladris, beside the day that he found her. Where he had to go was not a place for her to be following. Aragorn looked to Gandalf and Elrond for support.
Both the elf and wizard were in a silent conversation. When it was apparent to Arnen and Aragorn that they had finally come to an agreement they tensed, for different reasons of course. Arnen wanted desperately for them to allow her to leave, for she felt that it was time to venture outside of Rivendell. She had slowly become restless staying here, especially since Bilbo came. He told such wonderful stories about the journeys he had had and the life he had led. The way the green grass of the Shire was always littered with hobbits having picnics and little ones frolicking. Then the story about his adventures with the dwarves was one she never tired of hearing (and he never tired of telling either). There was always a hesitance when he reached certain parts, like how he came upon the ring that made him invisible. She never pried, but now she began to wonder about the connection Bilbo might have with this secret meeting.
"Arnen," Gandalf addressed her, "you shall travel with Elladan and Elrohir. But, if you truly want to stay with them you must learn how to defend yourself." His eyes sparkled as he thought, 'In other ways.'
Aragorn opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by Elrond's hand once more.
"I entrust you to the care of my sons. As Gilraen left me as your guardian I have decided it is time for you to go about." Elrond looked at Aragorn while he spoke to Arnen; and then fixed his grey orbs upon her sternly, "But, you are to do as they say until Aragorn joins them. Understood?"
Arnen nearly fell over when she heard his consent. She stood so abruptly that her stool knocked over, and she hugged Elrond tightly. Aragorn got up and left the room. The ecstatic youth missed his retreat entirely. Gandalf was the next to receive a near bruising hug. He grumbled good-naturedly and hugged her in return. He smelled strongly of pipe-weed, she noticed. He must have been thinking a lot lately on troubling matters. When she returned to her stool a serious air fell upon the pair before her. She knew what was coming, but beat them to it.
"I know. I will be in more danger out there than here if my powers are found out. I will do all I can to hide them, but I must practice," she looked at them questioningly.
Gandalf reached into the deep pocket of his cloak that seemed to hold a never ending amount of things and pulled out two items. One was a vial the length of her hand and the width of her pinky, ring, and middle digits containing more of that horrible lapis hued liquid. Arnen wrinkled her nose causing Gandalf to chuckle.
"Do I really-"
"Yes you do," he replied softly but sternly.
Arnen took the vial from her master and awaited the second gift, hoping it would be better than the first. In Gandalf's hand she saw he held a velvet bag with his rune woven on the front. The Grey Wizard handed her the bag and nodded for her to open it. When she did, Arnen gasped. Inside were ten of his crystals – which he used for numerous things – in various sizes. These were a precious gift for him to give.
"Gandalf, I…" she was at a loss for words.
"Use them for practice, child. But, be very careful. I do not want another explosion to occur."
Arnen remembered very well what explosion he spoke of. It had been a summer day in Imladris and Gandalf was visiting again. They had gone to a secluded area in the forest when he showed her how to use the crystals. Once it was her turn to try, something had broken her focus. Without warning Gandalf pulled her away from the clearing and turned to deal with the fracturing crystal. But he was too late. The explosion it caused would have disintegrated all the trees in a five meter radius if Gandalf had not put up a shield and saved three meters of that five (as well as he and Arnen). It was not funny then but it was now, even though Arnen's ears still twitched at the boxing they received that day.
She resealed the grey pouch and smiled with thanks. Involuntarily, she yawned. Elrond stood her to her feet and walked her back to her room. Before she opened the door, he spoke, "Arnen, child."
The tired young woman looked up at the regal elf. Elrond realized how small she was and prayed to Eru that he had made the right decision. "Pray do as you know you should. Let your brothers protect you, do not fight them. They know more of how the world is out there than you do."
'And I hope it will ever be that way,' he added to himself.
"I will, atar. I will do as you ask, it is the least I can do."
Arnen stood on her tiptoes and gave Elrond a peck on the cheek. When she entered her chambers Elrond walked back to the Hall of Fire.
"To what end have we sent her, Mithrandir?"
Gandalf looked up from the fire and contemplated this question.
"I do not believe we send her to an end, my friend, but to the beginning of her destiny. The question we should be asking is what is her destiny?"
The two ancient beings sat together by the fire both thinking of what was to become of the child with no clear past and a future neither could guess at.
It was longer than I thought it would be. Oh well. What do you think? It is not the best I could have done but… Please review to let me know. Until next time.