Next chapter is up! I'm sorry it's a bit short, but I thought I'd give this its own chapter, then I can focus on moving the story forward afterwards! Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, it is lovely to here your thoughts. I forgot to disclaim any original LOTR characters - here it is! I don't even own Dale or the Ruénen, they just seemed to pop up and say hi one day and demand that I write about them!

Chapter II: On Elves and Wolves

The next day, when Dale knocked and poked her head in, Elrond was standing by the window, looking out over Rivendell. He held his hands behind his back and he stood completely still, almost in a trance, not even seeming to breath. "Lord Elrond?"

He shook himself and turned to her, motioning for her to sit. He was wearing a burgundy robe, and his hair was held back in the same style as yesterday: a plait on either side of his head which joined into one plait at the back.

She didn't bother herself with pleasantries. "What can you do?"

He acknowledged her urgency easily. "I am afraid very little. I am unable to give a purpose to my visions—I have no power over what they show me." Dale's face fell. "But I can advise you. You say your friend went missing before your encounter with…Callon and Rine?"

The woman nodded.

"How do you know she has not joined them?"

"When I asked Callon and Rine where Douka was, they seemed surprised…they thought she was with me."

"But is there any indication as to whether she has or has not joined Sauron?" Elrond now moved to sit in his chair opposite her, leaning forward on his elbows.

"No I…I suppose not." Dale shrank away from the thought that she could be so easily deceived by her pack members. "You're saying I should be more cautious in my search."

"I cannot make your decisions for you…but yes, that is what I would do."

Dale pondered that for a moment. "I was getting supplies while Callon and Rine set up camp, and Douka was meant to be hunting for that night's meal." She rolled her eyes when Lord Elrond raised a narrow brow. "We're wolves—it saves money. Douka could have been found by the orcs; she would have been overwhelmed and unable to escape." Dale refused to believe that Callon and Rine would kill another Ruénen, least of all Douka. "But I didn't smell any blood."

Now both of Elrond's eyebrows were raised, but he was nodding as if what Dale had said made sense. "Or could she have returned from hunting, found the orcs and run?"

Dale sighed, running a hand through her fringe. Her hair was tied back in its usual plait. "Yes, but then she would have tried to find me…it just doesn't make sense." Her head dropped into her hands, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She had now been in Rivendell for four days, but the recent events were haunting her through the night and her sleep was fitful.

"…Why not continue without her? Forget her, move on?" The elf was staring at her as he usually did—intently, studying her every movement.

Dale looked at him incredulously. "Never. I would never abandon a pack mate without knowing what had happened to them." The thought had never even occurred to her. It went against the grain of her very being. Her fight with Callon and Rine had been in self-defence—she had given them a chance to explain themselves, in the hope that it was all a mistake, but also because she had had absolute faith in them. This would have been the fifth year the four Ruénen travelled together, and that time had been enough for Dale to learn to trust them with her life and more—until all of about seven days ago. It had not been easy for her to completely abandon her faith in Callon and Rine. It made her even more desperate to find Douka, to reassure herself that everything was not crumbling down around her, that her family of the past five years had not just either betrayed her or disappeared for no apparent reason. She continued sharply, "Lord Elrond, I do not appreciate your probing me like this. I had hoped that the information you would gain from my story alone would be enough in exchange for advice on what to do, rather than testing the boundaries of my character as well."

The air seemed thick as Elrond stared at her in evaluation, then he stiffened and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Please accept my apologies. It is very rare that I come across something that I know very little about." He paused, his fingers grazing the grain of the desk as he stared down at them. For the first time he seemed to hesitate. His hand made a fist which he rested on the table as he turned to looked up at Dale. "There is a council five days from hence. You might be interested in attending?"

Dale stared at him in some surprise. "What is being discussed?"

"I am afraid it is a matter of secrecy, but having heard your story, I think you might be interested in attending. A great decision hangs in the balance, and it will affect all of Middle-Earth. It would be a chance for your people to step forward, out of the shadows, to help shape the future of the world you live in."

Dale snorted. "You're beginning to sound like Callon."

Elrond frowned. "It might also be a chance for you to find out more what has happened to your friend."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond." Dale stood, and she noticed that Elrond stood with her, a new sign of respect that had not been present the day before. "I will consider it."

He opened the door to the corridor for her. Wow, this really is my lucky day, Dale thought sardonically as she thanked him once more for his help. She continued through the corridors of Rivendell without interruption, deep in thought as she distractedly shuffled her feet along the floor. Perhaps she would go to the council…perhaps she wouldn't. She might be questioned for her presence there and, although she had revealed the existence of her race to the elves, she had no desire to fan the flames of gossip. The elves had shown an unnerving degree of fascination of her, but they were also discreet, and she trusted that they would attempt to conceal the Ruénen's existence for as long as possible. Even so, word would eventually spread. Furthermore, if what Elrond had said was true, and it did give Dale a chance to find Douka…she frowned; she did not understand how it could…

After she had reached the library—a luxury that she had been taking full advantage of—Dale had reached a decision. Wandering into the library, she nodded at some familiar faces, quietly walking along the shelves until she found what she was looking for. She picked out books on diplomacy.

The next chapter will be up in a few days. Please read and review, I'd love to know your ideas on the story so far, and if anyone has any suggestions for what could happen to Dale and the Ruénen, then let me know!