Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! I really have nothing to say but only that I hope you enjoy the next chapter of the story.

If any of you want to request any ideas of the story; I'm all ( elf ) ears.

Hannon Le

Chapter Two:

Unwanted Attention

It was night, Rínel couldn't go to sleep and this bothered her. People would think that she couldn't go to sleep since she was sharing a room with others that Aragorn suggested to stay in- but that wasn't the case. The she-ranger felt something dark in the room...An evil that shadowed her thoughts. She knew it wasn't Gandalf nor the hobbits, but the darkness crept through the air and this made her uncomfortable. This was the first time in weeks that she didn't feel comfortable about her surroundings.

"What you doing?" Rínel heard a whisper from the hobbit named Merry. She knew that he wasn't talking to her but she figured that he was talking to Pippin, the friendly hobbit that she encountered at her arrival.

Pippin was surprised at first, but he turned back to see Gandalf. Rínel was watching this from afar where the hobbits wouldn't notice and saw Pippin waving his hand in front of Gandalf to see if he was awake.

Merry whispered again, "Pippin? Pippin!"

Pippin jumped for a moment and exchanged a nearby vase for the wrapped up glass ball in Gandalf's arms. 'A glass ball?...That's a palantír!' Rínel thought to herself in utter shock , 'Why would a palantír be here?...'

Merry, then, became in shocked that Pippin was taking the palantír away from the sleeping wizard, "Pippin... What, are you mad?" Pippin looked at Merry and back at the palantír, " I just want to look at it. Just one more time."

Rínel grew curious by the second of what Pippin wanted to see, she had a feeling that she needed to stop him but another part of her wanted to see what he was going to do. Pippin held the palantír in his hands and began smile, but then he started to see something... The Eye of Sauron... And by this time, Sauron started to questioned him and torture him. With this, the young hobbit throws himself in pain as he screeches and writhes on the floor. By this time, Rínel jumped into action and took the palantír away from the foolish and curious hobbit...Only that she would experience the same pain and torture as him. The she-ranger was cold and she found herself facing Sauron. She was scared and the pain only worsened.

"Rínel... Macilvendë... Ithilrhien..." Sauron spoke to Rínel, " Cenna meletya mélamar..." After Sauron spoke, he showed her ancestral home: Gondor... But it wasn't just Gondor and all it's former glory; it was in ruins and in flames.Rínel then saw the White Tree of Gondor up in fire and vanish into ash.

" Irmin níra atalat...", Sauron spoke in laughter. ButRínel was not pleased nor scared anymore, fury ran through her heart and Sauron recognized this. "La, lmë tul amorta tinwelindon ta ilya úmaiar ve alyë!" Rínel wasn't cold anymore for the courage and boldness came upon her heart. Sauron not only saw her as a woman of the Race of Men- but a woman with a heart like Elendil.

Sauron roared in anger and cast Rínel back into the room. She found herself in her brother's arms and the palantír across the room. Then, the she-ranger saw Gandalf grabbing a cloak- throwing it over the palantír, "Fool of a Took!"

Gandalf then ran over to Merry and Pippin in which he pushes Merry away so he can talk to Pippin. Pippin was frozen and in shock from the pain he received from Sauron. Gandalf chanted under his breath to wake the hobbit up. Pippin gasped in horror and Rínel looked upon the hobbit and back at Gandalf.

"Look at me, look at me!" Gandalf ordered the hobbit, "What did you see?..." Pippin muttered before he spoke, "A tree. There was a white tree. In a courtyard of stone. It was dead...The city was burning..."

Rínel's eyes widen, she realized that Sauron shared the same vision to Pippin. "Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked the horrified hobbit. But Pippin only responded,"I saw…I saw him! I can hear his voice in my head...He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me..."

Rínel moaned in pain from the after effects of Sauron, and with that- Gandalf turned to Rínel and Aragorn, "Rínel... What did you see?..."

Rínel's eyes watered in sadness and anger, "I also saw Gondor fall into ruin but the Dark Lord Sauron spoke to me and knew who I was..." Everyone's eyes widen in shock and horror. Gandalf looked at her to explain and she did, "He gave me names that I never acknowledged in my life... He gave me the names 'Macilvendë' and'Ithilrhien'... He said that the World of Men will fall into ruin... But I told him that we will rise like the stars and slay all darkness like himself..." Gandalf's eyes widen more each time Rínel spoke, " He then roared in anger and threw me away from his sight..."

Gandalf sighed as he stood up from his spot, "Those names he gave you are names from a song- a prophesy that I did not believe.. Until now..." Aragorn's brows furrowed in confusion and horror. He did not want his younger sister to be in any part of this war, he wanted her to be in peace and live happily. But now, that dream was nothing than an apparition.

"What prophesy?.." Rínel asked Gandalf who was also confused. The White Wizard noticed that the young Dunedain and her brother did not want any part of being in a prophesy- even though they are gravely burdened as the only Heirs of Islidur.

Gandalf recited the prophesy to the soul-wounded she-ranger,

"O Macilvendë!

Your sword is sharp and your heart is bold!

Why do you defend the hearts of foolish men?

Men who betrayed the trust of others?

Young child of Isildur, Daughter of Hope, thou art a warrior of old!

You shall face the ruins of thy home!

You shall witness death at thy young life!

Fight! Fight for the last númenórean home!

Will you die? Will you die?

O Ithilrhien!

Will Mandos take your life?"

With every word that Gandalf spoke, Rínel's heart sank deeper and deeper. She felt as if her time in Middle-Earth was now over and this prophesy felt as if it was a mere curse than a blessing.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin and Rínel saw in the palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing: he knows the Heir of Elendil has come forth- along with his sister and her bold defense of the Race of Men. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength perhaps to challenge him- Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king or queen return to the throne of Men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war." Gandalf spoke to the group in the Golden Hall.

Theoden looked at Gandalf with a unfazed look, " Tell me; why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor? " Rínel was in shock, she didn't and never thought that the King of Rohan would not think of aiding her people, but she knew that he had a point: 'what do we owe Gondor?'

" You owe them nothing" Rínel responded which made Theoden look at her, " But showing loyalty and kindness would strengthen the good- the Race of Men, Elves, Dwarves, and even the Hobbits of the Shire... With that, then we have an advantage to vanquish the darkness of Sauron."

Theoden never expected those words to come out of her mouth. But he knew that Rínel was right... For that, he did not spoke anything more about aiding the Heirs of Isildur's ancestral home. Aragorn looked around and volunteered himself, "I will go"

Gandalf quickly responded to Aragorn, "No!-"

"They must be warned!"

"They will be..." Gandalf came closer to Aragorn and whispered, "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river. Look to the black ships."

Rínel listened to every word Gandalf whispered to Aragorn and began to think: 'If Aragorn isn't destined to warn and defend Gondor- then who would?...'

Gandalf walked away from Aragorn and exclaimed to all, "Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith. And I won't be going alone..." The White Wizard looked at Pippin and the rest knew that Gandalf and Pippin would ride out to Gondor. But little did they know that another would join the company of the wizard and the hobbit.

"I will also go" Rínel announced, "If Sauron threatened me and the Race of Men- then I shall pierce every heart, soul, mind, and eye of Sauron until he forfeits the bloodshed he started"

"No!" Aragorn yelled in horror, "It is to dangerous-"

"I'm already in danger Aragorn! Even before my birth, our forefathers have been walking in a path of the dead. I will fight until death has taken me!"

Eowyn was moved by Rínel- she was, in Eowyn's view, a Shield-maiden of Númenórean blood. The Three Hunters were stunned along with Gandalf the White, Theoden King, and his sister-son. And the hobbits were amazed- especially Pippin who just then: adored her.

Gandalf hummed at looked closely at Rínel, he knew that if she goes with him and Pippin- she was going to for-fill the prophesy that Elros, the first Númenórean had foreseen. The only thing that concerned the maiar wizard: 'will she die?...' "As you wish, Rínel daughter of Arathorn... You may come with us..."

Rínel was in the stables, dressed in light Noldorin armor that the Elves of Imladris gave her. Her dark hair wasdecorated in the white flowers of Simbelmynë that Lady Eowyn did as a farewell gift. As she was packing her supplies for the ride to Minas Tirith, she found herself being approached by Legolas. She smiled at him, not a smile of joy, but a smile of sadness of not reuniting with her elvellon officially.

" I see that you did not greet me at the Golden Hall yenye." Legolas spoke to Rínel with a small sad smile. Rínel chuckled a bit, " Well, when I arrived; I saw you and Gimli, son of Gloin, having a drinking contest without me."

" And I suppose we were supposed to invite you?" Gimli asked behind Rínel's back in a playful way. Rínel looked at Gimli with an eyebrow raised and a twinkle in her eyes, " You always need to invite Daegwenn to a drinking contest," Rínel continued, "Without Daegwenn, the fun hasn't even started."

A long silence came upon the Daughter of Men, the Elf of Mirkwood, and the Dwarf of Durin's Line. But in every long silence comes upon friends, there is laughter. " Oh lassie!" Gimli laughed with his hands on his belly, "We will miss you again! Your humor will break the walls of Durin!"

Rínel laughed and she felt Legolas' hand on her shoulder, "Nai elen siluva tyanna mentië ana Ondonórë-" Rínel then, surprisingly, embraced Legolas with a hug, "Inyë hyamë tana ve ciluva ilya exa ata..."

Rínel and Legolas broke the embrace and saw Gimli who didn't understand what they were saying- which made Rínel laugh. She embraced Gmili in a hug, which surprised him, "I will miss you Gimli, son of Gloin, I hope we will see each other again-"

"We will see each other again, lassie... I know for sure!"

Rínel's smile sadden, she remembered the prophesy: 'Will you die?...' She did not know... She did not know whether she would see Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, or even Eowyn again- before her suppose death... She did not know.

After the embrace, Gimli and Legolas left the she-ranger in the stable so she would be able to pack the last supplies. "Why did you look? Why do you always have to look?" Rínel heard Meriadoc Brandybuck talking to Peregrin Took.

"I don't know. I can't help it." Pippin answered his friend and cousin. Merry shook his head, "You never can."

Pippin sighed, "I'm sorry, all right? I won't do it again." But Merry became very serious, "Don't you understand? The Enemy thinks you have the Ring. He's going to be looking for you, Pip. They have to get you out of here... Lady Rínel even saved you from the palantír- I don't know if you should be thankful or feel guilty of what she did for you..."

Rínel closed her eyes and sighed, she did not want the young hobbit to feel guilty. She knew if she was in the young hobbit's place, he would do the same. "And you-you're coming with me? Merry?" Pippin asked Merry, but he didn't answer. He only replied, "Come on..."

When they arrived inside the stables, Pippin saw Gandalf preparing the ride to Gondor and Rínel getting onto her horse. He remembered what Merry said about Rínel and how he should feel both thankful and guilty. He looked upon her with an apologetic expression. Rínel noticed this and spoke, " It is all in the past now Master Took, we need to move onward..."

Pippin was in fact stunned and hope ran through his heart. Rínel gave a small smile, " Just don't through yourself into the fire, Pippin, I don't want you casting yourself away like that."

Pippin nodded and Gandalf gave both the Daughter of Arathorn and the Foolish Took a small smile. Pippin came to Gandalf's side and sat with him on Shadowfax, "How far is Minas Tirith?"

"Three days' ride, as the Nazgûl flies, and you better hope we don't have one of those on our tail."

Merry came to Pippin and gave him a small package, "Here, something for the road." Pippin eyes widen, "The last of the Longbottom Leaf."

Merry sighed, "I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pip."

"But—But we'll see each other soon…won't we?" Pippin asked as Gandalf began to ride off. But Merry lastly spoke to his dear friend, "I don't know… I don't know what's going to happen."

"Merry?...Merry!"

Gandalf then spoke to the Lord of the Horses, "Run Shadowfax. Show us the meaning of haste!"

Shadowfax took off with Gandalf and Pippin, and behind them was Rínel on her horse: Celegroch...

When the three left the grounds of Edoras, Merry ran up to the top of the gates and Aragorn followed. Merry saw his best friend leaving from his sight and for Aragorn: he thought that he was seeing the last light of his sister one last time.

"He's always followed me, everywhere I went, since before we were tweens. I would get him into the worst sort of trouble, but I was always there to get him out. Now he's gone. Just like Frodo and Sam." Merry spoke to Aragorn, not leaving his eyes of his dear friend. But Aragorn replied, "One thing I have learned about Hobbits: They're a most hardy folk..."

"Foolhardy, maybe. He's a Took..." Merry continued, "But I think Lady Rínel will protect him... I know that for a fact..."

Aragorn sighed and thought of his sister, his only blood-family, that he held dear to his heart. He hummed a little song that his mother sung to Rínel when they were small. It was a song that Gilraen, their mother would sing to her when young Rínel's heart grew sad and or troubled,

"O Rínel!

How much you have grown!

Do not be afraid of what lies ahead

Do not lose your way in this dark time

I give you hope and I take none for myself

O Rínel!

May your arms be strong!

May your dreams shine upon thyself

May your life be ever light

I give hope unto you and thy brother

O Rínel!"

Merry was moved by the song and he knew that for that day, things were changing- for the better or for the worst...

Elvish phrases/words/names:

Rínel~ "Crowned Maiden"

Macilvendë~ "Sword Maiden"

Ithilrhien~ "Moon Queen"

Cenna meletya mélamar~ "Look upon your mighty home"

Irmin níra atalat~ "The world of men will fall into ruin"

La, lmë tul amorta tinwelindon ta ilya úmaiar ve alyë!~ "No, we shall rise like the stars and slay all darkness like you."

elvellon~ "elf-friend"

yenye~ "yesterday"

Nai elen siluva tyanna mentië ana Ondonórë~ "May a star shine upon your journey to Gondor"

Inyë hyamë tana ve ciluva ilya exa ata~ "I pray that we shall see each other again"