Aaaand here's a new chapter for you lovely people! It's even a bit longer than usual, because, yeah, I just wanted to fill all the rest of Rivendell into this one :D
Doodler100: Ha, you'll see what kind of fighter she is in this chapter :D Thank you so much!
happypills27: Haha, you'll see if she kicks Thorin's ass or gets her own kicked today, I hope you like the outcome :D
DwarvenWarrior: Ripping out throats with human teeth? Not a bad idea, seems like an awful lot of effort, though :D I hope you like the new chapter!
Beloved Daughter: Yeah, fighting certainly doesn't prove to be easy when you don't have balance on two feet to start with :D We'll see if she can cope with that :D
kungfupandabear: Yeah, Fili always asks the important questions ;D
Thank you so much for your reviews! Keep them coming, I really love reading all of them! :D
And thanks to the silent readers that keep favoriting and following this story! You're awesome! :D
She didn't know, she realized. Would she be able to fight with her new body? She didn't have sharp teeth anymore; she didn't have strong paws and claws. She only had a weak human body, she thought gruffly. But still, she was quite well exercised and that ought to be at least a bit useful. And so many years of hunting, fighting and surviving in the wild couldn't just disappear, could they? No, there had to be some of her strength left in this body.
"I'm not sure," she admitted gloomily, looking at the blonde dwarf who slightly raised his eyebrows. "I-… Well, I won't know if I don't try, right?"
Kili smiled. "That's the spirit."
They talked about something else then and Fili retreated to his bedroll soon after, leaving Tarya with Kili again. She stared into the slowly dying flames again, revelling in her thoughts. She did want to continue on with the company. Not necessarily because she felt their quest to be hers but because she wanted to stay with – she didn't really want to admit it – she wanted to stay with Kili. And the others, as well, but Kili was the strongest force that held her here. It was strange, she thought. She felt more at ease when she was by his side and she feared she might lose that feeling as soon as she was left alone. As long as she knew that the brunette dwarf was somewhere near, she was all right. And she didn't want to be left behind to stay with those elves in the worst case. They couldn't just leave her here in a body that was not even hers, really, when they were the ones to have caused it. Well, Kili was the one, she thought. She really wasn't a big fan of this bloody commitment thing and she didn't exactly know how it worked but she sure blamed it for her transformation.
"I'm sure you can do it," Kili said quietly and she slightly turned her head to look at her friend.
"Let's hope so," she replied, "I sure don't fancy being left behind."
A small smile then graced Kili's features as he turned his gaze towards the slowly dying flames. "And I sure don't fancy leaving you behind."
They sat together for another while before Kili sighed silently and got up slowly. "Shall I bring you back to your room to sleep or…" he trailed off.
Tarya smiled at him. "Given that 'my room' is nothing more than a bed in the healing chambers, I am perfectly content to stay here." And she really was. She didn't think she would feel good sleeping as far away from the company. "But I will just stay awake a little longer, if you don't mind."
Kili nodded. "Very well. I- Good night, then." He gave her a last smile before he went over to his own bedroll, lying down so that his back was facing towards her and the fire.
Tarya sighed deeply. Her life had become a sudden mess within a few hours. She had become human, she had committed herself to a dwarf and she had no idea what to make of it all. And for the first time in over 60 years, she wished for someone to explain all this to her and to help her with it. She caught herself wishing for her mother to be there.
But that was a futile thing to wish for, Tarya knew. She had not seen her mother in 66 years and it was unlikely that she would ever see her again. Suddenly, she remembered the voice that had echoed through her head before when she had still been unconscious. Had it not sounded strangely familiar? Had it not sent a distinct flash of hope through her the way that only someone very dear would be able to do? Tarya frowned. Was it possible that her mother had been the origin of that voice? But if that was the case, then… Tarya felt a tinge of sadness in her stomach. There was only one way that Amaroks could communicate with each other like this out of nowhere. And so having heard her mother's kind voice in her thoughts meant that her mother… was dead.
People often said that when someone died, a part of that beloved person would always stay with them. For Amaroks, this was an irrevocable truth. Even though, they didn't travel or live together, they were somehow connected with their loved ones. And even if mother and child parted ways when the time came, they still held so much love for each other that it lasted for a lifetime. And when one of them died, a part of their spirit became some sort of a silent companion for the other; embedded in their heart, ready to help when they were really needed.
Tarya bedded her head on her knees and blinked a few times. Her sight had gotten strangely blurry. She sighed again after her little realization. So, her mother had told her to be brave. And she would be, Tarya told herself. She had always been brave and she would not let a little change in her body form affect that. She would show Thorin Oakenshield and everyone who wanted to know that she was perfectly able to fight for her own sake.
Thorin awoke early the next morning and as was mostly the case, he was the first one to be up, since no one had had to keep watch that night. He made his way across the room to get some water out of the packs that were piled up on one side, glancing over his companions in doing so. He immediately saw Tarya lying next to Kili. He was not really surprised by this sight but he wasn't sure he liked it that much. Their backs were slightly touching each other. Tarya had curled herself up in a small ball and was facing towards the now gone out fire while Kili was facing the wall and was lying on his side, stretched out.
Thorin frowned slightly. He was really curious whether she would be able to hold her ground on the field later.
"Good morning" Dwalin's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked over at his friend who was coming towards him.
"Good morning," Thorin said before taking a sip of water.
"You are going to spar with her today?" the bald dwarf asked him, slightly motioning his head in Tarya's direction and Thorin could only wonder how he knew. He had thought him to be asleep when he had mentioned it the night before. Apparently, he had been wrong.
"Yes," he confirmed stiffly.
"You are aware that she is still not used to this body? She has never wielded a weapon in her life and she probably has no balance to fight whatsoever." Dwalin looked at his friend sternly. Thorin was surprised by the warrior's words but he didn't show it.
"Are you worrying yourself over her?"
Dwalin shrugged slightly. "I would simply not deem it quite an even battle, is all," he said.
Thorin huffed. "Of course it is not an even battle. But she will hardly encounter even fights from now on; she is a woman now and not a wild animal anymore. She will always be weaker than a man and she will have to adjust to it better sooner than later. If she is to go on with us, then I cannot take the risk to have someone protect her at all time."
Dwalin was about to open his mouth to reply when someone else cut him off. "I never understood why women are considered to be so weak in your society." Both dwarves turned around to see Tarya standing behind them, her arms crossed over her chest. "But I can assure you that I have never needed protection from anyone and I won't let this," she looked down at herself for a moment, "change that."
Thorin couldn't help a little scoffing huff. "We'll see."
It was about one hour later that the whole company was gathering on a small training ground that the Elves had kindly placed at their disposal for the day.
Thorin turned around to them when they reached the edge of the field. "Get together in pairs and start training. Fili, Kili, you will exercise with Tarya," he looked at his nephews severely, "Show her how to wield a sword and teach her what she needs to know." Fili nodded and Thorin's gaze wandered towards the Amarok; that was the most fairness he could grant her. "You have until this afternoon, then you will compete against me."
Tarya nodded solemnly, following the two princes onto the battleground. Thorin watched them go while the other members of the company began to pair up. In the end, only Balin and Bilbo were left on the edge of the field. Balin was not one to exercise his skills much and Bilbo was not exactly fond of battling, so they chose to watch their companions for a while instead. It was Tarya's skills especially that they were eager to see.
She had retreated to the far edge of the ground with the two Durin brothers.
"Here, take this one for now," Kili said, handing her his sword. She looked at him quizzically and he gave her a small smile. "Fili is much better with swords than I am, so it is only logical that he is the one you should run against."
"Oh, all right," Tarya said and looked over at the blonde dwarf who had one of his swords already pulled. He didn't want to confront her with both of them already the first time. Fili gave the Amarok a cocky smirk in reply.
"I will go easy on you the first time, don't worry," he said and grinned at her irritated face. They both showed her how she had to stand, then, having some trouble already to keep her balanced and then they told her how to hold the sword, how to move when she was under attack and how to make attacks herself. It was all in slow motion and she unfortunately didn't prove to be a natural.
Kili sighed from his spot while he was observing his brother spar – still rather slowly, even after over two hours – with Tarya. Her footwork was slowly improving but she still stumbled over her own feet from time to time, trying to concentrate on too many things at once. Her blows were not strong enough and she didn't always wield the sword in the right angles. She would never stand a chance against Thorin like this, Kili thought; he'd mow her down in a matter of seconds.
The brunette dwarf caught a glance by Fili while he easily dodged one of Tarya's blows. The blonde twisted his mouth askew and Kili knew what he was thinking. The fight against Thorin would not end well for their Amarok friend and Kili was afraid he would actually have to leave her behind, then.
He interfered then, trying to give her some more advice but she hardly improved and soon enough midday passed and Thorin called out that they would have something to eat – Bilbo and Balin had been kind enough to bring some food out – and a little pause and afterwards he would test Tarya.
As they sat down on the ground, Kili could see that she was feeling quite uneasy about the prospect of fighting his uncle, as well.
Sitting a bit away from the rest of the company, Tarya couldn't help but feel nervous. She knew she had made no valuable improvement with the sword in these last hours and that made her feel really uneasy about her forthcoming challenge. But there was nothing she could do now. She could only compete against the dwarf-king and hope for the best.
"Nervous?"
She turned her head to see Bilbo sitting down next to her. She simply nodded. He gave her an understanding smile. "I would be, too," he said.
She watched the hobbit for a moment. "You have not been training," she observed then. Bilbo shrugged slightly.
"No. You see, I'm not really what you call a fighter," he mused, getting really quiet now so that she was truly the only one to hear him, even though they were far enough from the others as to not be overheard. "I'm not even a burglar. I'm of no real use to this quest, actually."
"That's not true," she told him just as quietly as to not alert the others to their little conversation. It seemed too private to the hobbit. "There is more to you than you think and you have already proven your worth in this adventure, I've seen it myself. You're brave, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Bilbo looked at her sceptically. "You don't have to tell me that."
"I know," she said, "And I wouldn't if I didn't think it to be true. I am not one to tell lies, Bilbo. It does no one any good."
The hobbit's eyes widened just a tiny bit but if he wanted to say anything further, he was cut short, for a pair of heavy boots planted itself before the two. Tarya looked up and met Thorins' gaze. "Get ready," was all he said before walking off towards the middle of the training ground.
Tarya got up, grabbed Kili's sword and caught a few encouraging nods and smiles from her companions when she walked over to the dark haired dwarf-king. She sighed quietly when she saw his stern glare. He surely wouldn't go easy on her.
And he didn't. At first, he let her position herself and she did as Fili and Kili had shown her. He looked at her and nodded slightly before taking in his own position. The next thing she knew, he was charging towards her like a wild beast. Appalled, she quickly dodged his attack just in time before he turned in his movement and she had to duck to avoid being hit by his sword.
Fili really had gone quite easy on her compared to him, she thought.
Thorin paused for a moment, giving her time to adjust again while they circled each other. She looked at the dwarf-king wide-eyed. The company had erupted in hushed mumbling next to the training field.
"You have not learned much, I see," he said gruffly, shaking his head. Tarya felt a twinge of annoyance to his words.
"I've done my best," she replied, searching for a little weakness in his defence but there was none. Thorin was moving steadily, adjusting himself to her movements so that she didn't have any open contact surface.
"Your best is obviously not enough, then," he huffed, "There is a reason for men to believe women weaker than them, after all." He ignored her angry glare before attacking her again. She parried his blow with her sword, feeling her arm ache under the impact. She felt herself getting really angry now. What did he think of himself? She had undergone a body transformation yesterday and had hardly had enough time to adjust to her new situation and now this dwarf forced her to practice fighting in a way that she had never done before and genuinely expected her to be able to match him after a few hours of training?
Thorin didn't give her much time to think further, he continued attacking her and she continued trying to block his blows as well as she possibly could but to no avail. It took the dwarf-king hardly another half minute to land a blow hard enough to almost jerk her sword out of her hold. She could only just keep hold of it with great effort.
"Would you like to surrender?" he asked her in quite a neutral tone but she heard the dismissive undertone and Tarya felt something twist within her.
"No," she said so angrily that it almost sounded like a snarl. She saw Thorin raise an eyebrow before he inclined his head slightly.
"As you wish," he mumbled, raising Orcrist again to apparently give the final bit of his lesson. Which would undoubtedly result in her losing. Tarya tried to tell herself that he would not actually hurt her but she wasn't convinced when she looked at his face. She tried to concentrate on what Kili and Fili had told her, how she had to put her feet and how she had to block attacks with her sword but it didn't help her at all. If anything, it only made things more complicated and she decided that if she was going to lose this fight, she was going to lose it on her own conditions.
So, as Thorin stepped forward to bring his sword down on her, she ducked and moved to the side beneath his arm, letting go of her own sword at the same time. She decided to just trust her instincts and see what this body could do with it.
Thorin turned to face her again but she was quicker this time, not having to hold the heavy sword. She dodged his attack quickly, grabbed his arm and put her foot between his legs at the same time and then she pulled strongly, so that he suddenly lost balance and landed painfully on the floor with her. She turned them abruptly so that she was now sitting on his chest, her knees on his arms to hold him down, one hand on his neck, the other up in the air as if to punch him in the face. His sword had landed a few centimetres out of his reach and he looked up at her, surprised.
So, there was some skill left in her, after all, she thought happily.
Thorin looked up to the girl on top of him with wide eyes. He sure hadn't anticipated that. She had him tucked to the ground successfully, he couldn't reach his sword and his arms were trapped so that he couldn't move them.
"Pinned you," she growled.
"You have not used your sword," the dwarf-king grumbled, surprised at how animalistic her voice had just sounded. So there was an able fighter in her, the wolf still resided there, she just needed being pushed enough to let it out, he thought.
"It was too heavy and hindering me," she told him and he nodded slightly. He had seen that, of course. She had barely been able to hold Kili's sword up at the right angle. Swords were definitely not the right choice for her. At least not any as heavy as Kili's. But given the quickness and the strength she had just showed him, she might be the right person for daggers, he thought, which were lighter and therefore probably more suited for her.
"Get off me," he huffed then and she obeyed promptly.
He looked at the Amarok for a moment who returned his gaze with clear defiance in her eyes but there was also a little anticipation and attention. Thorin then diverted his gaze to his nephews who sat amongst the company, looking stunned as all of them. They hadn't thought it even remotely possible for Tarya to hold her ground against Thorin and now she had pinned him to the floor, deprived of his weapon by her bare hands.
"Get her two daggers with which she can defend herself," he announced, "Tarya will be coming with us."
The dwarves cheered his decision and as he looked back at the Amarok, he now saw a bright smile on her face. "You will have to keep training," he told her sternly and she nodded.
It had become rather dark when the company finally split. Thorin and Balin had a meeting with Lord Elrond to discuss the meaning of their map, which Bilbo and Gandalf would also attend. The rest of the company mainly headed back to their room to relax a bit before they would move ahead on the journey again. Thorin had told them that they would leave as soon as they'd found out what they needed to know about the map.
Kili looked up from his conversation with Fili when he saw Tarya stand up and head towards the door. "Where are you going?" he asked and she turned around to him with a gentle smile on her face.
"To explore the halls," she said, "I've never been to Imladris before, might as well take a closer look now that I have the chance."
Kili nodded slightly, musing whether he should accompany her but he decided to let her go on her own. She didn't need him as her lifeguard at all times, after all and he wasn't too eager on exploring elven halls, either. Still, he watched her attentively as she left the room.
"She'll be fine," Fili said and drew his attention back to him. "It's not like she'll be attacked as soon as she's out of your sight."
Kili huffed slightly. "I know."
"You like her," Fili then said, after a moment of silence. Kili looked at him rather quizzically.
"Of course, I do," he said. He didn't understand what his brother was getting at. Of course he liked Tarya, he'd done so ever since he'd met her, clear for everyone to see.
Fili shook his head. "No, I mean… You were holding her hand yesterday."
Oh. Now Kili understood. "That doesn't mean what you think it means," the brunette said, rolling his eyes. "I was trying to comfort her, is all."
"All right," Fili mumbled, "But I'd understand if you found her attractive, I mean, she's… well, she's pretty."
Kili just grumbled something that Fili didn't understand, not liking his brother's thoughts at all. Of course, Tarya was not only pretty in his opinion but indeed beautiful, he couldn't deny that. But the mere thought of anything more than being her friend was plain ridiculous, he thought.
"Just saying," Fili said, raising an eyebrow and trying to withhold a grin at his brother's slightly flustered face. He got an annoyed glance in reply.
Tarya walked the corridors quite slowly, looking closely at the walls that had little carvings in them, letting her hand glide over them from time to time, relishing the feeling of the little patterns on her palm.
She walked past several closed doors, then some open ones, one of them leading to a library. She was tempted to go in but decided otherwise, for she could not read anyway. Eventually, she found her way out of the corridors and came to a halt in a beautiful garden of some sort. The trees, bushes and grass were painted in a strange bluish light from the moon above and there was the ripple of water coming from somewhere. Tarya took in the sight speechlessly, taking a few steps forward and eventually sitting down on a small bench that was situated there.
She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, just contemplating the view, when she felt the presence of someone behind her. She quickly turned her head and saw a tall Elf standing there.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the woman said, gracing her with a gentle smile. Tarya nodded slightly, a bit suspicious of her.
"I am Alatáriël," the woman smiled, "I am the one to have tended to your wounds when you arrived here. Albeit, you still looked a bit different then."
Tarya couldn't help but huff amusedly. "A bit different is putting it quite nicely," she said, "But I thank you for your help."
Alatáriël inclined her head slightly. "It was my pleasure to offer my help to one of your kind." Tarya frowned at the Elven healer who was still standing calmly beside the bench. "An Amarok is a rare sight to behold," Alatáriël continued, "and I deem myself honoured to have met you and to have now witnessed your transformation. It is most fascinating, if you don't mind me saying it."
Tarya shrugged slightly. She didn't mind her saying it but it still made her feel a bit strange. She didn't know where the elf was going with this and she seemed to know more about Amaroks than other people, if not, she wouldn't be so calm about it. "Is that all you sought me out for?" she asked, "To tell me how fascinating you find me?"
The elf shook her head gently. "No, I actually wanted to offer you more fitting clothes for your journey. I have heard you were going to leave soon."
"Is there something not right with what I'm wearing now?"
"Well, I would assume it to be practical to have at least some boots if one goes on an adventure. And maybe a shirt whose sleeves do not cover your hands." Alatáriël said, a smile tugging on her lips again.
Tarya looked down on her feet for a moment, waggling her toes a bit and then at her hands, which were indeed covered by her sleeves. Well, Kili's size was definitely bigger than hers. She was practically swimming in his tunic. "I suppose you would be right with that assumption," she grinned sheepishly and the elf gave her a kind smile.
"If you would follow me, I am sure we can find you something a bit more fitting," she said and Tarya gave her a grateful look, following her out of the garden and into the halls of Rivendell again.
After their meeting with Elrond, Thorin, Balin and Bilbo retreated to join their companions while Gandalf followed the Elven Lord up the stairs to another meeting he had to attend.
"With or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain," the wizard said to his old friend. "They're determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he is answerable to anyone and nor, for that matter, am I."
Elrond looked at him with raised eyebrows for a moment. "It is not me you must answer to."
Gandalf frowned at the Elven Lord for a moment but when he finally turned around to face the balcony they had headed to, his eyes widened in surprise and awe. Before him stood a tall and fair elven woman with long blonde, almost silvery hair and as she turned around to face the grey wizard, he made a few steps forward. "Lady Galadriel!" he muttered.
"Mithrandir," she greeted him in elvish, "It has been a long time."
Gandalf inclined his head respectfully. "Age may have changed me," he said, looking up again, "but not so the Lady of Lórien."
She smiled at him broadly, coming a few steps forward, her white gown flowing gently around her body.
"I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you," the grey wizard said then, looking at her for a moment before another voice chimed in.
"He didn't. I did," said the white wizard from beside them.
"Saruman," Gandalf greeted him, a bit stiffly due to the surprise as he turned around.
"You've been busy as of late, my friend," the white wizard uttered, raising an eyebrow at his grey friend.
Gandalf sighed inwardly. Apparently, now had come the time to justify his journey with the dwarves. And to tell them about the Amarok in their company.
"Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?" Saruman asked when they had sat down to hold their council. Gandalf folded his hands on the table before him, looking at the leader of his order.
"Unnoticed? No, I- … I'm simply doing what I feel to be right." Gandalf replied quietly.
"The dragon has long been on your mind," Lady Galadriel said and Gandalf inclined his head slightly. She was right, of course, as always.
"It is true, my Lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, the dragon could be used to terrible effect." He hesitated for a moment, not sure if it was a good idea to go on before he finally did. "As well as Tarya."
Galadriel looked at him intently while Saruman spoke up. "Who might Tarya be?"
Gandalf inclined his head slightly, looking at the white wizard. "She is a child of the race of the Amarok," he said, "And she has joined the dwarves' quest recently."
Saruman looked a bit taken aback. "An Amarok? Is this true?"
"Yes, it is," Elrond interfered, "My troop was the one to have brought her to Imladris."
There was a strange twinkle in the white wizard's eyes then as he looked down at the table thoughtfully. "It is a rather strange thing that an Amarok would side with dwarves."
"She has built a friendship with all of them," Gandalf tried to explain, "And she has in fact committed to one of them."
Now Saruman's gaze shot up. "Has she transformed yet?" he asked and Gandalf nodded slowly, surprised at how the white wizard knew of it.
"It is normal, then?" Gandalf asked and it was Galadriel who answered him, earnestly, after she had listened silently to their conversation.
"Amarok commit when they knowingly risk their own life for the sake of another," she said, "And only if they are deadly wounded under the act of commitment, a certain power can save their life. They become something else, a representation of their inner light, one could say."
"The origin of light," Gandalf muttered, awe-struck and Galadriel nodded slightly. "But Tarya's wound was not exactly deadly, she could have survived as a wolf." he said then. "Then why did she transform?"
Galadriel looked at the grey wizard thoughtfully for a moment. "What do you think?" she asked him, then.
"She has been haunted." Gandalf said very slowly, "I fear something moves in the shadows, unseen. Something dark and powerful."
"Always you must meddle," Saruman grumbled, "Looking for trouble where none exists!"
"Let him speak!" Galadriel ordered and Gandalf continued.
"There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug, something far more powerful." Gandalf said. "We can remain blind to it, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you. A sickness hides over the Greenwood. The woodsmen who live there now call it Mirkwood, and...uh, they s...they say..."
"Well, don't stop now, tell us what the woodsmen say?" urged Saruman, a little annoyed.
"They speak of a Necromancer, living in Dol Guldur, a sorcerer who would summon the dead."
"That is absurd," Saruman replied immediately, "No such power exists in this world. This Necromancer is nothing more than a mortal man. A conjurer dabbling in black magic."
"And so I thought," Gandalf said, "But Radagast has –"
"Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown," Saruman huffed, "he is a foolish fellow."
"Well, he is odd, I grant you. He lives a solitary life…"
"It's not that, it's his excessive consumption of mushrooms! They've addled his brain, and yellowed his teeth. I warned him. It is unbefitting one of the Istari wandering the woods..."
As Saruman was talking away to him, Gandalf suddenly heard a gentle voice in his head and after a mental order of Lady Galadriel to show her what Radagast had found in Dol Guldur, he obeyed and put the sword on the table gingerly. The others were obviously taken aback once they saw what it was.
"A Morgul blade!" Elrond breathed.
"Made for the witch-king of Angmar, and buried with him. When Angmar fell, the men of the North took his body, and all that he possessed and sealed it within the high fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried him, in a tomb so dark it would never come to light." Galadriel said, looking at the blade intently while she spoke.
"This is not possible," Elrond muttered, "A powerful spell lies upon those tombs, they cannot be opened."
"What proof do we have this weapon came from Angmar's grave?" Saruman asked then, looking rather unconvinced.
Gandalf sighed. "I have none."
"Because there is none." The white wizard said dismissively, "Let us examine what we know. A single orc pack has dared to cross the Bruinen. A dagger from a by-gone age has been found. And a human sorcerer who calls himself the Necromancer, has taken up residence in a ruined fortress. It's not so very much, after all. The question of this dwarvish company however, troubles me deeply."
Gandalf looked at Saruman with raised eyebrows while he continued. "I'm not convinced, Gandalf. I do not feel I can condone such a quest. Especially if an Amarok is involved in their hopeless attempt to fight a dragon. If they'd come to me, I might have spared them this disappointment. I will not pretend to understand your reasons for raising their hopes..."
'They are leaving,' he suddenly heard Galadriel's voice in his mind again and he looked away from Saruman to gaze at the fair elven woman who was standing near the edge of the balcony.
'Yes,'he replied in his thoughts, as well.
'You knew,' she said and he inclined his head a bit to give her a knowing look. She smiled slightly at him. 'You are right to help Thorin Oakenshield. But I fear this quest has set in motion forces we do not yet understand… You have to be careful, Mithrandir. The Amarok now carries great power that cannot fall into the wrong hands.'
Gandalf inclined his head again, showing her that he'd understood. But it did worry him, for he did not know exactly what power Tarya had awakened within her during her transformation that she most likely didn't even know about herself.
"… I'm afraid there's nothing else for it." Saruman ended his speech that no one really had paid attention to beside Elrond. Just at that moment, Lindir came hurrying onto the balcony, a worried look on his face.
"My Lord Elrond!" he called out and they all turned to him, questioningly. "The dwarves… they are gone!"