AN: sorry that there is so much focus on the non-LOTR characters. Also-it kind of comes across as if they're all invincible in this chapter, but just want to let you know that they're not. They all have their flaws obviously and you'll see them eventually. If you're interested in the non LOTR characters, I'll be posting the original story about them on under HisDyingBride2

Chapter Three

There was a loud cracking sound like thunder that echoed through Rivendell, followed by a bunch of thumps and then voices.

"That must be them." Elrond said anxiously, walking swiftly to where the sound had come from just by the entrance to the city, followed by a couple young elves and guards.

"Get off me!" Heru groaned, trying to push Andrew off him.

"Hmm, seems I had that a little off." Ammon said, looking at the boys who were sprawled out around him, unaccustomed to traveling through worlds.

"A little." Muttered Andrew, standing.

"Fuck," Andreas moaned and rubbed his back, having landed on a tree root.

"What in Middle Earth…?" Elrond gaped as he looked at the group of what seemed like teenagers and Ammon standing over them.

"Oh," Ammon quickly bowed when he heard Elrond, elbowing the boys who managed to stand up. "Lord Elrond."

"These… are Glandians?" He asked, a slight tone of disgust and disappointment in his voice as he looked at the boys.

"Uh, no." Ammon frowned, "Orpheus here is an Elemental Glandian but um," he took Elrond's elbow and gently led him away where he quietly explained the situation.

"What?!" Elrond shouted and the boys looked at each other.

"Yup, what'd I tell you?" Andrew shook his head. Heru folded his arms across his chest and glared. They were all too accustomed to being looked at with disgust and being someone's disappointment to not notice it now.

"They're powerful Elrond," Ammon said firmly and Elrond looked back at the boys.

"But they're children."

"In your eyes yes, but in our world they're men. I've been training them for years and they very well may be even better than Glandians."

"What powers could they possibly have?" He asked, looking at Heru's scrawny body. They were all small to him, not at all like the men of Middle Earth.

"They're all different, but they'll show you them, if you give them a chance. Please?" Ammon looked at him hopefully and Elrond nodded. "Thank you." Turning back to the boys he said, "this is Lord Elrond, lord of Rivendell." The boys waved.

"Sup" Andrew nodded. Orpheus bowed appropriately and looked at the boys. "Oh" Andrew quickly bowed awkwardly.

"These three are my charges, Andrew" Ammon pointed at each one as he spoke, "Andreas and Heru. This is my nephew Orpheus whom I have been training for the last six hundred years."

"What is he?" Elrond interrupted, looking at Saber and feeling oddly ill.

"He is a vampire."

"A vampire?" Elrond frowned, "is that a demon of your world?"

"Yes but-"

"You brought a demon to aid us in this?!" Elrond shouted furiously. Ammon's eyes grew dark.

"Saber is a vampire under the care of the Glandians. He has made an oath of redemption and harms no innocent creature." He said firmly, "he has been under my personal watch for the last two hundred years and if he should ever bring harm to another innocent being, I will have his life instantly." He held up his hand and just above the palm of his hand, there was an image of a human heart in a glass case. "For I have his heart in my keep and I know all his thoughts, in our world and in this one."

Saber kept his head down at this exchange and Heru gripped his hand tightly. Rarely did they have to explain Saber's agreement but it always brought shame to him.

"How could you possibly-"

"Saber did not choose to be a vampire and was a victim of murder, he was once an innocent." He snapped angrily, "and he chooses to live with a soul and the guilt of his actions rather than die. He might have once been evil and the demon may still be in him, but he is a good man and will protect your Company with a vicious fury. These are the men and beings I can offer you in your time of aid, you can take it or leave it."

Elrond's eyes were dark and he stared at Saber and then back at Ammon.

"How can I trust him?" He asked and Ammon looked at Saber.

"Look into his soul yourself." He waved his hand, gesturing to him. Saber looked up with wide eyes. Elrond turned and walked closer to Saber, ignoring the sickening feeling in his stomach the closer he got.

"Look at me." He ordered Saber and Saber listened, staring into his eyes. Elrond gazed deep into his eyes and pushed passed the barriers into his mind. Flashes of violent wars flashed before him, he saw images of Saber killing men, women and children, but before he turned away, he saw the moment that Saber had been turned. The more he looked, the further back into Saber's life he saw and the more he understood why Ammon had shown him any mercy in the first place. He saw when he made the deal with Ammon and the work he had done since then in attempt to make amends for the evil he had done before.

Saber squirmed under his gaze and finally turned away, unable to tolerate the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable any longer. There was a long silence and the boys held their breath, wondering if Elrond would accept Saber's help or not.

"I understand." Elrond nodded and turned to Ammon, "I will accept him and your trust in him. But will he be tempted by the ring?"

"I don't believe so, but the only way to tell is for him to see it. If he is, we'll both see it and he can come home with me." Ammon answered and this seemed to be alright with Elrond.

"Follow me." He said to the group and the boys nervously followed him. They forgot about their bags, those that didn't notice the group of elves take them and carried them off somewhere.

Heru looked around at the beautiful city as they walked through the gates. The trees surrounded it and there was a beautiful river that came over the mountain beside it and fell below, running through the center of the city. The buildings were white stone and there were incredible carvings on the pillars, intricate designs of trees, leaves, rivers and other things he couldn't really identify but reminded him of Celtic designs. He had at first been scared and wondered if it was a mistake to come, but as they walked through Rivendell, a sense of peace came over him that he couldn't explain. It seemed to happen to all of them as they walked, even Andrew who always seemed to be tense and disturbed about something seemed to relax a little.

They walked down a long hallway and came to the second last door where Elrond stopped and turned to them.

"Only Saber and Ammon can come in for now, you'll meet everyone in a bit." Elrond knocked on the door and there was a quiet response from inside.

"Come in," came the small voice. Elrond opened the door and disappeared inside with the other two.

"Hello Frodo." Elrond said and Frodo bowed.

"Hullo Lord Elrond," he said quietly and looked at the two strangers.

"This is Ammon, Second Glandian and this… this creature is Saber." Elrond paused when he said Saber's name. "Ammon has brought a group of men to join your quest and Saber is one, but there is a small test that he needs to pass before I allow him to join you, if you could just humour us for a minute."

"What is the test?" Frodo asked, looking at Saber nervously.

"Can he see the ring?" Frodo's eyes widened in a moment of horror.

"What for?"

"It'll just be for a second," Elrond reassured and Frodo slowly, reluctantly, pulled it out from under his shirt, a silver chain with a simple golden ring hanging on it.

To the naked eye, it seemed like a simple gold wedding band but everyone in the room knew differently. Saber looked at it curiously and stepped closure, then hissed disgustedly and backed away.

"That is an evil that no vampire would go near unless he were suicidal." He spat and looked at Ammon, "this is the purpose of this mission then? To destroy it?"

"Yes." Ammon said easily, knowing beyond a doubt Saber wouldn't be tempted.

"That's an ancient evil, Lord Elrond," Saber turned to him, "vampires may be evil but they have no desire for magicks. Yes they desire power and there are some that would try to wield the power in that ring, but even a stupid vampire would know that's pointless. Clearly that ring was designed for one person and one person only. No one else can control it and I would rather run into a burning building than try and use that thing." He looked back at where the ring had been before Frodo tucked it safely back under his shirt. "I pity you, having to carry such an evil." He said to him. Elrond looked at Saber for a long moment and then nodded.

"Frodo?" He asked and Frodo was curiously looking at Saber now, knowing in his heart that Saber didn't want the ring.

"I believe him." Frodo answered and Elrond nodded.

"Then he has the trust of the Ring-bearer and that is enough."

"Thank you." Ammon nodded and smiled at Frodo, "there is hope for you and your quest Frodo." He said gently, warming Frodo's heart.

"We'll go to the Great Hall now and you can meet the rest of your new companions when you're ready Frodo." Elrond said.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." Frodo smiled and went back to whatever he had been doing before they came in. They walked out quietly.

"If I may have your leave, Lord Elrond, I should be going back now." Ammon said gently after they left the room, horrified as he saw the boys.

Heru and Andreas were wrestling in the middle of the floor, shouting at each other and Andrew stood there smoking, adding in a kick every now and then.

"What the hell is this?" Ammon snapped angrily, looking at them like children. "Orpheus?" He looked over for Orpheus but noticed he was wandering off, following the distant sound of a song. Ammon sighed and looked at Elrond nervously who was watching them with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry." Was all he could manage to say. "Get up." He growled at the boys and lifted them up to their feet.

Heru adjusted his clothes and smoothed his hair, Andreas licked his bleeding lip and smiled.

"Sorry," he grinned.

"Is it normal for them to quarrel so easily?" Elrond asked worriedly.

"We weren't quarrelling," Heru said almost mockingly, "we were just wrestling. We got bored waiting." He shrugged.

"Good heavens," Ammon covered his face and sighed. "Elrond, you have my word that when it's time to be serious, they get straight to business and don't mess around but… they tend to behave like this a lot when it's not serious."

"It's alright," Elrond smiled, "they seem to remind me of hobbits in some way." He said with a glint of teasing in his eyes, Ammon smirked at the comment.

"Come on guys," Ammon turned towards the way Orpheus had walked and in Glandiath, called for Orpheus though no one but Elrond heard it, and he could barely hear it. He looked at Ammon strangely.

Orpheus reappeared around the corner and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, but I heard the most beautiful song and I couldn't help but follow it." He said and looked at Ammon and the question flashed in Ammon's eyes but Orpheus shook his head, "no, not that song" he said in their language and Ammon nodded. Elrond watched their exchange curiously.

"I'm sorry, but I must be leaving." Ammon repeated again and Elrond nodded.

"Yes of course."

"Boys, behave." He said gently, but they all knew that tone with Ammon and they knew they couldn't fuck around. "You're guests in this world; behave as if you were at Erik's." He said and they all nodded. Erik was a family friend, he was a multi-millionaire and the most formal and proper man they had ever come across. He had, in their opinion, no sense of humour and didn't like them very much but they always tried to behave well when they were in his house.

"We'll see you again then?" Heru asked, suddenly sad and feeling terribly young now that Ammon was leaving.

"Yes," Ammon smiled and kissed his forehead. "Aya looya yao," he whispered in their minds and they smiled.

"Love you too man," Heru smiled and Ammon turned and once again, as he walked away, he seemed to disappear into thin air.

"Wow, that's messed." Andreas said after he disappeared.

"Ammon is a master of travelling between worlds," Orpheus said with a sigh, doubting his own skills.

"Come along," Elrond broke into their thoughts and they followed him back through the long hallway and down another one. The walls were covered in tapestries with images on them, images that seemed to tell a story as they walked. The story of the Elves. The boys followed behind him obediently and awkwardly, Heru and Andreas shoving each other a couple times only to be scowled at by Andrew and Orpheus. Saber walked behind them all, lingering a little, suddenly caught up in the beauty of Rivendell.

They came to halt outside a set of double doors and Elrond pushed them open. "Welcome to the Great Hall." He said as they walked in, his voice echoing.

There, they saw a bunch of tables in one end. A dais on the one wall where there was a table raised, with a large beautiful chair that looked like a throne to them and two smaller ones and then the rest of the chairs were all the same but still beautiful carved. There was a large fire place against the one wall where there were leather chairs around it. In one corner, there was a group of elves playing a harp and singing softly. Orpheus smiled, he was falling in love with the elves and their music.

Andrew whistled as he looked around the room, looking up at the high ceiling. "Dude, the taxes on this place in L.A would be so fucking high." He said and Andreas nodded in agreement.

"Taxes?" Elrond asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yea, government taxes…" Andrew said, unable to explain further.

"Tariffs to the king." Saber answered as best as he could in a way that Elrond would understand.

"Ah…" Elrond nodded, but still didn't fully understand. "Have you eaten? It's nearly time for the evening meal." He said and led them to a table. Just then, a group of elves walked into the room, carrying trays of food. They were all women and beautiful, their gowns flowed behind them as they walked and they seemed to shine. Andrew tilted his head a little as he looked at them and smiled. They looked at the strangers in their strange clothes for a second, but quickly disregarded them and left, coming back again with more trays and laying them on three tables, the head table and two below.

There was a loud bell signaling dinner and Elrond went up the dais.

"Are we supposed to wait here?" Heru asked and fumbled with his hands nervously. "Where'd our bags go by the way?" He asked, suddenly now aware that he didn't have his backpack anymore.

"You didn't notice the elves that took them when we first got here?" Orpheus asked and Heru shook his head. "Oh, well I assume they took them to our quarters."

"You're loving this aren't you?" Andreas asked and Orpheus grinned.

"This place reminds me of Mayadar, my home world." His face was a little sad as he looked about the room. The boys had never really asked about Orpheus' home and he rarely talked about it. A couple times a year, he would leave and come back and he'd be glowing and happy as ever, but he never talked about what his world was like.

"Huh," Heru nodded and looked over at Saber. "What do you think?" Saber looked at him with cold black eyes and shrugged. He seemed quieter and even more distant now. Heru guessed he was also reminded of something and was lost in thought.

"Tonight's dinner is just for the Company." Elrond said as the doors opened again and in came, what seemed like, two small boys talking in great length about something. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the boys sitting at the table.

"Meriadoc and Peregrin, these are the new members of your company. I'll introduce them once everyone is here." Elrond gestured for them to sit down at another table.

"Strange looking folk," Pippin said quietly to Merry.

"Are those kids? Did he say they're in the company or whatever?" Heru asked looking at the boys.

"They're hobbits Heru," Orpheus said in wonder, clearly delighted to see so many different races of people.

"Hobbits? Hey! That's what Elrond said we reminded him of."

"Yes, they're Halflings. They live in the Shire and are very content to live in peace, drink beer, tell stories and sing and dance. They farm mostly, but they're known for their telling of tales." Orpheus explained.

"Oh…" Heru said, not understanding why he reminded Elrond of them. "So, who's this Elrond dude?"

"You mean, Lord Elrond?" Orpheus started to explain as best as he could, "only address him as Lord Elrond. He's basically the king in Rivendell and you should treat him like you're meeting the president."

"If I was meeting the president, Orpheus, I'd be the rudest person in the world because of what I had to say."

Orpheus laughed, forgetting who he was talking to for a moment, "ok, then pick a person who's really respected and who you would be most honoured to meet and pretend he's them. Elrond is one of the oldest elves alive, he's seen two ages already."

"What are two ages?" Heru asked.

"Two thousand years," Saber answered again quietly, still staring off.

"Oh… wow he's old. Not as old as you but old." Heru said to Orpheus.

"Time is different here remember? Two thousand years here is like… 10, 000 in Mayadar. He's much older and wiser than I am and I'm honoured to be in his house. I've only ever read about him." He gaped and Heru rolled his eyes.

"You know, you and Egan are so much alike sometimes." He said and Orpheus smiled. The doors opened again and in walked two more hobbits, but they didn't seem as happy as the other two and both seemed to be lost in deep thought. They hardly even noticed the strangers. Frodo smiled at Saber and Saber nodded his head back in hello.

"Who's that?" Sam asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon Sam." Frodo said softly and sat down with Merry and Pippin who were trying to decide where these people were from.

"We think they're from the south," said Pippin, rather proud to have come to some kind of conclusion.

"They're strange folk in the south from what I hear."

"They're not from the south." Frodo said in a knowingly way and the others wondered what he knew. The doors opened for the last time that night, and in walked two men, a tall man in grey robes, a short little man with a long red beard and another elf.

Elrond stood up and welcomed the guests.

"Now it is time to introduce everyone." And he went on to explain that he had called on the Glandians for help and they had brought five of their world's best warriors to help them on their quest. Heru and Andreas bit their lips to keep from laughing when he referred to them as brave and warriors.

"This is Andrew," Elrond pointed and Andrew stood, bowing gently. He'd seen enough medieval movies to get the gist of this world. He went around introducing the boys one at a time. Saber caught Legolas' eye and they stared at each other for a long time until Elrond introduce Legolas.

"This is Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil." Legolas bowed, his eyes locked on Saber's and then, finally broke away. "Aragorn son of Arathorn."

"We call him Strider" piped in one of the hobbits.

"That, is Peregrin Took." Elrond pointed.

"Call me Pippin," he said with a grin.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck," Elrond said, ignoring Pippin. Merry stood and bowed too. "Samwise Gamgee, and Frodo Baggins. This is Boromir son of Denethor and lastly, Gandalf the Grey." Elrond paused while everyone said hello and waited from them to be quiet. "Now… I think it would be good for you all to explain what kind of powers you have that Ammon seemed to think would be fit for the quest." He said and turned to the boys who gulped and looked at everyone.

Orpheus was the first to speak.

"I am an Elemental Glandian," he began and Aragorn gasped quietly, "I have power over all the elements, I'm a skilled archer and I have the sight that all Glandians have."

"What's a Glandian?" Asked Pippin.

"They're like wizards and elves combined. They're older than any world, created to protect mankind but I thought that was just a myth." Aragorn answered and Orpheus nodded.

"My people were made long ago by the Goddess," he said her name, but none were able to hear it for there was no name for her in the English language, "there are three clans of my people, Elemental, Anime, and Human Glandians. Those of my kind help keep the balance of nature and man, well… in our world it's to restore the balance. It has now become more of protecting the Earth from man but that's a different story for a different time.

"Anime Glandians are the ones that come here still sometimes, to take the dead. They're guardians of the mortal soul and keep it from harm in the realm of spirits. Human Glandians are guides to men like these," he gestured to the boys, "people gifted with powers. They teach them of their gifts and keep them good so they don't become destructive and evil." He explained as simply as he could and the others listened attentively to him.

"Wow," Pippin said at last, "seems like a mighty big task, watchin over all the men in your world." He said and Orpheus smiled and nodded, looking over at Saber to go next.

"I am of two races," Saber said, glancing at Elrond, "I was born a Besten, a race of the Goddess of Baset. My world is not the world that we come from, I was taken from it hundreds of years ago. We are a cat people," he said and suddenly, his ears came up from under his hair and they now noticed his long nails and the soft, black ears that pointed up. "I was then bit, and turned into a Vampire. I'm immortal and because I'm under the protection and watch of the Glandians, I can only die by beheading and fire. I have the agility of a cat and the strength of a demon, and the senses of both. I'm no archer or swordsmen, my weapons are my claws and my fangs and strength." He summarized, feeling rather uncomfortable talking about himself like he was trying out for a position on a sports team. They were all incredibly uncomfortable and found the whole situation to be more than a little awkward.

"We don't got vampires in Middle Earth do we Gandalf?" Asked Pippin. He seemed to be the most talkative and inquisitive; the others just stared in wonder.

"No Pippin, vampires are demons of an ancient time and only live in a couple worlds from what I know." He answered.

"A demon?" Sam suddenly said, "Why is a demon coming with us if I may be so bold to ask, Lord Elrond?" He asked, suddenly blushing for being so forward.

"Vampires are complicated beings," Elrond said, "and I do not believe Saber has any ill intentions." He added and that seemed to satisfy Sam for now. Saber elbowed Heru.

"Hi," Heru grinned and waved, "I'm just a person... for now... and um, I'm mortal, kind of. I die easily." He said nervously. He was never nervous in front of a crowd and usually loved when the attention was all on him, but talking about what he was able to do made him uncomfortable. He was never allowed to tell strangers about it. "I'm a Grim, or... a Grim to be." He stated and when everyone just started at him blankly he realized he needed to explain a little bit more. "So, I'm death." He said with a nervous grin that was bordering on hysteria.

"Excuse me?" Elrond and Gandalf both said at the same time looking at him.

"Um…" He chewed his lip, "So, complicated to explain but basically my touch kills anything. That's really all you need to know." He said quietly and they all stared at him in wonder, Pippin took a step back.

"You mean to say you can take life with a single touch?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes." He chewed his lip nervously and Gandalf gaped.

"That's truly an incredible and dangerous power."

"Yea…" Heru nodded, "um, don't sneak up on me" he gave a little laugh but the others didn't seem to find it funny, "at least don't touch my skin if you're going to… I can control it usually but not always if I'm really afraid." He hoped they wouldn't see him as young as he felt at that moment. He was only twenty three and despite that he acted rather immature at times, he had seen an incredibly amount of things in his short life. Amongst all these immortals, he still felt so childish and foolish though. They all seemed so knightly and proper and in control, he felt like the complete opposite.

"I'm telekinetic" Andreas said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Teleka-what?" Merry finally spoke, confused.

"I can move things with my mind… small things… and big things." He said and lifted all the tables in the room. Everyone gasped and stared in amazement. He gently set them down again, not a single drop of water had been spilled.

Andrew was the last to explain and the most reluctant.

"I am a creature of war," he said awkwardly, how he could he explain it to these people? "I have several names: Maher, Camulus, Anhur, Ares... Like Saber and Orpheas, I come from another world that has long since been destroyed. I am a soldier and a leader, I cannot die and I'm incredibly strong." He summarized.

"How can that be possible?" Gandalf asked, knowing a great deal about magick.

"It is just the way my people were made. We are all given abilities, just as the Elves each have their unique strengths and same with the Glandians. I am a War God, therefore all my abilities work to make me the best warrior for my people." He tried to explain with as little detail as possible. He smiled weakly and slunk back behind the rest of them, taking a sip of the wine that had been poured into glasses on the table.

"Well, I can understand why Ammon said you would all be helpful to the quest that you've joined." Elrond said and smiled.

The Company stared at the foreigners for a long time while they ate, looking at their strange clothing. The one named Andrew, which to them was such a strange name, had strange dark blue pants (jeans) and what looked like a black cotton shirt that had no sleeves (a wife-beater). Heru was dressed in tight black pants that seemed to be made of the same material; they looked too small and were worn very low on his hips. He had a strange black shirt on with what looked like a strange creature (cute little dead girl t-shirt) on the front of it but it too, seemed to fit too small and when he moved, the bottom raised and part of his stomach was exposed. Saber was dressed perhaps the closest to normal but even he was dressed strangely. He had a deep, red dress shirt on that was unbutton a little at the bottom and top, and like Heru, if he moved a certain way, his stomach showed as well. His pants were a black leather but it seemed to be a different skin that no one could recognize. Andreas wore a plain white cotton shirt that fit him properly but he too, had on low pants that were made of the same strange material that Andrew's pants were made of, but they weren't as tight as the others and seemed to fit well. Orpheus was dressed almost the same as Andreas, but the pants seemed to be a different style and his shirt had buttons down the front and a collar. All in all, they were dressed extraordinarily strangely and rather immodest in Sam's opinion.

But what Pippin found to be the most interesting was the markings they all had on their arms.

"Is that something that all your people in your world have?" He asked, pointing to the tattoos.

"These?" Andreas asked, pointing to his sleeve tattoo.

"Yes," Pippin nodded and leaned over the table to get a closer look. "What are they?"

"Not everyone, but a lot of people have them but they're all different. They're called tattoos. We all have the same one 'cus it's kind of like a family crest."

"You are all kin then?" He asked surprised, looking at the very different faces.

"No, not blood brothers but we've known each other a long time and been through a lot with each other. We're in a way our own brotherhood and this is our crest." He turned his arm over slowly. The tattoo was complicated and had several designs that flowed together, words in a language Pippin didn't recognize spiraled up and went under the small sleeve.

"What does it say?" He asked.

"In blood, in darkness, in life, in death, in shame, in victory, in power, in fear, brothers." He said and glanced over at Heru and the others who each had a hobbit staring very closely and the others stared at from a distance.

"That's very lovely," Pippin smiled and looked at the images; he was most fascinated with the wilting rose.

"Why does your tattoo seem to move?" Merry asked, staring at Saber's.

"Because the water used in the ink was holy water, which burns a vampire." He said simply, his dark eyes looking down at Merry who gulped quietly.

"W-Why would you have that then?"

"Because once a man becomes a vampire, nothing can change his body." He answered and smiled. "I cannot scar, my hair can never be longer nor shorter, I don't age, nothing in my body changes, except the length of my nails of course, but that's because their purely Basten. So the holy water in our world burns always under my skin"

Merry blinked in confusion, not fully understanding everything he had said. They were all so strange and yet didn't seem very different at all. Aragon and Boromir were men too, but they seemed different somehow. Standing next to Andrew, Aragorn seemed somehow brighter, as if there was darkness around these men. Merry didn't understand it, but only a few knew like Elrond and Orpheus, that the men of their world were much more closed off, cold hearted and born into darkness. Aragorn was a man of Númenor and purer, the way man was meant to be before corrupted by evil. Boromir was somewhere between them in brightness, Merry never would have noticed it before but he noticed it now, the dark glow about Boromir. Another difference he noticed, one that was much more obvious, was the size difference. The only one that seemed to be of a "normal big person" size was Andrew. His arms were lined lightly with muscles coiling down them and if Merry looked closely, he could see that he was firmly built in his chest and stomach as well but not like Boromir who was broad and muscular. Aragorn was similar to Andrew, but even he was bigger. Merry wondered how Andrew could have what he claimed to be unnatural human strength and he wondered what that really meant.

"Are any of you skilled with weapons?" Asked Aragorn as he sat down at the table with them, placing food on his plate.

"We all are." Andrew replied. Somehow, Aragorn reminded Andreas of Andrew, an older, more experienced Andrew but they even had a similar appearance. Both had a five-o-clock shadow and their hair color was similar, Andrew's was shorter but he couldn't place it exactly, they just seemed a lot alike.

"Orpheus says he's a skilled with the bow, but I didn't see any bow when they brought in your bags." Legolas added and Orpheus smiled a little.

"That's because my bow is always on me." He said, holding up his right hand and instantly, his bow appeared. The hobbits gasped in awe and he held up the spoon, "and I always have an arrow ready," he flick the spoon and it turned into an arrow and another gasp came from the hobbits.

"How did you do that?" Pippin asked eagerly and Gandalf chuckled to himself.

"Magic" Orpheus teased, "No, like I said, I have power over all elements. I can turn anything into anything that I want. This spoon is wood, it belongs to the Earth." He paused, flicking it again and it turned into a long stemmed red rose, Pippin stared now in wonder. The boys rolled their eyes. "It isn't natural to change it, but if I were ever in desperate need, I could." And with that he changed it back into the original spoon. He set it down and his bow disappeared out of his other hand.

"Are Glandians like wizards?" Pippin asked, taking a bite of buttered bread.

"Hmm in a way, but more like elves," Orpheus glanced at Legolas. "But I'll tell you that story another time." He smiled and Pippin gave a sad sigh, never getting enough information to the endless questions in his head. "We are all trained to fight with and without weapons, Lord Aragorn," he said turning the attention back to the first question.

"I have a sword," Andrew said between bites of food.

"I'm more partial to knives," Heru said. "I tend to get up close when I fight anyway."

"They're all trained in the form of fighting which is called Dhanurveda. It is an ancient type of fighting among the Indians of India in our world. It unites body and soul in battle, teaches one how to fight with your mind, your body and a weapon, separately and together. To be a master of dhanurveda in our world is a high achievement that few ever reach. Andreas and Heru are a year away from achieving master and Andrew is their instructor." Orpheus explained.

"I would like to see this type of fighting." Boromir said, "it sounds strange and the name sounds even more strange. Are you certain it will help you against orcs?"

"What are orcs?" Heru asked, looking around.

"Evil, vial creatures!" Boromir growled and Heru nodded.

"Huh, so kinda like demons?"

"From what I've read," Orpheas spoke up and Heru cursed himself for asking, "they were once elves right? Tortured until they became evil and so corrupted and disfigured that they became their own race, or am I wrong?"

"You speak of the Uraki" Legolas said grimly.

"Orcs are nasty beasts," Gimli finally spoke, and the boys had almost forgotten he was there if he hadn't been such a loud eater. "They're ugly and foul smelling as any other beast in Middle Earth and vicious, blood thirsty they are." He said with a grunt and took a drink of his, what they called ale, and the boys called beer.

"Sounds lovely," Heru said, growing a little nervous.

"But yes, I'm sure they'll be skilled in battle." Orpheas said, once again, returning back to the main topic.

"Is anyone else armed?" Aragorn again asked.

"I also have knives and chakram discs." Andreas said.

"What are, chakram discs?" Gimli asked, saying the word slowly but he seemed interested.

"They're a metal ring, about this big," he held up his hands and made a circle of about 6" wide, "the outer side is a blade. They're good for throwing and because of the way they're made, the wind doesn't affect them. They're also easy and small so I can usually throw a bunch at once. They're sharp enough to take a man's head off in one clean throw." He said and Gimli seemed mighty impressed.

"Sounds like a strange weapon." He said into this long beard.

"And what of you Saber?" Aragorn asked, turning to the vampire.

"My weapons are on my body." He said, not caring to elaborate.

"I am afraid I do not understand," Aragorn looked at him confused. Saber opened his mouth revealing his long slender, fangs and the jagged bottom K9s, both vampire and a Basten's teeth. "Oh," Aragorn nodded.

"Orcs have nasty teeth like that, some anyway, but I don't think they use them much in battle." Gimli said, "You think you can get close enough to one with a sword?"

"Yes and that's not my only weapon," He said, drumming his nails on the table. Gimli noticed them and Saber smiled, slowly the nails grew longer until they were at least three inches long.

"Well then…" Gimli looked at them and blinked, more surprised with the way they came out, just like a house cat's claws.

"Well if you're not too weary from your journey, perhaps we can see some of these skills in action out in the courtyard after this?" Aragorn suggested and the boys shrugged.

"Sure."

They finished their meal mostly in silence, Pippin asked a few questions like what was the jewel in Heru's nose and the hoop that was in his lip and why did he have them, but for the better part of their meal, they ate quietly. The boys barely noticed Elrond and his daughter, Arwen eating at the table on the dais; they never spoke to them, only listened to their conversations.

"Mighty strange these folks are, with their 'tattoos' and strange clothing," whispered Sam to Frodo as they were leaving the hall, watching the boys walk in front of them. "They don't seem like honourable men but if Elrond himself and Gandalf seem to think so, then I suppose they are but I'm not too sure about this dhanurveda they say. It don't sound like it's meant for battle if I can say so myself Mr. Frodo."

Frodo smiled at the ever cautious Sam. He was truly a hobbit from the Shire, suspicious of everyone that lived outside of it. Frodo himself was rather excited about these new people, though no one would have guessed; he was so quiet throughout the whole meal. But Frodo had always been more of a listener than a talker. He left that to Pippin and Merry.

"We will see Sam," Frodo smiled at him and Sam nodded his face ever so serious which just made Frodo smile even more. It was so sweet the way he was always concerned about him and how he called him Mr. Frodo.

The rather large group now walked down the halls and down a few steps out into a large stone courtyard. There were vines growing over the walls and hundreds of flowers were blooming around. Orpheus seemed to be in heaven and even Saber was enjoying it. The sun had set while they were inside eating and now the stars shined brightly in the sky and the full moon lit up the stones.

"Our weapons are with our bags and… we haven't been to our rooms yet so I'm not sure where that is." Andrew said, remembering that he had put his sword in his bag.

"I'll have someone grab them for you." He called over to an elf that was standing nearby, watching vividly and spoke to him in elvish.

"Be careful though! In my bag my chakrams aren't wrapped that well, don't want him to cut off a finger." Andreas warned and the elf looked at Aragorn, clearly he didn't speak English, or as they called it, the Western Tongue.

"Well while we're waiting," Aragorn said as the elf ran off, "shall we see some of your hand to hand?" He asked, raising his hands and Boromir came and stood next to him.

Orpheus looked at the boys and waved his hand. "Don't actually hurt them." He said smiling and the boys grinned, this was their realm, they grew up fighting and it was really all they knew.

"How about, one of us at a time?" Andrew asked, stepping up first. He could never say no to a fight, even if it was just a scrap to show his moves.

"Against two of us?" Aragorn asked and nodded, "alright."

Boromir was the first to make a move. He swung at Andrew, and Andrew, easily stepped out of the way and flipped him over. At the same time, Aragorn lunged, hoping to catch Andrew off his guard. He swung and Andrew caught his fist but took a hit across the jaw as Boromir had gotten up. But Andrew didn't flinch and Boromir grabbed his own hand, wincing in pain. Punching him had been like punching a rock wall. Andrew lifted Aragorn like he was he was a twig and tossed him into Boromir. The two fell backwards and groaned, getting up slowly and rubbing their bruised elbows.

"To throw a man so easily requires great strength," Aragorn said, fixing his clothes. "Just exactly what does 'the strength of three Sabers' mean?" He asked and Andrew looked around. Over by the wall he saw a large bolder that came up to the middle of his stomach in height and was about three feet wide.

"Does that rock have any importance to you?" He asked, looking at Legolas.

"What do you mean?"

"Well is it like… some important stone or something? It doesn't look like its part of the wall or anything, would it be bad if it were to be broken?"

"You can try to break it if you will." Legolas said disbelievingly and Andrew walked up to the stone. The Company all came up behind him, watching carefully. He drew in a deep breath and swung his arm, his fist coming down on the rock with a loud crash. They stared in a mix of wonder and horror as Andrew dusted off his hand. The rock that was at least four feet thick now lay smashed into a dozen pieces, some had flown over their heads and even the stone ground beneath them had cracked a little.

"By the Valar…" whispered Legolas finally breaking the silence. They looked at him and back at the rock. "And you cannot die?" Legolas gaped.

"Nope," Andrew patted his clothes, still trying to get the dust off of him.

"Here are the weapons," the elf interrupted in Elvish, staring at the pile of rumble before him and the strangers and back at Aragorn. He bowed low and then held out the weapons that filled his arms. The boys came over and each took their own, Andrew removing his shirt. To the elf's horror and the rest of the Company's, and to Heru's delight, he took his knife and stabbed it through Andrew's heart. The Elf let out a scream and nearly attacked Heru when he pulled it out and they all stared, frozen. The wound that they had all seen clearly go through his heart, was sealed and healed instantly.

"Hmph," Gimli huffed, "I'm keeping him close at hand when we fight." He said and Andrew laughed. Aragorn stared in amazement and touched where the wound had been, Andrew jumped at the touch, he was always jumpy when people got close to him. Aragorn noticed but gently traced where he should have still had a gaping wound.

"Incredible…" He whispered.

The hobbits were utterly speechless and Pippin had nearly well fainted with shock and excitement.

"No one's going to believe this back home Merry," Pippin said to him and Merry shook his head.

"No, they really won't."