Aug.19, a note I've edited the previous chapters some what due to an excellent, wonderful, and informational review. So if you're a previous reader, I suggest you read it from the beginning. And for that awesome reviewer some of your questions/suggested corrections are going to be made clear early in this chapter. I'm sorry for the misveiws of Eregion; I'm aiming to get several other books that will expand my knowledge of middle earth upon the actual set, especially 'The Silmarillion,' so I'm really, really, really, sorry for the misveiwage. And just another note her ring is as powerful as the captain of nine, and she observed the witch king of Angmar's nasty work, which includes the cursed blade, during her year and a half imprisonment. But I have edited that part a lot, so I hope that that clarifies and corrects some things.
R/R PLEASE, I need all of the advice and wisdom you can give me...
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Me: I wish I did though.
Enya: You own me, and Hollin
Me: true at least I have you guys
Chapter Four: Frodo and Company
Enya sat with her adopted brother, niece, and nephews with her hood up so that none would see her face. Throughout dinner many people where getting up and singing.
Arwen nudged her in the shoulder and whispered into her ear, "You should go sing aunt
tell us a tale of your homeland, Eregion."
Enya looked alarmed, and Arwen grinned, and murmured; "Only me, father, and the twins know aunt, your secret is safe."
Relaxing Enya stood, and making sure that her hood was covering all of her face, she began singing:
'In the land of Eregion
The grass once grew tall and green
their homes where built of sturdy stone and bending trees'
'The Holly trees grew wild and tall
Never to be held back
They only obeyed the command of that elven colony'
'Their horses fairer, wiser, swifter, and stronger than Shadowfax of Rohan
That elven race had bred and tamed them
Black or Mithril silver their coats and manes gleamed'
'But long has Eregion lain barren and broken
The grass now sparse and course
The homes now have crumbled
Wild the horses now run
All of Eregion waiting for the return of that elven colony
Weeds and bushes have over run that land and the trees have grown untamed'
'I sing now of a land long lost
Long have I longed to walk amongst the grass
And see the trees standing tall
long have I wanted to see the homes
hear the smiths working in their shops
and walk amongst the hills and mountains of my home land again
My homeland
My homeland'
'Gone now are the days when they traded with the dwarves
the smiths making rings and blades of power'
'Greatest of those smiths was Celebrimbor maker of the three
he took up an apprentice
and alongside him she made a fourth less significant ring then the three
she also made her own armor, sword, shield, and daggers'
'Of his apprentice I now speak
she was fiery, yet quiet
gentle and kind, yet often snappish and harsh'
'Of royal blood she was Gil-Galad's niece
Their black rose and magic flame
a captain of the legions she was also'
'She was strange and often detached
eldest of the elves and Numenorian
but she is NOT half-elven
part of a race as old as time'
'She rides the sire of all their horses'
'She is tall, thin, and angular, a cat like grace and
the personality and qualities of a Sphinx reside within her'
`'she looks as one from Gondor without her
two silver locks and immortal glow
She speaks various tongues and
has one power none know of
and that I shan't speak of'
''Tis said she perished in the last alliance
along with most of her kin
A roaring magic flame put out
but others beg to differ saying they've seen her'
'Perhaps 'tis her ghost
Continuously riding through the times forever
watching 'or us'
'But yet I know that she lives on through those that remember
her, her kin, the people, and the land of
EREGION'
A shocked silence followed the end of Enya's song with only Elrond, Arwen and the Twins smiling. Soon afterward though everyone started clapping, puzzled looks still on their faces.
"Who's your guest, Lord Elrond," Aragorn said, asking what everyone wanted to know.
"This is my adopted sister Enya," Elrond answered, as she bowed, then took her seat.
"That was excellent, aunt," Arwen murmured, still smiling.
Enya smiled back, murmuring, "Yes, I know but I think I revealed a bit too much about my background."
"No I don't think so, but then I'm not exactly the best judge seeing as I already know," Arwen said, just loud enough for Enya, Elrond, and the twins to hear.
Elrond nodded and stood, "Excuse us, my sister, daughter, and I shall be leaving, for I have some business to attend to later."
Arwen stood, and Enya followed suit, walking behind her brother. When she was level with the door, she let her hood fall.
Boromir listened intenivly to the song that the hooded stranger was singing. He gave a start when he heard the description of the apprentice of Celebrimbor, she sounded, by the description, like the elf that had served him the other night.
He was even more shocked when Elrond announced that the stranger was his adopted sister. Several minutes later they stood and left. Boromir watched as the sister let her hood fall when she was in the doorway, and then she was gone.
He was disturbed because what he'd seen was a flash of Gondorian colored hair. He excused himself from his table and followed the group.
Legolas stopped talking when a clear, ringing, musically rustic, voice started singing, holding all of his attention. He didn't exactly pay attention to the words just the voice. He was almost started crying when the singing stopped, leaving him in a daze.
He was startled, when Aragorn spoke, "Who's your guest, Lord Elrond?" Legolas' gaze was drawn to the hooded figure.
"This is my adopted sister, Enya," Legolas heard Elrond reply, as the figure bowed then took her seat.
He saw Arwen lean close to the figure, her aunt he mentally corrected himself, and murmur something. At which Elrond nodded and stood and announced that they where leaving.
Arwen and her aunt followed their father out the door. Legolas saw the adopted sister let her hood fall when she reached the doorway. It took Legolas several minutes after they left to realize that her hair color was an unnatural red, at least unnatural for elves.
"You saved me many questions, but seeing as I can guess rightly I'll have many more because you plan on sending me with the Ring Bearer, brother," Enya said.
Elrond sighed, "Yes, I plan on sending you, but I know you want to put an end to Sauron and his betrayal," Elrond said pushing on because it looked like she was going to interrupt. "Enya, I also know that you won't be able to rest till you do something."
Enya sighed and turned to face him. She froze and looked over Elrond's shoulder, horror, panic, and anger spreading across her face, causing Elrond and Arwen to turn and see what she was looking at. Arwen's hand flew up to her mouth, and Elrond stared fists clenched, because standing not that far behind them was Boromir of Gondor.
Boromir followed them quietly, as they made their way across the hall. He suddenly payed attention to what they where saying. "…plan on sending me with the Ring Bearer, brother," he heard, the adopted sister, Enya say.
"Yes I plan on sending you, but I know you want to put an end to Sauron and his betrayal. Enya, I also know that you won't be able to rest till you do something," Elrond said sighing.
Boromir heard Enya sigh, and realized too late, that she was turning around. He froze, as her grey eyes met his, but quickly his attention was drawn to Elrond, as he hissed.
Suddenly the sound of light, running footsteps filled the echoy hall. Boromir looked to where Enya had been standing and Elrond and Arwen turned around surprised to find her sprinting down the hall. Instinctively Boromir took off after her.
Enya ran in a panic, and was surprised when a firm hand clamped onto her forearm, causing her to stumble. She turned, a black flame flickering behind her panicked and desperate eyes.
"Let me go," she said, trying to tug her arm from Boromir's grip.
"No, I want you to explain some things to me, Lady Enya," he said firmly steering her out of the hall, Leaving Elrond and Arwen standing dumbstruck as she was practically dragged out of the hall.
As soon as Enya was out of sight of her brother and niece, she crumpled to the floor, despair overwhelming her. She started and fought feebly as Boromir picked her up very gently. Finally she just gave up and let herself be carried to where ever he was carrying her. A little while later he set her on a bench in front of the fountain.
"Now please, explain to me why you look as one from Gondor, and why you ran," Boromir asked gently, yet firm at the same time.
Sigh. "I look as if I am from Gondor because, well, Isildur's aunt was an elf, and she is the 3rd main bloodline of the Gondorians, it's been mixed with some weaker blood since my birth, but there are still some remnants of elvishness in your race," Enya answered tiredly.
"And how does that answer my question," he said, sounding confused.
"My mother was she. She left my father for another. And my father died of grief, but I believe that he committed suicide leaving me in the care of the elven smiths. I lived my entire life with them, rarely seeing my uncle.
My mother had given birth to me when she was 200 and while still in the heart of Gil-Galad's realm, before going to Lake Evendim. By the time we landed I was 849, my father dead, and my mother married to her youngest nephew, Anarion. Gil-Galad, was ruling his kingdom and the elves of… the several families of elves that came to… a fair valley with us from afar, we where a colony, governed by Cele…. A smith, and sometimes Celeborn and Galadriel. But a colony none the less, that was part of a larger kingdom.
One year later I met Elrond, he was about 20 years older then me, but we became fast friends, and he became a brother in my eyes, seeing as I considered the smiths more close friends then family. He seemed older than his actual age and we just bonded that way.
Seven years later Sauron betrayed… a certain part of Gil-Galad's elves. During the last battle of the last alliance where Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron's hand, most of my kin, but me and those that had fled to Rivendell, I now find, where destroyed. The places I've felt most confident are in Lothlorien, Gondor, and… a forgotten land. Now in Imladris, my love lies, but not my heart, it resides forever in… my home land. I was the Elf serving you two nights ago, I needed to speak to Elrond," She answered evasively.
"I see but…" Boromir was cut off when a warning bell rang.
"It's the bell for the decision of the Ring bearer's companions, come on," she said, unconsciously reaching for his hand, and pulling him towards the porch.
He stopped. "Wait, your invited to the council," he asked.
"Of course weren't you paying any attention…" Enya started to say but was cut off as Boromir kissed her.
Enya's mind reeled through memories she'd thought she'd shut forever. Celebrimbor gently guiding her hands over the plane work of a chest plate, his chin resting on her shoulder… Celebrimbor meeting her secretly under her favorite Holly tree so they could talk… Celebrimbor forcing Sauron out of the forge so that Celebrimbor could help her in the forging of her ring… Celebrimbor kissing her like he never had before, the day before the battle… watching Gil-Galad, Earendil, and Celebrimbor fall by the hand of the one she had thought a friend… grieving and riding mindlessly around the mountains surrounding Mordor… the devastation and pain of the Nazgul's torture…
Boromir broke away from her, his face flushed and confused.
"Boromir… I… I… we have to go," she said, releasing his hand and running the remainder of the distance to the porch.
Pulling her hood up, she went to sit by her brother, so that she could regain her composer.
Boromir walked slowly after Enya, still confused as to why he had kissed her and why she had run, again. Her face seemed to swim in front of his eyes, flushed, confused, and full of pain, is what he'd seen.
The confusion he understood, but he didn't understand the pain he'd seen on her face. It looked like a heart wrenching pain that had been deeply embedded into her personal makeup.
Boromir composed himself before walking onto the porch, and taking his seat. He saw the Elf Legolas scowling at him and he scowled back. He turned his attention to Elrond as he stood.
"Again I welcome you, but let me first properly introduce my sister, Enya of Imladris," Elrond said, beckoning Enya forward.
He noted that everyone was staring at her Ranger attire, but soon their attention was drawn to her hood, because she had begun to lower it. Boromir saw her take a deep breath, before letting the hood fall.
An uproar ensued, as the elves and most everyone else sat stunned by her appearance. The dwarves where murmuring amongst themselves, and his counselors where shouting for explanations.
As Enya opened her mouth to speak, Boromir stood and everything fell into silence. He sighed, and started to speak, but was cut off as Enya sent him a warning look, he sat back down.
"I am Enya of Imladris, the adopted sister of Elrond. I am Elvin, completely, and you'll just have to accept my appearance it's just how I am so live with it," Enya said bluntly before sitting down.
"I don't…" Halimer Boromir's chief counselor began before Boromir sent him a glare that meant 'be silent'.
Elrond looked over to him briefly before saying, "Now that that is settled, we may begin to discuss who should go with the Ring bearer."
"I think that all the races gathered here should be represented," he heard Enya say.
"I agree, but whom out of each group, lady," Boromir commented. She sent him a scathing look and he just grinned.
"That's not my decision it's whomever volunteers and if we feel they are worthy, even then they still have about two months to prepare and train," she replied sharply, a glint of confusion and pain, barley detectable in her eyes, as she looked over at him.
Elrond stood, saying, "I've now decided how many shall be in the company. Ten walkers shall be set against the Nine riders and Sauron, that are evil. With Frodo and his faithful servant, Samwise, Gandalf will go and I think he would have it no other way. For the rest, elves dwarves and men I will be sending Legolas for the elves, Gimli for the dwarves, and for men Aragorn, for the ring concerns him closely, and Boromir. For the other three I will choose from my own household."
"But then that'd leave no place for us," cried Pippin and Merry, bursting from the bushes behind Frodo's chair. "We don't want to be left behind. We wish to go with Frodo," they continued, planting themselves next to Frodo in the line of the company.
"That is only because you don't understand and can't imagine what lies ahead, but I'm in doubt. My judgment is that the younger, Peregrin Took should remain, for my heart is utterly against his going," Elrond stated.
"Then you'll just have to lock me in prison, or send me home tied in a sack, otherwise I'll just follow the company like a hound does a fox," Pippin said defiantly.
"You shall go then," Elrond sighed.
"And what of the tenth companion, Lord Elrond," Gandalf and Aragorn asked in unison.
"The tenth and final companion shall be my sister Enya, much like Aragorn her fate and life have been closely entwined with the ring, Aragorn by heritage and birth, Enya by betrayal, blood, succession and war. And so now the tale of the ten has been filled. In two months time the company must depart. Now go rest and prepare," Elrond announced.
Boromir grinned, Enya wasn't going to be able to avoid or get rid of him now. Still grinning he walked to his chambers.