Líriel woke early the next morning. She had not slept well. Thoughts of her impending meeting - or interrogation, as she thought of it - had occupied her mind for the entire night.
She had been shown to a room that was somewhat more comfortable than she had expected. It was small, but had an adjoining washroom that appeared to be hers personally. The bed was large and comfortable and the room itself was light and airy. Despite this apparent hospitality, she was well aware that there had been someone standing outside her door all night. "They are not that trusting then," she thought with a sigh.
She rose and attended her morning rituals in an efficient, methodical manner born of many years of routine. She washed quickly and dressed herself in a light grey tunic and leggings. When she was finished, she took a moment to stop and inspect her appearance in the mirror. She had been right yesterday - her face had suffered too much exposure to the sun for it to blend in smoothly in Rivendell. A lifetime of journeying in Harad would do that to you. Still, there wasn't much she could do about that. She would just have to hope that they didn't ask too many questions.
She could do something about her hair, on the other hand. Líriel usually wore it tightly bound in a bun on the top of her head, but if what she saw yesterday was anything to go by, loose hair framed by detailed braids was the fashion of choice here. At least that was a style which would suit her long, black hair. Gritting her teeth, she quickly brushed it and wove some simple braids.
Satisfied with her appearance, she opened her pack and inspected the scrolls that she would present to Elrond that day. She could hardly believe that she was about to give valuable information to her master's enemy, and on his command, no less. She sat down on a comfortable armchair and thought back to that conversation as she had so many times before.
She was standing at her master's desk, looking down at a pile of scrolls with a perplexed expression.
"Has there been some mistake? I know for a fact that at least some of this is accurate."
Sainor laughed with derision. "Have you ever known me to make a mistake? Everything I wrote there is accurate. It has to be, in order for them to trust you. They are far too wise for lying to be worth the risk."
Líriel looked up at him in wonder. "This Man must be an exceptionally valuable target for it to be worth trading secrets of this magnitude for him."
Sainor rounded on her sharply. "His worth, or lack of it, is of no concern to you. You would follow my command were he even the weakest son of the most wretched peasant. Don't waste your time and my own with such stupid questions. Now leave me. You may pass the time committing the contents of those papers to memory."
Líriel turned his words over and over in her head. She knew very little about her target, save that he was a formidable warrior and took many names. Strider. Aragorn. Whatever Sainor said, this Man was obviously much more than just a feared warrior. The Eldar had many such warriors, but she had never been sent to their cities to murder one of them. Indeed, the mere fact that he had been permitted to live amongst the Eldar was strong evidence that he was very special indeed. "As long as his uniqueness hasn't made him immune to my poisons, it shouldn't make a difference to me either way," she thought dryly.
She was interrupted from these thoughts by a knock at the door. Glancing outside, she saw that the sun still had not risen.
"I must credit them for being eager." Taking a deep breath, she gathered her scrolls and opened the door. On the other side stood an elf she took to be a guard, since he was garbed similarly to the elves she had met in the forest the day before.
"Aur vaer, my lady. My name is Folwin. I am one of the Lord Elrond's guard. He bids me express his regrets for summoning you so early in the morning, but he feels the matters you have to discuss cannot wait. Although, I see you were already prepared… " he trailed off, taking in her appearance.
"I anticipated that I would be summoned early."
"So I see. My lord also asks that you leave your weapons in your room for the duration of your visit. You are as yet still a stranger to us, and only members of the guard bear arms in Imladris. But perhaps, you anticipated this also?"
She gestured towards her swords and bow sitting neatly in the corner of her room.
"I did." They didn't need to know about the knives she had concealed in her boots.
"Indeed. Well then, if you would follow me…"
As she followed the guard, she was very careful to take note of every corridor and courtyard they passed through. Learning as much as she could about the layout of Imladris was crucial to her task - if she wished to survive it, in any case. Folwin took the gaze she cast on her surroundings as innocent interest, and he began to relate the history of each building they passed. She played the role of history enthusiast with relish, happy to be given an easy explanation for her behaviour.
Rivendell was extremely pleasing to the eye. She noted with interest that had a much more open layout than she was used to. Many homes had only an archway for an entrance, and between the houses were scattered many gardens and courtyards that seemed to be for public use. She even saw homes that appeared to lack a roof, their structure being little more than a series of pillars and archways surrounding a square.
"I assume it doesn't rain much here," she remarked in an amused voice to Folwin, gesturing to one such home.
He smiled at her. "You're correct in that assumption. I believe it has something to do with the magic of the place, although you'll have to ask someone else if you wish to know more about that. The lore surrounding the power of Imladris is not my area of expertise. Anyway, it is here that I must leave you, my Lady."
He gestured in front of them and she saw that they were approaching an archway, watched over by two guards.
"The Lord Elrond awaits you there. If you wish it, I could show you more of our city later, after lunch. My shift ends then. Imladris has many things to see, and it would be my pleasure to acquaint you with them."
What an opportunity! She fought back her excitement and carefully arranged her face into an expression of mild enthusiasm.
"I'm sure I would enjoy that," she said with a smile. "How will I know where to find you?"
"I can meet you in the dining halls at lunch. I'm sure someone will show you there after your meeting with Elrond is concluded. Until then, my Lady."
Folwin bowed and took his leave. Líriel was left standing outside an archway, and on the other side lay the biggest test of her life. She glanced down at her chest and thought of the necklace that lay hidden there. She could feel heat radiating from it at all times - not a comforting, heartening warmth, but a sharp, focused heat, as if to remind her that it could burn her irreparably at any time.
She thought of the last thing her master had said.
"Do not disappoint me."
"As if I have a choice," she thought to herself. She stilled for a second and carefully cleared her mind as Sainor had taught her. She would need to keep her thoughts under control if she was not to be discovered.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the archway.
Líriel sat on an ornately carved oaken seat. In front of her was a desk made in a similar fashion. Opposite her, sat the Lord Elrond, with his sons sitting on either side of him.
They'd already gone through the things she'd mentioned yesterday again - that she was from Firien Wood, that she lived there with a dozen others, that she had information about movements in Mordor. They wanted much more detail about all aspects of her history. This was the most difficult part for her - making sure that she kept her story the same as before. Inconsistencies would definitely raise suspicion. She kept in mind the advice that Sainor had given her for another mission many centuries ago.
"Don't say more than you need to. The more you tell them, the more you will need to remember later. Of course, you must also give them as much information as they need to trust you. It is a fine line, and you must not end up on either side of it."
"Somewhat easier said than done," she reflected. She seemed to have passed their test though, for now they had moved on. Elrond and his sons were currently occupied with inspecting Líriel's scrolls.
"You say orc activity has been increasing?" said Elrond, glancing over at her.
"Yes, although I'm sure you're already aware of that. The numbers you have there tell you what we have estimated the size of their troops to be. And it's not just orcs - they have plenty of corsairs from Harad and mercenaries from Rhûn. On top of that, they have some new weapons we have never seen before. On one of those scrolls you'll find some sketches and descriptions of how they work. Mostly things that produce fire - and strange explosions. We don't quite understand how they all work, but we did our best to reproduce them on parchment, in the hope that you might make more sense of them."
The Rivendell elves stirred with unease.
"Weapons that produce fire?" said Elrohir, concern written on his face.
"Yes, I believe they use some kind of tar and a pumping mechanism to produce flames that can be directed. It is quite deadly. There is a lot more information in those scrolls about these things, and others. Those papers can tell you more than I can - everyone in our community contributed what they know and have seen."
The twins began murmuring to each other. This news about weapons of fire was apparently deeply unsettling. Elrond returned to his seat and observed her with interest.
"This information is very valuable to us, as I expect you realise. My councillors and I will review your documents carefully over the next few days. Then, perhaps we can reconvene and discuss any questions we may have about what we learn."
"It shall be as you wish, my Lord," she said, with a respectful bow of her head.
"Good. I should like to learn more about your settlement, but we do not need to discuss that at this council. After speaking with you today, I am satisfied that you aren't a threat to our city. You have done us a valuable service, and you may remain here as my personal guest. You may explore Imladris as you wish, and you are free to join us in the dining halls for your meals. Whilst you are here, feel free to visit our library and speak with our archivists if you would like to learn more about our city, or indeed your own heritage."
Líriel was almost at a loss for words. This level of hospitality was far beyond anything she had expected - it was certainly not as Sainor had led her to believe. She fought to control her reactions. It would be strange to show such surprise at this kindness.
"I am honoured, my Lord. I must confess, I have dreamed for many years of one day seeing the white halls of Imladris. I hope you find the information I provided to be of some use. Perhaps when you have analysed them to your satisfaction, you might also advise me on some matters regarding the situation in the Firien Wood. We would be very grateful to receive any counsel you are willing to give."
Elrond smiled grimly.
"Certainly, although as I remarked yesterday, I fear that I will not be able to give you as happy tidings as I would like. I will let you know when we are ready to reconvene. For now, I think we can adjourn this council."
Elrond and his sons rose. Líriel stood awkwardly, unsure of her next move. As she turned to leave, a hand suddenly grabbed her by the elbow, and she turned to find Elrohir smiling at her.
"Mae g'ovannen! I hope all of this was not too tiring for you. You must be hungry, I doubt you had time to eat breakfast - I didn't at least. Will you accompany me to lunch?"
Over her other shoulder came a sardonic voice.
"Why on Arda would she go to lunch with you, brother? Most ladies prefer ellyn that don't drool on themselves as they eat."
She turned to find Elladan standing by her other side.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Elladan of Imladris, son of Elrond and, unfortunately, brother to this poor specimen." He gestured towards Elrohir languidly. "Forgive me for not introducing myself yesterday eve. You seemed in need of rest. Please allow me the pleasure of accompanying you to dine. It will be a far more enjoyable experience than dining with my brother, I assure you."
In spite of herself, Líriel laughed. Elrohir looked displeased, but his eyes betrayed his amusement.
"Why don't you both accompany me to lunch? You never know, perhaps you can resolve these differences," she said, with an amused smile.
Elrohir gave a long-suffering sigh.
"Well, if the lady wishes it… you are my father's honoured guest after all. I suppose you will see for yourself which of us is the gentleman and which is the brute."
Elladan snorted. "I should think it will take about five seconds for her to figure that out."
Líriel had not expected elves to be particularly humorous. But these two seemed playful, and willing to make her acquaintance to boot. Perhaps that could be turned to her advantage.
"Now, now, let's keep it civil," said Líriel with a teasing smile. "Why don't you show me to these dining halls before you continue bickering? I'm famished."
"As the lady says," said Elladan gallantly, taking her arm. His brother took her other arm and they proceeded towards the dining hall, ribbing each other gently all the way.
This at once both pleasing and troubling for Líriel. On the one hand, flirty young men could be very advantageous to be acquainted with. She had utilised not a small number of them before. On the other hand, these elves were turning out to be more and more the opposite of what Sainor described - they were supposed to be cold and arrogant, little better than Men, and yet all she had seen thus far was kindness and hospitality. And that was rare indeed for Líriel to experience. It made her uneasy.
Lunch passed by quickly. The twins were very friendly, if energetic. They kept her entertained with stories of each others' mistakes. Against all odds, she found herself relaxing. It was rare to meet people that were exactly what they seemed to be. Usually friendliness was just a veneer to hide something more malicious, but she could detect no hostility from either of them. It was refreshing.
As she was finishing the last of her soup, Elrohir offered to show her around the city. Elladan made to interrupt, but she raised her hand and silenced both of them.
"Before you start arguing again - I'm afraid I've already made plans to see the city with somebody else." said Líriel with amusement. "I'm afraid you'll both just have to find something else to fight over this afternoon."
They both feigned great hurt.
"Alas! My lady has already had her affections stolen by another," cried Elrohir, hand over his heart.
"As if they were ever going to be given to you in the first place," remarked Elladan dryly. "Besides, unlike you, dearest sibling, I am not afraid of a little competition. Comparisons with others can only end favourably for me. Who is this one you are meeting, anyway?"
Before Líriel could reply, the elf in question appeared at her shoulder. He nodded towards the brothers.
"Elladan, Elrohir… well met," Folwin said smoothly, before turning to Líriel. "Good afternoon, my lady," he said, with a bow.
Líriel rose immediately.
"Good afternoon. Would you like to go now? I'm finished here."
"Of course." Folwin offered Líriel his arm, and after saying farewell to the twins, they left the hall.
Thanks for reading! Please review! I'm also looking for a beta reader, let me know if you'd be interested! I can betaread your fic in return :)