Same Place, Different Times
While you were waiting for the others to gather their things, you found yourself looking up. The green hue was still around the blue sky, which made the whole sky look peculiar. Though the hole was not that big anymore, it was still noticeable.
'Was this because of Solas, or something else entirely?' You wondered to yourself, frowning now.
"Rila, are you ready?"
You were brought back to the present when you heard Elrohir speak to you. You forced your eyes to look at him and graced him with a smile and a nod.
"As ready as I'll ever be." You replied, watching him get on his horse.
Without any warning, Elrohir, pulled you up with ease, causing you to gasp out in surprise. You were now in front of him and you felt his arm wrap around your middle, while holding onto the reins with his other hand.
"You could have warned me!"
Elrohir laughed.
"You never complained before!" He points out.
"True, though with what has happened I..."
"Shh, you are here now," whispered Elrohir "that's all that matters."
You momentarily stiffened to which you knew he had noticed, but you couldn't help it. You felt weird. Everything had changed you knew that and for the first time, you had no idea on what direction you were now facing.
"Sixty years is a long time Elrohir," You whispered as you heard your friend 'tut' to his horse to move "I feel-,"
"Hey," He interrupted "I can sense your troubles Rila. None of this is your fault. You must believe me on that."
For a few moments, neither of you spoke. Both in thought.
"Not a day went by, that I didn't think of you," Elrohir said after a while "truth is, you have always been in my thoughts."
You felt his left arm slightly tighten around your waist while he continued speaking.
"I never gave up you know? Ada said you would return one day and I held onto that hope. It has taken sixty years yet you are back. At this present time, that is all that matters."
"But-," You began but once again Elrohir spoke,
"Ada will explain everything until then, just relax."
How could you relax? Sixty years was a long time. You knew things had changed, seeing those Nazgûl proved that, though your thoughts then went on that injured hobbit. He had been stabbed by a Morgul blade.
You doubted that the healing potion you had given him, would have cured him. You had a feeling that he would suffer from that wound for the rest of his life, though you couldn't be certain of that fact. Nothing more was said between Elrohir and yourself, though you did hear the chatter from the others while you all galloped off towards Imladris.
You heard another horse neigh and you instantly looked at the source. A dark brown horse with a white patch on its left leg was now alongside Elrohir and yourself. The rider in question, was Strider.
Turning your attention to what was in front of you, you went back to your own thoughts, while Strider and Elrohir had a conversation with one another. You were anxious to know what has happened since.
o0o
You had barely spoken since, you just quietly look at the surroundings of the area. You were all near Imladris now and finally, you would get your answers. Well, you hoped there were answers. The truth was, there was going to be more questions and that was troubling you.
"We are here." You heard Elrohir say, gaining speed on the horse you both were on.
You realised you must have zoned out for a while as you now look around. You were all heading towards the marble stairway seeing a lone elf descend the stairs. Your eyes went wide when it was Lord Elrond heading towards you all.
"Welcome to Rivendell. I am Lord Elrond." He said, gracing everyone with a smile.
Turning your head, you spotted Merry, Pippin and Sam look at the base of Rivendell with awe, causing you to smile a little. It was good to be back here, though you could tell things had changed since being here last. For one thing, Lord Elrond looked troubled, though he was trying to mask that. You weren't convinced however.
"Wow." whispered Merry, looking around.
Elrohir let go of your waist as you gracefully slide off the horse. Your eyes found Lord Elrond who was watching you with a gentle smile.
"How is the injured hobbit?" You asked him, noticing the surprise in his grey eyes.
"He is recovering though still unconscious." He replied.
"I-I-I want to see him." said Sam.
"I will show you the way," You heard Lord Elrond say "I'm sure you are all tired. Lindar will show you to your room. Well," again you caught his eyes, now full of mirth "some of you know where to go already."
You heard a sigh which made you look to the source. You saw the sombre expression on Thorin's face and your heart went out to him. You could see he was not happy being here. You walked up to him, placing your hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be with you, every step of the way."
"Rila-," He began but you stopped him.
"I mean it. I know exactly how you feel, but at least you still have your nephews."
You glanced over to where both Fili and Kili were residing, noticing that they were watching you and Thorin. You momentarily closed your eyes, remembering your own family. The last time you saw your brother Fergus, his wife Oriana and your nephew Oren, was the eve before things changed forever.
You remembered explaining to Fergus that he had to leave earlier than expected, which did not surprise your brother. Then your mother and father came into the room, making you realise at the time, that your errand from your father was really a ruse so that the whole family were together again. Maker, you missed them terribly.
"Rila?" Your eyes snapped open "Are you alright?"
You looked back at Thorin, knowing it was him that had spoken. You smiled and gave him a nod, before turning your head towards Dorian and Varric. You refused to acknowledge Solas as you were still angry at him.
"I will help you out too," You said to them, then turned your attention back to Thorin "you will have your answers, I'm sure of it."
Thorin's blue eyes went wide when you whispered the last part to him. He surprised you by placing his calloused hand over your own that was still on his shoulder.
"You look troubled Rila. If you yourself need-," began Thorin but Lord Elrond's voice said,
"Please follow me."
Before letting go, you gently squeeze Thorin's shoulder, then turned around and headed towards your room. You wanted time alone for a while, you needed time to think.
o0o
"Hmmmm, Now this is what I truly like to see."
You rolled your eyes, looking over your shoulder to where Zevran was residing.
"You know full well we are just getting rid of all this gore on our bodies."
You and Zevran were currently in the middle of a lake, washing the blood of darkspawn that had decided to ambush the camp earlier that night. It meant one thing now, the Archdemon knew of your existence.
"That is true my dear warden," grinned Zevran edging closer towards you "but surely you will need help scrubbing the blood in the places you can not reach."
"Is that so?" You replied, turning around, knowing full well where this was leading.
"I know so," smirked Zevran, placing his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him "perhaps I can give you a massage as well."
"Zev-," You began.
"Tut, tut," He interrupted "Again you are so tense, please allow me to relax you once more."
"Zev, we have to hurry and leave. Darkspawn could come ba-,"
Again he shut you up by crashing his lips with yours. His very nimble fingers now trailing down to your stomach, slowly edging closer to your sex. You moaned into Zevran's mouth when his fingers entered you, causing you to hold onto him tightly.
"My dear warden," He whispered against your mouth, "there is no darkspawn around...Just relax."
Just like the other times, you gave in. You knew Zevran was a very experienced lover and you wouldn't have it any other way.
A loud bang woke you up and for a second, you wondered where you were. You suddenly felt empty when you realised your dream of Zevran. No, not a dream you realised, a memory. Despite yourself, you smile, remembering every detail to what happened that night. That was, until another knock at the door brought you back to the present once more.
Moving a little in the bed, you pummeled your pillow in frustration. You so wanted Zevran to be with you right now but alas, that would never be the case. Sighing, you rested your head back on the pillow, trying to cling on to that memory. Yet again, another loud bang at the door told you that your memories would have to wait.
"Won't be a moment." You said to whoever was on the other side of the door.
Pulling the covers away from you, you got out of bed, noticing a pale blue dress at the end of the bed. Your travelling clothes you noticed were nowhere to be seen. Rolling your eyes, you knew you had no choice in wearing this, even though you did prefer your own clothes.
While taking of your bed clothes, your eyes scan the rest of your room. Nothing had changed. The eagle dressing table was still a sight to see. The dressing table was made of oak. Whoever sculptured this was truly gifted.
The eagle itself was at the top of the dressing table looking right ahead, as if waiting for its prey. The wings outstretched, like it was about to take off at any moments notice. Again the knocking at the door brought you back to the present. You slowly put on this beautiful dress, finding it difficult in doing the back up.
'How on Maker's names do elves manage doing this up?' You thought to yourself, finally finding the last button at the back of the dress.
You quickly tied the blue ribbon at the back noticing at once that the sleeves covered up your arms and were now hanging loosely. You would be glad when your own clothes were brought back to you. You were just relieved that your boots were still here, which you promptly put on.
Picking up the brush on the dressing table, you quickly brushed your hair. You would normally place your hair up in a bun but with the banging on the door, now was not the time. You put the brush down once you finished with it and walked towards the door, making sure the Evenstar necklace Elladan and Elrohir had given to you, was on straight.
You still had no idea why you were given this. You would have to ask Lord Elrond about why you were wearing this and not an elven lady. After all, this was an elvish necklace and you still felt very unworthy of wearing this beautiful gem.
Sighing, you opened the door, noticing Gandalf about to knock on the door once more. As you stepped outside, you also saw Thorin and Dorian there, who both had bemused looks on their faces. Gandalf however, had a frown on his face as he watched you.
"What were you doing in there?" asked the wizard.
You tilt your head and looked at him, while closing the door behind you.
"What everyone else does when tired," You replied "fall asleep."
"But I heard you say you would be just a moment!" fumed Gandalf.
"Well, seeing as my normal clothes have gone missing, it took me a while in doing this dress up!" was your curt reply.
"I...ahem... I see," stammered Gandalf, looking at your dress in question "you look very nice."
"Thank you, but as soon as my own clothes reappear, this dress and the others that will mysteriously appear at the end of my bed, will be long forgotten."
By now Dorian was laughing while you continued,
"I don't do dresses, not since-," You trailed off, remembering your past life before the blight.
"Well, in any case, the reason we are here, is because Lord Elrond wishes to speak to you." informed Gandalf.
"That's good," I replied "I wanted to talk to him anyway."
You then followed Gandalf who was in the front, You walked alongside Thorin and Dorian, though your blue eyes never left Gandalf's frame. There was just something off about the wizard though you couldn't pinpoint what that was.
"What's troubling you Gandalf?" You found yourself saying.
Gandalf briefly turned his head and looked at you and in that moment, you saw what had happened to him. You watch in stunned silence as the scene that was now showing itself to you played out.
Gandalf was thrown to the ground on top of Isengard you realised. The white-clothed man then walks up to him, pointing his staff at Gandalf. You look at the other wizard and realised this is Saruman the White.
"The friendship of Sauron is not lightly thrown aside." said Saruman.
The evil wizard then uses his staff causing Gandalf to be thrown across the rooftop. Your eyes went wide when you saw Gandalf lying in midair off the edge of the tower's rooftop.
"One ill turn deserves another," Saruman continued, who then walked over to Gandalf "it is over."
Both yourself and Gandalf then spot a moth flying past and you could tell something was about to happen.
"Embrace the power of the Ring, or embrace your own destruction!"
Saruman lifts his staff and once again, throws Gandalf face first back onto the roof top. You wish you could help him in any way, but seeing as this already happened, you were powerless for this vision to stop showing you this.
"There is only one Lord of the Ring," exclaimed Gandalf looking at Saruman "only one who can bend it to his will!"
Once again, you spot the same moth before closely being followed by an eagle.
"And he does not share power!" remarked Gandalf as he scrambled to his feet and then jumps from the rooftop where the eagle was waiting for him.
"So you have chosen death." came Saruman's response.
You come out of your trance, disgusted by what you had seen. You still could not fathom how you had these visions. Before when you were a Grey Warden the only visions you had was off the Archdemon, though that was only in dreams. Since being in Middle-earth however, these visions came without warning and you just could not stop them.
"Rila?"
You snapped out of it and looked at the ground. You suddenly felt very self conscious for invading Gandalf's past.
"I'm sorry," You whispered, finally looking at Gandalf "I didn't mean for-,"
"That is quite alright child," Gandalf graced you with a smile and you could have sworn you saw him wink at you " though you are full of surprises."
"Just what did I see?" You asked him, a little confused about what you had just seen.
"Trouble!" replied Gandalf, now returning his attention back to the front "Everything will be explained to you soon enough. Let's make haste."
Nothing more was said between Gandalf and yourself about that matter. You just followed him once more towards Lord Elrond's room.
"Are you a seer?" asked Dorian out of nowhere.
You sighed and shook your head.
"It's ever since I arrived here in Middle-earth that I see...things," You admitted "the past and the future and not all of it is nice to witness."
You look at Dorian as you continued.
"While in Ferelden all I saw was the Archdemon, but only when I was asleep," You took in a deep breath, now looking at the ground "I have no idea where these visions came from and quite frankly, I do not like it in the slightest."
"Did you know we would be in the future?" asked Thorin.
You stopped walking and looked at him seeing the sombre expression on his face.
"No, no I did not. I just had this feeling and I wish-,"
"Stop that!" demanded Thorin "I'm not blaming you Rila, far from it. Perhaps the elven lord will have answers."
"Lord Elrond." You corrected Thorin, gracing him with a smile.
"Indeed," said Gandalf clearly listening in to this conversation "which is part of the reason why he asked for you three."
"And the other reason is?" You asked.
"All in good time." was the wizard's response, causing you to frown.
Seeing what had happened to Gandalf, you now knew something was going on here and you had a funny feeling it had something to do with that hobbit Frodo. Nothing more was said as you all arrived at Lord Elrond's study.
Gandalf knocked at the door and opened it when you heard a voice from the other side saying 'Enter'. Even though you were glad to be back in Imladris, you had no idea what to expect.
Every time you went inside Lord Elrond's study, you had always felt safe and secure. In truth, this room had really reminded you of your father being in his own study, with his meetings with other people back in Ferelden.
This study was one of two places where you could stay for hours, reading the many books that were on the shelves. It was how you found out about the history of Middle-earth. That and asking Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir and even Lord Elrond himself about many things of this land.
You were instantly brought back to the present when you saw Lord Elrond himself walking up to you and your companions. Out of respect, you bowed your head only to be stopped by him who gently cupped your face.
"There is no need for that, little star."
"I was brought up with manners," You reasoned with him, gracing him with a small smile "it is who I am."
Though Lord Elrond smiled back at you, you could tell he too was troubled and that was very worrying indeed.
"Tell me something," You began, "how is the hobbit Frodo, really?"
You watched him carefully as he sighed, before letting go of your face and walked towards the balcony.
"His strength returns." replied Lord Elrond as he looked ahead of him.
"That wound will never fully heal, he will carry it for the rest of his life." laments Gandalf now heading towards Lord Elrond.
You found yourself frowning. You were still miffed to have witnessed the Nazgûl hanging around four hobbits. That should never have happened.
"What I would like to know, is why there were some of the Nazgûl around those hobbits to begin with? This really is not making any sense." You asked either Gandalf or Lord Elrond, hoping for some answers now.
"And I would like to know what has become of my sister and Erebor?" demanded Thorin.
"Erebor is fine," began Gandalf "and the last I heard, your sister Dis is safe and sound. She is now living in Erebor with the king Dáin II Ironfoot."
"Do what?"
You could tell that Thorin was not happy about that.
"What do you mean that Dáin is king?"
"Exactly what I say. Since your disappearance, there have been many changes," remarked Gandalf, turning around and facing Thorin "Smaug was killed by Bard the bowman, thanks to a tip-off by a thrush who had overheard Bilbo's mumblings about where Smaug's weakness was."
"What has this got to do with my cousin?" asked Thorin, now crossing his arms over his chest.
"Everything!" sighed Gandalf.
The wizard then went into great detail of the battle that had taken place in Erebor. How it was a fight for survival. Were-Worms were also there, causing massive holes to appear in the ground, making it very easy for orcs to venture out of them. With the help from the elves, the fight began.
As you were listening to Gandalf go on, your eyes never left Thorin's. At first, you could see the surprise on his face, that soon changed when Gandalf informed you all about Azog's son. This too caught your attention, seeing as you had killed Azog yourself. You had no idea Azog even had a son.
"Bolg was his name," carried on Gandalf "He wanted the person reasonable to killing his father, but alas, that could not happen."
Gandalf looked at you with a smile on his face.
"Seeing as you all disappeared sixty years ago."
"What happened to this Bog?" You found yourself asking.
"Bolg," corrected Gandalf, causing you to frown a little "He was slain by a very nimble elf."
"Of course," fumed Thorin "what happened to my kin? Did they make it out alive?"
"They all lived to tell the tale," replied Gandalf "though sixty years is a long time. Things have changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Thorin.
Gandalf glanced at Lord Elrond with a strange expression on his face, though never said anything more about it.
"You're not going to say anything more?"
Gandalf only shook his head while Lord Elrond took over.
"Things have changed in a sense that this very world is in grave danger. While you were missing in action, Gandalf took it upon himself to find out what Radagast had given him."
You were lost? What did Radagast give Gandalf?
"Radagast had handed over a blade to Gandalf that should have been buried long ago. So with this new information, Gandalf had to leave the rest of your company to investigate what was really going on."
Your eyes went on Gandalf as Lord Elrond spoke. You could clearly see that he was still troubled and that bothered you.
"Gandalf left Dwalin in charge outside Mirkwood forest and he then went to Dol Guldur where he saw someone he was hoping never to see."
"What did he see?" asked Dorian, clearly interested in this story.
"He saw a necromancer who really was Sauron. We all thought he had died, but when myself, Lady Galadriel and Saruman the white saw him, we knew things would change very soon."
Lord Elrond then explained that Sauron had never really died, though he was weak at the time. By now though, he was gaining control once again. A certain hobbit named Bilbo had something of his and he wanted it back.
You knew then that whatever Bilbo had, was now in the possession with Frodo. Everything was slowly making sense to you now. Question was, did Thorin and Dorian have any idea what was going on here?
"Now the hobbit Frodo is connected in all of this." You surmised.
"Indeed!" replied Lord Elrond, gracing you with a smile "And yet to come so far, still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to it's evil."
"It is a burden he should never have had to bear," replied Gandalf "we can ask no more of Frodo."
"Ring?" You asked as you watched Lord Elrond walk over to his wine collection "What kind of ring are we talking about here?"
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them!" laments Gandalf.
You saw Lord Elrond momentarily close his eyes as if he was in pain.
"You could have warned me!" scorned Lord Elrond.
"That's not possible though," You say, taking no notice of the look Gandalf was giving Lord Elrond "that Ring was destroyed wasn't it?"
"Oh Rila, if only that was true," said Gandalf "the Ring was found by Bilbo and it now belongs to Frodo. We have to find someone else to take responsibility."
"Gandalf! The enemy is moving, Sauron's forces are massing in the east, his eye is fixed on Rivendell...and Saruman you tell me has betrayed us," exclaimed Lord Elrond "our list of allies grows thin!"
"The vision I had, it was about the Ring and Sauron," You whisper, realising why Saruman attacked Gandalf "I saw what happened to Gandalf a little while ago, though until now, I didn't have a clue what was going on."
You turn away, not looking at either Lord Elrond or Gandalf. You still felt bad in delving into Gandalf's mind like that. A hand gently squeezed your shoulder, causing you to look back up at Thorin.
"Stop doubting yourself." was all he said.
"Thorin I-," You began but Gandalf started speaking.
"His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft Saruman has crossed orcs with goblin men, he is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and gather great distance at speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring."
You watch Gandalf and Lord Elrond, not knowing what to say or do. This whole scene felt very familiar to you now. It reminded you of the Blight. Everyone getting nervous, not knowing what was about to happen.
"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard."
Gandalf walks away from Lord Elrond. His expression unreadable while Lord Elrond carried on speaking.
"Gandalf! the Ring cannot stay here!"
You faintly heard a lot of horses nearby and wondered what was going on.
"This peril belongs to all in Middle-earth they must decide now how to end," said Lord Elrond after a while of silence "the time of the elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches, they care nothing for the troubles of others."
"How dare you!" sneered Thorin.
It was your turn to place your hand on Thorin. You placed it on his arm, trying to calm him down.
"It is in men we must place our hope." admitted Gandalf, looking at Thorin and yourself.
"Men!" scoffed Lord Elrond causing you to raise an eyebrow which didn't go unnoticed by Gandalf and Dorian "Men are weak."
You frown at him. Men were not weak at all.
"The race of men is failing. The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity all but forgotten. It is because of men the Ring survives. I was there Gandalf."
You watch Lord Elrond closely, wondering what he would say next.
"I was there three thousand years ago," He began "when Isildur took the Ring. I was there the day the strength of men failed...I led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom. Where the Ring was forged. The one place it could be destroyed."
Watching Lord Elrond, you could clearly see the anguish on his face, as he went on.
"It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure...Isildur kept the Ring. The line of kings is broken. There's no strength left in the world of men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless."
Once again you found yourself frowning. Why was Lord Elrond acting this way? It really made no sense. You had never known him to sound bitter before and that bothered you.
"Not all men are like that," said Dorian, breaking you out of your thoughts "sure, we all have our fair share of problems, but we do what we think is right. We survive and muddle through life. So kindly stop judging us!"
"Indeed," agreed Gandalf, gracing Dorian with a smile, before returning his attention back to Lord Elrond "there is one who could unite them. One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."
You furrowed your brows, wondering who he was referring too.
"He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile." exclaimed Lord Elrond.
For a split second, you closed your eyes and saw an image of a man that could change the outcome of this very land. As you reopened your eyes, you now knew on who both Gandalf and Lord Elrond were speaking about and you took in a deep breath to this new revelation.
"Who are you talking about?" asked Thorin "What man can reclaim the throne of Gondor?"
"Are you alright Rila?" asked Gandalf, taking no notice of Thorin.
You just nod your head, still a little shocked at what you had seen.
"I think Rila, Thorin and Dorian should join the secret Council Lord Elrond."
"Very well," agreed Lord Elrond "after all it does also concern this other matter at hand."
"I'm sorry, what?" asked Dorian "What is a secret Council?"
"I shall explain that to you." replied Gandalf.
"What do you mean?" You finally asked "What other matter?"
"Since your disappearance, there have been a vast number of creatures roaming the area. We have no idea what they are, but we do know that they are very hostile towards anyone that gets in the way."
You nodded your head, understanding what he meant.
"That sounds like darkspawn!" You surmised "We were ambushed a little while ago and there they were. I can still sense them when they are nearby, it is part of being a Grey Warden after all."
"That is not all that is disturbing," went on Lord Elrond, watching you closely "there have been sightings of a red dragon flying high in the sky."
"I thought you said that dragon was killed?" snapped Thorin, narrowing his eyes.
"Smaug is indeed dead," replied Elrond "I believe this is-,"
"The Archdemon is in this timeline," You interrupted "meaning Corypheus must be here as well."
The silence that followed, proved you were correct.
"So, in other words," You carried on "in order for us to go back to our original timeline, I will have to hunt down this Archdemon and slay it."
"That is going to be difficult Rila," said Lord Elrond "that dragon seems to have made a home for itself...Mordor."
Though you were trying to process this, you had to ask,
"And where is the other one, Corypheus?"
"I'd imagine he will be near him," replied Dorian "they come together."
"Right, then I'll-," You began but Lord Elrond stopped you.
"No, you can not go into Mordor alone Rila."
He then stepped closer to you, placing his hands on yours.
"Everything will be explained when you arrive at the meeting but until then, rest."
"I'll come to you when the time comes." You heard Gandalf say.
All you could do was nod your head, a little confused with what was happening here.
"I-I need some air," You say, pulling your hands away from Lord Elrond's own hands "if you all would excuse me."
Before anyone said anything, you simply walked out of Lord Elrond's room with a lot to think about. You just walked not caring where you were heading, this was a lot to take in and for the time being, you had no idea what to do.
Coming sixty years into the future was strange enough but now knowing there was not one but two threats in this timeline alarmed you. You had to wonder what this meeting was going to entail.
"Stardust."
Your head instantly went up and despite yourself, you smiled when you saw Varric heading towards you. He was not alone however and you did wonder who this other person was.
"Why do you call me 'Stardust', Varric?" You asked him.
"Because you explained that you landed here when there were stars in the night sky," replied Varric, grinning at you "I always use nicknames, it's easier to remember."
"I believe the real reason is, you just forget their names!" You remark, earning a smirk from Varric's friend.
"She knows you all too well Varric."
"Oh she does, does she Tiny?" remarked Varric.
You looked back at Varric's friend with raised eyebrows. Tiny he was not. You were staring back at a very tall qunari.
"It's been a very long time since I've seen a qunari," You admitted "though why are you naming him Tiny?"
You returned your attention back to Varric, who just winked and shrugged his shoulders.
"The Iron Bull is what most call me, though I haven't been here for very long, I must admit this place is a little strange."
"You see Tiny here, fell from the sky, like us," explained Varric watching Iron Bull and yourself "apparently Corypheus has been busy again."
Your eyes narrowed then, not liking this news at all.
"Has he indeed?" You replied "Well, not for long!"
"I take it the meeting with that Lord didn't go too well?"
"No, not really," You sighed before continuing "it seems we are stuck here until Corypheus and his pet dragon are defeated."
"Count me in," grinned Iron Bull "I love fighting dragons."
You just grace Iron Bull with a small smile, not knowing what to say to that.
"Forgive me if I'm wrong, which is very rare," began Varric smiling at you "but there is another matter at hand that the injured hobbit is holding onto something that does not really belong to him."
You just watch Varric with wide eyes.
"How did you?"
"I always keep my ears to the ground Stardust."
"Well, you are near the ground Varric." smirked Iron Bull, though he was watching you.
"Oh sure, pick on the dwarf." frowned Varric, now crossing his arms over his chest.
"So," You began, now seeing Varric grin back at his friend with a wink "you know there will be a-,"
"Oh yes, I know about that too," Varric's smile widened, "lovely dress by the way."
You just narrowed your eyes, now knowing that somehow Varric knew about the secret Council meeting.
"This dress is only temporary until my usual clothes are back with me," You reply "Where is Solas?"
"The last I saw of Chuckles, he was speaking to another elf around here. Don't ask who that elf was."
"Hmmm," You replied, not liking that one bit "Anyway, I'll leave you two alone."
Just as you began walking away, you turned and called out to Iron Bull,
"My name is Rila Cousland, sorry for not informing you sooner."
"Pleased to meet you Rila." He replied back, gracing you with a smile.
It was here that you took in his appearance. He had no clothes on his torso. Instead, he had dark brown leather armour strapped to his chest. He wore very baggy trousers of dark green with boots.
Though he had many battle scars all around his body, you had to wonder, what exactly happened to his left eye? He had an eye patch over it. You quickly averted your gaze and turned around once more, knowing full well, it is very rude to stare at others.
You made your way to the second place you felt completely at peace with. You had always gone there when you wanted to be alone and think. As you entered, you were relieved to see that nothing had changed.
This place was perfect for you. There were many paintings hanging up, telling the story of the first age war. Lying in the middle of the room was a statue with the broken Shards of Narsil.
You suddenly had the feeling you were being watched. You slowly turned around spotting Strider quietly sitting down holding a book in his hands, though his blue eyes were observing you.
"Forgive me, I'll leave you to your reading." You say to him, stepping backwards to make a swift retreat.
"Stay." He replied and you were about to decline when you heard footsteps heading this way.
You walk into the shadows as another man enters this room. You watch him closely as he looks at the paintings on the wall. You could tell this man was impressed with what he was seeing. He suddenly turns when Strider casually turns a page from his book. You watch both men as they both size each other up.
"You are no elf!" said the man, watching Strider closely.
"Men of the South are welcome here." replied Strider.
"Who are you?"
"I'm a friend of Gandalf the Grey." replied Strider.
"Then we are here on a common purpose," He watches Strider before adding "friend."
Strider never said a word. He just watched him as the man turns around with a confused look on his face. He then notices the statue that had the shards on there.
"The shards of Narsil," remarked the man, who has now decided on picking up the hilt of the broken sword "the blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand."
You found yourself frowning as you continue watching this man as he ran his finger along the tip of it cutting his finger in the process.
"Ah," He looks at the sword hilt in wonder "It's still sharp."
He then turns and looks back at Strider who was also watching him.
"But no more than a broken heirloom."
Your eyes went wide when the man drops the sword and quickly walks off. Of course, the sword ended up on the floor. For a second the man pauses, then carried on walking away.
"Did the room get frosty all of a sudden?" You found yourself asking, noticing Strider grace you with a small smile, which went as you watch him walk up to the sword, picking it up in the process.
You furrowed your brows when Strider sighed, who then placed the sword back to its rightful place.
"Are you going to stay in the shadows all day?"
Without saying a word, you step back into the light, though your eyes stayed on the sword pieces, remembering what Lord Elrond had said. You still couldn't take on board the bitterness in his voice, when he was referring men.
"You know, don't you?" whispered Strider, bringing you back to the present.
There was no point in lying, so you simply nodded.
"Yes, I know." You reply to him.
"Who told you?"
"I saw a vision while I was listening to Lord Elrond. I saw what you could become."
You were surprised to see Strider frown.
"Then you'll know I could never be king!" He remarked.
You snorted out a laugh. You couldn't help it. Fate it seemed, had a habit of reappearing when you least expected it too.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I'm not laughing at you Strider." You replied, once you calmed down.
"Aragorn," You arch an eyebrow "that is my name."
You are a little confused, but you continued speaking,
"It seems history is repeating itself. Back in Ferelden, I got to know a man who didn't want to acknowledge where his path truly lead. It turned out he was of royal blood."
"What happened?"
"I won't go into detail of his family history as that is confidential, though I will say this. It was when we first entered Redcliffe on our travels that Alistair explained that he had no desire to become a king.
He was quite happy the way he was, being a Grey Warden, but even I could tell he would make a fine king. He just didn't believe in himself. That did change though, but that is another story."
You looked back at the broken sword, remembering what Lord Elrond had said about Isidur.
"What happened in the past, is not your fault Aragorn." You found yourself saying.
"The same blood flows in my veins," He replied, causing you to look back at him "the same weakness."
You watch him closely, seeing the uncertainty in his eyes. In some aspects, Aragorn did remind of Alistair. Maker, you missed your fellow Warden. Snapping back to the present, you sighed then said,
"You are not weak Aragorn and in time, even you will see that."
Your eyes went back to the broken shards. You knew then, that this very sword would one day be reforged.
"Your time will come. You will face the same evil and you will defeat it."
"Another vision of yours?" asked Aragorn softly.
You smiled as you looked back at him, though you shook your head.
"No, I'm just trusting my instincts."
You then surprised him when you spoke elvish to him.
"A si i-Dhúath ú-orthor, Aragorn. Ú or le a ú or nin. (The Shadow does not hold sway yet, Aragorn, not over you and not over me.)"
For several moments nothing was said between you both, though it was Aragorn that broke the silence.
"You seen troubled yourself, what's bothering you?"
"I wouldn't like to burden you with my woes. I'm used to working them out by myself."
"If you should change your mind." You heard Aragorn say, while he sat back down picking up the book he was reading.
"Thank you." was all you said, gracing him with a smile, before leaving Aragorn in peace.
o0o
After walking around, thinking about what this Council will entail, you were stopped by Elrohir watching you with concern.
"How are you really?" He simply asked.
You knew lying would never work against him. He has always known when you were being untruthful. Sighing, you walked toward the balcony, looking at the horizon.
"Would confusion be an understatement?"
"No."
"How can a strange orb manage to warp others to different time periods?" You asked, turning around.
You were caught off guard to how close Elrohir was now. He was standing right next to you. In truth, you hadn't heard him approach.
"I know not. When you and the others disappeared, Gandalf told us not to touch the orb," Elrohir sighed "Gandalf found some cloth and managed to pick it up, never to be seen again."
"What do you mean?"
"The wizard knew of my attentions straight away. He knew I would attempt in seeking you out, so when Gandalf went away to Dol Guldur, he made sure he had the orb with him. To this day, I have no idea where it now resides."
"Gandalf did the right thing," You remark, seeing the shock in Elrohir's eyes "you could have ended up anywhere but where you wanted to be."
"It was a choice I was willing to take."
"Too me, it is only a few days since I saw you last, I can't imagine what you must have been feeling!"
Elrohir looked at the ground, his eyes masked with pain and you instantly regretted saying that to him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think. Though as you can see, I'm fine."
"To which I am thankful for." replied Elrohir, finally looking at you, then at your neck.
A smile came from nowhere from him and you wondered what set that off.
"You are still wearing the elfstone."
Glancing down, you look at the beautiful gem that both Elladan and Elrohir had given you.
"Of course. Why, do you need this back?"
You raised your arms up, about to undo this special necklace but Elrohir stopped you, placing both his hands over yours.
"No, it belongs to you, how it should be."
"I feel very unworthy of wearing this," You admitted "I can tell this means a lot to you and your family."
"Rila, you are worthy," He gently squeezed your hands "please stop thinking otherwise."
"Well, like I said before, I'll look after this for you or your brother, until you need it back."
"It belongs to you." was Elrohir's response.
Changing the subject completely, you asked,
"Where is your brother? Normally you and Elladan are joined at the hip."
Once again, you saw a flicker of sadness behind his grey eyes and you wondered what was wrong.
"Since your disappearance, there have been a lot of changes."
"I know, your father has informed me of that. The Archdemon and Corypheus are in this timeline, so somewhere along th-,"
"It's not just that," interrupted Elrohir "my brother and I just don't see eye to eye anymore. We just go our separate ways."
"Why?" You asked, clearly not understanding this new information.
For as long as you had been here, Elladan and Elrohir had always been together. They were so close that it seemed nothing could tear them apart. Hearing this though, saddened you.
"Why? You repeated, wanting to know what was really bothering him.
"It matters not."
"Of course it matters! So whatever the reason, you will have to make up."
"It's not that simple Rila. Other than tracking down orcs and those strange creatures, we barely acknowledge one another. I tend to help out Glorfindel now, staying out of my brother's way."
You had a feeling that Elrohir was withholding something from you, though you decided that it was not the time in prying into his business. You were about to say something when a lot of noise came from nowhere.
Looking to the source, you saw two small hobbits running straight toward you and Elrohir. By now, you had a bemused look on your face when you saw that both Merry and Pippin were now slowing down as they reached you.
"There you are," beamed Pippin "we were wondering where you were."
"No, that would be you that was wondering that Pip," said Merry, shaking his head "I was just looking for more food."
"Frodo wishes to see you." beamed Pippin, completely ignoring what Merry had just said.
"How is he?" You asked him.
"He's getting there," replied Pippin, looking at you then at Elrohir then back at you once more "Frodo has been awake for a few hours now and we wasted no time in explaining on what's been happening. Which is why he wishes to see you."
"Why does he want to see me?"
"Because Bilbo also wants to see you." explained Merry, gracing you with a smile.
Your eyes lit up then. Bilbo was here in Imladris. Once again, to you, it was only a little while since you had last seen Bilbo, but to him, it must have been hard. Turning your head, you looked at Elrohir.
"Will you come with us?" You asked him, dropping your left hand from his grasp, but with your right hand, you gently tugged his other hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Pippin.
"Of course." replied Elrohir, gracing you with a smile.
Though his smile reached his eyes, you could clearly see the worry in Elrohir's gaze. Just what did happen between Elladan and himself? You hated seeing the anguish on your friend's face, it just did not suit him at all. You just hoped that you could bring the brother's back together again, because family should stick together, no matter what.