Chapter 40

The journey to Bree and on to the Dunedain settlement was very enjoyable for Annelise. She spent most of her time conversing with Legolas and Aragorn, but she also made a few friends among the Dunedain traveling with them.

Among those were a set of twins, Berenor and Belegor that reminded her greatly of Elladan and Elrohir. Estel just smiled at her knowingly when she mentioned this observation to him one evening.

On their second day of traveling, the group had stopped to make camp early that night as they had been making good time and would arrive at the settlement earlier than expected the next day. Since there was still an hour or so of daylight left, Berenor had goaded his twin into sparring with him once the camp was set up.

After a few minutes of watching the two testing each other for openings, Annelise turned to Legolas and asked if he would spar with her for a bit. She hadn't really handled her weapons much since the battle and figured it would be a good way to warm up as well since she was starting to feel a bit cold.

"I would, Annelise, but I am going to sleep while the sun is still up so I can be rested once the time comes for me to watch."

"I'd be happy to spar with you," Aragorn interjected before Annelise could say anything in response to the elf prince. "Since learning you were trained by dwarves, I've been interested to see how you handle your weapons."

Annelise nodded her head in acceptance and followed the young man a little bit away from the rest of the group. She drew Orcrist from its sheath on her belt and took her place across from Estel.

She stood still as she watched his eyes move over her body, checking her stance, before he nodded slightly to himself before moving to take his position as well. The pair then began to circle slowly, waiting for the other to make the first move.

After a few seconds, Aragorn suddenly lunged at Annelise quickly but she was able to easily parry his move and retaliate with her own attack.

"Very good," he praised and motioned for her to attack him.

She swung at him, he moved his sword to block, and the two quickly fell into a rhythm. One attacking with the other blocking and making the counter attack. After a few minutes, Aragorn began speaking.

"You were taught well. You are very steady and light on your feet, which you would need when training with dwarves. That gives you an advantage. You are used to fighting on a different level than others of our race. If I try to attack you low, you instinctively know how to avoid and counter. But that also leaves you at a disadvantage…."

Here he swung his sword up, and Annelise quickly raised her own blade to stop his sword's descent. Aragorn was quickly able to lock their blades above her head and twist, pulling her weapon from her hand. Annelise quickly reached behind her head, grabbing one of her twin blades to block his next attack and grabbing the second when he moved back again.

"You are not used to fighting someone taller than you, so countering high attacks is not as instinctual."

"Something else for me to learn."

Aragorn shrugged at her comment before moving to attack her again.

"It's not something you would learn unless you trained with men or elves. What you do know, you know well. You would be a formidable foe on the battlefield. Your father and cousins taught you well."

His statement sent her mind back to the last battlefield she was on and how she had lost her three greatest teachers on it.

"Training with them were some of my happiest memories," she said sadly, as tears began gathering in her eyes.

Aragorn noticed this and quickly moved away, sheathing his sword. Annelise did the same, putting away her twin blades, before moving to pick up her father's fallen sword. She tried to discreetly wipe at her eyes as she walked over, but a hand stopped her as she began to stoop to pick it up.

Instead she watched as Estel knelt to pick up her father's sword and examine it.

"This was your father's sword, wasn't it?"

She simply nodded and reached to accept the weapon when he handed it to her. Estel watched as she caressed the hilt gently before returning it to its place on her belt and cleared her throat before looking back at him.

The young Chieftain could see that she was trying to push her grief away and quickly reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"There is no shame in grieving for the loss of the ones we love," he said simply and watched as the young woman slowly began to crumble before him. He quickly gathered the crying girl into his arms and rocked them gently in place until her sobs began to subside.

"I'm sorry, Estel," she said quietly and pulled away from him slightly but was stopped when he gripped her shoulders.

"You never have to apologize to me for showing your feelings. You just lost the three most important people in your life and nothing can change that fact. It hurts and you're allowed to not be alright. There will be days when you feel like you've finally moved past your grief and days when you feel the weight of it crushing you. And that's all alright. Grief is not a task that you finish and then move on from, it's something you learn to carry and over time, it gets lighter."

The young woman looked up at her friend for a moment, before wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"Thank you, Estel."

Annelise spent that night laying near Legolas as he stood keeping watch, looking up at the stars and thinking about her lost family.

"Your mother used to take you stargazing before bed sometimes when you were in Mirkwood," he spoke suddenly.

"Really?," Annelise asked, moving to sit and look at him.

"Yes, you always asked her to take you after we finished dinner. I even took you a couple times," he answered, smiling softly at the memories.

"I used to ask Fili and Kiki all the time as well. It always ended with them competing to see who could come up with the most outlandish story to a constellation they would make up on the spot," she chuckled quietly and a small smile pulled at the elf's mouth.

"I'm glad you have so many happy memories with your family."

"Me too," she spoke softly, before laying back down and turning her eyes to the sky once more.

Annelise spent the next twenty years among the Dunedain, assisting Aragorn on his travels and training among the other Rangers. Legolas stayed with her for the first 15 years and the pair often worked together on small missions that Aragorn was unable to attend to himself.

The first few years, Aragorn and Annelise were rarely separated and kept their agreement to train and learn together. Five years after joining the Dunedain, Annelise was finally able to visit Bilbo in the Shire (under cover of night, of course) and introduce him to her friend Estel that he had heard so much about.

But as the movement of the enemy began growing, the two childhood friends were pulled apart more often. Legolas was called back to Mirkwood by his father and after some surprise visits from Gandalf, Aragorn was called away from the Dunedain more often, leaving Halbarad and Annelise, as his second and third in command, to look after the Dunedain.

Nearly twenty years to the day from Annelise joining the Dunedain, Aragorn and Gandalf arrived back at the main settlement with news after one of their most recent trips.

"There have been a number of raids upon the land of Rohan. King Thengel is a strong leader, but his people lose heart with each successive raid. I have asked Aragorn to travel to join the king's army and rally the men's spirits, but I believe that something else needs to be done to assist the king," Gandalf spoke that night after calling Annelise to meet with him and Aragorn. "I know you have been content here, my dear, but I believe it is time for you to travel on to Rohan and show yourself to your family there. The return of his sister's daughter may be just the push needed to keep the King of Rohan's faith up."

Aragorn saw her hesitation and quickly reached over to take her hand. "I know you are nervous to show yourself after all this time, but I will be with you every step of the way."

Annelise smiled at him and squeezed his hand before letting go and turning to the wizard. "If you think it is best, I will travel with Estel to Rohan."

The pair left two days later and began their long journey to Edoras. After three weeks of travel, Aragorn estimated that they would reach King Thengel's halls by midday the next day.

"If we push our horses, we could make it tonight but I think it would be best to take it easy tomorrow so we can both look presentable when introduced to the King, especially you," he said with a teasing sideways glance to his female companion.

"Is that a hint that I need to take a bath?," Annelise jokingly tossed back.

"I would never suggest such a thing to a lady," Aragorn laughed.

"It's alright, I can take a hint," Annelise chuckled.

"There is a grove of trees surrounding a small stream just ahead. I have made camp there a few times in the past. It should provide sufficient shelter for us both to clean up a bit before tomorrow."

True to Aragorn's words, they came upon the group of trees and began to set up camp for the night. Aragorn motioned for Annelise to go ahead and bathe while he went about building a fire and putting together something for them to eat. Once she was finished, she took his place by the fire so he could wash up as well.

When he returned she was sitting close to the fire, brushing through her hair and allowing the heat from the fire to dry the locks. As he sat, a glimmer in her hair caught his attention. His eyes were drawn to the metal bead attached to a braid behind her left ear. In a movement that had become almost second nature to him, Aragorn reached down and gently tugged on the braid in greeting as he took a seat next to her and turned his attention to the meal warming over the fire.

"We'll need to leave soon after the sun rises to reach Edoras before midday," Aragorn commented and noticed his companion freeze beside him at the words.

"What is it?" he asked gently, turning toward her.

"I'm just worried about tomorrow. It's been so long since I learned about my past and family. I should have come here sooner," Annelise said, looking down and fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

Aragorn shifted where he sat and turned his eyes up to the night sky, searching his mind for words that would put his companion at ease. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke.

"I know a part of you feels guilty for being away for so long, but I don't know if you were ready to reveal yourself then," he spoke softly, turning to meet the eyes of the vulnerable young woman sitting next to him. "When you came to me all those years ago, you had just lost the only family you'd ever known. And only a few months earlier, you had learned of the family you had lost when you were too young to remember them."

"I think you needed this time; to heal, to grow, and to find yourself again after all you had lost and found in so short a time. And while it may seem to you like you have been gone for too long, the joy your family in Rohan will feel when you return will outweigh any resentment they could possibly feel towards you for keeping yourself away all this time."

"How can you be so sure?," Annelise asked quietly, looking down at her fiddling hands once more. Aragorn gently reached over and placed a hand atop hers, stopping the movement. She turned her eyes back to him and saw him smiling softly down at her.

"Because I felt that joy myself twenty years ago, when you came back to me."