That afternoon found the three siblings headed down to the training yard once more. While her brother happily chatted away, Ellawyn found her mind occupied elsewhere. She had been glad that the Lord of Imladris had not been at the dining hall that morning, finding that the thought of seeing him again made her feel unwell. She supposed it was unfair of her to blame the Elf Lord, as he had explained that he allowed her to be raised by Radagast for her safety. It was a good childhood too, she reasoned with herself. However, she could not shake the feeling of abandonment that lingered in her mind and in her heart. Snapped from her thoughts by a new voice, Ellawyn's eyes refocused on the path in front of them to find a tall, strong looking blond elf before them. It was the same elf who had ordered Lindir to show her the way to her brothers' rooms. Coming to a stop beside her brothers, she stood between them awkwardly as they greeted the newcomer, seemingly very familiar with the ellon.
"Mae g'ovannen Glorfindel," Elrohir was the first to say, "do you escort Mithrandir's Dwarves to the border today?" Glorfindel! This was the legendary Balrog Slayer. She suddenly felt impossibly small and young in the presence of the mighty elf, casting her eyes to her boots. Glordindel's voice held poorly concealed notes of disdain as he responded to the youngest twin.
"No. They have snuck away in the night. I warned your Adar that no good would come from assisting those Dwarves in their foolhardy quest to the mountain." Ellawyn's eyes shot up at this, surprising herself when she interrupted the conversation that she was clearly not a part of.
"Mountain? You do not speak of Erebor, surely?" The Balrog Slayer's eyes shot down to her, but she held his gaze. Erebor was invaded and won by a dragon long ago, forcing the Dwarves from their homeland.
Her heart ached for them and their lost home, she did not hold racially motivated grudges from wars and conflicts from the past. However, she cared deeply for the people of Laketown having lodged in the village many times before. The people were rather blunt and crass, but good people they were. If the Dwarves planned to awaken the Dragon… She may not be as old or wise as any other elf in Arda, but she knew that the former people of Dale would suffer in the crossfire. Glorfindel was eyeing her suspiciously, and for a moment she thought her question would go unanswered.
"Yes Ellawyn, Glorfindel is referring to Smaug's mountain." It was Elladan that spoke, giving a warning glance to Glorfindel along with a nod, "Thorin Oakensheild and his kin are journeying to Erebor to reclaim their homeland." Frowning, Ellawyn looked between the three ellons before her.
"They mustn't! The people of Laketown, perhaps even The Greenwood will be caught in the crossfire as flies in a spider's net!"
"It is no longer a matter that concerns the Elves, child." She cringed at Glorfindel's subtle dismissal. It most certainly should concern the elves. The amount of death and destruction that would follow would be devastating.
The twins were growing agitated after Ellawyn took another hit from the blunt side of Elrohir's sword. It was painfully obvious that her attention was elsewhere, which did not bode well for her abilities to protect herself in a chaotic skirmish. Trying to get her attention, Elrohir jumped back, out of the reach of her blade to give himself some space before dramatically swinging his sword in a large arch over her head. She caught his overly obvious movement, raising her own blade above her forehead to defend herself. Despite the younger twin wielding the sword with his weaker hand, her body shook under the impact of the two metal swords. Elladan watched as his brother put more and more weight behind his attack, forcing her blade closer and closer to her face. Her arms shook with the effort it took to push back against the stronger warrior. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and Elladan grew slightly worried as he saw a flash of fear cross his sister's face.
"Elrohir." He spoke calmly and casually, though there was no doubt that his word had been a command. Having broken his concentration for a moment, Ellawyn used it as an opportunity to sidestep. Ducking lower to grant herself a better angle, using her legs to deflect her brother's blade to the side. She did not allow him to strike her again as she turned on her heel, tossed the blunt training sword to the grass, and marched to the nearby fountain.
Ellawyn was unsure what plagued her mind more, the imposing Elf Lord whom she could not avoid forever or the innocent people of Laketown. She supposed that on some level her fixation on the Dwarves quest served as a welcome distraction to her toiling over her new-found father. Sitting heavily on the stone ledge of the fountain, she watched her two brothers have words that she did not care to listen to. Elladan stooped to pick up the sword she had cast aside before they made their way to her.
"Elly, I know that the past few days have been… overwhelming to say the least." Elrohir started, "but what will you do in combat? You would have been struck down just then! An orc will not go easy on you as I have!" This angered her slightly as she thought about the look in his eyes as he had begun to overpower her. He had clearly been frustrated with her lack of attention, but shoving even a dull blade nearly into her face was not someone she had appreciated. She scoffed, "since when does 'going easy' include nearly cutting my nose off? Because if Elladan had not told you to stop you probably would have!" Even though she knew that Elrohir would not intentionally hurt her and he was only trying to teach her a lesson, her mind was too troubled on other issues to care. She could not feel any remorse for her words even as she saw him recoil as if he'd been struck, looking hurt at her accusation.
"Ellawyn, I didn't mean to-" He trailed off when his brother held up a hand, requesting him to be silent. Crouching down, the older twin tried to catch her eyes, which were now cast to the dirt under her feet.
"Look at me." It was a gentle command that she found she could not refuse. Staring coldly into his warm grey eyes, she ran a hand over her single braid. She looked past Elladan, deciding at that moment that the people of Laketown needed to be warned so that they may prepare for the ruin that would undoubtedly reach them. If a journey to the human town got her further away from her problems here with Lord Elrond, then she would consider that an added bonus.
"I am sorry Elrohir. I do not think I am in the head space for training right now. There is somewhere else I must be." Both twins frowned at her words, knowing very well that there was nowhere else she needed to be, at least as of a few moments ago. Ellawyn rose to her feet nonetheless, striding purposefully back to the house with her brothers trailing after her in confusion. A hand grabbed her arm before she reached the steps and she turned to face Elrohir, still holding her sleeve.
"What are you up to?" His eyes were narrowed in suspicion and she resisted rolling her eyes, knowing that they would likely protest her leaving, especially before speaking with their father.
"I ride to Laketown. I will not stand idly while only death and ruin lay on their doorstep. They must be warned." Equally wide eyes stared back at her in shock. Elladan began shaking his head vigorously after a moment.
"No." Opening her mouth in protest, she barely got a word out before he continued, "you have only just returned to us Ellawyn, you will not ride off on some senseless quest." At this, she felt her stomach heat with anger. If the people were warned, deaths could be prevented and her brother thought it, thought her senseless?
"People will die Elladan. Die. I am going. You may now be my brother but you are not my keeper." She turned quickly, shaking off Elrohir's hold on her sleeve and ignoring whatever came out of her eldest brother's mouth next.