Scouting into the forest Asterin found a surprising thing, the remains of warm ashes buried, hidden. Drawing the string of her bow she nocked one of her arrows her footsteps silent on the fallen leaves, her eyes dancing into every shadow. Her muscles taut as her bowstring she made her way forward using every creaking branch every shadow to her advantage, the forest ever her home, she moved through the trees. Her fingers gripping her shaft the dark-blue feathers brushing the arch of her cheek tickling her skin she found the edge of a clearing and stayed deep in the shadows. But one look had joy surging through every part of her and she dashed into the clearing with a shout, "Elladan, Elrohir!" A smile cracked its way across her face for with many of the Dunedian rangers were Elwing's brothers armed and grim-faced.
"Asterin," both brothers turned two nearly identical faces pale, gray eyes looking her in the eyes before grins split their faces and recognition alongside them. "You two left warm ashes behind something only a ranger or a wood elf would notice." Stepping back, she peered over Elladan's shoulder seeing a man in the green and brown of the rangers' approach from behind the brothers. "We've come to aid the Lady Elwing can you lead us to her," she glanced over her shoulder as a voice rang out, "well then Halbarad you found me, Ro Elladan what are you actually doing here." Elwing dashed into the clearing a grin splitting her face from ear to ear as she almost tackled her brother her hair whipping forward her curls so different than her brother's sword straight. Asterin passed her bow from one hand to another watching as Elwing was re-united with her brothers a grin on her face despite the memories she was forced to bury once more.
"Adar sent us seler," Elrohir said. Asterin could only tell it was him because of the bow slung across his back as the brothers were so alike without knowing them you would never be able to tell them apart, sometimes she still couldn't. "He's still at Imladris, Arwen is with him there she'll be safe." Elwing gave her brother Elladan a wry look saying as though scolding a small child, "like you are now brother, you left the safety of Imladris to come and find me." Sighing in exasperation she finished, "and Asterin both of us who are more than capable of defending ourselves." Moving past them she motioned for the men to follow and started back into the forest Asterin was barely behind her calling back, "since you're here you might as well meet the others, well come on." Muttering under her breath Elwing shook her head, "brothers."
The shock on the king of Rohan's face was almost worth her brother's foolishness, and she knew why, after all, as triplets, they looked quite similar. "Théoden King these are my brothers Elladan and Elrohir Perhedil, Halfelven to you. They've come with a company of Dunedian rangers why exactly." Her brother Elrohir sighed, "we came to aid you at the Hornburg but received news that the battle there had ended. Since then we've been waiting for further word of your location…" his voice trailed off and a smile lit up his face as he and Elladan both charged off tackling their brother in all but blood with a three-person hug. Elwing rolled her eyes as Aragorn tried to extricate himself from the hug all three of them grinning like fools and Asterin walked over equally annoyed calling out, "are you two-thousand or twenty Elladan this is perhaps one of the most childish things I have seen you do." A churlish smile graced Elladan's face and the three-some rose to their feet two of whom looking at their triplet sister seemingly waiting for something. "Ro, have the rangers set up tents we ride at dawn for Edoras and the rangers can meet us at Dunharrow. And you two," the glare she sent their way would have made a Nazgul quail, "will act responsibly when we get there or…" Leaving the threat open-ended she walked over to her horse cursing out irresponsible brothers in elvish.
It turned out that Edoras was farther from Isengard than she had previously thought, the expected two-day ride had not brought them yet to the city. Asterin paced the night's dark pressing in around her, she felt as though every nerve in her body was alight and every muscle was as taunt as her bowstring. Legolas stood still as stone across the camp his blond hair silver in the moonlight, leaning on his great bow the pale wood so similar to the bow in her hand. She'd volunteered to go on watch for the third time in a row, the men baffled by how she and her kinsman never really seemed to sleep. Catching sight of a barely perceptible movement in the bushes and motioning to the figure across the camp she crept forward quickly climbing into the tree beside her. Moving silently no more than a shadow among the shadows of the forest Legolas alongside her, they made their way to the clearing where a sight greeted them that was quite unwelcome.
A force of thirty warg riders camped below them, a fire burning in the center encased in a circle of orcs the enormous wargs slumbering around their riders. Glancing at her kinsman she whispered, "alert the others we need to make sure that dawn never comes for the riders and their mounts." He nodded his eyes dancing over the enemies below, "keep watch here I'll return to the camp and wake the rest," turning to face the foes below as Legolas moved off back towards the rest of their party, counting the arrows in her quiver. Should she wish it, the leader of the party would be dead within seconds, but she knew that cutting the head off the snake didn't always kill the body. So, she waited crouched in the branches hidden from sight and unknown to her enemies in the clearing who would never see the dawn that would soon break."
Waking up to the news of a warg encampment was not pleasant, strapping on her scabbard and pulling on her cloak she was thankful she had decided against removing her armor before falling asleep. Kicking her brother Elladan lightly and grabbing her bow and quiver slinging both over her shoulder, "Elladan wake up my ever-foolish brother. On your feet unless you want to be left to the wargs," that got his attention quickly getting to his feet her brother rubbed his ribs asking. "Elwing did you have to kick me; you've not known your own strength since we were first taught how to fight." She shrugged strapping on her bracers and ducked out of the tent calling quietly back towards her brother, "just get ready dawn will be breaking soon and we need to attack with the cover of darkness." A blur sped from the trees and Asterin dropped into the clearing her bow drawn taught a shaft already nocked, "they caught our scent when the wind changed." Her friend's bow sang as she loosed her arrow into the woods, and a howl pierced the air. The riders had arrived.
Unsheathing her sword, the blade glittering silver in the moonlight she swung up into the trees alongside her brothers, Asterin and Legolas. Below the wargs charged through the forest trampling the underbrush headed for the men who were still climbing onto the horses. Leaping down with a ferocious battle cry Elwing brought her sword down severing the warg and orcs head with two fluid strokes, rolling upon impact to slash her blade upward in a shimmering arc bringing down another warg. Her brothers landed at her side Elrohir sending a white fletched arrow through a wargs eye, Elladan drawing the sword at his side the blade whining as it emerged gleaming from its sheath. Swinging his sword Elladan slid under one of the wargs slicing it clean in half before bringing the slightly curved blade down on the beast's rider. Elwing leaped spinning through the air her sword moving like the wind as her brothers joined her and the three of them fought together as if of one mind. Elladan's sword moved like liquid sliver and Elwing slaughtered the wargs that came her way, Elrohir loosed shafts at any of the riders that escaped his siblings' flashing blades. "Elwing!" A blur of silver and she caught the sword in her free hand grasping it and sending either blade through a wargs head, "hannon le." She was vaguely aware of the men riding into the clearing but by then the battle was over the enemies lay around them dead.
Asterin dropped out of the tree grinning, "well now that that's taken care of shall we ride for Edoras?" Elwing heard a growl and shoved Elrohir's sword through the muzzle of the final warg that had been previously cloaked in shadow. Pulling the blade free she tossed it back to her brother returning her own sword to its sheath after cleaning it of the onyx blood, "yes we should ride for I believe it would be unwise to remain here." Ignoring the awe spread across the men's faces she mounted her horse alongside those in her kindred and whispered, "noro lim Farsha." Her horse nickered and took off at a full gallop and she grinned as she and her brothers left the men in the dust.