Asterin caught up with her friend, laughter dancing in her eyes. Her friend laughed as Merry who rode behind Asterin asked, "how long have you two known each other, you act like sisters." Asterin glanced at Elwing before saying, "I'm not really sure time is difficult to keep track of, but I believe we met for the first time about two-thousand three-hundred years ago."
The baffled look on Merry's face was quite amusing, but she for obvious reasons knew why the young hobbit was confused. After all, she had just admitted that her friendship with Elwing was over two thousand years old, "I first met her when she and her father visited Mirkwood, in a less than pleasant time." Asterin glanced back at Merry who looked just as baffled as he had before and she smiled at him saying in a carrying whisper, "if you think I am old the siblings here are just over a hundred years older than me." Elladan's head whipped to the side abruptly ending his conversation with his brother, "who are you calling old Asterin." She called over her shoulder, "you three." Grinning she muttered, "noro lim," and her horse galloped out in front of the group away from Elladan who shouted after her urging his horse forward. She grinned wider saying, "hold on Merry," this was why she put up with these two fools, for things like this. The race made her grin like a fool and she loved her everlasting competition with Elwing's brothers, they were always coming up with more ways to continue it whether it revolved around skill or luck.
Racing just behind her Elwing smiled calling back to her brothers, "can't catch up, are you two slipping." She whispered to Farsha near to silently urging her faster while she glanced forward rising over the hill and seeing, at last, the city of Edoras. The Hall of Kings resting atop the hill, the many houses scattered within the wooden wall its gates graced with two pennants fluttering the white horse of Rohan on its dark green background. The gates rose in front of her as Farsha slowed, Asterin still at her side, Elladan and Elrohir arriving only a few moments later. The remainder of the group was quickly approaching as the gates creaked open, these being less thick and heavy than the gates at Helm's Deep. Letting the King and his men pass she rode behind them Farsha nickering her amusement at the king who sat tall and proud in his saddle. She led Farsha to the stables, having long since realized that the stables and the king's hall were well made, but could never compare to her real home in Imladris. She missed her home but though she would deny it until the ending of the world she was truly grateful for her brother's arrival as she now had them at her side. Just as she would back at Imladris.
Making her way up to the King's Hall, Elwing watched the people all around her. She was often among men and was always surprised by the resilience they displayed, even in times of war. As a people, men could be strong, a single man was not, the only men she had met in over a thousand years who had proved that assumption wrong were in Isildur's line. Aragorn, his father, and those who had come before with the blatant exception being Isildur himself. Her mind drifted leagues away as she thought back to the counsel of her father not a year ago.
"You have but one choice, the ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade." Her father stood before the council speaking clearly, laying bare what needed to be done. She sat beside her father's chair her eyes set on the golden ring, each of the three kindreds represented, each having its voice in the fate of all. She raised her eyes to each of the members of the council, it could not be Gandalf who bore the ring for his power was great and so would be the ring. It could not be Boromir who had already been shown to be susceptible to the ring's power, it could not be those of her kin who wanted the ring as their own, the only real possibilities were few. She herself could bear it should the need arise; Aragorn was shown to resist the Nazgul's power on Amon Zul but the ring had taken control of Isildur so that would have to be if all else failed.
Her gaze fell upon the young hobbit Frodo who had carried the ring this far, "one of you must do this," she wondered could the humble young hobbit contend with the will of Sauron. The humility could aid in ignoring the draw of the ring, but he was not but a child with no experience before this year in the wider world than the Shire. While she was pondering an argument had erupted between the three kindreds, each saying one of their own should bear the ring's burden, "fools while you argue amongst yourselves Sauron's power grows." Gandalf shouted trying to restore some semblance of order and she rose to her feet for the first time only to hear a desperate voice, "I will take it." She looked seeing Frodo as he called out again, "I will take the Ring to Mordor," sadness crept through her but also pride for the young hobbit. She watched as he came forward saying, "though I do not know the way."
She was shaken out of her memories as she approached the door to the King's Hall two grim face guards standing on either side of the entrance. Both men glancing hesitantly at the glimmering silver sword at her side, ignoring this she walked inside to the council of war. Her eyes seeing the various maps of Rohan and Gondor spread across the table, the lands of men that were most likely to be attacked. "Where," she muttered running her fingers across the maps, "where will Sauron strike next." She looked up from the maps listening carefully to the men around her but still deep in her own thoughts, her mind trying to put together the pieces of this enormous puzzle. Her eyes roamed across the map once more coming to rest on a minuscule sketch of Minas Tirith and the pieces came together, "he's going to attack Minas Tirith." Looking up once more she saw the confused looks of the men around her so she continued, "if Sauron wants to break the spirit of men. What better way than to destroy the White City, the most well-known and historic in the realms of man." She traced the path from Minas Morgul to the White City, "he means to continue on the path he began with Saruman at Helm's Deep." Meeting each man's gaze with her piercing stare, "to destroy the race of man once and for all."