Chapter One- To Join The Army

"Ari!"

The shout echoed through our small but cozy woodman's cabin, reaching my ears as I rushed around, accompanied by a loud crash from my loft bedroom. I winced, glancing over my shoulder to see the small wooden dressing table under the window now lying on its side against the wall, and my weapons now on the floor. I paused briefly, wondering if I should take the time to pick it back up, when my brother's agitated voice rang through the house once again and the small table fled my mind.

"Ari, let's go!"

"Coming!"

I grabbed my weapons from the floor, and my old gray cloak and leather saddlebags from my lumpy-made bed and raced down the ladder two rungs at a time. I turned to find my taller older brother leaning against the wooden door frame grinning cheekily at me. His twinkling brown eyes quickly took in the rumpled state of my tunic and the assortment of mismatched socks hanging out of my saddlebags.

"Are you ready yet or shall we wait til tomorrow?"

I shook my head vigorously, my long black ponytail dancing over my shoulders. I was determined to make the trip to the capital with my brother, and neither he nor anyone else was going to stop me. "No, you scoundrel. You promised." I waved a brown-tanned finger at him. "A gentleman always keeps his word."

"If I'm not a gentleman?"

"Then I'll punch you in the nose!"

We eyed each other mischievously for a few seconds as if sizing each other up for a fight- a war between brown eyes and black- when our mother's voice broke through the merriment from outside.

"Kyalas! Arien! Hurry now!"

I smirked at my older brother as if I had won the silent war and shoved past him out the door into the small shady dirt yard where our parents stood with the horses. Lenwë was my mother- a once pretty woman now marked by hard labor and difficult times. She loved us, Ky and I, with all her heart, and I almost regretted leaving her. She pulled me into a large warm hug.

"Stay safe, honey. Listen to your brother."

I nodded, enjoying the sweet floral fragrance of her hair and dress. Finally I pulled back. "Yes mom. You know I always listen."

She smiled. "There is no way you have ever obeyed your brother the moment he calls." She cupped my cheek with her hand. "Have fun, sweetie."

My upper lip curled. "Mom!" I whined mirthfully, "call the dog sweetie, not me." I made a dramatic face, turning my head so Ky could see.

"Why not call me sweetie?" he pouted, taking my bait as he moved to hug mom.

"There's nothing sweet about you!" I retorted wickedly from beside our mother. "You're as sour as a crab apple!"

Our parents chuckled, and I stuck my tongue out at Ky, pleased with the annoyed look on his face.

I moved to give our father a hug. "Bye Dad!"

Caêdel was our father: a tall muscular elf hardened by the cold and harsh life of the Greenwood mountain folk, and gentle with his family. "Don't cause too much trouble, right?" he whispered in my ear, his strong arms wrapped around me. "And don't vex your brother," he continued in a louder voice as I stood back. "He may have the urge to send you back home, and you haven't even left yet."

"Dad! Don't give bad ideas to an innocent girl!" I grinned, shooting an evil look over my shoulder at Ky. "I am always on my best behavior!"

I took the reins of my horse, Li'er, from dad and swung into the saddle. "C'mon Ky! You're moving slower than a crippled snail in January!"

Ky, in turn, mounted his horse, scowling at my insult. "You're a brat, you know that?"

I chuckled roguishly. "I know and so are you. But I'm also the little sister, so naturally the big brother is the bigger brat."

"You-!" Ky snapped, at a loss for words. He looked at mom for help, but she just shrugged, her dark eyes twinkling with amusement.

I smirked airily at my brother and rode majestically out of the yard, pleased with my victory, however small.

I waved back at our parents, and turned to face the road stretching away miles before us. The path would eventually meet up with the main trail where we planned to join Tairon, who lived a little further down the mountain with his parents, and we would begin our journey to the capital city and civilization of the Mirkwood Realm.

The crisp minty breeze was pleasant on my skin, and the dark shade kept the forest floor cool and refreshed. Along the path, the foliage was thick and green, the tiny white flowers glowed with a beautiful ethereal light, and the spangled sunlight illuminating the shaded path with rays of golden light shone brightly in various shades of gold and yellow.

Apart from the small village a half day's ride away, I had never been to any town other than the larger town down the mountain aways when I'd gone to find a healer for my brother. I felt a little embarrassed thinking of it now, how I'd accidentally shot him in the leg with my bow. Still, if it was any consolation to my wounded pride, I had been only six at the time and was fairly new with archery.

All in all, I was reasonably excited to visit the capital city itself.

Tournaments had always been a favorite event of mine to attend, and Ky had told me when he'd first returned home two weeks ago that often there would be music and dancing and snack tables run by pretty girls, and many different matches for all manner of elves to compete in. He had assured me that there was at least one large gathering at the city tournament grounds each week, and eventually he'd finally promised to take me to one.

After all, I'd grown up wild in the deep forest of the Mirkwood Mountains with no other girl to play with and according to him, I needed to 'get out some'. Ky and Tairon had been my only playmates, and archery, swordplay, riding and swimming had become my pastime. Often enough we'd challenged each other in hunting, fishing, trapping, and even chopping wood when the kitchen called for it.

Ky had spent a great deal of his time teaching me the fine arts of fist-fighting, although later he proved to regret it when Tairon refused to fight with me and my brother was left to my mercy. Swimming and fishing had made for good fun on hot days, and Tairon had been proud to show off his skills with a sword, and still manage to teach me a thing or two at the same time.

But what I was most proud of was my skills in martial arts. I never did learn who the elf was and I'd been sad to see him go. I had never told Ky or Tairon or even my parents about him- the price for his lessons. Still, it was worth all the hard work and hours of grueling practice. After all, martial arts was a long lost skill of the Eldar. No one knew it any more.

So by the time I had reached my seventeenth birthday, I had excelled in all physical activities. And somehow managed to get away without learning to read or write.

The mountain trail turned sharply and descended down a steep riverbank. I recognised the place as where I first learned to swim. I deftly loosened Lie'er's reins and let the mare pick her way down the rocky slope. She had come this way many times before and I both knew and trusted her skill in crossing the rushing, foaming river. Tairon had caught her for me as a gift for my fourteenth birthday, and I had taken special care training her. Still, as a once wild horse, Li'er was exceptionally skilled in anything along this line of work.

We crossed the river, Li'er and I following Ky, and climbed our way up the equally steep bank to the winding trail through the forest. I could still hear Ky grumbling to his horse, leaving me guessing that he was still smarting about the episode in the yard earlier. When the trail widened a little more, I rode up beside him.

"I'll race you, Ky," I said, offering a wide smile that seemed to do wonders for Ky's pouting. "And I'll beat you!"

Ky chuckled harshly, looking eager to take this chance to beat me. Before I could bat an eyelash, he jabbed his boot heels into his chestnut stallion's sides and they took off. "Make that a bet!" he called back at me as they struck out into a full gallop down the path.

"Cheater!" I yelled, in turn jabbing Li'er's sides with my bare feet. The mare sprang forward after Ky in large strides, giving me a newfound hope. "Run, Li'er! Let's catch that scoundrel."

I loved the feel of the wind and the swoosh of the branches and leaves on my face, the way my hair and cloak flowed behind me. I felt how I imagined a young bird would feel just leaving the nest it was born in. We were gaining on Ky, and as we passed him, I stuck my tongue out, basking in the small moment of triumph.

"You owe me!"

And the race went on. I was breathless from the excitement of the wild ride by the time we reached the fork in the trail. Li'er slowed to a canter and halted, breathing heavily. I used the edge of my homespun cloak to wipe the sweat from her neck and shoulders before turning to watch Ky ride up.

"Hey there, slowpoke," I teased, enjoying the insulted expression on his face. "Who stole all your luck? Or were you just born without it?"

He shot me a sour look. "Brat."

"Says the one who cheated."

"Hey I didn't-"

"Did so!"

"Well, well. A pleasant morning for a fight, I see. What happened this time?"

Ky and I both jumped at the newcomer's voice. We'd been too focused on the outcome of the race that neither of us had noticed his approach.

I grinned. "Tairon!"

"Ari."

He was as wild-looking and as handsome as he had always been, and his face glowed with a new sense of accomplishment.

"I see that city-life has agreed with you," I said, looking him up and down from where he sat on his black mare, not missing the light leather armor and silvan green uniform of the Mirkwood warriors that also matched my brother's.

Tairon sighed happily in accordance. "It is like a dream! You will love it there, Ari!"

My brother chuckled, and looked from Tairon to me. "What he means to say is, the taverns and lovely ladies are like a dream. He goes out every night with his friends gambling and drinking and wasting their money on silly things."

"Oh?" I said with a knowing tone to my voice, giving Tairon ~The Look~.

Tairon flushed pink and smacked Ky's arm. "He makes it sound worse than it is, Ari," he said, trying to explain himself to me. "Anyhow, Ky is with us every night."

I laughed and shot my brother a shrewd look. "He also gambles and drinks and wastes his money." Suddenly I had an idea, and tilted my head in puzzlement. "I wonder what dad and mom would think of that?"

My brother froze in alarm. "Ari! You cannot tell them! Especially mom! Please! I'll do anything! I'll buy you whatever you want when we get to the capital!"

"Well…"

"Ari!"

"Well ok. But you better keep your word, or I'll still tell on you."

Ky stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Why me! I never did anything to you!"

I snorted. "What do you call the cheating you did earlier?"

"It wasn't cheating!" he protested, now flustered.

"Ok, ok. No more fighting." Tairon rode between us, taking up the role of mediator once more. "Ky, you did cheat a little bit whether it was intentional or not. Ari, you should not threaten to tell your parents because you have done the same things in your time. So both of you apologize."

We did so quietly, holding in our smiles. Tairon often acted like a mother in situations like these, and Ky and I had always found it funny, even if we were the ones he was scolding.

"Now," Tairon continued, satisfied with our humble apologies. "We should leave now, if we are going to make it to the capital within two day's time."

We rode out down the path, following the river, and boredom soon led me to wonder what life in the city would be like. In a way, I really wanted to be in the army like Tairon and Ky. I could join patrols and fight battles against orcs and giant spiders. With my martial arts skills, I was confident, maybe a little too confident, that I could overcome anyone who challenged me. That led me to becoming a great warrior with special assignments from the king, who would then surely award me with a high position as captain, giving me more chances to do greater things. I would certainly do such a wonderful job that I would become a mighty general with thousands of warriors under my command… and I would be a famous hero throughout the entire forest kingdom of Mirkwood!

I smiled proudly and sat up straighter on Li'er, as if I had suddenly become a famous and heroic general. Then a thought struck me.

But why couldn't I dress as a boy? I wore my hair in a ponytail with warrior-braids, and most only used warrior braids and saved ponytails for training and war. I was confident that my strength could match Ky and Tairon. I was a tough fighter and quite skilled in archery. I dressed everyday in tunics instead of dresses. Already I could pass for a boy. Besides that, I knew martial arts- something that was considered a great benefit by the Mirkwood people. So what did I have to lose?

I decided that I would escape from Tairon and Ky once we reached the capital, find the place where warriors were recruited, and join the army.

Before my imagination could run any farther away with me, Ky's voice interrupted me. "Ari?"

"Coming!"

We set up camp that night on the bank of the river. After a hot meal of fried fish, water chestnuts and some fresh-baked cookies sent for us by Tairon's mom that somehow had managed to survive this far without getting smashed, I left the two of them talking by the campfire and walked down to the river, Li'er trailing behind me.

In the last light of the sunset, I could see how much wider the river had grown from where we crossed it that morning. The white, foamy water swirled quickly and harshly over the sharp rocks that protruded from the river, and raced on.

On the other side of the river, a gnarled apple tree of many years caught my eye. Despite being mid-summer, a quantity of the apples were already turning red. I swung my saddlebags over my shoulder, measuring the distance across the river. It was much too far to jump, but several large rocks appeared every few seconds above the rushing water, and it seemed to me that they would serve as good stepping stones.

The boulders and smooth slabs of slate that formed the edge of the river were slippery and covered thickly with wet green mosses, and I found myself tottering dangerously above the rapids. I bit my lip, concentrating on keeping my balance, and finally managed to cross the river safely.

Eagerly I picked a half dozen or so apples from the tree and dumped them in my saddlebags. They looked wonderfully juicy and crisp, and after a winter and spring of almost no fruits, I had to try one. I took a bite out of the biggest, reddest apple, and it was even crispier and juicier than I had anticipated. Li'er whinnied from across the river, and I chuckled. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was in desperate need of an apple.

"Hold on, Li'er," I called back to her as I turned and began to recross the river. It was darker now and I could just barely make out the rocks as they slipped in and out of the water. Surely I would have made it back to the other side of the river, if not for the duck.

It was a harmless little mallard duck, which had been sleeping with its head under its wing, camouflaged among the moss in a small crevice of the rock. The toe of my boot must have touched its back, and it woke in a panic and flurry of feathers.

Surprised at my sudden attacker, i sprang sideways onto the next rock, shielding myself from the bird's flapping wings with my saddlebags, when the slate, which had already been cracked from the past winter by water expanding into ice, crumbled under my weight, and i lost my footing.

Had it been any other occasion, an elf with skills such as mine would have easily been able to complete a jump onto the safety of the next boulder, but burdened with saddlebags full of apples and an apple in my mouth, it was impossible. Arms flailing in a last desperate attempt to grab onto something, I toppled into the river and was swept away.

Now all I had to do was brave the rapids.

OoOoOo

My Dearest Brat,

I have enclosed my first monthly payment in this letter for you to pay off your gambling debts (be sure you let Dad know nothing of this matter). I have been hired in the Royal Palace, and I will continue with my investigation. Take care of yourself and enjoy the Festival of Lights with Dad and the twins. Next time we meet, I'll tell you everything about the celebrations in Mirkwood.

All my love,

Your brother, Lindon

A tall, thin elven girl, perched on a clump of large rocks protruding from the shallow blue water of the white beaches of Dol Amroth, smiled happily at the paper in her hand, re-reading the letter once more. It had been about two months now that her brother had left for Mirkwood, and already she missed him dreadfully. She took a large bite out of her last remaining sugar cookie that she had stolen from the kitchen, chewing it subconsciously. After all, he was her only known family in the entire world of Middle Earth besides her dad and the twins, and more often than not, she felt strangely empty when he was half-way across the continent in another kingdom.

A seagull squalled from another large boulder nearby, hungry eyes watching her fingers pick the cookie crumbs from her red dress. The girl grinned slyly and slid the folded letter into her belt before painstakingly gathering the rest of the cookie crumbs into her hand. She stood up, eying the sizable distance between her boulder and sea-gull's, and the little rocks in between.

I'll take my chances, she thought.

Carefully, she jumped from her boulder to a smaller one a few feet away and smiled, her confidence now rising. The next rock was about four feet away, very narrow and jagged with a pointed top, but now already a few feet closer to the seagull than she had been a few minutes before, Leswyn was sure she would make it.

Besides, she reasoned, elves are naturally well-balanced.

She took a deep breath and jumped. Any other time, she would probably not have had a problem, but just as her right boot hit the top of the rock, a loud voice shouted her name from the beach a little distance away, and startled her. She lost her balance, toppled over and hit the waves with a loud splash. Crumbs flew in every direction, and the dismayed seagull squawked in surprise and disappointment.

Leswyn came up soaked, salty sea water streaming from her dress and hair, and she waded towards shore, glowering at the girl who stood there doubled over with laughter. Seeing her sister approaching with the appearance of an angry wet cat, the girl on the beach squealed and darted away up the path leading to the clifftop.

"Arelwyn!" Leswyn shouted breathlessly, tripping up onto the rocky beach, encumbered with her clammy wet dress. "Wait till I catch up with you!"