Early the next morning, the fellowship was preparing to leave for their dangerous mission. Amdiriel was ready long before daybreak but she had one last stop to make before she could leave the elf city. Which is why she walked in the distant garden, she wandered until she came across a large tombstone with elvish writing on it and a top of the stone was a sculpture of an elven lady. Amdiriel let her fingers glide over the hands of the stone figure and then to the cheek. Tears threatened to escape Amdiriel's eyes but she held them back.
"Your mother wanted to protect you that day" said her uncle's voice as he approached from behind her. "And even after all these years, you still think she made the mistake of saving you." he stated.
"Look where we are now. We are closer to the end of the world than the end of evil than we were 30 years ago." Amdiriel reminded him.
"Your mother wanted to protect you all your life especially when she saw the skill you possessed with weapons but she knew she would never be able to keep you from battle, there was too much of herself in you to know she wouldn't be able to stop you. In her heart, your mother knew that you would be hunted all your life, that you would never escape your fate." Elrond replied.
"What if she was wrong?...What if it's not me?"Amdiriel doubted. "I was in there in Gondor when your mother gave birth to you. I was there when you first opened your eyes and they burned beautifully with an orange and red flame. Your eyes do that when you fight to protect what you love when you're willing to do anything to keep them safe. That is why the enemy hunts you and hunts to destroy all hold dear. You are a dangerous weapon in this war, but you must not lose yourself." Elrond explained as he brushed her hair to the side. "So there is no other?" She asked. Elrond gave her a sad smile and replied. "I wish I could take this burden from but you're our hope."
Amdiriel nodded in understanding as her thoughts drifted to Aragorn. "At the end of all this, if we survive and he loves another and he's happy...I'll leave with you, I will let him go." She told him.
"Amdi-" Elrond tried but his niece cut him off "I love him enough to let him go if I have to. All I want for him is to be happy, and if he is then I can ask for no more than that and I can leave knowing I did everything I could and he will be safe." she told him. "...If I survive." Elrond took Amdiriel into his arms for what he knew could be possible a long time for her future was unforeseeable.
"You will return and I want you to be happy...regardless of what the world wants, regardless of what I want." he told her. They both knew this was their silent goodbye.
"I love you, dear" "I love you too." was all that was said before they pulled apart, bowed their heads to each other and Amdiriel turned to walk away, wiping the small tear from her cheek. She hated goodbyes. Elrond watched his beloved niece until he saw Aragorn over by his mother's grave. The two were so much like each other in personality and past experiences.
The fellowship lined up together as Elrond addressed them one last time.
"The Ring-bearer is setting out on a quest to Mount Doom and you who travel with him, no oath or bond is laid to gon further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessing of elves, men and all free folk go with you."
Amdiriel, Legolas and Aragorn placed their hands over their hearts and bowed their heads in respect, thanks and a final farewell to the elf lord.
"The fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." Gandalf declared. Frodo then turned and lead the way out to leave, each member following behind in a single file line. Amdiriel was the last to follow but before she could, she gave her uncle one last look. In return, he gave her a small smile and a nod. Amdiriel took a deep breath and made her way out of the city with the others. As she walked out, she remembered all she was leaving behind but also what she was fighting for. Their future now rested now in the fate of this quest.
As they traveled on further and further onward, Amdiriel spent time with everyone, even Gimli who would never admit that he enjoyed her company.
The hobbits enjoyed her tales and stories of adventures, it would give them hope when they felt discouraged but there was a story that everyone wanted to hear. Amdiriel had no once spoken of the reason behind her exile. It wasn't that they didn't ask because the curiosity did get the best of the hobbits but all she would say was "Another time." Aside from Amdiriel the other tow how knew the truth of what happened and why she never told it. It borrow her too much pain to tell it herself and Legolas and Boromir both knew that.
The company was now resting on the edge of a cliff but the trees and cloud kept them well hidden. Sam was passing out food as night fell and the others sat around the fire waiting patiently.
"Why does she never speak of when she left Gondor?" asked Pip as he whispered to Merry. "Maybe she's not ready." his cousin replied as if it was obvious in a quiet voice but the elf hearing abilities let her hear what was being said. Boromir turned to his sister as she pretended that she hadn't heard anything. "You know they deserve to know. They have been patient." he told her. "I can not bring myself to tell it but you are right brother." she replied. "What if I brought back his memory?" Boromir asked. Amdiriel didn't want to get her hopes up just to be disappointed. "You tell it, I can not," she answered him and got up and left the group without a word. Aragorn watched as she walked away and over to the edge of the cliff and looked out into the night sky
Boromir sighed but spoke up "Let us have a story, shall we with supper?" he said.
"What kind of story?" Sam asked. Boromir smiled "It's a story you all have been wanting to hear. That made everyone get quiet to listen including Amdiriel who still had her back turned. "It is the story of one of the greatest warriors of Middle-Earth." he started with everyone already intrigued.
"A steward of Gondor and his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, her name was Amdiriel. Amdiriel was special and her family knew it. She grew up fighting just like her two brothers, becoming skilled with knives, a bow, and a sword. She was fierce, determined to win and protect her family, country and it's people. She earned the title as Captain of the White Tower when she was 17.
Amdiriel and her mother had been out on a regular horseback ride outside of the city, nothing that they had never done before when they were attacked by orcs. The witch-king of Angmar, the one that stabbed Frodo, was set out to kill the Captain. While Amdiriel's back was turned because she was fighting off 3 orcs, the Nazgul had crept up behind her and was ready to strike her down but her mother saw it first and last minute she threw herself in front of her daughter. Amdiriel then fought off the demon but it was too late to save her mother. Things then changed in the kingdom, while the people mourned, the Steward fell into despair and grew bitter. Amdiriel was determined to become the best fighter and protector.
"But what happened?" Pippin asked. "Why'd she leave?" Merry questioned.
"She didn't choose to." Boromir explained. "I and my brother were gone, defending the border of Gondor while Amdi was commanded to care for Minas Tirith. And that's when it happened?"
"What?" Frodo asked.
"She fell in love...with someone others would have said she shouldn't have." Boromir told them.
"Who was he?" asked Merry asked not being able to take the suspense.
"He was a young rager from the North, he had come to see the White City. He had heard several tales of the 3 siblings who stood guard over the land. They met and grew very fond of each other, and learned from each other and then fell in love." Boromir stated.
"If they fell in love then where is he now? What happened?" Sam questioned.
"When we returned after a long 3 months, I and Faramir saw a great change in Amdi. She was happy and was smiling all the time again.." Boromir explained "We had finally thought that after several long years of sorrow was over and that we had our real sister back. She was so excited for us to meet the man and so were we.
But 2 days later, before we had the chance, he left Gondor. He left without warning, without a word and left behind a heartbroken Amdiriel. We couldn't understand why, after everything Amdiriel had told us, we couldn't understand why he would suddenly leave. Amdiriel had gone out on her routine patrol in the morning and when she was returning her love was riding out of the city. She claims that when he looked her at her it was like he never knew her. But we found our answers a couple of days later. Apparently, the Steward had heard of his daughter's love affair with the ranger from the North. In, fear and anger, he paid a sorcerer who while Amdi was away, cast a spell over the man, taking his memory and making him forget all about Amdi and what they shared.
When we confronted our father, he and Amdi argued and in his anger, he banished her from Gondor..." Boromir stopped and remembered the day. He remembered the screams, the yelling and mostly the tears. The tears in his sister's eyes, tears of rage, pain, sadness, and betrayal. He remembered the tears he and his brother held back as they said goodbye to their sister that day. He remembered her promise to return when she was needed and their promise to her to defend their home and to not lose hope.
"But why would he do that?" Gimli asked, "I mean that's his daughter?"
"Because he is a selfish old man." Amdiriel replied from behind them.
Everyone had been so into the story that no one had noticed Amdiriel rejoined them.
"He feared we would try and take the throne by force and he wanted to hold on to his precious power as steward...but that isn't what we wanted. We just wanted to see the people flourish again, to see peace." Amdiriel confessed.
"Where is he now?" The man?" Asked Frodo.
Amdiriel's heart clenched at the question but refused to show any emotion. She shook her head "I do not know but I do know that he is safe...for now."
"I think it's time for bed." Gandalf said. "Yes, a long day ahead tomorrow." Legolas agreed, sensing his friend's discomfort. The company went to sleep quickly as while Amdiriel took the first watch.
Aragorn laid his head down while he stared at Amdiriel who was fiddling with her dagger. There was pain in his heart for her. He couldn't understand why a father would do such a thing to his daughter. He couldn't understand the burden and pain she carried from her past and yet she continued to fight.
But most of all, he couldn't understand why his heart hurt to know she had loved another even if it was years ago. He knew he cared for her, he cared for everyone in the fellowship, even Boromir but there was something different about her. There was a different care that he had for her and even more so now that he knew her story. She was special to him. Aragorn fell asleep that night knowing he'd dream of her as he did for years.