I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Lots of fun moments! Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Another day and night passed before I was forced to have a serious and long conversation with Lord Elrond about what had happened during my quest to escort Saeradan and Candaith to Imladris. I was not looking forward to it.

"Now Gwinthilnel, Candaith has made it known to me that your journey was eventful and somewhat unpleasant," he said seriously.

"That would be putting it mildly," I muttered bitterly, before apologizing at my tone. "I am sorry…it was a difficult journey, and it is hard for me to talk about."

"No need to apologize; take your time," he replied, in a gentler manner.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I said, "Let me start at the beginning."

I spent a lengthy period of time telling him what happened, sometimes needing to stop to collect myself. I had the urge to skip over the encounter with the Uruk, but I needed to speak of it in order to tell him about the dream that had occurred. I tried to use an even tone and speak of it almost as an outsider observing my travels, but it was not easy. He listened without judgement, asking the occasional question, and kindness was in his eyes.

When I finished explaining the dream and Radagast's actions and words, his brow furrowed. "I was unaware Radagast was still dwelling in Ost Guruth. It was well he was there to aid you."

Nodding and resisting the urge to shudder, I replied, "It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, which is saying something." I watched his face closely and noted regret; he blamed himself for some of the horrors I had seen, but did not comment on it. "Radagast was convinced Sauron could have been present in the dream, but I am not so sure. What do you think?"

Elrond was silent for a short time, clearly considering his words, "It is not out of the realm of possibility. However, I cannot be certain. What you describe as his appearance is not what I remember, but he has likely changed his form since I last encountered him. I do not believe he has a physical body, but perhaps in dreams, he can appear in such a way." Elrond looked unsettled, and it made me nervous. "Another theory is that it is a being composed of all of the greatest foes you have encountered, imbued with the evil Sauron represents. The dream could have been testing your strength, and your ability to overcome the temptation of giving into your fears." He surprisingly took my hand in his. "I commend you for your bravery and resilience. Not everyone would have been able to fight so fiercely, especially if it was indeed Sauron. It shows how much you have grown over the centuries we have known one another."

I smiled, pleased by his words, "Thank you for your confidence in me. I do my best to hinder the enemy where I may, and although I do not always succeed, I will continue to fight."

Elrond released my hand and had me sip some tea, "I promise it is not valerian this time, just some athelas. It will help you stay energized and continue to speed your healing. I am pleased with your recovery, and see no reason for you to remain on bedrest. However, I would urge you to be cautious and take things slowly. I will send someone to help you dress and escort you to the antechamber, where I will have some food brought. Is that agreeable?"

I nodded, thanking him. Before I could do or say anything else, he added, "I will continue to think on this dream of yours, and see if I can glean anything more from its contents. As difficult as it may be, try not to dwell on it. I wish for you to find rest here, for a time." With those words, he inclined his head before striding regally out of the room.

Determined to take his words to heart, I moved gingerly from the bed and allowed a kind Elleth to help me into a simple dress, and she ran a brush through my hair to remove the tangles. It was odd wearing one; my life was spent in tunics and leggings. I had to admit, I looked decent when I glanced in the mirror. I didn't consider myself to be especially beautiful, in comparison to other Elleths, but I cleaned up well, when I was able to put in the effort.

After dressing and settling myself at a table near the fire, I tucked into my meal of fresh bread, cheese, and jam, with some watered-down wine and more athelas tea. I inhaled at the divine smell and smiled. Once I had eaten, I moved closer to the fire, curled up in an oversized arm chair, and picked up a book of poetry that had been lying on a side table. Flipping through it aimlessly, I came across a poem about the stars and how they were the blessings of the Valar, reminding us they were always watching and aiding us from afar. Considering all of the scrapes I had been through and survived, I had to admit it was very possible this was true, but sometimes in my lowest moments, I felt alone.

I heard a soft knock on the doorframe, and I turned my head to see Elrohir and Elladan standing just inside it. Waving them in and gesturing to the loveseat across from the fire, they smiled in unison and sat down. "I hear I have you both to thank for rescuing me?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"We aim to please, my lady, and are always willing to rescue a damsel in distress," Elrohir replied with an exaggerated incline of his head, and I couldn't help but smile a little.

"I would hardly consider myself a 'damsel in distress', but I thank you. Unfortunately, some very stubborn elves needed me to rescue them first." I tried to keep the jovial atmosphere, but realized I still felt upset at their risky decision to continue fighting, and it leaked into my tone of voice.

Turning serious, Elladan replied, "We truly are grateful for your timely aid, Gwin. I do not think we would have survived the battle without it. I am sorry for the injuries you sustained, and I hope you will forgive us for our foolishness."

"Many died or were injured because of our actions, and it grieved us to see you wounded as you tried to convince us of the wisdom of retreating," Elrohir added, his face grave.

"Does your father blame you for their deaths?" I asked quietly. They both shook their heads, but looked downcast. "Then do not hold yourselves responsible for their choices. Your soldiers follow you because they are dedicated to the safety of your realm; there was an enemy trying to harm your people, and they would not begrudge you for doing your best to eradicate such evil." I gave them a small smile. "The enemy has been routed for now, and we should be thankful for it." The returned it hesitantly, and our conversation moved on to lighter topics.

We spent the rest of the afternoon swapping light-hearted stories of our adventures, keeping it to the rather humorous scrapes we had gotten into. "I found myself being asked to retrieve rotten pies all over the Shire that a hobbit named Holly had accidentally baked. Part of me considered ignoring her request, as I had much more important things to do, but she looked at me so imploringly that I simply couldn't turn her down! At the same time, a postman insisted I deliver letters to all of these settlements as they were short-handed. Thankfully the pies were in most of the same locations so it was not too much more work, but I still wonder if it was actually worth the few bronze coins I was rewarded with!" the twins were roaring with laughter, and I couldn't help but join them.

After recovering, Elrohir told a story of his own, "When Estel was very young, he insisted on joining us on a hunt for rabbits. His mother Gilraen was about to forbid it, but I convinced her it was completely safe as we would be watching over him the entire time," the twins grinned at each other and Elrohir continued, "Estel was a bit of a troublemaker as a child…in fact, he still is…anyway, we had just entered the forest before he saw a giant frog and raced away to catch it. When we finally caught up with him, he had accidentally stepped into a hidden trap and was high up in the trees, caught in a net! I had expected him to be terrified, but after climbing rapidly up the tree to free him, I found him giggling and saying, "Again 'Ro, again!" He smiled fondly. "I still remind him of this story and he swears he stepped into the net on purpose, but we both know better."

The sky had darkened by this point and reluctantly they rose to their feet. Elladan asked, "Would you like to join us for dinner? We would be happy to bring some food and eat with you."

I smiled and nodded, "Are you sure you have the time? I would imagine your father will be expecting you?" I stood up slowly and made my way the short distance to the table, lowering myself into a chair gingerly. I was still feeling a little sore, but much improved from even earlier that day.

They shrugged in unison and I found it mildly alarming how in tune they were with each other, sometimes finishing each other's sentences. "He can manage to eat one meal without us. Besides, we would be remiss to leave such a lovely maiden to eat all alone," Elladan replied, and I rolled my eyes as he winked and they opened the door to leave…

…only to be greeted with Candaith, holding a tray in one hand and his other raised to knock. They all froze, and Candaith uncharacteristically blushed. "Ah, hello my lords. I hope I am not interrupting?"

Elrohir turned around to face me and raised his eyebrows, a small smirk on his lips, but Candaith could not see it. Elladan replied, "No of course not, we were just leaving. Gwinthilnel, we will return shortly with our food, but feel free to start without us." They stepped aside to make room for Candaith to enter before both grinning in amusement and shutting the door.

Candaith was standing still, holding the tray and looking conflicted. I took the initiative, "Oh for Eru's sake, sit down," and gestured to one of the chairs across from me.

Candaith slowly moved toward the table, and set the tray down carefully, before hesitantly sitting down. "I…did not know you already had dinner guests."

I raised an eyebrow. "Dinner guests? You speak as if this is my home, when in fact I am the guest in someone else's. I welcome anyone's company, especially considering I have been stuck here for several days." I gave him a reassuring smile to try and make him feel less uncomfortable.

"Of course. Anyway…I went to the kitchens and requested some of your favorite things, as I expected you would like that," he said quietly, with a small smile, but looking unsure.

He had indeed done so; there was roasted beef, tossed greens with cranberry vinaigrette, sweet potatoes, fresh bread, and on the side was some sort of fruit treacle. Warm mulled wine was in mugs, along with some crystal-clear water in a small jug and two glasses. He had put some on two plates so we both could enjoy.

I smiled broadly, and when I looked at him, his blue eyes were twinkling. "This is perfect, thank you for your thoughtfulness!" We ate in silence for a few minutes, as I was too focused on enjoying the delicious food to spark up any kind of conversation. The twins returned soon after, and we made room for them. Elrohir was smiling and said, "When we went to the kitchens to get something to eat, we were told by the chef that it was lucky someone had requested a special dinner and she had some left over for us to enjoy! Was it you Candaith?"

The ranger nodded but did not answer, and I could see another blush on his cheeks. It was quite amusing but I kept my thoughts to myself. The twins however, seemed unable to stop needling him.

"How thoughtful of you! Clearly Gwinthilnel is lucky to have such a good friend, would you not agree muindor?" Elrohir said, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, she is lucky indeed!" Elladan replied; he sent me a wink, and I gave him a look of warning that clearly conveyed Stop your teasing or else! How I ever thought this would deter them, I do not know.

Suddenly I heard a harpist playing outside the window, and a beautiful melody was filling the room. I gave them a brief flabbergasted look, before saying, "How nice. Why ever would someone be playing in the courtyard?", forcing a smile.

Looking innocent but fooling no one, Elladan replied, "They must have found the night to be so beautiful that they could not but help to play out of doors. Or perhaps…" a smirk played across his lips, "They knew a lovely maiden was nearby in the healing halls and were desperate to entertain her."

I pursed my lips, and risked a glance at Candaith. He was looking a little embarrassed but continued eating his food in silence. I tried to smooth things over with a joke so he was more comfortable, "I find that unlikely, as they would be serenading Lady Arwen if they wanted to impress upon a divine beauty. Is she not the inspiration for many of the songs performed in the Hall of Fire? I heard one is even named, "The Maiden of Moonlight" due to her shining black hair," I couldn't help but giggle at their expressions as the twins looked annoyed.

"I think you are beautiful," a voice murmured quietly, and I froze as I saw Candaith looking at me with wide eyes, clearly as surprised as I was at his words. The twins suddenly wore matching grins, clearly enjoying my plight. I took a hasty sip of my mulled wine and choked as its hot temperature scalded my throat. Elladan handed me my cup of water, which I quickly drank to try and stop the coughing.

"Truer words have never been spoken!" Elrohir said dramatically, and I rolled my eyes.

After this strange conversation, we all continued to eat, me trying to make awkward small talk and the twins continuing to poke a little fun at Candaith and I. Clearly, they had some sense that Candaith might have feelings for me, even though I found myself unsure if that was true. I couldn't even figure out what my own feelings were!

Taking a last sip of my wine, I carefully stood up and said, "My lords Elladan and Elrohir, may I escort you to the door?" I said, pretending to defer to their higher status.

For once, they took the hint and left, but not without both of them giving me a wink and another smirk. As I closed the door, I took a deep breath and schooled my expression into something I hoped looked calm and collected, and turned back towards the table where Candaith was picking at his food. "I apologize for their teasing; they like to poke fun at me sometimes. I try not to hold it against them, as it seems they cannot help themselves." I said with a small laugh that sounded a little forced.

Candaith cleared his throat and replied "It is quite all right; I know they are only joking."

After a beat of silence, I gestured towards the fireplace and asked, "Would you sit by the fire with me?" I wanted to try and smooth things over and dissipate the somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere of the room.

He seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding and pushing himself back from the table. In the meantime, I had ventured over to the arm chair and pulled a blanket around myself. Despite the fire, I felt a little cold. The temperature outside had dropped, and I noticed with some relief that the harpist had since left the courtyard, and the crackling of the fireplace was the only sound. Candaith sat nearby on the loveseat, staring into the flames.

"So, what do you think of your stay in Imladris? Have you been here before?" I asked. I could not recall if he had mentioned coming here.

He answered softly, "No, this is my first time visiting the Last Homely House. While it is true it is a place of tranquility and beauty…I have not found the rest here that I had hoped for."

"Oh? Why is that, do you think?" I said, surprised. Only Celondim provided me with more peace and comfort than Imladris. "Do you feel out of place because you are not of Elven-kind?"

He shrugged, eyes till fixed on the fire, "Perhaps it is part of it. I cannot help but feel we are wasting time dallying here."

"We are still waiting for some of our party to arrive, yes?"

Candaith nodded, "I know some of them have very far to travel. I wish they were all here so we could move on. Aragorn is waiting for us."

I could understand his restlessness; it is hard to wait when all you want to do is continue on. "I know, but Aragorn would want all of the Dunedain who are coming to be present before heading off. The more prepared we are, the better."

"You still intend on coming?" he asked softly.

I sighed, a little frustrated, "Candaith, I told you, I will not remain behind. The more of us who can fight, the better supported Aragorn will be. He is a friend to me, and we have been through much. I owe him my life." It was true; during one of our missions, I had barely avoided being killed by a hidden Blackwold archer. If Aragorn had not tackled me to the ground, I would have had an arrow through the neck.

"In fact, many of the Dunedain in our band of travelers have helped aid me in various ways, and I have helped them. For example, Calenglad was very untrustworthy of me at first, but we became friends after spending time in Annuminas. I joined the rangers there in pushing back the ever-present Angmarim, and when he almost went mad in his love for a spirit maiden named Gwindeth, I helped bring him back to reality. He likely would have thrown himself into the waters and drowned, so intense was his grief." I looked down at my lap, feeling emotional. "And take Halbarad. We went on a very dangerous mission in the far northeastern area of the North Downs, very near to the southern border of Angmar, to destroy idols in a cave where the Angmarim were gathering their strength for an assault on Esteldin. As I went to destroy the last one, an Angmarim sorcerer used his staff to blind me, and as I stumbled, I almost fell off of a ledge to my death. Halbarad reached out and pulled me back to safety, confronting the sorcerer and ending her life before helping me finish the mission and escaping. I would be dead without his timely rescue."

"And…and you, Candaith, have saved me more times than I can count, from some of my worst horrors. How could I not come with you? How could I stay behind, knowing you were riding off into danger and I was unable to do anything to protect you?" My voice was trembling, but he still refused to look at me. His jaw was clenched. I couldn't stand it anymore, "Will you not look at me?" I asked angrily, my voice breaking.

He finally turned his head towards me, but his expression was hard to read. It was as if he was trying to hold back any semblance of emotion but was not entirely successful. His hands were clenching the fabric of his trousers, and he was shaking. "I…", he swallowed and tried again, "I do not need your protection. I can survive without you putting yourself in danger to save me. My life is not worth losing yours."

I wanted to throw myself at his feet, take his hands in mine and tell him it wasn't true, that his life was worth it, that…that I cared for him, more than he knew. However, I sensed it would not be welcome and that he wanted to keep his distance from me. Before I could consider this further, he abruptly jumped to his feet. "I bid you goodnight," he said tightly.

"Wait-" I started to say, but he was already gone.

Uh oh, looks like some trouble is brewing between Gwin and Candaith! Hope you enjoyed the antics of Elladan and Elrohir; I loved writing it. Thanks for reading, and drop a review if you'd like!