Ok so this one is quite long, but if I had cut it where I thought I would, the chapter would have only been around 1000 words and that is much too short. I doubt you'll complain about a longer chapter (11 pages)! Enjoy the ride!

Chapter 27

As I tried to make my way over to Candaith and Saeradan, I was interrupted by various rangers wanting to hear what happened. I told them to ask Elladan or Elrohir about the details, and feigned tiredness. I decided to move towards where my tent was and set my things down, hoping Candaith would take the hint and follow. I was rewarded with both rangers approaching, Saeradan with a small smile and Candaith with a bigger one.

"Clearly you succeeded!" Candaith said, squeezing my shoulder gently. I could tell he wanted to pull me into a hug but decided not to; I got the sense he wanted to keep our public relationship friendly instead of romantic. I agreed, but wished it could be different.

However, I had to admit to myself that it would be easier said than done to keep my hands off of him!

I grinned, "It was simpler than I had anticipated. No need to worry." I nodded to Saeradan and meandered over to my pack for some lembas. Saving dwarves does tend to make an Elleth hungry.

Candaith followed, and he held out his hand, saying "Here is your ring, safe and sound." He smiled warmly at me, his eyes twinkling, and I felt myself blushing; whenever he looked at me like that, I couldn't help but feel special. When I took the jewelry from him, my hand tingled from the contact, and our fingers intertwined briefly. With a squeeze, he let go, and I found I missed the contact immediately.

"I assume you found something useful to do while I was gone?" I asked lightly. "Surely you did not pace back and forth and drive Saeradan to madness?"

Candaith rolled his eyes at my amusement, and gave me a guilty look. "Perhaps there may be some truth to that, but I did make some sketches you might find interesting."

I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. "You draw? How did I not know this?" We had traveled together often, and I thought I would have noticed him doing so.

He shrugged, "In the Lone Lands, I often was alone and needed something to occupy myself with. I found myself doodling pictures of my horse, and eventually the landscape around me, and whatever else crossed my mind."

"I would love to see some of them!" I exclaimed.

At this, Candaith blushed, and I wondered what it meant. Before I could interrogate him a little more about this, I noticed some activity in the camp.

Looking across the fire, I saw Halbarad in deep conversation with the dwarf Fúni. The ranger handed Fúni a piece of parchment and held up his left hand. The dwarf looked from the parchment to Halbarad's hand and furrowed his brow in thought. I wondered at what they were discussing and wandered over to investigate, and Candaith followed.

Halbarad marked our approach and waved us over, "Think of this, Gwinthilnel: the line of Isildur is recognized by the heirlooms of that house: the shards of Narsil, now reforged; the Scepter of Annúminas, long kept in Rivendell; and the Ring of Barahir, almost lost in Forochel but regained. I believe you have heard the story." I nodded, curious where this would lead.

"And now, we ride to the defense of Aragorn in the southern lands, which are increasingly under the sway of the enemy. Danger crowds around us upon every side, but our own safety must be secondary to that of Aragorn. Imagine, therefore, if a member of our company is slain or taken captive by the Enemy. If that man bore a ring of Barahir, would that not give his captor pause?"

I furrowed my brow in confusion, "Aragorn has the only ring of Barahir."

Halbarad smiled, looking pleased. "I have therefore made this proposal to Fúni Gem-cutter: to craft rings so like to the ring of Barahir, based on Candaith's description, that should any of this Company fall into the hands of the Enemy, it may sow confusion into his mind. This confusion may buy the true Heir precious time." He said this in an excited rush, seeming very confident in the plan.

Wanting to ask Candaith more about this description he gave, I pushed it aside for now; I was not so sure of Halbarad's plan, "This may fool the average Uruk, but anyone of intelligence that may have knowledge of the ring of Barahir could see through the illusion."

"But is it not worth the risk?" Halbarad countered.

"Perhaps," I said slowly. Any advantage we could obtain was better than nothing. "Will it take much time to craft so many rings?"

Fúni, overhearing my words, looked mildly affronted, "Certainly not! I am very efficient and will have them completed post haste!"

I looked over the drawings and was impressed, "These are very well done! Candaith, did you draw them? Was this what you were working on?" I gave him a pleased smile, and he returned it, but looked a little nervous.

"I did," Candaith said softly. "You think they will suffice?"

"They will do lad," Fúni said gruffly. "Now I will go to the forges. I would be appreciative of the company if the rest of you would follow me."

Radanir had since joined the small group, "You need a guard, sir Dwarf?" he said, smirking.

The dwarf bristled, "I have no need of one, thank you very much! I simply offered in case anyone was interested in seeing the great crafting of such rings!"

I rolled my eyes and nudged Radanir, "We would be honored, Master Fúni." I replied softly with a smile. I could have sworn Fúni's lips twitched upward before he stalked off westward.

It was not a long ride to Echad Mirobel, where the forges were located. When I had last been in the area, many Dunlendings had wandered, setting up multiple camps and mingling with half orcs who had traveled from their camp in Barad Morlas. Riding carefully, I assessed the location of the largest of the settlements and found it deserted; the signs of my "troublemaking" were easy to spot.

Candaith rode up next to me and appraised the abandoned dwelling, "It seems they were driven out of here by something…or someone?" He smirked at me.

I gasped and placed a hand on my chest, "My lord, whatever do you mean? Are you accusing me of causing trouble?" I winked and heard him laugh as I rode forward and asked Halbarad if I may scout ahead.

Our short journey was uneventful, and it seemed the Dunlendings had moved further south into Enedwaith. Which is where we are headed…hopefully not into a trap.

Fúni entered the forges and exclaimed in delight at their pristine condition. The ruins outside of the forges were also in fair shape, and I could imagine what it must have looked like before Eregion was sacked, all those years ago.

Unfortunately, our time there was not as uneventful as we had hoped.

While the rings were crafted, a furious battle ensued in the courtyard outside of the forges. Suffice to say the Grey Company prevailed against the two Uruk clans that had caught us unawares, but it was a close call. Golodir and I were fighting back to back and were nearly surrounded before Calenglad charged into the fray with several of the Dunedain and the sons of Elrond. Candaith had been north of the courtyard where the fight ensued, and arrived shortly after it ended, looking frazzled. I gave him a fatigued smile and saw him relax, thankfully not picking up on how my heart was still racing from the battle and how close I had been to being cut down.

Halbarad made his way into the center of the group and grinned, which was a rare sight to see on his usually serious face, "We have succeeded! Fúni Gem-cutter has completed the crafting of the rings, and we can be on our way." I laughed as a cheer rang up from the Dunedain.

I wondered how many times I would be able to laugh while on this mission. It was dangerous, and I feared we would arrive too late and lose many of our company before the end. I felt a sense of foreboding but knew not what it meant. Halbarad seemed to believe we would not actually need to use any of these rings but rather wanted them just in case, yet something told me they would be necessary, in the end.

I hoped to Eru I was wrong.

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After spending the night in Echad Mirobel, we were on our way to Echad Dagoras, the northernmost outpost of the Dunedain in Enedwaith. We would need to travel through the region in order to get to Dunland…eventually leading us to Rohan.

My hopes of simply traveling south through Enedwaith were dashed as we came upon Dagoras at his camp, who looked worried and stressed. Clearly some trouble was afoot and he would need our help before we could move on. Lothrandir was there also, having ridden ahead to tell Dagoras of our coming, and he greeted us with a serious nod and an uncharacteristically grim countenance.

As we dismounted, Dagoras approached Halbarad, "Well met; it has been long since I have seen you, and I have much to impart. Things have always been tenuous in this region, but I fear much has deteriorated over the past few months. Clans that were once trusting of the Dunedain are now hostile, leaving only one that even remotely tolerates us. There is little love there for the Rohirrim, and my careless mention of our route did not help."

Halabarad raised his eyebrows, and his face was suddenly stormy with anger, "You told them of our mission? That is ill news!" He took a step closer to Dagoras, his fists clenched, and I feared they would come to blows.

Before things could get out of hand, Lothrandir stepped between them. "Peace, my brothers. Halbarad, you misunderstand. Dagoras did not tell him why we were journeying to Rohan, just that it would take us south and through those lands. Is that not correct?" Dagoras, his shoulders tense, nodded tightly.

Halbarad relaxed his stance and sighed, "I apologize; I should not have made assumptions. You are an honorable man, and I should not have doubted you."

Dagoras shrugged, "It is understandable, and I do not blame you."

"Well, now that is settled, may we rest here for the night?" Halbarad asked, after taking a couple deep breaths to collect himself. I was surprised by the whole encounter and how quickly they were to 'forgive and forget'. It only reinforced how loyal the Dunedain were to one another.

We took some time to set up camp, and I went over to introduce myself to Dagoras. "Suilad. My name is Gwinthilnel, and I am friend to the Dunedain. I am traveling with them on their journey."

Dagoras smiled, "Ah, but I have heard of you. Word traveled from Eregion about your great deeds."

"She is a legend in the Trollshaws! An Elleth warrior queen, sent by the gods to vanquish all evil!" Radanir interjected theatrically, with a wink. I rolled my eyes and gave him a shove. His presence was quickly replaced by Elladan, who smirked and continued, in the voice of a storyteller, "Wherever the enemy dwells, she is like a shadow. She is known as the Heroine of Eriador, and from the highest peaks of Forochel to the lowest depths of Moria has she traveled-"

"-the light of the Eldar shining in her eyes as she slays the dark creatures who get in her way!" Elrohir finished dramatically, raising a fist in the air. Dagoras' eyes were wide, and I could feel the heat on my cheeks that traveled up to the tips of my ears. "Ah, well…clearly the stories of my actions have been greatly exaggerated." I stuttered.

I felt more than saw Candaith approach, and he threw an arm around my shoulders with a grin. To the others it likely looked innocent, but next to Dagoras, I saw Elladan raise an eyebrow, laughter dancing in his eyes. "They certainly have not, mellon nin. Shall I tell them about how many trolls you killed, by yourself I might add, while in the southern Lone Lands? Or your courageous mission to free Naruhel, the Red Maid, from her imprisonment? Do not sell yourself short, for your deeds are ones to be proud of!"

Feeling very embarrassed, I gently shook him off and moved away from the group, over to the end of the ruins. Sitting down on the edge, I let my legs swing back and forth as I collected myself. I heard Saeradan trying to convince Candaith to let me be, and Elrohir telling the others not to worry. Part of me felt bad for ruining the light-hearted moment.

I had never been one to broadcast the things I had done. I did not help others for the glory of it, but rather out of necessity. If I was not there to aid in the destruction of the enemy, perhaps no one would be, and where would that leave things?

Another reason why I chose to downplay or not speak of my recent deeds was because they were too hard to face. Reflecting on where I had been, what I had seen, what I had done…it was overwhelming. I had slain monsters, but also men and women. Seeing the light leave their eyes, no matter how evil their intent, broke me a little each time. What had made them choose such a life? Did they have loved ones they left behind in death? Would they be missed? Would a child be left an orphan? If I thought about it too much, the weight of it threatened to crush me. I did not have the strength to speak of such things, even with those closest to me.

As the sun set, I wrapped my arms about myself. I felt chilled, but not due to the coolness of the breeze. I found myself sinking into despair. Why now? Why not in the darkest of places, where the light could not reach and all felt lost? I mused. In front of me was a beautiful array of colors painted across the sky. The mountains were in the distance, the tops of them blazing red with the reflection of the sun, but I found no joy in it. The redness reminded me of the blood I had spilt, and the fires of the Flaming Deeps of Moria that had blinded me with their heat and choked me with smoke.

I looked about myself and felt I was too close to the others. I had to get away from them; I could not let them see me like this. Peering over the edge of the cliff, I noted the plethora of easy hand and footholds. Candaith had clearly been watching me and started to walk over, but I stayed him with a gesture and began to slowly climb down.

I was almost to the bottom before I heard him calling softly, "Gwin, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

Looking up at him, my expression must have alarmed him, for he looked startled and worried. "Do not fear for me Candaith, I simply need some time to gather my thoughts." I forced a smile, "I will be fine. Go back to the fire, I'm sure you are feeling cold." Before he could answer I dropped the last few feet and carefully picked my way across some rocks to a large boulder that was under the shadow of the cliff face.

I had only been there for maybe ten minutes before I heard someone approaching. I sighed in frustration, "Candaith, I told you I needed to be alone."

"It isn't Candaith, it is Golodir," a gruff voice replied. I huffed like an elfling but moved over slightly to make space. He lowered himself carefully next to me and pulled out his pipe.

We sat in silence for a while, him smoking and I gazing unfocused out at the darkening landscape. My mind was suddenly blank, and I felt nothing.

"Sometimes I feel a similar way," Golodir said softly, and I hadn't realized I had spoken aloud. "When you see darkness and death, it can become as a void in your head and your soul." He paused and then turned toward me, "As you know, when Lorniel died, I was beyond despair. My pain cut so deep that it was all I could see and feel. Pain and vengeance." I remained silent, and he continued, "When you and Corunir found me in Nûrz Gâshu, I was out of my mind and could not recognize friend from foe, or truth from lies. I could have killed you both in my madness."

"You didn't," I whispered in reply. "You found your way back."

"Yes, I did, but not without aid from friends." He tentatively reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. When I did not shrug him off, he said, "Gwinthilnel, you do not need to bear this pain alone. You are among those who care for you and would see you well."

I felt tears starting to gather in my eyes and I roughly brushed them away. "I wish it was so simple, but it is not." I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. "It is said Elves feel things in a stronger way than Men. In fact, it can be so powerful that it surrounds the soul in a vice, either in happiness or in sadness, in joy or in agony. I find it to be a curse rather than a blessing. When my father and brothers were killed, it brought my mother to the brink of death. If not for my sister and I, she surely would have faded from grief." I curled into a ball, wrapping my arms tightly about my knees. "Sometimes I am afraid it will happen to me, or that it is already happening." My voice broke, and I buried my face in my lap, ashamed of myself and my weakness.

While I had been speaking, Golodir listened without interruption. After a few minutes of silence, while I tried to get myself together, he said softly, "I will not pretend to know what it is like to live for thousands of years and feel the weight of it, but I will say that the experiences of pain I have had in my comparatively short life have shown me there is a way back into the sunlight. I do not know how or when you will find this path, but I believe in you. You are stronger than you know." Golodir stood up slowly with a grunt, "I am old, although not as old as you," he said, and I felt a small smile form on my face. He held out a hand to me, "Let us return to camp; even Elves need food and rest."

Before I could take his hand, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Freezing in place, I scanned the hills ahead of me and listened. It was dark but my vision was sharp, even at night. Very faintly I heard a growl, and I whipped out my bow, killing two wargs before Golodir noticed what was happening. He gripped his own bow in his hands but said, "I cannot see in this light!"

I hushed him and narrowed my gaze, shutting out all distractions. As each warg came near, I killed them, one by one. I did not notice the ever-growing pile in front of me, but rather putting an arrow between the yellow, malevolent gaze of every warg. I kept my eyes focused on the area around me, unmoving until I felt a hand on my arm. Whipping around, I threw the person against the cliff face, thinking it was an enemy.

The startled gaze of Golodir met mine, and I wondered what he saw in my eyes. I released him, and averted my eyes. "I am sorry Golodir, I was unsure if you were an ambushing enemy and simply reacted."

"Ah, it is fine Gwinthilnel. It looks as if our attackers are all slain. Will you come up with me to the camp?" His voice was gentle, but his expression was guarded. I was afraid I had frightened him.

Quickly returning my bow to my back, I nodded. "We must do something about these bodies," I replied. "They will have to be burned."

"Doing so at night would not be wise, as it will only draw more undue attention. We must wait until daylight," Golodir replied. He continued looking at me oddly and treading cautiously.

I was annoyed, "Do you have something to say Golodir?"

He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "No, nothing important. Shall we go?" He seemed anxious to return to camp, and I did not have the energy to argue with him. The adrenaline was fading and I felt exhausted.

It took several minutes of tense silence and quick feet before we approached the fire. "It is Golodir, and I have Gwinthilnel with me," he called out, announcing our presence.

Dagoras approached us quickly, "Elladan told me of a group of wargs that assailed you. He spotted the skirmish below, but noted he did not believe you needed any assistance. Are either of you injured?" I shook my head, and he sighed in relief, a grim expression on his face. "This is one of the problems we have been facing, and I had meant to tell you of it tomorrow after you had rested." He motioned us to join the others, who were sitting around the fire and looking serious. Candaith was trying to catch my eye but I looked away from him; I couldn't focus on him at the moment when it was taking all my willpower to prevent myself from unraveling.

"The situation with the wargs has become dire here and I sent Amarion, one of my kinsmen, to track them and creatures called shadow wolves in a den to the East, but he has not returned. I worry something has happened to him." All of us looked to Halbarad for guidance; I knew he wanted to move south post-haste, but leaving someone to possible suffering and death would not sit well with him, especially one of his kinsmen.

After thinking for a moment, Halbarad replied, "Is the den far from here?"

Dagoras shook his head, "No, it is not far east from the road, but there are so many evil beasts in the area that it has been hard to approach without danger."

"We will need to wait until daylight; the darkness would give the beasts an advantage," Halbarad said, clearly formulating a plan.

I found myself tuning them out, staring into the flames. I tried to reflect on Golodir's words, but everything seemed jumbled and the memory of the yellow eyes of the wargs made the darkness at the edges of my mind encroach ever closer.

"…like some stew? I made it myself…Gwin are you listening?"

I shook myself and looked up into the concerned eyes of Candaith. I gave him a small smile and replied, "I am sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." I took the bowl of stew and he sat next to me. We ate in a somewhat strained silence. Clearly, he wanted to ask what was wrong but felt unsure how it would be received. I could not decide whether or not I wanted him to. Instead I focused on what I was eating, and hummed in delight at the taste. "This is very good, what kind of meat did you find?"

He shrugged, "There were several rabbits around and I managed to successfully hunt them. It isn't deer, but I believe it tastes decent enough." I felt a true smile cross my face this time, and he returned it slowly, making my heart flutter. The silence became more comfortable, and I thanked him when he handed me my water skin. Candaith moved closer to me, and I found myself putting my head on his shoulder. He laced his fingers in mine and we remained there for a little while. In that moment I was beyond caring if people thought we were intimately involved; I was craving comfort and this small physical contact was just enough.

After some time, I started to rise, stating I had intended to confer with Halbarad about the plan, but Candaith bade me continue to sit, "I will find out what has been decided. You have done enough work this night," The warmth of his gaze made me relax, and I nodded in acceptance.

My relaxed state faded as I overheard a hushed conversation between Golodir and Corunir. Clearly, they believed I could not hear them, but my Elven hearing was too keen.

"She was shooting faster than I could blink, and her face was as a stone mask. I foolishly reached out for her arm once the last warg fell, and found myself thrown against the wall. Something in her eyes worries me, Corunir. We had spoken just a short time ago, and I was able to see for myself what she meant. There was…nothing there. No fire, no emotion. It was blank." He sighed. "I fear for her."

Angry, I rose quietly and approached them. Corunir's eyes were wide when he saw me, and I said through clenched teeth, "There is no need to fear for me Golodir, I can handle myself. If you could find something better to do besides spreading gossip, it would be more productive." I stalked over to my tent and threw myself inside, taking some deep breaths to calm down.

Would I be able to continue on this quest? I had always done well alone, and perhaps the distraction of others was making it harder for me.

Sighing, I shook myself; I had promised to aid the Grey Company, and I needed to see it done. There was no turning back.

Looks like Gwin is struggling with some things. I mean, can you blame her? Hopefully Candaith can help bring her some peace of mind. Lots happened in this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed the action! Follow/favorite, and leave a review if you'd like!