Lady of the Elves

Chapter 7

I stalked to the forgery wishing that I had never returned. Entering I was shocked by the myriad deadly sharp swords hanging from the walls. My eyes skimmed across the small room and fell on a tall elf standing behind an anvil. His hand with a mallet grasped in it hovered above the shining sword that lay half finished across the anvil. His eyes locked on mine.

Smiling softly I asked while pulling my swords from their sheaths, "Pardon, sorry to bother you in your work, but can you sharpen these."

The man at the anvil nodded and said, "If you'll put them on the table to the side I will have them ready in about half of an hour." I did as he asked.

Pointing to a cloth dummy that stood against the wall I added, "May I borrow this? For target practice?"

The man at the anvil smiled, "Please."

I grabbed the dummy and pulled it from the small building, off the path and into a small clearing admittedly appreciating the fact that the building stood such a ways away from the rest of the paths.

I set the dummy in between two trees and stepped back a couple paces. From my belt, boots and pockets hidden in my cloak I drew forth my throwing daggers and slung them at the dummy taking out my fearsome anger on the dummy.

"Thunk, thunk," why did Legolas think he could do that?

"Thunk," he knew I felt guilty about not coming back.

"Thunk."

"Thunk," the look in his eyes was pure anguish.

"Thunk," it was almost as if he felt that I ripped out his soul and stomped on it, "Thunk."

"Thunk."

A crack sounded after the blade landed. I stiffened, my hand jumped to my waist searching for my sword as I flipped the edge of my cloak from my side. No sword did my hand find, instead it groped through empty air. Immediately I regretted leaving my bow in my room and nearly started cursing aloud as I realized all my throwing daggers lay embedded in the dummy.

"My lady, Aelia?" a voice asked.

I turned quickly at the sound of my name and saw Boromir step from the shadows. I bowed my head in acknowledgment. He too bowed, "Good sir," I said my voice sharper then I would have hoped, "why do you seek me out? Have you remembered my identity at last?"

Boromir frowned gently before his eyes suddenly brightened in realization, "It was you! Yes, you saved my brother's and my life from the orcs when we were no more than children as we strayed from the castle walls." His eyes narrowed slightly in a small flashback, "My father considered you his greatest assassin. Did you know?" He smiled as he remembered more easily now, "He trusted you more than any of his advisors after you saved us. You were the dark figure who would ride out when the moon hid behind the clouds and return days later, the horse spent, and a new blade in your pack. Then... you would disappear until you were needed again, you would return with the single call of a horn," he laughed softly, "My father would tell me you found more then one call disrespectful. Though it may have taken a day; you always returned. Then you took your leave and never returned. That was you? Correct?"

"It was I, your memory is strong, and bethinking fleet. I cannot believe you remembered my name, I met your brother once in my travels, yet he did not recognize me," I answered as I pulled the daggers from the dummy and returned them to their sheaths hidden about my body.

"Then my lady, I beg your forgiveness, I was hasty and cruel in my words earlier. I did not recognize you, though I do not know how; your cloak was a firm giveaway," he said as he bowed before me.