Hunter of the Rings

Chapter 3

The next morning came far too soon. Aragorn, after having awoken to the morning sun streaming through the nearby window, had planned to have a few more minutes of rest; that idea went out of said window when he was disturbed by the familiar bickering of the elf and dwarf. Aragorn attempted to ignore the pair, but one sentence in particular caught his attention. "-just woke up and Maddie isn't anywhere to be found!" Gimli stated, his voice hushed yet worrisome. That was enough to force the man wide away; he sat up from his bedroll within less than a second "what?!" he exclaimed, startling the two as they turned to him. Legolas explained how their dwarf friend had rudely woken him up less than a minute ago "I got up and couldn't find the lass" Gimli interrupted; Aragorn had pushed himself up to his feet as he asked if they had checked the bathroom "first place I looked" Legolas confirmed. Sat in the corner of the room was Gandalf; he listened to the conversation as he enjoyed the morning with the help of his pipe, seeming not too worried as the scene unfolded for this fellow travellers. "Where'd she go?" Gimli wondered to himself. It's not like she had a home to return to. Less than a few seconds later, the door to the room swung open; the wizard watched with great amusement as the three rose their weapons as an act of preparation and defence. "Whoa! Easy! It's me!" Maddie exclaimed, raising her hands to show a sign of peace; all three quickly lowered their weapons with a sigh of relief as Aragorn questioned where the girl had vanished off to "we were worried about you" he added while quickly glancing down her person for any injuries. With a raised brow, Maddie held up the small bag in her hand "I received this week's payment from the owner of the tavern today so I bought some fruit and bread" she explained, apologizing for how little there was "this job doesn't pay well" she reasoned. Thanking and reassuring her, Legolas took the bag and packed it with his own belongings for safe keeping "so you've decided to join us?" he asked with a pleased smile; Maddie mentioned what the ranger had told her the night before "I'd hardly say no to leaving this place" she smiled.

While they packed up their things and ate their breakfast, Maddie asked where it was they were going to be travelling to "we're going to my home, Rivendell" Aragorn explained; they all watched as the young girl's face lit up "Rivendell? As is, the elves?!" she asked with pure innocent excitement. Gimli rolled his eyes, not seeing or understanding why she held such a reaction for the tree loving elves. Legolas, on the other hand, ignored the dwarf as he nodded with a chuckle "that's the one". Gandalf explained how they had some serious business to attend to within Rivendell and would need to reach there within a day or so. Maddie had to admit that she was excited, but she also felt nervous. After all, her parents had been traveling to Rivendell ten years prior when they, as far as she knew, had died. And now she was following in their footsteps. It was also strange, thinking about it. Gandalf has said the exact same thing her parents had told her all those years ago when explaining why they were leaving her with the family friend. They had business to attend to. Shaking the thought and memory from her mind, Maddie helped the group before following them out of the tavern; she made sure to thank her boss for the job he had given her, followed by a goodbye before leaving. Journeying out of the village and along a dirt road, the group began conversations with one another, sharing stories, making jokes and laughing together. Legolas and Gimli broke out in arguments often, bickering over the slightest of things. It was during the conversation of why they were each looking forward to reaching Rivendell, however, when Maddie first heard the name Arwen. Both the dwarf and elf, seeming to unite for once, teased Aragorn to no ends about this Arwen person; the teenager learnt that this person was a half she elf whose father was Lord Elrond, one of the mighty Elf rulers. The young girl had indeed heard of the father and lord, though only through books from the local library back in the village they had left that morning. "Why is talking about her making Aragorn turn red in the face?" Maddie questioned, subtly joining in with the teasing; Gimli barked out his laughter as he revealed the she-elf to be the ranger's dear love. They were a forbidden couple, yet it was public knowledge of their undying love. As the teasing continued, Maddie couldn't help but fall into her thoughts; the way they were describing the pair reminded her of her own parents. How in love they were. It was sweet, if not slightly saddening.