The Shadow Walker

30. Havoc

As I passed one of the mini-waterfalls, the sight of two people kissing made me stop. Aragorn and Arwen. I gritted my teeth. Did bloody everyone have somebody to make out with except me? I glared at the couple, wishing I had a longbow and that I could actually shoot. I wouldn't hurt either of them—just sabotage their little kissing session.

Arwen wrapped her arms around Aragorn's neck, pulling herself closer, and I turned away. Disgusting. If only an orc pack would come flooding through the gates. The alarm would sound, and every able-bodied man would come running to the rescue.

And that gave me an idea. With a vicious smile on my face, I slunk off to the front gate, to wreck some havoc.

As my prey came into view, I slipped into hiding and watched him pace back and forth. I didn't need to hurt him—I just needed his horn. Which he would likely not surrender easily. The guard carried a longbow in his hands, and had a sword on his hip. If I could get close enough to put him at a disadvantage with his long-distance weapon, I would probably be okay. He wouldn't be as good as Elladan, in which case I could probably handle him. But Lord Elrond specifically asked me not to hurt anyone.

Besides. That was a lot of ifs and probablies.

Stealth, and a quiet knockout would be my best option, for all parties involved. I waited until the guard's back was turned, then I trotted out, willing my feet to be silent. All was well, until I stepped on a dry leaf.

Crunnnnch!

The ellon whirled, firing at me. I dropped into a roll, just in time. The guard leaped over me. I reached up, grabbed his ankle, and threw him to the ground. He reached for his horn, but I snatched it away. A quick punch to his nose provided a distraction. He sluggishly reached for his sword, but I slammed my forehead into his. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the stone.

Meh. He'd be good in a couple of hours.

I brought the horn to my lips and blew the distress signal with all my might.

Rivendell lit up like a winter solstice celebration tree. Lights appeared in the windows across the entire valley, and I could already hear the other guards running this way.

I booked it for the nearest shadowed wall I could climb, and climbed. At the top of the building, I glanced back. A few guards were gathered around the unconscious ellon, trying to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, and he began mumbling something. Just then, Aragorn came running up, closely followed by Elladan and Elrohir, as well as Legolas. The latter was just finishing buttoning up his tunic, and judging by the state of his hair, he'd just rolled out of bed.

One of the guards said something to Aragorn, and he turned to the others. "Spread out. Find the orcs."

I snorted. That ellon must've been really delirious. I backed away from the edge, out of their sight, and kept climbing through Rivendell. Below, more ellons continued to arrive and join in the search for the nonexistent orcs. I climbed until I reached Rivendell's pinnacle.

A lone figure, stood on the balcony, looking out over the city. I winced. I should've known Elrond wouldn't fall for a cheap parlor trick. That he would've—literally—seen it coming. That he would know where to find me, to catch me and punish me.

But I was tired of running.

Lord Elrond didn't bother looking at me as I climbed over the guardrail and moved to stand beside him. After pushing my hood down and taking off my mask, I matched his position, placing my elbows on the rail and leaning into them.

Neither of us spoke. We just watched the city below us come to life, watched the guards swarming through Rivendell, searching for the intruder. Searching for me.

Finally, Elrond sighed. "He was a good warrior. I wish you had not hurt him."

I frowned. "What are you talking about? It was just a conk on the head. He might have a concussion, but not even a bad one."

Elrond turned to look at me, his expression surprised. Then, slowly, he nodded and looked away. "I apologize. I...misunderstood what I saw."

I should've made a snarky comment, but my heart wasn't in it. The loneliness that I'd been struggling to keep at bay washed over me like a wave, and tears pooled in my eyes. I swallowed, determined to hold them back. This was hardly the time to have a breakdown.

"Your heart is troubled, Amariel." Lord Elrond turned to look at me, his intense gaze absorbing every detail. "Why?"

I closed my eyes, and several tears fell, embarrassingly. I quickly brushed them away and took a deep breath. "My lord..." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Will the Valar grant me a love of my own?" I could not stop more tears from streaming down my cheeks.

"Oh Eda," Elrond sighed, wrapping his arms around me. I squeaked in surprise, but he didn't let go, didn't push me away. "There's always a chance. But even I cannot tell. Your path is difficult for me to see, and even more difficult to understand."

"But there is a chance?" I pleaded, pulling back to meet the Elvenlord's gaze.

Elrond's brow furrowed. "A chance. But, Eda, I have seen hundreds of possible paths for you. That is but one. And a very unlikely one, at that."

Tears blurred my vision again, and I rested my forehead against Elrond's chest. His hands rubbed my back gently, and stroked my wild hair. My voice shaky, I asked, "Does it end happily, my lord?"

"No," he replied honestly. "It does not."

And so I cried. I cried for everything I'd lost, and everything I would never have. And Elrond held me, quietly letting my tears soak into his robes. And when I was too tired to keep crying, Elrond silently guided me inside the building and to one of the armchairs. Exhausted, I collapsed into its soft embrace and closed my eyes.

The last thing I heard before sleep claimed me was, "Sleep well, Amariel. May peace find you, someday. Somehow."