Caladhiel looked back at the young elleth who had said there was still someone else. Narsil gestured with her head towards a tree next to her, telling the stranger was hiding over there. Melwin readied her bow and aimed it at the tree.
"Show yourself," Caladhiel ordered with a stern voice and Narsil rested her hand on the hilt of her sword hanging around her waist. Ready to draw it if that appeared to be needed.
It stayed silent and Caladhiel was about to repeat her commandment, when they heard some noises and cracking of branches above them. Caladhiel took a few steps back when someone landed right in front of her. She prepared herself for a fight but the stranger had no intentions to battle with them.
She shook her strawberry-blonde hair out of her face and two blue eyes observed the Forest Guard. "Hello. Goheno nin, I didn't mean to sneak up upon you all."
"Who are you, and why were you hiding?" Caladhiel wondered. Narsil relaxed a bit, this unknown elleth wouldn't be much of a threat now, and she crossed her arms in stead of letting it rest on the handle of her sword.
"Im Karina," the elf answered. "I was hiding, because... Well, I actually did that all the way towards here. I don't know who you all are, so I just kept out of sight."
Rúmil was suprised, did she just meant she had been following them all the way to Greenwood? And they hadn't even noticed? He was impressed, if it hadn't been for Narsil; they still wouldn't had noticed her. Still, he decided to ask her, just to be sure. "You've been following us?"
Karina shyly smiled. "Yes... I'm sorry, but I swear I didn't mean you any harm. I just followed you, that's all."
"That's all? You make it sound as if it isn't a big deal. You'll have to understand, you followed us without being noticed. Now, that's impressive."
Karina blushed at his compliment. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, she had been alone for most of her life. Last past years she had lived nearby the woods of Lothlórien but when she had found out the two Marchwardens and Amarië were leaving Lórien, Karina had decided to follow them. She had overheard their conversation and she had always wanted to visit other Elven cities. It hadn't been her plan to keep herself hidden from the elves but she never had the courage to show herself to Haldir, Rúmil and Amarië, so she had just followed them.
"Or maybe," Amarië interrupted her thoughts, "you two have just slacken your vigilance. Narsil here did notice her, but you two didn't? All the way from home till here?"
Haldir snorted. "You didn't sense her either, milady."
"Yes, but you were supposed to protect me."
Karina uneasy shifted her weight to her other foot. It hadn't been her intentions to embarrass them. "Goheno nin" she pleaded again. "Forgive me, I should had shown myself."
Narsil was getting enough of this. She had hoped this was going to be a thrilling adventure, you know; retrieving the elves who had entered the forest and bring them to the King, but it all had went easy. Even the stranger hidden between the branches hadn't been exciting. It was all so, boring... "Lovely, it's all rainbows and unicorns. Now, let's get you to the King. We have delayed long enough."
Melwin tried to hide her smile. "Rainbows and unicorns?"
Narsil rolled her eyes, but Caladhiel nodded. "That's true. King Thranduil is waiting."
Karina backed up a little and shook her head. She couldn't go to the King, she had only wanted to visit the forest, not to go see the King! She bumped into Narsil who was blocking her way when she tried to escape.
"Where are you going?" Narsil asked her, holding her by her upper arm so that she couldn't run. Karina flinched because of the tight grip, this elf was strong.
"Please, I can't go with you all. I only wanted to visit Greenwood, not to meet the King."
Narsil shook her head. "Thranduil requested everyone that entered the forest, should be brought to him. We cannot let you go."
"But... Please, just let me go."
Narsil refused and Karina's expression went from fearful to desperate.
"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way. Will you go with us freely?" Caladhiel warned her before she would do anything stupid, and Karina met Rúmil's concerned eyes. He slightly nodded at her, he would vouch for her, and Karina finally gave in after a hesitation.
"Alright, I'll come with you."
~*~*~*~*~
Ayleen pulled her grey woollen hood over her head when it started to pour down out of the darkening sky. "Seriously," she muttered annoyed. "Aragorn, why is it always raining when we're nearby Bree?"
Aragorn, who was riding in front of them with Varonwe next to him, just shrugged. "I don't know."
Merry suddenly agreed with her, realizing something. "That's true! It also rained when we arrived at Bree when we were on the run for the Nazgûl."
"It always rains in Bree," Varonwe stated.
"Maybe Bree is cursed," Pippin added.
"Or enchanted," Esmerelda suggested the opposite. "I bet the inn of this town is very prosperous. Nobody would like to sleep outside with this kind of weather." She patted the neck of the pony she was riding on, and the brown mare softly snorted at the affection. It was clear neither of the animals liked this weather.
They dismounted their horses - and ponies - when they had reached the wooden wall of the town. Aragorn knocked on the wood and within seconds, a hatch in the door opened.
"What do you want?" the man behind it asked.
Varonwe gestured to all of them. "We're heading to the Prancing Pony."
Merry and Pippin felt as if they had some kind of déjà vu by hearing those words. The gatekeeper opened the door and noticed the three halflings behind the three men.
"Hobbits? What business brings three men and three hobbits to Bree?"
Pippin jumped forward, he couldn't resist this opportunity. It really was a déjà vu. "We wish to stay at the inn," he quickly said. "Our business is our own."
Merry shoved his shoulder and Pippin glared at him. "What?" he muted.
The man shrugged and ushered them in, and they led their horses by the reins over the cobbled path. It was really slippery and sometimes they almost lost their balance. Varonwe sighed in relief when he saw the sign of the Prancing Pony. They tied the horses by a stanchion in front of the inn, they would ask for a stable when they would be inside. The three hobbits entered the inn first and the others followed after them, after one last check-up the horses really couldn't go anywhere.
Varonwe shook the rain out of his hair and greeted the owner of the Prancing Pony. "Mister Barly, we have six horses standing outside. They need to be rub dry, fed and watered."
Butterbur smiled at them. "Of course, Varonwe. It's good to see you again. Let me call the stable girl."
Varonwe frowned, last time he had been here it had been a stable boy. A hobbit named Bob to be precise.
Barliman called over his shoulder and a young woman with a lot of freckles and brown, wavy hair entered their sight. She greeted the new visitors friendly with a nod of her head but her face dropped when she realized she had to go outside to take care of their horses.
"What? But mister Barliman..." She sighed when he gave her a disapproving look.
"Victoria, you agreed to take Bob's shift too 'cause he's sick."
"Fine," she grumbled and she grabbed her cloak hanging by the entrance. She slammed the door open and Varonwe followed her to help her to get the six horses inside the stables, otherwise she had to walk through the rain two times.
"You don't need to help," she called over her shoulder when she noticed he was following her.
He gave her his most dashing smile, which she didn't see because she wasn't looking. "Of course I do, milady. I can't let you do this all by yourself."
Victoria snorted while she untied the reins of three of the six horses. "Milady you said, eh? But I'm not, not anymore." The last part she barely said outloud and she glanced at Varonwe who led the other three ponies towards the stable.
"Every woman is a milady in my opinion... Milady."
Victoria chuckled and stepped inside the warm stable, she noticed they had only four empty stables left. Some had to go stand in the same stable, she decided to ask the polite man. "Which ones do not mind to be in the same stable?"
But Varonwe didn't answer her, yet. He held out his hand for her to shake it, realizing he hadn't introduced himself. A bit suprised Victoria took his outstretched hand, most customers were rude to her because she was only a servant, but he wasn't, he was... nice.
"I'm Varonwe, Ranger of the North." But in stead of shaking her hand, he placed a kiss on the back of her hand.
Victoria was a bit stunned by this sudden change of gesture and only after a few whole seconds, she managed to answer something back. "Victoria. Victoria Notch. Friends call me Tory." She blushed, why was she rambling?
Varonwe smirked and let go of her hand. "Very well, Victoria. Tory to friends. Why must such fair lady as yourself work at the inn?"
"Not all have the luck of being a Ranger or an adventurer. I need to work for my family." There was some bitter undertone in that sentence but Varonwe pushed no further, he sensed she'd rather not talk about it. He helped her with the horses in quiet since Victoria was too busy with her thoughts to talk more. Until, suddenly she broke the silence again. She looked up from the bucket she was filling with some food for the horses. "Where are you journeying to?"
"To Rivendell, then over the Misty Mountains and on to the Great Elven Halls in Greenwood."
Victoria stared at him while he continued to rub dry one of the three great black horses. She wished she could join him... Erm, them, on their journey. To be honest, she was kind of growing sick of being the one who had to take care of everything. Ever since her parents died, she did everything. She'd make sure there was food on the table, they had a roof above their heads but none of her brothers ever did something in return. Maybe she should just follow the Rangers and the Hobbits... But she couldn't just leave her brothers behind, now could she? She sighed and continued her work, while being pushed around between her duty and her call for an adventure.
~*~*~*~*~
Characters introduced in this chapter:
- Kari_Ann as Karina
- liefshannah as Victoria
~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Yes! Everyone's introduced! (Now this would be embarrassing if I forgot someone...)
Also, I have the feeling the chapters are growing longer by the day... Ah well, sometimes I feel like writing long chapters, sometimes not.
Also also, I hope I'm not going too fast or too slow? I don't really know how it's going myself, haha. So, do tell. Enlighten me.
Also also also... Nah, just kidding. This was my Author's Note ;) Allons-y!