The Fellowship

It had been a long journey but the company finally made it back to Edoras, they met in the Golden Hall of Meduseld. Aelinaras stood next to Eomir and Legolas. She was chatting happily with them when Eowyn brought Théoden a cup. Aelinaras looked up. Théoden raised the cup preparing to talk to the now hushed crowd. Aragorn stood Aelinaras and everyone else following his actions. "Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" Theoden said looking stone face. Aelinaras looked down as she cried "hail" with the rest of the men. Aelinaras silently prayed for her fallen friends.

The Sorrow in the hall did not last long as a party irrupted. There was jolly music and dancing, a festive air flew on the wings on an eagle through the men Eowyn and Aelinaras. Aelinaras walked over to Legolas, Gimli and Eomir who were having some nature of contest. "Oh what joy can I play?" she asked them her bright green eyes flickering with excitement. They looked at her and chuckled "this is a drinking game lass" Gimli said. Aelinaras frowned "I can hold my own" she said. Taking a mug and chugging it in 2 seconds, she whipped her lips and gave them a look that said 'test me'. “Fine, No pauses, no spills." Eomir said setting the rules. He handed the three mugs. "And no regurgitation." Gimli said as he began to drink. Eomir brought some more mugs and set them down on the table. Before Gimli finished his first Aelinaras was on her second. Legolas, Gimli and Eomir were tied. Aelinaras was now on her 4th while the boys were on their 2nd. The other men made cat calls at her stating "they loved a woman who could hold her Liquor" Aelinaras rolled her eyes and downed 2 more.

"Here, here. It's the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women." Gimli said drunken on his 11th mug. Aelinaras smirked being on her 20th. "Hairy indeed my friends but it's' the she elves who go to bed with the gods" She said moving her body in an alluring fashion. The men gave cat calls and Eomir grabbed her hips. Legolas glared at him, but then looked at his fingers worried. "I feel something…A slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me." he said. Aelinaras ran to him and flung her arms around him burying her face in his chest as she was very drunk. "No dear prince!" she slurred in drunken horror. Legolas wrapped his arms around her. "What did I say? He can’t hold his liquor!" Gimli slurred before passing out onto the floor. "Gimli fell" Aelinaras stated dumbly. Legolas rubbed Aelinaras back. "Yes darling" he said mildly drunk. “Ok it's down to three" Gamling called Eomir sat down "no...no more.... I see "he said before starring off into space.”Yes my friend you are done" Gamling said to an amazingly drunk Eomir. Aelinaras and Legolas kept going. After Aelinaras reached 29 mugs she went into a fit of random laughter. Legolas picked her up and handed her to Eomir who looked sober. "Take her to her room...she's done" Legolas said before turning to the other men. "Game over." he said with a cocky smile.

"Oh, you can search far and wide You can drink the whole town dry But you'll never find a beer so brown
As the one we drink in our home town." marry and pippin sung dancing on top of a table with mugs in hand in a very jolly manner giving much amusement to the onlookers. "Oh Aelinaras is going to be upset that she missed this" Aragorn said to Gandalf. Eomir laid Aelinaras in the bed. "No dead rider I am not tired take me back!" she slurred pointing at the door. Eomir, who as still drunk even though his body looked sober, shook his head. "No princes you stay here" he said plopping himself onto the bed as well "with me" he finished casting an drunken yet tempting look at the she elf. Aelinaras giggled and wrapped her arms around him "you?" she asked. "I" he replied reeking of beer. He pushed her down gently on the bed and began to kiss her. The kissing moved into Hip actions and that lead to much more.....

Hours past and it was now dark, Aelinaras awoke and felt a draft. She looked down at herself. "hmm?" she asked seeing herself in just her under corset and Shorts. She looked over and saw Eomir. She screamed and with her scream came pippin’s scream from down the hall. Eomir jumped up and looked at Aelinaras disorientated while Aelinaras had taken off down the antechamber. "Pippin! Help! Gandalf Help him! Someone help him!" merry's voice called and She got closer to the room Aelinaras' heart was racing. "What’s going on what’s wrong" she thought as she reached the door way. "No!" she yelled running in as she saw pippin rolling on the floor in pain, the Palantír fixed to his palms. Aelinaras went to take it from him but Aragorn pushed her back taking it himself. He fell to the floor and the orb rolled over to Gandalf’s feet Gandalf covered it. Aelinaras ran to pippin, who merry was hovering over on the ground.

"pip" Aelinaras called brushing his hair out of his face. "Pippin" she called again in the tone of a mother. She shook him lightly as he didn't respond. "pip!" she yelled her voice was a bit more frantic. "Fool of a took!" Gandalf yelled as he turned around. Aelinaras was cradling Pip in her arms and rocking she looked up at Gandalf and shook her head looking terrified. She rested her forehead to his. "Pippin" she whispered. Pippin awoke gasping and looking frightened. Gandalf sighed and ran to the two Aelinaras stood to the side. "Look at me." Gandalf said to him. Pippin looked at him with dancing eyes. "Gandalf! Forgive me!" he said. "Pippin" Aelinaras said. Pippin turned to her and smiled weakly. Aragorn smiled at Aelinaras "natural mother" he muttered to Legolas and Eomir. "Look at me. What did you see?" Gandalf said forcing pippin to look at him. "A tree… there was a white tree in a courtyard of stone… it was dead. The city was burning." he said trying to calm down. "No" Aelinaras said. Gandalf looked at her, Aragorn looked afraid as well "Gondor" Aragorn muttered. "Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked "I saw… I saw Him! I could hear His voice in my head!" Pippin said panicked. Aelinaras heart raced rapidly "And what did you tell Him? Speak!" Gandalf said forcefully "Gandalf” Aelinaras called. "He asked me my name. I didn't answer." pippin said before catching his breath "he hurt me" he said. Aelinaras' blood began to boil and a sheet caught fire in the corner. Aelinaras mentally put it out and muttered she was sorry. "What did you tell Him about Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf asked. Pippin shook his head, meaning nothing.

After Gandalf was done talking to pippin, he glanced at Aelinaras who was fidgeting like a worried mother. Gandalf sighed and nodded at her. Aelinaras ran to pippin and scooped him back up into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her neck. "You did great shhh rest it's ok" she said trying to calm him holding him tightly. Merry came and sat next to her soon the two fell asleep. Aelinaras stood up and walked to the door. "Might I ask why you are dressed in" Legolas asked gesturing to her Under Corset and Shorts. "That’s tight" she muttered. "Eomir!" she said in a whisper yell running down the halls. Leaving Legolas very confused. "Eomir!" she said closing the door behind her. "what happened!" she asked Eomir was laying on the bed rubbing his temples he looked at her with a look that said "you know" before going back to rubbing his temples. "No" she whispered sitting down. "Just what I wanted to hear" he muttered sarcastically. "no it is not like that Eomir, my friend.....my first time was taken from me when the elves were taken and enslaved to be Orcs....I wanted the next time I did this to be with the one I truly loved" Aelinaras said crying, Eomir got up and rubbed her shoulders "come on don't cry" he said delicately "I am sorry I should have left" he said Aelinaras stopped. "I never should have played that game I am the one who is sorry" she said standing up "I should go Eowyn will let me share her room" she said as she got up to leave.

That night Neither Eowyn or Aelinaras got much rest. Nightmares had filled the blonde maiden’s night and remorse the she elf's. What had she done? Morning came all too soon. Eowyn shook Aelinaras lightly. "Wake up Aelinaras you are called into council" she whispered Aelinaras groggily got up and got dressed.

In the Hall Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin were present, as Gandalf talked to Theoden. Aelinaras stood next to Legolas who would glance at her from the side of his eyes she looked a mess. "There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool… but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring." Gandalf said the room was jarringly silent. "We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the Palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith." he added, this made Aelinaras listen. "His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing, he knows the heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed, there is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-Earth uniting under one banner." Gandalf said Aragorn's eyes flicked. Aelinaras felt something tugging at her mind a familiar and affectionate presence. "Haldir...not now" she thought and the feeling pasted. "He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the Beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war." Gandalf said. Theoden looked somewhat offended. "Tell me… why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours?" he said. Aelinaras stomped her foot. "They did not ride to your aid because you were far too prideful to ask them!" she yelled. Theoden glared at her and his glare was matched. Legolas smiled at her and shook his head lightly. "That fire" he thought. "What do we owe Gondor?" Theoden asked.

Aelinaras got livid this time. "Everything...they sit at the base of Sauron’s attacks, and hold them off, if they weren't there....Valor help us all" she said enigmatically. It got silent. "I will go." Aragorn said, after much thought. "No" Gandalf said, Aragon looked like he was tired of everyone not listening to his idea's first hand. "They must be warned" he said jadedly. Gandalf got into Aragorn's face. "They will be. You must come to Minas Tirith by another road." he said pausing "Follow the river and look to the black ships." Aragorn eyed him. "Understand this; things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith." Gandalf said he turned around to face the others. "And I won't be going alone" he added eyeing pippin.

Aelinaras stood on the steps to the hall, the wind gently blew her wavy red hair. Her light jade eyes looked to the horizon as pippin and Gandalf rode to Gondor. She sighed and closed her eyes, the connection with Haldir picked back up. "Milady" he said soothingly. Aelinaras sighed she found herself in a day dream she was back in Lorien back the lake. He hugged her lightly. "I do not even have the energy to tell you not to call me that" she said. Haldir frowned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What’s wrong" he asked. "Im gosta Aníron gwanna/ I'm afraid I wish I could leave." she said her voice cracking and tears came to her eyes. Haldir pulled her to him and hugged her powerfully. He put her face into his neck. "Lin beleg min en ar ruin/ you’re a mighty one of royal red flame" he cooed. "You will be fine, everyone fears...we all wish we could leave...it's not our time yet..." he said. Aelinara’s lip quivered as she forced herself not to cry. "We’re falling apart....and i-i've become a mess...I don't-I don't see any good ending for this...I don't see any light...just the dark." she said she looked nothing like her former fearless self that he knew in the past. " Sedho,Sedho/ quiet,quiet" he murmured into her ear. "That is how it is for many now, I understand... but your friends need you now...Frodo needs you now, be strong." he said. Aelinaras hide her face in his neck more. "What happened to your fire...funny I thought you were tougher than that? What happened to laughing in the face of danger?" he said in a mocking tone. "I still do" she said defensively. "You look like a sniveling Orc to me" he said. Aelinaras looked up at him and glared. "Are you mocking me?" she asked. "tis not mocking if it be true" he added with a smirk. Aelinaras smiled. “I miss you" she said cuddling him. He cupped her face in his hands. "Le melon, I Melain berio le/ I love you may the Valar Keep you" he said before the connection was cut and she snapped back to reality. "I love you" rang in her head she stood gazing at the horizon. "Did he just say" she thought before shaking it out of her mind. "Milady" Legolas voice called. She looked up. He did not look pleased.