Chapter 1- Return to Imladris
Alana wandered through the trees surrounding the eastern end of Rivendell. It had been 10 years since she had been there last. 10 years since her brother Glorfindel had left for the Grey Havens and the land beyond, with Lord Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf and the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins.
She had travelled far since then, to Rohan, Gondor and even Fangorn Forest, searching for something. But as yet she didn't know what. "Maybe I should have joined my brother long ago." She thought to herself, but even as it entered her mind, she knew she couldn't leave Middle Earth. Not yet. A few weeks ago, she had felt that the time was right to return to Rivendell, to speak with the elves who remained there until they made their long journey.
She walked across the bridge and followed the narrow path to the main doors of The Last Home. "Home at last!" she thought, and smiled to herself. "Lady Alana, is that you?" A familiar voice called to her. And a tall elven woman enveloped her in a bear hug. "I can't believe it's really you!"
"Neera is that you?" Alana said "You've changed so much!"
"So have you!" Neera exclaimed.
Neera had been Alana's best friend as they were growing up, which most people thought was strange, as the two elves couldn't be more different. Alana was pale, with black hair and brown eyes, she was always getting the two of them into one scrape or another. Neera on the other hand, while having a pale complexion, had icy blue eyes and silvery blond hair, she was more ladylike than her friend and usually tried to make Alana think before she acted. Needless to say, it had never worked. Neera had been devastated when Alana had left Rivendell, 10 years previously, but had felt no desire to follow her friend, satisfied with her life as it was.
"Where have you been and what have you been doing?" Neera asked.
"That tale will have to wait until a council is called." Alana replied. "Tell me Neera, has Lord Celeborn arrived yet?"
Neera thought for a moment, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "No, not yet. He is expected any day though. He sent word to us 3 weeks ago. There are some people, who arrived just last night that you will be pleased to see." Neera grabbed Alana's arm and pulled her towards the great hall.
Alana gasped when she saw who was there. "Merry, Pippin, Sam!" she gasped and ran toward them smiling. Alana had met the hobbits when Glorfindell and Aragorn had brought them in from the Ford of Bruinen, after Frodo was injured by a morgul knife, a weapon of the King of the Nazgul. "I can't believe my eyes. Why are you here?" She asked.
"The lord Aragorn sent a messenger to us last month. It seemed urgent and we thought we should come here as he advised." Sam answered.
"Then he is coming too?" Alana asked, breathlessly. She had known Aragorn since he was a young man, before he even met the Lady Arwen. They had been good friends but Alana had never told him of the strength of her true feelings for him. That was why she had declined his wedding invitation. She hadn't thought that she could stand by and watch him marry another woman, even if it was her childhood friend. But that didn't stop her from loving him more and more everyday.
Later that evening Alana was strolling through the woods, through which she'd entered Rivendell earlier that day. The hobbits had just left her to get some food. She smiled, thinking about how much she'd missed them the past ten years. She had liked them from the moment they met, and had kept in contact with them since they parted after the hobbits returned from their adventure and were on their way back home passing through Rivendell, to see their friends. She had told them every detail of her adventure, and they had likewise told her everything that was going on in their own lives from the doings of the Shire to the birth of their children.
Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" A familiar voice said. She hesitated thinking about who it was, remembering.
"Legolas!" She exclaimed.
"Yes it is me." He said laughing. He turned her round and gave her a hug. "It is good to see you old friend. You must tell me of your adventures.
"And me too, my girl. We have a lot of catching up to do!" Said Gimli, as he arrived, slightly out of breath.
"Come my friends." She said, and she led them towards Rivendell.
Alana wandered through the trees surrounding the eastern end of Rivendell. It had been 10 years since she had been there last. 10 years since her brother Glorfindel had left for the Grey Havens and the land beyond, with Lord Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf and the Ringbearer, Frodo Baggins.
She had travelled far since then, to Rohan, Gondor and even Fangorn Forest, searching for something. But as yet she didn't know what. "Maybe I should have joined my brother long ago." She thought to herself, but even as it entered her mind, she knew she couldn't leave Middle Earth. Not yet. A few weeks ago, she had felt that the time was right to return to Rivendell, to speak with the elves who remained there until they made their long journey.
She walked across the bridge and followed the narrow path to the main doors of The Last Home. "Home at last!" she thought, and smiled to herself. "Lady Alana, is that you?" A familiar voice called to her. And a tall elven woman enveloped her in a bear hug. "I can't believe it's really you!"
"Neera is that you?" Alana said "You've changed so much!"
"So have you!" Neera exclaimed.
Neera had been Alana's best friend as they were growing up, which most people thought was strange, as the two elves couldn't be more different. Alana was pale, with black hair and brown eyes, she was always getting the two of them into one scrape or another. Neera on the other hand, while having a pale complexion, had icy blue eyes and silvery blond hair, she was more ladylike than her friend and usually tried to make Alana think before she acted. Needless to say, it had never worked. Neera had been devastated when Alana had left Rivendell, 10 years previously, but had felt no desire to follow her friend, satisfied with her life as it was.
"Where have you been and what have you been doing?" Neera asked.
"That tale will have to wait until a council is called." Alana replied. "Tell me Neera, has Lord Celeborn arrived yet?"
Neera thought for a moment, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "No, not yet. He is expected any day though. He sent word to us 3 weeks ago. There are some people, who arrived just last night that you will be pleased to see." Neera grabbed Alana's arm and pulled her towards the great hall.
Alana gasped when she saw who was there. "Merry, Pippin, Sam!" she gasped and ran toward them smiling. Alana had met the hobbits when Glorfindell and Aragorn had brought them in from the Ford of Bruinen, after Frodo was injured by a morgul knife, a weapon of the King of the Nazgul. "I can't believe my eyes. Why are you here?" She asked.
"The lord Aragorn sent a messenger to us last month. It seemed urgent and we thought we should come here as he advised." Sam answered.
"Then he is coming too?" Alana asked, breathlessly. She had known Aragorn since he was a young man, before he even met the Lady Arwen. They had been good friends but Alana had never told him of the strength of her true feelings for him. That was why she had declined his wedding invitation. She hadn't thought that she could stand by and watch him marry another woman, even if it was her childhood friend. But that didn't stop her from loving him more and more everyday.
Later that evening Alana was strolling through the woods, through which she'd entered Rivendell earlier that day. The hobbits had just left her to get some food. She smiled, thinking about how much she'd missed them the past ten years. She had liked them from the moment they met, and had kept in contact with them since they parted after the hobbits returned from their adventure and were on their way back home passing through Rivendell, to see their friends. She had told them every detail of her adventure, and they had likewise told her everything that was going on in their own lives from the doings of the Shire to the birth of their children.
Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" A familiar voice said. She hesitated thinking about who it was, remembering.
"Legolas!" She exclaimed.
"Yes it is me." He said laughing. He turned her round and gave her a hug. "It is good to see you old friend. You must tell me of your adventures.
"And me too, my girl. We have a lot of catching up to do!" Said Gimli, as he arrived, slightly out of breath.
"Come my friends." She said, and she led them towards Rivendell.