Cold steel pressed against Neline's neck as she searched through her saddlebags. "Who are you and why do you follow me?" said the man who wielded the blade.

She didn't answer immediately. Instead she patted her horse, making sure it was settled. Then she turned slowly, hands where he could see them. She grasped the edge of her hood and flipped it back. "Has it been long enough that you do not recognize me, Strider?"

His eyes widened as he stepped back and lowered his blade. "Shadow? What are you doing here?"

"You tread a dark path, my friend. I am here to see that you find your way through," she replied.

His brow furrowed. "Dark path?"

She shrugged. She was raised with Strider, aka Aragorn, amongst the Elves. Though she had a gift, it was not a very useful one in her opinion. She merely knew when someone was going to be in need of her aid along with some vague details. Nothing that would help her steer them clear before it happened, but enough she knew to show up to help out, like now.

He laughed. "You never cease to amaze me, my friend. While others run from trouble, you embrace it."

Her lips twitched in a small smile. "Only for a few, my king. You being one of them."

His smile faded. "I told you not to call me that, Shadow."

She took her horse's reins in hand and led it over to Aragorn's camp. "Whether you wish to be called that or not, it does not change who, or what, you are. If it makes you feel better, I will call you chieftain," she added with a smirk.

He simply looked at her as he cut off a chunk of meat from his dinner and handed it over. Aragorn once told her he both liked and hated that she told him the truth he didn't want to hear.

Neline and Aragorn left the hobbits at the top of the ancient watch tower as they scouted for trouble. "You know, if I had known your dark path held hobbits and Nazgul I might have left you to it," she told him earning a grin.

Hearing an odd sound she paused, and searched around them.

"Ringwraiths," Aragorn hissed beside her.

She ran faster than she ever had before, trying to get back to the hobbits before the worst happened. Readying her bow as she scrambled to the top, she scraped the head of her specially treated arrow along the stone and it erupted in flames. She fired at one of the black creatures and relished its shriek as it ignited. Her gaze flashed around finding the hobbits. Where was Frodo?

One of the Nazgul was staring at the ground, approaching with his sword. "No," she breathed and lit another arrow, firing it immediately. It spun as her arrow ignited it. It shrieked as it pointed its sword in her direction then it fled. The hobbits huddled together and Aragorn fought more Nazgul with flame and blade. Another wraith approached the hobbits. She tossed aside her bow as she'd only had the two treated arrows. Drawing her sword, she lunged between the wraith and the hobbits.

Her sword pierced the folds of the cloak as the wraith's blade split the skin along her upper chest. It shrieked and flew off while Neline dropped to her knees.

"You saved us, Miss Shadow," Sam said behind you.

Her throat worked as she struggled to answer, not wanting to worry the little hobbits. Agony flared from the wound and her eyes darted down to the weapon the wraith had left behind. A Morgul blade. Fantastic. Once the piece left inside the wound made its way to her heart she would become a ringwraith. Just what she always wanted.

With a groan, she fell back only to be caught by her new friends. They looked so worried. She wanted nothing more than to reassure them but alas, she could do nothing but hurt and bleed.

"Strider!" Frodo yelled.

In moments, Aragorn knelt beside her. He looked at the wound and picked up the weapon. His eyes widened in horror as it disintegrated in his hand. "No, no, no, no, no," he said, looking her over.

He swept her into his arms and she cried out in pain. "We must get to the elves. Only they can save her now."

Neline woke slowly, the pain gone. She immediately recognized her room at Rivendell. She was alone and filled with an uneasy feeling. This gift was pointless. Quickly, she rose and threw on one of her elvish dresses as they were faster to don than anything else she owned. Time was of the essence. She had no idea for what, she only knew she could not be any later than she already was. Grabbing her small crossbow, she followed the feeling until she heard voices. She slowed to stop, hiding as she watched the circle of men, dwarves and elves in front of her. None noticed her.

Gandalf was there, as was Elrond, Aragorn, Frodo and Legolas. She'd arrived just in time for Legolas to tell everyone that Strider was really Aragorn and Aragorn to tell his old friend to shut up. Good going, blondie. She stayed hidden and listened as they discussed what to do with the ring.

She cringed as the dwarf hit it with his axe and watched as Elrond decreed it must be thrown into the heart of Mt. Doom. One of the men present proceeded to list everything wrong with this plan until Legolas interrupted. Everything soon devolved into an argument. No one even heard Frodo the first time he volunteered to take the ring.

Aragorn, the future king, took a knee in front of the brave little hobbit. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas added.

"And my axe," the stupid dwarf from earlier added. She stiffened when the man that spoke of Mordor joined. She did not trust him. As the hobbits appeared to join their friend, she was forced to stifle a laugh even though her heart hurt. These four had no business bearing this burden yet they would anyway. Neline sighed. It appeared as though a quest was in her future.

"Nine companions," Elrond announced, sounding deep in thought.

She stepped from her hiding place. "Make that ten." Aragorn and Elrond turned to her with wide eyes. The hobbits hesitated but a moment, then swarmed her as they laughed in joy. No, she would not let her friends make this journey alone.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Exactly how many people that were not invited to this council are going to show up? And are they all going to join the quest?"

She held up a hand as Elrond started to speak and stepped away from her little friends. Neline tilted her head. "My place on this council was more assured than yours. But for a Morgul blade I would have arrived on time."

"I do not want a woman on this journey with us," he stated, looking past her to Elrond. "She will be a distraction."

She felt the desire for power radiating from him. That was new, but she wasn't going to question it. "I will not allow my friends to travel in your presence without my bow and my blade. Your thirst for power will be their downfall."

He stepped forward, his jaw tight and his face flushed. "The hobbits have no say in who joins this quest. That is the will of the council and I say nay. I will not allow some random female to join such a dangerous quest."

"The hobbits are not my only friends in this group. And I am not a random female."

"Who are you then?" he demanded.

Her chest grew tight, unsure of the answer she wished to give.

"She is Shadow of the Rangers of the North. She who possesses the flaming bow. She is Neline, she who belongs to no race and all races. She who would be queen. She who traveled in the darkness and now sees more than you can possibly imagine," Gandalf's thunderous angry voice echoed off the rock around you. "She is the center."

She scratched the back of her neck, grateful no one but her possibly could have understood all that. Actually, she wasn't sure she did. "What he said."

He bowed his head slightly though his jaw was still tight. "Very well then. Far be it for me to argue with the wizard about your importance."

"So be it, "Elrond announced behind her. "You shall be called the fellowship of the ring."

"You make friends wherever you go, do you not, mellon?" Legolas said as he approached you and wrapped you in a hug. "I have missed you, Neline."

"And I you, my friend." A heavy hand fell on her shoulder, drawing her attention. She turned to find Elrond behind her, a concerned look on his face as he ran his eyes over her from head to toe.

"Until you appeared here, I was not certain you would live. And you immediately throw yourself back into danger. Foolish girl." Tears pooled in his eyes as he pulled her against his chest. "I thought we had lost you," he said in her ear.

"I'm too tough to die, ada," she said, calling him father as she hugged him back. Elrond had raised her, was the only father she knew and she loved him as one.

He pulled back and arched a brow. "Make certain to remember that on your journey."

"Neline," Gandalf said from beside her.

She tilted her head. "That was quite the introduction, old friend."

He chuckled and blushed. "Yes, well...I'm not entirely sure what all that meant I'm afraid."

"Well, that makes two of us." She glanced past him to see Aragorn watching her. Their eyes locked then he turned and walked away.

"Follow him," Elrond said, placing a hand on her arm. "He did not handle the prospect we might lose you well."

She nodded and followed the path taken by her king.