DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS! THE BOOKS BELONG TO J. R. R. TOLKIEN! THE MOVIES WERE DIRECTED BY PETER JACKSON! ALL INFORMATION USED WAS FOUND AT Lord of the Rings - Tolkien Wiki AND FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOVIES: EXTENDED EDITIONS!

AN: This has been my first story in a while. Sorry I haven't uploaded in so long. :) I've been too busy with school and sports to do much writing lately. From now on I will type the story completely before uploading it, so that I can put it all up at one time. I know some of you may not like that, but it has to be done right now. Later, I will upload normally. :) Bare with me please!

Unexpected Part 1

Prologue

A high-noon sun shone brightly over Middle-earth, lighting the world around the dark horse that was travelling through the slowly thinning woods. The figure on the beast's bare back had been travelling for about twenty and two days, only stopping to sleep and eat. Her travels brought her from Archet, a remote settlement near Bree, to Rivendell, the great Elvin outpost that lay in the foothills of the Misty Mountains. She was in no hurry to get there, despite the rumors of strange Black Riders on storm-black steeds. Whatever they were, they were not after her, so she needn't worry about them now; especially when she was so close to Rivendell. She exited the tree cover, regaining the path once outside of the forest. Once rounding the curve she reigned in her horse and looked down upon Rivendell, situated in the gorge of the River Bruinen. From above, and especially with the bright sunlight, it looked like it shone out to the world. But, how could it, when it was so well hidden? The brown haired woman patted the horse's neck and urged it onward, letting it take it's own pace, having a loose grip on the reins. And within a few minutes, she entered Rivendell for the sole purpose of restocking her supplies… or maybe not.

Chapter 1

Linore had never been to Rivendell, though she had heard many fascinating details from travelers that passed this way. She had thought that they had overplayed their accounts here, and she realized how wrong she was the second her horse entered the gate. All of the buildings were made of stone and wood, with intricate woodwork and were equally beautiful to one another. But the structure that stood out the most was the one were Elrond himself housed. It was gorgeous, and masterfully built. All in all, it was truly a spectacle to behold. She was so held by the scene that she almost didn't notice the elf speaking to her. "Miss-," a blonde Elf said. She turned to him in her saddle. "Oh, forgive me. It is so beautiful." Linore listened to the Elf quietly, waiting for her turn to speak. He wanted to know her name and her purpose in Rivendell, and she merely said, "I am known as Linore. I wish to acquire supplies and rest a few days, if Lord Elrond will permit me." The Elf nodded and disappeared from her sight. A few moments later, she dismounted and handed her reigns to another Elf, this one with dark hair, and followed the same blonde Elf to the beautiful structure that she had been studying moments before.

Once inside, the elf left her again to find Lord Elrond of Rivendell. The inside was just as marvelous as the rest of the building. It was mostly stone, with beautifully carved columns and walls. She then heard faint footsteps approaching from the back end of the hall. It was Elrond himself. Linore had heard many stories about the Half-Elf that ruled Rivendell, but she thought much more of him. His face was fair, far more beautiful than any man she had ever laid eyes on. And, regardless of his age, his face held none of it. She had heard of his battle accomplishments as well. He was a warrior among warriors in all races of Middle-earth. Linore bowed her head to the Elf master out of respect and awe. Elrond nodded his head and a conversation began. Elrond spoke first, asking why she had come to Rivendell to reassure what he had already been told. "If I may, Lord Elrond," Linore said, "I wish to stay a few days and restock on my supplies if I may." Elrond nodded his head, considering the concept of letting the girl in front of him stay. She wasn't lying to him, he could already tell. She was honest, and, from what he had heard about her, was a trustworthy bodyguard despite her size. "You may stay, Linore," Elrond said, "I have heard of you. Your reputation precedes you, even here. Stay as long as you need it." Linore nodded her head and thanked him. In a time like this, she was lucky that he had let her stay. With so many dark forces moving, she and everybody else in Middle-earth would have to be careful. Elrond left her to another Elf, a female this time, who took her to her own room, where her saddle bag and her belongings had already been placed on a bed of fine fabric. Such were all of the rooms of the house of Elrond. Little did she know that there were others just down the hall from her that were in danger and they would need more help than they thought.

When she opened her eyes the next day, she was fully rested and feeling refreshed. She decided, since she would not leave immediately and she would still stay for about one week, that she would walk around a bit and explore the Elfin outpost. She got dressed in her usual clothing. Since it was not yet that cold, she did not need to put of her winter set. She left her guise in the room along with her vambraces, greaves, and swords and pulled on her riding boots over her cotton pants. She walked out onto the balcony across from her room after dressing fully, leaving her hair down. It was long, coming down to the middle of her back. The delicate waves in her hair, along with the sun-bleached highlights, made the light bounce off of it in odd ways, but it was still beautiful. Her eyes had the same effect. They caught the light and shone. Her deep green orbs were normally the first thing that people noticed about her because the color was so pronounced. The trees were still in bloom, only just beginning to change color, and the birds still fluttered about in the air, busying themselves with berries, twigs, and other birds. A few came to perch on the banister, letting her poke at them a bit and coming over close. She had always been good with animals, and they always were close. Some even followed her where she travelled. Over the constant chatter of the birds and other animals that took refuge in the trees, she heard a small scuffling sound that could only be bare feet on stone. She looked over and saw a small man – or boy – around four feet tall. 'A Hobbit, maybe?' she thought. She had heard of them, but she had never been to the Shire. She drew closer to the edge of the balcony and rested her arms on the banister. She was now on the side closest to the balcony that held the Hobbit. He was small, as all Hobbits are, with dark curly hair. Another walked up behind him. This one, small as well, but bigger width-wise, with lighter hair. Both were speaking as if they were old friends, and, even though she was quite a distance away, she could hear them. "Packed already?" the dark haired Hobbit asked. The light haired Hobbit seemed surprised and said, "No harm in bein' prepared."

"I thought you wanted to see the elves, Sam," the dark haired one replied. 'Sam,' Linore thought, making a mental note of the small Hobbit's name. She didn't think that she would see any Hobbits in Rivendell at all. "I do…," the conversation went on. "More than anything," the dark haired one said again. "I did," Sam replied, "It's just… We did what Gandalf wanted didn't we? We got the ring this far to Rivendell, and I thought, seein' as how you're on the mend, we'd be off soon. Off home…"

'Gandalf? The Grey? A wizard is here?' she thought. Linore had seen many things, but never a wizard. 'Maybe I'll get my first chance soon,' she thought. The dark haired Hobbit agreed and said, "The Ring will be safe in Rivendell." The Hobbits left the balcony, and so she roamed the halls of the House of Elrond, filling her time with discovering the secrets of Elvin society. She wandered a few gardens, where the plants were left alone to grow as they pleased and spread their foliage where they would. And she even walked a few of the open lanes, where the leaves of overhanging trees littered here and there. She discovered that Elves, when at home, were quiet creatures, playing instruments in their free time or doing other works of art. While she was walking through the halls, she noticed something odd. Others, like herself, humans, arrived during the day. This was odd; the fact that there were so many other people coming to the outpost. These were people bearing the colors of Gondor, with their symbol, the White Tree of Gondor. They had come a long way, and for an important reason no doubt. Other Elves, not from Rivendell, arrived later. And the stranger thing… Dwarves arrived in Rivendell. Dwarves in Rivendell, being, basically, the sworn enemies of Elves, were as uncommon of a sight as a dragon in the Shire. Something was happening, and Linore, being the curious, distant type, wanted to find out what it was.

Her feet carried her to the altar where the Shards of Narsil were held. Along the wall was a mural of the Dark Lord Sauron looming over Isildur, who held up the broken sword to cut the One Ring from his hand. She turned to look upon the Shards of Narsil. They were a truly beautiful thing, even in their broken state. It was like the pieces shone, just as they did when the sword was whole. Linore stood there for many moments, contemplating on her life thus far. She had no recollection of her childhood. Anything past six years ago was all a blur. The only thing she did remember was the group of rouge Uruk-Hai as they attacked her from the shadows. Since then, all she had done was fight against the dark forces of Mordor. She had killed countless Orcs and Uruk-Hai in those past six years, but she had not regained her memory at all. Killing the enslaved beasts of Mordor was for her personal vengeance. But she realized that she was helping Middle-earth as well, in a small way. However, there were thousands – millions – of Orcs in the world, and she was only contributing to a small fraction. A fraction that would not even be noticed. "I only wish that I could do more."

"Then do it," a voice said from behind her. Linore turned quickly and saw a tall man with dark hair and grey eyes that seemed to hold information past his years. He did not appear to be old at all and still had some aspects of youth in his build to her eyes. He stood with his arms crossed looking at her from the steps that led down to inner parts of the building, where the altar stood. "What?" she asked. She remembered this man from somewhere, but she couldn't exactly place him. "You heard me. I know you did. Your hearing is exceptional Linore," he said, approaching the altar. "I know you…," she said quietly, almost in a whisper.

Linore had herself pinned under the fallen beams of a house. 'Great,' she thought as she mentally cursed herself multiple times. This had been the first time she had screwed up on a job. The Uruk-Hai that she had stood over moments before now stood over her, laughing at her. Oh, the irony of it. She had killed so many without anything like this happening. But, just as she was sure that a death blow would come, an arrow struck the Uruk-Hai in the neck and he fell a second later. Another Uruk-Hai pulled out a bow and began firing, but his arrow flew too late. The place that the first arrow originated from was no longer occupied and there were more arrows flying from another direction. Soon both Uruk-Hai were dead and there was no longer a threat. Linore attempted to free herself from the beams only to get herself trapped further. "Damn it!" The figure in a riding cloak trudged up to her and pulled one beam off of the pile. He looked at her momentarily. He had his hood drawn up, but she could easily see his dark hair and grey eyes. "You're going to have to help me move this one," he said, pointing to the beam that was directly over top of her stomach. It was held up on both sides by small beams that were just big enough to keep the heavy beam from killing Linore. She shifted her weight as he positioned himself at one end of the beam. "Now push up," he said as she placed her hands under the beam. She pushed up and he lifted. She was able to scramble out, freeing her legs first and the man dropped the beam. "I suppose I should thank you stranger," she said, a little bit pissed off at the fact that she had just been saved on one of her jobs. He walked off, retrieving his horse from the tree cover at the edge of the field. "Well at least let me thank you properly before you go wandering off," she said. He stopped walking and stood still. "Look," she said, "There's a town not too far from here in that direction." She pointed northwest in the direction of Bree. "If you want, I'll treat you to a meal and then you can be on your way." He shook his head and said that the town was in the opposite direction of where he was headed. "Then at least tell me your name," she said. She realized that maybe she should say her name first, but he was already answering. "I'm known as Strider," he said, mounting his horse and turning in his saddle slightly. "And what is your name, if I may ask?" Linore held her head up. "Linore." And with that they parted. She collected her pay, saying that the Uruk-Hai that had been terrorizing a local farm were dead. Whoever had ordered her services wouldn't be happy though. It's not like she could stop the Uruk-Hai from tearing the house to shambles. And with that, she rode off on her trusted horse to find another well paying job.

"Strider," she said, looking up at him quizzically. "I told you a type of alias then. My name is Aragorn," he answered. She sighed. "So, what are you doing in Rivendell?" she asked. Aragorn was silent. "I don't think I should say anything about my purpose," he said finally. She laughed. "Does this have anything to do with a certain Ring?" she asked, thinking back to what the Hobbits had said earlier. His eyebrows drew together but he nodded his head all the same. "I thought so. It's not everyday that you see Hobbits outside of the Shire. They are content to stay within the confines of their borders."

"And what Hobbits did you hear this from?" he asked. 'Merry and Pippin most likely,' he thought. "Two Hobbits were on a balcony close to the one I was standing this morning and I just happened to overhear them. There was a dark haired one and one called – what was it? – Sam, I believe." Aragorn let out a sigh of relief. At least Merry and Pippin weren't spouting out information like Pippin had at The Prancing Pony in Bree. "Well, then," Linore said, "I think I'll retire for the evening. Until next time, Aragorn." And with that, she left, leaving Aragorn standing before his ancestor's mural.

The next day, a council was held, which Linore was summoned to. She didn't know it, but the only real reason that Lord Elrond had been summoned to the council was because of her reputation thus far. Not knowing what would be going on, she donned her vambraces and greaves over her clothes. As it turned out, the council dealt with the One Ring, which Linore saw for the first time only a few minutes into the meeting. All of the newcomers to Rivendell were there. Boromir of Gondor, son of the Steward Denethor II stood for the human race. His city defended Middle-earth's borders against Mordor and Sauron. Aragorn, of course was present. Linore was there by invitation of Elrond, of course. Little did she know that she was about to volunteer something that would change her life. For the Dwarves, Gimli, son of Gloin, arrived with his father present. For the Elves, only one man stood out. Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, the Elf-King of the Woodland Realm. He was a prince of Mirkwood Forest, and looked thusly. He had golden hair and grey eyes. He seemed to have a very strong sense of duty towards destroying Isildur's Bane, the One Ring of Sauron. And why wouldn't he? The trinket had ruined the lives of all the races in Middle-earth. Gandalf was there also, with his walking stick – his staff – and grey clothing. He truly fit the appointed name of Storm Crow. A Hobbit sat beside him, and Linore realized the he was the Hobbit she had seen the day before. When the ring was presented, the whole crowd began whispering. Boromir stood, saying, "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky go dark. But in the west a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found.'" While he was saying this, he walked toward the Ring, reaching out to it, as if he were going to pick it up. Elrond stood, and Gandalf began speaking in a tongue that seemed oppressive. The Dwarves grabbed their weapons, the men dropped back, and the Elves began to look pained as if they were being stabbed. Even Linore shied away. Elrond grew angry.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris." Gandalf stood tall, saying that they may be hearing the Black Speech of Mordor in every corner of Middle-earth soon. "The Ring is altogether evil," he said, going back to his seat. "No. It is a gift," Boromir said. He then went on, saying that the free peoples of Middle-earth could use the Ring to fight Sauron and use if for good purposes. Linore shook her head. "Know your history Boromir! You, being a son of Gondor should know well that men cannot use it." Aragorn continued with a strong argument. "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And this, coming from a woman and a mere ranger!" When Boromir accused Aragorn of being only a mere ranger and said that he had nothing to do with the matter, the Elf Legolas stood up. "This is no mere ranger!"

Aragorn was indeed no mere ranger. He was of Gondor's royal bloodline. The heir of Isildur… the heir of Gondor. Aragorn did not deny the fact, however, he did tell Legolas to sit down, or so Linore thought. She did not understand the Elf language, and could only infer that he was told to sit, for he did so after Aragorn spoke. Boromir responded cruelly and sat back down. "You have only one choice," Elrond addressed the group, "The Ring must be destroyed." Gimli, being a Dwarf, stood, raised his axe and brought it down upon the Ring, thinking that mere brute force would break the Ring's evil power. His axe struck the golden circlet, and shattered into pieces on contact, throwing him back against the floor. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said, looking slightly troubled. The Ring had to be taken to Mount Doom, to the depths of Mordor and thrown into the fire from whence it was made. Only then could Sauron be truly defeated. One person from the congregation had to take the Ring into Mordor to destroy it. Boromir countered with an obvious argument of how people do not just simply walk into Mordor. Linore interjected with Legolas.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond just said?! The Ring must be destroyed!" Linore agreed. "Isn't it a bit obvious that you cannot simply walk into Mordor?! I would rather die than even approach those Gates from Hell directly!"

Gimli looked up at Legolas from his seat. "And I suppose you think that you're the one to do it!" Boromir stood, saying, "And if we fail what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Gimli became violent. "I would be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" A large argument broke out among the assembly. Linore stood up and braced herself between the two races of Elves and Dwarves. She placed one hand on the red-headed dwarf's shoulder and the other was pushed against Legolas's chest. Every race sided against each other for a moment, each holding someone back from potentially killing the other. Aragorn was practically the only one's sitting down, other than Frodo Baggins, the Hobbit who had brought the Ring to Rivendel. Frodo stood. "I will take it!" Linore looked over at the small Hobbit and then at Elrond and back again with surprise on her face. "I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor… though, I do not know the way." Gandalf strode over to Frodo, leaning on his walking stick. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Aragorn stood. "If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas said, dislodging Linore's hand (which was still on his chest) as he walked toward the small group of three. "And my axe," Gimli said. Legolas did NOT look pleased. "You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir said, speaking once again. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

The Hobbit, Sam, popped out of the weeds that surrounded the small platform. "Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me." Elrond looked down at the Hobbit with a hint of humor on his face, and it showed in his tone. "No, indeed. It isn't easily possible to separate you two, even when he is invited to a secret council and you are not." Two more Hobbits popped out of the hall adjacent to the platform. "Oi, we're coming too!" one said. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." The other began speaking too, even though by the end of his sentence Linore was sure that he wished he hadn't. "Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission – quest – thing." The other looked at him and Linore laughed. "Well that rules you out, Pip," the other Hobbit said. Linore walked over as well and stood between Elrond and Frodo. "I'll see this through to the end as well, if the others will have me. If all of Middle-earth depends on such a thing…," she said walking up to the group of nine with a smile on her face. She looked down at Frodo and bowed her head to him. "You have my Blades, young master Hobbit." Linore took her place behind Legolas and Boromir. When Elrond christened the group "The Fellowship of the Ring", the Hobbit, whose name was Pippin, looked up and said, "Great. Where are we going?"

Since she had placed herself in the middle of a quest, she spent the rest of her time in Rivendell getting what she might need and flitting away time. Since she liked to travel light and didn't like things weighing her down, Linore didn't get much. She would get the food last of course, as would everybody else, on the day that they left. She made sure that her weapons were sharpened and that she had some fresh cloth just in case she needed it. They didn't leave for another two months, so during that time she also got to know her comrades. Frodo was Ring Bearer and the most solitary of the group. When he was with friends, however, he was talkative, especially when there was some ale present. He was a regular Hobbit, with the exception of his fascination for the world outside of the Shire and the fact that he carried a dangerous Ring of Power. She learned that Bilbo Baggins, an old Hobbit who had recently started living in Rivendell, was his uncle. He had lived with Bilbo since his parents' death. The more time Linore spent with Frodo, the more time she spent with Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took. Respectively, they were called Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Sam had, like Frodo, a love of the outside world and Elves. But, unlike Frodo, he was more open to things and very lively, if but a little shy. Merry and Pippin must have been the loudest of the entire Fellowship. Merry, being smarter than Pippin, was normally the one with good ideas; he also had lighter hair than Pippin did. Pippin was louder than the other three and, being the one who blurted out "Where are we going?" after clearly listening to a whole council, was not very bright. He was cheerful company however, and was easy to get along with.

Gimli, the Dwarf of the group, and probably the gruffest of the men, seemed disgruntled about a woman travelling with them at first, but he slowly warmed up to the idea and started to like Linore more. He was a Dwarf, like any Dwarf, who spoke his mind. He would be frank with you, and he had a good sense of humor, and that's what she liked about him. Boromir was a dark haired, grey eyed man who she didn't get to know very well. He was solitary as well, and even harder to talk to than Frodo was. It seemed like he was too caught up in worrying for his city of Minas Tirith that he would not be bothered by anything. Aragorn. Linore already knew Aragorn well enough. He was a ranger, the heir to the throne of Gondor, and a Dúnedan, among many other things. He also had a love for Elrond's daughter, Arwen.

Legolas was probably one of the easiest people to socialize with for Linore. Both had an interest in nature and animals. That was obvious for Legolas, being an Elf who loved living things and having grown up in Mirkwood. They talked often, sometimes sitting in a garden together and talking about Mirkwood or she would tell him about her many adventures. One evening, as they sat in one garden, where Linore was lying on a tree branch that overhung the bench that Legolas was sitting on, she said, "I've never been to Mirkwood. I'd actually like to go there someday. From your descriptions, Legolas, it sounds beautiful." He looked up, and saw her touching one of the leaves that had long since turned colors and was about to join its companions on the leaf-littered ground. "I hope that, after all of this has passed, that I can go back home," he said. Secretly, he was worrying about the journey. The Orcs – not a problem, the Uruk-Hai – not an issue, but Sauron – that was something totally different. "There's no doubt in my mind that you will. You're skilled Legolas. I've not seen anybody that you cannot beat yet. Not even I can," she said, referring to an earlier sparring event between herself and the Elf.

Linore stepped onto the stone of the courtyard equipped with her guise, greaves, vambraces and blades equipped. Legolas stepped onto the other end of the courtyard and flipped out his blades. Gimli sat on a bench not too far off. "Kill 'im Linore! Kill 'im!" Linore laughed and turned back to Legolas, who was in a fighting stance. She looked at him seriously and said, "Whenever you're ready."

"Lady's first," he said. She jumped foreword quickly toward the blonde Elf and drew both of her swords in her usual way. She reached across her body with her left hand and placed it on the hilt behind her right shoulder. Her other hand immediately went to her left hip and grabbed the hilt there. She drew them both, almost simultaneously, bringing her right arm across first and then bringing her left arm down. Legolas countered by swinging one of the twin swords down to the right and the other up and slightly to the left. They continued to take jabs at each other with their swords, each countering well and dodging most of the time. There were a few hits placed on vambraces, but nothing serious. They weren't trying to kill each other, no matter how much Gimli hated Legolas. The final counter came from Legolas. As she came down with one sword and kept the other back for a block, he moved one of his swords up. She wasn't fast enough, and he had a sword at her throat in seconds.

He laughed, "Aha, but you know that I have more experience than you do. Being around for so many years has it's benefits."

"Yes, old man," she said, humor poured into her voice, and she couldn't help but laugh. Gimli, who wasn't too far away began to chuckle as well.

Two months passed quickly, and soon they were at the gates of Rivendell once more. The day was quite foggy, and slightly cold in the early morning, but, as the day wore on, the sunlight broke the clouds, and began to warm the surroundings of the group waiting to leave Rivendell. Linore made last minute checks, making sure she had not forgotten anything. Her guise was pulled on over her shirt, and she had her gloves on, just in case it got any colder, which it would on the open plains, even if the sun shone. Her vambraces were pulled over her gloves and her greaves were already situated on her shins. Legolas walked quietly down the steps, striding over to the group that had gathered at the gates. "Have everything?" Linore whispered to the Elf. "I think we are all ready to go. We just have to wait for Frodo and Aragorn I believe." A few moments later, the whole Fellowship was present. Elrond and a whole congregation of Elves stood before them. "The Ring Bearer is setting out on the quest for Mount Doom. And you, who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of Elves, and Men, and all free folk go with you." Linore stood still, holding the reins of her dark horse, which held supplies just like Bill, the pony, did, and only turned her head to look at Frodo. They would be following him out of Rivendell, and it was he who would take the first step towards Mordor. "Mordor, Gandalf? Is it left or right?" Frodo asked as he walked out of the gateway and onto the road. "Left," Gandalf replied. And the Fellowship walked, out of the Gates of Rivendell, and took their first steps toward Mordor.

AN: How do you like Linore so far? There will be much more of her, I promise. It's kind of hard to put her in the story. ^^' With other things happening all over, it's difficult. Honestly, I thought that I murdered Tolkien for a minute. But a few people who I had review it beforehand said that it was okay. I'm happy with that and am now content to post it up. :) Enjoy the next chapters.