Heheh, hi there... Sorry for not updating since November. It's June now. I know, I know, I suck with updates, but I've been busy. Really. Grade 11. But school's over now, so other than my mega-popular Warriors fanfic and a few fanfics in a series that I'm cowriting, this will be top priority now, I swear! Ok?

Chapter 5

However, Rana never went back to Minas Tirith. Instead, she rode at top speed to where Oron and Merileth had seen Agarlach. Somehow, she couldn't resist. She knew that she shouldn't go looking for her, but she couldn't help it. She missed her long-lost friend, her twin.

From what Merileth had said, it was a two day ride. But Merileth didn't have Morbein. And Merileth also hadn't only been carrying a sword and bow. Rana did.

So she rode Morbein as fast as she could away from Minas Tirith and towards Lothlorien, not caring at all that eventually, soemone would notice that she was gone. Oh, she planned to return eventually, and when she did, then she would discuss her Legolas problems with Malinaduial.

She suddenly felt guilty. She had compared Legolas to Caranoron, and she planned to marry Legolas. But could she still go through with it?

And why was she suddenly more worried about her friends that were Dark Elves than she was of the family that she had lost? How could she do such a thing?

Why did her life have to be so complicated now? Before, it had been easy. But then, she had been living under the shadow of a lie. Nothing had been as she'd thought it was. Was living a lie better than living a complicated life of truth? Sure, the lie was easier, but was it really worth it?

No, of course it's not worth it. Look how much you've gained from the truth. Legolas, Malina, Caranduin. Your memories of your family. Many other friends, as well.

She sighed and dismounted. It had grown quite dark, now. She knew that she should get some sleep. But she wanted to keep going, find Agarlach.

Is it wrong for me to still feel loyalty to my old friends from Mordor? she wondered as she prepared to sleep. Or is it right?

That night, her dreams were once again haunted with memories of her former friends in Mordor. She had difficulty sleeping, and spent most of the night wide awake, staring up at the stars.

The next day, she felt tired, but began travelling again anyways, driven by some unknown urge to find her former friends. A wish that was soon granted.

She saw the smoke first, then noticeed the silence. She kept riding, and soon saw orcs, and the elleth that Merileth and Oron had described. She recognized her instantly, and, to her surprise, so did Morbein, who whinnied happily and surged forward.

The orcs all stood and turned to look at her, weapons ready, but they didn't attack, simply waited for the command that didn't come. Morbein was eager to see Agarlach again, that much was obvious to Rana.

"Easy Morbein, easy," she murmured to her mare, stroking her neck. "Easy girl."

It was Agarlach, she knew it in a heartbeat, and so did Morbein. The nearly black eyes were staring at her in slight surprise, seeming even darker than they really were in comparison to teh very fair skin. Her nose was as small as it had always been, a slight, long bump in the center of her face more than anything, and her blood red lips were parted in amazement. And, of course, Agarlach's raven black hair that fell to just past her shoulders was in the same style she always kept it in, a low ponytail.

Then the elleth smiled and looked up at her, her arms folded across her chest. "I was wondering if I would ever be seeing you again, Morwen."

"Agarlach," Rana said, dismounting and walking over to her friend, keeping a tight grip on Morbein's reigns. "It's been too long."

"I hear that you fell in with a bad crowd," Agarlach commented. "Something about the King of Gondor and the Prince of Mirkwood?"

"Oh, that," Rana said, blushing. "It's kind of a long story."

"Well, we have all the time in the world, don't we?" Agarlach replied with a smile. "Oh, I'm so glad that you found us. And now that you and I are together again, we will be invincible. Nothing can stop us!

"'Us'? What do you mean 'us'? Are the others here as well?" Rana asked. She was surprised that she hadn't yet told Agarlach that she didn't go by Morwen anymore. Morbein and Moroch, Agarlach's horse, were happily whinnying, clearly having missed each other.

"Yes, of course. Well, not now, they went off hunting for a bit, but they will be back. Oh, they'll be so happy to see you," Agarlach told her. "Oh, together we will be invincible, and Sauron's dream will become reality!"

"Agarlach," Rana said, knowing that it was time to tell her. "There's something that you should know."

"Yes Morwen, what is it?" Agarlach asked.

"I've changed," she replied simply, slightly hesitantly.

"Changed?" Agarlach echoed. "What do you mean you've changed? Oh, well I guess I should have realised it. I mean, just look at what you're wearing!"

Rana glanced down at the light green and brown tunic and leggings. Very different from what she had worn a mere two years ago, which had been red and black, like Agarlach's outfit.

"Good grief, you're starting to sound like Malinaduial!" Rana commented without thinking, instantly reminded of the pretty blonde elleth's taste for fashion. The second she realized what she had said, she immediately regretted it, however.

"Malinaduial? Who in the world is that?" Agarlach asked. "Morwen?"

Rana froze for a moment. "Well, you see that's part of what I need to tell you..."

"Agarlach!" a distant voice called.

"They're back!" Agarlach exclaimed, temporarily distracted. "Morwen, they'll be so happy to see you again!"

Rana simply nodded. She was somehow relieved that she wouldn't have to immediately explain to Agarlach exactly how much she had changed. Instead, she would contently catch up with her old friends, not caring that in Minas Tirith, she was certain to be missed by then.

"This is unbelievable! Where could she be?" Legolas demanded. His concern for Rana had never been so evident as it was in that moment.

"Honestly brother, could you please stop pacing? You're starting to drive me crazy!" Caranduin told Legolas as he sat beside Malinaduial, who was watching Legolas with pursed lips.

"Don't worry Legolas, we will find her, promise," Aragorn told his friend gently.

"What I want to know is, why would she leave without telling us?" Malinaduial asked thoughtfully. " mean, it's not like her! She hasn't been herself lately. Something's wrong."

"No kidding? Of course something's wrong, she's missing!" Legolas replied.

"Calm down, Legolas. You need to think," Malinaduial told him. "You're letting your emotions control you, and you will never be able to think straight if you allow that to happen."

"She's right, Laddie," Gimli agreed. "And we will find her."

"Let's see, what happened yesterday before she left?" Anwyn asked, joining in with narrowed eyes. She was obviously thinking carefully.

"We returned from our attempted trip to Lothlorien," Merileth said. "We had seen orcs and some dark-haired elleth that Rana clearly knew-"

"And she completely freaked out about it," Oron added. "She said something about her and Agarlach - that's what she said that other elleth's name was - being like twins."

"Then she went riding," Merileth finished.

"And no one has seen her since?" Anwyn asked.

"No," Malinaduial said. "She and I were supposed to help each other find dresses for Eowyn's wedding after her ride, but she never showed up."

"I wonder if maybe she went looking for this 'Agarlach'," Eowyn mused.

"That would make sense," Boromir agreed. "If she and Agarlach were such good friends, why wouldn't she go looking for her?"

"It is certainly true that she hasn't been herself lately, ever since she started having those nightmares," Malinaduial stated. "She's been haunted by her memories of Mordor recently, she told me so herself."

"Then she definitely went looking for Agarlach," Anwyn said. "She must have."

"Well, we'd better go find her then," Legolas said.

"Keeping in mind that she has at least a day's head start on us with Morbein, one of the fastest horses we know of," Caranduin reminded his brother.

"I don't care," Legolas said. "All I want is for her to be safe. Are you coming or not?"

"Fine, but I hope you realize that bringing her back safely might not be as easy as you think it will be," Malinaduial warned. Legolas merely shrugged and left.

"We'd better go keep him out of trouble," Anwyn muttered.

"That just might be a good idea," Boromir agreed.