Night had fallen upon Rivendell, and still no word had come from Elrond's house about the Ringbearer. Glorfindel and Caledorn waited together outside in silence, hoping that one of the Elven maids who was aiding Elrond would come through the doors with news. Glorfindel sat despondently against a stone pillar, his head in his hands. He blamed himself partially for Frodo's injuries, for he had reached him too late to stave off the Nazgul.

   Caledorn stood tall at the foot of the stairs leading up to the house, his face not betraying any emotion. He knew that there was nothing they could have done, the Nine were strong. Perhaps now even too strong for the few elves that could have faced them before.

   Suddenly, a young elleth emerged from the house in a hurry, her arms filled with bandages and healing salves. Glorfindel stood up, and Caledorn stopped the elleth with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

   "What news? Will he survive?" He asked.

   The elleth smiled reassuringly, immediately calming their fears. "Yes, he will. Lord Elrond has done his best to heal the wound. All that remains now is a scar, he should suffer no ill effects aside from that."

   "Can we speak with him?" Glorfindel asked anxiously. In response the maid shook her head.

   "He needs to rest now. It's best if he is left alone until morning."

   Caledorn bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, m'lady. We shall return in the morning then."

   The maiden curtseyed politely in response. "I am glad to be of assistance. When you return tomorrow, ask for Faelwen. I would be honored to take you to Frodo."

   "We shall," Glorfindel said with a smile. Faelwen wandered away to carry out her duties, and the two elven warriors turned and began to walk back to the guest house.

   "You fought well, Caledorn," Glorfindel said after a moment. "It is good to fight by your side once more."

   "As it is to fight by yours," Caledorn replied in a subdued voice. He seemed distracted by something.

   "What is on your mind, Mellon?" Glorfindel asked, noticing his friend's demeanor. Caledorn shook his head.

   "Nothing of concern. You go ahead and get some rest, I need some time alone."

   Glorfindel nodded. "I shall take leave of you then. If you need to talk with someone, know that I stand by and am always willing to help."

   Caledorn put a hand on Glorfindel's shoulder. "Thank you, it is most appreciated. But this is one fight that would be best for me to fight alone."

   With that Caledorn melted into the dark shadows of the courtyard, leaving Glorfindel to ponder what was bothering his friend.

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The newcomers to Rivendell had all been given food, and they were invited to stay and listen to elven musicians play newly written songs afterward. Though Gerithor, Legolas, and Edhael had stayed behind, Taliel decided that she would go for a walk. After all, music only bored her and she had no interest in it, unlike most elves. Edhael had pleaded with her to stay but she ignored him, knowing that he only wanted her to stay so that she would talk with the other elves.

And so she found herself wandering near the edge of the river, as far away from other people as she could go without leaving Rivendell entirely. The full moon cast a pale light on the grass, and its reflection shone bright upon the water. Crickets chirped periodically, but Taliel paid them no mind. For as she sat by the river, her thoughts carried her far away, to another time at another river much like this one...

Shore of the Entwash, 3434 of the Second Age

"Shh... Orcs are near," An elven captain named Taarlas whispered as the small company crouched in the underbrush. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, nervously listening for further signs of the enemy. It was dark out, and the only light came from a sickle moon that hung overhead in the night sky.

"Here? On the outskirts of Fangorn of all places... It seems unusual to say the least," An elf named Firdan replied. He wore the dark green garb of a scout, and his only weapons were a bow and two long knives.

"What should we do?" Taliel asked. She was Taarlas' daughter, and the youngest member of the small scouting party. As such, she wasn't supposed to say anything. But she was inquisitive, and rather impatient for an elf.

"You need to keep quiet. Do not speak unless ordered to do otherwise," Taarlas said quietly. Though his words sounded harsh, he gave her a slight smile of reassurance. Firdan, on the other hand, glared at her in annoyance.

"I suggest we attack. After all, we have the element of surprise. They think we're camped miles north of here, deep in the forest," he said.

Taarlas ran a hand through his dark hair thoughtfully. "Perhaps... But it would be wiser to attack from the other side of the river. That way they won't be able to retaliate."

Taliel thought about both ideas, but then an idea of her own began to form in her mind. "What if we-?"

"Did you not hear Captain Taarlas?!? Silence!" Firdan hissed angrily.

"Firdan, be gentle. She's young, and has much to learn. Show her how she should behave, rather than berating her," Taarlas reprimanded. Though he saw Taliel as little more than a child, he had been protective of her since she joined their group, staving off insults and angry remarks from the other members. Redras and Cedras, elven twins from Rivendell, were the only ones aside from Taarlas who didn't openly dislike her.

Firdan led Weros and Palmanor, two Numenoreans, in displaying contemptuous behavior towards her.  Every time the elf insulted her, the two men would never be far behind. They, however, never harassed her in front of Taarlas.

"Of course you'd say that, she's your daughter!" Firdan spat. "You've given her nothing but preferential treatment this whole time! And the rest of us are sick of it!" Weros and Palmanor nodded in agreement. The twins were silent, both seemingly having decided to stay out of the argument.

"If by 'preferential treatment' you mean I've kept you from making her fear her own shadow, then I think she deserves preferential treatment! But now is neither the time nor place for this discussion, if you wish you can take it up with me at camp," Taarlas said, his temper running thin.

"I'm sick of dragging her along on our missions! She does nothing but-" Firdan's complaint was cut short as a dark feathered arrow pierced his neck. He fell to the ground, gurgling in his final death throes. The company stared at him in shock, too surprised to respond.

"We've been found! To arms!" Taarlas cried out. Several dozen orcs appeared from out of the tree line, several of them firing their bows at the group. The party sprang into action, spurred on by the imminent danger. The twins both fired back in unison, felling two orcs simultaneously. More orcs continued to pour out of the forest, and Taarlas blew his horn to call for aid.

"Fall back! To the river!" He shouted between horn blows as he backed away from the advancing orcs. "Taliel, run back to camp! Bring help!"

Taliel shook her head and drew her sword, her entire body shaking with fear. Though she had trained for years for battle, she was not prepared for this. It had all happened so suddenly...

"Taliel, go! Quickly!" Taarlas yelled, his voice muffled. Taliel's heart was thumping loudly, and it seemed to drown out all other sound.

She suddenly felt a firm hand grab her shoulder and pull her roughly back. She panicked and began to struggle until she saw that it was Cedras. An arrow protruded from his shoulder, but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were wide and he was focused on her.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She attempted to speak, but no sound came out so she merely nodded.

"Then go! We'll cover you!" Cedras said as Redras ran up beside them, nursing a bleeding arm. Taliel nodded, her senses returning to her somewhat, and she began to run back towards the camp. She heard a cry behind her and saw Weros fall to the ground, an orc standing tall over him with a blood-covered sword.

Taliel covered her mouth with horror and continued to run blindly ahead, not thinking about anything but getting help.

Suddenly five massive orcs jumped from the brush ahead of her, growling and brandishing their scimitars menacingly. Taliel stopped abruptly, paralyzed with fear. She heard the howls of orcs behind her, and she knew that she was surrounded. The orcs formed a semicircle around her and laughed hideously as they closed in, eager to claim the kill...

But just as they were about to finish her off, a cry came from behind and like a flash of lightning Taarlas was there, his blade dancing from foe to foe and forcing them back. His golden armor shone in the moonlight as he moved like a master swordsman, quickly cutting down one of the orcs and moving on to the next.

Taliel snapped out of her trance, and leapt to her father's side. The duo made a powerful team, standing back to back and cutting down any orc that got near enough to their blades. But despite their skill, more and more orcs continued to attack, and there was no sign of them stopping. Soon the two elves would be overpowered.

Taarlas began to fight in the direction of the camp, clearing a path for them. After cutting down two large orcs, Taarlas spun to face Taliel.

"Go! This is the only opening you'll get! I'll hold them off!" He cried as he ran another orc through.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Taliel exclaimed, tears in her eyes.

"Run! That's an order! From both your captain and your father!" He moved closer and rested his forehead on hers. "I will see you again, daughter... Be it here or in Valinor."

"I love you, father," Taliel replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Taarlas quickly embraced her before turning to face the approaching onslaught of orcs. Taliel swiftly ran to the edge of the forest, until she knew she hadn't been followed. She hid behind a tree and turned back.

Her father was surrounded, and he cast his gaze upon her one last time, before letting out a cry and charging the orcs. He began to cut them down quickly, orc after orc falling to his blade. But for every one that fell, it seemed that ten more took their place. Soon nearly a hundred orcs surrounded him, and they closed in around him. Though he attempted to fight them off, they leapt upon him, and soon Taliel could no longer see him amidst the orcs. She began to cry and turned back towards the forest, running blindly through the tall grass that surrounded her. Tears stung her eyes and made it difficult to see, and several times she tripped on roots and branches.

After what seemed like an eternity, the tall grass cleared and she ran headlong into the middle of the camp breathlessly, her face streaked with tears. Many of the soldiers quickly reached for their weapons, alerted by the sudden commotion.

"Orcs! In the forest!" Taliel shouted breathlessly. "We were ambushed, they need help!"

A Numenorean captain named Argalan quickly walked over to her. He was Taarlas' best friend, as well as the leader of the other half of their battalion.

"Taliel, calm down," He said softly as he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Tell me what happened."

"We were scouting, then orcs came out of nowhere! By the river! They need help!" Her words spilled out in a jumble, though Argalan seemed to understand. He led her to a spot by one of the fires and had her sit down, then turned to his soldiers.

"To arms! We're going out there after them!" He cried before turning back to Taliel. "Stay here. We will handle this."

She stood back up, a frown on her face. "No! My father is out there, he may still be alive!"

Argalan pursed his lips, then nodded. "Very well. But what we find there may not be what you hope to find. Be prepared for the worst."

Taliel took a deep breath as she fell in behind the other soldiers. Most of Argalan's troops were Numenoreans, only one was a fellow elf. His name was Hathel, and he was one of Taliel's only friends. She moved ahead until she was beside him, and when he saw her he glanced over sympathetically.

"It will be alright Taliel, I am sure they're all safe."

"They're not," Taliel replied quietly. "I saw them die."

When they arrived at the site of the battle, it looked as though hundreds of orcs had died. Their bodies lie twisted and bloodied on the ground beside the river, and their dark blood trickled into the water. Argalan stopped the company and turned to them.

"Do not separate from each other. There may still be orcs nearby. Search for our soldiers and bring them back, but be quick about it."

The soldiers formed into groups of five and began to fan out in search of their companions. Taliel was with Hathel, and the two silently scanned the field. Though part of her didn't want to, Taliel quickly made her way towards the part of the forest where she had last seen her father. The entire forest looked different somehow... Darker. As though the trees themselves lamented the slaughter that had taken place.

It was so dark that Hathel didn't see the body of Redras until he tripped over it. He fell to the ground and looked first in surprise, then in horror, at the body. Nearly a dozen arrows protruded from his chest and stomach, and the shape of a spider had been cut into his forehead. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly up into the sky above.

One of the soldiers that was with them signaled to two others, and they lifted the elf's lifeless body up and carried it away. Hathel still looked shaken, and as he attempted to stand he grew pale.

"I knew Redras since he was a boy..." He said, his voice detached and lifeless.

Taliel didn't respond, for she too was shocked and sickened by the sight. And now too she was filled with the fear that she would find her father the same way.

Still, she forced herself to continue onward. Hathel followed slowly behind, staring blankly ahead and mumbling to himself. They went on until they came upon a small copse by the riverside. Dozens of dead orcs lay there, some of them piled atop each other. Taliel quickly ran forward, her eyes scanning the area.

Her eyes widened when she saw a pool of blood nearby. No body lay there, but it looked as though someone had crawled away, for a blood trail led further into the trees.

With growing fear, she followed the trail. The bodies of orcs lay periodically along it, as if they had attempted to follow but had been killed. She kept her eyes lowered toward the ground in front of her, and so she didn't see her father until she was nearly upon him.

He lay with his back against a tall tree. His sword rested by his side, and his helmet was in his lap. His eyes were closed, and it looked as though he were merely sleeping. But Taliel knew the truth. Her father was dead.

She fell to her knees beside him, and a new wave of sorrow came over her. She took her own helmet off and laid it beside her father's, and she took his cold hand in hers. As she did, she felt cold metal against her skin, and she looked down to see a necklace in her father's hand. She immediately recognized it as her mother's. She had given it to Taarlas when they were married... when she was still alive. She had been killed in an assault by Sauron's forces several years ago.

Now Sauron had claimed Taliel's father as well. She gripped the necklace tightly, her face contorting with anger. I will not be a coward father. I ran this time, and it cost you your life. But Sauron will pay. I will make him.

Rivendell, 3018 of the Third Age

Taliel clenched her fist, the memories filling her with hatred and anger. Sauron still hadn't paid. And he never would now, unless a miracle happened. There was little hope for Middle Earth.

She spun around as she heard a twig break behind her. An dark haired elf, wearing a midnight blue tunic and black trousers, stood before her. It took her a moment to recognize the elf that had arrived with Glorfindel, Caledorn. He looked like an entirely different person without the armor.

"Not in the mood for festivities?" He asked as he walked to the side of the river. His every move was completely silent, like a phantom in the night.

"I am rarely in the mood for festivities, especially in such dark days as these," Taliel replied. Caledorn nodded in agreement.

"I understand. I'd prefer if we held the council tonight, better sooner than later. But tell me, I have not seen you around here before... Who are you exactly?"

Taliel turned to the mysterious elf, looking him over suspiciously. His intentions seemed innocent enough, though she was cautious of speaking with anyone. "I am Taliel. I came here from Lothlorien, for the council."

Caledorn raised an eyebrow. "Strange, I don't seem to recall seeing your name on the ledger..."

"I'm the bodyguard of an elf named Edhael. He was the one listed. But did you memorize the entire ledger?" She asked, her mouth turning up in a slight grin.

"Of course I did. It's always good to know what's going on," Caledorn replied evenly. "What news from Lorien?"

"A strange amount of weddings have been occurring," Taliel said evasively. "I think the elves there believe that the end is coming, so they wish to get their affairs in order."

"So I take it you won't reveal any real news until the Council?" Caledorn said with a slight smile. He had immediately seen through her ruse.

"Not really. Unless perhaps you wish to exchange information..." Taliel replied.

"I think we can wait until the Council," Caledorn replied, his green eyes narrowing measuredly. Taliel thought that they looked almost catlike... In a good way. If he weren't so grim she may have found him mildly attractive, but his aloof manner made him seem cold.

"Fair enough," She said. "I suppose I shall see you there, then?"

"Indeed you shall. Such an important event cannot be missed," Caledorn said as he leaned on a nearby railing.

"Good. Then I shall take my leave for now. It was a pleasure meeting you," Taliel said politely as she walked away.

"The pleasure is mine," Caledorn replied absently. Taliel heard a rock hit the water and turned back to see Caledorn skipping stones. An odd hobby for a mysterious elf, she thought to herself as she returned to her room.