Arien, Lady of Rivendell

The journey begins

Arien was shaken awake well before dawn. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. Where was she? Rivendell? No this was not Rivendell. The floor was plain wooden boarding and the room was sparse of colour. Her sheets were itchy as she clambered out of them. They were still in Bree, at the prancing pony. Arien changed into a clean set of clothing as Gandalf hurried out the door, mumbling something about meeting her at the stables. After braiding her hair and cleaning the sleep off her face Arien jogged down the creaky stairs into the now empty bar. She noticed a small stack of coins on the table top, most likely left by Gandalf, and headed hurriedly out of the door into the cold crisp winter air.

Gandalf stood waiting, the reins of two horses in his hands. Storm whinnied as he saw her and she smiles before striking his nose and taking the reins off the wizard. The cart she had met him by was now gone. Instead his horse stood saddled with a few packs on his back. Arien attached hers and frowned as Gandalf mounted.
"What happened to the cart?" She asked and she swung onto the saddle. The wizard grasped his reins.
"Where we are headed, a cart would be a nuisance. We ride cross country. I do not wish to travel by road and end up in a sticky situation again." He said with a chuckle. Arien blushed slightly embarrassed she had needed saving and they began to walk down the track and out through the gates.

They walked down the road away from Bree for half an hour in silence. Arien listened to the soft hoofbeats of her stallion and waited until they were fairly far away from the town.
"So where are we headed?" She asked again with eagerness, but Gandalf only responded with a shake of the head.
"When we are off the road." He promised and they continued to walk another few miles on the silent road.
Suddenly the wizard glanced once all around them to make sure they were alone and pulled his horses sharply to the right and into the undergrowth. Arien frowned but followed suit batting the clawing branches away. Once they had passed out of the tree line and into the more open woodland they spurred their horses into a canter. The wind rushed at their faces and Ariens hair fluttered in the breeze. After another hour of restless riding they stopped for breakfast.
"To the men of the North." Gandalf said, as they sat with their backs against the trees. Arien frowned as he continued to speak.
"The Rangers, they are more commonly known as. I have a favour to ask of them."
"The Dunedin." She replied and the wizards face lit up with surprise.
"Indeed. For a moment I forgot your father had educated you beyond that of many in this world." Arien smiled and looked at her feet. She was incredibly curious as to what favour the wizard needed to ask, she thought back to the young boy her sister had been most interested in. When he left at the age of 27, her father had told her of his ancestry. He was a descendent of the men of numenor, and he had gone to live with his kin, the Dunedin in the north. She told none of the to the wizard, that life was behind her, but she wished to see him again and wondered if he would recognise her.

A sharp strangled scream pierced the air and the wizard rose suddenly.
"Come we must leave this place quickly." He said and mounted his steed, Arien followed.
"Should we not go help them?" She asked her voice worried, but the wizard shook his head.
"In some things we should not meddle. Besides we do not want to put ourselves in danger." He took off in a gallop and Arien hurried behind. She kept close to Gandalf and thought about what could be out there. Was it the thieves they had encountered yesterday? Had they caught another unsuspecting traveller? The wizard didn't wait to find out and they sped onwards towards their destination.