Ellendil

Part 1: A runestone and flying arrows

Ellendil could feel them before she heard them.

The wargs were passing
over the plains by the hidden pass, loudly pounding the grass with their powerful clawed paws. Their presence sent chilled spears into her back. She wasn't afraid of wargs or their Orc riders, but their growing numbers made her fear something more sinister was at hand. Shadows were growing over the land and they lingered in the dark places she could not see.

Ellendil's black mount stirred beneath her as Londarul, her scouting partner burst up the hill and came to a halt beside her on his white mare.

'Orcs, near the hidden pass. Apparently taking their wargs out for a walk,' Elle said to him as he stared intently to the horizon.

'What shall we do m'lady?' He replied solemnly, as he had always done, his mare tossed her head high in response.
Pity, Elle thought that would've at least got a grin, his forsaken horse at least appreciated it. Why must this damned elf always take her so seriously? The poor thing was still waiting for her to say something purely majestic for three months now, ever since she'd picked him to accompany her on scouts- simply because he was quiet.

Elle knew she had to pick someone, she wasn't overly fond of returning to Rivendell's walled valley as soon as she learned anything of importance. She was a ranger after all, she belonged out here.

Although usually she was a ranger on a chain. Her gift required her to remain safe with her community, surrounded by those who encouraged her to join the wise ones in their kingdoms deep in the forests, not that Elle stood for any of this nonsense. She tended not to dwell on the subject.

She did wish Londarul wasn't so terribly quiet though and she was starting to regret thinking that this was a quality admirable in a partner you spend long wearisome days out in the wild with. Elle could tell he was disappointed in her, or perhaps just terribly confused.

She was after all known to be able to 'see that which others could not.' Something like the Lady Galadriel (who grew wiser in her forest kingdom to the east), she was told, yet she still hungered for adventures she'd never truly had and so was for now, searching for trouble instead of remaining beautiful and mysterious, only called upon for answers and wisdom whenever it was deemed needed. Ellendil was too reckless and too wild but she knew this well.

'We attack! I'll go first. It is essential to keep the surprise advantage. The pack are chasing something I can feel them closing in and I believe I'll need to make a quick kill,' Elle said as she encouraged her black filly forward at a canter. It's ears faced firmly forward, alert and ready for anything it seemed.

'My Lady-' Londarul called as he followed her across the low lying shrubs that made up the plain at the foot of the hill that lay in their path.
'Its Elle, Londarul. Call me Elle. I am not you're lady out here.' she interrupted.

'You are gifted with the seeing eye, my duty is to protect you, as was instructed by our Lord Elrond. I advise that I alert the watch,' he insisted, his black made catching up at a canter beside Elle.

'You are here to return to Rivendell and report to Lord Elrond on what my ' eyes' discover but nevertheless that is a brilliant idea! You call the rivendell watch and I'll just be over that hill my dear Londarul. Of course doing nothing of a warg killing sort,' Elle shouted back into the wind as her filly took off with a swift sweep of her leg. She left a bewildered Londarul staring in disbelief after her.

Elle knew him well enough to know he'd call the watch, and that they'd be there in no time. They weren't too far behind last time she had checked. Elle closed her eyes as the wind flapped through her hair and she listened to what she was being told. There was something she had to do she could feel it. It could not wait.