The Elf with Silver Hair

Chapter 2

Elil smiled down at the sleeping form of Strider as dawn broke. Putting away her pipeweed, she starts gently shaking the sleeping man.
"It is time to leave. Wake up!"

Strider grunted and turned over, still sleeping. This caused Elil to sigh as she grabbed her water pouch and poured some over him.

This was very effective, as Strider immediately lept to his feet, shouting curses.

"That was not necessary!" He comments as he shakes his head, making water drops fly everywhere.
"You wouldn't wake."

Elil was laughing as Strider kept muttering curses.
"Pack your things, Strider. The clouds indicate rain."

Elil was correct. After several hours of riding the sky opened up, and it started pouring. Quickly putting up her hood, she urges Alagos to run the path they walk. They stop to eat for a couple of hours before continuing. As they see the outline of Bree, the sun is starting to set, and darkness started creeping out from every corner.

Riding into Bree, they receive stares from the folk living there. Keeping one hand on her sword, Elil pulls her hood further over her head, hiding in the darkness. They stop at the stables, turning over Alagos and Sylvia to the stable keeper. As they walked into the busy pub called The Prancing Pony, everyone fell silent.

As they approached the innkeeper, people began muttering.
"Rangers!"
"They are here again!"
"Be wary of them!"
"It was they who fought Rob and his companions."

The two rangers ignored them, and Strider quickly talked to Barliman Butterbur. They got their usual room and made their way upstairs to leave their packings. As they returned downstairs, the silence had disappeared, and the pub was full of life again. The pair ordered ale and went to sit in the corner, keeping an eye out.

As they finish their ale, four hobbits walk in. Lighting their pipeweed, Elil nudges Strider.
"Im ind ha na n- tád perian!"
Elil's voice is barely audible as she whispers the few words to her friend.
"Sui did im." Sounded the deep voice back at her.

Elil thought the small folks were acting strange. Or she believed two of them were. One seemed burdened in a way, and the big one was looking around at everyone with a very suspicious look. The other two seemed as happy and carefree as she knows hobbits to be. The smaller of the stranger hobbits introduced himself as Underhill.

Elil watched how the most carefree hobbit walks up to the bar. Straining her ears, she listens in on the conversation of the strange ones.
"Those two have done nothing but stare at you since we got here!"
"Excuse me!" Underhill stops Butterbur on his rounds. "The men in the corner. Who are they?"

Elil leans into Strider as she blows out some smoke while watching Butterbur paling.
"Whui ceri- núr cheb- thinking -o nin sui dír?"

Strider quietly shushes her with a playful gleam in his eyes.
"Ah, it's them rangers. Very dangerous folk. What their real names are, I have no idea, but 'round here they're known as Elil and Strider."

Elil observes how Underhill takes out a ring and looks to be in deep thought.
"Ha thi- i's mín Perian."
Just as Strider is to answer the woman, a loud voice from the bar grabs their attention.

"Baggins? Sure I know a Baggins. He's over there. Frodo Baggins! He's my second cousin once removed on his mother side and my third cousin twice removed on his father's side if you follow me."

Several things happened after this statement. Frodo jumped out of his seat and ran towards the bar. Strider and Elil watched intensely as Frodo grabbed the sleeve of his friend, yelling "Pippin!"
The hobbit called Pippin spills his ale as he turns, causing Frodo to fall.
"Steady on, Frodo!"

Elil sees the Ring fly into the air and land on Frodo's finger, making him disappear. The crowd gasps and Strider takes Elil's arm to drag her with him. Frodo reappears, breathing out, in what Elil think is, relief. Strider grabs his shoulder and shoves him against a wall.
"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr Underhill!"
"Our room. Go!" Elil quickly gives the command as she makes her voice deeper to keep her cover.

Strider pulls Frodo up the stairs and throws him into their room as Elil closes the door behind them.
"What do you want?"
Frodo's voice is panicked.
"A little more caution from you!" Elil answers.
"That is no trinket you carry!" Strider continues.
"I carry nothing!" Frodo denies as he looks at them.
"Indeed!"

Strider puts out the candles as he walks around the room.
"We can avoid being seen if we wish, but to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift."
He pulls down his hood, revealing his face.
"Who are you?" The frightened hobbit looks at the man in front of him.
"Are you frightened?" Strider asks, ignoring Frodo's question.
"Yes."
"Not nearly frightened enough!" Elil comments from behind him, making Frodo turn to her.
"We know what haunts you!"

Elil hears the noise of the other three hobbits coming upstairs and nods to Strider. As the door opens, they unsheath their swords together and point them at the trio.
"Let him go! Or I'll have you, Longshanks!"

The biggest hobbit stood before them with raised fists. Behind him, the other two were holding a chair and a candlestick as weapons.
"You have a stout heart, little hobbit!" Elil says, getting their attention, her voice still deep and rasp.

The trio tried to look under her hood as they look at her. Strider did not like this as he sheaths his sword.
"But that will not save you! You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They are coming!"

Elil quickly gave the quartet of hobbits instructions to take their things hastily and then follow Strider. She then went into hobbit room and created a diversion. When she slipped into hers and Strider's room, she noticed the hobbits were already asleep. Taking her spot at the window for the first shift, she pulls out her pipeweed and smokes whilst humming.

During the dark and quiet hours, Elil notice movement on the street. She makes a fist and then holds up four fingers to signal to Strider 4 Ringwraiths had arrived. He nods as he looks at her with a worried face. As the Ringwraiths make their way into the hobbit room, Pippin starts rolling around. A loud shriek echoes through the night when the wraiths discover they've been fooled.

The noise causes all the hobbits to jolt awake.
"What are they?"
"They were once great Kings of Men!"
Strider inhales as he begins explaining.
"Then Sauron The Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring. Drawn to the One. They will never stop hunting you."

Elil exhales the smoke from her lungs as Strider's quiet voice stops.
"And who is he?"
Pippin's louder voice fills the silence.
"That is my friend. They choose to stay hidden for their safety."

"But who is he?" The other hobbit asks.
Elil stands up as she sees the Ringwraiths leave Bree. Strider walks over to her spot and continues the watch.
"I go by Elil. I am a Ranger. That is all you need to know. Now go to sleep, master hobbits. It will be a long way to walk on no sleep!"
"You are safe here tonight. Sleep."

The Hobbits return to their bed as Elil sits down on the floor by Strider to rest as well. Darkness takes over her as she feels Strider's hand playing with her hair through the hood. She inhales his scent of smoke, woods and sweat and falls asleep feeling safe.

~~~~

Im ind ha na n- tád perian!" =
I thought it to be two hobbits!

Sui did im =
As did I

Whui ceri- núr cheb- thinking -o nin sui dír? =
Why do people keep thinking of me as male?

Ha thi- i's mín Perian =
It appears that's our hobbit