[Ransom]

==Rivendell==
Though it had taken quite a bit of maneuvering, Elrohir had escaped duty in the initial party that greeted the dwarves. Quite a bit of effort, but completely worth it. More than once, the elusive elf had been accused of slacking on a regular basis. Of course, these charges were (almost) completely baseless. Indeed, he spent most of his ‘slacking’ time reading reports from various scouts and diplomats.

He calmly rolled up a scroll containing the reports of the Elvin rangers that had led the hobbits and dwarves to Rivendell. Not much information, but some had been fairly interesting. His hopes for the journey were beginning to perk up again. He hadn’t seen a hobbit for quite a while, but their antics and shouts certainly brightened his heart. Even the dwarves weren’t half bad. They hadn’t broken anything…yet.

But one thing bothered him. Somehow, someone had convinced a certain elf named Thule to join their party as a guide. He frowned, pulling out his saber and beginning to sharpen it. Hundreds of years of experience seemed to go cry out against the simple idea of taking assassins. Elrohir stood and sheathed his weapon and, still holding the sharpening, went out to find one of his companions.

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Silently padding through the gardens of Rivendell, Elrohir caught sight of his brother conversing with a hobbit and a dwarf. Truly amazing. Creeping closer, he discovered that Elladan was getting a head start on the diplomatic side of their trip. What was this talk of alliances? They hadn’t even left Rivendell! Elrohir smiled. Elladan was learning.

He bided his time carefully, waiting for a pause in the conversation before stepping out of the woods behind his twin and gently tapping him on his back. “Greetings, visitors from the Shire and the Blue Mountains. My name is Elrohir, and I am this conspirator’s brother. Perhaps you could introduce me to your newfound friends, Elladin.”