Grey Ships Part I - Paths to Tread

Chapter 1 - Arrival At Imladris

Andromeda pulled herself out of the river, grimly clutching her wand in one hand. She used the other to scrape her hair out of her face as she looked around, trying to recognize where she was. She'd never seen a forest like this, not with such a strong feeling of magic. She muttered a drying charm on her nightgown and quickly braided her hair before drying it as well.

She didn't see Draco in the river, or washed up on the bank, and she hoped her nephew was alright, wherever he was. She had a nasty suspicion they weren't in England, at the very least. Possibly not in Europe at all, though the forest would be appropriate for the continent. Andromeda shook her head, and started to make her way through the woods, following the feeling of magic imbued in the woods.

She gasped as she emerged in front of a large stone building. Or perhaps complex of buildings, all interconnected, would be the more appropriate phrasing. The construction was like nothing she'd seen before, except in the books of one of the more famous wizarding authors. She reached out a hand to touch the stone, hardly daring to believe she might have landed in Tolkien's world.

The stone was cool under her hand, and she drew it back as if burnt. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "This can't be real. It was all just a story, and this is a dream. A dream induced by a blow to the head, while I'm on my way to St. Mungo's," she whispered to herself.

"Who are you?" A cold voice made her open her eyes and look up at the male in front of her. Peeking through his hair were a pair of pointed ears, and Andromeda felt the blood drain from her face as the world went grey. She swayed on her feet, blinking, fighting to stay conscious. It would be very bad manners to faint while someone was asking you a question.

She saw the elf's brow furrow, and she wet her lips, opening her mouth to reply. Two more elves peered around the corner, looking like dark and pointy-eared versions of the Weasley twins, and she blinked again once before fainting.

~ ~~ ~

Ainion caught the strange woman before she hit the ground, looking over his shoulder to see the sheepish faces of Elledan and Elrohir. "Since you two are the cause of this problem, one of you can inform Lord Elrond of her existence while the other takes her to the healing wing." He glared at them until they scooped up the woman's body and headed, both of them, towards the healing wing.

Ainion rolled his eyes, and signaled to his partner on watch that he would return. Someone had to tell Lord Elrond about the stranger on his lands. He bounded up the stairs of the house, long strides taking him to the study where Elrond was talking with Gandolf about something or another.

"Lord Elrond."

Elrond looked up, arching an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Ainion bowed slightly. "A strange woman came to the gate, and..."

Elrond stood, interrupting him with an upraised hand, and shot a swift glance at Gandolf, an unspoken message passing between them. "Where is she now?"

"The healing wing, Lord Elrond," Ainion replied, startled that the elven lord had interrupted his report. That action in itself was rare.

Elrond swept by him, Gandolf on his heels, and Ainion followed them towards the healing wing, curious about what had caused their abrupt interruption of his report.

"She is likely the source of the strange magic you sensed." Gandolf was pacing beside the Peredhil, his pipe in one hand.

"I am aware of that, Mithrandir." Elrond's voice sounded concerned. "As the source of that magic has moved closer to Imladris despite the efforts to confuse and divert it."

They stepped into the healing wing, the healer looking up at them as they entered. On the cot was a brown-haired woman, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. The twins were standing off to one side, their heads bent towards each other, their voices mere murmurs to Ainion's ears at the moment.

~ ~~ ~

Andromeda massaged her temples as she tried to wrap her mind around the idea that she was in Middle Earth, and she had seen an elf - more than one! - less than a minute before. She looked up again, and spotted another elf in the doorway. He bore a circlet on his brow, and his grey eyes watched her without any expression showing that she could detect.

After a long moment where their eyes locked, the elf moved towards her, settling with an easy grace into the chair the healer abandoned at his approach. Andromeda felt herself pulling into the straight-backed pose her mother had taught her and her sisters, her hands in her lap, for when they were entertaining important guests.

"How are you feeling?" The elf held her gaze, and Andromeda repressed a shiver. It was as if he was looking into her soul.

"Rather disconcerted, sir." She paused. "If I may ask, with whom am I speaking?" She had fallen back into the speech patterns of her youth, infinitely polite, and infinitely proper.

A smile twitched at the edges of the elf's mouth, and she heard a snort from behind him, where a grey-haired man in grey robes that looked rather questionable to her eyes stood.

"I am Lord Elrond."

She nodded her head graciously. "Andromeda Tonks," she replied.

"Welcome to Imladris, Andromeda." He nodded back to her, and then stood, offering her a hand to stand, as formally polite as she was being. Andromeda smiled slightly, and took the offered hand, standing carefully. She didn't feel dizzy, and straightened, quickly checking for her wand.

A frown came to her face when she couldn't discover it on her person, or on the cot she had awoken on. "Where is my wand?"

"Wand?" Elrond looked puzzled.

Andromeda nodded. "Ash, seven inches long." She bit back the rest of the description, as it would be useless information for them.

There were blank looks around the room, before the elf who stood in the doorway spoke. "Something dropped as Elledan picked her up to bring her here." The elf was watching her with a puzzled expression. "I was unaware a stick that small had any importance."

"That stick, sir, is my wand, and I need that." Andromeda wanted to grind her teeth in frustration. Even living with a Muggle husband, she hadn't neglected to keep her wand where she could locate it at all times.

"Ainion." Elrond spoke quietly, but Andromeda could hear the note of command in it. "Find the wand, and bring it to the guest quarters."

The grey-haired man waved a hand. "I will go with him, Elrond, and I will find you once the item has been fetched."

The elf in the doorway looked like he was caught between relief and annoyance at the grey-haired man, and he spun on his heel, almost marching away from the healing wing, the man following.

~ ~~ ~

Elrond watched the woman out of the corner of his eye as he escorted her towards the guest quarters, several questions turning over in his mind. Where had she come from? How did the magic she work operate? And why was she alone, in clothing that appeared to be ill-suited for the outdoors?

"Lord Elrond." Her voice was quiet, her tone even and politely neutral, like a born aristocrat playing the delicate game of diplomacy. "If I might ask, has anyone else appeared unexpectedly on your doorstep?" She looked up at him, her brow furrowed slightly, and concern for someone in her eyes.

He shook his head. "No. There has been no one else, Andromeda, other than yourself."

She frowned slightly, turning to look forward again. "Blast," she muttered, so softly he suspected she thought it was inaudible. Certainly it would have been, to human ears.

"Is there something wrong?"

She was silent a moment, and he could see her worrying at her lower lip before she spoke. "My nephew was with me, and I had hoped he might have landed near where I did."

"I am sorry."

Andromeda smiled slightly. "I hope he is alright, wherever he might be at the moment." She looked up at him again. "If I might ask, would it be possible to locate me something better than my current gown to dress in? I'm afraid this one is rather in a sorry state, after being through the river, and through the forest."

Elrond paused outside the first of the guest rooms. "I shall speak with my household, and see what we might find for you." He looked up as Arwen came around the corner, with an armful of gowns. She smiled when she saw him, and then turned her attention to Andromeda.

"Aeriel asked me to bring some gowns down to the healing wing for one of her patients, and when I arrived, she said ada had taken you to the guest rooms." She nudged the door open with her foot, nodding for Andromeda to go in first, and closed the door behind them.

Elrond shook his head, and turned to leave, spotting Gandolf coming down the hall, studying a piece of wood he held in his hands. "Her wand was found?"

Gandolf nodded absently, turning the short piece of smoothly polished wood in his hands. The wizard's pipe had gone out, and he hadn't even noticed, he was so engrossed in examining the wand. "It's a focus, like a wizard's staff, only smaller." He frowned, tapping it gently, and muttering something to himself.

~ ~~ ~

Andromeda looked over the gowns as the elven woman spread them out on the bed, mentally sorting them into ones she thought would look decent or nice on her, and ones that would look absolutely atrocious. There were very few of the latter, fortunately.

"What is your name?" The elven woman tilted her head as she looked over at Andromeda, the gowns all set out.

"Andromeda Tonks," she replied, reaching for a russet gown with a black chemise, and laced up the back. A glance around the room spotted a screen in the corner, and she stepped behind it to change from the night gown into the new clothing. "And you are?"

"Arwen Undomiel."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Arwen." Andromeda shook the skirt of the chemise out before pulling the gown on over it, and poking her head from behind the screen. "Might I ask you to tighten the laces? I can't reach them very well."

Arwen smiled, and nodded, coming over to lace the gown shut. "This one looks very well on you. Much better than it did on Aeriel."

"Thank you." Andromeda glanced down, and tugged at the sleeves of the chemise, reaching under the skirt to finish evening out the neckline. There was a mirror to one side, and she looked into it critically, studying her appearance. "I hope they've located my wand. My hair is mess."

Arwen was heading for the door, pushing it open, and Andromeda spotted the silver-haired man standing outside, with her wand in hand. She smiled, and spun, holding out her hand, and whispering, "Accio!"

The piece of wood flew to her hand, and she curled her fingers around it as the man looked up in surprise. Andromeda spoke a couple of quick hair-care charms, and her hair braided itself, twisting up into a coil on the top of her head. It would stay there until she used the counter-charm in the evening.

"Fascinating." The man was watching her, and she noticed Arwen and Elrond doing the same, their expressions unreadable. She bit her lower lip, wondering if she had perhaps broken some sort of taboo, or offended her hosts.

~ ~~ ~

Elrond noticed Andromeda biting at her lip, and her sudden unease, and he consciously made his body language more welcoming, and comforting, watching as she relaxed slightly. "You work magic, Andromeda?" It was a question to which he already knew the answer, but perhaps asking it might make the woman relax. Someone more at ease, after all, was less likely to cause trouble unless they intended to cause it.

She nodded. "Yes." Her brow furrowed a moment, and her gaze turned inward, as if she was examining a thought or a memory. A moment later, she once more had the carefully schooled expression of a polished diplomat or politician in an unfamiliar situation. "I hope I did not offend by using my magic here."

He shook his head. "No. It is simply unfamiliar." Elrond paused, a thought occurring to him. "I would be honored if you would join me, and a few other guests for dinner this evening." He hated playing the diplomat at times, but now he pulled on every skill he'd learned to manipulate the woman in front of him, to make her comfortable. He needed to know where she came from, and if he had to anticipate more like her arriving uninvited on his doorstep.

Andromeda smiled. "I would be delighted to accept your invitation, Lord Elrond."