Arkala had spent much of the night riding, as she could find no place to truly rest along the way. She had stopped for an hour or so to rest her horse, Aralome, and to rest a little herself, although she did not sleep. She could not risk closing her eyes while alone in the darkness that covered this world. Perhaps there had been a time where she could have risked it, but such a time had long since passed. Now it seemed that a Shadow had again fallen on this world. The dark places of this world had grown darker and all others had begun to feel the taint of that darkness.<br/><br/>There were exceptions, of course. The places in this world where her people, the elves, still occupied had not suffered from this growing Shadow. Such a place, a haven in this world, was where she was headed. After her short rest, she had once again mounted her dark stallion, pulling the hood of her dark grey cloak up to cover her long silvery-blonde hair. Leaning forward, she stroked the soft coat of the tall horse’s neck and whispered something in her native tongue before spurring the horse forward, to Rivendell.<br/><br/>They traveled quickly through the thick darkness of the night and into the dark hours of the morning. As the darkness began to fade, driven away by the earliest hints of dawn, Rivendell began to take shape in the distance. The Elven city looked stunning in the pink and orange hues of the dawn. It was quite a sight to see at any hour, truly, but she had to appreciate the beauty that the faint light bestowed upon it as she approached.<br/><br/>Before the sun had fully crested the horizon, she had neared the gates, slowing the pace of the horse to a slow trot. She greeted the dark-haired male elf who came to take her horse before turning her attention elsewhere. She needed to speak with Lord Elrond, but that could wait for the moment. For now, she needed to rest a bit after her journey. She wouldn’t sleep now, but she would very much enjoy sitting and relaxing in a place where she need not worry about evil or darkness threatening if she dared to close her eyes for but a moment. Remaining constantly alert and vigilant was rather exhausting and tended to wear on the nerves. She was much less susceptible to this than someone such as a human might be, but even she was not completely immune to its effects.<br/><br/>She also thought that it wouldn’t hurt to get something to eat. It had been a while since she had eaten a true meal, and much longer since she had eaten anything of the quality she would find here. She decided that the Hall of Fire would be the perfect place to relax and enjoy a meal. There were often those who would sing beautiful songs or tell great tales in the Hall. She found these most enjoyable, but in her present state, she thought that she would much prefer music.<br/><br/>As she entered the Hall, she smiled as she heard the gentle music that filled the air. She could feel her mood lighten and her weariness ease as the music filled her ears. She took a brief moment to enjoy the music as she looked around the room. It had been some time since she had set out from Rivendell. It was true that the years since she had last set foot in this Hall seemed short for one such as herself, who had already lived for more than a century, and who may very well live countless more. Time was different for the Elves, immortal as they were. For a human, seven years was nearly a tenth of their lives, if they were lucky. For an elf, it was but a moment. Still, for a young elf such as herself, it still felt as though it had been some time since she had been here.<br/><br/>She saw some faces she recognized and gave them each a smile and a slight bow of her head by way of greeting, but it was the face she did not recognize that drew her attention. He had a rather distinctive appearance, with intense emerald eyes, and wore a silver emblem that marked him as the steward of Arnor. It was neither of these things, however, that ultimately led her to approach the table at which he sat. What it was, she could not truly say, but she knew that they were meant to meet, so she allowed her feet to carry her to the corner table where he sat, his back facing the wall.<br/><br/>“Greetings,” she greeted him with a gentle smile as she approached the table. “May I sit?” she asked, gesturing to an empty seat and waiting a moment for him to respond before she took a seat. Her grey-blue eyes examined him for a moment, although her gaze was neither harsh nor appraising, but could best be described as curious. Despite his, however, she reigned in her curiosity and introduced herself. “My name is Arkala. I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting,” she introduced herself with a gentle smile and a soft, almost musical voice.