"Frodo..."::She caught the hobbit's weak form as he tumbled from the horse...and lowered him to the riverbank.:: "Frodo no..."
::Already, she could feel the sting of tears burning her eyes. This could not be. The Ringbearer meant entirely too much for him to pass into shadow. Of that she knew without question.::
iWhat grace has given me...let it pass to him.../i
::Arwen knew that she had been given a gift beyond measure. But no gift was worthwhile unless it could be used to help one who truly needed it. Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo, was one who needed it. Even more than she. Holding his hand in both her own, she wept silently...offering her prayer and giving hope where perhaps hope faded.::
"Arwen..."
::Looking up sharply, she nearly sobbed in relief at who stood before her. Gandalf and her father had come...those who could best save the Ringbearer. Rising to her feet, she allowed those who accompanied them to lift the hobbit from the stones and bear him away to her father's house. Father and daughter spoke in a glance...but Gandalf stayed behind...one hand touching her arm as he asked her to do the same.::
"What fate has befallen Strider and the hobbits?"::He asked without preamble. It was his way, and she knew it. To ask plain words when they were needed.::
"I encountered them in the forest...and rode ahead with Frodo. Aragorn believes that my father can save him...and to that I hold my faith. Three hobbits remain with him...their names I do not know."
"Why did you go Arwen?"::The old wizard asked, watching her from beneath his thick brows.:: "Why did you leave the safety of your father's house?"
"Because...I could not allow Aragorn to face that evil alone."::She too could speak plainly. Perhaps words others did not wish to hear per se...but she could speak the truth of her heart without question.:: "You know that...among few others."
"And do you know what must become of him?"::Gandalf asked, eyes narrowing as he spoke more of a future path.:: "What he must reclaim?"
"I do. But he fears it...he fears the weakness of Isildur for he believes it is within him."::She accepted Gandalf's arm as they began to walk back to her father's house.::
"He must cast off his fear."::Gandalf replied with a sternness that surprised her.:: "For it is with him that all hope may lie...so I call upon you Arwen...to speak to him of this. To tell him what your heart knows as truth...."
"That he must reclaim his birthright."
::Gandalf nodded, and they continued to walk in silence through the ancient trees of Rivendell. Soon, she could see the tops of the buildings...and in the distance she could see her father and others hurrying along with Frodo in their care. At her side, her horse followed...the reins loose in her hand.::
"He is Isildur's heir...you know this...and your father knows this. Gondor may very well fall sooner than we all think. But Aragorn could unite them. He could bring them against Mordor...."
"And it is there he fears failure. History tells us of Isildur's fate...my father tells me of it often."::A point of some contention between father and daughter. Time and again she'd heard of Isildur's unwillingness to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom...and what had befallen them afterwards. In her heart, Arwen held a belief that her father blamed Aragorn for the failures of his ancestors. A failure which she knew would not occur. Not this time.::
"But Aragorn is not Isildur."
"I am well aware Gandalf."::She said mildly, allowing her horse to be taken upon their return to the gates of Rivendell.:: "Aragorn has steeled himself against what might happen...so much that he fears it. He must now...look past it...and I shall ask it of him."
"You may be the only one you listen to my dear."
"A flattering idea to which I do not hold. I will offer the idea...and tell him what I have before. I will endure this darkness with him..."
"A thing which Isildur did not have."
"If I were prideful, I would say that is why Aragorn shall not fail. But I am not. What I shall say is that of all the things I know...I am most certain that Aragorn will do what is needed. And it is to him hope can be placed."
::The old wizard kissed her cheek in silence..nodding as he climbed the stairs which led to her father. It was a conversation she suspected she could plot the course of like a ship upon the ocean. And one which she would do well to avoid. For her words, and her thoughts must be placed elsewhere.::
::Already, she could feel the sting of tears burning her eyes. This could not be. The Ringbearer meant entirely too much for him to pass into shadow. Of that she knew without question.::
iWhat grace has given me...let it pass to him.../i
::Arwen knew that she had been given a gift beyond measure. But no gift was worthwhile unless it could be used to help one who truly needed it. Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo, was one who needed it. Even more than she. Holding his hand in both her own, she wept silently...offering her prayer and giving hope where perhaps hope faded.::
"Arwen..."
::Looking up sharply, she nearly sobbed in relief at who stood before her. Gandalf and her father had come...those who could best save the Ringbearer. Rising to her feet, she allowed those who accompanied them to lift the hobbit from the stones and bear him away to her father's house. Father and daughter spoke in a glance...but Gandalf stayed behind...one hand touching her arm as he asked her to do the same.::
"What fate has befallen Strider and the hobbits?"::He asked without preamble. It was his way, and she knew it. To ask plain words when they were needed.::
"I encountered them in the forest...and rode ahead with Frodo. Aragorn believes that my father can save him...and to that I hold my faith. Three hobbits remain with him...their names I do not know."
"Why did you go Arwen?"::The old wizard asked, watching her from beneath his thick brows.:: "Why did you leave the safety of your father's house?"
"Because...I could not allow Aragorn to face that evil alone."::She too could speak plainly. Perhaps words others did not wish to hear per se...but she could speak the truth of her heart without question.:: "You know that...among few others."
"And do you know what must become of him?"::Gandalf asked, eyes narrowing as he spoke more of a future path.:: "What he must reclaim?"
"I do. But he fears it...he fears the weakness of Isildur for he believes it is within him."::She accepted Gandalf's arm as they began to walk back to her father's house.::
"He must cast off his fear."::Gandalf replied with a sternness that surprised her.:: "For it is with him that all hope may lie...so I call upon you Arwen...to speak to him of this. To tell him what your heart knows as truth...."
"That he must reclaim his birthright."
::Gandalf nodded, and they continued to walk in silence through the ancient trees of Rivendell. Soon, she could see the tops of the buildings...and in the distance she could see her father and others hurrying along with Frodo in their care. At her side, her horse followed...the reins loose in her hand.::
"He is Isildur's heir...you know this...and your father knows this. Gondor may very well fall sooner than we all think. But Aragorn could unite them. He could bring them against Mordor...."
"And it is there he fears failure. History tells us of Isildur's fate...my father tells me of it often."::A point of some contention between father and daughter. Time and again she'd heard of Isildur's unwillingness to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom...and what had befallen them afterwards. In her heart, Arwen held a belief that her father blamed Aragorn for the failures of his ancestors. A failure which she knew would not occur. Not this time.::
"But Aragorn is not Isildur."
"I am well aware Gandalf."::She said mildly, allowing her horse to be taken upon their return to the gates of Rivendell.:: "Aragorn has steeled himself against what might happen...so much that he fears it. He must now...look past it...and I shall ask it of him."
"You may be the only one you listen to my dear."
"A flattering idea to which I do not hold. I will offer the idea...and tell him what I have before. I will endure this darkness with him..."
"A thing which Isildur did not have."
"If I were prideful, I would say that is why Aragorn shall not fail. But I am not. What I shall say is that of all the things I know...I am most certain that Aragorn will do what is needed. And it is to him hope can be placed."
::The old wizard kissed her cheek in silence..nodding as he climbed the stairs which led to her father. It was a conversation she suspected she could plot the course of like a ship upon the ocean. And one which she would do well to avoid. For her words, and her thoughts must be placed elsewhere.::