A Lonely Flower
Less than a year after Frodo had departed to the Grey Havens, Sam, Rosie, and Eleanor received a message that told them that he was on his way back. They puzzled over this extensively, for they knew that nobody was allowed to return from the Havens. Months later, Frodo arrived at Bag End, looking as young as he had when the Quest had first begun.
Sam, not wanting to bother his former master, decided not to ask Frodo how he had returned to the Shire. Instead, he and Rosie welcomed their old friend into their home. After a rest, Frodo was ready to tell them his story.
"Elrond sensed that something was wrong in Middle Earth. He knew he could trust me, so he found a way to get me back. I don't know how, because he never told me, but I do know that I am here for the rest of my life." He told them, and Sam nodded. "Elrond would not have sent me if he had not felt that Middle Earth was in grave danger, so you must realize that I think the Fellowship must take its second quest." Rosie was shocked, but Sam had had this feeling inside him that something like this would happen soon.
"We could travel to Moria, Gondor, and Mirkwood to tell Gimli, Aragorn, Merry, and Legolas. Then we could go to Rohan to get Pippin." Sam said, and Rosie tore her eyes away from Frodo.
"So you're leaving?" she asked him quietly, trembling slightly. Sam smiled at her. "I probably won't be gone that long," he told her comfortingly. Frodo nodded. "We should leave tomorrow," Frodo said, "If the Shire hears I'm back, then they'll insist upon me staying for at least a week, and that's some precious time we can't waste."
Rosie wiped her eyes swiftly. "I'll pack food for you," she said stiffly, and rose from her seat. Her footsteps faded as she walked into the kitchen. Frodo took a deep breath and looked levelly at Sam.
"There's something I didn't want to tell you in front of Rosie. When we destroyed the ring… everyone from the Fellowship was accidentally granted immortality. Your daughter… she might not be immortal, but she will live longer. The thing is… Rosie isn't immortal either." Sam stared at him as Frodo confessed what Elrond had told him. Sam merely nodded, not trusting his voice. He would tell Rosie when- if- he returned. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before, but shrugged the thought aside. There were more important things to worry about.
Sam let Frodo spend the night in the spare room. He was greatly worried about Merry and Pippin, their old friends. In the morning, Frodo and Sam awoke early. Without saying good-by to Rose and Eleanor, they picked up their bags and walked out of Bag End. Since no one else in the Shire was awake, they had to be quiet if they wanted to make it out of the Shire before dawn. They walked quickly but silently, and not a word was spoken between the two friends.
They reached a forest by early morning, and there they rested and breakfasted.
"Frodo," Sam began, speaking between bites, "Do you really know about what we're supposed to be doing?" he inquired. Frodo laughed lightly and shook his head. "I know everything you know, and one more thing. Elrond told me to look for a flower that stands alone. But that's all I know."
For quite some time, the friends traveled*, finally reaching Gondor. There Aragorn and Merry joined their party, and they traveled to Rohan. From there, the group of five traveled to Mirkwood. Gimli was visiting Legolas there. As it turns out, Legolas knew something that may assist them.
"I was told by Elrond before he departed to the Grey Havens that there was a small village- Celeloth*- along the Anduin River, not far from here. He told me to, in time of great need, travel there and seek out the flower that stands alone." Legolas told them. Aragorn questioned him further, asking him if she knew a more exact location. The journey was only about tow days' riding distance, so the Fellowship- or what remained of it- rode off to the village Celeloth.
The first time they traveled through it, not stopping to look for the flower, for Legolas had received an urgent call from Lorien, saying that the Lady had news for them all.
As they rode through the main square of the village, Legolas saw an unhealthily thin girl buying a great amount of food from one stall. Her long, dark blue skirt trailed almost down to her ankles, and her golden hair flowed down almost as far. She wore a grey short tunic with a stormy blue sleeveless shirt with a black collar over it. She looked at him as he passed on his horse, and his green eyes met hers. He could see that her cheeks were hollow and her bones showed through on her wrists and elbow, but she leaned over the counter in front of the stall, smiling so her emerald eyes lit up. Her head turned slowly as he passed, and he kept his eyes locked on her, turning his head more and more so he could see her.
Then the stall owner tapped her bony hand lightly, and she turned her head away from Legolas. Simultaneously, Aragorn asked Legolas why he was riding so slowly. He snapped his head back around and sped up, though he did not reply. How could he explain the elfin girl's delicate, frail beauty to Aragorn? This girl, this elf, had to be seen before you could understand the true beauty of her starved frame. So he said nothing and rode forward.
They arrived at Lorien, and Galadriel told them that there was a mysterious dark power growing, not far from Mordor and Gondor. Aragorn admitted that he had felt the presence growing in his mind. She also told them to return to Celeloth and ask a villager- any villager- where they could find the sorceress. This puzzled them, but they did not question the Lady's instructions. They rested there for a day, and they returned to Celeloth exactly two weeks after they'd first passed through. The girl was there again, though she looked to be even thinner- if that was possible. Once again they stared at each other, though the girl made no move to come near him.
Sam looked the most innocent or normal, so he asked the shopkeeper that had been selling the girl food where they could find her. The shopkeeper saw Legolas and laughed.
"So your elf-friend has heard of the sorceress's beauty. Ah, she's a fair sight for sore eyes, there's no doubt about that, though she's wasted away to almost a shadow" he said, and Legolas said nothing. He was silently hoping that this thin sorceress was the elf he had seen before. The description suited her.
"Where might we find her?" Sam asked, not bothering to correct the man. He shrugged. "She keeps to herself mostly. Only comes here about one every two weeks, and she doesn't eat much. Most of it she gives to the children. Ironic, isn't it? Anyways, you'll find her home at the very outskirts of the town. Just travel due west long enough and you'll reach it." He grinned a toothy grin, showing several missing teeth and even more blackened ones. "Good luck getting her to talk to you though. She hates most visitors, though something tells me that your blonde elf-friend may give you a chance." They gave no reply to the shopkeeper, and simply followed his instructions.
Traveling west, they saw the girl in front of them. Legolas said nothing to point out that this very well may be the sorceress. About halfway down the road, children leapt out of the bushes, yelling and laughing. They threw large seeds and small pebbles at the girl. Though she flinched as each object was thrown at her, she did not say a single harsh word to the children, who were laughing all the while and taunting her.
"Witchy-witch, aren't you going to cast a spell on us? Make us go away?" the chanted at her, persistently chasing her to her home as they stubbornly ignored the Fellowship behind them. After he heard their chant, Legolas's suspicion was confirmed- the girl was the sorceress. Odd, she didn't seem too powerful. If she was so cruel, so powerful, why wasn't she fighting the children?
Eventually, the children- who were all elves, they noticed- gave up their game and ran off into the woods that surrounded the path, yelling and laughing and screaming. The girl- still carrying her food with one arm- walked slowly up a narrower off-branch of the main path her head hung low. Legolas, because of his better eyesight, could see her open the gate and slide inside silently. He heard the distinct slam of a heavy wooden door as she disappeared from his sight. Dismounting, the Fellowship walked up the side-path cautiously but quickly. Slipping inside the gate as quietly as she had, they walked up the stone path to the door, the only sound being their light breaths and their footsteps.
Aragorn knocked heavily several times, slamming his fist into the heavy wooden door. "Coming!" a voice called out, heard surprisingly well through the thick wood. The door was opened quickly, and Legolas's breath caught in his throat. The girl had been beautiful from afar, but up close- she seemed perfect. Or she would have, if she hadn't been so scrawny. That hardly took away from her beauty, however. Her emerald eyes were soft and welcoming, and her smile lit up her face. On her right ring finger, a gold ring with one small black pearl set in it winked at them.
"What do you want?" she asked slowly, her eyes flicking from Frodo to Aragorn to Pippin, finally settling on Legolas. Aragorn took it upon himself to speak. "Are you the sorceress?" he asked her harshly, answering her question with another. She laughed lightly, tossing it aside, though Legolas could sense her rage at being spoken to like that. "This may take explaining," she said, her face devoid of emotion. "Come in and I'll explain it as best I can." After a brief moment's hesitation, Aragorn nodded, and he and the others walked in.
Legolas closed the door softly behind them, lingering behind the group. He had never been one for socializing, and he was reluctant to join the group, though he wanted to hear more about this sorceress. She seated herself carefully in a hard wooden chair, but the Fellowship remained standing. She took a deep breath, and began her story.
"When I was young- very young- I was given this Ring, and told to protect it with my life. I had no choice; my parents gave it to me, and told me that I must never give it away unless I entirely trust who I give it to. She also told me that it must be used for good. This Ring bestows its bearer with… magical powers. If they learn to control their powers, then they can either destroy everything we- the people of Middle-Earth- have worked to rebuild, or they could use it to save many lives."
"People don't understand exactly what this is capable of; all they know is that it can solve problems. It was rumored that it could make people fall in love if the bearer wished it, but I have never tested the theory. Shortly after I received this Ring, my parents took me from my home in Lorien. We traveled a lot. My parents are… now dead." She shrugged, a faraway look in her eyes. "I fled from all the places we had previously been, and came here. A small village with normal elves, it was just what I needed to ensure my safety." Once again she shrugged, and trailed off.
"So you stayed here?" Frodo asked her. She smiled softly again, but there was some sort of sorrow in her eyes; a bitter regret, perhaps. "Yes," she replied to the Hobbit. "Yes. But I don't talk with the villagers much. I stay out of their way and they avoid me. They think I'm cursed." She said, though she didn't seem to mind very much. "I let them think it; I like to live by myself without people bothering me. I don't think you came here to bother me, though, did you?" she asked, toying with a strand of long golden hair.
"No," Aragorn told her. "We were told of a shadow growing near Gondor in Mordor, and we were also told that the help we required could be found here. A friend of ours told us to look for a flower that stands alone, and then the Lady of Light told us to seek you out, saying you could give us the answers we required." The girl sighed, still toying absently with her hair. "What they are trying to tell you… I'm not sure, but I may be that "flower that stands alone". See, my name is Eruloth. "Eru" is the Elvish word for "he who stands alone" and "loth" means "flower". I think that if we worked together, we could defeat this force before it becomes too powerful."
Aragorn narrowed his eyes at her. "There's something you're not telling us," he said suspiciously. "Why would you randomly decide to help some people you've never met? And why are you so thin?" Eruloth tensed up at this, her eyes narrowing like Aragorn's. "It is my own business if I have no reasons to stay here." She told him coldly. "And why should I give an explanation to how I look?" she continued firmly. Legolas was amazed that someone so frail-looking who had been so passive when being attacked by elfin children could be so firm against answering a few questions.
Aragorn merely shrugged and stood up. "We have no time to waste," he said, "We leave now or without you." Eruloth sprang to her feet with ease and walked towards the door, brushing by Legolas as she did. She turned her head to look at him, but then continued on her way out the door. Outside, she hoisted herself up onto a horse that was waiting near the gate. It was white and strong, and its black eyes held the same fire that lurked in Eruloth's.
"Are you coming or not?" she asked them tartly, and the Fellowship all mounted their own horses. Eruloth waved her slender hand at Aragorn. "You know where we're going," she said to him airily. "You lead us." Aragorn said nothing, though he did lead them. Eruloth, he noticed, chose to ride at the back, as if she didn't trust them. Already he disliked this girl who avoided questions. Her frailty did not seem to be by her own choice, though; as she stretched up an arm to pluck a flower from a low hanging branch, she stopped suddenly. Legolas heard the lack of her horse's hooves on the dirt path, and stopped his own horse to look at her. She sat perfectly still on her horse, the flower tucked into her hair. "Celeaho," she said softly, her eyes filled with hatred.
A tall, dark-haired Elfin man appeared out of the forest that surrounded him. "My silver tree-flower," he said delicately, "My Celealdaloth," he said, repeating what he'd said in Elvish. She closed her eyes, and her hands gripped the reins of her horse in rage. "I'm not some trophy that belongs to you," she said coldly. "Fine," the man- Celeaho- snapped. "Kakkuier," he snarled at her. "And you know Celeaho isn't my real name," he reminded her. "You know my name's Alcrothion, and that we know you as Galenaduial." He reminded her. "But silver-tree-flower suits you more. And I suppose you think silver hate suits me more." She smiled thinly. "No," she said softly. "Because unlike silver, hatred isn't worth anything." He glared at her. Finally he noticed Legolas.
"Who is that?" he snapped at her, gesturing at Legolas. She looked at Legolas, staring fully into his face, then she turned back to Alcrothion. "He is Legolas," she said softly. "One of the Fellowship that I travel with to Gondor." Alcrothion slammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, glaring at her. "So you travel with him," he said in an outrage. He slammed his hand again into the tree-trunk, making a sizeable hole. "Why do you travel with him instead of staying here with me?" he yelled at her, the anger in his eyes directed at both Eruloth and Legolas. Legolas finally spoke. "For someone who claims to love Eruloth, you certainly have a lot of anger towards her," he said softly, and Alcrothion glared at him, but then it turned into a confident smile. "So I see our little sorceress has caught someone else's eye. Oh, well, I'll deal with this problem as I see fit. Oh, and sir Legolas, you should ask her the complete story of her past before you decide to trust her." With that, Alcrothion disappeared into the thick woods.
Eruloth- or was it Galenaduial?- shook her head at Legolas. "Now you've made him angry. He also hates you now; I'd be careful and leave this village now." With that, they kept on riding. Legolas slowed down to talk to Eruloth, though. "What he said to you- this Celeaho, this Alcrothion- I don't know if anyone else noticed, but it wasn't Elvish." He pointed out. "What was it?" he asked her. She smiled softly, her green eyes lacking an emotion. "It's a language that has ultimately been lost to Middle-Earth. He knows a little; I know a bit more than he does. The only two that spoke the full language were Mithrandir and Saruman. And I fear neither are left to teach it." She told him. "Kakkuier means accursed," she answered softly, her eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. Legolas shook his head slowly, angry at Alcrothion's rudeness. But he was even angrier at the way he treated Eruloth. Though the rest of the Fellowship had stopped, they had not said a single word to Alcrothion. Now they rode on, the Elves riding next to each other. Eruloth's silence disturbed Legolas slightly; it was as if she felt that what she wanted to say or thought was of little or no importance.
Night was slowly falling. Eruloth finally spoke, looking at Legolas. They were riding behind the rest of them, and though they were in earshot, the rest of their party would not have heard them for they were involved in their own conversations. "So," she asked him. "Why do you travel with them?" she asked him, gesturing towards those in front of them. "I traveled with them a few years ago," he replied, "We… share many memories, both sad and happy. It's hard to let go of those memories." He answered. She smiled softly, reaching out and touching Legolas's bow. "Physical reminders of a memory almost forgotten," she whispered softly. "What did you say?" he asked her, for even his ears could not hear what she had said. Her smile had disappeared from her face, so there were no traces of joy in her eyes as she replied, "Nothing," quietly.
"We camp here," Aragorn called back to them after surveying the land. "We didn't make it out of the village, but we will by tomorrow." With that said, he started to get off of his horse. "No," Eruloth said, alarmed. Aragorn stopped and looked at her. "I mean-" she stammered, then answered their questioning stares. "I can't stay here. We have to leave at night. Tonight." She said. Aragorn looked as if he wanted an explanation, and Sam frowned at her, obviously trusting her about as far as he could throw her. Which, needless to say, is a bad phrase to use because if he wanted to, Sam could probably throw her quite far.
"It might not be safe to travel at night," Aragorn pointed out, though he made no move to get off his horse. "It will be safer to leave tonight then to stay an extra day," Eruloth said firmly. Aragorn sighed and Sam looked at her scornfully. "What, are you afraid of the dark?" he asked her, his voice filled with spite. Eruloth straightened up, a hard light gleaming in her eyes. She looked levelly at the Hobbit, then spoke. "If you had lived my life, then the dark would seem inviting compared to the terrors I have witnessed. How dare you mock me before you know anything about me?" she asked him, and Sam could find no answer.
Unsurprisingly, they didn't stop. Legolas sensed that she was avoiding their questions for a reason. There seemed to be many things she had yet to tell them, and even more that she probably never would. But he dismissed those thoughts from his mind, and they rode on in silence. Nobody spoke a word, though Eruloth seemed to be singing so softly that she could barely hear herself.
If only they had noticed the pair of eyes watching them from the forest.
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A.N.: There. Take that. I finally started the fricking story. Are you happy now? And yes, it is romance. Get. Over. It. Did you know that Finch is a *very* good inspiration?
Well, now you do.
Anyways, Eruloth is mine; all recognizable ideas belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. Do not use anything without permission. I do not claim ownership over characters, most places, and most ideas in this story. No money is being made from this.
And, please review!
-Knife Thrower (I'm thinking of switching to "The Bitchiest Girl in the World" or "The Luckiest Girl in the World", the second one being sarcasm. See my author's note on Deus Ex Machina at fanfiction.net. I'm still Knife Thrower there.)