This is typical of me. In transferring this story into Fan Fiction, OF COURSE I had to forget at least one chapter. This is the journey Celebriel takes to Imladris, accompanied by Glorfindel. Please forgive my stupidity, and I hope this chapter is okay!
At last they were truly off. By sundown they would reach the borders of the Golden Woods and there they would spend the night. As they rode they passed a company of elves returning to the city, and they greeted them merrily. For a brief moment Celebriel wished that she were marching with them, but put the thought out of her mind. Instead she looked at the beauty about her, to ingrain in her mind its memory to sustain her for the time she would be away.
As they rode, Glorfindel told her of Imladris, asking her if she remembered certain things, telling her of marvels she may have forgotten, but secretly she thought to herself that it would be no comparison to the Lorien that she loved. For one, there were no mallorn trees, and she thought that a place without those would be desolate indeed. But there were many other travelers that passed in and out of Elrond's house, and for the first time she would see the peoples of other races, dwarves and men. Of those she was not yet sure what she would think, but she had decided to reserve her judgment until she encountered them.
They spent the night in the trees on Lorien's borders. The next night, Glorfindel told her, they would spend in the Dimrill Dale next to the Mirrormere which the Dwarves named Kheled-zarum. From there they would follow the Dimrill Stair and pass through the Redhorn Gate that would take them through the Hithlaegir, or the "Misty Mountains as it was called in the Common Speech.
For the first time you will have a chance to converse in the tongues of Men. You will find that the speech of the Dunedain is much like that which we speak, with a few variations. The Westron tongue is also commonly used and there are many in Imladris, which they call Rivendell, who speak it."
"Rivendell." She sounded the word out on her tongue, "Rivendell. How strange it sounds. But no less strange than the tongue of the dwarves sounds to me. I have learned these languages with never a thought of when I would actually use them, and now I am going to." But she had never foreseen the day she would actually have to leave Lorien, either, she thought to herself.
"You will have many chances to use them in Imladris," he told her, "but I hope there is no chance to use them until we get there. I am hoping that we will go unmet during our journey. There is no peril—I hope—between here and our destination's end that I know of, but we must keep careful watch none the less."
"And I may look upon Durin's Stone and see his crown in the Kheled-zarum. Fair indeed it must have been in the days before the death of Celebrimbor, when many fair folk dwelt in Eregion. But that was before my time, and now there is nothing left. She fell silent for a moment as Glorfindel looked at her. "I have heard the story many times," she explained, "about the building of Moria and the making of the Rings. I have often wanted to ride alone to Moria, and see it for myself, but I have been forbidden to ride past the fences of Lorien.
"You would be foolish indeed to ride to Moria alone, let alone to pass its gates," he said to her, "We will pass no where near its gates. There are those who fear there yet may be an evil that hides there, though of this we do not yet have proof. But the Mirrormere is fair to look upon, and I will come with you when you look on Durin's stone and upon his crown in the waters of the mere."
They came that evening to the foot of the Dimrill Stair. They chose to camp beside the road a little ways away from the lake, and out of sight of the sad ruins of stone buildings that now stood empty. "Come," Glorfindel beckoned to her, "We will look upon the Mirrormere." They went down the steep slopes and came to the spot where the tall pillar stood near the lakeshore. Though not yet so old, the runes could not be read in the twilight, so they went down to the lake to gaze upon its waters.
So dark were and deep were the waters that the last colors in the skies could not be seen. As they look they could see the light of more than the first stars that were shining in the evening sky. "We would have sacrificed much for a place like this, wouldn't we Glorfindel?" she asked. "I had heard that the dwarves thought this place as fair as Lorien is to we who dwell there. Until I saw this sight I had no idea as to shy." She stood up and looked about her. The Misty Mountains stretched far into the north, and she knew that somewhere the gates of Moria must lie.
"Fair indeed is this place to the children of Durin," Glorfindel said gravely, "And they lost much before they were finally willing to leave. Yet even we of the Elves hold too tight to things, and we have suffered much for our foolishness. But come, we will not be sad for I have promised you a merry journey. We will not mourn tonight for the sorrows of a yesterday long past." He gave her his hand and they returned to where they had made camp for the night.
At her insistence she was given a turn at watch that night. The night was clear and many stars were in the sky as she watched the moon climb to its zenith. All was quiet, and for a moment she knew the peace that was hers when she kept vigil on the fences of the Golden Wood. She looked often at the road as if she expected to see a company of dwarves coming up it on their way to the mines though she knew that Moria had been abandoned long ago and dwarves came no longer to Durin's great city.
Suddenly she thought she saw something on the road, then looked again to make sure that her eyes were not playing her false. There had been naught but silence in the still night, but now she could hear a faint melody that got stronger and stronger. Soon her sharp eyes spotted a company of nine small men who carried picks and bags slung over their shoulders. She could see nothing in the light save their silhouettes and the stars shining through their forms as they marched along, and she crept closer to the road so that she could have a better look.
She could hear the words of their song now, though she could not quite translate them as they sang. Their deep bass voices moved her, for they sang of their love for their works and the fair hall that passed all too soon from them forever. The tramping of their feet kept time to the rhythm of their song, accompanied only by the clinking of their iron mail. She kept herself hidden lest the vision—for vision it was—disappear from her sight. Part of her longed to be up there marching with them so that she, too, might see the wonders of the mines of Moria of which they sang.
Soon they were lost in the shadows of the distance, now only a memory lost in the night. "What a vision I have had," she though, "Dwarves of the Mines of Moria!" Through the rest of her watch their melody echoed in her mind, and years later in her dreams she would sometimes hear the song of the dwarves as they marched in the night to their once-fair halls under the Misty Mountains.
When she had been relieved she had thrown herself onto her bed and had fallen asleep almost immediately. She woke with the first light of the dawn and felt refreshed. The elves made a quick breakfast and were on their way again for Glorfindel was eager to have their journey over with as soon as possible so that they would arrive at Imladris before the weather became too severe.
The country was now rough and barren, but as the company grew closer to Imladris they became more cheerful. Sometimes at night Glorfindel would play upon a harp and sing; there was also much laughter and merriment. Celebriel found herself wishing that the journey might never end for she loved to ride for hours through the wild country and sleep at night under the stars.
But in spite of her wishes the journey did come at last to an end. They arrived at Imladris early one evening. They stood on the crest of the hill and look down upon the lights of Elrond Half-Elvin's great house. "Look, Celebriel," Glorfindel said, "Our journey's end at last. There before you lies the house of Elrond." They rode down the hill and crossed the bridge over the river which men called the Loudwater and the Elves named the Bruinen.
A company of riders road to meet them. One rider came forward and Celebriel could not contain her excitement when she saw whom it was.
"Celebrian, sister!" she cried and rode up to greet her. She threw herself off her horse and ran to hug her, caring not what the others thought of her lack of dignity.
"I bid you welcome my darling," said Celebrian, "I have come to meet you for I was impatient to see you. Elrond and my children await you. Welcome back to your home, Glorfindel. I see you have brought my treasure safely to me. When all of you are freshened from your journey a feast awaits you. Your rooms are prepared, and I have ordered a hot bath so that you may wash away the dirt from the road. Come with me now." She turned her mount around and they followed her to the house of Elrond.
They dismounted and grooms took their horses before the great portico. Celebriel could hear singing and laughter, and there was a group of Elves on the porch waiting to meet them, singing a song of greeting. A man stepped forward to greet them, tall and straight, his face fair and kingly. He seemed now young, now old, though no lines of age shown upon his face.
He stepped forward and took Celebriel's hand in his own. "Master Elrond," she said. She saw his look of disapproval at her mannish garments, and looking into his eyes she saw a will as powerful as her parents', and knew that there would be a struggle between, one that would not die though the years wore on. And he will just have to abide with it, she thought.
But his greeting was warm and courteous. "I bid you welcome to my house, Celebriel. We have long awaited your visit, and are glad that you have come here at last. My home shall be home to you, and may this first visit not be your last." Celebriel murmured her thanks.
Two boys and a girl close to her own age came forward at a gesture from Elrond. "Elrohir and Elladan my sons," he said, and a young women, fair of face, more beautiful than anyone save her mother to Celebriel's eyes. "Arwen, my daughter."
Arwen took her by the hands and kissed her on both cheeks, her eyes shining. "I am so glad you have come," she said, "Like a sister you will be to me."
Celebriel's heart was won. She returned Arwen's kiss. "And I to you."
"Come little sister," Celebrian came forward and took her hand, "I can see you are tired. A bath awaits you in my chambers and I have clean garments waiting for you. Suddenly fatigue seemed to wash over Celebriel and she followed her sister into the great house.
The bath, a real bath for the first time in many days, refreshed her and she felt her energy and her spirits rise. She washed the dust out of her hair and combed the tangles out of it. Then she allowed Celebrian to dress her in one of her own gowns, a soft white garment belted with a silver girdle set with white gems. Her sister's maidens would have braided her hair but for her refusal; likewise she refused to put a cap on her head. She allowed them only to tie it back with a silver ribbon and let her long locks trail down her back.
She looked at herself in the mirror, thinking her clothes would now prove more to Master Elrond's liking. "Oh well," she thought to herself, "It does not matter what he thinks of me." She debated as to whether or not she should act subdued for a while, for as long as it suited her purposes. Elrond would find that her will would not easily be thwarted.
Celebrian and her maidens left her chamber, and after she did, Celebrian pulled the ribbon from her hair and shook out her dark red tresses. She played with the ribbon, trying it this way, now that way; but no matter what she did she was not happy with the way it looked.
"Here, let me if you will," a voice said behind her and she saw Arwen's reflection in the mirror. She smiled and handed the ribbon to her. "Let me try it like this," she said and bound the ribbon around Celebriel's forehead like a filet, then surveyed her handiwork.
"How green your eyes are—like a great cat's. Mother has told me of your eyes and hair, and I have often wanted to see them for myself. And the white gown makes them more so. I think they are beautiful. Against the color of your hair and skin, your eyes seem to rival even the color of emeralds."
"Father likes to tease me. Sometimes he tells me that I am a changeling sprite that fairies slipped into my cradle." Both girls laughed at this and Celebriel realized that she liked this girl very much.
"But come," Arwen said, "Mother has sent me to tell you that we are expected now. And such a feast has been prepared, the cooks have been busy all day."
"With your help, I am now ready. Lead on, oh fair daughter of my sister." Both girls burst into peals of laughter and a fast friendship had been formed, a friendship that would last through the long ages, never to waver.