Been a few days but my schedule has picked up once more and now whenever I am writing, I'm just procrastinating. Moving forward from Imladris so I hope you are as ready for me for them to leave. As always, please review with anything you love or any confusion/concerns! Thanks for being here and happy reading:)
Adelaide felt a rough pair of hands on her arms and pull her to her feet, a gruff voice muttering under his breath.
"Aragorn?" Adelaide whispered, peering through her eyelashes in the darkness as the ranger's solemn face came into view.
"Let's get you back to your room," he murmured, placing one arm around her waist and the other under her knees and sweeping her off her feet. Adelaide felt another bout of grief wash over her and tears leaked from her eyes.
"I can't," she wobbled, "Legolas is there."
"Then to my chambers. You need rest. We will set out tomorrow night – we travel by nightfall," Aragorn said, making his way up the steps from the garden and down several winding breezeways to a small, secluded corner of the home. Aragorn pushed open the door, revealing a high ceilinged stone room, with white marble floors and two, tall, living trees on either side of the dark wooden bed. Cast about the room were several scrolls and cloaks, and different weapons of a fine and old make hung from the wall. It showed obvious signs of personal adornment, from the vase of dried flowers on the bedside table to the open trunk of traveling clothes. Adelaide felt immediately upon arrival inside that it was a wonderful place to stay.
Without hesitation Aragorn moved over and set Adelaide down on the edge of the bed.
"You can sleep in here tonight, I will find other accommodations," he said with a curt nod. There was a tension in his neck, and despite the pain in Adelaide's chest, she smiled at him.
"Thank you. You're being so kind, I do not deserve it," she said, and then she burst into a fresh wave of tears. Beside her, the mattress sank as Aragorn sat; he smelled of freshly tilled earth after rain.
"Do not weep," he commanded, brushing a coarse thumb over her cheek. "Nothing has been decided yet, and nothing will be for some time to come. You have not lost Legolas yet, and our journey begins tomorrow which will be a happy distraction."
Adelaide opened and then closed her mouth, and she saw a twinkle in Aragorn's still brown eyes. She suddenly felt very tired, and with a nod she got to her feet. She could do nothing tonight – no word to Legolas would calm him, and she would need her strength for the next night.
"Thank you, Lord Aragorn. Your compassion and kindness do you great service. I appreciate your friendship," she said with a small twitch of her lips.
To Aragorn, he felt like he was staring at a corpse. Her lips were chapped from crying, cheeks pale, and her eyes seemed to stare ahead as if they could not see anything around them. Despite the shaking in her body and the haunted look about her, she was still more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen, and he blushed at the thought, looking down. Hoping that Adelaide would think his embarrassment was only at the expense of her comment, he hastily replied.
"Thank you, I will leave you to sleep." And with a quick nod of his head he left the room and closed the door gently behind him.
When Adelaide awoke in the morning, she lay in bed for a moment with her eyes closed, listening as the birds sang in the trees outside and feeling the warmth of the morning's early rays shine upon her face. As her mind awoke, she began to recall the events from the night previous, an ache forming slowly in her chest. Legolas, nin mel… she wanted to call. How could she have not noticed his great fear at her leaving? And yet I was planning to leave, too long had I dwelt in the Woodland Realm with such darkness blooming. Guilt pooled in her stomach, and she forced herself to open her eyes, unable to bear the darkness in the morning.
Aragorn's room gleamed golden in the light, and light reflected off the swords on the wall, casting rainbows onto the walls and marble floors. The architecture of the room was different from the rest of the house, less flowing with strong edges and heavy stone and dark woods. Getting to her feet, Adelaide saw that she had slept in her dress from the previous day. A wash basin stood beside the window with a fresh bowl of water and several oils and flower petals floating at the surface.
Without a second thought Adelaide dunked her entire head under the water, running her fingers through her hair and scrubbing her scalp. The water was freezing, mostly likely from the fountain in the center of the home. With a gasp for air she resurfaced, flipping her hair above her head and shrieking as her wet hair hit her back, sending a cold stream of water across her skin. From behind her, there was a small chuckle.
Whipping around in surprise, Adelaide saw Aragorn standing just inside the door, towels in his hands and a broad smile across his face.
"I thought you would want refreshment, although I did not think you were planning to bathe in it," he said, nodding his head towards the wash bowl. Adelaide nodded her head but said nothing, shivers wracking her body.
"Here," Aragorn offered, walking forward and handing Adelaide the towel. She took it and deftly dried her hair with it, and then wrapped it around her shoulders, drying her back too.
"Thank you, you are very thoughtful," she said with a smile, wiping at a trickle that ran down her neck with a corner of the rag.
"It was nothing, you had a difficult night."
Adelaide grimaced and Aragorn frowned. Fool he wanted to say to himself, seeing the somber look upon her face.
"You will have to forgive the mess in my room. I do not often spend time here any longer now that I have once again begun living with the Dunedain, and my room lays often unused," he said, changing the subject.
"I don't mind," Adelaide laughed. "It's a nice room, different from the rest of the house."
"Lord Elrond had it designed in the style of Gondor when I came to live here as a child," Aragorn explained, glancing around the room. Silence fell between them, but it was comfortable, like a calm eddy swirling off the edge of a merry, babbling brook.
"I best be going to pack if we leave this evening. I will see you later," Adelaide said, and with a smile she swept from the room.
She walked briskly to her and Legolas's chambers, feeling the ache in her chest grow more pronounced with each step. Would he be in there? And what would she say to him if he was? But as she pushed open the door, she saw that the room was empty and she breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly she changed into traveling clothes: a par of black leather breeches and a well worn blue tunic with long sleeves and a gather around her wrists. The shirt was made of a fine elven material that was light in the heat and warm in the cold and would hold up to the wear and tear of the journey. She pulled on leather boots and strapped her sword to her hip. In her pack she rolled and stowed a cloak for evenings as well as a blanket for sleep, a knife, a bowl, and a fire starting kit, but left the rest of the pack open to carry group supplies. She stood, slinging the pack over her shoulder, as the door behind her was pushed open.
Legolas strode into the room, examining a scroll in his hands when he looked up and saw Adelaide. He froze, his blue eyes like ice as he examined her clothing and pack.
"So you intend to go," he murmured, and Adelaide detected a hint of great sadness in his voice.
"I do," Adelaide replied, her voice croaking as her throat seemed to tighten. The ache in her chest had turned into a sharp pain as she looked upon his unmoving face. How did it come to this? It felt as if their relationship was being washed down the valley upon the river, and she did not know how to mend it. Legolas nodded, and then rolling up his scroll, tucked it under his arm and turned, making to leave the room.
"Legolas," Adelaide gasped, stumbling forward and reaching out to grab his shoulder. Under her hand, she could feel his muscles stiffen. "Please, can we talk?"
He turned and her hand fell from his shoulder. Adelaide shuddered under his unfaltering gaze and pressed her hand to her stomach as if she had been burned.
"We did talk, last night as I recall." He said, his voice neutral with repressed emotion. Adelaide longed to know what he was thinking, but his face gave nothing away. "I thought I made our relationship perfectly clear."
"But…but surely you know that I love you?" Adelaide whispered, her voice quailing.
"I do not feel as if I have known you at all, Adelaide."
"Nin mel," Adelaide said, their usual endearment falling from her lips in adoration, and before her Legolas snapped.
"NO!" He roared, his voice cracking and his fists clenching at his side. "Never call me that… not until Sauron is defeated and you can prove that you do not intend to save him. Until then, that cannot be true."
He disappeared from the door frame while Adelaide stood still, her hand remained pressed to her stomach. It was not until she realized that he was not coming back that Adelaide moved, leaving the room without a backward glance.
Several hours later the company gathered at the north entrance to Imladris. Many elves had gathered to see them off, as had Bilbo, who stood beside Frodo speaking rapidly under his breath. To Adelaide, Frodo seemed forlorn, and the starlight in his eyes was dim.
Boromir was adjusting his pack so that his shield could be strapped to the back. The great warrior had taken the most extra weight upon his back, but he did not seem at all angry about the added weight. Beside him, Aragorn was surveying the path out of the valley, and beside the ranger the other three hobbits shifted their weight nervously. Adelaide spotted Sam's pony, thinking regretfully of Bayne who would wait for her in the stables of Imladris, for they would not be riding through the mountains.
A hand come to rest on Adelaide's shoulder, and looking up she saw the wizened face of Gandalf peering down at her. He neither smiled nor seemed disapproved, just stared at her for several moments before giving her shoulder a slight squeeze and moving on to greet Aragorn. Adelaide smiled at his receding back – they would need his experience on this trip.
The crowd to Adelaide's right parted slightly and the slim figure of Legolas stepped forward. He was clad in his moss green traveling clothes, and his quiver, bow, and knives were each strapped to his back. He did not cast his eyes upon Adelaide, and instead approached Boromir, clasping him on the shoulder and giving him a broad smile that made Adelaide's knees shake and the ache in her chest burn brightly for a moment.
"To all gathered here, we have assembled to see off the company," Lord Elrond began. His voice was soft, but it seemed to carry in the late evening air, rolling out across the valley. "You have each undertaken a great task, and from hence none can see where your journey will take you. I wish you great fortune, and you are in my thoughts, however far you wander."
There was quiet murmuring from the crowd, but no one in the Fellowship said anything for a moment, until Gandalf stepped forward.
"Nothing so sad and yet so exciting as a parting. Much to leave behind, and much to see ahead. I see no sense in delaying, but I am the one who knows the way, so follow me!" Gandalf called with a smile, turning away from the assembly of elves. "Farewell sweet, Imladris. Until my return."
He began to sing as Frodo, the other hobbits, and Gimli fell in step behind Gandalf. Legolas came next, followed by Boromir and finally Aragorn. Adelaide paused a moment to allow them to be a step ahead, for this was their journey and she was only accompanying them, and then began forward.
She had hardly taken one step, however, when a hand enclosed around her arm, gripping tightly. Lord Elrond stood behind her, frowning slightly.
"Normally, on journeys of great peril I tell people to take heart, and not to forget the strength that lies there, but for you I advise the opposite. Forget your heart, or perhaps, do not forget it, but instead remember that your heart's desire is not always your mind's. When they are both in line, then perhaps the heart can be followed," he warned.
"I gave my word, Lord Elrond," Adelaide reminded him, failing to keep some of the anger from leaking into her voice. First Legolas, now Elrond.
"You would do well to remember it. The truth, which I am sure you understand, is if you decide to help Sauron, no one alive could stop you. Your path is clouded from me, and I am hesitant to let you go, but nor do I forget watching you battle the Dark Lord on the fields and the fury that was in your eyes."
"I was betrayed, my heart does not forget that, even perhaps if you and Legolas and the rest of Imladris believe that I have," Adelaide said, and this time she did not attempt to hide her anger.
"You act as if you are the only one who has undergone grief," Elrond said in an uncharacteristic display of displeasure. "I too have known sadness, as has each person journeying with you. Only love can conquer hurt. Only bravery can conquer fear. They will need your bravery before this task is done, and your love too I suspect."
"I hope to serve them in any way that I can," Adelaide replied stiffly. She said nothing else to him and turned to go. Elrond let go of her arm, his face once again controlled after his short burst of anger.
"He loves you, Adelaide. He will remember it in the end, and then you will be tested," Elrond called after her, but she did not turn back and she did not answer.
She caught up with them quickly, the moon provided enough light and she could hear the gentle tramping of Gimli's boots through the bracken. They moved in a single file line without a spoken word, listening intently for the sound of pursuit, for now that they have moved out of the valley, they recalled the black riders who had chased the hobbits all the way from the Shire and the growing darkness of the world around Imladris.
Adelaide's mind mulled over Elrond's words as she placed one foot in front of the other. He will remember it in the end, and then you will be tested. Again, the image of Mairon atop the hill flashed in her mind, but it was quickly driven away with a flash of silver before her caused Adelaide to stop and crouch. Freezing, she peered into the dimly lit wood around her before realizing with a wave of embarrassment that the silver gleam before her was nothing but Legolas's hair. She got to her feet, smiling to herself and her own foolishness. If she had Legolas had been on speaking terms, he would have found her jumpy nerves a funny story.
They hiked on throughout the night, climbing until they were out of the valley and then continuing on through the wood. No one spoke or sang, and the only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of Gandalf's cloak and the steps of of Gimli and the men, for the hobbits and Legolas could walk without making a sound. They reached the edge of the wood as the sun was beginning to rise and here, Gandalf called for a stop.
"We will rest here until nightfall," he said with a smile down at the hobbits who had already fallen to the ground. "I will take the first watch, and Aragorn shall follow me at noon. I think a few more nights of travel by night and we will have cleared the first danger." His optimism sent a series of smiles throughout the gathered group. "Sleep now, we will wake you."
