Chapter six: Ada to the rescue!

"When you feel

heaviness of spirit

belly tighten

deep hurt under your heart

reach out for someone"

From Dreamtime by Arapera Blank

The water bashed the unfortunate elf against jagged rocks and fallen trees. He felt his leg being crushed between two huge forces and cried out. But just then he was sucked under and his lungs became filled with water instead of air.

He tried to break to the surface, but his whole body felt numb, and the current was pulling him ever down. Precious seconds ticked past and a ringing sounds started in his ears. Celebrian! He thought, before his body finally gave in, and lost the battle for consciousness.

Celeborn and Galadriel were riding quietly with their escort of four Lothlorien guards. The rain did not bother them, though Celeborn, knowing the rivers of Lothlorien like he did, wondered if Bruinen would be as swollen as the Celebrant by now.

They would have to make camp here for another day or so if it was, more if the rain did not stop. Suddenly he found himself wishing for sunshine, though in truth he loved the feel and sound of rain better.

When the sound of roaring waters filled the elves listening ears. Celeborn turned to his wife and gave a wry smile. So he had been correct.

"It doesn't seem like we will be crossing the ford today" He said, checking his horse to a halt.

Galadriel gave a faint smile back, but she did not hide the worry in her eyes. She was very close to Celebrian, and she knew her daughter had been severely distressed for the past hour. The reason was not clear, although she felt she could give a good guess.

Perhaps she should tell Celeborn, he knew of his daughters feelings of course, but very little of recent developments. Reaching a decision, she slowed her horse, and turning round, prepared to speak.

Just then a scream reached both pairs of their ears.

"ELROND!"

As if they were one elf, the lord and lady urged there horses at all speed towards the sound. They both recognized the voice of the screamer at once. Needing no bidding the escort swiftly followed them.

Galadriel tried to reach the bearer of Vilya with her thoughts, but all she received was complete blankness. She also felt Celebrian's overwhelming panic. Neither blankness nor panic were very good emotions, and she worried that Elrond must have lost consciousness. She leaned forward, her horse still a little behind Celeborn's and the sound of the flood grew louder.

Franticly Celebrian's eyes darted from here to there, searching for any sign of her beloved. He had been pulled under in a matter of seconds, Then, Celebrian's worst fears were realized when she saw Elrond's body slammed brutally against a log-before he sank under once more. Surely he could not have survived that!

"ELROND!" She yelled again, and began to pull of her dress, cursing the ties that were fastened across the back. Four, five, six seconds and it was off, all she wore now was a simple shift. She poised for a split second at the brink. The muddy waters splashed furiously all about.

"No!" Came a sudden cry, and she looked up-seeing her father dismounting on the other side "No Celebrian, no!" Celeborn was nearly frantic. He would not lose his daughter.

Celebrian's mind had long since stopped trying to make sense of all that was happening, so she did not wonder why her father was there. In fact it was almost fitting, he had always been there when she was afraid.

"Ada!" She cried, the tears panic making paths in her mud splashed face "Ada, Elrond, he's under the water! Save him! Save him, Ada! Please!"

Celeborn's heart ached for his daughter, he highly doubted whether even Elrond, one of the best warriors in the second age, could survive the deadly onslaught of Bruinen's raging flood. Yet he had to try, he could not face Celebrian again if he did not try.

Without another moments thought Celeborn scanned the waters quickly, seeing almost instantly the red of the peredhil's cloak. Throwing off his own cloak, he took one deep breath of the air of Arda-and plunged in.

Elrond felt the weariness and pain of his body melt away. With some confusion he found himself looking down at his own body, why was he in the river? It wasn't the time of year for swimming.

However despite his confusion he felt himself being pulled further and further away.

Very soon he found himself in a dark plain. The wind was howling, and lightning flashed in the horizon. Elrond realized he was completely in the spirit world. A road lay ahead of him, it looked treacherous and difficult, but he felt an unreasonable desire to travel it.

He remembered Glorfindel talking about this road, how he had to travel it to get to the halls of Mandos.

The halls of Mandos! He must be dead then. Strangely the conclusion did not bother him, he just felt rather resigned.

He took one step, but his feet felt so heavy, and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't continue on.

Why mustn't he? He had to remember…a girl. No not a girl, a woman…

Celebrian!

He couldn't travel the road, he had to get back to Celebrian!

But his feet kept on walking towards the road, and each step was getting easier. He tried to stop, but his body would not obey his will, and as he travelled thoughts of Celebrian slipped further and further away.

His mind grew darker, and he continued on, a bent solitary figure, rapidly losing his will power. Just as he was about to enter the great gates, a huge figure stood blocking the peredhil's way.

"Halt! You cannot pass!" It said, it's great cloak billowing in the wind.

"but….but I must!" Elrond protested weakly.

"You have not made your choice. Until you make your choice, you cannot pass."

Elrond frowned. He thought he had made the choice years ago. Suddenly, all the weight of indecision fell upon him again. He pondered anew whether to be reunited with his brother, or whether to stay part of his mothers kin.

The heart of Earendil- his father - had been with mortal kind, it was only because of Elwing that he chose to become an elf. Perhaps his father's desire had been right, perhaps it would be good to leave Arda and all it's troubles. It was after all, Arda marred. For a moment, Elrond glimpsed the glorious freedom that had been gifted to all mortal kind.

"I…I…" He faltered, almost ready to desert the world that was the holder of so much grief. Then, like an illuminating shaft of light, the thought of Celebrian once more entered his brain.

Straightening, he stared up at the figure.

"I, Elrond, son of Earendil the mariner and Elwing the white, choose to be of elven kind." He said, his voice strong and sure.

"So be it" Answered the great figure.

Even as the words were spoken, a jolt of pain went through Elrond's body. He grimaced. Surely he should not be feeling any true pain in the spirit realm? Just then, another one came, much stronger than before, and he fell to the ground in agony. Everything seemed to be fading into grey mist before his eyes.

The figures voice was still speaking however "This doom of choice shall be awarded to your children after you, teach them well" It said, but the words grew fainter, as if blown away by the wind.

Elrond had little time to take in the statement, as pain ripped through him for a third time, and did not leave. His spirit had been reunited with his body.

Gradually, through a haze of pain, his eyes focused, and he saw Celebrian's fair face streaked with mud and blood. "My love!" she was whispering "My love!" He moved his hand to try and touch her face, but she grasped it with her own white ones.

Her face began to fade again as he slipped out of consciousness, but in spite his aching body, a feeling of contentment filled him.

Celebrian sat by Elrond's bedside, watching his worn face. His leg had been broken in seven places, he had mild concussion, three broken ribs, a sprained left hand, and he was generally bruised all over. But the healers did not think any of the injuries were life threatening, and for this Celebrian thanked the Valar many times. However he still had not woken, and she continually stroked his hand.

Luinloth sat beside her friend, her face streaked with tears. Elrond might have died, breaking Celebrian's heart and it was the fault of her foolish idea.

"Oh Celebrian! I am so sorry!" She whispered brokenly, glancing at the scratched, but now clean face of her friend. "It is all my fault."

"Nay, the fault is mine." Celebrian said softly, looking briefly up at her friend. "If I had not been so wilful…oh Luinloth, I told him that it would be better for me to bind myself to Glorfindel!"

Luinloth was temporarily shocked out of her guilt. "You didn't!"

"I did, then I ran."

"Oh Celebrian…."

Celebrian managed a wry smile, and then turned her attention back to Elrond. Sitting thus she spent a night and a day. Sometimes her father would join her, and sometimes Glorfindel or Erestor would come. Nothing however was spoken of why's or how's.

It was twilight of the second day when the elf lord awoke.

There, are you happy now? Everyone survives, and Elrond gets to keep his backbone. He will have need of it too, something tells me there is going to be a lot of discussion happening soon (and yes, you are right, that 'something' is my brain!).

Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews! They make me happy, and I always get inspired to write after reading them. hint hint If you are reading this, but haven't reviewed, thanks for reading! I hope you didn't find it too pathetic. (oh, and by the way, Celebrian gets to stop crying soon, won't that be nice for a change?)

And for those of you planning to review, I would love to hear what you think of the story itself, how the characters have been portrayed, dialouge, etc.

Until next time,

Mud.

P.S, Would everyone (or anyone) like to read about the matchmaking mischief Elrond's children get up to with Lindir and Luinloth? Or my version of Erestor's love story? Which one would you prefer? These are the two options for my next story I write. I will write both, it's just in what order!

Oh, and I'm going to be writing a story about the son of Eowyn and Faramir. I like mortal's better than elves, they have more faults to use! However the story is not part of this series.