Ch. 8 So Say the Wise

Frodo's companions followed not more than a day behind him and their coming into Rivendell was met with gladness and celebration. Aila was not able to catch more than a glimpse of the Ranger and the hobbits, all three of which rushed immediately to Frodo's bedchamber, and the former disappeared somewhere within the House (she guessed to find Arwen). Glorfindel, who travelled with them at the end of their leg, was greeted immediately by several of the Elves and their conversation looked rapid and fervent. After a few exchanged sentences, Glorfindel looked like he was anxious to break the conversation, so shortly he disengaged and began to walk swiftly away.

Aila moved to intercept his path and when he saw her, though his mouth set on a hard line, his eyes shone with gladness. As he approached, he stopped short and bowed low before her, and straightening himself again said proudly with a hand to his heart, "Guren linna cened len, Sælrieth!" Though Aila did not understand exactly what he said, she heard the greeting and compliment within it. She asked if he would let her walk with him back to the House and if he would tell her the tale of his actions since their last meeting. He acceded with a slight bow of his head and began to tell her of his westward ride in search of Frodo's party. Although she knew the story, she listened attentively to his telling. After he was through, he said, "I am told that Elrond will hold a Council once the hobbit is well enough to attend."

"Yes, I imagine so," she smiled. "There is much to discuss."

Unexpectedly, Glorfindel stopped walking and turned to face her. "I am also deeply regretful that I missed your reception of Núadin. I have been informed that it was the purest of spectacles." His tone was serious and somber, but Aila had to look at his stony face until she was convinced he was not secretly laughing.

"Yes, indeed." Smiling, she turned and began walking again, and he followed. "I'm afraid that I don't remember too much of it. I was quite surprised myself."

"Surely, the sight of you with such a weapon would be fierce."

Again, Aila had to turn her face to regard his expression before she was satisfied he wasn't joking in the least. She laughed. "You are definitely mistaken, Glorfindel. I think it was instead comical, quite like an orc holding a book."

The grave look that he now gave her brought a smile to Aila's lips but the solemnity of his nature could not bring her to laugh at him. "To have such a beautiful sword, wrought for your own hand and yours alone, and to be unable to wield such a powerful weapon is troubling indeed."

She adopted his somber expression and confided cautiously, though very sarcastically, "There weren't many sword fights in the neighborhood I grew up in." He nodded sincerely.

"Your sword, I think, is spelled to protect you and it will act of its own accord in many occasions. However, I believe that you must at least know how to wield such a weapon. I would be honored to instruct your training."

Before she could gladly accept, a third voice addressed them and another Elf stepped forward to interrupt their tête-à-tête. "I fear, mellon," he said, and Aila saw that it was Legolas, "that your efforts, though valiant and indeed in the proper sense discriminating, are possibly wasted on a woman such as this. Her strength, I beg you will see, lies not in swordplay but in strength of character and Mind." He smiled at Aila and tapped his temple in a light manner, then made a slight bow to Glorfindel, the last of which seemed intentionally ironic.

"Regardless," Aila said quickly, trying to rebuff Legolas and turn her attention back to Glorfindel, "it will be important for me to learn so that I won't, at the very least, drop it on my foot and lose a few toes." Glorfindel looked horrified by such an idea and she saw Legolas' smile widen.

"Ci vain a hael, Aearvenel," and with that Legolas bowed quickly before her and excused himself from their conversation. Aila promptly turned back to Glorfindel and arranged that they should meet early in the morning the next day on the lawn so that he might show her how to carry and use her sword. He left her as well, with a final bow and a sorrowful, "Guren 'niniatha nan lû ir in ad-genithanc."

In the coming days, Frodo did recover quite well and Aila had the opportunity to see him from a distance as he toured the House with Bilbo and the other three hobbits. When Frodo was well enough to attend, Elrond held a great feast in his honor, which Aila was glad to attend and marvel at the customs and beauty of the Elves. As the eating came to a close, Aila followed the Elves and elf-friends into the great hall of fire and she listened to the hauntingly beautiful songs and the soft, velvet elven voices that enveloped her spirit and comforted her as she listened. Beside her, Duke lay sleeping happily on a plush pillow that one of the Elves had brought particularly for the Doberman. Firelight glittered against the jewels on his collar.

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, si nef aearon!

The soft hymn lulled her almost to sleep and she leaned heavily against the wall where she sat. She closed her eyes and gave in to the sweet harmonies. When she woke, several hours later, the crowd in the hall had thinned and Bilbo sat in the center of the room reciting the poem he had composed on Eärendil. And a single white amaryllis flower sat delicately in her curled fingers.

. . .

The Council of Elrond followed only a few days later. Aila, of course, had not been invited to the Council, and though she wished she could be present to hear and see all that there was to experience, she already knew the very words which were being exchanged in that grove: Gollum had escaped from Mirkwood, the forces of Mordor were pressing on Gondor, and Frodo – dear little Frodo – would take the Ring to Mount Doom.

She lounged on the lawn while the Council took place, idly playing tug-o'-war with Duke and wondering if she could listen to the Council through one of its attendants' minds. It wasn't worth the invasion, she decided, since she knew precisely what was being said and to what end. More expedient to her circumstance, she thought, was mulling over what could be the next chapter of her own story. She had no idea what to expect of her life in Rivendell once the Fellowship departed on their journey. Aila spent much idle time in this line of thought, long after Duke had laid down beside her in the grass to enjoy the sun, and she was no further in developing her expectations so she gave up entirely. Sitting up on the grass, she began to wipe stray blades of grass from her clothing when Glorfindel, who had the habit of sneaking up on her, suddenly appeared.

"You are requested to attend Lord Elrond and Mithrandir," he said as he bowed to her. He helped her stand and then he woke the dog, saying, "Tolo, Tarthalion," and Aila hurried to follow the striding Elf and trotting dog.

As she entered the room where Glorfindel led her, Elrond opened his mouth to speak but Gandalf stopped him with a restraining hand. There was a glint in the wizard's eye when he said, "We have just had a Council, Aila, Light Bearer. Do you know what passed in that meeting?"

Aila knew that he was testing her and wanted to see if her prophetic skill, which he obviously considered displayed prior to Frodo's coming, was still intact and functioning. She thought for a moment on wiping her expression blank and pretending that she hadn't the faintest idea, but deep within her she knew that Gandalf would never fall for such a lie. As such, she told both Elrond and Gandalf that she did know what had taken place and took great care to re-tell the conversations of their own Council to them in detail. Elrond, who had not witnessed her previous display, could not help but express his astonishment as she spoke.

"It is as I thought," replied Gandalf when she had finished. "Elrond and I have convened here to discuss the individuals that should join Frodo in his quest. I have asked you here to seek your counsel in this matter. Though Elrond and I are among the Wise, we are not without our insecurities and I am afraid that I desire very highly to use you as a safety measure in our decision process."

The two began to discuss at length the details of the fellowship they were forming. After hours of deliberation and argument, it was settled, as Elrond suggested, that nine should make up the company: Frodo, Sam, as were already decided, and seven others. As Elrond put it, the "Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders" of the Nazgûl. Gandalf looked at Aila, who nodded, and the two continued.

"If we mean to fill seven vacancies," said the wizard, "then three of those choices at least should be easy. We must choose from those at our disposal one of each of the Free Races: an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Man." Aila sat idly content to watch and listen as the two discussed at length and for several hours. Nothing further was decided upon in that sitting and, over the following days and weeks, Aila was called back frequently to attend them as they pondered the choices before them. Sometimes their three was supplemented with another or even two more, sometimes Glorfindel before he rode out to survey the lands surrounding Rivendell with Elladan and Elrohir, more frequently Aragorn, sometimes Glóin, and a great many others attended the small meetings. Eventually it was settled that Aragorn should continue with the Ring-Bearer, and Gimli for the Dwarves, and Legolas for the Elves. Boromir was added shortly after as a matter of convenience, since the man would be traveling in the company's direction to Gondor anyway and, as a stout and valiant Man, could offer his protection and assistance. After many more meetings, it was decided, or rather reluctantly settled upon, that Gandalf would be required to travel with the company as well. "I should be wanted elsewhere," he said in acknowledgement, "but it cannot be helped. I think I should come along." This brought the decided number of the company to seven, and the two Wise counselors were hard put to decide among the remaining two.

Aila, in interest of time, for it was quickly approaching the month of December, said quietly, "I think that your decision will be made for you in the interest of those remaining two. I think you would be hard pressed to detain the going of Frodo's younger companions." Elrond immediately denied that he could allow such a thing to pass, as to have four hobbits on such a dangerous mission, but Gandalf said simply,

"It is high time that we put greater faith and trust into the Shire-folk. Their strength is remarkable indeed."

Feeling thus satisfied that everything was decided, Aila motioned to stand and quit the room when Elrond spoke quickly to detain her. "There is another matter in which I request Gandalf's wisdom, but which I think I cannot ignore for any longer. You, Sælrieth, are meant for Lórien, where you should have already gone. As soon as the riders return with news regarding the safety of our surrounding lands and tidings of the Nine, you shall have to be sent as soon as is possible to our kinsmen there. I only hope that we have not kept you in Rivendell overlong."

She froze and then settled back into her chair. She would be going to Lórien, which was surely a good and exciting thing, but she was afraid of what Elrond and Gandalf could shortly say on the matter.

Elrond continued, "I think, though it may be best to send you with a separate Host of Elves to see you to Lórien, that it should not be wise to send two parties out into the Wilderness in such troubling times and, for all the very same reasons which we have discussed in the previous weeks regarding the small size of Frodo's company, I think it is also prudent to send as few of our people abroad as possible."

"Then she will join the Company, as they are meant for Lórien ere long as well," said Gandalf plaintively.

"No!" objected Aila, "That doesn't make sense! To add me would make the Fellowship ten, and make it too large. It is meant to be Nine, always Nine. Nine against the Nine that are evil."

"I daresay that you would not actually be a member of the Company," replied Gandalf after some time, "but it seems wise indeed to me that I should have access to your counsel, at least as far as Lórien. I should be very glad for it. And Elrond's words ring quite true – that it would be foolish to send so many abroad in such dangerous times and with such dangerous intent. There are quite as many who would wish you dead as would wish to kill Frodo and take the Ring." For some reason, this seemed to decide the topic, though Aila hotly debated it for some time. Desperate, she tried a new tactic.

"But surely it is not so important that I go to Lórien so soon. Perhaps I can stay here while the Fellowship gets, say, a good head start? And then I can travel with a small host of Elves to Lórien – entirely separate of the Nine," she added pointedly. Elrond shook his head sorrowfully.

"You should have been sent to Lórien immediately upon your arrival here. It was only my fear that stayed my hand in sending you. We here are but the Watchers of the Mirror, and your true Seat is in Lórien. It cannot be helped. Once the riders we sent out have returned, we shall send Frodo and his Company, and yourself Sælrieth, south." Unable to dissuade them, and actually inciting Gandalf to quick anger, Aila was forced to depart unhappily from their counsel and ponder her fate. What consequences would her addition to the Fellowship incur? And though both Elrond and Gandalf insisted she was not a member of the Company, but would utilize its protection, was not wholly convincing to her. Any way that she did the math, the Nine plus her equaled ten. And ten was very, very wrong.

. . .

Guren linna cened len, Sælrieth = My heart sings to see you, Light Bearer!

Mellon = friend

Ci vain a hael, Aearvenel = You are both wise and beautiful, Aearvenel (name)

Guren 'niniatha nan lû ir in ad-genithanc = My heart shall weep until it sees you again

Tolo, Tarthalion = Come, Tarthalion (name)