Disclaimer: See Prologue. Gwen is mine.
Last one for today :)
The Light Within
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Down the Anduin
by: Sherrywine
February 16th,
Year 3019 of the Third Age
The next morning, Gwen and the others packed their belongings with heavy hearts. The period of rest they had found in the Golden Wood was hard to say goodbye to, but every person of their company could see how each day that passed created a larger burden for Frodo to bear. So, they rose with the sun and carefully made their pallets, resolved to continue their journey on this new day.
They bathed, quickly and efficiently, and Legolas braided her hair, as he had done so many times before. Gwen was grateful when the heavy curtain no longer swung freely down her back but hung in a series of confining braids.
Gwen laid the tomes she had read during her time there on the pillow, silently thanking Celeborn for his generosity. He hadn't had to be so kind to her, but he had been. She pushed the memories of the previous night to the back of her mind, deciding sometime between waking and cleaning that knowledge of the future would only cause her to get other people killed trying to avoid it, so she didn't dwell overmuch on the images she had seen in Galadriel's mirror. Except for that kiss.
It had looked – well, for lack of a better word – amazing. Her future self had seemed to enjoy it greatly, and had no qualms about it. Gwen flushed just remembering the way it looked. That's not for you, though. Shoving the memories away, Gwen packed her bag swiftly, deciding only to take the combs Dothiel had given her, her toothbrush, the tightly rolled bandages, and the tin of healing balm Lord Elrond had given her. In the rest of the space, Legolas placed an elvish way-bread he called lembas.
It would help keep them going when the rations got low.
Gwen strapped Burningstar to her back next to her quiver, which was filled with a bunch of newly fletched arrows. At her waist she wore an elvish dagger. Rumíl had been kind enough to provide them both for her that very morning, and she had kissed him on the cheek in thanks. She wasn't sure she had ever seen an elf blush before then, but he flushed scarlet as her lips touched his smooth skin. She smiled at the memory as she swung her full pack to her shoulders, huffing a bit when the weight dug the hilt of her blade into her shoulder.
She turned to Aragorn, who watched them all pack slowly with a pensive gaze. "All set?" She tried to sound cheerful, but Gwen could see he was in no mood for it. She knew he was thinking of Gandalf, and of the role of leader he would now have to fill. The hobbits were moving slowly, their reluctance to be off quite obvious. Sam, who had been so fascinated with the elves, looked particularly sad to be going. Eventually, however, the companions had no reason to linger further, and together they made their way to the boats that Lord Celeborn had secured for them.
They would be taking the swift River Anduin to the Falls of Rauros, and from there they would make their way to Mordor. It was a form of travel that worried Gwen, given that at any point, any of them could end up going for a swim. Or, in the hobbits' case, could end up drowning. The idea made her shudder.
Gwen was surprised to find many elves lining the path they walked. The stood, respectful and solemn, some throwing small flowers and sweet honeysuckle onto their path. It was shocking that they had taken the time to do such a thing. One elf child even handed her a hibiscus-like flower for her hair, which she placed in a plait by her ear. The path they walked took them along the river, and soon they could see the Lord and Lady waiting to send them on their way.
The boats they would be using sat low in the water, and seemed to her to be little more than canoes. Gwen reminded herself that elvish-made items typically were more than they appeared. The Fellowship came to a halt before the elven delegation, solemn and silent. They stood, shoulder to shoulder as the Lord and Lady looked at each of them seriously. Their gazes made Gwen uncomfortable, but she knew they meant her and the rest of her friends only the best.
To her shock, Lord Celeborn presented each of them with a cloak, saying that the garb of the Galadhrim would protect them from unfriendly eyes henceforth. The ends of the heavy cloak were clasped with a beautiful and practical leaf-shaped brooch. He spoke urgently to Aragorn a few moments while other elves loaded their belongings on boats. Silently an elf took her pack, sword, and bow from her and stowed it securely at the back of the boat she would be in.
Lady Galadriel was speaking to them all, then.
"The blessings of all go with you this day." She spoke with genuine, earnest caring. One by one, they received a gift from the Lady and climbed into a boat. Legolas received a bow of the Galadhrim, which must have been a fine gift, because he handled it reverently, testing it slightly before placing an elegant hand to his chest and bowing. He would be first in his boat. Gwen smiled when she saw he waited at the docks for Gimli.
Perhaps the most surprising happening to occur during their time in the Golden Wood was that the elf and the dwarf of their company had discovered the common ground that had always existed between them. She had heard their deep conversations one night as she fell into sleep, and the next morning, they were almost cordial to each other. It had warmed her heart then, and to see their friendship blossom under the circumstances had been a great blessing.
Gimli took a particularly long time with the lady, and eventually she cut a lock of hair from her head and wrapped it in a cloth before passing it to the dwarf, who looked up at her with stars in his eyes. Gwen thought it might be love for the stoic little warrior. She laughed lightly when he nearly fell off the dock as he moved forward, still staring at the Lady. She masked the sound behind a cough, but the Lady turned to her with a familiar twinkle in her blue eyes.
Nervously, Gwen approached the Lord and Lady, bowing low with thanks when they passed her two books. "The first of these is of my personal library." Lord Celeborn explained. "It is an elvish tome detailing battle triage practices that I thought you would find particularly fascinating." Lord Celeborn's normally serious countenance broke into a small smile as he explained, "But you will have to continue your study in our language to read it, Gwendolyn."
She clutched the books to her chest, nodding. "I do not think you will find it terribly difficult at your current level of study," he allowed, "But there may be words you do not recognize. Prince Legolas will be able to help you."
He bowed to her then, and Lady Galadriel towered over her as she showed her the second book. "This tome has yet to be filled. In its pages, you may write of your own history, so that you will not forget that which you once knew." Gwen looked up at the Lady, wordless with gratitude. The lady bent close, so that she could smell the sweet honey of her skin. The elf whispered in Gwen's ear. "Your path will be long, and trying," she said. "But you will find the peace you so crave." Gwen swallowed around the rising lump in her throat, nodding. She didn't question how the lady knew her deepest desires.
The Lady bent and kissed her brow. Courage, elen. Her voice echoed in Gwen's head. She released the smaller woman and Gwen passed the elves, smiling as she watched Legolas struggle to help Gimli into the boat they were to share.
It seemed the dwarf was not so comfortable on the water. Eventually, though, he settled at the back of their boat, and Legolas was turning to help her in. She passed her books to Gimli so that he could store them in her pack before allowing Legolas to take her hand and guide her into the boat.
It didn't rock as much as she expected, mostly due to Gimli's settling weight in the back. She was soon ensconced in the low vessel comfortably, and Legolas took the front. He handed her a paddle and took the second for himself. Together, the three of them watched as the others were given fine gifts by the Lord and Lady.
"It is a blessing to be able to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth," Gimli said huskily; his words were very sweet, but Gwen was shocked at the genuine emotion in his words. Legolas smiled back at the dwarf, as Gwen gaped at him. Where is the real Gimli?
Gone was the stout male who spoke of witches and tongue-speak, and in his place sat an admirer of elves! "What happened to her being a witch, Gimli?" Gwen teased him, and she heard the tinkling laughter of the Lady in her head. Gimli merely reddened and muttered something unintelligible.
Gwen straightened in the boat to watch Sam receive his gift of elven rope, as well as a box of soil containing a seed of the mellyrn trees growing around them. The other hobbits had received Noldorin daggers, and Sam seemed almost put out by his gift in comparison. But it seemed to her that the Lady had a method to her gift-giving, and certainly there must be a good reason for Sam's gift being what it was.
Boromir and Aragorn waited in their respective boats, and Merry and Pippin joined Boromir while Sam joined Aragorn. They waited now on only Frodo. Galadriel handed the hobbit a crystal vial filled with some bright liquid, kissed him upon the brow, and allowed him to pass into the boat with Sam and Aragorn. The Lord and Lady stood at the edge of the water, watching as the boats began their southward journey down the great river.
In this manner, they said their goodbyes to the Golden Wood.
The morning and afternoon was positively gorgeous, and they made quick time down the rapids of the river. The sun was not too bright, but it was a warm day for February. The waters were mostly calm, but at times, Gwen felt that she would go flying from the boat in the rapid water. Gimli and Legolas kept the boat steady with their greater weight. Gimli told stories of his childhood that had them both rolling with laughter, and later, while the dwarf was napping, Legolas and Gwen spoke together of small nothings in elvish for practice.
Gwen told him of her gift from Lord Celeborn, which he exclaimed was "a kingly gift indeed." Lord Celeborn was, she was told, quite stingy with his books. The day passed quickly, and many miles were eaten up as they traveled. They ate small bites of lembas bread to avoid stopping for food. Legolas expertly steered the boat to follow Aragorn and Boromir while Gwen added what power she could to give them speed.
As night fell, they still did not stop, and Gwen was fast growing exhausted. "What is he afraid of, Legolas? He makes us go as if a dog bites at our heels." Legolas glanced back at her worriedly, unable to answer. Gimli growled out a low snore, announcing to the pair that he was asleep again. "Sleep, elen," Legolas bid her. "I can manage for a few hours without you, and hopefully Aragorn will choose to stop soon."
After a few minutes more of rowing, Gwen heeded the elf's words and pulled her oar from the swiftly moving water and leaned back slightly to rest against Gimli's armored bulk. The smooth motion of the boat in the water soon had her drifting off.
In what seemed to be a few moments, the boat was coming to a stop against the bank of a small inlet, and Legolas was whispering at them both to stay where they were and sleep. Groggily she watched him tie the boat securely to a tree, only vaguely aware of Boromir and Aragorn doing the same. It seemed he didn't want to chance a camp tonight, and that they would be sleeping in the boats.
Beneath her head, Gimli's chest rose in a soft snore, and a few moments later, Legolas joined them. It took only mild encouragement for the elf to lean back against her and fall to sleep himself. Gwen fell asleep listening to the soft voices of Aragorn and Boromir discussing something seriously. Gwen awoke to small noises every few hours, and but she could never pinpoint the source of the sound. It was, as a whole, a very difficult night.
Once morning broke, they stirred from the boats long enough to stretch their legs and eat a quick breakfast before Aragorn was ushering them back into the boats. "What are you worried about, Aragorn?" Gwen confronted him soon after. She was worried, otherwise she might not have demanded an answer, and he considered her out of the corner of his eye as he untied the boat.
Sighing, he dropped the rope and faced her. "We are being followed, elen," he said at last. "There are orcs tracking us on the eastern shore. We must reach the falls as quickly as possible in order to avoid them, and even then it is not safe to cross." The others listened keenly, but there was no time to contemplate Aragorn's words, as the orcs in question appeared at the ridge on the other side of the river, forcing them to double-time it down the already treacherous rapids. Even through the beating sun, the orcs pursued them. Gwen could see them like black ants on the ridge above, and no matter how quickly they moved, the orcs stayed with them.
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