It had nearly been two weeks since Lostoriel had begun training with Glorfindel and her body was feeling fitter and stronger. Her agility with the blade and bow was returning, the twins and Fili and Kili who had joined their training sessions and were beginning to struggle to keep up with her. Though Elladan and Elrohir were still much stronger than her and had been keeping a tally of how many times they had bested her in a sparring match.
Her memory was still hazy whenever she tried to recall how she had returned. Nor could she recall the week leading up to her death or disappearance or whatever she was supposed to call it. She had decided to just leave it and wait for it to pop into her head. Smaug had continually appeared in her dreams and it was beginning to agitate her.
The Dwarves had made themselves comfortable in Imladris after a few days of vigorously complaining about being in said city. They had eventually come around after being "offered" an entire barrel of ale, wine and had had the kitchens prepare them an entire dinner of purely meat. The tranquillity and restfulness of Rivendell had sunk deep into their bones and hearts, letting them relax after months of being on the road.
Lostoriel had been avoiding them as much as she could, her sense of pride getting in the way of her telling them that she was to join them. And they in turn were still too embarrassed by Thorin's straightforwardness, he had been acting strangely since they arrived here. He was tenser and more brooding than usual according to Bofur, however Dwalin had picked up on his moods and had the Company lay off him for a while.
Fili, Kili and Ori however had begun to spend more time with her, the brother's sparring with her when the twins weren't and Ori hiding away in the library with her and Bilbo. Lostoriel was beginning to enjoy being in their company, they reminded her of her friends from home, though they were just a little less rowdy than her elven companions. She had been disheartened when Aerinniel had told her that Arwen was in Lothlorien for a time. They had been friends since before they could ride, Lostoriel had suddenly felt a gaping hole of loneliness in her stomach. Arwen was one of the few people she had missed the most.
Today the trio were racing back down the valley wall and onto the forest path leading into the city. Elladan sped up and moved in front of his brother with Lostoriel lagging behind them. He cheered in victory as he ran to the edge of the woods. His cheer turning into a horrified scream when Lostoriel jumped out of the branches of a tree and landed silently in front of him.
"Really now, you're still falling for that?" She smirked.
Taking advantage of both their surprise she bolted off into the city laughing ecstatically. She heard their footsteps quickly closing the large gap between them. The pathway led to a bridge, Lostoriel leapt onto the railing and bolted into the low branches of a willow tree. Running on its thinnest branches as if it were solid ground and then leaping across the large gap onto the next tree.
She carried on like this, hopping and swinging from branch to branch like some sort aerobic cat-elf creature, until she found herself collapsed into a heap on the wet field. She struggled to catch her breath watching a flock of geese fly overhead in the pale blue sky, their squawking carried down to her pointy ears on the ground.
The twins were still far behind her and she had no intention of letting on how exhausted she was. Their training routines were ridiculous. Lostoriel had never and told herself that she would never understand why Legolas enjoyed doing this with them whenever they were around. Lostoriel ruled it down to ellon competitiveness, rolling her eyes, her brother could bring them both down with one hand tied behind his back if he so desired. Though she wouldn't dare to tell him that.
She held her sides as her muscles pinched below her lungs. The run had thankfully been the last part of their manic regiment, it had followed after their deathly stretches and exercises that they both enjoyed far too much for her liking.
Lostoriel slowly got to her feet just as the twins burst through the treeline, looking like two scarecrows running as if the straw had been taken out of them. The pair passed her huffing and puffing heavily before unceremoniously dropping to the ground.
"Nice of you to finally join me!" She called cheerfully standing between them, "Thought I'd be waiting here for the entire morning."
Elrohir groaned turning onto his back and glared at her. "That...That was an unfair race."
Lostoriel scrunched up her nose, "Uhmm no it was not."
"Really? I recall you running off into the trees like a squirrel." Elladan pointed in her vague direction, his muscles too sore to move properly.
"And I recall you trying to kill me with that climb."
"Your form of revenge," began Elrohir sitting up and holding his arms out to her which she took and tugged him upwards. Lostoriel mock-scowled at him as he made his body go limp so she'd have to pull him up by herself.
"Come on Elrohir, don't do this." She laughed, "My arms are sore enough."
"Is entirely cruel." Ended Elladan where he still lay on the ground uncapping the waterskin and downing its contents.
"No it's not. It's entirely fair for the week of the seven hells you two have put me through." She smirked at her use of the earthen phrase.
"If I recall correctly, you and Legolas torture us like this when we come visiting too." Elrohir pushed himself up sending Lostoriel stumbling backwards with a loud yelp. Laughing he caught her in his arms, an eyebrow quirked upwards, "It was only right that we should return the favour."
She decided she liked the look on his face, but not when the half-elf set himself to tickling her at her sides just below her ribs, "Elrohir seas! Stop!" her protests were accompanied by fits of laughter. She swotted his hands away and reached out to tickle his stomach. Elladan groaned from where he sat, their laughter being a bit too loud for this early in the morning.
But he couldn't help but grin at them acting like clowns in front of Lindir who stood in front of all three of them eyes resting anywhere but upon the trio and lips pulled into a thin line. He looked rather awkward standing there, watching the Princess of the GreenWood threaten to drown his Lord's son in the river and then bury him in a secluded part of the valley.
Eventually he realised that they were never going to notice him whilst they stared into each other's eyes. Elladan coughed loudly, sounding suspiciously like the word, children. Saving the minstrel, who was more like an older brother to them, from the painful job of doing so himself. Lindir gave him a thankful nod, his lavender purple tunic shining in the morning sun.
He greeted them with the kind smile and the cheery 'good morning' that Elrohir had grown accustomed to as a child. "My Lords and Lady Lostoriel. I do not mean to disturb your morning activities," he turned to address the twins, "Lord Elrond requests your presence in his council meeting at once."
Lostoriel withheld her laugh from them, an amused smug smile upon her face. She hated meetings, they were miserable, time consuming nonsense. But they hated them more. Preferring to be anywhere else but in the presence of noble elves and their somewhat snotty attitudes. "My Lords you should be off performing your duties."
Elrohir looked at her in mock offence, "Oh wipe that smug look off your face."
"Yes, you look entirely too happy. Lindir is there no paper work we can give the Princess here to do?" asked Elladan before he yelped at the smack in the stomach from Lostoriel as they walked back towards the city.
"Please no. I'll go rock climbing with you again. But no paper work."
Lindir laughed at their antics, "Luckily you have been saved by Lord Glorfindel who in his words, 'got dragged' into the meeting too."
"Dammit!" Lostoriel swore again as she rubbed her blackened hand on her black leggings. Over the past few days whenever she reached into her pockets her fingers were met with a stick of chalk or charcoal she had stowed away years ago.
She turned out the pockets of the simple crimson tunic she wore, the crumbs and grey dust of chalk and charcoal falling onto the grass. She had been hiding away in the gardens with Bilbo, Fili and Kili for the day.
All three of them turned to look at her, eyes wide in curiosity and amusement that she would use such language.
"Oh don't look so shocked! I've heard you two use much worse language." A hint of mild annoyance in her voice as Fili and Kili shared a look and laughed at her.
"We're not laughing at your language Princess." Kili pointed vaguely in the direction of her head.
"You've got something on your uhm…" Fili gestured to the large streak of black across her nose and cheek.
She scowled, wiping it off with her sleeve, but only making the mark bigger. "Is it gone?"
"Not completely" he said over the sound of the Dwarves laughter, "Let me see if I can help."
Bilbo dropped the book he had been reading with Lostoriel, he had asked her to teach him how to speak and read in the Elvish tongue. To which she had happily obliged. Patting his pocket he searched for a handkerchief, which he of course did not have.
"So why exactly do you have such things in your pockets Lostoriel?" asked Fili smugly.
"Well," began Lostoriel whilst Bilbo used his white sleeve to wipe off the charcoal, but only made it spread across her face in a wider line. "When I was younger I could never sit still, especially in lessons or meetings and I was always drawing. On everything, much to our dear Galion's dismay. So he and my brother began to sneak pieces of chalk and charcoal into my pockets whenever they could. It-" Lostoriel abruptly ran to a halt, seeing Bilbo's mortified expression.
"Bilbo what did you do?"
Bilbo smiled sheepishly, though judging by Lostoriel's alarmed look he was sure he frowned instead. "Uhmm well... It's not as bad as it was before" he lied barely containing his laughter, "I think I made it worse."
By now the dwarf brothers had stopped sharpening their swords and were gleefully laughing. Lostoriel rolled her eyes, sighing as she resigned herself to her fate, "It's alright Bilbo."
She paused throwing whatever remained of the chalk onto Fili, "Oh will you two shut up!" the elf couldn't help but laugh with them. The four sat there under the shade of the trees with nature buzzing around them and laughter flowing out of them so loudly that they hadn't heard the approaching footsteps.
"Ah good to see you lads are still causing trouble!" Came Balin's amused voice as he stood with hands on his hips watching them delightedly, Bofur just behind him grinning as he saw Lostoriel's face.
"I hope they're not the reason you're suddenly turning grey m'lady." He said cheerfully raising his eyebrows at her face, tucking his hat under his arm.
Lostoriel gave a tired smile thinking that he looked strange without it on, she was almost tempted to ask him to put it on again. Just so he'd look proportional again she smiled back jabbing a thumb at them, "Those two are definitely the reason. How they've gotten through these past few days without me killing them has truly been a miracle."
Two mock-shocked gasps emerged from them, Kili's mouth already open for a witty retort when Balin cut him short. The elderly Dwarf fished out a thick roll of parchment from his coat pocket, Balin breathed deeply, his white beard moving with his chest.
"This," he held out the cream roll, "is for you. It's a contract laying out the terms and conditions of our Quest. We've all signed one and yours is no different to ours. I know we may have scared you off the other night, for which we are sorry, but the lads and I were hoping that you would reconsider Thorin's offer. You offer us a valuable set of skills, knowing Smaug's weaknesses and how we could possibly kill him." the old Dwarf hesitated, "Gandalf also mentioned that you are a scout and Captain in your father's army. Having you come with us will be more than helpful lass."
It took all her strength to not roll her eyes to the heavens, of course Gandalf would mention that. Lostoriel sighed inwardly, the wizard would never cease to amaze her at the things he said that he wasn't actually supposed to say. But she could not stay angry with him, if Mithrandir trusted them enough to tell them of her rank and position, she supposed she could too.
Lostoriel chewed at her lip, yes she had told herself and Glorfindel that she would help them, but signing a contract would complicate things should her father discover what she was doing. Both she and Lord Elrond hadn't known whether to tell her father or not about her "resurrection," or "re-appearance." They'd decided it might be best that she travel home and tell him herself. But going on this Quest could jeopardize all of that.
She took the parchment out of Balin's hand, eyebrow raised at how heavy it actually was. "You didn't scare me away, please don't worry about that." She lowering her voice in case there were any other Elves around, "I've decided that I will be coming along."
Balin gave her shoulder a kind squeeze, "Good lass! Take your time with reading it and," he winked at Bilbo, "Try not to faint doing so."
With that the elderly dwarf turned and left the gardens humming a merry tune as he went along, leaving Lostoriel to the mercy of Fili, Kili and Bofur's endless amount of chatter and poor Bilbo turning a bright shade of pink at the mention of his contract reading incident.
"So you fainted?" she asked the Hobbit, amusement thick in her voice as the three dwarves competed with each other to tell her the story.
Lostoriel tried to listen to what they were saying, she picked up a few phrases of "Incineration!?" and "Poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" But she couldn't fully pay attention to their story.
How she was going to explain this to Elrohir and then to his brothers was beginning to make her stomach churn and her head hurt. Lord Elrond would undeniably try to stop her, if only to keep his head attached to his body should her father find out. If he found out.
She swallowed the thick lump in her throat, as she unfurled the scroll. Valar give me strength, she sighed heavily inwardly, there is no easy way to do this is there.
It was sometime later when the moon had risen high into the night sky that Lostoriel found herself pacing across her bedroom floor. She had by now ploughed a thin line of footprints on the cold floor beside the fireplace as she rapidly slapped the contract on her. The twins had known about the Dwarves intentions to reclaim their homeland. They had said that they merely overheard a conversation in the hallways, but she knew that that was only half the truth. But Glorfindel had kept her choice firmly between them.
She unfolded the parchment, staring at the end of page where her flowing signature was under Balin and Thorin's. "Thranduiliel." She traced the dry ink with her thumb, sighing heavily as she thought of her father. He would definitely not approve, no his dislike for the Dwarves ran thick and true, but this was her decision to make. He didn't even know that she was alive yet, Lord Elrond had suggested sending her with an escort to the GreenWood should she decide not to go with the Dwarves. But she had declined his offer, she would undeniably run into him on the road to Erebor. One way or another. She tried not to think about how he would react. She decided that that was a bridge she would cross when she got to it.
She didn't know how Elrohir react. He would try to stop her she knew, he would be afraid. Should she stay then nothing prevented her from returning home as she knew she'd eventually have to. But she hated that she had to leave him again, she hated that they spent so much time apart before she left and that now she may not return. But this was something she had to do.
She walked to the door, breathing in deeply before opening it and stepping out into the stillness of the night. She couldn't keep this from him any longer, not when she had just found him again.
The she-elf briskly took off towards his bedroom down the hall and knocked at the door noticing that the firelight didn't stretch through the doorway as it usually did. He and Elladan, as she had learnt, had begun to leave their doors open, just a crack, so that Estel could find his way to their rooms if he was having a particularly bad night.
She tried the door handle, but it was locked. Elladan's was open, he would know where his brother was. She knocked on his door particularly loudly and waited patiently for him to answer. She would have to tell him too, but he could hardly ever say no to her, besides Arwen she was his other little sister who he doted on.
"Why on this good green earth are you up at this ungodly hour?" he asked groggily from the doorway. Lostoriel gave him an amused smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He noticed how she grinded her teeth, the movement making her jaw bulge to one side.
He blinked rapidly, his eyes still filled and his sleep hair sticking out in all directions in the loose pony tail it was tied in. "What's the matter?"
"Do you know where Elrohir is? I need to talk to him." she played with a bent part of the parchment. Elladan noticed how worn it was at the fold she had made on the crisp sheets. Something was bothering her.
"He's in his hiding spot as usual, he couldn't sleep. What's that?" he gestured to the parchment.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." The elleth tried to hide it behind her back, but his lightning fast reflexes were too quick for her. He snatched it from her hands, his eyebrows raising well into his forehead like Lord Elrond's did, his eyes widening in shock.
"Herein lie the terms and conditions of employment in the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. Lostoriel tell me you're joking?" horror filled his chest, he sincerely hoped that she had signed this and then changed her mind. Legolas and her father were going to kill them if they dared let her go on such a perilous journey.
"Joking about what?" they both froze as Elrohir's voice came from behind them. The smile on his lips quickly turning into a look of concern as he noticed Elladan's mortified expression as he stared at the parchment then Lostoriel's flushed face. "What's this?"
Elrohir reached for the stack of paper which slipped easily out of his brother's limp hands. His eyes scanned over the contents quickly and came away downcast when he saw her signature at the bottom.
Lostoriel played nervously with her hands, this was definitely not the way she was going to tell him.
"You're going with them?" his voice ringing off the walls, "Are you serious?"
Elladan and she shushed him at the same time, it would do them no good to argue loudly at this hour.
"Lostoriel…" he began.
"No, I know what you're going to say." She cut him off before he could try to change her mind. "I have to do this."
"No you don't." they both answered at the same time.
"Don't have to do what?" the trio jumped as Elrond appeared out of nowhere behind Lostoriel and Elrohir. Barefoot and still in his black day robes, the dark circles beneath his eyes not falling beyond Elladan or Elrohir's notice.
Huffing quietly Lostoriel took the parchment from Elrohir's hands and folded it again.
He hummed, raising an eyebrow as he stood there, with his hands behind his back, his grey eyes studying them with concern, discerning the situation immediately when he noticed the parchment in her hands.
"We have it under control, don't worry Ada." Elladan calmed his voice, not wanting to upset his already troubled father. Elrond looked at Lostoriel in understanding before plodding off back to his room, this was not his fight. Not this night. His awaited him in the morning.
He didn't want her to go with them either, but he knew it had to happen. Elrond pinched his temples as he thought of the tense, unpleasant conversation he was to have with her in the days to come. He hadn't been wrong in telling her his visions, but the twisting pain of uncertainty pulled at his chest. Elrond hoped he had been wrong in encouraging her to pursue her future. He would be sending her to her death, and to allow for the deaths of countless others should they wake the dragon and fail to kill it. Elrond shut the door behind him, hoping beyond hope that Lostoriel was not about to tell Elrohir what he thought she was.
Thranduil would undeniably have his head on a stake when he found out about his involvement in her choices. He pressed his forehead to the door, he would never be able to live with himself if she died, again. Or if he let them pass through his lands and spell out the deaths of innocent people.
Elrohir and Lostoriel marched down to the riverside where they would not be heard. The coolness of the breeze sending shivers down her uncloaked back as they picked their way across the bridges and slopes of Imladris. It was almost as cold as they daggers she threw at him with her steely eyes. The silver moonlight lit their path as the pair unconsciously walked in and out of the patches of shadow and starlight. Lostoriel's steps were nothing but a whisper in the night as she tried to calm herself down.
Neither one of them said anything, neither one of them really knew what to say if Lostoriel was being honest with herself. They had realised their feelings for each other just when their lives seemed to fall apart. He and Elladan had left Rivendell for a time to wander the plains of Middle Earth and hunt down what orc they could find after the RedHorn Pass ordeal and the darkness had begun to spread rapidly in the GreenWood. Lostoriel could not leave her home and had never known where Elrohir and her brother were for almost an entire century. They had grieved and waited, never knowing if they would've seen each other again. And now faced that same situation.
"You should not going Lostoriel!" Elrohir's voice cut through the tension of the night. His brows were drawn together in a thick line telling her all she needed to know.
Lostoriel turned to meet his gaze, looking him in the eye, not backing away as they made it to their destination, "I'm not asking your permission for this Elrohir."
"I'm not saying that you need my permission. All I'm saying is that this," he gestured to the parchment still clutched in her hand, "It's a dangerous, reckless idea."
She stepped closer in the darkness to Elrohir, taking her time to formulate her words. "A week ago your father came to me telling me that I had a choice to make. That my fate and that the fate of this company rests in my decision."
Lostoriel paused giving him time to think about what she had told him.
"This is my decision, I will help them whether you or anyone else approves or disapproves of it. Your Adar told me not to let his fears get in the way of my decision and that my purpose here wasn't over. I did not suffer for a hundred years in a foreign world for nothing."
He kicked a stone into the shallow stream, not wanting to voice the gnawing fear at the back of his mind, "What were his fears?"
"That if we should not succeed that an evil so great and malicious will grow out of the East sending everything into shadow. If the power that festers in Dol Guldur reaches Smaug in the Erebor then the East will fall and our defences will weaken. Our homes may burn to the ground and fall into darkness, along with Lothlorien and Esgaroth if we do not kill the dragon." Lostoriel stopped her pacing and came to stand next to him. "We may not have a future after that. At least not one worth living."
"And don't you dare try to tell me that I am wrong. We have fought him for centuries in our forest! You experienced it yourself! We have pushed back the darkness that has been spreading from Dol Guldur, pushing us further North! Taking hundreds of my people with it! I have thought about this for many years and I'm going."
He could not argue with what she was saying, he too knew the consequences of letting the dragon rest there any longer. He shivered at the thought of the nauseating, all consuming hatred that radiated from that forsaken fortress, he remembered the hoarse voice that had tried to enter their minds. The hundreds of spiders nests, giant bats and other red-eyed creatures that had growled and stalked them as they had hidden in the trees and bushes with Legolas and her patrol units all those years ago.
"Have you forgotten that this is the very beast who killed you a century ago?" Elrohir looked at her pleadingly, but she wasn't swayed. Her face was impassive, he knew that Lostoriel may never come back, but she also knew that she had to do this. And that she wanted to.
"No Elrohir I have not! This is something I must do for them," she pointed towards the city, "And for me. My Adar will be furious yes, but I can deal with him when I see him."
"I can I let you run back into danger after you have just come back to us? Not only are you risking your life but that of Thorin's too. A sickness lies upon that treasure. You know it as well as I do. Should he succumb to it, then your quest may have been in vain! What if he tries to kill you!? What if Smaug gets to you first?"
"I don't have the answers you want Elrohir. And I'm not asking you to let me go. " Her voice stern and unshaken. Elrohir recoiled, he hadn't heard that icy tone in her voice since Legolas and her had fought over whether she should train as a warrior many years ago. She would have her way then and so would she now. Lostoriel was the more reasonable between her and Legolas.
For a moment Elrohir had forgotten that the one he loved was the daughter of the ElvenKing who brought men to their knees in fear and had a gaze so fierce and piercing that when he had first met the ElvenKing as a child, he had wanted to run straight back into his mother's arms. He had passed down his stubbornness and temper to his daughter and it showed now as she stood there arms crossed over her chest, nostrils flaring in anger and her shoulders and chin held in determination. Daring him to argue with her.
"I've faced Smaug once before, I know where his weaknesses lie! And yes it's a real possibility of Thorin succumbing to dragon sickness, but he is stronger than that meleth-nin." Lostoriel held his hands in hers, her weary eyes hiding none of the determination and faith she had within her.
"Madness may have gripped his father and grandfather but I believe that he is not them."
"The white council meets in two days to decide the fate of this quest. It is likely that they will deny them their Quest." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Lostoriel almost laughed, "Know you nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves? Especially these ones? They will leave whether the council approves of it or not. And so will I."
"I'm not trying to undermine you, but I fear that you may not survive again. What about my fears?" The anguish Elrohir felt within him showed clearly on his face, his ears reddened.
Lostoriel's face contorted between anger and heartbreak, "I understand your fears perfectly well Elrohir." came her eerily quiet voice, "I know what it feels like to have the one you love go off in search of danger. For almost two centuries we all stood by and watched as you and Elladan recklessly hunted orcs and still do. Yes we tried to stop you, but we eventually trusted that you both knew what you were doing."
Her voice loudened as she cupped his face, all traces of anger floating away into the night, "And all that I would ask of you now is that you would trust me to know what I am doing. I cannot be kept in Imladris forever, my home and the world beckons to me."
Elrohir finally allowed himself relent, the anxiety within him lessening, but not fully leaving him. He knew it wouldn't, not until he saw her again once this was all over. "I do trust you Lostoriel. You're right. I ran from here to do what I needed to do. It wasn't the wisest of choices, but you trusted that I would come back. Both you and your brother stood by us. It is unfair on you for me to not do the same. "
The words ran from his mouth before he could stop them, his worry getting ahead of him, "But how do you know that you will be able to kill the beast? He got you the first time."
Her warm hands fell from his face letting the air bite at his cheeks, turning them rosy. Lostoriel recoiled within herself, the glittering light of the stars leaving her eyes and tears replacing them.
"Have you so little faith in me?" she asked bitterly, a humourless laugh left her lips before she looked up at him again. Her words stuck in her throat, her brain unable to articulate what to say. Lostoriel couldn't believe that he would let his fear blind him this way, she couldn't believe that he would allow the thought to slip into his mind.
The elleth smiled mirthlessly at him, ignoring the tears that had fallen on both their faces, before brushing past him and disappearing into the night. Elrohir sank onto the stone bench, his body going cold as couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in his heart that he had lost her for good this time.
Erestor and Estel found her in a secluded part of the gardens, her eyes closed and her arms crossed against her chest, soaking up the last of the sunlight. The Hobbit had come with her to the gardens but had since disappeared to his room after nodding off to sleep on the grass in the potent autumn sunlight, leaving her to her melancholy.
She had spent over an hours strategizing an escape route with Gandalf, the sheer stress of the plan and the tension within her from her fight with Elrohir had given her a pounding headache. According to Lord Elrond they were meant to leave two days after the White Council had met, but according to Gandalf they were leaving the next day just after night fall.
She not found much sleep the night before, her mind had been unwilling to believe what Elrohir had asked her, how he had asked her and what she had done to him. He had deserved it. Who was he to question her abilities against a dragon he had never lain eyes on? Who was he to tell her that he won't let her go with them? As if she were a little girl. But she understood his fear, the anxiety that he felt, never knowing when he'll see her again. Still he had no right to treat her thusly.
Lostoriel blinked back tears, she was fully aware of the wall she had built when she walked away from him. She had felt it in her soul. She loved him, she truly did, but Lostoriel knew that she needed to do. The elf scowled at the sun, her one. Should she lose him…The thought of fading and wasting away into a shadow of herself, of never loving again made her entire being ache. She tucked away those thoughts, concentrating instead on the warm heat of the sun on her toes.
"Ah!" sighed Erestor standing over her to block out the sunlight, "So this is where you've been hiding! I've been looking for you all day."
Lostoriel groaned as the cold touched her bare feet, "The sunlight." She tried to swot his leg away, which he skilfully dodged.
"Estel." He shared a knowing look with the child who was hopping from one foot to another in excitement. "Go ahead."
The small child threw himself on Lostoriel, tackling her with his small hands trying to tickle her. She shouted in fright as his full weight knocked the air out of her lungs.
"You little imp! You think you can defeat me so easily!" she laughed, rolling him over onto the grass and tickling him on his stomach. Laughing gleefully at the squeals of joy which came from him.
"No no more! I relent!" he rolled out of her grasp and sat on the grass red faced and catching his breath.
The thin-lipped councillor had something of a smile on his lips, a highly unusual look for him. Though the tips of his pink ears gave away his amusement. "Well done Estel!" he winked at the boy who grinned, proud at the praise he received.
He then crossed his arms and frowned at the Elleth laying limply on the ground, "Right then. Now that you're up there's something Estel and I would like to show you."
"Could you not leave me to soak up the last of the sun, please?" she whined, but Erestor was not easily swayed with that too innocent voice that she used. He was much too accustomed to Estel using it to get his way with him or Glorfindel. Though the old warrior usually relented to whatever the child had to say after looking at him once.
Estel bounced around them, clearly excited about whatever they wanted to show her. "Nope! No you can't! You're going to love it! Come on let's go Toriel!" Her other hand shook as he waved it about in his. The nickname he used sending a jolt of sadness into her heart, the dull look in her eyes did not pass Erestor's observation.
Lostoriel forced a grin onto her face, "Right then, if only to stop you from bouncing off the earth all together."
"I'm sure it won't stop him from doing so my dear." Came Erestor's elegant voice, his large grey and black robes flickering about him in the wind.
She allowed them both to pull her up, "How in earth did you manage to get in here?" He asked pulling several fishhook seeds off his tunic sleeve.
"The trees." Answered Lostoriel earning a small smile from the chieftain of the house
"You WoodElves and your trees." Erestor shook his head unbelievingly, "Now come along the sun will be setting soon." The slight pull of his lip let the two know he was smiling, though to any onlookers it looked more like a feral snarl.
They left the garden through the part where the least brambles were after Erestor's insistence and Estel's persistence.
Soon he led the two of them down several staircases and across bridges descending to the lower levels of the city. Estel babbled away about vastly different topics, his mind changing quick as lightning. And Erestor being silent as a mouse, looking at Estel between them with what Lostoriel could only describe as fondness and love? She wondered how this child had managed to work his way into Erestor's closed off heart so easily.
She had trouble keeping up with the pace at which the human boy spoke, it was like listening to one of those tapes from earth on fast forward. Only less squeaky and more bouncy as his head bobbed up and down as he spoke. Estel held her hand the entire way down, pointing at the different waterfalls and houses surrounding them and telling her one story or another of how he or his brother's had gotten into a significant amount of trouble from jumping off the small cliffs.
At one point when he decided to show her a beautiful birds nest in an oak tree , Erestor whispered a hasty apology about him being capable of going on for hours and that she could just ask him to stop.
Lostoriel had politely declined the offer, she was enjoying the child's company. His vibrantly and innocence was a refreshing change from the dull, serious adults she had been around. Though she was an adult herself, but she was still young in the eyes of her people.
By the time they'd reached their destination Estel had introduced her to at least ten different elves, all of whom were friends with him some way or another, four of his animal friends who resided in the elven city and had pointed out all three of his favourite waterfalls and statues. She had lost track of what he was saying after she met the little rabbit that burrowed under a rather small tree. He noticed this and caught her up on it, starting from the very first day he had met the mousy brown creature up until he had fed it earlier this morning.
She was beginning to understand why Erestor had apologised. Lostoriel winced hoping that she hadn't chatted his ear off as a child. Which, if she was being honest, she probably did.
"Here we are!" The chieftain announced proudly, pushing open a large wooden door of an exquisitely carved, mahogany wall that surrounded the area.
She stopped at the entrance, preparing herself for the blast of heat that she could feel pulsating from the other side.
"What are we doing at the forges?"
"Just come on Lostoriel! You'll see!" The child pulled her in, the heat fully hitting her.
Erestor led them towards the right of the forges, tall stumps of metal and wood surfaces dotted the area, the roaring of the fires and the deafening clinking and clanking of hammers on anvils and hissing of hot metal meeting water overrode their senses.
How Estel managed the sound was beyond her since her sensitive Elven ears rang and pained with the sharp, overload of sounds until they made it to a quieter part of the forges, tucked away in an alcove where light spilled in from open windows.
The child let go of her hand and bounded off in the direction of the light, "This way! You're going to love this!"
Lostoriel drank in her surroundings as they walked into the large space, it seemed to be a studio of some sort. Pieces of parchment hung precariously a top of each other on the walls, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Filled with all sorts of mesmerising ideas for weapons, dishes and to her surprise a belt buckle, were scribbled and drawn in different coloured ink.
Shelves along the adjacent wall were filled pieces of pottery or disregarded and proudly displayed inventions and weapons. Her eyes were fixated on an intricately carved ebony bow, gold and silver rivers of mallorn leaves and flower patterns snaked around it. She ran her fingers just above the bowstring, not quite touching it, but close enough to notice that it was two thin pieces if gold and silver rope wrapped around a single thick black string.
"That's Glorfindel's best one yet! You should see the dagger he made for Ada last year!" Piped up Estel from behind a desk littered with paper and wax crayon drawings. Obviously he spent much time here.
"This is Glorfindel's forge?" She had forgotten that he had an interest in craftsmanship.
Erestor popped his head back into the room from an adjoining door. Dusting his hands off on a stray cloth. Trying not to gag at the afterthought of what that cloth could've been used for. "Yes it is... If he's not shredding a poor training dummy down, or being an irritant he's usually in here or the library."
"You enjoy the company of this particular irritant!" the disembodied voice of Glorfindel carried through the walls before the door burst open bringing with it two sweaty elves.
Glorfindel and Elladan were both holding long rolls of blanketed weapons from what she could see from the hilts which peaked out from under the covers. He grinned at a glaring Erestor. Though the Balrog slayer paid him no head, used to his mannerisms. He motioned with his head for Elladan to lay the weapons on the main table which was surprisingly, the neatest surface in the entire room.
"Only on days that don't end with a 'y'."
Glorfindel threw a dirty cloth at the pristine elf and danced around Estel who was pushing his way to the large desk to see the finished product of Glorfindel and his brother's hard work.
Elladan coughed loudly at Erestor who was poised to throw the cloth, preventing a long and unnecessary session of bickering between the two lords. Both he and Lostoriel shrank back at the withering glare he gave them.
"Can we see them now Dan?" He begged his brother quietly, standing on his tiptoes to reach his arms.
Lostoriel tried not to look at him, tried to push her questions about Elrohir from her mind and tried to not wonder about what Elladan thought of her now. Not that she particularly cared. She was angry and hurt that his brother had no faith in her. But she had no reason to be angry with his slightly older twin.
She cleared her throat, seemingly forgotten in the flurry of movement between Erestor, Glorfindel and Elladan as they puttered about trying to clear the desk. So this is what they've been up too every evening.
"Right! Well don't just stand there gaping at us. Come here!" Erestor's stoic face cracked into a bright, rare smile.
"What's going on?" She eyed the weapons almost hoping they were for her and judging by the excited looks she was getting she knew she was right.
"It occurred to us, "started Glorfindel, gesturing to the three on either side of him, "that you have been practicing with the basic weapons. But your skill is far too superior for such things, so we made you your own."
She stood there, her mouth opened and closed several times. Lostoriel knew she probably looked like a fish out of water, but she didn't have the right words to express herself. That was high praise from the most skilled and revered warrior this side of the sea. But even higher praise from the elf who had become something like family to her.
They gestured for her to unfold the pale, green cloth. Which she tentatively did, still rather oblivious to what was happening.
Lostoriel's words escaped her when the gleaming silver steel of the sword sheath and dagger caught her eye. The elleth simply stood there, not daring to breathe in the expectant silence.
"These are for me?"
"No they are for me." Came Erestor's dry reply, "Of course they are for you child."
Making sure Estel was planted firmly on the other side of the desk she unsheathed the sword. The rasping of metal against metal echoed around the chamber.
Lostoriel gasped quietly. The curved blade caught the firelight of the forges. It was light in her hand as she brought it down to her side whilst Glorfindel and Elladan pushed the table out the way.
"Go on then, give it a go!" the blonde elf settled himself on the table, Estel squeezed between his and Elladan's shoulders for his own protection. The child had a knack for getting himself in trouble.
Lostoriel gave it a few test swings, easily swinging it in circular motions with her wrist. She admired the way it swung so fluidly with her body. The leather on the hilt was soft and fitted perfectly into her small palm.
Her words failed her. Wild, excited eyes met the Balrog slayer's calm. She studied the blade carefully examining both sides, running her fingers along the trailing silver vines of leaves of the greenwood that snaked from the leather hilt to the bottom of the blade. The tiniest of flowers were carved into the pattern, beginning with one in particular that looked suspiciously like the insignia Glorfindel bore upon his breastplate that he wore to battle.
"The dagger next!" Shrieked Estel.
Lostoriel laughed at his enthusiasm, "Are you not a little too young to be so excited about weapons?"
The child shook his head frowning at the offensive, in his books, question. "Of course not."
She re-sheathed the blade just in case he decided to put his pudgy fingers in danger.
"You are all incredibly sneaky Elves…" her voice trailing off as she un-sheathed the dagger from its leather sheath.
The dagger was about the size of a short sword, curving gently like a sabre tooth, its hilt covered in black leather with the same forest pattern ran down the blue silver blade. She thumbed the dainty silver leaf carved into the square hilt with two vines twisting around it.
Lostoriel nearly dropped the blade as she recognised it. "I have not seen this insignia in many years..." she whispered.
She sheathed the blade, turning to the three elves and human who started at her intently. "You didn't have to do this...But thank you... They're magnificent."
"Don't thank us just yet. You're forgetting something." Erestor nodded to the roll laying untouched. "I suggest you open it quickly or Estel may explode in his impatience."
Lostoriel unwrapped the blanket and stared at its contents in awe, her mouth slightly ajar.
"We are no MirkWood bowyers and arrow smiths, but Idron," he referred to one of the main blacksmith of the Valley, "is the best in Imladris. He and I had begun to make this bow months ago, but thought that you would be better suited to use wield it." Glorfindel stated proudly, his and the twin's craftsmanship and endless hours of work alongside the weapons master of Imladris paying off.
The three elves shared proud smiles as they watched her admire the craftsmanship, looking like a child with a new toy. The two older elves missing the disheartened look that came upon Elladan's face shortly after that. His brother should've been here for this.
"The recurve bow is more suited for the forest regions, but this longbow design is small enough that it'll serve you well in any terrain. It's the only one in Middle Earth." Proudly stated Elladan, shaking off his thoughts. Whilst he spoke Lostoriel tested the bow slowly pulling the string back to gauge its weight.
Lostoriel carefully lowered the bowstring into place, having painfully learnt her lesson about the power of bowstrings long ago as a training warrior.
"Can we see you shoot it? Please Glorfindel, can Lostoriel shoot here? Please?" The child pleaded with the first commanding officer of his Ada's army. His wide, shining hazel eyes tore Glorfindel's protests apart before they had a chance to reach his mouth. Lostoriel looked rather lost, her unsure gaze moving between him and the child. Erestor thankfully saved him, but the task was no less easy for him.
"Not in here Estel, perhaps tomorrow. Nightfall is almost upon us and we must get you into bed early tonight." His voice was soft, but firm so that the child got the message before all four of them let him have his way.
Lostoriel tried to tell herself that she was not a terrible person for leaving tomorrow without telling the innocent child.
Glorfindel nodded in thanks, an unspoken message passing between the three of them before Elladan led the way out of the forges with a deflated Estel dragging his feet behind Erestor.
"I cannot thank you enough Glorfindel!" she threw her arms around the old elf who gasped on impact, but none the less embraced her with a ringing laugh. "You and the twins did not need to do this! They're wonderful!"
"I couldn't exactly let you go after a fire breathing dragon with old, dented weapons now could I?" he held her at arm's length, noticing the dullness of her eyes and her fading smile. Elrohir had had the exact same look in his at breakfast, Glorfindel strongly suspected that he knew what had happened. Now his suspicions were confirmed, but he wouldn't involve himself, firmly believing that they were old enough to resolve whatever this was on their own. But he couldn't help but worry, having no elflings of his own, the children the Elrond and even Thranduil had become like several exhausting and overly active sons and daughters to him.
"Why did you carve the Golden Flower onto the blades? I had thought that symbol was for you only?" she inquired in such a way to not offend him.
He merely gazed at her, the wisdom of all his years filling his eyes. He lightly hopped off the table and stood before her. Raising himself to his full height, looking every bit as noble as he was whilst he clasped her forearm with one hand.
"So that they may serve you well Daughter of the Wood, you will see in time." Came his cryptic answer, "May you protect the lives of many. Those Dwarves are about to have the presence of Middle Earth's finest." He lightly touched her cheek, "And by the Valar please try not to die this time around."
The pair laughed merrily, with Lostoriel trying to blink back the tears that came with Glorfindel's high praise
"Thank you Glorfindel." Lostoriel's expression grew serious, "I'll try not to."
He embraced the young elf one last time before handing her the quiver of two dozen arrows, "Your father will skin me alive if you do. I have an inclination that he may come storming into Imladris crying war if you do." The ancient, ex-Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, descendant of Princes and Balrog slayer reincarnated shuddered at the thought of the very embodiment of anger that was Thranduil coming to decapitate him. Lostoriel seemed to read his thoughts as she broke out into a fit of laughter.
"Right then off with you! I do believe Estel is waiting to bombard you with more requests to shoot."
"You ponder upon much Daughter of the Wood." A quiet whisper of a women overwhelmed her thoughts. Lostoriel's sword halted in mid-swing, she spun it in her hand as she turned to find the source of the voice.
She looked around the training and seeing that it was empty she continued to experimentally swing the blade. Lostoriel realised with shock that the moon was now at its zenith in the night sky, she had been out here for hours practicing with her new bow and blades. The elleth dismissed the voice as a figment of her imagination.
"You can no longer run from your destiny. You have chosen your path." the voice seemed to resonate deep within her this time. She could not sway it out of her mind like she did with the trees. This time she froze on the spot. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she caught a flash of pure white between the trees on the top of the bank. Lostoriel was never one to believe in the supernatural, but now alone in the dead of night she was ready to kill whatever unnatural thing came at her.
She tried to concentrate on the feeling of the quiver on her back again and the sword and dagger in her hand when the image of that horrid clown from those earth horror films popped into her head.
You really shouldn't have watched them. Shaking off the thought she carried on stabbing at her imaginary opponent.
"Out of the darkness she walks, nameless under the stars."
"Unto danger nigh, over the mountains and down below. The Daughter of the Wood walks alone."
This time she swung her sword in the direction of the voice, which was so eerily near to her that she nearly screamed when she saw the light moving towards her.
Lostoriel lowered her weapons when the blinding light began to fade and the fairest, most radiant Elf-women she had ever seen stood before her. She stood limply gaping at the Lady of Lorien. Her golden tresses cascaded down her back like waterfalls, the very stars seemed to shine upon her brow which was adorned with a silver circlet. And her pure white dress and coat that seemed to shimmer with moonlight pooled around her feet.
"But she is not alone." The elf-women spread her arms open, her presence seeming to warm the frigid night air around them.
"Lady Galadriel!" she greeted breathlessly sheathing her weapon and immediately bowing lowly, her right arm resting over her heart.
"Rise child." Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien gave her a deep nod before pulling her up gently by the elbow. "You need not bow Princess of GreenWood the Great."
Her smile was as radiant as the very sunlight, but her eyes… Her piercing sky blue eyes that seemed to reach into Lostoriel's soul softened as the Lady of the Lorien studied her.
Taking in the crimson tunic that made Lostoriel look shorter than she was and black tights, her hair that was pulled back tightly in a single braid that fell to her hips and the weaponry that was strapped to her back and sides.
The elfling stood patiently waiting for Lady Galadriel to start speaking, remembering the lessons in formal protocol she vaguely recalled Galion drilling into her. She had met Lady Galadriel several times, but now more than ever was completely nervous standing in the presence of Elrohir's grandmother, let alone probably the most powerful elf in middle earth.
"You need not be afraid of me. I do not bite." the elleth laughed, to Lostoriel it sounded like the ringing of wedding bells and bird song. "Walk with me."
She held out a pale arm for Lostoriel to take, which she did somewhat apprehensively remembering to try to keep her thoughts clear of anything that a noble-women would not approve of. Lostoriel tried not to shudder at the thought of Lady Galadriel reading her mind.
Galadriel smiled to herself whilst Lostoriel's thoughts rang in her head. She steered them down towards the river below, the chilly wind not bothering her.
"You cannot turn back now, no matter how much your heart desires to remain here."
"I know my Lady." Came Lostoriel's sombre reply as they descended a staircase, under which a small waterfall ran leading to the lower levels of Imladris.
They fell into a comfortable silence, well comfortable for Lady Galadriel. Lostoriel felt the want to run and hide away from what she knew was coming.
"You don't need to speak to me so formally princess." A warm smile graced her lips, "speak to me this night as Galadriel only and I speak to you as Lostoriel."
The elfling huffed a laugh, relaxing her tense shoulders. "Alright..." she was still reluctant to call her by her name. It felt wrong, she could hear her father's voice scolding her for forgetting her manners.
Galadriel elegantly seated herself on the low bench on the river bank, "It's no coincidence that you return now. You should not ponder on that which has passed Lostoriel, he will come around eventually." She gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Lostoriel's ear.
Lostoriel should've seen the quick change in subject coming, the Elven Lady was never one to beat around the bush. Still it felt downright weird to be speaking about Elrohir with his grandmother.
"He has no faith in me." The young elf willed her tears not to fall, but to no avail. "I have ruined the one good thing I…This love… it is…" Galadriel was quick to pull her into her arms, Lostoriel was quick to lay her weary head on her fair shoulders, feeling sloppy for sobbing on Lady Galadriel's clothes. But Galadriel didn't mind, she had felt her heartache since she took her arm. She stroked her hair as quiet sobs escaped the elfling beside her, her grandson was definitely going to get a firm word from her later.
"Since when have you needed anyone else to believe in you except yourself? When has others opinions ever swayed your own?" at that moment she sounded like her mother, "You have ruined nothing, this will be mended in time. All is not lost." Lostoriel sank further into her arms, soaking up the safe comfort of being in an older elleth's arms after almost an entire millennia of not knowing that warmth.
The moment was lost when she doubled over gasping as blinding pain filled her head.
She saw herself strolling through a forest. Her black hiking boots glistened with the morning dew. Her ears filling with the melody that had woken her up that morning. It was haunting, in a language she hadn't heard any but herself speak in years. And it called out to her to follow.
She looked down seeing the sharp, high drop in front of her she tried to back away but found that she couldn't. The roaring of the gushing waterfall next to her drowning out her thoughts. Her toes hung in the air, her heels seemingly glued to the wet grass. Then a flash of white and she knew no more.
Spots and stars floated in front of her, but not those from her eyes. These were constellations rushing overhead, billions and trillions of winking stars. A bright sparkling kaleidoscope of purples, blues, pinks and gold in the darkness mingling with the soft voice that called out to her. She knew that voice, her entire body froze as she listened to it sing that song from her childhood whilst the damp rain falling around her.
Lostoriel retched for breath. The heavy darkness of the night pulling her downward, Galadriel caught her just in time, before she fell off the bench. Gently easing her back she spoke to her in soft soothing words. Galadriel wiped away the tears that had fallen down her face. The haziness of her mind disappeared as Galadriel sang the same ancient Quenain verse that she had heard in her memory. Once she had calmed down Lady Galadriel spoke again.
"You have heard her, she calls for you to follow what is in here." The older elleth held a hand over her chest, gazing firmly, but not unkindly at Lostoriel. "It is time you follow and that you take this."
She reached into a hidden pocket in her robes and pulled out the leaf pendant that Radagast had tried to give her. Lostoriel gasped at the sight of it, she had been so ready to deny it before, but now. Now she felt the pull of home emanating from it, the sight of adventure and the unknown calling out her name.
"Do not be afraid of that which is meant for you."
Lostoriel lowered her head for Lady Galadriel to place over it, she was speechless when the cold chain rested on her chest and a warmth so great and so familiar swelled within her.
The pitcher of wine slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground, shattering into shards and pools of deep red wine. The lone elf gasped as his breath was knocked from his chest, he stumbled forward hands reaching out for the table in front of him. The warmness emanating from his chest should have comforted him, it should have brought him peace.
Instead it brought every wave of emotion he had tried to supress for so long, he felt everything so strongly at once that it crippled his knees and had his chest seeming to pull at itself.
The mighty ElvenKing leant heavily upon the table, silver tears running down his fair face. He bit back a sob that threatened to escape, falling into a heap on the ground when it shook his body.
Outside the vast, dark forest shuddered, the woodland creatures freezing in place when a mighty wind bent the trees as the unchecked anguish and sorrow of her king radiated from the mountain fortress.
"But it cannot be…"
Hello there those of you who made it to the end of this waay too long chapter! I'm sorry that this was so long, I got carried away with it, but i'm quite happy with how it turned out.
Especially the bit with Galadriel, I wanted her to be a bit less ethereal and more "human" or person like...
Lancelot! More Glorfindel content for you and grumpy old Erestor too and little Estel! Because he is precious! one can never get too much of them! Thank you so very much for beta reading this like three times! I owe you one!
ro781727: Yeah, I do feel sorry for Thorin, but it remains to be seen if he has or doesn't have a chance with her... ( evil laugh) I don't think Thranduil would so readily imprison her, but I'm not giving away any spoliers. Thanks for the tips though, I'll keep them in mind.
Anywaay, thank you to everyone who is reading this story! You're all awesome
Until next time, farewell...stay safe!