Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the character, places, names, or anything associated with the works of J.R.R Tolkien or the Lord of the Rings (books or movie, whatever). My characters are Anita, Leila, and Arlandria and that is all.
Chapter 39: Abrente
The walk was long and arduous, the elven guard that encircled her keeping up a brutal pace over the landscape that was unfamiliar to their ward. If Ani had not benefitted from the strength and endurance that came naturally to her kind, she would have either died from exhaustion or tripped and fallen over one of the thousands of natural obstacles that littered the landscape. The training she had undergone as Glorfindel's student allowed her to see the hidden paths woven in the tall grasses, using fallen logs and rocks along the way to help disguise walkways. Any force that entered this land hoping to do it inhabitants harm would have been at a very serious disadvantage here.
Within a matter of a few hours, the company had passed an invisible barrier and passed into a city. At least that was the only word Anita could think of to call it…really it looked like a strange colony made of tree houses. Her dark eyes locked onto the platforms woven into the branches of the massive trees far above her head connected by a series of bridges and stairways. Small lanterns offered a soft glow with which to see by , bathing the entire world around her in an ethereal white light. If time permitted her, Anita was going to try and sketch at least a small portion of the whimsical elven city that lay hidden in the trees, since she knew words would fail her when she tried to describe Lorien to her twin. A small twinge of guilt plucked at her heart when she thought of Leila; her twin must be worried sick about her. She should have left something more to assure Lei, something to tell her where she was going and that she would do everything in her power to stay safe so she would come back to Rivendell. Although if the throbbing pain on her shoulder was any indication, safe was all a matter of perception.
The group of guards escorting her came to a halt at the bottom of a flight of stairs which wound around a large tree, disappearing into the green foliage beyond Ani's sight. Within the span of a day she had climbed a mountain, fought some orcs, and out ran a troll…now this; she was going to sleep good tonight. Assuming of course that she wasn't deemed an enemy and killed when she reached the top of the staircase. A nudge between her shoulders blades from one of the guards spurred her forward up the winding steps. By the time she reached the platform at the top, her already tired legs burned from the climb which was at least one hundred feet from the forest floor.
The platform was small, and was little more than a connecting landing between two stairwells. The second set of steps leading off the platform was a grand white staircase, ascending up to a beautiful and ornately decorated gazebo made from intertwining branches. Anita was awestruck by the sheer magnificence; the way that the buildings, the platforms, everything in this land was meshed harmoniously with nature…not superimposed the way that human settlements so often were. So fascinated was the girl with the artistry and opulence around her that she missed the command that the elven guard captain had barked at her. The feel of his bow as it cracked across the back of her knees brought her out of her reverie immediately and she feel into a kneeling position with a hiss of pain.
"I said kneel." The guard repeated, sneering down at her with a haughty look of superiority etched across his face.
"Dick." Ani muttered under her breath, glaring at his back when he turned to face the stairwell. The urge to rip his white blonde hair out and smash his face into a tree trunk was becoming overwhelming. Were it not for a calming voice from the stairs, and the oh so slight disadvantage of having her hands bound together, the dark elleth may have acted upon the violent desires in her heart.
"Orophin," a soothing masculine voice drew Anita's attention upward to the top of the steps where a regal elf stood, addressing the captain, " is that any way to treat a guest?"
"My Lord Celeborn," The guards all around her bowed in reverence to the elf as he descended towards them. Tall and blonde, he had a gentle look about him and kind eyes. "We found her trespassing on the western border."
The Lord of the Wood nodded in acknowledgement of Orophin's statement and came to stand before Anita's kneeling form, looking down at her without a bit of judgment in his eyes. When he spied the leather strip binding the girl's wrists together his brows furrowed and he turned back to his guard captain.
"Why are this child's hands bound thusly?"
"Milord, we could not determine if she was a threat."
Bemused, Celeborn turned back to Ani who continued to look on silently as the elves spoke. Leaning forward slightly he lowered his voice, "Are you planning to harm me?" Anita was so taken back by the question that she couldn't voice an answer, she just shook her head vigorously in response. "Ah there you have it, please unbind her hands." The elven lord straightened up and gestured for Orophin to do as he asked. If the guard had a problem with that decision, he certainly didn't show it as he unbuckled the lock that bound the leather so tightly. As soon as her hands were free from restraint, she spread her fingers and stretched them to their limits while rolling her wrist joints, enjoying the lack of constriction.
Celeborn offered her his hand and helped Ani to her feet, a bit of courtesy that the elleth was grateful for since her knees still stung from where the curved length of Orophin's bow had surely added more bruises. Orophin produced her dagger and knives from his pack, offering them to his lord for inspection. The regal elf shook his head and instead gestured to Anita to step forward and reclaim what was rightfully hers. She hesitated for a minute, glancing between the two elves in front of her until she finally reached forward and snatched her belongings back from the guard captain, who glared at her with an unspoken threat smoldering in his eyes.
"Thank you Orophin, you are dismissed."
"If it pleases my lord, I would stay here…in case my services are needed again." Anita could easily read the poorly hidden message written between the lines of Orophin's polite prose; I'll stay here in case she is a threat and then I can kill her. She wrinkled her nose at the elf as Celeborn nodded his head in cessation, the guard falling into a relaxed stance at the foot of the steps. The taller elf turned and silently began gracefully ascending the steps, Anita faltered a bit unsure if she was supposed to follow him. But after a glance at Orophin, who was still glaring daggers at her, there was no way the dark haired elf was going to hang around here with him. She scurried to catch up to Celeborn as he reached the top of the steps leading into the house. Waiting for them inside was a beautiful elleth that radiated authority and the demand for respect. Blue eyes pierced Anita, straight through to her soul, and the girl couldn't help but feel very much exposed under the scrutinizing gaze of the lady in front of her.
"I present Galadriel, Lady of Light and of the woodland realm of Lothlorien." Ani knew she needed to offer some formal showing of respect , but to curtsy in leggings felt silly, so instead she bowed like a man would, hoping that didn't offend anyone. Stepping forward the woman put her hand under Ani's chin and raised her up so she was no longer bowing.
"Who pray tell are you child, and how did you come to be in our lands?" Galadriel's voice was soft in opposition to her fierce gaze.
"I'm your great-granddaughter." Anita blurted out suddenly, anything intelligent or well thought out slipped her mind in one fell swoop. Celeborn and Galadriel exchanged a look, the Lady of the Wood doing little to hide the smirk that graced her fair face.
"Indeed? Never in all my years have I seen a member of Elrond's household in such a state." Glancing down at herself, it didn't take much to understand the 'state' that Galadriel was referencing. There was dust and bits of dirt peppered all over her traveling clothes from the multiple falls she had taken throughout the day, her knees taking the brunt of the damage done. There were speckles of blood from the orcs she had slain in her mad scramble for the border. Her hands were caked with blood and gravel and her chin felt raw from when the troll's well aimed aerial weapon had knocked her down. Anita didn't need a mirror to know that her hair was a mess; disheveled would have been the understatement of the year. The young elleth tried to brush some of the excess off her clothing but to no avail.
"Yeah there was a troll…" As she spoke Celeborn walked over and sat at a small table where a card game was in progress, a game that Anita's sudden and unannounced arrival surely interrupted.
"I wonder that you were sent without an escort over the mountains, at the very least you should have sent word ahead that you were coming here, our borders would have received you in a more friendly manner."
Anita opened her mouth to respond to the Lord's statement, but Galadriel beat her to it; her penetrating blue eyes finding the answer written on Ani's countenance. "I do not believe that her family knows that she is here dear husband." Celeborn raised an accusing eyebrow in the dark haired girl's direction, daring the girl to contradict his wife's statement.
Ani shifted uncomfortably under two sets of inquiring eyes . "I'm sure they can guess," She muttered.
Galadriel gave a soft chuckle as she joined her husband at the table, picking up her set of cards. "What is your name child?"
"Anita."
"Ah," The lady seemed to perk up at her response, " One of Elladan's twin daughters. Pray tell me young one, why did you flee here from your home in so secretive a manner?"
Ani knew at this point she had to choose her words conservatively; if she had learned one thing from her lessons with her grandfather it was this, that the lust for power can take over and destroy any soul, no one was immune. To let on that she knew about the One Ring or where the company was that bore it could end very badly for her, even in the midst of family—albeit distant relatives. "I seek a mixed company of nine companions that left Rivendell near a month ago. I only seek to rest here for the night before I depart to continue my search."
Galadriel narrowed her eyes slightly as her gaze became more intense, burning against the young elf as if desiring to learn the intentions of her very soul. "What business would you have with them?"
"Begging your pardon lady Galadriel, but my business with them I just that…my business."
Do not think to be coy with my child, if your business brings you to the borders of my land then it is my business as well. The voice that was not her own echoing inside Anita's head caused the girl to startle and take a step back from the pair in front of her, her brown eyes wife with disbelief. The hard stare she was receiving from the lady assured Ani that, yes, Galadriel had just somehow spoken to her inside her head. A very real sense of fear and awe crept up the girl's spine as she came to understand that there was some hidden power within the older elleth that sat in front of her. To understand, to KNOW, beyond a doubt that the thoughts in her head were no longer safe was the very real embodiment of something to be afraid of. Did she already know then, that Anita knew about the Ring and was hunting for the very company that was hoping to destroy it? If her innermost thoughts could be penetrated by this other woman, was it possible that she could see the true reason that Ani was risking life and limb to find them?
"The man I love is amongst the company, it is him that I seek out specifically." Better to be candid and honest than try to lie to someone that could force their way into her brain she reasoned. Her words must have rung true because both Celeborn and Galadriel softened at her statement, helping to ease the tension that had been growing in the small space between the two parties. Celeborn played a card against his wife before standing and coming near Ani, resting a gentle hand across her shoulder and turning to lead her to the stairs.
"We will see that a guest house is prepared for you, feel free to remain here within out lands for as long as you like Lady Anita. If you desire, we can have a rider prepared to take a letter back to Rivendell so that you may assure your father that you are here and you are safe. In the meantime….Orophin!" As soon as the name fell from his Lord's mouth the guard materialized at the top of the stairs, eager to do his master's bidding. They exchanged a few words in a dialect of Elvish that the girl didn't recognize before the guard cast her another hateful glance and gestured for her to follow him. Anita turned and bowed to thank her hosts for their kindness before scrambling after the pompous elf, who obviously couldn't have cared less if she was following behind him or not. By the time the girl caught up to him he was already descending the stairs that spiraled down the tree to the forest floor below.
Orophin never glanced back to see if she was there, he simply continued on his chosen path, leading Anita wherever it was that Celeborn had bid him to take her. Despite the guard's desperate need to complete this mission and be rid of her, Ani dared to glance around sporadically to take in the new land around her, but quickly snapping her eyes back to the path in front of her so as not to lose sight of her guide. Lorien was so different from Rivendell, in every aspect imaginable. The housing, meant to blend into the trees and foliage around them were the ideological opposite of the carved stone houses that her family lived in. While Rivendell as a city was meant to show the strength of elves through construction and art in engineering…Lorien's show of strength came from somewhere far more mysterious. While the human world would dare call this existence primitive, there was a certain sense of respect that had to be given to anyone capable of such a pure and unhindered life within nature. Within this secluded corner of reality, these Elves reigned supreme; even without the stone fortresses and protective walls. No amount of knowledge of machinery or magic would save a soul in here, of that Anita had no doubts.
"Not much of a talker are you?" She spoke more to quiet the unsettling feelings in her own heart that this forest brought about more than to actually strike up conversation with the elf. Orophin didn't dignify her statement by responding, but did allow himself the small joy of firing another look of superiority over his shoulder at her. Ani couldn't help but wonder if he could somehow smell that she was still human in some ways, her transformation into her true self not fully complete. The gifts that came naturally to her people had begun to develop over the last seven years; the improved eyesight, the exceptional hearing, greater sense of balance, more strength and more endurance… all the same, the actions of the guard in front of her hinted that he was aware of the fact that she was different.
Just as she was about to ask the older elf if someone had pissed in his cheerios that morning, a noise caught her attention like a lighthouse would a ship caught in a storm. She knew that voice. Anita could recognize that beautiful tenor tone anywhere in Middle Earth, or anywhere in a paralleled universe for that matter. Her heart skipped a beat signaling for the butterflies in her stomach to go ahead and begin their fluttering dance as well. Her head swiveled back and forth forcefully, whipping her dark hair around her head like a black halo, trying to catch a glimpse of the origin of that voice. Anticipation built up in her nerves until it thrummed like the plucked strings of a violin, causing Ani to tremble beyond what she could control.
She saw Aragorn first, tending to the low fire in the middle of the clearing, all manner of the Fellowship's possession spread about the small open space reserved for their use. The Ranger looked up and caught the girl's eye and gave a start before he leaned forward squinting his eyes in her direction. When the scruffy man was certain his eyes weren't playing any tricks on him he dropped the log he was holding into the fire, causing sparks to jump and lash out at anyone nearby. As the fire consumed its new source of sustenance, Aragorn called for his friend, shock woven into every syllable he spoke. From the far side of the clearing he emerged, tall and lithe with hidden strengths much like a willow branch, and seeing the alarmed look on his closest friend's face he straightway turned to see what the problem was.
It was like being plunged underwater when their eyes met, the overwhelming flood of emotions flowing over her and taking her under. Joy came first, welling up from the middle of her chest, sharp and startling her with its immense power. Relief came riding on the wake of joy, warm and comforting, soothing her disquieted and excited soul. A wave of accomplishment, gratitude, and lightheartedness swept in next, each individual emotion striking her in its own unique way, impressing upon her just how lucky she was to have found him. And then like a Pandora's box, one last emotion trickled its way over her skin before the floodgate could be snapped shut. An emotion so familiar it was more of an old friend, a trusted companion that had been by her side her whole life.
Anger.
Angry that he had left. Angry that she had been stupid enough to let him go. Angry that she had hurt her family, mostly her sister, to track him down. Angry that she didn't care that she had hurt her family, because she had him back again. Ani broke away from Orophin as soon as her brown eyes met Legolas' blue, drawing her in much as a moth to flame. The achy pains in her body didn't matter, the exhaustion from the day even less so. He was here, she had found him. Despite the protests, her tired body burst forward towards her goal, unaware of other people in the clearing; curious eyes watching as she raced forward, fingers searching and hands reaching for his outstretched arms….
And smacked him across the face.
Abrente- D-air
P.S Author's Note: Before anyone gets an angry mob together, yes I know that Orophin didn't speak the Common Speech Westron-but I wanted to incorporate some of Tolkiens characters that weren't in the films.