Welcome back to the story! I won't write a long author's note, so all I will say is this. Thank you for continuing and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Two
It took them many days and nights to sail along Anduin. A few among the people had grown wary of their journey, long before it had truly begun. Some choosing to hold onto their hope as they carried on through the lengthening days, staring off into the distance as their boat continued its path. But it was slowly weighing on them, and it didn't help when the air along the water grew colder; some having caught colds from the chill and growing sicker without the aid of herbs to fight it off. Already a few within their scrambled group of survivors had passed. It had left the people saddened and worried if they too would diminish under the sickness that swept along the two boats. The mass of forty they'd taken with them during the escape of the burning city had dropped to thirty-six - the youth having to wrap their elders and lay them into the river below.
"Princess…"
It belonged to one of knights of her father's kings-guard, Belecthor.
"Some of the people are becoming weary," he said lowly as he came to sit beside her at the head of their boat. "Something must be done…"
Elestirnë met his heavy stare with her own, feeling her throat catch with a sudden raspy cough. It was muffled by her hand before she even spoke. "I do know this, my friend. But we must retain hope… Arvegil will not lead us astray."
His response was drowned out by a cry that ripped through the night sky.
"Princess!!" The shouting of her name had her instantly jerking upwards onto her knees with her hand falling to grip the handle of her sword, heart racing. "We've reached it!"
The crowd of hunching people were nearly bowled over by a stunned Arvegil as he hurriedly scuttled towards her and Belecthor with his hands shaking, causing the map he held to tremble violently in his grasp. His mouth was gaping in shock – the expression soon starting to appear on the faces of others as they all processed his words with various reactions. But it didn't stop his hurried run until he was nearly crashing down atop her, knocking his knees into her very own. He gasped for breath for a moment as he tried to collect himself before speaking.
"Arvegil? Arvegil, what madness has possessed you all the sudden?" She questioned the thinner man with her brows furrowing in equal parts concern and frustration at his rash yelling.
"Princess, we've reached the Gladden River on the map." The scattered brained scholar said in one breath as he stared up at her with wide mud-colored eyes. His hands reached out and offered her the aged map with a gentleness that was unlike him. "Look at the map, you'll notice the markings meet up with the landscape around us. It depicts the short river of the Vales of the Anduin, along the marshes of Gladden where the heir of Elendil was assailed by orcs in the Third Age."
He then grabbed ahold of her right hand and pointed it to the front of the boat. The action was met with confusion at first, but soon she could see something begin to form in the darkness, underneath the moon's pale beams. And there, sprawling before them laid a curving river. The position it was in separated it from the continued flowing of the Anduin. And it was all the proof that they were, in fact, following the correct route to the Last Homely House of lore.
A wave of relief and hope swam through her at the mere sight of the river. "By the One, we've found it."
With a shaky inhale and exhale, she turned to the two men beside her.
"Belecthor, go alert the others behind ours. Let them know we're to follow the Gladden River by foot." She told the broader man with a tremble in her tone, body seeming to quake from the shock.
The man stood and left.
Turning to the scholar before her, she grabbed at his hands with her own. She stared deep into his dark eyes and gave him a proud smile. "My friend, my brilliant friend. I knew you weren't going to lead us off the path. You have saved our people from a much darker fate, and I am forever grateful for you deeds, Arvegil."
Arvegil her helped her stand. "If there was anything our people needed. I'd see to it that they'd have it."
She pressed a hard kiss to his hands. "My thanks, dear friend."
With that she pulled back and guided him along with her to the front of their boat, towards the prow. It was a fast walk, seeing as many parted like the sea when they slipped past them. Both having tears of joy and relief stain their faces while they gazed happily at the surrounding rushes, wildflowers, and the following river before them in the darkness. The sight had brought great comfort to the exhausted and weary Elestirnë, as well as the older scholar beside her. It showed the two that they were right in their beliefs to follow the map. That her father had somehow remained ever so watchful over her, like she'd prayed he would. And it was a reassurance to those that traveled with her that their Princess was seeing them to the safety she'd promised.
"We'll leave the boat along the banks." She told him with her fingers mapping out where she wanted the boats to be left. "And if the way to Imladris is as depicted, then we should be trekking on foot from here on. The course we take on land will take us through the Misty Mountains and into the lone-lands."
A sudden call of her name had her looking for the voice, which belonged to Eldacar.
His expression was one of elation, replacing the frown he'd carried. He slipped through the crowding people and towards her with his arms open as they latched onto her biceps. His features alit with a mixture of hope and confusion.
"Sister." He says with a tone of relieved hope singing through his voice. "Is it true of what Belecthor speaks of? Is it true?"
She laughed and nods. "Aye, it is true."
He flung himself into her arms with a shaky gasp. "You were right!"
She chuckled and swept her arms around his frame to pull him into a hug; hands circling around him protectively. Her eyes rose to meet the Arvegil's, nodding for him to give her a moment with the boy. And it was accepted with ease, Arvegil slipping past her with his hand coming to brush her shoulder as he left them.
"We're getting closer," he said as he gazed up at her. "As the map has said we would."
"Aye, but we're no longer taking the boats to reach Imladris." She told him with a serious tone smoothing over the warmth it held. It was meant to capture his attention. "The paths ahead will be far more dangerous than by water. We've yet to pass through the Misty Mountains."
"The same one father said Thorin, and Company had taken in the Third Age?" He now gapped up at her with wide eyes, body shifting with near excitement. "That is where we're to travel?"
"It is, but do not forget that we lead a large company ourselves, more than the dwarven one." A hard look came over her face. "Men, women, young, and old. Those sick with the chill and who're wounded in the flight from Gondor. And with how the fresh warm breeze has given way to crisp winds. I'm afraid we're facing the cold seasons, risking death for the sick and old."
A sorrowful expression soon replaced his face.
"I say this to not bring you despair, little brother. But to only warn you of what we should expect along this journey." She told him with a pained look in her eyes. "Listen to me now, we can succeed, Eldacar. With the strength that we people of Gondor hold, I am sure of this."
"You speak like father," he said, looking at her with tears in his eyes. His voice was low and husky with emotion. "How he could encourage and yet speak the truth, no matter how harsh he sounded."
She chuckled roughly, biting back the sob that coated her throat.
"Aye, I suppose I do." Her head dipped down to lay atop his curls, drawing him in another embrace with her arms locking around his shoulders as he tucked his face into her stained armor. "Well, then like our father. We shall continue to keep our faith to push onwards."
The two stood there, holding one another.
Time seemed to slip on past while the siblings clung together with fervor, not wishing to release the other from their grasp. But soon a woman approached them. A gentleness was in her next actions when her hands came to rest on the young Princess and Prince's shoulders, grabbing their attention.
"Forgive the intrusion." Her voice was crackling like wood from a fire.
"Nay, my Lady, do not apologize," Elestirnë waved her apology away with her right hand. Her face softening with inclined respect for the unnamed woman. "What is it we can do for you?"
"Nothing, my Lady." The woman said with a weak smile, bowing her head. "It is just that Lord Ostoher wished for me to come send for you. He has need to speak of the supplies."
She looked down to Eldacar.
"Why don't you stay with our dear Lady," she suggested with a gentle nudge to his back. Her hands edged him closer to the older female with a grateful glance to the woman, who reached out with tentative ones at his discouraged look. "Go on with her and talk to those on the boat of what we're to do. Remain there until Arvegil or Belecthor come to collect you before we depart for shoreline."
Eldacar gave her a confused glance. "What of you, sister? Will you not come with them?"
"I will not," she said truthfully now, smoothing her fingers through his hair in an attempt to settle his visible worry. A purpose shined in her eyes when they laid on his. "What leader would I be if I were not leading our people?"
He gave in, though with a worried frown, and left with the woman at his side.
With his form soon disappearing within the crowd of people, she glanced back to the ruins a few paces from them now. A cough broke her wandering attention, coming from her own body. The noise was filled with a wetness that mingled with a certain dryness to it that left her frustrated – not liking the sound it made. But her thoughts were soon pulled away from that as a distant shout of her name had her eyes searching for its speaker, peering through the crowd. Her vision soon focuses on the fair-haired Lord, Ostoher, as he waved her over to his and Arvegil's sides at the back of the bow.
"Princess!" He then called, gesturing with his hands. "Over here, Princess!"
Sighing, she indicated to him that she'd seen and heard him. She walked toward them, passing the people who seemed to dissipate from her view as she carried on to the men. Eventually, she made it. Stopping just before the two forms of Lord Ostoher and Arvegil, both now standing in front of her. "You wished to speak of the supplies, Lord Ostoher?"
Ostoher, in question, sighed, raking a hand through his reddish-blond locks. His eyes turned from the slow scowl growing on the scholar's face beside him.
"We're running low on supplies. The stock we were able to gather has diminished far more than we assumed."
"But do we have enough to last us till we reach Imladris?" She asked.
"I cannot say whether we do or don't, Princess." He said with another sigh, this one longer and drawn out. "I've never crossed the Misty Mountains or wandered the borders of this realm. I can't give a correct estimation on how long our current food would be able to sustain us all."
"Then we'll be careful with how we partake in the food supplies..." Elestirnë told them. "We must place a good amount of distance between us and our enemies before we can send those who know how to hunt."
She looked at them then, meeting Ostoher and Arvegil's eyes equally.
The men returned her look when she took the time to speak – pale feature's flushing with emotion.
"What we've spoken of here is to stay between us." A stern bearing on her face. "None are to know; else we have a revolt or far worse issue sparking amongst the people. That cannot happen. Not when we are coming close to the safety these people here deserve."
She fell silent for a while as she closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
The exhaustion was visible to the men's gazes when she finally opened her weary blue-grey orbs. Her lips thinned as she scrubbed a hand over her face, clearing the tired look from her features.
"For now, we secure our supplies and get them off the boat." Her voice was husky and low, filled with fatigue. "We're nearing the bank. So, it's best if we hurry before the sky grows too dark."
With that she shifted her body away from the men and back towards the prow.
"Come, we've a long road ahead."
And so the second chapter ends.
I hope it was informative and enjoyable to read! I am putting the chapters out of her journey from Gondor to the safe haven that is Imladris, so bear with me please - because it won't be long before they arrive!
Thank you for reading! If you wish to leave a comment then go right ahead!
