Author's note : The party already happened. You all know what occurred there. At any rate, in this AU. Merry, Pippin and Sam all stay at Bag End because Frodo fell very ill just after the Party. This is what happened in Rivendell. Gailethil was been unconscious when Glorfindel gave her the tea, and then when Bilbo put on the ring, she awoke from wherever she was...into hell. There has been a couple of days of Gailethil sick with fever and delirium. In short…She's becoming a Ring Wraith. Its up to Arwen and Elrond to save her. (The Drug that Glorfindel gave her was not powerful enough to stop her from hearing the call of the Ring, it was meant to knock her out. for at least a week. They gave her the drug because they wanted to make sure she didn't go to Frodo.)
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CHAPTER 22 -- Rivendell 3001 -- "The call of Shadows." -- September
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She thought she might have heard the words…she wasn't sure. "I'm going now…Goodbye." She thought she might have seen his face…she wasn't sure. She thought even she might see him there with her. She was somewhere dark and cold and she wanted to get out of it, but she was also weak and tired. She wrapped her arms about herself feeling as though something was forcing her back away from her quiet place. It was cold…too cold…and she began to cry, she opened her eyes…but all she saw were shadows in a hazy light. They loomed around her, beckoned. Some forming…some not. "Frodo…" she called his name in her delirium. It seemed she had been running forever from the shadows.
Arwen changed the cloth on Gailethil's wet forehead. The elleth was perspiring terribly now, her clear sky-blue eyes open and glazed as though she was awake…but somewhere else. She shivered violently, chilled to the bone even wrapped in several blankets. Her hand clutched the Evenstar's as the younger elleth found it difficult to breathe.
"Father, isn't there more that we can do?" Arwen gazed over at Elrond who was on the other side of the bed, singing softly. The words and song of the master healer were doing little to comfort or draw the elleth back to the light.
"Something has a hold on her." Elrond said quietly, and brought his finger to his lips. The ancient elf lent his own hand to Gailethil's cheek. Icy-cold to the touch it was, every vein visible. His soft song was the only thing that calmed her somewhat…eased her breathing as his voice laced through the room in a gentle chorus. "And it won't let go."
"Is it Frodo?" Arwen brushed her hair out of the way as she rubbed Gailethil's hand, trying to instill warmth into the elleth.
"No…" Elrond shook his head, he paused very briefly in his singing…and this caused the elleth's breathing to quicken again and she gasped as though she could not find air. He then continued, his hand laid against her cheek, drawing her to a calmer place as best he could. Gailethil slowly began to calm a little, but remained in another place, sweat building again on her brow.
Arwen had to change the cloth once again. "It is almost like she does not even hear us." she gazed at her father. "We can't lose her…not now…"
"She is hanging on by a thread." Elrond subsides in his singing for the moment, for the song seems to have comforted the elleth, her breathing became a little more regular, though she still stared at nothing…and her eyes were haunted and glazed. "What do you see, Gailethil?" he asked, he thought she might hear him…but he was not certain.
"Shadows and death." she moaned…she did hear…but she could not recognize the voice. "He…waits for me…the pain will be over…if I go to him. I can see him…just…across the river…he holds his hand out to me…but I'm afraid…"
"Gailethil listen to me." Elrond's voice is loud and clear. "Hear my voice, and none other…do not cross the river. Do not take his hand…you must not." his own ran through her wet hair, brushing it away from her little face.
"Cold…" she began to shiver. "I'm very cold…There's no warmth here…But…" she started to shiver more, her whole body beginning to shudder.. "There's somewhere I could go…that's warm…He says…"
"Gailethil…don't listen to that voice. Hear mine…and mine alone. Follow the sound of the song." Elrond began to sing once again, and then Arwen joins in. Their hands both touched as their words flowed through the room in a harmony of light cutting a path into the darkness that the elleth was trapped within.
She heard singing, and sank to the ground, huddling away from everything. She brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around herself, staring in fear and fascination at the shadows that drew at her with their icy fingers. Her eyes watched the gathering of shadows across the river, a terrible fear building within her, she could not drag her gaze from them no matter how hard she tried, though she fells silent.
"She's not responding." Arwen gazed helplessly at the elleth, and had to change the cloth once again.
"She is…" Elrond smiled sadly, "Tis just that we have stalled the inevitable…we must find what is causing this. What is holding her there."
And the bracelet, unbeknownst to the elders as they poured their attention over the ailing elleth tightened a little around her wrist.
"We have to bring down the fever." Elrond nodded to Arwen. He rose quickly . "You must bathe her, in hot water…very hot water. Hot enough to make her sweat…then wrap her in blankets. Its going to hurt her, but it's the only thing we can do that will be fast."
"Yes…will she be able to take it? She is so frail…" Arwen gazed at the elleth, stroking her hair gently.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered helplessly, rocking back and forth in a little ball in the darkness, tears collecting in her eyes. "Where are you? I can't find you…"
"She must." Elrond would not take no for an answer.
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CHAPTER 22 -- Rivendell 3001 -- "The call of Shadows." -- September
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She thought she might have heard the words…she wasn't sure. "I'm going now…Goodbye." She thought she might have seen his face…she wasn't sure. She thought even she might see him there with her. She was somewhere dark and cold and she wanted to get out of it, but she was also weak and tired. She wrapped her arms about herself feeling as though something was forcing her back away from her quiet place. It was cold…too cold…and she began to cry, she opened her eyes…but all she saw were shadows in a hazy light. They loomed around her, beckoned. Some forming…some not. "Frodo…" she called his name in her delirium. It seemed she had been running forever from the shadows.
Arwen changed the cloth on Gailethil's wet forehead. The elleth was perspiring terribly now, her clear sky-blue eyes open and glazed as though she was awake…but somewhere else. She shivered violently, chilled to the bone even wrapped in several blankets. Her hand clutched the Evenstar's as the younger elleth found it difficult to breathe.
"Father, isn't there more that we can do?" Arwen gazed over at Elrond who was on the other side of the bed, singing softly. The words and song of the master healer were doing little to comfort or draw the elleth back to the light.
"Something has a hold on her." Elrond said quietly, and brought his finger to his lips. The ancient elf lent his own hand to Gailethil's cheek. Icy-cold to the touch it was, every vein visible. His soft song was the only thing that calmed her somewhat…eased her breathing as his voice laced through the room in a gentle chorus. "And it won't let go."
"Is it Frodo?" Arwen brushed her hair out of the way as she rubbed Gailethil's hand, trying to instill warmth into the elleth.
"No…" Elrond shook his head, he paused very briefly in his singing…and this caused the elleth's breathing to quicken again and she gasped as though she could not find air. He then continued, his hand laid against her cheek, drawing her to a calmer place as best he could. Gailethil slowly began to calm a little, but remained in another place, sweat building again on her brow.
Arwen had to change the cloth once again. "It is almost like she does not even hear us." she gazed at her father. "We can't lose her…not now…"
"She is hanging on by a thread." Elrond subsides in his singing for the moment, for the song seems to have comforted the elleth, her breathing became a little more regular, though she still stared at nothing…and her eyes were haunted and glazed. "What do you see, Gailethil?" he asked, he thought she might hear him…but he was not certain.
"Shadows and death." she moaned…she did hear…but she could not recognize the voice. "He…waits for me…the pain will be over…if I go to him. I can see him…just…across the river…he holds his hand out to me…but I'm afraid…"
"Gailethil listen to me." Elrond's voice is loud and clear. "Hear my voice, and none other…do not cross the river. Do not take his hand…you must not." his own ran through her wet hair, brushing it away from her little face.
"Cold…" she began to shiver. "I'm very cold…There's no warmth here…But…" she started to shiver more, her whole body beginning to shudder.. "There's somewhere I could go…that's warm…He says…"
"Gailethil…don't listen to that voice. Hear mine…and mine alone. Follow the sound of the song." Elrond began to sing once again, and then Arwen joins in. Their hands both touched as their words flowed through the room in a harmony of light cutting a path into the darkness that the elleth was trapped within.
She heard singing, and sank to the ground, huddling away from everything. She brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around herself, staring in fear and fascination at the shadows that drew at her with their icy fingers. Her eyes watched the gathering of shadows across the river, a terrible fear building within her, she could not drag her gaze from them no matter how hard she tried, though she fells silent.
"She's not responding." Arwen gazed helplessly at the elleth, and had to change the cloth once again.
"She is…" Elrond smiled sadly, "Tis just that we have stalled the inevitable…we must find what is causing this. What is holding her there."
And the bracelet, unbeknownst to the elders as they poured their attention over the ailing elleth tightened a little around her wrist.
"We have to bring down the fever." Elrond nodded to Arwen. He rose quickly . "You must bathe her, in hot water…very hot water. Hot enough to make her sweat…then wrap her in blankets. Its going to hurt her, but it's the only thing we can do that will be fast."
"Yes…will she be able to take it? She is so frail…" Arwen gazed at the elleth, stroking her hair gently.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered helplessly, rocking back and forth in a little ball in the darkness, tears collecting in her eyes. "Where are you? I can't find you…"
"She must." Elrond would not take no for an answer.
* * *