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CHAPTER 24 -- Rivendell -- "The Face of Evil"
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There is a silence to the room, save for silent tears and difficult breathing. Arwen took the her father's words to heart and had two attendants bring forth a bath. She was becoming worried about the paleness of the elleth's skin…and how cold she was. It was almost like touching a piece of metal after it had been outside so long and it was almost painful to do so. Yet, like the small elleth, she had to endure.
The bath water was hot, as hot as one could possibly stand it, and the fumes of elderberry root rose from the smoky water. She undressed her cousin quickly, and left only the little bracelet that she wore, the bracelet that she seemed attached to and reacted whenever anyone tried to remove it. Arwen was sure that Frodo must have given it to her, so left it alone.
She carefully settled the shivering elleth into the water. "Too…hot…" Gailethil gave a cry. But there was nothing Arwen could do. She continued to lower the elleth into the water, and lay her back against the edge of the tub, her head resting in Arwen's arms as she whimpered wretchedly. The fever had to come down, and this was one of the Secondborn's most drastic methods according to her father. And yet, Elves did not get sick, so Arwen was not entirely sure that it would succeed in helping Gail. The small elleth whimpered and lay against the side of the tub, her face drenched in sweat. Arwen took a cloth and began to bathe her face.
An attendant stood nearby, preparing the towels. She glanced back towards the pair every now and again, and was evidently ready to help should she be needed. She wore a wrap about her face, sterilizing it. Her eyes were a very light azure blue, and her hair the color of sunlight. A rare beauty.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered softly, and complained a little, "Hot…" The steam was definitely helping her breathing to steady as was the gentle hands of Arwen who rubbed her back with soft soap.
In the land of shadows, nothing had changed, he still waited, patiently. He knew as well as she did that one day she would cross that river. "Do not deny yourself." the White King remained as she sat on the other side, curled up into a little ball. "Come to us…follow your destiny."
The elleth began to calm a little as the heat of the water soothed her, though she was still caught in the land of the wraiths…a warm light in the realm of death…though her warmth was becoming pale and cold slowly…slowly but surely as time wore on. She felt herself slipping towards the other side. It would be so easy…and she would no longer be in pain.
"Where are you?" she rose from her position, looking around desperately. If she could find him…if she could find Frodo…She began to ran away from the river, into the forest. It loomed about her as she ran, the indistinct trees extended towards her, ripping at her gown with their hand-like branches as she fled from the White King. Once again he was in front of her and she turned, crying out and she changed her course to run in another direction. She fled for what seemed like eternity, but once more he was there…holding out his skeletal hand. She moaned "Noo…" and fled again, her fingers holding the skirts of her gown as her legs moved quickly over the ground. The ground changed from forest to jagged stone and began to sting her feet, ripping through the soles of her shoes. …and yet again…he was there.
"Precious…" The White King's voice altered somewhat as he looked over to the right, and Gailethil's terrified eyes gazed at the burning flame that watched. The Great eye….lidless…loomed at first in the distance, but was coming towards her faster and faster. She screamed in terror, clawing to get away from the terrible heat…
The elleth thrashed in the tub, and nothing that Arwen could do would calm her. While Elrond's daughter tried to calm the seer, the attendant with light azure eyes and hair the color of sunlight deftly slipped the bracelet off the elleth, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. She seemed to know exactly where the clasp was to release the trinket. This missed Arwen's gaze as the other was concerned with calming her cousin. The attendant smiled and slipped the bracelet into her pocket while no one was the wiser.
Suddenly…Gailethil calmed, sobbing in Arwen's arms. In confusion, the Healer directed the attendant for a towel and she was lifted out of the tub and wrapped thoroughly in fluffy white. The bathing water was taken away and soon Arwen had managed to soothe the seer enough and wrap her in blankets. She checked her forehead, the fever was down…and she was no longer quite so icy cold to the touch. Her eyes had lost their glaze and seemed simply tired at the moment when they flickered a bit, gazing at her cousin in confusion.
The Elleth attendant slipped the bracelet on the dresser near the bed, and stepped away, carrying the used towels, a small smile on her lips.
Arwen glanced at the table and saw the bracelet…and it flashed through her mind for only a moment but she shrugged and figured she must have taken it off the elleth while she got her ready for the bath. Elrond's daughter continued to soothe her cousin, her fingers running through the terrified elleth's silky hair and though she was still feverish and ill…Gailethil was no longer in the land of shadow, but she had not yet been pulled back to the light.
There was a haunted look to her gaze, and her body shook though it was neither cold nor terribly warm despite the fever.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered the name of her very best friend in the whole world. She needed him. She needed to know he was safe. She had a terrible feeling in her heart…a feeling that something was lurking just around the corner. A feeling that something waited…She looked up…and saw the attendant in the doorway…and for a brief moment thought she might have been her mother. But…what would her mother be doing in the House of Elrond. The eyes that looked back at her were devoid of warmth as they always had been since the moment of her birth. Torialas did not heal, nor did she care for the presence of others.
It could not be here…she was just seeing things…Gail closed her eyes again, leaning against Arwen for support as the other elleth began to sing a soothing song as she coaxed little bits of ice and water into the Elf in order to bring down the fever. She felt…oddly free…relieved…yet also a great longing in her heart. She could not deny the temptation to go to the White King was great. The pain would then end…but then…what about Frodo?
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CHAPTER 24 -- Rivendell -- "The Face of Evil"
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There is a silence to the room, save for silent tears and difficult breathing. Arwen took the her father's words to heart and had two attendants bring forth a bath. She was becoming worried about the paleness of the elleth's skin…and how cold she was. It was almost like touching a piece of metal after it had been outside so long and it was almost painful to do so. Yet, like the small elleth, she had to endure.
The bath water was hot, as hot as one could possibly stand it, and the fumes of elderberry root rose from the smoky water. She undressed her cousin quickly, and left only the little bracelet that she wore, the bracelet that she seemed attached to and reacted whenever anyone tried to remove it. Arwen was sure that Frodo must have given it to her, so left it alone.
She carefully settled the shivering elleth into the water. "Too…hot…" Gailethil gave a cry. But there was nothing Arwen could do. She continued to lower the elleth into the water, and lay her back against the edge of the tub, her head resting in Arwen's arms as she whimpered wretchedly. The fever had to come down, and this was one of the Secondborn's most drastic methods according to her father. And yet, Elves did not get sick, so Arwen was not entirely sure that it would succeed in helping Gail. The small elleth whimpered and lay against the side of the tub, her face drenched in sweat. Arwen took a cloth and began to bathe her face.
An attendant stood nearby, preparing the towels. She glanced back towards the pair every now and again, and was evidently ready to help should she be needed. She wore a wrap about her face, sterilizing it. Her eyes were a very light azure blue, and her hair the color of sunlight. A rare beauty.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered softly, and complained a little, "Hot…" The steam was definitely helping her breathing to steady as was the gentle hands of Arwen who rubbed her back with soft soap.
In the land of shadows, nothing had changed, he still waited, patiently. He knew as well as she did that one day she would cross that river. "Do not deny yourself." the White King remained as she sat on the other side, curled up into a little ball. "Come to us…follow your destiny."
The elleth began to calm a little as the heat of the water soothed her, though she was still caught in the land of the wraiths…a warm light in the realm of death…though her warmth was becoming pale and cold slowly…slowly but surely as time wore on. She felt herself slipping towards the other side. It would be so easy…and she would no longer be in pain.
"Where are you?" she rose from her position, looking around desperately. If she could find him…if she could find Frodo…She began to ran away from the river, into the forest. It loomed about her as she ran, the indistinct trees extended towards her, ripping at her gown with their hand-like branches as she fled from the White King. Once again he was in front of her and she turned, crying out and she changed her course to run in another direction. She fled for what seemed like eternity, but once more he was there…holding out his skeletal hand. She moaned "Noo…" and fled again, her fingers holding the skirts of her gown as her legs moved quickly over the ground. The ground changed from forest to jagged stone and began to sting her feet, ripping through the soles of her shoes. …and yet again…he was there.
"Precious…" The White King's voice altered somewhat as he looked over to the right, and Gailethil's terrified eyes gazed at the burning flame that watched. The Great eye….lidless…loomed at first in the distance, but was coming towards her faster and faster. She screamed in terror, clawing to get away from the terrible heat…
The elleth thrashed in the tub, and nothing that Arwen could do would calm her. While Elrond's daughter tried to calm the seer, the attendant with light azure eyes and hair the color of sunlight deftly slipped the bracelet off the elleth, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. She seemed to know exactly where the clasp was to release the trinket. This missed Arwen's gaze as the other was concerned with calming her cousin. The attendant smiled and slipped the bracelet into her pocket while no one was the wiser.
Suddenly…Gailethil calmed, sobbing in Arwen's arms. In confusion, the Healer directed the attendant for a towel and she was lifted out of the tub and wrapped thoroughly in fluffy white. The bathing water was taken away and soon Arwen had managed to soothe the seer enough and wrap her in blankets. She checked her forehead, the fever was down…and she was no longer quite so icy cold to the touch. Her eyes had lost their glaze and seemed simply tired at the moment when they flickered a bit, gazing at her cousin in confusion.
The Elleth attendant slipped the bracelet on the dresser near the bed, and stepped away, carrying the used towels, a small smile on her lips.
Arwen glanced at the table and saw the bracelet…and it flashed through her mind for only a moment but she shrugged and figured she must have taken it off the elleth while she got her ready for the bath. Elrond's daughter continued to soothe her cousin, her fingers running through the terrified elleth's silky hair and though she was still feverish and ill…Gailethil was no longer in the land of shadow, but she had not yet been pulled back to the light.
There was a haunted look to her gaze, and her body shook though it was neither cold nor terribly warm despite the fever.
"Frodo…" Gailethil whimpered the name of her very best friend in the whole world. She needed him. She needed to know he was safe. She had a terrible feeling in her heart…a feeling that something was lurking just around the corner. A feeling that something waited…She looked up…and saw the attendant in the doorway…and for a brief moment thought she might have been her mother. But…what would her mother be doing in the House of Elrond. The eyes that looked back at her were devoid of warmth as they always had been since the moment of her birth. Torialas did not heal, nor did she care for the presence of others.
It could not be here…she was just seeing things…Gail closed her eyes again, leaning against Arwen for support as the other elleth began to sing a soothing song as she coaxed little bits of ice and water into the Elf in order to bring down the fever. She felt…oddly free…relieved…yet also a great longing in her heart. She could not deny the temptation to go to the White King was great. The pain would then end…but then…what about Frodo?
* * *