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CHAPTER 28 : Letter from the Shire
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Arwen spoke softly with Glorfindel, who sat on the other side of Gailethil's bed. The elleth had not yet come out of the dream she was caught in. It had been a week, and still she showed no signs of returning to them. The Princess of Rivendell knew that she was not in a good place, she was not with -him-. She was caught…somewhere else. Elrond had said as much when he'd come to see to her.
"Will she be alright?" Glorfindel raised his eyes to Arwen. He had stayed at her side throughout the entire time and it was now clear to her where the Lord's heart was. Arwen gave him a tiny smile, though she was not altogether reassured by his presence. However, when he was not in the room, Gailethil seemed to grow more agitated. If she did not know her cousins' true heart, she might start to believe that it had changed its course.
"I don't know." Arwen shook her head. "Father says that when such things occur we must ride them out for good or ill. My heart is heavy though…she has never been like this before." she was also concerned by her father even allowing the Elf Lord to be near Gailethil…after what happened with Legolas. "But I promise you this." she looked Glorfindel straight in the eyes. "I will not let her die. There is someone…who needs her more than either you nor I can even imagine."
Frodo. Glorfindel sighed and nodded. "I know of him." he reached out and pushed the elleth's hair away from her damp face while Arwen dabbed at her cheeks with a cloth. "She told me."
"Then you also know what is in her heart." Arwen's eyes glittered.
"I know." his lips set in a thin line.
"And you know that she can't love you when she already loves another." Arwen persisted, she wanted to know what was going on with this particular Lord. She did not trust him anymore…even though Legolas and her father insisted that she did. He made her uneasy, and she dearly wanted him to pay for leaving Legolas.
Glorfindel took a deep breath and looked away, "I know. Must you continue with this line of questioning? What purpose does it serve now…when what she needs are people who care about her?" Pain was evident in his eyes and Arwen thawed just a little.
"You really do love her." Arwen sighed as Gailethil began to toss and turn in the deep sleep that caught her in its coils.
It was at that moment that a letter from the Shire arrived, carried in by a footman. Arwen glanced at it and frowned slightly, "Its from Frodo." she put the letter down on the bedside table. It was impossible for its intended to read it now.
Glorfindel's brows knitted together, "They write?" this was something he had obviously not been aware of. He rose away from the bed.
"Yes." Arwen nodded, "They've been writing for a while now."
Elrond chose that moment to enter the room, with him were two guards. He walked over to his daughter, ignoring Glorfindel for the moment. Leaning down he whispered something to Arwen, then straightened and cleared his throat. "My Lord Glorfindel. You're under arrest."
"Father?" Arwen raised an eyebrow, folding her arms.
Glorfindel faced Elrond without fear. "What crime have I committed?" he lifted his chin proudly.
"We have talked long and hard in council on the subject since you returned here. You will go with the guards, and your trial will commence once Gailethil regains conscious. I fear there is nothing that I can do, the council has spoken, and you know well our laws. There is evil at work and I would not have it gain a further hold on you, my friend." Elrond half-elven stood quietly, watching Glorfindel's reaction.
"I will face your judgement." the handsome younger elf nodded softly. He looked over at Arwen, then down at the elleth in the bed. "Please…take care of her."
"I will." Arwen nodded.
Elrond had the elf lord escorted from the room and taken to the barracks. He himself, stayed behind and began to look around the room, searching.
"Father?" Arwen looked up in some confusion.
Finally, Elrond came to what he was looking for. The star bracelet., it was underneath a towel on the bedside table. He picked it up and scowled at it. "Tis a fell age, Arwen, when evil can hide in Rivendell."
"How?" Arwen blinked in confusion.
"Galadriel." her father smiled briefly. "She sent me a letter. Apparently she has sensed great danger for several weeks now and did not know for certain what was causing it until recently. She bade me to open Frodo's letter when it came for she was sure that it would hold the clue we needed."
Arwen looked again at the letter, and noticed for the first time that it was open. She took it and pulled out the letter, feeling a little odd reading what was personally wrote for her cousin. She began to read in a clear voice,
DEAR GAILETHIL,
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T WAIT FOR A REPLY TO MY LAST LETTER…BUT I'M NOT REALLY DOING ALL THAT WELL…AND I'VE BEEN WORRIED. I WISHED YOU COULD HAVE STAYED THAT TIME…STAYED FOR MY BIRTHDAY.. I HAVE BEEN SICK SINCE BILBO LEFT. HE'S GONE, YOU KNOW…HE LEFT THE SHIRE. FINALLY…AFTER ALL THIS TIME. I KNEW HE WAS GOING…I COULD TELL HE WAS PLANNING TO AND I WISHED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT I COULD DO OR SAY TO STOP HIM, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM THE CASE. MY AUNTY AND UNCLE ARE HERE WITH ME…YOU REMEMBER THEM? LARADOC AND ANGELINE…SO ARE MY COUSINS. THE DOCTOR SAYS THAT I HAVE PNEUMONIA, BUT IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING A LOT WORSE…MY STOMACH WON'T KEEP ANYTHING DOWN. AUNTY ANGELINE IS WRITING THIS AS I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN'T…I'M SORRY…I WISH YOU WERE HERE…WHY HAVEN'T YOU COME? YOU ALWAYS COME TO ME WHEN I'M LIKE THIS. I FEAR THAT SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE I HAD A DREAM…I SAW YOUR FRIEND GIVE YOU SOMETHING…A LITTLE BRACLET WITH STARS…IT HURT ME…I FELT A TERRIBLE HEADACHE WHEN I SAW IT. PLEASE…DON'T WEAR IT…I …I KNOW IT MUST SEEM LIKE I'M JEALOUS…I'M NOT. PLEASE BE CAREFUL…I FEEL THAT SOMETHING BAD SURROUNDS IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY. I KNOW YOU MUST BE SAFE IN RIVENDELL, BUT I HAD TO WRITE. YOU KNOW HOW YOU TOLD ME ONCE THAT YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR ME…PLEASE DON'T WEAR IT…TELL ME YOU ARE SAFE…I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
YOUR FRIEND…
FRODO BAGGINS
Arwen finished reading and glanced down at the bed, Gailethil's eyes were open and she was gazing at her cousin.
CHAPTER 28 : Letter from the Shire
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Arwen spoke softly with Glorfindel, who sat on the other side of Gailethil's bed. The elleth had not yet come out of the dream she was caught in. It had been a week, and still she showed no signs of returning to them. The Princess of Rivendell knew that she was not in a good place, she was not with -him-. She was caught…somewhere else. Elrond had said as much when he'd come to see to her.
"Will she be alright?" Glorfindel raised his eyes to Arwen. He had stayed at her side throughout the entire time and it was now clear to her where the Lord's heart was. Arwen gave him a tiny smile, though she was not altogether reassured by his presence. However, when he was not in the room, Gailethil seemed to grow more agitated. If she did not know her cousins' true heart, she might start to believe that it had changed its course.
"I don't know." Arwen shook her head. "Father says that when such things occur we must ride them out for good or ill. My heart is heavy though…she has never been like this before." she was also concerned by her father even allowing the Elf Lord to be near Gailethil…after what happened with Legolas. "But I promise you this." she looked Glorfindel straight in the eyes. "I will not let her die. There is someone…who needs her more than either you nor I can even imagine."
Frodo. Glorfindel sighed and nodded. "I know of him." he reached out and pushed the elleth's hair away from her damp face while Arwen dabbed at her cheeks with a cloth. "She told me."
"Then you also know what is in her heart." Arwen's eyes glittered.
"I know." his lips set in a thin line.
"And you know that she can't love you when she already loves another." Arwen persisted, she wanted to know what was going on with this particular Lord. She did not trust him anymore…even though Legolas and her father insisted that she did. He made her uneasy, and she dearly wanted him to pay for leaving Legolas.
Glorfindel took a deep breath and looked away, "I know. Must you continue with this line of questioning? What purpose does it serve now…when what she needs are people who care about her?" Pain was evident in his eyes and Arwen thawed just a little.
"You really do love her." Arwen sighed as Gailethil began to toss and turn in the deep sleep that caught her in its coils.
It was at that moment that a letter from the Shire arrived, carried in by a footman. Arwen glanced at it and frowned slightly, "Its from Frodo." she put the letter down on the bedside table. It was impossible for its intended to read it now.
Glorfindel's brows knitted together, "They write?" this was something he had obviously not been aware of. He rose away from the bed.
"Yes." Arwen nodded, "They've been writing for a while now."
Elrond chose that moment to enter the room, with him were two guards. He walked over to his daughter, ignoring Glorfindel for the moment. Leaning down he whispered something to Arwen, then straightened and cleared his throat. "My Lord Glorfindel. You're under arrest."
"Father?" Arwen raised an eyebrow, folding her arms.
Glorfindel faced Elrond without fear. "What crime have I committed?" he lifted his chin proudly.
"We have talked long and hard in council on the subject since you returned here. You will go with the guards, and your trial will commence once Gailethil regains conscious. I fear there is nothing that I can do, the council has spoken, and you know well our laws. There is evil at work and I would not have it gain a further hold on you, my friend." Elrond half-elven stood quietly, watching Glorfindel's reaction.
"I will face your judgement." the handsome younger elf nodded softly. He looked over at Arwen, then down at the elleth in the bed. "Please…take care of her."
"I will." Arwen nodded.
Elrond had the elf lord escorted from the room and taken to the barracks. He himself, stayed behind and began to look around the room, searching.
"Father?" Arwen looked up in some confusion.
Finally, Elrond came to what he was looking for. The star bracelet., it was underneath a towel on the bedside table. He picked it up and scowled at it. "Tis a fell age, Arwen, when evil can hide in Rivendell."
"How?" Arwen blinked in confusion.
"Galadriel." her father smiled briefly. "She sent me a letter. Apparently she has sensed great danger for several weeks now and did not know for certain what was causing it until recently. She bade me to open Frodo's letter when it came for she was sure that it would hold the clue we needed."
Arwen looked again at the letter, and noticed for the first time that it was open. She took it and pulled out the letter, feeling a little odd reading what was personally wrote for her cousin. She began to read in a clear voice,
DEAR GAILETHIL,
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T WAIT FOR A REPLY TO MY LAST LETTER…BUT I'M NOT REALLY DOING ALL THAT WELL…AND I'VE BEEN WORRIED. I WISHED YOU COULD HAVE STAYED THAT TIME…STAYED FOR MY BIRTHDAY.. I HAVE BEEN SICK SINCE BILBO LEFT. HE'S GONE, YOU KNOW…HE LEFT THE SHIRE. FINALLY…AFTER ALL THIS TIME. I KNEW HE WAS GOING…I COULD TELL HE WAS PLANNING TO AND I WISHED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT I COULD DO OR SAY TO STOP HIM, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM THE CASE. MY AUNTY AND UNCLE ARE HERE WITH ME…YOU REMEMBER THEM? LARADOC AND ANGELINE…SO ARE MY COUSINS. THE DOCTOR SAYS THAT I HAVE PNEUMONIA, BUT IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING A LOT WORSE…MY STOMACH WON'T KEEP ANYTHING DOWN. AUNTY ANGELINE IS WRITING THIS AS I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN'T…I'M SORRY…I WISH YOU WERE HERE…WHY HAVEN'T YOU COME? YOU ALWAYS COME TO ME WHEN I'M LIKE THIS. I FEAR THAT SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE I HAD A DREAM…I SAW YOUR FRIEND GIVE YOU SOMETHING…A LITTLE BRACLET WITH STARS…IT HURT ME…I FELT A TERRIBLE HEADACHE WHEN I SAW IT. PLEASE…DON'T WEAR IT…I …I KNOW IT MUST SEEM LIKE I'M JEALOUS…I'M NOT. PLEASE BE CAREFUL…I FEEL THAT SOMETHING BAD SURROUNDS IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY. I KNOW YOU MUST BE SAFE IN RIVENDELL, BUT I HAD TO WRITE. YOU KNOW HOW YOU TOLD ME ONCE THAT YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR ME…PLEASE DON'T WEAR IT…TELL ME YOU ARE SAFE…I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
YOUR FRIEND…
FRODO BAGGINS
Arwen finished reading and glanced down at the bed, Gailethil's eyes were open and she was gazing at her cousin.