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Chapter 29 : Awakenings -- Rivendel 3001
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Gailethil's eyes fluttered open to gaze at Elrond and Arwen. Arwen smiled and put her hand over her cousin's fondly. "You're awake, Mellon."
She nodded, yawning a little and rubbing her eyes, clearly irritated by some kind of allergy…strange…because elves did not get sick.
Elrond slipped the bracelet into a pocket and placed his hands together, smiling. "Thank Elbereth that you are returned to us, my dear. We did not know how much longer you would be asleep."
"Asleep?" she stretched, "It doesn't feel like it…it feels like I ran for miles…why do I feel so tired?"
"Tis not uncommon for a patient who has slept as long as you have to be tired wence they waken. Once Arwen read Frodo's letter…we were never happier to see you come back to us. You are weak still, niece, and I will not have you out of bed yet."
Gailethil studied Elrond for a few moments before sighing. "Frodo?…" She swallowed then and looked between Arwen and Elrond. "Who? Who is Frodo?"
Arwen gazed at her in shock for a long time, steadying herself against her father. "You can't mean..Gailethil…tell me…do you know who I am?"
Gailethil nodded. "Of corse I do…You're Arwen…daughter of my uncle…Elrond. But…Tis a funny name…this Frodo…or is it a she? Frodo wrote me a letter you say?"
"Yes…" Arwen glanced at her father who was frowning at Gailethil. "He's…Gailethil…I'm afraid I am a little confused myself…How could you forget Frodo? You Love him…you've said so before…and…"
"Perhaps Gailethil needs to rest a bit…she will remember him soon, I'm sure." Elrond suggested grimly.
"But Father…she needs to go to him…this letter…"
"She cannot." Elrond shook his head. "I won't allow it. She is too weak."
Gailethil lay where she was, watching her uncle and her cousin debating over whether or not she should go to this "Frodo."
The sound of the name made her heart skip a bit…and…in her mind…a brief image flashed through. He had soft pale skin…thick, black, curly hair that always fell in his eyes…and a dimpleat a tiny cleft in his chin. He reached out to her and she drew him in her arms. He felt very good there…soft and fragile. She blinked, shivering. "its cold in here…" she murmured, interrupting the discussion.
"Gailethil…we do not know why you can't seem to remember this Frodo…" Elrond began.
Another flash…bright…large blue eyes that carried forever within them…Small…butterfly lips that were softer than the wings of a dove. Lips…that had touched her own. She brought her fingers up to hers in surprise.
"Gailethil…did you remember something?" Elrond asked her gently.
"Not really uncle…well..an image…" she smiled…and blushed a little. "May I see the letter?"
Arwen nodded and handed her the copy. As Gailethil began to read, Elrond continued what he had been attempting to say earlier.
"You fell into a deep trance…shortly after we discovered that Lord Glorfindel had returned. We've since come to several conclusions and have identified the cause of what ails you. Now that I can remove it from your presence…you will be well again…'
"Frodo…" She said the name again. "But…Glorfindel gave me the bracelet…he's my friend…"
"I fear that forces beyond our control were at work against him, Niece. We will soon get to the bottom of it. For now…I want you to rest."
"It says here…it says that Frodo needs me." she glanced from Elrond to Arwen. "What did I do for him?'
"You took care of him when I needed you the most, Mellon. You gave him your heart so that he would have strength in the coming years. You've known him….since you were a little girl." Arwen ignored her father's warning look as she knelt down beside Gailethil. "And he loves you too."
"I feel…a memory…but nothing is truly clear…maybe if I go to him…" Gailethil looked hopefully at Elrond.
"No." Elrond shook his head, "No…you are too weak."
"Father…" Arwen's gaze rested on the Master of Rivendell. "Would it not be better to work with this? You know that we cannot control when she sees him and if she does that now…in her state…how can she get back? I think it would be wise to send her to Frodo by our means..rather than wait and have it happen by chance…"
"We would have to designate a time limit…and we would be at risk…" Elrond nodded, realizing that what his daughter said was wise…yet also foolhardy. But it was either that…or lose what hope they now had of defeating the evil that was trying to sink its claws into Gailethil.
"It sounds like he's having a difficult time…give her to him…at least until Yule..Father…That is enough time…we can keep vigil easier when we know what is going on and bring her back from time to time when it gets too dangerous. I dare not let it happen by chance father…I have a terrible feeling…"
"So you say we must force her to this in order for her to remember…in order for her to remain in our control?"
"Don't you see it's the only way? If he doesn't have her…you know what will happen. And she will need time to recover and time to remember him. I don't know what darkness was at work here…but I feel sure that it was meant to kill the connection between them…and I will not allow that to happen."
Elrond paced back and forth for many minutes…Finally he nodded. "So be it."
* * *
Chapter 29 : Awakenings -- Rivendel 3001
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Gailethil's eyes fluttered open to gaze at Elrond and Arwen. Arwen smiled and put her hand over her cousin's fondly. "You're awake, Mellon."
She nodded, yawning a little and rubbing her eyes, clearly irritated by some kind of allergy…strange…because elves did not get sick.
Elrond slipped the bracelet into a pocket and placed his hands together, smiling. "Thank Elbereth that you are returned to us, my dear. We did not know how much longer you would be asleep."
"Asleep?" she stretched, "It doesn't feel like it…it feels like I ran for miles…why do I feel so tired?"
"Tis not uncommon for a patient who has slept as long as you have to be tired wence they waken. Once Arwen read Frodo's letter…we were never happier to see you come back to us. You are weak still, niece, and I will not have you out of bed yet."
Gailethil studied Elrond for a few moments before sighing. "Frodo?…" She swallowed then and looked between Arwen and Elrond. "Who? Who is Frodo?"
Arwen gazed at her in shock for a long time, steadying herself against her father. "You can't mean..Gailethil…tell me…do you know who I am?"
Gailethil nodded. "Of corse I do…You're Arwen…daughter of my uncle…Elrond. But…Tis a funny name…this Frodo…or is it a she? Frodo wrote me a letter you say?"
"Yes…" Arwen glanced at her father who was frowning at Gailethil. "He's…Gailethil…I'm afraid I am a little confused myself…How could you forget Frodo? You Love him…you've said so before…and…"
"Perhaps Gailethil needs to rest a bit…she will remember him soon, I'm sure." Elrond suggested grimly.
"But Father…she needs to go to him…this letter…"
"She cannot." Elrond shook his head. "I won't allow it. She is too weak."
Gailethil lay where she was, watching her uncle and her cousin debating over whether or not she should go to this "Frodo."
The sound of the name made her heart skip a bit…and…in her mind…a brief image flashed through. He had soft pale skin…thick, black, curly hair that always fell in his eyes…and a dimpleat a tiny cleft in his chin. He reached out to her and she drew him in her arms. He felt very good there…soft and fragile. She blinked, shivering. "its cold in here…" she murmured, interrupting the discussion.
"Gailethil…we do not know why you can't seem to remember this Frodo…" Elrond began.
Another flash…bright…large blue eyes that carried forever within them…Small…butterfly lips that were softer than the wings of a dove. Lips…that had touched her own. She brought her fingers up to hers in surprise.
"Gailethil…did you remember something?" Elrond asked her gently.
"Not really uncle…well..an image…" she smiled…and blushed a little. "May I see the letter?"
Arwen nodded and handed her the copy. As Gailethil began to read, Elrond continued what he had been attempting to say earlier.
"You fell into a deep trance…shortly after we discovered that Lord Glorfindel had returned. We've since come to several conclusions and have identified the cause of what ails you. Now that I can remove it from your presence…you will be well again…'
"Frodo…" She said the name again. "But…Glorfindel gave me the bracelet…he's my friend…"
"I fear that forces beyond our control were at work against him, Niece. We will soon get to the bottom of it. For now…I want you to rest."
"It says here…it says that Frodo needs me." she glanced from Elrond to Arwen. "What did I do for him?'
"You took care of him when I needed you the most, Mellon. You gave him your heart so that he would have strength in the coming years. You've known him….since you were a little girl." Arwen ignored her father's warning look as she knelt down beside Gailethil. "And he loves you too."
"I feel…a memory…but nothing is truly clear…maybe if I go to him…" Gailethil looked hopefully at Elrond.
"No." Elrond shook his head, "No…you are too weak."
"Father…" Arwen's gaze rested on the Master of Rivendell. "Would it not be better to work with this? You know that we cannot control when she sees him and if she does that now…in her state…how can she get back? I think it would be wise to send her to Frodo by our means..rather than wait and have it happen by chance…"
"We would have to designate a time limit…and we would be at risk…" Elrond nodded, realizing that what his daughter said was wise…yet also foolhardy. But it was either that…or lose what hope they now had of defeating the evil that was trying to sink its claws into Gailethil.
"It sounds like he's having a difficult time…give her to him…at least until Yule..Father…That is enough time…we can keep vigil easier when we know what is going on and bring her back from time to time when it gets too dangerous. I dare not let it happen by chance father…I have a terrible feeling…"
"So you say we must force her to this in order for her to remember…in order for her to remain in our control?"
"Don't you see it's the only way? If he doesn't have her…you know what will happen. And she will need time to recover and time to remember him. I don't know what darkness was at work here…but I feel sure that it was meant to kill the connection between them…and I will not allow that to happen."
Elrond paced back and forth for many minutes…Finally he nodded. "So be it."
* * *