AGARWAEN-BOR

CHAPTER 7 – LÓRIEN RUINED

Aranwë awoke to the soft words of a feminine voice. "Aranwë? Come back to the light Aranwë." He opened his eyes to see the same female Elf that had saved him. He glanced around. Trees were burning and the fair mallorn leaves were trampled on.

"Andú…?"

"He is safe." She said, still staring at him.

"Who… who… are you?"

"My name is Celeblhing. I am an Elf from Lothlórien. Please be still." She added, as Aranwë tried to sit up. He noticed for the first time that she was tending his shoulder.

"…Thank you…"

"Think nothing of it. Where are you from?" Aranwë noticed her deliberate attempt to keep his mind off of his wounds.

"My father is from Rivendell, my mother from Lórien. I currently reside in the Grey Havens."

"Things go ill at your home, then."

"What?"

"The Orcs are attacking all of the Elven settlements. Last tidings we heard from Cirdan were that he had driven the Orcs back to Lake Evendim with the help of the Halflings. However scouts had reported a great strength of Orcs passing through the north of Eriador. I fear that he cannot hold them for long."

"I see… these are grievous tidings indeed… and there is nothing I may do for my home… for I am bound to an errand, and though I regret it, I do not rue the one who laid it on me."

"May I ask what that errand is?"

"To bear tidings to Gondor, Rohan, Lórien, and Eryn Lasgalen about the mustering of Orcs in the north."

"You need not bear those tidings to any save perhaps the King of Gondor, for it known among all the Elves now and also in the Mark."

"Then swiftly shall I ride for Gondor."

"You must not ride with such wounds. The Orc venom still lurks in you, for this is beyond my skill to fully mend. I shall take you to the Havens of Edhellond whence the people of the Galadhrim fled since Lórien was overrun three days ago. Alas, I fear your aid came to late, brave warrior of the North."

"How far?"

"Only a few leagues south of us. We are currently not far from the southern border of Lórien."

"How did you find me?"

"I found your friend Andú and he bade me search for you, for Haldir would not allow one so injured as he to leave our care until he was healed."

"Is he at Edhellond?"

"Yes."

"How were the Orcs able to overcome the people of Lórien?"

"We do not know, for a swift and terrible power came suddenly and Lady Galadriel trembled and forbade us to fire any arrow at whatever it was. It cast a shadow over all that looked upon it and I was terrified, though still unwilling to let it hurt the fair mallorn. I fired a single arrow, but it erupted into flame ere it touched the thing." Aranwë took all of this into his mind, though he soon stopped considering what this might be, as his head began to pound. Celeblhing stood up and shouldered her bow and quiver. "Your wounds are healed well enough to travel, Master Elf. Even so I ask not to bend your bow, lest need be. We hopefully will not be engaged during our flight." Aranwë nodded and shakily got to his feet. He noticed his bow lying a few feet away. He slowly walked over and picked it up.

"I am afraid I am out of arrows." Aranwë said, after looking around vainly trying to find his quiver.

"Though I do not wish for you to be so close to any enemy we may encounter, can you use a sword?"

"Yes."

"Here. I would take it but am not really much of a swordsman. I have a knife and my bow, such is the fashion of most of the Elves of Lórien." Celeblhing handed him a long, double-sided Elven blade. He turned it over in his hand admiring the interlacing silver and blue Elven characters drawn on the blades near the hilt. "Its name is Anormegil, for a great light shows forth from it when in battle… it was my father's…"

"I thank you, but have earned no such honor to bear such a blade. Please, I would use your knife if you wished for me to not use this weapon."

"It is all right. Use it as if it were always your own."

"I repeat my thanks. If I may say, you look very familiar… though I cannot place you… I am still weary… though well enough to travel." He added, seeing the look on her face that seemed to beg him to rest more.

"I am afraid that I do not recognize you, however."

"Indeed… well shall we go?"

"Yes. I am hoping to reach Edhellond in two days."

-End Chapter 7