Ch. 21
Morning came, but Elrond didn't get up. He couldn't see a point in it. He spent much of the day laying there. A servant came up with food, and then Galadriel came up and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't respond. She left, but came back later and physically dragged him up. Weak from emotional exhaustion and lack of food, Elrond didn't even try to fight her. She made him come out and walk around Caras Galadon with her for nearly an hour, making him eat a wafer of lembas. Just as the sun began to set, Elrond returned to the talan.
Galadriel had had to pull Elrond out of bed physically. It hadn't been difficult, but she was worried about him. He was losing hope that Almare would recover. He had survived when her daughter had died out of a sense of duty to his children and the people of Rivendell, but that would not suffice now. Arwen would soon marry Aragorn, and Elladan and Elrohir would likely stay in Middle Earth for a time after their father left. Even in the short years since Celebrían's death, many more of the Elves had departed. They would not be welcome in the new age that was approaching. The Fourth Age would be one of Men. Elrond recognized this, and it made it even harder for him to continue to hope.
Amy heard a noise like someone sitting down. Mattie began to speak. "I know I'm probably just talking to myself, Amy, but I feel so guilty over all of this that I have to say something, and here, at least, I don't feel totally insane. I feel so guilty about you getting hurt. I knew that Orc would be aiming at you. I saw it in the Mirror, and I knew I could stop it, but when I got down out of the tree to get a clear shot, I got attacked by another Orc, and they I wasn't ready when that thing aimed at you. I insisted we go with you so I could stop that from happening, and then I wasn't ready. I'm so sorry. I thought I could stop it without telling anyone, and I screwed up. Galadriel told me not to feel guilty, but I do. I keep thinking somehow I could have stopped it."
"Quit beating yourself up."
"Amy!"
"Yeah." Mattie threw her arms around the Elf. "Easy, there, Mattie. I'm still hurt. Where is everybody?"
Mattie rushed to the entrance of the talan, then saw Elrond slowly approaching. She screamed his name. "Elrond! She's awake!"
Elrond was there in an instant, Galadriel close behind. After assuring herself that Amy indeed all right, she pulled Mattie out of the room.
"How are you feeling, Almare." Elrond was almost afraid to blink for fear this might turn out false.
"Tired. How long have I been out?"
"About a month."
"I've been unconscious for a month, and I'm still tired. Go figure." Elrond looked confused at that. "It's a figure of speech." She reached a hand out, and he took it, moving to sit beside her on the bed. "I heard your speech yesterday. I couldn't move or respond, but I could hear you." She paused for a moment. Neither of them was sure what to say. Finally, Amy spoke. "Yes."
"What?"
"Yes." She smiled up at him, and he returned the smile as understanding dawned. "I love you, Elrond. I will marry you—that is, if you'll ask. You said you would, but you never actually asked."
"That can be remedied. Will you marry me, Almare?"
"I already told you yes." She smiled and squeezed his hand, then yawned. "After sleeping so long, I shouldn't be this tired."
"It's to be expected. I'll let you rest." He leaned down and kissed her lightly. "I'll let the others know you're awake. He squeezed her hand again, then left the room. Despite the spinning thoughts, Amy fell asleep instantly.
Amy spent most of the next few days sleeping, waking only to eat and say a few words to Elrond, Galadriel, or the humans. A couple days after she woke, Galadriel pulled Elrond aside.
"You have felt it?"
Elrond nodded. "The One Ring has been destroyed."
"Yes. I have felt it, and I have seen it in the Mirror. Aragorn has been crowned Elessar, King of Gondor."
"So they have done the impossible."
"They went to the Black Gate itself to challenge Sauron." Elrond looked up sharply. "At the moment when the battle seemed to turn against them, the Ringwraiths approaching suddenly turned aside. The forces attacking them lost all coherence, and the battle the enemy had been winning quickly became a rout.
"In the end, Frodo lost all will. Gollum had met with them and guided Frodo and Sam into Mordor, making a deal with Shelob to try to destroy them. They survived and made it to the Cracks of Doom, but there Frodo could not throw in the Ring. Gollum had followed them there, and bit the ring off Frodo's finger, but he fell into the Cracks himself. Gwahir the Windlord rescued them, as he rescued Mithrandir from Zirak Zigil."
Elrond looked confused. "Mithrandir? I had heard that he was dead."
"Aye. He did indeed die, but he lives again. He fell after destroying the Balrog in Moria, but returned to us."
"So. Aragorn is king in Gondor, and Mithrandir has returned to life. Frodo and Sam completed their mission, thanks to Gollum. Now, as I have promised, Arwen must marry Elessar. It is difficult. Of all my children, I had hoped she, at least, would accompany me to Valinor."
Galadriel smiled sadly and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. Shall I send for her?"
"I would be grateful for it."
Morning came, but Elrond didn't get up. He couldn't see a point in it. He spent much of the day laying there. A servant came up with food, and then Galadriel came up and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't respond. She left, but came back later and physically dragged him up. Weak from emotional exhaustion and lack of food, Elrond didn't even try to fight her. She made him come out and walk around Caras Galadon with her for nearly an hour, making him eat a wafer of lembas. Just as the sun began to set, Elrond returned to the talan.
Galadriel had had to pull Elrond out of bed physically. It hadn't been difficult, but she was worried about him. He was losing hope that Almare would recover. He had survived when her daughter had died out of a sense of duty to his children and the people of Rivendell, but that would not suffice now. Arwen would soon marry Aragorn, and Elladan and Elrohir would likely stay in Middle Earth for a time after their father left. Even in the short years since Celebrían's death, many more of the Elves had departed. They would not be welcome in the new age that was approaching. The Fourth Age would be one of Men. Elrond recognized this, and it made it even harder for him to continue to hope.
Amy heard a noise like someone sitting down. Mattie began to speak. "I know I'm probably just talking to myself, Amy, but I feel so guilty over all of this that I have to say something, and here, at least, I don't feel totally insane. I feel so guilty about you getting hurt. I knew that Orc would be aiming at you. I saw it in the Mirror, and I knew I could stop it, but when I got down out of the tree to get a clear shot, I got attacked by another Orc, and they I wasn't ready when that thing aimed at you. I insisted we go with you so I could stop that from happening, and then I wasn't ready. I'm so sorry. I thought I could stop it without telling anyone, and I screwed up. Galadriel told me not to feel guilty, but I do. I keep thinking somehow I could have stopped it."
"Quit beating yourself up."
"Amy!"
"Yeah." Mattie threw her arms around the Elf. "Easy, there, Mattie. I'm still hurt. Where is everybody?"
Mattie rushed to the entrance of the talan, then saw Elrond slowly approaching. She screamed his name. "Elrond! She's awake!"
Elrond was there in an instant, Galadriel close behind. After assuring herself that Amy indeed all right, she pulled Mattie out of the room.
"How are you feeling, Almare." Elrond was almost afraid to blink for fear this might turn out false.
"Tired. How long have I been out?"
"About a month."
"I've been unconscious for a month, and I'm still tired. Go figure." Elrond looked confused at that. "It's a figure of speech." She reached a hand out, and he took it, moving to sit beside her on the bed. "I heard your speech yesterday. I couldn't move or respond, but I could hear you." She paused for a moment. Neither of them was sure what to say. Finally, Amy spoke. "Yes."
"What?"
"Yes." She smiled up at him, and he returned the smile as understanding dawned. "I love you, Elrond. I will marry you—that is, if you'll ask. You said you would, but you never actually asked."
"That can be remedied. Will you marry me, Almare?"
"I already told you yes." She smiled and squeezed his hand, then yawned. "After sleeping so long, I shouldn't be this tired."
"It's to be expected. I'll let you rest." He leaned down and kissed her lightly. "I'll let the others know you're awake. He squeezed her hand again, then left the room. Despite the spinning thoughts, Amy fell asleep instantly.
Amy spent most of the next few days sleeping, waking only to eat and say a few words to Elrond, Galadriel, or the humans. A couple days after she woke, Galadriel pulled Elrond aside.
"You have felt it?"
Elrond nodded. "The One Ring has been destroyed."
"Yes. I have felt it, and I have seen it in the Mirror. Aragorn has been crowned Elessar, King of Gondor."
"So they have done the impossible."
"They went to the Black Gate itself to challenge Sauron." Elrond looked up sharply. "At the moment when the battle seemed to turn against them, the Ringwraiths approaching suddenly turned aside. The forces attacking them lost all coherence, and the battle the enemy had been winning quickly became a rout.
"In the end, Frodo lost all will. Gollum had met with them and guided Frodo and Sam into Mordor, making a deal with Shelob to try to destroy them. They survived and made it to the Cracks of Doom, but there Frodo could not throw in the Ring. Gollum had followed them there, and bit the ring off Frodo's finger, but he fell into the Cracks himself. Gwahir the Windlord rescued them, as he rescued Mithrandir from Zirak Zigil."
Elrond looked confused. "Mithrandir? I had heard that he was dead."
"Aye. He did indeed die, but he lives again. He fell after destroying the Balrog in Moria, but returned to us."
"So. Aragorn is king in Gondor, and Mithrandir has returned to life. Frodo and Sam completed their mission, thanks to Gollum. Now, as I have promised, Arwen must marry Elessar. It is difficult. Of all my children, I had hoped she, at least, would accompany me to Valinor."
Galadriel smiled sadly and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. Shall I send for her?"
"I would be grateful for it."