Author's note ~ Thanks for your help on the Legolas-Eriel thing. In case you didn't read my review, I am not going to hook them up right now. Such a relationship would not be very good for the Fellowship, but I haven't decided what I'm doing at the end of the story all together. So there is still hope for romance between them! You'll have to keep reading to find out. :) :) Thanks for your time!
Arwen
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!
"And the Fellowship of the Ring Shall Be Ten"
Chapter XII ~ "Answers"
Teneriel awoke just before sunset. The lowering sun seemed to bestow upon her strength and peace that Teneriel desperately needed. She had spoken briefly with her grandparents the day before, and Galadriel had told her to wait to ask her questions. Now, with night fast approaching, Teneriel knew this was the time.
Carefully, so as not to wake Aragorn who slept nearby, Teneriel rose and stepped out of the flet. The air was refreshingly cool and a small, cool breeze wafted through her loose hair. She smiled and walked down the steps, ignoring the faint twinges of pain still shooting through her arm and shoulder. Her body itself was still weak, but not enough to deter her from her present path.
She followed a path that was well-worn with many footsteps, but the footsteps for the most part belonged only to Galadriel. Not many other Elves went to the Mirror. They simply could not. Galadriel was one of a few who could truly use the mirror, the Valar had not given this ability to many. Thus, it was aptly named "Galadriel's Mirror".
Teneriel came upon a flight of stone steps that led down into a small clearing. The mirror stood in the center, upon a large block of stone. Its water came from a small waterfall, whose voice seemed to whisper of things long-forgotten, or perhaps, things that never happened. Galadriel stood near the waterfall, watching the water trickle into a vase.
"Nìn hìril," Teneriel murmured softly, stepping lightly onto the mossy ground.
Galadriel half-turned to face her granddaughter, a small smile on her face. The resemblance between the two was undeniable, both had long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. But there was a wisdom and serenity present in Galadriel that Teneriel did not yet have, and though she had seen many years, Galadriel remained untouched by them. "Yes, my child. I am here, though you knew that already. You have many questions, Teneriel, but all of them revolve around a much larger one. Ask it, if you must."
Teneriel caught her bottom lip between her teeth and sat upon the stone. "How did it happen? How am I Silvan?"
Galadriel nodded, coming closer to Teneriel. "Perhaps now is the time to tell you. I myself do not completely understand how you came to be Silvan, but I do know how it occurred. Your mother had come to Lothlorien before you were born. She felt that you should know and feel this place before you could see and touch it. And Celebrien was right to come here when she did, fate would not have had it any other way.
"On her last night here, she came to this place to gaze into the mirror and see what she would. She did not tell me what she saw, save that your life would be difficult and wrought with pain. As Celebrien spoke to me, the water inside the mirror changed. It became a mist that enveloped your mother. The mist caused her no pain, nor did it harm you. But it did change you. From that point onwards, you were Silvan."
Teneriel's eyes fluttered closed and she breathed deeply. "I do not understand why the Valar would do such a thing! What is in me that is not in other Elves? What do I carry within me that is different?"
"Perhaps the Valar chose you to do what you are doing now," Galadriel said, laying a hand on Teneriel's shoulder. "A Noldar Elf would have attracted attention to the Fellowship, is that not true?"
"Undoubtedly," Teneriel murmured, placing her hand over her grandmother's. "I do not have the outer power that a Noldar Elf does, not like Glorfindel or my father." She glanced up at Galadriel, tears swimming in her eyes. "I will never know why, will I?"
"No, child. I do not think you will. But we are not to know the Valar's reasoning, only to accept it," Galadriel consoled, smiling at her.
Teneriel nodded, rising from her seat. "Thank you, hìril. I did not truly expect to know everything, I only hoped."
Galadriel leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her granddaughter's blonde hair. "Go in peace, Teneriel, daughter of Celebrien. Your questions have been answered, I think." She pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "Or have they?"
"My last question can only be answered by time, Grandmother. Not even you can tell the future," Teneriel said, walking lightly up the stairs.
Her voice echoed softly in Galadriel's mind as she left. "My love is always with you, Grandmother. Never doubt that."
Unnoticed in the shadows, Celeborn watched as his granddaughter left. Galadriel did not even start when he stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into his arms. "So, you told her everything?" he asked, kissing her hair lightly.
"Not everything," Galadriel whispered. "Some things she must discover for herself."
~~~~~~~~
Teneriel half-smiled as she heard large feet following her. It was one of the hobbits, her guess was Pippin. He hadn't seen her since she had been brought to Lothlorien. She turned suddenly and knelt on one knee. Pippin jumped guiltily and hung his head.
"Is something amiss, Master Took?" Teneriel asked quietly, a slim eyebrow raised.
He shook his head, still memorizing the ground. "No, nothing's wrong."
She slipped a hand under his chin and pushed his face up. "Pippin, do not lie to me. What is troubling you this night?"
"Well, I heard you talking to Galadriel. Are you all right?" he asked, looking shyly into her eyes.
Teneriel smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his hair. "I am fine, Pip. Worry not for me, I do not need it." Her bright blue eyes focused onto his, and Pippin got the uncomfortable feeling that she knew what he was thinking. Thankfully, Teneriel did not say anything, but she did smile knowingly at him. "Go rest, Pip. It will be a long journey ahead, and we may not get the chance to sleep without fear again. Take advantage of it."
Arwen
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!
"And the Fellowship of the Ring Shall Be Ten"
Chapter XII ~ "Answers"
Teneriel awoke just before sunset. The lowering sun seemed to bestow upon her strength and peace that Teneriel desperately needed. She had spoken briefly with her grandparents the day before, and Galadriel had told her to wait to ask her questions. Now, with night fast approaching, Teneriel knew this was the time.
Carefully, so as not to wake Aragorn who slept nearby, Teneriel rose and stepped out of the flet. The air was refreshingly cool and a small, cool breeze wafted through her loose hair. She smiled and walked down the steps, ignoring the faint twinges of pain still shooting through her arm and shoulder. Her body itself was still weak, but not enough to deter her from her present path.
She followed a path that was well-worn with many footsteps, but the footsteps for the most part belonged only to Galadriel. Not many other Elves went to the Mirror. They simply could not. Galadriel was one of a few who could truly use the mirror, the Valar had not given this ability to many. Thus, it was aptly named "Galadriel's Mirror".
Teneriel came upon a flight of stone steps that led down into a small clearing. The mirror stood in the center, upon a large block of stone. Its water came from a small waterfall, whose voice seemed to whisper of things long-forgotten, or perhaps, things that never happened. Galadriel stood near the waterfall, watching the water trickle into a vase.
"Nìn hìril," Teneriel murmured softly, stepping lightly onto the mossy ground.
Galadriel half-turned to face her granddaughter, a small smile on her face. The resemblance between the two was undeniable, both had long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. But there was a wisdom and serenity present in Galadriel that Teneriel did not yet have, and though she had seen many years, Galadriel remained untouched by them. "Yes, my child. I am here, though you knew that already. You have many questions, Teneriel, but all of them revolve around a much larger one. Ask it, if you must."
Teneriel caught her bottom lip between her teeth and sat upon the stone. "How did it happen? How am I Silvan?"
Galadriel nodded, coming closer to Teneriel. "Perhaps now is the time to tell you. I myself do not completely understand how you came to be Silvan, but I do know how it occurred. Your mother had come to Lothlorien before you were born. She felt that you should know and feel this place before you could see and touch it. And Celebrien was right to come here when she did, fate would not have had it any other way.
"On her last night here, she came to this place to gaze into the mirror and see what she would. She did not tell me what she saw, save that your life would be difficult and wrought with pain. As Celebrien spoke to me, the water inside the mirror changed. It became a mist that enveloped your mother. The mist caused her no pain, nor did it harm you. But it did change you. From that point onwards, you were Silvan."
Teneriel's eyes fluttered closed and she breathed deeply. "I do not understand why the Valar would do such a thing! What is in me that is not in other Elves? What do I carry within me that is different?"
"Perhaps the Valar chose you to do what you are doing now," Galadriel said, laying a hand on Teneriel's shoulder. "A Noldar Elf would have attracted attention to the Fellowship, is that not true?"
"Undoubtedly," Teneriel murmured, placing her hand over her grandmother's. "I do not have the outer power that a Noldar Elf does, not like Glorfindel or my father." She glanced up at Galadriel, tears swimming in her eyes. "I will never know why, will I?"
"No, child. I do not think you will. But we are not to know the Valar's reasoning, only to accept it," Galadriel consoled, smiling at her.
Teneriel nodded, rising from her seat. "Thank you, hìril. I did not truly expect to know everything, I only hoped."
Galadriel leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her granddaughter's blonde hair. "Go in peace, Teneriel, daughter of Celebrien. Your questions have been answered, I think." She pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "Or have they?"
"My last question can only be answered by time, Grandmother. Not even you can tell the future," Teneriel said, walking lightly up the stairs.
Her voice echoed softly in Galadriel's mind as she left. "My love is always with you, Grandmother. Never doubt that."
Unnoticed in the shadows, Celeborn watched as his granddaughter left. Galadriel did not even start when he stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into his arms. "So, you told her everything?" he asked, kissing her hair lightly.
"Not everything," Galadriel whispered. "Some things she must discover for herself."
~~~~~~~~
Teneriel half-smiled as she heard large feet following her. It was one of the hobbits, her guess was Pippin. He hadn't seen her since she had been brought to Lothlorien. She turned suddenly and knelt on one knee. Pippin jumped guiltily and hung his head.
"Is something amiss, Master Took?" Teneriel asked quietly, a slim eyebrow raised.
He shook his head, still memorizing the ground. "No, nothing's wrong."
She slipped a hand under his chin and pushed his face up. "Pippin, do not lie to me. What is troubling you this night?"
"Well, I heard you talking to Galadriel. Are you all right?" he asked, looking shyly into her eyes.
Teneriel smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his hair. "I am fine, Pip. Worry not for me, I do not need it." Her bright blue eyes focused onto his, and Pippin got the uncomfortable feeling that she knew what he was thinking. Thankfully, Teneriel did not say anything, but she did smile knowingly at him. "Go rest, Pip. It will be a long journey ahead, and we may not get the chance to sleep without fear again. Take advantage of it."