"A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him." (Proverbs 28:17)

Chapter 3: Namárië

The chill wind had been blowing since dawn and the sun had been darkened by heavy clouds in the sky. Now and then one could see lighting tear up the sky. Haldir knew there would be a storm shortly, which puzzled him, for a storm in midsummer was something unusual, at least around Lothlorien. His superstitious nature made him wonder if this was a bad sign, but he ignored his thought and continued his duty to guard the border of Lothlorien. Little did he know how close his intuition was to the catastrophe awaiting Lorien.

"Princess Arwen!" Haldir exclaimed in shock as he saw little Arwen being dragged by a group of unknown Elves. They wore black cloaks with only their eyes visible beneath the veils; they were armed with swords and bows. It was clear they were trying to conceal their identities, for they had come with foul intention. Haldir felt a chill running down his spine for he knew deep down in his heart that these intruders were more dangerous than a swarm of Orcs.

One Elf who seemed to be the leader moved forward, grabbing the little girl's hand tight, making her cry in fear and pain. Merciless was he, as one could tell from the cold gaze of his eyes, and a cruel treatment he had given to the helpless beautiful creature under his power. He pointed a knife to her neck. "Bring your Lady here, or she dies," The Elf ordered coldly. His other companions raised their bows, facing Haldir and other Elves who guarded the border of the Golden Realm.

Wasting no time, Haldir ran to Caras Galadhon. Galadriel, who already had a strong premonition from her mirror, was not surprised by the news. Without a word, she grabbed her husband's hand tight and went unguarded. Her heart was uneasy and she bit her lips along the way, speaking none of her worry to her husband.

"What is it that you seek, Stranger?" Galadriel appeared with Celeborn beside her. She stood a few feet away from the kidnappers. Her eyes fixed to their leader's dark eyes, penetrating his thought.

"You know what I am searching for, Lady," he replied calmly as he looked back at Galadriel. Without any fear, he let Galadriel read his mind, 'We come to bring you with us, Artanis, mahtar aranel Valinorwa* .' Then he took his eyes off her, as not to expose more of his thought.

Galadriel stood in silence, sinking into her own thoughts, weighing the choices she had. The Stranger had called her with the name she had long forgotten, and she understood that this was the day of which her dreams had warned her.

"I will go with you, Stranger, but spare the innocent girl." Her heart was heavy, yet she had no choice.

"You have my word, heri*, as long as you keep yours."

Galadriel turned and looked at her husband. He was her soul mate, her love, and her true companion. For thousands of years they had shared joy and sorrow together, inseparable, yet there were things she should bear by herself. "Forgive me for leaving, Celeborn. Please give me your word that you will never go after me or seek avenge on my behalf." She raised her voice for everyone to hear. She did not want Haldir and his fellow guards entered into vain battle with the intruders for they were too strong for the peaceful Elves of Lorien .

"No." Celeborn grabbed her wrist tight; his eyes stared at hers with horror for he had grasped the meaning of her words. Long ago, he had been warned by a Wise that Galadriel, whom he stubbornly courted, would not stay forever at his side. One day her long forgotten past, which Celeborn had little knowledge about, would come after her.

Galadriel gazed at him with sorrowful eyes, yet she was brave and determined. Fearless she was, but she could not hide the worry in her eyes for she knew what lay ahead of her. Something she had expected long before, something which she knew would be her downfall, something she had accepted to come after her, a revenge. 'Forgive me for causing you such misery, but Fate has spoken, and all must heed her words. I do not fear anything, save for losing you. Please, fulfill my last wish,' she whispered with her mind, keeping their conversation private.

Celeborn knew that once his wife had decided, it was useless to try to change her mind. He summoned all the strength he had and he could feel his heart crumbling under his feet when he declared, "You have my word."

Galadriel smiled at him gravely as she could hear Celeborn's heart speak to her, 'Inye tye-mela, vessënya.'* Silver tears fell while they made love with their eyes. Holding each other's hand, they kissed with trembling lips as they desperately poured their affection into each other, wasting no second they might have for the last time. Passion was in their minds no more, they felt only love; they thought only about each other's well being. Deep was their love, and nature could not help but pity.

The clouds seemed to cry with them as they poured heavy rain down from the sky. Thunder wrecked the deep silence of nature with its loud roar. Darkness surrounded them as the cloud hid the shining sun completely. Nimrodel's song was heard in the distance, a voice which sang to Amroth when Nimrodel had lost. Haldir and the other guards shed their tears for they could no longer hide their sorrow and fear. Fear not merely for their Lady's sake, but for the sake of Lothlorien, for it had been built and sustained by the power of the Lady. How their beloved land could survive without Galadriel was beyond their comprehension.

Finally they broke apart. Galadriel had managed to gather all the determination she had and freed herself . She walked forward and the Elf released Arwen. The little girl ran to her grandmother with tears still flooding from her eyes, wetting her lovely face. "Grandma, I am sorry. I know I shouldn't have run away," Arwen cried in her embrace, overwhelmed by her guilt.

"Do not feel guilty, little girl, for you have committed no crime. This is but a path I must walk." Galadriel caressed her grand daughter's hair gently . "Now, go to your grandfather," she gently pulled her self from Arwen and her heart tore apart with anguish as she realized how much sorrow she had caused the little Princess. Galadriel sighed and turned around. She held her chin high, forbidding her tears to fall as she walked gracefully to her adversaries, promising herself that she would keep her dignity and pride at all cost.

The leader remained calm and emotionless as the episodes took place before his eyes. He nodded to his companions and an Elf came forward, lifting his sword near Galadriel's throat while another put a chain around her wrist.

"No!" A scream escaped Celeborn lips as he saw his wife being chained and led away.

Arwen cried harder, "Grandma!"

Galadriel looked at them for the last time with utmost sorrow sketched in her eyes. "Namarië*," with that word, she turned away, sending the final shock to the Elf Lord. He stood there paralyzed with Arwen sobbing miserably in his arms as the last spark of Galadriel disappeared into the wood.

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A/N:

1. Words spoken in thought are marked with '...' while a loudly spoken words are marked with "..."

2. translation:

*heri = Lady. (Sindarin)

*mahtar aranel Valinorwa = warrior Princess of Valinor. ( I will) explain why he used Quenya instead of Sindarin in next chapters).

*Inye tye-mela, vessenya = I love you, my wife. I cannot find "I love you" in Sindarin though they should have spoken in Sindarin.

*namarie = (do I have to translate this?) farewell.

3. I skipped the part when Arwen was kidnapped because I think it is not significant. Hope you don't mind.

Thank for alliwantisanelfforchristmas for beta reading!