The morning came quickly for me and I awoke with a start. Earendil grazed
beside where I lay and I sighed and laid back down. I sighed again and
looked at my companion. Arwen had slept beside me and was still resting.
That was good because the elven maiden hadn't had enough rest the last few
days on our journey. She had been troubled by such things that she had
isolated herself from the group; even her father. I felt sorry for her but
since Arwen wouldn't talk to me, I didn't feel like I could help her at
all. I hated that feeling, the feeling that you can't do anything, and that
whatever you're doing isn't helping.
I slowly sat up, knowing that I was well rested and couldn't lie down any longer. I got up and began to rub Earendil down. He whinnied softly and nuzzled my shoulder with his velvety nose. I smiled at him and patted his neck. A soft shadow fell upon Earendil's strong shoulders. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out who it was. Sometimes, I was able to for see things, just a little, though nothing like Elrond. But this time, I couldn't make out who it was. I tilted my head slightly to the right and caught a glimpse of silvery green. I grinned and turned to greet Elrohir. But it wasn't him. It was his identical twin brother, Elladan. I almost jumped out of my skin.
'Oh,' I said. 'I thought you were Elrohir.' Elladan nodded and looked the other direction.
'Well,' he said. 'I just wanted to ask you how my sister faired.do you think that she's going to be ok? I know that my father wishes her to go with him to Valinor.but she seems absolutely set on staying here, with Aragorn."
"I don't know how she fairs..she won't really talk to me much, if any."
Elladan nodded. "I know. She won't talk to me either." He turned and left. I sat there, patting Earendil, wondering if Arwen really was all right or not.
Later....
Arwen was up now and was packing her bag. I went to help her. I was loading my saddlebag on Earendil when Galadriel look towards us with a worried expression on her face. A few minutes later, an Elf rode into site and pulled Elrond and his sons over to the side to talk with them. Arwen and I looked curiously on to the conversation, not knowing what they were talking about. Galadriel listened from where she was and kept looking at Arwen. She then came towards us.
'Arwen, Aragron needs help and your brothers are leaving to go into the North with his kinsmen.' I stared blankly at Galadriel. Who was Aragron? Then I remembered. Arwen's face had gone white and she looked truly terrified.
'Is he in battle?' she whispered
'Not yet.'
'They have to go now?'
'Yes, I'm afraid so. Arwen, you must be strong!" Arwen nodded, then turned and ran into the trees. I looked at Galadriel. "She needs someone right now, Anodien. Go and talk with her."
"Yes m'lady." I ran in the direction that Arwen had gone, but found no sign of her anywhere. I came to the edge of the river and I stopped. I sat there for a while, with my knees draw to my chest and I rocked. I always did this when my heart was troubled, because it seemed to ease the pain.
After the sun sank behind the treetops, when the last bit of light is still shining pink and orange, I felt a presents drawing near. I turned slightly and saw Arwen approaching me. I didn't look at her when she sat down beside me. We sat in an awkward silence for a time.
'I haven't really talked to anyone very much about how I'm feeling. I miss Aragorn very much and I fear for him. Now both of my brothers are gone and I feel all alone.' Arewn said.
I stared at her. She felt all alone? She wouldn't even talk to anyone! Her father and I had tried to talk to her but she never answered us. She fears for Aragron? I can understand that, but how could she find the courage to say that to my face? Didn't she know everything I had had to go through? I knew I was being self centered but we had all tried to help her, yet she hadn't accepted it.
She went on. 'I feared for my father when he went off to fight in the battle about two thousand years ago and you may not know but this was the great battle between Sauron and the alliance of men and Elves.' I couldn't hold it in any longer.
'Arwen, I know! I was alive when it happened!'
Arwen looked up, startled. 'Well, of course you where alive, I was just stating all I had heard about it and.'
'You don't remember it and you're trying to tell me about it from what you heard about it? I'm sorry for being rude and self centered, Arwen, but I was in Rivendell at the time when your father and grandfather gathered together the elvish men who were willing to fight. My father was one of them and he took me with him to Lorien to set off from that point. I was there the day he left and I remember what he said to me the day he left. I was there and I remember. No one told me what they had heard about it. I saw my father ride away with the rest of the elven part of the alliance and I was there, waiting for him to come back to me!' I bowed my head, realizing that I had just yelled at one of the most honored, wise and beautiful elven princesses. 'I humbly ask your pardon, Arwen. I did not mean to be so bold as to try to prove you wrong. It was very wrong of me to yell at you.I hope that you will accept my apology.'
I glanced at the maiden and she stared at me and then said, 'No wrong has been done by you for I know that you were there and know more upon this matter than I do. Even so, I accept your apology. But pray, if you will, continue with your story, um.I mean, what did your father say?'
I was surprised that she actually wanted to hear what had happened to me. I cocked my head and continued slowly.
'He said, "Do not worry about me, daughter. I'll come back, Anodien. I promise you. I will come back for you, my morning star."' I breathed deeply and felt a tear fall across my face.
'What happened next?' Arwen asked me.
' He didn't come. A lot of the other he-Elves returned but my father was missing. I searched every unit that came in for any word from him. Finally the last unit came in. It was my last hope. I looked at the faces of each man but not one of them was my father's. I asked someone if he had known my father. He said, "Why would it matter to you?" I replied, "Because I am his daughter and I have a right to know!" He looked sadly at me and finally told me, "I'm sorry, he told me to tell you that he was sorry he hadn't kept his promise and would meet you went you came across the sea."'
I slowly sat up, knowing that I was well rested and couldn't lie down any longer. I got up and began to rub Earendil down. He whinnied softly and nuzzled my shoulder with his velvety nose. I smiled at him and patted his neck. A soft shadow fell upon Earendil's strong shoulders. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out who it was. Sometimes, I was able to for see things, just a little, though nothing like Elrond. But this time, I couldn't make out who it was. I tilted my head slightly to the right and caught a glimpse of silvery green. I grinned and turned to greet Elrohir. But it wasn't him. It was his identical twin brother, Elladan. I almost jumped out of my skin.
'Oh,' I said. 'I thought you were Elrohir.' Elladan nodded and looked the other direction.
'Well,' he said. 'I just wanted to ask you how my sister faired.do you think that she's going to be ok? I know that my father wishes her to go with him to Valinor.but she seems absolutely set on staying here, with Aragorn."
"I don't know how she fairs..she won't really talk to me much, if any."
Elladan nodded. "I know. She won't talk to me either." He turned and left. I sat there, patting Earendil, wondering if Arwen really was all right or not.
Later....
Arwen was up now and was packing her bag. I went to help her. I was loading my saddlebag on Earendil when Galadriel look towards us with a worried expression on her face. A few minutes later, an Elf rode into site and pulled Elrond and his sons over to the side to talk with them. Arwen and I looked curiously on to the conversation, not knowing what they were talking about. Galadriel listened from where she was and kept looking at Arwen. She then came towards us.
'Arwen, Aragron needs help and your brothers are leaving to go into the North with his kinsmen.' I stared blankly at Galadriel. Who was Aragron? Then I remembered. Arwen's face had gone white and she looked truly terrified.
'Is he in battle?' she whispered
'Not yet.'
'They have to go now?'
'Yes, I'm afraid so. Arwen, you must be strong!" Arwen nodded, then turned and ran into the trees. I looked at Galadriel. "She needs someone right now, Anodien. Go and talk with her."
"Yes m'lady." I ran in the direction that Arwen had gone, but found no sign of her anywhere. I came to the edge of the river and I stopped. I sat there for a while, with my knees draw to my chest and I rocked. I always did this when my heart was troubled, because it seemed to ease the pain.
After the sun sank behind the treetops, when the last bit of light is still shining pink and orange, I felt a presents drawing near. I turned slightly and saw Arwen approaching me. I didn't look at her when she sat down beside me. We sat in an awkward silence for a time.
'I haven't really talked to anyone very much about how I'm feeling. I miss Aragorn very much and I fear for him. Now both of my brothers are gone and I feel all alone.' Arewn said.
I stared at her. She felt all alone? She wouldn't even talk to anyone! Her father and I had tried to talk to her but she never answered us. She fears for Aragron? I can understand that, but how could she find the courage to say that to my face? Didn't she know everything I had had to go through? I knew I was being self centered but we had all tried to help her, yet she hadn't accepted it.
She went on. 'I feared for my father when he went off to fight in the battle about two thousand years ago and you may not know but this was the great battle between Sauron and the alliance of men and Elves.' I couldn't hold it in any longer.
'Arwen, I know! I was alive when it happened!'
Arwen looked up, startled. 'Well, of course you where alive, I was just stating all I had heard about it and.'
'You don't remember it and you're trying to tell me about it from what you heard about it? I'm sorry for being rude and self centered, Arwen, but I was in Rivendell at the time when your father and grandfather gathered together the elvish men who were willing to fight. My father was one of them and he took me with him to Lorien to set off from that point. I was there the day he left and I remember what he said to me the day he left. I was there and I remember. No one told me what they had heard about it. I saw my father ride away with the rest of the elven part of the alliance and I was there, waiting for him to come back to me!' I bowed my head, realizing that I had just yelled at one of the most honored, wise and beautiful elven princesses. 'I humbly ask your pardon, Arwen. I did not mean to be so bold as to try to prove you wrong. It was very wrong of me to yell at you.I hope that you will accept my apology.'
I glanced at the maiden and she stared at me and then said, 'No wrong has been done by you for I know that you were there and know more upon this matter than I do. Even so, I accept your apology. But pray, if you will, continue with your story, um.I mean, what did your father say?'
I was surprised that she actually wanted to hear what had happened to me. I cocked my head and continued slowly.
'He said, "Do not worry about me, daughter. I'll come back, Anodien. I promise you. I will come back for you, my morning star."' I breathed deeply and felt a tear fall across my face.
'What happened next?' Arwen asked me.
' He didn't come. A lot of the other he-Elves returned but my father was missing. I searched every unit that came in for any word from him. Finally the last unit came in. It was my last hope. I looked at the faces of each man but not one of them was my father's. I asked someone if he had known my father. He said, "Why would it matter to you?" I replied, "Because I am his daughter and I have a right to know!" He looked sadly at me and finally told me, "I'm sorry, he told me to tell you that he was sorry he hadn't kept his promise and would meet you went you came across the sea."'