"One of the Nazgûl you say Aragorn?" Elrond asked the Ranger sprawling on
the cushioned chair who held his head in his hands.
"I do not understand." He replied. "That flood that you, Kathryn and Arwen summoned should have scattered them for miles, or at least rendered them horseless and without form."
Elrond strode to the window, looking out to the seemingly peaceful valley of Rivendell. Fingering the ring Vilya, he wondered at how a shadow could have entered this place. But it had, and his niece was forfeit for his oversight.
"We assumed too much." He intoned, turning round to face the gathering of people in the room. "I assumed too much."
"Do not put blame to anyone, Elrond, least of all yourself. Even us, the Wise, cannot always tell." Gandalf spoke from the other side of the room. "Put instead your mind to the task at hand. Did we see all nine of the riders before they began their crossing of the Bruinen?"
Elrond spun to face him. "You think the Witch King withheld from the confrontation?"
"It is possible." Gandalf hooked his pipe to the side of his mouth.
"Kathryn may be in the His hands? The speed of their mounts is infamous; they could be beyond the Misty Mountains by now."
"Nay my Lord Elrond." Aragorn spoke. "The passes are blocked still with Winter's snow. There may be hope yet. I am not sure if even the Witch King would risk passing so close to Isengard."
"Saruman showed an interest in Kathryn even without the knowledge of who she was." Gandalf advised, then suddenly he ended his musings and took the pipe from his mouth. "Now I understand." He declared. "I know now why and how the Witch King showed interest in her. The former is a trifle obvious, but the latter I only now understand."
Elrond's eyes widened. "You think when she healed Frodo.?"
"My exact thoughts Elrond. I think Kathryn encountered more than buried evil from the Morgûl Blade." Standing up, he leaned on his staff. "I did not heed it when she first came to - she seemed merry and healed - but as ever, now I look back I remember the traces of fire in her eyes. I believe she encountered Sauron in her battle to save Frodo."
"By the Valar!" Aragorn cried, taking his hands from his head.
"He cannot yet take physical form but his spirit has lost none of his potency; and in Kathryn's mind they met. And his eye pierced her soul, and I fear now that he knew. He knew her heritage before the time is ripe, and now he has responded."
"She will be taken to Mordor." Aragorn said quietly.
"But not yet." A woman's voice entered the room, ahead of its owner. Arwen stepped forward clad in dark blue, her grey eyes were like mist, holding water but not letting it fall. "Lû ennas. Boe ammen ed-leitham rochyn hen gedi (There is time. We should send out riders to find her)."
"Yé, pen garir hen gedi, dan i Ulaer.(Yes, anyone can look for her, but the Ringwraith.)"
"Boe ammen nad caro (Something must be done)!" Arwen said desperately, looking around the room. "Ai anman tithen? Toltho mellyn hen (Why so few? Summon her friends)!"
"Men mellyn hen; dan bedathon muindyr lin a Legolas (We are her friends; but I will go find your brothers and Legolas)." Aragorn said to her.
"Dartho guin hain. Bedon mellyn hen tiri (Stay with them. I will go look for her friends)."
"Be iest lîn (By your wish)." He nodded, allowing a slight smile to escape his lips. She passed out of the room, as graceful as the air that wreathed through the pillars of the room. "Regardless." Aragorn continued, standing up. "We will have to be quick. This plan was made twofold: to take her, and to stall us. We will have to leave soon." The words brought pain to him, and he did not know if he could leave with his cousin in such a predicament.
"I do not understand." He replied. "That flood that you, Kathryn and Arwen summoned should have scattered them for miles, or at least rendered them horseless and without form."
Elrond strode to the window, looking out to the seemingly peaceful valley of Rivendell. Fingering the ring Vilya, he wondered at how a shadow could have entered this place. But it had, and his niece was forfeit for his oversight.
"We assumed too much." He intoned, turning round to face the gathering of people in the room. "I assumed too much."
"Do not put blame to anyone, Elrond, least of all yourself. Even us, the Wise, cannot always tell." Gandalf spoke from the other side of the room. "Put instead your mind to the task at hand. Did we see all nine of the riders before they began their crossing of the Bruinen?"
Elrond spun to face him. "You think the Witch King withheld from the confrontation?"
"It is possible." Gandalf hooked his pipe to the side of his mouth.
"Kathryn may be in the His hands? The speed of their mounts is infamous; they could be beyond the Misty Mountains by now."
"Nay my Lord Elrond." Aragorn spoke. "The passes are blocked still with Winter's snow. There may be hope yet. I am not sure if even the Witch King would risk passing so close to Isengard."
"Saruman showed an interest in Kathryn even without the knowledge of who she was." Gandalf advised, then suddenly he ended his musings and took the pipe from his mouth. "Now I understand." He declared. "I know now why and how the Witch King showed interest in her. The former is a trifle obvious, but the latter I only now understand."
Elrond's eyes widened. "You think when she healed Frodo.?"
"My exact thoughts Elrond. I think Kathryn encountered more than buried evil from the Morgûl Blade." Standing up, he leaned on his staff. "I did not heed it when she first came to - she seemed merry and healed - but as ever, now I look back I remember the traces of fire in her eyes. I believe she encountered Sauron in her battle to save Frodo."
"By the Valar!" Aragorn cried, taking his hands from his head.
"He cannot yet take physical form but his spirit has lost none of his potency; and in Kathryn's mind they met. And his eye pierced her soul, and I fear now that he knew. He knew her heritage before the time is ripe, and now he has responded."
"She will be taken to Mordor." Aragorn said quietly.
"But not yet." A woman's voice entered the room, ahead of its owner. Arwen stepped forward clad in dark blue, her grey eyes were like mist, holding water but not letting it fall. "Lû ennas. Boe ammen ed-leitham rochyn hen gedi (There is time. We should send out riders to find her)."
"Yé, pen garir hen gedi, dan i Ulaer.(Yes, anyone can look for her, but the Ringwraith.)"
"Boe ammen nad caro (Something must be done)!" Arwen said desperately, looking around the room. "Ai anman tithen? Toltho mellyn hen (Why so few? Summon her friends)!"
"Men mellyn hen; dan bedathon muindyr lin a Legolas (We are her friends; but I will go find your brothers and Legolas)." Aragorn said to her.
"Dartho guin hain. Bedon mellyn hen tiri (Stay with them. I will go look for her friends)."
"Be iest lîn (By your wish)." He nodded, allowing a slight smile to escape his lips. She passed out of the room, as graceful as the air that wreathed through the pillars of the room. "Regardless." Aragorn continued, standing up. "We will have to be quick. This plan was made twofold: to take her, and to stall us. We will have to leave soon." The words brought pain to him, and he did not know if he could leave with his cousin in such a predicament.