One: A Council With Elrond
"Uncle Elrond." Lostiathwen tried not to show that he'd startled her. Her acute sense of hearing seemed to have failed her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, exactly," Elrond hesitated. "But I would like to talk with you, my niece. Arwen and I have been concerned about you, as of late. Is something the matter?"
Lostiathwen's brow furrowed as she tried to think of why he was worried. She had been distracted, but not enough to be concerned about, she thought. "No, I'm fine," she replied honestly.
Elrond did not appear convinced. "You're not worried about war or what will happen with the ring, are you? Because you will be safe, my child. I wish to send you and Arwen to the Undying Lands."
The woman froze, dismay in her heart. Wherever Legolas was, it was not the Undying Lands. She would be even more isolated from him there. "The ring weighs heavily on my heart," she answered slowly, "but it is not a cause of too much worry for me. I trust that the Fellowship will deal with it properly."
Elrond was becoming impatient; he sighed deeply. "I have received news that makes me doubt the Fellowship, but that is another matter. You have not been yourself, and that troubles me. Please, tell me what has changed you since the council."
Lostiathwen could not lie. Elrond would know. She looked down as she spoke, knowing that what she had to say would sound frivolous to her uncle. "Since the council, Legolas Greenleaf has been in my dreams and on my mind all day. I think these dreams mean something; I'm just not sure what." She looked earnestly at him and waited to hear what he would say.
It took Elrond a moment to digest her words; he was not thrilled with them. "I thought you had a more sensible head on your shoulders, Lostiathwen," was all the wise elf could think of to say. Elves are not the most practical of creatures, but his niece was not prone to such fits of shallowness.
Lostiathwen could not bear to see him reduce her dilemma to nothing. "You know as well as I that dreams can be powerful signs."
"Yes," Elrond admitted, "but they can also be the hopes of an enamored Elven princess. If your dreams involved a Rivendell elf, I might be more supportive, but a wood elf? And one who is on a quest to destroy the one ring? Don't be ridiculous, niece. This cannot work."
Lostiathwen's eyes filled with tears, which she hastily tried to blink away. "But.what if the quest if fulfilled, and Legolas and I meet again? Surely you do not expect the quest to fail?" She was frightened by the look in his eyes.
"For one, no, I do not wish for you to wed a Mirkwood elf. They are not of our kind. You are much more intelligent than any wood elf. That aside, I have received news that does make me doubt the success of the quest. The Fellowship is broken. Frodo and Samwise are taking the ring to Mordor. Boromir has been killed by Uruk-Hai." The woman's eyes widened, but he continued even though he knew she would soon be crying. "You already know that the wizard has fallen into shadow. And Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn have gone off towards the lands of Rohan in pursuit of the other two hobbits, who were taken by orcs."
A lone tear slid down Lostiathwen's cheek, but she made no move to brush it away. The news was overwhelming. Legolas was in danger in a land she had never heard of, and there was nothing she could do about it. She thought of brave Boromir sitting at the Council, and closed her eyes against the grief that ensued. Suddenly, knowing that the Fellowship was working to destroy the damnable ring could not comfort her. How could two hobbits, half her height, return the ring to it's fiery home?
Elrond saw her dismay and regretted the harshness with which he had delivered the news. His niece was so sensitive.and she so strongly believed that the ring would be brought to its proper end. Elrond was not so sure. He had been present when greedy men failed to destroy it, so how could the halflings perform the task?
"I hope Frodo has the strength to do it." Lostiathwen's voice shook as she voiced her thoughts.
"I wonder, but the hobbit is quite strong. To be pierced by the blade of a Nazgul and not pass into their world is quite a feat. Even with Elvish medicine, I was not sure he would survive. And yet, he continues on his journey to Mordor." Elrond looked at his niece; her eyes were closed in contemplation, her face more wan than usual.
Elrond cleared his throat. "This is all extremely important, yet you are going to set out on a journey that will be just as important for you, Lostiathwen. Perhaps it will help you forget this dream nonsense."
The elf maiden started at him blankly, her eyes dull. She had just received too much news to fully comprehend; what did he mean? No matter what, she doubted that it could make her forget Legolas. "Uncle Elrond?"
"You are going to travel to Lothlorien. These are dangerous times, but Arwen shall accompany you. It will be good for both of you. Galadriel has summoned you to the Wood."
"Why?" She had not seen Galadriel in years. "She wishes to give you her ring of power before she departs for the Undying Lands."
"Uncle Elrond." Lostiathwen tried not to show that he'd startled her. Her acute sense of hearing seemed to have failed her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, exactly," Elrond hesitated. "But I would like to talk with you, my niece. Arwen and I have been concerned about you, as of late. Is something the matter?"
Lostiathwen's brow furrowed as she tried to think of why he was worried. She had been distracted, but not enough to be concerned about, she thought. "No, I'm fine," she replied honestly.
Elrond did not appear convinced. "You're not worried about war or what will happen with the ring, are you? Because you will be safe, my child. I wish to send you and Arwen to the Undying Lands."
The woman froze, dismay in her heart. Wherever Legolas was, it was not the Undying Lands. She would be even more isolated from him there. "The ring weighs heavily on my heart," she answered slowly, "but it is not a cause of too much worry for me. I trust that the Fellowship will deal with it properly."
Elrond was becoming impatient; he sighed deeply. "I have received news that makes me doubt the Fellowship, but that is another matter. You have not been yourself, and that troubles me. Please, tell me what has changed you since the council."
Lostiathwen could not lie. Elrond would know. She looked down as she spoke, knowing that what she had to say would sound frivolous to her uncle. "Since the council, Legolas Greenleaf has been in my dreams and on my mind all day. I think these dreams mean something; I'm just not sure what." She looked earnestly at him and waited to hear what he would say.
It took Elrond a moment to digest her words; he was not thrilled with them. "I thought you had a more sensible head on your shoulders, Lostiathwen," was all the wise elf could think of to say. Elves are not the most practical of creatures, but his niece was not prone to such fits of shallowness.
Lostiathwen could not bear to see him reduce her dilemma to nothing. "You know as well as I that dreams can be powerful signs."
"Yes," Elrond admitted, "but they can also be the hopes of an enamored Elven princess. If your dreams involved a Rivendell elf, I might be more supportive, but a wood elf? And one who is on a quest to destroy the one ring? Don't be ridiculous, niece. This cannot work."
Lostiathwen's eyes filled with tears, which she hastily tried to blink away. "But.what if the quest if fulfilled, and Legolas and I meet again? Surely you do not expect the quest to fail?" She was frightened by the look in his eyes.
"For one, no, I do not wish for you to wed a Mirkwood elf. They are not of our kind. You are much more intelligent than any wood elf. That aside, I have received news that does make me doubt the success of the quest. The Fellowship is broken. Frodo and Samwise are taking the ring to Mordor. Boromir has been killed by Uruk-Hai." The woman's eyes widened, but he continued even though he knew she would soon be crying. "You already know that the wizard has fallen into shadow. And Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn have gone off towards the lands of Rohan in pursuit of the other two hobbits, who were taken by orcs."
A lone tear slid down Lostiathwen's cheek, but she made no move to brush it away. The news was overwhelming. Legolas was in danger in a land she had never heard of, and there was nothing she could do about it. She thought of brave Boromir sitting at the Council, and closed her eyes against the grief that ensued. Suddenly, knowing that the Fellowship was working to destroy the damnable ring could not comfort her. How could two hobbits, half her height, return the ring to it's fiery home?
Elrond saw her dismay and regretted the harshness with which he had delivered the news. His niece was so sensitive.and she so strongly believed that the ring would be brought to its proper end. Elrond was not so sure. He had been present when greedy men failed to destroy it, so how could the halflings perform the task?
"I hope Frodo has the strength to do it." Lostiathwen's voice shook as she voiced her thoughts.
"I wonder, but the hobbit is quite strong. To be pierced by the blade of a Nazgul and not pass into their world is quite a feat. Even with Elvish medicine, I was not sure he would survive. And yet, he continues on his journey to Mordor." Elrond looked at his niece; her eyes were closed in contemplation, her face more wan than usual.
Elrond cleared his throat. "This is all extremely important, yet you are going to set out on a journey that will be just as important for you, Lostiathwen. Perhaps it will help you forget this dream nonsense."
The elf maiden started at him blankly, her eyes dull. She had just received too much news to fully comprehend; what did he mean? No matter what, she doubted that it could make her forget Legolas. "Uncle Elrond?"
"You are going to travel to Lothlorien. These are dangerous times, but Arwen shall accompany you. It will be good for both of you. Galadriel has summoned you to the Wood."
"Why?" She had not seen Galadriel in years. "She wishes to give you her ring of power before she departs for the Undying Lands."
