Part 7:
"I wonder," said Frodo. "It's my doom, I think, to go to that Shadow yonder, so that a way will be found. But will good or evil show it to me? What hope we had was in speed. Delay plays into the Enemy's hands - and here I am: delayed. Is it the will of the Dark Tower that steers us? All my choices have proved ill. I should have left the Company long before, and come down from the North, east of the River and of the Emyn Muil, and so over the hard of the Battle Plain to the passes of Mordor."
Frodo Baggins, "The Taming of Sméagol." [The Two Towers]
****
A few hours after being introduced to Master Elrond of Rivendell and his daughter, a very troubled Sam Carter walked quietly down an untouched, mossy pathway, her hands reaching out to brush the vibrant pearly green branches that flanked her in the garden. At her side, the Lady Arwen was as silent as she was, but Sam guessed for a completely different reason. The meeting with her father had not gone well and at Arwen's offer, Sam had jumped at the chance to take a break from the elf's persistent questions for a stroll outside.
From the sympathetic glance she had shot Sam's way, the blonde realised Arwen must have felt sorry for her, having knowing how stern her father could be. Not knowing how that really made her feel, Sam just gave a mental shake of her head and pushed the thought aside. She was grateful for what the beautiful, dark elf had done for her, and she wasn't about to spoil that by picking a fight on a matter of pride.
But truthfully, Sam didn't blame Elrond for any of the questions he had asked her over the past few hours, or held any resentment towards the narrowed, suspicious glances he had pinned on her. She knew why he was doing it, and knew that if she were in the same position, she would act the same way. In fact, she had on many occasions. He was only doing it in order to protect not only his kind, but also the world that he knew to be his own. Elrond was mighty among his people, but as a powerful elf he had the responsibilities of many other races on his shoulders.
To have a peculiar, pregnant woman with no kin and no ties to Middle-Earth appear out of nowhere and be thrust into the world of the elves, it could spell danger to all that they knew and considered the normal ways of the world. Sam wasn't foolish enough to believe that the story she had told Gandalf, Galadriel and the others would be accepted by the elvish population as calmly as her new friends had accepted it.
That was, in fact, one of the main points that Elrond had bluntly informed Sam, and he had made sure that she had understood everything he was and wasn't saying in that statement. He had told her that he was in no way the only elvish Lord who was curious about her claims and were making the long journeys through Middle-Earth to behold her. Many others had already sent heralds to the Lady of Lothlórien announcing their intended arrival in her lands.
For the time being, Elrond and Celeborn had decided to keep her identity hidden from the other powerful races, such as the Dwarves and the Men of Rohan and Gondor. Even though there was no doubt that Sam was of the race of Men, however distantly, they thought it best that they get it sorted out amongst the elves first before the others found out the situation surrounding her arrival in Lothlórien, if they ever did.
Sam didn't know how she felt about all the attention. On one hand, it was good that her new friends stood by her and she knew without a doubt that they would protect her, if any of the new arrivals suddenly decided she was too much of a threat to keep around. Not, of course, that she expected them to, for elves were mostly pacifistic by nature. And if the rest of them were anything like Elrond, then she didn't think she had anything to fear, apart from being bored to tears by all the questions they demanded the answers for.
But now, as she felt the telltale prickling sensation at the back of her neck, Sam turned her head to the side slightly and caught Arwen looking at her in the same way. Both woman blushed instantly at being caught and immediately looked away, but it seemed the damage had already been done, so to speak, for it wasn't long before Sam found herself letting out a faint chuckle of amusement at their actions.
Looking at the dark, elvish princess again to gage her reaction, Sam wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her sensual, elegant lips curving up into a smile.
She would have a wicked sense of humor, this one, Sam mused to herself. Knowing that she would have to be the one to break the ice, Sam reached across and lightly placed her hand on Arwen's pearly white arm. The elf jerked slightly at the contact and Sam winced, wondering if that was the wrong thing to do. The only elvish female she had had much contact with was Galadriel and she didn't seem to have a problem with contact. But dwelling on that thought for a moment, Sam realised just how different the two woman were, and put it down to that.
"Sorry," Sam said lightly, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. But Arwen just shook her head firmly, causing her dark, braided hair to flit over her forehead.
"No, Lady Samantha. 'Tis me, I know, and I apologize." The dusky eyed woman gave a great sigh of regret as they continued to walk through the garden, heading towards the direction of the river. Looking down at the ground as they walked, Arwen quietly admitted, "My father says I have lacked female companionship for too long as it is." At Sam's slightly confused look she gave a kind smile and tried to explain.
"My mother died when I was quite young, by elvish standards, that is, and I have spent the majority of my time living here, with my grandparents." With that, Arwen looked up and spread her eyes about the splendor of Lothlórien. Instantly, Sam was struck by the similarities of the tender expression she saw there in Arwen's eyes to the one in Aragorn's just months before.
It was then that Sam finally realised just how much this place meant to not only the people who lived here but also those who had only just set eyes on it. Both Arwen and Aragorn obviously considered Lothlórien their home just as much as she now did.
Not looking at Sam, Arwen closed her eyes and smiled peacefully. "It has been too long since I was last in Lórien, and it is you that I must thank for bring me home." Sam smirked at the elf's words; amused that she would see it like that.
"It is only now that I know how very much I have missed it." Opening her eyes slowly, she regarded Sam sincerely. "My father's house of Rivendell is a wonder, no doubt, and it has its own charms, but Lothlórien." slowly, the woman broke off with a sheepish smile.
But Sam only laughed. "You sound exactly as Aragorn did, when talking of this place," she told Arwen truthfully, shaking her head. "If it was another place you were talking about, then I would probably have to disagree with you, my lady, for mark my words, I have seen some astounding places in my travels. But on this, I will agree with you wholeheartedly."
Turning her head to flash Arwen a smile, Sam was instead startled to find the dark elf regarding her keenly. "You have spoken with Aragorn about this?" she asked, her voice curious, but not alarmed in any way. For this Sam gave a mental sigh, for she did not want to be the cause of any lovers quarrel between the two.
Nodding hesitantly, Sam made sure her tone was firm, yet respectful as she answered the elvish princess. "Yes, my lady, Aragorn and I have had many a long talk in these gardens." Seeing that Arwen was about to speak, Sam rushed on ahead. "But only in the name of friendship, I assure you. Aragorn was a very good companion of mine during his time here, but nothing else."
Taking a deep breath, she stole a look at Arwen's face and was relieved to find her smiling. "Do not fear, Lady Samantha, I do not question your virtue nor Aragorn's loyalty to me." She lay a reassuring hand on Sam's arm. "I am glad you have become friends, there is nothing I would have liked greater. And from what My Lord has said to me on the matter, and from seeing you now, it had done the both of you a world of good."
Astonished, Sam stopped walking and turned to her new companion. "You have spoken to him?" her words came out urgent; hungry for information on the welfare of her two friends. Arwen nodded in silent approval as she noticed this, but Sam didn't comment.
"Indeed I have. He came with the Wizard, Gandalf, to my father's home not two weeks past, bearing news of your arrival in my grandparent's house, and further information of the creature Gollum, but that is another matter entirely. I bring with me his kind regards for you and your babe, and a gift for you both with is presently being guarded by a trusted friend."
Dazed, Sam stumbled as they continued walking once again, trying to digest this news. Finally, she asked in a concerned tone, "They were well?" and to this, Arwen nodded her dark head.
"They were. Only tired and in need of a good, long bath." Smiling, Arwen told Sam as they started to climb a small hill that flanked the mighty river that flowed beside the Lórien woods, "They head towards the Shire, I believe, to the Hobbits." At that, the dark elf's eye's grew dark with anger so suddenly that Sam was startled and stared at her new friend, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong to bring that fury to her eyes.
"There is a evil there that clutches the cheerful Hobbits in its grasp as we speak, even though they are blissfully unaware of it. Gandalf, at least, can come and go from the Shire as he pleases, for he has long been a friend of those happy people, but the others.that is Aragorn and the Dúnadan Rangers, they protect them from the Shadows, hidden by the trees and the darkness, guarding their happy little lives with their own, under no one's orders, just for the love they have for those small people."
At this, Arwen shook her head at the irony of the situation. "How much as Gandalf told you about the matter of the Ring?" she asked abruptly, but merely curious it seemed.
Racking her brain, Sam answered truthfully. "A bit, my lady." Then she shrugged her shoulders. "He and Aragorn did not see any point hiding it from me when I was around them so much anyway, so I know all about Gollum and the Ring." Then she frowned. "Gandalf told me about the Baggins; Bilbo and Frodo, although, there are some bits there that I admit I don't quite understand."
"Also, I will be the first to say that most of this sounds very unrealistic, and fantastical, to a person of my background, even though there is no way it should considering what I used to face on a weekly basis." Sam gave a little, dry laugh that was void of all humor.
"Indeed?" Arwen asked her then, obviously curious. But it was only when they reached the top of the small hill that Sam answered the elf princess, as she stared out onto to the mountains that could be made out in the distance. For all the world, at that moment Sam would have sworn she was back in Colorado, surrounded by the mountains of her home. She closed her eyes, letting herself be swept away by the impossible for the faintest hint of a second then squeezed her hands into tight fisted balls at her side before forcing herself to open her eyes once more.
At that very moment, everything and everyone seemed so very far away.
"I didn't tell your father about this, my lady, so I ask for your word that you will keep it to yourself." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Sam took a deep breath, wondering if she had over stepped the boundaries with her remark. But the Lady Arwen just tilted her head to the side inquisitively and gestured for her to continue.
And so she did. For the next half an hour, Sam told the ageless elf about her travels through the stars and the gate. She let herself get caught up in her own tale, making herself revisit all that she had gone through over the part seven years with her friends and teammates as a way of comforting herself that no whatever happened, she would always remember the other life she had once lived. Knowing at the same time that she would never forget the people who had made it the adventure it had turned out to be.
The lovely Arwen sat there beside her on the grass on the top of the hill, silent as the night, letting Sam speak as she liked, but obviously filing every single word away into her pretty, dark head as they flowed from Sam's mouth. And for a being that had seen the comings of Ages like the tide, the rise and fall of cities and their people through her long life, she seemed completed enthralled by what she was hearing.
Her normal dusky, wise eyes grew wider as the time ticked by and she heard Sam talk of races of people more powerful than her own who seemingly lived in places not known to this side of creation. She mused over descriptions of the Stargate as Sam described them to her in detail at her request, wondering about the significance to the other powerful Rings of her world.
She laughed with the pregnant woman at her side who eagerly told of her dear friends' back home, and she learnt all about Daniel, Jonas, Janet, Hammond, Cassandra and the others. But it was when Sam started to talk about Jack O'Neill that Arwen finally discovered something which had been plaguing her mind almost since the first moment she had gotten a good look at the blonde mortal.
"He is the child's father, is he not?" she asked in a gentle tone, not wanting to upset the woman who was now looking out at the mountains again, her eyes wistful and full with a bare longing. Arwen wondered briefly what she saw out there in the wilderness. But at her softly spoken words, Sam jerked as if Arwen had just slapped her in the face and stared at the elf, blinking madly.
"How on earth did you know that?" Sam sounded completely bewildered, as if she hadn't realised how obvious she had been when talking about the earthly male.
At her reaction, Arwen couldn't help but give a tinkering laugh, clasping her pale hand to her breast. For the first time in longer than she cared to remember, but knowing it was since Aragorn had left Rivendell, she felt alive again. She felt vivid. Exhilarated. And she savored the feeling.
"It was obvious, dear lady," the elf told the blonde as she regarded her with an easy smile. "You should have seen your face!"
Somewhere deep inside her told Sam she should be feeling very embarrassed at this moment or sheepish at least, but strangely enough she found that she didn't. Instead, she arched an eyebrow and leaned forward ever so slightly, eagerly staring at the other woman.
"Really?" she asked, feeling a flock of butterflies take flight in her stomach and begin to soar up her body. She always had such a reaction when thinking of Jack O'Neill, she admitted to herself mentally. But she knew she would rather die than tell him so, his ego had grown to about the size of a house in those last few months anyway.
Arwen nodded her head in answer, then ducked it shyly, her eyes peaking out from between her braids at Sam. She looked like there was a question she wished to ask, but wondered if she should think better of it. Finally, she smiled boldly and leaned in towards Sam.
"What's it like?" she asked hesitantly. For a second Sam thought she was talking about being in love, then realised how silly that sounded for the elf princess has been in love with Aragorn for years. It was only when Arwen dropped her smoky eyes to Sam's middle that the younger woman realised just what she was referring to.
The whole area of marriage and children with the elves was one that Sam knew almost nothing about, but it was quite obvious that it held traditional values. From that, and Arwen's comment, Sam guessed that the elf wouldn't be having kids till she married. And whether they would be with Aragorn was yet to be seen.
"Being pregnant?" she asked unnecessarily, leaning back on her elbows. "It's okay, I guess. Although, I'm sure it's going to get worse the further I get along."
With that, Arwen gave a wistful sigh and looked down at the ground sadly. "I wouldn't know. Actually, I know almost nothing about childbearing, as silly as that may sound to you." Then she looked up at Sam suddenly, a brow raised. "I fact, I have never even seen a babe."
Sam wondered if it was possible to look shocked and baffled at the same time. "You've never seen a baby?" she asked incredulously, finding that hard to believe. "Come on, everyone's seen a baby before. They're everywhere."
But Arwen just shook her head. "But here they are not. Since I am the youngest of my kind there have been none to follow me. Even when Aragorn came to live in my father's house as a child, I had already left for Lothlórien by then."
Sam sat there, not knowing what to say, but thinking it all over in her head. It was only then that she realised that she hadn't actually seen any children at all in Lothlórien since she got there. Could Arwen be right? she wondered to herself, bewildered. But if that were true, that would mean.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," she asked slowly, "but wouldn't that be disastrous to your species?"
Arwen smiled at her inquisitiveness. "Indeed it would be, Samantha," she answered, "If we were intending to stay the way we are." Bringing a curious look to her own face, she asked in turn, "Gandalf must have told you about the Grey Havens, did he not?"
Confused, Sam just shook her head. Just when she thought she had the elves down pat, something like this came out of the woodwork and blew all her theories to hell.
The elf looked slightly surprised at this. "I wonder why," she murmured to her self before giving her shoulders a graceful flick. Then her face turned troubled at the notion that she was going against the Wizard's wishes by telling this mortal things that he obviously didn't think she ought to know at this time.
So it was the Lady Arwen who made the first move, causing Sam to lift her head upwards as the elf fluidly got her to feet, brushing off the grass from her green and ebony gown as she waited for her companion.
As she got to her feet a second later, Sam knew what Arwen was going to tell her was being brushed aside and she wondered why. What she was about to say was obviously important, there was no doubt about that. But how important could it be that she was being left out of the loop?
Shaking her head as questions started to swim through her brain, Sam turned back towards the palace as Arwen linked her arm through hers and started to lead them towards the trees. Neither of them spoke, but the silence wasn't awkward and for this Sam was thankful. She had had enough awkward moments to last her a lifetime and she didn't want to bring them with her here.
When they got back to the House, Sam was startled when Arwen walked right past the door they had left from and lead her around the back of the apartments to another door, this one with a huge sheet of glass in the middle. She pushed it open briskly and walked through, smiling at Sam when the woman looked at her inquisitively.
"Where are we?" Sam asked, her body tense and on guard. But Arwen just smiled brightly and looked around the airy, calming room fondly with her hands on her hips.
"These are my chambers when I am in Lothlórien. I brought you here because there is someone I would like you to meet." For the first time she seemingly realised that Sam was still standing by the door with her hands crossed over her chest, looking slightly wary.
"Please, have a seat." Arwen told the younger woman, trying to get her to relax. But Sam stayed where she was, not moving an inch. Arwen frowned at her odd behavior, gave her shoulder another flick of bafflement and took a seat. As the room grew silent, Sam used this time to scan the room quickly, wondering where this mysterious person was. She was so strung with tension by the time there was a faint knock on the wooden door that she felt her feet leave the ground as she jumped.
Spinning around to face the door as it opened, she was so expending Elrond or one of the others to walk through that she gave a small cry of surprise when she saw not Elrond at all, but a tall, lithe figure of a woman silently step through the fresh hold.
As Sam watched, the woman looked to Arwen instantly as if she was reassuring herself that she was actually there. She visibly relaxed her taut shoulders as she realized that the elf was quite safe and well. Then she turned her gaze to Sam's, and the two women stared at each other, both sizing each other up.
The new elf was obviously not from Lothlórien, if her hair meant anything. By her long, raven locks Sam guessed she had come from Rivendell with the others. Like Arwen, she had tall, elegant bearing and the same deep blue piecing gaze as the elvish princess. But that was where the similarities ended.
Even though Arwen was draped in a flowing, airy black and green gown, this woman was dressed as a warrior. There was no mistaking either her clothes or her stance. The pale olive leggings she wore hugged her every curve and as her eyes flicked lower Sam could see the long silver sword strapped to the woman's hip under the long black tunic she wore around her shoulders.
Her dark featured face set into a hard, grim expression as she took in Sam growing body and her elvish robes. Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman just stood there, staring at her with an eyebrow raised, as if she was waiting for Sam to speak.
The hell with her, Sam thought, and stubbornly kept her mouth shut as she rounded on Arwen. "Who is this?" she asked her new friend firmly, already feeling the dread well up in her body as she started to suspect just why this elf warrior was here.
But Arwen ignored her tone and stood up gracefully. Walking over to the stoic woman who was still standing there with her hard expression, looking to much like Teal'c for Sam comfort, Arwen put her hand lightly on the other woman's pale arm and said the introductions.
"Samantha, I would like you to meet my dear friend, Pènne of Rivendell. Pènne, this is your new charge, the Lady Samantha of Earth."
Charge??
What was this charge business? "Excuse me?" Sam asked politely, but with building anger boiling in her blood as she started to walk backwards towards the door. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and it didn't include standing around here being introduced to the woman who was going to become her bodyguard. No way!
She saw that Arwen was frowning at her tone and at her feet as she slowly shuffled backwards. Taking a step towards her retreating figure, she lifted up her hand in her direction as she tried to explain.
"Before we left Rivendell, it was decided that it would be best if you had someone stay close to you at all times." Then she gave a sympathetic smile. "You know as we as I, my friend, that if and when your location becomes known to the rest of the land that you could be put in considerable danger. These are dark times, Samantha, nobody knows how this could turn out."
She quickly shot a glance at Pènne's silent figure and Sam followed her gaze. Though the woman had now dropped her hands to her sides in a casual manner, Sam's militarily background told her that she was ready and willing to pounce on her if she even set one foot outside the door. Her cool blue eyes were following Sam's every movement with cat-like grace.
But Sam just shook her head. "I'm sorry, Arwen, but there is no way in hell I'm going to agree with this. My life before I came here was a lot more dangerous than this place seems to be and I sure as hell never had a bodyguard there, so I'm not going to start now."
And with that, she stiffly turned around and headed towards the door, to angry even to give a farewell and not caring if the Amazon behind her tried to pin her to the wall. But Arwen's next words stilled her feet on the spot.
"This was Gandalf's idea, Samantha. He was the one who brought it to my father." Arwen's tone was low and soft, as if she knew using that excuse was just about as low as she was willing to go.
Still with her back to them, Sam's breathing started to quicken at the full implication of Arwen's words. She didn't want to believe her old friend would go behind her back like this, but she had to be sure. Turning her head slightly, she whispered loud enough for the princess to hear, "Aragorn?"
Arwen's silence gave Sam the answer she needed and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly as her friends' betrayal washed over her like an angry wave.
"How could they," she murmured to herself, her voice dripping fury.
Nothing. They hadn't said one word about this to her before they left and the fact that they obviously didn't think she could protect herself and her baby was bad enough.
"I said no, Arwen. And nothing you say about those two is going to make me change my mind, so stop wasting your breath."
And with that she continued through the door, feeling the faint sense of satisfaction as the glass pane shattered to a thousand little pieces as she slammed it in her wake.
"I wonder," said Frodo. "It's my doom, I think, to go to that Shadow yonder, so that a way will be found. But will good or evil show it to me? What hope we had was in speed. Delay plays into the Enemy's hands - and here I am: delayed. Is it the will of the Dark Tower that steers us? All my choices have proved ill. I should have left the Company long before, and come down from the North, east of the River and of the Emyn Muil, and so over the hard of the Battle Plain to the passes of Mordor."
Frodo Baggins, "The Taming of Sméagol." [The Two Towers]
****
A few hours after being introduced to Master Elrond of Rivendell and his daughter, a very troubled Sam Carter walked quietly down an untouched, mossy pathway, her hands reaching out to brush the vibrant pearly green branches that flanked her in the garden. At her side, the Lady Arwen was as silent as she was, but Sam guessed for a completely different reason. The meeting with her father had not gone well and at Arwen's offer, Sam had jumped at the chance to take a break from the elf's persistent questions for a stroll outside.
From the sympathetic glance she had shot Sam's way, the blonde realised Arwen must have felt sorry for her, having knowing how stern her father could be. Not knowing how that really made her feel, Sam just gave a mental shake of her head and pushed the thought aside. She was grateful for what the beautiful, dark elf had done for her, and she wasn't about to spoil that by picking a fight on a matter of pride.
But truthfully, Sam didn't blame Elrond for any of the questions he had asked her over the past few hours, or held any resentment towards the narrowed, suspicious glances he had pinned on her. She knew why he was doing it, and knew that if she were in the same position, she would act the same way. In fact, she had on many occasions. He was only doing it in order to protect not only his kind, but also the world that he knew to be his own. Elrond was mighty among his people, but as a powerful elf he had the responsibilities of many other races on his shoulders.
To have a peculiar, pregnant woman with no kin and no ties to Middle-Earth appear out of nowhere and be thrust into the world of the elves, it could spell danger to all that they knew and considered the normal ways of the world. Sam wasn't foolish enough to believe that the story she had told Gandalf, Galadriel and the others would be accepted by the elvish population as calmly as her new friends had accepted it.
That was, in fact, one of the main points that Elrond had bluntly informed Sam, and he had made sure that she had understood everything he was and wasn't saying in that statement. He had told her that he was in no way the only elvish Lord who was curious about her claims and were making the long journeys through Middle-Earth to behold her. Many others had already sent heralds to the Lady of Lothlórien announcing their intended arrival in her lands.
For the time being, Elrond and Celeborn had decided to keep her identity hidden from the other powerful races, such as the Dwarves and the Men of Rohan and Gondor. Even though there was no doubt that Sam was of the race of Men, however distantly, they thought it best that they get it sorted out amongst the elves first before the others found out the situation surrounding her arrival in Lothlórien, if they ever did.
Sam didn't know how she felt about all the attention. On one hand, it was good that her new friends stood by her and she knew without a doubt that they would protect her, if any of the new arrivals suddenly decided she was too much of a threat to keep around. Not, of course, that she expected them to, for elves were mostly pacifistic by nature. And if the rest of them were anything like Elrond, then she didn't think she had anything to fear, apart from being bored to tears by all the questions they demanded the answers for.
But now, as she felt the telltale prickling sensation at the back of her neck, Sam turned her head to the side slightly and caught Arwen looking at her in the same way. Both woman blushed instantly at being caught and immediately looked away, but it seemed the damage had already been done, so to speak, for it wasn't long before Sam found herself letting out a faint chuckle of amusement at their actions.
Looking at the dark, elvish princess again to gage her reaction, Sam wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her sensual, elegant lips curving up into a smile.
She would have a wicked sense of humor, this one, Sam mused to herself. Knowing that she would have to be the one to break the ice, Sam reached across and lightly placed her hand on Arwen's pearly white arm. The elf jerked slightly at the contact and Sam winced, wondering if that was the wrong thing to do. The only elvish female she had had much contact with was Galadriel and she didn't seem to have a problem with contact. But dwelling on that thought for a moment, Sam realised just how different the two woman were, and put it down to that.
"Sorry," Sam said lightly, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. But Arwen just shook her head firmly, causing her dark, braided hair to flit over her forehead.
"No, Lady Samantha. 'Tis me, I know, and I apologize." The dusky eyed woman gave a great sigh of regret as they continued to walk through the garden, heading towards the direction of the river. Looking down at the ground as they walked, Arwen quietly admitted, "My father says I have lacked female companionship for too long as it is." At Sam's slightly confused look she gave a kind smile and tried to explain.
"My mother died when I was quite young, by elvish standards, that is, and I have spent the majority of my time living here, with my grandparents." With that, Arwen looked up and spread her eyes about the splendor of Lothlórien. Instantly, Sam was struck by the similarities of the tender expression she saw there in Arwen's eyes to the one in Aragorn's just months before.
It was then that Sam finally realised just how much this place meant to not only the people who lived here but also those who had only just set eyes on it. Both Arwen and Aragorn obviously considered Lothlórien their home just as much as she now did.
Not looking at Sam, Arwen closed her eyes and smiled peacefully. "It has been too long since I was last in Lórien, and it is you that I must thank for bring me home." Sam smirked at the elf's words; amused that she would see it like that.
"It is only now that I know how very much I have missed it." Opening her eyes slowly, she regarded Sam sincerely. "My father's house of Rivendell is a wonder, no doubt, and it has its own charms, but Lothlórien." slowly, the woman broke off with a sheepish smile.
But Sam only laughed. "You sound exactly as Aragorn did, when talking of this place," she told Arwen truthfully, shaking her head. "If it was another place you were talking about, then I would probably have to disagree with you, my lady, for mark my words, I have seen some astounding places in my travels. But on this, I will agree with you wholeheartedly."
Turning her head to flash Arwen a smile, Sam was instead startled to find the dark elf regarding her keenly. "You have spoken with Aragorn about this?" she asked, her voice curious, but not alarmed in any way. For this Sam gave a mental sigh, for she did not want to be the cause of any lovers quarrel between the two.
Nodding hesitantly, Sam made sure her tone was firm, yet respectful as she answered the elvish princess. "Yes, my lady, Aragorn and I have had many a long talk in these gardens." Seeing that Arwen was about to speak, Sam rushed on ahead. "But only in the name of friendship, I assure you. Aragorn was a very good companion of mine during his time here, but nothing else."
Taking a deep breath, she stole a look at Arwen's face and was relieved to find her smiling. "Do not fear, Lady Samantha, I do not question your virtue nor Aragorn's loyalty to me." She lay a reassuring hand on Sam's arm. "I am glad you have become friends, there is nothing I would have liked greater. And from what My Lord has said to me on the matter, and from seeing you now, it had done the both of you a world of good."
Astonished, Sam stopped walking and turned to her new companion. "You have spoken to him?" her words came out urgent; hungry for information on the welfare of her two friends. Arwen nodded in silent approval as she noticed this, but Sam didn't comment.
"Indeed I have. He came with the Wizard, Gandalf, to my father's home not two weeks past, bearing news of your arrival in my grandparent's house, and further information of the creature Gollum, but that is another matter entirely. I bring with me his kind regards for you and your babe, and a gift for you both with is presently being guarded by a trusted friend."
Dazed, Sam stumbled as they continued walking once again, trying to digest this news. Finally, she asked in a concerned tone, "They were well?" and to this, Arwen nodded her dark head.
"They were. Only tired and in need of a good, long bath." Smiling, Arwen told Sam as they started to climb a small hill that flanked the mighty river that flowed beside the Lórien woods, "They head towards the Shire, I believe, to the Hobbits." At that, the dark elf's eye's grew dark with anger so suddenly that Sam was startled and stared at her new friend, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong to bring that fury to her eyes.
"There is a evil there that clutches the cheerful Hobbits in its grasp as we speak, even though they are blissfully unaware of it. Gandalf, at least, can come and go from the Shire as he pleases, for he has long been a friend of those happy people, but the others.that is Aragorn and the Dúnadan Rangers, they protect them from the Shadows, hidden by the trees and the darkness, guarding their happy little lives with their own, under no one's orders, just for the love they have for those small people."
At this, Arwen shook her head at the irony of the situation. "How much as Gandalf told you about the matter of the Ring?" she asked abruptly, but merely curious it seemed.
Racking her brain, Sam answered truthfully. "A bit, my lady." Then she shrugged her shoulders. "He and Aragorn did not see any point hiding it from me when I was around them so much anyway, so I know all about Gollum and the Ring." Then she frowned. "Gandalf told me about the Baggins; Bilbo and Frodo, although, there are some bits there that I admit I don't quite understand."
"Also, I will be the first to say that most of this sounds very unrealistic, and fantastical, to a person of my background, even though there is no way it should considering what I used to face on a weekly basis." Sam gave a little, dry laugh that was void of all humor.
"Indeed?" Arwen asked her then, obviously curious. But it was only when they reached the top of the small hill that Sam answered the elf princess, as she stared out onto to the mountains that could be made out in the distance. For all the world, at that moment Sam would have sworn she was back in Colorado, surrounded by the mountains of her home. She closed her eyes, letting herself be swept away by the impossible for the faintest hint of a second then squeezed her hands into tight fisted balls at her side before forcing herself to open her eyes once more.
At that very moment, everything and everyone seemed so very far away.
"I didn't tell your father about this, my lady, so I ask for your word that you will keep it to yourself." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Sam took a deep breath, wondering if she had over stepped the boundaries with her remark. But the Lady Arwen just tilted her head to the side inquisitively and gestured for her to continue.
And so she did. For the next half an hour, Sam told the ageless elf about her travels through the stars and the gate. She let herself get caught up in her own tale, making herself revisit all that she had gone through over the part seven years with her friends and teammates as a way of comforting herself that no whatever happened, she would always remember the other life she had once lived. Knowing at the same time that she would never forget the people who had made it the adventure it had turned out to be.
The lovely Arwen sat there beside her on the grass on the top of the hill, silent as the night, letting Sam speak as she liked, but obviously filing every single word away into her pretty, dark head as they flowed from Sam's mouth. And for a being that had seen the comings of Ages like the tide, the rise and fall of cities and their people through her long life, she seemed completed enthralled by what she was hearing.
Her normal dusky, wise eyes grew wider as the time ticked by and she heard Sam talk of races of people more powerful than her own who seemingly lived in places not known to this side of creation. She mused over descriptions of the Stargate as Sam described them to her in detail at her request, wondering about the significance to the other powerful Rings of her world.
She laughed with the pregnant woman at her side who eagerly told of her dear friends' back home, and she learnt all about Daniel, Jonas, Janet, Hammond, Cassandra and the others. But it was when Sam started to talk about Jack O'Neill that Arwen finally discovered something which had been plaguing her mind almost since the first moment she had gotten a good look at the blonde mortal.
"He is the child's father, is he not?" she asked in a gentle tone, not wanting to upset the woman who was now looking out at the mountains again, her eyes wistful and full with a bare longing. Arwen wondered briefly what she saw out there in the wilderness. But at her softly spoken words, Sam jerked as if Arwen had just slapped her in the face and stared at the elf, blinking madly.
"How on earth did you know that?" Sam sounded completely bewildered, as if she hadn't realised how obvious she had been when talking about the earthly male.
At her reaction, Arwen couldn't help but give a tinkering laugh, clasping her pale hand to her breast. For the first time in longer than she cared to remember, but knowing it was since Aragorn had left Rivendell, she felt alive again. She felt vivid. Exhilarated. And she savored the feeling.
"It was obvious, dear lady," the elf told the blonde as she regarded her with an easy smile. "You should have seen your face!"
Somewhere deep inside her told Sam she should be feeling very embarrassed at this moment or sheepish at least, but strangely enough she found that she didn't. Instead, she arched an eyebrow and leaned forward ever so slightly, eagerly staring at the other woman.
"Really?" she asked, feeling a flock of butterflies take flight in her stomach and begin to soar up her body. She always had such a reaction when thinking of Jack O'Neill, she admitted to herself mentally. But she knew she would rather die than tell him so, his ego had grown to about the size of a house in those last few months anyway.
Arwen nodded her head in answer, then ducked it shyly, her eyes peaking out from between her braids at Sam. She looked like there was a question she wished to ask, but wondered if she should think better of it. Finally, she smiled boldly and leaned in towards Sam.
"What's it like?" she asked hesitantly. For a second Sam thought she was talking about being in love, then realised how silly that sounded for the elf princess has been in love with Aragorn for years. It was only when Arwen dropped her smoky eyes to Sam's middle that the younger woman realised just what she was referring to.
The whole area of marriage and children with the elves was one that Sam knew almost nothing about, but it was quite obvious that it held traditional values. From that, and Arwen's comment, Sam guessed that the elf wouldn't be having kids till she married. And whether they would be with Aragorn was yet to be seen.
"Being pregnant?" she asked unnecessarily, leaning back on her elbows. "It's okay, I guess. Although, I'm sure it's going to get worse the further I get along."
With that, Arwen gave a wistful sigh and looked down at the ground sadly. "I wouldn't know. Actually, I know almost nothing about childbearing, as silly as that may sound to you." Then she looked up at Sam suddenly, a brow raised. "I fact, I have never even seen a babe."
Sam wondered if it was possible to look shocked and baffled at the same time. "You've never seen a baby?" she asked incredulously, finding that hard to believe. "Come on, everyone's seen a baby before. They're everywhere."
But Arwen just shook her head. "But here they are not. Since I am the youngest of my kind there have been none to follow me. Even when Aragorn came to live in my father's house as a child, I had already left for Lothlórien by then."
Sam sat there, not knowing what to say, but thinking it all over in her head. It was only then that she realised that she hadn't actually seen any children at all in Lothlórien since she got there. Could Arwen be right? she wondered to herself, bewildered. But if that were true, that would mean.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," she asked slowly, "but wouldn't that be disastrous to your species?"
Arwen smiled at her inquisitiveness. "Indeed it would be, Samantha," she answered, "If we were intending to stay the way we are." Bringing a curious look to her own face, she asked in turn, "Gandalf must have told you about the Grey Havens, did he not?"
Confused, Sam just shook her head. Just when she thought she had the elves down pat, something like this came out of the woodwork and blew all her theories to hell.
The elf looked slightly surprised at this. "I wonder why," she murmured to her self before giving her shoulders a graceful flick. Then her face turned troubled at the notion that she was going against the Wizard's wishes by telling this mortal things that he obviously didn't think she ought to know at this time.
So it was the Lady Arwen who made the first move, causing Sam to lift her head upwards as the elf fluidly got her to feet, brushing off the grass from her green and ebony gown as she waited for her companion.
As she got to her feet a second later, Sam knew what Arwen was going to tell her was being brushed aside and she wondered why. What she was about to say was obviously important, there was no doubt about that. But how important could it be that she was being left out of the loop?
Shaking her head as questions started to swim through her brain, Sam turned back towards the palace as Arwen linked her arm through hers and started to lead them towards the trees. Neither of them spoke, but the silence wasn't awkward and for this Sam was thankful. She had had enough awkward moments to last her a lifetime and she didn't want to bring them with her here.
When they got back to the House, Sam was startled when Arwen walked right past the door they had left from and lead her around the back of the apartments to another door, this one with a huge sheet of glass in the middle. She pushed it open briskly and walked through, smiling at Sam when the woman looked at her inquisitively.
"Where are we?" Sam asked, her body tense and on guard. But Arwen just smiled brightly and looked around the airy, calming room fondly with her hands on her hips.
"These are my chambers when I am in Lothlórien. I brought you here because there is someone I would like you to meet." For the first time she seemingly realised that Sam was still standing by the door with her hands crossed over her chest, looking slightly wary.
"Please, have a seat." Arwen told the younger woman, trying to get her to relax. But Sam stayed where she was, not moving an inch. Arwen frowned at her odd behavior, gave her shoulder another flick of bafflement and took a seat. As the room grew silent, Sam used this time to scan the room quickly, wondering where this mysterious person was. She was so strung with tension by the time there was a faint knock on the wooden door that she felt her feet leave the ground as she jumped.
Spinning around to face the door as it opened, she was so expending Elrond or one of the others to walk through that she gave a small cry of surprise when she saw not Elrond at all, but a tall, lithe figure of a woman silently step through the fresh hold.
As Sam watched, the woman looked to Arwen instantly as if she was reassuring herself that she was actually there. She visibly relaxed her taut shoulders as she realized that the elf was quite safe and well. Then she turned her gaze to Sam's, and the two women stared at each other, both sizing each other up.
The new elf was obviously not from Lothlórien, if her hair meant anything. By her long, raven locks Sam guessed she had come from Rivendell with the others. Like Arwen, she had tall, elegant bearing and the same deep blue piecing gaze as the elvish princess. But that was where the similarities ended.
Even though Arwen was draped in a flowing, airy black and green gown, this woman was dressed as a warrior. There was no mistaking either her clothes or her stance. The pale olive leggings she wore hugged her every curve and as her eyes flicked lower Sam could see the long silver sword strapped to the woman's hip under the long black tunic she wore around her shoulders.
Her dark featured face set into a hard, grim expression as she took in Sam growing body and her elvish robes. Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman just stood there, staring at her with an eyebrow raised, as if she was waiting for Sam to speak.
The hell with her, Sam thought, and stubbornly kept her mouth shut as she rounded on Arwen. "Who is this?" she asked her new friend firmly, already feeling the dread well up in her body as she started to suspect just why this elf warrior was here.
But Arwen ignored her tone and stood up gracefully. Walking over to the stoic woman who was still standing there with her hard expression, looking to much like Teal'c for Sam comfort, Arwen put her hand lightly on the other woman's pale arm and said the introductions.
"Samantha, I would like you to meet my dear friend, Pènne of Rivendell. Pènne, this is your new charge, the Lady Samantha of Earth."
Charge??
What was this charge business? "Excuse me?" Sam asked politely, but with building anger boiling in her blood as she started to walk backwards towards the door. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and it didn't include standing around here being introduced to the woman who was going to become her bodyguard. No way!
She saw that Arwen was frowning at her tone and at her feet as she slowly shuffled backwards. Taking a step towards her retreating figure, she lifted up her hand in her direction as she tried to explain.
"Before we left Rivendell, it was decided that it would be best if you had someone stay close to you at all times." Then she gave a sympathetic smile. "You know as we as I, my friend, that if and when your location becomes known to the rest of the land that you could be put in considerable danger. These are dark times, Samantha, nobody knows how this could turn out."
She quickly shot a glance at Pènne's silent figure and Sam followed her gaze. Though the woman had now dropped her hands to her sides in a casual manner, Sam's militarily background told her that she was ready and willing to pounce on her if she even set one foot outside the door. Her cool blue eyes were following Sam's every movement with cat-like grace.
But Sam just shook her head. "I'm sorry, Arwen, but there is no way in hell I'm going to agree with this. My life before I came here was a lot more dangerous than this place seems to be and I sure as hell never had a bodyguard there, so I'm not going to start now."
And with that, she stiffly turned around and headed towards the door, to angry even to give a farewell and not caring if the Amazon behind her tried to pin her to the wall. But Arwen's next words stilled her feet on the spot.
"This was Gandalf's idea, Samantha. He was the one who brought it to my father." Arwen's tone was low and soft, as if she knew using that excuse was just about as low as she was willing to go.
Still with her back to them, Sam's breathing started to quicken at the full implication of Arwen's words. She didn't want to believe her old friend would go behind her back like this, but she had to be sure. Turning her head slightly, she whispered loud enough for the princess to hear, "Aragorn?"
Arwen's silence gave Sam the answer she needed and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly as her friends' betrayal washed over her like an angry wave.
"How could they," she murmured to herself, her voice dripping fury.
Nothing. They hadn't said one word about this to her before they left and the fact that they obviously didn't think she could protect herself and her baby was bad enough.
"I said no, Arwen. And nothing you say about those two is going to make me change my mind, so stop wasting your breath."
And with that she continued through the door, feeling the faint sense of satisfaction as the glass pane shattered to a thousand little pieces as she slammed it in her wake.