Chapter11
"Come, I have a gift for you." Lord Elrond says as he leads Ithil and Haldir to a path; it is faint as though it has not been used in several years. They follow Lord Elrond deep into the forest. "Here is a wedding gift from me to you." Lord Elrond points up into a magnificent wizened old oak tree. There high in its uppermost branches is a beautiful talan just like the ones in Lothlorien.
"Thank you Lord Elrond, for everything." Says Ithil. She throws her arms around his neck and gives him a warm hug. He looks surprised but smiles and pats her on the back. Lord Elrond leaves them to their wedding night. Haldir and Ithil climb up the rope ladder to the talan. When they get to the top, the view takes Ithil's breath away.
The talan itself is glorious. Billowing folds of soft white material flutter in the breeze at the four corners. The wood is richly carved and here and there is a glint of gilding. In one of the corners a table is laded with food, bread and cakes, fruit with honey, decanters of wine and two beautiful wine goblets. Everywhere there is richly embroidered pillows and thick, luxurious blankets. Ithil goes to the edge of the talan and looks off into the distance. Haldir comes up behind her and puts his arms around her.
"It's not Lothlorien, but it is beautiful." Ithil says dreamily.
"No view can compare to the one I'm looking at right now." Haldir says, looking at her.
Ithil has never felt so contented. Sighing she pulls his arms closer around her. All of a sudden the very loud rumbling of her stomach breaks the quietness of the night.
Haldir laughs, "Perhaps it would be prudent for my wife to eat something."
"Wife?" Ithil says a smile breaking wide across her face.
"Wife." Haldir replies as he leads her over to the table. He loads a plate with various foods, takes her by the hand and leads her to a very comfortable looking pile of pillows. They sit down and Haldir starts to feed Ithil from off the plate. Laughing and feeling better than she has in a long time she can finally eat. She can't believe how wonderful everything tastes and she eats heartily.
Haldir gives her a berry covered in honey and in taking the berry; Ithil slowly licks the honey from his fingers. Taking the plate from him she sets it aside. She looks longingly at him. He leans into her and kisses her full on the mouth.
Ithil's eyes open slowly in golden morning. Smiling she turns to look at Haldir. In the morning sun her eyes play a trick on her. For it looks as though it is Legolas not Haldir next to her. She starts, rubs her eyes; and the sleeping face of Haldir comes back into focus. At the thought of Legolas her heart drops. How could she break this news to him? Next to her Haldir moans and awakens slightly. Smiling he looks at Ithil's warm green eyes and her golden hair shining in the morning sun.
"Melethril nîn, hervess nîn, Ithil." Haldir whispers in her ear as he kisses her neck.
"Melethron nîn, hervenn nîn, Haldir." Ithil purrs in pleasure. Stopping he looks at her.
"Ithil, let us return to Lothlorien today." He says.
To go home. A faraway look comes over her face. "Yes, hervenn nîn, I would like that. But what of your wounds? If we return home how will Lord Elrond treat you?"
"I will take that matter up with him, while you go pack your things." Haldir says.
"All right." Ithil quickly dresses and climbs down the rope ladder.
Back in Lord Elrond's house, she ascends the stairs back to her room. She pauses at the door almost afraid to enter. What if Legolas is in there waiting for her? Her stomach churns and she feels queasy. Well she has to face him sooner or later. Taking a deep breath she turns the handle and opens the door. Walking in she sees that the bed was hastily made. Her heart flutters as she looks at it, remembering the night of passion she spent there with Legolas.
Something glints silver in the morning light catching Ithil's eye. On the pillow she sees a bracelet. Picking it up she looks at it closely. Where did this come from? Slowly it dawns on her; something this beautiful must be a wedding gift. Her breath catches in her chest as the meaning of the bracelet comes to her. A wedding gift from Legolas. He is going to ask her to be his bride! Shaking Ithil sits down on the bed, for she suddenly feels dizzy, as if she going to be sick.
"Oh Legolas muin." She sighs, looking at the beautiful bracelet. Another thought enters her mind. If he is going to ask her to marry him then where is he? "Oh no." She says aloud. He knows; he knows that she married Haldir last night.
Getting up from the bed she starts to pack her things. She turns and sets the bracelet back on the pillow. Looking at it, her heart will not let her leave it there. She picks it back up and wraps it up in a soft handkerchief and places it in her bag of things. Gathering up her bag she leaves the room, shutting the door she leaves without looking back.
As she descends the stairs Lord Elrond and Haldir are at the bottom waiting for her. She looks at them and there is a smile on both of their faces.
"Ithil, Lord Elrond has cured me!" Haldir bursts out. The news slowly sinks into Ithil, 'cured? No more poison?'
"Oh Haldir!" She runs and leaps into his arms, catching her he whirls her around.
"Yes, the poison is gone. Haldir will be fine now." Lord Elrond says, as Ithil holds Haldir close, this is the best news. "Yes, we owe a large debt of gratitude to Legolas." Lord Elrond says.
Releasing Haldir from her grasp she looks at Lord Elrond and says. "Legolas? What do you mean?"
"I saw him after I left you two. I told him that I had the pleasure of joining you in marriage that night. He wanted me to extend to the both of you his congratulations. I mentioned the poison to him and he gave me a small vial of remedy from Mirkwood. We tried it and I am most glad to say that it worked." The words Lord Elrond spoke crash over Ithil like ocean waves on rocks.
'Legolas did know last night,' Ithil thought 'He saved Haldir. No gift he can give me could be greater.' A flood of warm feelings flows over her. There is no way she can repay Legolas for this unselfish token of love. It is even more beautiful than the bracelet.
Haldir and Ithil say their goodbyes; mounting their horses they leave the wondrous place of Rivendell.
"Come, I have a gift for you." Lord Elrond says as he leads Ithil and Haldir to a path; it is faint as though it has not been used in several years. They follow Lord Elrond deep into the forest. "Here is a wedding gift from me to you." Lord Elrond points up into a magnificent wizened old oak tree. There high in its uppermost branches is a beautiful talan just like the ones in Lothlorien.
"Thank you Lord Elrond, for everything." Says Ithil. She throws her arms around his neck and gives him a warm hug. He looks surprised but smiles and pats her on the back. Lord Elrond leaves them to their wedding night. Haldir and Ithil climb up the rope ladder to the talan. When they get to the top, the view takes Ithil's breath away.
The talan itself is glorious. Billowing folds of soft white material flutter in the breeze at the four corners. The wood is richly carved and here and there is a glint of gilding. In one of the corners a table is laded with food, bread and cakes, fruit with honey, decanters of wine and two beautiful wine goblets. Everywhere there is richly embroidered pillows and thick, luxurious blankets. Ithil goes to the edge of the talan and looks off into the distance. Haldir comes up behind her and puts his arms around her.
"It's not Lothlorien, but it is beautiful." Ithil says dreamily.
"No view can compare to the one I'm looking at right now." Haldir says, looking at her.
Ithil has never felt so contented. Sighing she pulls his arms closer around her. All of a sudden the very loud rumbling of her stomach breaks the quietness of the night.
Haldir laughs, "Perhaps it would be prudent for my wife to eat something."
"Wife?" Ithil says a smile breaking wide across her face.
"Wife." Haldir replies as he leads her over to the table. He loads a plate with various foods, takes her by the hand and leads her to a very comfortable looking pile of pillows. They sit down and Haldir starts to feed Ithil from off the plate. Laughing and feeling better than she has in a long time she can finally eat. She can't believe how wonderful everything tastes and she eats heartily.
Haldir gives her a berry covered in honey and in taking the berry; Ithil slowly licks the honey from his fingers. Taking the plate from him she sets it aside. She looks longingly at him. He leans into her and kisses her full on the mouth.
Ithil's eyes open slowly in golden morning. Smiling she turns to look at Haldir. In the morning sun her eyes play a trick on her. For it looks as though it is Legolas not Haldir next to her. She starts, rubs her eyes; and the sleeping face of Haldir comes back into focus. At the thought of Legolas her heart drops. How could she break this news to him? Next to her Haldir moans and awakens slightly. Smiling he looks at Ithil's warm green eyes and her golden hair shining in the morning sun.
"Melethril nîn, hervess nîn, Ithil." Haldir whispers in her ear as he kisses her neck.
"Melethron nîn, hervenn nîn, Haldir." Ithil purrs in pleasure. Stopping he looks at her.
"Ithil, let us return to Lothlorien today." He says.
To go home. A faraway look comes over her face. "Yes, hervenn nîn, I would like that. But what of your wounds? If we return home how will Lord Elrond treat you?"
"I will take that matter up with him, while you go pack your things." Haldir says.
"All right." Ithil quickly dresses and climbs down the rope ladder.
Back in Lord Elrond's house, she ascends the stairs back to her room. She pauses at the door almost afraid to enter. What if Legolas is in there waiting for her? Her stomach churns and she feels queasy. Well she has to face him sooner or later. Taking a deep breath she turns the handle and opens the door. Walking in she sees that the bed was hastily made. Her heart flutters as she looks at it, remembering the night of passion she spent there with Legolas.
Something glints silver in the morning light catching Ithil's eye. On the pillow she sees a bracelet. Picking it up she looks at it closely. Where did this come from? Slowly it dawns on her; something this beautiful must be a wedding gift. Her breath catches in her chest as the meaning of the bracelet comes to her. A wedding gift from Legolas. He is going to ask her to be his bride! Shaking Ithil sits down on the bed, for she suddenly feels dizzy, as if she going to be sick.
"Oh Legolas muin." She sighs, looking at the beautiful bracelet. Another thought enters her mind. If he is going to ask her to marry him then where is he? "Oh no." She says aloud. He knows; he knows that she married Haldir last night.
Getting up from the bed she starts to pack her things. She turns and sets the bracelet back on the pillow. Looking at it, her heart will not let her leave it there. She picks it back up and wraps it up in a soft handkerchief and places it in her bag of things. Gathering up her bag she leaves the room, shutting the door she leaves without looking back.
As she descends the stairs Lord Elrond and Haldir are at the bottom waiting for her. She looks at them and there is a smile on both of their faces.
"Ithil, Lord Elrond has cured me!" Haldir bursts out. The news slowly sinks into Ithil, 'cured? No more poison?'
"Oh Haldir!" She runs and leaps into his arms, catching her he whirls her around.
"Yes, the poison is gone. Haldir will be fine now." Lord Elrond says, as Ithil holds Haldir close, this is the best news. "Yes, we owe a large debt of gratitude to Legolas." Lord Elrond says.
Releasing Haldir from her grasp she looks at Lord Elrond and says. "Legolas? What do you mean?"
"I saw him after I left you two. I told him that I had the pleasure of joining you in marriage that night. He wanted me to extend to the both of you his congratulations. I mentioned the poison to him and he gave me a small vial of remedy from Mirkwood. We tried it and I am most glad to say that it worked." The words Lord Elrond spoke crash over Ithil like ocean waves on rocks.
'Legolas did know last night,' Ithil thought 'He saved Haldir. No gift he can give me could be greater.' A flood of warm feelings flows over her. There is no way she can repay Legolas for this unselfish token of love. It is even more beautiful than the bracelet.
Haldir and Ithil say their goodbyes; mounting their horses they leave the wondrous place of Rivendell.