That night, long after Poppy was asleep, Laurelen was sitting near the
large window in their room, when Arwen walked in softly. Laurelen felt the
slight breeze that her presence created, and turned to see who it was.
Arwen's bright blue eyes reflected the starlight, making them seem to glow.
"Will you come for a walk with me, Laurí? You seem to have as little inclination as myself to rest." Her voice was low, so as not to disturb Poppy, though the young halfling could have slept through an avalanche and an earthquake.
Laurelen nodded. "I was just about to get up and go outside anyway." She stood slowly and smoothly, moving with a conservative grace. Her two years traveling with Aragorn had taught her that much.
The two elves walked out of the room, and under the stars. As soon as they were clear of the stone structure, Arwen's pace quickened. It was then that Laurelen noticed that she was not wearing one of the long dresses or robes that she usually wore, but breeches and knee-high boots, similar to what Laurelen was wearing.
"Where are we going?" the young elf asked curiously.
"Wait and see," Arwen replied with a smile. "It will take a while to get there, so restrain your curiosity for a while."
Laurelen fell silent, concentrating on the soft grass she was walking on. It came up to her mid-calves, and made a faint rustling noise as it rubbed against her boots. She was feeling a little tired. She hadn't rested for three days, and even an elf will feel the effects of that. And on top of that, her stomach was full, and that made her a little drowsy. Suddenly she felt her mind slipping away, wandering off to distant forests, and walking bright paths under strange stars. She shook her head violently, trying to keep alert.
Arwen noticed her abrupt movement. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I think I'm tired. My mind is sort of.wandering off."
Arwen stopped for a moment. "Oh. I'd forgotten." She walked on, thinking to herself. Finally she said, "I had forgotten that you were so young. Don't fight it when your mind does that. It is something you must learn; to be able to rest your mind while walking in this world. It is a gift given to Elves."
Laurelen blinked a few times. "But what if I wander off the path?"
"You won't. Even though your mind is resting, you are alert enough in this world that you can follow a path, and come fully awake at a moment's notice."
Laurelen nodded. "I will try it." Her mind began to wander its strange paths again, and this time she did not resist.
* * *
It seemed to Laurelen that no time at all had passed when Arwen touched her shoulder gently. "We are here."
Laurelen looked around her. She felt much more refreshed, and her mind was clearer. She was in a forest glade. The trees surrounding her were young, barely older than herself. A fallen log rested on one edge, its enormous size testifying to its age before it had succumbed to the elements. "Where are we?"
Arwen climbed up the log and sat gracefully on it, pulling her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. "This is a very special place. I'm told that my mother used to bring me here, or come by herself, just so she could be alone and in peace."
Laurelen swallowed nervously. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your mother?"
Arwen rested her chin on her knees. "She left Middle-Earth many years ago. But I was so young that I don't remember."
"I wish I could say that." The bitterness in the young elf's voice was unmistakable. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she stood gazing into the sky through the trees, trying to keep tears from spilling down her face. She looked Arwen full in the eyes and said, "I still remember the murder of my parents as if it had happened yesterday." Her lower lip trembled and she looked down. This time she could not hold back the tears that ran off the end of her nose. She knelt in the grass, hands covering her face.
Arwen jumped softly from her perch and knelt beside Laurelen. She said nothing, simply put her arms around the girl and gave her a shoulder to cry on.
Laurelen struggled desperately to control her tears. Her jaw muscles stood out as she clamped her teeth together. But Arwen said, "No, let the tears come. If you hold them back, they become bitterness, or anger. Do not be afraid to cry."
Laurelen spoke through her clenched teeth. "I cannot. I have spent so many years trying not to cry, I have forgotten how to allow it."
"You have courage, Laurí, but you must know that even the bravest weep. It is a lie to hold your tears back, for you tell the world that you are fine, but inside, you are being eaten away."
Laurelen looked up, surprised. "How do you know this?"
Now it was Arwen's turn to look bitter. "Even though I do not remember my mother, that does not mean I don't miss her. I used to wonder why she left, if she really cared for my brothers and me. I resented the fact that I had to grow up without her. I still had my father, yes, but his sadness at losing her only made my pain harder to bear. Thankfully for me, I still had my grandmother. And now I have Aragorn." She smiled.
"And I have both of you," replied Laurelen.
Arwen looked at her thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you do."
A/N: Hey, if any of you out there are a little confused by this chapter, please tell me when you review, or you can e-mail me. I don't think my writing was very clear in this chapter.
"Will you come for a walk with me, Laurí? You seem to have as little inclination as myself to rest." Her voice was low, so as not to disturb Poppy, though the young halfling could have slept through an avalanche and an earthquake.
Laurelen nodded. "I was just about to get up and go outside anyway." She stood slowly and smoothly, moving with a conservative grace. Her two years traveling with Aragorn had taught her that much.
The two elves walked out of the room, and under the stars. As soon as they were clear of the stone structure, Arwen's pace quickened. It was then that Laurelen noticed that she was not wearing one of the long dresses or robes that she usually wore, but breeches and knee-high boots, similar to what Laurelen was wearing.
"Where are we going?" the young elf asked curiously.
"Wait and see," Arwen replied with a smile. "It will take a while to get there, so restrain your curiosity for a while."
Laurelen fell silent, concentrating on the soft grass she was walking on. It came up to her mid-calves, and made a faint rustling noise as it rubbed against her boots. She was feeling a little tired. She hadn't rested for three days, and even an elf will feel the effects of that. And on top of that, her stomach was full, and that made her a little drowsy. Suddenly she felt her mind slipping away, wandering off to distant forests, and walking bright paths under strange stars. She shook her head violently, trying to keep alert.
Arwen noticed her abrupt movement. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I think I'm tired. My mind is sort of.wandering off."
Arwen stopped for a moment. "Oh. I'd forgotten." She walked on, thinking to herself. Finally she said, "I had forgotten that you were so young. Don't fight it when your mind does that. It is something you must learn; to be able to rest your mind while walking in this world. It is a gift given to Elves."
Laurelen blinked a few times. "But what if I wander off the path?"
"You won't. Even though your mind is resting, you are alert enough in this world that you can follow a path, and come fully awake at a moment's notice."
Laurelen nodded. "I will try it." Her mind began to wander its strange paths again, and this time she did not resist.
* * *
It seemed to Laurelen that no time at all had passed when Arwen touched her shoulder gently. "We are here."
Laurelen looked around her. She felt much more refreshed, and her mind was clearer. She was in a forest glade. The trees surrounding her were young, barely older than herself. A fallen log rested on one edge, its enormous size testifying to its age before it had succumbed to the elements. "Where are we?"
Arwen climbed up the log and sat gracefully on it, pulling her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them. "This is a very special place. I'm told that my mother used to bring me here, or come by herself, just so she could be alone and in peace."
Laurelen swallowed nervously. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your mother?"
Arwen rested her chin on her knees. "She left Middle-Earth many years ago. But I was so young that I don't remember."
"I wish I could say that." The bitterness in the young elf's voice was unmistakable. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she stood gazing into the sky through the trees, trying to keep tears from spilling down her face. She looked Arwen full in the eyes and said, "I still remember the murder of my parents as if it had happened yesterday." Her lower lip trembled and she looked down. This time she could not hold back the tears that ran off the end of her nose. She knelt in the grass, hands covering her face.
Arwen jumped softly from her perch and knelt beside Laurelen. She said nothing, simply put her arms around the girl and gave her a shoulder to cry on.
Laurelen struggled desperately to control her tears. Her jaw muscles stood out as she clamped her teeth together. But Arwen said, "No, let the tears come. If you hold them back, they become bitterness, or anger. Do not be afraid to cry."
Laurelen spoke through her clenched teeth. "I cannot. I have spent so many years trying not to cry, I have forgotten how to allow it."
"You have courage, Laurí, but you must know that even the bravest weep. It is a lie to hold your tears back, for you tell the world that you are fine, but inside, you are being eaten away."
Laurelen looked up, surprised. "How do you know this?"
Now it was Arwen's turn to look bitter. "Even though I do not remember my mother, that does not mean I don't miss her. I used to wonder why she left, if she really cared for my brothers and me. I resented the fact that I had to grow up without her. I still had my father, yes, but his sadness at losing her only made my pain harder to bear. Thankfully for me, I still had my grandmother. And now I have Aragorn." She smiled.
"And I have both of you," replied Laurelen.
Arwen looked at her thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you do."
A/N: Hey, if any of you out there are a little confused by this chapter, please tell me when you review, or you can e-mail me. I don't think my writing was very clear in this chapter.