This is the next chapter, I'm sorry it took so long to update; I've had a
lot of work over half term and all that. Now this chapter has a couple of
stuff I have to say about it, including disclaimers..
Firstly the 1st song isn't mine; it belongs to the film and is sung by Edward Ross. I always loved it and though immediately of what it might mean, so for the purpose of this fanfic, it's Elenya's ! Also the second song isn't mine, this is form the FOTR book and you also hear some of it at the beginning of that film. It's Bilbo's walking song and I don't own it either. But I though it would be nice to have a sub- conscious, bonding thing there.
DISCLAIMER- I don't own any of LOTR or anything that comes with it, as much as I wish I did. I just have free time to write a story ^_^ Thanks once again for the reviews, much appreciated, answers at the end of this chapter and also, does anyone actually use the favourite story thing? And if so do they know if it works properly?
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xxENJOYxx
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...Fair Rivendell
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*Elenya's POV*
The passed quickly after that. Each day seemed shorter, each moment more precious. When I had decided to leave with the Company, I hadn't thought about how hard it would be to leave Rivendell. Every day when I awoke, I made sure to listen to the sounds around me, and each night I looked out over the valley.
Gandalf and Aragorn were often to be found in the library with Elrond, poring over maps and discussing passes and hidden routes that would take us where we needed to go. When they weren't in there, I was often looking at the maps by myself, even though I already knew them roughly by heart.
My father had many maps at home, and when I was younger I had taken the care to redraw them, even the map of the Shire. But even the familiarity of the maps didn't ease the feeling in my stomach.
October faded into November, and before long it was December, and there were three weeks before we left, then two, then one. Soon it was the last day we were to spend in Rivendell. I spent the day with Othion and Endion and with Miriel (Arwen had not told anyone where she was going, but I knew she was with Strider).
None of acted as though anyone was going anywhere. No-one else seemed to want to, and I didn't want to bring it up, because I didn't want to think about leaving Othion and Endion behind. We sent the day walking around Rivendell and talking and laughing even though we were all a little subdued.
I went to see Bilbo too, sitting and talking with him one last time. I flipped through the book again, reading through all the pages, and for no reason I could tell, felt tears coming out of my eyes. I was so sad to have to leave Bilbo, and I knew now slightly how Frodo must have felt when Bilbo had left the Shire. Once you had met and talked with Bilbo, it felt horrid to have to leave him. But I did, but not before agreeing to his promises that I would look after Frodo even though I felt like I was the one who needed looking after, not the other way round.
There was another large dinner that night, so once again I got changed and had my make-up done by Miriel. I looked at myself in the mirror, once again amazed at the apparition who looked back at me. When I went downstairs, I found that another table had been set out, for the 10 of us who were leaving. I sat down in between Boromir and Gimli. I was the last person to the table and everyone greeted me kindly. But I decided that I was going to carry on doing what I had been all day and act happy. Once the meal had started, I leant over to Merry and Pippin;
"You two had better eat up, I daresay we won't have this big a meal for a while."
"Oh don't worry about us we can eat just fine. . ." grinned Pippin, nibbling his bread.
"Well, I am going to eat to my hearts content!" I smiled primly.
"Not very lady-like," remarked Bormir in between spooning soup into his mouth.
"That's beside the point," Said Merry, "You can't eat as much as Pippin and me!"
"Watch me," I grinned. Everyone (apart from Gimli who looked annoyed) looked up; they (like me) knew this was going to end badly.
And so it was quietly agreed. I was going to have an eating competition with two hobbits, one of my less ingenious ideas. We took turns to pick what would be eaten and we were doing fine, until I decided that another round of roast chicken would be fun to try and finish.
Merry and Pippin had been trying to show off, eating more than they needed to, while I had barely finished what I was required. All the time Frodo and Sam had been laughing, while the rest looked on in awe and anticipation.
Most people don't think it to look at me, but when I want to I eat like a PIG! And this was no exception. Merry and Pippin were almost unconscious in their plates when I daintily swallowed my last piece of chicken, dabbing at the corners of my mouth with my napkin and sitting back in my chair. My dress was definitely tighter that it had been at the start of the meal. Even Gimli was laughing by now and soon, so was I.
We were one of the last people to go into the other hall, because the eating had taken so long. When we did get in, we heard quiet mumblings and little snatches of muffled laughter, I could tell we hadn't been very discreet about our little competition. I looked around desperately for Othion and Endion, but I couldn't find them. The ten of us took a place by the window but were soon joined by Bilbo and some other elves. We all laughed and talked for a long while, almost seeming to forget where we were bound tomorrow. At one point, we saw that there were people getting up to sing and play instruments, with everyone watching.
Suddenly Bilbo leant over to me and said; "You should sing that song you showed me!" True, he had heard me humming a song once and I had sung it to him at his request, mainly since he had shared so much with me. But get up and sing now? In front of everyone?
"I can't do that!" I cried. The others looked curious.
"Why not?" asked Boromir, "You have a lovely voice, and I'm sure everyone will enjoy the song." Bilbo was nodding in agreement.
"But I can't what I mean is. . ." I was cut off in my protests, Bilbo was already telling the room that I was going to sing for them. He pulled me to my feet and prodded me in the direction of the instruments. I walked up and stood facing the audience, not sure what exactly I was doing.
But then I saw faces smiling and just forgot about my inhibitions. I opened my mouth and sang slowly;
'When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name.
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there,
I will go there And back again.'
I finished and looked down, expecting nothing but a quick return to my seat, but was met with polite applause and murmurs. I quickly went and sat down with the others, still keeping my head down.
"See?" Bilbo said, "That was even better than when I heard it last!"
"But, where on earth did you learn such a song?" asked Legolas intently. I paused, I didn't really want to tell the truth; that when I awoke in Rivendell, this song was somehow in my head, and I had loved it since then.
"I can't remember, I think I must have learnt it when I was very small."
"But what is it about?" queried Frodo. I paused again. Again, the truth wasn't exactly suitable or believable. I didn't know what it was about exactly, but I knew it was about something that would happen. I hadn't made the connection before, but when I had sung just now I had thought of someone.. I had no idea why and I didn't know who, but it annoyed me.
"I'm not sure; as I said I don't know where or who I learnt it from."
"Well it's a lovely tune lass and that's no doubt." said Gimli warmly. I was taken aback, he hadn't said that much all night. I bowed my head and meekly thanked him.
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The rest of the night passed to quickly for my liking. The songs all blended into one, the talk into one huge conversation. I was paying so much attention to every little detail, but not really believing that I would be miles away from here by this time tomorrow.
I went up to my room sadly, but didn't go to bed. Instead I got out my travelling clothes, put them on and wandered out onto the balcony. I swung up onto the roof and sat looking down over the valley swinging my legs gently.
I loved Rivendell so much, especially by night. It had a sort of mysticism about it. It was so beautiful and so alive, but yet at the same time, I could see it was fading; that the Rivendell of before me, even my fathers time must have been much more breathtaking. It broke my heart to think that one day; this place might be empty, that no elf would rest here. I tried to distract myself by looking around again.
On the other side of the valley, to my left, I could see two figures standing on a bridge. Their heads were close together and they were holding hands. I knew at once that one was Arwen, and that the other must be Aragorn. They must be saying their good-byes. I worried about them. Had I been right; could love always work, no matter what? Arwen and I had had a few curt conversations on the topic, and she hoped desperately that it would work and so did I, but I wasn't sure if Elrond would allow his only daughter to give her love (and her immortality) to a man, and eventually fade into death. I sighed and went inside, going to bed and hoping I had been right and that it would work out.
My dreams that night were disturbed by visions that unnerved me. There was a cloud flying over me, and an awful sound, of a thousand voices filling my ears. And then. . . daylight and my last morning in Rivendell. . .
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Elenya was the last to arrive at the gates. She kept her head down low, but most knew straight away it was her. Those who didn't wondered at this young man, so short and small in stature, yet proud and fierce, until Elenya looked up and they saw her face, pale and sad.
She wore dark grey leggings and thick, fur-lined boots. A moss-green tunic, tightened with a brown leather belt about her waist. She was wearing her grey cloak again, but it was open and the hood was thrown back; it was not needed yet; the weather was still mild. Her hair was pulled into a tight, small bun at the nape of her neck.
She had a bow and quiver on her back pulled over a large pack, stuffed to burst. Her sword, which had so puzzled Boromir that first day he found her, was sheathed at her waist. She looked completely downcast. They had been there only for a little while, standing in silence, waiting. Elrond stood before them now with a cluster of elves to his right and behind him.
The first thing Elenya did as she walked over was go straight over to Ethion and Ondion. She stood before them, none of them making any movement to greet each other; they just looked at each other, as though holding a silent conversation.
Suddenly they all moved forward to hug one another. Ethion and Ondion had their arms around Elenya and she around them. They stood back and as though he had interrupted her, Ondion spoke;
"You are brave and strong. We have faith in you. You will do well." Elenya sighed.
"I know, I am told. But I don't care about doing this well, that's not the point-" They looked at her, as though waiting to see what the point was. She never said.
"N'at aa' mali nesh llie vee' lye uum" (others can care for you as we have done) Spoke Ethion. "You know this is true and you know that you do not need us." Elenya looked down, she obviously disagreed, but she didn't contradict.
Then in turn they took her again in their arms and hugged her hard, eyes closed and faces grim. She had her eyes open, and was leaning into them, hoping to hide the tears in her eyes. Ethion held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.
"Your path will be dark; you will be lost. But you will find yourself and you will be the only light you need. You are like no other". "Remember that" Added Othion, holding her hand. Elenya didn't quite understand, but she nodded as though she did. She knew what would come next, and she was dreading it with all her heart.
"Namaarie amin elle revanthas, amin elle enna". (Farewell my little friend, my little one). Elenya said nothing, but closed her eyes until they let her go.
Then she turned to Arwen, whose head was bowed. Arwen, like Elenya was on the verge of tears, but she, like Elenya, was controlling herself well.
"Thank you for looking after me when I was here." said Elenya simply. "I won't forget the kindness shown to me by you and your people while I dwelt here. I appreciate it; you made me feel at home even when I was much lowlier than you all. Thank you." Then she paused and spoke in elvish.
"Amin dur llie , leha amin aa' na i' ere enna nae dur aul llie ve' sina" (I belive you, but I may be the only one to believe in you like this.). Arwen looked up under her lashes and said softly;
"One is all that matters. One is the beginning." They both smiled in a secret sort of way, though no one else knew what they spoke of, and neither of them ever told.
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Elenya turned and, head down, walked over to the company, standing on the outside edge of the group and faced Elrond, who began to speak. Elenya expected no more than he said; all his advice (although elves never liked to give advice, believing it would change the fate of others, which wasn't their place) had been given to Gandalf already; Elrond had nothing more to say and listened, head bowed.
"The Ring bearer is setting out on the quest for Mount Doom." Elenya looked up quickly at Frodo, who was looking at Elrond steadily, his expression focused.
"For you who travel with him, no bond or oath is laid to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of elves, and men and all free folk go with you." Elenya (like Gandalf, Legolas and Aragorn) bowed her head with her hand on her heart, correctly accepting the blessing.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer." Spoke Gandalf firmly. Elenya saw Frodo look at the elves stood before him and turn to look at the Fellowship. His gaze was less unfocused now, more uncertain.
They parted for him to walk through, watching him look at them each as he passed. Elenya gave him the smallest of smiles, hoping to hearten him a little. He walked to the front, past Gandalf and through the stone gates to where the road forked to the left and to right. Elenya heard him whisper; "Mordor Gandalf; is it left or right?"
"Left," croaked Gandalf in reply, his hand on Frodo's shoulder, guiding him left. They walked out in file, Elenya snatching one last glimpse at Rivendell over her shoulder as she walked; one last look at her beloved Endion and Othion, who stared unsteadily back at her. And then forward, over the heads over Merry and Pippin, and onwards to wherever the company might end up going. She had to look down though; the tears were blurring her eyes too much.
Had she looked at Elrond, she would have found his gaze unsteady too, as he pondered what would become of this; the one that was different, the one who was destined. . .
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*Elenya's POV*
We left Rivendell at sunset, walking over the stone bridge as the last ray of light lit up the valley; turning the water to liquid gold. The rivers beneath us bubbled noisily as we crossed the bridge. We climbed out of the valley, all pausing to take one last look at Rivendell. The sun had almost set now, and most of the valley was grey, but below us, Rivendell still shone, as did the running water at its feet.
"Farewell fair Rivendell" I mumbled, feeling once again I was not enough for this rare, beautiful place. Then we turned and continued on our way.
As we walked, a familiar song came into my head and I began to hum quietly. But before long, Frodo was singing along;
". . . Down from the door where it began, Now far ahead the road has gone And I must follow if I can."
I was singing now, as were the other hobbits. This was Bilbo's old walking song and whenever I was to travel far, it always came into my head and cheered me. Our voices rose for the second verse;
"Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet, And wither then I cannot say. ."
We all ended jubilantly, almost skipping as we walked. All of us who had sung were singing at each other by now and smiling. Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir looked confused, but I could see Gandalf was smiling behind his beard. Suddenly as fast as it had come, the sudden bout of joy had gone, and slightly disheartened but cheered inwardly, we continued on our way.
......
And now we had come to our camp, which was really nothing more than a dip in the ground with a little stream and a large clump of bushes. We lit a fire and I insisted on catching some fish for our dinner. I had helped Sam cook them over the fire and we were all munching in a content silence when Frodo spoke;
"I like that song." He said simply, making us all look up. It had been hours since we had sung yet he was only speaking now. Everyone was looking at him, puzzled but I had wanted to carry on this conversation, so did I.
"So do I," I answered, "do you suppose it was meant to cheer?" I looked at Frodo, he was deep in thought. He looked into the fire, frowning, and eventually answered.
"I don't thing Bilbo ever meant to do anything, he, he just lived and took what came his way." I paused and though about this, when I was interrupted by a very loud burp form Pippin. He leant back patting his stomach and causing me to smile again.
After dinner I got out my flute and began to play quietly to myself. The tunes were ones I must have been taught when I was very small, because I couldn't remember learning them. These tunes brought back all the memories I had of my father; he always loved music and this flute had been his only real gift to me. After his passing I had found it in the bottom of a chest along with a letter. It had been written on my birth from him and from my mother. I never forgot what it said; 'we love you very much and we are so glad to have you in our lives. We will always be here to look after you, to make sure that the good things in the world, the music and the laughter are always here. One day, when you come of age and you are a woman, you can use this gift we give you; this flute. You can make sure there is always music. We know you will make us proud.' I had kept the presnt unopened until I had turned 19 and now as I played it, wondered what my life may have been like if I had parents. But I stopped myself. Only ill would come of those thoughts.
I looked up to see everyone looking thoughtful. I stopped playing and decided to wade in the stream, while Aragorn and Gandalf spoke quietly, probably about our route. Gimli was taking care of the fire, the hobbits were all laid down and Boromir was sorting something out in the bushes.
Legolas was standing near the top of the dell, perfectly still almost not breathing. This intrigued me, how could he be so still, as though made of the earth itself? I decided to go over and speak to him. I walked over and stood slightly behind him, I opened my mouth to speak, but being an elf, he already knew I was there. That was the disadvantage; when you were around elves, nothing is ever secret.
"How are you?" He asked without turning around. I swallowed my slight shock and answered slowly;
"Not as bad as I thought. Now we are out here, it doesn't seem as bad as when we were leaving. I've never hated leaving somewhere as much as I hated leaving Rivendell. I just, I wish I could have spent more time there." Legolas smiled as he looked back at me.
"But you would have much more different, had you grown up in Rivendell. And I though three months would seem quite long for one as young as you." I decided to ignore the fact that he too knew I was meant to grow up in Rivendell and answered; "Yes, but good things never last long enough to balance out the bad things we see. I suppose that's to make us appreciate the good things more when we leave them behind?" He laughed softly again.
"I wouldn't know. No matter how long you live, some questions can never be answered. You know much for your age; perhaps you will find your answers." I blushed, Legolas seemed to think I was something I wasn't; wise. I was thinking about how someone like Leoglas could think someone like me was astute, but then he interrupted my thoughts;
"You should probably go to bed, I think Boromir is done."
"What?" I turned around, Boromir was sitting down by the fire talking to Gimli; whatever he been doing in the bushes was finished. I turned away from Legolas, picked up my boots from the stream and walked over to the camp, sitting next to Boromir, leaning on him. A cold wind was picking up and I was starting to shiver.
"If you are cold, you need not worry; your bed should be very warm." Said Gimli with a smile. He motioned over to the bushes. I could see now that there was dried bracken piled under the bush, covered in blankets. The others were all rolling out their own blankets and seemed not to notice, they must have already known. I turned to Boromir, I couldn't believe this.
"Boromir, thank you so much! You shouldn't have bothered!" I cried.
"It is nothing, thought I suppose it isn't a bed suited to a lady such as yourself?" He smiled innocently. I rolled my eyes and sighed;
"Boromir, you have to stop thinking of me as a lady, out here I will not be spared for being a lady. You needn't worry so much, no matter how much I appreciate the thought!" I kissed him lightly on the cheek, making him blush and went and got into my bed.
It was great! Under here the wind was blocked on all sides. The bracken was dry and comfortable. The only bad thing was that I was far away from the rest of the company, they were all talking, and I was too far away to join in with them. I would have left my bed, but I thought of Boromir, how lucky I was to have him, and I didn't want to leave.
I was warm and comfortable, and soon dozed off. I awoke very suddenly, I had no idea why. I sat up, sleepily rubbing my eyes. Everyone else was asleep; I could hear the soft breathing and the snores. I couldn't have been asleep long; the fire was still burning though it was getting low. I lay there for a while thinking about how I hated being over here on my own, it made me feel even more as though I didn't belong; as though I was just tagging along. After a few minutes I quickly got up and ran over to the others.
Conveniently enough, the free spot closest to the fire was next to Boromir; this way I could curl up to his larger bulk and be slightly warmer. I lay down next to him and closed my eyes. It was colder here, and the ground was hard and the wind was whipping my face. But I was smiling; I felt a lot better than I had in my warm little nest. I fell asleep quickly, untroubled by any dreams other than those of Rivendell.
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Of course I didn't expect to be awoken the next morning by Pippin rolling over and screaming in my face. Or that I would make Boromir hit Gimli in the face after he jerked awake as I too began to scream. I sat up, breathless, my hand on my chest as my heart beat faster than a rabbits. Everyone was awake now, and very confused.
"What did you do that for!?" I panted to Pippin. He was sprawled back on the ground but now he sat up and answered shakily.
"Well I didn't expect to roll over and see you right there!!" Merry was in fits of laughter, rolling on the ground, as were Frodo and Sam.
"You could have killed me; my hearts going that fast!!!!" I sighed, lying back down and trying to get my heart rate back down to normal.
...................................
Now there was some elvish in there, and I only had online translators, so I'm sorry for any mistakes, I don't mean to kill the language. If any of you could possibly help with that, it would be much appreciated! Now I would like R&R's if you please and here are my replies to you other kind people who did review since me last update.
Cherryfaerie- Well all you questions will be answered, but that's what I mean when I sed it had a twist.. I know your confused but the fact is when everyone says Elenya isn't normal, that's partly what they mean!
Mademoiselle Morte- Sorry my updates are usually by the week, I just have a lot of stuff goin on now
The rest don't really need answers, but thank you all very much, I do reply if you have the reply thing up!
Firstly the 1st song isn't mine; it belongs to the film and is sung by Edward Ross. I always loved it and though immediately of what it might mean, so for the purpose of this fanfic, it's Elenya's ! Also the second song isn't mine, this is form the FOTR book and you also hear some of it at the beginning of that film. It's Bilbo's walking song and I don't own it either. But I though it would be nice to have a sub- conscious, bonding thing there.
DISCLAIMER- I don't own any of LOTR or anything that comes with it, as much as I wish I did. I just have free time to write a story ^_^ Thanks once again for the reviews, much appreciated, answers at the end of this chapter and also, does anyone actually use the favourite story thing? And if so do they know if it works properly?
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xxENJOYxx
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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
...Fair Rivendell
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*Elenya's POV*
The passed quickly after that. Each day seemed shorter, each moment more precious. When I had decided to leave with the Company, I hadn't thought about how hard it would be to leave Rivendell. Every day when I awoke, I made sure to listen to the sounds around me, and each night I looked out over the valley.
Gandalf and Aragorn were often to be found in the library with Elrond, poring over maps and discussing passes and hidden routes that would take us where we needed to go. When they weren't in there, I was often looking at the maps by myself, even though I already knew them roughly by heart.
My father had many maps at home, and when I was younger I had taken the care to redraw them, even the map of the Shire. But even the familiarity of the maps didn't ease the feeling in my stomach.
October faded into November, and before long it was December, and there were three weeks before we left, then two, then one. Soon it was the last day we were to spend in Rivendell. I spent the day with Othion and Endion and with Miriel (Arwen had not told anyone where she was going, but I knew she was with Strider).
None of acted as though anyone was going anywhere. No-one else seemed to want to, and I didn't want to bring it up, because I didn't want to think about leaving Othion and Endion behind. We sent the day walking around Rivendell and talking and laughing even though we were all a little subdued.
I went to see Bilbo too, sitting and talking with him one last time. I flipped through the book again, reading through all the pages, and for no reason I could tell, felt tears coming out of my eyes. I was so sad to have to leave Bilbo, and I knew now slightly how Frodo must have felt when Bilbo had left the Shire. Once you had met and talked with Bilbo, it felt horrid to have to leave him. But I did, but not before agreeing to his promises that I would look after Frodo even though I felt like I was the one who needed looking after, not the other way round.
There was another large dinner that night, so once again I got changed and had my make-up done by Miriel. I looked at myself in the mirror, once again amazed at the apparition who looked back at me. When I went downstairs, I found that another table had been set out, for the 10 of us who were leaving. I sat down in between Boromir and Gimli. I was the last person to the table and everyone greeted me kindly. But I decided that I was going to carry on doing what I had been all day and act happy. Once the meal had started, I leant over to Merry and Pippin;
"You two had better eat up, I daresay we won't have this big a meal for a while."
"Oh don't worry about us we can eat just fine. . ." grinned Pippin, nibbling his bread.
"Well, I am going to eat to my hearts content!" I smiled primly.
"Not very lady-like," remarked Bormir in between spooning soup into his mouth.
"That's beside the point," Said Merry, "You can't eat as much as Pippin and me!"
"Watch me," I grinned. Everyone (apart from Gimli who looked annoyed) looked up; they (like me) knew this was going to end badly.
And so it was quietly agreed. I was going to have an eating competition with two hobbits, one of my less ingenious ideas. We took turns to pick what would be eaten and we were doing fine, until I decided that another round of roast chicken would be fun to try and finish.
Merry and Pippin had been trying to show off, eating more than they needed to, while I had barely finished what I was required. All the time Frodo and Sam had been laughing, while the rest looked on in awe and anticipation.
Most people don't think it to look at me, but when I want to I eat like a PIG! And this was no exception. Merry and Pippin were almost unconscious in their plates when I daintily swallowed my last piece of chicken, dabbing at the corners of my mouth with my napkin and sitting back in my chair. My dress was definitely tighter that it had been at the start of the meal. Even Gimli was laughing by now and soon, so was I.
We were one of the last people to go into the other hall, because the eating had taken so long. When we did get in, we heard quiet mumblings and little snatches of muffled laughter, I could tell we hadn't been very discreet about our little competition. I looked around desperately for Othion and Endion, but I couldn't find them. The ten of us took a place by the window but were soon joined by Bilbo and some other elves. We all laughed and talked for a long while, almost seeming to forget where we were bound tomorrow. At one point, we saw that there were people getting up to sing and play instruments, with everyone watching.
Suddenly Bilbo leant over to me and said; "You should sing that song you showed me!" True, he had heard me humming a song once and I had sung it to him at his request, mainly since he had shared so much with me. But get up and sing now? In front of everyone?
"I can't do that!" I cried. The others looked curious.
"Why not?" asked Boromir, "You have a lovely voice, and I'm sure everyone will enjoy the song." Bilbo was nodding in agreement.
"But I can't what I mean is. . ." I was cut off in my protests, Bilbo was already telling the room that I was going to sing for them. He pulled me to my feet and prodded me in the direction of the instruments. I walked up and stood facing the audience, not sure what exactly I was doing.
But then I saw faces smiling and just forgot about my inhibitions. I opened my mouth and sang slowly;
'When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name.
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there,
I will go there And back again.'
I finished and looked down, expecting nothing but a quick return to my seat, but was met with polite applause and murmurs. I quickly went and sat down with the others, still keeping my head down.
"See?" Bilbo said, "That was even better than when I heard it last!"
"But, where on earth did you learn such a song?" asked Legolas intently. I paused, I didn't really want to tell the truth; that when I awoke in Rivendell, this song was somehow in my head, and I had loved it since then.
"I can't remember, I think I must have learnt it when I was very small."
"But what is it about?" queried Frodo. I paused again. Again, the truth wasn't exactly suitable or believable. I didn't know what it was about exactly, but I knew it was about something that would happen. I hadn't made the connection before, but when I had sung just now I had thought of someone.. I had no idea why and I didn't know who, but it annoyed me.
"I'm not sure; as I said I don't know where or who I learnt it from."
"Well it's a lovely tune lass and that's no doubt." said Gimli warmly. I was taken aback, he hadn't said that much all night. I bowed my head and meekly thanked him.
----------*-----------
The rest of the night passed to quickly for my liking. The songs all blended into one, the talk into one huge conversation. I was paying so much attention to every little detail, but not really believing that I would be miles away from here by this time tomorrow.
I went up to my room sadly, but didn't go to bed. Instead I got out my travelling clothes, put them on and wandered out onto the balcony. I swung up onto the roof and sat looking down over the valley swinging my legs gently.
I loved Rivendell so much, especially by night. It had a sort of mysticism about it. It was so beautiful and so alive, but yet at the same time, I could see it was fading; that the Rivendell of before me, even my fathers time must have been much more breathtaking. It broke my heart to think that one day; this place might be empty, that no elf would rest here. I tried to distract myself by looking around again.
On the other side of the valley, to my left, I could see two figures standing on a bridge. Their heads were close together and they were holding hands. I knew at once that one was Arwen, and that the other must be Aragorn. They must be saying their good-byes. I worried about them. Had I been right; could love always work, no matter what? Arwen and I had had a few curt conversations on the topic, and she hoped desperately that it would work and so did I, but I wasn't sure if Elrond would allow his only daughter to give her love (and her immortality) to a man, and eventually fade into death. I sighed and went inside, going to bed and hoping I had been right and that it would work out.
My dreams that night were disturbed by visions that unnerved me. There was a cloud flying over me, and an awful sound, of a thousand voices filling my ears. And then. . . daylight and my last morning in Rivendell. . .
----------*----------
Elenya was the last to arrive at the gates. She kept her head down low, but most knew straight away it was her. Those who didn't wondered at this young man, so short and small in stature, yet proud and fierce, until Elenya looked up and they saw her face, pale and sad.
She wore dark grey leggings and thick, fur-lined boots. A moss-green tunic, tightened with a brown leather belt about her waist. She was wearing her grey cloak again, but it was open and the hood was thrown back; it was not needed yet; the weather was still mild. Her hair was pulled into a tight, small bun at the nape of her neck.
She had a bow and quiver on her back pulled over a large pack, stuffed to burst. Her sword, which had so puzzled Boromir that first day he found her, was sheathed at her waist. She looked completely downcast. They had been there only for a little while, standing in silence, waiting. Elrond stood before them now with a cluster of elves to his right and behind him.
The first thing Elenya did as she walked over was go straight over to Ethion and Ondion. She stood before them, none of them making any movement to greet each other; they just looked at each other, as though holding a silent conversation.
Suddenly they all moved forward to hug one another. Ethion and Ondion had their arms around Elenya and she around them. They stood back and as though he had interrupted her, Ondion spoke;
"You are brave and strong. We have faith in you. You will do well." Elenya sighed.
"I know, I am told. But I don't care about doing this well, that's not the point-" They looked at her, as though waiting to see what the point was. She never said.
"N'at aa' mali nesh llie vee' lye uum" (others can care for you as we have done) Spoke Ethion. "You know this is true and you know that you do not need us." Elenya looked down, she obviously disagreed, but she didn't contradict.
Then in turn they took her again in their arms and hugged her hard, eyes closed and faces grim. She had her eyes open, and was leaning into them, hoping to hide the tears in her eyes. Ethion held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.
"Your path will be dark; you will be lost. But you will find yourself and you will be the only light you need. You are like no other". "Remember that" Added Othion, holding her hand. Elenya didn't quite understand, but she nodded as though she did. She knew what would come next, and she was dreading it with all her heart.
"Namaarie amin elle revanthas, amin elle enna". (Farewell my little friend, my little one). Elenya said nothing, but closed her eyes until they let her go.
Then she turned to Arwen, whose head was bowed. Arwen, like Elenya was on the verge of tears, but she, like Elenya, was controlling herself well.
"Thank you for looking after me when I was here." said Elenya simply. "I won't forget the kindness shown to me by you and your people while I dwelt here. I appreciate it; you made me feel at home even when I was much lowlier than you all. Thank you." Then she paused and spoke in elvish.
"Amin dur llie , leha amin aa' na i' ere enna nae dur aul llie ve' sina" (I belive you, but I may be the only one to believe in you like this.). Arwen looked up under her lashes and said softly;
"One is all that matters. One is the beginning." They both smiled in a secret sort of way, though no one else knew what they spoke of, and neither of them ever told.
----------*----------
Elenya turned and, head down, walked over to the company, standing on the outside edge of the group and faced Elrond, who began to speak. Elenya expected no more than he said; all his advice (although elves never liked to give advice, believing it would change the fate of others, which wasn't their place) had been given to Gandalf already; Elrond had nothing more to say and listened, head bowed.
"The Ring bearer is setting out on the quest for Mount Doom." Elenya looked up quickly at Frodo, who was looking at Elrond steadily, his expression focused.
"For you who travel with him, no bond or oath is laid to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of elves, and men and all free folk go with you." Elenya (like Gandalf, Legolas and Aragorn) bowed her head with her hand on her heart, correctly accepting the blessing.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer." Spoke Gandalf firmly. Elenya saw Frodo look at the elves stood before him and turn to look at the Fellowship. His gaze was less unfocused now, more uncertain.
They parted for him to walk through, watching him look at them each as he passed. Elenya gave him the smallest of smiles, hoping to hearten him a little. He walked to the front, past Gandalf and through the stone gates to where the road forked to the left and to right. Elenya heard him whisper; "Mordor Gandalf; is it left or right?"
"Left," croaked Gandalf in reply, his hand on Frodo's shoulder, guiding him left. They walked out in file, Elenya snatching one last glimpse at Rivendell over her shoulder as she walked; one last look at her beloved Endion and Othion, who stared unsteadily back at her. And then forward, over the heads over Merry and Pippin, and onwards to wherever the company might end up going. She had to look down though; the tears were blurring her eyes too much.
Had she looked at Elrond, she would have found his gaze unsteady too, as he pondered what would become of this; the one that was different, the one who was destined. . .
---------*---------
*Elenya's POV*
We left Rivendell at sunset, walking over the stone bridge as the last ray of light lit up the valley; turning the water to liquid gold. The rivers beneath us bubbled noisily as we crossed the bridge. We climbed out of the valley, all pausing to take one last look at Rivendell. The sun had almost set now, and most of the valley was grey, but below us, Rivendell still shone, as did the running water at its feet.
"Farewell fair Rivendell" I mumbled, feeling once again I was not enough for this rare, beautiful place. Then we turned and continued on our way.
As we walked, a familiar song came into my head and I began to hum quietly. But before long, Frodo was singing along;
". . . Down from the door where it began, Now far ahead the road has gone And I must follow if I can."
I was singing now, as were the other hobbits. This was Bilbo's old walking song and whenever I was to travel far, it always came into my head and cheered me. Our voices rose for the second verse;
"Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet, And wither then I cannot say. ."
We all ended jubilantly, almost skipping as we walked. All of us who had sung were singing at each other by now and smiling. Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir looked confused, but I could see Gandalf was smiling behind his beard. Suddenly as fast as it had come, the sudden bout of joy had gone, and slightly disheartened but cheered inwardly, we continued on our way.
......
And now we had come to our camp, which was really nothing more than a dip in the ground with a little stream and a large clump of bushes. We lit a fire and I insisted on catching some fish for our dinner. I had helped Sam cook them over the fire and we were all munching in a content silence when Frodo spoke;
"I like that song." He said simply, making us all look up. It had been hours since we had sung yet he was only speaking now. Everyone was looking at him, puzzled but I had wanted to carry on this conversation, so did I.
"So do I," I answered, "do you suppose it was meant to cheer?" I looked at Frodo, he was deep in thought. He looked into the fire, frowning, and eventually answered.
"I don't thing Bilbo ever meant to do anything, he, he just lived and took what came his way." I paused and though about this, when I was interrupted by a very loud burp form Pippin. He leant back patting his stomach and causing me to smile again.
After dinner I got out my flute and began to play quietly to myself. The tunes were ones I must have been taught when I was very small, because I couldn't remember learning them. These tunes brought back all the memories I had of my father; he always loved music and this flute had been his only real gift to me. After his passing I had found it in the bottom of a chest along with a letter. It had been written on my birth from him and from my mother. I never forgot what it said; 'we love you very much and we are so glad to have you in our lives. We will always be here to look after you, to make sure that the good things in the world, the music and the laughter are always here. One day, when you come of age and you are a woman, you can use this gift we give you; this flute. You can make sure there is always music. We know you will make us proud.' I had kept the presnt unopened until I had turned 19 and now as I played it, wondered what my life may have been like if I had parents. But I stopped myself. Only ill would come of those thoughts.
I looked up to see everyone looking thoughtful. I stopped playing and decided to wade in the stream, while Aragorn and Gandalf spoke quietly, probably about our route. Gimli was taking care of the fire, the hobbits were all laid down and Boromir was sorting something out in the bushes.
Legolas was standing near the top of the dell, perfectly still almost not breathing. This intrigued me, how could he be so still, as though made of the earth itself? I decided to go over and speak to him. I walked over and stood slightly behind him, I opened my mouth to speak, but being an elf, he already knew I was there. That was the disadvantage; when you were around elves, nothing is ever secret.
"How are you?" He asked without turning around. I swallowed my slight shock and answered slowly;
"Not as bad as I thought. Now we are out here, it doesn't seem as bad as when we were leaving. I've never hated leaving somewhere as much as I hated leaving Rivendell. I just, I wish I could have spent more time there." Legolas smiled as he looked back at me.
"But you would have much more different, had you grown up in Rivendell. And I though three months would seem quite long for one as young as you." I decided to ignore the fact that he too knew I was meant to grow up in Rivendell and answered; "Yes, but good things never last long enough to balance out the bad things we see. I suppose that's to make us appreciate the good things more when we leave them behind?" He laughed softly again.
"I wouldn't know. No matter how long you live, some questions can never be answered. You know much for your age; perhaps you will find your answers." I blushed, Legolas seemed to think I was something I wasn't; wise. I was thinking about how someone like Leoglas could think someone like me was astute, but then he interrupted my thoughts;
"You should probably go to bed, I think Boromir is done."
"What?" I turned around, Boromir was sitting down by the fire talking to Gimli; whatever he been doing in the bushes was finished. I turned away from Legolas, picked up my boots from the stream and walked over to the camp, sitting next to Boromir, leaning on him. A cold wind was picking up and I was starting to shiver.
"If you are cold, you need not worry; your bed should be very warm." Said Gimli with a smile. He motioned over to the bushes. I could see now that there was dried bracken piled under the bush, covered in blankets. The others were all rolling out their own blankets and seemed not to notice, they must have already known. I turned to Boromir, I couldn't believe this.
"Boromir, thank you so much! You shouldn't have bothered!" I cried.
"It is nothing, thought I suppose it isn't a bed suited to a lady such as yourself?" He smiled innocently. I rolled my eyes and sighed;
"Boromir, you have to stop thinking of me as a lady, out here I will not be spared for being a lady. You needn't worry so much, no matter how much I appreciate the thought!" I kissed him lightly on the cheek, making him blush and went and got into my bed.
It was great! Under here the wind was blocked on all sides. The bracken was dry and comfortable. The only bad thing was that I was far away from the rest of the company, they were all talking, and I was too far away to join in with them. I would have left my bed, but I thought of Boromir, how lucky I was to have him, and I didn't want to leave.
I was warm and comfortable, and soon dozed off. I awoke very suddenly, I had no idea why. I sat up, sleepily rubbing my eyes. Everyone else was asleep; I could hear the soft breathing and the snores. I couldn't have been asleep long; the fire was still burning though it was getting low. I lay there for a while thinking about how I hated being over here on my own, it made me feel even more as though I didn't belong; as though I was just tagging along. After a few minutes I quickly got up and ran over to the others.
Conveniently enough, the free spot closest to the fire was next to Boromir; this way I could curl up to his larger bulk and be slightly warmer. I lay down next to him and closed my eyes. It was colder here, and the ground was hard and the wind was whipping my face. But I was smiling; I felt a lot better than I had in my warm little nest. I fell asleep quickly, untroubled by any dreams other than those of Rivendell.
----------*----------
Of course I didn't expect to be awoken the next morning by Pippin rolling over and screaming in my face. Or that I would make Boromir hit Gimli in the face after he jerked awake as I too began to scream. I sat up, breathless, my hand on my chest as my heart beat faster than a rabbits. Everyone was awake now, and very confused.
"What did you do that for!?" I panted to Pippin. He was sprawled back on the ground but now he sat up and answered shakily.
"Well I didn't expect to roll over and see you right there!!" Merry was in fits of laughter, rolling on the ground, as were Frodo and Sam.
"You could have killed me; my hearts going that fast!!!!" I sighed, lying back down and trying to get my heart rate back down to normal.
...................................
Now there was some elvish in there, and I only had online translators, so I'm sorry for any mistakes, I don't mean to kill the language. If any of you could possibly help with that, it would be much appreciated! Now I would like R&R's if you please and here are my replies to you other kind people who did review since me last update.
Cherryfaerie- Well all you questions will be answered, but that's what I mean when I sed it had a twist.. I know your confused but the fact is when everyone says Elenya isn't normal, that's partly what they mean!
Mademoiselle Morte- Sorry my updates are usually by the week, I just have a lot of stuff goin on now
The rest don't really need answers, but thank you all very much, I do reply if you have the reply thing up!