Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Disclaimer: All Lord of the Rings characters belong to J.R.R Tolkien, however, this story itself belongs to me and that also applies to the plot. The character "AldÃren" also belongs to me, he is mine, no stealing is permitted. This disclaimer applies for all chapters, of this fanfiction.
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter Thirty-Six: Vilya
Within five days of hard traveling, Aragorn and his host had reached the mountain borders of Gondor, awaiting the arrival of Eomer and his men.
"Hail King Aragorn!" came a shout from west, and a thunder of hooves ensued.
Eomer, rode up to Aragorn and the High King nodded. Eomer whistled something high and sharp into the brisk air and with Aragorn's wave, the two hosts began to ride towards Emyn Muil.
Sam suddenly realized something.
"Gandalf! We're going the wrong way!"
He stopped Dane with a sharp jerk of the reins, giving a quick apology to the startled pony.
"Whatever do you mean Samwise?" asked Gandalf, in a most obvious manner stating that they were going the wrong way.
"Gan-dalf!" came Sam's exasperated cry.
"Sam, all things will be revealed to you in time"
"It's a WAR Gandalf! A WAR! You can't just--reveal things in due time!!" exploded Sam.
"Sam, we will not discuss this any further"
"What is this?!" Sam refused to go any further, and Gandalf rode on at a slow pace.
"All things will be revealed to you in time" repeated Gandalf, more adamantly this time, riding away slowly, still towards Helm's Deep.
It didn't make any sense to Sam. Why was Gandalf here? Surely Aragorn would have engaged Galadriel by now in the coming war. Gandalf was needed at the front line. What could an army of men do angainst the power of Galadriel, Uruk-Hai, and the two elven rings of power? Too little.
He could not understand it. The palantiris were nowhere as important as what was going on with Galadriel. The palantiris, he realized, were merely a distraction for him to follow Gandalf, away from battle...this was most strange for him, and with a renewed annoyance, spurred Dane on, to catch up with Shadowfax.
The rest of the ride, into the night, was silent; Sam furiously thinking between "Gandalf is wrong" and "He has a reason". Dinner was short, and Sam cleaned up his bowls, packing his things. As darkness fell thicker around them, the hobbit took his blanket, and slipped into a troublesome sleep.
A few tents were set up, Aragorn, Eomer, and Celeborn, with a couple of advisors were inside one. A man rolled out a large close-up map focusing on the area around Emyn Muil, Mirkwood, and the Fields of Daglorad.
"The dwarves are approaching from the north" said Aragorn, bringing his finger from above Emyn Muil to the rendevous point.
"Hopefully, they will not be detected if any uruk-hai are patrolling" said Eomer.
"Dwarves have little hope of not being found if they come across a patrol" said Celeborn.
"We will have to have faith in Gimli's wisdom" said Aragorn.
Someone gave a little sniff, and Aragorn paid no heed to it.
"I want to break up the army into three parts...center, left, and right flank, with three rows of archers in the front" started Aragorn.
"Most of my men are short range archers" said Eomer.
"They will be mounted. The center should have a line of shields, do you understand me? The shields are to be put up as a barrier when the Uruk-hai either use arrows, or charge"
Several of the men nodded.
"We will not use all of our strength at the opening of the battle-..." continued Aragorn, and Celeborn blinked.
Galadriel, enroute to Emyn Muil, had stopped briefly, to put Vilya to some use. A breeze blew past her, and she sang several words in elvish, letting them flow towards the recipient. Thranduil, still a little distance away, caught a wind smartly in the face, and looked away for a moment, to realize that he heard words.
//I am near...meet my army Thranduil...the moment is near\\
He took a breath, and waved towards his army to turn slightly north, and they rode double pace, towards the wind.
Galadriel fondly stroked the blue ring on her finger. She was growing quite attached to it, and felt something out of place as she remembered a conversation with Elrond. He had used this ring, a little foolishly to play games with his two sons when they were younger.
**Flashback
"Are you busy adar?" asked the young elven boy tentativly. Elrond sat at his desk, scrolls scattered everywhere. And nodded, looking very serious.
"Yes Elladan, I am very busy"
Elladan kept his face straight, in order not to show that his crestfallen expression. He left the room and Elrond continued to scribble on a roll of parchment, when his eyes looked up to a small dark blue box. He thought for a second and put down his quill quietly, then opened the box. Upon a cushion of navy satin, lay Vilya. He slipped it onto his pointer finger, and breathed in deeply. Elladan sat on a bench inside Rivendell, with nothing to do, for his brother was going through a disagreeable phase. He picked his nails, and sighed loudly, for no one else was there.
//Elladan...\\
A breeze blew past outside, and the boy whipped his head around.
"Who's there?"
//Elladan...\\
Elladan jumped up, looking around the room.
"Who are you?"
//Follow the wind Elladan\\
The voice was deep, soft, and so inviting, that even though he did not know the speaker, he had a compulsion and curiosity to do exactly what it said.
He walked out of the room to find a small whirlwind, tossing up dried leaves. He reached out to touch it when it unraveled itself and flew towards another direction.
He jerked back instinctively, and looked up to see grass being blown down. He followed the wind.
//Do you know who I am?\\
"I'm not sure..." said Elladan, whispering.
//Surely you know the answer Aier\\
The voice was laughing, something quite pleasant and welcomed by the boy, who suddenly realized who this must be.
"Adar?" he asked, eyes wide in wonder.
//My son...\\
The voice was so loving, and Elladan eyes nearly teared.
"So you can play with me?" he asked, and Elrond, nostalgic, remembered that children had the most simplest requests, and that many times, they could not be granted. This boy, his son, did not think of the ring that his father was using, the great power, that even now, he could be endangering their entire kind. Only that his father loved him enough to talk to him, play with him...
//No my son, but I can show you something magnificent\\
And once again, a chase ensued, Elrond's voice led his son through the thick mountainous forest surrounding Rivendell, until they reached a very tall tree.
//Climb\\
"But the tree...it's so...tall" said Elladan, with some fear in his voice.
And it was true, the tree was extremely tall, branches making a thick canopy that seemed to stretch up in dark expanse until that area of the sky was blotted out.
//Are you afraid?\\
Elladan knew his father had prodded a button that he should not have, and drew himself to his full height.
"No!"
//Then climb\\
Elladan started, putting a hand on the lowest branch, reaching up for another, then putting his foot down. This pattern continued with only a few stops to look down and wonder what he was doing, only to be pushed up again by an invisible force.
Upon reaching a thick branch in which he could safely stand on, he realized that he had reached the top of the tree, or at least as far as he could do without being poked all over by the branches.
//Part the branches\\
Elladan wiped his brow, then made his way slowly through the thick branches, closing his eyes sharply as a couple swatted back at him in protest. And when he managed to make an opening, he ducked his head at the bright light, blinked several times, then rose his head again to poke through the branches.
He gasped as he took in the sight all around him, and Elrond chuckled.
"Wow..." was his first word.
"It's so beautiful" he whispered.
The valley in which Rivendell was set in provided a breathtaking view. His seat in the tree gave him a choice view. Tips of dark grey stone jutted up from several spots, and waterfalls dotted the land. The sight was serene, powerful, over all, the most wonderful thing Elladan had ever seen. He could have stayed in that spot forever.
Author's Note: Ugh...this is my first A/N, and I'm tired out...took forever to find the right words.