Thanks go to Kirsty for this one.
She had asked her mother of it, though in a way that betrayed nothing of what had happened.
"I have heard of it and it can happen," was all she had said.
Sometimes he would whisper encouragement to her when her mind was clouded, sometimes he would talk to her of his struggle to regain a life where he was.
Some times she heard his cries in her dreams while he dealt with his life, such as it was, now.
'I miss you…'He asked, always, about the children, about his lords, about the spreading darkness.
And she lied to him.
They are fine…
We are stronger than ever before…
All lies.
~*~
"She is dead!"
"And you believe this is how she would wish you to continue on?!"
He stared at her with a hatred born of an anger she had only witnessed in humans, "She wanted me to have no part of it. My rule? That was what you wished, don't you recall? I should learn the sword so that I may one day be like the kings of old.
She never wanted that."
Celebrían watched him stride to the door and leave it with an echoing slam. She went to the window and watched the lone rider fly from the stables. Glorfindel came to her moments later, out of breath.
"Celebrían, Estel is-."
"Gone. I know Glorfindel."
He stood, leaning against the door with his jaw hanging down slightly.
He sat across from her with Elladan to their side. "You knew of his discontent?"
Both Celebrían and Elladan nodded.
"I tried to convince him of the necessity of his role but…he would not listen," Elladan said, his tone strong. Whatever notion of a boy that had been left in him years ago was gone. His voice was deep and muscle thick. His mind worked with all the efficiency of a ruler.
It pained Celebrían to watch his compassion slip as all these changes took place. "He was always his mother's child, I fear he will not listen to reason now that she is gone."
Glorfindel looked to her with a furrowed brow. "Can we succeed without him?"
She mirrored his expression. "No."
Elladan arose and walked towards the door of his mother's study, "Then I will convince him."
"Elladan!" She called after him, "we cannot force him, that is not an option."
He turned hard eyes on her. "Then you tell me what is an option." And he left.
Glorfindel looked at her, his face softer now, "we will find a way, Celebrían"
~*~
"Mother worries about you, as does Arwen." Elrohir said quietly as they mounted their horses.
"I do what need be done, brother." His said thickly in a rough voice that grated upon delicate elvish ears.
"You've changed…" The child had never left Elrohir and, at times, it overtook him to the point where he would cower beneath his brother's stare.
Much as he did now.
"I need to be strong for them!" He said angrily, loudly, "I need to be strong for you, for everyone.
Tell me, if I do not do these things, who will? How will we win?"
His younger brother said it quietly as they rode out into the moon light, "Obviously at the expense of our souls."
Elladan looked down and kicked into his steed sharply, sending the beast galloping. Elrohir watched the figure get smaller and finally threw into his own horse when he heard his brother's frustrated holler echo across the valley.
~*~
Celebrían walked calmly down the hall to her daughter's room where she was certain she'd find her, likely in tears. But when she came to the doorframe, she saw Arwen writing furiously in a book she knew held her poems and songs and lamentations of the struggle of life as it was now.
"He is gone, tithen min." She had never gotten past calling her that, despite how she had grown.
She spoke without looking up, with anger in her voice, "I know. He wanted me to come with him."
Celebrían was livid but hid it from her voice, from her face. She disliked the man he had become, disliked how he had nurtured an affection for her daughter as she had for him.
"I told him he was a coward, I told him his people needed him, I told him we needed him, that I needed him…he would not have it." The quill cracked with the force she used on it and she looked up at her mother, her face conflicted.
"Do not betray your faith, Arwen. Fate rests not upon one man, but on those who surround him."
Arwen smiled. "You loathe him, don't you?"
Celebrían looked at the ground as a devious smile played across her lips. "Of course not…I just don't want you to love him."
The shared a smile and look that spoke volumes of the bond that had developed between them. Her daughter, now a woman, could be with her on every level.
"I have letters to write."
"Mm, I imagine you do." Arwen said, smiling still.
~*~
She sat alone in her room, the storm outside causing her unimaginable grief over her son's absence. The lightning cast a pale colour over her face ever time it flashed.
'You feel so alone, meleth nin.'
She didn't look up, having grown accustomed to the fact that the words came from within her mind and heart. "I feel lost, Elrond. I wish you were here."
'Don't cry,' he said quickly, 'I hate not being able to wipe those tears from your eyes.'
"I fear for the children, such a burden lies on their shoulders," she said quietly.
'I take it then…that Estel has left?'
"He has."
'Damn it.'
His voice still bore all the markers of a child's and this new youth was not lost on his mind.
'Do you wish my advice?'
"Please."
'Gather them, be on the alert…and wait for when it comes.'
"Elrond…speak to me words not of this…"
'I was just thinking of how beautiful you look in the hues of thunder, meleth.'
She bowed her head and felt his presence fade. The storm continued unabated outside but the flashes of lightning brought sight of two figures riding to Imladris.
~*~
They came to Imladris with great speed. Countless years of planning, thrown off on the whims of a foolish mortal.
She had called upon her mother, Thranduil and Mithrandir alone.
In the gardens, with grey skies threatening overhead, they voiced fears and thoughts unimaginably valuable to Celebrían in a time when she was so uncertain.
"It is time to send word to Denethor and Théoden!" Thranduil said, hushed yet urgent.
"Denethor is not blind! He knows what evils lurk outside his borders; it is too late to call upon him now that we have kept this from him for so long." Galadriel intoned.
Mithrandir looked from the two elven rulers to Celebrían as she sat pensive.
"I do not believe it would have been wise to inform him of Ilsildur's blood," she shook her head slowly as she looked at the harsh sky, "something rots his mind."
Her mother watched her as Thranduil did. Mithrandir merely nodded. "What have you seen, Celebrían?"
She looked from the sky to his face and then to her mother and Thranduil. "There is…something afoot that we cannot know. It would be folly to make our move before all the players on the board have been clearly marked friend of foe."
Thranduil bent hid head down, looking at the floor over his clasped hands. "Saruman advised that we wait…the price for that delay was immeasurable."
Celebrían leaned forward and waited until he raised his head to meet her eyes. "It is exactly because of that instance that I advise this caution."
He looked at her with confusion until the thoughts in her mind dawned on him. "Until we know who is friend or foe…"
She nodded, "to avoid such future tragedies, we trust only ourselves for the time being."
Galadriel looked at her daughter and knew what was in her mind instantly. She had thought it curious that Curunír was not present.
They bode farewell, forgoing a meal in the dining hall of Imladris to arrive and make preparations at home as quickly as possible.
"You are wise beyond even your many years, Celebrían." Mithrandir said quietly to her before he mounted to leave. "Let there never be doubt of your worthiness of the great Imladris."
She watched him ride off, following the two parties which now separated to go their separate ways.
"Plans are in place then." Elladan's voice came to her quietly from behind.
She turned to look at her eldest son. "We are prepared, come what may."
He nodded and walked with her as she went to the door. He held it open and allowed her to pass before following her into the dark, stone corridor. "He said he needed time. He is more confused then we can begin to comprehend."
Celebrían nodded and slipped her arm through her sons as they walked. "Did you…convince him?" She said it with worry, said it cautiously.
He stopped them and faced her, "do you worry for me, naneth?" He sounded young again.
"Always." She said earnestly.
He searched her eyes fro a moment before he spoke again. "Do you fear me?"
She hesitated before she answered, "I'm scared of the man you may become."
He bowed his head and she pulled him into an embrace. The strain, all his anger…poured out as he held her tightly. She leaned her head against his and allowed him to hold on as long as he needed to.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, I know it's been a long time, but things have been extremely complicated this lat while for me.
Anyway, with a kick in the pants from Kirtsy and a little time on my hands after finals, here it is, however crappy it may be. Sorry about the wait!