And There are Many Path's to Tread
Engrish Spy
Rating R
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. That belongs to JRR Tolkien.
Author Notes: Ok so it's the second chapter and already I'm disappointed in where I want to take this. After doing some studying on the subject, it turns out that Elves who are over the age of 1000 years, do not have sex. So that throws a wrench in my plans… but this is fan fiction and I can do what I like. Enjoy~ Engrish!
Time passed slowly in the lands of the Undying. One day in the sheltered woods of the elves and Valar were akin to hundreds of days to those in Middle Earth. Not every one who came to the hallowed lands where the Valar lived was granted with eternal life or the chance to stay within it blessed lands, Bilbo had passed on two years after their arrival in the lands and Frodo was showing his age, was beginning to contemplate weather to return to the Shire. They had been the only hobbits ever in the history to enter the lands that Men called the Undying Lands. Though Eowyn could never understand why she, one of the races of men, had been granted passage from the lands of her birth to the lands of Elves and Valar. At first she thought that it was because of her daughter and that they needed her mother until she was old enough to fend for herself. Other naïve thoughts had crept into her head after that first night on the white boat with Gandalf, the hobbits and the elves.
Eowyn shook her head at the memory. That was many years ago and a different life time it almost seemed. She kneed the piece of dough, with her hands, into the marble counter top that was her work station. She loved to bake and here in the kitchens of Lorien, she could bake all she liked. It was something her long dead mother had passed on to her as a child. It was something that she enjoyed and something she wished to pass on to her daughter. It was as if a small part of her wanted to go back to the Mark, where she would raise her daughter in the ways that she had been raised. She would marry into one of the noble families. She would never know of her father.
It was too late now. She was here in the forests of the ancient Lorien, with the peaceful life that had been destined for her from the beginning of time. The fact of the mater that had brought her to the undying lands had been in fact the doing of the Valar. She had pasted into the West because she was a Maiar. A being that was in always upright form, a being that mimicked the subtleties of man, possessed the long life like the elves and power that made them special to the world of middle earth.
However, it still confused her why it was she and not one of the more obvious. She had been told what to expect when she entered the hallowed halls of the Valar Queen and Valar Kings. She was to serve the Valar as their handmaiden, one of the most powerful Maiar. It all seemed daunting at the first time, but as time passed it was easier to deal with the silly demands of the Valar and more demanding nature of Eru.
Though the Valar and Eru had not demanded her services all that much in the past but she could feel that there were events in motion that would soon require her to accept her fate as their tool.
Mother a tall and lanky blond haired elf girl called out from the wide arch door that led out to the forest.
Eowyn smiled as the girl perched herself on the stool near the marble workstation. She was dressed in a violet tunic, embroidered with lavender leaves and flowers. Over top of that she wore a two toned leather jerkin and her legs were clad in tan leggings and black soft leather greaves. Her long blond hair had been pulled back at the sides and knotted at the back to keep the hair off her face, yet still windswept and untamed. Eowyn knew that her feet were bare; for she knew today were lessons with Gandalf and the old Frodo Baggin's.
And what has my young elfling learned today with the white wizard and the master hobbit? she asked continuing to kneed the dough in front of her.
I learned of the second war of the ring, she said with a sigh and then also took the bow off her body.
And what did they tell you? Eowyn asked hiding her eyes from her daughter.
At this point, Authwen found herself switching to westron to express her interest in the final battle of the one ring.
"I learned of many things today," she raved on.
"I learned of old Master Bilbo and his journey through Rivendell to the forest of Mirkwood. I learned of how he came to have the one ring of power. Master Frodo told me of the journey that he and his three hobbit friends embarked on to return of the ring. I learned that you fought on the plains out side of the majestic city of Minis Tirith and that the ring was finally destroyed along with Sauraman in a battle in the Shire," she continued on excitedly.
Eowyn smiled as her daughter mentioned the fields and the pride she had for her mother. They continued to talk to about the war. Though as they talk, she knew that Authwen was beginning the inklings of the questioning to who her father was. However, the young elf did not press the matter, knowing her mother was going to tell her in due time.
Their talk was interrupted by the cries of a young male elf as he came tearing into the kitchens. Authwen looked at the boy questionably and then spoke to him.
Elrohir, what brings you here to the kitchens? Authwen asked the boy.
Autha, come quick. There are new arrivals here in the woods, he said, trying to catch his breath.
Authwen cocked her eyebrow and then looked to her mother. Eowyn smiled and then waved the youth off. Jumping off the stool, Authwen leaned over the table and placed a small peck on her cheek and then followed the boy.
Eowyn grinned and then continued with the bread in front of her. She was surprised when a gentle cough caught her attention. Startled she looked up and became aware of the White Wizard who was now in the room with her.
"Good Afternoon, Gandalf," Eowyn greeted her fellow Maiar.
"Good Afternoon, Eowyn," he replied and then sat down on the stool that Authwen had occupied a few short moments before.
"They say that there are new arrivals of Elves in the forest of Lorien?" Eowyn said as Gandalf arranged him self on the small stool.
The Wizard nodded and then smiled, "That there is."
Eowyn knew at that moment that her fellow Maiar was holding something back. She raised her eyebrow in question as if to ask but the return of her daughter interrupted her thoughts.
"The Elven Prince Legolas and a dwarf have come to the forest," she said trying to catch her breath.
Eowyn blanched at the mention of the Elf Prince, though she held back the gasp, tears and words that threatened to come to her lips and eyes. She looked to Gandalf again and saw the twinkle in his eyes that was there the day he had told her the events of her life were to change for the better. Eowyn began to wipe her hands on her apron and then untied the strings and placed the apron on the table. She then began to smooth out the blue velvet dress and light blue surcoat she wore over top of it.
"Don't worry about what you look like, mother," Authwen said in an exasperated voice.
"Don't hurry me child, I'm not as young as I used to be," Eowyn said automatically as if she was still of the race of man.
The Wizard chuckled merrily at her comment, as he was twice the age that she was when he came to Middle Earth. The wizard's laughter was soon joined by that of her daughters own. She sighed and then threw her hands up in defeat.
"I revoke what I say about my age, lead away young Autha" She said with a frown and let her daughter drag her away to visit the newcomers.
"Goodbye Master Wizard, see you next Thursday for lesson," Authwen said with shout over her shoulder
"Yes it was nice to see you again, Gandalf. I expect you will attend tonight's festivities?" Eowyn remarked as she was pulled out the door as well.
The wizard just sighed and then pulled out his pipe and lit it.
"Things are only just about to begin," he said to himself out loud and then continued to puff away on his pipe
~*~
"There he is," Authwen said as she stopped.
Eowyn found herself crashing into her daughter and almost falling to the ground. She was able to right herself quickly and brushed her clothing of the dust it had accumulated in the run from the kitchens on the lower floors of the forest to the receiving platform up in the upper levels. Eowyn followed her daughter's finger to the head of blond hair that she would never have forgotten from her time in Middle Earth. It was crowned with the same silver diadem that she had seen rested upon his head on the day in Minis Tirith. He was clad in a silver blue traveling coat embroidered with a leaf pattern, with a darker blue sash about his waist. She knew that his legs would be clad in the brown pants that he wore every where. It was almost as if they were an extension of his being. On his feet was a pair of matching silver blue shoes. Gimli was standing next to him clad in his finest dwarf wear. It was also Gimli who noticed her standing off to the side.
"By the valar, I thought you had sunk with the ship in the river on the way to Gondor," Gimli stated as if seeing Eowyn was a shock beyond anything.
Authwen turned to her mother and then back to the Dwarf and the Elf on the platform. It was almost a shock to her that her mother knew the dwarf so well. A blush crept into Eowyn's cheeks as the elves on the receiving platform turned all gaze to her. She lowered her eyes and hid behind her own daughter as if being stared at like she was something from another world, though in fact she was more otherworldly then most thought her to be.
"Mother they're still staring, say something," Authwen said with a poke and forced her more shy mother out from behind her.
Eowyn jumped at the sharp contact and was thrust more or less on to the platform that the two stood on. She curtsied to the both other them but kept her eyes cast down at the time.
"Welcome to the woods of Lorien, Master Dwarf and your highness. I hope you find you stay in the woods a pleasant one," she said softly.
"I hope it will be," Gimli said quiet boisterously and then kissed Eowyn's hand.
Eowyn's blush continued to creep to her ears.
"I hope you have been treated with much respect among the elves," Legolas replied with a formal tone.
Eowyn found she could not look upon the princes' face. She could not look upon the smooth and cut features of his face, and she knew that once she was to look upon his eyes she would see the wisdom and tremendous weight that they had both carried for years. She was also aware that one look in his eyes and she would be lost forever in eternity, a place she did not want to visit since she had other duties.
"I have. Gandalf has made sure that I learn elvish and that I as well as my daughter has seen to her need of learning in Lorien," she replied.
"All is well then. Where is that Wizard anyways?" Gimli found himself asking.
"He was in the kitchens with us not just a minute ago. He is most likely enjoying some of the pipe weed that he likes to smoke from time to time," Eowyn replied.
"So like Gandalf to wait to make an entrance," Gimli ruffed.
Eowyn longed for Galadriel to make an appearance to officially welcome the two to the woods but she was still force to keep them waiting. She then felt her more then precocious daughter slid up next to her and poke her in the side again. Jumping only slightly, Eowyn turned and scolded her daughter. The Dwarf just laughed and Elf prince looked on in amazement.
"I see that Authwen has captured not only the attentions of her mother but of the attention of my guest," said a wise and poised voice that Eowyn had come to know over her passage of time in the woods.
Both of the travelers were only slightly startled by the arrival of Galadriel on the receiving platform.
"So unlike an elf in features yet as boisterous and overconfident as her father was. Yet she is true, noble and caring as he mother," Galadriel said with a soft sigh and a knowing glance in Eowyn's direction.
She beckoned for the two travelers to her from her perch on the last step. She smiled to both with a gentle grin.
"It is good of you to journey here, Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Eryn," she continued on.
"The pleasure is all mine, fair lady of the wood," Gimli stuttered in admiration of the noble elf and took one of the lady's hands and kissed it softly in admiration for the golden lady.
It is good to see you, dear lady of the golden wood, Legolas said with formal respect to the lady.
Authwen and Eowyn watched the display in front of them, though Eowyn's attention was more focussed on the Elven Prince. She watched as he conversed easily with the Lady Galadriel and Gimli piping whatever information he could. She then looked towards Eowyn and beckoned her with a small smile.
"I had heard of the founding of a long lost Maiar, I just never figured it would be you lass," Gimli said with a twinkle in his eyes and out stretched hands to offer her congratulations.
"Gandalf told me that he told all my friends, even my brother that I was lost while I was traveling down the Ent wash to visit Gondor and old friends," she said trying to hide her eyes again.
"It is good to see you are alive," the smooth honeyed voice that she knew would make her look, spoke, forcing her to look at him directly.
"King Elesser was greatly grieved by your passing, as was Merry. He was to have said to have stayed in his Hobbit hole for more then a year's time. You meant that much to him as you had faith in him dear Madame," Legolas said with a sad note in his tone.
As if sensing the Prince's deep sadness, Galadriel interrupted the now poignant reunion.
"It is good fortune that you come to our woods today, for Master Frodo, Lord Elrond Halfelven and his sons join us tonight for a Mid-solstice feast. I will have you shown to quarters so as you can clean yourselves of the dirt that accompanies one on travels such as yours,"
A few elves appeared and swept off both the dwarf and Legolas. Authwen, having enough of the festivities, left the platform immediately. She began chasing after another friend who has also stolen away from studies to view the new arrivals. Eowyn watched their backs as the elves began to sing a song. It was one that women sang to ward off the unwanted stares of the men folk of Rohan. She had taught them that. It had been long ago but she remembered it well.
"It is as if his heart is broken, dear Lady Eowyn," Galadriel said with eloquent timing.
"It is fair Lady of Lorien," Eowyn murmured.
"His love for you never died," She replied with a sad voice.
Eowyn nodded, "It may have not, but there were many things that stood in our way at the time."
"You have time now," Galadriel said with another soft sigh and then turned to leave.
After she was gone, Eowyn stood there watching the leaves be rustled in the slight humid breeze that caressed the emerald coloured leaves of the forest. She reflected upon the words that Galadriel had left with her.
There meaning began to take shape and were burned onto her mind that was much a part of her own. Reflecting on those thoughts, gave her a cold suspicion elevate within her heart. As those simple words began to take hold of her thoughts, she pondered their meaning.
For them, they all had time. This was the land of the immortals. She was immortal as was he. Their daughter was immortal as well. But as the thoughts of an existence that was long and happy began to roll about in her mind, she knew that there were other sinking barriers starting to arise with in her. It was her position as a Maiar that stood out the most.
She sat down on one of the benches that sat around the dais. She was at one point obligated to become the servant of the Valar in the near future. But the near future had actually turned to whenever the Valar required her power and her presence in the halls of their home. She was at their mercy when the time came.
As she contemplated these repercussions of her actions, she felt as if she had been splashed with cold water. Looking off to her right onto the platform, she saw a figure clad in a dark dress and dark veil. At first she thought that this could only be the vision of pain that Lord Elrond, told her the Queen of Gondor had when she was given a choice about her fate in the world of Middle Earth. But the vision pulled back the black veil revealing an almost white version of her. The glow of the Maiar had left her face and it was as if death had touched her with his long, slimy pointy finger. It was as if she was mortal once more yet still living. Her flesh a rotting bag of maggots and twisted and greasy with the foul stench of decay and death.
She screamed and averted her eyes. She would not let the tears fall from her face. She was far stronger then she had been as a mortal. She had already cried her tears that needed to be cried. But the image of the mortal un-dead filtered into her mine, burning itself upon her psyche and ensnaring it to its wiles. It was as almost as if the repulsive Grima had come back to taunt her mind with the vile images that he burned on to it as he had during her years in Rohan.
Then a pain of the memories that she held as well as the familiar pain of destruction in the world flooded her sharply and at a distressing speed. It was searing, almost death like pain that she wished she would never have to experience again. Standing up from the bench she stumbled off towards her rooms among the trees. Aware now that the vision she had just seen was a call to her destiny. The call of the dance that the one had written for her, and the one dance that could kill her.
~*~
"It was surprising to see you among the elves of the Lorien forest," Gimli said with a hearty laugh as well as groaning as he sat his old and tired body next to Eowyn at the nearest table to the Lord and Lady.
Eowyn nodded, "It was also a surprise that the Valar have granted you a place in the forest of the Undying lands as well, Master Gimli."
"It's that wizards fault entirely," he said playfully and then stabbed at the pheasant that lay on his plate.
"Master Gimli, I heard that you were provoked by Prince Legolas as well as you had the gall to break a good axe in trying to destroy the One Ring, yourself," Authwen said from her position next to her mother.
"Hush child," Eowyn said with a warning tone.
Gimli laughed and then looked to across the table to Legolas and then back to Eowyn, "My does she reminds me of a certain elf."
Eowyn paled at the comment. Did the dwarf know the truth? She anxiously switched her gaze to her daughter and to across the table to the elf in question. There was a light in his eyes that she did not expect as if he was delighted with Gimli, knowing that such comments in the past about such behaviour would have set off the elf prince in to rages that would leave most people around him scared and frightened. But at this moment Eowyn was the most frightened. She did not want Legolas to know of their daughter. This was not the time to know.
"She is quiet different from most elf children," Gimli said with gruff voice interrupting Eowyn's thoughts.
Eowyn turned from the conversation and looked towards her daughter. She was certainly most different from the elves. Living among the peaceful elves had not broken the wild spirit in Authwen, a spirit that she most likely picked up from her mother. She was still accepted among her young friends, the few that were born at the same time as she was. Yet she preferred the dark colours that her mother's old wardrobe offered her, the dark combination with the light flower colours that she wore.
Currently Authwen was wearing a dress of hers that was of the finest black velvet embroidered with golden flowers much in the pattern of those found in Rohan. It was a dress she had worn to the banquet of the newly crowned king of the reunited kingdom. Authwen's lovely pale hair had been un-braided and brushed so that there was only the slightest wave to it. Crowned with a silver circlet that the Lady Galadriel had given her on her 50th birthday she was beautiful in both body and face, receiving, at least in Eowyn's opinion, most of her good looks from her father.
Eowyn smiled to Authwen and received a smile from her daughter back. Authwen quickly turned her attentions back to an elleth friend sitting next to her. Eowyn turned back to her friends at the table.
"In being most different, she is most like her mother," Legolas commented and then sipped from a silver goblet.
"Aye most like her mother, I think," Gimli echoed Legolas' sentiment.
Eowyn nodded her head at the mention of the behaviour of Authwen being like hers when she was of that age. For in the elven world, though only one hundred and twenty one after the spring, she was much like that of a woman of four and twenty. As old as she was when she first met Legolas, only a year younger then when she was when she bore the half elf into the world. She frowned and then pushed the food around her plate.
"Is something troubling you tonight, Lady Eowyn," she heard the honeyed voice Legolas ask her.
Eowyn looked across the table towards the elf and made the mistake of gazing into his wizened yet eternal deep grey eyes. She quickly cast her eyes else where and then mumbled a no and then turned back to her food on her plate.
The dwarf sensing a tension rising between the two took the conversation in a different direction.
"So Milady, I wondered now that you are different from a human, are you powers much like those of Master Gandalf?"
Eowyn shook her head, "Not at all Master Gimli. My powers are connected to the world of Arda. When it feels pain, I feel the pain. When it is destroyed, I feel the destruction. There was a great war in the southern part of Middle Earth not ten years ago, and as the land was destroyed I was in so much pain. I spent a week abed with fever and pain."
"She can do things that I have never seen Master Gandalf ever do. Once she was able to bring upon a rain storm to calm a fire that had started in the kitchens," came the rowdy voice of Authwen again.
Eowyn blushed and then swatted at her daughter who proceeded to giggle back.
"You still blush as much as you did when I first met you lass," Gimli said and then took up his cup and drank his wine in one gulp.
"It would take a miracle from the Yavanna for her not to blush," said an elf by the name of Sorono who was the keeper of the libraries in the city.
The people around the table gathered in laughter and Eowyn blush deepened from the pale red to a deep scarlet stain across her cheeks. Though burning with the embarrassment that she would never learn to get over, she noticed that Legolas was not laughing with the other guest seated at the long table for the festival.
"So what of the mortal world Prince Legolas?" Sorono asked him to change the subject around the table.
"It was still plagued with many wars even as I and my friend left. It seems that the Dunedaine are challenging the young King for his throne," Legolas said with a sigh.
"There was also fighting in the northern Kingdom. It seems with the killing of the Witch King, and the oppression people have felt for years is causing civil war there as well," Gimli added.
"What of Rohan?" Eowyn found herself asking Gimli, remembering that he had set up a colony of Dwarfs in the cave behind Helm's Deep.
"Safe and sound under the rule of you great, great grand niece I might add. Never was there a finer shield maiden raised. The only woman who could compare to her would be you Milady." Gimli replied.
"What wonderful news to hear," replied another elf sitting next to Legolas on his left.
"Aye that it is. She is just as kind and strong as well as a friend of the Dwarfs. She visits them in the cave regularly," he replied with pride.
"It is good to hear that Mother's home is so well taken care of. And what do your kinsmen thing of your journey into the west?" Authwen said entranced by the dwarf's tale of Rohan.
Gimli coughed, "They think it most honourable."
"Well said Master Gimli. You must excuse Authwen she is such a curious elf," Sorono said and raised his glass.
"Aye that she is," Gimli replied and also raised his glass.
"I can not help it. I thirst for knowledge of any kind, even if it's the thoughts of other races," she exclaimed and then drank from her own cup.
"A true elf, I say," another elf at the table piped up.
Everyone around the table gave a good cheer and drank up the wine in their goblets.
"So what is to become of the world of Arda now that it is on its own," an elleth said with a sigh.
Eowyn did not know if that was directed at her but she answered anyways, "I think that it will be fine. Man will go on living, as do the Dwarfs, Hobbits, Elves, Ents, Orcs and Goblins do. Till the end of time as must we."
The company around the table was stunned with the Maiar's comments of the world around them. It was then that the blush began to creep back into her cheeks but was stopped by a resonant and melodious voice.
"It is a well thought out answer," Legolas said
"Thank you for your kind complement, your highness," Eowyn said with a little nod of her head.
"It is I who should bow to you Milady," he said also bowing his head in her direction.
After his head came up level, their eyes locked across the table. In that moment Eowyn felt shivers pass up and down her spine as if his gaze could touch her in the most intimate ways.
"I think that Lord Elrond will be telling a story soon," Authwen exclaimed, breaking Eowyn from her gaze with Legolas.
"I'm sure it will be a good one," Eowyn said looking at her daughter and then back to Legolas.
But the elf's eyes were else where as was his concentration. Eowyn sighed and turned her attention back to her daughter but the feelings that he had stirred within her had not ebbed at all. It was hard as it was that he was here but to feel those feeling that should have died long ago where not helping the situation. With the Prince of Mirkwood now within the borders of the ancient Lorien anything was bound to happen.
TBC…