Authors: Lucy and Lakaren
Summary:
Disclaimer: No mine, no sue. Some sections are directly taken from Tolkien's work: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter VI (6) Lothlorien.
Warning: Adult Language. (* = Elvish Translation)
Please give us reviews!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When the company had finished their 'meal', Aragorn gathered them once more and they turned away from the Nimrodel.
Legolas began to sing as they walked along, of a fair elf maiden,
'An Elven-maid there was of old, A shining star by day: Her mantle white was hemmed with gold, Her shoes of silver-grey.
'A star was bound upon her brows, A light was on her hair As sun upon the golden boughs In Lorien the fair.
'Her hair was long, her limbs were white, And fair she was and free; And in the wind she went as light As leaf of linden-tree.'
After several more verses, he came to the end of the tale,
'But from the West has come no word, And on the Hither Shore No tidings Elven-folk have heard Of Amroth evermore.'
"This is but a part, for I have forgotten much. It is long and sad, for it tells how sorrow came upon Lothlorien, Lorien the Blossom, when the Dwarves awakened evil in the mountains."
Gimli broke in, then, "But the Dwarves did not make the evil."
"I said not so; yet evil came," answered Legolas sadly.
Rae listened carefully to their conversation as the walked on in the growing dark. To her ears, it was if a play she well knew was being recited. It would be harder to hold their tongues than the girls had thought. . .
Legolas went on to explain of how the Nimrodel was named, the Elven-maid in search of her love, who traveled from the body that they could still yet look upon, into the Silverlode, and passed to the Great River. (Anduin) "It is told that she had a house built in the branches of a tree that grew near the falls; for that was the custom of the elves of Lorien, to dwell in the trees, and maybe it is so still."
"And even in these latter dwelling the trees might be thought safer than sitting on the ground." Said Gimli.
"Your words bring good counsel, Gimli," said Aragorn, "We cannot build a house but tonight we will do as the Galadhrim and seek refuge in the treetops if we can. We have sat here beside the road already longer than was wise."
The company turned aside from the path, and went into the shadow of the deeper woods.
Beck gazed about in awe, for the deeper they traveled into these woods, the more magnificent the trees seemed to become. Not far from the falls of Nimrodel, they found a great cluster of trees, some of which overhung the stream. Their great grey trunks were of mighty girth, but their height could not be guessed.
Beck snickered as they approached this spot, knowing full well what would come to the long-winded Elf due to his actions of the near future.
"I will climb up," said Legolas, "For I am at home among the trees."
Rae glanced to Beck, then, and the girls exchanged smirks. Beck shifted the weight of her pack, as the straps had begun to dig themselves into the skin over her shoulders. Out from her pack nearly two hours previous, she had pulled a blue jean jacket. They had both been thankful for spending the extra money before their camping trip for 'water-proof' backpacks. Almost nothing of their belongings was destroyed.
Alas, the Fellowship had found their clothing and even their bags out of fashion, strange in any land, but had held their tongues.
" These trees are strange to me, save as a name in song. Mellyrn they are called. I will see now what is their shape and way of growth," Legolas said, as he leapt from the ground.
Beck and Rae's hands drew to their mouths in anticipation and Gimli took notice, though his main center of focus was how Legolas faired amongst the branches.
Pippin too marveled at Legolas' actions, and the trees themselves, "Whatever these trees may be, they will be marvelous trees indeed if they can offer any rest at night, except to birds. I cannot sleep on a perch!"
Legolas moved to swing his leg up to the branch gracefully when he heard a voice call out, "Daro!" The voice was commanding, and at it's sound; Legolas dropped back to the earth and cowered under the tree's protection.
"Do not move." Legolas commanded quietly.
Laughter could be heard over their heads.
Beck grinned widely, knowing for a fact who had called to Legolas. She'd been anticipating this event since the time her and Rae had agreed where they had ended up.
The elves spoke back and forth with Legolas and soon he had scampered up a silvery rope ladder that had been lowered down.
Pippin looked to Aragorn, "Are they elves?"
"Yes, they are elves, dear hobbit, and they have said that you breathe so loudly they could've shot you in the dark."
Merry and Pippin exchanged worried glances and Sam cupped his hand over his mouth.
Legolas had explained that Frodo was to follow him, and up he and Sam went, slowly but surely.
The three, after a long climb, reached a platform at the top.
The elves that awaited them introduced themselves as 'Haldir', who seemed to be in the charge of that post, and his two brothers, Orophin and Rumil.
Aside from the others, the girls began to talk, "Dear lord. . . I hope we don't have to. . ." Beck pointed at the fine rope ladder.
Rae nodded, "Nooo. . ." she moaned.
Legolas told Haldir and his brothers of the races that were represented in the Fellowship, and stopped after he mentioned the odd girls that they had saved on the opposite side of the Nimrodel.
"You have spoken of nine, yet. There are ten in your company."
"The tenth is a dwarf."
After some discussion, Haldir permitted Gimli to stay with the Company and travel further into Lorien.
"The halflings will stay the night with us at the watch. The rest of your company is to stay in the next tree; there is a flet there as well."
Frodo and Sam sighed uneasily. Aragorn would not be at their side as he had been since the beginning of their journey. They had lost Gandalf only a few weeks previous. . . and now they would spend the night in the company of the strange elves of Lorien stuck up in a tree with no walls or shelter.
Sam frowned to himself as Legolas went back down the ladder. He thought 'Why do they call these people the fair-folk of the Goldenwood. . . a cold welcome and a cold tree to sleep in. Not so fair in my mind. . .' He grumbled with crossed arms, but a hopeful smile from Frodo lightened his mood.
Up came Merry and Pippin, packs and weapons in tow.
Beck and Rae stood at the base of the large tree as Merry went up the ladder. . . the last of those that would sleep in the company of Lorien elves.
Aragorn led the company to the neighboring tree and allowed Legolas to journey up to the flet first. Legolas turned and handed a bundle to Aragorn. Rumil had given it to him to shelter a bit of the winter chill from the humans.
"Elven furs and cloaks," he noted, after Legolas had climbed a ways. "These will keep you warm through the length of the night, no doubt." He told the girls.
He bound up the ladder, with Gimli following cautiously behind. The dwarf grunted and complained the higher he ascended. . . but Aragorn paid him no mind.
"The two of you shall follow the dwarf," Boromir said, "But I shan't place blame on you, if you decide to wait a few moments for his passing."
"Did I hear right. . . No walls?" Beck asked him, without turning to look upon him. She merely stared upwards at the ladder until she could see no more. It climbed out of her vision. "No walls, but fear not." Boromir said, swallowing nervously himself. "The elves are strange folk in the manner of carpentry, but I do not doubt their knowledge." His tone, however, was nothing close to reassuring.
Gimli gave a call, signaling that he was almost at the top.
Beck looked to Rae, "Welp, have fun." She smiled nervously. "Go!"
Rae grimaced and shot a betrayed glance at her friend before she reluctantly grabbed the first rung of the rope ladder. She began to climb, slowly. . .
Beck grinned. She reached out and grasped the ladder in her fist. Then she began to give it a jolt, when Boromir stopped her hand. He grabbed her wrist and frowned down, looking into her face.
"Her hands are unsteady with fear as it is, we are all leery to place our trust in such a feeble-looking device. . ." he let go of her wrist, then. "Do not cause more trouble in this strange land than is already at hand."
Beck nodded, and released the ladder until her mischievous thoughts had left her. With a deep breath and a gesture towards the ladder from Boromir, Beck began to ascend as well.
Soon after, Boromir followed, and all three continued their climb.
Aragorn awaited Rae's arrival at the flet, and pulled her carefully up onto the platform.
Shortly following, he aided Beck as well. The girls sat, mildly short of breath. Their bodies ached from the climb, and the walk, and the unfortunate swim from that afternoon.
Boromir pulled himself up through the circular hole in the middle of the flet, carrying the girls' packs, along with his own things. He moved to Aragorn and Gimli and they spoke quietly amongst themselves for only a moment when Legolas appeared on the platform. His grace and stealth had allowed him to be heard by no one, and his arrival rather startled the two females.
He had finished his dealings with Haldir, the Marchwarden, and his brothers, and now would rest along with the others of his Company. . .
Wrapped in their spare clothing and to Beck's disagreement, Elven skins, the girls lay a way apart from the men as they tried to rest and begin healing.
Aragorn sat awake for sometime, his watchful eyes and cautious, skilled ears at work. He had learned to ignore the sounds Gimli produced as he slept, for his snoring would drive most sane men to madness. Also, Boromir's restless ramblings of random battle cries and shouts, he had learned to ignore. On occasion he would look to Legolas, who would appear to be fully conscious, as he sat upright with crossed legs and opened eyes. Due to his years with Elrond and his twin sons, Aragorn recognized this practice as an elvish form of slumber. For, he himself had grown accustomed to meditating in this manner, and could be wakened easily if the need called for it. He glanced at the girls, the watched them for some time. Neither was particularly uncommon in appearance. Still, he could not place by voice nor appearance from what land they may have come. Aside from their strange slang, their language seemed to resemble Westron. He noted that Rae's hair was cut very short for a female of any age, and nearly any race. He would keep close watch on and over them. In his mind he believed that they would bring no harm, but these were dark days. Tonight he would not have rest. Something lurked beneath the trees that either the elves did not yet see, or that they chose to ignore. His heart told him that danger lingered where this creature crept.
Summary:
Disclaimer: No mine, no sue. Some sections are directly taken from Tolkien's work: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter VI (6) Lothlorien.
Warning: Adult Language. (* = Elvish Translation)
Please give us reviews!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When the company had finished their 'meal', Aragorn gathered them once more and they turned away from the Nimrodel.
Legolas began to sing as they walked along, of a fair elf maiden,
'An Elven-maid there was of old, A shining star by day: Her mantle white was hemmed with gold, Her shoes of silver-grey.
'A star was bound upon her brows, A light was on her hair As sun upon the golden boughs In Lorien the fair.
'Her hair was long, her limbs were white, And fair she was and free; And in the wind she went as light As leaf of linden-tree.'
After several more verses, he came to the end of the tale,
'But from the West has come no word, And on the Hither Shore No tidings Elven-folk have heard Of Amroth evermore.'
"This is but a part, for I have forgotten much. It is long and sad, for it tells how sorrow came upon Lothlorien, Lorien the Blossom, when the Dwarves awakened evil in the mountains."
Gimli broke in, then, "But the Dwarves did not make the evil."
"I said not so; yet evil came," answered Legolas sadly.
Rae listened carefully to their conversation as the walked on in the growing dark. To her ears, it was if a play she well knew was being recited. It would be harder to hold their tongues than the girls had thought. . .
Legolas went on to explain of how the Nimrodel was named, the Elven-maid in search of her love, who traveled from the body that they could still yet look upon, into the Silverlode, and passed to the Great River. (Anduin) "It is told that she had a house built in the branches of a tree that grew near the falls; for that was the custom of the elves of Lorien, to dwell in the trees, and maybe it is so still."
"And even in these latter dwelling the trees might be thought safer than sitting on the ground." Said Gimli.
"Your words bring good counsel, Gimli," said Aragorn, "We cannot build a house but tonight we will do as the Galadhrim and seek refuge in the treetops if we can. We have sat here beside the road already longer than was wise."
The company turned aside from the path, and went into the shadow of the deeper woods.
Beck gazed about in awe, for the deeper they traveled into these woods, the more magnificent the trees seemed to become. Not far from the falls of Nimrodel, they found a great cluster of trees, some of which overhung the stream. Their great grey trunks were of mighty girth, but their height could not be guessed.
Beck snickered as they approached this spot, knowing full well what would come to the long-winded Elf due to his actions of the near future.
"I will climb up," said Legolas, "For I am at home among the trees."
Rae glanced to Beck, then, and the girls exchanged smirks. Beck shifted the weight of her pack, as the straps had begun to dig themselves into the skin over her shoulders. Out from her pack nearly two hours previous, she had pulled a blue jean jacket. They had both been thankful for spending the extra money before their camping trip for 'water-proof' backpacks. Almost nothing of their belongings was destroyed.
Alas, the Fellowship had found their clothing and even their bags out of fashion, strange in any land, but had held their tongues.
" These trees are strange to me, save as a name in song. Mellyrn they are called. I will see now what is their shape and way of growth," Legolas said, as he leapt from the ground.
Beck and Rae's hands drew to their mouths in anticipation and Gimli took notice, though his main center of focus was how Legolas faired amongst the branches.
Pippin too marveled at Legolas' actions, and the trees themselves, "Whatever these trees may be, they will be marvelous trees indeed if they can offer any rest at night, except to birds. I cannot sleep on a perch!"
Legolas moved to swing his leg up to the branch gracefully when he heard a voice call out, "Daro!" The voice was commanding, and at it's sound; Legolas dropped back to the earth and cowered under the tree's protection.
"Do not move." Legolas commanded quietly.
Laughter could be heard over their heads.
Beck grinned widely, knowing for a fact who had called to Legolas. She'd been anticipating this event since the time her and Rae had agreed where they had ended up.
The elves spoke back and forth with Legolas and soon he had scampered up a silvery rope ladder that had been lowered down.
Pippin looked to Aragorn, "Are they elves?"
"Yes, they are elves, dear hobbit, and they have said that you breathe so loudly they could've shot you in the dark."
Merry and Pippin exchanged worried glances and Sam cupped his hand over his mouth.
Legolas had explained that Frodo was to follow him, and up he and Sam went, slowly but surely.
The three, after a long climb, reached a platform at the top.
The elves that awaited them introduced themselves as 'Haldir', who seemed to be in the charge of that post, and his two brothers, Orophin and Rumil.
Aside from the others, the girls began to talk, "Dear lord. . . I hope we don't have to. . ." Beck pointed at the fine rope ladder.
Rae nodded, "Nooo. . ." she moaned.
Legolas told Haldir and his brothers of the races that were represented in the Fellowship, and stopped after he mentioned the odd girls that they had saved on the opposite side of the Nimrodel.
"You have spoken of nine, yet. There are ten in your company."
"The tenth is a dwarf."
After some discussion, Haldir permitted Gimli to stay with the Company and travel further into Lorien.
"The halflings will stay the night with us at the watch. The rest of your company is to stay in the next tree; there is a flet there as well."
Frodo and Sam sighed uneasily. Aragorn would not be at their side as he had been since the beginning of their journey. They had lost Gandalf only a few weeks previous. . . and now they would spend the night in the company of the strange elves of Lorien stuck up in a tree with no walls or shelter.
Sam frowned to himself as Legolas went back down the ladder. He thought 'Why do they call these people the fair-folk of the Goldenwood. . . a cold welcome and a cold tree to sleep in. Not so fair in my mind. . .' He grumbled with crossed arms, but a hopeful smile from Frodo lightened his mood.
Up came Merry and Pippin, packs and weapons in tow.
Beck and Rae stood at the base of the large tree as Merry went up the ladder. . . the last of those that would sleep in the company of Lorien elves.
Aragorn led the company to the neighboring tree and allowed Legolas to journey up to the flet first. Legolas turned and handed a bundle to Aragorn. Rumil had given it to him to shelter a bit of the winter chill from the humans.
"Elven furs and cloaks," he noted, after Legolas had climbed a ways. "These will keep you warm through the length of the night, no doubt." He told the girls.
He bound up the ladder, with Gimli following cautiously behind. The dwarf grunted and complained the higher he ascended. . . but Aragorn paid him no mind.
"The two of you shall follow the dwarf," Boromir said, "But I shan't place blame on you, if you decide to wait a few moments for his passing."
"Did I hear right. . . No walls?" Beck asked him, without turning to look upon him. She merely stared upwards at the ladder until she could see no more. It climbed out of her vision. "No walls, but fear not." Boromir said, swallowing nervously himself. "The elves are strange folk in the manner of carpentry, but I do not doubt their knowledge." His tone, however, was nothing close to reassuring.
Gimli gave a call, signaling that he was almost at the top.
Beck looked to Rae, "Welp, have fun." She smiled nervously. "Go!"
Rae grimaced and shot a betrayed glance at her friend before she reluctantly grabbed the first rung of the rope ladder. She began to climb, slowly. . .
Beck grinned. She reached out and grasped the ladder in her fist. Then she began to give it a jolt, when Boromir stopped her hand. He grabbed her wrist and frowned down, looking into her face.
"Her hands are unsteady with fear as it is, we are all leery to place our trust in such a feeble-looking device. . ." he let go of her wrist, then. "Do not cause more trouble in this strange land than is already at hand."
Beck nodded, and released the ladder until her mischievous thoughts had left her. With a deep breath and a gesture towards the ladder from Boromir, Beck began to ascend as well.
Soon after, Boromir followed, and all three continued their climb.
Aragorn awaited Rae's arrival at the flet, and pulled her carefully up onto the platform.
Shortly following, he aided Beck as well. The girls sat, mildly short of breath. Their bodies ached from the climb, and the walk, and the unfortunate swim from that afternoon.
Boromir pulled himself up through the circular hole in the middle of the flet, carrying the girls' packs, along with his own things. He moved to Aragorn and Gimli and they spoke quietly amongst themselves for only a moment when Legolas appeared on the platform. His grace and stealth had allowed him to be heard by no one, and his arrival rather startled the two females.
He had finished his dealings with Haldir, the Marchwarden, and his brothers, and now would rest along with the others of his Company. . .
Wrapped in their spare clothing and to Beck's disagreement, Elven skins, the girls lay a way apart from the men as they tried to rest and begin healing.
Aragorn sat awake for sometime, his watchful eyes and cautious, skilled ears at work. He had learned to ignore the sounds Gimli produced as he slept, for his snoring would drive most sane men to madness. Also, Boromir's restless ramblings of random battle cries and shouts, he had learned to ignore. On occasion he would look to Legolas, who would appear to be fully conscious, as he sat upright with crossed legs and opened eyes. Due to his years with Elrond and his twin sons, Aragorn recognized this practice as an elvish form of slumber. For, he himself had grown accustomed to meditating in this manner, and could be wakened easily if the need called for it. He glanced at the girls, the watched them for some time. Neither was particularly uncommon in appearance. Still, he could not place by voice nor appearance from what land they may have come. Aside from their strange slang, their language seemed to resemble Westron. He noted that Rae's hair was cut very short for a female of any age, and nearly any race. He would keep close watch on and over them. In his mind he believed that they would bring no harm, but these were dark days. Tonight he would not have rest. Something lurked beneath the trees that either the elves did not yet see, or that they chose to ignore. His heart told him that danger lingered where this creature crept.
