Chapter 7
Finrod exited Nargothrond with a cheery smile. He embraced his sister and then glanced at her Sindar guards.
" I see you brought the protection of Thingol with you, Artanis." Finrod said, gently kissing her cheek.
" I have changed my name, Finrod. I am Galadriel now."
Finrod shook his head and then glanced at each of the guards again.
" I thought Celeborn would be with you. You two are inseperable."
Galadriel shook her shimmering head with a sad smile.
" Nay, he had Doriath to protect. He sent the best Elves with me and promised he would join me as soon as he could."
Finrod smiled down at her.
" You are not my baby sister anymore." He paused. " Galadriel. You have grown to be a beautiful woman."
Galadriel just laughed.
" Poetic today, are we? I am famished, Finrod. I hope you have plenty of food."
Finrod chuckled.
" I remember how much you eat. You eat enough for three grown men."
Galadriel pushed him.
" I do not." A smile slid across her face. " Four grown men, if you please."
Finrod threw his head back and laughed. He motioned for the Sindar to follow them. He hugged Galadriel close as they began into the caves.
" I am glad you have come, Galadriel."
~*~
Finrod could see his sister took great delight in the crafting of his great labyrinth of caves. She had desired her own realm since she was young. Finrod slipped an arm around her shoulders, causing her to glance up quickly.
" Why have you come? I feel your sorrow at leaving Celeborn's side." Finrod smiled sadly. " There is a bond between you two that I am jealous of."
Galadriel slid an arm around his lean waist as they began to walk through the halls.
" You shall always be my favorite brother, Finrod. Not even my husband could take your place."
" Husband?" Finrod glanced at her incredulously. " Who has taken my Artanis? She never spoke of weddings or vows." Finrod's face darkened with the sudden implication. " You are that serious about Celeborn?"
Galadriel nodded. She stopped walking, taking Finrod's hand.
" I came to urge you that when he arrives in a day or so, you do not dissuade us."
Finrod gazed at her with a sad look in his eyes.
" I promised Atar you would marry a good Noldo."
Galadriel crossed her arms, a flash of temper flaring.
" A good Elf, Finrod." She corrected. "Do not lie to me. Atar would approve."
Finrod lifted his chin.
" Who are you to know Atar's mind so well?"
" I spent just about every breathing moment with him." Galadriel cried. " You were always off with Amarië. Atar and I talked a lot."
Finrod shook his head.
" Celeborn is a good Elf, but I will not allow it."
Galadriel strode up so she was face to face with her brother.
" You know that without your approval, Celeborn will not wed me."
Finrod shrugged.
" That you will have to take up with him."
He walked away. Galadriel furled and unfurled her fists. She turned away, walking away blindly for hot, angry tears blurred her vision.
*Curse it all! Where is Amarië when I need her?
~*~
Finrod knocked on the door of the room his sister inhabited.
" Go away, Finrod."
Finrod sighed, leaning against the doorframe.
" I just want to talk, Artanis."
" I am not Artanis. I am Galadriel."
Finrod bit his lip and closed his eyes to contain his anger.
" Fine, Galadriel, will you let me in?"
" No."
Finrod ran a hand over his chin.
" Artan-Galadriel," Finrod corrected himself. " Understand where I come from. You are the only daughter of Finarfin. You are a high-ranking lady."
The door flew open.
" And I would give it up in a minute to marry Celeborn."
The blunt honesty in her eyes scared Finrod. He looked down.
" You know I can never deny you anything you truly want."
A grin flew over her face. She hugged her brother.
" Thank you."
Finrod sent her a hard look.
" Answer me this: Why was Celeborn's shirt on your floor that morning?"
~*~
Galadriel sat alone in the beautifully furnished room. She stood, commencing to pace as she wrung the piece of cloth between her hands. Pacing was one habit she was unaccustomed to. She bit her lip, throwing her hands down and looking up at the stony ceiling.
*I expected Finrod to rage, but not like this. It has been three days and he still will not speak or even look at me.
She sighed.
*It was unwise to tell Finrod the truth. That Celeborn and I…
A dreamy smile lit her face at the thought of her Sindar lover. Darkness covered her face.
*Yet I do not fear Finrod's reaction. I would act the same given the chance to do this life over again.
She shivered slightly. Nargothrond did not have the hospitable essence Menegroth did. Then again, these caves were not finished. Galadriel looked around.
*I never knew coming to a place with such activity and people could be so lonely.
Finrod suddenly appeared. Galadriel froze, staring at him with a hopeful expression. He took her hands with a dark look.
" Come."
~*~
Galadriel rushed from her brother's arms as soon as she saw the Elf. She knelt beside the bed, gently brushing the hair away from the young Sindar's face. She looked around, expecting to see her lover, but he was nowhere to be found.
" My lady."
Galadriel turned her eyes down, gently cleansing his shoulder wound from some provided materials.
" Oropher." Her face shadowed. " Are you alone?" She waited for his affirmative nod. " What happened?"
Oropher swallowed hard, biting his lip as she gently probed his shoulder.
" We stopped at nightfall where we met some Noldor; your brothers, lady Galadriel, and some of Fingolfin's kin." Oropher paused. " We had been on guard all day. Something was following us, yet even our skill could not find it."
His head fell back on the pillow. Galadriel's eyes stung with tears at his pain. She gently bound his shoulder.
" Go on when you can, Oropher."
Oropher closed his eyes slightly, his word barely escaping his lips before he fainted in pain.
" Orcs."
~*~
Galadriel followed her brother vehemently.
" You will not send me
to my room, Finrod, like some sniveling wench.
I am coming with you. These
Sindar you wish to take with you are under my command. Without me they shall not follow; and you do
not have strength without them."
Finrod spun around, marching up to her. Galadriel held her ground, lifting her chin up. Finrod shook his head.
" I will never know why Nana and Ada had to have you. You are a thorn in my side, Artanis."
Galadriel refused to show any pain.
" I am Galadriel, Finrod. You will address a lady of the Sindar properly."
Finrod looked at her, pain shining in his eyes.
" You are a lady of the Sindar, Galadriel. I barely know you anymore. You never wanted anything to do with the Sindar until you met him."
Galadriel gently touched his cheek.
" I thought you would know what it is like to love and know that you have to wait; wait until times are better." She crossed her arms, a rare tear falling down her face. " I may have lost him, Finrod."
Finrod hugged her.
" Come on, Sister. I do not know why I was lax to let you join. Your sword wielding skills will be an asset to us bowmen."
~*~
The band rode at a brisk speed, led by a tireless Oropher. Galadriel was the only woman counted among them. They came to the obvious site of the fight a day and a half later. Bodies lay dead, heads thrown haphazardly in the mix. Galadriel's mouth tightened as she took it all in with a steely gaze. Other Elves lost their meals in bushes at the sheer grotesqueness of it. She dismounted, quelling her nausea. Finrod jumped down beside her, hoping to protect her if indeed her lover lay among the ruins.
" See if you can find any living or identify any." Finrod called.
Galadriel moved off on her own, moving off to the side. Tears had broken through the dam as she spied a glint of silver. She bent her fingers hovering, not wishing to disturb the sight. She gathered up the emptied silver embroidered quiver and then found the broken bow. She lifted them, eyes tracing every minute detail, down to the very last bloodstain. Finrod slowly approached.
" Artanis?"
She turned, holding both items to her chest.
" I swear that if he is dead, no one will stop my retribution on those foul beasts."
She kicked a felled orc, watching its head fly off and hit a tree.
Oropher approached her also.
" My lady, our lord is not among these."
Galadriel nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder.
" Can you track them?"
Oropher smiled.
" My lady, you are speaking to Sindar." He glanced up at Finrod. "And I am sure your brother's men are not any less of trackers."
Galadriel nodded. She attached the fallen quiver to her, not minding the extra weight. The bow was placed in a saddlebag, for it had broken in half. She mounted, turning to the Sindar.
" Men noram lim (We ride on)."
The Sindar nodded, glad she spoke their tongue. Finrod glanced back, noting the perimeter the Sindar had formed around their captain's lady. He smiled slightly.
*They are true to the end. Their Captain may be dead, yet they protect her with their lives.
~*~
Celeborn groaned, pressing his eyes closer together. He gingerly moved his hands, finding them strangely unbound. His eyes flew open, causing him to wince painfully. He took in the other prisoners and then their dreary surroundings. He groaned again.
*Prisoners. Of all the rotten luck…
The sound of retching made his glance to his left.
" Here." He put a comforting hand on the vomiting Elf.
Every one of their wrists were unbound, but their feet were chained to a large stake in the middle of their group.
" Why did they save some of us? I wish for Mandos."
One of the Noldor sent that one a silencing look. Celeborn sat up, eyes scanning for their guards.
" I know not of this Mandos you speak of." He said softly. " Yet, I urge you to remember that orcs are not the most capable of creatures. We must be ready if opportunity presents itself."
" What if it does not? What will happen to us?"
Celeborn looked down, shrugging slightly.
" I dare not dishearten us further."
