We passed through the woods like two shadows, with no sound or mark
pointing to our passage. I led her deep into the woods, until they became
dense and close around us. But still I followed the ancient path, gone now
from lack of use, that one of the Queens, perhaps Isolde, perhaps not, had
used.
In the end we came to a small clearing. In the centre stood a small pedestal, and atop of that was a small stone bowl with a stone lid on top of it. I moved the stone lid, scraping away lichen and moss with my fingernails. I set it gently on the floor, and revealed the inside of the stone bowl, lined with black obsidian, volcanic glass. I went to a small rocky mound to one side, and pushing aside the vines, I removed a small intact obsidian jug, then dipped it into the icy water that bubbled from the spring beneath the rock, revealed only by careful excavation of the rocky mound. Filling the jug, I returned to the table, where Arwen waited patiently. She recognised what I was doing, for her grandmother did it in Lothlorien, although her pitcher and mirror were of silver, not black obsidian. I poured the water into the black bowl, then set the jug down on the floor. Then I peered into the bowl, and after a few moments, my reflection wavered and became an image of the path up into the Misty Mountains. They were all there, and to my surprise, Legolas and the dwarf seemed to actually be talking! Aragorn looked well as always, and the four hobbits were talkative and cheerful. Then the vision wavered, and my face appeared once again.
I looked up at Arwen.
"They are well. Aragorn is fine." Arwen nodded, and took a step forward, running her fingers around the rim of the bowl. Then the world turned grey and misty, and a big gold eye replaced my view of the wood and the clearing.
"They live not long!" A fell voice hissed in my ear. I straightened.
"They shall live long enough." I retorted. The eye blasted brighter than ever, and then I crumpled to the floor, and the eye disappeared from view. Incidentally, so d id everything else
*&*
I woke in my bed in Rivendell with a killer of a headache. Elrond watched me gravely from a chair at my bedside.
"Jané." He greeted me with a grave smile.
"Ada. Is everyone alright?"
"Truly. You are the only one." I nodded and sat up. "The rest of the Eldar leave for the Grey Havens in a few days." He said quietly. I looked at him quizzically. "Arwen will leave for Valinor with the others." Tears rose in my eyes, but I blinked them back.
"May I ride with them?" I asked, "To say farewell." Elrond smiled at me, and nodded.
"Yes, you may. I think you should."
The night set, the elves bid farewell to Imladris and to Elrond. I walked beside Arwen, and we were both cloaked in dark blue. Arwen looked once last time at her father, and I squeezed her hand. Then she turned and faced her future. But her grip on my hand, her anchor to her past, never relented.
The journey took us many days, through beautiful woods and vast areas of flat lands. We followed the Loudwater River south, and planned to travel through Eregion to Tharead, where we would turn north east again, joining the road just before the Blue Mountains, and then passing through the mountains to the Grey Havens. But we never got that far.
We were passing through a forest in Eregion when Arwen suddenly paused, her eyes following something only she could see. I could see from my position beside her a tear slide down her face. Her hands had tightened so on the reigns of her horse that her knuckles had gone white. Then an elf approached us.
"My ladies. We should continue." Arwen's eyes fixed on him like she had never seen him before, but before I could open my mouth to speak, she had wheeled her horse around and was galloping back the way she had come. Enya followed suit, and we both galloped away from the company of elves, and straight back to Rivendell.
I was breathless and more than a little sore when we rode into Rivendell. I slid down from Enya and leaned on her, watching as Arwen shed her cloak on the ground and ran to her father, demanded to know what he had seen in her future. I heard only the word 'death', and then her accusation of Elrond hiding the future of her son from her. It was then I approached. Elrond glanced at me, but it was all the acknowledgement I received. Then I headed to my rooms, content to let them battle it out, and reluctant to get in the middle.
I passed the room where Legolas had stayed, and rested my hand on the door momentarily, and then it struck me, faster than I could imagine. I ran to my room, changed clothes, then started packing.
Elrond knocked on my door and entered a few minutes later. He watched me pack quickly for a few moments, then nodded.
"Good. But return with hope for us all." I looked up at him, and his face, normally so calm and unperturbable, was ravaged with grief. I flew to him, hugging him tight. I knew elves were not really ones for physical comfort, but I didn't care. He hugged me back, and a felt a single tear fall on my head. Then I pulled away.
"Ada, don't cry. Arwen will be well. I go to ensure the same is true for Aragorn." He nodded.
"I know. Travel well, daughter." I smiled, and hurried for the stables. Enya looked up as I entered, and I could have sworn she rolled her eyes at me. Then she stood still and let me saddle her up. Minutes later, we were racing away from Rivendell.
In the end we came to a small clearing. In the centre stood a small pedestal, and atop of that was a small stone bowl with a stone lid on top of it. I moved the stone lid, scraping away lichen and moss with my fingernails. I set it gently on the floor, and revealed the inside of the stone bowl, lined with black obsidian, volcanic glass. I went to a small rocky mound to one side, and pushing aside the vines, I removed a small intact obsidian jug, then dipped it into the icy water that bubbled from the spring beneath the rock, revealed only by careful excavation of the rocky mound. Filling the jug, I returned to the table, where Arwen waited patiently. She recognised what I was doing, for her grandmother did it in Lothlorien, although her pitcher and mirror were of silver, not black obsidian. I poured the water into the black bowl, then set the jug down on the floor. Then I peered into the bowl, and after a few moments, my reflection wavered and became an image of the path up into the Misty Mountains. They were all there, and to my surprise, Legolas and the dwarf seemed to actually be talking! Aragorn looked well as always, and the four hobbits were talkative and cheerful. Then the vision wavered, and my face appeared once again.
I looked up at Arwen.
"They are well. Aragorn is fine." Arwen nodded, and took a step forward, running her fingers around the rim of the bowl. Then the world turned grey and misty, and a big gold eye replaced my view of the wood and the clearing.
"They live not long!" A fell voice hissed in my ear. I straightened.
"They shall live long enough." I retorted. The eye blasted brighter than ever, and then I crumpled to the floor, and the eye disappeared from view. Incidentally, so d id everything else
*&*
I woke in my bed in Rivendell with a killer of a headache. Elrond watched me gravely from a chair at my bedside.
"Jané." He greeted me with a grave smile.
"Ada. Is everyone alright?"
"Truly. You are the only one." I nodded and sat up. "The rest of the Eldar leave for the Grey Havens in a few days." He said quietly. I looked at him quizzically. "Arwen will leave for Valinor with the others." Tears rose in my eyes, but I blinked them back.
"May I ride with them?" I asked, "To say farewell." Elrond smiled at me, and nodded.
"Yes, you may. I think you should."
The night set, the elves bid farewell to Imladris and to Elrond. I walked beside Arwen, and we were both cloaked in dark blue. Arwen looked once last time at her father, and I squeezed her hand. Then she turned and faced her future. But her grip on my hand, her anchor to her past, never relented.
The journey took us many days, through beautiful woods and vast areas of flat lands. We followed the Loudwater River south, and planned to travel through Eregion to Tharead, where we would turn north east again, joining the road just before the Blue Mountains, and then passing through the mountains to the Grey Havens. But we never got that far.
We were passing through a forest in Eregion when Arwen suddenly paused, her eyes following something only she could see. I could see from my position beside her a tear slide down her face. Her hands had tightened so on the reigns of her horse that her knuckles had gone white. Then an elf approached us.
"My ladies. We should continue." Arwen's eyes fixed on him like she had never seen him before, but before I could open my mouth to speak, she had wheeled her horse around and was galloping back the way she had come. Enya followed suit, and we both galloped away from the company of elves, and straight back to Rivendell.
I was breathless and more than a little sore when we rode into Rivendell. I slid down from Enya and leaned on her, watching as Arwen shed her cloak on the ground and ran to her father, demanded to know what he had seen in her future. I heard only the word 'death', and then her accusation of Elrond hiding the future of her son from her. It was then I approached. Elrond glanced at me, but it was all the acknowledgement I received. Then I headed to my rooms, content to let them battle it out, and reluctant to get in the middle.
I passed the room where Legolas had stayed, and rested my hand on the door momentarily, and then it struck me, faster than I could imagine. I ran to my room, changed clothes, then started packing.
Elrond knocked on my door and entered a few minutes later. He watched me pack quickly for a few moments, then nodded.
"Good. But return with hope for us all." I looked up at him, and his face, normally so calm and unperturbable, was ravaged with grief. I flew to him, hugging him tight. I knew elves were not really ones for physical comfort, but I didn't care. He hugged me back, and a felt a single tear fall on my head. Then I pulled away.
"Ada, don't cry. Arwen will be well. I go to ensure the same is true for Aragorn." He nodded.
"I know. Travel well, daughter." I smiled, and hurried for the stables. Enya looked up as I entered, and I could have sworn she rolled her eyes at me. Then she stood still and let me saddle her up. Minutes later, we were racing away from Rivendell.