Chapter 14.
A/N: Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback. Here's the next chapter.
Samantha.
*********
As she re-entered Luthien's bedroom, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn all looked up at her.
She said nothing, but moved to Luthien's bedside. "Hush, my little one. Amme is here." Arwen passed a gentle hand over the little girl's forehead, feeling the heat still there, a pained look in her eyes.
Elrond laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Be still little Evenstar. All will be well." He reassured her.
"Ada please." She whimpered, turning to look at him. "Make it all stop. Make all the pain go away."
Elrond simply embraced her, holding tightly to his daughter, who was dying as she stood there in his arms.
"Arwen, go into the Golden Wood as you did when you were a small child. Perhaps the answers you seek, relief from the pain and sorrow you feel can be found there." Galadriel told her. "I will watch over Luthien while she sleeps."
"Go." Elrond said quietly. "We will not leave Luthien's bedside."
Pained and full of sorrow, Arwen turned to leave the room, barely able to contain the tears that threatened to fall.
As she left the private palace of Celeborn and Galadriel Arwen stopped in the Garden of Galadriel, gathering water in the silver jug, as she seen her grandmother do a thousand times, pouring it slowly into the pool of still water, laid into the podium.
As the last drop of water from the jug trickled into the pool, Arwen spoke quietly. "I will look into the mirror."
The surface of the waters simply reflected starlight for scant moments, before the pinpricks of light dissolved and images began to form.
In the mirror Arwen saw herself, with Galadriel, both sitting on the edge of the fountain not far from where she sat.
'Remember Arwen, the mirror shows three things, things that were, things that are happening as you watch them, and things that have not yet come to pass.'
The next scene shown was an older version of her, this time riding, practicing archery and swordplay, and laughing with friends and kin.
Yet another showed her presentation ball, which precious few had been invited to attend. Only close friends and family Elrond had said.
Image after image Arwen saw reflected in the mirror, her life, her mother, all the trials, blessings and moments that had made her the woman she was.
The last image the mirror showed was darkened, by twilight she realised, the sun setting over Cerin Amroth while two figures stood there on the hill, hand in hand, staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
In her heart she knew that the pair were herself and Aragorn, and the sorrow cut deeper into her soul than anything ever had before.
In spite of herself, and all the attempts to prevent her tears from falling Arwen began to weep, sobbing for all of the moments she had spent with Aragorn, for the joy she had felt while they made Luthien, and while she carried her daughter, for all of the moments she has lost, and the pain she had endured when Luthien had been taken from her, and the deep realization that she was fading, leaving her world bleak and dark, like nightfall in winter as it would always come, without a star to light the darkened sky.
Still bound to her grief, to the pain and anguish striking deep wounds onto her very soul Arwen sunk down beside the fountain, unsure who exactly she was grieving for, but certain that somewhere deep down, she was crying for herself.
Once her agonised sobs had abated, Arwen rose slowly to her feet and began to walk, the path familiar, even though it had been long years since she had laid her feet on the path.
In the dimming light Arwen arrived at Cerin Amroth. She dropped to her knees at the top of the hill, clasping her hands to her breast.
"May the Valar light my way and guide my footsteps, for the path I am set upon is unclear to me. May the Great Kings and Queens of the Eldar shine upon me and light my path." She whispered, praying to the sky, to the stars brightening against the twilight.
As she finished speaking a white light glowed around her body, and a gentle, reassuring voice told her to go to sleep.
A/N: Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback. Here's the next chapter.
Samantha.
*********
As she re-entered Luthien's bedroom, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn all looked up at her.
She said nothing, but moved to Luthien's bedside. "Hush, my little one. Amme is here." Arwen passed a gentle hand over the little girl's forehead, feeling the heat still there, a pained look in her eyes.
Elrond laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Be still little Evenstar. All will be well." He reassured her.
"Ada please." She whimpered, turning to look at him. "Make it all stop. Make all the pain go away."
Elrond simply embraced her, holding tightly to his daughter, who was dying as she stood there in his arms.
"Arwen, go into the Golden Wood as you did when you were a small child. Perhaps the answers you seek, relief from the pain and sorrow you feel can be found there." Galadriel told her. "I will watch over Luthien while she sleeps."
"Go." Elrond said quietly. "We will not leave Luthien's bedside."
Pained and full of sorrow, Arwen turned to leave the room, barely able to contain the tears that threatened to fall.
As she left the private palace of Celeborn and Galadriel Arwen stopped in the Garden of Galadriel, gathering water in the silver jug, as she seen her grandmother do a thousand times, pouring it slowly into the pool of still water, laid into the podium.
As the last drop of water from the jug trickled into the pool, Arwen spoke quietly. "I will look into the mirror."
The surface of the waters simply reflected starlight for scant moments, before the pinpricks of light dissolved and images began to form.
In the mirror Arwen saw herself, with Galadriel, both sitting on the edge of the fountain not far from where she sat.
'Remember Arwen, the mirror shows three things, things that were, things that are happening as you watch them, and things that have not yet come to pass.'
The next scene shown was an older version of her, this time riding, practicing archery and swordplay, and laughing with friends and kin.
Yet another showed her presentation ball, which precious few had been invited to attend. Only close friends and family Elrond had said.
Image after image Arwen saw reflected in the mirror, her life, her mother, all the trials, blessings and moments that had made her the woman she was.
The last image the mirror showed was darkened, by twilight she realised, the sun setting over Cerin Amroth while two figures stood there on the hill, hand in hand, staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
In her heart she knew that the pair were herself and Aragorn, and the sorrow cut deeper into her soul than anything ever had before.
In spite of herself, and all the attempts to prevent her tears from falling Arwen began to weep, sobbing for all of the moments she had spent with Aragorn, for the joy she had felt while they made Luthien, and while she carried her daughter, for all of the moments she has lost, and the pain she had endured when Luthien had been taken from her, and the deep realization that she was fading, leaving her world bleak and dark, like nightfall in winter as it would always come, without a star to light the darkened sky.
Still bound to her grief, to the pain and anguish striking deep wounds onto her very soul Arwen sunk down beside the fountain, unsure who exactly she was grieving for, but certain that somewhere deep down, she was crying for herself.
Once her agonised sobs had abated, Arwen rose slowly to her feet and began to walk, the path familiar, even though it had been long years since she had laid her feet on the path.
In the dimming light Arwen arrived at Cerin Amroth. She dropped to her knees at the top of the hill, clasping her hands to her breast.
"May the Valar light my way and guide my footsteps, for the path I am set upon is unclear to me. May the Great Kings and Queens of the Eldar shine upon me and light my path." She whispered, praying to the sky, to the stars brightening against the twilight.
As she finished speaking a white light glowed around her body, and a gentle, reassuring voice told her to go to sleep.