The party of travelers assembled outside the main gates of Mirkwood just as
a red glow appeared on the horizon, indicating that sun was indeed waking
from its slumber. The horses danced on the spot as their riders mounted,
filled with the energy giving food of the elves. Eldarion slept fitfully
in his sling, attached to Aragorn now. In the weeks it had taken them to
complete the journey he had grown too heavy for Anánia to carry on her back
and ride her horse at the same time. It was touching for them all to see
the big, powerful Aragorn treat the tiny baby with such tender care, like a
piece of fragile china that could not even be allowed to gather a speck of
dust.
"Does he see Arwen in him, do you think?" Merry whispered to Pippin. Pip shrugged but Gandalf had overheard and rode over to them to speak in hushed tones.
"Indeed, Aragorn's feelings towards the child are partly to do with Eldarion having Arwen's blood, and her likeness." He smiled. "But also Aragorn could not deny his own paternal feelings for long. The grief of Arwen's loss numbed these feelings, and he could only feel bereavement at her passing. But after a while he would have wondered about his child, and his paternal instincts would have returned as powerful as ever."
Gandalf watched as Anánia now sat astride her horse, next to Aragorn. She was double-checking that the sling was properly attached to Aragorn and that Eldarion was comfortable.
"It will be a wrench to separate her from Eldarion should we bring Arwen back." He said. "But we must do it. I believe she always knew deep down that she could not keep Eldarion for eternity."
"Are we ready to go Gandalf?" Gimli asked, riding up with Legolas on Arod, the horse given to Legolas by the riders of Rohan after the war of the ring.
"I believe so indeed Gimli." Gandalf said. "We are all assembled."
"Then let us ride!" Aragorn called, urging his horse forward. The northern gates of Mirkwood opened before them, and at the gate stood a farewell party, lead by King Thranduil.
"Come and visit soon, my friends." He said as they rode through the gates. "And bring my son back in one piece, he has to rule one day!"
Legolas stopped by his father and looked down to him. This was the first time Thranduil had mentioned Legolas ruling Mirkwood in front of Legolas himself. He stared his father in the eyes, confused. Why had his father suddenly started talking about relinquishing his throne? Thranduil clapped Arod on the side and quickly placed one hand on his son's knee before the horse moved off.
"I'll make sure he comes back unharmed sir." Anánia promised, riding up behind. "Thank you for your hospitality, and I hope we meet again soon."
"I am sure we shall." Thranduil said, watching Anánia go and thinking to himself. 'For my son will only return if you come with him, fair Anánia.'
He watched the horses disappear towards the Grey Mountains, that loomed before them threatening and unforgiving. Filled with the happiness to be on the open road again in early summer, and perhaps filled with the enchantments of the elven food and drink, they journeyed swiftly. The horses showed no sign of slowing, following Shadowfax without exhibiting signs of weariness. In fact, many horses could not resist kicking their heels in pleasure as their hooves came into contact with the springy grass brought on by a damp but warm spring leading to a hot summer. The sun would soon scorch this grass into a burnt golden hue, but until then the green vegetation rippled in the hot summer wind that blew from the south.
They were traveling straight towards the mountains of Ered Mithrin, the Grey Mountains that enclosed the Withered Heath. The path was flat and grassy, with no obstructions. Fed with boundless energy of elven horse feed, the horses galloped tirelessly and at speed. In the end they had to stop galloping because the riders could not keep up with the pace.
"These horses are more excited than even I am." Aragorn panted, nursing a rather rattled Eldarion after one particularly long gallop.
"They are fed on the best feed Mirkwood has to offer." Legolas said proudly. "They would run for a week if they had to." He patted Arod's neck lovingly.
"At this rate we shall reach the foot of the mountains by tomorrow at nightfall." Gandalf said, squinting northwards into the distance. "Then we must either travel either over or around the mountains. We shall gallop across the withered heath in a day if we can help it, I do not want to be caught there in the open at night."
"And then?" Aragorn asked excitedly.
"We find the Cave of Estela e'Coia." Gandalf said (AN – translation is Cave of Hope and Life). "And that could take minutes, or weeks. I have no exact idea where it will be."
"We shall find it." Astor said kindly, patting Aragorn on the back. "Even if I have to fly over every mountain to locate it." Astor had been more help to them than they could have imagined on their journey. He often alighted from his horse's back and flew into the air, scouting ahead for them to see any dangers ahead. He saw nothing, but they all felt somehow safer when they saw him circling above them.
"He would have been a great ally in our quest to destroy the ring." Aragorn had mused.
Now they sat astride their horses staring towards the mountains. "We should find a place to rest." Frodo said instinctively.
"We have nowhere but the open ground." Sam sighed. "There is no cover for miles around Mister Frodo."
"It feels so open, we are vulnerable to attack here." Gimli said darkly. "We thought we were safe before, and were attacked by a hoard of orcs, remember?"
Gandalf nodded. "We will set up camp here, if it is safe." He turned to the two elves who had been almost inseparable since they had left Mirkwood. "Do either or you see anything around that would bode ill to us?" He asked.
The elves scanned the horizon, but saw nothing except a small heard of horses in the far distance.
"I can see nothing." Legolas said. Astor however, began flapping his enormous wings.
"I will scout from above." He said, preparing to take flight.
"Wait!" Pippin shouted. "Take Anánia up with you!"
Anánia looked surprised but Gandalf nodded, smiling happily. "A good idea Pippin." He exclaimed. "A birds eye view seen with elven eyes."
"I don't understand." Merry whispered to Pippin.
Pippin shook his head and explained slowly. "If Astor takes Anánia up with him she will be in a perfect position to see everything for miles. And because she is an elf she is so light he will barely feel that he is carrying her."
Even as Pippin spoke Astor had taken a tight hold of the she-elf and they were taking off. Legolas bit his lip in concern as he watched them swoop over their heads, almost disappearing into the sky. For a while they lost sight of the two figures as the sun glared into their eyes.
"We owe those two so much." Aragorn said. "Without them we would feel vulnerable, and I would not be able to get Arwen back. I am glad to have met them, and vow to create a bond between Gondor and Avion that will last my lifetime."
Gandalf nodded, smiling as he saw the two figures spiraling back to earth.
"All is clear for miles around." Anánia confirmed as they hit the ground. "We are quite safe to rest here for the night. We can even start have a fire to cook upon, for there is no one to see it."
They began busily setting up camp. The horses milled around the circumference of the camp, content to stay wherever Shadowfax was, and as Shadowfax would not leave Gandalf there was no reason to tie the horses up.
Soon they were sipping on soup as the sun sank in the west. They laughed merrily as the hobbits enacted a popular play often performed in the shire. Astor told them many legends of Avion that enthralled them. Gimli spoke rather eloquently about the plans the dwarves had made to rid Moria of all orcs and trap the Balrog, making Moria an ideal living place once again. Even Gandalf told them a little of the story of Bilbo Baggins and his ring, as many of them had never heard it in its entirety. Finally, the hobbits clamored for an elven song, and the two elves discussed this in whispered words of elven before smiling and beginning.
"We tell a tale of an elven prince, Of a country named Teltarin." Anánia began.
"And sing the song of tasks he endured, To become the rightful king." Legolas continued. Then they alternated singing the song, taking a line of verse each, and sometimes singing together in beautiful harmonies that rang through the darkening night.
"A handsome lord named Dardeniel, The prince by blood and right. Was born into a country wrought With war, and starved of light.
To prove his right to be the king Dardeniel had to pass Three trials to see if he truly had The mind, the skill, and heart.
The first test was a test of skill A test both long and hard In battle Dardeniel had to vanquish The leader of his guards.
For three days and nights they fought Their swords met with a clash A fight between Dardeniel true And the soldier loud and brash
And as the sun set on day three A victor was declared Dardeniel had defeated the guard And the soldier's life he spared.
Next came the test of mind Held in a grand hall In intellect he had to beat The greatest mind of all
A wizard old but quick of mind The only name 'Oriedle' And if he were to progress on Dardeniel must solve his riddle.
And so the wizard read his puzzle And Dardeniel sat and thought Thinking of the one answer Remembering all he had been taught
None who listened could work it out Not young, nor strong, nor old And here is the riddle of Oriedle The riddle that he told...
"I am the beginning of eternity
The end of time and space
I am the beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
What am I?"
But Dardeniel was not to be beaten He would not give in so soon He looked at the wizard with his bright blue eyes Lit by the light of the moon.
"Your puzzle old man is simple," said he "It is clearer than the night. You are in fact, 'the letter E' Now tell me, am I right?"
The wizard smiled beneath his cloak And nodded to the elf. "You are right, my quick minded friend, And the answer you came to yourself!"
Now Dardeniel faced the hardest task A test of strength of heart For seventy days he had to wander alone From his family kept apart.
For seventy days without water Without a companion or friend. For seventy days without food, Would the torture ever end?
Sixty-nine days Dardeniel spent No other sole is sight And yet he never lost his thoughts He looked towards the light.
On that sixty-ninth day Temptation came And offered him wine and gold She offered him women, mithril and jewels And pleasures unseen and untold.
Yet Dardeniel stayed true to his quest He turned down Temptation's pact He lay alone for one more night The ground hard against his back.
And when the next day he was found, A great celebration was announced. He had shown his strength, of body and mind And Temptation he had denounced.
And so was crowned the King of Teltarin, And his reign was fruitful and long. He was by far the greatest King E'er featured in a song."
The elves finished and the hobbits clapped enthusiastically. Aragorn smiled and patted Legolas on the back, saying "Beautiful, your voices blend like instruments of the courts!" Astor questioned them for a while about other kings of the elves, but finally Gandalf insisted that they should go to bed, for they had a long day of riding the next day, if they were to make it to the mountains before nightfall.
So they slept. Legolas and Anánia slept on the same bedroll, wrapped in a tight embrace. The hobbits snorted in their sleep. That night, even Aragorn had sweet dreams, not plagued by nightmares or visions of Arwen lying on her deathbed. Gandalf watched his friends for a while before looking towards the north.
"We shall reach the mountains tomorrow at nightfall." He thought. "And then if the weather is still good and the horses are strong, we shall risk finding a pass through the mountains. Then we must gallop across the heath and find what we are searching for. It all seems too easy."
AN – oooh, we draw ever closer to the end. I don't know what I will do in my spare time without this story to write! You know the drill, read and review please. And congrats go to Alex, the 200th reviewer. Can we get to 300 I wonder. Lets make the next target 250...
Response to reviewers
Lilwhitelighter – you missed the 200th reviewer, but hey, you might get 300th!
Aimz – Aragorn will find Arwen, in fact it's only a matter of time...
Curlycurlz – I like to try to update quickly, this one was a bit slow though. I'll get the next one out extra quick to make up for it.
Ringmarciel – lots of people seem to despise Legolas, maybe because he steals some of Aragorn's glory...not much of it though!
Celloa – I know Gandalf is a superior being to all others in Middle-Earth. However I figured that as he can't fly (apart from with the eagles) it is possible that he would never have come across Avion or a winged man from Avion. Or maybe he did know and just didn't tell anyone...
Crazycari – glad you liked it!
The True Evenstar – glad you liked it, I'm sorry you weren't the 200th reviewer; you are so dedicated to this story that you deserved it. Oh well, try for the 250th!
Aragorn's Girl Arwen – wow, its really nice when a new reader pops up! Hello there!
Alexi – well done for getting 200th reviewer. Thanks for your review, hope you come back soon!
Julia – I probably handled the whole waking up with someone thing gracefully because it has never happened to me before, so I have nothing to disillusion me about what it would be like. I still dream of waking up with Orlando Bloom though...oh well!
Queen Arwen – I just saw Troy, I'm in love with Brad Pitt now as well as Orlando Bloom. Lol! Shame neither of them are single...oh well, I can dream. Thanks for the review!
Adoralyne – I agree with your opinion on Mary-Sues. That term really is so wrong. Especially when you see younger writers create their own characters, of course they will make them perfect, because young and inexperienced writers base their own characters on what they would like themselves to be! Anyway, thanks for your review, it was really inspiring!
Terreis – I made and broke the 200 mark, woot! Thanks for the review!
Alasse – my computer got a virus a while back so I didn't update for ages. I hated it! Thanks for the review, say hi to your English teacher from me! Lol, I'm glad they let you use their computer to go online...but do they know you are reading stuff at fanfiction.net instead of doing work! Naughty naught, you'll get caughty! Lol!
Ciel-Undomiel – so I can't convert you to liking Legolas? Even a little, teeney weeney bit? You have to love his archery skills...
"Does he see Arwen in him, do you think?" Merry whispered to Pippin. Pip shrugged but Gandalf had overheard and rode over to them to speak in hushed tones.
"Indeed, Aragorn's feelings towards the child are partly to do with Eldarion having Arwen's blood, and her likeness." He smiled. "But also Aragorn could not deny his own paternal feelings for long. The grief of Arwen's loss numbed these feelings, and he could only feel bereavement at her passing. But after a while he would have wondered about his child, and his paternal instincts would have returned as powerful as ever."
Gandalf watched as Anánia now sat astride her horse, next to Aragorn. She was double-checking that the sling was properly attached to Aragorn and that Eldarion was comfortable.
"It will be a wrench to separate her from Eldarion should we bring Arwen back." He said. "But we must do it. I believe she always knew deep down that she could not keep Eldarion for eternity."
"Are we ready to go Gandalf?" Gimli asked, riding up with Legolas on Arod, the horse given to Legolas by the riders of Rohan after the war of the ring.
"I believe so indeed Gimli." Gandalf said. "We are all assembled."
"Then let us ride!" Aragorn called, urging his horse forward. The northern gates of Mirkwood opened before them, and at the gate stood a farewell party, lead by King Thranduil.
"Come and visit soon, my friends." He said as they rode through the gates. "And bring my son back in one piece, he has to rule one day!"
Legolas stopped by his father and looked down to him. This was the first time Thranduil had mentioned Legolas ruling Mirkwood in front of Legolas himself. He stared his father in the eyes, confused. Why had his father suddenly started talking about relinquishing his throne? Thranduil clapped Arod on the side and quickly placed one hand on his son's knee before the horse moved off.
"I'll make sure he comes back unharmed sir." Anánia promised, riding up behind. "Thank you for your hospitality, and I hope we meet again soon."
"I am sure we shall." Thranduil said, watching Anánia go and thinking to himself. 'For my son will only return if you come with him, fair Anánia.'
He watched the horses disappear towards the Grey Mountains, that loomed before them threatening and unforgiving. Filled with the happiness to be on the open road again in early summer, and perhaps filled with the enchantments of the elven food and drink, they journeyed swiftly. The horses showed no sign of slowing, following Shadowfax without exhibiting signs of weariness. In fact, many horses could not resist kicking their heels in pleasure as their hooves came into contact with the springy grass brought on by a damp but warm spring leading to a hot summer. The sun would soon scorch this grass into a burnt golden hue, but until then the green vegetation rippled in the hot summer wind that blew from the south.
They were traveling straight towards the mountains of Ered Mithrin, the Grey Mountains that enclosed the Withered Heath. The path was flat and grassy, with no obstructions. Fed with boundless energy of elven horse feed, the horses galloped tirelessly and at speed. In the end they had to stop galloping because the riders could not keep up with the pace.
"These horses are more excited than even I am." Aragorn panted, nursing a rather rattled Eldarion after one particularly long gallop.
"They are fed on the best feed Mirkwood has to offer." Legolas said proudly. "They would run for a week if they had to." He patted Arod's neck lovingly.
"At this rate we shall reach the foot of the mountains by tomorrow at nightfall." Gandalf said, squinting northwards into the distance. "Then we must either travel either over or around the mountains. We shall gallop across the withered heath in a day if we can help it, I do not want to be caught there in the open at night."
"And then?" Aragorn asked excitedly.
"We find the Cave of Estela e'Coia." Gandalf said (AN – translation is Cave of Hope and Life). "And that could take minutes, or weeks. I have no exact idea where it will be."
"We shall find it." Astor said kindly, patting Aragorn on the back. "Even if I have to fly over every mountain to locate it." Astor had been more help to them than they could have imagined on their journey. He often alighted from his horse's back and flew into the air, scouting ahead for them to see any dangers ahead. He saw nothing, but they all felt somehow safer when they saw him circling above them.
"He would have been a great ally in our quest to destroy the ring." Aragorn had mused.
Now they sat astride their horses staring towards the mountains. "We should find a place to rest." Frodo said instinctively.
"We have nowhere but the open ground." Sam sighed. "There is no cover for miles around Mister Frodo."
"It feels so open, we are vulnerable to attack here." Gimli said darkly. "We thought we were safe before, and were attacked by a hoard of orcs, remember?"
Gandalf nodded. "We will set up camp here, if it is safe." He turned to the two elves who had been almost inseparable since they had left Mirkwood. "Do either or you see anything around that would bode ill to us?" He asked.
The elves scanned the horizon, but saw nothing except a small heard of horses in the far distance.
"I can see nothing." Legolas said. Astor however, began flapping his enormous wings.
"I will scout from above." He said, preparing to take flight.
"Wait!" Pippin shouted. "Take Anánia up with you!"
Anánia looked surprised but Gandalf nodded, smiling happily. "A good idea Pippin." He exclaimed. "A birds eye view seen with elven eyes."
"I don't understand." Merry whispered to Pippin.
Pippin shook his head and explained slowly. "If Astor takes Anánia up with him she will be in a perfect position to see everything for miles. And because she is an elf she is so light he will barely feel that he is carrying her."
Even as Pippin spoke Astor had taken a tight hold of the she-elf and they were taking off. Legolas bit his lip in concern as he watched them swoop over their heads, almost disappearing into the sky. For a while they lost sight of the two figures as the sun glared into their eyes.
"We owe those two so much." Aragorn said. "Without them we would feel vulnerable, and I would not be able to get Arwen back. I am glad to have met them, and vow to create a bond between Gondor and Avion that will last my lifetime."
Gandalf nodded, smiling as he saw the two figures spiraling back to earth.
"All is clear for miles around." Anánia confirmed as they hit the ground. "We are quite safe to rest here for the night. We can even start have a fire to cook upon, for there is no one to see it."
They began busily setting up camp. The horses milled around the circumference of the camp, content to stay wherever Shadowfax was, and as Shadowfax would not leave Gandalf there was no reason to tie the horses up.
Soon they were sipping on soup as the sun sank in the west. They laughed merrily as the hobbits enacted a popular play often performed in the shire. Astor told them many legends of Avion that enthralled them. Gimli spoke rather eloquently about the plans the dwarves had made to rid Moria of all orcs and trap the Balrog, making Moria an ideal living place once again. Even Gandalf told them a little of the story of Bilbo Baggins and his ring, as many of them had never heard it in its entirety. Finally, the hobbits clamored for an elven song, and the two elves discussed this in whispered words of elven before smiling and beginning.
"We tell a tale of an elven prince, Of a country named Teltarin." Anánia began.
"And sing the song of tasks he endured, To become the rightful king." Legolas continued. Then they alternated singing the song, taking a line of verse each, and sometimes singing together in beautiful harmonies that rang through the darkening night.
"A handsome lord named Dardeniel, The prince by blood and right. Was born into a country wrought With war, and starved of light.
To prove his right to be the king Dardeniel had to pass Three trials to see if he truly had The mind, the skill, and heart.
The first test was a test of skill A test both long and hard In battle Dardeniel had to vanquish The leader of his guards.
For three days and nights they fought Their swords met with a clash A fight between Dardeniel true And the soldier loud and brash
And as the sun set on day three A victor was declared Dardeniel had defeated the guard And the soldier's life he spared.
Next came the test of mind Held in a grand hall In intellect he had to beat The greatest mind of all
A wizard old but quick of mind The only name 'Oriedle' And if he were to progress on Dardeniel must solve his riddle.
And so the wizard read his puzzle And Dardeniel sat and thought Thinking of the one answer Remembering all he had been taught
None who listened could work it out Not young, nor strong, nor old And here is the riddle of Oriedle The riddle that he told...
"I am the beginning of eternity
The end of time and space
I am the beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
What am I?"
But Dardeniel was not to be beaten He would not give in so soon He looked at the wizard with his bright blue eyes Lit by the light of the moon.
"Your puzzle old man is simple," said he "It is clearer than the night. You are in fact, 'the letter E' Now tell me, am I right?"
The wizard smiled beneath his cloak And nodded to the elf. "You are right, my quick minded friend, And the answer you came to yourself!"
Now Dardeniel faced the hardest task A test of strength of heart For seventy days he had to wander alone From his family kept apart.
For seventy days without water Without a companion or friend. For seventy days without food, Would the torture ever end?
Sixty-nine days Dardeniel spent No other sole is sight And yet he never lost his thoughts He looked towards the light.
On that sixty-ninth day Temptation came And offered him wine and gold She offered him women, mithril and jewels And pleasures unseen and untold.
Yet Dardeniel stayed true to his quest He turned down Temptation's pact He lay alone for one more night The ground hard against his back.
And when the next day he was found, A great celebration was announced. He had shown his strength, of body and mind And Temptation he had denounced.
And so was crowned the King of Teltarin, And his reign was fruitful and long. He was by far the greatest King E'er featured in a song."
The elves finished and the hobbits clapped enthusiastically. Aragorn smiled and patted Legolas on the back, saying "Beautiful, your voices blend like instruments of the courts!" Astor questioned them for a while about other kings of the elves, but finally Gandalf insisted that they should go to bed, for they had a long day of riding the next day, if they were to make it to the mountains before nightfall.
So they slept. Legolas and Anánia slept on the same bedroll, wrapped in a tight embrace. The hobbits snorted in their sleep. That night, even Aragorn had sweet dreams, not plagued by nightmares or visions of Arwen lying on her deathbed. Gandalf watched his friends for a while before looking towards the north.
"We shall reach the mountains tomorrow at nightfall." He thought. "And then if the weather is still good and the horses are strong, we shall risk finding a pass through the mountains. Then we must gallop across the heath and find what we are searching for. It all seems too easy."
AN – oooh, we draw ever closer to the end. I don't know what I will do in my spare time without this story to write! You know the drill, read and review please. And congrats go to Alex, the 200th reviewer. Can we get to 300 I wonder. Lets make the next target 250...
Response to reviewers
Lilwhitelighter – you missed the 200th reviewer, but hey, you might get 300th!
Aimz – Aragorn will find Arwen, in fact it's only a matter of time...
Curlycurlz – I like to try to update quickly, this one was a bit slow though. I'll get the next one out extra quick to make up for it.
Ringmarciel – lots of people seem to despise Legolas, maybe because he steals some of Aragorn's glory...not much of it though!
Celloa – I know Gandalf is a superior being to all others in Middle-Earth. However I figured that as he can't fly (apart from with the eagles) it is possible that he would never have come across Avion or a winged man from Avion. Or maybe he did know and just didn't tell anyone...
Crazycari – glad you liked it!
The True Evenstar – glad you liked it, I'm sorry you weren't the 200th reviewer; you are so dedicated to this story that you deserved it. Oh well, try for the 250th!
Aragorn's Girl Arwen – wow, its really nice when a new reader pops up! Hello there!
Alexi – well done for getting 200th reviewer. Thanks for your review, hope you come back soon!
Julia – I probably handled the whole waking up with someone thing gracefully because it has never happened to me before, so I have nothing to disillusion me about what it would be like. I still dream of waking up with Orlando Bloom though...oh well!
Queen Arwen – I just saw Troy, I'm in love with Brad Pitt now as well as Orlando Bloom. Lol! Shame neither of them are single...oh well, I can dream. Thanks for the review!
Adoralyne – I agree with your opinion on Mary-Sues. That term really is so wrong. Especially when you see younger writers create their own characters, of course they will make them perfect, because young and inexperienced writers base their own characters on what they would like themselves to be! Anyway, thanks for your review, it was really inspiring!
Terreis – I made and broke the 200 mark, woot! Thanks for the review!
Alasse – my computer got a virus a while back so I didn't update for ages. I hated it! Thanks for the review, say hi to your English teacher from me! Lol, I'm glad they let you use their computer to go online...but do they know you are reading stuff at fanfiction.net instead of doing work! Naughty naught, you'll get caughty! Lol!
Ciel-Undomiel – so I can't convert you to liking Legolas? Even a little, teeney weeney bit? You have to love his archery skills...