Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of The Rings, however I do own Anánia, Astor
and all circumstances relating to the Cave of Hope.
Gandalf took a deep breath, and then began reading the enchantment. He first of all read it in its entirety in elven.
'The sword of a friend, who would die for their love. The tear of a relative, gentle as a dove. A gift from an enemy, now a true friend Shall put a stop to this unchanging end.
A symbol from one whose life had been saved By the one who on the deathbed is laid. The prayer of a wise man, truly spoken Should accompany this loving token.
Next a gift from unknown ground, Taken from where it can always be found. Then should be brought a gift of gold, Brought by a prince, not a king of old.
The blood of one the dead has not met, But also has ties you could never forget. Finally, from someone unknown a kiss Will bring them to life, and eternal bliss.'
Then he looked to Aragorn and spoke in the common tongue. "The sword of a friend, who would die for their love."
Aragorn nodded, and drew his sword from its sheath. He held it in front of him, not entirely sure what to do with it. Then the tablet in front of him began to move, a small hole opened in its centre. Anduril leapt up from Aragorn's grasp and hovered in mid air, then slowly descended into the hole, blade first, until only the hilt and a few inches of the blade showed above the alter.
Gandalf nodded, and then spoke. "The tear of a relative, gentle as a dove." For a moment, nothing happened. Then Eldarion's tablet began to shudder and shake. Seated on it, Eldarion became scared and began to cry. As soon as the tear had left his eye it also seemed to float in mid air, but this time his tear drop hovered over to Arwen's body, and landed on her eye. She did not blink, but the tear shone like silver on her eye. The shuddering and shaking on Eldarion's tablet stopped, and he stopped crying. Anánia sighed, she had been extremely scared for the safety of Eldarion, and would have run over and picked him up, had Legolas who was standing to her left, not grabbed her arm to stop her from doing such a thing and, perhaps, endangering the successful completion of the enchantment.
"A gift from an enemy, now a true friend" Gandalf continued. "Shall put a stop to this unchanging end." Gimli took from his pocket a small ring made of mithril that he had forged long ago. He placed it on his tablet. The ring glowed for a moment and then seemed to fly over to Arwen. Her hand lifted as if held by some unseen force and the ring glided gently on to one of her long, thin fingers.
"A symbol from one whose life had been saved by the one who on the deathbed is laid." Gandalf looked to Frodo. Frodo pulled from his backpack a small package and opened it. A beautiful flower was revealed. They all recognised it as native to Lothlorien, and all guessed that Galadriel had given him the gift before they had left that fair forest. The flower floated lightly over to Arwen and came to rest on her chest. Her fingers closed around it, and she held it like a bouquet, but still showing no other signs of life.
"The prayer of a wise man, truly spoken, should accompany this loving token." Gandalf said, as the gift was given. Then he moved on, his gift already given. "Next a gift from unknown ground, taken from where it can always be found."
Sam pulled the grubby and muddy pair of gardening gloves out of his pack. Merry took one, and Pippin took the other. They placed them on the tablet. Flecks of mud and soil lifted from the gloves and were swept in an unfelt breeze over to Arwen. They settled at her bare feet, and glowed red now and again.
"Then should be brought a gift of gold, brought by a prince, not a king of old." Gandalf said solemnly as Legolas removed a handful of gold coins from his pocket and placed him on the tablet. They glowed for a moment and then sank into the tablet itself. Legolas frowned, but then saw the coins reappear above Arwen, floating around in a circle.
"The blood of one the dead has not met, but also has ties you could never forget." Anánia stood bravely at her post. Anduril began to shake in Aragorn's tablet, and then drew itself and began flying blade first towards Anánia. She flinched, but the blade did not pierce her. Then she felt her right arm being lifted by some unseen force. She could not resist it. Her arm was outstretched over her tablet. Gently Anduril manoeuvred and made a cut down the soft underside of her forearm. She winced as she felt the cold blade pierce her skin. Warm blood flowed from the cut that was perhaps six inches long. Some fell onto the tablet, and the words on it instantly glowed gold. A few drops of blood hovered in mid air and then fell onto Arwen's chest, right above her heart. They stained the pure white material. Anánia lowered her arm and put her left hand on the cut to try and stem the bleeding. The wound was only superficial, but the blood still ran down her arm and formed a small pool of blood at her feet. Anduril hovered for a second and then returned to Aragorn's tablet, drops of blood glistening on its blade.
"Finally, from someone unknown a kiss, will bring them to life, and eternal bliss." Astor now felt the unseen force pushing him forwards. He leaned over the table and planted a kiss on Arwen's cold lips. Aragorn did not say anything; he merely frowned and looked on in displeasure, clenching his fists.
Astor ended the kiss and stood back at his place. For a few moments nothing happened. Each of them began to fear that something had gone wrong. Suddenly, each tablet began to glow. Aragorn picked Eldarion up from the tablet and held him tightly. Each tablet then emitted a gold light that got stronger and stronger. The beam reached right up to the ceiling, like endless pillars of gold. They shaded their eyes form the glare.
As quickly as it had started the light faded. When they looked back they saw that Arwen was floating about three feet above the alter. She was gently lowered and as she hit the table her eyes opened. She blinked and smiled, and began to sit up. She was alive!
AN – oh, I feel this coming to an end. I reckon that three more chapters will sum this story up. It's so sad, yet so happy. You know the drill by now. Read and review! And congratulations to Curlycurlz, the 250th reviewer. Can we hit 300?
Response to Reviewers
Lilwhitelighter – I liked the cliff-hanger too, here is another one, but not so much of a cliff more like a soft slope!
Curlycurlz – ciel-undomiel is a first class rambler, however your ramble in the last review could give ciel a run for their money! Congrats on being the 250th reviewer!
Cerridwen – more Aragorn/Arwen next chapter, I promise!
Julia – I didn't think it was an evil cliffhanger....just very cruel!
The True Evenstar – a quick-ish update there, not my fastest but not my slowest. I'll try harder next time, if everyone reviews quickly!
Aristo – I don't remember having a review from you before, so hello! Thanks for your review. If I get time I will read some of your stuff to see the character you wrote who is similar to Astor.
Queen Arwen – I'm sure that you would to Aragorn the same thing that I would want to do to Will Turner or Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. Lol, I'm talking about cutting their hair, of course!
Ringmarciel – there is a bit more angst to come next chapter, won't say any more now!
Ciel Undomiel – yes, its nearly over, but I still have tiome for a few more evil cliffhangers!
Alasse – have a good time off school, I have to go back soon, after I finish my exams, which means slower updates cos all I do on exam leave is write!
Valia – Eldarion is very cute, I'd love to see how they would portray him in a film...wait, they already did...oh well, they didn't include him enough as far as I can see.
Gandalf took a deep breath, and then began reading the enchantment. He first of all read it in its entirety in elven.
'The sword of a friend, who would die for their love. The tear of a relative, gentle as a dove. A gift from an enemy, now a true friend Shall put a stop to this unchanging end.
A symbol from one whose life had been saved By the one who on the deathbed is laid. The prayer of a wise man, truly spoken Should accompany this loving token.
Next a gift from unknown ground, Taken from where it can always be found. Then should be brought a gift of gold, Brought by a prince, not a king of old.
The blood of one the dead has not met, But also has ties you could never forget. Finally, from someone unknown a kiss Will bring them to life, and eternal bliss.'
Then he looked to Aragorn and spoke in the common tongue. "The sword of a friend, who would die for their love."
Aragorn nodded, and drew his sword from its sheath. He held it in front of him, not entirely sure what to do with it. Then the tablet in front of him began to move, a small hole opened in its centre. Anduril leapt up from Aragorn's grasp and hovered in mid air, then slowly descended into the hole, blade first, until only the hilt and a few inches of the blade showed above the alter.
Gandalf nodded, and then spoke. "The tear of a relative, gentle as a dove." For a moment, nothing happened. Then Eldarion's tablet began to shudder and shake. Seated on it, Eldarion became scared and began to cry. As soon as the tear had left his eye it also seemed to float in mid air, but this time his tear drop hovered over to Arwen's body, and landed on her eye. She did not blink, but the tear shone like silver on her eye. The shuddering and shaking on Eldarion's tablet stopped, and he stopped crying. Anánia sighed, she had been extremely scared for the safety of Eldarion, and would have run over and picked him up, had Legolas who was standing to her left, not grabbed her arm to stop her from doing such a thing and, perhaps, endangering the successful completion of the enchantment.
"A gift from an enemy, now a true friend" Gandalf continued. "Shall put a stop to this unchanging end." Gimli took from his pocket a small ring made of mithril that he had forged long ago. He placed it on his tablet. The ring glowed for a moment and then seemed to fly over to Arwen. Her hand lifted as if held by some unseen force and the ring glided gently on to one of her long, thin fingers.
"A symbol from one whose life had been saved by the one who on the deathbed is laid." Gandalf looked to Frodo. Frodo pulled from his backpack a small package and opened it. A beautiful flower was revealed. They all recognised it as native to Lothlorien, and all guessed that Galadriel had given him the gift before they had left that fair forest. The flower floated lightly over to Arwen and came to rest on her chest. Her fingers closed around it, and she held it like a bouquet, but still showing no other signs of life.
"The prayer of a wise man, truly spoken, should accompany this loving token." Gandalf said, as the gift was given. Then he moved on, his gift already given. "Next a gift from unknown ground, taken from where it can always be found."
Sam pulled the grubby and muddy pair of gardening gloves out of his pack. Merry took one, and Pippin took the other. They placed them on the tablet. Flecks of mud and soil lifted from the gloves and were swept in an unfelt breeze over to Arwen. They settled at her bare feet, and glowed red now and again.
"Then should be brought a gift of gold, brought by a prince, not a king of old." Gandalf said solemnly as Legolas removed a handful of gold coins from his pocket and placed him on the tablet. They glowed for a moment and then sank into the tablet itself. Legolas frowned, but then saw the coins reappear above Arwen, floating around in a circle.
"The blood of one the dead has not met, but also has ties you could never forget." Anánia stood bravely at her post. Anduril began to shake in Aragorn's tablet, and then drew itself and began flying blade first towards Anánia. She flinched, but the blade did not pierce her. Then she felt her right arm being lifted by some unseen force. She could not resist it. Her arm was outstretched over her tablet. Gently Anduril manoeuvred and made a cut down the soft underside of her forearm. She winced as she felt the cold blade pierce her skin. Warm blood flowed from the cut that was perhaps six inches long. Some fell onto the tablet, and the words on it instantly glowed gold. A few drops of blood hovered in mid air and then fell onto Arwen's chest, right above her heart. They stained the pure white material. Anánia lowered her arm and put her left hand on the cut to try and stem the bleeding. The wound was only superficial, but the blood still ran down her arm and formed a small pool of blood at her feet. Anduril hovered for a second and then returned to Aragorn's tablet, drops of blood glistening on its blade.
"Finally, from someone unknown a kiss, will bring them to life, and eternal bliss." Astor now felt the unseen force pushing him forwards. He leaned over the table and planted a kiss on Arwen's cold lips. Aragorn did not say anything; he merely frowned and looked on in displeasure, clenching his fists.
Astor ended the kiss and stood back at his place. For a few moments nothing happened. Each of them began to fear that something had gone wrong. Suddenly, each tablet began to glow. Aragorn picked Eldarion up from the tablet and held him tightly. Each tablet then emitted a gold light that got stronger and stronger. The beam reached right up to the ceiling, like endless pillars of gold. They shaded their eyes form the glare.
As quickly as it had started the light faded. When they looked back they saw that Arwen was floating about three feet above the alter. She was gently lowered and as she hit the table her eyes opened. She blinked and smiled, and began to sit up. She was alive!
AN – oh, I feel this coming to an end. I reckon that three more chapters will sum this story up. It's so sad, yet so happy. You know the drill by now. Read and review! And congratulations to Curlycurlz, the 250th reviewer. Can we hit 300?
Response to Reviewers
Lilwhitelighter – I liked the cliff-hanger too, here is another one, but not so much of a cliff more like a soft slope!
Curlycurlz – ciel-undomiel is a first class rambler, however your ramble in the last review could give ciel a run for their money! Congrats on being the 250th reviewer!
Cerridwen – more Aragorn/Arwen next chapter, I promise!
Julia – I didn't think it was an evil cliffhanger....just very cruel!
The True Evenstar – a quick-ish update there, not my fastest but not my slowest. I'll try harder next time, if everyone reviews quickly!
Aristo – I don't remember having a review from you before, so hello! Thanks for your review. If I get time I will read some of your stuff to see the character you wrote who is similar to Astor.
Queen Arwen – I'm sure that you would to Aragorn the same thing that I would want to do to Will Turner or Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. Lol, I'm talking about cutting their hair, of course!
Ringmarciel – there is a bit more angst to come next chapter, won't say any more now!
Ciel Undomiel – yes, its nearly over, but I still have tiome for a few more evil cliffhangers!
Alasse – have a good time off school, I have to go back soon, after I finish my exams, which means slower updates cos all I do on exam leave is write!
Valia – Eldarion is very cute, I'd love to see how they would portray him in a film...wait, they already did...oh well, they didn't include him enough as far as I can see.