CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Time passed and the Fellowship of nine left Rivendell on their quest to destroy the Ring, traversing dangerous mountains all the way to the fiery bowels of the earth itself. Rhiannon recovered from her injuries in Lorien and spent some time there working on her fighting skills to compensate for her leg injury. It had taken some time for her to rebuild them, and she had become frustrated whenever she couldn't do the things she once could. But with a little determination and encouragement from Haldir, who helped train her, she began to fight as well as she once did.
Aside from the slight limp in her stride, the scars on her face had slowly faded into thin lines, and it had taken some time for her to accept that they would be there for the rest of her life. When she wasn't training, she was alone wandering amongst the trees, being that she felt awkward in the midst of such beauty. There again, it took Haldir's gentle reasoning to make her see that it didn't matter what she looked like, although she had been lucky it wasn't worse.
She spoke to him about her relationship with Boromir, and told him that she was worried that he might not see her the same. His reply was that if he loved her enough, then it wouldn't matter what she looked like, and after that he told her to stop worrying so much. After that, her mood improved greatly as she realized that she was moping a little too much, and that it was time to take part in the world once again instead of hiding within the safety of Lorien.
She began to accompany Haldir and his brothers on scouting missions, and she was soon alarmed at the increase of orcs in the area. She had never known them to come so close and she helped fight them off, watching as they fled north from the direction of Moria. After that their guard remained ever vigilant upon all borders. It just so happened one night that she came across Haldir leading a strange group into the woods, there to wait upon a flet for whatever reason she didn't know but was determined to find out.
As she neared the tree which the flet was located on, she heard Haldir's heated voice in a discussion with what sounded like Aragorn's, and her heart almost stopped beating inside her chest. What was he doing here...and was Boromir with him?
Getting Haldir's attention, she joined him up on the flet, glad that she had chosen to pull her hood over her head so that she wasn't so easily seen. Her arrival was noticed by the others as well, who she saw sitting nearby along with Legolas...and then her gaze fell upon Boromir, looking for all the world like he had been put through fire and death. Her heart went out to him, and she wanted nothing more than to go to him and make sure he was okay, but she knew that had to wait for later.
Catching a portion of their discussion, her attention was caught when she realized that Aragorn was asking Haldir for the protection of Lorien. She turned her gaze to Haldir and implored him without words to help them.
He pulled her aside to speak with her quietly. "Elena, the safety of the wood is at stake. If I let them through, then Sauron will know that the ring is here."
"Haldir, please, they came here for protection," she argued. "Can't you see that they are weary and need rest?"
Aragorn caught the sound of her voice and glanced her way, happy to hear her even though he couldn't see her, and he couldn't wait to get a chance to talk with her. Although he was only one in many that he knew would want to do the same.
Haldir sighed and looked away, knowing that he couldn't face her and stay strong in his conviction. "I cannot allow them to pass through the borders, you know this."
She took his hand in hers and held it for a moment. "There is no place for them to stay that can afford them the protection that she can. If not here then where else?"
Finally looking back down into her eyes, he couldn't help but give in to her since he never could refuse her when she pleaded with him. Turning towards Aragorn, he told him they would be granted passage into Lorien, and she didn't miss the look of gratitude the ranger sent her way. She nodded towards him, and he approached her to relay his thanks to her.
She stopped him with a raised finger. "Now is not the time, my friend," she spoke softly in elvish. "I, also, am anxious to see you all again. Be patient," she cautioned him.
He couldn't help but smile as he watched her turn and follow Haldir, then informed the remaining members of the fellowship that they were granted permission to enter the magical realm of Galadriel.
She waited below while Haldir took them up to speak with Galadriel, pacing nervously as she had longed to see them again, but was unsure of how to approach them after being apart for so long. She saw them descending the stairs and stepped aside in the shadows, making sure that she caught Aragorn's eye first since she wished to speak with him. The last thing she wanted to do was to assume that Boromir's feelings had remained the same towards her when there was a chance that they hadn't.
The ranger excused himself from the others and approached her, where they both walked some distance away to have some time alone with one another. Once there they could do nothing else except stare at one another, Aragorn wondering why she chose to hide her appearance from him. He raised a hand to try and push the hood of her cloak back, but she stopped him with a hand around his wrist. "Rhiannon..."
"Aragorn, please...I'm just feeling a thousand emotions right now, and I can't seem to make any sense out of them," she explained. "I've missed you so much, and Boromir as well. Tell me, does he still hate me for the way I left him in Rivendell?"
He smiled at the breathlessness of her voice. "I'm glad to see you as well. I've been worried about you since Legolas returned and told me that you were hurt. But I knew you were in good hands, and that helped ease some of my worries. As for Boromir, I think it's best if you spoke with him about that."
She bit at her lower lip. "That bad, huh?"
He laughed. "I wouldn't worry about it." Then his smile faded a little. "Please let me see you, Rhiannon," he whispered.
She finally sighed and slowly slid the hood off her head, letting the silver moonlight fall upon her face and hair and turn her scars into thin lines of silver that ran diagonally along the length of her left cheek. She watched his expression carefully to determine what he thought of her now.
He was saddened to see the damage that had been done to her, but still thought her beautiful, and it was then that he realized how much he had missed her. How he had gotten through all that he had without her was a wonder in itself, and he touched his hand to her scarred cheek to brush away the tears he saw leaking down it. Drawing her into his arms, he held her tightly as he heard as well as felt her soft sobs. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
She pulled away, knowing that she looked horrible now since her eyes must be puffy and red from her tears. "It's not that," she replied. "Things have never been more right now that you're here."
Smiling, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. "I'm afraid I have some distressing news to tell you though," he said, his smile fading. "Gandalf is lost to us."
Her breath seemed to stop somewhere in the back of her throat as her eyes welled with fresh tears. "How...?" she finally managed to get out.
Tears of his own welled in his eyes for the loss of a close friend and confidant. "A Balrog found us...and pursued us through the depths of Moria to the bridge of Khazad-Dum...where he fell into darkness unending."
Both of them grieved beyond words, they held onto each other as they released their sorrow, both of them grateful for the other's support. Both had cared for Gandalf deeply since he had been a reliable friend and ally, one that they had been able to count on for help and advice whenever they seemed lost. And now they would never hear his voice again, a voice that had been so comforting in the most difficult of times.
Time passed and the Fellowship of nine left Rivendell on their quest to destroy the Ring, traversing dangerous mountains all the way to the fiery bowels of the earth itself. Rhiannon recovered from her injuries in Lorien and spent some time there working on her fighting skills to compensate for her leg injury. It had taken some time for her to rebuild them, and she had become frustrated whenever she couldn't do the things she once could. But with a little determination and encouragement from Haldir, who helped train her, she began to fight as well as she once did.
Aside from the slight limp in her stride, the scars on her face had slowly faded into thin lines, and it had taken some time for her to accept that they would be there for the rest of her life. When she wasn't training, she was alone wandering amongst the trees, being that she felt awkward in the midst of such beauty. There again, it took Haldir's gentle reasoning to make her see that it didn't matter what she looked like, although she had been lucky it wasn't worse.
She spoke to him about her relationship with Boromir, and told him that she was worried that he might not see her the same. His reply was that if he loved her enough, then it wouldn't matter what she looked like, and after that he told her to stop worrying so much. After that, her mood improved greatly as she realized that she was moping a little too much, and that it was time to take part in the world once again instead of hiding within the safety of Lorien.
She began to accompany Haldir and his brothers on scouting missions, and she was soon alarmed at the increase of orcs in the area. She had never known them to come so close and she helped fight them off, watching as they fled north from the direction of Moria. After that their guard remained ever vigilant upon all borders. It just so happened one night that she came across Haldir leading a strange group into the woods, there to wait upon a flet for whatever reason she didn't know but was determined to find out.
As she neared the tree which the flet was located on, she heard Haldir's heated voice in a discussion with what sounded like Aragorn's, and her heart almost stopped beating inside her chest. What was he doing here...and was Boromir with him?
Getting Haldir's attention, she joined him up on the flet, glad that she had chosen to pull her hood over her head so that she wasn't so easily seen. Her arrival was noticed by the others as well, who she saw sitting nearby along with Legolas...and then her gaze fell upon Boromir, looking for all the world like he had been put through fire and death. Her heart went out to him, and she wanted nothing more than to go to him and make sure he was okay, but she knew that had to wait for later.
Catching a portion of their discussion, her attention was caught when she realized that Aragorn was asking Haldir for the protection of Lorien. She turned her gaze to Haldir and implored him without words to help them.
He pulled her aside to speak with her quietly. "Elena, the safety of the wood is at stake. If I let them through, then Sauron will know that the ring is here."
"Haldir, please, they came here for protection," she argued. "Can't you see that they are weary and need rest?"
Aragorn caught the sound of her voice and glanced her way, happy to hear her even though he couldn't see her, and he couldn't wait to get a chance to talk with her. Although he was only one in many that he knew would want to do the same.
Haldir sighed and looked away, knowing that he couldn't face her and stay strong in his conviction. "I cannot allow them to pass through the borders, you know this."
She took his hand in hers and held it for a moment. "There is no place for them to stay that can afford them the protection that she can. If not here then where else?"
Finally looking back down into her eyes, he couldn't help but give in to her since he never could refuse her when she pleaded with him. Turning towards Aragorn, he told him they would be granted passage into Lorien, and she didn't miss the look of gratitude the ranger sent her way. She nodded towards him, and he approached her to relay his thanks to her.
She stopped him with a raised finger. "Now is not the time, my friend," she spoke softly in elvish. "I, also, am anxious to see you all again. Be patient," she cautioned him.
He couldn't help but smile as he watched her turn and follow Haldir, then informed the remaining members of the fellowship that they were granted permission to enter the magical realm of Galadriel.
She waited below while Haldir took them up to speak with Galadriel, pacing nervously as she had longed to see them again, but was unsure of how to approach them after being apart for so long. She saw them descending the stairs and stepped aside in the shadows, making sure that she caught Aragorn's eye first since she wished to speak with him. The last thing she wanted to do was to assume that Boromir's feelings had remained the same towards her when there was a chance that they hadn't.
The ranger excused himself from the others and approached her, where they both walked some distance away to have some time alone with one another. Once there they could do nothing else except stare at one another, Aragorn wondering why she chose to hide her appearance from him. He raised a hand to try and push the hood of her cloak back, but she stopped him with a hand around his wrist. "Rhiannon..."
"Aragorn, please...I'm just feeling a thousand emotions right now, and I can't seem to make any sense out of them," she explained. "I've missed you so much, and Boromir as well. Tell me, does he still hate me for the way I left him in Rivendell?"
He smiled at the breathlessness of her voice. "I'm glad to see you as well. I've been worried about you since Legolas returned and told me that you were hurt. But I knew you were in good hands, and that helped ease some of my worries. As for Boromir, I think it's best if you spoke with him about that."
She bit at her lower lip. "That bad, huh?"
He laughed. "I wouldn't worry about it." Then his smile faded a little. "Please let me see you, Rhiannon," he whispered.
She finally sighed and slowly slid the hood off her head, letting the silver moonlight fall upon her face and hair and turn her scars into thin lines of silver that ran diagonally along the length of her left cheek. She watched his expression carefully to determine what he thought of her now.
He was saddened to see the damage that had been done to her, but still thought her beautiful, and it was then that he realized how much he had missed her. How he had gotten through all that he had without her was a wonder in itself, and he touched his hand to her scarred cheek to brush away the tears he saw leaking down it. Drawing her into his arms, he held her tightly as he heard as well as felt her soft sobs. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
She pulled away, knowing that she looked horrible now since her eyes must be puffy and red from her tears. "It's not that," she replied. "Things have never been more right now that you're here."
Smiling, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. "I'm afraid I have some distressing news to tell you though," he said, his smile fading. "Gandalf is lost to us."
Her breath seemed to stop somewhere in the back of her throat as her eyes welled with fresh tears. "How...?" she finally managed to get out.
Tears of his own welled in his eyes for the loss of a close friend and confidant. "A Balrog found us...and pursued us through the depths of Moria to the bridge of Khazad-Dum...where he fell into darkness unending."
Both of them grieved beyond words, they held onto each other as they released their sorrow, both of them grateful for the other's support. Both had cared for Gandalf deeply since he had been a reliable friend and ally, one that they had been able to count on for help and advice whenever they seemed lost. And now they would never hear his voice again, a voice that had been so comforting in the most difficult of times.