Chapter Fifteen: Word Of The Alliance
I do not know how long Glorfindel and I wandered in the wilds on Middle Earth. Enhith would bring news from time to time but we did not pay much attention to it. That is, until Elrond sent his plea.
We received it one night shortly after we had made camp. Glorfindel leaned close to the fire and read the note by the light of the flames.
"Lord Glorfindel and Lady Lhunrothien," He read, "Our needs become more desperate. Sauron the Deceiver has taken Minas Ithil. The Elven lords and the kings of men have met in Imladris. The decision has been made to make one last stand against evil in the form of the Last Alliance. We will march on Mordor in six months time. I ask you that if you are close enough, you join us in our assault, your strength would be an asset."
For a long time neither of us spoke. We simply gazed into the fire and thought of the decision that needed to be made.
"We have to go." I said at last, "We have to help."
Glorfindel nodded, lifting his gaze from the fire, our eyes met, "We'd best rest then, and leave at first light."
I sighed and curled up in my cloak, but sleep did not come until the fire's embers were low.
The journey to return to Imladris was a hard one but we knew our way, thanks in part to the hawk Enhith, who led the way back from our camp in the North. The month that follows our receiving of the news is very uneventful and not worth detailing, but one day, we found ourselves crossing the northern Ford into Rivendell in the earliest of morning hours.
Water slushed around my ankles as my keen eyes searched the darkness for the shore. My hood had long been pulled over my face against the cold night wind of the wilds, it now served to protect me from the spray. My right hand held tightly to Glorfindel ahead of me, I felt his confidence and it helped me to surge forward.
Quite abruptly, I heard Glorfindel's feet leave the water and moments later, so did mine. Shaking off our boots we started walking towards the lights of Rivendell. We had not gone five feet before a bright flame ignited before me and I felt the tip of an arrow at my throat.
"Speak, or face the reality of trespassing on this land!" Barked a distantly familiar voice in Common tongue.
"We are of Elven kind." Glorfindel's voice did not show the smallest quiver of fear I felt from within him, "We return on urgent request from Lord Elrond."
As he spoke, my mind raced, trying to place the voice to a person I knew. Suddenly, I remembered. I could hear a clear song in the darkness, and felt the fear of six elves, huddled in the back corner of a dark cave as fifty orcs marched by.
"Luinrhos!" I exclaimed, a smile cracking across my face, "Fair is the hour of our meeting! Long has it been since our journey to the Golden Wood!"
Confusion washed over the Noldor as I reached my hand up and pulled off my hood.
"Lady Lhunrothien!" He laughed, switching abruptly to Sindarin, "At ease friends, unless this is any other then the lady's escort and friend Glorfindel?"
"It is I of course." Glorfindel relaxed and he too removed his hood.
"This is fair news indeed! Come, I will take you to the Lord Elrond, who is awake even at this hour." Luinrhos said and turned towards Rivendell, "I would have thought you would know better then to approach Imladris by night, especially these days."
"We have been away for quite some time." I responded.
We were taken to a large expansive library in the heart of Imladris. Seated at a carved table covered in diagrams and maps, was the Lord of the Homely House.
"I am glad you have returned." Elrond spoke softly, not looking up from the map that he studied, "We could greatly use your assistance, there are so few...so few..."
His voice drifted off as Glorfindel and I exchanged glances.
"What news since we left Lord?" I pressed, I felt the burden that the Lord bore, but I needed to know.
"Sauron has taken the southern city of Minas Ithil. He has fortified Mordor and his purposes are evil, though his plight lies in shadow," Elrond said, flipping a map over, "The Nazgul terrorize men and Elves alike. Many of the Nomad colonies have come to Imladris and the Golden Wood seeking safety. We are no longer going to stand idly by while our people suffer. This is why we march."
Glorfindel nodded, he knew war; he was a soldier. I was not, and yet I still understood the anger that now radianted from Lord Elrond as he spoke of the plight of his people.
"What can we do to help?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"Glorfindel, we require your assistance on the battlefield." Elrond turned from his papers to look at us gravely by the soft lamp light, "Lhunrothien, your help is needed in a different sense."
I did not argue. Whatever job I would be given would be one that Elrond knew I could handle.
"I need you to take charge of the home guard. Watch the women and children of Imladris, keep them safe." Elrond said slowly, and I nodded, "If we are to arrive in Gondor on time, we are to leave in two weeks time. The soldiers of Arnor have already left. It would appear you have arrived just in time.
"Now, I recommend you both get some sleep. I will have an attendant show you to your rooms."
With that, Glorfindel and I stood and turned to see a young Elf clad in sky blue waiting for us. Upon reaching Glorfindel's room, he bid me goodnight and left me standing in the hallway staring after him.
It had been many, many years since I had slept in a bed and I tossed and turned for many hours. I also missed the reassuring presence of my friend and traveling companion, Glorfindel. Eventually, I drifted off to a fitful sleep.
I do not know how long Glorfindel and I wandered in the wilds on Middle Earth. Enhith would bring news from time to time but we did not pay much attention to it. That is, until Elrond sent his plea.
We received it one night shortly after we had made camp. Glorfindel leaned close to the fire and read the note by the light of the flames.
"Lord Glorfindel and Lady Lhunrothien," He read, "Our needs become more desperate. Sauron the Deceiver has taken Minas Ithil. The Elven lords and the kings of men have met in Imladris. The decision has been made to make one last stand against evil in the form of the Last Alliance. We will march on Mordor in six months time. I ask you that if you are close enough, you join us in our assault, your strength would be an asset."
For a long time neither of us spoke. We simply gazed into the fire and thought of the decision that needed to be made.
"We have to go." I said at last, "We have to help."
Glorfindel nodded, lifting his gaze from the fire, our eyes met, "We'd best rest then, and leave at first light."
I sighed and curled up in my cloak, but sleep did not come until the fire's embers were low.
The journey to return to Imladris was a hard one but we knew our way, thanks in part to the hawk Enhith, who led the way back from our camp in the North. The month that follows our receiving of the news is very uneventful and not worth detailing, but one day, we found ourselves crossing the northern Ford into Rivendell in the earliest of morning hours.
Water slushed around my ankles as my keen eyes searched the darkness for the shore. My hood had long been pulled over my face against the cold night wind of the wilds, it now served to protect me from the spray. My right hand held tightly to Glorfindel ahead of me, I felt his confidence and it helped me to surge forward.
Quite abruptly, I heard Glorfindel's feet leave the water and moments later, so did mine. Shaking off our boots we started walking towards the lights of Rivendell. We had not gone five feet before a bright flame ignited before me and I felt the tip of an arrow at my throat.
"Speak, or face the reality of trespassing on this land!" Barked a distantly familiar voice in Common tongue.
"We are of Elven kind." Glorfindel's voice did not show the smallest quiver of fear I felt from within him, "We return on urgent request from Lord Elrond."
As he spoke, my mind raced, trying to place the voice to a person I knew. Suddenly, I remembered. I could hear a clear song in the darkness, and felt the fear of six elves, huddled in the back corner of a dark cave as fifty orcs marched by.
"Luinrhos!" I exclaimed, a smile cracking across my face, "Fair is the hour of our meeting! Long has it been since our journey to the Golden Wood!"
Confusion washed over the Noldor as I reached my hand up and pulled off my hood.
"Lady Lhunrothien!" He laughed, switching abruptly to Sindarin, "At ease friends, unless this is any other then the lady's escort and friend Glorfindel?"
"It is I of course." Glorfindel relaxed and he too removed his hood.
"This is fair news indeed! Come, I will take you to the Lord Elrond, who is awake even at this hour." Luinrhos said and turned towards Rivendell, "I would have thought you would know better then to approach Imladris by night, especially these days."
"We have been away for quite some time." I responded.
We were taken to a large expansive library in the heart of Imladris. Seated at a carved table covered in diagrams and maps, was the Lord of the Homely House.
"I am glad you have returned." Elrond spoke softly, not looking up from the map that he studied, "We could greatly use your assistance, there are so few...so few..."
His voice drifted off as Glorfindel and I exchanged glances.
"What news since we left Lord?" I pressed, I felt the burden that the Lord bore, but I needed to know.
"Sauron has taken the southern city of Minas Ithil. He has fortified Mordor and his purposes are evil, though his plight lies in shadow," Elrond said, flipping a map over, "The Nazgul terrorize men and Elves alike. Many of the Nomad colonies have come to Imladris and the Golden Wood seeking safety. We are no longer going to stand idly by while our people suffer. This is why we march."
Glorfindel nodded, he knew war; he was a soldier. I was not, and yet I still understood the anger that now radianted from Lord Elrond as he spoke of the plight of his people.
"What can we do to help?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"Glorfindel, we require your assistance on the battlefield." Elrond turned from his papers to look at us gravely by the soft lamp light, "Lhunrothien, your help is needed in a different sense."
I did not argue. Whatever job I would be given would be one that Elrond knew I could handle.
"I need you to take charge of the home guard. Watch the women and children of Imladris, keep them safe." Elrond said slowly, and I nodded, "If we are to arrive in Gondor on time, we are to leave in two weeks time. The soldiers of Arnor have already left. It would appear you have arrived just in time.
"Now, I recommend you both get some sleep. I will have an attendant show you to your rooms."
With that, Glorfindel and I stood and turned to see a young Elf clad in sky blue waiting for us. Upon reaching Glorfindel's room, he bid me goodnight and left me standing in the hallway staring after him.
It had been many, many years since I had slept in a bed and I tossed and turned for many hours. I also missed the reassuring presence of my friend and traveling companion, Glorfindel. Eventually, I drifted off to a fitful sleep.