Into the Shadow

By The Last Evenstar

A/N: Another (fairly) quick update! Well, there are the two chapters I promised you for this week, but let's see if we can't make it one more by Friday.

Journey Update: Just out of the Misty Mountains, following the Celebrant down through Drimrill Dale. In other words, close to Lothlórien.

Chapter Seven: Promises of Long Ago

"The Nimrodel!" sighed Glorfindel. "Too long has it been since I last gazed upon its white banks."

Arwen looked at the river numbly, but to her, it had lost all its beauty. She could see it now, the Shadow that crept silently into the heart of the land and spoiled it, slowly but steadily.

Elrohir must have noticed the shudder that passed infinitesimally across his sister's face, for he gave a soft command and stopped the horses. "Arwen, laiwa wen, you look like a wraith! We rest the night here!"

She tried to murmur a protestation, but found that her voice was not entirely her own. Mutely, she dismounted and began to brush down her horse.

"Arwen?" Her brother looked over at her, not bothering to mask his concern. "Arwen, you have dark circles under your eyes. Are you sleeping at all?"

She shook her head slowly. "I – I don't need sleep."

He looked at her perplexed and unhappy. "Arwen, I don't understand. What's wrong?"

She looked out at him through eyes that weren't really her own. "Nothing. I – I think I'll . . . go sit by the river."

He bit his lip. "If you're sure."

Arwen felt hot tears of frustration burn her eyes are she lowered herself into the soft grass. It was too late; she had waited too long. Now whenever she opened her mouth to tell her brothers what was happening, it closed again, as if by someone else's will.

She trailed her fingers in the cool water, and its feel stirred something deep inside her, and suddenly she was back, back in the light of twenty summers before.

.

"I don't want you to go." Arwen dipped her fingers in the cool water. "Coia naa nwalka a' lye [Life is cruel to us]."

Aragorn held her tight. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Estel!" called Elladan, grinning with mock frustration. "Get your hands off my sister and mount up!"

Arwen glared reproachfully. "Leave us alone, will you? I'm trying to say goodbye!"

Her brother rolled his eyes. "All right, but if you fall in, I won't dive in after you."

"But I already fell in," Aragorn whispered playfully into her ear. "I fell in love."

.

She lifted a hand to her cheek and was startled to find tears on it. Life is cruel to us? she thought bitterly. I didn't know what cruel was.

"If you fall in, I won't dive in after you," Elladan had told them. And yet here he was, swimming in vain after his fallen comrade.

But she knew they were in too deep.

.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered, and up her spine ran the delicious thrill of knowing that his words were for her, and no one else. "I promise."

She lay her head on his shoulder, feeling the rough fabric on her cheek. "What will I do without you?"

"You'll survive," he told her, and planted a kiss on her lips, short and sweet and full of love.

She buried her face in his shoulder. "I won't."

He lifted her chin with a finger. "Do you doubt my word, meleth nin?"

"Amin sinta thaliolle e dagor [I know your strength in battle]," she replied. "Nan' sal' i edani-ranin lantuva [But even the greatest men will fall]."

"N'uma rashwe, san' [No trouble, then]," he teased, "for I am not the greatest of men."

She smiled, but her look turned serious as she stared into his eyes. "You are the only man who has my love, Estel. Coramin glina tiri [My heart gleams brightly]."

She closed her eyes, and he kissed, and for a moment she was sure there were the sounds of a symphony ringing in the air. But the next moment he was gone, riding off, calling back to her his promise of return.

And she was left by the river, all alone.

~~~~~~~

Elladan watched his sister cry, his heart filling with pain at being unable to help her. Whenever she was hurt as a child, he was always there to comfort her. When their mother passed over the sea, he was there to reassure her that they would meet again. But the first time he had seen her with Aragorn, he had known. I can't protect her any more.

His brother came us beside him. "And so it is that her tears fall into the same river as those of Nimrodel of Lórien, though we pray they shall not share a common fate."

Elladan glared. "If you want to write a poem about your sister's misfortunes, do it on your own time. But unless we make haste, there will be no shining Amroth to jump from the prow."

Elrohir shrugged. "It won't be long before the border patrol show themselves. We've made enough noise to alert them to our presence."

"You mean to stop in Lothlórien, then?"

"I mean to leave Arwen there. You said so yourself – she cannot make this journey."

Unbeknownst to them, Glorfindel had been listening. "A wise decision."

Elrohir pulled a face. "She will be none too pleased."

The older elf sighed. Elladan was noticed painfully that his usual smile was nowhere to be seen. "She is hiding something, you know. I can see it in her eyes."

Elladan frowned. "What could it be?"

Elrohir spoke suddenly. "A vision. She told us, don't you remember? She has seen something, and it is not good." He paused. "We'll know soon enough, anyhow. She won't be able to keep it from Atara-ra."

~~~~~~~

The golden leaves of the mallorn trees had not changed in their appearance, but Arwen knew something was different. It was as if they were obscured by all dull mist; a shadow of evil blocking out their purity.

Everyone had drifted off to sleep. All but her, lying awake, listening to the soft song of the Nimrodel as it gurgled and flowed, oblivious to the state of the world.

She had to tell them. She knew it now. It didn't matter how hard it was, but she could not lead them into the spider's web. She loved them too much.

Fool, she told herself. How had you planned to counter the Dark Lord's traps? What did you think would happen? You were leading them to their death!

A tear fell slowly down her face. Estel was not coming back. He had promised her, but he was not coming back. Twenty summers ago she had been young and naïve. She knew now that a man could not control his fate.

It was all a dream, she tried to convince herself. You'll wake up the next morning to find him safe and sound.

But she knew that sooner or later she had to stop fooling herself. And so it was time to end their hopeless quest.

She did not know afterwards whether it had been the soft sounds of the river, or the stillness of the forest. But she began to drift off, and soon her worn body was fast asleep.

~~~~~~~

She was there again. She had tried to avoid it, but there she was.

And there he was.

"Arwen," he called, in a voice that did not sound like his own. "Arwen, you must save me. Why do you delay?"

She trembled. "What new trick is this? First you warn me against rescue, then you beg me to come?" She felt on the verge of collapse. "Please, Estel, what is it that I can do?"

"Rescue me," he hissed. "Don't listen to what I told you before. Get me out of here!"

"Estel?" She began to shake. Never before had he spoken to her this way. "Estel, what's going on? Please tell me!"

"Rescue me!" he snapped. "Rescue me, and I'll tell you!"

She took a step backwards, sinking into black oblivion. "I can't!"

He walked toward her menacingly, and she saw that it was no longer her beloved Estel, but a dark man with eyes of fire.