The battle to retake the Silmaril was not going well. Amrod and his remaining brothers, along with their army, had been there a week, and still they could not gain the jewel. Dior, heir of Thingol, had been slain but not before cutting down Celegorm. He had also found out that Caranthir and Curufin had been slain as well. Things weren't going well at all.
Breaking away from the fighting, he made sure he was not seen leaving by his brothers. He still had to find Geliriel's mother, and since the fighting had begun to slow down, he had his chance to search for her. Through the halls of Menegroth he went, searching down corridors and some rooms that had been left open. He hadn't the slightest idea where to find the healers might be stationed. He was beginning to get frustrated.
Amrod came back out into the main passage when he spied a young man trying to run. He was hurt badly, with what looked like a broken leg, but he made every effort to run as fast as he could. The young man was looking back behind him and did not see Amrod until he ran into him. He fell to the ground, clutching at his leg, trying not to yell out in pain. Amrod went to his side immediately.
"You're hurt. Let me help you to the healers."
"No. No. I've just come from there," the man grunted in pain. "Please, help me up. We have to leave here."
"I can't leave. I'm looking for a healer by the name of Araseth. Do you know her?"
The young man seemed to ignore the pain for a few moments. He looked directly at Amrod, realizing that he was not from Doriath. He pushed away Amrod's hands and struggled to rise.
"I don't know who Araseth is. You'll have to find her yourself."
"Fine, but at least tell me the direction in which I need to go."
"Back down the hall in the direction I had come from. The healer's corridor is on the right." the young man finally got himself standing, and then began to run again. But before he disappeared around the corner, he turned back to Amrod.
"I hope you find Araseth. But I just came from the corridor myself. Most of the healers were gone, and those that weren't..." he paused. "Well, those that weren't gone have no need anymore to run." with that, he went around the corner and was gone.
Fear gripped Amrod's heart. 'Am I too late? Is Geliriel's mother one of those who weren't able to leave?' He ran down the passage in the way he was told and came to the healer's corridor. He instantly understood what the young man had told him. Several healers and quite a few patients were scattered about the floor, dead. Some of the roof had fallen in, but it looked as if most of them had been killed by arrow or sword. Not wishing to be faulted for not looking, he carefully picked his way through the rubble and looked at each victim. None had auburn hair. A sigh of relief escaped him, and he went back out into the passage.
He kept going further down the main passage until he came to an opening. Following that, he found himself outside, in a forest, not far from a river. There were people out here who were desperately trying to find a way out. He walked toward the river, searching faces and looking for an auburn-haired woman. Soon, he came to the riverbank and was about to turn back when he heard a woman calling Geliriel's name. He turned in time to see the woman he was looking for stop cold in her tracks just feet away from him.
"You're not Geliriel." she stated, clearly disappointed.
"No, ma'am. I'm Amrod."
"You're one of them. You're one of those who came to destroy us!" with that she made to run away, but he quickly grabbed her arm to stay her.
"Your name is Araseth?"
"Yes." she said and stopped trying to get away, astonishment on her face. "How do you know my name?"
"Your daughter sent me to find you."
"Geliriel?" she smiled for a moment, but then turned suspicious. "How do I know you're not lying to me?" Again she struggled to get away, but he held firm. He brought his free hand up to his neck and brought out the necklace Geliriel had given to him. He broke the clasp and held it out for Araseth to see. All her attempts to free herself stopped again. She took the necklace in her free hand. A single tear fell down her face, and Amrod let her other arm go. She stood still, holding the necklace in her hands, running a fingertip across the leaf charms.
"Thank Iluvatar," she said quietly. "Thank Iluvatar my daughter still lives. I thought she had perished for sure when she did not send word back to me."
"I think she'd want to tell you herself about that. She wants to see you again. She asked me to bring you to her. She's living in a cottage on my estate in Estolad."
Araseth looked up at him. He saw that she still harbored distrust of him. He did not know what else there was to say to convince her to come. Another tear fell, and Araseth put the necklace back into his hand.
"I can't leave here. I have many people to help heal. I'm sorry, I have to go."
"Wait!" he called as she turned to go. Araseth turned to look at him. "Please. I am telling you the truth. I know you don't believe me, but Geliriel wants you to come to her..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "She's expecting a child, a son, and she's close to delivery. She's told me it would be an early spring birth."
Araseth looked at him, both with happiness at the news, and distrust for him. She stood still and did not move. He watched her, unable to read her the emotions that crossed her face. Within a few minutes, she moved. She reached into her pouch and brought out a smaller pouch. She walked up to him and handed it to him.
"Take this to my daughter. I was to give it to her for her wedding. In that pouch is both a wedding gift, and a gift to be given at the birth of her firstborn. See that she gets this."
"I will." He said softly. He knew then that she would not come back with him. Not even to see the birth of her grandson. Araseth looked at him and saw the sorrow lingering there.
"Tell her, for me, that I love her very much, but I must remain here. Tell her that I wish for all the world to be able to see my grandson, but my fate lies here. I must stay and help my people."
Amrod nodded. Then Araseth took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. He felt her warmth travel up his arm and into his heart. He still felt sorrow, but it was lessened. She smiled at him and then turned to go. He watched her as far as he could before she passed out of sight. He tied the pouch to his belt and quickly went back into the dark passage and back the way he came. He wasn't sure just how he'd tell Geliriel that her mother wouldn't come, but he would tell her.
He came back to where he first left, and found his brothers standing and talking quietly. The fighting had stopped. He joined them and was told they'd be leaving in two days. They would search in the rubble to find the lost Silmaril. If they still didn't have it, they were going home. Amrod was silently glad, for right now, home with Geliriel was exactly where he wanted to be the most.
They ended up staying another week. They had to round up all their men, and Celegorm's folk were the hardest to contain. He had heard of them looting, raping, and killing those that were helpless to fight. Amrod even had to kill a few of those men because they wouldn't stop. It was horrible, but the worst part was yet to come.
Two days before they left, Maedhros returned from searching for the sons of Dior and Nimloth. Celegorm's men had taken them and sent them running into the forest. Maedhros, whom Amrod knew to regret the oath he took more than even he did, went to search for them. Upon his return, he looked grimmer than he did when he had come to the manor, and there was a deep sadness in his eyes. 'He must stay with us for a while before going home,' he thought.
When Maedhros returned, Amrod went in search of Araseth, one last time. 'Maybe now she'll come,' he hoped. He walked through the silent passages of Menegroth and out again to the riverbank where she found him. To his horror, he found bodies of those he had seen alive when he was there. Fear entered is heart and mind. He looked at each body, hoping against hope that none would be Araseth. He went in the direction that he remembered her going, and had not gone far before he found her.
He knelt down beside her body, which lay crumpled awkwardly beside the fellow he had run into in the passages. Both had been struck down with an arrow to the heart. Tears stung Amrod's eyes. Araseth had clearly been helping the fellow get to safety. He pulled the arrows from both and laid them side-by-side. He reached down and closed their eyes. Noticing the pouch at Araseth's belt, he opened it and took the necklace out. He decided that she should wear it, and placed it around her neck, carefully tucking it inside her tunic to hide it from would-be looters. He lingered for a while longer before he got up and slowly walked back to his brothers. He had absolutely no idea how to tell any of this to Geliriel.