Chapter Nine: Test of Strength

Disclaimer: I don't own lord of the rings however I do own the characters Melethril, Celuwan, Meluivian and Tuviluiel. For Legolas' mother I don't own the person but the name I have given her is mine.

For four days we rode across the rough terrain through mud and terrain. Pippin slept through most of it but when he was awake I would distract him with talk of the Shire. The morning of the fifth we neared the gates of Minas Tirith. I dismounted from Faerinelin and holding his head with one arm. I stroked his mane with my hand.

"From here, we must part my friend. Where I journey next you cannot help me. Go back to the Golden Woods,"

I detached the Lorien leaf from my cloak and attached it to his mane. He snorted and nudged me.

"Go," I commanded once more. With hesitance he trotted away while I stood my ground. Finally I could hear him gallop away.

"I am not sure how I should approach Mordor,"

"Use your wind stone now before Pippin wakes up. Hold onto Shadowfax to save your strength,"

I nodded gratefully and moved to Shadowfax's right. Placing my hand on my left wrist I drew on the power of the wind and whispered a spell of invisibility. I closed my eyes feeling the power of wind around me. I felt energy as though I was floating.

Open your eyes

I cannot see

Look

I popped one eye open and took in the sight before me. Colours; walls of grey and white, tall towers. I blinked and set my eyes on Gandalf. He seemed to be looking at me but it seemed he knew I wasn't there. I lifted my hand and gazed in wonder. I had swirls of mist surrounding my body.

"Where's Melethril?" Pippin's voice interrupted my starring. I grabbed gently onto Shadowfax's mane. He didn't seem to mind while we were riding through the gates. While Gandalf and Pippin circled the levels of Minas Tirth I set my attention on the sites of Osgiliath. There was a huge wooden gate with iron locks barring the city from its last defences.

How am I to get out of here?

Free the mother earth

I slipped my fingers around my choker uncertain. I had only used the earth stone once to defend the patrols of Mirkwood and I had ended up weakened tremendously.

Hurry time is short

I took a short breath and drew the power of the earth so that the blood pounded within my skull.

Take me to Osgiliath

It was a feeling of being sucked in and then being freed from a cage. I leaned my head against the walls of Osgiliath outside the tunnel where Frodo and Sam took. The wind picked up their scent and Gollum's. I flet my eyes close in exhaustion; the short path from Minas Tirth to Osgiliath drained much energy from me. I snapped my eyes open as I heard voices and footsteps. There stood a man of Gondor with the white tree embroidered into his tunic. I sensed elven blood in him.

Be assured there is no danger here

A few seconds passed and he finally left. I staggered up and walked through the dark tunnel.

I kept a short distance behind them while I struggled to control the drawing of the firestone. Its call was loud within my mind. I followed Frodo into the mountain and watched as he struggled.

"Our choices are standing before use. One power is calling for me to unbind and the other is persuading you to keep it. May our choices be the right ones Frodo," I felt that I had to say that him understanding what he was partially going through.

"Frodo!" I heard Sam calling for him. I quickly vanished again from Frodo's sight; I did not intend to speak to both of them.

I watched the struggled that Frodo was carrying and just when I thought he would give in, an unlikely figure came to the rescue. Gollum bit off Frodo's finger to get his precious rig I rushed off the ledge after Frodo and Gollum both feel. Frodo was lucky for grabbing onto the ridges of the rock while Gollum was so enchanted with the ring that he fell into the lava. I reached forth my hand and called forth the powers of the stones. The firestone emerged in front of my hand from whence the wind stone concealed. It glowed of a fiery crimson. I was falling down towards the lava and I quickly flung the stone into the steaming liquid. Just as the ring began to melt so did the stone only now it had become fire no longer a reservoir of power. I was so close to the bottom now that I could feel the heat radiating onto my skin. I panicked and thought of the first place that came to my mind: Lorien. I was caught in a whirlwind of power feeling pulled from all sides as I was transported to my destination. However since the stones had been unbounded, they were harder to control. I had to release them back to their proper places. I looked around my surroundings and saw there was a battle occurring on my homeland. There were many places where I considered my home but Lorien was where I was born and to have evil roaming through the lands was intolerable. Galadriel had built this place with her own tow hands. I unleashed the powers of the stones; wind to lash, earth to trembled and water to drown. The wrath of terror that I had concurred lasted only for a moment before I released the elements back into their existence. Power overwhelmed me, sickened me to the bone. I collapsed on the ground in transition between life and death.

"Melethril."

I heard someone vaguely call out my name. Multiple dots of colour filled my visions; a hazy image of a face peered down at me. I felt myself being lifted of the ground and into someone's arms. I squinted my eyes to see the identity of the person. I could make out pale bond hair and blue eyes.

"Haldir," I choked out.

"No, muinthel, it's Orophin," he answered back.

"Your eyes they are blue," I noticed reaching my hand up to his face. I heard him draw a short breath.

"I am so tried, I want to sleep," I insisted.

"Don't leave," he pleaded.

"I wish I could see Legolas again," I contemplated as I was slowly losing consciousness.

"You can! Just stay with me," he urged.

"I don't know if I can-"

"You can and you will. I don't want to lose another sibling,"

"Nin mell gruador. You and Rumil were always the ones who took life so freely unlike Haldir who took it so seriously,"

"He took it so seriously because he was the eldest," he replied sorrowfully.

"You now are the oldest. Take care of our little brother," I said.

My eyes dropped and I fell asleep.

I have never been more thankful for sleep. My shape of a silhouetted walked through fields of flowers. There is darkness and in front of me a door of light. My hand is aching to reach out and touch the light. I turn around to look at my path behind me.

"You still have a choice," a deep voice said.

I bowed at the sight of the presence of the Valour.

"My lord Mandos,"

"Do you wish to accept death so quickly child?" he asked.

"I have already come here. My body is useless to me, I have completed my task," I answered.

"So you have my dearest child, but your mind tells you otherwise," he said.

"Why go back when the ones dearest to me are here?" I reasoned.

"Have you forgotten about your prince?"

Through the bright light that emanated from Mandos came a familiar one; one I had saved many times. I ran to him shaping his face with my hands.

"I thought I would never see your face ever again," I said tearfully.

"You have mell muinthel. Mandos has granted us our wish to see you again before you make your choice,"

"Do you mean they are all here?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes," he gestured behind him.

I looked past his shoulder and saw my parents standing together, Legolas' mother Meluivain and my dear friend from Mirkwood Tuviluiel. I went to my parents first both of them smiling proudly at me.

"You have succeeded where we both could not mell nin," my mother said warmly.

"Adar, naneth, I want to stay here with you," I insisted.

"You can't," she said.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Have you forgotten there are those waiting for you still?" she asked.

"You said I had a choice," I directed at Mandos,"

"You can choose to stay here or you can go back," he answered.

Meluivain approached me first and spoke quietly to me. "My son has already grieved his mother's death, he does not need to grieve yours,"

"I made Legolas promise that he would take care of you, how will he if you are gone?" Haldir interjected after her.

"We can finally be together," I said.

"Yes darling. Would you live with the thought that you caused his death?" my mother soothed.

"But I have for yours!"

"You are not at fault for ours, sell nin. We were give the stones as wards you were the one to carry out the final task, something both your father and I could not do at the time," she assured.

"You were not there in the field when the orcs attacked me," Meluivain mentioned.

"Not at Helm's Deep with the Uri Kai," Haldir said.

"And what about you?"

"You cannot save everyone Melethril. This is the way of life balancing life and death. You may have lost many but think of the ones you saved as well," Tuviluiel said.

"Time is short Melethril, make your choice," Mandos waited calmly for my decision.

I looked at my loved ones and the path of shadows. I walked up to Haldir.

"What of Celuwan? Is she here?" I asked.

"I don't think she wants to find me nor I. We both hurt each other it's best we leave it alone,"

"You have spent your whole life fighting, go and spend your years with your beloved," my father said.

"I will hold you in my heart forever," I said to them feeling my heart saddened.

"And we with yours," they replied back.

"I am ready," I told Mandos.

"The road will be dark," he warned.

"Well I am going now," I looked one last time at them. With a glance backwards I walked into the land of the living.

Orophin

She felt so light and fragile under my arms as I carried her across the fields of the Golden Woods. Her light was diminishing rapidly with every step I took. I hurried through the gardens until I reached the mirror of Galadriel where the lady was ever standing there calmly. She turned around as I approached her at a short distance.

"We will lose her soon, come with me and take off her jewels," she said leading me to an isolated place-one I had never personally been to. The mithril that contained the stones were removed. I kept the necklace that Legolas gave her with me. There was a small pool filled with shallow water and inlet steps.

"Place her in here," she ordered starting to walk down the steps.

I walked to the side of the pool and gently placed her in it. The water did not soak through the clothing. It had to be healing water. I watched as Galadriel stood at her head and supported it with her hands to keep her afloat. I could feel an even stronger force of Galadriel's light radiating from the poolside. I watched as she touched her mind to hers keeping her in the light just as my sister had done before. Minutes passed and then hours, finally she pulled her to the steps letting her rest there submerged in the water except for her face. I helped her out of the pool taking her weight onto mine.

"Will she survive, my lady?"

"I have done all I can, we just have to wait for her body to heal,"

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Just visit her everyday, talk to her, she will come back to us,"

"What about her sight?"

"Her task is completed she is at peace, and yes she will be able to see the world again,"

Melethril

My journey was long and tiresome. I walked many miles in darkness and gradually the path began to light up slightly. I found myself standing on land surrounded by flowers. There was a river down the middle of the land separating Galadriel and I who was waiting for me on the other side.

"Come to me child," Galadriel gestured for me to cross the river that divided us. I hesitantly started my way through the cold water. The water began to slosh higher up my body from my ankles to my waist and rising.

"Do not be afraid just come to me," she said sensing my anxiety.

I complied reluctantly pushing my way through the strong force of the water. I began to panic as the water reached chin level.

"I cannot go any further," I protested.

"Yes you can," she assured.

"But how will I breath?"

"You are part of the elements, trust in them as you have done so before,"

I sunk lower and lower until my head was completely submerged and when I was completely immerged in the water I was awakened. I peered my sore eyes out to see colour and then I faded out.

3019, May 20

I woke up next to the sound of chattering. I could make out my two brother's voices. I shifted around placing my hand over my eyes.

"Where am I?" I said out loud.

"You are in bed in Lorien,"

"Arwen, it's really you," I said in wonder.

"Yes it's me. Ada, everyone she's awake," Arwen announced.

I could not described the feeling I had when everyone came into my room: Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan, Orophin, Rumil and Niphredil. I had for so many years become accustomed to the darkness that I had in my eyes but all of a sudden the sight was returned to me that I was speechless.

"Welcome back, Melethril," Elrond addressed on behalf of everyone.

"You must pardon me, what happened? Where are the stones?" I asked noticing the taken off weight.

"Where they should be. You have set them free unbinding your ties to them regaining your sight as your know from what you have seen," Galadriel explained.

"Then it is all over," They nodded.

"Why are you here though Arwen?"

"Estel has taken the crown of Gondor. Just as you said that I should still have hope. He is King and I am to be his Queen,"

I looked over to Elrond for assurance and he nodded solemnly.

"Then I have been asleep for a very long time,"

"Your body was greatly weakened by the forces of the stones. It took you many days just to heal your body,"

"I want to see myself,"

Aided by my brothers, I hobbled over to the full length mirror and starred at my own reflection. My hair was longer but instead of its golden gleam there was also a silverfish glow. My eyes were now a lighter shade of green.

"It was the power of the stones," Galadriel said taking a place behind me.

I starred at myself for a moment longer before replying, "Then I have been reborn,"

Author's Note:

Meluivain- name I have chosen for Legolas' mother, means sweet and fair in Sindarin

Tuviluiel- close friend of Melethril in Mirkwood, killed by orcs, means friendly/loving/strength/vigour in Sindarin

I got these two names from www.councilofelrond.com

mell muinthel – dear sister

muinthel- sister

Ada -daddy

Adar -father

Naneth -mother

Sell nin – my daughter

mell nin- my dear

Nin mell gruador- my dear brother