Chapter Eleven: One Journey ends, another begins
Disclaimer: Read the rest.
Three days had passed when I finally met Eomer now King of Rohan face to face. He and Gimli exchanged respectable words over the fairest elven maiden in Middle Earth. Thankfully I was not part of that conversation.
"You are most welcome in Rohan my lady," he said when we were dining in the Great Hall.
"My thanks Horse Lord. Congratulations on your sister's engagement," I replied.
"I was heartbroken when I believed her to be dead," he confessed.
"Now I think your heart has jumped a mile hearing your sister's betrothal," I said.
"Well who wouldn't? Besides I gave him fair warning," he said.
"Do not fear. Faramir has elven blood he will treat her well," I assured.
"Where will you go now?" he asked feeling at ease now.
"I will attend you uncle's funeral and then I will journey back to the Golden Woods," I said.
"I have seen your kin; fair and tall they are. The hour is late, I bid you a good night," he said.
Somehow I sensed that Legolas was behind me when Eomer spoke those words.
"And you my lord," I inclined my head as he departed. I got up from my seat and made my way out of the hall into the open sky. I knew Legolas was following me but I didn't acknowledge him nor speak to him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as I finally turned around to face him.
"Because I did not promise Gimli to see Fangorn Forest and the Glittering Caves," I pointed out.
"You can come with us," he insisted.
"No, I cannot. This adventure is between you and Gimli, meleth-nin. Besides I have not fully recovered, Lorien will heal me quickly," I assured.
"And what will happen to us when my trip with Gimli is over and you are in Lorien? What will become of us?" he asked.
"I said one day I would journey to Mirkwood again. A time and place and we can both make our way there," I said cupping his face in my hands.
"I cannot bear the thought of our separation again. Let us bind ourselves to each other," he said gripping his hands onto mine.
"We have bound ourselves, in case you have forgotten in Lorien during the festival of truile," I said.
"Yes but we took off our rings before the day you left for battle," he pointed out.
"You mean to ask me to marry you Legolas?" I asked feeling anticipation of the outcome.
"Yes, if you will have me," he said looking deeply into my eyes.
"Aye, I will," I said smiling.
He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out two silver rings.
"You had them with you all this time?" I asked reaching out to touch the rings.
"I couldn't just leave them at home sitting on a table somewhere. Besides these were your parent's rings that they gave to each other," he said.
"After the funeral I will journey to Lorien and you with Gimli and in a year's time we shall meet in Mirkwood," I promised.
"Then let us seal this," he said slipping the ring on my left hand and I did the same. We clasped hands and kissed under the moonlight.
"I wonder what the others will think," I said as we parted.
"Who says they will know?"
Oh they found out anyways. Even without intentionally hiding our rings, we acted as if everything was normal but when Niphredil saw the ring she knew what it meant as she was a witness to the ceremony in Lorien. She shrieked out my betrothal and then ran to tell Rumil who told Orophin who then confronted Legolas awhile he was with Gimli and Aragorn. Of course Aragorn would tell Arwen who naturally told her family. Pretty soon all of Minas Tirth knew about it! Well so much for peace. The departure came at last and we all journeyed to the Golden Hall of Meduseld where Theoden was buried next to his son. Afterwards a funeral feast was held where Eomer announced his sister's engagement. At last, it was time to depart and many partings were in store. I bade farewell to Eomer and Eowyn as well as Faramir and his uncle Prince of Dol Amroth. I assured them all that I would visit Rohan and Gondor one day. The parting of Arwen and Elrond was the saddest for me. I had been with Arwen when her mother Celebrian departed to the Undying Lands when she was still a little girl. They remained for a long time up in the hills and finally they came back down and I said my goodbyes to her.
"Life is a two-sided blade or so I have learned," I said embracing her.
"You shall come and visit," she asked.
"Oh yes. I am expecting to have see many children running around the palace," I suggested to her. I saw her crack a half smile.
"And I am expecting you and Legolas to be married soon," she emphasized.
"Don't fret so much about the future Arwen. You still have many years to enjoy together," I assured her.
"Then I shall say farewell to you for now,' she said.
"Namarrie muinthel,"
We set out to Helm's Deep and rested there for two days. I visited Haldir's grave and planted the elanor flowers of his wreath around his grave. When Gimli and Legolas came back from their trip to the Glittering Caves, he and I decided to say our goodbyes there.
"I hold you to be in Mirkwood in a year's time my love," he said.
"And will you bring Gimli with you to see the woods?" I asked.
"Perhaps. I shall miss you so," he hugged me tightly in his arms.
"So will I," I said pushing back from his embrace slightly. We kissed our goodbyes and joined the rest of the party. We headed to Isenguard where Treebeard had taken up residence. Here was a sad departure from Aragorn and the rest of the fellowship. I journeyed back to Lorien once again, but I was still astounded by its beauty entering the great mellyrn trees and rows of elanor flowers. I settled well into my life in Lorien: riding Faerinelin every morning, reading in the library, cleaning, cooking, and sewing. But I would never again pick up a weapon. I was sorting through my trunks filled with many memories when I came upon my father's bows and arrows. I picked up the bow tracing the leaf patterns along the wooden arch. I placed it down on the soft fabric to see that my sword and blades were also neatly tucked in as well as my armour. I opened another trunk and found books of ancient lore, maps, sketchbooks and my journals. I absently flipped through one, finding a mark in a page with a pressed elanor blossom. There was only one person I could think of and I quickly left my room.
Standing in Haldir's flet, I could still feel him around everything. It was organized methodically and neatly. His clothes were all hanged up in the closet, his shoes lined up and his weapons. We had left Haldir in his armour when we buried him but Orophin kept the weapons for sentimental value. They all lay next to each other on the table: his sword, blades and bow and arrows.
"You should have them. He would want you to have them," Orophin said standing at the door.
"And what can I do with them? Keep them safe for me and perhaps one day I will ask for them again," I said handing them to Orophin bundling them up in a velvet cloth.
During my stay in Lorien, I visited Rivendell often keeping the spirits of the twins and their father up. During one of our nights out walking in the gardens, Elrond began to relive memories of his wife and his children.
"I use to remember watching Celebrian and Arwen sitting under the trees braiding flowers together," he reminisced.
"And she will do the same with her daughters," I said.
"Yes daughters she shall have plenty," he said solemnly.
"You have foreseen this then why did you deny her happiness?" I asked.
"Either choice she made, she would have lost something," he stated.
"And what would have happened if she sailed to the Undying Lands? She may have her family with her but gradually she will diminished until she dies of heartache," I pointed out.
"And she will die here as well," he said sharply.
"But at least she lived a life full of love and watched her children grow. Here this is for you, a reminder in case you forget," I said.
I handed him a roll of parchment bound by a blue ribbon. I watched eagerly as he untied the knot and unrolled the paper. It was a portrait of Arwen that I had recently drawn in Lorien. I had found myself sketching things and people again as I had given that up after the death of Tuviluiel.
"You seen to capture all the detail. Thank you Melethril," he thanked.
"The year is almost over. Do I have your blessing for our engagement," I asked.
"You most certainly do. Are you eager to see Mirkwood?" he asked.
"Yes Galadriel says that the shadows have been lifted off the land,"
"You are welcomed in Rivendell. I will leave the care taking of this sanctuary in the hands of the twins," he said.
"So they have chosen to remain here," I replied.
"I grow weary of this land now that Arwen has forsaken her immortality," he stated.
"I shall visit her as much as possible, uncle," I promised.
"Yes she would like that very much," he said patting my hand.
I rode silently through the tress aware that hidden within the canopies of leaves that dozens of eyes were watching me. My escort rode close to my side having strict orders from my brothers not to let me out of his sight until I was delivered to Thraunduil himself. I halted my horse when I thought I saw a face I recognized. I could have almost mistaken him for Legolas. Faeron was Legolas' elder brother, prince and heir to Greenwood. They both had the same colouring but he had his father's face features. Last time I had seen him he and Luthien were betrothed to one another. I nudged Faerinelin so that our horses were opposite each other.
"It has been too long," he said leaning over to touch my cheek to assure that I was real.
"Yes, it has," I replied touching his cheek back.
"Come we shall not linger here any longer," he said leading me to the heart of the woods. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the trees they radiated such light now. I could hear the distant flow of water and birds chirping. We reached the stables and I settled Faerinelin in his proper home. Faeron introduced me to everyone who passed.
"May I embrace you near-sister?" he asked. He was an inch or two taller than his brother.
"Let me look at you properly. Where is Luthien?" I asked drawing back from our embrace.
"She is attending to some patients. We are married you know," he said.
"It is what I expected,"
"Come we shouldn't keep father waiting any longer and your escort looks uneasy," he noted.
"Only by the instructions of my brothers," I said as he led me through the halls.
"Well I'll wait outside, you go in," he said.
I entered the slightly darkened room. I saw a figure sitting near an open window with a pile of papers stacked on the desk. I approached slowly towards the desk until I was standing right in front of him. He looked up startled. I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't expect me to be there or because of my appearance. He rose up and enveloped me into his arms.
"You have away too long," he announced.
"I have been getting that a lot," I replied.
"Let me see you," he said parting away from me to run his eyes across me.
"Have you heard from Legolas?" I asked anxiously.
"He will be here within a fortnight. It seems he will be bringing his dwarf companion," he said.
"Well that should prove to be interesting," I stated smiling mischievously at him.
I think he chose to ignore that comment instead leading me out to his balcony that pretty much looked over the whole entire city. I gaze at the sight drinking in all the detail.
"Welcome to Greenwood," he said.
My journey had come to an end.
Author's Note:
If you are quite sure about some of the relationships or things that I have mentioned, don't worry hopefully I will explain in greater detail in later chapters.
Luthien- means enchantress in Sindarin. She has great healing skills which is why I choose this name meaning.
Faeron- means spirit in Sindarin.
Namarrie muinthel- farewell sister
meleth-nin- my love