They had traveled for a week, and had had a simple and easy journey.
Arwen had enlightened the entourage with tales of the elves and their
cities; Eldarion had amused them with demanding questions and spontaneous
actions. Eowyn, however, had spent the journey recollecting her life before
Arwen daughter of Elrond had wed Aragorn, King of Gondor, and before
Aragorn had been made King, and as they approached Imladris, envy gnawed at
her every thought. The night before they set eyes on Rivendell, Eowyn had
not gotten any sleep. Instead, she had spent it tossing and turning and
clutching her arm, which had never fully healed since she had defeated the
Witchking...
It was a melancholy and murky day when the weary travelers approached Rivendell. The sun hid behind gray clouds, and the deserted city shone white in the eerie light. It was overwhelmingly cold; numb hands grasped the horses' bridles as the entourage approached their destination.
Eowyn tugged on her horses' reins, forcing her to the right. The mare was beautiful; named Luthien, for the elf, and one of the king's noblest and finest steeds. Luthien was descended from the finest elven horses, and had received the finest training from the Rohirrim. The horse was a somber and quiet, nothing like the spirited stallion Eowyn had ridden faithfully since the Battle of the Pelennor, but the King had insisted, and she was no one to deny the King's wishes. She bit her lip as a familiar thought rushed through her head. She was always held back, always denied...
"Eowyn?"
Arwen's kindly voice urged her from her thoughts, and Eowyn looked to her left. Arwen was smiling, despite the cold.
"Yes, Lady?" She responded, attempting a smile through chapped lips.
"You look preoccupied. Does something trouble you?"
"No, I assure you, I am content," Eowyn replied quickly, and nudged Luthien forward. Resentment washed over her: Arwen, the beautiful elven queen, who they said was the fairest Middle Earth had ever seen, and with an unwavering good heart and good will. And it was she who had married Aragorn. She shook herself mentally, reminding herself that she was married to a good man who loved her and had a child worth ten million Aragorns.
But still she was troubled, and as the entourage moved onwards, she felt a raw pang at her throat. She suddenly felt very, very cold. She looked over her shoulder, where Eldarion rode with his nurse, covered in warm woolen blankets, looking down into the valley with wide, amazed eyes. Somehow, this brought Eowyn comfort: seeing the boy, her child's best friend, reinforced that she did, in fact, have much to be thankful for.
They now approached the bridge. It was intact, and showed no sign of age or decay. Eowyn was hesitant to cross it, but Arwen leaned forward eagerly. "This is Imladris, or Rivendell as it is known to your kin," she spoke with a voice that sounded centuries old, an air of knowledge and the will to pass the knowledge on to the ignorant. "Down there," the Queen continued, gesturing down to the river below. "That is where the power of the elves was gathered to keep the Nine from Frodo when he was in mortal peril." Her gaze moved upwards to a building. "The Council of Elrond was held there." She paused, and surveyed the city again. "It is barren," she whispered. "My people have gone."
Eowyn felt a stab of pity, but it was vanquished as Arwen reared her horse and turned to face the party. "Elanor, I want Eldarion in front of me," she reached out towards him, and Elanor handed the boy to the Queen. Arwen placed the boy in front of her with care, and reached for the reins. Smiling, she urged the horse forward and it galloped across the bridge. Eowyn nudged Luthien onto the bridge, walking deliberately and slowly. She emerged under the shadow of dead, skeletal trees and empty buildings.
"Is this your home, Mother?" Eldarion asked in wonder.
"It was," Arwen replied quietly. Eowyn heard the sudden sorrow in Arwen's voice, and pity flooded back. She lightly tapped Luthien's sides and halted next to Arwen, and looked sideways towards her.
"It's beautiful, Lady."
"Yes, it is," Arwen replied. "It is...unsettling to see Imladris in this state. It...pains me. It was so warm and happy when I lived here...and now it is forsaken. My people are gone, and with it, their cities."
"Has the same happened to Lothlorien?"
"I almost fear going back to the land of my mother's kin, seeing the state of Imladris," Arwen replied.
Eowyn could not think of a suitable reply. Silently, she gazed at the pathway, layered with dead gray leaves, and the dead white trees, and the glowing buildings, long abandoned.
"When I was here, the leaves fell, and everywhere there was a cool, knowing autumn...now, it seems, the place has fallen under winter's spell."
"I am sorry."
"I cannot tell whether or not it was a mistake to come," Arwen's horse trotted forward slowly. And she snapped. The horse galloped forward over the pathway as it ascended towards the top of the city. Confused for only a second, Eowyn regained her composure and urged Luthien forwards. Passing building after building, ghosts of the past echoed misery. She reached a courtyard where Arwen dismounted, pulling off her cloak, and placing Eldarion at her feet, looking around the courtyard with a grim, set face.
"Eowyn..." she whispered as Eowyn reared her horse beside the Queen. "Will you take Eldarion? I need a few moments to myself."
Eowyn received the boy from Arwen and placed him in front of her. He kicked in protest, and Eówyn reprimanded him. Pouting, Eldarion crossed his arms and consented.
Eowyn pulled the horse's reins back and Luthien backed up, and turned left as Eowyn rejoined the group.
"Let her have peace. The Queen suffers from memories," she said quietly. "Stand guard 'round her, however. We know not what dwells here."
"I want my mother," Eldarion muttered beneath his many blankets.
"Shh," Eowyn replied under her breath. "She needs a moment's rest. Meanwhile, how would you like to see some of your heritage?"
Eldarion nodded resentfully. Eowyn kissed him on the cheek affectionately.
"Where are you going?" Asked one of the men as Eowyn turned Luthien towards one of the smaller pathways.
"I am going to explore," Eowyn replied tartly, and sent Luthien down the path, Eldarion in her arms.
* * *
All my reviewers: Thank you for the reviews. It encouraged me to keep on going, knowing my work is appreciated!!! Thanks so much...tell me what you think of this one!
It was a melancholy and murky day when the weary travelers approached Rivendell. The sun hid behind gray clouds, and the deserted city shone white in the eerie light. It was overwhelmingly cold; numb hands grasped the horses' bridles as the entourage approached their destination.
Eowyn tugged on her horses' reins, forcing her to the right. The mare was beautiful; named Luthien, for the elf, and one of the king's noblest and finest steeds. Luthien was descended from the finest elven horses, and had received the finest training from the Rohirrim. The horse was a somber and quiet, nothing like the spirited stallion Eowyn had ridden faithfully since the Battle of the Pelennor, but the King had insisted, and she was no one to deny the King's wishes. She bit her lip as a familiar thought rushed through her head. She was always held back, always denied...
"Eowyn?"
Arwen's kindly voice urged her from her thoughts, and Eowyn looked to her left. Arwen was smiling, despite the cold.
"Yes, Lady?" She responded, attempting a smile through chapped lips.
"You look preoccupied. Does something trouble you?"
"No, I assure you, I am content," Eowyn replied quickly, and nudged Luthien forward. Resentment washed over her: Arwen, the beautiful elven queen, who they said was the fairest Middle Earth had ever seen, and with an unwavering good heart and good will. And it was she who had married Aragorn. She shook herself mentally, reminding herself that she was married to a good man who loved her and had a child worth ten million Aragorns.
But still she was troubled, and as the entourage moved onwards, she felt a raw pang at her throat. She suddenly felt very, very cold. She looked over her shoulder, where Eldarion rode with his nurse, covered in warm woolen blankets, looking down into the valley with wide, amazed eyes. Somehow, this brought Eowyn comfort: seeing the boy, her child's best friend, reinforced that she did, in fact, have much to be thankful for.
They now approached the bridge. It was intact, and showed no sign of age or decay. Eowyn was hesitant to cross it, but Arwen leaned forward eagerly. "This is Imladris, or Rivendell as it is known to your kin," she spoke with a voice that sounded centuries old, an air of knowledge and the will to pass the knowledge on to the ignorant. "Down there," the Queen continued, gesturing down to the river below. "That is where the power of the elves was gathered to keep the Nine from Frodo when he was in mortal peril." Her gaze moved upwards to a building. "The Council of Elrond was held there." She paused, and surveyed the city again. "It is barren," she whispered. "My people have gone."
Eowyn felt a stab of pity, but it was vanquished as Arwen reared her horse and turned to face the party. "Elanor, I want Eldarion in front of me," she reached out towards him, and Elanor handed the boy to the Queen. Arwen placed the boy in front of her with care, and reached for the reins. Smiling, she urged the horse forward and it galloped across the bridge. Eowyn nudged Luthien onto the bridge, walking deliberately and slowly. She emerged under the shadow of dead, skeletal trees and empty buildings.
"Is this your home, Mother?" Eldarion asked in wonder.
"It was," Arwen replied quietly. Eowyn heard the sudden sorrow in Arwen's voice, and pity flooded back. She lightly tapped Luthien's sides and halted next to Arwen, and looked sideways towards her.
"It's beautiful, Lady."
"Yes, it is," Arwen replied. "It is...unsettling to see Imladris in this state. It...pains me. It was so warm and happy when I lived here...and now it is forsaken. My people are gone, and with it, their cities."
"Has the same happened to Lothlorien?"
"I almost fear going back to the land of my mother's kin, seeing the state of Imladris," Arwen replied.
Eowyn could not think of a suitable reply. Silently, she gazed at the pathway, layered with dead gray leaves, and the dead white trees, and the glowing buildings, long abandoned.
"When I was here, the leaves fell, and everywhere there was a cool, knowing autumn...now, it seems, the place has fallen under winter's spell."
"I am sorry."
"I cannot tell whether or not it was a mistake to come," Arwen's horse trotted forward slowly. And she snapped. The horse galloped forward over the pathway as it ascended towards the top of the city. Confused for only a second, Eowyn regained her composure and urged Luthien forwards. Passing building after building, ghosts of the past echoed misery. She reached a courtyard where Arwen dismounted, pulling off her cloak, and placing Eldarion at her feet, looking around the courtyard with a grim, set face.
"Eowyn..." she whispered as Eowyn reared her horse beside the Queen. "Will you take Eldarion? I need a few moments to myself."
Eowyn received the boy from Arwen and placed him in front of her. He kicked in protest, and Eówyn reprimanded him. Pouting, Eldarion crossed his arms and consented.
Eowyn pulled the horse's reins back and Luthien backed up, and turned left as Eowyn rejoined the group.
"Let her have peace. The Queen suffers from memories," she said quietly. "Stand guard 'round her, however. We know not what dwells here."
"I want my mother," Eldarion muttered beneath his many blankets.
"Shh," Eowyn replied under her breath. "She needs a moment's rest. Meanwhile, how would you like to see some of your heritage?"
Eldarion nodded resentfully. Eowyn kissed him on the cheek affectionately.
"Where are you going?" Asked one of the men as Eowyn turned Luthien towards one of the smaller pathways.
"I am going to explore," Eowyn replied tartly, and sent Luthien down the path, Eldarion in her arms.
* * *
All my reviewers: Thank you for the reviews. It encouraged me to keep on going, knowing my work is appreciated!!! Thanks so much...tell me what you think of this one!