Chapter 22
Just over six months had passed since she went missing, the pain was still as fresh as the moment they realised she was gone. But it seemed to Legolas that no one understood that. All his father's subjects were over it now, even Thranduil had accepted that she wasn't coming back. But Legolas could still remember her touch, her scent (E/N: Shut up, Freja!), her manner as though it were only yesterday. People all around kept trying to convince him to give up, and he was beginning to fear that they were having an effect.
"After this long, she must be dead."
"She would have contacted someone."
"Someone would have seen her by now."
"You should stop clinging onto the past and start looking at your future." These were all excuses people had used to try and make him accept. But she couldn't. He was still in regular contact with the sisters, who all refused to stop trying. "What have we got if we haven't got hope?" Rath had once said to him. Although when he repeated this to anyone who spoke to him of it, they all told him he had too much hope. He was very relieved when Rath came to Mirkwood. She was the only person he could properly talk to.
"How are you faring?" she asked him.
"Well enough," he replied. "But everyone around her is being so careful not to mention her, should I burst into tears. They also think I am being too optimistic, they I should give up. 'The waiting will drive you mad' my father keeps telling me."
"You mustn't listen. You know in your heart that she still lives."
"But that's the point, Rath. I don't know what's in my heart anymore."
"You've stopped going out, haven't you?" Legolas nodded his head feebly. For the first couple of months, Legolas had ridden out every single day looking for her, dawn till dusk. But gradually it had become once a week, then a few times a month and, before he knew it, he found himself merely waiting for her. Rath placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You may have given up, but I have not."
"I haven't given up, there just isn't any more places for me to search."
"There's no point in lying to me, Legolas." He sighed exasperatedly.
"Alright, so I have given up. I don't want to believe she doesn't love me, therefore she must be dead! We all have to move on with our lives now. It is folly to cling onto dreams, for they are only that.' Rath looked at his face and suddenly realised how ashen and pale he was compared to the last time they had met. 'For Eru's sake, Silva, look what you're doing to him!' she cursed, silently.
"It is your decision," she said after a few minutes. "I do not agree with you, however, I do pity you. Please forgive me now, but I haven't time to waste. My sister remains to be found. You know you can contact me or the others if ever you change your mind. Send my greetings to your father, good day." She turned on her heel and marched off down the corridor towards the stables.
Legolas watched after her despairingly. He had finally admitted it. All hope was gone. His family and friends' biting words had eaten their way to his heart. No, it was not them. He had known all along, they had simply helped him understand. All hope was gone.
*****
~* 7 months after disappearance *~
"We are alone now, sisters," said Rath gravely. "Legolas has given in to those surrounding him. He believes she is dead."
"I knew one of us should have stayed with him," said Arian. "When she returns, as we know she will, her welcome will not be a warm one, least not from him."
"Perhaps someone else should try talking to him," suggested Riel.
"The only person he would listen to would be Silva," said Nilia, "and we can't seem to find her. There's no point in bothering with him anymore. He knows where we are if he changes his mind. It's down to us now."
"Wasn't it always?" said Rath. "I'd better be going again now. Having us all sit here talking won't do anything. I'll see you all soon."
"Be careful..." started Arian.
"... and let you know if I find anything," finished Rath with a laugh. "Yes, I know, Arian. Don't worry. I know the procedure." Arian blushed slightly.
"I just worry," she said. "I don't want to lose you too."
"None of us do," said Riel, speaking on behalf of them all.
"Oh, come on, give me some credit. Look, I'll be fine. I'll see you soon."
*****
"My Lady, there is someone here to see you, Lyncorath the Wanderer," said an attendant.
"Very well, show her in," said the Lady of the Golden Wood. Not long after, Rath entered the talan.
"Good even, Lady Galadriel," she said with a courteous nod.
"Good evening, Lyncorath. What can I do for you this fair evening?"
"The same as ever, I'm afraid. We've still heard nothing from her. I was wondering if you'd heard or seen anything since my last visit. Or perhaps one of your sentinels. We all know how much she loved this forest, however much she disliked the people in it."
"There has been nothing. I'm sorry." Rath sighed.
"If I just knew where she was, I wouldn't mind. But for all I know, she could lying in a ditch, screaming in pain."
"I think you know she is well, if you search yourself deep enough."
"I know she still lives, but I don't know that she is well."
"You and Silvawen are a lot closer than either of you would ever care to admit. You would know."
"I don't understand why she just left without a word to anyone."
"There are some things, perhaps, we will never know the answer to." Rath smiled grimly.
"Well, I shall take up no more of your time. And if you do hear of or see anything, please contact my sisters. We all wish to know how she is, so desperately."
"I will." With an awkward curtsey/bow thing (Rath wasn't sure which to do since she was a woman but she was wearing trousers) she left the talan. She was replaced shortly afterwards by the attendant, bearing another message for his mistress.
"My Lady, your granddaughter requires your presence immediately," he said. "She said to say 'the time has come'. She said you would know where to find her."
"Thank you. I shall go to her now."
Just over six months had passed since she went missing, the pain was still as fresh as the moment they realised she was gone. But it seemed to Legolas that no one understood that. All his father's subjects were over it now, even Thranduil had accepted that she wasn't coming back. But Legolas could still remember her touch, her scent (E/N: Shut up, Freja!), her manner as though it were only yesterday. People all around kept trying to convince him to give up, and he was beginning to fear that they were having an effect.
"After this long, she must be dead."
"She would have contacted someone."
"Someone would have seen her by now."
"You should stop clinging onto the past and start looking at your future." These were all excuses people had used to try and make him accept. But she couldn't. He was still in regular contact with the sisters, who all refused to stop trying. "What have we got if we haven't got hope?" Rath had once said to him. Although when he repeated this to anyone who spoke to him of it, they all told him he had too much hope. He was very relieved when Rath came to Mirkwood. She was the only person he could properly talk to.
"How are you faring?" she asked him.
"Well enough," he replied. "But everyone around her is being so careful not to mention her, should I burst into tears. They also think I am being too optimistic, they I should give up. 'The waiting will drive you mad' my father keeps telling me."
"You mustn't listen. You know in your heart that she still lives."
"But that's the point, Rath. I don't know what's in my heart anymore."
"You've stopped going out, haven't you?" Legolas nodded his head feebly. For the first couple of months, Legolas had ridden out every single day looking for her, dawn till dusk. But gradually it had become once a week, then a few times a month and, before he knew it, he found himself merely waiting for her. Rath placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You may have given up, but I have not."
"I haven't given up, there just isn't any more places for me to search."
"There's no point in lying to me, Legolas." He sighed exasperatedly.
"Alright, so I have given up. I don't want to believe she doesn't love me, therefore she must be dead! We all have to move on with our lives now. It is folly to cling onto dreams, for they are only that.' Rath looked at his face and suddenly realised how ashen and pale he was compared to the last time they had met. 'For Eru's sake, Silva, look what you're doing to him!' she cursed, silently.
"It is your decision," she said after a few minutes. "I do not agree with you, however, I do pity you. Please forgive me now, but I haven't time to waste. My sister remains to be found. You know you can contact me or the others if ever you change your mind. Send my greetings to your father, good day." She turned on her heel and marched off down the corridor towards the stables.
Legolas watched after her despairingly. He had finally admitted it. All hope was gone. His family and friends' biting words had eaten their way to his heart. No, it was not them. He had known all along, they had simply helped him understand. All hope was gone.
*****
~* 7 months after disappearance *~
"We are alone now, sisters," said Rath gravely. "Legolas has given in to those surrounding him. He believes she is dead."
"I knew one of us should have stayed with him," said Arian. "When she returns, as we know she will, her welcome will not be a warm one, least not from him."
"Perhaps someone else should try talking to him," suggested Riel.
"The only person he would listen to would be Silva," said Nilia, "and we can't seem to find her. There's no point in bothering with him anymore. He knows where we are if he changes his mind. It's down to us now."
"Wasn't it always?" said Rath. "I'd better be going again now. Having us all sit here talking won't do anything. I'll see you all soon."
"Be careful..." started Arian.
"... and let you know if I find anything," finished Rath with a laugh. "Yes, I know, Arian. Don't worry. I know the procedure." Arian blushed slightly.
"I just worry," she said. "I don't want to lose you too."
"None of us do," said Riel, speaking on behalf of them all.
"Oh, come on, give me some credit. Look, I'll be fine. I'll see you soon."
*****
"My Lady, there is someone here to see you, Lyncorath the Wanderer," said an attendant.
"Very well, show her in," said the Lady of the Golden Wood. Not long after, Rath entered the talan.
"Good even, Lady Galadriel," she said with a courteous nod.
"Good evening, Lyncorath. What can I do for you this fair evening?"
"The same as ever, I'm afraid. We've still heard nothing from her. I was wondering if you'd heard or seen anything since my last visit. Or perhaps one of your sentinels. We all know how much she loved this forest, however much she disliked the people in it."
"There has been nothing. I'm sorry." Rath sighed.
"If I just knew where she was, I wouldn't mind. But for all I know, she could lying in a ditch, screaming in pain."
"I think you know she is well, if you search yourself deep enough."
"I know she still lives, but I don't know that she is well."
"You and Silvawen are a lot closer than either of you would ever care to admit. You would know."
"I don't understand why she just left without a word to anyone."
"There are some things, perhaps, we will never know the answer to." Rath smiled grimly.
"Well, I shall take up no more of your time. And if you do hear of or see anything, please contact my sisters. We all wish to know how she is, so desperately."
"I will." With an awkward curtsey/bow thing (Rath wasn't sure which to do since she was a woman but she was wearing trousers) she left the talan. She was replaced shortly afterwards by the attendant, bearing another message for his mistress.
"My Lady, your granddaughter requires your presence immediately," he said. "She said to say 'the time has come'. She said you would know where to find her."
"Thank you. I shall go to her now."