Farothwen had trouble sleeping, the events of the past few days deeply troubling her. Beleglor expected this, and she joined him on his nightly walk immersed in Elvish dream sleep. The way Elves slept sometimes perturbed humans, but Farothwen knew nothing else. Beleglor kept convincing her to try to go to sleep, but she could not. She was always a worrisome and sensitive soul, and tonight was no different. Eventually he sent her to bed with a cup of warm milk, where she found Glorohtar in his dreams, lying down with his hands folded across his chest, his eyes open.

'What disturbs you?' he asked gently, never seeing his wife as agitated as restless as this.

'I do not know. I don't know what it is.' She sat on the bed. 'Do Elves feel as Edain do? Do they feel troubled for what seems to be no reason?'

'Sometimes,' Glorohtar replied, 'but usually not to this extent. Are you worried about Morandir?'

Farothwen nodded. 'A little. But there is just something about him that I… I don't know. I feel as if he is… familiar somehow.'

'Maybe you remember him from when you were a babe. Maybe he had something to do with your abandonment.'

Farothwen shook her head. 'From the sound of the letter, my mother was alone. And Morandir is but four years older than me.'

Glorohtar put his arm around her and kissed her crown. 'Come, try to sleep. We have to rise with the sun if we are to hunt tomorrow.'

'Oh, dear. Do not forget to wake me if I oversleep.'

Glorohtar smiled. 'Of course I won't.'

------------------

Farothwen woke the next day with a start. The sun was shining brightly, high in the clear blue sky. She was late! Why did he not awaken me?

As she got up to put a dress on, she found a note on the bedside table, written in Glorohtar's neat hand. She was now able to read Tengwar characters, albeit a little slowly.

Farothwen,

I'm sorry I did not wake you. I saw you sleeping, your face so peaceful, and I had not the heart to disturb you. You needed the sleep, my love. I promise I will bring you along next time.

All my love,

Glorohtar.

Although she was annoyed, she smiled at his words. He was right; she did need to have a decent amount of sleep. He was always right.

The clattering sound of hooves got her attention. She ran to her window and looked down and grinned. Two black-haired Elves and also a blonde one were dismounting from their horses. Farothwen quickly put a coat over her thin white nightdress and walked down to greet them. The black-haired Elves looked pleased to see her.

Elladan embraced her first. 'How have you been?' he asked. She looked up at him, him being much taller than her. 'Fine,' she replied. There were two very dark circles under her eyes but she looked happy. She had changed a lot in the three weeks he had been away, and he was glad.

Celebrían embraced Elrohir, and asked him how his trip was, while Glorfindel was unpacking the horses. He saw Farothwen out of the corner of his eye and smiled at her.

'Hello, Farothwen,' he said. 'Have we missed anything?'

Farothwen shook her head. 'Not really,' she said. She had no idea of how to put what she had seen in the past few days into words.

'You look tired,' Glorfindel said. 'Go to sleep.'

'Do I really look that awful?'

Glorfindel laughed. 'Yes.'

Farothwen smiled. 'I thought that you were not meant to ask the Elves for counsel, for they will not say yes or no.'

'This Elf does. Go on, go to bed.'

'But it's not even midday.'

'Edain need more sleep than Elves.' Glorfindel turned Farothwen to the direction of the Houses and pushed her gently. 'Go.'

'All right, I am. Good night.'

'Surely you mean good morning?' Glorfindel replied in his clear voice, ringing melodiously like bells.

Farothwen gave him another grin and proceeded back to her room, whereupon she fell back to sleep soon after.

-----------------------------

Arwen was in her father's library, looking up information on some ancient scrolls and pieces of parchment that lay about the place. She cursed those who had used it last and not put them back in their rightful place, probably her brothers or Glorfindel, whose untidiness was legendary among Elves. Both her father and Erestor were far too tidy, and no others were allowed access to her father's personal collection, whereas the main library was open to all.

As she scanned the shelves, she found a book of poems she used to read as a child that she had not seen for years. Arwen sat in a big, soft velvet chair and read, a fire burning cheerily in the fireplace. The weather was getting cooler, not that most Elves felt it, but Arwen did, due to her human blood. She wrapped her dark red mantle around her, which helped, and read, childhood memories flooding back of how her Nana and Ada read to her, Elladan and Elrohir doing so as well. They would refuse to read the romantic poems, instead preferring to read ones of blood and war, scaring Arwen half to death in the process. One of their favourites was the Fall of Gil-galad, which she was reading now. It was beautiful and sad, and she could not believe hearing of him terrified her once. But Mordor always scared her, even more so now. Arwen feared going back and forth between Lothlórien, although almost everyone assured her it was safe. What evil was beyond Imladris' borders, none could tell.

The fire was lulling her to sleep, and she did, in the dream sleep of Elves with the book on her lap, hands folded, eyes open. Anor started to make her slow descent into afternoon and the fire was dwindling. It was peaceful, birdsong in the trees once more.

The urgent sound of a door flying open broke Arwen's dreams. Elenion was standing there.

'Lady Arwen, you must come, quickly!'

Arwen placed the book on the table beside her and followed Elenion to the healing rooms. She thought maybe something had gone wrong with another Dúnadan. Most of them were still recovering, taking advantage of the rest that Lord Elrond had offered them before they were to go back to their encampment. Instead she saw a bunch of Elves standing around nursing cuts, lacerations, bruises, grazes, covered in a mix of red and dark blood. Orc blood.

Arwen was aghast. 'What happened?'

'We were ambushed by Orcs, my lady,' one blonde elf answered.

'Is anyone badly hurt?'

'The Mirkwoodlander is, Lady,' he replied.

Mirkwoodlander? She realised. Glorohtar.

Arwen opened the door to see Glorohtar lying on his side, blood mingled with his golden hair. Glorfindel held him so he would not roll on his back, while Elrond prepared to sew up a wound. Elrond saw the concern on his daughter's face.

'He is fine, Arwen. His horse threw him and he hit his head. He is unconscious but he will wake soon.'

'Where's Farothwen?' Arwen asked.

'She's sleeping,' Glorfindel said. Arwen nodded.

'I will tell her.'

Arwen went to Farothwen and Glorohtar's room, where Farothwen was sleeping. She had pulled the covers over her head, only a peek of dark hair visible. Arwen gently shook the lump.

'Farothwen?'

Farothwen screamed and threw the covers off, frightening Arwen in the process.

'Oh, my lady! I'm sorry, you startled me.' She sat up and wiped the sleep out of her eyes.

'It is quite all right.' Arwen gestured to the bed. 'May I sit?'

'Of course.' Farothwen could tell something was amiss. 'Lady Arwen, what is wrong?'

Arwen sighed. 'Glorohtar has been in an accident.' Farothwen was frozen in fear. 'He is fine,' Arwen continued, 'but he is unconscious and he has a large cut on the back of his head.'

'What happened?'

'The hunters were ambushed by orcs. Glorohtar's horse was spooked and threw him.'

'Is anyone else hurt?'

Arwen shook her head. 'Can I see him?' Farothwen asked.

'Of course. I believe my father will have finished now. Come.'

Farothwen put her coat on over her nightgown and followed Arwen down. Elrond had finished stitching his wound and he was asleep. Glorfindel held the door open for her as she went in, all waiting outside. Glorohtar was still peacefully asleep, blood still in his hair. Farothwen was concerned, but she knew that Elrond would have stopped any bleeding.

She tentatively approached him. 'Glorohtar? Glor?' No response. She took one of his hands, and leant down and kissed his forehead.

'Of all the people who had to fall off his horse, it had to be you, the Elf. I guess you're not so graceful after all.' She stroked his hand. 'Don't ever scare me like me that again.'

Still no response. His eyes were closed, and that scared her. She had never seen any Elf sleep with closed eyes. She let go of his hand to search for a chair to sit on. As soon as she did, she heard an unearthly whisper.

'Fara…'

She turned around. Glorohtar's eyes were slowly opening. She zoomed back to his side and took his hand. He squeezed it slightly.

'Glorohtar,' she whispered. 'How do you feel?'

'My head hurts,' he croaked. 'And my ribs. I may have cracked one.'

'Don't try to get up. Do you need anything?'

'Water.'

Farothwen took a small skin in the room and filled it in a nearby pool and come back. She gently tilted her husband's head up so he would not choke. She found a chair and sat beside him.

'I had a lovely dream, while I was unconscious,' Glorohtar said.

'What was it about?'

'There was a beautiful maiden dancing in the woods, running and skipping through the trees in sunbeams. She wore a pale blue dress, had long dark hair and deep blue eyes, the colour of a clear sky. She looked like an Elf but yet was not so. She wanted me to chase her, follow her back to the light.'

Farothwen smiled. 'Did you follow her?'

'Yes.'

Farothwen kissed his hand. 'I'm glad she led you back to me.'

'So am I.'

But there was one detail Glorohtar omitted in his woozy state, because he was struggling to understand it himself. The maiden had called him Ada.

------------------------

Elladan and Elrohir approached Arwen as she was waiting outside. They had heard what happened and wanted to make sure Glorohtar was all right.

'He's fine,' Arwen said. 'He was lucky that an Orc did not get to him first.' She sighed, looking as if she was troubled by something.

'Arwen?' Elrohir said gently. She looked up at him worriedly.

'It just worries me. That something may befall you both on the road. The danger outside is growing. Evil is growing stronger. The Fences of Lórien are constantly being attacked and even now daernaneth is fighting to keep it hidden. He is coming back.'

Elladan tried to encourage his sister. 'Arwen, we are safe. Someone is almost always with us and we have both ridden and fought long. You need not worry for us.'

'But I do, Elladan. And so does Nana. We do not know what lies outside the borders. Our strength is fading. Our time is over. Some could have died today if they were not skillful. It could easily have been you. Sometimes our foresight cannot predict such things. I could not lose you now.'

Elrohir embraced his sister as tears slowly fell from her eyes. 'Arwen, my sweet sister. Do you not remember the summer we spent in the forests when you were small, and you strayed from us?'

Elladan smiled and stroked his sister's hair. 'We found you sitting on a rock, scared out of your poor little wits. We searched all night for you. Do you remember what we told you?'

'You promised you'd never leave me ever again. I remember,' said Arwen.

Elrohir nodded. 'And we would keep that promise, even if any of us chose a mortal life.'

'Do not speak of such things,' Arwen said. 'That will not come for a while yet, although I would not choose such a life. I could not forsake you, Nana and Ada, or daernaneth and daeradar.'

'Do not choose now,' Elladan said. 'We do not know what will happen between now and then.'

Arwen smiled as she thought of another memory from that summer. 'Did you keep the other promise?'

Elrohir laughed and then whispered in her ear. 'We still haven't told Nana and Ada.'

'They would still be angry, even if we told them now,' she replied.

'Arwen, you need not have fear. We are protected,' Elladan said.

'As long as we are within the borders. What of the wilderness beyond? There is no protection out there. I have a feeling that something terrible will happen to one of you.'

'Arwen,' Elrohir insisted, 'we will be fine. You are worrying needlessly. We will not be separated, I promise. We will be by your side for as long as you still walk this earth.'

Arwen smiled at her brothers, both so fair and alike in face. 'I know. You are right, I am worrying needlessly.'

Elrohir squeezed her hand. 'You know where we are if you need us. We're going to practice. See you at dinner.'

'I'll see you.'

As both of them walked off, Arwen looked out over the valley Imladris was nestled in, away to the mountains and woods on the distant horizon. She blinked, and suddenly the valley floor was a golden sea before her, the sun slowly setting in an orange sky. The mountain walls became sea cliffs, the songbirds white gulls. Instead of standing on a stone floor, she was standing on a wooden pier. She was in Mithlond, a place she had visited a few times before. But no one was there, except her.

A white ship sat in port. She recognised it as Círdan's work, but she saw only two dark haired Elves on board. She could not see their faces. The wind suddenly blew, catching Arwen's black dress. Her sleeve bore a curious insignia – a silver tree with seven stars overhead. She looked up to see the ship pulling out of port. She could now see the Elves clearly. They were her brothers.

She ran to the end of the pier, crying 'No!' but it was too late. They were sailing away, without her. Forever separated beyond the circles of the world. The sun sank below the horizon just as they did, and her whole world became dark. She was utterly alone.

--------------------------

Arwen was quiet during dinner. She was unable to get the image of her brothers' faces, both heartbroken, as they were sailing away out of her head. Celebrían knew she was troubled but she would ask her later.

Elrond was troubled as well. Orcs were coming nearer and nearer to Imladris. Their numbers were few, so far, but they may become greater. It was getting dangerous to go outside of Elrond's sight, beyond his area of protection. The remaining Dúnedain had only left that morning, and if Elrond did not know how capable they were, he would fear for them. For now, the hunters would be forced to remain within the borders. There were plenty of rabbits and birds, but few of the bigger animals like deer and wild boar. They would have to make do until the Orcs moved on. Winter was coming soon; the Orcs would soon have to go back into their caves in the mountains and would trouble the Elves no more. At least, he hoped that was how it would work.

Glorfindel, however, was in good spirits. It was nearly time for the Autumn Festival, where they would feast and celebrate the middle of the season. He was in charge of organising, as usual. He organised the Autumn festival, Elladan and Elrohir did the same for Winter, Arwen for Spring, and Elrond and Celebrían for Summer, the biggest one by far. The reason for the festivals was long forgotten, but everyone enjoyed it nonetheless. Glorfindel loved Autumn festival, for it was the time that, according to legend, the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds was at its weakest. Some say that the spirits of long-dead Elves who are waiting to be reborn walk the earth unhappily for a short time, grieving the loss of their precious Middle-earth. Some even go so far to say that the spirits of Men also walk, and many battles are fought on the night of the Equinox. An elf-child many years ago claimed to have even seen Beren and Lúthien in the forests.

Glorfindel delighted telling elf-children gruesome stories of how Elves met terrible deaths and how their spirits are trapped upon the earth, seeking retribution. Elrond loved to hear him tell these stories, although he never said it to Celebrían: Glorfindel had frightened her children half to death on many occasions pretending to be a vengeful spirit. As there were no elf-children anymore and everyone knew that the stories were not true, Glorfindel instead liked to play practical jokes that sometimes backfired horribly. But Glorfindel was looking forward to this year immensely, as there were new people to scare. This was an Imladris-only tradition, so Glorohtar and Farothwen knew nothing of the nature of the Autumn festival. Glorfindel had recruited Elladan and Elrohir to help him this year to make this the best Autumn feast ever. Celebrían could practically see cogs turning in his head as he thought of genius ways to scare people.

'Please, don't frighten everyone, Glorfindel,' she said.

'But, my lady, how many years has it been since we have had new people here? We must teach them the legend of the Autumn Equinox!'

'Gently, please? I don't want to give them nightmares.'

'Yes, my lady.' Glorfindel smiled, but even so he did not heed Celebrían's words. He was determined to frighten as many people as possible. The Equinox was in a week, so he had plenty of time to prepare. Elenion was in on the act as well, so Glorfindel had quite an arsenal behind him.

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Arwen had gone back to the library to finish the book she was reading before Elenion had come. The vision she saw haunted her. What little foresight she had was deadly accurate. She still did not tell her father of her vision of Elrohir struggling through the snow carrying what seemed to be a dead maiden in his arms she had some while ago. That maiden, of course, was Farothwen. She only hoped that she was wrong about what she saw.

But what if she was right? What would cause everyone to leave without her? Where were Nana and Ada? Had they left me before Elladan and Elrohir? What did I do? Why would I choose a mortal life? So many questions without answers. Arwen could not concentrate on her book. She sighed and placed it back on the table as tears started to fall from her eyes. She could not help but cry, the thought of her separated from her family forever terrifying her. There was a knock on the door.

'Arwen?' It was Celebrían. Arwen quickly wiped her tears away and tried to appear normal.

'Yes, Nana?'

Celebrían opened the door to see Arwen sitting in the large red chair, reading a book. She could see, no matter how well she tried to hide it, that her daughter had been crying. Celebrían pulled up a chair next to Arwen.

'You were quiet at dinner. What is wrong?'

'Nothing,' Arwen replied. Celebrían knew better.

'Arwen, what is troubling you?'

Arwen sighed. 'A vision.'

'What did you see?'

'Elladan and Elrohir… they left me. They sailed without me.'

Celebrían stroked her daughter's face. 'Your brothers love you, they would never leave you.'

'But Nana… has your foresight ever lead you astray?'

Celebrían nodded. 'Yes, many times. So it has for your grandmother as well, wise as she is. Even the wisest cannot see what will come to pass, not even your father. Do not worry. Sometimes our foresight shows us what can come to pass, but not will. You have a choice to make, my daughter, a choice that cannot be made lightly, although not for many lives of Men yet. What you saw is but one path that you may take. None can be certain. Do not let it trouble you. Mayhap your fate lies elsewhere.'

Arwen nodded thoughtfully. 'You are right, Nana, as always. None can say where our lives will lead us. Sometimes foresight is both a gift and a curse.'

'Too true. But the Evenstar will shine brightly for many years yet.' Celebrían rose and kissed her daughter's brow. 'Good night, my dearest. Do not stay up too late, you need your rest.'

Arwen smiled. 'Good night, Nana.'

Celebrían quietly left the room and sighed. She hoped that Arwen was wrong, at least for her own sake.

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A/N: Hi guys! If you're still reading, thanks :P We're sort of drawing towards the end. There is a lot more I wanted to say but I do want to finish this and those of who you have been keeping track of the dates will notice that Celebrían's departure is looming. But the next chapter will be nice and light hearted, and hopefully funny. I hope you like both this one and the ones to come!