Chapter Fifteen: Escape
She spent the day in her room, alternating between weeping into her pillow and sleeping. Elrohir spent half the day trying to calm her down but nothing would. She wouldn't eat anything he brought her, and wouldn't even speak to him. He finally left after she fell asleep, thinking it best that she let out her grief alone.
Just after nightfall, she woke and lay in her bed for a long time staring up at the stars. She thought of Frodo and Lindir, and how they had been sent into danger while she had been forced to stay and wait to see if they'd come back to her.
'They all think I'm a child just because I'm smaller than them.' She looked to her ring that Gimli had given her and the violet gem sparkled in the dim light of the moon. 'The dwarves didn't think I was a child. They understood me. Ferar would have let me go.' She sighed heavily and got up to look out her window. 'I have to do something!' she thought, 'I want to help and I'm stuck here! When will they let me grow up? They don't understand me...' She paused in her thoughts as she noticed that the guard was not at the gate.
'Maybe...'
'No, they'd catch you right away.'
'But they're not there...'
'You'd get in big trouble, they'd never trust you again.'
'If I'm going to die in battle, what does it matter?'
She waited for a response, but none came. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. Without thinking, she began to pack her knapsack. She took everything she could think of that might be useful: extra clothes, food she'd had for hiking, a flint knife, rope, her map of the area around Rivendell, and some other things she thought she'd need. She donned her cloak and strapped her bag to her back, and then a thought struck her.
'I don't have a weapon.'
She searched around frantically, but could find nothing that could serve as protection. She thought of sneaking into the bakery to take one of her kitchen knives, but then stopped herself.
'Elrohir...'
She carefully slipped through her door and ran softly through the halls to Elrohir's room. Slowly opening the door, she crept in as quiet as she could, careful not to make any sound. He was sitting on his bed, meditating. Very slowly and cautiously, she made her way over to a table by the window and carefully lifted the silver dagger from the polished surface. She quickly strapped it around her under her cloak and left as quietly as she had come.
She ran back to her room, trembling with excitement. She'd never done anything like this before, and the adrenaline was pumping through every vein. She slipped out through her window and like a shadow, moved towards the gate. By some luck of the Valar the guard was still nowhere to be seen. As quick and quiet as only a hobbit can run, she dashed through the gate and out into the cold night.
She ran fast and far, not stopping for fear of someone finding out that she'd left and pursuing her. She ran in the direction she guessed the others had taken, and didn't stop until her legs nearly gave out. She collapsed onto the ground as the first light of dawn was peaking over the mountains. Not far ahead loomed a great forest that stretched up to the foot of the Misty Mountains. She allowed herself an hour's rest before getting up to run for the trees.
She reached the forest as the sun blazed high above and took out her map. She decided that Haldir probably wouldn't use the High Pass because he would want secrecy, so he would most likely turn south and make for one of the unguarded passes. She had been travelling through the forest for a few hours when she suddenly found herself staring down the shaft of an arrow. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around to see that she was surrounded by the sharp points of Rivendell arrows. The most disconcerting part was that she recognized most of the archers.
She was led through the woods to a small clearing where Haldir and the other leaders were having some sort of meeting. Lindir and Glorfindel were among them. The archers brought her to Haldir and were dismissed. She saw a grieved expression on Lindir's face as he watched.
"Why have you followed us?" Haldir asked. He wasn't happy, and she flinched as he spoke. Then, remembering her courage from the day before, she answered.
"I'm going with you." Haldir stared her down.
"You cannot come with us," he said. She was silent, unable to think of an answer. Finally, she nodded.
"All right," she said. "Which way is Rohan?" She thought she heard a few chuckles from the onlookers, but as she scanned their faces, she saw no smiles to betray them. Haldir was not laughing.
"I'm serious, Mélanyë," he said.
"So am I."
"You don't belong in this war!" he said, clearly frustrated. "This is not your fight!"
"It's not yours either," she countered. Haldir sighed and lowered his voice.
"You're only a baker," he told her sadly. She met his eyes bravely.
"I am also a sister, and I have more to fight for than anyone here. What will Frodo's sacrifice be worth if all the Men he fought to save are dead?" She saw a look of pure shock pass over the tall elf's face. He quickly hid it, but she'd seen it, and a feeling of utter satisfaction flowed through her. They could send her home and lock her up, but she knew now that he knew she was right. He fixed her with a stern gaze.
"I can't spare anyone to take you back," he said finally. "I would send you there alone, but I know you wouldn't go anyway." She thought she saw as trace of a smirk as he said that. "You can stay on one condition." He knelt and looked at her, eye to eye. "I'm not treating you any differently than anyone else. You have to keep up on your own. I am not a babysitter." She felt anger rise in her heart at his words. 'Baby?' At that he got up and gave the order to move out. As he walked away, Lindir thought he saw a flash of something on Haldir's face. He looked pleased.
When Haldir was out of sight, Lindir approached Mélanyë. He took her firmly by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"What do you think you're doing, coming here?" he whispered harshly. She felt her heart quicken and for a split second actually feared her friend. "I told you not to come- we all did! Don't you see the danger you're in?"
"I have to do this, Lindir," she said, echoing his words to her the day before. Lindir didn't answer right away, but stared into her eyes. She wasn't sure what she saw there but knew that he was struggling with emotions. He finally released her from his iron grip and cupping her face in his hands he kissed her forehead and then crushed her in a hug.
"You'll need this," he said, taking Laspis from his side and kneeling to strap it hurriedly around her waist. The others were departing and he didn't want them to be left behind. When he was finished he took her by the shoulders once more and looked into her eyes before he silently led her by the hand after the others.
The journey over the mountains was cold and terrible. She was right that Haldir chose to take a more secret pass over the mountains. Not for the first time, Mélanyë wished they had taken the much easier High Pass that she and the dwarves had used. She understood Haldir's reluctance to use the much travelled road, but that didn't make the journey any easier.
She waded through the snow, trying desperately to keep up with the other elves' longer strides. Several times Lindir would have to go back for her because they nearly left her behind.
"You're too small for this kind of thing, Mel," he said as he walked beside her. She smiled up at him, shivering. "And I see that Hobbits don't do well in snow." He stopped, and drew his extra cloak from his pack. "It's a little long, but it will keep you warm," he said as he pinned the cloak around her.
The nights were coldest of all. Elves don't need to sleep as Hobbits do, and Haldir was prepared to lead them on their trek all through the night, but as the stars appeared in the twilight, Mélanyë began to stumble. They had been marching all day, with only brief stops to rest. Her eyes were becoming sleepy, but still she went on. Lindir sprinted up to Haldir.
"We should rest, Haldir," he said, and looked back at the small Hobbit struggling to keep up with the company. Haldir followed his gaze and frowned.
"She looks exhausted." He looked back at Lindir. "I never should have agreed to this. She doesn't belong here with us. She's so young..."
"She would have followed anyway, Haldir, her mind was made up. Even now, she is trying to keep up with us. She'll wear herself out before admitting defeat." Haldir sighed and nodded.
"We'll stop for the night." He called to the other elves that they were to make camp for the night, as Lindir ran back to Mélanyë.
"Mel," he called. She looked up. "We're stopping." The relief was plain on her face. Without even looking around, she let her pack fall to the ground and cast herself down onto the snow. Lindir laughed and walked over to her. "That's not much of a bed," he said, leaning over her.
"It will do," she said. She closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately.
She woke with the first light of the morning sun, and felt surprisingly warm. She opened her eyes to find Lindir's cloak lying on top of her. He was not there, but she noticed a patch of snow beside her where he had been sitting, watching her. She pulled the soft material closer around herself and breathed deeply the comforting smell of her friend.
After they'd eaten a light breakfast, the company set out again. The day passed the same as the one before, and was just as cold and miserable for Mélanyë. She found herself longing for Rivendell and her warm bakery.
Night came far too slowly for her, since Haldir had led them on a longer march to make up for the time they'd lost. She was even more tired and fell to sleep more quickly when at last he called a halt. She barely remembered Lindir wishing her good dreams before she fell into them.
That morning, she opened her eyes to see a violet sunrise in the horizon. So lost was she in the beauty of it, that it took her a long while to notice the arms that held her. She turned around and saw Lindir admiring the sunrise as she had been. For a long moment they stared into each other's eyes.
"You were shivering," he said with a smile. "I thought you would freeze." She lay her head on his shoulder and they watched the sunrise together.
By mid-afternoon, they came to the end of their journey over the mountains, and were back on solid ground by nightfall. They entered the dark eaves of Mirkwood and pressed on far into the night. Mélanyë didn't complain, but was beginning to walk with her eyes closed. Just when she thought she could go no further, they at last halted. As she squinted ahead, she saw the reason. Another army of elves had been waiting for them, and Haldir was talking with their leaders.
"Mirkwood elves," Lindir whispered to her. She nodded, blinking away sleep and trying to look focused. She barely noticed him leave her side as he was called over by one of the Galadhrim. Haldir soon bade them rest while the armies organized themselves. Relieved, Mélanyë took off her cloak and curled up under it by the foot of a nearby tree.
Lindir, who had been part of the meeting, looked up over Haldir's head to see the small elf fast asleep under the tree. 'Why have you come?' he thought, 'you should be warm in Rivendell, not out here in the cold.' He smiled warmly, however, secretly glad to have her with him. Pulling him from his thoughts, Haldir directed his attention to the map of Rohan and he forced himself to concentrate.