Chapter 33: Unexpected Blessings

A/N: did some reformating which in turn screwed up my formatting. Now elvish has to be in 'elvish' instead of in brackets. Sorry if there is any confusion but it is beyond my control.

Megilindir watched as Zinnia shifted in her saddle again and a small frown touched his lips. Ever since they had agreed to return to Lórien she had been pushing to return to her homeland as quickly as possible. The excitement in her eyes couldn't be hidden, and neither could the determination in her body language. Reaching down into his saddle bag, he pulled out some bread and took his horse into a trot to catch up with her.

"Zia."

"I do not need to rest."

He chuckled slightly as he shook his head. "I would not even ask this close to Lórien. No, you must eat." He handed her the bread and she took it with a grin.

"You know me too well." She took the offered food and immediately bit a large chunk off. Looking over to him she asked something but couldn't be understood through what was in her mouth. Wordlessly he took out his water flask and handed it to her. She smiled at him before grabbing it and taking a large swig.

'Riders.' Endil moved forward more to get a better look. Both of them had hoods covering their faces and neither showed signs of slowing upon reaching the woods. That was highly unusual as most everyone in the surrounding areas knew to stay out.

'Should we call the others.' Endil nodded and his second went to gather the other guards to stop the riders. Half an hour later they dropped from the trees and the two stopped, both slowly raising their hands.

'Would you shoot me Endil?' Endil paused at the voice and relaxed the bow. The figure pulled its hood off and he laughed.

'Zinnia!' the other guards lowered their weapons knowing the March warden's daughter, many of them having spared against her once or twice. 'Arador, welcome it has been a long time.'

'We seek passage to the city.' Arador smiled as well and pulled off his hood.

'Yes, Of course.' Endil looked back to Zinnia. 'Your father will be happy to see you.'

'I should hope so. I have not seen him in almost a year.'

'Come, we shall make camp further in the woods.' Zinnia stayed on her horse though Arador jumped off his and led both of theirs as they followed the guards. A few more hours walk led them to their camp.

'Have you quit training mellon?' Asked Endil as he helped Zinnia off her horse.

'Why?'

'It is just that. . Well. . You seem.' her eyebrow raised higher.

'Yes Endil.' the others in the group laughed and she smiled. 'Is it that I am heavier than I used to be?'

'Well.' she grinned at his embarrassment and took off her cloak.

'I have quit training.' She turned back to them and all fell silent at the sight of her extended belly easily seen through her tunic. 'I am with child.' She put her hand on the small bulge and smiled at the others expressions. 'I had hoped to get safe passage and stay for a while.'

'With child?' the wonder was clearly heard in Endil's voice, just as it was clearly read in all of the other's eyes. There had not been an elf child born in almost two thousand years, none in the city of Lórien for over four.

'Almost three months.' she smiled at Endil and took his hand. 'You can feel, I will not break.' Endil's eyes grew even larger as his hand rested over her stomach.

'I. . I have never seen a pregnant female.'

'You will not live to see another if you do not take your hands off her.' the smile on his face and in his tone softened the words from Arador. He came over and kissed her cheek as she rolled her eyes. Endil chuckled but moved his hand.

'I have been craving some lembas for months. Would you have any to share?' A few minutes later found her sitting by the fire with at least five lembas wafers from five different guards. All of them had wanted to touch her stomach.

Two days later she rolled her eyes yet again at how Arador and the others were treating her. She had thought that Arador had accepted that she wasn't going to break because she was pregnant, but he had reverted back to fawning over her as the others did. Not that she minded a certain amount of thoughtfulness, truth was her back was slightly sore, but they were taking it to extremes.

'Valar ada is going to make me stay in bed until this kid comes out.' She grimaced at the thought and looked down to Arador who was leading the horse. Soon they were going to hit the river and then she would have to walk. That was not something she was looking forward to.

"Love." She blinked pulling herself from her thoughts and focused on her husband. "Do you need to rest?"

"I am not even exerting energy melamin, please do not make me get off this horse and hurt you." He put his hand on her thigh and smiled up at her.

"I would not think of it." She put her hand on his head.

"Thanks." She ruffled his hair and he only laughed grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it.

"How is my child then?" His attention went to her stomach and she smiled.

"He is resting comfortably." Arador smiled and put his hand on her stomach.

"He? Perhaps my daughter takes offence at that."

"Perhaps." Her hand covered his and they grinned at each other again.

"Daro!" The only ones that were startled were Arador and Zinnia.

'Uncle Orophin.' She grinned and moved to get off the horse. Arador helped her down and she stepped into Orophin's open arms.

'My little. . Not so little niece returns.' He pulled back and raised an eyebrow. She smiled.

'Are Ada and Rúmil with you?'

'Nay they are in the city. We were not expecting you.'

'Yes well, I was not expecting to be expecting. I wished to return.'

'And what are you expecting?' She laughed and took a step back standing next to Arador.

'We are expecting our first child.' Arador accompanied his words by putting his hand on Zinnia's stomach causing the cloak to fall open.

'A child.' Orophin's tone was just as amazed as Endil's had been. He stepped forward to put his hands on her stomach then stopped. 'May I' Zinnia only laughed and grabbed his hands putting them over the child in her stomach.

'I will have to get used to everyone wishing to touch besides.' Orophin smiled his eyes filled with wonder.

'You will.' He looked back up to her. 'How long?'

'Almost five months..'

'You did not tell us.'

'I did not know but two months ago. We were in the wilderness. After stopping by Rivendell we traveled here. I figured it would be better to tell Ada in person. Elrond was the one who told me, he recommended no more traveling after the sixth month. It took us a little longer because we set a slow pace and took the safest route.'

'You have come to stay then.' She grinned and kissed his cheek.

'For a while.' Orophin laughed then and hugged both of them.

'Haldir is going to be rendered speechless. This. . I can not wait to see.'

'Haldir.' Haldir looked over from the guards doing their routines to one of Galadriel and Celeborn's Sentinels.

'Yes?'

'Galadriel wishes for you to meet her as soon as you can.' Haldir nodded at the messenger and watched the other elf leave. After giving orders to his second he left to go to the royal telain.

'Ah Haldir.'

'Lord Celeborn.' he bowed slightly. 'I was called here by lady Galadriel.' Celeborn smiled and Haldir tilted his head slightly trying to decipher it.

'Word has come; your daughter is only a few hours away.'

'Zinnia is returning. That is most happy news.'

'Indeed Haldir.' Both Celeborn and Haldir turned to Galadriel. 'I can only think of a few things that would bring more joy.' she smiled just as enigmatically as Celeborn had a few moments before.

'We wished to invite you and your family to dinner with us tonight. We have already prepared a guest telain for her and her husband.' Haldir smiled.

'Thank you my lord.'

Zinnia sighed as they took another rest. It was for her benefit she knew, she also knew they were most likely only a half hour away from the gates of the city. They had already added an extra day onto their journey because she needed to stop so many times. It embarrassed her that she was slowing them down so much. She shifted leaning against the tree and grimaced slightly. The ground was doing nothing for her back.

"Zia." She looked up and smiled slightly at Arador. "Are you in pain?"

"My back is a little sore but mostly I am just tired."

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek before leaning down and kissing her softly. "Then when we get to the city I will have to give you a warm bath and make your aches disappear before tucking you into a nice soft bed."

She grinned and he leaned forward his lips moving across her cheek. The sensation ticked and she laughed. "And a shave for you perhaps?" She smiled and put her hands against his cheeks.

"You do not like it?" He pressed his forehead against hers and smiled.

"I could get used to it." They were both oblivious to the others around them.

'Do you remember when she was just a child?' Orophin looked over to Endil who had chuckled at his wistful tone...

'Yes, it is hard to forget.'

Both elves looked over in time to see Arador sit and move zinnia so she was sitting in his lap, cushioning her from the hard ground. She put her head against his shoulder as he started to massage her lower back with one of his hands.

'I am happy for her. Not even with Legolas did she smile like that.' Endil grinned watching the scene.

'Ah, Legolas has her trust not her heart.' Orophin sighed and shook his head. 'I still have her drawings.'

'And her arrows.' prodded Endil

'And her arrows.' Orophin laughed. 'I made her a promise, one I will hold to for as long as I patrol with my bow and as long as arrows are needed to fill my quiver.' Orophin smiled and looked back to Zinnia. 'Another child.' His smile grew as Arador's free hand made circles on zinnia's belly even as he whispered and kissed her ear. 'What a frightening thought.' He chuckled and shook his head.

Haldir almost started pacing in his restlessness. According to the messenger that Orophin had sent they should have been to the city almost two hours ago. After his meeting with the lord and lady he had cleaned up and dressed in something other than his guard wear. It had been too long since he had seen or heard from Zinnia last. He smiled at the thought of getting to spend some time with her. He looked up from his thoughts when the gates started to open.

The first ones through were the guards that had escorted them back. He saw zinnia and grinned walking over to her. She had a large cloak draped over her and his smile slipped slightly as he tried to think of why. It wasn't cold enough to necessitate a cloak and he immediately thought she was getting sick.

'Ada, I have missed you so.' She wrapped her arms around him and he did the same to her. He pulled her closer and his eyes closed a smile on his face.

'As I you my sweet. It has been a while since your last letter.'

'Yes well.' She pulled back. 'I wished to see you in person.'

'Arador.' Haldir moved forward and took his arm in a warriors embrace.

'Haldir.' He grinned and nodded at the elf before Haldir pulled back.

'What is this news that you could not write your father a letter?'

'My Dear one! It has been a while.' She looked over and smiled at Rúmil who entered the clearing.

'She has news.' Orophin grinned and moved next to her putting his arm around her shoulders. She elbowed him slightly and his smile grew.

'It can wait until she greets her uncle properly.' Zinnia laughed and moved forward embracing Rúmil. 'So what is this news?' He pulled back and she smiled at him.

'Well I had simply planned on calling ada at'ada but I do not know what to call you.'

'We are grand-uncles of course!.' Orophin smiled then laughed at the look on both Haldir's and Rúmil's face. 'I do not think they comprehend still.' She laughed and pulled the cloak back.

'Perhaps this will convince them.' she sighed and put her hands on her stomach. 'It sure convinced me those last few miles.'

'You are…' She laughed at Haldir as he trailed off. Taking his hand she put it on her stomach his eyes never leaving the bulge.

'Pregnant.' He looked up to her still trying to understand. 'I wanted to tell you in person.'

'A child? I thought. . Elrond.' His other hand joined his first and he looked back down to her stomach.

'A small chance has become my child Ada.' He looked up to her and saw the joy in her face.

'A gift from the Valar then.' She grinned at him.

'I wish to see.' Rúmil sounded like an eager child himself as he stepped up and added his hands to her stomach. She laughed as they tickled her and both pulled their hands back as if burned causing her to laugh more.

'It is a good thing that I will get bigger. More room for everyone's hands.' Arador chuckled and moved up putting his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

'I do not mean to come between you, but I have promised my wife a warm bath and a soft bed. The trail has been long and hard.'

'Of course, do you need anything else? Perhaps go to the healers.' She heard the concern in Haldir's voice and sighed.

'Ada I am not sick, simply pregnant. Though I could use a nap.' Haldir smiled at her and couldn't resist touching her stomach again.

'I am going to be a grandfather.' She laughed again and put her hand over his.

'In a little more than 4 months.'

'4 months.' He shook his head and looked back up to her. 'Galadriel has invited us all for dinner tonight. I accepted thought I did not know. Do you wish me to inform her that you must decline? I'm sure she would not mind if you wished to rest.'

'From dinner? I'll be there, trust me ada.' Arador chuckled at Zinnia's statement.

'She is eating for two now, she never misses a meal.'

'Yes well I would not miss this one besides. Real food instead of game. Perhaps a nice large cake for desert, and some cookies.' She blushed slightly when they started laughing. 'What? I have not had a decent piece of cake since Bree. And even that was mediocre.'

Melamin = my love

Ada = father

At'ada = grandfather