AN: I've decided where this story is going to go. Here is the plan: First 4-5 chapters will be First Age centered. Then the Last Alliance will be covered briefly and then the rest of the story will be heavily situated in the Third Age. Sound good? Please R&R!
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After the feast, Galadriel went back to her room. She was silently debating whether to go out in the surrounding woods of Brethil for some fresh air with Naur. Or, to just go to sleep. At the moment, fresh air sounded rather nice. Galadriel grabbed her grey cloak and clasped it closed at her neck. She took no weapon besides the knife she kept in her left boot. She had decided this was a good tradition to do since there could be some danger always nearby.
Galadriel pulled back her heavy oak bedroom door and silently stepped into the silent hallway. No one was in sight. Satisfied with that, she sprinted off to where Naur was kept. She knew that of course Naur would love the fresh air and wouldn't miss a ride in the woods under the stars for anything.
As Galadriel came near Naur, the mare raised her noble head and nickered a warm greeting to her master. " Suilad mellon nin. " Galadriel stated flatly. Sliding the rope off of Naur, Galadriel slipped onto her back and whispered, " Niro lim, Naur! Niro lim! " She quietly urged her horse. Naur reared and then leaped into a flat out gallop towards the hidden gates of Nargrothond.
They reached the gate swiftly and passed out of Finrod's realm unnoticed. " Does a stroll under tree and star sound good to you, mellon nin? Hmm? " Naur nodded her head in answer for she was used to this kind of thing. These types of things were quite common. Galadriel could not stand being cut of from the forest for very long. She preferred trees to the stone realms of her kin and stars to jewels. Many of the Noldor would turn their noses up at that kind of statement.
The sky was full of many bright stars and Galadriel inwardly smiled. Naur pranced now through a small open clearing and Galadriel halted her to a stop. The horse let her master slide off before she resumed leaping and prancing under the night sky. Galadriel laid down in the grass, pulling her cloak over her as a blanket. Turning her face to the sky, Galadriel fell into a light sleep.
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The sun had just begun to rise when Naur nudged Galadriel out of the Elven realm of dreams and into the physical world. " It is dawn already? " Galadriel muttered. With a rare shrug of her proud shoulders, she leaped onto Naur and they flew off at top speed back to Nargrothond. She had to get there before Finrod awoke! He did not like it when his sister slipped out of his realm without any forewarning and appeared the next morning at breakfast in a traveling cloak.
Reaching her brother's halls within two hours, she tied Naur back up at her regular pole and went to her room quiet as a mouse. She quickly bathed and pulled on a grey dress that was slim and snug fitting. Making sure her boots were wiped clean of any sign of mud from her previous venture, Galadriel grabbed a brush and swiped it a few times through her golden locks.
Admiring herself in the mirror, she tried to smile at her reflection, but it turned out looking as if she was gritting her teeth. ' I can not smile for the worth of the world, can I? ' she mentally drolled.
Galadriel walked with proud strides to the small dining chamber her brother used when he wished to eat alone or with a smaller group then his whole realm. A much smaller group. She sat herself down in the chair at the far-left end and waited. A few minutes passed before her brother glided in and sat at the opposite end. " Good morning Artanis. How are you this lovely morning? "
Galadriel looked at her brother then replied, " Fine. And you? "
" Perfect. "
Galadriel began to eat her food as a servant set it down in front of her. " This breakfast is exceptionally good this morning, brother. Do you not think so? "
Finrod raised an eyebrow. He was not used to having such a conversation with his sister. Such a thing as this did not normally happen. So he thought of the important subject that had approached him last night after Artanis had retired to bed. " Captain Veryan asked for your hand in betrothal last night-shortly after the feast. He asked if you could inform him of your decision today. Artanis, you do know that Veryan is the bravest soldier Nargrothond has yet been gifted with, don't you? Well I mean, second to only you that is...I think you two would make a fine match. What do you say? "
Galadriel narrowed her eyes and sought desperately to control the anger was speedily building inside her being. How many times did she have to state she had no interest in love? Did she have to stand atop Manwe's mountain and declare it to the whole world? It was a well-known fact that Galadriel had no desire whatsoever to marry or participate in romance. She was wild and had an untamable spirit. She was proud, stern, and cold. Her temper was hot and hard to cool. And she choose her own path in life.
Turning a steely gaze unto Finrod, Galadriel stood up from her chair. " Artanis, he asked me and I told him you would accept! You are now betrothed to him whether you like it or not! I hate seeing you the way you currently are! Always alone and so grim and emotionless. You could use a different spark of passion in your life past killing and destroying. Do you despise love so much that you will even turn down Veryan? I do not understand you sister, no one does! " Galadriel pushed her breakfast plate with a mighty push, sending it sailing through the air. It crashed and shattered into pieces right behind Finrod's head.
" I make my own decisions, Finrod. I choose what to do with my life. Quit picking and choosing everything for me! " She said it so icy that her brother winced at the tone.
Galadriel turned around in a terrible fury and left the room. That was the final line! The last draw!
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She was currently riding out of Nargrothond at a speed that would put the wind to shame. Naur understood her master's need for speed and so they fled the woods of Brethil within a night. The only sound that could be heard was the pounding of her steed's hooves upon the ground. Soon they came to a wide open field where the Sun could be seen clearly. Galadriel could feel Naur slowing down…she was beginning to tire!
" Daro Naur! " she shouted over the wind that was starting to pick up. Great, now a storm was blowing in! Galadriel hoped that it was to be only a slight drizzle. Naur pulled to a sudden stop and Galadriel almost flew forward. She grabbed her horse's mane in a vice-like grip and Naur let out a low moan. Then she felt her horse shake as a torrent of heavy rain and wind blew across the field. Huge menacing black clouds were overhead and lightning began to crack throughout the sky. Naur moaned again and a thick sheet of sweat formed on her glistening pure white coat. ' Something is definitely wrong with her. Poor girl.
Galadriel pulled her hood over her head and landed carefully on the flat ground. Naur kept on letting out pained noises and low moans could occasionally be heard. ' I must find some way out of this! Galadriel reasoned. ' Else we are stuck in the storm for the rest of the day and night…I must find a shelter of some sort.
She ducked her head and led Naur with whispered words off of the field and into the borders of another forest. ' This must be the edge of Doriath . Well, what else would it be? She had already left the woods of Brethil far behind.
Galadriel's cloak and a lot of Naur were sprayed with a wave of mud as a new blast of wind shot through the trees. Around her, the trees groaned as some of their limbs were torn from them. Naur screeched as a limb knocked straight between the eyes. The weather only got worse from there.
Hail soon was falling. The size of it was much larger then Galadriel was used to. Many large chunks landed ontop of them and threatened to render them unconscious. Her vision slowly blurred and a particularly sharp piece left a deep gash in her sword arm. ' Great she mentally stated, ' now I am in a wonderful condition. Oh yes, she could be very sarcastic. And certain elves hated her for it. Galadriel fought the urge to laugh aloud. Never had she been in this kind of predicament before! To her, the thought was strangely hysterical. She could hear the pounding of her blood in her ears. Her head throbbed as another piece wacked her without warning.
Naur's head was low to the ground and Galadriel's shoulders sagged. The wind, hail, and rain kept on battering them. Mud continuously slapped at them. Some trees howled in silent pain. Galadriel could feel unconsciousness slowly seeping in. She stayed determined though to find shelter for her and her mare. Naur surely wouldn't make it much longer in this sort of condition and neither would she.
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It was sometime later when Galadriel actually found shelter. Her head was bent to her chest and her back was arched. Naur looked absolutely pitiful. Galadriel's hair was matted down with mud, water, and sweat. She had found a small cave in which she could rest in and Naur as well.
She laid down on the freezing stone floor and Naur fell on her side and was immediately in a deep sleep. Galadriel stared at the ceiling and imagined it was a clear night sky filled with thousands of stars. With that happy thought, she slipped into dreams.
It did not last long though for Naur woke her up with a loud cry of pain. The mare was so weak she could no longer lift her head. The storm had dwindled down to a light rain and Galadriel decided she could go look outside for anything that might help the miserable beast.
She discarded her cloak in the cave and walked out. Keeping her head bowed, she knelt onto her knees and began to frantically look around for any herb that would quell a fever. Finding none, she then searched for the special berries Naur always enjoyed. Still seeing nothing she marched aimlessly on, darting to and from to any patches of bushes or low shrubs. Then she heard something. A soft noise was on the wind. It was melodic and sounded like a quiet song. Someone was nearby! Galadriel sprang into a large oak tree as the voice that was singing the song came closer. She was certain that it was definitely not orcs. No, it was much more beautiful than any song an orc might try to sing. The owner of the voice silently stepped in the area near Galadriel's tree. Her eyes uncharacteristically widened.
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Thanks for reading! Please review!
Hanon le