(Sorry guys, I know it's been forever since I've updated, but what with
school and all, I've been really busy! Now that I've been home and relaxed
for a few weeks, I'm back at it. Let the story continue! Thanks for all the
reviews!)
Part 18
It had now been two weeks since the Company had arrived in Lothlorien, and the weary looks had left their faces, and their eyes shone bright with hope and confidence. They met together every morning, and planned strategies against the doom to come. Elrond especially was very firm and fierce in his planning, and he kept his sons both by his side at all times, even when he was relaxing in the forest or sailing slowly down the river Nimrodel. This pained Galadriel, who knew that this overprotectiveness boded no good . . . she had seen what would eventually drive the Royal Family of Imladris apart, and one day, while sitting under the mallorn trees with the great elven-king, she tried to warn him.
"Elrond . . . is there something troubling you? You seem ill at ease," asked the beautiful elven-lady as she braided, with absent-minded ease, a lovely basket of the sweet grass that grew along the riverside.
Elrond moved restlessly and cast his eyes to the river, where his sons were pushing each other in and ducking each other under the water playfully. "Nothing, lady. I'm simply eager to get on with this quest. Each day we spend here is another day that Zycrah has to plan our demise! It irks me that Mithrandir and Elessar, two of the greatest warriors I have known, are dragging their feet about this. We need to get in and destroy her before her forces entrap us all!" He stood up at this last point and began to pace.
Galadriel looked at him with soft, sympathetic eyes and sighed quietly. "Elrond . . they deserve rest. You have been riding nigh onto nearly a month, pushing at an incredible pace . . . look how happy they all are." She waved her arm expansively over the scene before them, and the happy laughter of the Company reached their ears like the faint sounds of a church bell on a cold day.
Elrond's face softened and he sighed too. "I hate to deprive them . . they are so happy. And they've thrived, gotten stronger! I've never seen Elladan so well-looking . . ." He frowned darkly again. "All the more reason to make haste before he gets ill again. Before any of them do. That settles it; we will leave in three days." He stalked off, his russet robes billowing around him in the soft wind, leaving a despairing Galadriel stroking her ring and shaking her head at the things to come.
*******
Aragorn and Arwen were walking hand in hand through one of the remote paths of the forest, his hair blowing gently, a flower behind her ear. They spoke not at all, but simply smiled every few moments, in utter peace.
"Estel."
"Mmm?"
"Do you think that life plays itself out in sweet moments by the wayside of the Road of Life?"
Aragorn looked at her, startled. "I think that the memories we keep are made in these moments, yes. But what do you mean?"
"I gave up immortality . . . one moment but a nanosecond in my godgiven gift of time. Now that I know I will one day die, like you . . . these moments seem so much sweeter to me . . and I forsee we will have many more, sweet, quiet moments." Her grey eyes sparkled at him, even as she stroked the Evenstar on his neck. He put his weathered hand over hers, and looked into her face deeply.
"And when I die . . I'll make a heaven full of quiet moments for you. And when you join me, our life there together will consist of the happy moments that we have shared."
*******
The river lapped calmly against the emerald shores as the boat cut smoothly through the silver water. The baby, laying on the elven-woman's lap, tried to catch the flying shards of light in her chubby hands, giggling as one by one, they evaded her, playing across her delicate features as the elven- prince rowed on smoothly through the afternoon.
"What are you thinking?"
Legolas looked up at Elladriel, at his daughter laughing and wriggling on her lap, at her soft smile and green eyes. "Just of the times to come. We have our work cut out for us."
She nodded. "Yes, you do. But I have faith. You have always seemed to skip over trouble and fly with the birds. This will be hard . . but I can still see the sunshine through the darkness."
He put his hand over hers. "I hope you are right. I need to be home to raise this little Elf, don't I?" He tickled Ashira and she giggled up at him, putting out her arms to him. He lifted her onto his lap and she took hold of his long golden hair, holding it and leaning against his chest, where she could hear his heartbeat.
He cuddled her and smiled. "I can't leave you . . . my time has not come yet. I am physically ready to beat her . . . I just . . the emotional task is a lot harder, you know?"
Elladriel nodded. "I know . . . I've lived through it too."
The baby's eyelids drooped and she suddenly yawned. Legolas lifted her to his shoulder and she rested her head on it, as the boat glided down the river in the purple twilight.
*******
Gandalf and Frodo were inside, tucking Frodo's children into bed.
"Tell us a story, Gandalf! Tell us what you're going to do to that awful lady!" Primula and Drogo clamoured as they kicked the quilts off and wriggled with excitement in the bed.
Gandalf chuckled, handing Pippa back to Frodo, who tried unsuccessfully to quell the twins with a stern face. "Now Gandalf won't tell you anything if you don't settle! And the ones that disobey after this warning miss second breakfast tomorrow!"
The twins, both chubby with health and good food, settled down immediately. Gandalf frowned sternly at them but winked at Frodo, who couldn't keep a straight face.
"Well, first of all, we've raised an army, greater than anything Middle- earth has seen yet. Rohan warriors, thundering like the wind on their strong steeds, armed with bows and arrows that cut like a knife and never miss their mark . . . an alliance of Elves, strong and never tiring, their weapons poisoned by the Silverlode River, slicing through the nasty orcs' bodies . . . Dwarves, their axes sharp and hacking, their bodies gilded with mithril, the best for keeping arrows deflected . . . and last but not least, an air force of dragons, carrying wizards, to scorch and curse the ones that are left standing." Gandalf's voice ended in a low growl that made the children shiver.
Frodo cut in. "Gandalf, why don't you tell them of the time that you and Bilbo went to see the Elves in Rivendell?"
"Will do, Frodo my lad . . . well, your great-uncle Bilbo and I one day went a-travelling, only had one cart and horse between us . . " Gandalf winked again at Frodo, who sighed and looked out the window happily at the rising stars and silver moon. Yes, all was right with the world.
********
Night fell and the remaining members of the Company hastened to get to the main meal in the palace, where songs and stories charmed those present and the warm light spilled upon the sleeping trees outside, once again reassuring those that no matter what happened, peace still remained in Lothlorien.
Part 18
It had now been two weeks since the Company had arrived in Lothlorien, and the weary looks had left their faces, and their eyes shone bright with hope and confidence. They met together every morning, and planned strategies against the doom to come. Elrond especially was very firm and fierce in his planning, and he kept his sons both by his side at all times, even when he was relaxing in the forest or sailing slowly down the river Nimrodel. This pained Galadriel, who knew that this overprotectiveness boded no good . . . she had seen what would eventually drive the Royal Family of Imladris apart, and one day, while sitting under the mallorn trees with the great elven-king, she tried to warn him.
"Elrond . . . is there something troubling you? You seem ill at ease," asked the beautiful elven-lady as she braided, with absent-minded ease, a lovely basket of the sweet grass that grew along the riverside.
Elrond moved restlessly and cast his eyes to the river, where his sons were pushing each other in and ducking each other under the water playfully. "Nothing, lady. I'm simply eager to get on with this quest. Each day we spend here is another day that Zycrah has to plan our demise! It irks me that Mithrandir and Elessar, two of the greatest warriors I have known, are dragging their feet about this. We need to get in and destroy her before her forces entrap us all!" He stood up at this last point and began to pace.
Galadriel looked at him with soft, sympathetic eyes and sighed quietly. "Elrond . . they deserve rest. You have been riding nigh onto nearly a month, pushing at an incredible pace . . . look how happy they all are." She waved her arm expansively over the scene before them, and the happy laughter of the Company reached their ears like the faint sounds of a church bell on a cold day.
Elrond's face softened and he sighed too. "I hate to deprive them . . they are so happy. And they've thrived, gotten stronger! I've never seen Elladan so well-looking . . ." He frowned darkly again. "All the more reason to make haste before he gets ill again. Before any of them do. That settles it; we will leave in three days." He stalked off, his russet robes billowing around him in the soft wind, leaving a despairing Galadriel stroking her ring and shaking her head at the things to come.
*******
Aragorn and Arwen were walking hand in hand through one of the remote paths of the forest, his hair blowing gently, a flower behind her ear. They spoke not at all, but simply smiled every few moments, in utter peace.
"Estel."
"Mmm?"
"Do you think that life plays itself out in sweet moments by the wayside of the Road of Life?"
Aragorn looked at her, startled. "I think that the memories we keep are made in these moments, yes. But what do you mean?"
"I gave up immortality . . . one moment but a nanosecond in my godgiven gift of time. Now that I know I will one day die, like you . . . these moments seem so much sweeter to me . . and I forsee we will have many more, sweet, quiet moments." Her grey eyes sparkled at him, even as she stroked the Evenstar on his neck. He put his weathered hand over hers, and looked into her face deeply.
"And when I die . . I'll make a heaven full of quiet moments for you. And when you join me, our life there together will consist of the happy moments that we have shared."
*******
The river lapped calmly against the emerald shores as the boat cut smoothly through the silver water. The baby, laying on the elven-woman's lap, tried to catch the flying shards of light in her chubby hands, giggling as one by one, they evaded her, playing across her delicate features as the elven- prince rowed on smoothly through the afternoon.
"What are you thinking?"
Legolas looked up at Elladriel, at his daughter laughing and wriggling on her lap, at her soft smile and green eyes. "Just of the times to come. We have our work cut out for us."
She nodded. "Yes, you do. But I have faith. You have always seemed to skip over trouble and fly with the birds. This will be hard . . but I can still see the sunshine through the darkness."
He put his hand over hers. "I hope you are right. I need to be home to raise this little Elf, don't I?" He tickled Ashira and she giggled up at him, putting out her arms to him. He lifted her onto his lap and she took hold of his long golden hair, holding it and leaning against his chest, where she could hear his heartbeat.
He cuddled her and smiled. "I can't leave you . . . my time has not come yet. I am physically ready to beat her . . . I just . . the emotional task is a lot harder, you know?"
Elladriel nodded. "I know . . . I've lived through it too."
The baby's eyelids drooped and she suddenly yawned. Legolas lifted her to his shoulder and she rested her head on it, as the boat glided down the river in the purple twilight.
*******
Gandalf and Frodo were inside, tucking Frodo's children into bed.
"Tell us a story, Gandalf! Tell us what you're going to do to that awful lady!" Primula and Drogo clamoured as they kicked the quilts off and wriggled with excitement in the bed.
Gandalf chuckled, handing Pippa back to Frodo, who tried unsuccessfully to quell the twins with a stern face. "Now Gandalf won't tell you anything if you don't settle! And the ones that disobey after this warning miss second breakfast tomorrow!"
The twins, both chubby with health and good food, settled down immediately. Gandalf frowned sternly at them but winked at Frodo, who couldn't keep a straight face.
"Well, first of all, we've raised an army, greater than anything Middle- earth has seen yet. Rohan warriors, thundering like the wind on their strong steeds, armed with bows and arrows that cut like a knife and never miss their mark . . . an alliance of Elves, strong and never tiring, their weapons poisoned by the Silverlode River, slicing through the nasty orcs' bodies . . . Dwarves, their axes sharp and hacking, their bodies gilded with mithril, the best for keeping arrows deflected . . . and last but not least, an air force of dragons, carrying wizards, to scorch and curse the ones that are left standing." Gandalf's voice ended in a low growl that made the children shiver.
Frodo cut in. "Gandalf, why don't you tell them of the time that you and Bilbo went to see the Elves in Rivendell?"
"Will do, Frodo my lad . . . well, your great-uncle Bilbo and I one day went a-travelling, only had one cart and horse between us . . " Gandalf winked again at Frodo, who sighed and looked out the window happily at the rising stars and silver moon. Yes, all was right with the world.
********
Night fell and the remaining members of the Company hastened to get to the main meal in the palace, where songs and stories charmed those present and the warm light spilled upon the sleeping trees outside, once again reassuring those that no matter what happened, peace still remained in Lothlorien.