Chapter 10
Linwë was only half surprised when she found Nienna sitting by the fountain; for years it had been their favorite meeting place, where they would tell each other stories or the greater events of the day. Now, Nienna sat by the clear waters alone, watching the reflection as they rippled and lapped along the rock pool.
"Nienna?"
Nienna's eyes snapped up, and she smiled, lightly chiding herself for being caught off guard once again. She felt so distracted lately, it was hard to keep her mind focused on any one thing for long. "Linwë, I'm glad you're here. Come," she gestured to the ledge of the pool, "sit with me for a while."
Linwë obliged, coming to sit softly alongside her friend. "So, I take it things went well with your patient?" She spoke tentatively, not wishing to strike any sensitive chords. Nienna shrugged.
"I think so. He agreed to let me help him after some prodding."
Linwë raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading over her face. Nienna's eyes got wide. "Hey! What is that look for?"
"Oh.nothing." The playful grin remained, "sounds like you had a busy night!"
Nienna went crimson, scowling. "You know what I meant!"
"Oh don't I?" Linwë laughed, enjoying how perturbed Nienna was becoming. The laughter abruptly stopped when she found herself being assaulted with water. She raised her arms defensively, but it was no match for Nienna's abilities, her hair was soaked. Linwë glared at the now smiling Nienna.
"So you think you can just attack me without any retaliation?" Linwë started moving her hands toward the water. Nienna feigned cowering as best she could.
"Oh please Linwë! Don't! I'll never survive!"
Linwë laughed, and was rewarded with another splash of cold water. A full fledged 'water battle' ensued, each of the elves grinning and laughing like children in the Summer.
*
What the two friends didn't see, however, was another pair of elves watching them from the mist of a nearby glade. Amidst the ethereal glow of light they were silent, serene, regarding the two with kind amusement. The Lord and Lady had decided to walk that evening, amid the fireflies and lanterns, hardly expecting to come across another soul. Though night had fallen upon the forest, Lorien always managed to stay bright, luminescent, like a beacon lighting the night of Middle-Earth. Galadriel smiled softly as she regarded the two friends, "I recall it was not so long ago when they played there as children," she shifted, holding her husband's hand with a gentle firmness. He nodded, glancing at the pair and back to the glimmering halo of light resting on Galadriel's golden hair. "Linwë grows more wistful with each passing season..." There was more than a touch of concern in her graceful voice, "and Nienna, it seems all her life is bound to her work."
Celeborn frowned slightly, "Do you not yet see some shadow of happiness for these two?" Galadriel shook her head.
"Much is still hidden from me, and yet." She paused, her gaze drifting to the lights nestled in the nearby trees, "it is early for both of them, there is hope." She squeezed his hand reassuringly and they continued on their way.
"And what of Haldir?"
Galadriel stopped abruptly, her heart felt suddenly heavy. ".He is fading." "Is there nothing we can do?"
She sighed, casting her deep blue eyes skyward. "I will speak to him, but I cannot be sure he will see reason, even from his Lady." Celeborn nodded once more, fighting to keep his grim thoughts from revealing themselves, and they walked onward.
*
It was not much later in the evening when Galadriel arrived at Haldir's room, the moon had drifted westward, still emitting a cold glow. As she entered, the room lightened, shadows shrank into the recesses, and Haldir felt it from behind his eyelids. He did not have to open his eyes to know who it was.
"My Lady." He spoke softly, hardly able to contain his humiliation. Was it not enough that he be seen by his peers, but to be placed before the Lady of the Wood herself? Haldir wanted to melt into the floor, yet he could not shrink from her presence, no matter how much he desired to. Galadriel regarded him with her usual calm demeanor, her cool eyes slowly sweeping the room.
"Haldir," her voice resonated throughout the room with a life of its own, "you know why I have come here." Haldir nodded, only half sure of why she had chosen to speak to him, she was going to relieve him of his duties.
"Milady? May I make a request?"
Galadriel raised her head slightly, as if attempting to peer into his mind. "Of course, Haldir."
Haldir kept his eyes on the foot of the bed, trying desperately to avoid her penetrating gaze. "I would ask.if my Lady might forgive me."
Galadriel raised an eyebrow, coming to stand beside his bed. "I would of course comply with your request, Haldir, yet I know not your trespass."
"I failed you, milady. I can no longer perform my duties as Marchwarden. I would also ask, if you have not yet come to consider it, that you relieve me of my duties."
Haldir was completely unprepared for the soft laughter that followed. Her musical tone caught him completely off guard, his eyes widened in confusion. She smiled as he looked at her questioningly. "Ah, and quite a fool I would be indeed if I were to do such a thing - to lose my most loyal," she looked into his eyes meaningfully, "and capable guard."
Try as he might, Haldir could find nothing but wisdom in the eyes of his Lady, she spoke with the solid confidence of ancient stone, with truth rooted in the depth and soul of the black soil, with the clarity of the crisp summer skies, the brilliant searing light of white flame branded her words in his thoughts, even as her kindness remained cool as a veil of rain to comfort him - he turned his head, overcome with the power of her gaze.
"I.do not understand.." He whispered desperately.
Galadriel's features remained set, though her eyes deepened, the reflection of the elf within them blurring, clarifying, and fading again as they regarded him. She touched his hand tenderly, cold and warm in the same moment.
"You will regain your stature, Marchwarden of Lorien. For the time is nearing when we shall be in need of your strength once more." She paused, her gaze drifted to the softening moonlight, "If you cannot find the support you need from within, I pray you seek it beyond your own self - seek it in others." Her eyes glimmered with starlight, her voice was warm and knowing, the corners of her perfect mouth turned upward ever so slightly as she drifted toward the door. "You are stronger than you think, Haldir. And the grace of the elders would have you walk again, if you only let it." And with that, her form faded into the mist as Haldir stared after her, her words clinging to the candlelight.
Linwë was only half surprised when she found Nienna sitting by the fountain; for years it had been their favorite meeting place, where they would tell each other stories or the greater events of the day. Now, Nienna sat by the clear waters alone, watching the reflection as they rippled and lapped along the rock pool.
"Nienna?"
Nienna's eyes snapped up, and she smiled, lightly chiding herself for being caught off guard once again. She felt so distracted lately, it was hard to keep her mind focused on any one thing for long. "Linwë, I'm glad you're here. Come," she gestured to the ledge of the pool, "sit with me for a while."
Linwë obliged, coming to sit softly alongside her friend. "So, I take it things went well with your patient?" She spoke tentatively, not wishing to strike any sensitive chords. Nienna shrugged.
"I think so. He agreed to let me help him after some prodding."
Linwë raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading over her face. Nienna's eyes got wide. "Hey! What is that look for?"
"Oh.nothing." The playful grin remained, "sounds like you had a busy night!"
Nienna went crimson, scowling. "You know what I meant!"
"Oh don't I?" Linwë laughed, enjoying how perturbed Nienna was becoming. The laughter abruptly stopped when she found herself being assaulted with water. She raised her arms defensively, but it was no match for Nienna's abilities, her hair was soaked. Linwë glared at the now smiling Nienna.
"So you think you can just attack me without any retaliation?" Linwë started moving her hands toward the water. Nienna feigned cowering as best she could.
"Oh please Linwë! Don't! I'll never survive!"
Linwë laughed, and was rewarded with another splash of cold water. A full fledged 'water battle' ensued, each of the elves grinning and laughing like children in the Summer.
*
What the two friends didn't see, however, was another pair of elves watching them from the mist of a nearby glade. Amidst the ethereal glow of light they were silent, serene, regarding the two with kind amusement. The Lord and Lady had decided to walk that evening, amid the fireflies and lanterns, hardly expecting to come across another soul. Though night had fallen upon the forest, Lorien always managed to stay bright, luminescent, like a beacon lighting the night of Middle-Earth. Galadriel smiled softly as she regarded the two friends, "I recall it was not so long ago when they played there as children," she shifted, holding her husband's hand with a gentle firmness. He nodded, glancing at the pair and back to the glimmering halo of light resting on Galadriel's golden hair. "Linwë grows more wistful with each passing season..." There was more than a touch of concern in her graceful voice, "and Nienna, it seems all her life is bound to her work."
Celeborn frowned slightly, "Do you not yet see some shadow of happiness for these two?" Galadriel shook her head.
"Much is still hidden from me, and yet." She paused, her gaze drifting to the lights nestled in the nearby trees, "it is early for both of them, there is hope." She squeezed his hand reassuringly and they continued on their way.
"And what of Haldir?"
Galadriel stopped abruptly, her heart felt suddenly heavy. ".He is fading." "Is there nothing we can do?"
She sighed, casting her deep blue eyes skyward. "I will speak to him, but I cannot be sure he will see reason, even from his Lady." Celeborn nodded once more, fighting to keep his grim thoughts from revealing themselves, and they walked onward.
*
It was not much later in the evening when Galadriel arrived at Haldir's room, the moon had drifted westward, still emitting a cold glow. As she entered, the room lightened, shadows shrank into the recesses, and Haldir felt it from behind his eyelids. He did not have to open his eyes to know who it was.
"My Lady." He spoke softly, hardly able to contain his humiliation. Was it not enough that he be seen by his peers, but to be placed before the Lady of the Wood herself? Haldir wanted to melt into the floor, yet he could not shrink from her presence, no matter how much he desired to. Galadriel regarded him with her usual calm demeanor, her cool eyes slowly sweeping the room.
"Haldir," her voice resonated throughout the room with a life of its own, "you know why I have come here." Haldir nodded, only half sure of why she had chosen to speak to him, she was going to relieve him of his duties.
"Milady? May I make a request?"
Galadriel raised her head slightly, as if attempting to peer into his mind. "Of course, Haldir."
Haldir kept his eyes on the foot of the bed, trying desperately to avoid her penetrating gaze. "I would ask.if my Lady might forgive me."
Galadriel raised an eyebrow, coming to stand beside his bed. "I would of course comply with your request, Haldir, yet I know not your trespass."
"I failed you, milady. I can no longer perform my duties as Marchwarden. I would also ask, if you have not yet come to consider it, that you relieve me of my duties."
Haldir was completely unprepared for the soft laughter that followed. Her musical tone caught him completely off guard, his eyes widened in confusion. She smiled as he looked at her questioningly. "Ah, and quite a fool I would be indeed if I were to do such a thing - to lose my most loyal," she looked into his eyes meaningfully, "and capable guard."
Try as he might, Haldir could find nothing but wisdom in the eyes of his Lady, she spoke with the solid confidence of ancient stone, with truth rooted in the depth and soul of the black soil, with the clarity of the crisp summer skies, the brilliant searing light of white flame branded her words in his thoughts, even as her kindness remained cool as a veil of rain to comfort him - he turned his head, overcome with the power of her gaze.
"I.do not understand.." He whispered desperately.
Galadriel's features remained set, though her eyes deepened, the reflection of the elf within them blurring, clarifying, and fading again as they regarded him. She touched his hand tenderly, cold and warm in the same moment.
"You will regain your stature, Marchwarden of Lorien. For the time is nearing when we shall be in need of your strength once more." She paused, her gaze drifted to the softening moonlight, "If you cannot find the support you need from within, I pray you seek it beyond your own self - seek it in others." Her eyes glimmered with starlight, her voice was warm and knowing, the corners of her perfect mouth turned upward ever so slightly as she drifted toward the door. "You are stronger than you think, Haldir. And the grace of the elders would have you walk again, if you only let it." And with that, her form faded into the mist as Haldir stared after her, her words clinging to the candlelight.