Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings belong to J.R.R Tolkien, the only people I own are Alenor Talagand, Bréil, Sebastian and Victoria.

A/N: My deepest apologies for haven't updated in forever! And there are no excuses I can offer for the lateness of the chapter, except for a killer writer's block. Hope this makes it up to everyone! Please drop a review and let me know what you think, criticism or ideas are great appreciated!

Fate's Paths-Chap16-Este-

Alenor was overwhelmed by the senses and smells tingling across her skin and nose. She wasn't afraid. There seemed no room for fright in this quiet tranquil place. She didn't know where she was, but it was magical.

Flowerbeds, full to bursting with ripe colors and fragrances lined the cobbled pathway she walked. Above her head stretched the boughs of trees, trees that looked oddly like the mellyrn. Birds twittered from their nests or flew overhead, a few curious ones swooped low to briefly alight on her outstretched hand.

But it was not the beauty that was truly the most beautiful thing. It was peace. There were no hidden fears in her mind. No hidden pain to trap her when she tried to walk or breathe.

"You are not dead child."

Startled, but not afraid, Alenor turned around. her eyes went big. "My lady!" she murmured reverently, dipping into a low curtsey. For the first time she was aware of the satiny green dress that covered her. She could make out a border trim of golden vines on the hem, as she kept her head lowered. Her feet were bare.

"Do not bow to me child," the woman smiled, taking Alenor's hand and helping her stand. "Look me in the eyes."

Alenor tried, but felt that she could not. How could she look upon one of the Valar when she was so much lower then them? She was Second born from Eru, she was never meant to see them. "I am too humbled to look upon you."

"Nonsense child," the Lady smiled. "I am awed by your politeness."

Alenor blushed, and tugged her hand, realizing then that the Valier still held it.

"Do you know my name child?" she asked gently, pulling Alenor along as she began walking the paths of the garden.

"Estë," Alenor replied dutifully. She resigned herself to the fact that the Lady wasn't going to release her hand. "If I may, my lady?"

Estë, smiled amused. "You need not go into formalities child. I am known as Estë, nothing more."

"Yes my lady…I mean, Estë," Alenor said, mortified. "My question….can I…?" She peeked up from under her lashes and saw that Estë was watching her. She quickly looked down again. "I mean…am I dreaming?"

"In a sense," Estë murmured, looking around. "It is complicated child."

Alenor tilted her head, showing she would not press. "I am still unworthy my…. Estë to be in your presence."

Smiling thoughtfully the Lady stopped. "See this flower Alenor?"

Alenor looked in the direction the Valier pointed and nodded. "It's a Dragon snap," she answered. A faint smile touched her lips. "But I do not see what you mean."

"The flower is a tiny thing," Estë answered, releasing Alenor's hand. She bent down and reverently touched the leaves. Her grey raiment shifted musically with her movements. "It is tinier then you, less significant and yet it does not wonder if it has any right in beholding me."

"I'm afraid I do not understand Estë."

"No, I did not think you would, I speak in riddles," she straightened. "Men were meant to look upon the beauty of Valinor. It was not the Valar that forbade this; it was Man himself and his greed."

"We are not all greedy," Alenor countered in a soft voice.

"No, that is true," Estë answered. "There are some, many even, that would not seek to taint Valinor and in such the judgment upon your race is unfair."

"You are still speaking in riddles, my lady. I am still a child in the eyes of the Elves."

"That you are. Forgive me," Estë continued again, motioning Alenor to follow. "What I meant to say, child, is that because of a few foolish mistakes of your ancestors it is meant to believe that none of your race may ever see us, or the land in which we dwell. It does not mean you are unworthy of seeing me."

Alenor bit her lips, struggling to follow. Estë was still speaking in riddles, or so it sounded like to her.

Estë glanced over and saw that the young girl was making no sense of her words. "A flower, child, may look upon me without shame. A flower comes with its bad sides and its good sides, and yet if we only look at the bad then the gardens would be gone and there would be no beauty. You see child?"

"I am beginning to," Alenor answered. "You are saying that some of my ancestors made the wrong choice and in doing so we were shunned, and no thought was given to those that did no wrong. The gates were closed to us and in doing so you have led the light of Valinor fade from our hearts, much like the gardens would die if we only looked at those bad flowers? Yet it means there are few in which that light does not fade, and so we let Valinor live and let the Valar see us as actual people."

"Yes child that is what I am saying. Perhaps you have said it better then me."

"I do not think so, I put it into a way I could understand," Alenor answered, immediately disagreeing. She glanced up quickly, and was glad to notice that her quick peek had gone unnoticed. "Is that a fountain I hear?"

"It is would you like to see it?"

Alenor nodded. "I would." She let Estë lead her and the faint sounds of water splashing grew clearer. "Why am I here?"

Estë smiled secretly. "I wondered when we could get to that child. We are here for a multiple of reasons."

"Am I allowed to hear any of these reasons?" Alenor questioned. She noticed the path before her changed subtly. From a smooth gold cobbled path, it drifted into a vast plain of bluish marble with darker veins of the same color threading through it. With each shift of the leaves above it moved the shadows on the marble, making it seem as if it were actually water she was about to tread on. Alenor gasped and raised her eyes.

Having waited patiently for the child to realize where she was Estë, continued across the square and toward the fountain. "You are here in part because of Celebrian."

"Celebrian!" Alenor gasped, her eyes riveted on the fountain. It was of a woman of white marble upturning a vase on a pair of laughing children as they lifted their arms and faces to the waterfall. They seemed to move, their features were so lifelike. "It's so beautiful."

Seeing where her gaze was drawn, Estë smiled. "It is my favorite spot," she said. "Are we not here though to discuss other things?"

"Oh yes, forgive me my lady," Alenor replied, sitting on the seat that ringed the fountain. She ran her hands through the clear pool. "I mean Estë! I'm sorry I forgot."

"There is no harm," Estë answered, sitting down. "And yet all this time I have not heard your name."

"Alenor." Mortified again, she looked down, twisting her fingers through the fabric of the green skirt.

"Nearly like the golden elanor flowers," Estë mused. "But that is not why we are here. Time grows short."

"Short!" Alenor exclaimed, jumping up. "Please Estë! Don't make me go back. I can't take it any more."

"Shh," Estë answered, her voice soothing. She patted the stone edge of the fountain. "Come sit down and I will tell you why I am here on Celebrian's behalf."

Obligingly Alenor returned to her place. Her fingers would not be stilled, however and she continued to pick at her dress. She said nothing, giving Estë a free rein to continue.

"Celebrian has the gift of foresight. And from her mother she was gifted a few minor powers in the ways of charms and protections. She saw you in trouble, and knew you were Elrond's daughter," Estë started, carefully gauging for any reactions, yet Alenor remained silent, her head bowed. She would not interrupt. Please, Estë continued. "When she saw this, and saw her own torture reflected in your eyes, she at once began creating a protection charm. It was a necklace from her childhood that contained many memories of love. When she was finished she came to me and my husband and implored that we give it to you. We could not resist."

"I do not even know my Naneth," Alenor whispered. "How could she have known." She paused, stiffening. "Did I interrupt?"

"No child, I am finished. Celebrian is very old and wise. She knew, just as you know the sun will come up in the morning," Estë answered smiling. "All that remains is to give you the necklace so you may return."

Alenor, realizing that she was twisted her skirt so hard that her knuckles hurt, released the fabric. "I'm so scared. I don't want to go back to that."

"To run and hide is what we want in the worst of times. But we can't always do that, sometimes we have to stand firm and meet the terror head on," Estë, reached behind her neck and gently unclasped a chain. "Take it child and wear it. All the love and protection that Celebrian could give you are here."

Quietly Alenor accepted the gift from Estë. It was a child's golden necklace. The chain was a fine braid of woven links. Dangling from the centre was a bird in flight. "You will give Celebrian my thanks," she asked quickly, reaching up to clasp it around her throat.

"I will child," Estë stood. "It is time that you leave and return to a more natural sleep." Bending over she gave Alenor a farewell kiss on her brow. "May you recover."

Bréil was jerked out of his sleep, fully alert. Something was wrong. Sitting up he threw aside his blanket, his eyes falling to where Alenor slept beside him. She was gone.

Leaping to his feet Bréil, threw himself in a full circle, not even looking. Where could she have gone? She shouldn't have been anywhere but those blankets. Her leg was still broken, her mind trapped. He was rotating again when he caught sight of her standing alone.

Panicked, Bréil hurriedly made his way toward her. She was standing on an outcropping of rock, staring out at the world below her. She was favoring her broken leg, only lightly touching it the ground. Bréil broke into a run, fearing she was going to jump.

As he came closer though, he realized his mistake. Alenor wasn't about to jump. She fingering something at her throat and gazing out with a thoughtful look.

"Did I scare you?" her voice was soft, lucid.

Stunned, Bréil was stopped in his tracks, a few steps behind her. "Alenor, are you alright?" he asked cautiously, afraid that her mind had taken some new form in its insanity. "Why don't you come away from the edge?"

"I'm not going to jump," she demurred mildly. "I came to think. Come stand next to me for a moment. It's beautiful."

Carefully Bréil made his way to stand next to her. She was right. The moon washed over the broken landscape of trees and sharp rocks. It was his home. Glancing sideways he saw that the object she was playing with was necklace. He was quite sure that she hadn't been wearing it before. "Alenor what happened."

She looked at him, and her eyes were oddly sane. Not alive and dancing as they might have been once, but there was no fear. She looked at the necklace she was playing with. "It was a gift," she murmured. "From Celebrian, my Naneth. She made a charm from a childhood necklace. It protects me from my fear until I'm ready to deal with it." She smiled, a little shakily. "I am grateful to her."

She wasn't lying. Bréil realized he was about to cry in joy. "Alenor," he couldn't say anything more. He was relieved. It wasn't a full cure, but it was enough to protect her until she came to terms.

Alenor looked at him, and there were tears in her own eyes. "I forgive you Bréil." It was all she needed to say, delivered with a touch of the child innocence that somehow still lived within her.

Bréil let go, and the tears rolled down his face. He should not be crying, knew it, but couldn't stop it. Despite all his fears, Alenor was going to live. Without thinking he hugged her, and she hugged him back, laughing.