Going to go back a bit in the story. To just before Eleniel wakes from her dream so don't get confused or anything.
"She's been sleeping for a long time." Arwen said sadly, looking at the she-elf that occupied the bed. Eleniel had been sleeping for about a week now. The colour had slowly returned to her cheeks and her hair seemed to get shinier. Her Ada, Glorfindel and her brothers were also there visiting the fair maiden. All of them wondered what it was that ailed her. Lord Elrond was one of the best healers in all of Arda so they did not understand why she still slept.
"I do not know what is wrong," Elrond said, his frustration showing clearly for he could not help his friend. "I have tried everything."
Glorfindel looked at the Elven Lord sadly. He knew that his friend felt much frustration and grief for not being able to help Eleniel. "We know my friend. Do not give up hope, she shall wake."
The Elven Lord smiled gratefully at him before the room once again filled with silence. The siblings only wanted to get to know the fair maiden, maybe hear some stories of their grandmother when she was younger while Glorfindel and Elrond could not help thinking of why she was in Imladris. They of course were happy but the Lady Eleniel had not been seen by so many people for a countless amount of years so for her to show herself to them... Something was wrong. They spent that evening in Lord Elronds office discussing what it is that Eleniel could be here for and came up empty handed with only headaches and further frustrations that alcohol could not help them overcome.
It was only the next day when the subject of their thoughts finally awoke. Everyone was there. The twins and Arwen laughing and joking amongst themselves while Glorfindel and Elrond spoke animatedly on more serious topics. The group were rapidly losing hope that Eleniel would ever wake but it seemed that the Valar heard their prayers for they heard a low groan come from the bed.
They watched as her eyes slowly slid open when Glorfindel ran over to her bedside and exclaimed, "You're awake!". The rest of the group followed his actions with Lord Elrond sat next to Glorfindel on Eleniel's left while his children stood behind him, happy that the lady was awake and alive.
The siblings watched as she turned her eyes towards them gasping when they looked upon her beauty. The fair maiden was beautiful as she slept but she was absolutely breathtaking when she was awake especially when she smiled brightly at them. Her eyes they thought; they were a brilliant grey colour, something that in all their years they had not seen on any others features.
They watched as her smile seemed to brighten even more when she looked at their Ada and Glorfindel, "Nae saian luume, Elrond, Glorfindel." (It has been too long) she greeted them with a grateful smile for no doubt, saving her. They both returned her smile before embracing her tightly. A soft, almost musical giggle escaped her lips as she hugged her friends back just as tightly.
"Welcome to Imladris, my friend." Lord Elrond greeted her with a smile.
Although Eleniel had spent about a week resting in bed, Elrond had straight away confined her to the bed stating that she still was not well enough to move about. Eleniel was pissed. Although the visits from Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen certainly lifted her spirits. She was currently telling them stories about their grandmother when she was a little girl.
She told them of how Galadriel would always explore that forest that surrounded their home, claiming she was looking for dwarves and Men. She told them how whenever she went 'exploring', she always came back with twigs in her hair and mud on her clothes and face. The Elves couldn't imagine their proper, perfect grandmother being so childish but they had the proof in the form of Eleniel. Eleniel also gave the twins advice about certain pranks they could play on their Ada and Glorfindel. Was she being a bad influence by encouraging them? Probably. Did she care or was she going to stop? Not really. She only knew that with a war going on, everyone needed to find any means of happiness and laughter. They would come back at all hours of the night in tears as they told their 'tîrada' (Aunt) as they called her all about the pranks they had played on the Elves.
While the twins and her bonded over the mischievous things in life, Eleniel and Arwen bonded over other things. Arwen spoke of her need to protect her family from harm but how she sometimes felt like her brothers and father always smothered her. Eleniel understood her and told her that her family only did that out of love but that did not mean that she should let herself being a distressed maiden that needed protection.
"Sometimes you will provide protection and sometimes you will be the protected," Eleniel told the young elleth who reminded her strongly of herself. "There is no shame in having others defend you, as long as you are able to protect yourself aswell."
"It may be frowned upon for a woman to learn how to wield a sword in some parts of Arda but that does not mean that we cannot still be felled by one."
The elder elleth spent much time with the younger, just talking to her and giving her attention. Eleniel had also begun to teach her the language of her people aswell, although surprisingly, Arwen was having a harder time learning the language compared to the Hobbits.
It was only a few days after Elrond's proclamation when the elleth finally was allowed to leave her confinement and move around. After bathing and choosing a deep red dress from the wardrobe in her room, she moved towards Elronds office, hoping beyond all belief that the Elf Lord was there. Knocking, she sighed in relief when she heard him calling for her to enter.
"My friend, it is so nice to see you up and moving about." The Elf Lord said as she walked into the room silently. She was not surprised to find Glorfindel sat on a chair in front of his desk, a free one placed beside him. She sat down slowly before allowing her eyes to look over the room.
Just as she thought, there were many bookshelves that lined the walls. Some books looked old with age while others looked as if they had not yet been read by their owner. Noticing the silence in the room and the stares on her form, she stopped her observing and looked at her two oldest friends in all of Arda. "I'm assuming that you are both curious as to why I have returned to Imladris?," she asked both of them, receiving nods of affirmation in return.
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
She looked into the shocked and slightly fearful eyes of Elrond and Glorfindel. Both of them wondering how she knew such a poem that was written by Bilbo Baggins. "How come you to know the words to such a poem?," Elrond asked her.
"How, is not the question you should be asking... You know what it is that I have come for. You know what it is that I seek..." Eleniel watched as Elrond and Glorfindel buckled under the fear that they felt. The fear they felt for the Dúnedain Chieftain who was out there fighting for the freedom of everyone in Middle Earth.
Elrond looked at you tearily before they filled with such anger. "I cannot, I will not. I refuse!" He yelled at her, his chair clattered to the floor after he stood so suddenly. Elrond did not know what to do. He knew what she had come for; that damn sword but, Estel was his son and he would be damned if he put a target on his back by reforging that sword. Elrond had never felt such fear. Fear for his Estel.
"Do not let your selfish thoughts cloud your judgement. The sword must be remade!," Eleniel shouted at the Elf Lord, not being able to stop herself and rein in her temper. She could not understand why Elrond did not want to help Aragorn. Narsil could only help the Ranger in the long run.
Glorfindel watched from the sidelines as his two friends stared angrily at each other, noses flaring as their clenched fists indicated their deep anger. "You do not understand. That sword will only endanger him! I only wish for him to be safe."
She sighed sadly, looking at the Elf Lord. "I know you wish to protect him but this is his destiny. Narsil must be remade for he cannot win this war without it at his side."
Elrond hissed at the surprisingly distraught lady, small tears forming in his eyes before he met her grey eyes head on. "I do not know if you have a sound judgement either. He is my son while he is nothing to you except a means to end this war."
Glorfindel groaned lowly once he heard those words and saw Eleniel's eyes turn a dark colour, reminiscent of storm clouds when she spoke her next words. "You do not know what it is that you speak of, my Lord," she said, using his title so he would know that she was truly hurt by his words for thinking that of her. Amongst friends, there was no such thing as titles. "You do not know what he means to me." She hissed lowly to the raven haired Elf accompanied by a glare.
They both watched as her hand caressed absentmindedly at her neck as if imagining something else there. Glorfindel immediately recalled the jewel pendant necklace that once hung there and asked after the necklace remembering how fiercely protective she had been of it all those years ago. She only told him that it now hung around the neck of the only one she loved, protecting him while she could not be at his side. Elrond was silent all throughout this encounter, his mind preoccupied when he made one startling realisation.
"It is you," He said, his mind going haywire with this information. "You are the one that I have been seeing in my visions. The woman Estel is in love with." Elrond looked regretfully at the elleth, knowing now that his words before must have deeply hurt the fair lady.
Eleniel looked to be close in tears before nodding her head yes. "Estel is so much more than a means to end a war. He is everything. I will no sooner kill myself before I let anything happen to him." The Elf Lord looked successfully penchant as he thought over the words she had spoken before nodding his head. He was still scared but knew that it was time to let go. Estel was his son but Middle Earth needed Aragorn, Chieftain of the Dúnedain and Heir to the Throne of Gondor.
Eleniel sighed in relief before smiling brightly at Elrond and Glorfindel. The Elf Lord stood before moving to the door, speaking as he walked, "I shall call for the best blacksmiths in all of Imladris." It was only Eleniel calling him that stopped his plight when he heard her speak.
"I have a much better idea if you are open to advice," Eleniel spoke, her uncertainty clear in her voice and body language but smiled when she received a nod from Elrond.
Eleniel hesitated for a short moment before saying to the Elf Lord and Glorfindel, "We must send for aid from the dwarves of Erebor." Needless to say they thought her idea was stupid and it did not go down well with the other two.
"Is the blacksmiths of Imladris not good enough for such a task?" Elrond asked her dangerously, clearly offended at that thought while Eleniel rolled her eyes at his childishness.
"Do not be stupid. The Elves possess wondrous talents with steel but the Dwarves were born from stone, their skill is something that no one can replicate," she told them both, daring them to disagree with her. "Narsil was crafted by Telchar of Nogrod and as such I feel that his kin should only rightfully be the ones to remake it."
Although they did not want to admit it aloud, they knew she was right. If Eleniel was a little smug about actually getting the two Elves to mention something that Dwarves were better at them at then no one said anything. The next day Glorfindel and a small group of Elves that included Elladan and Elrohir left for Erebor. With them they carried a piece of parchment with a message written for the Lady Dis and Dain Ironfoot, King Under The Mountain. Also accompanied with that parchment was a small bead, one that Eleniel knew that the right people would recognise.
When she laid down to sleep that night, Eleniel felt a deep satisfaction settle in her. Hopefully everything went to plan.
So yes, there will be Dwarves in this story. And yes, Narsil actually was made by a Dwarf so that's one of the main reasons as to why I included them in this story and also I just freaking love them so much. Anyways more Eleniel next chapter and hopefully will be returning to Aragorn and the others soon but I kind of need to get through everything at Rivendell before I can move on sooooo lol. Can you believe we're on Chapter 18? I originally wanted to finish this book by chapter 25 but I guess not haha.
Anyways hope you enjoyed xx