*Two years prior*

Fall in Lothlorien shone in golden hues, the large Malorn leaves glinting in the late-year sun, giving a warm ambiance as Taelen urged his horse forward. Behind him were Rumil and Orophin, and the three of them were on the road to Rivendell, a path new to Taelen. He had been reluctant to leave his home in Caras Galadhon, but he obeyed Lady Galadriel's desire for him to journey to the House of Elrond to continue his training as a healer.

"Slow down Taelen, we'll be out of the woods soon enough," called Rumil in a cheerful voice.

"I am not sure what you mean by soon enough, my friend," Taelen smiled back at him, "I am anxious to rest and eat."

Orophin humphed "If you are not careful, you'll eat all our provisions before we're in sight of Imladris."

"And I'll be sure to finish off your portion first!" Taelen said, his eyes twinkling, "I see I was mistaken, my dear Orophin, thinking you had forgiven me for finishing off the sweetbreads this morning."

The blonde Elf grumbled, pushing his horse past Taelen's.

Most of the day went like this, the woods around them thinning as they neared its end. From the edge of Lothlorien, it would be about a week and a half of smooth riding. They had planned to go over Caradharas, and on through the valley till they reached Imladris. Taelen knew many elves spoke of its beauty and wonder, though he hardly imagined it being as magnificent as his beloved woods of Lorien. He smiled and laughed, but he couldn't get rid of the uncertainty lurking in his heart. For years he had known he would journey to Rivendell but had hoped to be riding with more confidence than he was now.

"Taelen, what is wrong?" Rumil asked. Taelen had stopped, his eyes on the ground, and a hand over his heart. He looked at Rumil, trying to disguise his heartache, but he was never good at hiding his emotions.

"I am having a hard time saying goodbye, I guess."

"That's all?"

Taelen made eye contact with Rumil, opening his mouth and closing it again when he decided he wasn't sure what to say to his friend. He felt the weight of sadness steel across his heart as he searched for simple words to explain to his friend why he was not acting himself.

"I am unsure of my path and my abilities. Rivendell may bring answers, but my heart is reluctant to leave the Golden Wood."

"I have heard many a similar sentiment from those who journey outside of our realm of light," Rumil looked at him with kindness, "But know you are always welcome to come home if Rivendell doesn't hold the answers you are looking for."

Taelen thanked him with a smile and the two of them pushed their horses forward to catch up to Orophin, whom Taelen knew had ridden ahead to give him some space.

The weight in his chest did not leave, though he tried to smile every time he caught Rumil watching him. The sun had started setting when they neared the Nimrodel, where they planned to stop for the night. Often Taelen had dreamt of sitting on the edge of its bank, drinking its cold water and listening for the voice of Nimrodel to rise from its source.

"I'll race you to the water," Rumil said, his horse whinnying when he pulled on the reins.

"That's a contest you know you won't win," Taelen laughed.

They took off, and Rumil stayed with Taelen's pace for a furlong, and the later's horse soon outpaced the other. Taelen reached the water's edge in less than two minutes, but when he turned around to gloat, Rumil was gone. There was no sound of his horse, nor Orophin's. Taelen couldn't hear the river at his feet; the world had gone silent.

"Rumil! Orophin!" His voice only carried a few feet, and he shook his head in confusion.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow move. He grinned, thinking Rumil was trying to sneak up on him, but when he turned to confront the surprise, it was not Rumil, but a black mass thicker than smoke. As soon as he looked at it, it flew right at him. He yelped as it knocked him backward off his horse, scrambling to grab his sword from its sheath. The black mass flew at him again, once more knocking him onto his back, this time into the Nimrodel behind him. The water washed over him but was not flowing strong enough to push him downstream.

He shook his head, gasping for air and trying to see through the water in his eyes. The black mass was right above him now, and he watched in horror when out of the darkness a pale hand with terrible black claws formed. A cold laugh sounded as the hand reared back, readying its claws for a final strike. Taelen cried out, trying to push himself away, but slipping on the smooth rocks on the river bed. As the hand slashed downward, he closed his eyes and raised his arms to protect himself, expecting pain to tear through his flesh, but it never came. When he opened his eyes, instead of the hand above him, there was a wall of water. The black mass had disappeared, leaving no trace of it behind.

"Taelen!" Rumil came riding into view, Orophin right behind him.

Taelen dropped his arms, and the wall of water collapsed as well.

"Did you see where it went?" Taelen stood, shivering, though the air wasn't cold. Rumil and Orophin shook their heads,

"Where what went?" Orophin asked.

"The black smoke and pale hand, it was going to strike me, but I raised my arms, and when I did the water protected me."

The two blond elves looked at each other and back at Taelen, fear on their faces.

"We did not see any black smoke or pale hand," Rumil said, "But we saw the water when we found you."

"After we lost sight of you, it was like the path stretched on and on, and suddenly there you were," Orophin dismounted and started helping Taelen take off his travel tunic, which the later was having a hard time getting over his head, "Let's get you out of your wet clothes and by a warm fire."

Rumil began to build a fire while Taelen stripped to his base layer, and Orophin laid out their dinner. They ate in silence till Taelen finally spoke,

"I have to return to Caras Galadhen. I must speak of this to Galadriel and Celeborn."

"But we can take the message back, you must continue to Rivendell," said Rumil.

Taelen shook his head, "No, I have to go back. I have to speak to her about it myself," He looked up from his hands and across the fire at his friend, "I've finally discovered what my other Valar powers are, I can't leave my mentor now. And if I try to leave the Golden Wood, whatever evil I just encountered will attack again."

It was decided, in the morning they would return to the center of Lothlorien. And while this should have put Taelen's heart at ease, he found sleep evaded him. He wanted to rest, but the image of the hand, rearing back to strike him, kept coming back.

"How did you do it?"

Taelen was startled by Rumil's sudden question. His friend was taking the first watch, sitting dutifully by the campfire.

"How did I do what?"

"How did you move the water? It is the kind of thing you have been trying to do for years."

Taelen sat up, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm not sure, but I was frightened, and it is not as though I had often found myself lying in the middle of a river, trying to protect myself. I am not sure how this would have manifested before."

"Do you think you will be able to do it again?"

Taelen didn't answer right away. He stared into the fire, watching the flames dance together. Closing his hands into fists, he reached out into the world with his mind, just as Galadriel instructed him to do so often. He searched, looking for the connection he longed to create. It had happened so quickly with his Mother, he barely needed to search, but he had never found the link to his father. Now though, he knew where to look. He searched the streams around them, the river he had fallen into, and the mountain lakes which sourced its flow. And there, there in each body of water was the light he wanted. He touched it with his mind and felt calm joy fill his soul.

"Yes," He looked over at Rumil, "I will be able to do it again.