The deeper paths of Lothlorien were new to Rian, who had only ever skirted the edges of the forest when traveling with Gandalf. The trees around them as they rode were taller than any she had seen before, with gold and silver leaves and bark smooth to the touch. Starlight seemed suspended between the giant bows, illuminating the forest floor in a soft grey light. She had been astonished by the beauty of Rivendell, but nothing Taelen could have told her would prepare her for the home of Lady Galadriel.
The scenery provided Rian a convenient reprieve from conversation with the others. While listening to the soft footfalls of their horses overlaid with sounds from the woods around them, she thought about their goal and their faraway home in Valinor. A new longing for that home, sat in her heart the moment they entered the Golden Woods- a desire to know the home in Valinor she could not remember. Here now near Caras Galadhon, the center of Elvendom on Middle Earth, she felt closer to the majesty of Valinor. She hoped to keep that feeling as long as possible.
As they broke through the trees into a clearing marked as the entrance to the Elven city, a cheery voice called out.
"Taelen! I was not sure when you would arrive!"
Rian turned her attention away from the breathtaking view, and she noticed a blond Elf standing at the base of one of the large tree dwellings who wore the same grey and green travel garb as Taelen. This Elf hurried toward them, and Taelen hopped off his horse just in time to get lifted off his feet in the biggest display of emotion Rian had seen from an Elf.
"Rumil! I did not think you would be here!" Taelen laughed, returning the hug from his friend.
"They sent word you were returning two days ago, and Orophin and I got special permission to return!"
Rian could not help but grin at the display of friendship. She felt a pang of jealousy but did not let her outward appearance show it.
"My ladies," Rumil turned to the three still on their horses, "It is an honor to have you here in the Golden Wood. Our Lady of Light has asked me to bring you to her tâlan if you are not too weary from your journey."
"We would be honored to join her as soon as possible," Arien said, climbing down from her horse.
Rumil watched Arien with a soft expression as she walked past him toward the small stables, letting out a near audible breath before catching himself and leading the rest of the group to follow her. Rian restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She saw many Elves react to Arien in this way while in Rivendell, but it didn't get any less annoying.
When they had settled their horses in, Rumil showed them a hidden walking path, and confidently led them through the labyrinth of silver tree trunks and under the endless canopy of gold leaves.
"Did you have any trouble near the border?" Rumil asked as they walked, his question directed at Taelen.
"No orcs or anything of that sort," Taelen responded almost too quickly, glancing at Rian, who walked beside him, "Have you seen anything odd at the Southern Border?"
"Yes," Rumil's countenance changed. "A foul presence has tried to enter the woods. It leaves if we get too close, but it makes my heart run cold."
The four Valar exchanged looks, and Arien asked,
"Have you been able to see it? Where exactly is it trying to go?"
"We are not sure but –"
The approach of another Elf at the base of a winding staircase stopped Rumil's answer short.
"Lady Galadriel has been expecting you," the Elf said, looking over the small group, "I shall show you to her. You may stay here and wait for them, Rumil."
Rumil nodded, giving a brief smile to Taelen as he stepped back to let the four Valar follow the Elf up. The staircase wound around the smooth trunk of a large Malorn tree. Intricate patterns were carved into the trunk, each line flowing into the next. Up and up they climbed till a platform opened, and a roof of woven branches sat over their heads. Lady Galadriel stood from her chair at the far edge, walking toward them with a reserved smile on her ethereal face. Rian again felt closer to Valinor, and she longed to ask Galadriel to describe it.
"You need but ask, Fëanáro, and the beauty of Valinor shall be known to you again."
A clear voice spoke to Rian in her mind. She showed no outward sign of hearing this, Aragorn had told her stories as a child of the Lady of Light whose voice could enter your thoughts and give you peace and mystery all at once. But she still did not like the someone else being in her mind.
"My Lady," Arien stepped forward, bowing her head, "we are grateful to find shelter in your city."
"It is I who am grateful to have the four of you here." Galadriel extended her hand to Arien and looked past her to the rest of them, her demeanor changing as she looked at Taelen. "Long have I desired to see you all together. Tonight you may relax: the troubles during your journey are known to me. Rest, and we shall meet in the morning."
She instructed the Elf who accompanied them to have Rumil take them to their tâlan but asked Taelen to stay a moment. Rian followed the others down the winding stair but paused long enough to see Taelen break down in tears, falling into a nearby chair. The sight shocked Rian – Taelen had not shown any emotion like this. His tears flowed freely in the private moment with his guardian, who stroked his red hair and whispered words of care. For all the good Taelen did to calm his companions and heal them of their afflictions – physical and emotional – he had not been able to give himself comfort.
Rian wondered how much suffering they were all doing in private. She was envious Taelen could find his source of comfort here.
Rumil and another Elf showed them to their tâlans, where Rian found her saddlebags already unpacked, and her one pair of clean clothes - a nicer shirt and leggings she was saving - was laid out on the bed. Arien had made it clear they should all make an appearance at the feast being held in their honor, though Rian wanted nothing more than to lay herself out on the bed beside her clothes and sleep till dawn. But instead, she dutifully washed off the weeks of travel in the hot bath, dressed in her clean clothes, and ran her fingers through her hair before leaving to find the others.
Arien stood not far from the group of tâlans, her long hair clean and shiny, falling in soft curls down her back. She was wearing a dark blue dress Rian had not seen before.
"Do you always travel with a spare dress?" Rian asked, rubbing the toe of one of her mud-covered boots on the grass.
"I have never traveled before," Arien blushed, "I did not know what to bring."
"I suppose anything you can fit, as long as you have enough food?" Rian looked around, hoping Taelen or Hanna would suddenly appear.
"Taelen and Hanna already left, I stayed to walk with you," Arien motioned to a path ahead.
"Ah, well, thank you."
Arien smiled at her, and they started walking down the path toward the center of Caras Galadhon. Rian walked with her hands in her pockets, her head tilted, so her hair hung forward to cover her face. Walking beside Arien under the Malorn trees was harder than riding together through mountain paths.
"It would have been nice to rest a moment more," Arien sighed, breaking the silence. Rian nodded, unsure what to say in response, but to her relief, Arien kept talking. "The attack by the fëa-wolf scared me more than I would like to admit. I wish I could be as unfazed as you."
Rian nearly stopped in her tracks. "I assure you, I am not unfazed."
"No? You seemed so calm afterward. Are you not alright?"
"I-" Rian almost said she was fine, but stopped herself from lying. Lying wasn't going to help her. "I have always hid my emotions. I- I did not want to be viewed as weak amongst the Dunedain."
"Your emotions do not make you weak," Arien looked at her sympathetically, "But I understand it is not easy amongst a group of men, I'm sorry."
"Thank you," Rian wasn't sure what else to say, so she stuck her hands further in her pockets and tried not to look at Arien anymore.
They came across the feasting party before too much longer. Taelen and Hanna sat in the middle, and Rumil and an Elf who bore a family resemblance to him sat with them, eating from large platters of food.
"I could not have guessed the joy I would have to be home again," Taelen told them when they sat, "Nor the joy at having you see my beloved Lorien."
"It is nice, I suppose," Rian shrugged, trying not to smirk.
"I saw the way your eyes shone when we rode through the trees," Hanna said, handing her a plate, "Do not pretend you are unaffected by the beauty the Elves have cultivated here."
Rian made a face and proceeded piling food on her plate. Trail rations were alright, she was used to eating them for a month at a time, but the Elven food looked infinitely better. An hour later, however, Rian longed for a hearty bowl of stew from The Prancing Pony. The Elvish food tasted good, but she seemed to have eaten half the table and still did not feel full.
Throughout the dinner, Arien, Taelen, and Hanna chatted gaily around her, and various Elves approached their table to receive an introduction from Taelen. Taelen knew everyone, as far as Rian could tell. He knew their name, their family, and some infliction or another he had helped them with years ago.
"You seem to be a crowd favorite," Rian said to him over the top of her glass of wine.
"It was my duty to care for everyone here, in one way or another," Taelen shrugged and waved his hand casually, "I wanted to learn how to use my healing abilities for more than wounds or illness - healing the heart is more fulfilling."
Rian nodded and took a large gulp of wine. Music had started to grow from the corner of the glen, where a group of Elves sat with various instruments. She could understand only a few of the phrases they sang but wasn't sure if it was her beverage or their language that made it difficult to interpret their words.
"Come and dance!" Taelen said, pulling Hanna to her feet and motioning for Arien and Rian to join them.
Rian grimaced, but Arien laughed and rose to follow them. The three of them moved lightly over the grassy forest floor, the music flowing around them and the Elves who joined. Rian watched on, appreciating their momentary joy, but thinking about other things. It had been a few days since she and Taelen had practiced her fire control, and she didn't know if there was a safe place to do so here in the middle of the forest.
"Are you not enjoying yourself, my lady?" A tall Elf came and sat by her, a curious expression on his face.
"I am having a pleasant enough time," Rian said flatly, not looking at him.
"Do you not enjoy dancing?"
"I prefer to watch."
"May I watch with you?"
"Are you not already doing that?" Rian raised an eyebrow, still watching him only through her peripherals. The Elf sat but did not respond for a minute, then cleared his throat once and said,
"I worked closely with Taelen for several years, it is exciting for us to see him here now with his kin," He said. "As expected, you have even those of us who live near Lady Galadriel in awe of your beauty and power."
"We appreciate the kindness everyone has shown." Rian wasn't sure what the Elf's purpose in sitting next to her was, but her palms had begun to sweat against the glass she held in her lap.
"I am not sure you remember, but we met once before when you were very young. I am Haldir, Captain of the Guard."
Rian looked at him fully for the first time. It had been many years since Rian had seen him, but he looked much the same. He was a handsome Elf, though most were, with a high brow and grey eyes. He wore what she assumed was his Captain of the Guard regalia on top of clean travel clothes. As she studied his face, she remembered vaguely a night spent around a campfire.
"How long has it been?" She asked, laughing as some of her discomfort faded. "I do not think I have seen you since our journey to the Blue Mountains."
"Indeed, it has been many years. You have grown, Fëanáro."
"All but my hair," Rian shook her head a little to emphasize the short length.
"Yes, I can see that." Haldir smiled, "If I remember correctly, you did not like doing your hair, and you refused to wear dresses. It seems like you still reflect the same mindset."
Rian looked down at her leggings and blushed, "And If I'm being honest, I have never regretted that until today."
Haldir frowned.
"Why today?"
"Have you seen the others?" Rian gestured to Arien, Hanna, and Taelen.
"What about them?"
"They are all so…" Rian searched for the right word but couldn't bring her thoughts into one.
"Rian, you do not need a dress or long hair to be beautiful and fearsome," Haldir said.
Rian bit her lip and asked, "Where did we meet the first time? We journeyed together more than once, so you will have to excuse my lapse in memory." She asked.
"You were very young, I believe it was one of your first trips out of Bree," Haldir turned a piece of grass over in his fingers, "I believe you and Gandalf were traveling to Rohan and you stopped near the border of Lothlorien. We camped with you that night. You had long hair then, and wore the clothes of a ranger - though they didn't quite fit you."
"I do remember that," Rian chuckled, "It was the first time I met an Elf."
"You refused to speak with us, and pretended to sleep while we talked with Gandalf."
"I was embarrassed - you were all lovely, and I felt ragged. You were different than the Rangers, or the usual crowd in Bree."
"Well, if lack of beauty is reason for embarrassment, then I must excuse myself from your presence," Haldir laughed.
Rian rolled her eyes, "Please no more compliments, they make me feel like you are talking to someone else."
"I can only speak the truth, but I shall refrain from making you uncomfortable." Haldir laughed again, and Rian blushed.
She was saved from further response by a sudden cheer from the dancing Elves. Arien had stepped up onto a platform, the musicians gathering around her. She opened her mouth and began to sing. It was a song Rian knew very well, Aragorn had taught it to her when she was a child. It was the song of the Star-Queen.
"A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath,
na-chaered palan diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath
nef aear, sí aearon,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
Nef aear, sí aearon!"
As Arien sang she closed her eyes and lifted her hands. Small glimmers of light appeared around the glen, bobbing up and down in time with the music. The tempo picked up, and the lights began to float through the crowd and up the side of surrounding trees. The glen was illuminated, the brightness akin to the midday sun as the music swelled to its final climax. Rian had to raise a hand to shield her eyes, but then the light was gone, all of it summoned back to Arien, who lowered her glowing palms with the last word of the song.
The crowd made no sound, all of them holding a collective breath before Taelen stood, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Thank you, my friends, for such a wonderful celebration tonight," he addressed the crowd with his glass raised, "We do not know how long we shall stay, but I toast now to the beauty of Lothlorien. May the Valar always bless it."
The Elves lifted their own glasses, and when Taelen sat they began to talk amongst each other again. Hanna and Taelen spoke with Arien for a moment before the three of them joined Rian and Haldir on the edge of the glen.
"We should retire for the night," Hanna said, "I think we should investigate the Nimrodel tomorrow."
"I agree," said Rian, a moment too late - she was still thinking of Arien's performance.
The three left Rian to bid goodnight to Haldir, who asked if he could walk her to her tâlan.
"I have never seen such a wonderful display of power," He said as they walked.
"It was magnificent," Rian said, her voice monotone.
"Can you do the same thing?"
"No," She shook her head, "But we all have different… abilities."
"Interesting," Haldir looked at Rian pointedly, but she ignored him, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.
"It was good to see you again, Haldir," she said when they reached her tâlan.
"The pleasure has been mine," he bowed his head, "I look forward to helping you and your kin in any way I can during your stay."
Rian thanked him and went inside, sighing heavily as she shut the door. How many years had it taken Arien and the others to master their abilities? And how long would it take her?