Chapter 5 – Recuperating
Disclaimer – I own nothing but my OC.
Rate and Review! A little bit of a lull for the journey that is to come! I actually wrote this to one of the tracks from the trilogy. 'Evenstar' is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in some time.
The magic of Lothlórien was not lost on Glyndwr as the Fellowship took time to recover beneath the powerful protection of its enchanted canopy. He would wander through the many gardens, deciding to commit it all to memory before they were to continue. Trickling water soothed his mind as he sat on the edge of a fountain, his eyes closed in bliss as he allowed the stresses of the journey to fall into the back of his mind.
"I thought I might find you here…" Fili's voice broke through the silence and he smiled.
"Was there ever any doubt that I'd be wandering through the gardens?"
"You always did get caught up in nature whenever I would visit you." The fair-haired prince sat right beside him.
"As much as I loved Wales and my home in Nghaerdydd, a lot of the land was built upon and forests were mostly in the valleys to the North. I've always loved nature…I'd often go for long walks with my father in the valleys. We wouldn't talk much but that was fine…it was just nice to walk with him." He smiled at the memory.
"For a long time, I never really held appreciation for the forests, for they were associated with Elves and we held dominion over stone." He turned to Glyn and kissed his hand softly. "And I remember when I first began to see beauty that wasn't beneath a mountain."
"Oh?"
"The first night in Rivendell…"
"What about it?"
"You'd excused yourself early from our meal and had changed out of your robes and armour. I saw you walking through the gardens in the starlight then…and I felt this kind of warmth within me…it was comforting and yet worrying. I, a Dwarf prince of the Lonely Mountain, felt something for one of our supposed enemies…that was how it would seem to the others at least."
"You knew way back then?" He smiled slightly.
"I did…I only didn't act on it because I did not know how Thorin would react or even if you would've returned my feelings…"
"Well I did in the end…" He chuckled softly.
"There were two fair sights I bore witness to that night. The Lady Galadriel with her kind smile and you…you were the fairest sight I had seen in my life. The way you walked through those gardens as content as can be…you seemed to thrive in Rivendell. I knew then what I felt…I always knew that it would be your choice to live as an Elf."
"My decision was motivated by you…your line lives longest…and as a Half-Elven, I could not match that. So I became an Elf…"
"And when I pass?..." Fili asked softly.
"We have many years before us until that becomes a matter to discuss. We shouldn't worry about what has yet to pass."
"Live in the here and now…" Fili repeated from that first night and he was answered with a gentle pair of lips on his own. His rough hand cupped Glyndwr's cheek softly as he returned the kiss with tenderness before they pulled away.
"Precisely."
"Very well…" He leaned his forehead against the others.
"When this journey is over, you have my solemn vow that I will walk the halls of Erebor with you."
"Good…I will hold you to it…" Fili smiled brightly at that as they looked back up at the trees, sunlight filtering down through the leaves. "You truly thrive amongst nature…"
"Hmm?" He looked at the other with that statement.
"I would have you stay with me in Erebor…but nothing grows beneath the mountains…unless…"
"Unless what?"
"I've an idea but I'm not going to tell you as I do not want to ruin the surprise." Fili said with his ever mischievous grin. "And no, there is nothing you can say that will get me to tell you."
"Fine…" He huffed.
"And one other thing…"
"What?"
"Please…please…please…let me braid this…" He brushed some of the Elf's hair behind his pointed ear with a grin.
"How many times are you going to ask?" At his question, Fili's grin merely widened. "Oh Fili…I love it when you smile but that grin is making me really nervous…"
"I'll stop it if you say yes…"
"Blackmail…oh how Dis would be so disappointed…" He rolled his eyes when the other laughed but he kept up the grin. "Dear Eru…okay…you can braid it."
"Yes!" He said triumphantly, causing a few Elves nearby to jump at the sudden noise. "Sorry…" He said with a sheepish smile when they looked over at him disapprovingly whilst Glyn's shoulders shook with barely suppressed laughter. "Easy to startle, these folk…"
Night slowly fell on the forest, the lanterns of Lothlórien providing a gentle light with which to see as the Fellowship settled down once more. Glyn was sharpening Dur Glas in their little dwelling, which they had since moved to be closer to the rest of the group. Boromir was still doing some last minute training with the Hobbits whilst Legolas gathered water from the nearby fountain. At the sound of ethereal voices, Glyndwr looked up to see the Elves had begun to sing once more. Not a lament this time, but a song of love.
"What do they sing of?" Merry asked during a lull.
"Of not faltering…that if you trust nothing else, then trust in love…" Glyn smiled wistfully as he put the sword and whetstone down so he could focus on the words.
"It is beautiful…" Fili walked over, his gaze never leaving Glyn as the song above continued.
"Yes…it is…" The Welshman's smile softened as the prince settled behind him and began to work on braiding one side of his hair.
"Every day, I find less to find fault in when it comes to Elves…" Kili walked over and took up the stone with his own sword.
"I suppose it also helps when your love is one of them…" Glyn smiled, earning a small smile in return.
"Very true…" He admitted. "But she is the exception to the rule…"
"How is she?"
"She is well…with our duties keeping us in our realms, we seldom see one another but when we do, I feel that the distance does not matter. Every moment we spend together is perfect…" Kili said and though Glyn could not see it, he knew for a fact that Fili was smiling. "With Thorin's blessing having been given…I feel content."
"I'm glad to hear it, Kee…"
"So the tensions between your peoples…do they not affect either of you?" Boromir asked as he took a moment to have some water.
"I travelled with Fili and his company when I arrived in Middle-Earth. As can be expected, there were a few tensions at first…"
"As time passed, I came to know Glyn as the generous, caring person that he was…he had no reason to help us but he did…and regardless of what my people thought, I knew what I felt and there wasn't anything that was going to get in the way of that." Fili smiled and everyone else smiled slightly at that.
"And that is all that matters…" Aragorn said quietly.
"Exactly…" Glyn smiled.
The rest of the Fellowship went silent and started to wind down as the song above continued. Glyn marvelled at how delicate Fili was with the braiding of his hair, delicately separating out his hair into the pattern needed. This was a Dwarf who fought with brute strength and no doubt helped with all his might to rebuild Erebor and yet here he was, ever so gently braiding his hair.
"Almost done…" The fair-haired prince said with a smile.
"You really know how to do this…"
"Braids are a very big part of our culture…you've seen us braid our beards as well as our hair…"
"All cultures braid their hair in some form or another. Sometimes it is for practicality, other times it is purely a cultural thing." Kili said and the other rose a brow.
"I'm being educated by Kili?" He chuckled, earning a pillow to the side in return.
"I can be serious from time to time…I just prefer not to."
"You're telling me…" Fili snarked as he finished off and brought him to the fountain. "What do you think?"
Fili had only braided the one side. Three braids seemed to feed into one much larger braid that came down over his shoulder. It reminded him somewhat of some of Viking styles that were being used on Earth in recent days. He smiled as he looked at it and felt along it, for Fili had made it well.
"It's perfect…"
"I'm glad you like it…because trust me…my mother would not have been too delicate…" He chuckled at the thought. "Would you believe Thorin was the gentler of the two?"
"Absolutely not." He laughed with Kili.
"No, it's true." The raven-haired Dwarf said when he calmed down.
"I speak about you often to her…she wants to meet you properly." Fili said and the other smiled ever so slightly. "She's curious to meet the Elf who managed to overcome the barriers of race…it's why I chose to do the braiding…to save your hair the pain."
"I'd be honoured to meet her if only to learn the secrets of how to live with Kili."
"Is it 'pick on Kili' day or something?" The prince in question asked in mock offence and some of the others chuckled.
"Of course not…that's every day brother."
"Thanks Fee…" He muttered good-naturedly as they returned to their seats.
"On a serious note…" Aragorn said, catching their attention. "Soon we shall depart Lothlórien. Rest now while you can for we will not have such comfort for some time." The ranger said and they all settled down as the Elves continued to sing.
The next morning, the Elves had approached the Fellowship with twelve cloaks, all of the same shade and made to fit the individual. They clasped them around the twelve with green, silver-veined leaf brooches as Celeborn spoke to them.
"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes." The Elven lord said before Galadriel approached them. Several Elves held various items and followed closely behind her as she walked up to Legolas.
"My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim. Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin." The Lady of Light said as he was presented with a new bow. He pulled the string in wonder as she went to Merry and Pippin. "These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war. Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage." She smiled gently at them as they looked at her in uncertainty. "And for you, Samwise Gamgee, Elven rope made of hithlain. Within this box is an acorn and some earth from my orchard. This Mallorn tree will flourish under your care."
"Thank you, my lady. Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?" He asked and she smiled as she moved to Kili and Fili.
"To Kili, I give to you arrows of Lothlorien…they will always find their mark so long as your aim is true. To Fili, I give to you knives used by our scouts. May they prove useful if ever you or your companions are in a bind."
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel…" Fili bowed, as did Kili.
"To you, Glyndwr Magnus, I give to you a bow of the Noldorin. It saw extensive service during the time of the Last Alliance." He was presented with a long bow which had an identical shape to his old one, but it was made of deep brown wood with intricate golden detailing around the grip. "It belongs in the hands of a Noldor elf and it will not fail you…" She kissed his forehead gently.
"I am grateful, my lady…" He smiled softly and she moved to Gimli. Glyndwr, Fili and Kili looked on in interest then.
"And what gift would a dwarf ask of the Elves?" She asked and the Dwarf looked almost bashful.
"Nothing. Except to look upon the lady of the Galadhrim one last time…" He said and they noticed her gentle smile ever growing. "…for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth." At this, she laughed softly, a beautiful sound if ever they heard one. They allowed him some privacy as they made sure their new gifts were equipped.
"Their generosity will not be forgotten…" Fili said as he looked at the cloak.
"Before Gandalf cast his spell on my guardsman cloak, he informed me that cloaks of Lothlórien have the ability to shield us. Remember when I hid us on Ravenhill? The Orcs mistook us for but a rock…"
"Very handy to have…" Kili said appreciatively.
"Well…once more we set out…" Glyndwr looked back at the woods. "I will miss Lórien…"
"We may yet return before they depart for Valinor…" Fili reassured. "But first, we must ensure Frodo makes it to Mount Doom."
"Yes…we can plan our next journey after this…"
And so ends the Lothlórien section of our journey and we move down the Anduin. There we will see the breaking of the Fellowship and I will be left to decide which path our three will take.