Authors note: Just a short chapter to keep you all going. I hope you enjoy it and I promise the wedding is coming with hopefully no more interruptions. As always any suggestions let me know!
Our journey to Lorien is uneventful although every moment away from Aragorn brings a new ache to my heart but Haldir and Gandalf do their best to keep me occupied.
"We are here My Lady," Haldir's voice says softly bringing me out of my latest daydream about Aragorn and I look up at the trees towering above me embracing the serenity that washes over me and relishing the look of absolute joy on Haldir's face as he sees his home again. We ride for perhaps two hours more before we find ourselves in from of the Lord and Lady of the woods and dismount quickly. I bow my head slightly as Haldir and Gandalf greet them heartily, as I would were I in front of Legolas and Aragorn and the hobbits again that thought sending a pang of anguishh through my heart before I can stop it.
"I am so pleased to see a face I had feared I may not amongst you," Galadriel smiles catching my eye as I look up, "Thank you Peyson, you have saved the life of a great friend at much cost to yourself and I shall help you to understand and control your gift in return for your gift," she smiles and I mimic it albeit nervously.
"Your gift is stronger than we had managed I hear that even the lady's gift was unable to keep the visions at bay," Celeborn says now and I look down again unable to hold his eye and feeling ashamed that I did not have any control over myself.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of child," Galadriel smiles now approaching me and placing a finger under my chin forces me to look at her as she gazes into my eyes and her voice once again fills my head as she speaks to me privately. "He would not want you feeling so anguished you will be with him again soon and I have already sent word that you have arrived safely," I give her a watery smile this time as a silent thank you.
"If you will excuse me my lord and lady I would like to visit with my brothers now that I am home," Haldir says and they both nod, "Lady Peyson I shall see you in a few days," he says turning to me before disappearing into the trees so quickly he is almost a blur. That is almost the most excited I have ever seen an elf and if he was not so graceful I would almost say he skipped away.
"Now go settle in and write to your betrothed before you rest we begin training at first light," Gandalf says and I turn to see an elf maiden has appeared by my side and is waiting to lead me off to my room so I nod and follow her silently.
"Here my lady let me know if you need anything," she says in and although she is speaking Westron I can tell it is something she struggles with.
"Diola lle (Thank you)," I say smiling a little as I see her shocked expression.
"lle quena lye lambe (you speak our tongue)," she says in shock and I smiling again, "amin, Amin caela n'ala omente en' lle race ya quena lye lambe (forgive me, I have never before met someone of your race who speaks our tongue)," she says and I giggle a little before I can stop myself.
"Amin dura tanya naa ten' eller naa il- nir', amin amin ere' sinta en' amin ar' er n'at tanya uma (I believe that is because there are not many, I myself only know of myself and one other that does)," I reply and she nods before smiling more brightly.
"i' arwen en' i' tanya lle caela y' a' send amin ta tuulo' lle e' i' amrun ar' ta, amin arwen (The lady of the wood said that you would have a letter to send I shall collect it from you in the morning and send it right away, goodnight my lady)," she bids me farewell and I shut the door and stare around the beautiful room for a minute or two before sitting at the small desk and pulling a piece of parchment towards me.
Aragorn,
I have arrived and it is beautiful. I am beginning my training at first light in the morning.
I miss you. I know that I should say that I am loving it here already and that I will throw myself into my training in the hope of controlling this thing and I will but in truth it will be because I wish to get back to you. In truth every moment away from you makes my heart ache in a way I did not think possible.
I will be strong for you my love because I know that is what you would wish and I will return to you as soon as I possibly can, be safe and please check in on Annabeth and her siblings and send them my best. Oh and please let Marrianna know that I am well.
I love you and know that you are on my mind always.
Yours forever Peyson.
I fold the letter neatly and seal it resting it on the table and finally fall into my bed and a restless sleep.
I wake after only a few hours darkness still surrounding me but a few weak rays of light permeating the branches and the windows to let me know that dawn was fast approaching and so I drag my weary body from the bed and quickly wash and dress before crossing to the desk and letting my fingers brush across the parchment there. Picking it up I tuck in quickly into my belt before heading down the stairs and out into the forest. I have been wandering through the trees for nearly twenty minutes before I realise that I have no idea where I am or where I am going and I am just beginning to think that I should not have left my room without someone to guide me when a voice behind me makes me jump round drawing my sword in reflex.
"Peace child, the war is over there is no threat in these woods," Lady Galadriel smiles and I feel my face flush as I drop my arm and sheath my sword.
"I am sorry… force of habit," I mutter and she simply smiles knowingly.
"Since long before you joined the fellowship," she says knowingly and I nod a little unable to meet her eye as she takes my arm instead and leads me to a clearing. "Would you like to give that letter to one of my messengers they will ensure it is with him before the end of the week," she says and I pull it out and hold onto it tightly for a moment before I hand it over to her and watch her give it to an elf with a series of instructions.
"Do you wish your granddaughter had stayed and was with him now?" I ask quietly as she walks to stand beside me once more.
"No. Peyson I have had many hundreds of years longer than you to understand my sight and I learnt to trust the visions I had as you will. Some things… most things are not set in stone, they can change as we change our decisions. You proved that when you saved the life of Haldir, I had seem him fall at that battle and he would have had you not intervened however some things are always meant to be. You and Aragorn, your union has been written for many centuries and the Valar have ensured that you found each other," she says and I stare at her in utter reverence as I digest this news.
"So how do I train then?" I ask after a minute and she smiles,
"Come, let us find a nice quiet spot where Gandalf shall join us and first we shall tell you a bit of history," she says leading me further into the forest again.
We sit for hours together on that first day discussing what my sight meant. I say we, I mostly just listened and tried to digest what I was hearing which was not easy. It turns out that I am the first non elf to receive the gift of sight in nearly a thousand years and that my sight is extremely powerful, it is rare for someone to be able to see things from just touching another person and even rarer that they can see moments from a persons past as well as future. It seems that my… gift, as that is what they are calling it can be unpredictable even with training and Galadriel has said that she has seen that it will be a great advantage to us in the future but that it could also put me in great peril. I think I may not mention that bit to Aragorn and the others.
The next two weeks drift by in a haze of meditation activities, trying to glean visions from touching various objects, learning to control my visions, passing out when the visions are too strong and waiting impatiently for the news that I can go home. It is at the end of the second week when I get two great pieces of news first that I shall be heading home the next day and then a letter from Gondor. I rush to my room as soon as I can that day, fully aware and choosing to ignore the looks that were being passed between Galadriel and Gandalf, looks that clearly said they were worried about something and that something was probably me but all I can care about at the moment was reading my letter. Reaching my room I shut the door quickly behind me and sink cross legged on my bed breaking open the seal on the letter with shaky hands.
Little one,
I am glad you have arrived safely, it is a weight off my mind to know you are safe. I am perhaps more used to being separated from those I love as a ranger but it does not make it any easier and you as always make me different. I miss you more than I can say my little one.
Eowyn has taken on organising the biggest wedding Gondor has ever seen and I received word from Gandalf that you would be home by months end so Eowyn has decided that the wedding will be at the end of next month. A winter wedding she says but I am sure you shall have fun discussing such things with her when you are here.
Be safe my love and do not rush your training just to see me (I know what you are like).
Yours always
Aragorn.
Tears well in my eyes as I read and re-read the letter my heart aching to be near him so much so that an almost physical pain washes through me. A knock on my door startles me out of my dwelling and I blink back the tears quickly and tucking the letter under my pillow I move to open the door surprised to see Galadriel standing in the doorway.
"My Lady, did I miss a meeting with you?" I ask in confusion and she laughs lightly, a bell like sound that makes me think my own laughter must sound like an orcs bellow in comparison.
"I wanted a quick word before you left," she says and I nod.
"I do not leave until tomorrow…"
"Plans have been changed you leave within the hour," she says and I start again in surprise moving back towards my bed as she enters behind me, closing the door and taking a seat at the desk.
"Has something happened?" I ask fear for Aragorn for the others creeping into my mind before I can even process anything else.
"There are enemies still in Middle Earth Peyson and we think it wise that you move before they find out that you are not in Gondor," she is speaking as if it is matter of fact and I am nodding along although I don't really have any idea what she is talking about and I know that she must be able to read that because whilst we have worked on building up my defences they are down at the moment and she is too powerful but she obviously does not seem to think she needs to explain further so I continue to nod politely.
"So I must be on the lookout for trouble?" I ask and she nods although I can tell she has not finished.
"You must always be on the lookout but that is not why I came. You are strong Peyson but you do not yet have full control over your power and there are those that would seek to destroy it," I gulp inwardly at this, definitely not mentioning this to Aragorn or he'll never let me out of my room again.
"Thank you… for everything," I say as she gets up to leave and she turns back to me when she is in the doorway.
"Trust in your strength Peyson and trust in your love," she turns to leave before pausing again as if deciding to impart another piece of information she had previously dismissed. "What you feel when you are apart from him… the pain it causes you it is linked to your sight, be careful," before I can ask what she means by the cryptic message she is gone and I am standing alone in the doorway.
"Are you ready My Lady?" Haldir asks just over an hour later when I descend to the forest floor my pack in place and my weapons strapped on.
"Have you come to say goodbye?" I ask smiling up at him and he smiles in return shaking his head slightly.
"Nay My Lady I am coming with you," he replies and it is at this moment that I notice his own weapons are in place and he is leading two horses.
"I can't let you," I exclaim in dismay as I look at him, "this is your home, this is where your family are,"
"I have said my goodbyes to my family they sail to the undying lands with the rest of my people here, those that stay will soon make their way to new forests across the land to heal the evil that has been done. I am bound to you My Lady and I will be honoured to serve you," he explains calmly and I am still gaping at him.
"But…"
"There is nothing you can say that will change the situation now we must be on our way," he says mounting his horse and handing me the reigns to mine and so sighing I mount my horse and silently we begin to walk. Leaving behind the safety of the forest in the dead of night silent for fear of enemies lurking on the outskirts of this paradise reminds me so much of my time during the war that it sends a shiver down my spine and only the knowledge that I was on my way back to Aragorn keeps me going and my heart from beating wildly out of fear.