Part: 6
Rating: Strong R
Pairing: Haldir/OFC
Characters: Just about every other elf that Tolkien created that's in the
LoTR books and movies.
Warning: descriptions of wounds
Disclaimer: All known characters are owned by the great Tolkien, all others
are of my own creation.
Beta(s): Marta, Kazzy, and Vi
Timeline: 80 years before LoTR and extends to post RoTK events
Notes: I want to thank Marta, Zee, Mal, Kay, Suse, Phyllis, Vi, Novedhelion,
and Dorothy for their expertise. Without their input this story would not be
what it is today.
This story follows the movieverse.
Summary: With no memory of a possible alliance with Mirkwood, an elleth, lone
survivor of a devastating attack, is brought to Rivendell. This is her story.
Some time later Arianel had returned to her customary position at the balcony to look into the gardens once again. The words Haldir spoke earlier about traveling bothered her. And where is Lórien, she wondered. She had no idea how long it would take to get to that unknown place, which made her even more wary, but the gardens down below her position were quite lovely. They had all been so kind to her, and it made her feel more of a burden than anything else. Finally making up her mind, she moved slowly over to the door. She would go to the gardens.
Arianel slowly opened the door and looked into the hall. It was relatively empty, so she took a few hesitating steps in the hall. She placed her hand on the wall in way of support and slowly walked down to another door. For a moment she was at a loss as to the direction she needed to travel. Talking the side her room was on, she turned in that direction.
Several minutes and a few turns later, Arianel finally found herself standing on the edge of the gardens.
For some time she wandered around, taking in the life the gardens emitted. She couldn't travel very far, so rested often on the stone benches that were provided. Eventually she turned to head back to the house, it was then she found herself lost.
Arianel's heart started to pound as she panicked. Finally sitting down on a bench tears sprang to her eyes and her shoulders shook with quiet sobs. When her tears finally subsided she looked up and found the weather had an evil ominous look and feel to it. The wind blew through the trees making it sound mournful, and dropping the temperature. For a moment she thought she saw something looking back at her. Panicking, she ran a short distance in another direction, now hopelessly lost. Tripping over a jutting tree root she fell onto the soft, slightly muddy dirt. Slowly picking herself up, she brushed her tangled hair out of her face, leaving a muddy streak in its wake. She continued to stumble through the trees until the rain started falling. Finding no where else to go, she huddled against a tree getting drenched.
"My Lord," Tiniwen entered the study. It was late in the day, and storm clouds had been gathering for some time now. It showed promise that very soon it would be a wet and possibly stormy night. She had been told by Glénduil that he was there. Looking around she found Elrond alone in the study sitting at his desk with a pen in hand working on something. She looked around slightly confused.
Elrond looked up, "Yes?"
"I thought Arianel was with you."
Elrond shook his head, suddenly bothered at what he was hearing. "No, she is not here."
"My Lord, she is not in her rooms and no one in the Halls of Healing seems to know where she is." Tiniwen bowed her head knowing she had made another mistake. "I have looked in the house, but have not found her."
Elrond considered her words then stood and quickly went to the door. "Glénduil," he called.
"Yes, my Lord." The servant came from around the corner fairly quickly.
"Call my sons and Haldir and his brothers here quickly. I need to speak to them."
Glénduil nodded and moved with haste. Within a few minutes the five elves that were called were gathered in the study along with Tiniwen. She was seated on the couch.
"What is it?" Elladan asked with concern.
Elrond looked at the elves gathered in front of him. "Tiniwen has told me that Arianel is not in her room or anywhere within the House. I fear she has gone out into the gardens by herself." With the last statement Elrond glanced to Haldir.
"We will find her, Ada," Elrohir answered quickly. The rest nodded in agreement and quickly filed out of the room.
Right before they reached the gardens the sky finally let loose with a downpour making the search harder than before. In the rain the group fanned out so they could cover more ground.
What seemed like several hours later, Haldir found himself in an area that seemed overgrown compared to the rest of the gardens. The rain had been hard but steady, and thankfully it was not accompanied with lightening and thunder. The warden was soaked through to the skin. He knew it would be worse for Arianel since she was still recovering her strength. His search of the area was just about finished, he had one more place to look through. Maybe one of the others had found her, but if that had happened then they would have told him already.
Pushing aside the branches he found her huddled against a tree caked in mud and, like him, soaked to the skin. The thicket offered little to no shelter from the rain.
"Arianel?" he asked softly as he approached her. Elves in general were immune to the weather, but she was still recovering from her attack. Her lips had a slight bluish tinge to them and she was barely shivering.
"Mólindë?"
Her eyes were glazed over and she didn't seem aware of her surroundings. Kneeling before her in the mud, Haldir looked at her carefully. It seemed that another memory was surfacing, or something similar.
"Let's get you home."
"Home? Adar?" Her words were slurred.
Haldir didn't know what to say, so he went along with her. "Yes, do not worry." Like before he easily picked her up and carried her back to the main house, he didn't trust her to make it there on her own. It bothered him that she was cold to the touch. When he stepped under the overhang and out of the rain, Haldir found most of the others standing there. They all seemed grateful that she had been found.
"Bring her inside, Haldir, and back to the Halls." Elrond's voice came from behind him. Turning slightly, Haldir saw Elrond coming up behind him, also soaked. He had gone out to search for her as well as the others.
Haldir nodded and swiftly carried her back to her rooms in the healing wing.
"Tiniwen, make sure a warm bath is prepared for Arianel and dry clothes provided," he heard Elrond's voice, the elf-lord was still behind him.
"Yes, my Lord," she answered. He could hear her footsteps move off in another direction.
"I will take it from here, Haldir," Elrond told Haldir as he placed Arianel back on her bed. Turning around, he found Tiniwen now coming into the room and stopping behind Elrond.
"And see to it you get out of those wet clothes." The side of Elrond's mouth quirked up slightly as he removed his wet, heavy outer robe.
Haldir looked down and found mud covering him where he had held Arianel. He had not noticed it at all.
"Yes, lord." Haldir bowed his head and took his leave, leaving the two healers to clean and make sure their patient would not suffer any ill effects of her time out in the rain.
Now in dry clothes, Haldir moved back to the study and sat beside the fire. He had taken a glass of the miruvor that was on hand and was now sitting beside the fire.
"Brother?"
Haldir looked up to the sight of Orophin also wearing dry clothing. Like himself Orophin's hair was still wet and hung limply.
"Yes?"
"Do you know what just happened?" Orophin too helped himself to the sweet wine that Imladris offered.
Haldir shook his head. "I do not know." After a pause he continued, "Earlier today I told her that she really needed to start going out if she wanted to be ready for her journey to Lórien."
"What did she say to that?" Orophin settled into a chair.
"That I had no idea what it was like."
"She's right, brother." Orophin took a sip.
"I know and I told her that I didn't know, but I did bring her here so she could see Celebrían." There was another pause, "I think more memories are resurfacing, though I still do not know why they were traveling."
"We may never know, Haldir." Elrond's voice came from the door. The elf-lord was still wearing his wet tunic, though he did not have his heavy outer cloak on. He had not had the chance to change yet.
The two younger elves did not bother to rise to their feet. They were alone and Elrond was family. The elder peredhil poured himself a glass of wine. "Her condition," he started, "is because her full strength has yet to return."
"Will she be all right?"
"Soon enough in the morning. I will see if she has remembered anything." Elrond took a sip of the wine. For a short time the room was quiet. Orophin's attention was drawn to the bookcase just to his left.
"I think she did remember something." Haldir fiddled with his now empty glass.
Elrond placed his own empty glass down and moved towards the door.
"Elrond?"
The peredhil stopped and turned around. "What is it, Haldir?"
The warden rose and moved over to the elf-lord. "Arianel said a name when I found her; Mólindë. Do you know who it is?"
Elrond looked thoughtful for a moment then finally shook his head. "I am sorry, Haldir. I do not recognize it."
Haldir bowed his head while Elrond took his leave of the two wardens. Turning back around Haldir caught Orophin's eyes. The younger elf shrugged his shoulders and went back to his perusing of the books to his side.
After Haldir was settled back on the couch Orophin spoke, "You never said that she spoke."
Haldir shrugged his shoulders, "I did not see the importance of it."
TBC..................