Chapter 4

Athelas rose before dawn. Silently she crept from the bed and dressed. Checking that Legolas was still asleep, she smiled and left the room.

She walked outdoors and breathed deeply in the fresh air. Scenting pipeweed, she turned, half expecting to see the hobbits. To her surprise, it was Gandalf and Aragorn, deep in conversation. Quietly she stole away. She did not wish to disturb them and wanted to be alone with the dawn. She wandered along the familiar paths, finding refreshment in the peace she gained, anchoring herself for the challenges of a new day.

The sun was colouring the leaves with golden tones when she heard quiet steps behind her. She turned to see Aragorn, his eyes welcoming.

"Aragorn," she said, holding out her hands to him. He took them and inclined his head toward her.

"Athelas," he replied. "You look as serene as ever." He spoke quietly. She regarded him with great affection. Aragorn and Legolas were the closest of friends, and Athelas had come to appreciate the qualities in the Ranger that made Arwen love him so.

"You look well, my friend. I had thought you would still be sleeping. The rigours of the past days must have taken their toll on you." He grinned almost sheepishly at her, and she suddenly understood his early rising.

"Oh, of course," she told him, returning his smile. "Shall I see if Arwen is still abed?" Her voice filled with mischief. "Perhaps I could encourage her..."

"In a moment," he told her, a hint of amusement in his soft voice. "I wanted to tell you how happy Arwen is to have your company at this time. I thank you for coming with Legolas."

She laughed gently at that. "When duty and pleasure coincide, Aragorn, there is no hardship. Simply put, there is no place I would rather be."

He softly pressed her hand, and she turned from him, saying lightly, "I will send my Lady Arwen to you as soon as she is ready."

Arwen was already awake when Athelas reached her. She dressed quickly and fairly ran to the garden when she learned Aragorn waited for her. Athelas sighed and made her way back to her rooms, where she made tea for herself, and sat quietly for a moment, regarding Legolas as he slept.

His beauty overwhelmed her, as it always did. He was fair of face and light of hair, and as strong and limber as a young tree. In sleep his jaw did not tense with unspoken worries, and the cares of the world touched him not. She delighted in him in all ways, loving his sensitive and caring nature, his courage, his dry humour, his steadfastness once he had set himself a course. She thought again in wonder that she was his for all of eternity.

Legolas opened one blue eye and regarded her. She smiled at him and poured him a cup of tea. Bringing it to the bed, she gave it to him and climbed up beside him. He drank deeply, and thanked her.

"Are you ready for yet another day in the tumult that has beset Imladris?" she asked him teasingly. "Or shall you hide beneath the covers and plead fatigue?"

"If you are ready for the hobbits, I believe I can stand the dwarf," he replied, sighing. "I think I shall spend some more time with Master Samwise. Perhaps I can be of some use to him."

"That would be kind of you, Legolas. He is heartbroken at the injury done his friend. And," she looked slyly at him, "it should keep you out of the path of Master Gimli."

"That thought had not occurred to me," he told her seriously, "but you are right." He brightened considerably.

In the dining hall, Athelas had no trouble finding her young friends. Not only their small forms, but the large pile of empty dishes before was hard to miss. They waved to her enthusiastically and she grinned and returned the wave. She crossed to the hobbits and sat with them, pouring herself tea and helping herself to breakfast.

"Lady Athelas," Merry asked, swallowing a mouthful of fresh bread, "will we be able to see Frodo this morning?"

"I do not yet know, Master Merry. I will enquire of Lord Elrond. Unfortunately there has been no change during the night."

She saw the look of worry that passed between the hobbits. "Lord Elrond will do all that is possible," she told them gently. "If you cannot visit your friend this morning, what would you like to do with your time? I am at your disposal for the entire day."

"First we need to see Sam." Pippin told her. "He won't come for breakfast. He won't leave Frodo." Merry nodded in agreement. Pippin turned his head around to the door and saw Legolas entering the room. "There's your friend," he said to Athelas, waving at the tall elf in the doorway.

Legolas waved back and made his way through the room to them, stopping to return greetings from his friends. Instead of the robes preferred by the Rivendell elves, he had dressed in the trousers and tunic of the Mirkwood. It was almost as if he had dressed for battle this morning. Athelas smiled at him as he took a seat beside Merry.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully, looking about him. "I do not see Master Gamgee here. Has he eaten already? I had wished to speak with him."

"Sam won't leave Frodo's room. Well, his door, actually. We were just telling Lady Athelas that we would like to try and persuade him to come and eat," Merry said, taking another slice of bread.

Legolas frowned and looked over the heads of the hobbits at Athelas. "Perhaps I could convince him," he said. "He must not neglect himself, though his worry for his friend does him great credit."

"He might listen to you," Pippin said. "He told us that he was very impressed with your courtesy toward him, Legolas."

The elf smiled as he rose from the table. "I was very impressed with him."

"Legolas is very considerate," Merry remarked, watching him walk away. "Are all elves like him, my Lady?"

Athelas watched him go with bright eyes. "My Lord Legolas is one of the best of us, Master Merry," she told him.

Legolas found Sam curled in his chair, in the same attitude of despair as the night before. He quietly went up to the hobbit and gripped him by the shoulder in the gesture of greeting and comradeship. Sam looked up at him with exhausted eyes.

"How are you this morning?" the elf asked, concern in his voice.

"There's been no change, sir," Sam said wearily. "I've been here all night, and he's still in great pain."

Legolas knelt down beside him. "Master Samwise, if you would be of use to your friend you must look after yourself as well."

"I can't leave. What if . . . " Sam broke off, unable to continue the thought.

"Come with me. I will have someone wait here in your place and bring us word. You must eat and you must rest somewhere more comfortable, if only for an hour." He looked imploringly at Sam. "Truly, you will be too worn to care for him when you are allowed to."

The thought caused Sam to pause, and he smiled at the elf. "I guess you're right, sir."

"Please, I prefer Legolas."

"If you're sure then, Legolas. I mean, that someone will come as soon as there's anything to tell." Legolas nodded and went to find someone to take Sam's watch. Once Sam was assured that he would be found immediately, he followed Legolas down to the dining hall.

Athelas was on her fourth cup of tea as Legolas and Sam rejoined them. Merry and Pippin hailed Sam warmly and helped him to breakfast, taking what they called thirds themselves, so that Sam would not have to eat alone. Athelas grinned as she watched them. Legolas was quietly filling his own plate when he realized that she had turned her eyes to him. The approval and affection in her gaze caught him off guard. He smiled back warmly and set to his breakfast.

Once Sam had finished eating, Legolas escorted him to his room. He waited until the hobbit had settled himself for sleep and sat in the chair opposite the bed. Reassured once more that Legolas would wake him the instant there was any news, Sam quickly dropped off.

Legolas looked at the hobbit with tender fondness. He understood Sam's devotion to Frodo, feeling the same way about Aragorn. If Aragorn were the one injured, none of Elrond's dark looks or blunt comments would force him away either.

Athelas and her new friends were continuing their tour of the gardens of Rivendell. The more time she spent with Merry and Pippin, the more she was coming to appreciate them. In their optimistic presence, she found it easy to keep her dark fears buried. Mid-afternoon, they heard hooves approaching. Who is it now? Athelas thought. The hobbits had climbed up into the trees for a better look.

"It's a man, with a horn and a large shield." Merry called down to her. "Do you know who it is?"

"I do not know. Shall we greet him and find out?" she called back, as curious as the hobbits, aware that only her long robes kept her from climbing alongside them to see for herself. They quickly slipped down from their perches, coming to stand with her on the path. The man rode up, tall and fair, like a lord in his bearing.

"You are well come to Rivendell, my lord," Athelas told him, with a low curtsey. The hobbits bowed politely and the man's light eyes twinkled as he regarded them.

"I am the Lady Athelas," she said simply. "This is Master Meriadoc and this is Master Peregrin." She nodded at each hobbit in turn. "May we ask your name, my lord?" she asked, tilting her head a bit, smiling up at him.

"I am Boromir of Gondor," he told her, looking with wonder at her companions. "Forgive me, my lady, but I did not expect to be greeted by elvish children."

"We are hobbits, not elves, and certainly not children!" Merry told him, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "I am as much an adult as you are!"

"Hobbits?" he asked, astonished.

"Halflings. Shirefolk." Pippin looked at him with vexation. "You've never heard of us?"

"I admit I have not," Boromir said with some surprise. "But forgive my error."

"If you will excuse me for a moment, my lord," Athelas began, her face mirthful, "I shall tell the Lord Elrond that you have arrived."

"Of course," he told her, never taking his eyes from the small beings before him. Athelas dropped another curtsey and quickly left to find Arwen. Once out of sight of her companions she burst into laughter.

Legolas gently shook Sam's shoulder. The hobbit was awake instantly. "What is it?" he asked.

"Frodo is awake. The danger is past, and Gandalf says you may see him as soon as you are ready." The pleasure on Sam's face was mirrored in that of the elf.

"I'm ready now," Sam said simply. Legolas regarded him for a long moment and then smiled tenderly at him.

"I believe you are. But it might be better if you did not go wandering the halls of Rivendell in your nightshirt."

Sam blushed and changed quickly as Legolas regarded the view outside the hobbits' window, a wide grin on his face.

After Boromir had been settled into a suite of rooms and the hobbits cheerfully gone in search of tea, Athelas went looking for Arwen. She found her in the kitchens, making the final decisions for the evening meal. It was the work of a moment for Athelas to convince her friend to come and take a cup of wine with her.

"Well, they all seem to be assembled," Arwen began, with a tired note in her voice. "The dwarves have talked poor Bilbo near to exhaustion, and now the hobbits are at him. Dear Master Baggins!" she sighed. "How fares Legolas with the dwarves?"

Athelas gave her a wry grin. "He now regards them as a duty. He is nothing if not dutiful."

Arwen smiled broadly at that. "Whatever must be done, I suppose. Oh, my friend, what a hurly burly it has become!"

Athelas toasted her with her glass. "To guests and councils," she said cheerfully. "May we survive them both!"

Arwen looked at her friend with a sideways glance. "Odd choice of words, Athelas," she pointed out.

"Arwen, I meant only . . . ," she began, but Arwen cut her off.

"I know what you meant. Forgive me," she continued, "I am worried, no, "she paused for a moment, "I am afraid." She looked at her companion. Athelas met her gaze for a moment and then looked down at the stone floor. Arwen nodded. "You are, too."

"I have been trying to forget," Athelas said quietly. "For a few moments, I thought I had."

They finished their wine, silently.

Legolas found Athelas that evening in the Hall. To his surprise, the hobbits were singing a catchy ditty. Athelas sat comfortably, clapping her hands to the beat and clearly listening intently to the words.

"What is it?" he whispered, drawing a seat up beside her.

"It is a riddle song, and some parts are extremely complex," she answered, her eyes still on the hobbits. The musicians had picked up the tune and accompanied the small singers. Legolas began listening closely and, after a few verses, found himself shouting out the answers with the rest of the company. The hobbits were cheered as they finished and, bowing low, accepted mugs of ale.

Gimli came to Athelas and, nodding coolly to Legolas, requested a song from her. He was so gracious she had not the heart to refuse. She chose a short song, for she knew her gifts did not lie in music, and sang of snowy nights, warm fires and stout walls. It seemed to Gimli almost dwarfish in its theme and he thanked her cordially. Legolas left them to speak to Aragorn, hoping to have a few moments alone with the Ranger. Athelas passed some time in conversation with the dwarf and when she left to join Arwen, who had returned to the hall, met up again with Merry and Pippin.

"Will you not sing again, Lady Athelas?" Pippin asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"Not alone. Perhaps if Arwen wishes to sing, I will accompany her. But my talents lie in other areas." She looked down at them warmly. "Will you delight us with another, my young Masters? For you are both clever with merry tunes."

"Certainly," Merry told her, draining the remains of his ale. He and Pippin made their way to the waiting musicians and began another song. The assembled guests and elves turned their eyes to them, and Athelas slowly made her way to Arwen.

"How are you, my friend?" Athelas asked her quietly.

"I am worried. There is much tension in Rivendell right now," she whispered back.

Athelas squeezed her friend's hand. "It will be well. There are not many who would cross your father in his own house."

Arwen gave her a rueful glance. "Unfortunately, all those who would are now under his roof. Look there." She motioned to Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas. Oblivious to the tune of the hobbits, their conversation continued, the gestures of Aragorn and Gimli becoming more animated. It was apparent to both the watching Ladies that the talk was growing heated.

Athelas pulled her friend by the hand to where the hobbits had finished their song. "My Lady will sing," she whispered to them. The musicians looked expectantly at Arwen. She looked at Athelas a long moment, and then nodded. Turning to face the company, she raised her high, sweet voice in a clear tone that caused every head to turn toward her. After the first few notes the musicians joined her. Arwen held Athelas' hand still, and pressed it firmly. Athelas joined her voice to her companion's, and together they wove harmony throughout the room.

The contention between the man, elf and dwarf ceased as the beauty of Arwen's song filled the room. It was not often that the Lady of Imladris sang like this and the company had not heard Arwen and Athelas together since the latter's removal to Mirkwood. As Arwen's voice soared, Aragorn stopped talking altogether and simply listened, his love for her shining in his face. Gimli was struck by the complexity of the melody and the power in Arwen's voice, as well as her beauty. Legolas looked at Athelas with pride and admiration. He knew how much she enjoyed singing with Arwen and was delighted they had decided to entertain the guests.

Merry, standing to the side of the singing elves, saw all three, and was struck by a thought. He filled it away for future consideration and when the bewitching strains came to an end, was as enthusiastic as the rest in clamouring for another.