After some time had past, the two entered and saw Aragorn with his head bowed. The two quietly slipped into the room and Legolas put a comforting hand upon the ranger's shoulder. Turning towards his two-elven friends, he saw the same despair he felt in his heart. Quickly turning from them he left the room and strode out into the woods to be alone. Ending up along one of the swiftly churning streams that wound through the valley he stood alongside one of the pools at the base of one of the waterfalls that pounded against the rocks. Legolas turned to Galuwen and said, "Stay with her. I'll be back"
Nodding her head in return, she turned to watch him leave to find Aragorn and then turned her attention to her injured friend. Seeing him alongside one of the streams he followed the narrow path down to the waters edge and stood behind him and asked, "What is wrong mellon nНn?" my friend
All Aragorn could see was the image replayed by his mind of Linwelos getting struck down by orcs after saving him from an almost certain death at Arwen's hands. Turning his silver gray eyes to the elven prince behind him he said, "I have failed her"
How?" Legolas questioned, " How did you fail her? The two of you had never met until the day they bore me the news of my fathers death." "She and I had met prior to that." Aragorn confessed as he saw the shocked look upon Legolas' face.
"This is a tale you have not told me," the elf replied.
"We met in Esgaroth when I still rode with the DЗnedain as a youth." Aragorn said, turning his eyes upon the prince, "We had been there for some time and at that point I had seen no elves since leaving Rivendell, before Arwen came. I was riding swiftly through the woods when I saw her practicing with her weapons. Of course I couldn't sneak up on her because of her keen sense of hearing but she quickly was aware of my presence.
We spoke briefly before she alerted me to the rest of my kin that were coming and quickly vanished into the woods. Unable to see where she had gone to I headed back to camp but as the others fell asleep I quietly snuck away to where I'd last seen her." "We elves have a tendency to disappear when we need to," Legolas said with a laugh.
"So I learned long ago," Aragorn said chuckling before continuing on with the story, "Anyway, I waited for a while but began to wonder if she would return. The night wore on but she never appeared. I prepared to return to where the others were when I heard the sound of a soft voice riding on the wind saying 'What do you see upon the horizon?' I looked around but saw nothing but darkness because the cloak she wore helped blend her into the shadows. Stealthily she snuck up on me until she was literally standing behind me. Every night while the rest slept I stole myself away and we would mostly sit under the stars and talk. Every night up until we were called out suddenly before I could tell her goodbye"
"Do you think that she would want you to beat yourself up over something that you had no control over regardless of whether she lives or dies?" Legolas asked, "I think she would want you to become what you were born to be"
Listening to what the prince had said, Aragorn knew what he had said was right. Looking at the churning white water one more time he prepared to turn to follow Legolas when the clasp to the Evenstar jewel came undone. Watching as the jewel landed on the grass along the edge of the bank it fell into the water and disappeared. The two walked back together to where Galuwen was with her friend. "Linwelos," Galuwen called to her; "Please don't leave. The battle may be done but you are not"
Seeing Linwelos' unmoving form was too much for her. She fought hard to control herself as she continued to speak.
"We have been together since childhood. Remember our parents saying we were connected you and I? Where one went the other wasn't far behind. You even gave me the courage to talk to Legolas for the first time; he was a prince after all. Do you remember how the King hated me at first?" Galuwen asked as she recalled these memories from her past.
Taking a serious turn as she held Linwelos' still hand she said, "A friendship like ours shall never die. You're in my heart┘" pausing momentarily before continuing softly after having wiped a tear away; "And in Aragorn's heart as well. We need you Linwelos┘"
Sensing Legolas and Aragorn returning she looked to her one last time and said, "Ten nuru ri' alkar." For death and glory
Aragorn and Legolas entered and the three spent countless hours with her, hoping that their presence would some how help. Elrond stood just outside the door observing the three that were with her. He knew that the initial outlook did not look good and was not looking forward to telling them that she had a slim chance at survival. The soft footfall of his boots on the floor caught the attention of Legolas and Galuwen first before Aragorn noticed who had entered. They turned and moved from where they stood and headed in his direction. Galuwen noticed the look of great concern in Elrond's eyes and figured what he was about to say wasn't what they wanted to hear.
"Will she make it?" Aragorn asked, hoping that her strength and will to live would pull her through.
"It is too early to tell Estel." Elrond answered, looking at the three around him, "She has suffered some very severe wounds. If she were not elf-kind she probably would not have made it here"
The three solemnly left the room as Elrond watched them leave with heavy hearts. After they had gone he returned to check on her condition. In some ways she reminded him of his lost daughter before her encounter with Spike on her return from the Grey Havens. Seeing the despair and grief in Estel's eyes, he was going to do everything within his power to save her.
Nodding her head in return, she turned to watch him leave to find Aragorn and then turned her attention to her injured friend. Seeing him alongside one of the streams he followed the narrow path down to the waters edge and stood behind him and asked, "What is wrong mellon nНn?" my friend
All Aragorn could see was the image replayed by his mind of Linwelos getting struck down by orcs after saving him from an almost certain death at Arwen's hands. Turning his silver gray eyes to the elven prince behind him he said, "I have failed her"
How?" Legolas questioned, " How did you fail her? The two of you had never met until the day they bore me the news of my fathers death." "She and I had met prior to that." Aragorn confessed as he saw the shocked look upon Legolas' face.
"This is a tale you have not told me," the elf replied.
"We met in Esgaroth when I still rode with the DЗnedain as a youth." Aragorn said, turning his eyes upon the prince, "We had been there for some time and at that point I had seen no elves since leaving Rivendell, before Arwen came. I was riding swiftly through the woods when I saw her practicing with her weapons. Of course I couldn't sneak up on her because of her keen sense of hearing but she quickly was aware of my presence.
We spoke briefly before she alerted me to the rest of my kin that were coming and quickly vanished into the woods. Unable to see where she had gone to I headed back to camp but as the others fell asleep I quietly snuck away to where I'd last seen her." "We elves have a tendency to disappear when we need to," Legolas said with a laugh.
"So I learned long ago," Aragorn said chuckling before continuing on with the story, "Anyway, I waited for a while but began to wonder if she would return. The night wore on but she never appeared. I prepared to return to where the others were when I heard the sound of a soft voice riding on the wind saying 'What do you see upon the horizon?' I looked around but saw nothing but darkness because the cloak she wore helped blend her into the shadows. Stealthily she snuck up on me until she was literally standing behind me. Every night while the rest slept I stole myself away and we would mostly sit under the stars and talk. Every night up until we were called out suddenly before I could tell her goodbye"
"Do you think that she would want you to beat yourself up over something that you had no control over regardless of whether she lives or dies?" Legolas asked, "I think she would want you to become what you were born to be"
Listening to what the prince had said, Aragorn knew what he had said was right. Looking at the churning white water one more time he prepared to turn to follow Legolas when the clasp to the Evenstar jewel came undone. Watching as the jewel landed on the grass along the edge of the bank it fell into the water and disappeared. The two walked back together to where Galuwen was with her friend. "Linwelos," Galuwen called to her; "Please don't leave. The battle may be done but you are not"
Seeing Linwelos' unmoving form was too much for her. She fought hard to control herself as she continued to speak.
"We have been together since childhood. Remember our parents saying we were connected you and I? Where one went the other wasn't far behind. You even gave me the courage to talk to Legolas for the first time; he was a prince after all. Do you remember how the King hated me at first?" Galuwen asked as she recalled these memories from her past.
Taking a serious turn as she held Linwelos' still hand she said, "A friendship like ours shall never die. You're in my heart┘" pausing momentarily before continuing softly after having wiped a tear away; "And in Aragorn's heart as well. We need you Linwelos┘"
Sensing Legolas and Aragorn returning she looked to her one last time and said, "Ten nuru ri' alkar." For death and glory
Aragorn and Legolas entered and the three spent countless hours with her, hoping that their presence would some how help. Elrond stood just outside the door observing the three that were with her. He knew that the initial outlook did not look good and was not looking forward to telling them that she had a slim chance at survival. The soft footfall of his boots on the floor caught the attention of Legolas and Galuwen first before Aragorn noticed who had entered. They turned and moved from where they stood and headed in his direction. Galuwen noticed the look of great concern in Elrond's eyes and figured what he was about to say wasn't what they wanted to hear.
"Will she make it?" Aragorn asked, hoping that her strength and will to live would pull her through.
"It is too early to tell Estel." Elrond answered, looking at the three around him, "She has suffered some very severe wounds. If she were not elf-kind she probably would not have made it here"
The three solemnly left the room as Elrond watched them leave with heavy hearts. After they had gone he returned to check on her condition. In some ways she reminded him of his lost daughter before her encounter with Spike on her return from the Grey Havens. Seeing the despair and grief in Estel's eyes, he was going to do everything within his power to save her.