Chapter 9: A Hundred Years Ago (And The Beginning of Flashback Saga No.2)

''Dir! 'Dir!'

Rilla was scrambling up the steps towards the March warden's flet - having spent quite some time searching for him all throughout Caras Galadhon. Reaching the landing outside his door, she paused for a breath before she whipped open the door. Haldir, used to such comings and goings with Rilla, did not bother to turn around from the desk he sat at, engrossed in 'some bit of this-or-that' as Rilla had dubbed it all.

Rilla bounced to his side.

''Dir! Guess what! You cannot guess who is coming today!'

Haldir, finally distracted away from his papers, looked at his young sister with a hint of exasperation.

'I cannot guess? Rilla, use your common sense! As Marchwarden of the Border Guard, do you not think I would be one of the first to know of Glorfindel's journeying here?'

Crestfallen, Rilla stopped bouncing.

'Oh. Well then! You already know! Is it not wonderful! We have not seen him for so long!'

'Rilla, it has been barely four months since he left after the Midsummer Ball!'

'Yes, but that is a very long time to be separated from a friend, is it not? And can you not just imagine all the fun we shall have for months now that he is here!'

'You forget, dear sister, that he is not here as yet, and that I must be leaving now to join the Guard in escorting him here!'

'Oh! Tell him that I am waiting very expectantly and I have so much to tell him and I already have a plan…'

Haldir interrupted,

'If I get a chance, Rilla - if I get a chance, I shall. Return to the library, and see if you can help Finlath just the slightest before you engage in this merry-making with Glorfindel!'

Rilla, remembering her duties at the library, started.

'Oh! Finlath! I completely forgot! Oh dear, he will shake his head so! Goodbye, 'Dir, have fun!'

She sped out the door, slamming it shut, leaving Haldir smiling softly as he shook his head about the child. Just as he was about to leave his chair in preparation to go to the Border Guard, when the door flew open once again, and Rilla's head poked through the door.

'Oh 'Dir! Would you tell Glorfindel I shall meet him at the usual spot!'

Before he could reply in his normally bland manner, the door was once again slammed and clattering footsteps faded out of Haldir's hearing.

Shaking his head, he started to prepare himself.

Rilla ran willy-nilly through the scattered trees on the eastern side of Caras Galahon towards the East Gate. She often found staying inside the walls of Caras Galadhon restricting, and opted to roam free in the wide expanses of trees on all the four sides of the city often. Though her brothers were sure that this freedom would have to be curtailed in the none-too-distant (elvish none-too-distant!) future, they allowed these wanderings, trusting in the ability of their own Border Guard.

In her excitement, Rilla was allowing her emotions to take control of her actions. Her joy was a many coloured character - meaning, that it could be displayed in a range of manners. At the moment Rilla was indulging in the adrenalin rush of imagining vividly that she was being pursued by some awful creature…a balrog, perhaps.

This lent more speed to her already swift feet, and fully enjoying the alarming feeling of being chased by something that would no doubt send you to Mandos, she quite startled the guards at the gate by not slowing down until mere steps away from them. She startled them further, while still in the wonderful panic of imagination, by darted behind them and collapsed in breathless giggles. As the guards were well acquainted with this anomaly among elleth, they recovered quickly from their shock. Two of them lifted Rilla to her feet.

'What was it this time, Rilla?' asked one of the guards jovially, 'A warg or an orc?'

This led to more chuckles from the still-breathless elleth, before she could reply.

'Neither, of course! It was a balrog - did you not see it?! Its fiery surface was scorching everything in its path!'

The four guards laughed, and shook their heads. All of the Border Guard had known Rilla since she first came to Lothlorien, due to Haldir, Orophin and Rumil being March warden and wardens respectively. They had become used to Rilla indulging in flights of fancy, and often joined in - the eldest of the stating sheepishly to an incredulous Haldir, that 'he felt it did him good to be around this elfling - it made him feel very young, imagining evil creatures and circumstances to make your heart beat faster!'

'So what it this extra excitement caused by, Rilla?' asked Emrallan, Head of the Eastern Gate Guard.

'Oh, did you not know? Glorfindel is come today!'

'Lord Glorfindel! Well that explains it!' Emrallan grinned.

'Yes, of course it does! Would you please open the gate for me?'

'What is this? Are you not going to meet Lord Glorfindel?'

'Silly one! Of course I am! I am going to our meeting place now!'

With a laugh, the guards opened the gate, and with a wave, Rilla dashed away.

'I wonder whether it is still a balrog…' mused Emrallan to his grinning companion.

And one more chapter a leetle later perhapsly...