Chapter 11: Lothlòrien
When Naomi woke it was nothing like what she expected.
She had thought she would gradually open her eyes, perhaps lay in bed for a little while and listen to the constant hum of Elves singing.
Instead she was woken by a blood curling scream.
It sounded far off but was still loud and woke Naomi with a start. She sat bolt upright, forgetting the low roof of wood and smacked her head against the root before she ungracefully tumbled out of her bed and walked into the clearing where the others were talking.
"Wazzat!" Naomi slurred as she wiped a hand across her eyes to get rid of the sleep, her still asleep legs didn't see the root sticking out o the ground and she fell face first into the sweet smelling grass. While Naomi had been stumbling across the grass a male Elf had appeared and was speaking to Aragorn in an assuring manor. When he finished Aragorn nodded and the Elf disappeared back up the stone steps. Gimli helped Naomi up as she spat out bits of grass, Boromir asked the question everyone wanted an answer.
"Who or what was that?" Aragorn's eyes darted to Naomi before he spoke.
"Tess, the Elven healers have started the healing process,"
"Healing or torturing!" Naomi asked distressed, a shiver running up her spine at the thought of her best friend making such a pain-filled sound.
"I am assured it is a healing process, Tess' body is filled with infections and the encounter with the Balrog took its toll on her," Aragorn explained calmly. Naomi remembered when Tess kept clutching her head while they were running from the Balrog, she had experience the same raw evil that Naomi first felt at Elrond's Council in Rivendell when Frodo first took out the Ring.
"The evil of the Balrog was too much for her?" Naomi asked in a small voice as she sat down on the root she had just tripped over.
"The presence of the Ring and the Balrog together was too much for her, you may well have had the same difficulty dealing with such dark powers had you not have spent so much time in the presence of the Ring before we entered Moria," Aragorn explained, sounding very much like Gandalf. The thought brought a painful lump into Naomi's throat.
"He's...really gone isn't he?" Naomi croaked out as pressure built up behind her eyes, her vision blurring as tears started filling in the gap between her eyelids. Somewhere in Lothlòrien Tess released another howl of pain and Naomi took a shaky breath that turned into a sob. So suddenly the tall trees of the Elven woods felt constricting, the singing sounded haunting and Naomi finally got a second taste of what it was like to lose someone you love.
Tess lay puffing on an Elven bed.
Her whole body felt extremely heavy and despite the fact she was exhausted she couldn't find the will power to keep her eyes shut. This was completely strange considering she had gotten very little sleep over the past several days and had just, yet again, spent the whole day in enervating pain. A whisper of words escaped her lips as she asked for water, but the ears of the Elves around her were sharp and in several seconds she was helped into a sitting position (one of which required her to use none of her muscles at all) with a goblet of water at her lips. One and a half jugs of water later she was back to laying down, her poor body throbbing from the mere effort of having to swallow. A large blanket was pulled up to her chin and it was then that she realized how badly she was shaking. She curled onto her side heaved her breaths in slowly, trying to calm her rapid heart beat. A soft pale hand pried her own slightly more tanned hand from the covers, a beautiful ring entered Tess' vision and she looked up slightly to see Lady Galadriel sitting next to her.
"You have been through many perils recently...most of which you should not have had to face," Her soft voice gently filled Tess' ears as serene Elvish words with a notable tune floated around her head. Very slowly her eyelids drooped before finally her eyes closed as she fell asleep, with no dreams or nightmares breaking through the song barrier in Tess' mind.
As the golden illumination of day was replaced with the silvery lights of night, Naomi could finally rest easier. Tess had stopped screaming early that afternoon and another female Elf had told Aragorn that it was all over and now Tess just needed a good amount of rest and some decent food. With a sigh Naomi dipped her hands into the cool water of the fountain and splashed it against her face.
"Naomi?"
"Shit!" With a startled cry Naomi turned around to face the speaker, almost toppling backwards into the fountain. Legolas' hands grabbed both of Naomi's arms and steadied her before she could.
"Oh! Legolas, hello," Naomi said as she stood up straight again, her heart skipping a beat as it made a long trip up to her throat and back down again.
"Hello?" The Elf's eyebrows crinkled as he tried to place the foreign word, Naomi realized he didn't understand and elaborated.
"Hello means...uh well hello, o-or I guess maybe good-day or goodnight here uh perhaps good morning in some cases...in any case it's a greeting and...i'm rambling again aren't I?" Naomi asked rubbing a hand down her face, Legolas just smiled.
"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to take a look around Lothlòrien? There is a good place I found where you are able to take in the sight of the stars as well," The Elf offered with a friendly smile, and just that alone had Naomi's heart trying to escape its confines in her chest. At first Naomi was going to decline, she had much preferred spending time by herself in quieter sections of the forest whilst they'd been here practicing her archery. But something about the way he smiled and the temptation of seeing the night sky after so long made her reconsider.
"Yes, I think I would very much like to go with you,"
"Where are we going tonight?" Rumbled Gimli as he walked up to Legolas and Naomi, his smile saying he fully intended to tag along. For the time they'd been here the Dwarf and the Elf had been going off together often, and didn't bicker quite as much as they did before.
"Tonight I think you should go on without me and feel the city without my influence," Legolas stated in a clipped tone as he almost glared at the Dwarf, which made Naomi's heart pitter patter.
"Well now I-,"
"Gimli! Aragorn's going to take us to taste Elf wine!" Merry cried out from across the campsite.
"He said there might even be some Ale!" Pippin shouted in excitement as Frodo, Boromir and Sam joined the small group.
"Oh well...You know what Elf? You're probably right, I think I would much rather...take in what these woods have to offer without ye tonight eh? You two go and enjoy the sights together," Gimli said quickly before he too crossed over to the larger group.
"We shall meet you back here when the night is not so young," Boromir said with a smile, although he still shifted about uneasily, even after they'd been here for a while the man was slightly uncomfortable.
"Will do," Naomi smiled and waved as they all walked off, her eyes narrowing when she saw Frodo and Aragorn both grin at her before they turned around.
At first conversation with Legolas consisted of a few statements of how the weather seemed nice, but once Naomi asked about Mirkwood the conversation flowed. Legolas talked continuously about his birthplace with such happiness, his love for his father and mother, his adventures navigating the thick trees and his battles against giant spiders. She learned how he had inherited his bow from his grandfather on his mother's side and how he had made his arrows from scratch. Naomi knew not how much time had passed, but she was not tired and happily followed Legolas wherever he decided to lead her. They reached the outskirts of the Elven city and Legolas climbed up a rope ladder, disappearing in the foliage above. Naomi licked her lips and looked around quickly before following him, praying that if anyone did pass that they did not look up. Naomi was panting by the time she crawled onto the wooden platform, or talan as Legolas called it.
"Indeed it is a climb," The Elf smiled, helping her up. Naomi felt her hand tingle under his touch and blushed slightly, coughing to hide something of a giggle. He led her to the very edge of the talan and together they sat with their legs dangling over the edge. The trees in front of them dipped low and allowed them to look out upon the land until it reached the horizon. Naomi marveled at the sight of the trees stretching on for what seemed forever, the dark sky filled with millions of shiny spots above. The comfortable silence remained for a while as the two just enjoyed the view.
"What's that?" Naomi pointed out when she could not figure out herself what the silvery line that weaved between trees was.
"That is the stream named Nimrodel, the Silvan Elves made many songs of it long ago and still we sing them in the North, remembering the rainbow on its falls, and the golden flowers that floated on its foam. All is dark now and the Bridge of Nimrodel is broken down, but they say you can still hear Nimrodel singing sweetly, her voice mingled with the water,"
"What were the songs about?" Naomi asked softly, following the moonlit stream as it disappeared and reappeared at distances bellow the trees.
"I shall sing you one, of the maiden Nimrodel who bore the same name as the stream beside which she lived long ago. It is a fair song in our woodland tongue; but I shall sing it in your language," (*) Legolas' voice was barely louder than the wind in the leaves, but Naomi found she could hear the words from his mouth perfectly.
"An Elven-Maid there was of old,
A shining star by day:
Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,
Her shoes a silver-grey.
A star was bound upon her brows,
A light was on her hair
As sun upon the golden boughs
In Lórien the fair.
Her hair was long, her limbs were white,
And fair she was and free;
And in the wind she went as light
As leaf of liden-tree.
Beside the falls of Nimrodel,
By water clear and cool,
Her voice as falling silver fell
Into the shining pool.
Where now she wanders none can tell.
In sunlight or in shade;
For lost of yore was Nimrodel
And in the mountains strayed.
The Elven-ship in haven grey
Beneath the mountain-lee
Awaited her for many a day
Beside the roaring sea.
A wind by night in Northern lands
Arose, and loud it cried,
And drove the ship from Elven-strands
Across the streaming tide.
When Dawn came dim the land was lost,
The mountains sinking grey
Beyond the heaving waves that tossed
Their plumes of blinding spray.
Amroth beheld the fading shore
Now low beyond the swell,
And cursed the faithless ship that bore
Him far from Nimrodel.
Of old he was an Elven-king,
A lord of tree and glen,
When golden were the boughs in spring
In fair Lothlòrien.
From helm to sea the saw him leap,
As arrow from the string,
And dive into the water deep,
As mew upon the wing.
The wind was in his flowing hair,
The foam about him shone;
Afar they saw him strong and fair
Go riding like a swan.
But from the West has come no word,
And on the Hither Shore
No tidings Elven-folk have heard
Of Amroth evermore.
Legolas' voice faltered and Naomi looked up as he sighed.
"I cannot sing anymore, for that is just a part and I have forgotten much," He said in disappointment, Naomi simply smiled at him.
"Did Nimrodel die?" Her voice was small as she looked at the silvery line in sadness.
"When evil was awoken in the mountains many of the Elves of Nimrodel's kindred left their dwellings and departed, and she was lost far in the south, in the passes of the White Mountains; and she came not to the ship when the where Amroth her lover waited for her," Upon seeing Naomi's downtrodden face Legolas quickly continued.
"But in the spring when the wind is in the new leaves the echo of her voice may still be heard by the falls that bear her name. And when the wind is in the South the voice of Amroth comes up from the sea; for Nimrodel flows into the Silverlode, that Elves call Celebrant, and Celebrant into Audin the Great, and Audin flows into the Bay of Belfalas whence the Elves of Lórien set sail. But neither Nimrodel nor Amroth came ever back,"
After a moment of silence Naomi turned to Legolas and looked into his soft blue eyes.
"Perhaps it is because they found each other and stayed forever together in peace," Her voice was thick and a solitary tear ran down her cheek. Legolas raised his hand and gently rubbed it away.
"Aye, perhaps it is," His soft voice drew her in and as they both drew closer Naomi found her heart pattering against her ribcage.
It was the incredibly loud singing of two Hobbits that saw them breaking apart with haste.
"Ho! Ho! Ho! To the bottle I go!"
Naomi looked down and sure enough Merry and Pippin were walking in wonky lines as they twirled and sang.
"I think you have had your bottle already!" Legolas cried out, making the two jump. Naomi burst into peals of laughter as the two Hobbits looked about themselves trying to find the owner of the voice.
"Come and face us!" Merry cried out as he held up his fists, wobbling as he tried to stand still.
"Aye! We are the Hobbits of the Shire! Feared by all who dare op-op-oppose us!" Pippin struggled with his words as he shook one fist in the air.
"Well I can see that," Legolas laughed as he appeared out of the shadows next to them.
'Hang on!' Naomi looked to her left where Legolas should have been and back down again.
"Damn you can move fast!"Naomi hollered as she turned and walked back to the rope ladder to begin her descent. A few minutes later Naomi was turning to the three males, Merry and Pippin animatedly telling Legolas about Elvish wine.
"And they said we could 'ave as much as we wanted!"
"No charge!" It was a non-stop flow of words because when one stopped the other started. The group of four began to meander back in the general direction of the camp site, Pippin and Merry occasionally needing a hand with things like stairs. At one point Pippin burst into tears and sat down, incoherent words spouting from his mouth that only Merry understood and soon he too was bawling like a newborn.
"Should we….be concerned?" Naomi asked uncertainly as they watched the two from a stone bench.
"I think it may be for the best if we just allow them to…let it out," Legolas said smiling a little. The two sat in companionable silence, except for the drunken sobs, and waited...for quite a while.
Naomi was taking in the beauty around her for the ninth time when she spotted Frodo walking towards them, looking at something in his hand with a glazed expression on his face.
"Frodo!" Naomi called waving, the Hobbit's head snapped up and he spotted the small group and after tucking something into his pocket made his way over to them.
"What are you all doing out so late?" He asked, and then noticed Merry and Pippin.
"What happened to them?"
"We were hoping you could tell us, they were just wandering by on the outskirts of the city totally wasted and singing," Naomi explained as she blew a piece of hair from her face in annoyance, her cheeks tinted pink at the memory of the moment before the two drunkards had appeared.
"The others and I left them to continue drinking for a little while longer while we went back to get some rest, they were perfectly alright and normal then…," Frodo stated, still unsure as to what 'wasted' meant.
"Then what are you doing up?" Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow, generally interested as to why when everyone else was asleep he was out wandering.
"I…I was talking to Lady Galadriel," He said, his eyebrows furrowing a little bit as he stuffed his hand into his pocket.
"I see, talk about anything interest?" It was an innocent question on Naomi's behalf, but the little Hobbit shifted as if he was under interrogation.
"You don't have to tell me, I was merely curious," This calmed Frodo and he gave a small smile.
"I think perhaps we should take them to their beds," Legolas whispered and sure enough Merry and Pippin were passed out in a pile. Naomi yawned gently as she stood and stretched her arms out.
"What time is it anyway?" She mumbled as she picked up Merry, his head lolled over the back of her shoulder and his arms instinctively curled around her neck.
"By the looks of the light it is almost dawn," Frodo said looking up to the gaps in the colossal trees. The time that he mentioned suddenly struck Naomi.
"We were talking all night," to which Legolas just smiled.
When the small group arrived back at camp they found Aragorn just rising and he chuckled slightly and the sight of the passed out Hobbits.
"You know they made it all the way to the outskirts of the city?" Naomi asked pursing her lips, unhappy that he left the two cheekiest Hobbits to drink on their own.
"I was assured they would make their own way back," He said taking Pippin from Naomi as she yawned.
"Yeah well…they didn't," She mumbled as she walked towards her side of the campsite, moving aside the cloth door that gave her privacy she turned and called gently across to Legolas.
"Thank you, I had a really nice time," Legolas grinned at her and her stomach did a little flip before she disappeared into the tent.
Frodo watched with a small smile as Legolas watched her disappear, a soft look on his face, not noticing that Pippin was sliding from his grasp. With a loud THUMP the Hobbit hit the ground, Legolas' head snapped down to see if Pippin would wake up but he just snorted and rolled over, conveniently onto his mattress.
Naomi slept for most of the day and didn't wake until the sound of Hobbits eating afternoon tea invaded her dreams. Slowly she rose and found that a new dress had been laid out for her, this one a pale baby blue colour with a square neckline but it still had the long floaty sleeves. Quickly she changed and ran her fingers through her long hair before walking out into the main area, to find a pleasant surprise.
"Tess!" The brunette's head snapped up and she beamed.
"Good afternoon sleepy head," She said as Naomi walked over to the low table and sat on one of the many large plump pillows designed for sitting. Fruits, dried and salted meats, breads and cheeses were spread across the table, a large jug filled with something in the middle of the oval table.
"How are you feeling?" Naomi asked stretching her hand across the table and taking her friend's gently.
"I can't say I've ever felt better!" Tess laughed, the dark circles were gone from under her eyes and all of the once angry and or bleeding red lines on her body were now just light pink marks. A frosty green dress clung to her body, which was looking much less thin, and highlighted the slight green flecks in her brown eyes.
"It's good to see the colour back in you," Naomi agreed as she reached for an apple.
The group chatted about all manner of things as they nibbled at the food, content to just spend the afternoon in the soft pillows with the warm light filtering down on them from the East. Tess especially was appreciative of the sunlight, she had missed it dearly whilst trapped in the mines of Moria. Naomi was just dozing off when Aragorn arrived back, Boromir in tow.
"We have been invited to dinner with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel," Aragorn said standing above Naomi and looking down at her.
"All of us?" Tess asked and she stood, no sign of weakness hanging over her anymore.
"Yes, and an Elf by the name of Sumvia told us that she is preparing baths for you both as we speak," Boromir said as he sat down on one of the many oversized roots.
"Come on then, we best go scrub up," Naomi said as she stretched and stood, clumsily stuffing her feet into her shoes. Tess weaved her arm through Naomi's and together the two women walked off in the direction of the bath house.
"They're so happy together," Pippin said smiling as they watched them go.
"Aye, it's right nice to see Miss Naomi smiling again, what after all she's been through with losing her home and all," Sam agreed.
"Do you think they shall wish to leave the Elven city? Or will they stay behind when it is time to go?" Boromir questioned after a moment of silence. Everyone turned to Aragorn, as it seemed he would be the one to know.
"I think they will do what they feel to be right,"
Naomi in a pale lavender dress and Tess in a white dress were escorted up several flights of stairs until they reached a large talan with a gazebo type structure over it. In the center was a long oval table made of the same white wood as the structure. The glow of the sunset cast golden light beams across everything and Naomi's heart fluttered at the beauty of it all.
"Ah ladies, welcome!" Lord Celeborn said pleasantly and everyone stood for them as they took their seats between Gimli and Pippin. Dinner began and everyone feasted on the fine foods that were served, Lord Celeborn told stories of how Lothlòrien first came into being and how he and Lady Galadriel met. When everyone had eaten all they could the table was cleared and the conversation turned serious.
"Now is the time you must harden your hearts and leave this land, for the enemy shall soon be plotting on how to trap you. We shall help you prepare and boats shall be supplied so that you may take the river, a much swifter and safer route though beware of the rapids of Sarn Gebir, and the great falls of Rauros. When you reach the falls you will have to leave the boats and you shall go west or east, but in which direction you should go I cannot say," Lord Celeborn said, looking at each of them in turn.
"We thank you greatly for helping us thus far, we shall be forever in your debt," Aragorn spoke for the group, all of whom were grateful to the rest they had been able to find in Lothlòrien.
"All shall be prepared for you and await you at the haven before noon tomorrow, I will send my people to you in the morning to help you make ready for the journey. Now we will wish you all a fair night and untroubled sleep," Celeborn finished with a smile, followed by Galadriel.
"Good night my friends, sleep in peace, do not trouble your hearts overmuch with the thought of the road ahead. Maybe the paths that you each shall tread have already been laid before your feet, though you do not see them, good night!"
Tess and Naomi both lay in their beds, the covers pulled up to their ears as they tried to savor their last night in Lothlòrien.
"Do you…ever wonder why we're here?" Tess asked in a voice so low that for a moment Naomi wondered if she had actually spoken.
"I wonder all the time, but that doesn't seem to make much of a difference," Naomi mumbled as her eyelids started to droop.
"In the end I think we'll find out one way…or…another…," Tess smiled as her friend's breathing slowed to that of sleep and whispered her goodnight before curling up and closing her eyes.
(*) Song from the book, is very good book and a think I will start incorporating more of it into the story, just gives it that extra OOMF I think
And I'm getting excitttteeeeed! Cos some good stuff is coming up and I have some awesome ideas! Now I just have to get them onto paper (or laptop rather :P)
Anyways! Love you all!
Reviews and faves make me smile
AxM