Chapter 2
Dol Amroth
Autumn 3009
Imrahil read the letter that had arrived earlier that morning. The script was neat and flowing, befitting the writer. The contents had not surprised him, although he had not expected such a quick response to his queries, but then the ship bearing the messenger had enjoyed a fair wind. It read as such:
Imladris, August 20th, 3009
Prince Imrahil –
Your letter has arrived and has brought to my attention something that I find both curious and alarming. While it is somewhat common for my people to gain the Sight, it is surprising that one within the race of Men has indeed gained this ability and remained sane. Your daughter must be truly strong of will, mind and heart.
Your daughter's abilities, though, are something that she could easily be taught to control. Although I fear that it will always cause her at least some discomfort, I doubt she will suffer such pain as the first time she experienced the Sight. It would be my honor to educate her in the way of the Sight. I am sad to say that I will not be able to journey to your home, but would be more than happy to have her here, in Imladris. My people will surely accept her as if she were one of our own and they would not only help her with her gift, but also educate her in all that we would teach our own children.
In the end, the decision lies with you. I believe that if you bring her to Imladris she will not only live in peace, but flourish under our tutelage. But in this choice, I defer to you.
I await your reply,
Lord Elrond Imladris
Imrahil had a difficult decision to make. Placing the letter on his desk he stood and paced the length of the room. He did loath to part with his only daughter. She was one of the only reminders he had of his dearly departed wife. Sighing, he fell into his chair. His eyes looked out towards the beach where all four of his children walked. Lothíriel and Amrothos were in the surf, playing as children should, unaware of the possibility that they may be separated for a good length of time. Elphir and Erchirion stepped behind the two younger siblings further up from the surf but nevertheless keeping watchful eyes on them. All three of the princess' brothers were doting and loved to be with their sister.
Turning away he reread the letter and thought of the people in the village. Although Erchirion had made it public knowledge that Lothíriel's gift had been due to her birthright as a daughter of Númenor, several gossipers had not let go of the story and by now it had no doubt circulated throughout all of Gondor. He was surprised he had heard nothing from his brother-in-law, Denethor. The Steward was someone who put great stock in gossip and hated when he or his family was ever talked about in any such light. Perhaps she would indeed flourish under the Elves' guidance.
He nodded and took his seat as he pulled out paper to pen his letter of response to Lord Elrond. Lothíriel would go to the Elves. They would help her so that she would master her gift and learn how to act as a lady befitting a descendant of Elves themselves. He couldn't help but feel a slight bitterness within himself that he had to part with his daughter under these circumstances. His only consolation was that he had no doubt she would return in due time and be proper in all ways and able to put any and all rumors about her to rest.
The dark stranger watched from the shadow of the trees. There was the Oracle that had been spoken of to his Lord and King. She was more beautiful than he had expected. She would be a great treasure to the kingdom of Harad. She walked along the beach slowly, playing with her brothers. Her laugh tinkling lightly. A wicked grin formed upon his face as he stepped further into the shadows to remain completely from the party's sight. It would do no good to be spotted now and give away his plans.
Two big men trailed behind the group of four royals. He had heard of the guards that shadowed the princess wherever she went. They would be difficult to get rid of, but not impossible. He studied everything about them from the way they walked, to how their eyes shifted as they gazed at their surroundings. On their hips were twin swords with the emblem of both Gondor's tree and Dol Amroth's swan-ship. He noted with satisfaction that they wore no armor besides light leather jerkins. No doubt they didn't feel threatened in their homeland and would rather not wear such heavy armor during the hottest season of the year.
Finally, satisfied with his appraisal of the group, he stepped further into the shadows and headed towards his small camp within the dense forest. He would have to wait until there were less people around, for he did not like his odds against five men. Pulling out some bread he decided to rest for the time being. He needed to be at his most alert when he went after the princess. Sleepy warriors tended to end up with a sword in their gut.
The sunset was beautiful as always, sea and sky meeting each other in a blaze of color. Lothíriel had returned from her sojourn at the beach and was now being dressed to prepare for her supper. Her father had requested to have it in his solar rather than the great hall. He must have had some news to share. He only ate in private for two occasions – her birthday and when he had information that he wanted to keep from the ears of people who would spread their knowledge without leave to do so. And her birthday would not arrive for a few weeks.
Her maid, Kilfreth, smoothed her straight, long, black locks down her back, braiding the crown to keep it away from her face. Lothíriel studied herself in the mirror, her stormy grey eyes gazing back as she scrutinized the dress that had been chosen for her that evening. The material was silky and a light peach that on anyone with a different skin tone might have looked insipid and dull, but the pretty hue suited her coloring. Happy with her outward appearance, she fingered her scar under one of the locks – it might be hidden, but she could always see it.
Kilfreth watched lovingly as Lothíriel got up and smoothed the front of her dress. She turned to be inspected by the maid who nodded in approval. Although she was still a child, Lothíriel had been told she had the eyes of someone who was years older. Those eyes saw the softening of the maid's expression as she moved forward and brushed the single loose strand of hair back into place.
"You look more like your mother every day," her voice was soft as she spoke, tears brimming her eyes. Lothíriel looked to the floor and thought of her mother. She had passed away shortly after giving birth to her and so Lothíriel could not remember what her mother looked like except for the cold expression on the statue that marked her grave.
"Thank you." She schooled her features as she looked up and allowed the mask to cover her expression. "I wonder what Father has planned to tell us tonight."
"Well, whatever it is, you look as though you are ready to receive a King." Kilfreth smiled at the young girl before she opened the door to the corridor and stood back, allowing the princess to pass through. The corridor was the same one that she had first encountered the Sight so many months ago. Hurrying away from that place she soon arrived at the door to her father's solar. She opened the door and noticed immediately that she was the last to arrive and the food had also already been served. Her father and brothers stood as she entered and Elphir shifted her chair so that she might have a seat beside the fire. Once she was settled, her eyes fell upon her father who was watching her thoughtfully while she was handed a plate covered with a variety meat, cheese and fruit. Looking up she noticed a strange expression on all of their faces.
"What is it? Is there something the matter with me?" She reached up to her hair to smooth it, but found that there was nothing wrong. Looking down her front she saw she had made no stains on the peach fabric.
"My sweet girl," her father began, kneeling in front of her, "a letter arrived today from Lord Elrond. He is the Elven lord of Imladris." She nodded in recognition of his name. "He has invited you to stay with him in his home for a few years so he can teach you how to use your gift. I have accepted the invitation."
Lothíriel opened her mouth to speak, but no sound exited. Closing it and licking her lips, she tried again, but when she spoke her voice was more shrill than she would have liked. "But Father, why are you sending me away? I love it here! This is my home!" She looked down to her plate of food as a thought came to her. "You're ashamed of me aren't you? Because I am not like you wanted me to be, and all our people think I am strange. Because I can't make them stop talking about me. It embarrasses you doesn't it?" Her father reached for her hand but she moved the plate off her lap and swiftly ran out of the solar. Through the open door all the four men could see Lothíriel's guards trailing after her.
Lothíriel ran heedlessly through the castle and out into the town. She needed to get to the beach where she could be alone. She tried, and failed, to wear the cold mask of indifference but each time she met the eyes of a inhabitant she saw herself as the shame of their household. She felt tears in her eyes but refused to let them fall in front of these people who so blatantly judged her. Finally reaching the beach, she allowed them to fall down her cheeks and she in turn fell to her knees on the sand.
She was so busy crying and fueling her self hurt that she didn't hear the slight twang of an arrow and the gasp of her guards. Her tears finished at last she collected herself and stared out into the waves as they crashed to shore. Losing all thought she simply existed, here at the edge of the sea. She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy it. As she was starting to recover, another vision came.
A man was riding on a great grey stallion. There were orcs and men all around as he swung his sword at them. They were not in Gondor but an empty plain with nothing but a village of tents. She felt the anger of the rider. His carnal desire to turn every orc he met into carnage for the vultures. He was stabbed in his leg but he did not feel the pain, she did. He only turned and in a swift motion, beheaded the creature. It fell, and the rider removed the knife from his calf and threw it onto the body. After all of the orcs were dead, he called out to one of his men that carried a sack with his saddlebags. After he saw the man had pulled out some herbs, needle and thread he nodded his head. He got off his horse swiftly, the wound in his leg screaming in pain, and removed his helmet. A very different helmet from those around him - this one had a white horsetail.
Lothíriel felt the terrible pain in her leg as she came back to her body and noticed that something was strange. She was no longer by the sea, but in a dense forest. She could hear the waves in the distance and knew she couldn't be too far if she could hear them so clearly. In front of her a fire crackled and an animal, likely a hare, was roasting on a spit above the fire. She tried to sit up but found that her wrists had been tightly bound behind her back. She began to cry out for help when a shadowy figure emerged into view. His body was lithe but she could see small muscles on his bare arms. His tunic was blood red with a black serpent winding itself on the front. He smiled, his expression triumphant.
"Good evening, little Oracle. I see that you have finally woken. Please don't shout, I would hate to have to gag you when you're such a pretty little thing to look at." His eyes darted around, searching the trees around them. "And I certainly hope you didn't alert anyone to our presence here, you wouldn't want any more blood on your hands would you?"
Lothíriel felt sick for a moment. 'Little oracle', is that what people thought of her? And then the rest of his words got through. "More blood?" It came out rough and quiet.
The grin became wider. "Indeed. You already have the deaths of your two faithful guards on your hands. Perhaps if you had managed to run away properly they would have lived." Lothíriel felt vomit rise in her throat but she didn't get the chance to empty her stomach as the man closed the distance between them swiftly. He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her into a sitting position. She cried out in pain, tears falling down her cheeks again. "Now, I'm only going to tell you this once, you are going to behave or else on the way I will make sure you watch when I kill someone else. I doubt that is something you would volunteer to see." When she nodded, he dropped his grasp on her hair.
He let her sink back to the ground and leaned against a tree, watching her. She felt her tears spring anew to her cheeks as she thought of the two guards who had been a part of her life for months. Then her ears pricked when she heard her father's hounds baying. The man stood straight suddenly as he heard the noise too and cursed foully. Quickly he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as he began to sprint through the forest. It was not long before she heard the thunder of hooves bearing down on them. The man with the red tunic put her down under a small bush to hide her and turned around. She saw he held a small dagger in each hand.
As the horses circled around her, Lothíriel could hear the hiss of swords being pulled from their sheaths. Commands were issued quietly. She waited in anticipation for the sounds of battle between the men and her captor. One of the riders was so near she could see the horse's hooves a few feet from her head. She dared not spook the horse, so made no sound, only watched, waiting for it to move so she could announce her presence. She soon found that it wasn't necessary. One of the riders must have spotted her through the bush and jumped down to the ground. When he bent over she could see it was Gallíon, her father's captain of the guard. He smiled encouragingly and helped her out of the bush. The first person she saw was her brother, Elphir, sitting on top of his stallion, his sword drawn and ready. When she turned towards her captor she saw him holding his hands in surrender. Two more of her father's men had dismounted and were searching the underbrush around them as well. She could see the clear relief on their faces when they saw her. After seeing to her bonds, she was mounted up in front of Elphir and they rode back along the coast towards Dol Amroth. As they rode, her brother had given her his handkerchief so she could wipe the dirt from her face.
By the time they were making their way through the town surrounding the castle the first rays of dawn were sparkling on the water. Once they arrived in the courtyard of her home, Lothíriel saw her father and her other brothers standing and looking at them with the same clear relief Elphir and the Swan-Knights had worn when they had found her safe. She dismounted and rushed into their arms as they surrounded her protectively. "Oh, my sweet little Lothig , I was so very worried for you." Her father's voice was rough and quiet as he spoke, but when she looked to his face, he was smiling and his eyes spoke of unshed tears. Her brothers made noises of agreement before Erchirion straightened and spoke the question each of them were thinking.
"What happened? How were you captured and your guards killed?" His voice was clear, as usual and his face was a mask of concern.
"I had another vision." She started and felt her leg although she only the memory of the pain now. "I suppose my guards must have rushed to aid me when it happened, but when I returned to myself I had already been captured. Because of the sight, I couldn't even run away from him when I had the chance to." She looked down at her wrists where she could see the marks of bruises becoming darker. The rest of her family stepped out of their embrace with her and quietly looked at each other before her father spoke up once again.
"I feel even more convinced that the choice I have made for you to leave for Rivendell is a good one. Only Lord Elrond is able to help you control this. Perhaps you will find a way to stop it from happening at all."
Lothíriel opened her mouth to protest but Erchirion put his hand on her shoulder. When she looked up into his eyes, she saw him shake his head. His face was serious as he turned away from her and looked back to their father. "I agree, Father, but I don't think she should go there alone. One of the family should go along to look after Lothíriel. I would be happy to go."
Amrothos smiled. "Of course you would be happy to go. Think of all the books." His smile widened and he began to chuckle slightly. The rest of them slowly joined in as Erchirion's face reddened deeply.
"Well, I do agree that the knowledge the Elves guard in Rivendell would benefit me in my pursuits, that is not the only reason I have for offering my company on this lengthy," Erchirion paused as he searched for a word to befit the situation, "holiday."
Their father agreed, and led them to his study to begin planning the trip. It was decided that Erchirion and Lothíriel take a company of no less than thirty Swan-Knights to Rivendell. Their travels would commence after a week of packing so they could safely arrive before the first snowfall. They would travel by boat to Minas Tirith and stay for a night at their home within the city. From there they would ride, crossing through Rohan and then head north towards Rivendell. Their plans made, Prince Imrahil sent out a messenger at once with the information for Lord Denethor so that he could ensure that they would not be unannounced when both entering the city and crossing into Rohan.
That night Kilfreth began Lothíriel's packing, picking out gowns that would suit for both the northern cold winters and cool summers alike. She also made sure to add plenty of material for more gowns should any be needed during her stay. She was quietly babbling about how to behave properly with Elves but Lothíriel's mind wandered. She thought back on her last vision. Each of the previous visions she had experienced had been through someone she could feel slightly familiar with, but the man with the horsetail helmet was completely new. She had no sense that she knew the person. But, why? Would she ever meet the man? She shook her head slightly and stood up from her seat facing the window.
"I believe I should head to bed soon Kilfreth." She began to release her hair from it's braid. "Will you please help me out of this dress?" As her maid noticed the look of quiet contemplation on the young princess' face, she nodded and silently began to undress her. Once Lothíriel had been changed into her nightgown, Kilfreth bobbed a quick curtsy before making her way out of the chamber.
As Lothíriel looked towards the dark ceiling above her large bed, she began to wonder how long it would be before she would return to her home and how much everything would change once she got back. Turning away from the ceiling and all thoughts of her uncertain future, she closed her eyes and let the sound of the nearby ocean's rolling waves sing her to sleep.
