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Legolas saw them as far as the edge of Western Mirkwood, but further than that, he could not go. "Much as I would wish to, I am afraid that I cannot leave home right now," he told them solemnly. "With such a worrying increase in spider sightings, we need every available archer we have. We are doing all we can to keep them from getting too close to any dwelling places. I must return to my father's halls this night."
"Give him my love," said Faelwen, giving Legolas an attempt at a one-armed hug – made difficult by the fact that they were both on horseback.
"Of course I will. My regards to everyone in Lothlorien," Legolas replied, returning the hug before shifting in his saddle to clasp exchange a warrior's handshake with both of the twins. "It is a pity you could not stay with us longer."
"Safe return home, my friend," said Elladan seriously, casting a wary look back at the dark green trees of Legolas's homeland, which housed so many dangers. "I hope that those cursed spiders may soon cease to plague you!"
"I should like that of all things. In the meantime, may you have a pleasant journey and I hope that I shall see you all again soon. Farewell!" Legolas flashed them a bright smile before wheeling his horse around. He had ridden some small distance before he called over his shoulder. "And tell Haldir to work on those distance shots, Faelwen. I intend to challenge him to a shooting match the next time I see him!"
Laughing, Faelwen and the twins waved until their friend was out of sight; before turning and looking at the vast expanse of flat grassland before them. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a beautiful combination of pinks and oranges, but there were yet around three hours until complete darkness fell. Elladan and Elrohir wanted to be well clear of the wood before they stopped for the night and meant to keep travelling until the moon arose.
"This is perfect ground for a race!" declared Elrohir with satisfaction, surveying the flat, even ground beneath the hooves of their horses. "Do you not agree?"
"Elrohir, if I am included, then 'tis not a race," said Elladan with a smile. "It is simply my victory and your defeat."
"That is what I love about our brother," said Faelwen sarcastically to Elrohir, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "His modesty is overwhelming! At any rate, you shall both have to catch me first! Come on, Soryca!" And before either of the twins could reply, she had spurred her mare into a gallop and shot away over the grass.
"You cheating little orc!" called Elladan indignantly. "Noro lim, Kyron! Catch her!" Elladan shot off in pursuit of his sister, while Elrohir took up the rear; laughing heartily.
It was good to just be the three of them once more. Faelwen genuinely had enjoyed her visit to Mirkwood, and affection she had professed for her blood family was quite sincere – but none of them could ever mean as much to her as Elladan and Elrohir did. There were very few elves that could. The twins were her champions – the gentle, cheerful protectors who had helped her and played with her when she was an elfling; and the witty, kind companions, whose company she still adored.
They spent the majority of the evening in this fashion; competing in small races, exchanging teasing insults and easy banter. They stopped only when the twilight had faded and the stars had appeared in the sky; and settled down for the night at the first available spot. They spread their blankets on the ground, lit a very small fire and partook of some lembas.
"Well, Faelwen, are you easier in your mind now that you have seen your blood relations?" asked Elrohir curiously, holding out his hand in a mute request for Elladan to pass him a water flask. He steadfastly refused to say 'real' family. As far as he was concerned, Imladris was where Faelwen's real family was.
"I am very glad I came," Faelwen told them, yawning and pulling her cloak tighter about her shoulders; fingers unconsciously sliding over the leaf-shaped brooch which held it shut. The brooch that Haldir had fastened there. "There were times when I felt very uncomfortable; especially when the true story came out - and I think it distressed my father at first that I could not call him Ada. Yet even so, I still think I did the right thing by coming. This visit managed to answer the questions that have ever troubled my mind, and quell any remaining worries I still had about my blood relations. I have met them, spoken with them, and now I shall be able to know them once more. In truth, I feel quite content."
"I am glad, for your sake, that it went well," said Elladan with an affectionate smile. "Though I would still take a great pleasure in wringing the neck of Alyan if you were to ask it of me!"
"Well, everything looks to be resolving itself. My father intends to discuss the past at great length with them now that I have left – and I think that the harshest punishment for them will be the knowledge that they have lost his trust, for I truly believe that they do love my father dearly. Therefore, there will be no need for you to wring any necks, brother dear," Faelwen laughed. "How was your own visit? It went well, I trust?"
"It was very pleasant," Elrohir told her. "Though Legolas and Thranduil both look weary. I think the matter of the spiders is weighing heavily on their mind. It was a pity that we could not stay longer, for we might have been able to give them some assistance - but we are expected in Lorien and it will not do to be late."
"If the weather remains so fair, we should make good time, I think," Elladan predicted, looking up at the clear night sky, which was not marred by so much as a single cloud. "I will take the first watch. You two get some sleep."
"All right, wake me when two hours have passed," said Elrohir, throwing a rolled up blanket over to Faelwen, before rolling another up for himself. They would make serviceable pillows. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Faelwen replied, and then opened her mouth to as if speak again, before hesitating and closing it. She lay down on her side and tugged a second blanket around her body. Above her head, the twins exchanged a knowing grin and Elrohir mutely held up his hand, counting seconds down on his fingers.
Five...four...three...two....
"Do you think Estel is all right?"
With such good company, and the fairest of weather, the journey to Lorien seemed incredibly quick to Faelwen. The days passed without event; with the trio of elves rising at dawn and travelling until twilight. As they moved, they sang, they told stories, they shared anecdotes and memories of Imladris from hundreds of years ago and the twins described their destination to their sister. She had never seen the Golden Wood before and was longing to know every detail of the realm that was the heart of Elvendom on Arda. Elladan and Elrohir, having travelled there to visit their mother's kin many times before, were happy to oblige her; describing everything as vividly as though they were at Caras Galahon at that very moment. Every word they spoke made her even more eager to get there.
Lothlorien came into sight five mornings after they had departed from Thranduil' realm. It rose in the distance looking serene and beautiful, rather than dark and impressive, as Mirkwood had. The trees looked golden; old and regal, Faelwen thought, as though they had stood there from the day the world was shaped. The leaves glowed richly in the morning sunshine, and Faelwen decided that she had never seen anywhere that had filled her with such wonder.
They were eager to reach their destination, now that it was in sight, and made good progress, not bothering to stop to eat; simply consuming their victuals in the saddle. By the time that the morning was fading away, they had closed much of the distance, only coming to a halt as they found themselves at the edge of a wide river.
"This is the great river Anduin," Elrohir informed Faelwen, sliding gracefully from his saddle as they reached the bank.
"We must cross it here, though we are not yet level with the wood," said Elladan, mimicking his brother and leaping from his horse. "For the current becomes ferociously strong further down, when it becomes close to Sarn Gebir. The river is quite shallow here, so the horses will be able to cross safely too. I should remove my boots if I were you, Faelwen. You will find it difficult to keep your feet otherwise."
Faelwen obediently climbed out of her saddle and pulled off the snug riding boots that she had been wearing on their travels. She groaned inwardly as her legs protested at the movement. She was unused to riding so much, and her muscles were stiff and sore. She waited until first Elladan, then Elrohir had led their horses off the bank and into the shallow, swirling waters of the Anduin. Then, gently leading Soryca by her reins, she followed. The water was cold, but not so cold as to make an elf uncomfortable. It rose just above her knees, making it still possible for her to slowly wade across with her faithful mare in tow.
When all three of them had crossed safely, they dried themselves off as best as they could, put their boots back on again and walked the remaining mile until they were at the very edge of the wood itself. Here Faelwen requested to rest for a few moments, as the ache in her legs intensified. Taking pity on their sister, unused to such prolonged periods of travelling, the twins agreed; Elrohir sitting down on the grass beside her, while Elladan remained on his feet, strolling aimlessly back and forth between his seated siblings and the border of trees.
"Well met, son of Elrond!" Suddenly hearing someone hail Elladan, Elrohir and Faelwen hurriedly got to their feet again and saw that Haldir's younger brother, Rumil, had come to meet them and was now exchanging the traditional elven gesture of friendship with Elladan.
"Greetings Elrohir, Faelwen! Naneth said that we might expect your arrival early this afternoon," Rumil welcomed them brightly as they walked over to join their brother. "You have made a swift journey!"
"Well, with the sunshine and an eagerness to see the wood in summer on our side, it is only to be expected," laughed Elrohir. "I hope we find you well, my friend."
"Indeed you do," Rumil grinned with easy friendliness. "Orophin and Haldir should be with us soon; they were bickering rather tirelessly about the best way to fletch an arrow, so I hurried on and left them to lag behind."
"And here they are!" said the voice of Orophin, as he seemingly appeared from nowhere. With the noiseless steps of the Galadhrim, his approach had gone completely unheard. Behind him was Haldir, and Faelwen only had eyes for him.
Seeing the sparkle of delight in her Marchwarden's eyes, which she knew was answered with an identical expression in her own, Faelwen felt herself grinning widely from ear to ear. As the twins greeted Orophin, she stepped forward and met Haldir's embrace with as much fervour as it was given. He lifted her off her feet, spun her around once, and suddenly they were both laughing; though neither knew why.
"Welcome to Lorien!" Haldir whispered in her ear, the very sound of his voice making her heart spill over with happiness. He stepped back for a moment so that he could meet her eyes. For a second they just looked at each other, clasping hands, both beaming, before they burst into peals of merry laughter once again. Then, suddenly, his arms were about her waist and he planted a lingering kiss on her smiling lips. Behind them, the rest of the party looked at them with a combination of amusement and brotherly-exasperation.
"They are not going to be like this for the entire visit, are they?" asked Rumil warily, screwing up his nose.
"Probably," said Elladan, fighting not to laugh when the younger elf rolled his eyes.
Throughout the journey to Caras Galadhon, Faelwen did not stop smiling – even for a second. With Haldir's arm around her waist, and her own around his, they took up the rear of the party, while their brothers walked in front with the horses.
"I have never seen trees so beautiful!" she declared, tilting her head back to look at the shining leaves of mellyrn trees; delighting in the flush of pleasure which appeared on Haldir's face to have his homeland thus praised. "Oh, Haldir, I have so much to tell you, that I scarcely know where to begin!"
"There is no rush," Haldir smiled warmly at her, giving her waist a gentle squeeze. "I can see it in your eyes that you are happy – for now, that is all I need. Once you have had the chance to rest and eat, you can tell me absolutely everything." Faelwen returned his smile, wondering what she had done to deserve the love of someone like Haldir, and stopped walking to kiss him fervently.
"Honestly, if you two stop to do that once more, then Orophin and I shall put you over our shoulders and carry you!" Haldir and Faelwen drew apart to find Rumil glaring at them, though the twinkle in his eyes belied the scowl on his face. "We are close to the city now – dawdle no more!" The two exchanged chagrined looks and hurried after the rest of the party.
They had not been walking again for long, when they found themselves at the end of a white bridge. They crossed swiftly, in single file and came to a halt before a set of great gates. They were tall, strong and hung with many lamps.
"Close your eyes," whispered Haldir softly.
"What?" Faelwen's eyebrows drew together in confusion.
"Close your eyes," Haldir repeated, smiling. "For when we pass through these gates, we shall arrive in the city. I want to see your face when you first set eyes upon it." Faelwen obediently closed her eyes, and Haldir placed his hands over them. The gentle touch brought a blush rushing to Faelwen's cheeks. She heard someone knock, and Rumil's voice speak quietly – then she supposed that the gates had been opened, for Haldir was gently coaxing her forward. She followed his guidance; her trust in him absolute, and suddenly the sound of elvish singing came to her ears. They walked some distance in silence, climbing some stairs, before they stopped once again.
"Now," said Haldir, moving around Faelwen so that he could face her. "Open your eyes."
She did. And what she saw took her breath away.
Around them, were great trees; big, broad and strong, and around their trunks were stairways and ladders, leading into flets and talans. They were illuminated by many silver lamps, lending them a glowing, ethereal quality, and heightening the natural beauty of the mellyrn trees. Faelwen felt as though she had stumbled into a dream. An entire city built in the trees! And it was beautiful!
"I have never seen anywhere that has so filled me with wonder!" she breathed, the others watching her amazement with fond smiles. "It is so beautiful!"
"What have you been told about bringing home strays, Haldir?" Faelwen's raptures were interrupted by a very familiar, musical voice, as a raven-haired elleth came hurrying down one of the stairways.
"Arwen!" Elladan, Elrohir and Faelwen all rushed to greet the sister that they had not seen for more than twenty years, taking it in turns to embrace her. There had been a fairly frequent correspondence between them all, but letters were never the same as seeing someone face to face, and they all took great joy in this reunion.
"It is so good to see you again!" Faelwen said, hugging the dark-haired elleth tightly. "It has been far, far too long!" As she grinned at her, Faelwen noticed that Arwen's reputation for loveliness had not been an exaggerated one. She seemed to have become impossibly more beautiful since the last time they had met.
Suddenly, they were all seven talking at once; laughing and shouting and asking each other questions: Had the journey gone well? Why had Orophin and Rumil never joined their brother in his visits to Imladris? They would stay for a few weeks, wouldn't they? Had there been any trouble with orcs as of late? How were they?
"Come, come there will be time for all of this later. But first, all three of you are badly in need of a wash," chuckled Arwen, looking at her three travel-stained siblings. "I told Daerada and Daernana that I would take you to bathe when you arrived. At least be mildly presentable when you greet them!" Faelwen blushed in embarrassment as she looked down at her dusty boots, leggings soaked to the knees and the tunic that was rumpled from sleeping in it. She looked like a messy elfling next to the regal and beautiful Arwen. She followed on gladly as they were led to the bathing pavilions, she and Arwen entering one, while the twins entered the other.
"They are built on a natural hot spring, so there is always plenty of hot water to be had. And they are always empty in the afternoon," Arwen informed Faelwen, leading her into one of the many small rooms. There was a stone bath set in the centre of the room; long and deep enough for an elf to be comfortable in. There was also a small shelf stocked with soap and other such supplies, while a sort of dressing table and looking glass were positioned at the other end of the room. Arwen pulled a lever by the side of the bath and, to Faelwen's surprise, a stone near the top of one side drew back a little; allowing hot, steaming water to flow into the bath. As soon as the bath was full enough, Arwen pushed the lever back again and the stone returned to its place.
"I trust that everyone in Imladris was well and happy when you left them?" Arwen enquired, as Faelwen sat down to pull off her dusty riding boots. "How is Ada? And Glorfindel and Erestor?"
"They are all very well," Faelwen answered, gladly throwing her boots aside. "They send you their love of course."
"I will write to them this evening, and tell them that you have arrived safe and well," Arwen said. "Now, I will leave you to get undressed while I go and fetch something for you to wear. You were in such a flurry when you left Imladris that you forgot to take anything but travelling clothes with you, so Ada had some things packed for you and Haldir brought them when he returned. I will fetch a dress for you while you get in the bath."
Arwen left the room and shut the door behind her, while Faelwen set to work stripping off the garments she had travelled in. She struggled a moment with the fiddly lacing at the neck of her tunic but the knot eventually came undone and she was able to pull it over her head and drop it in the pile with her other clothes, with the exception of her cloak which, being a present from Haldir, had received much gentler treatment, and was neatly folded up. Her undergarments came next and then she climbed into the bath, sinking into the hot water with a groan of appreciation. She had loved travelling with the twins, but so much riding had really taken its toll upon her muscles, which were now welcoming this indulgence. She let her head fall gently back against the edge and shut her eyes blissfully. She must have drifted towards sleep for a moment, for the next thing she knew, Arwen was back with a change of clothes in her arms.
"This was a mistake," she told Arwen lightly. "You should never have let me in here. You will not get me out again before midnight!"
"And keep your Marchwarden waiting for you?" smiled Arwen merrily. "My dear Faelwen, that would never do!"
"I cannot believe it has been twenty years since I last saw you!" said Faelwen, shaking her head in surprise. "We have so much to catch up on!"
"First though, you must tell me how things happened between you and Haldir," Arwen said curiously, laying out the dress she had chosen for Faelwen. "You had made no mention of your feelings for in your letters beforehand. I always thought that if you chose one of our close acquaintance, it would be Legolas."
"Everybody says that!" exclaimed Faelwen, reaching for some soap. "And I know not why. It is not that I do not like Legolas – quite the contrary; I adore him. But he has always been like a brother to me. Yet another one! Soon, I am not going to be able to move for tripping over a brother!"
"You are avoiding my question, Faelwen!" teased Arwen with a laugh.
"It was in summer, the year before we began courting that I realised that I liked him," Faelwen confessed; slowly blushing from the neck up, as she scrubbed at her arms. "He was sparring with the twins and he had his tunic off...and I knew I should not have been staring at him, but the more I told myself I should not stare, the more I stared!" Arwen burst into peals of laughter. "And then the following winter, Ada told me that I should attend the Midwinter Festival, instead of avoiding it as usual. The only elf I wanted to go with was Haldir, though I was terrified of asking him! I made rather a mess of it, but he agreed to go with me. After that, things just...happened."
"Well, it is clear that you are devoted to one another," Arwen replied, handing her a vial of soap to use on her hair. "Between your letters singing his praises, and he singing yours every time he returns from Imladris, I have learnt both your virtues off by heart! I wish you joy, though; you deserve each other."
"I am so lucky to have him! He is brave, he is kind, he is patient," Faelwen said, as she started to wash her hair, launching off on a description of all of Haldir's virtues. Arwen listened in barely concealed amusement, having heard all of this in letters several times before. She listened patiently though, without interrupting, as Faelwen rinsed her hair and washed the soap out.
"So, pray tell me," she enquired fondly, as Faelwen got out of the bath and reached for a towel. "When am I to call Haldir brother?"
"Not for a while yet, I fear," Faelwen replied with a sigh. "If we were granted permission, I would marry him tonight if I could – I know it is not the custom of our people to rush into marriage, but I love him so much, and our feelings are so strong! All the time in the world shall not change that! Yet whenever the subject of marriage is broached, everyone invariably says that we are still too young."
"Nonsense!" said Arwen firmly. "Nothing should stand in the way of love – age or otherwise. If Haldir is the one you want to marry, then you must marry him!"
"Sadly, I do not see Ada or Daerada sharing your views, Arwen," Faelwen smiled. "And arguing with them is hardly going to convince them that we are mature enough to be wed. But what about you? With beauty like yours, you cannot be wanting for suitors! Is there no Lorien champion who has caught your eye?"
"No," Arwen shook her head. "There are several elves whose company I enjoy very much, but none that I regard as any more than a friend; and I am convinced that nothing but the very deepest love will induce me into matrimony. I am content to wait, for I will know my future husband when I see him."
"Then he will indeed deserve you," Faelwen, her voice muffled as she vigorously dried her hair. "Oh, it feels so good to be properly clean again!" She dressed quickly in the clothes that Arwen had selected for her; a pale blue dress trimmed with white and soft silver-coloured slippers. As soon as she was dressed, Arwen opened the door to let the steam out of the room, while Faelwen sat down at the dressing table and began to brush her hair.
"Let me. It has been so long since I last arranged your hair for you," said Arwen, taking the proffered hairbrush and combing out Faelwen's longe blond hair. "I do miss having a sister around."
"We all miss you too, Arwen," Faelwen told her. "Why do you not come back to Imladris? Ada would be so happy to see you at home again. Everyone would."
Arwen's eyes clouded. "I cannot return. Not yet," she murmured, her voice full of sadness. "The memories are yet too fresh and too painful. I shall return to our father's house one day, I promise you, but I am afraid I cannot do so yet."
"Never fear," Faelwen reached up to squeeze Arwen's hand as it rested on her shoulder. "I cannot hold that against you. I will simply be happy to welcome you there when you can bear it." Arwen graced her with an affectionate smile and continued to skilfully arrange her foster sister's hair; drawing a section back from her face, while the lower section remained loose. "There is a silver comb in the top of my pack. Can you put it in for me, please?"
"Certainly. Oh, this is beautiful!" exclaimed Arwen, retrieving it and using it to hold the top section of Faelwen's hair in an elegant twist at the nape of her neck.
"It was my mother's," said Faelwen with a small smile, unsure of how explain the past few weeks to Arwen.
"It becomes your hair very well," said Arwen kindly, refraining for asking for more details at the moment, as she did not want to make her sister uncomfortable. She tucked a last strand of hair into place and stood back, satisfied. "There we are. You look absolutely lovely!"
"As long as I do not stand beside you," Faelwen joked wryly, raising her eyebrows as they both walked towards the door. "Arwen, were I not so very fond of you, I would be immeasurably jealous! You could outshine Luthien herself in that gown!"
"Oh, do let me share in all these compliments!" cried Elladan, in a voice ringing with laughter, putting his head around the door. "Tell me I am beautiful as well, will you?" But all he got was a well-aimed hairbrush and a towel, as he fled away again.