Thank you so much everybody for being patient and waiting! This is a bit of a longer chapter for you all in my gratitude for you all's support and prayers. :) I am now back at home safe and sound, safely (I hope) away from any more earthquakes... Although they are predicting another one within the week. :( But anyways, I digress. As always, thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Please continue to read on... And if you haven't already, please go take the poll on my profile?
Chapter 5
The shards of Narsil were being reforged. It had already been several days since the council, and the work on the heirloom of Isildur's line had begun almost immediately after. Help would come to Gondor, along with a long-overdue heir to the throne.
Eruanna spent the days in the forge, for she had taken it upon herself to have a hand in the reforming of the blade. Not only as a token of good-will for the Edain she loved as her own kin, but also because she wanted to restore the glory of the sword as was spoken of in the tales of old that Erestor had taught her for so many years now. And also for a distraction from the coming parting and accompanying tears that were sure to come.
So even now she sat in the forge, watching as her brother worked with Lord Elrond himself in the great task. She watched as they had beaten it together, melting the shards' edges and hammering it into submission under their tongs. Steam hissed as it was plunged into barrels of cold water, and again passed through the flames to come out once again.
She watched with keen eyes as they etched into it the shape of a crescent moon and a rising sun, along with many runes that embedded elven magic into it. There was one last spot to be done, and then the sword would be finished and ready to be acquainted with its new master.
Eruanna stood and walked over to Glorfindel's side as he took up the tool used for engraving, startling both him and Lord Elrond. She placed a hand on his arm and motioned, closing her eyes and delving within herself. She searched, reaching within her and probing, searching. Finally, she found it.
Taking the end of her bond with Glorfindel, she attached it to the light hidden deep within herself and opened her eyes again at the gasps she heard. Glorfindel was now glowing with the light of the Valar, bright and golden, as was the utensil clutched in his fingers.
The siblings locked eyes. 'What would you wish me to write?' Glorfindel asked softly, knowing what a strain it was for Eruanna to reveal her light in any way.
'Valar valuvar.' She said slowly, and at the words the light flared brightly so that Lord Elrond had to look away for a moment.
Glorfindel turned to look at the sword and wrote carefully, the last swirl of Tengwar being done with a flourish. The light disappeared. The sword gave one last glare of light before completely dimming, the only evidence of the completion being the edge of cold blue flame and the golden sheen that ringed the runes.
"Good." Glorfindel murmured, and held it up carefully, studying it with a critical eye. "It is done." He declared, and Eruanna clung to his apron and stared up at it with wondering eyes.
When it was finally given to Aragorn, he held it up to the window, eyes awed at the fell blue gleam and golden runes that glittered coldly in the light. He read the runes aloud and them turned to them.
"W-who made these?" He asked, pointing to the 'Valar valuvar' in gold. Glorfindel smiled and placed a hand on Eruanna's head in reply. The elfling blushed hotly and hid his behind his robes shyly.
Aragorn coaxed her back out and knelt, hugging the child. "Thank you, Eruanna." He murmured, and then stood with the sword one more time.
"Andúril. Flame of the West." He declared the new name of the sword, and re sheathed it with a satisfying 'snick.'
That was one week spent already. Eruanna decided to go to her other brother next and spend as much time with him as she could, to make memories to last forever. After all, who knows if any of them would survive their quest? And if it came down to that, was there even any guarantee that she would survive either?
So she thought of these things, standing in front of Legolas' door and staring at it blankly. The wood stared back, almost as though it was mocking her. Telling her that maybe one day she would stand in front of it knowing that no one was there, and would forever be empty of the particular presence she was seeking.
It suddenly swung open, and she found herself blinking at the face of a startled Legolas. Then her cheeks flushed and she staggered back, stuttering across their bond as she was caught off-guard. Legolas stepped forwards and picked her up, going back into his room and shutting the door behind him.
He sat down on the windowsill, legs hanging far above the ground and her clutched tightly to him in his lap. Eruanna buried her face into his tunic, clutching fistfuls of the fabric in her hands. Quiet tears dropped onto her fingers, and Legolas sighed as he felt them.
"Do not cry Eruanna, onònë. I will be alright." He said softly in her ear, caressing the light hair. She stared up at him bleakly, eyes blank.
'I don't want to lose you. I can't.' She whispered forlornly. He said nothing, only rocking softly as he hugged her to himself.
"I know." He finally said. "I lost my Ammë too to the orcs. Both of us did." He said thoughtfully. Eruanna sniffled, tears drying up. "And every orc I kill, I do it for her. And you." He added. "For my mother and sister."
She merely shook her head, not lifting it from his tunic. 'Legolas promise to try to take care of them?' She asked. He smiled.
"Of course. I will try my very best, and I will bring them back to you safely. If any of them dare do otherwise, then I will myself go and drag them back so that you can properly punish them." He promised gravely, making her giggle despite herself at his comical levity.
"Now, don't cry, you don't look pretty that way." Legolas sniffed disdainfully, and Eruanna just had to laugh at him.
'You were always a pretty elf.' She teased him. 'Brushing your hair until it shines and never getting dirty. Oh look, that orc is dirty, get it away from me!' She pretended to mimic him. He shot her a glare.
"I am most certainly not like that-"
'But Ada is.' She snickered. Then she assumed a pompous air. 'Where's my crown? Not that one, that's my third favorite! What do you mean you can't find it? It was my fifth favorite one, it must be found! My eyebrows have feelings too!' She declared, wriggling her own.
Legolas nearly fell out of window roaring as she marched away comically with her nose in the air and a flourish of nonexistent robes. She flipped her hair and pretended to settle a crown, sitting down and crossing her legs while adopting a haughty air.
Then she grinned at him as he doubled over. 'See? It HAS to be hereditary somehow, doesn't it?' She pointed out smugly. He leaped up with mock-fury etched on his face.
"Why you little-!" He lunged after her as she let out a shriek and leaped up, pelting out the door and down the hallways as the elven Prince chased after her down the hallways shouting.
Elves stared as they passed, resuming their walk dazedly shaking their heads. Rangers watched with raised eyebrows, stifling smiles. Perhaps elves had more in common with men then they thought...
"Eruanna Glorfindelithel, you get back here!" Legolas shouted after the fleeing elfling who was laughing so hard that she could barely see. She rounded a corner and ran smack into one man and two elves in particular.
'Sorry 'Dan, 'Ro, bye! Sorry Ciaran!' She shrieked in their minds, scrabbling down the hallway again. They stared.
"What-" Elladan started.
"That little-" Legolas barreled around the corner. "Ah, hello Elladan, Elrohir, Ciaran, if you'll excuse me-" and he barreled off again. There was a silence.
"Well that explains it then." And the two elves resumed their talk to the Ranger who wasn't paying any attention at all, trying to register what he had just seen.
Eruanna finally reached a room and flung open the door, bee-lining for a certain elf. 'Heeeeelp!' She leaped into the arms of a very startled Erestor just as Legolas burst in wildly.
"Eruanna Glorfindelithel, come back here, I'm not done with you." He growled, shaking a finger at the elfling who was laughing breathlessly, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Umm, excuse me?" Glorfindel asked cooly, towering over the blonde elf who, unfazed, pointed at the culprit.
"Ask her." He huffed, arm crossed. But his eyes gleamed in amusement.
Gandalf was watching with a large smile on his face, which everyone noticed. Lord Elrond had a raised eyebrow. Frodo blinked. Sam looked confused. Gimli was staring at the elfling with a look akin to awe on his face. Erestor didn't know how to act. Arwen was giggling. Aragorn was outright snickering. Lady Celébrian was sighing exasperatedly.
"So you find something amusing, Mithrandir?" Legolas asked the wizard suspiciously.
Gandalf chuckled. "You forget I knew Glorfindel when he was reborn, Legolas. I am merely pleased to see his sister and how he acts when it comes to her; it is a very interesting study on his behavior. I'm sure lord Nàmo would agree, hmmm, Glorfindel?" He asked said elf mischievously.
Glorfindel glared. "Don't give me that, Mithrandir. When we get back to Valinor I'm going to have a word with those Valar." He snarled.
"Well as long as I'm there to see it I have no objections.." Gandalf replied.
"Yes and no doubt Finrod will as well." Glorfindel retorted, but there was a spark of amusement nonetheless.
"There is a problem here, I'm assuming?" Erestor brought them all back to the present with his cut and dry tone that had Eruanna off into hysterics again.
"Yes." Legolas groused.
"Oh?" Glorfindel raised a fair eyebrow at Eruanna and swept her into his arms. She clutched a lock of his hair blissfully and began to tell him all. Those who shared a mind link with her began to roar with laughter at the memory she revealed to them. Glorfindel was sitting in a chair, laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. "Oh seler, I haven't laughed that hard since I left Valinor." He choked.
"Yes, I seem to remember that you had quite a time there." Gandalf chuckled between puffs of his pipe.
Finally the laughs subsided as Legolas sighed from where he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "If you are quite finished with your amusement at my expense..." He started, smiling in spite of himself.
"Wonderfully done, Eruanna." Aragorn chuckled. Arwen gasped and smacked his arm.
"Estel!" She chided. Lady Celébrian winked at the elfling, who went into a stifled fit of mirth.
"Yes, well, I would like to see her do Elrond." She said innocently. Everyone stared. "What, can I not wonder?" She asked.
Eruanna stood up on the ground and thought while everyone turned to her apprehensively. Lord Elrond looked most unimpressed, though those who knew him best saw the gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Then Eruanna snapped her fingers and nodded. She folded her hands in front of her and adopted a somber pose, face flat. 'Elladan, Elrohir, go apologize.' She commanded, sweeping off elegantly.
She pointed a calm finger. 'Lindir, forgive my sons. Don't cry, harp strings can be replaced.'
Then she flashed a quick grin. 'Aragorn, Arwen stop mooning about in corners and come here, there is work to do! I tell you, children these days- my father never spooned so horribly with mother, I'm sure.' She said in an exasperated tone.
Arwen and Aragorn were left blushing as the room burst into new roars of laughter. Even Elrond had to fight the smile off of his face at the sight of the elfling wrapping herself in his robe with a virtuous air. She gave everyone an owlish look in attempt to feign wisdom. Legolas was doubled over in the doorway.
"That quite sums it up." Lady Celébrian noted sagely, eliciting new howls of amusement.
Eruanna hopped over to the desk that Gandalf and Aragorn had been huddled over and climbed on top of Aragorn's lap, peering at the map that was spread over it. She placed her finger on Rivendell, tracing it to Greenwood, Lothlòrien, and then to Gondor and even Mordor.
'We are trying to decide on a path to travel." Aragorn said, trying to balance the elfling on his lap as she wobbled precariously. Everyone's attention sharpened as her face suddenly blanked out, her fingers lingering over the area of Angband. But they moved on- to the Grey Havens.
Eruanna closed her eyes. She could hear the seagulls crying in the wind, the waves splashing on the shore, the snap of sails in the breeze. Her eyes opened with a sigh as her chest heaved and she plonked her head on the table, wistfully eying the bottle of ink next to the map. Glorfindel's lips were thinned.
"Very highly has the company of Thorin Oakenshield spoken of the wee lass that helped them in Greenwood and the borders of this realm, as well as provided aid in our time of need. Is this not the same Lady Ren that I have heard of many times?" Gimli finally spoke up for the first time gruffly.
Eruanna blushed in embarrassment as Elrond answered. "She is indeed, master Gimli." He answered, sounding slightly amused.
'Such a fuss over nothing.' Eruanna muttered. Glorfindel huffed.
"I'd like to differ, dear sister." He scoffed as she sent him a scathing glare.
'You're not helping!' She scowled as he smirked and the rest smiled. Eruanna slid off of Aragorn's lap and bowed to Gimli who returned it.
Glorfindel spoke up. "She would like to thank you for your kind words." He spoke, a small smile on his lips.
"You say that she is your sister?" Gimli asked curiously.
"Yes, she is." Glorfindel picked her up, placing a kiss on her temple with a loving smile.
'Unfortunately for me.' She grumbled. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. 'I was warned that you would smother me- why didn't I listen?' She mock-moaned. Legolas was sniggering in the doorway.
"Oh, and you would rather I not 'smother' you as you put it?" Glorfindel asked suspiciously. She gave him an innocent smile.
'I never said anything of the sort.' She retorted with a satisfied nod, to the amusement of the others. He chuckled and took her hair in his fingers, letting it run through them like rivulets of water.
Eruanna's eyes suddenly took on a far-away look as she stared at the door. Legolas offered his arms, and Eruanna smiled. Glorfindel handed her over and went back to the map with Aragorn and Gandalf.
'Le'las, wanna go see Ciaran.' She begged. Legolas raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Why?" He asked, but still heading out the door nonetheless.
"Don't forget to dress properly for dinner!" Lady Celébrian called, and Eruanna gave her an amused smile. Lately her demeanor had been shifting more towards that of her true age, and everyone had noticed it.
When they finally found Ciaran, he was at the training grounds outside, exercising. Eruanna smiled up at Legolas. 'Thank you Toron.' She said, and with a chuckle the elven Prince kissed the top of her head and went back to the room from where they came.
Ciaran paused and turned, having heard their approach. He smiled softly. "Greetings, my lady." He bowed to her as gallantly as always, greeting her with a smile.
She smiled and waved in reply, swinging her legs from the stone railing she had been set on by Legolas. The training ring was set off by ropes that were tied to several trees as well as stone pillars that were placed in the ground. He walked over to her and picked her up, sitting down and setting her on his lap.
"So, what can I do for you, Eruanna?" He asked, patiently allowing her to run her fingers through his short, shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair.
She paused and studied him thoughtfully for a moment in silence. Then she spoke in his mind softly. 'Ciaran teach me.' She said, sounding as though it was a request. He raised an eyebrow.
"Teach you what?" He asked, puzzled.
'Teach me to defend myself.' She pleaded, looking up into his blue eyes. He stared at her, startled.
"How? You cannot wield a sword, or even a dagger. No bow and arrow could be found for your size, and even if one could be made you do not have the strength to wield one properly." He said, utterly bewildered. She just studied him patiently.
'Then can you make me a special weapon? One that I can use to at least defend myself?' She asked. Ciaran thought carefully, looking at the elfling in front of him, who waited patiently for his answer, knowing he needed time to muse over it.
She was small, as he admitted to himself. But that being said, what kind of advantage would being young physically give her? And come to think of it-
"Why do you want to learn, Eruanna? Lord Glorfindel will never let you be in any sort of danger." He questioned.
She sighed. 'For that very reason I want to learn. I don't want to be helpless. I know he will protect me, but I need to be able to do something... He will not always be able to help me.' She whispered, staring disparagingly at her hand. It crept up to her upper arm, clutching it tightly. Ciaran sighed. She had a valid point.
Small. Well, she would be hard to catch since she was fast, she had sharp, quick reflexes, she was lithe and limber- his own training suddenly kicked in and he paused, studying her carefully. It just might work. Hadn't Lord Glorfindel already agreed with him once before?
Ciaran suddenly smiled. "Yes, Eruanna, I believe I can help you with that. But, promise me, this will be our little secret. And you have to work hard." He warned.
She looked up with a smile. 'Okay, Ciaran. I can work very hard, I promise. I won't tell." She giggled happily.
He nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you will." He watched her with a fond smile as she hugged him and began to play with his hair. Yes, he would make sure that she could defend herself. She would be his first and only apprentice.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
"Well, the council went well, on the whole." Aulë noted.
"Yes." Manwë replied vaguely. "And Ciaran has the right idea." He added.
"I don't like it." Nienna said adamantly, sniffling. "She shouldn't have to do it."
Varda sighed. "She shouldn't have had to go through any of this! But what can we say? It is the will of Eru." She replied a little sourly.
"And next? Where shall she go? What is purpose of such a thing anyways?" Irmo asked with a displeased frown.
"The purpose is a good one, brother." Nàmo replied. "Unfortunately, it isn't so much for use there as it is for here..." He trailed off.
There were sighs. "Yes, unfortunately. As for where, to Lothlòrien, of course. She needs to be there in order to do her part in the coming war." Manwë replied.
There was a thoughtful silence. "A small part, yet a vital key to the success in this final war until the dominion of men." Vairë said softly, leaving them to think of the elves that would soon come over the sea and pass into naught but legend in Arda.
Hbest: you can always learn! XD
Kmartz95: Okay, I'm glad he came close to your expectations, then. XD I have a soft spot for Boromir... But even more so for Faramir... I always just wanna grab Faramir and squeeze the life out of him. And a little!Faramir? Don't get me started. XP yes, we shall se, won't we? Thank you as always for your prayers!
WoodElfJedi: hehe thank you Mellon nîn. XD okay then, fascination for Ciaran... I think he's one of the best OC's I've done. He's so cool... Meh. I like him. And NO, you are NEVER living Maglir down... Muaha- *cough hack choke cough* never mind. Thank you for your prayers! Ah, and a boromir... I kinda had that planned already, hehe. XD
FandomFangirl100: Muahaha yes they could... And yes, everything went well, thank you! And thanks for your prayers. ;) I stayed safe. XD
Jesus' girl 4ever: thank you for your prayers! And yessss, the hair...
17Booklover12: thank you!
Guest: thank you very much for your well-wishes, I appreciated them very much. Many countries have been trying to help Nepal to recover from this disaster...
Kiki272002: thanks for the prayers!
TheGreenTea: thank you!
Jasmine: thank you very much. Yes, all went very well. Your prayers are always appreciated.
7doom: thank you! Yes, it went well. :) as for the tightrope, you mean in Lothlòrien? I'm not too sure about that one...
Guest: thank you! Here's the new chapter. ;)
Gwestiel: lol. Yes, they will, won't they? XD thank you for your prayers!
Purplish Magee: thank you!
Mibs Shadow: err, yes, but only a very slight bit. Not much really. The elves didn't stay that long into the fourth age so...
CntryPnknPrincess:'love your name. ;) and thank you!
thesonicsmiley: thank you! It has gotten somewhat better. As for what we do, we went to a particularly badly affected area named Trishuli and did relief work there by taking trucks of supplies up to the places that hadn't been reached yet. A lot of villages were severely damaged and many of them haven't gotten any help yet. They have nothing at all, no food, no shelter... And it's beginning to get into the rainy season with lightening and storms. :(
Chasing sunlight: thank you! As for meeting Èomer, that can be arranged. ;)