Chapter 35

A new sun rises

I looked up at her as she had spoken. "Not Tauriel?"

"No, my lady… I saw you fall…" Lanneth repeated herself.

"As have I…" I said and dried my eyes. "And I have accepted it. But for my life, I will not let hers end"

"My lady…" Lanneth said and fell on her knees in front of me. "You cannot give up. Your life is worth as much as Lady Tauriel… You are our lady!" she said firmly as she looked at me.

"One day when you have the mate of your life you will feel as I feel Lanneth. My life is of little concern… where did you see me fall?" I asked with curiosity.

"I… I…" she stammered as she was taken aback by my willingness to meet my fate.

"Tell me, I am not sad about it. But after you told me swear to me you will tell no other!" I commanded her.

She was shocked, but it was not the first time I had seen a foresight of me passing nor would it be the last, maybe if she told me what she had seen I would know when it might truly happen.

"A mountain path surrounded by your company my lady… orcs and trolls charging you and last I saw… was you at the troll's feet after it threw you to the ground… orcs stabbing you…" tears came out of her eyes as I reached over to hug her.

"It is well Lanneth. It is the same as I have seen. Do not be sad. For I think it is a long time off. Do not cry for those that time has come" I said and smiled. "Have any news come of Mithrandir?" I asked as she dried her eyes.

"No my lady… how can you say such? I cannot accept your fate as you say it. How can you do so easily? How can you walk to your death? What happened to you in the east!" At this, I had prepared for a long time on how to answer and I think it came too easily for her to hear. Yet she took me off guard as well.

"Because I will save many. Is that not a worthy death? Lanneth I am trained a warrior. It is my life. Yours is different at your Nana's side. But I will tell Lord Erestor to take you under his wing in schooling and that of my Ada when he returns. What happened in the east? I have told thee and my Nana. I responded

"Nay lady, you have not told us all. A shadow is over you and it has changed you!" she cried as she spoke. "You love your wife and people so little!?"

"I love her and you my people with all I am. Of what do you speak?" I asked.

"We feel cold around you and Lady Tauriel. Like a wind out of the frozen north. As of were we only felt warmth and love before, none now do. Why do you think none speak with you? Why do you disregard her and us" I knew not how to answer her. Yes, I had felt different, but I knew little of what she said.

"Lanneth… I do not know not how to answer you… I... any news of Mithrandir?" I asked out of nowhere.

Her face even more sad and confused looked at me.

"Nay my lady… no word…" and at her answer I helped her up. "I must now leave you. My thanks for you telling me about your sight Lanneth

"I will not let it lie, my lady." She said firmly. "I owe you my aid as your wife aided my Nana."

"Lanneth" I responded in a sad tone.

"Nay my lady. Tell my Nana I disobeyed I care not. For the lady Tauriel, I am indebted to. I swore not as you asked to not say any to others. So if you must punish me, but I will not keep it a secret." She looked at me intensely as she spoke, the little elfling had become a mighty elleth the years I had been gone.

"Then I command you to not say…" Out of nowhere my cheek stung and I looked at her. Her hand slapped me so hard and fear was seen in her eyes.

"You are a coward, my lady. You are a coward if you do not fight to stay at her side!" Now her voice was louder and it broke with tears down her cheek and as I was to respond Lindir walked into the garden.

"My lady!" He said in a commanding and disapproving voice.

"Lindir…" I responded as I looked at Lanneth.

"A word if I may." He said coldly.

"As you wish…" Lanneth's words did strike me deep and her slap knowing what I could do to her for it stung even deeper than what her hand had done. I left Lanneth behind as I walked past Lindir and asked him in a low tone.

"What did you hear?" his face told me all I needed to know. But I needed to hear it.

"Enough," he said with utter disgust

"Lindir…" I said as we walked, but he ignored me and as we walked down the path from the garden onto the main road of the valley I saw more and more elves move away from me. I had not seen this before and It made me sad… Even Estelwen gave me a look of disappointment as I entered the house and as she did I could see back at all the weeks of our return how she was less warm to us and had pulled away too.

"Lindir" I tried to say again, but no response came. We walked down the hall to my ada's office and there he knocked on the door and we waited for a moment until Nana's voice said to enter.

"Lindir I was just about to go find you, these numbers about grain are…" she cut herself off and looked up at me.

"Elwen? Lindir? What is this?" she asked.

"I went for a walk in the garden my lady and heard Lady Elwen speak to Lanneth…" he took a deep breath before looking at me with what can only be taken as disgust. "The lady Elwen said some outright horrible words of how she has accepted her death…" he cut himself off and Nana looked at me with a horrified gaze.

"Why would you say so? Elwen you have sworn yourself to Tauriel In the name of Eru. That is not an oath that can easily be broken… and for you and Tauriel how can you even say such a thing!" she got up. "Something is very wrong with you my daughter, I did not wish to say it or even believe it, but ever since your return both you and Tauriel have changed."

"Nana… I have not changed… my view is all that I wish my wife to live and if my life is forfeit for it I will accept…"

"How can you say so? You have the gift of foresight as do your ada. Would you not try to even change the fate you have seen?" she asked me

"If I change it I might still end up as I have seen… why I care only for the life of my wife…" I responded.

"What happened to you Elwen? What darkness did you find over the mountain?" she asked me and Lindir turned towards me.

"Death…" I responded. "Death and the return of evil… the one will find what is his. His legions are looking for it. Up and down the Anduin… There is no hope for the West Nana… we will all die…" as I spoke the room felt darker and both Nana and Lindir looked around me.

"What are you saying Elwen…" Nana said.

"The flames of war are upon us… the victory we had in defending Imladris is to be short… the one will come and death is over us! We will all DIE!" I cried out as I trashed everything off the desk not knowing myself anymore as if I had no control over my speech or body. Hate brewed in me yet I fought it with all my might as I rushed for a letter opener on Ada's desk, looked at Lindir, grabbed it, and moved towards him quickly while lifting my arm. He and Nana went for me to hold me as the door flew open and the white light overpowered me and thus I knew no more of that day.

"Mithrandir!" cried Celebrian as her daughter fell to the floor and the wizard stood in the doorway with servants of the house behind him.

"My lady what is the matter here?" he said confused as he looked at everyone in the room.

"We know not lord," Lindir spoke as Celebrian rushed over to her daughter on the floor.

"I got the word the lady Tauriel was ill, but the lady Elwen I heard naught." He said as he moved over to the side of Celebrian.

"For she was not ill," Lindir said as Celebrian could not speak, but hold her now unconscious daughter.

"Not ill? Then how did this happen? The daughter of the lord and lady coming at you Lindir?" he said and huffed.

"She was herself at first," Celebrian spoke. "Then we felt a coldness from her as we did her wife. Their handmaiden told me, yet I could not believe so… but now I see, they both must have an illness, but I know not… I beg thee Mithrandir, help them." She said and looked up.

"Tell me everything, tell me all you know!" he said with haste in his voice and so they did as Elwen was put down on the sofa. The wizard listened patiently and in thought as he watched her and them until the story was again told.

"Close to the elven fortress…" he said lowly.

"Yes…" Celebrian responded. "She told us a great evil would gather there, but naught of it to be so soon."

Mithrandir looked at the elven lady and back down at her daughter.

"We need to know who it was… I fear the lady or rather ladies have been up against more than they believed and it frightens me if that is the case… now let me see the lady Tauriel" the wizard in the body of an old man said.

"Lindir? Would you please show him the way? I want to stay with Elwen…" she said lowly as she brushed her daughter's hair.

"She will not wake up. The spell on her is quite strong" the old man said.

"It is well, I just need time with her" Celebrian responded and Lindir led the way out and towards their room. During the walk Lindir told him of the coldness they all had felt, not in behavior towards any that lived there, just a general coldness emanating from the ladies. He responded not, just walked beside him. Thinking and planning.

At the door, Lindir knocked and the voice of Estelwen came from the other side.

"Enter" It was not her happy-toned voice and Lindir noticed as he heard it and swung the door open.

"My lady, Mithrandir is here to see you" He spoke and tried to be positive about, it but could not. The fall of the ladies weighed heavily on all in the valley.

"What do you want Mithrandir? The great hope of Eriador and Middle Earth?" she responded coldly.

"Well, id like many things. A warm bed, a meal would be good, maybe a pipe, yes I got a fondness of it when I passed through…" he then got cut off by a very angry tone.

"Then why do they come here old fool, Have you naught else to pester?"

"Lindir, Estelwen. May you leave us alone?" he said as his face darkened and he knew something yet did not speak it to them.

"Yes lord…" both said, bowed their head and were about to leave when the redhead lady of Imladris hissed.

"I did not allow you both to leave. You will stay with me unless I permit it!" her tone was of poison and Estelwen froze looking at her lady.

"You are not my lady. You are NOT. My lady is warm and caring, she helps others and makes them feel well about themselves. You are nothing but coldness and poison!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME AS SUCH!" Tauriel screamed and tried to get out of bed yet fell to the floor.

"You cannot even see it… for you are not here. But I hope one day my ladies will return. For now, I see them not!" she said back with patience in her voice yet tears came.

"Take her out good Lindir," Mithrandir said and the house steward led the handmaiden out.

"How DARE you old man. Nay you old fool to speak to my slaves as such!" Tauriel spewed out from the floor, spit all over it.

"Slaves?" Mithrandir responded as he leaned on his staff.

"The lady Tauriel I knew would not call her handmaiden and house steward slaves…" he took a breath. "Nor the lady Elwen attack her mother and house steward with a blade…" he cut himself off as a grin came on the silvan's face.

"You have lost… you cannot see it, but you have. The world will be that of our lord!" As she spoke he looked at her as her face winced. As if a struggle were happening.

"Mithrandir, please… HELP ME!" she then cried out and in the next moment. "You are on a fool's errand… they will DIE they all will DIE!" she cried out.

"I am not nor are they whoever you are," he said, moving closer.

"yes come closer…" she hissed at him and in the next moment. "MITRANDIR PLEASE I BEG THEE!"

"Tauriel is that you?" he asked and bowed down to her and got on his knees. "It is I Mithrandir, please help me please help Elwen I cannot fight it AHHHHHHHHHHHH" she screamed in pain as her eyes darkened. "ENOUGH" it screamed as he pulled back and a blade she found under the bed and came for him. Hate filled her eyes as he reached for his staff and a loud BOOM was heard in the room. The door flew open and so did the doors to the bath and veranda. Lindir and Estelwen looked in and saw Tauriel on her feet again a blade in hand pushing a barrier between her and the wizard. Speaking in a tongue neither of them knew.

"MY LADY!" Estelwen cried and tried to get in, but Lindir grabbed her. That was when Mithrandir said also words neither of them understood and Tauriel flew into the wall and dropped on the floor. All lights were now out and servants came from down the hall and the other rooms. A groan was heard and her hand reached up on the bed… slowly pulling herself up…

"Elwen… Elwen…" she said yet no answer came.

"My lady…" Estelwen said and the green eyes of Tauriel saw her handmaiden again.

"Estelwen? What are you doing here?" she asked and looked around. "Mithrandir? Lindir? This is our room! How did I come here?" she asked looking down on herself only wearing bedclothes. "Where is Elwen… WHERE IS SHE?" her cries of pure pain could be heard far outside the room and more moved towards it only to be sent away by Lindir.

"What is the last you remember" Mithrandir asked as he moved towards her carefully.

To this, the Silvan elf looked clueless and tried to remember.

"Queen Lauriel… we found her captured… Tortured I think…" she responded. "Then pain… a knife…" she pulled away the top covering her side and a wound where there or rather scars of it.

"What of your return? My lady" Lindir asked carefully.

"There is nothing… wait… Nana… Ada… They told me to return… but after naught." She said.

"You remember nothing?" The wizard asked. To his worry.

"Nay… Mithrandir… I do not…" she said feeling out her neck and back from the way she was thrown into the wall.

"What is it? What is going on?" she asked very confused.

"We know not… Mithrandir came to see thee my lady" Lindir said

"Where is Elwen? Tell me NOW!" she screamed still confused.

"Downstairs. My lady. In lord Elrond's office." Lindir responded shaken as the rest.

"I need my clothes, please let me get dressed I need to see her." She said with haste in her voice.

"My Lord?" Estelwen asked while looking at Mithrandir.

"Do as she asks." He responded shortly as he rushed out towards the hall and down the stairs before he was gone.

"Estelwen tell me what is going on?" Tauriel asked as Estelwen came towards her and held her.

"I know not my lady… you are warm again. Lindir she is warm again!" The handmaiden cried out.

At this, both of them smiled and seemed happy yet Tauriel was not. For she knew so little of what had happened. That was when Lindir went out and Estelwen found clothes for her lady and helped her dress. Say all she could of the time after their return and all it did was to make Tauriel even more confused. When she was dressed in her elven silk clothes with fitted pants, a long coat for her upper body as well as her corset. Something she had worn since her time in the woodland realm, just now the material was much better quality. When she was ready Estelwen hurried to her side to help her move, yet now there was no need for it. Tauriel walked as she had done in years passed without limitations or restraints.

Seeing her walk by herself down the halls and pass servants and others alike made them all smile. For if she could be healed of what it now was then the lady Elwen surely could as well.

As she arrived the doors were swung open for her and she thanked them. Celebrian and Mithrandir could say little before she rushed over to the sofa where her wife rested still under the spell of Mithrandir.

"Tauriel. Is it you?" Celebrain cried out.

"It is me, my lady." She responded and looked at her as she bowed her head still holding her wife's hands.

"You returned her to me Mithrandir. Can you return my daughter?" she cried as she rushed over and hugged her daughter-in-law.

"I hope so to my lady for they are needed with haste in the north!" he said yet little heed did Tauriel take of it. Her wife needed to return and the same felt Celebrian.

For a moment Tauriel kneeled by her wife and asked all she could for her to be well again, but slowly Mithrandir put his hand on her shoulder and said "It is time, we have little of it to spare" at this she looked on him and nodded.

He then stood over her and said in words none understood and brushed his hand over her face her eyes slowly opening and her head turning to see all she heard.

"Mithrandir?" she said with curiosity in her face as he stood over her. "Tauriel?" was the next she asked for and at this, her silvan wife tried to come to her side.

"No!" came sternly from Mithrandir. "This is not the lady Elwen…"

"Can you not see it is me?" She said coldly to him the moment he said it.

"My eyes are well. You are not her!" he said in stricter words.

"Tauriel my love, come and see me, see that it is me!" she cried out.

Tauriel wanted to so badly and yet she was held back by her mother-in-law.

"You are not well," she said tears in her eyes. "Mithrandir helped me. He can help you as well! Please let him my love!" she cried out.

"I am well Tauriel, please believe me!" she said again.

"Enough!" came from the grey wizard and the tone of the exchange turned sour quickly.

"You… The one I called friend and ally… you have turned her AGAINST ME!" Elwen cried out as she sat up.

"He has not," Celebrian said "You did that yourself. Or who is now controlling you my daughter. You attacked me and Lindir… that is not who you are!" she cried as she spoke.

"Nana!" she cried and turned towards her. Her eyes darkened every moment. "You let him do this? Turn my wife against me… and yourself as well?!"

Celebrian were deeply hurt at this and shook her head.

"Nay you did it Elwen… nay not Elwen, my daughter could not do this…" and as she stopped speaking a hiss and anger could be heard from the lady on the sofa. One of the other doors opened and in walked Arwen her sister who had just heard of the arrival of Mithrandir and the healing of her sister-in-law. The distraction made Elwen jump back over the sofa as quickly as she got up, her hands ready to strike at the younger elf. But thankfully Mithrandir reacted with speed none could see in an old man.

"Elwen of Imladris hear me… the halls of your father is less friendly of late…"

"It is only so because of who now comes to visit them!" The anger in her voice grew more and more with each moment. "None like to have the enemy too close!" her body now fully in his control.

"I am not your enemy Elwen and you know so… in your heart…" her face now turning sour.

"MY HEART… No old man… my heart feels only HATE!"

"ELWEN!" Tauriel cried as her wife screamed in pain and fought the wizard to get free from his grasp. But there was no way she could. His grip and magic were too strong…

"I release you Elwen from the spell…"

"You cannot… for the lesser were on Tauriel… me you cannot fig…"

With her spew, she was thrown back just as Tauriel was and unlike with Tauriel a black mist left her body and her wife got loose and ran over to her.

"My love MY LOVE she cried as she fell down beside her.

"Tauriel… ohh Tauriel. You are well. How is the wound?"

"Healed my love as we are thanks to Mithrandir!" she said and bowed down kissing her wife and it was the best kiss the elleths had felt in many weeks. As it broke Elwen looked over at the wizard who was leaning on his staff tired as he was.

"Mithrandir… you have come," she said and he sat down.

"I did late as I was my lady. For I have word from your father. You are both needed in the north and with haste."

Looking at each other and the rest of the room Tauriel helped her wife up.

"What has happened to our host?" Elwen asked.

"A trap and we must save them," Mithrandir said with despair in his voice.