Chapter Text
“Quicker!” Haldir urged his horse, as they raced under the giant mallorn trees. He felt the light fading from Elarinya’s body, barely holding on by a thread.
“Hurry!” He commanded in desperation, determined to not let her become one of another victim to fall at the hands of the enemy.
Elves jumped out of the way as Haldir galloped through to the heart Caras-Galadhon to the House of Healing.
“Hold on Elarinya, do not give in!” He told her as they arrived. Swiftly, he leaned her body forward, and jumped off the horse and took Elarinya’s limp body into his arms, and began running up the stairs that wrapped around the mallorn tree. At the landing of the stairs, he was met by a tall auburn colored haired elleth.
“She’s been stabbed with a poisoned blade just above her heart. She is -!” Haldir began.
“Bring her quickly, lay her on the bed in here! Help me get her stuff off,” the elleth commanded, pointing into the closest room.
Haldir laid Elarinya carefully on the bed. Her skin was turning ice cold, but her body was covered in perspiration as if she had just come out of water. Nimbly he unstrapped the quiver and bow from her body as another unstrapped her sheath and sword from her waist. Moving quickly out of the way, as soon as he finished. The elleth promptly stepped where Haldir was and pulled back the cloak wrapped around Elarinya’s body, and cut away the blood-soaked wrap that was around her chest. Her eyes went wide, the poison was spreading rapidly. “Not again!” she cursed under her breath.
Haldir did not need to hear another word to understand her, dread filled his mind.
“Someone find the Lady Galadriel immediately!” The elleth demanded. Several elves left at once to find her. Instinctively she began working on trying to draw out the poison out from the body, but the poison was relentless in its hold. She refused to let her become like the others. Seventeen other elves had died from being stabbed with a poison blade or arrow. For most, they had been too late. For the others, she, nor other healers were aware what they were up against, until it was too late, and the lives were already lost. This poison was different, it was stronger and faster, and dark magic worked behind it, giving life to it. Her awareness of the room melted into oblivion, and all her concentration went to holding the poison at bay.
Anxiety saturated Haldir’s mind whilst he stood at the edge of the room watching the scene before him play out. The helplessness he felt was unbearable to him and he burst. Dashing out of the room, he left to help the other elves find the Lady Galadriel. She was the only hope Elarinya had.
He ran down the winding staircase as if there was fire at his back. Abruptly, Haldir was stopped in his tracks. Galadriel was but 10 steps before him followed by another male elf. Without thought, he stepped to the side as Galadriel rapidly went up the stairs to the room. Haldir, and the male elf followed right behind her.
The healer broke her concentration and looked to Galadriel. “I need your help, the poison that runs deep in her is relentless, I can scarcely keep it at bay!” She moved aside and let Galadriel take her place by Elarinya.
Galadriel stood over her and placed her hands over her chest, and began speaking words in a hushed tone, closing her eyes concentrating very hard. Light began to surround her.
Haldir and the other elves stood in awe of Galadriel and her powers.
“Come back to us young one. Come back to the light.” Galadriel called softly to Elarinya. The poison that spread like a black spider’s web across her chest and arms started to slowly fade away little by little, until it was no more. Leaving her wound looking as any other wound sustained in a battle would.
The illuminating light surrounding Galadriel, dimmed into an aura around her. Elarinya laid motionless in the bed, with her eyes still closed.
“Is she alive my lady?” Haldir questioned, fearing the worse.
Galadriel did not respond to him; her eyes were focused on the necklace around Elarinya’s neck. Her hand hovered above the necklace for a few moments before she took it into her hand. Galadriel’s eyes looked like she had seen a ghost of a distant past in a state of a trance. “Impossible.” Galadriel stated in a barely audible whisper.
Haldir, along with the other three elves in the ward, looked on to the Lady Galadriel, not entirely sure as to what she was referring to. Galadriel broke herself from her thoughts.
“She has been through quite an ordeal, and her body needs some time to rest. She will awaken, when she is ready. Keep her here until she has done so. Haldir, I want you to watch over her room. Send another Marchwarden, to cover your duties. When she awakens, I wish to see her.” Galadriel ordered.
Galadriel laid the necklace back down on Elarinya’s chest. “Nestariel, you did well. If not for your efforts, our guest would not be alive. Please come with me, I wish to speak with you more.”
“Of course, my Lady Galadriel.” obligingly replied the elleth. Together Galadriel and Nestariel left the room.
Of the other two elves, one was blonde haired and browned eyed, and for an elf, rather plain looking, but her smile was sweet. Her name was Alassë. Haldir had met her before on several other occasions. The other was a sturdy male elf who had found Galadriel. His hair was dark brown hair, his face was adorned with strong masculine facial features. Standing in silence next to Haldir he portrayed an outwardly misanthropic demeanor. This could not contrast his true personality in any greater way. Arandur was easy to speak with, and extremely dedicated to his work. He put forth all his energy towards training to become a head healer like Nestariel.
“Alassë, check her bag, for any other clothes she may have, that we could dress her in for now. I will wrap her wound back up.” Arandur told her, disregarding Haldir presence.
Alassë walked over to the elleth’s small bag, that had been placed on a chair, after it had been removed from her side. “Haldir, do you know the name of the elleth?” She asked picking up the sack.
“Her name is Elarinya, daughter of Thannor from Imladris.” Haldir supplied.
“Are you well acquainted with Elarinya?”
“Nay, I am afraid that I am not. There was a group of orcs spotted near our borders. We began attacking them. Sometime during the battle, she appeared on horseback, shooting an arrow towards an orc’s head. It was only for but a moment in time I saw her before my attention was brought back to my immediate surroundings. Only after the attack was over and the orcs’ filth was piled to be burned, did I see her again. No one knew her. We made introductions, and I offered to let ride with me on my horse, as hers was nowhere to be found.” supplied Haldir to them.
Alassë pulled out a crumpled dress from the bag, holding it up and looking confused. “What traveler, brings with them a formal gown, a jerkin, a wooden box, and small food rations?”
“One that has not traveled?” Arandur suggested, finishing up. “The dress will have to do for now. Help me Alassë, with finishing undress her, I’ll hold her up, when we need to.”
Together, they took off her boots, and her leggings. Then, they slipped the dress on her, and laid her back down. Alassë put Elarinya’s hair into a simple side braid, and moved her necklace so that it was nicely displayed.
“Even, though she looks like death warmed over, she still appears very beautiful.” Arandur noted.
“Aye, indeed.” Haldir agreed.
Alassë refrained from commenting on the matter. “We are done here. Arandur and I have other duties we need to attend to. We’ll leave you to watch her. Hopefully it will not be long before she awakes again.”
After both Alassë and Arandur had long left, Haldir walked up to Elarinya. He went over to a small table Alassë left Elarinya’s things were placed. There were many mysteries about this new elleth. Traveling light, he understood. Haldir figured the wooden box, may be for the necklace, but a formal gown? Never, in all the many years of his life, had me met someone travel as light as she did, and with as strange assortment of items. Setting the box back down he went to stand watch by her door.
Haldir felt as if he was standing watch over a prisoner as the sun moved ever so slow across the sky above. Numerous centuries had passed since he had been put in charge of watching a prisoner. He was a Marchwarden, the one who gave the commands to lower positioned elves on the patrol to watch. Yet, here he stood guarding the door from - what? The other elves that passed back and forth in the ward? Never was he one to question Galadriel, and now he wanted to question her more than ever. Albeit, he had been going weeks on end with little to no rest, and standing here at a door gave his mind a chance to relax, but his energy would be better focused on maintaining the safety of the borders. Leaning back slightly against the door, he ran his hand down his face in pure boredom, watching others go back and forth.
After a few minutes, he stood back up straight. He was a Marchwarden after all, no matter how seemingly insignificant the task may appear, he was trained to treat it as if it were the most important. To do otherwise would only bring shame to those who had trained him otherwise. Becoming a Marchwarden was no easy feat, and he had certainly not gained his position by being slouched up against walls while on duty.
Moonlight turned into daylight; Haldir stood by the entrance to the room. He turned his head to look into the room. Elarinya lay in the bed unchanged. Seeing an elf lay with their eyes closed unnerved him slightly, it wasn’t natural.
“Excuse me, Haldir. I need to look at her wrapping.” Alassë called standing behind him.
Haldir turned around, facing her, he hadn’t been fully aware that he was now blocking the doorway. Without word, he stepped to let her go in the room. He focused his attention on the quotidian doings of the healers and their assistants.
A short while later, Alassë emerged from the room. “Have you noticed any changes in her since yesterday Haldir?”
“No, she has not made the slightest movement.” he reported back to her. He paused a moment. “Shouldn’t she have awakened by now?”
“If she had suffered what they used in the past - yes. This poison, is not that. We know not how it will affect her. Be grateful the grace of the Valar was with her and for Nestariel and the Lady Galadriel’s skill. She is lucky to even be alive.”
“And if she never awakes from her slumber?”
“Don’t give up on her, not yet. Galadriel did not.”
“Aye, indeed.”
With that she left to continue with her duties.
Mid-day had come and gone and evening was upon them. The light of the stars filtered down through the leaves of the mallorn trees. For a quiet moment in time, the world around him was at peace. Haldir turned his head to meet the familiar silver-grey eyes of one of his company. The ellon stood at the same level height as Haldir, but was not so broadly built. His hair was such a light blonde, it almost appeared to be white. Like Haldir, he was still dressed in his armor. “Sadron. I surprised that on your first day off in quite some time you chose to come here.”
“I came to see the elleth. During the skirmish, she protected my back, though it appears I was unable to grant her the same protection. I wished to see how she was faring. Word came back that she had survived.”
Haldir let him walk in the room. He followed behind him. Sadron walked up to her.” She lies there as if she were a statue of herself…Should she not have awakened by now?”
“Galadriel believes she will, and thus the healers believe she will. I am not certain I have as much faith as they do. However, I did not study the art of healing as they have. Her condition has improved some. The poison is gone from her body. She no longer is drenched in perspiration. Still she lays there, unmoving.”
Sadron studied Elarinya’s face. He took one of her hands in his. Her hand was not cold as he was expecting, there was still hope. He gently laid her hand back down by her side, Sadron was just about to let go, when he felt her gripping back his hand. This small action was not lost to Haldir. Both looked up to her face. Slowly, Elarinya’s eyes fluttered opened.
Elarinya looked up at the ceiling and the faces staring down at her, completely unsure of where she was, or how she got there.
“You have awoken!” Haldir exclaimed relieved.
Haldir’s words were lost to Elarinya as she looked around the room she was in, trying to recall where she was at. Quickly, she pushed herself up in the bed, instantly regretting doing so. Her hand moved to her wound, only to become consciously aware of the bandaged wrapped around her upper chest and shoulder. “Where am I? Why am I -”
“You need not worry, you are safe Elarinya.”
“Who are you, and how do you know my name?” She asked taken aback.
“Do you not remember?” Concern laced his voice.
She looked between the two of them with a blank look.
Haldir took her response as a ‘no.’ “I am Haldir the Marchwarden.” he began carefully. “This is Sadron, you were not introduced formally, but you fought beside him during the attack. You rode into battle. When it ended, you introduced yourself. I offered to let you ride on my horse, behind me. As we started to make our journey back, you passed out from the loss of blood, and from your wound. It was only after you passed out we discovered you had been stabbed by a poisonous orc blade.”
Elarinya listened to Haldir retell the events that led her to where she was. The memories gained form again. She recalled the feel of the wind blowing in her hair as she readied her bow. The growing sound of the clanging of swords as she drew nearer. The horrid speech of the orcs polluted the air. Anger filled her body again as it did when she was fighting. Rage guided the swing of her sword as it came down upon all those she met in opposition. Chaos reigned lord of the atmosphere around her. For one clear moment, the chaos stopped. Forced to look into the eyes of the enemy, a pure, loathing, hatred stared directly back at her. Death did not take the orc instantly. In a final act of life, it stabbed her. Reality crashed back into her and chaos took over again, as she ended its life.
The events were all coming back to her mind, except for riding with Haldir. Elarinya’s memory was fuzzy… Maybe she could recall getting on a horse with Haldir. It was difficult to say if the memory she had was truly hers, or one her mind created upon hearing the events to fill the black void in her mind.
Haldir finished his account of events. Both him and Sadron waited for her to digest what he had told her. Elarinya sat in the bed looking down and then around the room, feeling on edge. Her hand instinctively moved around her necklace. “Where are my things. I need to get out of this dress. Where is my sack? I need to change now.”
“When you were wounded, Rumil, my brother, tore back some of your shirt, to allow him to look at your wound. It wouldn’t stop bleeding. That was when we discovered, the blade that had stabbed you was poisoned. We ripped your tunic, to create a temporary bandage, as it would have taken too long for any of us to take off our armor and use our own clothing as a bandage. Then I rode with you back here, to the healing ward. Your leggings were completely stained in orc blood, and we couldn’t leave you in nothing but a jerkin, so Alassë and Arandur dressed you in your gown. It was all they found in your sack.”
Sadron watched Elarinya’s eyes close as she took deep breaths. “Are you alright?”
Elarinya quickly snapped her eyes open again on edge. “Where are my things?”
“They are right behind you on the table.” Haldir replied uneasily.
Rapidly, she stood up and went to the table. She unsheathed and pulled out her father’s sword. The blood of the orcs still stained the blade. Then she placed it back down on the table resting her hand back on it. She pulled the wooden box from the sack and opening and closing it. Finally, her hand came to the folded cloak, Legolas had given her. Picking it up, she wrapped it back on around her shoulders. Elarinya hid her necklace beneath her dress, and looked out the from the talon to the rest of the Lothlorien.
Sadron and Haldir stood quiet behind her, allowing her to have a moment to herself. Her behavior struck them as odd, and they did not understand. A few minutes later, she turned back around to face them.
“Is Baneth, my horse, safe - did you find her?”
“Aye.” supplied Sadron. “We found her not too long after Haldir raced off with you to here. She is in the stables, with the other horses.”
Elarinya nodded her head. “Could you take me to her?” She looked to Sadron. Sadron looked to Haldir, who gave a curt nod of his head.
“The stables are this way.” Sadron gestured out the door of the talon.
Before Elarinya stepped out of room, Haldir spoke up. “When you come back, I am to bring you to the Lady Galadriel. She requested I do so.”
She nodded her head again and followed Sadron out of the talon. It was not long before they reached the forest floor. They walked in silence at first. Elarinya took in all the beauty of the Lorien. She did not believe any place on Arda could be more beautiful than here. The peacefulness erased away her worry, and she began to feel more relaxed.
“I wanted to thank you, for watching my back in the battle, even though we are strangers.” Sadron spoke up.
“I should be the one thanking you, I am not my ada, nor am I Turin.”
“Turin? Are you bonded to him?”
“No - … He was the closest friend I have ever had. He too was part of the patrol in Imladris, a warrior like yourself.”
“Did he teach you?”
“My ada taught me, but we trained together, when we were elflings.” A small smile graced her lips as she recalled the memories.
“The stables are just over there.” Sadron pointed them out in the distance. “Why did you travel all this way from Imladris by yourself?”
“I needed to speak with the Lady Galadriel. There was no one to travel with me, so I set out on the journey alone.”
“Not even a friend?”
Elarinya chose not to respond.
“Surely you must have someone that could have traveled with you.” He pressed.
“The friends I had are gone, the ones I have, have their own duties which are of more importance. I could not have asked them to be a guard on a potentially meaningless journey.”
This time Sadron was silenced. He knew all too intimately the pain it left your heart in when the ones you loved and cared for sailed to the shores of Valinor. It never left you, and knowing you would see them again one day, did not always cure the pain, for they were still gone from your sight.
Eventually he broke the awkward silence, changing the subject. “Will you stay long in Caras-Galadhon?”
“I am not sure. Perchance. Even my naneth’s word’s fall short of capturing the magnificence of Caras-Galadhon.”
“Is this your first time here then?” He asked, feeling like he was gaining some ground with her.
“Aye. I was given the opportunity to come here before, but I turned it down, because Turin and I had plans to go out on another one of our adventures. I thought we had all the time in the world. Now I see it differently.”
“The stables are just there.” Sadron pointed out to her beyond some trees to a clearing.
“Have you been outside of Caras-Galadhon?”
“I have been to Mirkwood a couple of different times, and I was able to visit Imladris several centuries ago, but the world has grown darker, and we had to keep an even closer eye on our borders.”
“Have you traveled much beyond Imladris?” Sadron asked coming to the doors of the stables.
“No. I have not... She’s in here then?”
“Aye.” Sadron opened the doors to the stables.
Amongst the many white horses, Baneth stood out like the first flower of spring amongst the snow of winter. Her coat was a warm honey tan color save for the ivory diamond on her forehead, and her white feathered socks. Both her mane and tail were luscious ivory color and very thick. Her eyes were a soft warm brown.
“Baneth!” Elarinya called out. Baneth’s ears perked up instantly and looked over to Elarinya and Sadron’s way. She walked up to the stall in the stable and unhinged the door to walk inside.
Baneth greeted her instantly by nuzzling her face up to Elarinya’s. “I’ve missed you too mellon nin.”
“When we found her, she was wandering aimlessly through the woods.”
Elarinya smiled back at Sadron, rubbing Baneth’s back. “Thanks for watching over her. She is one of the few parts of my world that I still have.”
“It was the least we could do. When you are ready, I’ll be outside the stables waiting.” With that Sadron, left her in peace with her horse.
Elarinya found a brush and started to brush Baneth’s mane. “I am sorry, I did not come to you sooner, I would have if I had been able. It has been quite an adventure, but soon, we can go back - ,“ She paused, she was going to say ‘home,’ but her home was destroyed. In the time she had spent in Imladris, it had become only a place to stay in the meantime. Maybe she could sail with the other elves of Imladris to Valinor where she could spend the rest of eternity with her naneth… “We’ll find some place to go, and maybe it will even become home.”
She finished brushing Baneth, and brought in the pail of oats, that was sitting outside of her stall. Elarinya held it up with both of her hands to Baneth. Baneth quickly started eating out of the pail. “You eat as if you have not been fed before.” Elarinya half laughed. She set the pail down on the floor and shut the door to the stall again. “I will come back again.”
As Elarinya emerged from the stables, she spotted Sadron sitting on a lower branch of a tree.
“We can take a shortcut this way. It will take half the time it did to go the other way.” He reached his hand out towards Elarinya in a gesture to help her up to the first branch.
Elarinya took it and got to the same branch that he was one. Then he bounded off jumping from one branch to another. Elarinya was quick to follow behind him, until they reached a path that lead through the trees. Soon they were back to the healing ward, where Haldir was patiently waiting.
“Ah, you have arrived. The Lady Galadriel is waiting. Come now.”
“I will see you again my Lady Elarinya.” Sadron nodded his head to her.
“Farewell, thank you again for taking me to Baneth watching over her when I could not.”
Once Sadron had left their sight Haldir led along a long winding path that ended at small clearing formed partially by the large roots of the trees. Haldir left her at the top of a small set of stairs that went down into landing of the clearing. She watched Haldir walk away a little before hesitantly walking down into the clearing. In the center of the clearing, was a silver bowl sitting on top of an ornately carved stone pedestal. Elarinya ran her hand along the rim of the bowl, as she took in the space around her. She froze in place. Before her, under a stone archway was the Lady Galadriel. Awe instilled itself in her when she first saw the lady.
“Welcome Elarinya daughter of Thannor of Imladris.” Galadriel greeted walking up to Elarinya.
“Thank you, my lady.” Elarinya moved her hand away from the bowl, and put it down by her side.
“Come walk with me.” Galadriel gestured back towards the path that went under the stone archway. Together they began walking along a stone pathway.
“You have traveled dangerous path to find answers to questions, you are not even sure you wish to know.”
“I will not conceal the doubts I hold, least from you.” Elarinya replied. “I do not understand… It seems unfathomable, and ridiculous to even suggest such a thing.”
Galadriel listened intently as she delved deeper.
“Then there are all the implications. Why would my mother not bring them to Valinor to restore peace to all Arda? Why would she hide something such as this? I was so young, I never even thought for a moment. I thought - I believed, I too would have sailed over and be several millennia old before they would be found. Why would it be recorded wrong in history? How, could it have been recorded wrong? It has been the wisest of our kind that have recorded down our histories…” Elarinya paused and unclasped her necklace, presenting it in her hand to Galadriel. The stones shined brightly in her hand as she held it out to Galadriel. Her voice softened as looked at them in her hand. “What I do know, is that I have never seen any stone that has matched the beauty of these. Nor, have I seen anything that a light that shines forth from them. If they are the silmarils, then you are the only one in Middle Earth that has any right to care for them, for surely evil will fall upon them if they stay with me.”
Galadriel picked up the necklace by its silvery mithril chain and held it before her eyes. “There are many things in this world that even the wisest do not know. An age has ended, and another one has come and almost ended since I last look upon the silmarils. There is nothing more precious than them.”
“If these are the silmarils, then what of the stories? My naneth certainly did not swim to floor of the ocean, nor did she go into a chasm of fire.”
“It is beyond me as to how she found them. For I too, had believed the events that had to come to pass as they had been accounted.” Galadriel paused for a moment looking down slightly at Elarinya. “I do know that this would not be the first time that we were all deceived by the Dark Lords. Sauron was very powerful, but Morgoth was even more powerful than him.”
“How could Morgoth have deceived Eönwë and Fëanor’s sons Maedhros and Maglor both? The stones burn the hands of those unworthy, and was it not told that their hands did burn?” Elarinya pressed on in disbelief.
“It is, and they were. I desire answers as much as you, young Elarinya, but even this is beyond my knowledge. The answers we seek may be lost to us until the end of time during the final battle, where it is foretold Morgoth will break down the Door of Night and come back to the world. What is known, is that these are the silmarils, and their worth is far greater than all the treasures in Middle Earth combined. They must be kept a secret from all, until the Ring has been destroyed. The world has grown too dark, and the enemy has too many spies to risk making the journey to Valinor.”
“You will bear and protect them then my lady?” Relief sounded in Elarinya’s voice.
“I cannot, for I know the same greed that filled Fëanor’s heart when he had them would fill mine. When the time came to relinquish the silmarils to Yavanna so the light of the Two Trees could be restored, I would keep them for myself. This task is for you. It is the same fate that has led Frodo to become the Ring Bearer, that has led you to become the Bearer of the Silmarils.”
Galadriel placed the necklace back around Elarinya’s neck. As she did Elarinya hung her head. Her heart sank in her chest as she felt as if the weight of the world had been placed upon her shoulders. She lifted Elarinya’s chin up with her hand. “Do not fear young Elarinya, you will find a way, just as your naneth did when she escaped from depths Mordor. You have her same spirit in you.”