The Chronicles of Lavelynne : Part VI
Life without Legolas and News from Abroad
It had now been a month since the Fellowship had left Rivendell. A month. I did not think I would survive those first few days, much less this long.
Life without Legolas was like life with something missing. It was like when the sun travels behind a cloud. You know something is amiss and yet you do not quite know how to correct the change. And your life is that much less bright for having lost it.
Each day I would wander the gardens of Rivendell, watching the flowers bloom and thinking of the wonder Legolas would have found in them. At nights I would stare at the moon, wondering whether or not Legolas was looking at it also. I was depressed, and Elrond was the first to notice.
I was sitting in one of the chairs in the Courtyard. My eyes were closed, my face turned up to the sun. To any passerby it would seem I was relaxing and enjoying life, but in actuality I was reliving every moment of the Council of Elrond, thinking back to the exact words of the conversation, pondering how fate might have been cheated and Legolas might have stayed.
That was the way that Elrond found me.
I heard him sit down, directly to my right, in the same seat he had used in the Council. I pretended not to notice.
"You should get up. Ride Urios, swim in the river, clean you chamber even, for heaven's sake." He said. "Doing this to yourself is unhealthy, it is folly."
"Doing what? I am enjoying the sunshine, if you must know." I lied
Elrond sighed and I could almost feel his annoyed look boring down into me. "I will not tolerate you being depressed. Legolas would not have wanted it; you are wasting away."
I opened my eyes and pasted a smile on my face. "See, I am fine. You worry for no reason."
"Go ride Urios, Lavelynne. He needs it, I am sure." Elrond rubbed his eyes wearily and gave me a shove in the general direction of the stable. "Go on, he's been half crazy with fear since the Wolves gave him that fright. He misses you, as well."
Sighing as if to make my displeasure known, I went reluctantly to Urios.
The young stallion stood in his stall, his rear facing me. Sweat drenched his body, turning the butter colored dapples that shaded his sides into a deep, liquid gold. He whipped around when I called his name and shuddered when I patted his neck. A bird called loudly, the stable echoing the call into a rolling trill. Urios rolled his eyes in fear and put his ears back.
Could he actually have that frightened from the wolves? Had he actually been like this for a month? I found it hard to believe. Surely, someone would have told me that my horse was wasting away in his stall.
Wasting away…wasn't that was what Father had said about me? Was I really as bad as Urios? I bit my lip and glanced at the horse who was now weaving back and forth in his stall, his delicate features clouded by fear and doubt.
Yes, I decided. I suppose I was as bad as the horse. Perhaps he was wasting from fear and I from love, but we understood each other. I kissed the nervous horse on his velvet nose.
"I know how you feel, Urios. But I promise I will help you. And you will help me. Indeed, we will help each other."
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In the following months, two to be exact, I worked my horse every day. Urios was soon behaving better, though not as well as before the Wolves. I wondered if he would ever return to normal.
I was also doing better. I still pined for Legolas, but caring for Urios had convinced me that life would go on. If nothing else, the horse helped me take my mind off thinking where the Elf Prince was and if he was in danger, if only for a little while.
Those two months were the most peaceful I had had at Rivendell since the Fellowship left.
Only Elrond seemed ill at ease, often I caught him staring softly at me. He seemed to look at me with a mixture of love, joy and sadness. Once or twice he had begun to talk to me, always in private, but every time he would end up sending me away, claiming it was of `no importance' and that I should `not be concerned'.
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During the next weeks I found myself practicing swordplay more often. Erestor helped, though he seemed puzzled that I should want to learn to fight.
"I must confess I do not know quite why myself." I told him one afternoon, shrugging off his question. "All I know is that something here," I tapped the left hand side of my chest, right above my heart, "is telling me to."
"I cannot argue with that!" he replied, "I am glad you have taken it up though, you seem a natural for it. One of the best I have taught."
After that particular lesson, however, I could not shake a feeling of urgency. It seemed to have crept up unexpectedly, but now that it was here I could not leave it.
Elrond, it appeared, felt the same feeling. He called me to his study that night and told me, "I have put this conversation off for far, far too long, Lavelynne." He looked up at me and sighed. "A letter came yesterday, from Lothlorien."
"Lothlorien! Why?" I was intrigued. The Lady of the Wood did not call upon our House often.
"It seems the Fellowship passed through some weeks ago. It was probably close to a month, seeing as this letter seems a bit old. They lost Gandalf in Moria." My father never cried, but I could tell he was near that point now.
"Gandalf? How? I thought…." I trailed off quickly, seeing my Father's grief.
He composed himself. "I do not know, Galadriel did not specify. She also sent news that the Fellowship is failing. She does not know if Frodo will succeed."
That was news indeed. I did not know what to say to that, so I kept my mouth closed.
"That is really all. I just thought I must tell you. Forgive me for putting it off so long." Elrond put a hand on my shoulder.
My heart suddenly leapt up into my throat. I knew now why I had been practicing my swordplay.
"I must go to Lothlorien." I looked into Elrond's deep brown eyes with all the seriousness I could muster.
"WHAT! Lothlorien? You are joking, I sorely hope." Elrond raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"It is no joke, I fear. I must go."
"I would not allow even the strongest Elf in Rivendell to go to Lothlorien with all that is going on, much less an untested daughter of mine. I will not let you go." Elrond put on his `fatherly' face, the one that I had, since childhood both feared and respected.
I did not falter at his statement now though; I knew what I must do.
"I am not untested! I went to Mirkwood and back, did I not? Twice, if my memory serves my correctly." I argued
"It is not the same. Those journeys were before all this Ring business." Elrond waved a hand dismissively. "Now it is much too dangerous. All the evil things are about and searching for prey, especially Elves." He paused and tilted my chin, making me look at him.
"You may not go. Is that clear, Lavelynne?" Elrond asked, his voice like ice.
"Yes." I spat angrily, tearing away from his hold. My heart told me to explain my need to him, but I was much too angry to listen to reasoning. I had never lied to my Father before, but I did now. No matter what he did, he would not keep me from leaving.
Tossing my fair blond hair lightly over my shoulders, I walked out of the room.
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"Get up Urios! We haven't the time for you to have second thoughts!" I hissed quietly to the horse.
I was mounted on Urios, walking along the narrow, rocky path that led out of Rivendell. Urios, it seemed, wanted to go back to the stable quite badly. He had turned his head back in the direction of the stable and refused to budge. I was forced to dismount and lead him until the glowing lights of Rivendell were all but vanished.
Then I mounted and urged him on. It was a long journey to Lothlorien.
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I had not planned on leaving Rivendell so soon. I was pretty much forced into the impromptu quest after overhearing Father talking to Erestor right after I had left his room.
"We will have to watch her closely. I want someone watching at all times. I hate to say it, but I do not trust her. I fear she will leave. I cannot let that happen, Galadriel did not bid for it yet." He told his head counselor.
I understood what it had meant, if I was going to go I would have to leave that night. So I had packed quickly, throwing some dresses and food into a pack. Then I had prepared Urios, making sure he was left in the stable for my escape. I had only left a small note for Father. It said:
"I am sorry I am doing this to you. You know I would never disobey you but for the most compelling of reasons. This is one of them. My spirit is screaming for me to go to Lothlorien, so I will do so. Do not worry; I am more prepared than you know. Please forgive me. Love always, Lavelynne."
I shivered to think of Elrond's reaction when he would find the note and find Urios missing from his stall. I hoped he wouldn't send out Glorfindel or Arwen to search for me. That is why I decided to travel as far as possible that first day. I wanted to be out of reach.
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With every step I took forward, my little silver and red emerald, the `speaking stone' Legolas had given me before he left, seemed to grow brighter. It seemed to be telling me `you are closer to him now! Keep going!'. At least, that is what I hoped it was telling me. I dared not think that it might be warning me to turn back, which was too depressing.
I reached the Walls of Moria in a week. They entranced me. The cool granite seemed to reach higher in the sky then I could have ever imagined, almost beautiful. I feared the pool beside the entrance though, to me, it reeked of something evil and long dead. I feared to think of what was in those caverns, for whatever it was, it brought down Gandalf. I did not camp that night.
I knew I was close to Lothlorien when I reached a long, grassy field. The end of the field seemed to glow with an unnatural golden light, as if the sun itself rested there.
"Lothlorien!" I breathed. "We are almost there, Urios. Galadriel will know why I have come!"
As I turned all my attention to galloping the last stretch of grass, I did not notice the little stone whispering softly as a summer breeze. "Lavelynne…princess…you are the answer."
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I slowed Urios to a walk for the entrance into the woods. The trees were large and beginning to sprout new leaves. There were tiny flowers growing everywhere, and a thick carpet of old, fallen golden leaves crunched underfoot as Urios walked forward.
I had not made it far into the threshold before I sensed something near me. I pulled out the long sword I had taken for myself, an ancient one called Revira, one that had once been held by Gil-Galad, and held it at the ready. The instant I had it in my hands I heard the creak of many bowstrings being pulled. I knew that I was outnumbered.
"Well, who do we have but another Elf? Yet, I would think an Elf would carry a weapon of some sort. What kind of an Elf are you that you have no protection? No one has ever traveled so freely in these lands, save the Eldar in the days of old." He scoffed. "Humph...Light Elves..."
I watched as a blond haired Elf stepped out from the trees. He was the speaker and it was clear from his face that he thought himself superior to everyone. He held an arrow at the ready as he approached Urios.
Looking up at me, ready to make another smart remark, the Elf gasped and dropped his bow in surprise. He bowed to me.
"P-P-P-Princess!" his remark was filled with awe. "Forgive me! I did not know, I thought you were but a legend. Forgive my remarks!" the Elf seemed truly upset,
"I am Haldir of Lorien." He again bowed low, motioning for the others to do so as well.
"Please, I have no idea what you speak of. I must not be the one you speak of, I am from the House of Elrond." I explained. I hoped every Elf of Lorien was not as strange. "I wish to see the Lady Galadriel. It is very important."
"Of course! She is wishing to see you as well..." Haldir beckoned me to follow.
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Lothlorien was as beautiful as the stories I had heard. The tallest and fairest trees I had ever seen grew there I they seemed to glow with a golden light. I was amazed.
I was still staring at the surrounding with awe when Galadriel came up. I did not know she was there until she spoke.
"Lavelynne, Last of the Eldar. Lothlorien greets you." Her voice rolled musically, as soft and sweet as a breeze and as powerful as the earth.
"I…I do not know of what you speak fair Lady." I was getting very confused by all the talk of the Eldar. I had heard of them before, in my studies at Rivendell. They were the Light Elves, the ones who first went to the Undying Lands. But they were extinct from Middle Earth. "How do you know me?"
I felt her gaze penetrate me, her voice came into my mind and without opening her mouth I heard her say, "You know more than you think, perhaps. You know of the Eldar, of who they were and where they went." It was not a question, but a comment. "What you do not know is the truth. Elrond would have told you, but you seem to have left quickly. Listen closely." She smiled at me, brushing her golden hair out of her face.
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"The Eldar left Middle Earth for the Undying Lands gratefully, but not altogether happily. The Queen of this race wished to stay; for she knew her people would be the most capable of dealing with the dark forces. She also knew that she could not stay behind. So she chose a different way of allowing her people to stay here. She left for the Undying Lands and stayed there for years. Then, she had a child. She sent the baby back over the sea, back to Middle Earth. The baby would carry on the Eldar lineage and was to grow up in Lothlorien. Evil, however, changed that. Message got to Mordor of this child and immediately orc troops and bird-spies were everywhere, looking for the baby. They knew the child was with me, so I no choice but to save the lives of my people by giving the child up." Galadriel paused and looked into my eyes.
I interrupted, "What does this have to do with me?"
"I am getting to that point. As I said, the child was let go, but not into the hands of evil. I hid the child in a forest, and told Lord Elrond of Rivendell to take it. He did so, and upon first sight he fell in love it. He was indeed reluctant to ever tell the child it's history. But he raised the child, a girl whom I had named Lavelynne, `lost one', as his own I suppose he never told her that she was the last Eldarian Elf in all Middle Earth."
I gasped loudly and stood, almost falling with surprise. "But, but, how can that be? The Eldar…I am one?"
"Yes. You are. You had no guess? I would have thought it would have been apparent, for surely you have read of what the Eldar looked like?" a soft smile played across the Lady's lips. "The Eldar have hair that is like spun gold and woven silver mixed as one. Starlight glimmers all about them on their eyes, clothes and hands. There is always a light about their faces and the sound of their voices is beautiful and as subtle as water flowing in a stream. They are strong of spirit and limb, and do not grow weak with age, rather more fair." She recited a passage from a well known book on the Eldar.
I touched my hair and looked at my hands. Neither seemed extraordinary, but Galadriel took my hand and said, "You ARE the last of this fair race. You did not know why you came here, but now you do. You are an Eldarian and none shall ever surpass you in beauty or wisdom. Go now, the night grows old and fate calls. You know where to go next."
I took a slow step, everything was happening so fast. I did not know what to think. I wanted to cry, laugh and yell all at once. But the Lady was right. I knew what I had to do.
I, Princess Lavelynne of the Eldar, had to find Legolas. The little stone glowed, seemingly happy with my decision, on its chain.