Weaving a Song

Chapter 27

c.2509-2510 TA

Almiel watched Celebrían closely. She was better, but there was a trace of shadow in her no amount of either Almiel's magic, nor Elrond's, could heal. She had been poisoned by the Black Land, and she would probably never recover.

The life lingered on in Celebrían, but Almiel was right. She was never the same. She healed from the wound, but traces of the poison lingered on. Eventually she made the choice to Sail without her husband. It hit all the children hard, more than Elrond. Elrond had seen more death than the other three, but he also knew that Valinor was where peace and rest lay. He would have Sailed long ago if he did not feel called to stay in Ennor for the time being.

However, Arwen refused to be consoled in Imladris and decided to go back to her mother's home in Lórien, Almiel had had enough of the sorrow of Imladris and her father's refusal to bring her home. It was such that, after a brief argument by letter and a lot of pure stubbornness on either side, Almiel had been given (grudging) permission to allow her to go to Lórien with Arwen. Arwen's brothers agreed to escort her and then they decided they would continue on their seemingly reckless ventures and ride with the Rangers to find more Orcs to kill. Nothing Elrond said would sway them any other way.

She rode Condu who seemed delighted to take another trip. The others' horses did not seem as excited as they felt their riders' tensed sorrow. During the course of their trip, Elrohir stayed close to Almiel. Ever since that one afternoon outside the healing ward, he had found reason after reason to remain at Almiel's side.

It was three weeks before they left. At the time, none of the Peredhil were aware that Almiel would accompany them. She and her father were still arguing the point by letter. Elrohir approached her that afternoon. She glanced up as he came her way. Grief and anger were still plain in his eyes. The twin's wish to see their mother's tormentors dead had been fulfilled, but now the anger was stirred anew with her Sailing.

His pain and fear crashed over her in waves, but she remained silent as he sat next to her. "We leave soon." He said.

"I know," Almiel answered.

"You are staying." He said.

"It looks that way." She said, not knowing if her father would relent yet. She had left him little enough room to maneuver but she was unsure if he might insist on her staying.

Elrohir was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "I know you have been wishing to go home since you got here, and I was wondering… what will happen to you once the three of us leave?"

Almiel hesitated unsure of how to answer. If her father did insist she stay here, she was planning on leaving anyway. Foolish maybe, but she had no want to stay here. Not anymore. She had stayed because it was supposedly safer, but there was so much grief here it was almost worse. At least in Lórien Haldir would keep her sane. For the moment.

"I am not staying." She said. He looked at her, surprise in his eyes.

"Your father…?"

"No, I decided. He has yet to agree, but he will."

"If he does not?" Elrohir asked, a little more hesitant. Her father had a reputation for a reason. Almiel shrugged. His eyes inspected her face. Then he turned his face forward. His grief still overshadowed him. "Are you coming to Lórien?"

"I think so." Almiel said. He glanced down at his hands. He had been coming to her for comfort every time his grief consumed him. She glanced away, knowing in her mind it was because he loved, or at least thought he loved, her. "Excuse me," she said softly intending to write Legolas and tell him to convince her father to let her go.

Elrohir, however, reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait," he said. She glanced back at him, feeling her gift respond to his touch feeding him more energy than she thought was either safe or normal. He cocked his head at her. He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but in the end he hesitated and changed his mind. "Hannon, Almiel… For everything."

He slowly let go of her hand. She smiled slightly and then walked away.

Now they were on the road together, and though they had not traveled strenuously, Almiel felt tired for some reason yet beyond her. In the back of her mind, however, a suspicion was already starting to form.

Happily for all of them, however, this night was to be their last travelling. Almiel would be glad to rest in a true bed once more.

*

The next day Arwen and Elladan rode slightly faster than the other two. Arwen was anxious to see her grandmother while Almiel had no care to hurry. Elladan of course kept pace with his sister while Elrohir kept close to her. When Almiel and Elrohir arrived at the border, the princess drew Condu in and paused. Then she smiled and laughed, this time unintentionally making Elrohir's heart lighter. He stopped alongside her. He was not prepared, however, for Almiel suddenly pushing Condu into a gallop through the forest. He followed quickly, and soon heard her laughter again. This time her laughter was joined by another's.

He rode into a clearing finding her already off Condu and being twirled in the air by none other than Haldir himself. A sudden spike of jealousy towards one of his former good friends hit him harder than he ever expected. Haldir frowned slightly when he felt Almiel feel suddenly fearful. He cocked his head at her, but she gave him a look that clearly meant she would tell him later.

She let out another laugh and looked at Elrohir. "Come, we are safe in Lórien now. Let us enjoy it." The three let their horses walk behind them with a murmured word and then walked side by side into the Elven city. Haldir and Almiel talked animatedly, catching up from their time apart. Elrohir found himself grudgingly admitting to himself that when Legolas and Almiel had stayed in Lórien for that span of time when she was a child, she and Haldir must have developed a close bond of friendship. Just to comfort himself, he let his finger brush against her hand.

Haldir, who happened to brush shoulders with her at the time felt a less than subtle drop in her energy than was normal. He sent a questioning thought toward her which she simply brushed away with, Later. He sent her a mental acknowledgment right before they came to the Lady's flet.

"Welcome, grandson, if you would like, you may join your brother and sister in the flet above this one before we prepare for our feast." Almiel glanced at Haldir.

I think our feasts, or at least this one, will be much more somber than yours. You would probably call it dinner with a side of depressing music. He told her rather sadly.

She held in her giggle. Probably, though even the happiest feasts I've been to in Imladris compares little with those my father throws. I think perhaps that the Elves in Mirkwood, or my father, just like to have more parties on the whole.

Aye, your father threw a party while I was there once before your birth just because Legolas came back from Imladris after only being gone a week. Once or twice I even heard he threw a feast simply because he was happy.

Well… sometimes it takes a lot to make my father happy. Feasts are a good way to make him happy.

Aye…

"Welcome once again, Princess, Haldir can show you back to where you stayed before if that is acceptable?"

"It is My Lady." Almiel said inclining her head. 

"We shall see you at the feast as well." The Lady said making it a statement not a question.

"Of course," Almiel said once more. The Lady smiled and then turned to her grandson, clearly dismissing them. Elrohir cast his eyes at Almiel once as she herself turned and left with Haldir. He watched them as they departed, Almiel's eyes sparkling for the first time since Celebrían had returned to Imladris. Another small prick of jealously touched his heart before he pushed it away and joined his siblings as his grandmother had suggested. He was a Son of Elrond after all. Haldir was just a Marchwarden.

*Condu is Almiel's horse. I know it is the same name as the first horse she received and that it has been almost five hundred years. Generally I do not change the names of Elvish horses and I leave it up to the reader to decide if they prefer immortal horses or horses with the same name. :)