Lord of the Rings: The Heir to Lorien

The Forest Kingdom

The journey through the High Pass was uneventful but uncomfortable, she did not like mountain passes. The mountains she did not mind, but the passes through them made her feel vulnerable. There had been no sign of orcs for centuries, but the pass seemed a perfect place for an ambush. For the two days she spent traversing it, she spoke not a word, not even to Ariel. Every noise, every falling rock, every gust of wind startled her, and she was grateful when she came out the other side.

She allowed herself the luxury of a large campfire the night after she emerged. By the light of the fire she studied the maps she had made, and now realized what a task she had taken on to the find the wood elves.

There was no clear path to Thranduil's stronghold, she would have to rely on luck. This was not her forest, she did not know the paths and the byways that his people traveled. The food she had brought would not last long, but spring was deepening, and she had been taught by good teachers how to provide for herself.

It was the thought of how she would be received that made her nervous. She was a trespasser in a land where she did not belong, though she could claim kinship through her father. The elves of Lorinand did not welcome strangers and she understood the risk of asking to be granted access to Thranduil's kingdom. Her mother was Noldor, and she knew that there were ill feelings between the Silvan elves and the high elves over the losses they had suffered in the Great War.

She threw more wood on the fire. "I'm advertising to one and all that I'm here, but this is the first real fire I've had since I left Imladris. If the wood elves want to find me, they will, there's no one else who lives here. I wish they would find me, I want to sleep in a real bed and bathe and change clothes."

The next day she allowed herself the luxury of rising late. She gave Ariel the last of her oats and then proceeded to ride to the eaves of the Greenwood. The trees were tall and stately but had an air of menace even though they were beginning to leaf out.

She brought Ariel to a halt, then slid out of the saddle, and proceeded to remove the last of her food from her saddlebags. She put things into a pack she had brought, thinking, I need few clothes, just enough to get me by. And Ariel? I hate to let you go but you can find your way back to Imladris, and there are grass and shoots for you to eat, so you should not starve. It won't take long for you to return. I wish I could keep you with me, but there's no way I can.

She shed a few tears for the loss of her beloved horse. Those she cared for had betrayed her, all of them. Her last encounter with Glorfindel made her wonder if she had been no more than a pawn for an elven marriage. She was not interested in being a Noldor maiden married into one of the noble houses, even if she counted Glorfindel a dear friend. In fact, she was not interested in being married. She was returning to the Golden Woods and her life there—she would find a way.

Elrond and Celebrian had expected the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, and that was who had arrived, but not the daughter they'd envisioned. They did not expect an elf maid who practiced her archery every day and refused to behave as her station dictated. Well, that was too bad. She was who she was, and remained true to herself. Maybe life in the Greenwood would prove more palatable. All she knew was that she could remain in Imladris no longer.

She removed the saddle and bridle from Ariel's back, and carried them into the bushes, far from the path. She took the mare's finely sculpted head in her hands and said, "You have to go back to Imladris, and you mustn't let them know where I am. You'll find food more easily than I will, and you won't starve. Go back to your comfortable stall, and your stablemates. I hate to let you go, but where I am going, you can't follow. I'll be back someday, I promise, but it will be on my terms. May the blessings of Varda follow and protect you."