°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

━━━━ »•» act two. age of shadow

17. where no one goes «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 3019

𓇻 eriador; imladris {rivendell}

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THE WATERY MORNING SUN COLORED THE SKY A PALE BLUE. The chill of the coming winter had taken hold of the air. Morning frost turned the grass white and warm breath into tiny clouds. The normally bright colors of Imladris seemed dull that morning, as if even the valley itself was mourning the departure of the fellowship.

With the promise of cold weather biting against her cheeks, Elgarain wrapped her gray winter cloak around her shoulders. She'd taken her time to get ready that morning. Counting and recounting the medicinal supplies she'd gathered over the last few months. Because of the approaching winter she'd made sure to take some Miruvor with her. A reviving cordial that would help to keep them warm. All her medicine and equipment were packed and put in her bag. The herbs she might need in dire situations she'd packed in the pouch attached to her belt, hanging at her hip, always within reach. Which also meant she had a little bit of space left in her bag to put away some parchment and pencils, though she knew the chances she would actually get to use those would be slim. Still, she refused to leave without the proper tools to paint the wonders she might see.

Despite knowing she'd made the right choice by joining this quest, Elgarain wasn't ready to leave Rivendell behind just yet. The Last Homely House felt just as much like home as the Gray Havens did. After all, she spent more time here than in Mithlond. This was the place she'd grown from a reluctant, stubborn Elfling into a confident and wiser Elleth, though some would argue she was still as stubborn.

Her fingers toyed with the newly placed ring on her finger as she let her eyes wander through her room one last time. The weight of Vilya was pressing down on her, just as the crown of Lindon once had. She was glad for Lord Elrond's trust in her abilities to carry the ring and yet she feared she wouldn't be able to live up to his expectations. There was however, only way to know for sure and that was by walking the path she'd chosen with certainty and hope.

Taking one last deep breath, she made sure her medical pouch was firmly attached to her belt, before turning around and closing the door behind her. She'd barely left the hallway when her eyes met another reason why leaving Rivendell made her heart ache, though it pained her to admit it.

"Aragorn," she greeted the Ranger with a smile, hoping it was enough to cover the nerves trembling through her very bones at the sight of him.

He bowed his head. "Tarinya."

She tried to ignore the chills left all over her skin when hearing him refer to her by her official title. She forced herself to keep her gaze turned forward as they walked side by side towards the courtyard. "I hope you slept well? It will be a long while before we can sleep soundly again."

"You're right," Aragorn answered. "The road has grown dangerous."

The way he evaded her question didn't escape her notice but she knew better than to press for an answer. "Then it is a good thing our Ringbearer has so many great warriors at his side."

A smile lingered in the corner of his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Then I am most grateful to have a capable healer alongside us."

"Well, someone has to make sure you all arrive back home in one piece," she said, despite knowing that the chance they'd ever see home again was small. She didn't want to think about the darkness awaiting them just yet...

The small smile on his face faltered, his gray eyes holding a storm of unspoken words.

Elgarain came to a halt, wishing for one more moment alone with him before they'd reach the courtyard. "You've changed, Estel" she whispered.

She'd caught him by surprise, but he was quick to put his mask back into place. "Have I?" He questioned, his voice just as soft even though there was no one near them.

A wistful smile appeared on her face. "You've become more serious."

His eyes roamed her face, setting her heart on fire. "So have you."

"I suppose we both grew up."

And in that moment the laughter of their younger selves seemed to echo through the hallways, haunting them with promises of what could have been...

"We should go," Aragorn spoke softly.

She nodded as she tried to shake old memories from her mind.

Together they made their way towards the courtyard, where the Rivendell delegation would be waiting to watch them depart and wish them last words of luck, Elbereth knew they needed it.

Most of the fellowship were already gathered in the courtyard. Sam was tending Bill the pony, their pack animal for the journey. The Hobbit seemed glad the pony was joining them. During the months they spent preparing, he'd often went to visit Bill, speaking fondly of how the pony was blossoming in the peaceful stables of Imladris. Gandalf and Frodo were there as well, conversing softly. In the distance she could see Legolas make his way towards them, Gimli not far behind. To her right, Boromir had arrived with Merry and Pippin at his side. Despite the journey awaiting them, the two Hobbits seemed to be in good spirits, sharing laughs in the early morning hours. Though their laughter wasn't quite enough to erase the worried frown from Boromir's features.

At last, her eyes found Gyda and Galion, talking softly in a corner of the courtyard. Bracing herself for the goodbye she'd been dreading all these weeks now, she made her way over to them. She knew Galion wasn't happy he hadn't been invited to come along. But she needed someone she could trust to deliver the truth of their departure to her mother. Part of her regretted not being able to bring the archer along but she knew it was for the best. There was only a small chance any of them would return from this journey and she would never forgive herself for taking Gyda's best friend from her, or to separate him from his beloved Arwen once again. As she approached, she noticed the way Galion nudged Gyda, making her guard turn to look at her.

"I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive us," she smiled slyly when she reached the pair. "If this is truly the last time we will see each other, let us part as friends." She was only half joking.

Galion grimaced. "Not losing hope already my dear Tári?"

"Never," she replied, but she knew the tension was visible in her smile.

Without another word Galion stepped forward and embraced her. Elgarain wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes as she held her friend. There were no words to describe how grateful she was for his loyalty to her and to their people. She'd miss him, his smile and easy humor and the way he always knew the right thing to say to comfort her.

"Watch out for her alright?" Galion muttered into her hair, worry for his best friend made his voice shake. "And for yourself."

Elgarain pulled away from him and nodded, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I will. It was good seeing you," she told Galion with a warm smile. She placed her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze before walking up to Arwen and her brothers.

"Little Ellie, off into the big world," Elladan greeted her with a mocking smile, though even he could not conceal the grief for their departure lingering in his eyes.

Arwen shook her head, stepping forward to pull Elgarain into a hug. "Ignore my brother," she whispered.

"I always do," Elgarain replied, sending Elladan a wink over Arwen's shoulder, before closing her eyes and letting herself melt in the embrace. "I will miss you."

The two Elves released each other, smiling warmly as a last goodbye.

Elrohir placed his fist against his heart and bowed. "Namárië."

She bowed her head in return. "Namárië, mellon nin."

A silence fell over the courtyard when Lord Elrond came walking from beneath the archway, joining them before the gates of Imladris. Elgarain offered one last smile at the siblings before walking up the Fellowship, standing at Boromir's side as Elrond spoke a final goodbye.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest for Mount Doom. On you who travel with him, no oath, nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell, hold to your purpose. May the blessing of Elves, and men and all free folk go with you." He bowed his head.

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering all her strength before opening them again. There was no going back now.

"The fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer," Gandalf spoke.

All eyes turned to Frodo as he walked up towards the gates, leading them on their journey. Though Elgarain couldn't help but hear him whisper: "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

Gandalf's voice was warm when he replied: "Left."

With the rising of the sun, the Fellowship climbed out of the Hidden Valley and by the time they left Imladris behind, the sun had fully risen, though it barely made its way through the thick gray clouds gathered in the sky. The weather remained that way for the first few days of their journey. Soon joined by a howling northern wind as well. Elgarain lost count of the amount of fearful glances she'd thrown upwards, fearing the clouds would burst open and release curtains of rain upon them. But it seemed some good fortune was with them after all, for it remained dry.

The first part of their journey they would track west along the Misty Mountains. In order to avoid being seen, they left the roads and made their way through the wilderness. Those first few days they only traveled by night into the early morning and rested in well hidden places during the day. In the late afternoon, the one on watch would wake them. They'd have a short, cold, meal (much to the dismay of the Hobbits) for no one dared to light a fire and accidently alert their presence to unfriendly eyes, after which they resumed their journey.

Those first few days the landscape barely changed. Trees, rocks and thorn buses stretched as far as the eye could see. It all looked the same to Elgarain, which only added to her fascination to the confident way Aragorn moved along a, to her, hidden path. She believed he could lead them through these parts with his eyes closed and his hands bound.

Eventually though, the trees grew thinner and far in the distance they could see the Misty Mountains drawing closer. And on the fourteenth day of their journey, as they neared the mountain ranges, the weather started to change. The wind slowly died down and a pale sun carefully peaked around the clouds. She also took note of the many ruins they came across and soon she realized they must have crossed into the old Elven Kingdom of Eregion. Memories of her forefathers were scattered all throughout the landscape, leaving their mark on the earth even after they were long gone. It gave new meaning to the vast empty landscape surrounding them.

It was between these ruins that Gandalf called for them to come to a halt. "I think we will rest here for the night. There is a peaceful air to Hollin. The earth does not easily forget the Elves that once dwelt here."

The news seemed to instantly lift the Hobbits' spirits. Their exhaustion made way for grateful smiles and even a little bit of conversation, something that had been severely lacking the first few dreary days. The fact that they'd managed to escape unfriendly eyes during the first part of their journey, made them all breathe a little easier.

Her gaze was drawn from the Hobbits to the rest of the Fellowship as they came together to discuss what should happen next. She made her way down the rocks, ears catching the conversation long before she reached them.

"You should take the first watch," Gyda spoke to Legolas. "Your eyes are better fit for it than theirs." She didn't need to say their names, for it was clear she'd meant the two human warriors.

Even from this distance Elgarain could spot the uneasy way Boromir shifted after Gyda's comment. But he managed to swallow his pride and said: "She's right"

Elgarain reached their little gathering, speaking instantly to lift the lingering tension. "I'll take Sam with me to start a fire," she offered.

As expected, worry instantly clouded Gyda's gaze but before she could speak out loud, Elgarain already had her reply ready. "We won't be far, Gyda. You know I can defend myself when it comes to it." She gestured to the spear strapped to her back, the very same one Gyda had gifted her all those years ago. "You should focus on the Hobbits. They need you more than I do now."

The Captain of her guard debated her words, before finally sighing in defeat. "Alright."

She pivoted on her heels and made her way to where Sam and Frodo were seated on the rocks. With a warm smile she seated herself down beside them. "I believe we can afford to light a little fire."

At the possibility of a warm meal, Sam instantly perked up. "I've been saying, M'Lady, traveling on an empty stomach will not get one very far."

Her smile widened. "I believe you are correct, Master Hobbit. Come, let us gather some firewood."

Together they scoured the rocks to find what little wood they could to get a fire going. By the time they'd found enough and returned to the others, Gyda and Boromir had begun their lessons with Merry and Pippin. Aragorn was seated on the sidelines, a pipe between his lips. Legolas stood on the highest rock, a sharp gaze focused on the distance. Gandalf and Gimil sat together, smoking as they discussed the road ahead. Frodo had already gathered the necessary food and pans from Sam's backpack to help with the meal.

Elgarain followed the Hobbit's instructions very carefully, looking forward to tasting a true Hobbit meal. Though Sam kept insisting that if he had a full pantry available, the meal would be even better. She believed him. If he could cook such a good meal with the little food available, she'd love to see what else he could make. Maybe one day...

While Sam brought the plates around, Elgarain settled on the rocks next to Frodo, looking out over the training match between Merry and Boromir. "I do hope Gyda hasn't been too hard on you during training," she said with a smile.

"She's a great teacher," Frodo replied simply, though there was a smile on his face as well.

"That she is," Elgarain agreed.

"I'm glad she's with us. We need people like her," Frodo said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"We do, though we would not be here if it wasn't for people like you. Those who do not need weapons to show us we can be brave."

Frodo frowned. "I do not feel brave."

Elgarain folded her hands in her lap. "Neither do I."

The Hobbit turned to look at her. "So what do you do?"

"I look at those around me, my friends, my people, this fellowship. Those brave enough to leave their loved ones behind to make such a dangerous journey. When I look at them it's hard not to feel brave as well."

A small smile broke through on Frodo's face. "Perhaps you're right."

A clang echoed through their encampment, making Elgarain turn to look at the training session. She watched with an amused smile as Boromir all but threw his sword down after accidentally hurting Pippin. Apology after apology tumbled from his lips but it wasn't enough.

"Get him!" Pippin shouted.

Merry didn't have to be told twice and together the two Hobbits stormed at the grown man.

"Never let your guard down!" They chorussed together as they jumped at Boromir, their combined weight enough to bring him down. "Finish him!"

Boromir could hardly contain his laughter as he tried to keep the Hobbits at bay. But it was too late, they'd launched their attack and he was brought down. The two Hobbits tried their hardest to keep him pinned against the ground.

A laugh erupted from Gyda's lips. Though, beside her, Sam was simply shaking his head at the sight. She watched as Aragorn got to his feet, trying to break up the fight but as he reached for them, Merry and Pippin each grabbed a leg and pulled as hard as they could, pulling Aragorn down in the blink of an eye.

"Useless, the both of you," Gyda jested while Elgarain's laugh chimed through the encampment. Gyda managed to grab a hold of both the Hobbits, managing to pull them off the two men.

Pippin tried to fight her off while Merry tried to dig his feet into the ground but to no avail.

Before Gyda could give them a friendly lecture though, Sam's worried voice broke through the laughter. "What's that?"

With a frown Elgarain turned to look into the direction he'd pointed at. In the distance a black cloud had formed against the sky, though its shape was stranger than any she'd ever seen. It also moved faster than any normal cloud would...

"Nothing," Gimli dismissed with a puff of smoke. "It's just a wisp of cloud."

"It's moving fast," Boromir said as he got to his feet, "against the wind."

Her heart was hammering in her chest as they waited.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas suddenly shouted, his eyes finally catching sight of the true nature of what was approaching on the horizon.

"Hide!" Aragorn shouted.

With wide eyes Elgarain watched the servents of evil move toward them as everyone scrambled to find a hiding place. All while working frantically to erase all traces of the camp.

"Elgarain! Hide!" Gyda's voice broke through her state of shock and finally got her moving.

She grabbed a hold of Sam's backpack while the Hobbit poured water over the fire. Then she pushed him into the direction of the nearest rock with Frodo right beside her. They all but let themselves fall to the ground. Elgarain gestured for the Hobbits to crawl all the way beneath the rock, while she hid in front of them, shielding their bodies with her own.

And suddenly the flock of birds ascended upon them. She couldn't even begin to say how many there were, all crowing as though they were calling out to something. The sound made her ears hurt but she did not dare to move and cover them. The birds swooped low over the bushes and rocks, dark eyes searching for their prey. Elgarain had no doubt they knew exactly what they were looking for.

The dark shadow of the flock passed over the rocks and then, as soon as they had come, they were gone. They turned back south, their crows slowly dying away as they left the fellowship behind with wild beating hearts. For a moment, no one dared to move.

It was Gandalf who staggered to his feet first, eyes narrowed as he looked to the sky. "Spies of Saruman," he spat. "The passage south is being watched."

Slowly everyone appeared from their hiding places. Elgarain was barely back on her feet when Gyda was already at her side.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, though I cannot say the same about my ears. Who knew birds could make so much noise?" She smiled softly, eyes going to the Hobbits, hoping her words managed to shake the fear from their bones.

Gyda sighed with relief as Sam offered her a tensed smile.

But then Gandalf spoke again. "We must reach the pass of Caradhras quickly, lest his spies return."

There'd be no resting that night after all.

°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

They're finally on the road! I'm so excited to write this part of the story! Also that conversation between El and Aragorn hurt to write okay. They're basically strangers now. So much so that Aragorn doesn't even tell her what he truly feels anymore. It hurts now but it's also gonna be lots of fun to built their relationship back up again ;)

I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave your thoughts in the comments if you did. And as always, thank you so much for your support!

xx Nelly

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:

Tarinya ― My Queen

Namárië ― Farewell

 Mellon nin ― My friend

NOTES ON LORE:

Miruvor ― A special wine or cordial used by the Valar and the Elves. This is a canon established potion and is not invented by me.

Elbereth ― Varda (or Elbereth in Sindarin) is the Queen of the Valar, the wife of Manwë. Of all the Valar, the Elves revere her most because she created the stars.

Hollin ― Eregion, later known as Hollin, was a realm of the Ñoldorin elves during the Second Age, located near the West-gate of Moria.