Estateillio

the Departure of the Fellowship

• They gathered early the next morning, the sun had just risen and the hobbits were still a bit sleepy, but very nervous. Everything was prepared, they had more than enough food to last them for months, most of which was carried by Bill, the pony that had accompanied the hobbits since Bree and that Sam had insisted on taking with them.

• Estateillio smiled reassuringly at the hobbits as she descended the stairs, speaking quietly in Quenya to Gandalf, going over some last details, hidden passages and the like, in case something happened to her - which was more likely than one would think, for she was always the first to go into battle and the last to leave and often she would openly seek danger.

• Elrond joined them and said: "Á na varna! [Be safe!]" "Lá ecan vanda ma, Nestyo [I can't promise anything, Nestyo]", the elleth replied, "Apa ecan hepë exer ge dad carn. [but I can try to keep the others from rash actions.]" "Hannan elyë, Esmya [I thank thee, Esmya]", the elf lord sighed.

• Aragorn was the last to arrive and he was followed shortly after by Arwen, who looked very crestfallen, and even when the ranger smiled at her, her only reaction was to look intently to the ground, as if she could find the answers to all questions if she just stared long enough.

• Something had happened and Estateillio would have gone to her niece and talked to her, but they were gathered now and every minute they tarried now could be crucial in the end and so Elrond promised her to make sure his daughter was alright and then addressed the fellowship:

• "The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom and you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will." And Estateillio straightened and her body tensed and all the tenderness in her face faded and her movement as she stood next to Gandalf was no longer like water, but more cat-like and stalking.

• "Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of elves and men and all free folk go with you", Elrond bid them and for a second or two there was silence and Frodo did not move, frozen to the spot by his nervousness and perhaps a good bit of fear, and so Gandalf declared: "The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer."

• And that brought life to Frodo and he led them out of Imladris, a symbolic move, for he did not know the way, as became evident when he asked the Istar where to go, when the path split.

• And Boromir winded his horn three times and claimed: "We may be travelling stealthily from now on, but always have I sounded my horn when I departed and I will not go forth as a thief in the night."

• And then they were on their way, the silence and calmness of the woods around the elven city engulfing them. They were moving slowly, at least for her standards, and so it took them almost three hours to leave the forest and they entered the hilly plains east of the Bruinen and with the birds' song that had distracted them gone and the initial nervousness and anticipation faded, Merry and especially Pippin realised that the journey ahead was going to be very boring.

• When they rested shortly during noon, the two hobbits had already started bickering quietly amongst each other and so Estateillio quickly suggested they spar with Boromir a bit and perhaps to rope their kin in as well. The son of Gondor himself was worried and his mind seemed far away and he welcomed the distraction.

• The elleth however, did not join them, instead having elected to stand at the edge of their small camp, mind cast out in all directions and far away, mostly though focusing on the road ahead and looking back only to make sure that Arwen was doing better.

• There was no discernible threat and she would have searched even further had Sam not offered her some stew which she gladly accepted a little bit of, more to show the gardener that he was appreciated  and to calm his nerves than out of hunger and other such things.

• They made good progress after that, more than she had anticipated, though less than she would have liked under current circumstances.

• And as night fell the fellowship quickly dozed off, all safe for Aragorn who had volunteered to take first watch and Estateillio, who did not exactly need the sleep and saw the opportunity to speak to the ranger in relative privacy.

• (Technically Legolas could hear them, but they spoke Quenya which the elf did not understand.)

• "You argued?", she asked quietly and the man, who guessed correctly what she was speaking about, replied: "Not exactly argued, no." "But something happened between you and my niece", she inquired and Aragorn sighed. "I advised her to leave middle earth, to cross the great sea with her kin and be safe."

• Estateillio leaned forwards and a heavy feeling settled on the ranger and he knew it to be the full attention of four ancient fëar that stared disapprovingly at him as she questioned:

• "Have you so little faith in our skill? In the safety of Imladris? 'Hope' your mother named you, yet you seem to have lost all hope for our victory."

• "Had I not have hope in this, I would never have joined in this endeavour, and I know that Rivendell is one of the safest places in this time and age", Aragorn defended himself.

• "Then why did you tell her to leave the these shores?", she inquired. "She is the Evenstar, the fairest elf of this age, it is not fair that she should have to wither away and die, while she could be with her people, free from the pain of old age and mortal sicknesses", the ranger reasoned.

• "Is it fair then that she should have to live an eternal life with sorrow in her heart for having missed this opportunity? You love her, Aragorn, and she loves you, you can make her happy. And I would rather see her happy than have her forever with us, but always regretting, always grieving. What say you, son of Arathorn?"

• "I would have her happy", he decided, "But it matters not. What's done is done and I have no way of speaking to her." And Estateillio smiled and advised: "Tonight, in your dreams, call for her and mayhaps a way will present itself."

• And then she bid him a good watch and fell into the light sleep of elves.

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Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed!
AT
P.S.: This chapter has exactly 1111 words, lol