Estateillio

The Anduin

• In solemn silence they paddled down the Celebrant as they listened to the last notes of the song slowly fading away, though only Estateillio knew that its power would stay with them for some time still, protecting them and granting them calm, but swift waters, and she felt the tendrils of energy coil around them, but she dared not touch them, for that might break the spell so carefully set up. Still she had to smile, for the power of Nenya would quicken their journey and probably at least in the beginning keep away danger.

• And then the talking started, tips thrown from boat to boat about the most efficient way to paddle, warnings of stones and shallow spots and how to discern them. It became clear quite quickly who had used boats before and who hadn't. Merry and Pippin – to their slight surprise – had lived next to a small river and during summer, when it was warm, they had often been out on the water and Boromir too knew a little, for he sometimes had to cross the Anduin where there were no bridges, and Legolas had once been forced to cross the enchanted river with the boat anchored there and had later on his travels with Aragorn travelled by boat once or twice, but his knowledge wasn't great.

• Dwarves weren't really fond of large bodies of water, so it was a surprise to all of them that he had actually been in a boat before on a visit to Esgaroth, though why he had went there he would not say, for he was still fawning over the Lady of Light and her gift to him. Aragorn, naturally, had used many a boat on his many journeys and was thus quite skilled and Estateillio, though she had travelled farther and longer than him, was less so, for boats were not her preferred method in river-crossing, but she knew quite a lot about spotting dangers, for during the second age she had been seafaring a few times to visit the descendants of her cousin on Númenor. But her advice on that wasn't all that helpful, for though she could describe what could become dangerous, her way of spotting those dangers was vastly different from what the others were capable of, because due to her blindness her perception of the world was so intrinsically unlike theirs.

• Frodo and Sam had had only one experience with boats, the former because he'd always sticked to the roads and bridges on his wanderings and the latter because he'd never travelled before. But they were quick learners and by noon everyone had adjusted and was at least somewhat capable and skilled.

• "There are rocks coming up, steer left", Estateillio muttered and the two elves and the dwarf avoided the boulders that, though looking completely harmless, could damage the underside of their boat and seriously impede their journey.

• The water, she noticed, was beginning to speed up and more and more rocks peeked out of the water and she knew that the rapids were near and not long after the others noticed it as well and when they drew near to the actually dangerous part of the Celebrant, Estateillio called out: "We cannot traverse the rapids by boat, for it is too dangerous. But there is a place near where we can disembark and a path upon which to carry the boats downriver until the river is safe again."

• And so they made for the southern shore, where the elleth had indicated, and got out of the boats and they were surprised to find the boats to be very light as Estateillio, having spotted the path, simply grabbed one out of the water after giving its contents to Merry and Pippin so that their supplies wouldn't fall out and so Aragorn and Boromir took the second boat and Legolas and Gimli the third and the hobbits carried their supplies and they followed the elleth down the narrow trail, the water gushing and gurgling on their left and the thinning forest to their right.

• The river calmed again as it reached a small lake and they set down the white boats and then continued their journey and Boromir asked: "How come it be that the boats are so light?" For he had seen the military advantage of this and was having many ideas of how this could help his brother and his rangers – stealth and speed mostly. But Estateillio only shrugged and responded: "I know not. Special wood, special techniques, magic. One of those or all or something else entirely." And the gondorian frowned, but thanked her, and then resumed his silent brooding.

• By nightfall they reached the confluence of the Celebrant and the Anduin and decided to set up camp on the northern shore of the smaller river and they rested beneath the trees of the Golden Wood one last time that night.

• They were quicker on the Great River, for the current was faster and if they kept away from the shores, there was little danger, for the water was deeper than in the Celebrant, and so they didn't have to constantly avoid rocks or shallow spots and thus could speed up even more.

• After three and a half days on the Anduin they reached its confluence with the river Limlight that came from the great Fangorn forest and in the Wold to their right and the Brown Lands to their left there were no trees to shelter them during the night and so they fell silent to avoid notice.

• But as they passed the northern reaches of East Emnet the forest returned, though it was only on the cliffs, for the Anduin cut deep into the high and hilly land. And it was there that the spell could not protect them anymore and their luck ran out.

• Estateillio sensed their attackers a second before she heard the twang of many bowstrings and simultaneously with Legolas she cried: "Duck!" And it was only with this warning that they evaded most of the arrows raining down on them, though the lacking precision of the orcs was certainly a huge factor. Many an arrow hit lifeless stone or fell into the rushing waters, but some did hit the boats and one was even caught in Pippin's cloak.

• And after the first volley was over, the two elves returned the favor and killed or at least injured every orc that hadn't had the mind to hide once they started shooting and so their arrows hit more targets than their attackers' had, for their aim was more precise.

• And the strong currents of the Anduin carried them away quickly, but they did not set up camp well into the night when they were sure that their attackers wouldn't be able to reach them until they were well on their way again.

[《◇》]

Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed!

AT