Immortalitui // Faramir 🥀

Chapter Three - Mirkwood

Word Count: 1,909 words.

Warnings: None.

Ten Years Later...

The Library of Mirkwood was larger than most. Perhaps not the size of the Library of Rivendell but it held just as much information. The texts were limited, not dating as far back as Arathiel would have liked but there was enough. There had to be.

"A message came for you," Legolas told the elf, entering the large room in his home. He moved quickly down the stairs, a letter in his hand.

"From whom?" Arathiel posed, turning from the book she read. "No one knows that I am here."

The blonde elf shook his head. "I am but the messenger."

Arathiel took the letter, breaking the seal and opening its folds. She read it to herself quietly.

Arathiel,

I, Denethor, Steward of Gondor request your aid in strengthening our barrier at Mordor. Gandalf the Grey had told me that you were the elf with the capability to help and Minas Tirith is in need of that.

I hope you may accept this proposal and help us in protecting the people of Gondor.

Denethor, Steward of Gondor.

Arathiel shook her head. "The Steward of Gondor wishes for my aid," she explained, handing the open letter to Legolas for him to read. "Orcs gather around the Mordor border."

Legolas' eyes widened. "Denethor dislikes elves greatly. Why would he request your help?"

"It does not matter," she told him, moving around to the other side of the long table. "I will not leave."

Legolas placed the letter down, approaching his friend's side. "And deny the people aid?"

He followed her as she tried to move away, closing one of the texts she had been reading. Arathiel took it into her arms as she walked to return it. "Why are you back in Mirkwood Legolas? I thought you never wished to return here after Erebor," Arathiel began.

"You're changing the subject," he retaliated.

"How good of you to notice," she muttered nonchalantly, placing the tome back on its shelf.

Legolas positioned himself at the end of the shelf, watching the elf as she read along the titles. "I returned because you need to leave this place."

"I happen to like this library."

"You search for The Ring," he urged.

Arathiel paused, taking a deep breath and turning to face the woodland elf. "I search to discover if the ring Bilbo had is truly what I think it is."

"You are hardly ever wrong," he complimented, "But Mirkwood is not the place to search. There would be more in Minas Tirith, and more again in Rivendell, but you fear to go to either of those places."

Arathiel scoffed, walking away from her friend. He was right. She did fear to return home and she feared to see any part of Gondor again.

"You fear to return home because you do not wish to see your brother. To be at peace is something that you despise," Legolas tried to explain.

"I do not fear anything."

"You fear to go to Gondor because you will not recognise any of their faces. You have not been to the city since before The Lonely Mountain."