Element of the Heart - A Lord of the Rings/Legolas Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Earthborn's Fate

Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond, four other elven elders, and Haldir, marchwarden of Lórien, sat in a circle inside one of the large hollow trees.
   Elrond, sitting across from Celeborn and Galadriel, turned up his palm that lay on the wooden arm rest of his chair. "This matter is too important for us to decide alone. We should summon the wizards, Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White." He nodded towards the others.
   "Not this time, Elrond," Celeborn said. "Secrecy is of more importance. If the Dark Lord finds out of the earthborn's presence, who is to say that he will not do to her what he did to Anorath?"
   "As Lady Galadriel said, Evangeline has chosen to fight against Sauron, whereas Anorath was in a state of confusion and indecisiveness when Sauron took him."
   "Nevertheless, the darkness is too strong for one so young to be expected to stand against. She must be trained in her element."
"She must be trained to fight," one of the elders added.
   Elrond sighed. "Then does it not make more sense to summon the wizards? Have they not more knowledge of ancient magic than we?"
"The earthborn is not a wizard," Celeborn said.
   "And yet, it is magic that allows her connection to her element."
   Galadriel, who had been staring in the distance, turned to Elrond. "I do not know what has become of Saruman. Though he had ventured to Mordor when we last saw him, he is not there now. He has busied himself...elsewhere." Galadriel addressed the Council. "The earthborn must be kept hidden from the rest of Middle Earth. She must learn the elven arts of battle and how to use her element."
   "We will have the finest warriors here teach her, my lady," an elder affirmed.
   Galadriel's eyes locked on the closed double doors leading out of the room. "We have not yet decided where she will train."
Celeborn nodded to an elven guard. "Bring in the earthborn."
   The guard open the doors and spoke to another guard stationed outside. The first guard turned to Celeborn. "She is by the lake. Lady Arwen is with her, and has given orders not to be disturbed for any reason."
   "Then let us go to her." Elrond stood up without a glance at the rest of the Council. He strode out through the doors and into the sunlit forest. There were footsteps behind him, indicating that the other elves were not far behind. He did not care to wait for them. What does Arwen think she is doing? Does she wish to question the earthborn's intentions herself without the Council's guidance? He pushed aside branches and made a straight line towards the lake. When he spotted Arwen and Evangeline near the lake, he froze.
   Evangeline faced the lake, her arm outstretched. A mass of water the size of a book struggled to stay together as it hovered above the lake and below her hand. Small parts splashed back into the water until nothing remained in the air. Evangeline clenched her jaw.
   Arwen sat on her knees to Evangeline's left, facing her and watching silently all along. "Close your eyes."
   Evangeline turned to Arwen, surprised to hear the elven maiden speak to her.
   "If all you see is your own failure, you are not seeing all that needs to be seen. Close your eyes, and remember what you wished to see."
   Evangeline looked at Arwen a moment longer. Exhaling slowly, she turned to the lake and closed her eyes.
   Elrond held his breath. He noticed that the other elves, who were now standing beside him, did the same.
   A sphere of water no larger than the palm of Evangeline's hand rose from the lake. As it hovered underneath her hand, its left half lengthened and stretched downward. Evangeline did not move. Slowly, the left side rounded itself, rejoining the right side and perfecting the sphere. Evangeline lids fluttered open. The sphere fell with a splash. For the first time in her existence, she smiled. Her lips curled slightly at the edges while her eyes rested on the empty space the sphere had been.
"She will go to Rivendell." Galadriel said.
   Elrond turned to her, surprised by her swift decision.
   "And it is time for Arwen to return to her homeland. She has spent her years well in Lórien. Both she and the earthborn will benefit much from it."
   Elrond looked at the two. Arwen looked silently at the earthborn, neither smiling nor appearing surprised. But what is the glimmer in her eyes? Is it an affection of sorts? "My Lady, you have my word that we will train her and protect her. We will enable her to fulfill the prophecy."
   Celeborn agreed with Galadriel, but added, "Remember, Elrond, that though the earthborn's will is enough for now, it alone will not be strong enough. She must train to be a warrior."
   "And use her element," Elrond concluded. "I trust that Arwen will mentor her well for the task."
   The elves left the two alone at the lake. After Arwen departed, Galadriel approached Evangeline and related the decision of the Council. Evangeline was silent for minutes, taking in the decision. With her face relaxed, she looked up at Galadriel. "Will I see you again?"
   Galadriel smiled. Leaning down, she kissed the top of Evangeline's raven head. "May the Valar be always with you."
   Elrond, Arwen, and Evangeline were equipped with horses and lembas bread for the journey to Rivendell. Elrond warned Evangeline to withhold practicing her element until they reached Rivendell for her own safety. He added, "It is better to practice patience for now. Once in Rivendell, you will wish for days of rest, because there is much work to be done."
   After three days, the trio stopped by a stream near the forest to relieve and refresh themselves. Evangeline wandered a bit and found herself temporarily alone near the stream. The water gurgled and trickled, creating a relaxing atmosphere.
Rivendell, Evangeline thought. She had existed barely a week in Middle Earth, and she was already on a several days' journey to another place. She could not quite call Lórien her home, but she could not say that she felt at ease moving away from her birthplace. After leaving the elves and traveling with only Elrond and Arwen, the world seemed so vast and strange. Only water emanated a sense of familiarity and comfort. She reflected on the night of her birth, if that is what she could call it. She did not control the water that night, but as soon as she touched it, it had doused the fire on its own. Had her element chosen her, or had she chosen her element? She sighed. There will be much to learn, but I feel like even then, there will be so much I do not know.
   Evangeline looked behind her. No one was around. Tentatively at first, she raised her hand towards the stream. Closing her eyes, she envisioned the water rising. Immediately, she felt a pull from below her hand. During her first trial in Lórien, she realized that at least for now, she was better off not moving her hand when she felt the water's pull. She focused her breathing and her energy towards her hand, feeling a slight chill throughout the rest of her body.
   Leaves rustled to her left. Evangeline's eyes flew open and the water dropped back into the stream. She turned to the forest on her left, scanning the bushes that bordered it. She stood up slowly, feeling her heart thump. Had Elrond or Arwen seen her? She walked over to a bush. Pushing it aside, she peered into the forest. Perhaps it was an animal.
   "Evangeline!"
   Evangeline jerked around at Elrond's call. "I am coming."
        Elrond and Arwen were already on their horses. Elrond ushered Evangeline to mount hers. "It is getting dark, and we are too exposed and too far from Rivendell to linger any longer."
   Evangeline nodded, pulling herself atop the brown mare. As they traveled, Evangeline realized that she, unlike the elves, could not stay awake longer than four days. "Do horses usually travel together, or do they tend to go off on their own?"
Elrond raised his eyebrows slightly at the odd question. He then noticed how she was struggling to keep her eyes open and focused on the road ahead. He softened his voice. "I give you my word that your horse will not wander should you sleep."
Minutes later, the earthborn was asleep against the horse's mane, her long black hair hanging over the horse's side. Elrond glanced at her from time to time, making sure that she did not appear disturbed in her sleep. He could not help but wonder what life would have been like for this girl, had she not been prophesied, if she had been one of the elven maidens of Mirkwood, the mountains, or Rivendell. He kept thinking what her family might have been like. She needs more than a trainer.
For over six hours, Evangeline was locked into a deep, dreamless sleep, her body adjusting to the natural elements of earth, weather, and time. The only sound to pull her out was Elrond's voice.
"We have arrived."