The Great Sacrifice

A Disastrous Journey

Ladrengilon continued to have the same dreams about his mother's fate and it was just a matter of time before he mentioned them to her. When Ari, deeply concerned, spoke to Thranduil about their son's dreams, he utterly dismissed them as Galadriel's magic. He strongly believed that she was trying to influence him through his son. Ari did not share his belief. Instead, she feared that there was something else behind her son's dreams. She feared that they merely foretold the future.

Ari was enjoying the summer sun, while she was sitting in the garden amidst Valinor's flowers. Galion had noticed her somewhat dispirited mood over the past few weeks and he approached her. He seated himself beside her on the grass and eyed her in expectation. Ari smiled as she understood his readiness to listen to her sorrow.

"What can I tell you that you do not already know?" she asked sadly.

Galion nodded. He had already suspected it. The disagreement between the king and his queen over their son's dreams was troubling her heart and mind.

"My lady, I must say that I..."

Ari interrupted him. "Please spare me those titles, my dear Galion. Call me by my name. It is enough for me to have a husband who does not address me by my name. Please, call me 'Ari'."

Galion nodded sadly. "He still calls you 'my lady', and 'my wife'?" he asked. "Has he never called you 'Ari'?"

She shook her head. "No. And do not ask me why. After our wedding ceremony he told me that I may call him 'Thranduil' when we are in private. And I also told him at that time that he could call me 'Ari'. Yet the king has not once called me by my name."

Galion could not comprehend the king's reluctsnce. "Ari, whatever reason he may have for not saying your name, I know that he loves you with all his heart," he assured her.

Ari smiled faintly. "I know... I know."

"Regarding your son's dreams, I must say that I strongly believe we should leave Middle-Earth. I can't tell you what it is, but I can feel it in the air. Still the king insists that we remain here. There is nothing we can do. Let us pray to the Valar that they will guide us through whatever it is to come."

"What else can we do except pray," she said bitterly.

Ari shifted closer and took Galion's hands in hers. "I am glad that you are here with us. When you told me about your position as the king's counselor, attendant and friend, I was very impressed by your dedication. A lot in my life has changed since then, and I wish to say that I am very grateful that you hold the same position in my life, too. I wish to thank you for being here for me whenever I need you."

Galion enveloped her small hands in his and caressed them with his thumbs. He gave them a gentle squeeze, but did not say another word. They silently sat on the grass amongst the beautiful flowers, and each of them got lost in their own thoughts and worries.

*****

Thranduil had rejected every invitation since his wife had returned from the dwarves. He had no desire to deal with the affairs of others. He felt content in his realm. But now he had received a new invitation from Nedwig. They would be celebrating the summer festival in Dale and the Elvenking was invited to attend. Their annual meeting would be held simultaneously to avoid inconveniences. Thranduil had not visited Dale during the past year. In fact, the last time he had been there was when he had met his wife. He had no intention of traveling there this year, but as he was resolved to remain in Middle-Earth, he would have to keep in touch with allies. The trade between Dale and his realm depended on these meetings. It was already late summer and he did not wish to travel to Dale in autumn.

To Thranduil this meant that Ari would have to escort with him. He had not let her sleep alone since their first meeting with Galadriel and Elrond. During her first pregnancy she did not even once have that dream the elves considered ominous. Not one time. It had only occured a few days after Ladrengilon had been born, when she was almost taken away in her sleep. The king had been inattentive only for one single moment, and he had nearly lost her. Fortunately, Thranduil had sensed it through their bond. Now that she was with child again, she had this dream constantly. He watched her at night like a hawk, as he feared for her safety. He felt greatly troubled by those changes. Apart from his wife's dream, his son talked to him every single day about his dreams of Galadriel and her prediction. Those were far too many disturbing dreams for the king's liking. He sighed annoyed.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Thranduil leaned back against the backrest of his chair and inhaled deeply. He released the air in a long breath and reconsidered. What would he lose, if they eventually sailed? What would he gain by sailing to Valinor? He did not trust the unknown. And he definitely did not know what to expect if he sailed to Aman. Traveling to Dale might have been risky at times, but it was familiar to him. The roads were safe now, though there could be other problems. Would he decide to deal with the trade and travel to Dale? It would be necessary to go there if the elves in his realm were to remain in Middle-Earth. Thranduil sighed deeply and wrote a reply to Nedwig. He would accept the invitation. He had made up his mind.