Lord of the Rings: The Heir to Lorien

To Find an Ally

Gandalf removed the rabbit from the spit and cut it carefully in half. "Are you sure I cannot tempt you?" he asked but she shook her head.

"No, the cooks fed me very well. I enjoy eating in the kitchens more than I do at Elrond's board. In the kitchen, I am not required to wear a gown."

"And behave like a lady, I am sure." At first, she looked offended, then laughed and Gandalf joined her. Galadriel had warned him that it might be hard to gain Celebriel's trust, so he intended to proceed carefully. He could already sense her unhappiness and homesickness so he would do nothing to arouse her suspicions.

Child of the Noldor, child of her mother's ring, child of Lorinand. All of these must pull at her. And traces of the blood of Feanor ran in her veins. He remembered the stories of how Feanor had lusted after her mother, his desires only ending with his death. Would her strong will, of which he could catch a glimpse, cause her, too, to be reckless?

What had Elrond expected of her, or had Galadriel been able to warn him that this child was an elf like no other? Had he expected another Celebrian or had he braced himself for the difficult war-like princess that now sat next to his fire and drinking his wine.

He hid his feeling and thoughts from her as he washed the last of the rabbit down with wine. "Come, young elf," he said, "It is time for us to leave now. You must face Master Elrond whether you will it or not. He is one of my oldest friends and, if necessary, I will put in a good word for you."

She made a face at him, then stood. "My horse is a short ways away. Do you wish to ride with me, or will you walk?"

"I will walk," he said firmly, "Just hold your horse to a pace I can keep up with, please. Tell me, are you allowed to ride past the borders on your own."

"I don't care if I am allowed to or not. I have enough sense to stay away from danger, and if I must, I can defend myself. I learned how to take care of myself from the elves of the Golden Wood, and they trusted me to use my good sense. Elrond seems to think I possess none."

"You judge him too harshly, but you do not know him, your only memories of him date from your sister's wedding. I understand your anger at being taken from your home, which must be hard for you, as well as the life you were happy leading."

"I feel useless here," her answer unexpectedly harsh, "I am as well trained as any of Lord Elrond's guard. They ripped me away from what I loved doing most, serving as a watchman on Lorinand's fences. I am Amroth's heir, if anything happens to him, Lorinand is to be my charge. I am a leader, Gandalf, not a follower, or at least I am meant to be someday. I know how much I have to learn, but it seems that no one will take me seriously." She hung her head for a moment, "Or at least it seems that no one wants to. Amroth and Nimrodel believe in me, why does no one else?"

"If you wish to be a leader, then you must learn to be one," Gandalf's voice took on a stern tone, "Leaders must learn to cooperate and listen. You are willing to judge Elrond, but have you been willing to listen to him? He is aware of the danger Lorinand might face someday, and if Amroth wishes you to succeed him, he will respect it. Tell Elrond you wish to learn to be the best leader that you can in the event that Lorinand needs you." He saw the look of skepticism on her face and shook his head. "You forget, Celebriel that you are very young, and right now you are angry and no one can blame you. Swallow your pride and accept this opportunity."

They'd reached her horse, and she swung up on her back. "I'd like to believe you, truly I would, but I don't think I can be happy here. I don't like the Noldor, they have been responsible for too much grief. I know I am the daughter of my mother—and I love her very much—but I cannot accept the wrongs committed by her kin. I prefer the Silvan elves of Lorinand, that is who I am, that is where I belong."