Lorinand Memoirs: The Bough Breaks

Chapter - 16

"Wha..." Thranduil gasped, his eyes widening in fear as he backed away from her. "What does...that mean? What did you see!?" He faltered, feeling his throat constrict painfully around his words.

Shaking beneath the waves of emotion, he felt his knees weaken as his heart and mind battled with deep feelings of guilt and fear. Against his will, memories of the many nights he lay in his bed long after his father had left him sobbing as he clutched his pillow now plagued him. The many nights he prayed for his father's death to save him from the anguish, only to be tormented to his very fēa (soul) by the guilt at having wished such a thing.

"He is not yet ready." Celeborn's deep voice whispered softly in her mind, cautioning her to tread lightly.

"The gift of Farsight shows us many things." She began quietly, studying him as she cautiously stepped closer to him. "Like our dreams, what it shows can be misunderstood by feelings, hopes, and even memories and fears." She continued, her awareness of his ability to sense deception forced her to carefully choose her words.

"It will show some things that have already passed, for those are things that have already been set in motion." She told him softly, watching him. "While there are some things that will pass, yet not as they are seen now for the future is not certain."

"My father... Your touch..." He stammered as he continued to back away from her. "You saw my fathers' death!" He exclaimed, holding his hands up as if to ward her off. "You really do hate him, don't you?! All of you..."

"No!" Galadriel shot back angrily, her eyes narrowing as she pushed harder against his mind. "This is what I hate!" She exclaimed as she flooded his thoughts with the same memories she had only glimpsed in his moment of weakness.

"You have suffered much beyond what anyone should ever have endured pirá neth." (Little one) Her voice cracked slightly as she stepped forward quickly, taking advantage of his momentary confusion to wrap her arms tightly around him.

"I fear your scars may run deeper than even I can heal." She thought sadly, tears stinging the backs of her eyes as she supported his trembling body tightly against her own.

Clutching the soft folds of her robes, Thranduil buried his face in the warmth of her neck as he struggled with the tears that now soaked the collar of her robes. Clinging to her words, spoken softly as if they fluttered on the fringes of a dream, so calming yet distant. Shaking, he cringed at the memories flooding through his mind like a raging river threatening to carry him away. The sobs he struggled so hard to hold back overtook him as the long buried feelings of shame and humiliation washed over him, drowning out everything beyond the feel of her strong yet comforting embrace.

"I did this!" He choked, tears blurring his vision as he looked up at her. "This is all my fault!"

"No child!" Galadriel exclaimed, her embrace tightening as she sank to the floor pulling him with her. "You bare no blame, none of this is of your own doing." She whispered soothingly in his ear, rocking him gently as a mother would comfort an injured child, her hand softly stroked his hair.

"Stop him!"

Nearly flinging himself from the bench as her mental voice filled his mind, Lenwë ran toward the far end of the platform.

"No Galion!" He hissed, snatching the smaller elf in his arms as he reached the top of the stairs. "Galadriel is with him, he is safe." He added quickly, tightening his hold on the now violently struggling elf.

"Let go of me!" Galion growled angrily, twisting his body in an attempt to kick the taller, stronger elf.

"Galion!" Elrond exclaimed, glancing back toward the door of Thranduils' rooms as he reached the stairs. "I told you this would not be easy for him. You must trust us in this."