Colours

Aragorn goes Dad Mode

The elves lead us to a platform among the trees. Legolas and Aragorn go to speak with their leaders and I contemplate following but decide not to as Merry and Pippin come to stand beside me. I place my arms around them as we listen to the conversation going on in front of us.

"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion. Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil."

Legolas replies, "Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien. Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lórien."

So, this is Haldir, the famed head guard of Lothlorien. 

Haldir turns to address Aragorn next, "A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen. Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us."

"Haldir," Aragorn replies curtly.

Impatient Gimli calls out, "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!"

Haldir turns to glare at the dwarf. "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark days," he states coldly.

Gimli glares right back unperturbed, "And you know what this Dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul! I spit on your grave!"

Aragorn grabs Gimli's arm and pulls him close. "That was not so courteous," he scolds.

Haldir glances towards Frodo before looking back towards Aragorn, "You bring great evil with you. You can go no further." 

He walks away and Aragorn follows him; they converse in the distance. In the meantime Boromir approaches Frodo where he stands looking upset. "Gandalf's death was not in vain. nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a heavy burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."

Hearing those words, Haldir turns and looks back towards us, "Very well. Here we will stay awhile, and come to the city of Galadhrim on the morrow."

~~

As we rest for the night the elves show me an area where I will find privacy from the men around. Grateful for the space I accept and go to set up my blanket. 

Before I settle down to rest I check the scratches and shallow wounds on my body. I wash them clean with some of the water provided before applying a special healing ointment I had made and covering them with soft linen.

Preparing for the worst I check the deep cut on my forearm last. As I unwind the binding I can already tell that it has become infected. Doing the same as the others I begin to clean the slice with water and attempt to get the puss out. 

"How are you feeling?"

I jump as Aragorn enters my view and reach quickly to re-bandage my arm before he can see what happened.

"What's this?" he asks, seriously as he catches my wrist preventing me from finishing tying of the linen.

He unwinds the wrap and sighs at the state of my arm. He manipulates my forearm, wrist, and hand trying to see the extent of the damage beyond the cut and infection. In typical Aragorn fashion he begins to lecture me, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? .. You know how serious these things can get if you don't treat it? For Eru's sake, Karonya! You're a healer you're supposed to know better."

"I.." I try to interrupt, explain my reasoning.

"No! You don't get to talk anymore. You had your chance and didn't say anything before. It's my turn to talk now. How deep even is this cut? You know I just care about you Karonya, how can I help you if you don't tell me when you're seriously hurt. You know what? I'll clean this than we can bandage it and you are coming to sleep with us tonight as clearly we cannot trust you to tell us when you are hurt!"

He grabs my wrist again to hold it still as he takes a clean piece of linen and roughly cleans the puss out of the cut. Finding my healing ointment beside me he rubs it into the skin before bandaging it with a clean piece of linen.

"I'm sorry," I mumble, "I was going to, it's just..."

"You better be," is all he says. He refuses to look at me as he grabs my uninjured wrist and drags me to face the rest of the group.

~~

I follow the fellowship as we travel through Caras Galadhon. That morning Aragorn had checked my arm without a word before passing me over to Legolas to babysit me for the rest of the day. Unfortunately the princeling had taken his words seriously and has refused to let go of my hand since we had breakfast.

Eventually we stopped walking in a beautiful flet that was shining with gold and silver, the residence of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. As they step forward to greet us I am forced to hide my face in Legolas' shoulder from the brightness of it all.

In his slow, calming voice Lord Celeborn begins to speak, "The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

We all bow our heads remembering the fall of the wizard.

Sensing the response, or maybe reading it in our minds Lady Galadriel responds, "Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into Shadow."

Placing his arm around my shoulder Legolas replies, "He was taken by both Shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

Tears fall from my eyes as I recall all the times the Gandalf had helped me in the past and on this journey.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose," Lady Galadriel comforts us. She turns to face Gimli and continues, "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart Gimli, son of Glóin. For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief."

A silence falls among us until Lord Celeborn questions us, "What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

Before any of us can respond, Lady Galadriel does, "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all... Yet hope remains while the company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace."