Forget me not

Chapter 7

It was difficult for me to keep my eyes open on the journey; I was so tired but so scared that if I fell asleep I would not awaken, as had almost happened to me earlier. I rode atop a horse, though clearly, this angered some of those in our party, but Elladan walked next to me the whole time. He must have noticed me dozing off because he mounted behind me and held me in place as we walked. I sighed and gratefully leaned back against his strong body. He wrapped an arm around me and held me there while he directed the horse.

I must have fallen asleep because when I awakened it was because Elladan had gotten off the horse and was trying to bring me down. We stood before the Lady of the Woods, Galadriel, and she looked sombre and solemn. I looked around for Celeborn, hoping to see the great Lord approaching us, but his figure did not grace our presence today.

“Why have you come?” She asked us bluntly.

Inwe took it upon herself to speak for the party. “Milady, I am Inwe Elanesse, I’m sure you remember my talent for foretelling. I sensed something, something terrible, something to do with my cormamin(my heart), from Rivendell. I grew anxious and Elrond sent us, an envoy, to find out what it was that I sensed and try to help in any way we could.”

Galadriel was silent and allowed her eyes to glaze over the rest of us as she considered these words. “Very well, Inwe. You are welcome here to assist us in the problems that have plagued our people for many months. It is sad to hear that our troubles have not reached the ears of Elrond until now.”

Inwe nodded, and I watched carefully as Galadriel’s face became a little less sombre and a little more pained, before it returned to its original state. “I’m sorry, Lady Galadriel, but we still do not know what we have come to face. Perhaps—”

“Perhaps you should rest from your long journey, and I will speak to you, Inwe Elanesse, in my chambers.” She turned and left Inwe looking stricken. A guard who’d appeared with the Lady of the Wood gestured for Inwe to follow, and she gave me one last look before she did.

The rest of us were led to barracks where we might rest and eat while waiting for news from Inwe. Elladan would not allow me to get up or do anything myself. He got me soup, nuts, berries, bread, and fruit, and I had to convince him I was well enough to feed myself before he would allow me to do so. He did not leave my side.

Many hours later, I was still waiting for my friend to return, but Elladan coerced me to lay down and rest a few moments, though I tried to convince him I was not tired. Finally, he told me if I did not lie down of my own will, he would very likely get on top of me and force me to do so, anyway. Though the offer was tempting, I reluctantly lay back, placing my head in his lap, where he brushed my hair and spoke to me softly so I might fall asleep.

I must have dozed off because when I next opened my eyes, it was to Inwe’s voice as she spoke hurriedly to a few people seeking my counsel.

“Inwe!” I called, and her head turned in my direction.

“Merewen! There you are.” She smiled briefly at Elladan and then took my hand. “We must talk, friend. There is no one else I would rather talk to about this than you, though I realize Elladan and Elrohir must also hear it.”

She led the three of us outside where we sat beneath a great tree and began to speak. I was shocked at what she first said and it caused me to become deaf to the rest of her words. “Lord Celeborn is dead.”

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. I could barely breathe. An immortal being like Celeborn, the Lord of the Woods, one who has always seemed to be there, he was gone, erased from the future of the people of Middle Earth. I realized that she was still talking and had to ask her to repeat herself.

She smiled sadly, realizing it was a lot to take in. “There has been something happening in the Woods. There have been creatures, though they have never been able to see them, that have been ransacking and rampaging the forest. During one such attack, Lord Celeborn was slain. I do not know all the details, only that after that, the Lady has been needlessly sending out her soldiers to face the onslaught of these unknown beasts while she mourns in her chambers.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Is this what you have been feeling, Inwe? Is this what brought us here?”

Her eyes began to fill with tears, and I knew there was more. She shook her head and tried to stop the flow of droplets down her cheeks but was unsuccessful. “Helas was one of these soldiers, sent out needlessly to face these monsters. He… he has been injured for weeks. They say that there is something wrong with his mind, suddenly. The attack left him without use of his left side and he has been bedridden for a while, but they expected him to heal, like all elves do. They expected him to be okay. However, he has been changing, acting feral, more than distraught. It seems that his mind has very nearly left him altogether. They would not let me see him, they asked him about me and he could not remember my name.”

I leaned over to comfort my friend, and she did not seem to want it at first, but she quickly succumbed to the feel of my comforting arms around her. I tried to push away the feeling of despair that coursed through her, and through me. Sometimes my empathic abilities caused me more pain than they were worth.

One look in Elladan’s eyes told me he knew that this was terrible. Something was happening here, not just with Helas and Lord Celeborn, but there was something severely wrong with these woods, and we had to find out what.