Trip to Lothlorien

 

Iodhil walked briskly down the halls of Rivendell. With a smile on his face, he hummed a simple tune and stole an apple from a cook as he walked by with a plate. His teeth pierced the apple's skin with a crunch as he slid down the railing of the steps. As Iodhil landed he ran into a elven woman who was heading up.

 

"Well, you're cheerful." said Luna, staring at him.

 

Iodhil bowed his head slightly, "Sorry, Mellon." he said with his full mouth.

 

Luna shook her head, "I've been looking for you..." They continued walking and went to Elrond's study where Kerowyn, Elenwe and Lindir had been ropped into helping with a spring cleaning.

 

Elrond glanced up at them for a moment, then kept writing on a piece of parchment. Elenwe was at the top of a rolling ladder organizing books.

 

"Hey." Kerowyn greeted them as she reorganized books on the lower shelves.

 

"Come to join the torment?" complained Lindir, who was sorting through Elrond's piles of paper.

 

Iodhil shook his head at his impatient friend, "So, what do you need of me, Luna?"

 

Luna held up a letter, "This came for you."

 

Kerowyn picked up a large stack of books that began to wobble in the air. Iodhil walked over and held the side so Kerowyn could keep stacking them on the shelf.

 

"What? Does Gwador need me for something?" Legolas had remained in Mirkwood this time for various reasons and Iodhil had ventured back to Rivendell alone.

 

"No... Actually, it's from Lorien." Luna turned the letter around to show them the silver seal ingraved with leaves and vines.

 

Elrond looked up from his desk once more.

 

"Lorien?" asked Iodhil, "What would they need to say to me?" Iodhil opened the letter and read.

 

Elrond stood up and walked over to them.

 

"It's from the Lord Celeborn... He is summoning me to Lothlorien... though he does not say why. Only: 'Please come as soon as you are able.'"

 

Elrond took the letter and studied it for a moment, "I am unaware as to what he needs... however I don't believe by his wording that it is urgent. I suggest you travel to Lorien tomarrow."

 

Elenwe slid down the ladder with a swish and a thud, "You're going to Lorien, Iodhil? ...What for?"

 

Iodhil shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever it is, it shall be a lonely journey to find out..." He ran over the road of choice from Rivendell to Lorien in his mind and sighed at the solitude.

 

 

"Well, if you're that troubled by it..." Elenwe said, "Then I could go with you."

 

They looked at Elenwe, "You'll come? But isn't that just needless agravation for you?" asked Iodhil.

 

"Are you planning to revisit Lorien after a long period of absence?" asked Luna, remembering what her friend had mentioned to her in passing.

 

Lindir glared at them, "I bet she's just trying to get out of helping."

 

Kerowyn rolled her eyes and pushed up the books she was holding with her knee, "They're going tomarrow, Lindir."

 

Elenwe scoffed at him, "Besides, I'm done with my portion." she pointed to the neatly place books on the top three shelves. Lindir scowled.

 

Elenwe turned back to Iodhil, "Why not? This way you won't be alone, so it'll be safer and definetly funner and you won't have to whine... And I would be seeing Lorien again."

 

Iodhil shrugged again, "If you're willing to come. We'll leave tomorrow after breakfast."

 

Elrond sat back down at his desk, "We'll see you off tomarrow then..." Luna left and Iodhil followed.

 

A few books slid off the top of another large stack in Kerowyn's arms and Elenwe caught them, "Here, Ker... Let me help you."

 

"Hannon lle, Elenwe."

 

Lindir scowled again, "That's not fair."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Elenwe lead Cyali to the gate where a white and grey horse was saddled up and waiting. "Ey, man hi na*?" she cooed with a smile. She held the side of the horse's face and petted his mussle, "Vana nalye er...**" A voice approached from behind them,

"His name is Harma. He is my horse." Iodhil set down a pack.

"Harma***...?" Elenwe echoed as she looked into the horse's eyes. "It suits you." They mounted as Luna, Kerowyn, Lindir, Elrond and the twins approached.

"May your road be safe." said Elrond.

"See you when you get back." Kerowyn and Luna said in unison.

"Bye, guys!" said Elenwe they turned to the gate, "Hey, Iodhil... I'll race you to the old oak with the knife hilt stuck in it." Iodhil grinned,

"Alright." They took off and galloped through the gate like a gust of wind. Elrohir shook his head,

"Why do I get the feeling that this could lead to injury..." Elladan turned to his brother,

"Them racing or traveling together?"

"Both." (* Ah, Who is this? **You are a beautiful one. ***Treasure)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Elenwe slowed Cyali down to a trot and laughed, "That wasn't to bad, Iodhil." Iodhil rode up along side her,

"Ha! You say that as if you two won..." Cyali neighed loudly.

"We might as well have... I mean ties are no fun." Harma neighed in response and Iodhil laughed. "So..." continued Elenwe, "Do you think we'll have any trouble with orcs?" Iodhil adjusted himself in his saddle,

"Hmm... Propably not. We're taking a route around Moria so I doubt we'll see many if any at all."

"Then I guess the road will be pretty uneventful."

"At least until Lorien's borders."

"Why is that? Have the orcs moblized around their borders resently?"

"Not really, but that's not what I meant. It's spring and I hear that Lorien is indeed a sight in the spring." Elenwe looked ahead at the road,

"Hm. I guess we'll see then." They were silent for quite some time, merly watching the scenery past by as they journeyed, but then Iodhil spoke again,

"Hey... Elenwe... Why don't you sing a few traveling songs of the drow..." Elenwe turned to him in surprise,

"You want to learn some? ...Alright then... Let me see... Ah! I've got one, it's in common speech. Here it goes like this:

Put one foot in front of the other, let the wind sweep you into lore.

Put one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walkin' out the door.

Say! Can you tell me?

Shall I find thee

At my side or back at home?

Hey! Will you journey

Through the valley?

And find your way to the tome?

 

Put the right in front of the left, left in front of the right.

Keep steppin' and we will be past here by this night!

Say! In a hurry

That we journey

From our beds to the great unknown!

Hey! Don't you want to

Be sung to

About your travels so known?

Soo...You...

 

Put one foot in front of the other, let the wind sweep you into lore.

Put one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walkin' out the door. (Property of Elenwe!!!!!!!!!!!)

Iodhil sat and listened attentivly and smiled, "Wow... that sure is a fun, up beat song."

"Most of our traveling songs are... and when they're not, then they are sad." Iodhil cocked his head to the side slightly, he was now curious,

"Well what's one of the sad one's?" Elenwe smirked and cleared her throat:

May it be an evening star shines down upon you

May it be when shadows come your heart will be true

You walk the lonly road

Oh, how far you are from home

 

O liei utuli rei

A promise lives within you.....

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Iodhil looked from side to side, "Let's stop here and rest." He dismounted and Elenwe slowed Cyali,

"We might as well stay here for the night. The sun is about to set completely and --unless I'm mistaken-- we probably won't find a better place to stay." Iodhil nodded,

"I guess you're right... I think there's even a stream over that way." Elenwe dismounted and took out their water canteens.

"I guess I'll fill these up then... this way, right?" Elenwe walked through the trees and disappeared. Iodhil continued to make camp and he began to talk to himself and the horses.

"Looks like tonight won't be too cold... What do you guys think?" Both Cyali and Harma neighed in response. "Hey, how often have I been wrong?" Harma neighed and picked up his front foot, striking the ground once for every past inncedent where his master had faltered in weather prediction. "That was rheatorical!" said Iodhil trying to regain a bit of his dignity. Cyali joined Harma in a burst of neighs of laughter and then tapped his mussle against Iodhil's shoudler, attempting to reasure him. "Yeah, thanks!" he dropped a few blankets to the ground and picked up a large stick for the fire. The leaves of the trees ruslted and Elenwe ran into camp with the full canteens dripping.

"AHHHH!!!! They're everywhere!!!" she shouted. Iodhil shifted the stick like a sword in his hand and turned quickly, scearching the horizons,

"What?! What's everywhere?!" A great look of distress covered Elenwe's face and a leaf fell from her hair,

"BUGS!!!" Iodhil lowered his eyebrows and the stick,

"Bugs?"

"Yes! By the stream and in the woods! There were hundreds of them!!" Iodhil shifted his weight,

"Are you telling me that you're afraid of bugs?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not afraid!!" a fly buzzed past her and she attemped to hit it but fell on the ground after missing. "You don't understand! Bugs are evil! They don't "scare" me, they just freak me out!! But only because they make me clumsy!! Not to mention that I hate them!!" Elenwe stood up and hit the back of her head on a low tree branch. "OWW!!! Do you have any idea how many times I tripped or ran into somthing coming back?! I hate them! But I hate them because they freak me out and they freak me out because they make me clumsy and they make me clumsy because I hate them!!! ...It's just one big circle of fear, pain and hatred!!!!" Iodhil tryed to make sense of what he heard,

"... But we're outside! There's supposed to be bugs!" Elenwe shouted back at him,

"Not this many!! There's swarms of them by the water!!" Iodhil shook his head, all he could do was laugh at her weird phobia--if one could call it that. He covered his mouth and tried his best to keep it inside. "You think that's funny?!" shouted Elenwe, still upset. Iodhil held up his other hand to try and reasure her but Elenwe was ticked. "Shut up, You!!!" She picked up a small pan and threw it, it hit the tree Iodhil was standing in front of... barely missing him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was night and the fire had been long since lit. Iodhil layed down, "I think I'll get some shut eye now..." Elenwe had wrapped herself like a Babushca ((Match maker, Match maker, make me a match, Find me a find, Catch me a catch....)) and was covered from head to toe,

"Sounds good." She layed down, making sure to not disterb her folds.

"Are you gonna be able to sleep like that?" asked Iodhil. Elenwe closed her eyes,

"I did this whenever I found a highly infested area in my travels in the Ar..." she mummbled. Iodhil shook his head and rolled over, he tried once again not to laugh, but Elenwe could hear his snickers from the other side of the fire. "I've still got this pan over here." she held it up in a threatening manner from where she lay. Iodhil's body stopped quivering and all seemed to become very peaceful. A few minutes passed by and Iodhil couldn't help but snicker as his thoughts strayed back to Elenwe's outburst. Without a word Elenwe threw the pan and hit the three trunk upon him with a tremendus thud. It slid down the tree and fell on Iodhil's head,

"Shutting up." he said and all became quiet for the rest of the night.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A few days passed and Iodhil and Elenwe were soon near the borders of Lorien. The trees became of a cool grey color and the soft tickling of water could be heard in the distance. "Ah! We're finally here!" said Iodhil. He smiled slightly, "I guess we'll find out why I was summonded soon... I've been wondering what Lord Celeborn would need me for... And I've also been wondering if we shall meet with Lady Galadriel" Elenwe unconsciously stopped Cyali,

"Lady... Galadriel...? You mean ...The Lady of Light?!" Iodhil continued on,

"Yeah." Elenwe's eyes were wide and now her mind was running a mile a minute.

"But-- That means...!! Not good!! Galadriel--she knows--!!! ...AHHH CRAP!!!!... HOW COULD I HAVE NOT THOUGHT OF THIS EARLIER??????!!!!! And even if it's only Celeborn we see... HE KNOWS TOO!!!!" Iodhil turned back,

"Are you alright Elenwe? Why'd you stop?" Cyali caught up to Harma,

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. Come on let's keep going. Gotta keep going." But in her mind she was very very worried: "I'M SCREWED!!!!!" A few elven guards met them and took their horses to grase. As they continued on foot, Elenwe calmed herself. It would not be time to worry until they were face to face with the two royals. They climbed a flight of steps and saw a tall, blonde elf stand in their path.

"Haldir... Mae Govannen..." said Iodhil in elvish. Haldir smiled and greeted him,

"The Lord has been expecting you..." He glanced at Elenwe, standing on the steps below them. "A Drow elf?! What is she doing here?!" he asked alarmed and angered. Elenwe stepped up so she was level with him,

"Well... arn't you the pretty one..." she said, irritated. It was now obvious that this visit would not go over well, royals or not.

"I brought her as my companion..." Iodhil answered. Haldir glared at Elenwe with a 'mightyer than thou' glint.

"Those of darkness are not welcomed with open arms in the place of light." he retorted, looking back at Iodhil. Elenwe glared back at him,

"Address me... or don't speak at all. ...If there is some problem with my presence then let your Lord and Lady throw me out personally... I'll even walk to their court blindfolded, if you're that worried." Haldir was about to cast her out himself, but then remembered the intriging words of Galadriel: "There shall be a guest with the Prince of Mirkwood, though they may seem unusual... let them come inhindered."

Haldir unwillingly lead them to the court of Celeborn and Galadriel. They desended down the stairs slowly and Elenwe's heart began to pump harder though her expression did not shift. The intence nervousness took hold of her and she felt sick. "Welcome to Lothlorien..." said Celeborn, his eyes wandered to Elenwe then back to Iodhil. "I have not had the fortune of meeting either of you before. Please... present yourselves." Iodhil bowed low and introduced himself formally and thanked for the pleasure of seeing fair Lorien. Elenwe looked them both in the eye and did not bow,

"Elenwe of the Drow... not at your 'service', but indeed in your debt." While Iodhil and Haldir were taken back by the trace of volitility, Celeborn and Galadriel smiled softly.

"You bare the tongue and the grace of your people..." Galadriel said. Her eyes wandered to Haldir, "She is to be wlecome here with a great respect...." Elenwe swallowed hard, but Galadriel's voice echoed in her head: "Do not fret... What you fear shall not be spoken of. I have seen many things and know of your reasoning. But I fear you doom yourself of greater pain and heartache in the future." Elenwe smiled upon the couple as she felt a great wave of relief wash over her. "THANK THE VALAR!!!" she thought,

"Bare no ill favor to him... My kind are not a very common sight in the fair land of Lorien... But it would be nice if we were not always assumed at fault." she glanced at Haldir. Iodhil cleared his throat,

"Pardon me, but I was wondering... For what reason have you summoned me here?" Celeborn looked back to Iodhil.

"Ah, yes. I needed to speak with the Elder Prince of Mirkwood and I was aware you were in Rivendell. I wish to address certain battles you are already known to. ...But that can wait. Come! You must be hungry, you will join us." Iodhil bowed his head,

"Hannon lle." They lead them to a dining table set with fragrant food and drink. Galadriel and Celeborn sat at each end of the table while Elenwe and Iodhil were set between with Haldir opposite of them.