The Tale Of Anwyn, Part Two: Rivendell

1

Anwyn arrived in Rivendell six days after her departure from Thandor, weak, tired, and starving. She made her way to the House of Elrond, and took in the delicate beauty of the realm as she waited to see him. She was watching the graceful motion of a waterfall, entranced by its majesty, when a stately Elf joined her at the railing. 2

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he pronounced. 3

"It's amazing," she replied, not taking her eyes off the water. 4

"You must be Anwyn of Thandor," the Elf continued. 5

Anwyn turned in surprise. "How did you know?" 6

He smiled. "I have the sight to know. I am Lord Elrond." A pause. "How did it happen that you came in Rohred's stead?" 7

Anwyn stiffened. "I have as much right as him to be here. I am a princess of Thandor." She lowered her gaze. "And a refugee." She stopped, then looked back up at Elrond. "I came to escape." 8

Elrond arched his eyebrows. "Refugee? Escape? What do you mean?" 9

Remaining poised and straightforward, Anwyn gave him a straight answer. "My father, the King of Thandor, promised Flanndred of Gondor my hand in marriage. Knowing what he is-- a traitor-- I was disinclined to the idea. Rohred offered me the opportunity to escape, and I took it." 10

"I see," replied Elrond, nodding his approval. "Then Rivendell shall be your refuge, Lady Anwyn. I shall see to it that a dwelling is found for you immediately. Until then, the Council will meet when everyone is come. Enjoy your freedom." With a slight smile, he took his leave. 11

Anwyn watched the waterfall a moment longer, then made her way down. She had seen a path that traveled past the falls, and desired to get closer. Something seemed to be drawing her to the water. Unknowing and unafraid, she followed this compulsion, and began to amble along the trail of soft sand. 12

The path wound through the weeping willows, over the grassy hill, and into a genuine paradise at the foot of the waterfall. Wildflowers, beautiful flowers that Anwyn had never seen before, were sprinkled generously over the landscape. Delicate willows shaded the spot from the sun. And the water, falling gracefully over the slope, filled the clear pool that gave way to a rushing stream. 13

Anwyn was so entranced by the natural beauty of the place that it took her a moment to realize she had company. A golden-haired Elf was standing quietly at the edge of the pool. She didn't want to disturb his peace, and so she sat down on a warm, flat rock and listened to the music of the water. 14

Coming out of his dreamlike state, the Elf finally sensed that someone else was there, and he turned. When he set eyes on Anwyn, he was captivated. He glided over to her. "I am Legolas of the Woodland Realm," he said, almost breathlessly. "You are from Rivendell, yes?" 15

Anwyn shook her head. "Thandor," she replied. 16

He blinked at her. "What was an Elf doing dwelling in a land of Men?" 17

"I'm not an Elf." She pulled her long, shimmering brown hair back for a moment to prove it. "I am a mortal daughter of Men." 18

"But... you are glorious," Legolas pronounced, taking one of her milk-white hands up in his own and relishing the touch of her soft skin. "You must have Elves in your ancestry somewhere." 19

Anwyn smiled. "Not to my knowledge, prince." 20

He sensed that she was defensive, and not susceptible to charm-- and he gazed into her eyes, as if with his keen sight he could draw all of her secrets from her soul, set her spirit free, discover how to get to her heart. Silence reigned, until Legolas spoke. 21

"You've never been to an Elvish realm before?" 22

"No," Anwyn said. 23

Legolas smiled. "Then you must see the sky over Rivendell at night. It is famous throughout the Elven-lands, the black sky with its wealth of brilliant, glittering gems wrought by Elbereth herself. And the moon-- the moon is the fairest jewel, suspended in the sky with strings of silver, gleaming with the light of Iluvatar." He paused. "Will you come watch the stars with me tonight, fair lady?" 24

In spite of herself, Anwyn felt her defenses relax a little. "I will." 25

"Meet me on the bridge then," he said; and with a smile, he took his leave from the clearing. 26

*~* 27

That night, clad in a gown of burgundy, Anwyn descended from her abode and, unshod, made her way down to the bridge. The moonlight was caught in the trees, flowing like water, creating iridescent rainbows in the mist of the waterfalls. High above, the stars glittered like the gems of Legolas' description. There were countless numbers of them, sparkling clearer than anything she'd ever seen before. She was so lost in the beauty of it all that she hardly noticed when Legolas joined her. 28

"Beautiful, aren't they?" 29

"They're amazing," breathed Anwyn. "They're so bright, so delicate... so clear." 30

"And the moon?" 31

Anwyn let out a sigh of delight. "Lovelier than anything I've ever set eyes upon." 32

Legolas smiled. "That, Lady Anwyn, is what I said to myself when I first saw you." He looked upon her, a luminous ruby in the night. "And I would sing this to you." He fixed his gaze on her eyes again, and rose his voice in song. 33

"A Elbereth Gilthoniel, 34

silivren penna míriel 35

o menel aglar elenath! 36

Na-chaered palan-díriel 37

O galadhremmin ennorath, 38

Fanuilos, le linnathon 39

nef aear, sí nef aearon!" 40

She took her eyes away from the stars and looked across at Legolas. Her heart had instinctively put up its shield at the sweet words. "You may compare me to the Valar if you will-- but you should know that I am not swayed by pretty language or dulcet prose, son of Thranduil." 41

"Then what are you swayed by, my lady?" 42

Anwyn allowed her eyes to meet his. "Truth, fealty, honor, and devotion." 43

Legolas came closer to her, reached for her hands, and closed his eyes-- and he brought all the things he felt for Anwyn to the center of his heart and let the rhythm pulse and weave and blend with the music of the waterfalls until it overflowed, leaving them both breathless and inspired. She felt everything he did, as the sentiment was tangible in a way she'd never imagined. And she felt her defenses leaving her, the old armament melting down, her heart becoming free once again. 44

"Does that tell you better than my words do?" 45

She looked up into his eyes, saw the sparkling waters of Belfalas in the deep blue, and she knew she had found something that felt like home. Suddenly she felt lighthearted and mirthful. A little bubbling laugh escaped from her lips. "It does, my prince." 46

And she was taken, daughter of Rohran, shield-maiden of Thandor. 47

*~* 48

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began the next morning. "You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction-- none can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." A pause. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." 49

A person no larger than a child of Men-- Frodo, son of Drogo, a Hobbit of the Shire-- arose from his seat and carefully set a golden ring onto the dais in the center of the circle. 50

"So it is true," whispered one of the Men who sat among the Council. Anwyn recognized him as Boromir of Gondor. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" 51

Anwyn glanced at Legolas and saw that his eyes were troubled. 52

"You cannot wield it!" protested another Man, a Ranger, clothed in robes of Elven cloth. "None of us can! The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!" 53

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir scoffed. 54

Legolas jumped to his feet, able to keep quiet no longer. "This is no mere Ranger," he pronounced. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." 55

"Aragorn," Boromir repeated. "This is Isildur's heir?" 56

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas said pointedly. 57

"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn said. 58

Boromir scowled. "Gondor has no king," he sneered. He turned to Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king." 59

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," the wizard Gandalf declared. 60

Elrond rose. "You have but one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." 61

"Then what are we waiting for?" came a gruff voice, and a Dwarf came forth and struck his axe down upon the Ring. There was a flash of light, and he was thrown to the ground. 62

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we, here, possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade." Elrond's face was stern. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you... must do this." 63

Boromir shook his head, clearly displeased with the direction in which the Council was headed. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. Not with ten thousand Men could you do this. It is folly." 64

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas exclaimed. "The Ring must be destroyed!" 65

Gimli the Dwarf jumped up from his chair. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" 66

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir put in. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" 67

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" growled Gimli, glaring at Legolas. "Never trust an Elf!" 68

And so all the members of the Council, save for Frodo, rose from their chairs and began to bicker and fight about the fate of the One Ring, Isildur's Bane. 69

"You cannot simply bend this Ring to your will!" Legolas was telling Boromir. "It is no wizard's trinket. It has a will of its own, one that you cannot overcome!" 70

"How do you know this?" Boromir shot back. "Have you tried?" 71

"It would be a disaster if any of us tried!" said Anwyn to Boromir. "The One Ring and the Dark Lord are one and the same." 72

Looking at the girl that stood before him, Boromir was amused. "Maiden, what are you doing at this Council?" 73

Anwyn stiffened. "I am Anwyn, daughter of Rohran of Thandor," she spat. "Dare you question the importance of my father's lands to Middle-earth? Or are you questioning my importance as a woman?" 74

"I care nothing of any of that," Boromir spat. "I am here to claim Isildur's Bane as the most potent weapon in the arsenal of the White City." 75

"You will not have the Ring," Legolas said. 76

"And you, mighty Elf, are going to stop my hand from taking it? I think not." 77

"This Ring must be destroyed," Aragorn pressed. "Someone must take it to Mount Doom!" 78

Suddenly, a voice came out of the crowd. "I will take it!" 79

Everyone stopped their arguing and looked at the source of the voice: Frodo. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though... I do not know the way." 80

Gandalf rose, the wizard that had been dear to Anwyn since her birth, though she rarely saw him. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." 81

Aragorn stepped forth and knelt before the Hobbit. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." 82

"And you have my bow," declared Legolas with a smile, joining them. 83

"And my axe," Gimli said, with a distrustful glance in Legolas' direction. 84

Anwyn felt her heart grow suddenly heavy, and she looked wistfully at Legolas. She had let down her guard, allowed him into her heart, and now he was leaving her. In anguish, she twisted her hands in her lap. 85

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir began, stepping forward. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, Gondor will see it done." 86

Then there was a rustling sound, and Samwise Gamgee came out of his hiding place. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." 87

Lord Elrond smiled. "Indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not." 88

Two other Hobbits took that as their cue to run out from behind two pillars. 89

"Hey, we're coming too!" cried Pippin, the first Hobbit. 90

"You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," added his companion, Merry. 91

"Anyway," said Pippin, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing." 92

"Well, that rules you out, Pip," jested Merry. 93

"Nine companions," Elrond said, smiling at the company. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." 94

*~* 95

Anwyn went in search of Gandalf after the Council, and found him laughing with Bilbo Baggins over maps and pipe-weed. 96

"Gandalf," she began, "do you have a moment?" 97

"Why, Anwyn," he exclaimed, "light of Men! I beheld you at the Council, and though you were comely as a child, never did I imagine that you would grow to be this lovely. Sit, sit!" He gestured to a stone bench across from him. "Tell us why you did not lay your pledge to the Fellowship, as I thought you would." 98

Anwyn sighed. "Perhaps I ought have. I sensed that Lord Elrond-- and maybe some of the others at the Council-- would not have taken kindly to a woman joining the Fellowship." 99

Gandalf took his pipe from between his teeth. "That is not the only reason, is it?" 100

"You always see too much," Anwyn replied ruefully. 101

"It is my purpose," was Gandalf's answer. "Would you speak this reason to me yourself, or shall I speak it for you?" 102

"The reason... the reason is for someone else," faltered Anwyn. 103

"And you seek my counsel, yet you find yourself unable to tell me." 104

"My reason is for Legolas Greenleaf," she sighed. "If he were to fall in battle, my heart would grow weary and I would be a burden to the Fellowship; and I believe it would be likewise for him." She cast her eyes down upon the ground. "I have always feared loss, and after avoiding it for so long, I fear I shall fall victim to its throes once again." 105

"Look at me, child," Gandalf commanded. "Do not be troubled by his leaving. He goes on an important quest; in his hands and the hands of this Fellowship will lie the fate of Middle-earth. He is skilled in combat, and the grace of the Valar will protect him. And I will protect him." He paused to puff a smoke ring. "If he of the Woodland Realm pledges to come back, he will return." He smiled at her. "Do not despair. Let yourself be immersed in hope, and encircled by dreams." Then he placed his pipe back in his mouth and said no more. 106

*~* 107

Later, Anwyn was wandering in the gardens, angry at herself for breaking her vow never to love and allowing herself to fall for Legolas. She sat down on a rock to brood, and heard someone crying. Curious, she got back up and followed the sound. 108

She turned the corner and saw a form clad in a gown of claret velvet, kneeling on the ground, weeping. It was Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond. 109

"My lady?" Anwyn faltered. Arwen did not respond, and Anwyn tried again. "Arwen?" 110

She looked up. "Is it lost?" she cried, hysterical. "Was I wrong to dream? To trust?" Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Was I wrong to hope?" 111

Anwyn knelt beside Arwen. "It is never wrong to hope," said she, looking out at the nearby stream and waterfall that graced the landscape of Imladris. Sighing, she realized the truth she was speaking as Gandalf's words echoed in her mind. "Even those who have lost should not abandon hope." 112

"What hope can there be? This quest will mean death for Aragorn; I can see it. And all the dreams we gathered will be lost, and our love will be left to die upon the fields of Middle-earth, as I have gifted to him the light of the Evenstar." She paused. "My fate is now bound to his." Drying her tears, she tried to compose herself, and turned to Anwyn. "And you, lady? Why do you seek solitude?" 113

"For much the same reason as you do," Anwyn replied. "The Fellowship is taking the one in my heart as well." 114

Arwen gave her a curious look. "Who might that be?" 115

"Legolas," answered Anwyn. 116

"So the daughter of Elrond and the son of Thranduil have both forsaken their immortality," said Arwen. "The race of Elves is falling to the hearts of Men." Her tears began to fall again. "There is no curse for the Dark Lord," she sighed, "no curse in any tongue strong enough for the sorrow and anguish and death he causes." And she fell silent, letting tears course down her fair face. 117

Anwyn looked upon Arwen, and her heart was heavy, for she felt the concern and despair of the Evenstar. And so they sat there, the light of the Elves and the light of Men, together in sadness and distress. 118

*~* 119

In the months to come, while the Fellowship prepared for leaving, Anwyn spent as much time as she could with Legolas. Wandering near the waterfalls became a favorite pastime of theirs. Anwyn was enchanted by the water; Thandor only had a few rivers and a lake or two, and certainly nothing as majestic as the waterfalls of Imladris. Legolas also had a love for the water. Anwyn learned that he had a desire to explore the seas someday as he blushingly sang her a song he had written about Ulmo and the waters. They became closer with each passing day, and Anwyn was lighthearted. 120

When she was not with Legolas and Arwen was not with Aragorn, Anwyn spent time with Arwen Evenstar. They became fast friends, as their fear and uncertainty created an immediate bond between them. Most of their conversation centered around the Fellowship and finding the perfect insult for Sauron. 121

But in late Ringare, the eve of the Fellowship's departure finally came, and the heart of Anwyn was heavy. 122

*~* 123

In Rivendell that night, the stars seemed dimmer and the moon did not glow as bright. Anwyn lay in her chamber, unable to sleep. Restless, she rose from her bed and crossed to a table. She pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment, dipped her pen in the inkwell, and began to write a poem. Anwyn's writing was another one of the ways she was more like Elves than Men-- she had a love for words, and a talent to weave them into wonderful works. She was starting on the second verse of her poem when a figure walked through her door, dressed in white. 124

"Legolas," she gasped, standing. "How did you know?" 125

"I had a feeling," he replied, and came toward her. "May I hear what you were writing?" 126

She blushed, and took up the paper. "It's just a bit of poetry." 127

"I'd still love to hear it," said Legolas. 128

Anwyn began to read. "Cormamin lindua ele lle, melamin 129

Taur'quessir, me'a e' tumba huine 130

Amin harmuva onalle e' cormamin... 131

Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva, 132

Cormamin niuve tenna' lye omentuva." 133

"That's beautiful," Legolas breathed. "You write in the manner of the Elves, with grace and emotion." He moved toward her, laid his lips on hers. Automatically, she pulled away, wiping tears from her eyes. 134

"What's wrong?" came Legolas' voice, worried. 135

Anwyn sniffled. "You're going on this quest, challenging the most powerful evil in Middle-earth, and even Arwen doubts that you will all last through the journey." 136

"I will come back, Anwyn. I promise you. I shall return to you," Legolas reassured her. 137

"Legolas, I have felt the pain of loving and losing before, when my mother fell to illness. I do not know if I can handle another loss--" and she broke off into a storm of tears. 138

"Tula sinome, arwenamin," said Legolas gently, and Anwyn went to him, letting his arms hold her tight. They stood in silence for a long while, locked in an embrace that gave Anwyn comfort like she'd never known. Then Legolas finally spoke, whispering softly in her ear. 139

"Quel kaima, ar' uuma dela." He kissed her lips again, pulled away, and echoed the last two lines of her poem. "Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva... cormamin niuve tenna' lye omentuva." 140

The moon broke through the clouds then, and Rivendell was bathed in a warm glow. And it was in this way that Legolas of Mirkwood and Anwyn of Thandor parted.141