At the Mercy of a Burning Coal

Disclaimer; I am only borrowing Glorfindel/Elrond/Erestor for a while, much to my dismay. However, to my credit, I own Lathwen, Lily, Eothain, and everyone else who wasn’t mentioned in Tolkien’s writings.
Note: MINAS TIRITH! FINALLY! Think this is the end? Guess again…

Ridhion sighed in amusement as he watched his captain Glorfindel stomp around, harshly correcting those who had made one little mistake in his presence. That wild girl had gotten him riled up beyond anything anyone else had ever seen. In fact, it was somewhat frightening to see the elf lord loose his temper. (I’d pay big bucks to see that…)

Ridhion grinned as Glorfindel muttered something under his breath, eyes glinting in the sunlight as he stalked over to Maetherion, second in command. He watched as Maetherion tried to calm the elf lord, speaking reassurances.

With another heavy sigh, Ridhion got back to saddling his horse…they were at the Fangorn Forest, and the girls weren’t there. They had found the carcasses of wolves not far off, which surprised all except Maetherion and Glorfindel. No one else had ever seen these maidens in action, so they were surprised that they could shoot.

A shadow shaded Ridhion’s head as he put his dagger in his saddlebag. He was going to hunt them down…but he didn’t want to. He felt that the ladies deserved freedom to, even if for a little time. They certainly deserved more credit than they were getting.

Glorfindel had roused messengers to go to Edoras and Gondor, spreading the news of these wild outlaw maidens. The people of Imladris and Lorien already knew of these girls. Glorfindel was sure that to Edoras they would go.

The people of Edoras and Gondor had been told that they were to be kept alive if captured...he had also told them that the maidens weren’t dangerous at all, so there was no need to be frightened if they appeared. Somehow, Ridhion got the feeling that they wouldn’t be captured…none of them.

***
Lathwen waited anxiously on the edge of her seat…er…saddle.

It had taken all-next day and half of the night to reach Edoras. Well, they were really just outside of Edoras’s walls, keeping to the shadows. They had camped there until dawn broke. You see, Lathwen didn’t know if Rohan would be welcoming or not…she didn’t know if word of them had already spread, so she didn’t want to be noticed just yet.

Nestariel had volunteered to go inside and do a bit of listening in. So in the light of the morning sun, Nestariel had pulled out a homespun, rough dress and apron from her saddlebag and put it on. Lathwen had gasped, “ You brought…” Nestariel’s eyes twinkled, “ Yes, Edhelwen and I brought different kinds of clothes…costumes, you might say. Before we set out to find you, we were sure to take everything we would need.” Lathwen silently thanked the gods for blessing them with people as levelheaded as Nestariel and Edhelwen.

It was afternoon, and Nestariel had been inside for quite a while. “ Should we go after her?” Lily asked nervously. Lathwen bit her lip, “ I’ll bet she was recognized. Yes Lily…we’re going in…undercover.”

Edhelwen pulled out a rough dress, very much like the one Edhelwen had, and gave it to Lily. She pulled out one more and said, “ This is the last one I have. The others are with Nestariel.” Lathwen waved her hand impatiently, “ You put it on…I’ll go like this.” Her head jerked around as she heard hoof beats coming towards them.

Nestariel was frowning, trotting towards them. Lathwen urged Rosethorn forward to greet her friend. “ What took you?” She asked, “ Are you alright?” Nestariel nodded, “ I’m fine, but I don’t suggest we go in there. The people don’t seem hostile, but they have been warned of us…also, its not so lively there…we’d stick out like a sore thumb.”

Lathwen grunted and pulled out her map. She studied it for a moment before saying, “ What if we passed around Edoras and then went left to Anorien? I don’t know what that place is like, but I’m sure its better than here.” (Glorfy didn’t send a messenger to Anorien…)

Edhelwen closed her eyes for a moment before answering, “ There is not much in Anorien except for the beacons warning system that Rohan and Gondor have established. Looks like we won’t need to put on any disguises if we travel there.” Nestariel looked at Edhelwen confusedly. Edhelwen shrugged, “ I listened in on my father’s conversations with my brother.”

Lathwen digested this information and said slowly, “ Surely there will be guards at the beacons though.” Nestariel answered, “ We’ll be able to avoid them I’m sure.” Lily shrugged and said, “ We have enough food and whatnot…let’s get going.”

***
(Eight days have passed)

Lathwen breathed a sigh as they passed out of the Firien Wood. Though that must be the safest forest ever created, she had grown tense, as the days had passed without a single sign of a human inhabitant. They hadn’t passed any beacons yet, which caused Lathwen to wonder at the accuracy of Edhelwen’s words.

There was nothing to bother them except for the occasional animal, which was a relief…they didn’t have to put those itchy dresses on.

Lily and Edhelwen were meters ahead, scouting out the area. Nestariel said suddenly in the quiet, “ Glorfindel has absolutely gotten to Edoras and Rohan by now Bessie…no doubt about it. Since he didn’t find us there, he’ll assume we’ve hurried on to Gondor.” Lathwen nodded, “ He’ll most likely question inhabitants…if they saw you, they’ll report it. And if they say that you left from where you came, he’ll know we didn’t go that way.”

Nestariel nodded, “ He’ll most likely get to Gondor as fast as he can to meet us there.” Lathwen answered, “ Or he’ll track us…whichever is more convenient for him.” They both looked at each other, “ Gondor.” They chorused. Lathwen spurred Rosethorn ahead to meet Lily and Edhelwen with Nestariel at her side.

Lily frowned at them, “ Is something wrong? An attack?!” Lathwen hurriedly shook her head, “ No, no…nothing at all. Nestariel and I have just been discussing which way Glorfindel went…we’re thinking he’s going as fast as he can to Gondor so he can sabotage us there.” Lily bit her lip, “ He’ll have to wait a while…we still have quite a ways to go before we reach Minas Tirith.”

Edhelwen added, “ No doubt we’re closer to Minas Tirith at the present time.” Lily nodded, “ I have no doubt we can reach it before he can…if we try hard enough.” Lathwen groaned, “ I’ve enjoyed not rushing Lily…” Nestariel said, “ But she’s right you know…we should hurry…just in case.”

Lathwen looked up and scanned the distance with a gasp. She pointed to a tall structure, “ Is that a beacon?” Edhelwen nodded, “ Yes. Here’s the point where we should race to get away from them…before the guards recognize us.” Lathwen nodded and whispered to Rosethorn, “ We’re close my friend…be brave, stay strong.” With that, she urged Rosethorn into a canter, not willing to have the horses run full out just yet.

***
Lathwen spurred Rosethorn to a gallop as they passed the last beacon. Edhelwen let out a cry of joy as they rushed past, their horses weary from the many long days that they had rode to pass the other beacons.

They slowed only after a mile or so had passed. They panted from the long run as Lathwen brought out her map and dismounted. “ Looks like the Greywood is at our right, and a bit further down, still to our right, is Stonewain Valley. Thank the Valar! We have only a day and night of traveling to reach Minas Tirith!”

Lily dismounted and jumped up and down, cheering. Edhelwen let out a whoop and clapped her hands. Nestariel punched a fist in the air and cheered.

Lathwen grinned and put the map away. “ We’re almost there! Let’s not stop now!” Edhelwen crowed. Everyone mounted and cantered joyfully towards the Stonewain Valley, which had Minas Tirith next to it.

Lathwen thought of Glorfindel’s progress…what was he doing right now? Where was he? Were he and his tired group celebrating because they to were so close to their destination? A sudden pang of pity gripped Lathwen’s heart as she thought about what she had said and done to him. She shouldn’t have done that…she shouldn’t have made him suffer after what happened with Faelwen. (Lathwen has the amazing capability to forgive and forget, as you will soon find out…)

***
Lathwen and co. saw the Stonewain Valley approaching fast as they rushed toward it that night. Upon seeing it, Lathwen urged Rosethorn on, taking heart from the landmark. When they reached it, they sent out cheers and whoops into the still and calm night’s sky.

Lily quickly hushed everyone, silently pointing to their left where the tall, wide, huge, impregnable, and in any other way impossible to describe, fortress of Minas Tirith.

Lathwen felt her heart leap and pound harder as she realized that this was where her fortune lay. Well, the key to her inheritance anyway…Dolithiel, the healer, was but someone who would give her a clue as to who the man was who kept her inheritance.

Lathwen urged Rosethorn into a trot, and headed for the great gates of the forbidding city with Lily, Edhelwen, and Nestariel behind her. Guards stood watch at the gate, a few on each side. Lathwen pushed back the hood of her cloak, and out of the corner of her eye saw the others mimic her.

Rosethorn quickly neared the guards at the gate, and Lathwen reined her to a stop as the guards took notice of her and put their hands on their sword hilts in warning. Lathwen looked at the guards and said firmly and directly, “ I must speak with Dolithiel, the healer. It is urgent.” The guards looked at each other and a slight chuckle rippled through the night air.

Lathwen’s eyes narrowed and she said icily, “ Is there something wrong gentlemen?” She longed to say, “ Perhaps I could fix it with a sharp slap across your mouths,” but she stayed silent after her first question. One guard stepped forward and said, “ Pray tell why four maidens are traveling alone and unaccompanied by men at this time of night.”

Lathwen rolled her eyes…that particular question had apparently become quite popular among the questioners she had met. She answered, “ We’ve traveled very far, my lords…I am here to see Dolithiel…the others have joined me out of the goodness of their hearts. You would not want our journey to be in vain, now would you?”
“ Why do you wish to see Dolithiel?”
“ For goodness sakes man! If you must know I am here to ask her something, now will you let us see her or not?!”
“ No.”

Lathwen narrowed her eyes and let a hiss escape from between her clenched teeth. “ I take it you’ve received many messengers these past days, haven’t you gentlemen?” She said in a dangerously soft voice. The man grinned, “ That we have miss Alanessa…if that be your true name.”

“ So you’re just going to agree with them? For goodness sake, we aren’t dangerous at all! We don’t have any intention of harming you or your people…so what’s the problem with letting us in?” The guard shrugged, “ Apparently you all are to be captured.” Lathwen asked, “ Is that what you intend to do?” The guard nodded silently.

Lathwen sighed and said, “ Fine. We haven’t done anything wrong so we won’t resist the capture and get ourselves into a true mess.” The guard’s masked expression fell to show a shocked visage. Lathwen heard confused whispers among the rest of the guards at the gate.

“ However,” Lathwen continued, “ Can it hurt to let us speak with Dolithiel before we get captured? Someone could stay with us to make sure we aren’t planning treason or anything, because I can tell you all are thinking we’re wanted for some crime.”

The guards looked at each other uneasily, and upon hearing murmurs of ‘what could it hurt’ and ‘as long as someone’s with them wild lasses’ she grinned rather charmingly. “ Please?” Nestariel spoke up, fixing a pleading, sweet expression on her elven fair face.

The guard who had questioned them was rather startled by the turn of events. He looked at the group of ladies long and hard, and finally said sharply, “ Fine. Follow me…but remember, there are guards posted everywhere…you have no chance of escape, so do not try anything foolish.”

Lily caught Lathwen’s eye and grinned as she remembered the day they had first escaped from the elves wrath. Lathwen turned back to face the guard who was going through the gate already, “ Of course not.” She murmured half to herself as she urged Rosethorn through the open gates.

Lathwen looked about her and gasped…the stonework, the gardens; the magnificence of it all was enough to leave her breathless. She found it beautiful…the stone was perfectly cut and fit exactly as it should. Garden’s overflowed with colorful blossoms and herbs…you could tell because torches were lit and hanging on the stonewalls.

The guard led them to the left and they met another gate with yet more guards. They also met with a third, fourth, and fifth gate which led them deeper and deeper into the city. The scenery from such a high vantage point distracted Lathwen as she tried to memorize where they were going, which wasn’t all that hard.

The guard led them to a sixth gate and stopped, turning to face them. “ We are here now.” Is all he said before having the sixth and final gate opened. He led them in and Lathwen’s eyes went wide. There were stables and lodgings to her right, and a structure that she didn’t recognize to her left.

The guard swiftly led them to that structure and said, “ This is the House of Healing…if any warrior or inhabitant of Minas Tirith is wounded, they come here for healing and rest. Leave your horses here.”

Lathwen was bewildered until she realized that they were going inside. “ And your weapons.” The guard said pointedly. Lathwen reluctantly dismounted and tied Rosethorn’s reins to a hitching post. She hung her bow and quiver from the saddle horn, but left her concealed dagger where it was in her sleeve, strapped to her arm.

They stepped inside and Lathwen instantly blinked, getting her eyes adjusted to the dimness. Silently, the group walked down the many halls until they came upon a middle-aged woman with graying hair hurrying down the hall with bandages in her arms.

She looked up and curtsied when she saw the visitors (as best she could with her arms full). The guard bowed slightly and said, “ Lady Dolithiel…these ladies wish to have a word with you.” The lady looked at them all suspiciously, “ I haven’t seen you before have I?” Lathwen shook her head and said in a maidenly like tone, “ No Lady Dolithiel…but I believe you know my uncle…I wish to speak with you about him.”

Dolithiel motioned that they should follow her as she entered a room. The guard who had led them inside shut the door and stood guard on the outside. Lily, Edhelwen, and Nestariel also remained outside of the room with the guard.

Inside the room there was a bed with a sleeping small boy on it. “ Nasty fevers this one.” She said gently as she soaked the bandages in herb tinted water, folded them, and placed them on the little ones head.

She wiped her hands on a towel and said to Lathwen, “ What was it about your uncle you wished to know dear?” Lathwen began, “ My uncle’s name is Adrian…I believe five years back he came here and threatened you quite badly.”

Dolithiel’s face paled and she said in a whispered voice, “ You’re his niece…your inheritance, you—” Lathwen nodded, “ Have come to get it back. My uncle is a cruel man my lady, but do not let him frighten you when you are this far from his reach.”

Dolithiel nodded slowly and said, “ My dear, you do know that I gave it away…don’t you?” Lathwen nodded, “ I need to know who you gave it to though.” Dolithiel sighed and said softly, “ As a matter of fact, I gave it away to a man named Eothain…and he kept it for a good three years until he came back to Gondor and gave your inheritance back to me. I’ve been keeping it ever since.” Lathwen asked urgently, “ Where is it?”

Dolithiel motioned for them to calm down, and she said, “ Well dearie…I keep it with me all the time.” Slowly, the older women reached down and pulled a ring off of her hand, and unclasped the necklace that adorned her throat, handing them to Lathwen. Then she slowly reached into her dress pocket and drew out a band of silver, a small, teardrop shaped ruby in the middle.

Lathwen took the three items, looking bewildered. Dolithiel smiled fondly at the girl before her and said, “ My dear, the ring is made of silver and gold bands intertwining. The necklace is also silver and has a ruby pendant. The band is silver with a ruby also. It was meant to be worn about the head dearie.” The cheery woman was unusually grave as she placed the circlet on Lathwen’s head. “ It compliments you.” She said with satisfaction as Lathwen put on the ring and necklace, which had a short chain. (It was a choker)

Lady Dolithiel said, “ And of course, there are plenty of gold coins…here love…I made sure no one would ever find them.” Dolithiel lifted the hem of her skirt and started taking out the thread of the altered hem. She only took out a section of it, then she shook it out, and coins fell to the floor in a shower of gold.

Lathwen helped Dolithiel pick them up, and she then placed them at the pouch at her waist. Dolithiel smiled, “ And of course, your mother and father gave you a good strong character and name, along with your material inheritance…be glad dearie, for most are not as lucky as you are.”

Lathwen nodded slowly and said earnestly, “ Thank you ever so much Lady Dolithiel…you have no idea how much it means to me that you kept these safe…” Dolithiel flapped a hand and smiled, “ Go now dearie…I’m sure your friends grow impatient.” She bustled back to the boy who had woken and now needed tending to. Not wanting to be in the way, Lathwen slipped out of the room and met the girls and the guard outside.

The guard gawked as Lathwen exited the room with all of her finery on. The girls just grinned widely; hardly keeping in their exclamations of joy…their journey was over now! Or was it?

Lathwen looked the guard firmly in the eye and said, “ Let us go. My business is done here.” The guard hastily nodded and fixed on his distant mask once more. He led them outside where they got their horses ready again. Lathwen took that opportunity to whisper something to Lily who nodded and whispered it to Edhelwen who whispered it to Nestariel. The guard’s back was turned as he conversed with another, so he neither saw nor heard them.

They mounted on their horses as the guard turned around with a hard expression on his face. “ Apparently there are a group of elf lords waiting for you at the Great Gates. They tell me that you are wanted for assaulting, stealing, and—” He stopped short at Lathwen’s wild, catlike grin. “ Really? Let’s pay him a visit then girls.” With a whoop, Lathwen galloped off at a high pace, her group of outlaws behind her.

She let out a battle cry as she charged toward the sixth gate, watching in amusement as the guards hastily opened the gates for fear of being trampled. Lathwen repeated this tactic until they got to the second gate, also the second to last. With a loud, bloodcurdling chorus of battle cries, the women burst through the Great Gates and galloped past the bewildered guards and group of elves sitting there.

Lathwen urged the others ahead, but she herself turned to face the elf lords (Glorfindel among them) and the guards.

She said in loud tones so her voice could be heard, “ We meant no harm, and yet harm came to us. We are here to help, and yet many are against us. We are the outlaw maidens of Arda my lords…let only the foolish try and find us, and the dim-witted try to capture us.”

With one last whoop, Lathwen turned and galloped after her friends, soon catching up to them. The elf lords and guards tried to follow on foot and by horse, but some magical speed and strength brought the maidens ahead by far, and sped them to a safe place…a little known forest on the borders of Gondor, in which they rested for the night.