Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
On the 14th of August we left Edoras again.
This included the final farewell between Elrond and Arwen. It is very sad to think the pair would never see each other again.
There is also the bit where Éowyn gives Merry the horn of the mark.
There was much less flowery talk than there was in the book. Did Tolkien really think people in Middle Earth actually talked like they were in a bad medieval novel?
Now we had separated from Arwen, Faramir, Imrahil and his family (we were hoping that they would finish getting it on in our absence), Elrond decided to mope big time.
For much of the journey, we stayed away from my depressed nephew, though those related to him took turns in ‘being there for him’.
Our cats were also there for him, though they came back to us at night.
That was quite amusing actually.
On the 18th we arrived at Helms Deep, and the look on Thanduil’s face suggested he was resisting the temptation of saying something like ‘my fortress is better than yours’ or another equally mature statement along the same lines.
Males!
The next day I join my fiancé and his Dwarf friend in exploring the glittering caves. Most elves might not like caves, but I do.
Oooo, pretty sparkly things.
Anyway...
After that visit we rode on to Fangorn and Isenguard where we got to talk to Treebeard.
The Ents are the coolest thing ever, I decide and I think my friends agree with me on that point.
That day we all bid Aragorn farewell, some knowing we will see him again and others not.
The rest of us split off into groups.
I go with Leggy and Gimli because after all the separation over the last year, Legolas and I don’t want to be separated for any longer than necessary.
Ginny and Miriel go with Elrond and the other elves not to mention the remnants of the Fellowship.
I know from listening to them planning that later on, Thanduil will split off with Miriel and take a more direct route to Mirkwood, only stopping in Lorien for a short while to refresh.
I am not sure Gimli is all that impressed by the way the pointy-eared people spent ages staring at trees.
I find the place fascinating though.
Even I have to admit that Legolas takes a ridiculous amount of time with the trees, though I suppose he is a wood-elf so it is sort of understandable.
When we finally get back to the journey, we take a bit of a roundabout route so as to not part with Gimli for as long as possible before riding through Mirkwood.
As we go through the wood, both Legolas and I can see the difference the fall of darkness has made.
That unnerving darkness that was always present is now gone and somehow the place seems lighter.
Mirkwood has once again become the Greenwood and you can tell.
We still stick to the main paths though as we are not sure about spiders and other nasty things that infested the forest.
When we meet the border guard I detect another change.
Though they had always been polite and respectful before, they really mean it now.
I think that might have something to do with the fact that I am about to become their princess.
We also pick up an honour guard, which I am sure is just for decoration as I think we have just proved rather conclusively that we really do not need protection.
For the first time ever, I saw the gates to the cave/palace/whatever-you-want-to-call-it were open fully and the decorators had obviously been out with a vengeance.
There was foliage, buntings, the works decorating the entrance and inside the halls.
Thanduil, Miriel, and Adindel greet me at the gate. The final elf doesn’t look quite as happy as everyone else, but then again it means that there will be an incipient visit of Adindel’s favourite human.
The first two were significantly happier to see us, though.
When we walk through the halls it is very strange because suddenly everyone notices me in a way they never have before.
I think they also noticed that I walked in wearing form-fitting leggings, a tight tunic which is tied round my abdomen with cloth laces, suede knee-high boots held tight with straps that had knives in them.
There are also a large number of weapons strapped to my back and the circlet of royalty on my brow with a severe, practical French plait.
I think the image of the warrior-princess of Gondolin scares them slightly.
Though I smile and stuff, I am still the lethal warrior who is thousands of years old and a daughter of one of the High Kings of the elves.
What I think is the scariest for them is the effortless way that I combined lethal with regal princess and ancient wisdom. The last one is only the result of years of practice and the accepting of who I really am.
It will be terribly strange to meet my father for the first time, I hope he will be proud of who I have become.
Unsurprisingly the first thing that I do is go to what is presently my room, wash and change before going to dinner.
I have just had a thought, now Ginny is marrying a prince she will have to put up with all those ultra-long toilets every day! Payback time.
Aniya is absolutely over the moon when she helps me to dress and doesn’t shut up at all.
It is nice to know that all the servants are behind me, even though I am a Noldor.
At dinner Thanduil gives Leggy and I the plan for our wedding, which was hammered out while we were exploring the pretty forest in Rohan.
Elrond, the Twins, Ginny, and everyone else that would be coming from Rivendell and Lorien would arrive in a few weeks, and so would my wedding dress.
During the wait for them Legolas would prepare us new, larger chambers within the royal apartment and Thanduil would help Miriel prepare herself some. Traditionally the male did that, but she was getting married at the same time as I so the wedding would be in Mirkwood.
Anyway, Elrohir would be preparing her one in Rivendell and I would have some there as well.
The complications of royal weddings are many...
I found it a little weird that we would have a double, though not triple, wedding.
Once they arrive there will be a weeklong preparation time before the wedding day.
On the day Miriel and I would go together to wash in that special bathing area and be anointed with special oils and stuff before having our hair done in a special style and finally dressed in those simple Greek-style dresses.
I have insisted on a white gown though Miriel has a pastel-green gown that shimmers in the light.
After the feast we would be escorted to our rooms be our women-folk and sort of left there.
Then I was asked if there was anything I wanted to change or add.
All I added to it was for Legolas to carry me over the doorway to our room. This request results in questions on why, not really all that surprisingly.
I explain that it is a tradition from my world and then explain how it is a hangover from the Roman period and why they did it that way.
They find it peculiar, but they don’t argue with me, it is my own wedding after all.
That night I go to bed quietly, hoping Ginny would get here soon.
Miriel is my friend, but only Ginny really understands, she was in the world I was brought up in.
I really need a childhood friend with me now and I don’t think I have ever felt so alone or have ever missed her so much.
I think I am scared, well nervous really.
I don’t think I have ever quite felt this way before.
Ginny’s POV
14th August 3019 is a very sad day in many ways, especially for Elrond and Arwen. Both are silent during their final farewells, simply giving each other one last hug before Arwen mounts her horse. I think they’ve already said everything that needed to be said.
Amrothos and I also don’t say anything; we just share one small kiss. We had already said our goodbyes; I didn’t really think it would be very tactful for us to make a big show about it just before everyone leaves – we will be seeing each other again, Elrond and Arwen won’t.
There is a specific reason for Amrothos leaving at this point, apparently it’s tradition for a betrothed couple to spend a few weeks apart just before their wedding. Don’t ask me why; maybe it has something to with ‘making the heart grow fonder’. Though why that would be the reason is beyond me, especially as love doesn’t enter into the marriage vows – maybe it harks back to when love really wasn’t an option and the couple were separated in order for them to reflect upon their future lives together.
Whatever the reason, we both think it’s an absolutely pointless tradition; although, maybe it will help to add a little something to our wedding night, seeing as we can barely keep our hands off each other at the moment...
The four-day ride to Helms Deep is very uncomfortable; after the darkness of the past few years, the weather seems to be celebrating with an extra-long heat wave. All things velvet are discarded and nearly everyone takes to wearing thin, cotton-like tunics and leggings.
We can’t do anything about our boots though, even the lighter summer ones become like miniature ovens.
Every day we make sure we find a shady camping spot next to a large body of water and then spend the rest of the day swimming – swimming costumes and more bare chests!
Only our cats refuse to go anywhere near the water, instead spending their time lying leopard-like up in the trees; I’m sure the elves didn’t really mind their absence, although the Hobbits did.
It is early evening when we eventually arrive in Helms Deep.
Despite Saruman’s assault on the place, it’s still perfectly comfortable. We girls practically fall on our knees in gratitude when we’re taken to a private bathing chamber.
A proper bath at last!
We may have spent every evening recently swimming, but we never had time to have a proper bath and massage, besides the water was always cold and we never really fancied scurrying about naked afterwards just so we could massage each other.
I don’t join in with Ellie when she goes with Legolas and Gimli to visit the glittering caves; instead I accompany Aragorn on a trek into the mountains.
We actually spend far longer in the mountains than intended – guess who got lost and wouldn’t listen to his companion when they were looking at the map.
I would have suggested asking for directions, but there wasn’t much point seeing as Aragorn and I were the only ones about. I probably would have got the same reaction from him as we did in England anyway – complete and utter refusal.
It’s only when I get really annoyed and snatch the map back before leaving Aragorn to make my own way down the mountain that he finally accepts defeat and follows me like a lost lamb. Not that he lets anyone in Helms Deep know why we took so long – I smile slightly; I think I may have found something to use as revenge for all that time he spent teasing me about Amrothos.
Three days later, we arrive at Isenguard and meet with Treebeard. I never thought that I would ever make friends with something that was, essentially, a giant, walking, talking tree.
Treebeard really is rather funny and reminds me of a far older, not to mention wiser, version of Merry and Pippin.
We part company with Aragorn at sunset. He doesn’t respond when I tell him to not get too lost.
Miriel and I also part company with Ellie; she’s going to travel with Gimli and Legolas before arriving in Mirkwood. Miriel and I will travel with the rest of the Fellowship and the other elves before I go on to Rivendell and Miriel and Thanduil make for Mirkwood.
I shall eventually join my two best friends in Mirkwood for their double wedding. It’s a shame that it can’t be a triple wedding, I wouldn’t and I’m sure Amrothos certainly wouldn’t mind if we could be married in the elfin style.
***
Our progress towards Rivendell is stately and sedate; only once do we encounter anything that could be remotely called danger.
This happens when we meet Saruman and Grima upon the road going in the opposite direction towards the Shire.
Saruman narrows his eyes when he spies the Hobbits, but doesn’t do anything as we are surrounded by some of the most powerful elves in Middle Earth, not to mention a very angry Murrlin who immediately goes to Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.
There is a tense moment as Saruman’s eyes travel around the group, stopping when he spies the only human within it.
I drop my gaze. There is small, collective movement all around me; every elf sits up straighter upon their horses – the message could not have been plainer.
Saruman gives the merest trace of a nod before continuing on his way, Grima scurrying to keep up.
***
Miriel and Thanduil go with Galadriel and Celeborn when they part with us near the Redhorn Gate.
Everyone else continues to Rivendell.
You cannot imagine how wonderful it is to be in my old room again – it seems but a day since I was last here and yet, how many things have happened?
I take my own sweet time bathing that night, strangely glad that I’m the only one in the bathing chamber.
The next day, I visit the seamstresses’ workshop to give them Ellie’s order for her wedding dress. She has requested a white gown – well a girl does have to follow some of her dreams, I myself shall definitely be insisting upon an ivory-cream dress (it’s the same colour as what my mother wore to her wedding and I always imagined that I would wear her wedding dress).
It doesn’t take the seamstresses very long to make the dress (I wonder why). Even so, it’s still extremely elegant; an all-in-one creation of pure white satin, the only adornment being the palest of gold threads woven into a delicate floral pattern that weaves up and down the dress.
I also help Elrohir and Elrond prepare some quarters for when Ellie and Miriel are staying with their husbands in Rivendell.
Elladan and I have great fun in teasing Elrohir when we see the size of the bed that he has had made for him and Miriel – it makes a king-size look small in comparison.
***
The days slip by and soon it’s time for us to set out for Mirkwood. It’s only now that I realise just how much I miss Ellie. I wonder how she’s been fairing; despite our love for Miriel, Ellie and I share something that she can never understand.
We grew up in a different world with completely different ideas and values; even so, people there still marry for love and still feel inordinately nervous before their weddings. I know I certainly feel the tiniest bit nervous and I have barely begun to plan mine...