At the Mercy of a Burning Coal

Disclaimer; I take full credit for whatever Lily, Lathwen, and Eothain do, even if it’s something immensely unreasonable…

Lily coughed and sounded like she was choking. Glorfindel eyed her uneasily. Lathwen said in an all to patient voice, “ I can’t say I care who you are, but I can say this…stop following us! Do you realize how annoying it is?!”
“ Do you realize how annoying it is for someone to put a knife to your throat?”
“ That was self-preservation! I didn’t know if you were planning on skinning us alive or not!”

A less sophisticated elf would have rolled his eyes, but not Glorfindel, “ If you had any sense of self-preservation you’d be dressed *as* a man or be traveling *with* a man.”

Lathwen’s mouth fell open in indignation. She glared at him, “ Our plan was not to *let* anyone see us up close so that they’d find out that we were women. As you can see…circumstances led us astray from that plan.”

Glorfindel’s eyebrow twitched…he seemed to be trying not to laugh. Lathwen glared, “ What?!” (Don’t answer Glorfindel! You want to *live* remember?) Glorfindel answered with a smile (dimples included), “ Perhaps you should put your quiver on your back again.” (So he has a death wish that Tolkien never mentioned or something)

Lathwen looked down and fought back a blush. Her quiver had been caught on the saddle horn. Lathwen looked as if she’d have dearly loved to murder Glorfindel in the bloodiest, most coldhearted way in that moment, even if his smile had been irresistible.

Stupid elf…he was amused at her expense, which was merely a careless mistake. Of course, elves were probably to perfect to ever make a careless mistake…by the Valar, *murdering someone* was probably counted as a careless mistake among their kind.

Glorfindel watched her expression and hastily changed the subject, “ You’ll answer my questions?” Lily sighed and muttered something about the endless questions about them. Lathwen however growled, “ We’re coming from Imladris and going to Gondor…happy?” Glorfindel shook his head.

Lathwen frowned, “ Well that doesn’t matter does it? I’m running short on patience and we really need to move on without any more delays…can we do that sometime this year?” Glorfindel’s eyebrow reached his hairline, “ Calm yourself maiden…I’m sure you have plenty of time.” Lily snapped, “ Look…she told you what you wanted to know, so we’re going, okay?”

Without waiting for his reply, Lily started ahead and crossed the Hoarwell. Upon reaching the other side, she waited for her friend. Lathwen looked at Glorfindel who looked at her. He asked, “ Do you want an escort? Safety in numbers you know…moreover, I am traveling to Lothlorien with five others under my command so—”

Lathwen answered in a clipped voice, “ Thank you, but there will not be a need.” With that, she spurred Rosethorn to a trot and crossed the river with a splash and joined Lily on the other side. “ Shall we?” She asked in a rather tired voice. Lily nodded, “ Let’s get going.” They followed the left bank of the river at a canter, in a hurry to get moving.

***
“ It will take about fifty more miles to get to Lothlorien than it did to reach the second split from the first.” Lathwen commented, as they were already thirty miles there. Lily sighed and looked at Lathwen, “ I hope we get there soon.”
“ Where? To Gondor? Well we won’t.”
“ No…to Lothlorien. I’ve heard the Lorien elves are quite different from the ones in Imladris.”

Lathwen looked at Lily calculatingly, “ Different in a bad way?” She asked suspiciously. Lily shook her head, “ I don’t know. But anyway, I’ve been meaning to address this question to you ever since we left that irritating elf behind…why exactly are we going to Lothlorien if Glorfindel and company are heading there also?”

Lathwen shrugged, “ It’s a good a place to rest as any…besides, we won’t see much of them. We’ll be there and gone before they enter…that is, if *we* are allowed to enter.” Lily raised an eyebrow, “ If?” Lathwen nodded, “ I don’t know if the elves will accept us as friends or not…and even if they do, we’re just mortals in their eyes…they may not let us in for biased reason’s.”

“ As demonstrated back there with Glorfy and his multitude of underlings.” Lily muttered. Lathwen giggled, “ Well you have to admit that they were quite striking.” Lily snorted, “ I guess so…but I’m not aiming for an elf as a husband…if I ever feel like getting one.”
“ Neither am I.”
“ Oh? Glorfy back there seemed like quite the candidate.” Lily giggled which soon turned into gales of laughter.

She managed to choke out, “ But…but you gave him…quite the slap on the wrist with your…your attitude and all…it…it was to some extent amusing to see an elf told off.” Lathwen gave her friend a look and said dryly, “ So I see. But Lily, you’re forgetting something.”
“ What?”
“ He wasn’t coming after me for desirability reasons…I was the one who stuck a sharp knife at him…he wanted revenge.”
“ If you say so.”
“ I do say so!”
“ I know.”

Lathwen and Lily rode on in a companionable silence, occasionally pointing out some oddly shaped tree or an exotic flower. Out of the blue, Lily asked, “ So…what are we going to Gondor for? You never told me.”

Lathwen mentally smacked herself for forgetting, “ That’s right! I never did tell you! I’m sorry Lily, it absolutely slipped my mind.” Lathwen went on, “ Apparently my inheritance had been given to a healer named Dolithial in Gondor, who gave it to a man who was passing through. I’m going to find the man and get my inheritance back…if he hasn’t spent it already of course.” Lily digested this information with interest.

Lathwen flexed her legs in the stirrups, feeling that familiar tingling sensation beginning again. She said, “ I often wondered what was out there for me, or if being in the tavern was where I’d stay till I grew old and wrinkled…never did I imagine that I actually inherited something of value from anyone.” Lathwen sighed and said a bit more softly, “ Often I wonder if I’m doing the right thing…going after something that I don’t even know is existent anymore. Am I doing the right thing?”

Lily nodded firmly and said, “ Of course you are Lathwen! Never doubt that! You didn’t deserve the treatment your uncle was giving you…no one does. You got the chance to leave, and thank heavens you did! Always trust your instincts Lathwen…never doubt that you’ve made the right decision if you’ve been able to live with it for this long.”

***
They had ridden through the night, stopping twice for an hour’s rest…not that it helped any of them, but it hardened their will and resolve to go on. They were on the brink of the evening when Lathwen pulled out her map and examined it. “ So,” She whispered in the near dark, “ We’re at the River Silverlode, which is right on the western border of Lothlorien…we are very close.”

Lily pointed in front of them, “ I could have told you that…look there!” Ahead of them in the distance they could see towering trees that seemed to reach the heavens. It was twilight already, and they could hear the owls hooting and crickets chirping, the tranquility causing them to speak in whispers.

Lathwen kneed Rosethorn into a canter and they forged the river, which was *not* shallow in that area. Wildfire and Rosethorn splashed into the river and began swimming, nickering lowly in surprise when the ground underneath them vanished. Lathwen herself was petrified…what if she fell? What if Lily fell? Her leggings were already wet from her knees down.

Rosethorn neighed once loudly, the sound echoing in the night. “ Shh girl…it’s okay, it’s alright.” Lathwen whispered to Rosethorn and patted her neck. She could hear Lily speaking soft reassurances to Wildfire. Shivering, they came upon the bank and walked towards the woods.

Lathwen suddenly halted and dismounted, limping as her feet hit the ground. “ I’m walking. I can’t take much more of this.” She said in an exasperated tone. Lily shrugged and slid down to the ground, “ My back hurts…yours is a good idea.” Lathwen clucked at Rosethorn who started walking while Lathwen limped on. Lily spied her friend’s affliction and said, “ Lathwen! I’d forgotten that you twisted your ankle…you should ride!” Lathwen gritted her teeth against a sudden burst of pain and shook her head vehemently.

They had reached the border of the woods and were going in. The trees were huge! Wide and tall, with golden leaves as big as dinner plates and the bark was a silverish hue.

They went on in silence, as the night sky grew inky. It was good that the trees themselves gave off something of a glow, for Lathwen and Lily didn’t have any source of light. Suddenly Lathwen felt her foot catch on a rock, and she fell with a cry. Lily hurried to her side and helped her up.

“ That’s it Lathwen!” She said forcefully, “ Get on the horse!” Lathwen shook her head, “ No! Honestly, I’m fine!”
“ You can’t go on like this! You’re in no condition to walk this whole way!”
“ All I did was trip Lily!”
“ Fine, but when you break you leg, I don’t want to hear any complaints!”
“ Don’t worry…you won’t.”

They went on in silence for a minute or two. The wind whispered in the trees, causing their leaves to rustle. Lathwen’s head jerked to the right as she heard a small sound. Someone was whispering…something was watching them.

She reined Rosethorn in sharply and said to Lily, “ Slow! Listen.” Lily and Lathwen stood as still as two stones, their ears straining to make out any sound. Lily finally shook her head, “ I hear nothing.”

Lathwen sighed and said, “ Either I’m hearing things, or there are some people here who are probably lookouts who don’t want us to know that they’re here.” She said this sentence loudly, alerting the people…if there were any…that she knew they were here.

Lily said in an equally loud tone, “ Or maybe its Glorfy and his gang…coming to murder us at last.” Nothing and nobody made a sound. If there were sentinels…they didn’t want to show themselves right now. Lily growled, “ To busy looking for split ends then, which I’m sure is what they do when shifts are boring.” Lathwen glared at her friend, “ Lily! Do you *want* to die?!”

Lily shrugged, “ All humans know that elves have a special interest in grooming. It’s not my fault word gets around to less civilized parts eventually…” Lathwen sighed and tried not to laugh. She spread her arms and shouted into the night’s sky, “ TO ANY ELF OUT THERE…I’M NOT WITH HER! NOW YOU CAN CHOP HER INTO LITTLE PIECES FIRST…I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT!” (Hellllooo Lathwen! Orcs! Orcs! Orcs! Not only elves are around…)

Lily snickered and followed Lathwen occasionally stumbling on a root or such. Fifteen minutes passed without any sign of human (or elven) inhabitation. Lathwen sighed, “ How LONG will it take?! Are the sentries BLIND?!”

There was a rustling behind them, and they turned around to look. Seeing nothing and feeling a bit more than nervous, Lathwen and Lily turned back to face front and found themselves confronted with a thicket of razor-sharp arrows. Lily gave a short laugh, “ I guess not.”

Lathwen slipped on an indifferent mask, not acting scared, but pitying and scornful. The beings holding the arrows were most obviously elves. They all had blonde hair, but tinted with silver…or perhaps it was the light cast from the trees. Their intense gaze seemed to pierce the girls’ very souls. Their indifferent, haughty expressions matched that of Lathwen. They wore tunics and leggings that blended in with their surroundings…no wonder Lily and Lathwen hadn’t seen them.

Lathwen was beginning to get annoyed by this one particular arrow, which was nearly poking her eye out. She raised a hand and tried to push it away, but recoiled as the unyielding bow stayed where it was, the pointy arrow stabbing into her flesh. She acted like the wound didn’t hurt, and the blood dripping down her arm didn’t bother her.

One elf, the leader of the pervy Robin Hood gang (forgive my reference to modern times) asked sharply, “ Who are you?” Lathwen glared at Lily, warning her not to answer, “ I’m Alanessa, and this is—” “ Lillian.” Lily finished coolly. The elves glanced at each other, “ Half truth.” The leader said indifferently, but immediately went on to the next question, “ Where are you from?” “ Around Weathertop.” Lily answered. “ Truth, but not an exact answer.”

“ Why have you come here?” “ To rest and perhaps acquire some provisions for the rest of our journey. We wish not harm to you.” Lathwen said. The elf opened his mouth again but Lathwen cut him off, “ Gondor.” She answered shortly. The leader glared at her, seeming upset that she had interrupted his ritual of questions, but said, “ Alanessa and Lillian…you have entered the Golden Wood…home to the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. They insist upon meeting you.” Lily and Lathwen looked at each other nervously.

A lord and lady? Interested in *them*? Well of course, women traveling alone with weapons weren’t all that common…but surely nobles wouldn’t bother themselves with this sort of thing?

Lily nodded and said smoothly, “ So be it.” Lathwen groaned inwardly…what had they gotten themselves into?!

/Welcome, Lathwen Alanessa. We’ve long awaited you./ A soft and gentle female voice said in Lathwen’s head. /Ah, so news does travel fast./ Lathwen thought before slipping into a world of blackness.