Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4



Gilthoniel walked through the forest of Lorien. It was now spring, as all was beautiful and happy. Elendil bounded happily beside her, glad to be out in the fresh air once more.

Gilthoniel dance through the new flowers spring had brought, her head held high, singing. She spun in the patches of sunlight through the trees and leaped over small puddles where the thawed snow had not yet been soaked into the ground. She was so happy to be alive and so joyful to be finally allowed out. She spun faster and faster then fell down on the soft grass as dizziness overwhelmed her. Well, she would have landed on the soft grass, but someone caught her just before she could. She was hauled to her feet and, though she was extremely dizzy and the earth seemed to be rolling about under her feet, she could see the outline of a young elf supporting her.

She leaned against the truck of the nearest tree and laughed. It felt so good to be outside in the warm spring air. She did not care that she had been dancing in front of this elf, she didn't care if he caught her to stop her falling because she was acting like a child, she was just glad that it was spring.

`Oh, Findiel, what are you doing here?' Gilthoniel giggled, her voice a little slurred from dizziness.

`Lady Gilthoniel, you brother Hald…'

`Wait a minute,' Gilthoniel said and sat down on the grass, leaning against the tree trunk and cradling her head in her hands. The headache had caught up with the dizziness and the pain was sensational. It felt like her head was being split open.

She shook her head to clear her mind and looked up at Findiel. `Now, carry on,' she said airily, as if nothing had happened at all.

`You brother Haldir requests you come to him immediately, my Lady,' Findiel offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. She called for Elendil and began to set off, stumbling on uneven ground but mostly back to normal. She was laughing and joking with Findiel, who had only recently come to Lorien. He had long dark hair and the brownest eyes imaginable. He was the kind of guy Gilthoniel felt she could talk to, unlike all those uptight men at Galadriel's court.

But Gilthoniel stopped laughing as they neared to city. Hundreds upon hundred of elves were lined up, making a clear path through the center of them for Gilthoniel to walk through. She stared amazed at them. What on earth are they doing here? was the first thing that entered Gilthoniel's mind as she walked down the middle of them. She could feel all their eyes on her and longed to speed up and run to where she could see her brothers standing at the end. She eventually got there and stood next to Haldir, quite afraid.

`What's going on, Haldir?' she asked him, staring at them all. `What are they doing here?'

Haldir looked down at his sister and smiled. `Elrond has asked me to lead an army to Helm's Deep where there is going to be a war.'

Gilthoniel stared at him. `You're going away to fight?' she said, hardly daring to believe it.

`Yes, and you're going to go to Rivendell with Findiel and stay there until I come back.'

Gilthoniel glared at him. `Excuse me? What did you just say?'

`You are going to stay in the House of Elrond.'

`No I'm not, I'm coming to Helm's Deep too!'

Haldir drew his sister to the side. `You are going to Rivendell and that's it!'

Gilthoniel was bursting with rage. `That's not fair, I want to come. I can fight, I can fight better that you can.'

`Gilthoniel, please will you behave like a grown up' Haldir hissed.

`No! I don't see why you can go and I can't. Stop treating me like a child!' Gilthoniel screamed at him.

`I'm not treating you like a child, I'm treating you like a woman!' Haldir yelled and turned away from her. `You have to go to Rivendell where it's safe.'

Gilthoniel wiped tears of rage from her cheeks then went up to him and stared at him in the face.

`I hate you Haldir; you are not my brother any longer. I hate you!' she kicked him in the shin and raced up to her chambers. She pulled her clothes out of her wardrobe and began throwing her things around her room. Elendil jumped out the way of a flying mirror, which hit the wall behind her. She growled and snarled at Gilthoniel, showing the girl her fangs. Gilthoniel stopped in fear, never had Elendil done that to her before. Gilthoniel slumped down on the floor and cried. She could hear her brothers and the other elves setting off for Helm's Deep and she longed to be there with them. She curled up in a little ball and went to sleep.



She was running through a forest, clutching her bow, as if desperate to get somewhere in time. She was wearing a pure white dress and had a bag on her shoulder. She ran, and ran, and ran, until she came to a stream. She saw herself run over a bridge across the stream, and into a small hut where a young elf lay. Several arrows had been fired into his chest, and his breathing was slow and painful. An elf woman sat at his bedside and turned when Gilthoniel walked in.

`What happened, Fëanor?'

`We were attacked by orcs. They came out of nowhere. Findiel had got out to get some wood and they shot him.'

`Are they still out there?'

`Yes, Rumil and Halibrien are holding them off, but I don't know how much longer their arrows will hold out.'

`Have you done anything to stop the bleeding?'

`No, we haven't. There was nothing to wrap them with. We brought him in here and put blankets on him and done everything possible to keep him warm, but he is falling in and out of consciousness every second,' Fëanor said.

`Fëanor,' Gilthoniel put her hand on the woman's shoulder. I will make sure he gets better.

`I don't think there's much chance of him getting better, Gilthoniel, unless you use your forbidden magic.' Fëanor replied. Gilthoniel looked at her questionably and Fëanor blushed. `He told me about Gandalf's blessing.'

Gilthoniel kneeled next to Findiel and began unpacking her things. She turned around and saw Fëanor standing looking anxiously at her husband. `It's alright, I will help him, but maybe you should wait outside.'

Fëanor nodded and turned to go, then looked back around at Gilthoniel. `He kept calling for you. I'm a healer, and my own husband called for you to help him. I don't understand.'

`It's because of the forbidden magic. Gandalf said I wasn't to use it, except in great need. I think his need is great, don't you?'

`Yes.'

`Well then, can you please wait outside. I cannot do the magic with you there.' Gilthoniel said impatiently.

Fëanor turned on her heel and went outside. Gilthoniel unpacked what was left in her bag when Findiel spoke.

`Gilthoniel,' he said. `Gilthoniel.'

`I'm here now,' she brushed his hair out of his eyes. `I'll look after you.'

`Gilthoniel,' Findiel in the mirror choked. `I love you.'



Gilthoniel woke with a start, panting. Someone had been shaking her, and she looked up to see Findiel standing there, a bag in one hand and his other pressed against her face.

`Goddamn it, woman,' he said, rubbing his stinging cheek. `Why the hell did you slap me?'

`Did I?' Gilthoniel said, as if she was coming out of a daze. `I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.'

`Yeah, well, I've packed your bags and we're ready to go.'

`Go where?'

`Rivendell, my Lady.'

Gilthoniel sat up and rubbed her eyes. What a strange dream. Almost like a she'd already seen it before. But she couldn't remember where.

She tried to remember her dream, but she couldn't. All she could see was black. She was sure she'd seen someone in it she knew, but she couldn't remember who.

`What did you say?' Findiel looked questionably at her.

`I didn't say anything, did I?'

`It's probably just my hearing then, my Lady.'

`Don't, please.'

`Don't what?'

`Don't call me that.'

`Call you what?'

Honestly, Gilthoniel thought, guys are so thick. `Don't call me My Lady. Its okay once or twice, but you try having people call you “My Lady” or “Your Highness” all day long. It does get quite tiresome. And, besides, I do have a name. If you are taking me to Rivendell then you must start calling me it, otherwise I shall abandon you in the middle of the night for the wargs, do you understand me?'

`Yes, Gilthoniel,' Findiel smiled at her and Gilthoniel felt much better, as if he just made her forget all about her stupid brother and her worries about her friends on the Fellowship. `Shall we go now?'

`Yes,' Gilthoniel gave him her hand and he helped her to her feet. She looked around her and saw that everything she'd thrown across the room had been put back in its original place.

Gilthoniel picked up one of her bags and called Elendil to her. She came quickly and Gilthoniel whispered in her ear `I'm going away for a while. You stay here, alright?'

Elendil whimpered but Gilthoniel gave her an icy stare and the she-wolf jumped onto her bed and lay down, closing her eyes.

Shall we be off now, Gilthoniel?' Findiel called from the doorway.

Gilthoniel patted Elendil on the muzzle then straightened up.

`Yes, I think that's a very good idea indeed.

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