Chapter 13 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13



Gilthoniel was sitting with Galadriel one day, when she sun was shining through the trees, wishing she was dead. In two days she would be married to the one person she hated more that Fëanor, whilst the person she hated would be running around with Findiel. She needed something to happen quickly; otherwise she would have to kill herself.

She excused herself and retreated to her chambers, where Elendil lay on the bed, still, sick. Gilthoniel ran to her chest of drawers and took out a small bag. From this bag she removed a number of small bottles. From a little black bottle she poured some yellowy gold liquid into the she-wolf's mouth and stroked her throat. She knew how the she-wolf was feeling, it was as if there was a connection between them, as Gilthoniel grew more and more depressed, and Elendil's health grew worse. Gilthoniel knew that would have to get out of her marriage to Galdor some time, otherwise Elendil would die.

`What did you just do?' someone had been watching her from the door. Gilthoniel turned and saw Findiel leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest.

Gilthoniel knew there was no point in lying to him, so she told him about the day at Minas Tirath, after Aragorn had been wed to Arwen, and Gandalf had given her this bag containing several potions, and had taught her how to use them. They were supposed to save people from death or help them recover from illness. This was the first time she had ever really used them, except on herself when she was unwell or had been out in the cold for too long.

`Please don't tell anyone Findiel. I know I can trust you with my secret. Gandalf told me to only use it for emergencies and for special needs. It is forbidden magic Findiel, and no one must hear about it.' Gilthoniel said after she had told him this. He nodded and left the room.

Gilthoniel knelt on the floor next to her bed scratching Elendil's ear. That was the first time she had spoken to Findiel for a long time, and she was glad that at least they could still be friends, as they couldn't be together. But Gilthoniel knew in her heart that being friends with Findiel would never be enough to her, and it would never be the same as being with him whenever she wanted.

Gilthoniel decided to stop moping like this, and got up and looked in the mirror. She knew that most people thought she looked beautiful, and was glad about this, and the fact that her beauty would last forever. She knew that right now, that was the only thing she had, apart from her darling Elendil, but she wouldn't have her anymore either.

Gilthoniel shook her head, forced everything out of her mind and opened her wardrobe. There was a new dress in there that she hadn't worn yet, her brother Orophin had given it to her not that long ago, it was pure white and the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. She pulled it on and decided that if she was doomed to be with Galdor for the rest of her life, she should at least look beautiful for him.

In her hair she attached a dragonfly clip, keeping her hair out of her face as she sat down and got out her weave. She started weaving a piece of material and spinning into it some magic to make it glow. Eventually, she managed to get it glowing and set it onto her bedside table. She left Elendil in there, the faint light enough to illuminate the furniture dotted around Gilthoniel's chamber so if she got up she wouldn't knock into anything. Then Gilthoniel set off to find Galadriel.

As she was searching, Galdor came out of a chamber down the corridor Gilthoniel was walking down.

`Hello,' Gilthoniel smiled at him as he came towards her. She hoped he would notice that she had at least made an effort to look good for him, but no such luck. He grabbed her and said in a shaky voice. `Gilthoniel, you have got to go and do something.'

`What?' Gilthoniel detected a hint of urgency in his voice and acted fast. `What is it Galdor. Tell me what has happened. Now!'

`By the river Nimrodel, there is an emergency, someone is hurt, they sent for you.' Galdor said, as if in a state of shock.

`Who? Tell me who! Galdor! Tell me who is hurt!' Gilthoniel almost yelled at him.

`Findiel. It's Findiel. He has been shot by orcs. They need you now.' Galdor gasped and Gilthoniel ran from him, back to her chamber. She grabbed her little bag containing the potions and her bow and quiver of arrows and ran out of the as fast as she had come. Down to the stables she ran and jumped on Arvedui's back. She urged her horse into a gallop and together they hurtled towards the river Nimrodel.



Deep in the heart of the Lórien city, in Gilthoniel's chambers', the she-wolf lifted her head to the window and looking at the sky out side, took a deep breath and howled.



As she approached the river Nimrodel, Gilthoniel's heart was racing. If she didn't get there in time, what was going to happen? Could she actually save Findiel, or was it a completely lost cause? Gilthoniel didn't know the answer to these questions, and another question kept tugging at her thoughts. Had she seen this before?

Arvedui halted suddenly and Gilthoniel grabbed the saddle just in time otherwise she would have been flung over the mare's back into the wall of thorns; the reason Arvedui had halted. Gilthoniel climbed down from the saddle and ran up the thorns. She would have to cut through.

`Ah!' She yelled! This was going to take to much time, something she didn't have. She hunted around the thorns to search through a way through. Yes! She found an opening large enough for her, but not for Arvedui.

`Go back Arvedui, I have to go alone.' Gilthoniel went back to her and patted Arvedui's neck, for some reason this felt like the last goodbye between them.

As Arvedui turned and galloped back to Lórien, Gilthoniel squeezed herself through the hole in the wall of thorns. She got to the other side unscathed and her dress was still in one piece as she ran forward.

Gilthoniel breathed a sigh of relief; there was the river, and there was bridge over it. She ran over the bridge and into a small hut where a Findiel lay. Several arrows had been fired into his chest, and his breathing was slow and painful. An Fëanor 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 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 dark blue eyes. `I'll look after you.'

`Gilthoniel,' Findiel choked. `I love you.'

`Findiel, be quiet!' Gilthoniel whirled around and was relieved to see that Fëanor wasn't there. `You're married, and soon I will marry Galdor. We promised ourselves we would not fall in love with each other. Fëanor is my friend, I can't hurt her like that, and besides, I love Galdor.'

`Do you, Gilthoniel? Do you really love him? Because I don't think you do.' He said.

`Yes, I do, and there's nothing for you to make you worry and start confessing things.' Gilthoniel poured some pink liquid into a goblet of water. `Drink this, it'll lessen the pain.'

He drank and braced himself for it a bitter taste, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was quite sweet.

Gilthoniel began taking the arrows out of Findiel's body, crying inside as more blood seeped out, covered the wounds with some lavender coloured liquid and then wrapped him tightly with some make-shift bandages, made from ripped up white sheets.

`It doesn't hurt now,' Findiel said quietly.

`I put some potion on it to eliminate the pain,' Gilthoniel said, stroking his cheek.

`I feel cold.'

`I'll get you some blankets.'

`I don't mean like that.'

Gilthoniel started to worry and began pouring more potion out for him.

`It's too late for that now.' Findiel said. `Gilthoniel.' He took her hand in both of his (spilling the potion whilst doing so) and kissed it. `I love you.'

Gilthoniel's eyes turn light hazel and filled with tears, and she stopped refusing and started kissing him. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. Then his arms went limp and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Gilthoniel rested her head on Findiel's breathless chest and closed her eyes and wept, not caring that his blood was soaking her hair and face. Eventually, she stood and walked out of the hut, Findiel's blood dripping from her hair onto her white dress and smeared across her face.

Fëanor looked up and gasped.

`I couldn't save him!' Gilthoniel let herself fall down onto the grassy riverbank. `I wasn't strong enough to save him!'

She broke down into sobs and Fëanor came and put her arm around her.

`I wish I could have told him how much I loved him,' Fëanor said, silent tears pouring down her face.

Gilthoniel sat up and stared at her. This stupid woman. She was there when he died; she didn't know what his last words had been.

Fëanor looked into her eyes and saw that they were now dark hazel with rage and sorrow. Small sparks of lighting flew of her clothes and Fëanor etched away from her.

`So do I,' Gilthoniel whispered.

Gilthoniel picked up her bow and walked in the direction Rumil and Halibrien were firing their arrows. She fired an arrow, replaced it by another one, and fired again, and again, and again. She didn't care where they went; she just shot them at whatever moved.

Then it came, whizzing through the air, an orc had fired an arrow and it plunged into her chest. She took a couple of steps backwards, and then fell. Rumil ran over to her and dragged her back to Halibrien. Halibrien fires more arrows but there was no point, all the orcs had gone. They'd run away, terrified of this girl elf with her bow and arrow and deadly precise aim.

Rumil bent over Gilthoniel and looked into her eyes. They slowly went from hazel to purple and she smiled.

Fëanor came running over and gasped at the sight of the blood spurting from her chest all over her white dress. Gilthoniel looked up at them all and almost laughed, but all that came out was a crocking noise before she couldn't crock anymore and coughing erupted from her throat. As she coughed, blood spurted out of her throat and splattered onto her dress, staining the little white left red

Rumil's eyes filled with tears as he watched his little sister slowly dying. She reached out a hand for his.

`Don't be sad,' Gilthoniel chocked and coughed some more. She looked her brother deep in the eye and said `I'll finally be with the man I love.'

Fëanor looked shocked and Gilthoniel attempted to laugh again. `Yes Fëanor, it was me he wanted. He loved me, he told me just before he died. Not you. He never loved you.'

Fëanor's eyes filled with tears and she ran back into the hut. Gilthoniel smiled at her brother and Halibrien. `I'll miss you. Come and see me soon.' She laughed again and the laugh turned into a coughing fit. More and more blood flowed out of her mouth and her coughing became worse. The sound of it was so terrifying, so sad, so disturbing the Rumil wanted to cover his ears rather than listen to it.

Suddenly, all was silent. Gilthoniel's eyes rolled back into her head and she ceased breathing. She was dead.



Far away, in Lórien, Elendil howled louder, as if she were in pain. Orophin ran to Gilthoniel's chamber and opened the door to see the she-wolf roll off the bed onto the floor. He ran to her side and saw blood spilling out of her mouth onto the floor. Elendil's eyes rolled back into her head, and the pain-filled, ever-suffering howl ceased.



Rumil threw his head back and screamed. He hugged Gilthoniel's body to his chest and bellowed like a wounded animal. He lifter Gilthoniel up in his arms and carried her across the bridge. He ran with her all the way back to Lórien, tears staining his cheeks, blood staining his clothes. He got to Lórien and yelled for help. Doors opened everywhere and people rushed out onto their balconies to the sad spectacle, and some people began to cry, and the sentries came and lifted Gilthoniel's lifeless body out of Rumil's arms and carried her through the city, to where Galadriel was waiting.

Tears fell down Galadriel's usually emotionless face as she saw the body of her successor, her heir, laid down before her. Moment's later, Findiel's body, which had been carried back by Halibrien, was laid next to her. Seconds after that, the body of Elendil, the once proud she-wolf, was laid on Gilthoniel's other side. Rumil and Orophin stood side-by-side, speechless, overwhelmed with sadness, as they looked at their beautiful sister being carried off by the crowd.

Fëanor stared after Findiel's body, wishing he had told her about his love for Gilthoniel, and how he had never really loved her. Galdor stood next to her, and put an awkward arm around her shoulders. He had known deep down in his heart that Gilthoniel hadn't loved him, but his heart was breaking as he watched her body disappear through the crowds.

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