The Price of Pride

Elvish translations

Ada – father
Hannon lle – thank you
Ion – son
Kamelo a’ amin – make love to me
Lle creoso – you’re welcome
Mae govannen – well met
Maer – good
Melethron – lover (male)
Mellyn – friends
Mir nín – my treasure
Peredhil – half-Elves
Uma – yes


Chapter 21


Elrond finally allowed Arwen and the twins to go to their mother. Arwen pleaded with me to accompany her and for the first time, I denied her. “I am not family, Arwen. She will not want me to see her in the state she is in. Go to her. I will be here when you return.”

I waited, as promised, enfolding Arwen in my arms when she returned from visiting her mother.

“How is she?” I asked, though I feared I knew the answer.

“Ada says her wounds will heal, but I felt such sadness when I looked at her, as if she could not bear to be here with us.”

“Her ordeal has only just ended,” I said. “It may take her time to recover.”

“And she may not recover at all!” Arwen shouted. “Why? Why did this have to happen? Do the Valar hate us so?” She began to cry.

I rocked Arwen as she sobbed in my arms. “This is not the work of the Valar and you know it, mir nín. It is the work of the Shadow. I do not know why it happened. I only know that we must fight. The Shadow only wins if we give up hope.”

Looking back, I see that those were prophetic words indeed, but at the time, I hoped only that my words would comfort Arwen. They were cold comfort indeed. Her mother was fading and there was nothing any of us could do about it. Within a few months, a year at the most, she would depart for Valinor, or she would die. “Arwen, listen to me,” I ordered. “You cannot change what has happened, and you cannot control what will happen. You must make the most of every day now. You must spend as much time as you can with your mother, storing up precious memories in case she leaves.” I did not suggest that she accompany her mother. Arwen still had a role to play in Arda if Elrond’s vision was correct. Nor did I want to lose my beloved.

Arwen took my advice, visiting her mother often, coming to me for comfort and strength when those visits took their toll on I I knew that the twins visited their mother from time to time as well, for I could see the anger and grief growing within them. I lost count of the times I heard them arguing about what to do, Elladan railing against fate, Elrohir in tears at the thought of losing his mother. One day, it became too much for them to bear.

“Legolas!” Arwen cried, running into the room we still shared. “My brothers are leaving. They are going hunting, they say, but I know they are goafteafter Orcs. They are in no frame of mind to be careful. Please, go with them. Take care of them for me. I am already losing my mother. I could not stand to lose them, too.”

“Calm down,” I told her. “When are they leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning, they said. Ada tried to dissuade them, but they would not listen. I am scared, Legolas. There is such recklessness in them. I fear they will be killed.

“I will go with them, but I alone will be little protection. We need more help. Where is Erestor?”

“Erestor? Why do you need to talk with him? He is no longer a warrior.”

“True, but he can farspeak my father, who is a warrior, who has warriors at his command, and who will not want anything untoward to happen to his only son.”

“My brothers…”

“Will never know. Trust me, Arwen. With a little help from my father and Erestor, we will keep your brothers safe until this rage for revenge leaves them. Now, where is Erestor?”

We found Erestor, predictably, in his study. We did not expect to find Glorfindel, but maybe he, too, would be able to help us. I outlined my plan to the two Elf-lords. Erestor was hesitant to involve my father without Elrond’s knowledge and consent, but Glorfindel persuaded him.

“As long as Celebrian is afraid, Elrond will not send any soldiers from Imladris, but losing his sons would probably kill him. If Thranduil is willing to help, we can use that later as proof of his goodwill when we tell Elrond what we have done. It is a good plan, Erestor. Act on it.”

Erestor’s eyes took on the vacant look that indicated farspeaking. A few moments later, I heard my father’s voice in my head.

‘What trouble have you been stirring up in Imladris, ion, that Elrond’s chief advisor should farspeak me?’ my father asked teasingly.

‘None, Ada. We need your help. Celebrian was attacked by Orcs. The twins rescued her, but their rage is consuming them. They leave tomorrow to hunt. I am going with them, but I will no eno enough to keep them safe should we come upon a large pack. The twins have no restraint left. They will attack no matter the odds. Elrond has tried to convince them to stay in Imladris, to no avail. I hoped you would send a small patrol to watch our backs, from afar, and to keep the packs we encounter small enough for the three of us. I know it is a complicated plan, but they have their pride.’

‘And you love their sister enough to want them to keep it. Very well, las.las. Steer the twins toward Mirkwood. I will send a patrol to meet you. It will be up to you to coordinate with them without the Peredhil knowing.’

‘I will find a way. Hannon lle, Ada.’

‘Lle creoso, ion nín. Be safe’

When I felt his mind leave mine, I turned to the others in the room. “He will help.”

“Maer,” Glorfindel said. “What do you need for the hunt?”

“I have my weapons, but I will need food, a bedroll, supplies. Fanya brought me here without stopping.”

“Will you need a mount?” Glorfindel asked, knowing Fanya’s nature.

“I must ask Fanya. He is my father’s horse and only brought me here because my father asked it. I do not know if he will carry me anywhere other than home.”

“We will make arrangements for whatever you need. Just bring the twins home safely,” Erestor said.

“Nothing will happen to them on this hunt while I live,” I promised. Arwen went with me to the stables to talk to Fanya. It turned out that my father had asked Fanya to bear me wherever I needed to go. He would take me hunting with the twins. Now to tell the twins that I was going with them.

As expected, I found them in their mother’s garden. Though visiting their mother was painful for them, her garden gave them peace. “Mae govannen,” I said, as I joined them. “Arwen tells me you are riding out tomorrow.”

“Uma,” Elladan answered. “We cannot stay here and watch Amme fade.” Just those words were enough to tear a small sob from Elrohir. “Orcs will pay for what they did to her.”

I knew it was pointless, but I made one last effort to convince them to stay. “You do understand that even if you killed every Orc in Arda, it would still not save her.”

The twin glares directed my way told me that my interference was unwelcome.

“I will not try to stop you,” I assured them, “but I will come with you. Let me watch your backs, mellyn, for you are in no state to watch each other.”

They agreed, though reluctantly. “We ride early and long,” Elladan told me.

“I will be ready.”

I left them, then, as I could tell that they wanted to talk. I returned to Arwen’s rooms. I needed to talk to her.

“Will they let you go with them?” she asked as soon as I came in.

“Uma. They agreed. We ride at first light.”

She moved into my arms, hugging me tight. “Hannon lle, melethron,” she whispered against my chest.

“Lle creoso,” I replied, kissing her temple. She turned into my lips, capturing my mouth with hers. I had held her every night since arriving in Imladris, comforting and consoling, but I had not pressed her to make love out of respect for her grief. This was the first passionate kiss we had shared. I started to pull away, not wanting to press Arwen under the circumstances, but she tightened her grip. “Kamelo a’ amin,” she pleaded. e mee me feel alive again.”