Boromir and the elf maiden

Arariel stood alongside Lady Galadriel as they awaited the arrival of the fellowship. Lady Galadriel turned to her, 'You know what you must do?' She nodded her head, 'Yes.' She seemed a little out of place amongst the sea of blonde hair, her dark locks marking her out as different.

Her gown was a flowing mass of green and she seemed elegant and graceful, yet she itched to put on her hunting garb and join the forces on the northern boarder. Orcs roamed there and she wanted to hunt them so.

She looked out at the entrance to the hall high in the Mallorn tree and waited. At last she saw a familiar blonde headed figure arrive, she would have recognised his gait anywhere. She bowed her head to the fellowship as it emerged and to Haldir, her friend.

He came and stood next to her, looks passing between them, he too wished to be on the boarders yet here he was guarding this disparate band of travellers. She let her eyes travel over each of the companions as Lady Galadriel spoke, something strange was in the air, Arariel could sense it as she watched.

The small folk seemed out of place and she knew one of them carried the ring of power. Aragorn she recognised from his many visits to this land, her eyes lingered briefly over the Elven prince from Mirkwood and then down to the dwarf, she had never seen one inside the woods of Lothlorien before, and then at last to the centre of her task, its purpose, the man of Gondor. She regarded him taking in each minute detail.

Then suddenly the spell was broken and the meeting was finished, Haldir was walking with them back down the staircase that spiralled round the tree, as he went she felt the gaze of the man pass over her and she turned allowing him to see her. Then he was gone.

Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel looked at her each with a gaze of love, 'The darkness already runs within his veins. You cannot turn him from that path but perhaps you can find the goodness I see within.' Lady Galadriel looked at her charge as she spoke, 'We know you will succeed, but be warned my child you will never see him once he departs Lorien though you too are destined to leave.'

Arariel bowed her head once more, 'I understand,' in truth she only partly grasped what she was being asked to do but out of love, trust and loyalty she would have followed them both to Mount Doom had they asked her.

She looked down the staircase intrigued by the human and her task. She had had little contact with humans except for her occasional visits to Rivendell to see her father, where she saw Rangers, and Aragorn whom she sometimes forgot was a human. With one final look at her Lord and Lady she turned and started down the staircase.

At last she stood at the bottom and saw the fellowship make its was to their resting place in Lorien. She could see the back of the human and watched him walk away from her. She set her shoulders and walked in a direction of her own, finding herself in a spot where she and Haldir often spent time together.

She stood for what seemed to be only the blink of an eye when her friend appeared next to her. 'I do not even you your task my friend.' Arariel nodded her head, 'I was chosen for a reason, we both know this.' Haldir stood still as a rock. 'I return to the Northern boarders with more of our folk. Orcs have been seen entering our lands, we can not allow this.' She laid a hand on his arm, 'I will join you soon.' He gripped her hand in return, 'Be wary of the human,' He looked at her with an expression only she understood, 'I will.' With that Haldir turned and walked swiftly away, the boarders calling him.

Galadriel and Celeborn watched the pair from high above, 'That union was never destined no matter how much we wanted it.' Celeborn said to her. She smiled serenely, 'Our charge has another destiny but she will be with him when his end comes. Friendship without bounds.'