Far Horizons 6 – Late           

‘Where are they?’ Celeborn asked in considerable irritation.  ‘Did Celebrian say anything to you, Elrond?’

The stars gleamed in the clear sky and the breeze stirred his silver hair as he leaned over the balcony to gaze across the wide expanse of garden.

‘She is not in any danger,’ Elrond replied.  ‘I know she is not concerned, but that is all. Can you not speak to Galadriel?’

‘Did Naneth not say what she was going to do today?’ Elladan was pacing impatiently.

Elrond shook his head.  ‘I do not believe I asked her,’ he said simply. ‘We were too absorbed in our plans to ask Celebrian and Galadriel how they intended to spend their time.’

‘If my wife is doing this on purpose,’ Celeborn said, his voice hard, ‘I will not be pleased.’

Elrohir looked startled.  ‘Would she?  It does not sound like Daernaneth!’

‘She is closed to me – I cannot think why that would be, unless she is wanting to make me worry about her.’

Elrond turned suddenly and headed for the stairs, arriving at the door just as it opened to let in two rather dishevelled ladies, hair escaping from long braids and clothes showing evidence of a swift journey.  ‘Where have you been?’ he snapped, grabbing his wife’s arm and giving it a shake.

‘Riding,’ Celebrian answered succinctly.  She looked at him thoughtfully and leant over to kiss his cheek. ‘We are all right, my husband,’ she told him.  ‘We were delayed, that it all.  Just let us go and change and we will tell you all about it.’

Celeborn stood half-way down the stairs, frozen in place and silent, staring at the two arrivals.  Galadriel winced. Even from a distance, even with her barriers up, she could feel the anger that radiated from him.  She had more than a feeling that news of the way in which she and her daughter had spent the afternoon was only going to exacerbate that rage.  She sighed.  There was little point in putting off the inevitable.

‘We will change later, my daughter,’ she said.  ‘Let us remove to somewhere rather more private and we will confess our doings.’

***

‘You did what?’ Elrond dropped the words into the shocked silence, his voice incredulous.

‘We tracked them through the canopy,’ Celebrian said reasonably.  ‘It was not difficult – they had no awareness of anything that was happening around them. We took every care, Elrond.  We did not follow them closely, we did not approach them, we waited until they had long gone before we withdrew from the wood.’

‘We needed to know more,’ Galadriel added. ‘We had heard enough to be aware that their words might be useful – we had two names, but it seemed a good chance to find out some additional information.’

‘And what did you discover?’ Celeborn sounded so serene that his wife looked at him sharply.  Only when he was very angry did he appear quite so untouched.  Half considering what would compose him, she also felt her own annoyance increasing.  Anyone would think that she was incapable of looking after herself. Perhaps it was time to remind her husband of her abilities and experience.

‘That they are fools,’ Galadriel said simply. ‘Their reaction is worrying – I do not care for their hostility to the idea of our developing new realms and I am not surprised that they wish to react with childish efforts at opposition, but they are not people I would expect to do more than sulk and throw tantrums.  I think it suggests that those with more intelligence are leading them by the nose.’

‘That,’ said Elrond coolly, ‘is not a report: it is a conclusion.’

His naneth-in-law glanced at him sharply and sighed to herself.  She hoped that her daughter was better at soothing Elrond than she was likely to be at placating Celeborn.  The evening was turning out to be quite uncomfortable, and she was growing tired of being censured for taking advantage of a chance that would be to their benefit. 

‘We waited until they were on the edge of hearing,’ she said patiently, ‘and then we asked the trees to let us pass as silently as possible to the place where they were gathered.  You know how good Celebrian is,’ she told her husband, ‘and I would not have continued had I not been certain that it was safe.  We only went as far as we had to in order to observe the group and hear the conversation – that was a good distance away, for they appeared to have little idea of concealment.  We listened to what they said and noted their names and faces.  When they left, we made no attempt to follow them and we did not leave until we could sense that all of them had gone. Then we returned to our horses – still travelling through the trees and made a point of quietly side-tracking several miles, so that it did not look as if we were returning from the wood.’

‘They said little that was any more illuminating than their first comments,’ Celebrian added.  ‘They were angry at what appeared to them to be favouritism and they want to stir up discontent among their friends, but I felt that, for some of them, that would normally mean little more than not inviting us to parties.  Some of them might get into fights when they have had too much wine, but – ,’ she hesitated, ‘they seemed to be working each other up into a more concerted opposition. They were quite vocal about what they would like to do.’

‘Not they, really,’ Galadriel observed. ‘Their strings were being pulled – quite cleverly, I thought – by the quietest one.  Minastan, the loud one called him.  But I do not think it is his true name.’

‘I am not happy,’ Elladan said tightly, ‘about your putting yourselves in a situation where you were at risk.’

‘I know it is not fair,’ Elrohir chimed in, ‘and that you are both formidable, but there it is!’

‘Oh, come now,’ Celebrian announced flatly.  ‘This is becoming ridiculous.  Anyone would think you were men, keeping your womenfolk out of sight and out of their business! We are both perfectly capable of looking after ourselves in a situation like this. They were elves, not orcs,’ she added deliberately.   She let the horrified silence hang briefly, then, before anyone replied, she went on, ‘If they had found us there, what would they have been able to do?  Nothing – we would have walked away untouched.  If you, my sons, had found these fools and followed them, you would be delighted with your own cleverness – and yet your danger would have been greater than ours.  You,’ she turned to Elrond and her adar, ‘would have been pleased to receive the information they brought, rather than standing there as if you were about to explode like Mithrandir’s fireworks.’

Galadriel looked at her daughter and reflected how astonishing it was, that even after centuries of thinking that you knew people inside out, they still had the power to surprise you.

‘You can talk in generalities until Ithil turns green,’ Elrond said, ‘but that does not change the fact that I never wish to see you in a position where you could be hurt.  I could not endure it again.’

Celebrian’s eyes softened as she took in the shadows in her husband’s face.  She took his hand and pressed it to her cheek.  ‘You cannot keep me in a glass case,’ she told him.  ‘I am more sorry for the injuries my wounding caused you and my family than I am for any suffering it caused me, but I cannot consent to being so protected that I cannot breathe.’

He drew her close and folded her in his arms, knowing that she felt him tremble beneath his enveloping robes, willing for her to know that she was both his strength and his weakness.  She held him warmly, offering comfort, but holding her own.

‘We only want to look after you, Naneth,’ Elrohir said softly.

‘I know, my loves,’ she said, stretching an arm towards him to invite her sons to join the embrace, ‘but you cannot diminish me in an attempt to keep me safe.’

Galadriel tilted her head to glance at her husband and was relieved to see that his fury seemed to have faded as he watched his daughter.  ‘And yet,’ she said reluctantly, unwilling to re-ignite the fire, ‘you cannot guarantee that elves will behave well just because they are elves.  I have known those whose desires overrode the principles they had been taught – and there is something about this that makes me uneasy.’

‘And that is – ?’ Celeborn prodded, turning thoughtful eyes on to her.

She relaxed, deciding that perhaps the battle had been averted, ‘It is being managed,’ she said. ‘I can see no reason for it.  Who would stand to gain if there is a public outcry about the grant of land?  Nobody. The Sindar will blame the Noldor and the Noldor will insult the Moriquendi.  There will be unpleasantness on the training fields and spiteful words at tea parties – but it should change nothing.’

Celeborn turned the desk chair round and sat, resting his elbows on the arms and steepling his long fingers.  ‘Where do we start to look?’ he asked. 

‘Some of them wore bright blue with scarlet trimmings,’ his daughter told him as she pulled her husband down beside her on the sofa, holding his hand firmly.  ‘At first we just thought it was a fashion, but it may have been more than that.’

‘Oh, them,’ Elladan commented disparagingly.   ‘They cannot shoot straight or wield blades better than novices, yet they look on themselves as a Valar-chosen militia of the oldest families.  I think they believe that their ancestry will protect them.’

‘Artamir’s sons are among them, are they not?’ Elrohir enquired.

‘And he is little better than they are,’ his brother sniffed.

‘I wonder,’ Galadriel mused, unbinding her hair and running her fingers through the shimmering waterfall, ‘if the time has come for you to spend rather more time visiting my adar.  He has scarcely seen your wives and children – this could be a good moment for you to get to know more of my kin.  And Legolas should really take his little ones to spend some months with Elerrina’s family.  It would be a good opportunity for you all to get to know who thinks what.’

There was a hollow silence.

‘You wanted to take a more active role in organising our migration,’ Celeborn remarked.  ‘This could be very useful.’

‘But the troublemakers are here,’ Elrohir pointed out.  ‘I cannot see that a formal visit to your adar’s court would help us to discover much about what is going on in the minds of the disaffected young.’

‘I suppose not,’ his daeradar considered. ‘Perhaps, then, you should both spend more time on the training grounds first and see what you can observe.  Perhaps Miriwen and Sirithiel would consider widening their social circle – and keeping their ears open.’

‘Elerrina,’ suggested Galadriel.  ‘She would be even better.’

‘They are a little suspicious of her,’ Elladan remarked, ‘but their eyes suggest they can see why she chose our pretty princeling.  She could easily convince them that she is not too happy about what is going on.’

In his seat beside his wife, Elrond allowed a smile to spread across his face as he turned his head towards his adar-in-law.

‘What is it?’ Celeborn was aware of a deep foreboding.

‘My sons are not the right ones to go to see Finarfin,’ Elrond informed him with amusement.  ‘They are right – they will be better here.  It might work if Celebrian and I were to visit, but I do not think we would gain the maximum advantage.  No, Celeborn, there is no doubt about it – I am afraid it is you who should go.’

***

‘I have regained control of my temper,’ Celeborn stated as he watched his wife brushing out the gleaming satin of her hair.

‘Good.’

He took the brush from her and slid it through the long locks.  Galadriel closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the intimacy of the gesture.

‘Although I do not see why you felt the need to close yourself off from me so completely that I could feel no connection,’ he added.

‘Do you not?’ she asked in surprise.  ‘I admit I have little experience in spying – but I thought it best to be as quiet as possible, to turn my power inward to have the least chance that any among them could sense my presence.  I just forgot, once we were away from there, to reach for you.’

‘I suppose,’ he admitted reluctantly, ‘that is fairly reasonable.’

‘Oh, my love,’ she laughed, turning to face him, ‘have I robbed you of your reason to be cross with me?  You can shout at me if you wish.’

He touched her cheek, brushing strands of hair back.   ‘I know you are indomitable, my lady, but I do not want you exposed to risk. I do not wish my daughter to place herself in the way of further harm.’

Her fingers traced the fine line of an old scar that she knew lay beneath his tunic.  ‘I know,’ she said simply, ‘but we do what we must.  It is no different when it is you, or my grandsons, or my daughter’s husband.’

His hand caught hers, crushing her fingers in his tense grip.  ‘It is to me,’ he said.

‘We have stood side by side before, my love,’ she told him with firm sympathy.  ‘And I would have it no other way.  Let us not waste this time re-fighting old battles.’

‘Perhaps I can think of alternatives,’ he said, then sighed.  ‘I wish Elrond had not thought of sending me to visit your adar,’ he added.  ‘I can see the point, but I am reluctant nonetheless.  There is too much going on here.’

‘I would like you to know him better,’ Galadriel told him, leaning closer and placing her hand on his chest. ‘Even though you have an ulterior motive.  And you will like my naneth.’

‘Are you coming with me?’ he asked. 

She looked surprised. ‘Are you not assuming that I will?’

He kissed her gently.  ‘My lady,’ he reminded her, ‘I would not make so bold.  As you keep telling me – you are your own person.  Our paths travel together, but you make your own decisions.’

‘Sometimes,’ she sighed, ‘you remind me at the most inconvenient moments of things I have said. I will walk this path with you, my love, wherever it might lead.’

***

The brothers were not surprised to find their wives sitting together, comforting a wakeful elfling.  Nor were they surprised to find that they were a great deal more aware than either of them had been of nature of the troubles bubbling under the surface of the serene city.

‘It is not so much the land,’ Sirithiel said earnestly, ‘for I truly believe that most here would be horrified at the idea of being taken away from what they know and love – and most of those who have spoken to me find the dissidents a real irritation, but they say that the problems arise because they are bored.  This is not the first time something like this has happened.’

‘So how were they entertained last time?’ Elladan asked sarcastically.  ‘Parties? Tumblers?  A treasure hunt?’

‘A tournament, I believe,’ Miriwen told him.  ‘But I do not believe that would be very helpful now, since it is the treasure hunt that they feel they are missing.’   She stopped swaying on the rocking chair, looking down at the flushed pink face of her sleeping son.  ‘I think the most helpful thing would be to open up the exploration to anyone who is prepared to go.  If these mischief makers can learn to endure the hardships necessary to find a place in the new lands, then they will deserve to join us, and if they feel the need to run home to their parents, then they cannot begrudge us a life which they could not tolerate.’

‘By not excluding any, we give them nothing to resent,’ mused Elrohir.  ‘That could be the very simplest solution of all.  You could be right, Miriwen.  Now all we have to do is convince our elders.’