"Yes. Yes, I believe we can. Follow me, please." Turning around the elleth lead them back to Galadar, the elf who had welcomed them to Rivendell. The elleth gestured them forward and told them to speak to him, that he could help them.
"Suilad, Maethien. Anoreth." Mae quickly repeated their request to the elf, using Aragorn's name like they had with the elleth.
"Aragorn?" Galadar seemed surprised but quickly recovered. "We will send men to them immediately." Sighing in relief, the sisters thanked him sincerely and bowed respectfully. The elleth then asked if they wanted to be taken to their rooms, but both instead asked to be taken to the Hobbit's room. They spent the rest of the day at Frodo's sides, caring for him and doing anything they could to make him more comfortable. Protecting him, making sure that the darkness did not threaten him again.
"Do you think he's still in pain?" Maethien asked, she had noticed that he was sweating and that his face was much too pale for comfort. Noticing the same, Ann stepped closer to Frodo and touched his forehead with a damp cloth, she looked at the half-ling with motherly concern and sighed.
"He is. I can feel it." Somehow, Anoreth could not only see his pain, but she really could feel it radiating from his body. She could feel the shadows pulling at him, feel the ache in his blood, the dark fire that traveled his veins like a poison.
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Mae asked.
"I'm not sure." Ann bit her lip and looked at Frodo, could she help him? The Valar did say she had many powers... perhaps one could help Frodo.
Have faith in yourself, little healer. You and your sisters have more power then you may think.
Anoreth smiled softly at the ceiling then looked down at Frodo. Deciding to follow Varda's suggestion she took a a slow breath and set her hand on his chest once again. Again, a pure light bloomed from her palm, Ann felt her entire body go warm and then felt that warmth slowly leave her, channeling her inner light into Frodo to help ward away the poison. She wasn't entirely sure how her healing powers worked but she knew that she had to have faith and the intense desire to help.
Maethien watched the scene before her with great interest, moments later she noticed Frodo relax into the bed, his pale face slowly began to gain more color, his fists began to unclench and settle at his sides.
"Ow." Ann grimaced, she suddenly felt a stinging sensation on both of her palms. When the light faded from her hands Ann quickly turned her hand to find the source of her pain, what the sisters saw made their eyes widen.
"It's another marking!" Mae breathed. Ann reached up to touch the mark on her forehead, her eyes on the cluster of beautiful designs adorning her free palm, in the center of both of her palms was an oddly shaped flower that the girls had never seen before. A single golden mark curled around the index finger of Ann's right hand.
"Wow." Reaching out Mae touched the markings gently and smiled at the details. "What does this mean?" Anoreth had to admit she liked the marking, it was so delicate and beautiful and they felt so warm, once the stinging faded of course.
"I don't know." Mae said as she touched her head again. "Wait. You said 'ow' just a second ago."
"Yeah. I was healing Frodo and I felt something stinging my hands," And just like that, Ann understood. "Could it be that this is a symbol of my power to heal?"
"I think so. I mean, it does make sense. You felt it just as you were healing him."
"Have you felt a sting?" Ann took Mae's hands and began to search for a tattoo, lifting her arm and examining her arms.
Maethien took a moment to think. A sting? Had she felt a sting earlier? A minute or two later a vague memory came to mind. "Well, I did feel something bother my arm on the ride here, but I just assumed Id hit myself on a branch or something. It was a pretty hectic ride." The sisters looked at each other curiously.
"Maybe-"
Just then someone walked into the room. Startled, the girls stood and turned to face the newcomer, and who they saw at the door made their jaws drop open. It was Gandalf! The Gandalf! The girls could do nothing but stare in shock, their inner nerd going absolutely crazy.
"You must be Maethien and Anoreth." Gandalf smiled at them gently, he was leaning quite heavily on his cane. The sisters tried not to grimace when they remembered exactly where Gandalf had been before he'd gotten to Rivendell.
Mae was the first to compose herself. "Yes, I am Maethien, this is my sister Ann." Glancing at Anoreth, Mae saw that she was still stunned silent. She laughed and looked at Gandalf apologetically. "Forgive her, we never imagined we would be able meet you." She explained.
"So, you know who I am?" Gandalf smiled softly and walked into the room, he sat in the chair beside Frodo's bed carefully and set his staff against the near wall, his glistening blue eyes watching the sisters wearily.
"You are the great wandering wizard, Gandalf the Grey." Maethien declared with a smile, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
"You are one of the five wizards. And-" Ann smiled mischievously. " You're famous for you're fireworks. Which I'd love to see one day." Finally back to her usual happy-go-lucky self, Annie strode over to Gandalf to examine the small wounds that remained.
"Do not worry for me, Anoreth. I'm fine." Gandalf said kindly.
"Ann, please."
"Ann." Gandalf smiled at her kindly then looked back to Frodo. "I must thank you both for caring for Frodo. It was a brave thing you girls did, risking your lives to save him." He looked upon Frodo with a warm fatherly expression that had both Anoreth and Maethien's heart's melting and their eyes tearing.
"It was our pleasure." Mae said with a smile, then she turned to fluff the pillows behind Frodo carefully. Gandalf regarded the sisters carefully, the room going silent, but not uncomfortably so. He didn't fail to notice the mark they both had on their heads.
For the next few days, the sisters and Gandalf shared a routine. Every night the sisters would depart to their rooms and Gandalf would sleep in Frodo's room, they would often try to convince him to sleep in his room to get some rest but he insisted on staying by Frodo's side. The next morning the sisters would take him some breakfast, then the three would sit together and spend their time speaking about whatever came to mind while they looked after Frodo. At first, Maethien couldn't really believe it. She was actually in Rivendell taking Gandalf the Grey food in the morning... It felt unreal! She quickly got over it though, and the sisters truly enjoyed spending time with their new old friend.
On the third day, while the three were enjoying the breezy morning, Sam, Merry, and Pippin charged into the room frantically. "Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried out at the sight of his dear friend lying still in the bed, already he looked on the verge of tears.
"Do not worry, Samwise. Frodo will be alright. He is in good hands here." Gandalf said kindly and smiled at the sisters appreciatively, a sparkle in his eyes. Mae and Annie smiled in return at the old wizard and then turned to look at the door just as Aragorn and Saeleth came into the room. Their hearts soared with joy and relief at the sight of their sister.
"Elle!" The sisters cried out. Ann instantly launched herself at her sister, Mae not far behind her. Elle smiled and laughed as she was crushed between her two sisters. She was so happy to see them, she didn't mind that they were hugging the air right out of her.
"Thank goodness you're alright." Maethien breathed. The sisters held on a little longer before stepping away from each other, only their hands remained linked.
"I'm- Ann! Your hands!" Saeleth gawked at her sisters palm, lifting it closer to her face to examine the tattoo gleaming softly.
"You have one too!" Mae stared at the intricate marking on her forehead, Elle's mark had extended and now reached her right temple then curled down to adorn her cheekbone. It seemed that all three had gained new markings, but they still weren't really sure as to what they could mean.
"What is it?" Elle touched her face and looked at her sisters with wide eyes.
"Oh, its pretty, don't worry." Ann said reassuringly, thinking that she ac
tually liked the way it framed her eyes.
"Have you found out anything about them?"
"We think they may be symbols of the powers the Valar gifted us." Mae told her sister. Saeleth nodded slowly, her brows furrowing in concentration, already many theories and ideas were running amok in her mind.
"I am glad you are well." The voice came from behind Mae. She turned, and found herself face to face with Aragorn.
"Thank you. I am glad you are well, too." Mae said with a small smile. Now that they were in daylight, Mae could actually see the Ranger's features quite well. He looked... like a man who knew the struggles of living by the day. His bronzed skin and worn clothing evidence of his travels in the sunlight. Beautiful blue eyes gleamed brightly against a handsomely rugged... and yet also refined face. Mae knew, without a doubt, that Aragorn was both a true warrior and a destined king.
The two looked at each other for a long moment.
"Is he really going to be alright?" Sam asked, his beautiful blue eyes looking to Gandalf pleadingly. Aragorn and Mae looked away from each other and turned to look at the Hobbits.
"He is, Sam." Gandalf promised softly, smiling warmly at the worried half-ling. Wanting to comfort her worried little friend, Anoreth went to sit by Sam and began to explain to him how he was still asleep because his body was tired and in need of rest. Seemingly unsatisfied with that answer, Sam asked some more questions and Ann sat by his side trying her best to assure him that Frodo's sleeping was his body trying to heal him.
While Anoreth played doctor with Sam, Saeleth was standing by the balcony in the room talking eagerly with Gandalf. It wasn't long before Pippin and Merry- who had grown very fond of Elle- joined them and interrupted their relaxed conversation. It seemed that dear Pippin managed to aggravate the old wizard simply by being present. Elle couldn't help but laugh at their odd but sweet relationship.
Maethien watched from a far corner of the room as her sister's spent their time among their new friends and new surroundings, it was apparent that all three of them had welcomed this world with open arms. They had adapted so quickly, it was almost as if they had always been there. Unaware that she was being watched, Mae smiled to herself, her eyes sparkling with warmth. Shaking off her thoughts, Mae looked up and found herself the attention of a very silent Ranger.
"You seem deep in thought." Aragorn commented quietly, Mae smiled at him and breathed out a sigh.
"I suppose I was. I was thinking of my sisters and myself, and of how... at home we feel." She answered honestly, giving Aragorn a bemused smile. The Ranger did not get a chance to respond. Just then Merry and Pippin began to wrestle at the foot of the bed, it was playful but they still caused quite a ruckus. The elves heard the laughter and chaos and came in to check on Frodo, when they realized how crowded the room had become they herded everyone- save for Gandalf and Sam- to their rooms.
With not much of a choice, the sisters hurried into Mae's room to catch up and discuss their newly acquired markings. Mae had also found that a marking had appeared on her upper left arm, a unique design that curled and slashed beautifully. They had a feeling that they would soon acquire many more.
"Oh, good." Saeleth said with relief when she found the many gowns in Mae's room, the marking discussion temporarily forgotten. "I need to get out of these clothes." She'd spent the last three days in the same clothes and now that she had access to clean ones, she was not about to reject them.
"You could take a bath if you'd like. The hot springs are just through there." Elle disappeared into the adjoining room before Mae could even blink. Mae and Ann laughed at their sister's enthusiasm and decided to relax on the bed where they could still hear her as they talked.
"So, what happened on your journey here?" Elle called out to her sisters as she slowly slipped into the warm water, a shiver of pleasure going up her spine.
Ohhh, that feels good!
"Oh! You'll never guess what Mae did!" Ann called back eagerly.
"What?"
"I did the river enchantment!" Maethien responded, smiling wide at the memory. She would never be able to forget how utterly epic the experience had been. She'd felt so powerful and and amazing!
"No way! Did the water form into horses like in the film?" Elle called out, sounding just as excited as the other two.
"Yes!"
"Oh, I would have loved to see that!" The girls soon went into a detailed discussion of each other's journeys. Elle assured them that once they had left with Frodo, the Wraith's had completely ignored them and they had had a very quiet journey to Rivendell.
"Aragorn is just as... intense as he was in the film, and Merry and Pippin are an absolute riot." Elle laughed aloud as she secured the long sash around the waist of her long dress, the sleeves were long and flowy, the material silky soft, and the dress a sapphire blue. Leaving her hair loose she walked back into the room with her sisters feeling satisfied and completely refreshed.
"Well, don't you look pretty." Mae commented from her place on the bed. She herself still couldn't get over how silky smooth the dresses felt on her skin. She loved it!
"Thanks." Elle winked at her sister and bowed elegantly, teasingly. When she rose, her cheery expression had changed into one of determination. "Now, we need to get to the library." With that said she walked right out of the room, leaving her sisters to stare after her with wide puzzled eyes.
Mae and Ann had had run to catch up with her.
"Elle, you just got here and you're already thinking about books?" Ann said dubiously as she followed her sister down the stairs. Saeleth laughed and gave her Ann an amused look.
"Ann, its the Rivendell library." She said in a matter-of-factly manner, as if that explained everything.
"So?" Saeleth rolled her eyes and chuckled, she stopped walking and turned to face her sisters. Apparently, they weren't quite catching her drift.
"If there is one place on Middle-Earth where we can get answers about these markings, its here." Mae looked at Saeleth with a huge smile, realization bringing a wide smile to her lips.
"Way to go Elle!"
The library was incredible! Saeleth nearly had a heart attack when she looked upon the endless rows of books. She'd never seen so many books in all her life! She felt like Belle when she'd seen the Beast's library, except this one, in Elle's opinion, was much more colossal.
"Let's find a book keeper." Saeleth couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the army of huge shelves. Mae and Ann looked a each other and rolled their eyes, a smile on both of their faces. They knew how much Elle loved books and so they both had to grab onto her arms and drag her away, the second the book keeper looked at them he knew exactly what it was they were searching for. He turned and asked the three sisters to follow him. Saeleth, who had awaken from her trance, eagerly followed after him and waited as he brought out a very big and thick book. It looked like an antique. Mae and Ann giggled as she took the the book from the elf gently, holding it as if she were taking a delicate and precious treasure into her hands.
"Thank you." She said to the elf, he nodded and asked them to be gentle with the book before leaving them alone. Elle set the book down on a near by table carefully and opened it up, instantly her eyes began to scan the pages at impossible speeds. Her sisters peeked over her shoulder curiously. Mae could read the language but Ann was at a complete loss, she watched impatiently as Maethien and Saeleth both read he pages, their emotions varying from confusion to amazement.
"Hello?! I'm dying over here. What does it say?!" Anoreth finally exploded and jumped up and down in place impatiently. She wanted to know what these marks meant to!
"Well, basically it says that these markings are marks of the Valar. They are placed on a very precious few who are chosen by them." Elle paused a moment and blinked in surprise. "Hmm. It says that this marking," Saeleth pointed to the one curling on her forehead like a circlet, the only identical one that they had so far. "Is only known to be placed on the children of the Valar."
"Really?"
Ann's eyes rounded, she leaned closer and looked at the book as Elle turned another page. Her eyes scanning the sketches rather than the words.
"Mm-hm. It says each mark is known to have a different meaning, like his one," Saeleth pointed at a marking on the page of five uniquely placed arrows, each arrow had a different shaped arrow head and a different fletching design. "This one means that the one marked is a gifted hunter or huntress and is blessed by Oromë, the Valar of the Hunt."
"That's beautiful." Maethien touched the page gently, her fingers tracing the arrows. Elle turned the page and Mae blinked in surprise at the marking she saw. It was one of a snake curled around a broken sword. Wanting to know what the marking meant, Mae quickly began to read
"Some marking though aren't placed because of the good qualities the one marked has." Elle's brows had furrowed and she was looking at the page very seriously, Ann noticed that Mae had a very similarly conflicted expression.
"Some marking are placed to mark a cursed one. One who has done something unforgivable, unspeakable. This ones means that you have betrayed those whom you loved most." The girls stared at the marking in silence for a long moment. Ann shuddered and asked Elle to turn the page.
"Let's find ours." She suggested and eagerly started scanning the drawn out markings."Oh, there mine!" After a few pages, Anoreth pointed at the marking she had on her palms and eagerly asked Elle to translate.
"What does it mean?" She asked, internally hoping that it didn't mean anything bad.
"I means Estë has blessed you with the gift of a healer." Ann smiled wide and met Elle's gaze with warm excitement. " You're a healer, Ann. A very powerful one at that. Your mark covers your entire palm and your finger, apparently most healers are only bestowed with the flower." Saeleth smiled at Anoreth's elated expression.
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