Journey’s End
Chapter 3
Many Meetings
***Dream***
I was vaguely aware that I was dreaming, and I was also vaguely aware that this dream was a memory. I was seven again, lying in my bed in Rivendell. There was darkness all around me. I felt strangely calm, until all at once, a flash of lightning illuminated my bedroom and a huge rumble of thunder rolled towards me. I shook in fear and held back a scream, shrinking back under the sheets. I stayed there, frozen in terror, until the next rumble of thunder. I sprang from the bed and sprinted from the room. I dashed barefoot down the dark, deserted hallway, my white nightgown fluttering as I ran. I sped up as another flash of lightning lit the hallway, finally reaching the door I had been looking for. I knocked softly, flinching as a crash of thunder seemed to shake the whole building.
“Who is it?” A voice called from inside.
“Estel it’s me, please let me in!” I cried, tears of fear beginning to roll down my cheeks. The door opened and a sleepy-looking Estel stood staring at me.
“Rana? What’s the matter?” He mumbled. I flinched as lightning flashed in the room behind him. “Here, come in.” He murmured, rubbing his eyes and ushering me into the room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he pulled me into a tight hug. It had been two months since my father died, and Estel and I had been growing closer ever since. “Are you afraid of the storm?” He whispered as I buried my head in his chest. I nodded slowly and he sighed. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, I’ll show you.” He gently released me from his embrace and took my hand, leading me over to the balcony on one side of the room. I shied away from the rain that fell heavily onto the floor and then ran over the edge of the balcony, onto the ground below. He pulled several blankets off his bed and sat me down on the floor, not far from where the rain fell. He sat down beside me and wrapped the blankets around the both of us. I pressed myself against his warm body and instantly felt safer as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders.
“Look.” He whispered, pointing to where a bolt of lightning struck the courtyard, closely followed by a rumble of thunder. I huddled a little closer to him, but still watched in fascination. “You’re safe in here, there’s no need to be scared of a storm.”
I nodded and smiled a little.
“Hannon le…” I murmured drowsily in my newly-learned Elvish, wiping the tears from my face. I didn’t know why I had been afraid, but somehow, after sitting down and watching the storm with Estel, I no longer felt frightened. It was almost nice to sit here with him, knowing I was safe. I yawned and let my head drop onto his shoulder. Through my closed eyelids I could see the flashes of lightning, and hear the low rumbles of the thunder, but they were becoming less frequent, and sounded further away.
“The storm is passing.” Estel whispered, but I barely heard him as I drifted off to sleep.
***Back to Reality***
I yawned and rolled over, blinking in the morning sun. It had been late when Aragorn and I had finished talking last night, so I had slept late. Yawning again, I scrambled out of my bed and stretched. I hoped Frodo would be awake today; I was impatient for the council to be held. Walking over to my desk I found my jug of water had been refilled, and beside it my clothes were laid, folded and clean. I smiled and splashed my face with the cold water to wake myself up, before stepping out onto the balcony of my room. My balcony did not look down onto the courtyard, but instead onto a part of Rivendell that served as an orchard. It was a part of the forest where fruit trees grew wild, and a small stream wound its way through the trees. I looked down and saw a figure walking along the edge of the steam. It was unmistakeably the Lady Arwen.
