𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 ― aragorn

𝟏𝟑. whispers of a shadow

With a small smile on her lips she watched as Mithlond slowly awoke. The guards made their rounds through the city, the little Elflings were playing in the courtyards before they would have to go meet with their mentors. The city was alive and vibrant, the way it had been before the Last Alliance.

One of the first things Elgarain had done when becoming Queen was to establish an art school. Most Elflings were young when they chose their craft, it was why Elves became so dedicated and skilled in their crafts. Part of her plan to heal and rebuild was to make sure the arts were not lost. Every kingdom needed warriors, healers and leaders but to truly live...Only musicians, artists, writers and singers could make sure wounds were healed and a life was well lived.

Besides setting up schools for various forms of arts, Elgarain had strengthened their borders and made sure they were well guarded against whatever evil lay beyond. In the sixty-seven years of her rule the kingdom of Lindon had been mostly at peace. This all of course with the help of the Captain of her Guard. Of the two of them, Gyda had been the only one to see war before and Elgarain had learned to listen to her strategies and knowledge about such matters. It was only because of the great warrior standing so closely by her side that Elgarain had managed to bring peace to her people at all.

Her mother had been greatly amused when she saw the bond that had been forged in Imladris between the two Elleths. They left fighting and hating each other's presence and returned as friends, maybe even more than that, sisters in arms.

Finally Elgarain understood what her father meant when he talked about knowing your brothers in battle by soul. Maybe there was more than one meeting between souls, meant for those who chose each other through the hardships that life threw at them, those who chose to stick together. She'd come to learn such bonds were just as valuable as the feelings she'd once felt for a certain human man.

She closed her eyes for a moment, forcing those memories down. When they left Imladris she'd left everything of Estel behind. Her drawings, the book of poems he'd given her saying they reminded him of her, all of it...What she couldn't leave behind though, no matter how hard she tried, were the memories. They seemed to be forever burned into her mind, impossible to let go off. She hated the nights when he returned in her dreams and she awoke with a feeling so real it was almost as if he lay beside her again. She hadn't so much as spoken his name since their return. Even if her mother guessed something had happened, she hadn't spoken with her about it. Elgarain wasn't sure she could even say his name without breaking down. And so she didn't try.

It was the price she had to pay to make sure her people had a leader worthy of their trust.

Taking a deep breath she decided it was time to return to her duties. Before she walked down the stairs however, she placed her hand on the wooden railing, smiling sadly. "I will make you proud today, Adar." Then she turned around and made her way down from the tower, greeting the guard standing by the door with a gentle smile.

She walked the path that led down the cliff and back to the city, enjoying the way the salty western wind played with her hair. It was only when she'd returned home that she realized how much she'd missed the ocean. But her joy soon disappeared when she saw an Elleth running hurriedly towards her, her white dress and black hair being messed with by the same wind Elgarain had just admired.

As the Elleth got closer Elgarain finally recognized her face, it was one of the healers from Mithlonds healing rooms. And then picked up her own pace as well. She met with her halfway across the cliff, her heart beating nervously when she saw the wide eyed look of worry on the Elleths features.

"Galwenn, what's the matter?" Elgarain questioned.

"Tarinya, the patrol you sent out to the southern border a few weeks ago have returned. They have wounded amongst them," the Elleth spoke, voice tight with worry.