May it Be | THE LORD OF THE RINGS 🖋

.12. Gilraen's Memorial

Just a quick short chapter because I want to try and update ever every Friday but seeing as I've already started on the next chapter as well, I'll try and get it up by the end of day!

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Aragorn's P.O.V

After having left Deirdre at the door to her chambers I had struggled to find peace in slumber, so, as dawn approached I ventured away from my room in search of a peaceful place to think and hopefully clear my head.

Finding an overgrown courtyard I kneeled before a hidden statue which had been covered with vines and leaves.
I gently and reverently removed the debris off the statue and looked upon the stone figure.
It revealed itself to be the statue of Gilraen. It was a close likeness, the statues carver must have studied her features for a very long time to make it seem as accurate as possible; she held her hands folded before her and her feminine features were hooded but to those who had known Gilraen, they knew it was her.

I stood up and looked at her sad face, studying it as if it would move at any moment.

'Anirne hene beriad i chên în. Ned Imladris nauthant e le beriathar aen, (She wanted to protect her child. She thought that in Rivendell you would be safe.).' Lord Elrond spoke softly as he made his way into the area of Rivendell which was very rarely visited.

Ignoring him, I held my hand out and caressed the face of the statue...the face of my mother.

Elrond came closer to stand just behind me.

'In her heart, your mother knew you'd be hunted all your life. That you'd never escape your fate...The skill of the Elves can reforge the sword of kings, but only you have the power to wield it.' He spoke softly.

Taking my hand away from my mother's statue I turned to look at Lord Elrond.

'I do not want that power. I have never
wanted it.' I said sternly.

'You are the last of that bloodline,' Elrond argued, 'There is no other.'

I retuned my gaze back towards the stone likeness of Gilraen and remained silent.

Once Lord Elrond had realised that I would not continue our conversation, he quietly excited the courtyard and left me in peace, alone with my thoughts.

From the day I have been told of my so called destiny I had wished it had never fallen upon me.

Isildur's Heir should have been someone like Boromir; someone who wasn't afraid to take action when necessary, even if they sometimes turned out to be wrong in doing so.

No, it should have never fallen to me. The line of Isildur would end with me, and if that meant sacrificing myself to help Frodo in his quest then so be it.

Arwen's decision to leave Middle-Earth had not been unexpected, and it was not like it had been something we had never spoken about. I believed, deep down, that we were always destined to end that way. My mortal life meant nothing compared to her immortal one, especially not when her people's safety was at question. 

I did not hold it against her...I admired her even more because of her loyalty to the her people, it did however hurt to think of never seeing her again.

Deirdre had been right; to us mortals, the Elves sailing west, was quite like death. We would never speak with them again let alone be able to look upon their faces.

I had not been surprised that Deirdre had taken the news so badly, in fact I had envied her reaction. Deirdre showed all the emotions I had refused too when Arwen had spoken of her departure.

I had let Arwen go, while Deirdre had refused to acknowledge the truth, instead opting to fall into denial.

Deirdre would be fine, she had to be.....for what faced us was far worse then loosing one friend, not to death but to isolation, never to be seen again.

In the coming while we could potentially loose people for good, perhaps friends or loved ones would perish to the allies of Mordor, and there would be no safe harbour awaiting them.

Bowing in respect at my mother's statue, I left and returned to my chambers.
My things had already been packed and I was essentially ready to leave at any moment.

But even with that being said, I knew that there was a chance that it could end up being sometime until I could next get a decent amount of sleep, I laid down atop the bed covers and closed my eyes...allowing darkness to wash over me.