legolas was the last member of the meeting to enter. He shut the doors behind him, and the first person he noticed, was Aredhrel.
"There you are Legolas." Gandalf smiled "Now we can start."
Legolas saw that from his position the orc had now been taken away. It puzzled him. Surely Aredhrel had a right to know what her fea's killer looked like.
She looked horrible. Her hair was disgruntled, and her eyes red, and nose stuffy. Even though elves don't get sick, she looked ill. Legolas hoped that this would help her find peace.
"Goheno nin" She began sniffing "But why am I here?" She directed the question Elrond and Gandalf.
"I was told that you had some information on Aldon's murderer, but we all know who did it."
"No, my dear," Gandalf answered "We were wrong. So wrong."
"What? You mean to tell me she didn't kill Aldon?"
Legolas found himself annoyed, defending her.
"Her name is Raina!" Aragorn placed a hand to steady him.
'Why did I do that?' He asked himself.
"We have evidence we think you should see before you make up your mind." Gandalf informed her, and then nodded to Elrond.
He clapped his hands loudly, and two guards walked in dragging a shrivelled, spitting, cursing orc.
"We found him just outside Rivedendell." Aragorn said "He was spying on us."
Aredhrel walked up to him, all the emotions from the past two days resurfacing. The orc was thrown in front of a pillar. She knelt down next to it.
"Did you murder Aldon?" She asked gravely. When he didn't answer she grabbed his armour between her fists. She was in no mood for insolence.
"If you refuse me the courtesy of answering I will skin you alive!" She threatened, eyes blazing "Did you murder an elf yesterday?!"
Skinner spat at her. Convulsions racked her throat. Calmly, she wiped the spit off. Unsheathing a dagger she always kept hidden at her leg, she asked him one more time.
"Last chance," she placed the tip at his neck "Did you murder my fea?"
The silence was killing Skinner. Saruman would not be pleased he was discovered. And even if he somehow made it back unscathed, the punishment inflicted by the wizard would be far worse than any that the people here could do. Maybe it was better to end it here.
"Yes." He breathed "Yes I did."
Aredhrel was wounded. She was furious, because this foul creature was responsible for more pain than she had ever felt before, emotional because his confession brought back memories of times of old with Aldon, and ashamed because she had threatened and tried to murder an innocent woman. She did not know what to make of herself now.
"I killed him, all right." Skinner added, gaining traction in his speech.
In that moment, Aredhrel didn't know what she was doing. She was in a trance. All she could do was see Aldon's hollow eyes, his blood stained shirt, dagger protruding out, and she screamed.
A loud hurtful scream, and plunged the dagger into his chest.
Silence fell. Everyone was shocked to the core, including the hobbits, who, up until this point, had never seen anyone killed before. Skinner was crying and writhing in agony, the dagger sticking out of his chest.
"Aredhrel!" Shouted Elrond "You had no right!"
She whipped round.
"I missed, Lord Elrond." She smiled mirthlessly, before she turned back to Skinner who was struggling to breathe "I'm don't want to give this fool any mercy. I want to bleed him dry." Her fingers grip the knife and Skinner winces and groans "I want to torture him until he begs for mercy. And just when he finds peace, just when he's got relief, I want to rip his brains out! With me, he'll die a very painful death."
She conceded, and wrenched out her dagger out, causing Skinner more distress. She dropped it onto the floor with a clang, blood staining the floor.
"But..." She sighed "I know the law. And Aldon respected it. He's all yours." And she walked out, before anyone could see her cry.
Legolas ran out after her. As someone who had lost before, he knew it was important to have someone by your side, not necessarily to talk to, but to just listen and grieve with you. He found her in a secluded area, shaded by trees and sitting on a stone bench.
"Oh Aldon," he heard her whisper "I'm so sorry. I miss you so much. I wish you were here. I wish I could just...this is all my fault. I should have never let you advance on your own. I should've-
"It's not your fault." Legolas said, sitting down beside her.
"My lord!" She jumped, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry I was just-"
"Don't blame yourself," he repeated "He wouldn't want you to."
Aredhrel nodded. They sat in silence. Finally, she spoke, her voice hoarse and raspy.
"Yesterday, I came to the stables. Just the site of his horse reduced me to tears."
She stifled a sob. Legolas layed a hand on her shoulder. She looked to him; eyes puffy.
"It's so strange, but, now that he's gone..I just don't have any desire to live. I don't know what's worse, the shock of losing him, or pining for what could be."
Legolas fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief. He handed it to her.
"Thank you." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Legolas removed his hand from her, and leaned forward on his knees.
After a beat, Aredhrel spoke again.
"I wish I could sail to Valinor."
Legolas looked to her.
"Is that wrong?" She asked him "To run from my troubles? To escape?"
He paused. Then he spoke.
"For centuries elves have been using Valinor as an excuse to escape pain and torment, but men have had to suffer the hurt of losing a loved one once, twice, even three times. They have always thought us the superior race, but, in some ways, they are stronger than us."
"What are you saying my lord?"
"I'm saying." He turned round to face her "That Valinor should no longer be an excuse to avoid pain. It hurts, but we must come to learn to live with it. Death is unavoidable. Which is why we have to make the most of the time we have left."
"All I ever wanted to be though, was to be with him."
"I know. But you can't. I'm sorry. I wish I could offer you more than this, I wish I could raise the dead but I can't. All I can do is offer you some comfort. I have already lost someone to orcs. I know what it's like. But no matter how many tears I shed, or days I spent mourning, it did not change a thing. It only made it all the worse. When we lose someone we love, we don't learn to live without them, but to live with the love they left behind. Please. Don't fade. I cannot bare to see another of my kin go through the same fate."
He stood up, stretching. He had to leave before he became too emotional as well.
"Think on it." He moves to leave but felt a hand on his arm.
"What of the girl? Raina?" She asked frantically "Where is she? I must apologise."
"You cannot." He breathed. He didn't want to be the one to tell her this.
"Why not? Is she dead?!"
Legolas saw her face quiver and knew she was at breaking point.
"No she's fine. She's unconscious though. There was a rock slide. She got hurt."
"When she wakes up, would you tell me?"
He nodded
"There is something important I need to say to her."
In his heart, Legolas agreed with her.
****
Raina was certainly a very popular woman, though Beririel couldn't imagine why. She had heard rumours of Raina being accused of the murder of an elf, though obviously something had happened to make her become so adored in the last few hours.
After the hour of dinner, Raina was visited by the dwarves (Gimli included, who muttered something about the uncomfortableness of elven beds), Aragorn and the Steward of Gondor, Boromir, the wizard Gandalf, and even Lady Arwen and Elrond before they retired. Beririel had never seen so many people dote over one person in her life, and she was still perplexed at the time when there was one last visitor.
The Ringbearer.
It was surprising to Beririel, especially since he had visited her earlier, but she did not question it when he had entered alone.
"Oh." Frodo said once he noticed Beririel. He had not expected anyone to be in the room.
"Come in master Frodo." She invited him in warmly, and shyly he entered.
"She's still not woken up yet?"
"She will." Beririel said, surely. She wanted to offer hope to this small creature hope, who seemed so unhappy and fearful.
"Hmmn." Frodo merely nodded, and sat down at the rocking chair by Raina's bed.
Beririel was tired, after helping clean, and dress her lady's head wound, not only to dress her and get her in bed, she needed a lie down. But Frodo was still there.
Beririel went get a pillow and a blanket. She layed them down on the floor, and turned to Frodo unasuredly
"Ummm..."
"Can I stay with her?" He asked suddenly, "For the night?"
She smiled at his fondness of his friend.
"Of course."
She fetched Frodo a pillow and blanket, but when she got back, found a pleasant surprise. Frodo had fallen asleep, right next to Raina, hands intertwined.