Autumn was slowly fading, and Celebriel was dismayed to see how quickly winter was coming. The leaves began to fall more quickly and even in the shelters of Imladris, the leaves fell quickly from the trees. She could not help but think of how the golden clusters of leaves would still cling to the mallorn branches. The autumn in Lorien would be delightfully cool, not this cold that seemed to permeate her bones.
In the morning the eaves of Elrond's house were rimed with frost, along with tree branches, stones, and blades of grass. By noon the frost would be gone, but each morning it appeared anew, and soon began etching delicate designs on the window panes. The horses were now blanketed, keeping them warm and the hounds had moved into the house, sleeping before the fireplaces.
Celebriel watched out the window, fascinated by the picture nature had painted, yet wishing she were home. The fire banked in the fireplace of Elrond's study, and silver mugs held mulled wine that helped warm her. The whole of Imladris seemed to be preparing for a winter's hibernation, for the elves were spending more time inside since the first frost.
"Have you waited long?" Elrond came into the room and sat down. He picked up the mug and had a long drink of wine. "I am surprised that you come and see me, I had half expected that you would ignore me."
"And I had half expected that I might, it is only that I am bored that I show up for our little meetings. After this, I will ride, then bathe and dress for the mid-day meal. After that, I will not know what to do with myself, as is usual. You and Mother took me away from all that I was accustomed to, but have given me nothing to replace it."
"We had thought to keep you out of harm's way..." he began, but she cut him off.
"Was I in such great danger? I am aware of what was hunting me. Did Mother ever tell you I could discern her thoughts? I did not wish to, but at times it seems our minds were as one. I will concede this since I came north, the hunter no longer bothers me. My thoughts are my own and no one is seeking to discover them.
"I was born under the influence of her ring. I perceived it, I saw it shining brightly as a star in the twilight. I see Vilya on your finger and, Narya on Gandalf's. I don't know if I've been given a blessing or a curse. I would gladly relinquish this if I could, I wish I had no knowledge of your precious rings. All I've ever wanted to be Celebriel of Lorinand, and then one day, perhaps, Celebriel, a leader of Lorinand's armies. Now I don't know who I am or what I am to be."
"That will come in time," Elrond tried to soothe her, "But you cannot reject what you are, and you should not. Whether you have been given a gift or a curse will be for you to determine, not me, not your mother. Now, if you wish to ride, you should do so. I smelt snow in the air this morning which means that riding will soon not be possible."
It was not the next day, but the next week that the snow began to fall. At first, it was just a blanket covering the ground, but soon it was reaching nearly up to the horses' hocks. The young elves dressed up warmly, Arwen joining them, and played in the snow like children, throwing snowballs and making statues of snow.
A bell began ringing, too soon for the afternoon meal. "There is someone in distress," Elladan lifted his head, "There must be travelers lost in the snow. It will be worse in the wildlands. Come, Celebriel, come with us, we will help look for them."
"Does this happen often?" she asked as they hurried towards the house. She would not be allowed to accompany them, but the twins would manage to include her.
"Too often, I am afraid," Elrohir said gravely, "Travelers get caught by surprise, or they underestimate the snow and find themselves lost or trapped."
"Why are they this far east, especially during winter? Imladris seems so isolated, and close to the mountains for any travelers to be here."
"Because there is travel between the kingdoms of the men of Westernesse. The men from Gondor come over the mountains to visit their kin in the west, or they come from Rhovanian to travel to Gondor. You truly have been isolated, aunt, I thought you knew more about the kingdoms of Men."
"Not so much as I should, I guess. I didn't see mortals until I came here, nor do I know much about them. I suppose I am about to learn."
"You did know Father is called 'Half-Elven' for a reason, don't you?" Elladan threw a heavy cloak over her shoulders, "Here, you're going to need this. Throw the hood over your hair and sit towards the back of the room so no one will notice you. You're going to need to take another horse, Ariel can't be seen well enough in the snow. They will need to see that we are coming for them."
Preparations were being made in the armory. Pack animals were being loaded with blankets, cloaks, and warmed wine. Rooms were being prepared, warm clothes were being gathered so that they could get the lost travelers out of their wet clothes as soon as possible.
Outside Celebriel sat quietly on her horse, flanked on either side by Elladan and Elrohir. It was strange how quickly they had made friends, she thought, they treat me as an equal, not at all like they treat their sister. I will never be accepted here as I am in Lorinand, but there are three people I can count on: the twins and Glorfindel. And maybe Gandalf as a fourth, she added, whenever he is here.
Gandalf had departed just before the weather had changed. "I will be back soon, young elf," he had told her, "I must go where I am needed, but I will be back in the spring. I will visit Lorinand, and talk to your mother and tell her you are managing the best you can. Cheer up, Celebriel, look for me after the ice melts and the trees start budding. I will be back to keep you company then."
Gildor Inglorian, one of the chiefs of Elrond's household, took his place at the head of the rescuers and led them into the forest. Scouts had reported a group had been separated from the main party and lost in the woods. The elves from Imladris were hampered by the snow, but their horses' long legs were able to break it up and push through. Without their horses, it would have taken them longer, but by late in the day, the lost party had been found.
The travelers were eleven in number: five men, four women, and two children. What had they been doing, traveling in the snow like this, she thought, the men may have survived, but without the help of the elves, it might have meant death for the women and children.
After they found them, the elves wrapped them in warm cloaks and fed them mulled wine. Celebriel took the children, assuring their reluctant mothers they would be all right, and putting them before her on her horse, returned to Imladris She deposited them with the women of the Elrond's household, then headed out by moonlight to meet the returning party.
This time the rescue was a success, but it was not always like this, Elladan told her. The travelers were fortunate that the elves had found them so quickly. The children were weakened by their ordeal but like their parents, they had survived, if only just barely.
Celebriel was angered by what she had seen. "Why did they do this, Glorfindel? They risked the lives of their women and helpless children. Why did they not remain where they were until the weather improved?"
He shook his head, "Things will not get better, Celebriel, we will have more folk seeking us out for shelter, I am afraid. Things are changing in the world outside Imladris. The unity of the northern kingdoms is slipping away, and I fear we will see infighting amongst them someday soon. The elves have hoped for peace, that the kin fighting would cease amongst men, but I fear it is not so. We saw what it did to us, and hoped that it would prove a lesson, but men are no stronger than we were. I fear you will see evil that I hoped you would not, but it cannot be helped, I am afraid."
She hoped that he would explain what he meant, but he walked away and left her wondering. That night she had a strange dream, unlike any other she had had. She saw Arwen robed all in white holding the hand of a tall stranger, a Westroner. He was fair to look upon, and his features noble, but what she noticed most of all was his height. He seemed no ordinary man but like someone from a story she had been told of the old days of Numenor. He looked at her and smiled, and she heard the name "Estel", which she knew meant "Hope."
The snow continued, and the lost party remained in Imladris for weeks. She'd been taught the speech of men, but had never had opportunity to use it, and found herself floundering when she tried to speak to any of the men or women who they had rescued. Some of them were fluent in Sindarin, and she wondered if these were members of the House of Isildur. Whoever they were, they were friendly and courteous, and she was gradually overcoming her shyness around them.
The children, in the way of children, quickly picked up words in the elven tongue and would chatter in both. They were a novelty, these miniature human beings, and they took to her, following her around, or seeking out her company. "Narwen," they called her, the fire maid, and they would finger her hair in wonder as if it were something wonderful and magical.
Sometimes she would watch out the windows and wonder what would have happened if she had tried to flee. She had hoped to be allowed to return to Lorinand in the spring but realized now there was little chance of that. For now, her fate seemed out of her hands. She did not know how long she would be forced to stay, and for now, it was better to talk every day with Elrond, and enjoy the warmth of the fires and the fine meals Imladris had to offer. If she was a prisoner now of winter, so be it. Spring would come, even to these northern lands. Perhaps it was only the gloom of winter that seemed to fall on her, spring would come, and with it, a new hope.