"Your thoughts have been on it." Galadhel stated softly as she walked alongside in the depths of the forests of Mountains of Mirkwood. Alatar looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he tucked her arm tighter into his before focusing his attention on their daughter as she played in the field of lilies just ahead of them. The day was mild and bright, the sun peeking shyly through the treeshade while a soft breeze ruffled the leaves.
"I am unsure of what you mean." Mohrinehtar lied, diverting her statement in hopes that it would not be discussed. Galadhel stopped him by pulling on his arm gently, taking both of his hands into her own as her blue gaze looked up to meet his deep green orbs. With a sigh she pressed her palm to the side of his face and ran her thumb softly across the aged skin of his face.
"You know what I speak of, meleth." She whispered, continuing to listen to their daughter intently as she played contently, completely unaware of what her parents were speaking about. "Never must you hide what troubles you. I know you looked at them today." Mohrinehtar shook his head abruptly before placing his hand on her cheek reassuringly. "You are my radiance, my love. And she.." He trailed off as he turned his gaze towards their daughter, too young to understand who or what her parents were. "...she is my light."
Galadhel nodded in agreement yet knew what had been troubling her husband. She decided finally as he pulled her to continue their stroll to not mention that she had seen him pulling the familiar sea blue robe out of the cedar chest that sat at the foot of their bed or the slight change of position of his staff that had long been pushed to the back of their closet. With the slightest of sighs she smiled softly at their daughter.
"Do you think she has inherited the best of us both?" She asked curiously, knowing that her love for their daughter would be unconditional regardless of the traits she had gained. Mohrinehtar smirked and raised an eyebrow, the quietest of chuckles clamoring in his chest.
"I know that she has." He whispered, leaning down slightly to whisper into her ear. "Look." He gestured. Galadeth followed his extended arm to where their daughter, still so small in age and size sat on the ground amongst the flowers. The young elleth's hands grazed gently over the tops of the white lilies when suddenly her tiny hands glowed with an iridescent light. Galadhel's eyes widened, unable to pull her gaze away from her. "When were you going to tell me?" She asked proudly and in awe.
"I preferred to have shown you instead." He answered matter of factly before his face turned upwards to the sky, wincing his eyes to discern the time of day. "Olórin should be arriving shortly, I believe." Mohrinehtar stated as Galadhel continued to watch as Erulisse played with her light in the lilies. She nodded her head, forcing her attention away from the display of light their daughter was exhibiting. Galadhel took in a deep breath and allowed what she had witnessed to process fully in her mind.
"She is very fond of him, the grey wizard." She remarked as she thought of the joy it would bring their daughter each time the wizard visited. Although Mohrinehtar had failed in his purpose for Middle Earth, the grey wizard continued to remain in close contact and friendship with him.
"She has taken to Olórin and for that I am grateful he allows such. He will always be a dear friend to us all." He replied before he felt Galadhel tense in his embrace. His head panickedly turned towards their home, a small cottage they had built far away from anyone at the base of the Mirkwood Mountains.
"Stay here!" Mohrinehtar asserted as he grabbed onto her arms tightly, staring into her eyes to make sure she understood. Galadhel nodded her head as he took off running towards home, knowing something was not right in their secluded section of the woods.
"Erulissë!" She called out as she ran to lift her young daughter from the flowers. "Iell nín! You must listen to me carefully." Her voice shook slightly as she spoke, watching the small child turn her face upwards towards her. Her innocent green eyes shone with confusion, too young to understand that anything bad was happening. Galdhel forced a fake smile to mask her fear as she pulled Erulisse further away from the direction of home.
"Remember that game we played? Hide and seek? Hide Erulisse! Hide and we will find you!" Her mother promised as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's head and pushed her towards the forests before running hastily towards home to aid her husband.
Mohrinehtar crashed into the cottage and ran to retrieve his staff before several orcs rampaged through the area. He opened the chest, attempting to pull out the sea blue robe he had forsaken years ago before he heard the splintered wood of the front door breaking open. His fingers wrapped tightly around his staff as he held it in front of him, ready to fight off the intruders that they had long feared would finally find him.
"The wizard lives!" An orc yelled out as they began to ransack the home in attempt to terrorize and torment. Mohrinehtar stood his ground confidently as he listened and waited for them to reach the bedroom. It had been quite some time, but in those moments he prayed to the Valar that Galadhel and Erulisse were safe somewhere and hidden deep with the forests, as far away from home as they could get.
The entire cottage suddenly fell silent as he stood in the center of the room, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his staff tightly in front of him. He took in slow and steady breaths, waiting. They had been found. He had worried that one day they would have been discovered whether it be by elves, men, or orcs, but he had always hoped that day would never come. All he had ever wanted to do was love his wife and daughter and spend their lives in the peaceful solitude of the forests they had grown to love. And in that too, he had failed.
The doorknob slowly turned, his breath suddenly paused as he saw Erulisse's small doll laying on the floor. In one quick movement he kicked it away and out of sight before the door flung open.
"Galadhel!" He cried out as the orcs trampled in with her in their grasp. She tried to scream as she looked at him yet no sound came out, her eyes widened with fear and terror. Just as quickly as they entered, he watched in horror the blue depths of her eyes that were once full of love and laughter quickly fading as an orc sword impaled her through her chest. Her body was thrown carelessly at his feet as the orcs turned their full attention to him.
Tears of pain and anger streaked his face as he held his staff out to expel the full force of his light upon the foul creatures. They just took his love, his wife, the mother of their child. Gone within the blink of an eye. He had risked everything to be with her, and now she was gone.
"BE GONE!" He screamed as he slammed his staff into the floor, ready to end them once and for all. Silence immediately followed before the orcs laughed at him mockingly. Mohrinehtar looked at his staff when the realization hit him. He had indeed failed not only his family but the Valar themselves. To have wed Galadhel and brought Erulisse into the world he had to pay a price which suddenly became evident.
Yet, the Valar still extended their grace to him. Smiling he dropped the staff onto the floor of the cottage and extended his arms, allowing the orcs to kill him with their ragged swords and daggers. The Valar had indeed stripped him of his powers as one of the Istari, but they did not cast them aside. Instead they dwelled within the tiny elleth that was his daughter.
Erulisse's small feet faltered as she walked further into the woods, constantly looking over her shoulder to see if her mother and father was hiding behind a tree or indeed following to see where she would hide. The small elleth crawled into the hole of a large tree and pulled her knees to her chest, waiting silently for several hours for her loving parents to retrieve her. During her time in the darkness of the tree hole she heard many confusing and frightening sounds emanating from where she knew home was.
After some time she decided to try to find her parents, having had the thought that maybe they were the ones hiding from her. She had made that mistake a time or two, hiding instead of seeking during the innocent game. "Naneth?" Erulisse's soft, childlike voice called out.
Her small feet carried her out of the thick of the wood and onto the slightly worn path through the tall grass and lilies that grew around the area her family had settled in. The small cottage settled amidst the thick trees finally came into sight as Erulisse approached. Hesitantly she pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped into the darkened home, hoping to find her mother and father safely hidden away inside.
"Naneth? Father?" She called out again as she stepped over pieces of broken furniture. Her head shook from side to side as unbeknownst to her, the metallic scent of blood seeped into her nostrils. Her tiny hands began to shake as she moved to their bedroom door. As she placed her hand upon the wood and opened the door, Erulisse began to scream in fear and shock before a large hand clasped over her mouth and pulled her out of the cottage.
"Shhh child." Gandalf whispered in a bid to both comfort and quiet the elleth. Tears threatened to spill from the Istari's eyes having realized what had befallen his old friends. Erulisse continued to flail in his arms when her own light began to pour out of her defensively. Quickly, Gandalf waved his hand over her face, effectively placing the young child in an enchanted sleep.
Gandalf hastily ran through the forests with her in his arms in a bid to get her as far away from the cottage as possible. No child should have to witness the horrors she had just faced and he was desperate to get her as far away from it as possible.
"Gandalf!" Radagast called out as he trampled out of his cabin upon sensing someone drawing near. The brown wizard ran out to them, peering down at the lung child in the grey wizard's arms.
"She..." Gandalf was unable to explain what had happened to Radagast as he forced back his sobs. "Send a raven, crow, whatever bird you have to Rivendell.I must call a council meeting at once concerning this matter." Radagast cocked his head to the side curiously before doing as Gandalf ordered. Gandalf continued his journey to the edge of the forest before whistling loudly, waiting Shadowfax to bid them safe and haste passage to Rivendell.