The next few days passed swiftly as the company made its way further north without incident. With the expiration of each day, the number of travelers met along the way diminished. Since there were no additional tidings of the northern road to be had from migrates, Aragorn decided to dispatch scouts as a safety measure.

On the eighth day of travel, the company set out at dawn, as was its custom. For the past several days, Legolas, Melian, Gimli, Arwen and Faramir rode often together. During the long hours of riding they primarily entertained each other by sharing many stories about their experiences. At present, Faramir was amusing them with stories about his successes and trials while in his former capacity as commander of the Rangers of the South. Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the sound of rapidly approaching horse hooves. Only then did they realize that Aragorn and Eomer had halted their horses while awaiting the arrival of the approaching riders. As the distance of the riders lessened, the company immediately realized that the riders were Gondorian soldiers. The emblem of the White Tree blazed in the sun against the black of their attire. When the men stopped to report to Aragorn, the others recognized them as the two scouts he had dispatched several days earlier. Their conversation could not be heard to those behind so Faramir excused himself to join Aragorn and Eomer in the front. The scouts brought tidings of disturbances in a small homestead village located several miles north of their current location. Apparently orcs had tried unsuccessfully to raid the homestead village the previous day. They were unprepared for the fierce resistance wagered by the farmers in the village. After suffering miserably by the defense of the villagers, the orcs decided to regroup and increase their numbers by soliciting the help of several other disbanded orcs in the surrounding area. During the passed several hours the orcs had launched a second attack on the village and the farmers were said to be valiantly defending their homes and families.

Both Aragorn and Eomer were unsettled by these tidings. They had hoped for a peaceful journey northward. They immediately began to issue orders to their men. By this time many of the travelers had dismounted their horses and stood watching and waiting expectantly. Aragorn dismounted his horse and summoned Glorfindel, Elladan, and Elrohir. He spoke together with them for a few minutes, as Faramir ordered the riding that would set out with the king. To those who knew them well, it was evident that Elladan and Elrohir were greatly affected by the tidings. Their passionate hatred for orcs was ignited and they appeared as tall and fair elven lords filled with terrible wrath. As they ascended their horses, Aragorn went to Arwen as she sat still astride her horse. He reached up and took her hand as he quietly said, “Fear not Lady Evenstar. I will return.”

Arwen faintly smiled. “Indeed you are mistaken Estel,” she replied somberly. “At this moment my greatest fear is that of delay. Our people need you. Make haste and may the Valar protect you and your comrades.” Aragorn nodded then bent his head to lightly press his lips against her hands.

When all was ready, the two kings, their soldiers, the sons of Elrond, Legolas and Gimli rode off in great haste. Already black smoke could be seen rising rapidly into the air from a great distance. While the others watched the diminishing image of their companions as they rode to provide aid, Faramir and Prince Imrahil issued orders to the remaining captains and knights to form a protective shield around those who remained. The other companions took that time to rest and refresh themselves from many hours of riding. Apart from them stood Glorfindel as still as a tree but keenly alert. Tall and fair he was and mightiest of any warrior that drew breath that age. As he stood staring northward, Arwen joined him. Sensing her presence, without withdrawing his eyes from the road, he reached over and squeezed her hand in reassurance. Thus they stood, for many hours it seemed to the others, until further news were received from the King of Gondor.

Not far behind them sat the hobbits as they spoke excitedly about the events that had transpired earlier. As usual, Gandalf was his old elusive self and they could not discover any further information from him. Nevertheless, they were glad to have been left behind. The thought of encountering orcs so soon after the war of the ring had ended was enough to drive their happiness away. The past year was grueling enough and though they fought valiantly and achieved many great deeds during that time the desire to be propelled back into that kind of world had deserted them for the time being. Nor did they fear what might befall their companions that day because they believed them to be supremely skilled in battle.

As the afternoon lengthened, they began to grow impatient as they awaited word from their companions. They marveled at the elves and the ease with which they appeared. Their faces were grave but their expressions betrayed nothing. Indeed, Queen Evenstar and Glorfindel stood motionless against the wind; their faces turned ever northward. As if by the mercy of the Valar, they heard Glorfindel speak to Arwen in the elvish tongue as he said, “It is time, Lady Evenstar,” She looked north, quickly nodded and turned to prepare to ride. He spoke with Faramir briefly then proceeded to inform Elrond of his tidings. To the others, Faramir announced, “My lords and ladies, the King of Gondor has given the sign. Prepare to ride north.”

The elves looked north and quickly saw what Faramir meant by the sign. The men among them had no choice but to rely on GlorfindelÂ’s word for their eyes could not ascertain any image from a great distance. The riders mounted their horses and followed the soldiers of Gondor, led by Faramir, as they made their way northward. They had ridden one half of a mile before they met with the sign of which Glorfindel spoke. There, ahead of them, rode two knights bearing the kingÂ’s banner. As they approached, Faramir halted to receive their report. The soldiers had traveled in great haste to deliver the kingÂ’s request for the immediate assistance of Lord Elrond. Most of the orcs were destroyed but several farmers were badly wounded. In hearing these tidings, those in the company who possessed healing skills rode forward with increased urgency leaving the others behind to travel at their own pace with the wain that transported the body of King Theoden.

When the healers arrived at the homestead village, the pungent smell of burnt wood hung heavily in the air. Among those few who came were Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Arwen. As King Eomer greeted them, he quickly ushered them into a house in which a provisional healing room was established. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir were already there administering aid to the wounded. Elrond quickly surveyed the room in an effort to determine which cases required his immediate assistance. Sensing his fatherÂ’s presence, Elladan instantly directed him to the area designated for the critically wounded where Aragorn and Elrohir were hard at work providing succor to the seriously injured men. While Aragorn and Elrohir continued to administer their help, Elrond summoned Galadriel and Arwen to assist him while he tended to a variety of injuries. Celeborn and Elladan elected to focus their attentions on addressing lesser injuries since already many men were in a queue waiting to be attended to. Their injuries ranged from deep lacerations that required stitches to broken limbs, slight concussions and ugly bruises. Most of the injured were expected to fully recover provided that they received adequate rest and they adhered to ElrondÂ’s instructions on proper hygiene to prevent the development of infections to their wounds. After laboring tirelessly for several hours, Arwen and Elrond exited the house to escape the intense odor of blood mingled with herbs that permeated the atmosphere. Only a few men now remained to be treated which Aragorn and Elrohir decided to undertake solely between them to allow the others to take a break.

As Elrond and Arwen stepped out into the fresh air, the stifling smell of burnt wood had greatly dissipated. The wind had increased dispersing the smoke although remnants of it still lingered. By now the rest of their companions had arrived and were assisting Eomer in several tasks. The hobbits had immediately lent their hands to the organization of numerous items donated by villagers who were unscathed by the orc raids. An abundance of fresh linens, food, water, and other necessities were received. Gandalf and Melian had volunteered to oversee the arrangements. As Elrond and Arwen stood observing the others, they saw a Gondorian soldier directing a lady to them. She approached hesitantly as Arwen and her father looked on. Arwen immediately smiled encouragingly perceiving the womanÂ’s turmoil. Emboldened by ArwenÂ’s disposition, she came forward and bowed reverently and introduced herself as Morwen. With a mixture of anxiety and preoccupation, she humbly solicited the help of Lord Elrond whom she was told was an expert healer.

“My daughter is wounded but she feigns no need for medical attention. She is young and stubborn and would not listen to my counsel. She trivializes the gravity of her wound but I know her well enough to perceive that she hides her fear and understate the severity of her pain. I fear deeply the malady that may result from the arrow that created the wound,” Morwen broke off in a trembling voice.

Arwen stepped forward taking MorwenÂ’s hand as she reassured her they would help in any way they can. She could tell that Morwen was greatly relieved as involuntary tears slipped down her face. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed by exhaustion and concern for her daughterÂ’s health. Placing MorwenÂ’s arm through the crook of her own, Arwen supported her as she led them to her dwelling. As they went, Morwen enlightened them on the tragedy that occurred earlier that day that resulted in her daughterÂ’s injury. Elrond followed close behind with his pouch of medical supplies as they entered MorwenÂ’s house. She led them down a narrow corridor to a door that stood at the end. They entered the brightly lit room and saw a young girl, not more than a score in years, lying on a small bed. Her arm was bounded with a bloody bandage as she slept lightly. The faint sound of her groans could be heard as they drew near. Going around to kneel at her head, Morwen gently stroked her face as she sought to wake her. The young girlÂ’s eyes fluttered open as her mother spoke to her telling her she had brought help. Not seeing Arwen and Elrond in her room, she began to chastise her mother claiming that she needed no oneÂ’s help.

“I think, young lady, that you should leave that for me to decide,” Elrond admonished. Jerking around, the young girl stared at the two strangers abashedly. Her name was Nessa and she fought to control the powerful feeling of revolt against her mother’s intrusion. The sudden momentary anger she felt dissipated as she stared incredulously at the strangers. Never before had she seen such profound beauty in any living creature in all of the twenty years she lived on the earth. The woman strongly resembled the man and looked to be no more than five and twenty years of age. The man looked young as well but it was obvious he was older than the woman. As she continued to stare, the man came forward to examine her wounded arm. She instantly winced as he unraveled the bandages to reveal a wound that had swollen considerably since it had been attended to several hours earlier. The area surrounding the wound appeared unusually dark.

Arwen perceived ElrondÂ’s concern and patiently awaited his directions. He turned to Morwen and requested to see the arrow that caused the injury. Morwen disappeared into an adjoining room as she silently thanked the Valar for her good judgment in keeping the arrow. Returning, she gave the arrow to Elrond. He examined it as the others waited expectantly. He looked at Arwen gravely and she immediately sprung into action by directing Morwen to bring hot water and clean bandages.

“There is a piece of the arrow still embedded in the wound,” Elrond reported. Arwen knew what she had to do. She walked over to the young woman and inquired of her name. The young girl bore a look of awe on her face as she unconsciously responded to Arwen’s question. At such close proximity, Nessa marveled at the magnified beauty of the woman. “It was unnatural,” she thought.

As Elrond unfolded a cloth that contained his sterilized instruments, Arwen took NessaÂ’s hand knowing that the next several minutes will be difficult for her. She reached down and touched NessaÂ’s forehead and became alarmed at the unusual warmth she felt there. She relayed this information to her father in the elvish tongue as he informed her that the poison from the arrow was the most likely culprit. At that moment the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard in the corridor outside the room. As they looked up, Morwen entered with Melian at her side.

“Melian,” Arwen cried, “What brings you here?”

“We were a bit concerned that the both of you had disappeared without informing anyone. Fortunately, Frodo told us that he saw you leave with a villager down this lane,” she reported. “Can I be of any assistance here?” she asked as she surveyed the room.

Speaking in the elvish tongue, Arwen encouraged her to keep Morwen occupied as her father operated on Nessa. She had determined that Morwen would serve best outside the sick room since she was already weary from the dayÂ’s trials.

Assenting to ArwenÂ’s request, Melian turned to Morwen pleading a need to quench her thirst. She then accompanied Morwen out of the room leaving Elrond and Arwen to their task.

“This procedure should not take long,” he said as he took an instrument from the side table.

Still holding Nessa’s hand, Arwen spoke gently yet firmly to her. “My dear, you must be very still while my father works. It will significantly reduce the length of time needed to extract the piece of wood from your wound. Then he will need to stitch the wound. I am here for you Nessa. If the pain is unbearable, just squeeze my hand. It will strengthen your ability to cope with the pain.”

Nessa smiled faintly in response to ArwenÂ’s kindness. Her face distorted in pain as Elrond commenced his work. Arwen began to speak to her in an effort to distract her thoughts from the blinding pain. Nessa responded to her though it was difficult to concentrate. She squeezed ArwenÂ’s hand tightly as she tried to remain as still as possible. Arwen continuously bolstered her ability to endure the pain by repeatedly telling her how much she admired her bravery. She knew that it would appeal to NessaÂ’s feelings and would heighten her ability to cope with the pain. Before long, Elrond had removed the fragment of wood and proceeded to stitch the wound after he had cleaned it. When all was completed, Elrond informed Arwen as she smiled relieved.

Touching NessaÂ’s forehead, she told her father that she still felt slightly feverish. He removed several pieces of herb from his pouch and left the room to find Morwen. While he was gone, Arwen soaked a clean cloth in bowl of cool water that Morwen at brought earlier and applied it to NessaÂ’s forehead patting lightly. Elrond returned shortly bearing a mug of steaming liquid. Arwen helped Nessa to sit in an upright position as she arranged the pillows to her comfort. She took the mug from her father as she instructed Nessa to drink the contents.

“This will help subdue the feverish symptoms and should enable you to sleep peacefully amid the pain from the soreness of your wounded arm,” she informed her.

As Morwen and Melian entered the room, Elrond began to gather his instruments. Before he took his leave, he instructed Morwen in the post care of NessaÂ’s injury. He emphasized the need to frequently change bandages to avoid infection and strict adherence to proper sanitation when addressing the wound. In addition, he demonstrated to Morwen the best way to secure NessaÂ’s arm in a sling to avoid irritation of the wound. Leaving some of the herbs with Morwen, in case of future need, he excused himself after receiving MorwenÂ’s heartfelt gratitude.

By now Nessa had drunk the contents of the mug and had settled once again into a relaxing repose. Arwen adjusted her pillows to add more comfort. From the looseness of NessaÂ’s limbs, she knew that her energy was entirely spent from the procedure. Arwen pulled the covers up to NessaÂ’s chest as her eyes fluttered open. Her exhaustion was evident. She smiled faintly at Arwen as she bent to bestow a kiss on her forehead.

“Get some rest little one,” Arwen told Nessa as she soon fell into a deep sleep. The consumption of the herbs was efficacious. Nessa no longer felt unusually warm. Arwen sighed as she prepared to leave.

“She is a very brave child Morwen,” Melian stated.

Morwen nodded. “That she is but also very intractable most of the times,” Morwen added. “It is times like these when I especially miss her father. He died a few years ago. He wanted a male heir and we tried unsuccessfully for many years,” she said almost to herself. “Though he loved and treated Nessa well, I think she sensed his disappointment in the absence of a male heir. As soon as she was old enough she encouraged him to teach her the art of weaponry as he would a son. Fortunately those skills proved well earned today.” She paused then continued, “When I think of what might have befallen us as women, my heart quails. I have heard of many depraved acts perpetrated against women from neighboring villages who were held captive by these creatures. I thank the Valar that we escaped a similar fate.”

“Let us speak no more of such things, Morwen,” Arwen quickly interrupted. As Morwen looked into Arwen’s eyes, she slightly trembled. They were as bottomless pits and she saw there the wisdom of many days. Melian then voiced the need to return to their other companions and Arwen agreed. Morwen thanked them again as they took their leave. She watched long after them as they made their way back up the lane. Never before had she met such beings whose appearance resembled youthfulness and yet seemed wise beyond many years uncountable.

Making their way up the lane, Melian realized that Arwen seemed troubled. She halted as she said, “Arwen, what troubles you?”

Arwen was silent for a time as if pondering just how much she should reveal. At length she turned to Melian and gravely said, “This day has awoken embittered feelings that I thought I had laid to rest many years ago. It feels as though I have been transported back in time to that awful time when my mother was captured and tormented by those foul creatures. I feel as though I am reliving the pain and helplessness that crippled my life during that time,” she ended in a whisper.

“It has been a long time since I have witnessed the destruction that these Orcs can wreak on the lives of all,” she continued. “So many lives has been ended needlessly by the malice of these vile creatures and some very close to home. My own dear husband lost both his grandfather and father to the nefarious acts of these beasts. Arador and Arathorn were both slain by them as they rode with my brothers. Estel and I have each lost a parent by the same means. In a strange way he is fortunate to have been only a small child but two years old when Arathorn died. I will never forget the significant change wrought on my mother’s spirit after Elladan and Elrohir returned her to the safety of Rivendell. My father was able to heal her wounds but she no longer found any pleasure in Middle-earth. It was an extremely devastating time for us all. To watch my mother, whom I love so dearly, become so fragile and despondent. I never heard the sweet melody of her laughter ever again. My brothers and I tried numerous ways to lift her spirits by surrounding her with all those things in which she formerly delighted. Grandmother and Grandfather visited for a while but were unable to influence her spirits. Grandfather, indeed, was deeply grieved by my mother’s wounded peace. The change was too unbearable for him and he soon took counsel with my father and grandmother. Grandmother suggested that in Valinor my mother would in time find peace. She had lived there many ages ago and felt that it would be the best place for my mother to recover. It was a difficult decision for all of us but my father, I believe, felt it worse. Since that time, our lives have never been the same. As the years lengthened, our sorrow has grown. My brothers find release riding with the Northern Dunedain fiercely hunting and killing orcs while my father buried himself in the meetings of the White Council. It has never been the same without Mother. Though we are all close, her absence is strongly felt among us. And now that I have made the choice of Luthien, my paternal foremother, my chance to see her again is no more,” Arwen solemnly said as the tears slid down her face.

Melian held her close as she silently comforted her. After a few minutes, Arwen tried to lighten the mood by humorously saying, “The day is growing dark. Let us return quickly lest Estel sends the soldiers of Rohan and Gondor to discover us”