[Introduction] Through the Redhorn Gate

[silvercrowned]

The mountain thrusts up before them like a knife: its peak is silver with ice and sunlight, but the lower slopes are the dull red of dried bloodstains. The path runs before them, narrow and twisting and treacherous, the climb up the steep mountainside sends the horses struggling and sliding toward the darkness beyond the cliff. Snow dusts the

Comments

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Yay blond women who are cast as Claire Danes! (Not this one. But she often is.) "Oh," she says, quietly, coming out on the porch, and then, "Oh dear," and comes down the stairs, hurrying across the lawn.

"Are you all right? I'm not going to hurt you - I'm a healer."

[silvercrowned]

"Thank you -- are my companions near, did they send you?" She sounds unhappy, but Jaenelle will find Celebrían is not hurt - not badly, at any rate, even though she is scared and understandably upset.

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Understandably! and that is enough. "No," she says, a little sadly, "I'm afraid you've - rather changed location. Although - who was in your party? Maybe some of them..."

Because Jaenelle knows elves well enough by now to recognize, and heeyyyy. Her eyes light up, a little.

"You are related to Galadriel," she says, with a bit of a smile.

[silvercrowned]

"Maybe some of them are here?" And she'll rattle down the names of her escorts, perhaps a lady-in-waiting, several warriors, one scholar or the other - perhaps Erestor or Glorfindel were among the party, only because that would go a great length to reassure her if they ever make their way to Carpe, but for now, there is no one at the Mansion those names fit.

But she dares a softly hopeful look. "You are familiar with my mother?"

[ebonyjaenelle72]

"I don't know any of those names," Jaenelle says, carefully, "But - oh!" That registers, a moment late. "Oh, your mother - yes! I would-" Blush. "I would like to say that we are friends. I am Jaenelle - she's spoken of you before."

[silvercrowned]

This even elicits a smile, a soft one that has much lingering sadness within it. There are many easy reasons she can think of why her mother never mentioned Jaenelle, or why Celebrían never met her, and she can feel no evil within her, if she is anyone to make such judgements.

"Would you take me to her, then? I would have her know that I am well, and she and my father must be told that there is a force of Orcs in Hithaeglîr that will prove a danger to travellers."

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Oh dear. A slight blush, because if there is anyone else who knows that Galadriel hasn't exactly been with her husband here - not that he's here - but oh. She sees how this could be awkward. "--of course," though, politely. "Though I don't think - well, you'll see."

Her smile is bright, and makes her appear younger even than Celebrian, perhaps. "You look just like her."

[silvercrowned]

It could be. Would be, most likely.

Her blush and awkwardness, and the evasion are noted, but there is too much on her plate at the moment, and she would rather grasp the kindness and see the rest when she is feeling better.

"Thank you, that is -- a compliment indeed. But tell me, I expected her in Lórien in but a week, why is it that she is visiting with you and all these people?"

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Jaenelle bites her lip, frowns, and seems to ponder for a few moments. "I'm - afraid I'm not always very good at explaining this," she says apologetically. "But I'll do my best. This place isn't - it's outside of time and any other place, it's sort of - in-between. And time doesn't work here the same way it does everywhere else, so people seem to be able to - be here, and no time at all will pass in their own world...I'm sorry, am I making any sense at all?"

She really is terribly concerned; Jaenelle is aware how people tend to react to her explanations of things.

[silvercrowned]

She might be gentler about her reaction, but the information comes as a shock to her. A strange place in the woods, some refuge not far from Lórien that she knew nothing about Celebrían would have accepted, if with disbelief - her mother has many secrets. But as it is, she shakes her head and hunches together unhappily, though hanging on to composure - by a thread.

"Perhaps, but I do not understand -- nor, nor can I believe it. Please, only send me on the way to Lothlórien."

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Jaenelle sighs, and then offers a hand.

"Can I take you to your mother instead?"

[silvercrowned]

"Please." She grasps Jaenelle's hand with her soft one. She is not a fighter, nor much of a rider, and it shows. And she does not want to consider the implications of her mother in this place, not the consequences it has for Lothlórien, and for her father, if he is not here...

But she tears herself away before those thoughts can spiral out of control.

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Jaenelle takes it, then, and starts toward the house. Her own hand is callused in places, though it's uneven and nowhere very thick. A fighter, yes, but other things first.

She takes a moment to focus and pinpoint Galadriel, and then moves in that direction, which is likely actually more toward the greenhouse.

[lorien_gal]

Galadriel is indeed in the greenhouse - and perhaps a hunch will have take her to the entrance, blinking into the light, watching the two silhouettes coming.

Two familiar silhouettes. Can it be? Her daughter here?

She doesn't hesitate as she crosses the distance serenely to join her friend and her daughter.

"Sell vell," she murmurs, and is already offering her daughter an embrace.

This... was unexpected. Quite. For now, however, Galadriel doesn't think of the complications, only the joy of seeing her daughter once more.

[silvercrowned]

Celebrían stands - a little disconcerted, not because she is seeing her mother, but because she is seeing her mother in this place. But all the same, there is a rush of joy and relief to see her, and she walks forward into Galadriel's embrace with carefully measured steps.

"Naneth," she says, softly, and allows herself a smile.

[ebonyjaenelle72]

Jaenelle stays back, then, just letting them see each other, a tiny smile flickering around her mouth. They seem to her to be very alike, in appearance and otherwise, and well - reunions are always nice for her to watch.

When they're happy.

But she knows better than to interfere.