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Lindaril's Secret
The Silmarillion: P. 250: The Fall of Gondolin: "The fume of the burning, and the steam of the fair fountains of Gondolin withering in the flame -- fell upon the vale of Tumladen in mournful mists -- nonetheless they came thither, and beyond hope they climbed, in woe and misery, for the high places were cold and terrible, and they had among them many that were wounded, and women and children."

~~~

An opportunity did not present itself later that night for Lindaril to speak to Legolas, as a fell wind blew in from the east while the three companions were busy tending to the various chores they had set for themselves. The storm damaged Elspeth's hut so badly that Legolas and Gimli did not think that by repairing it, it would prevent the same thing from happening again, and they knew that Elspeth and Enna could not remain there by themselves. The huts in this tiny community stood in open plains, and were vulnerable to winds and other dangers. Legolas was saddened by the thought of the poor peasant people who had lived in this place and had suffered such a hard life were all dead and gone now, and their homes destroyed. He took Gimli aside.

"I do not think that Elspeth and her baby should stay here any longer. They are too sick and their community is gone. Lindaril has offered to ride back to Minas Tirith with them. I agree with her that they should leave here as soon as possible, although I did not agree with her last night. It goes against me to agree with anything that elf-sorceress decides; however, I must put my personal feelings aside in order to choose the right course of action, and I do believe that they should go. It pains me to have to move them now, though, before I think they are ready for such an arduous journey".

"I agree with Lindaril too, Legolas", replied Gimli. "It would be too far to take them with us to Edoras, therefore Minas Tirith is the wiser choice. Because it has the Houses of Healing as well, these poor folk can be tended to by the healers there".

"Then it is decided", said Legolas. "Lindaril also has powers of healing, and can tend to Elspeth and her child on the journey, if she does not take ill herself. As far as that goes, I am not sure that I believe all of her story about her illness. Elves cannot become sick or weak, as she claims to be".

However, as Lindaril was readying herself for the journey back to Minas Tirith, she took ill again. She began to shiver violently, and Legolas saw that she had become deathly pale and looked to be in danger of swooning.

"Are you all right?" he asked, alarmed by the sight of her. Trembling, she clutched at his arm as he tried to hold her steady.

"No, I am not all right", she whispered between clenched teeth, "but this episode will pass in a short time. I am still determined to take Elspeth and her baby to Minas Tirith. I shall be fine in a moment".

"I do not understand how an elf can become so ill", exclaimed Legolas, not believing his eyes.

"I have been through much hardship to get here from my old home in the North", Lindaril trembled, "as I have told you before. I ate strange berries and roots when I needed to eat, and drank water from strange pools. I may have been poisoned somehow by some fell design of the dark forces while they still existed".

"Then surely they would have poisoned all of us", said Legolas. "My friends and I also traveled through strange places and ate and drank as you did".

"Perhaps it was inadvertent poisoning", said Lindaril. "I may have been the only unlucky elf to have stumbled across the one thing that was poisonous to our kind, without knowledge of what it was".

"It is a mystery, to be sure", replied Legolas, "one in which luck seems to have played a role".

They packed the provisions that they thought Lindaril and her charges would need for the journey, and left the rest behind. Lindaril sat astride Arod with Elspeth behind her, bundled in Lindaril's warm cloak, and the baby was placed between them, covered with warm blankets. Lindaril looked down at Gimli and Legolas.

"I will see you in Edoras in ten days hence, if luck be with me", she said. Farewell".

Elspeth looked down at Legolas and Gimli with a sad, weak smile. "May you both be blessed for all your kindness".

"Go, Arod", Legolas whispered into the horse's ear. "Take them by a safe and fast route to the White City, and then run back to Edoras like the wind. I will meet you there, my friend". The horse nodded his fine head and whinnied. Then Arod sped off down the road, his white tail streaming behind him, his hooves pounding in the dust.

Legolas and Gimli watched them gallop away until they could no longer see them. Then elf and dwarf turned north and began their long journey to Edoras, Gimli riding the pony Cemera, who was now laden with all of their supplies, and Legolas on foot. During the journey they saw signs of the devastation in Rohan that Eodrain had told them about. They saw farmers' fields, which had been blackened by fire, empty villages, and dead animal carcasses rotting in the sun. They saw forested areas, once green and majestic, which were now ravaged by fire and by the wanton cutting and hewing of trees.

Occasionally they would come across other people who were traveling toward Gondor, and some who were going in the other direction, toward Edoras, following the same route as elf and dwarf. All had different measures of desperation about them, and sad stories to tell of loss, either of their homes and loved ones, or their occupations, or both. Curiously, the various bands of travelers, and even the single wanderers, did not wish to travel together with any other group, but preferred to continue alone. It was as if a strange melancholy had descended like a new type of sickness upon anyone who ventured through these lands of devastation. Legolas and Gimli were affected too, by the despair, and felt themselves become unhappy wanderers.

At one point at about sunset on the third day, they were attacked by a pack of coyotes, very thin beasts, obviously starving, and desperate enough to attack two men and a pony. Legolas and Gimli had come upon them as the animals, ravenous with hunger, were tearing into a wild turkey at the side of the road. Gimli drove them off with his axe, and Legolas was convinced that he needed a bow and some arrows, and decided that he would have to make them with his own hands.

"I curse myself for not bringing my own bow and arrows with me", he complained to Gimli. "I had no idea that I would find myself in need of them. I am very worried about Lindaril, Elspeth, and Enna. What if they have been attacked as we have been?"

"You should have known better", said Gimli. "You should have known that your bow and arrows would have been needed on a long journey such as this. As time goes by, I am becoming more and more surprised at you, Legolas. But as for Lindaril and Elspeth, they are on their own now, and luck be with them".

They stopped so that Legolas could search among the ruins of some trees for an appropriate piece of wood that he could fashion into a bow. He found a promising piece after much searching, and borrowed one of Gimli's axe heads, which was sharp enough for Legolas to carve the wood into the correct shape. Then he carved some shafts for the arrows out of strong, hard wood, and for a string he used a piece of dried gut from a dead pig that he found in a deserted hut. For the arrow feathers, he took some from the dead turkey, and Gimli used his axe to split some flint stones, and they used the sharpest pieces, honing them on a suitable piece of rock, for the arrowheads.

Once the bow and arrows were made, Legolas tried them to see if they would work well enough for shooting. He set up several targets, using bits of pigskin and turkey feathers stuck to trees, at several different distances. He then shot arrows at each target, and all of them found their marks.

Legolas laughed. "This does not work quite as well as my old bow, but it will do fine, I think!"

"Pickaxes and shovels! You have not lost any of your old skill!" exclaimed Gimli.

When all was made ready, the two companions set off again. Without any further trouble, they arrived at Edoras the following day. Eomer, who had been king of Rohan since the death of his uncle, King Theoden in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, greeted them as they entered the Golden Hall. Both Legolas and Gimli had spent much time there in the past, during the war. They and Eomer were great friends. Although Eomer was not a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, he had been a staunch ally of theirs, and had become very close to them. He was closer to Gimli, the two of them having had an ongoing argument over who was the fairest lady, Galadriel being Gimli's choice, or Arwen, who was preferred by Eomer. The two had called a truce at last, and Gimli had come to know Eomer very well during his time living in the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep in Rohan, where Eomer often used to visit him.

"I am well pleased to see you again, my friends", he told them. Eomer was a tall, strong man, an expert horseman and a mighty warrior. He found himself not as comfortable at having to deal with political matters and having to attend meetings and discussions, as he had been on horseback, fighting battles. "What brings you to Edoras at this time?"

"We have made plans to travel further north", replied Gimli, "and thought that we would stop to visit with you before we continue on our way".

"Yes", said Legolas, "and I must tell you Eomer, that we have had a most unsettling adventure on our way here".

"Come into the Hall and sit with me", offered Eomer. "Tell me what troubles you have had. It seems to be a normal sign of our unhappy times that our friends should experience troubles when they visit our lands".

Eomer's sister, Eowyn, and her husband, Prince Faramir of Ithilien, were also visiting Eomer, and heartily welcomed Legolas and Gimli. Legolas knew Faramir very well, as he was ruler of the Province of Ithilien, a part of which housed Legolas's elven realm of Ithilorien, and the two saw each other often. They shared a love of arts and of philosophy, and both had been great warriors in their time, but more out of necessity than of love for fighting.

After the welcoming had taken place, and their guests had refreshed themselves and had partaken of some food and drink, Eomer and Faramir took turns telling of the troubles that they were struggling with in Rohan. Eomer said that he, Faramir and Eowyn were trying to come up with some ideas for helping the people, and for rebuilding their farms. Luckily, the people of Edoras had escaped the plague that had decimated the southern regions of their land. It did not seem to have reached those who lived in the mountainous regions, where Edoras was located.

Faramir said that Aragorn had sent him to buy a large number of horses from Eomer. "We are attempting to encourage the Rohirrim to return to ranching and horse breeding", said Faramir. "It is felt that that is what they do best and there is a ready market for horses in Gondor, as we attempt to reinstate our cavalry. Aragorn thinks that because Gondor is open to possible attack from the south and from any forces coming down the river, that he needs to keep a good army ready for battle at any given time. Gondor has always been proud of maintaining its good defenses, and Aragorn feels that he should continue that tradition".

Eomer responded by saying that Rohan's population had been decimated by the war, and mainly its able-bodied men. "In order to breed more horses, we need men to feed them, build fences, corral the horses, train them, look after them, and the list goes on. We need farmers to grow hay and harvest it for feed. The deadly plague has effectively destroyed what was left of our farmlands. We need strong men for building fences, some new housing, and the list just goes on and on. We simply do not have the manpower any longer to accomplish all that we must to help our people". His frustration was evident to the others as he pounded his fists on the table. Legolas noticed that he had developed a twitching vein in his temple.

Faramir spoke softly yet persausively. "Then sell us horses. With what we pay you, and you will be well paid, you can begin your rebuilding".

Eowyn then told him, "Faramir has said that he and Aragorn will send you some soldiers from Gondor's army to help bolster your manpower. Do not forget also that some of Rohan's women and the stronger of its young boys would be very much interested in learning to be ranchers. They will not mind doing the hard work that is involved as long as it means they will have food on their tables, clothes on their backs, homes to call their own, and livelihoods of which to be proud. The incentive for you lies in the offer that Faramir brings from Aragorn. He said that he would give you money for anyone who wishes to become a rancher. It can be paid back, if you wish, at a later date, by giving Gondor more horses in return for the loan".

Legolas said that he also would send some elves from Ithilorien to come and assist with the rebuilding that needed to be done in Rohan. Gimli said that he would help in any way he could, and wished that he could do more, but that the dwarf population had been in decline for hundreds of years, and showed no sign of ever recovering.

When they had been in Edoras for a few days, Legolas discovered that Lindaril had returned from Minas Tirith. He met with her on the balcony outside of the room in which she was staying. He wanted to talk to her and to enquire about her journey to Minas Tirith and to ensure that Elspeth and Enna had been taken to the Houses of Healing, and were safe. As he walked toward Lindaril, he saw her singing to a little bird that was perched on a branch of a tree overhanging her balcony. He was startled to see the bird suddenly drop to the floor as Lindaril sang something to it. She stooped to pick up the little creature, and then noticed Legolas approaching.

"Oh, Legolas, look at this", she said. "It is a Cheeralee. It is an ambitious little bird. It tries to do what it cannot. It tries to make its nest as big as an eagle's, but it does not need such a big one, so most of its nestlings die of the cold and the lack of closeness to their mother. It tries to eat large nuts that it cannot break open, when it should be eating small seeds, but many of the birds starve rather than capitulate. It is never satisfied with what it can do, and is always frustrated by its limitations. These little birds are extremely rare. That I have found one here is a wonder. I think it must be some sort of omen".

Legolas stared at her. "If it is rare, you should have let it live. Why have you killed it?" he asked in horror.

She laughed at him. "Oh, no, it is not dead. Look here". Then she sang to it.

"Cheeralee, O Cheeralee
Little bird that wants to be
In control of all it sees
I decide to set you free
Fly, and please remember me."

The little bird then awoke and flew away. Lindaril turned and smiled at Legolas. He thought her actions to be strange and she gave him a feeling of uneasiness that he could not shake off.

"Finally, we have a chance to talk, you and I", said Lindaril. "I had wished to make you aware of something very important about myself, but have not yet had the opportunity to speak to you at length".

"I do not mind talking with you", Legolas replied. "But never again can there be anything more than a formal acquaintanceship between us".

"Oh, do not worry, Legolas", she retorted. "I will admit when I chance to make a horrible mistake of the sort that I have made, and horrible it was indeed!"

"If that is all you have to say, then I must end this conversation now", said Legolas. He turned and started to leave the room.

Lindaril willed herself to control her temper, and said tersely, "We have strayed from the subject that I wished to discuss. Soon, I will be leaving for the Grey Havens, as I have told you, and I know that you and Gimli will be leaving for your own destination. Because I may never see you again, there is something I wish to tell you now about myself, and - and - my family", she said.

"Why would that be of any concern to me?" he asked.

Lindaril's eyes flashed with anger, but she continued, "It may be worth it some day for you to know that I am a direct descendant of the House of Feanor of the Noldorin elves", she said.

"No!" cried Legolas, quite unnerved. "It is not possible! Do not speak of him lest you bring the curse of his house down on our heads! I was not aware that any of his seven sons had any children that have survived still! How is it possible that any descendants of that accursed line still exist? Is it Maglor? Is Maglor your father?"

"Listen to me, Legolas", said Lindaril, with a look that stopped Legolas stone cold. He saw in the glare of her eyes that she spoke the truth and that her words held great portent. He dropped to his knees.

"O, Elbereth!" he cried. "Help us! Is it not to be over, finally? Will there never be any rest for the First-born?"

Lindaril's dark eyes shone in that moment of revelation, and it was as if white-hot sparks flew from them. In a ringing voice, she spoke.

"Feanor's son Celegorm had a child by an elf-maiden whom he met somewhere in Beleriand - near Doriath I was told", she said. "He was never aware of that child's existence. No one knew of this child, save her own mother. She was conceived during the confusion and madness that took place after the death of King Thingol. Through Celegorm who was my grandfather, I have descended, the last of my people save for Maglor, whose whereabouts remain unknown to me. Now, I am about to leave Middle-earth forever, so do not worry about me, Legolas. I will be gone, and will be taking my family's terrible legacy of misfortune with me, and there will no longer be any ancient curses from the past to worry you here".

Lindaril then swept away, leaving Legolas kneeling on the floor. He was left with a feeling of great discomfort, and was relieved that she would be departing Middle-earth and taking her family's secrets and curses away with her.