'I .. I am - but what business is that of yours?' she answered, avoiding Aralia's gaze.
'My name is Aralia. I am an elf from Mirkwood and have sought your whereabouts to try and find you. You cannot go to Mirkwood. The elves are under attack and it will not be safe for you.'
El raised her head and stared at Aralia. 'What?'
'I, among a few others, have escaped and I have been sent to find you.'
'Oh - so what must I do now?'
'We are to seek a woman called Nalmalu in the city of Rohan. She can help us.'
El's eyes lit up, 'I have heard many stories about her. She lives in Edoras after returning there ten years ago.'
'Then we must go there.'
El stared at Aralia curiously as the elf remounted her horse. She looked like an elf - yet there was something else too. 'I would also like to know more about you as we travel,' she said carefully.
Aralia smiled. 'Yes of course. I am an elf - from Mirkwood. I am not old - thirty eight years I have seen. I have never strayed from the wood.' she explained simply. 'My father died in battle before I was born and my mother and my grandfather have both raised me. Anything else?' she asked, smiling.
'No - that is enough for now.' answered El.
They reached the gates of Edoras later that evening. Aralia told the guards at the gates who she was and lead El to the palace. They were shown to the king who immediately knew why they were there. He instructed them to wait a moment.
A few minutes later, Nalmalu walked into the hall. She nodded at El and Aralia and then looked at the king. 'The enemy are nowhere in sight. I believe we are safe once more.' she said, smiling slightly.
'Very well, Nalmalu, but I am afraid another task must be appointed to you.' answered the king.
Nalmalu looked up. 'And what would this be? We can do no more. The war has finished - the enemy are nowhere in sight.' she said. 'We are weary.' she added.
'Yes. But -' the king trailed off and indicated Aralia and El. 'This is Aralia from Mirkwood and El from Ithillien. They both come here seeking your help for different reasons.'
'And what reasons are they?' asked Nalmalu. Aralia stepped forward nervously. 'Please, Miss,' she said quietly. 'Mirkwood - my home is under attack. We do not hold the strength and power to defeat this enemy.'
Nalmalu looked at her,'I am sorry, but what use we can be I do not know. We have just finished our own war - we are too tired to fight again.'
'But - please-'
'Who is it you're fighting?'
Aralia swallowed and lifted her head. 'They came from The Iron Hills.' she whispered. 'Destroying all that was in their path.'
Nalmalu's eyes widened and she turned to the king.>'No. It cannot be - the Rohirrim destroyed them - I was there,' she said, frustrated.
The king bowed his head. 'Alas! Nalmalu - you were injured. A room must have been hidden.' he muttered.
Nalmalu put her hand to her head, 'The underground chamber,' she whispered. 'Why did I not realise?'
'Do not blame yourself and do not dwell on the past. What is done is done. Now we must face it.'
Nalmalu shook her head and glanced at Aralia again. 'I do not see what I can do though,' she said abruptly. 'I cannot help.'
'No - but you know the whereabouts of one who can.' Nalmalu's jaw dropped and she immediately shook her head, 'No! I do not wish for Flo to be brought back to this.' she said.
'But if you do not warn her they will take over. Think what could happen!'
'I cannot bring her back into this. Let her be now.'
'But, Nalmalu - her powers are stronger now. She has control of them. She can use them.'
'No!'
Everyone fell silent and Aralia looked away. El looked up at her and stepped towards Nalmalu. 'Please, Miss. I need her help,' she whispered.
'Oh? And what would you want her help for?' El sensed a hint of mockery in Nalmalu's voice, but nontheless, she placed a piece of paper in Nalmalu's hand. Nalmalu unfolded it and El looked down. As Nalmalu read, Aralia noticed her colour drain from her face. She read it again.Eventually she looked up and put the letter in her pocket.
'Then I see what I must do. But I must not go without saying goodbye.' she said clearly.
'Very well. Ghenbay is at home with your son. Thank you, Nalmalu.'
Nalmalu nodded, 'Come with me, you two.' she whispered and turned and left the hall, Aralia and El at her heals.
In the stables, Nalmalu tacked up her own horse as Aralia and El did the same. Aralia looked at Nalmalu. She sensed some sort of darkness in her past from long ago - and something from not so far away in time. Everyone knew Nalmalu or had heard of her. Heard of her as the one who guided a halfling and saved her, almost giving her life in the process. Yet there was something else.
'Aralia!'
She shook her head. El was looking at her and Nalmalu was stood beside her, her hand on her shoulder.
'Are you alright?' asked Nalmalu.
Aralia nodded truthfully. 'I am. Yes.' she said.
'We can rest tonight and leave tomorrow if you wish to do so?' said Nalmalu kindly, quite different from the one in Meduseld.
'No - I believe that we should leave as soon as possible.'
'Very well.'
Nalmalu lead her horse out of the stables and El and Aralia followed. Aralia told herself to hold it back. She shouldn't - not now. She couldn't let it though. The side of her what the people back home called 'unelvish.'
El kept her eyes on Aralia. She had seen her face pale and her eyes closed as if she was deep in thought. But at the same time as if she was in a lot of pain.
Nalmalu stopped and turned to them. They were stood outside a house. Nalmalu sighed heavilly and a saddness took over her face.
'Will you wait here a moment? There is something I must do.' she said amd smiled at them.
Aralia took Nalmalu's reins as Nalmalu disappeared into the house. Nalmalu walked in cautiously, looking around her, 'Ghenbay?' she called softly.
Ghenbay came through a door and smiled at her. She smiled back, but turned away. 'Are you alright, Nalmalu?' he asked.
'Something has come up,' she said quietly.
Ghenbay stepped closer to her. 'Oh? what?' he asked.
'The war is over...but the King has a new task for me.'
'Oh. What is going on? You seem nervous.'
'Do you remember 10 years ago? The Dalde...we did not wipe them out. They are back.'
'What? How?' asked Ghenbay, astonished.
'An underground chamber,' Nalmalu walked away, she could hardly bare to look at him, 'We forgot, or I forgot about it. Now I must take an elf and a human to the Shire to find Flo-who can help destroy them. Forever.'
'Flo?' Ghenbey sank onto a small stool. 'I - I don't understand. Why?'
'I do not know why, but they hold a grudge. Flo-she would have complete control of her powers, she might be able to stop them,' said Nalmalu hopefully.
Ghenbay shook his head. 'No. You have a family. You're a mother. You wish to leave him - your son?'
'I have no other choice,' Nalmalu said desperately, turning round, 'Who else will go? I do not wish to leave my son! Or you!'
'And these - this elf - and human - who are they?'
'The elf, she's from Mirkwood her name is Aralia. And the human, she is from Ithilien-El-Nalacatta's daughter.'
'Nalacatta's daughter? What do The Dalde want with her?'
'She read all this in the secret words of the seer, before anything happened. They may find out about it.'
'I see. Can nobody else go? Only you?'said Ghenbay standing up.
'Many of the warriors are still injured from the war, it would seem fate wants me to go.'
Ghenbay nodded. 'I do not want you to go, but I see that there is no other way.' he said quietly.
'I am sorry, Ghenbay,' said Nalmalu sadly.
He stepped forward and nudged her head up so she looked at him. 'Keep yourself safe from harm.' he smiled. 'Do what you must.'
'I shall try my best,' she sighed and Ghenbay held her close. At that moment their son, Lhended walked in.
'Mother?' he whispered, looking up at her.
Nalmalu looked down and held back her tears, she crouched down in front of him, 'Lhended, my son, I must go away for a while. To the Shire.'
'Why?'
'I must see an old friend of mine. There is trouble in Mirkwood.'
Lhended looked down. Nalmalu hugged him. 'Will you come back?' he asked. 'Is father going too?'
'I will come back, your father will stay here and look after you while I am gone. I will miss you,' she said and she kissed his forehead, 'Be good, do not cause your father too much trouble eh?'
Lhended clung to her, not wanting her to leave. Ghenbay lifted him into his arms. Nalmalu dried her eyes and with one last goodbye went back out to Aralia and El to continue their journey.
...
Flo stood leaning on the gate, Lila, her neighbous stood behind it. They both chatted carelessly in the warmth. Flo had lived a peaceful life for a few years now. None of the hobbits had questioned why she had gone those ten years ago - but she wss still an open source of interest. Lila bid her farewell and went off. Flo watched her walk over the hill and then noticed something behind her. Several figures were coming towards Bramble Rock. Flo squinted. It couldn't be - surely not. One of the figures was someone she had not seen in years, but still had a very special place in her heart. She opened the gate and walked towards them. It was. She ran to them.
'Nalmalu!'
Nalmalu stopped talking to El and Aralia suddenly, it had been almost nervous or anxious talk they had thought. Nalmalu looked down the path and saw running towards them, like something out of the past, Flo. She jumped off her horse and ran to meet her.
Flo felt Nalmalu lift her off her feet. She hugged Flo tightly.
'Nalmalu,' whispered Flo.
'Flo,' Nalmalu said and Flo could hear Nalmalu sobbing, 'Flo, so long-ten summers now.'
'Yes. You have changed so much. You look wonderful.'
Nalmalu placed Flo on the ground, 'You have grown aswell, you look so healthy! I should have come earlier, but things have happened, I had my son, and I did not want to leave Ghenbay -'
'Your son?'
Nalmalu smiled slightly, 'Yes, he is Ghenbay's, his name is Lhended-after Ghenbay's father.'
Flo's eyes fell on Aralia and El. She sensed something about them and looked at Nalmalu. 'Who are they?' she asked.
Nalmalu shifted a little and scratched the back of her head, 'That is the reason I came to see you-the elf, she is Aralia and the human she is El. We need your help.'
Flo nodded silently. 'You had better come inside.' she said and turned and walked back to Bramble Rock.
Nalmalu beckoned to the others to follow her in, she had to bend double as they went inside. Flo offered them seats in the living room and she went off to make them drinks. She wandered back to the living room with a tray of food and drink. 'Terwin will be back soon. He will be glad to see you.' smiled Flo, offering everyone a drink and some food.
'Ah yes, Terwin!' said Nalmalu taking a sip from her drink, she frowned slightly, 'I need to speak to him aswell.'
'You do? What do you want with him? However- please tell me what you want with me if it comes to that.' laughed Flo, taking a seat which had been recently occupied by a grey cat.
Nalmalu sighed again and an awkward expression creased her face, 'It's-well there's a problem.'
Flo gave each of them a furtive look. 'What has happened?' she asked.
'The Dalde,' Nalmalu's hand trembled slightly and she put her cup down, 'They're back.'
Flo dopped her cup with a clatter and stared at Nalmalu. 'B - Back?' she whispered. 'How? Why?'
Nalmalu stood up and paced around a little, talking as she did, 'The Rohirrim did not disperse them completely! I forgot about the underground cells! So foolish of me! They are launching an attack upon Mirkwood.'
'Mirkwood? The elves? Why?'
'I do not know, I do not know! But we must do something-I must do something. It is my fault.'
'No - it is not. Tell me - please - truthfully - are you safe? and - and me?' she asked, hoping not to sound too selfish. 'And what of El and Aralia - what have they to do with it?'
'El read the ancient words of the seer and found out these things, they may want her, Aralia-she is from Mirkwood-she was to escort El to the Rohirrim.'
Flo stood up and shakilly scooped up the broken crockery. She ran a hand across her head and looked at Nalmalu.
'Dreams have haunted my sleep for ten years. Now they have come true. I sensed they were not finished many times before. What do they want this time, Nalmalu?' she asked, flustered and shaking.
Nalmalu laid her hand upon her sword, 'To kill and destroy. Mirkwood first...then Rohan! What then Gondor? Then the Shire! This is just too much.What am I to do? I do not wish to have anything to do with them! I have no choice!'
Nalmalu - I have control of my powers now - but they will sense them. Will they not come back here? For me?'
'The powers, you have lost all the ones that could transport any of them to the Grey Havens...they think you are dead. It should stay that way.'
'Nalmalu. I am no longer a child. It is my purpose to protect those who need it. You cannot stop me this time.'
Nalmalu turned to Aralia and El - who swfitly, catching her look, left the room and went outside, 'War is coming Flo. You must do what you can-and I also.'
'Yes. I -'
The door opened again and another hobbit walked in. 'Flo - who are those people in the hall - oh.' he caught sight of Nalmalu and smiled, then realised the expression on both Nalmalu and Flo's face. 'Nalmalu?' he asked simply.
Nalmalu passed a hand over her brow, 'Terwin,' she forced a smile, 'So glad am i to see you.'
'And I you,' he said. 'But you bring a look of fear and doubt on my sister here.' he added quizzically.
'I am sorry,' said Nalmalu, 'But I have a great need, I have left my husband and son to bring you news. It is by my own fault, but I feel I have outstayed my welcome-I shall be leaving you very soon.'
'No, Nalmalu, please. Tell me what I must do.' said Flo. 'Please. I do not wish to ignore this and I do not wish to go forward without knowing how. Tell me - please.'
Nalmalu thought for a moment, 'I am not sure exactly what I am to do myself, but I must think...if I may I will leave Aralia and El with you-I need some time by myself.'
'Alright. But - please - don't go back to them again. I have a bad feeling of it - stay away from them. Tell me you will.' Flo answered, looking straight at Nalmalu.
'I have enough sense, I hope.' said Nalmalu and she left and walked out the front door.
