Chapter Text
“How strange. When the light caught your hair for a moment, you seemed her perfect likeness."
"Whose likeness?"
"Why, Lady Galadriel's, of course."
She closed the door to her chambers and whispered a word as the door locked into place. The interaction played over and over in her head. The touch… it felt like a mix of her father but also a darkness. Her stomach churned over what needed to be done. She learned earlier the High King did not know what was going on from easily flirting with Celebrimbor to look through his papers. But this made her uneasy. It would not do well for her to be compromised or even uncovered.
A simple charm her mother taught her when she was a child so she would not be disturbed without a moment to hide what she was doing. Moving to a chest, she dug through it until she found a small chest with her family crest on it. Opening it, she took the simple looking leaf and breathed into it. “I need to leave,” she whispered to it.
She waited, one ear focused on the door as most were still awake and aware in Eregion. Including the Shadow she saw earlier, lurking, manipulating Celebrimbor. Even the minor ring she created… some came from her, but more from him. A curse. She couldn’t help but worry that he knew exactly who she was behind the glamour mask. Even with it firmly in place to hide her in plain sight. There were two rules – do not draw attention to yourself and be a humble servant. The second was not to question, only to observe, and report.
Those were her mother’s orders and, unlike those who usually served under her, she would follow her commander until ordered to lay down her weapons. For even if her strength was not the sword, she was still a fighter. She pressed her lips together as the minutes stretched on with the leaf silent.
She barely heard the notes but they were there. Do so as soon as you are able – I will distract him. Make for Lindon with haste – I hope you find Elrond on the road. Join him and the others with him.
There were so many questions she wanted to ask with the first one being how her mother could even know who she was speaking of. She gathered only what she needed: cloak, weapons, the stash of hidden food, and changed into traveling clothes. She would keep to the shadows, taking the hidden ways she found when she was here the first week that she wondered if Celebrimbor even knew. Walking to the stables, she found her horse, quietly speaking to calm it from waking the others or bringing attention to what she needed to do. She would use the back gate – fewer questions, easier to hide the truths – and she was soon on her way. Keeping up a slow pace until, looking back, she was far enough away, she urged the horse faster.
****
In having to keep off the road, she was going on instinct more than anything. It was hard to see the stars through the trees most nights, but she felt she was going the right way. She had to be, even more so when she pulled her horse up short as she felt, rather than heard, a small group close to her.
Her mother, and probably her father as well, would chide her for her actions next. She got down from the horse, pulling down her hood, and slowly made her way to where she was hearing voices. At least she had her hand on her weapon – a short sword – as she crept closer. It was a good idea as a strong, yet familiar feeling, arm grabbed at her. She twisted, pulling out her sword, and backed him into a tree as a sword came up to block her own.
He was older, his dark curly hair unruly, but his eyes were bright and sure. They were questioning, as if he was seeing her, instead of what others wanted to see. Someone who looked like the most beautiful of them all. “Who – “
“Shush,” she whispered as she listened to the rest of the forest.
“It’s the rest of the company with me,” he whispered.
She relaxed, stepping back, and put away her sword. “A star shines on the hour of our meeting, Herald Elrond.”
Elrond looked her over, as if assessing her, raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?”
“To those in Eregion, I am Mirdania. To my mother, only daughter to Finarfin and sister of Finrod, I am Celebrian. She told me to quit Eregion and make to Lindon to tell the High King what is happening there.”
He stared at her in wonder, his mouth trying to form words, before settling on a question. “When did you speak with Galadriel?”
“A day ago, before I left Eregion.” She paused. “I… I created something, with his,” she spat the word, “help and he looked at me with the same eyes that Celebrimbor does. It was not safe.”
“Him?” Elrond asked.
“He is calling himself Annatar but you have met him by name Halbrand,” she explained. “I only put the pieces together a day ago myself. But… for some reason I had hoped mother would be with you. It feels like she is.”
Elrond looked down before looking back up at Celebrian. “She sacrificed herself to save us.”
“That was not what you were saying a day ago, Commander,” an elf said from behind Elrond. The pair turned to look at them. “Who is this?”
“Mirdania,” she replied before Elrond could. “I am to Lindon to ask the High King for help. There is a darkness gathering.”
“Then you are in good company as we are heading the same way,” the elf said and noded to them. “We should keep moving.”
“Yes, we should,” Elrond said and looked to Celebrian.
She held up a hand until the other elf completely left. “You are the first to see through the mask. It is safer, until Lindon, that it is kept in place.”
“I fear that is because I have something of Galadriel’s in my possession,” he confessed. “A ring that chose her.”
“Is it one of the Elven Rings?” she asked and he nodded. “So it did work.”
“It did,” Elrond said. “Come. We should join the others.” He offered her a hand to lead her to them.
She nodded and took it, hiding her smile as how it felt right. She had asked her father, once, what it felt like to meet the one that song to your soul. He had replied that it felt like you were safe, that everything was right, and you were right where you belonged. She would hold to that and hoped there would be more times alone with Elrond to figure out if he felt the same.