The Gift of Healing

The Gift of Healing May 17, 2005 19:43:24 GMT -5

Post by TOA Management on May 17, 2005 19:43:24 GMT -5

"Nana, I wish to speak to you." Galadriel looked up from her book to see her daughter, Celebrían, standing before her. The elf was wearing a pretty silk dress of midnight blue with long heavy sleeves made of velvet. Celebrían always wore dark colors now, ever since the incident. Galadriel bit back her cry of concern for her only daughter, for her face was white and strained and the dress hung loosely about her. She looked so pale and fragile that Galadriel immediately decided to have a talk with Celebrían's husband afterwards about taking more care to see that she eat properly.

"Of course, sit down," Galadriel motioned for her to sit in the chair next to her. Celebrían looked down at her hands and did not raise her gaze. Finally she raised her head to stare into her mother's eyes. Galadriel was startled by the look they contained. Her eyes were great pools of blue like her mother's, but they overflowed with a sorrow and pain that Galadriel had never witnessed before in the eyes of an Elf. No, she corrected herself, I have seen it before. It is the look I have never wanted to see in the eyes of those I love.

Celebrían swallowed and closed her eyes to steady herself for the news she was about to declare. "Nana, I want you to know that I love you very much. And I love Elrond and my children more than breathing. But, I cannot go on. I need healing. I have made my decision, a very difficult decision." Silent tears flowed down the pale cheeks slowly. "I am going to sail into the West, Nana."

A silence settled upon the mother and daughter, and the twittering of birds and rustling of leaves outside suddenly became painfully loud to their Elven ears. A pain slowly crept into Galadriel's mind. She had foreseen this, only it had not come to her in understanding. She remembered seeing a ship with white sails gliding peacefully over the water, and the sun setting, casting a golden light over the glassy sea.

"Nana?" Celebrían called softly. Tears formed at the sound of her sweet daughter's voice and Galadriel closed her eyes to keep the tears in. She had nothing to say to this announcement, no words of wisdom or advice to give to her daughter. Perhaps, she thought, if I gave her time she would come to her senses and change her mind.

"We will discuss what is best for you, in time. There might be other solutions out there to heal your wounds, Celebrían. I shall speak to your father first." Galadriel rose gracefully out of her chair and swept out of the room before another word was uttered between them.

"Celeborn," Galadriel called to her husband. He was talking with his grandchildren out in the courtyard and he greeted his wife with a smile. "Celeborn," she spoke evenly and without a trace of emotion. She did not know if the children knew of their mother's plans yet, and did not wish to alarm them. "I need to speak to you at once." Celeborn stood and left the children with a pat on the arm of each.

"Yes, what is it?" he looked at her expectantly.

"Your daughter wants to..." her voice faltered before continuing, "wants to sail into the West."

"What? What are you saying?"

Galadriel looked away and struggled to control her breathing. "She wants to leave us, husband. Until we join her again in Valinor. Her pain is great, and she feels she needs the healing of Valinor."

Celeborn shook his head. "She cannot go. Celebrían cannot leave her husband and children, nor can she leave... us. I shall not allow it."

Galadriel was nodding in agreement before she slowed the motion. She remembered how her daughter looked, with her body so thin and ill that she was having difficulty living every day. But she remembered most of all, the emotion in her daughter's eyes: pain, deep emotional pain without cease, plaguing Celebrían daily. And then, when she spoke of the need to receive healing and to go to the West, a glimmer of hope in those sorrowful eyes. Celebrían was not irresponsible, nor did she not think things through. Galadriel knew her daughter had seen all sides, and knew deep down the extent of how much pain she would cause her family by leaving them.

"No, we cannot stop her."

"What? What she has planned is madness! Galadriel, if we do not stop her, we will not see her for a very long time." He touched her arm to get her to look at him, and tried to portray the severity of the situation to Galadriel and his need to keep his daughter nearby with the expression in his eyes.

Galadriel looked away and shook her head forcefully, tears running down her cheeks. "No! She is grown and we no longer know what is best for her! She must leave, Celeborn. She believes that this is what she must do, for the benefit of herself and her family, and we must support her."

"She is so very young..." Celeborn objected, but his resolve was thinning.

"Nana? Ada?" a voice said from behind them. The Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim turned to face their daughter.

"It is her destiny," Galadriel whispered softly as Celebrían ran forward to hug them, weeping with anguish for the inevitable separation from those she loved, and laughing with joy for the healing she would finally receive.

Post by TOA Management on May 17, 2005 19:41:26 GMT -5

Post by TOA Management on May 17, 2005 19:43:24 GMT -5