Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, alas, but I do own Nisarsai and everything about her.
Summary: On the chase to find Merry and Pippin, our heroes come across a strange girl from who-knows-where. Is she friend or foe?
Author's Note: This is a rewrite/revision. I finally found my book and my boyfriend is my new editor! Also, this is no longer a insert LOTR character -mance of any kind. At least not in the way most people think. Once the six original chapters are revised and edited, the seventh will be coming soon. The newly written chapters will have an asterisk next to it.
Chapter 1
The bright sun shone overhead on the wide plain, grassy and strewn with rocks and streams. Wind poured across the land, channeled by mountains, filled with the scent of moist earth. Three forms sped across the land, following the path taken by much fouler creatures but a day earlier. It had been four days since the three hunters left Amon Hen in search of Merry and Pippin. Four days of running and searching with no rest, food, or other comforts. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli raced across the plain, nearing the land of Rohan.
It was midday when their journey brought them to a conspicuous rock outcrop, reached first by Legolas. As he approached, he examined it intently.
"What is it Legolas?" asked Aragorn. As he neared, he noticed tension in his friend's slender back.
"I am not sure," Legolas turned to face Aragorn, "There is a strange air that surrounds this place."
"We've stopped, finally!" Gimli exclaimed gratefully, as he stumbled up, gasping for breath.
"We will not be lingering long, Master Dwarf," Aragorn replied, his eyes drawn to the formation. Gimli recovered, following his gaze.
"What have we got here, eh?" Gimli walked up to the rock.
"I would be cautious, Gimli," Legolas started. "Something is not right here."
"Well of course something isn't right, pointy-ear. This is of a different composition than the rest. You see here, how the fragments of lighter rock are larger than the stones we've passed. And this vein here," Gimli pointed lower, "that bluish color is nowhere else to be seen. I thought you had better eyes than a dwarf, eh Master Elf?"
"Do you see that?" Aragorn interjected before Legolas could reply. He pointed to a sigil carved into the rock face. Legolas leaned closer, brushing his hand over the carving.
"I have never seen such…," but before Legolas could finish, a strong gust of wind burst forth from the rock, forcing them back. The sigil began to glow a brilliant emerald as the blast intensified. The sigil grew brighter and brighter until it seemed the entire plain was engulfed in the strange pale green light. Aragorn grabbed Legolas and pulled him away, just as a jagged fissure split the front of the rock with a resounding crack. A surge knocked the three back onto the grass with the force of a hammer blow. A cry came forth from within the now cleaved stone. Legolas attempted to stand and look into the light when an object slammed into him and knocked him again to the ground. Quickly flipping on top of the object, he drew his thin, Elvish blade on the assailant.
The blinding light subsided and the winds returned to normal.
A soft moan came from beneath Legolas. He blinked twice to adjust his eyes. Below he saw the face of a strange woman. The sight caused him to stay his blade; he had not expected a woman to burst from the rock. Lost in bewilderment, he did not hear his friend calling his name.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called for the fifth time, reaching him. Kneeling, he tapped the shoulder of the blonde elf as Gimli gasped at the sight of the woman. Legolas shook his head as if to clear the confusion, and rose to his feet, lowering his knife and tearing his eyes away to meet Aragorn's.
"I did not expect that," he started, answering the question in his friend's eyes. Aragorn smiled and looked down toward the woman, his smile changing to a frown as he brushed her hair from her face.
"She is not of the race of man," Aragorn stated and looked to Legolas.
"Those are the ears of a hobbit," Gimli said in wonder.
"They are, but she is…" Aragorn trailed off as she stirred and her eyes fluttered open.
"Perhaps she can answer our questions herself," said Legolas.
The woman lifted a hand to cover her eyes from the sun and muttered quietly. She tried to sit up but Aragorn gently pushed her back.
"Stay still, all is well," he stated soothingly. Her face turned toward his voice as she lowered her hand. Her dark hazel eyes flashed, jewel-like, as he met her gaze. It was so intense that he had to stand up and look away. Legolas noticed his friend's behavior and cautiously switched his knife to a better position. Gimli followed suit with his axe, gripping its shaft firmly. Her eyes now darted about her surroundings, lingering on the elf and dwarf, and their weapons.
"Thra tiiav?" the woman asked, eyeing the arms nervously.
"Pardon?" Legolas asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Kal tianan?" She began, scooting away. Aragorn now noticed her outlandish garb. Knee-high boots of a soft leather, tanned a bronzed earthy hue were topped by sable leggings, tight to the skin. She wore a dark tunic of gauzy material, with an over tunic dyed in a pattern of tan and green tied across her waist that had shorter, flared sleeves. , Below, a piece of dark fabric tied about her hips, embroidered with copper thread, with long, thin strings hanging to her knees.
She sensed his searching gaze and attempted to stand, but she quickly became dizzy and fell to her hands and knees. Her hand went to her head as a cascade of coppery blonde waves fell over her face.
Legolas stepped closer, noting how the light moved on her hair as if each strand had drops of dew embedded within.
"Who are you?" Legolas asked. She stared up, confused.
"Kal tiana?"
"Is that your name?" Aragorn joined Legolas.
"Ey'sicidav."
"I do not think she speaks Westron," Aragorn muttered. He then tried to speak in every language he knew, from Quenya to the languages of the Harad. She just stared with her strange eyes, perplexed.
Aragorn knelt on the grass, avoiding her eyes, and pointed to himself as he said, "Aragorn." Then he pointed to her. She bit her lower lip while thinking, then pointed to him.
"Aragorn," she stated. He nodded then she pointed to herself, "Nisarsai."
Aragorn nodded and pointed again to her, "Nisarsai, that is your name." He looked back at Legolas and pointed.
"Veles," she stated before Aragorn said anything. He shook his head and said, "Legolas."
She blinked and said, "Legolas ge Veles."
"What is 've-lyes'?" Legolas asked.
"Perhaps that means elf," Gimli suggested. At his voice Nisarsai looked at him curiously then back to Aragorn and then at Legolas. Her eyes widened.
"Fyita," she pointed to Aragorn who looked at her confusedly. "Tiina iu Fyita." She then pointed to Legolas, "tiil ui Veles." She pointed to Gimli. "Va tiil...ui...ey'siadariav," she shrugged. The three hunters looked at her, befuddled.
"Well, what did she say?" Gimli asked. Legolas shrugged and Aragorn ran his hand across his face.
"I think that the more important question would be what we do with her" Aragorn looked back to their new companion. She was speaking to herself in her language, taking in her surroundings.
"Could she be a spy of Saruman?" Legolas asked.
"It is possible, but if she is not… we cannot just leave her here."
"There is one of her and three of us laddie," Gimli said, as she finally rose, shakily, to her feet.
"Have you not taken a good look at her Gimli? She is not elf-kind, she is not of the race of man, and though her ears resemble that of a hobbit, she is clearly much too tall to be one of theirs. She is but a few inches shy of my own height. Even with her ears covered, her eyes… they are not like anything I have seen."
"Nor I," Legolas added, "Not even in elves have I seen eyes so akin to gems."
"Dhain ceiaoínan? Ceiaoínan avún?" She rubbed her stomach and pointed to her mouth. "Niiriav zrelnii." When their responses were too slow coming, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Tif utoem…" she started slowly, as if she were unsure in the wording, "nyi su fyalex. Xibyn neutj Fyitangta?" She looked at Aragorn.
"That was not the same language she spake before," Legolas said, "She used a word like that earlier with you Aragorn… 'fye-a-ta,' I think it was."
"Yes she did, a term for a man perhaps, just as she used 've-lyes' for elf."
"Yet no word for dwarf comes from her mouth," Gimli sighed.
She pointed at him, "Tiina?
Gimli drew a blank face. She pointed to herself, "Nisarsai… va nai?"
"Ah, yes lass," he stepped forward, "Gimli," he pointed to himself and she repeated the name, taking a short bow.
"Thra tiiav?" she asked, pointing to the ground and then gesturing to the land around her.
"We must go now," Aragorn stated, looking up at the sky. It was well past midday, and he feared any more time lost would seal the fates of their hobbit friends.
"Hwee-must-go-naou?" she said slowly, mistaking the phrase as the name of the land. He shook his head no.
"No, Rohan," he corrected, pointing to the ground. Then he pointed to himself, Legolas, Gimli and her and gestured in the direction they would be heading. "We… must… go… now."
She nodded slightly, trying to understand. Aragorn began to walk off, casting a glace at her; Gimli followed, gesturing for her to follow, smiling encouragingly. Legolas came behind her, holding her forearm to lead her forward, nodding reassuringly.
"We must move quickly," he said as he pointed to Aragorn who had begun running again. She gulped and followed as best she could as they all began to run once more across the plains of Rohan.
The afternoon was shifting into twilight, but Aragorn kept the pace to make up for the lost time. He spared a glace behind him and saw that Nisarsai was still them, Gimli not far behind her. Aragorn turned forward again, seeing Legolas' form disappear over the crest of a hill. When he reached the same crest, he paused to quickly scan the surroundings. About three hills away he was able to make out a sheltered spot. Aragorn called out to Legolas. "Make for that outcrop the next couple of hills over," he shouted, pointing.
Legolas spotted it and made his way nimbly over the hills. Upon reaching it, he readied his bow, nocking an arrow and making sure the area was clear. Creeping into the small cave-like structure formed by the large stones, the elf searched with his eyes and arrow tip, scanning for anything that moved. When satisfied that it was clear, he lowered the bow and waited for the others.
The moon climbed in the sky as Aragorn, Nisarsai and Gimli reached the shelter. Gimli entered first, feeling with his course hands for any sign of instability in the stone. "It's a bit small, but it's stable," he stated as he walked out. Aragorn gestured for Nisarsai to go in. She looked at him, then to the dark opening, and back to Aragorn.
"Qan," she shook her head vehemently. "Diu ciéquonza ey'suhetiav nainve!" she stated loudly while gesturing to the rocks and them. "Suhetiav ge marheyve. Diu iaoin fyida kanil, ey'tiada… ey'siadariav kal tianan mal dhain vurinan avule. Tnanain raikajeliarn… kajeriliarn… Tesetin! Bhaser ey'siadarinan avul!?" she started to yell.
"This would be much easier if she stopped speaking that gibberish," Gimli muttered. Aragorn ran his hand through his hair, took a calming breath and approached Nisarsai slowly with his hands before him, trying to look as non-threatening as he could.
"Nisarsai, please calm down," he started gently, "We will not harm you."
Still, Nisarsai began to retreat as she looked around for escape. Legolas stood to her right, motionless, watching her closely, in case she were to lash out or run. Gimli stood next to him, muttering.
"If we are to catch up with the Uruk-hai we must rest before dawn breaks."
She looked over to Gimli, furrowing her brows, trying to understand his words. She then looked to Legolas, who was still watching her intently, and then to Aragorn, inching closer. She placed her right hand over her solar plexus, then with the middle and ring fingers of the same hand touched lightly between her closed eyes. She spoke softly, "Tiav iu auniaeza, iu antiauniae. Suhus, kinzul, Iksuhetaba scial naui darra vrona. Gaoirniav hanyua. Avui yuan hanavidan va tiiav lanaior." While she spoke, she continued backing up and shaking, and when she finished she halted, took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Looking around again she screamed.
Legolas ran to her and grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand. She struggled against him, yelling into his palm, gnashing her teeth against his skin.
"My Lady, please!" Legolas hissed, then explained, slowly, "You must not scream. We will not do you harm. Please." She looked at him, staring into his blue eyes with her own sparkling hazel ones. It took a great amount of will for Legolas to withstand her gaze, the fear and despair shining clearly in her eyes piercing through him. After what seemed to him like hours, though barely a minute had passed, he tore away from her eyes and slowly released her. She began to shake, her lips trembling and tears streaking down her cheeks.
"Ey'tiina iu Iadruvraor, ey'tiina iu Velesor.," she choked. "Graoiniav ocea lanaior." She fell to her knees, weeping. Aragorn and Gimli came over.
"What did you do, Elf?!" Gimli asked accusingly. Legolas glared at him, and then looked back at Nisarsai, who was being helped to her feet by Aragorn.
"I do not think 've-lyes' means elf," he said softly.
"Let's get her inside, slowly. I do not want her startled again," Aragorn said, leading her to the shelter. Legolas and Gimli let them in first, waiting until she was seated and settled. Aragorn sat next to her as she wiped her eyes with her tunic sleeves and breathed with a hitch in her throat. He offered her his water bag and some of the lembas he had in his pack. She eyed it suspiciously, but took it from him with a small nod. Gimli sat on the other side of her, but not too close. Legolas took a seat near the opening. Thankfully the moon was near full, giving them enough light to see. Legolas watched Nisarsai take a careful bite of the lembas, tasting it slowly.
"Do you like it?" Aragorn asked her, pointing to the food as he handed some to Gimli and Legolas. She furrowed her brows. He sighed and pointed to the lembas and then smiled. She nodded.
"Tiida tali," she smiled weakly.
"Well it seems I'm not the only who doesn't like elvish bread!" Gimli guffawed.
Nisarsai seemed to understand slightly and giggled, but then shivered. Legolas noticed and removed his cloak, handing it to her. She waved her hand and shook her head, but he still held it out for her. She reluctantly took the cloak and muttered what seemed to be thanks. She wrapped the cloak around her tightly.
"Aragorn," Legolas started, "I will take watch."
"Agreed, but not for the whole night… or what is left of it," he responded. Legolas tried to protest but Aragorn cut him off. "Even elves need rest sometimes mellon-nin. I will take second watch." Gimli had already fallen asleep and begun to snore. Legolas looked to the back of the small cave and saw Nisarsai's eyes shining through, watching Aragorn lie down beside her, and then turning to look at Gimli. Legolas saw her smile a bit as Gimli snored. Her gaze then turned to Legolas. He smiled softly and motioned for her to sleep; she hesitated and then lay down next to Aragorn.
"Tal'auniaen," she whispered. Legolas leaned back against the stone and looked out across the plains.