"Chapter One:
The Prelude"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celalcien woke from her nightmare in a cold sweat. The thoughts she had pushed to the back of her mind had surfaced in her sleep.
The wind stirred the trees and shadows danced all around her. Suddenly a movement caught her eye, something was moving among the leaves.
Lal jumped up to her feet, drawing her knife in the process. As her bright eyes searched the darkness the girl tensed while images of dark hooded figures filled her mind.
There! A shadow had moved!
Celalcien drew toward where the creature had last been, her footsteps soft and silent.
Suddenly whatever had been watching her jumped out of it's hiding place.
Her hand clutched the small weapon and she moved to stab the thing before her, stopping short when she realized what it was. A deer!
She let out the breath she'd been holding in as the large animal darted away.
Celalcien felt herself relax only slightly. This was too much, a burden she couldn't handle.
Tears began to find their way down her cheeks. No longer did she care for the seemingly precious gift of her father's ring. She was only 18, she didn't want this. It kept her from life, it kept her from people, and someday it would take her from here. It would take her from the friends she had grown so fond of; it would take her from...from Merry.
No! She didn't want to leave, she felt safe here in Hobbiton, she felt like her life was here. And, odd as it seemed, Merry was the foremost reason for her to stay. She cared for him in a way she could not understand. When he was around it was easy to smile, to laugh, to forget her problems, and her nightmares.
But as long as she had the Elven ring she couldn't stay.
Frustration swept over her and turned to anger, causing more tears to fall from her brown eyes. Her head felt like it was beginning to spin. Without another thought she pulled the small silver band from her finger and threw it to the ground. She wouldn't bear it any longer, she couldn't. It would remain where she had cast it, buried under years of leaves and grass, forgotten.|
Celalcien turned to leave; no one would know where the ring lay.
Suddenly the wind picked up again, stirring the braches, making fear rise up inside her again. What if the Dark Lord rose up again? What if he sought the rings once more? The Riders might find it lying there, not covered enough to be hidden from them.
She turned back, unwilling to be responsible for such a thing.
As she bent back down to pick up the small treasure the Sun began to grow in the East. It would be light soon. Sam, Merry, Frodo and Pippin would expect to see her that day, just as they had for the past month and a half. However, today would be different. She would not meet them at Bag Shot Row, they would not see her at breakfast, nor ever again.
Merry's face floated before her eyes, leaving in itself was painful enough, she wouldn't stand a goodbye.
Slowly Celalcien pushed her blanket into her pack. She would have to leave soon, before she found the call of the Shire too much to handle
The Prelude"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celalcien woke from her nightmare in a cold sweat. The thoughts she had pushed to the back of her mind had surfaced in her sleep.
The wind stirred the trees and shadows danced all around her. Suddenly a movement caught her eye, something was moving among the leaves.
Lal jumped up to her feet, drawing her knife in the process. As her bright eyes searched the darkness the girl tensed while images of dark hooded figures filled her mind.
There! A shadow had moved!
Celalcien drew toward where the creature had last been, her footsteps soft and silent.
Suddenly whatever had been watching her jumped out of it's hiding place.
Her hand clutched the small weapon and she moved to stab the thing before her, stopping short when she realized what it was. A deer!
She let out the breath she'd been holding in as the large animal darted away.
Celalcien felt herself relax only slightly. This was too much, a burden she couldn't handle.
Tears began to find their way down her cheeks. No longer did she care for the seemingly precious gift of her father's ring. She was only 18, she didn't want this. It kept her from life, it kept her from people, and someday it would take her from here. It would take her from the friends she had grown so fond of; it would take her from...from Merry.
No! She didn't want to leave, she felt safe here in Hobbiton, she felt like her life was here. And, odd as it seemed, Merry was the foremost reason for her to stay. She cared for him in a way she could not understand. When he was around it was easy to smile, to laugh, to forget her problems, and her nightmares.
But as long as she had the Elven ring she couldn't stay.
Frustration swept over her and turned to anger, causing more tears to fall from her brown eyes. Her head felt like it was beginning to spin. Without another thought she pulled the small silver band from her finger and threw it to the ground. She wouldn't bear it any longer, she couldn't. It would remain where she had cast it, buried under years of leaves and grass, forgotten.|
Celalcien turned to leave; no one would know where the ring lay.
Suddenly the wind picked up again, stirring the braches, making fear rise up inside her again. What if the Dark Lord rose up again? What if he sought the rings once more? The Riders might find it lying there, not covered enough to be hidden from them.
She turned back, unwilling to be responsible for such a thing.
As she bent back down to pick up the small treasure the Sun began to grow in the East. It would be light soon. Sam, Merry, Frodo and Pippin would expect to see her that day, just as they had for the past month and a half. However, today would be different. She would not meet them at Bag Shot Row, they would not see her at breakfast, nor ever again.
Merry's face floated before her eyes, leaving in itself was painful enough, she wouldn't stand a goodbye.
Slowly Celalcien pushed her blanket into her pack. She would have to leave soon, before she found the call of the Shire too much to handle